I have been remiss and have not introduced you to two members of our family.

Meet Ted & Stella.

Ted is a miniature poodle.  He was born a grumpy old man. Ted has been with Abe longer than I have. For all his faults, and there are many, he has been good with Gilbert. He is a very picky eater and he screams anytime we get in and out of the car with him. He has developed a fondness for Stella that he likes to express in an awkward way.

Seriously, Ted… quit doing that in front of guests and small children. That belongs in the privacy of your kennel.

Stella is the newest member to join our family. She is my dog. We rescued her in May from the Wenatchee Humane Society. We are still working on remedial potty training and basic commands, but what she lacks in bowel control and obedience, she makes up for with her good nature.

I mean look at this face.

Even though I really wanted a big dog, I knew she was the right dog the first day we got her. Gilbert was running, tripped, and fell on top of her. He fell hard enough to actually bounce off her back. She reacted like that was the best thing that ever happened to her and she wanted more. After our recent experience with adopting a dog who bit Gilbert without warning (emergency room trips stink) and had to be returned to the Humane Society, this little incident with Stella gave me great peace of mind.

(source)

 Now you have met all the residents on our homestead.  Feel better?  I do.  I will sleep better now.

P.S. Please note that the dog we returned, Lucas, found a good home. We kept checking up on him, because we didn’t want one poor moment in a new home to mean he didn’t get a second chance. The Humane Society was truly wonderful with handling the situation. He was placed in a foster home for observation and training and eventually he was adopted by a bachelor with no kids.