3/1/2011 Katrina loves dogs

Our dog-walking neighbor happened by as I was parking the car with the kids while arriving from work & school today. She was walking "Polkie," her 12-year-old rescued pit-bull-dalmation mix who's missing an ear. This is the most docile, gentle, sweet dog you've ever met, yet our neighbor says some people get freaked out by her resemblance to a pit bull. Hahhh!

Katrina especially was very happy to see Polkie again, and exclaimed to our neighbor's delight that she wasn't afraid of dogs. "Am I screaming?" Katrina asked, hands in the air, "Seeeee -- No!"


Polkie loved the attention.


I took the opportunity to finally introduce myself to this longtime neighbor we've waved to and exchanged a few words with for over 10 years. Finally today, I asked her what her name was, shook hands and introduced myself, and found out where she lives (a block or two away). She's a lovely kind lady, and as I discovered when I uploaded these photos, she's one of those people who just lights up a camera.

She's lived in this neighborhood almost since it was built, and remembers the original owner and builder of our house, who died in the mid-1970s. And she's been walking dogs around this neighborhood for decades.

Katrina woke me up this morning at 6:45 when I heard her going into the bathroom to tell Dave (who was taking a shower): "Daddy there's BLOOD on my pajamas!" Poor thing had a nasty nosebleed gusher that wouldn't quit for over 20 minutes. She never cried or got upset, she was just very interested in it all as I used wipe after wipe to clean her up and contain the blood. It must have just woken her up too; I could tell from her trembling hands -- she still trembles when she's just woken up, as she's done since she was born.

It somehow stopped at about 7:15 and we all went about our usual day, if there is such a thing.

3/1/2011