September 22, 2020
by jenniferpuryear
In the morning we rise when Daisy cries. She cries to be released from the crate. I reach in, retrieve her, and she and I go to Pepper’s crate. Daisy bounds in with bunny jumps and face licks and face nips and ear tugs, then we rush outside before she has an accident. When we come in, I serve the girls breakfast. Pepper gets big …
June 3, 2018
by jenniferpuryear
Hello, Bacon Readers! The Bacon “Top 10 Summer Reads” post is in the works – coming June 14th. In the meanwhile, I’m dreaming of the beach and thinking of one of my adventures with Pepper over Spring Break… There’s nothing like a trip to the beach to lift your spirits. The sun! The surf! Even the rain’s not so bad. Life hums and thrums while …
February 25, 2018
by jenniferpuryear
In February it rains and rains and rains while unhappy pets sit at windows wishing they weren’t stuck inside. Yards are muddy and sludgy and spotted with pools of standing water. An especially large pool developed in the back corner of our yard. Pepper sat by the window, patiently at first and less patiently as the day dragged on. She sat, then she paced, she …
February 14, 2018
by jenniferpuryear
Pepper and I returned from a damp and dreary walk in the neighborhood one recent afternoon. Early crocuses blooming at the base of the old oak tree were the only signs of a spring still distant. As we approached the house, Pep and I both heard it: our favorite loud, deep bark. “It’s Hotch!” she cried, and I let her off the leash. Pep dashed …
October 3, 2017
by jenniferpuryear
Kevin Crumbo and Captain Jack Sparrow were up early this morning, one of them sad. From Kevin: “Don’t you think 4:00 am is a bit early to be tuning a guitar?” Jack said as he pondered why I wasn’t gearing up for the morning hike in Percy Warner Park. “I lost a good friend last night. Tom Petty died.” “That is terrible news. Are you …
September 17, 2017
by jenniferpuryear
The weakened remnant of Hurricane Irma brought 3 days of gentle but persistent rain to Nashville. We had nothing to complain about. “I’m bored to tears,” Pepper complained on day 1, stuck inside, and I gave her a large bacon and cheese stuffed bone to help pass the time. “I’m bored to tears,” she complained on day 2, and I gave her a large peanut …
September 3, 2017
by jenniferpuryear
Sometimes we see things we wish we hadn’t. One recent afternoon, late in the day, Pepper dashed from the back yard up to the door, scratching to get my attention. I opened it, expecting her usual rush into the house, but instead she dashed down the back porch steps into the yard. “What’s going on?” I called. “Come, come!” she cried. Well trained to that command, …
July 2, 2017
by jenniferpuryear
Pepper was enjoying a marvelous nap in the kitchen one recent afternoon while I caught up on Facebook. Correction: I thought Pepper was napping. After my third trip to the freezer in as many minutes, she sat right up in her bed. “Do you plan on eating that third ice cream sandwich?” she inquired. “Oh gosh!” I stuttered. “Have I already eaten two? They’re really …
June 11, 2017
by jenniferpuryear
You don’t expect to see a chipmunk (otherwise known as a “ground squirrel”) 8 feet up a tree trunk. It would clearly rather be anywhere else on the planet. It’s not sure what to do next. Pepper, on the other hand, was quite sure what she’d like to do next. (There is little doubt about why the chipmunk found itself up a tree.) Pep leapt up …
May 14, 2017
by jenniferpuryear
It was not an unusual morning. I was up early, drinking tea, browsing the Facebook feed, while Pepper kept an eye on things in the yard from her spot in the sunroom. Then – an explosion of barking! (From Pep.) She ran to the door, lunging into it, letting me know in her subtle way that a very urgent matter required her attention. A squirrel, …