Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many. ~Author unknown
I Monkey here.
It’s been chaotic of late, so Mama has let me take over her blog again. (Besides, I have w-a-a-a-y more interesting things to say, heh heh!)
Recently, I became ecstatic when Mama got out my harness and leash, promising me a ride in the car. We were heading, she said, to see Gramma.
Woo Hoo! I haven’t seen her in ages, and I’ve missed her.
You see, Gramma’s old, and she’s in a place where there are lots of other old folks. I guess Mama told you a bit about that, but she always leaves out the really interesting things.
Things only I Monkey can share.
When we got there, I started walking ahead of Mama, and suddenly, the doors slid right open. I kid you not! I looked at Mama, and she wasn’t touching them; nor was there anybody operating them on the other side.
Weird.
Then we saw a long line of old people seated in chairs with wheels. Mama said they were waiting for the dining room to open so they could eat.
Before I Monkey finished pondering that, my ears picked up lots of oohs and aahs, and I noticed folks pointing at me and saying, “Look! It’s a puppy!”
My “puppy” days are behind me, folks, but at least they got the species right. Still, I’m a little sad learning that old folks might not see enough dogs to tell the difference.
Hmm. Maybe more people ought to bring their dogs for visits.
We kept walking and passed a big desk-thing (the nurses’ station, Mama said), and they all wanted to play with me.
But I wasn’t having any of that. No way.
He’s skittish, Mama told them kind of apologetically.
Whatever.
I get to choose who touches me. That’s the rule.
Besides, not a one of them had any food, so there was no obligation on my part.
Eventually, we made it to Gramma’s room, and boy, was she happy to see me!
“He’s bigger,” she said.
“Nope,” Mama said.
I agree with Mama. She measures out my food and treats daily, and she makes me walk all the time, so I won’t turn into a “chunky monkey.”
We didn’t stay too long — Mama was afraid I’d pee on the floor (huh!) — and on the way back out, we followed an old lady in one of those wheeled chairs.
I sneaked up behind her to give it a quick sniff — no, she never knew — but golly, I’ve never seen so many wheeled folks in my life. There was a whole contingent of them outside the dining room.
Mama says some pups, too, have to use wheeled devices to get around. Like if they lost a leg to sickness or an accident.
I Monkey think that sounds dreadful. Losing a leg. Hmph!
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
Hi Monkey!
“Before I Monkey finished pondering that, my ears picked up lots of oohs and aahs, and I noticed folks pointing at me and saying, “Look! It’s a puppy!”
I would have done the same thing had I seen you! And I think they said “puppy” because you still have that adorable puppy face!
So glad you had a nice visit with Gramma. And I’m absolutely sure your appearance put a smile on her face and brought her much JOY!
As always, I love when you post Monkey! Wishing you and Mama a Happy 4th of July! X
Aw, Mr. Ron, thanks for clarifying those “puppy” comments. I Monkey didn’t know whether they were complimenting or insulting me! Yes, Gramma enjoyed seeing me (and Mama, too, I suppose). It’s sad she’s stuck in that place, but she’s got to mend before she can come home. Mama and I hope you have a wonderful Fourth, too. I Monkey am NOT looking forward to the “scary booms,” but Mama will do her best to keep me calm. xx
An exciting day, Monkey! And what a ray of sunshine you must have been. Hope you are able to visit again soon.
Thanks, Miss Laurie. Yes, I Monkey am a real cheerleader (at least, Mama is always saying I make her laugh!). And come to think of it, I made Gramma smile, too. I’ll have to get Mama to take me again so I can put another smile on Gramma’s face!
This is more proof that all those programs that bring volunteers and their pets — even cats! — to places like the one you explored are valuable as can be. Everyone enjoys giving pets and getting lick-kisses, and even the sight of a pretty pet can be immensely cheering!
You’re right, Miss Linda. Mama said she’s heard of tiny horses going into places like old folks’ homes and really brightening the residents’ faces. I Monkey can’t see a CAT making anybody very happy, but that’s me — Mama says lots of people really take to cats, and just because I don’t doesn’t mean they’re not welcome guests. Huh!
That’s exciting, Monkey! I didn’t know those places let dogs in to visit, that’s excellent! I hope Penny will want to do that when she gets older. But we don’t have anyone in one of those places right now to visit, so we think she’d have to be a certified therapy dog to get in. You are an excellent boy for going to see your Grandma, I just know she was so happy to see you!
Miss Dawn, I Monkey didn’t know I couldn’t go in there! Mama says she’s seen lots of little dogs (Yorkies and such) visiting, so she figured I’d be okay, too. She said St. Dallas would have been an excellent therapy dog because of his gentle nature. I, however, am blessed with LOTS more spit and vinegar, so she was a tad leery taking me. I behaved admirably — so there, Mama! And I Monkey bet Miss Penny will spread lots of smiles around, too!
Good job, Monkey. Just the sight of you brought some joy. It was a good thing for mama to do. Be honest now. Did you even think about peeing on the floor?
Aw, Mr. John, thank you. Yes, I Monkey did spread around some sunshine (and from their sad faces, lots of those folks needed me!). Okay, full disclosure: yes, I Monkey did think about peeing on the floor. You would have, too, if you’d smelled where somebody had already “gone” — heh heh!
Yeah, I know what you mean.
What a good dog you are to visit your Gramma! I’m sure you cheered everyone up, even without letting them touch you. Your mom was nice to take you there too.
Thanks, Miss Ann. I Monkey found it most interesting. I’d never seen people in wheeled chairs before, and as you can probably imagine, there were all sorts of interesting smells going around. I think perhaps other people take their dogs to visit the residents, too, because I did smell “dog” while I was walking around. We pups have a way of putting smiles on everybody’s faces!
I’m glad you got to cheer up your Gramma, Monkey. Everyone loves a puppy! (and you’ll always be your Mama’s puppy, even when you feel grown up) We have places like that here which have their own resident puppies and kitties, along with birds and fish.
That’s good to hear, Miss Kelly. I Monkey might be young still, but I’m already aware of how much pets can add to a human’s life. Maybe one day Mama will take me back and I *might* consent to letting them pet me. Probably not, heh heh!!
What an interesting day you had there, Monkey! And it must have been wonderful for both you and Gramma to see each other again. I hope you enjoyed being the center of so much attention while you were there, even if you didn’t want to be touched. Humans want to touch as much as dogs want to sniff. (I had a Sheltie once and people often mistook him for a Collie puppy.)
Yes, Miss Barbara. Mama always gets asked if I’m a Collie. I Monkey don’t think I look anything like a Collie (well, maybe the furs!), but people don’t seem to understand breed differences these days. Gramma said the lady next door to her often gets visits from her husband and their little dog. I guess we dogs should visit more often and cheer those folks up!
I came back here to leave a quick note. You mentioned that we could like your current post, but I’ve never seen a like button on any of your posts, and couldn’t find one on that page. Is it hidden away somewhere and doofus me can’t find it?
Hi Linda, and thanks for your comment. The Like button falls at the end of the post, just after the Continue Reading link. It’s right above the keywords used to tell Google what the post is about, right below the Share places like Facebook and Twitter. Hope that helps!
Well, the mystery is sort of solved. When I open your post from the email, none of that shows up: there’s no ‘continue reading’ link, no share buttons, no like button. I finally found them by going to your site and clicking on the specific post. Got it!