Daily Archives: May 24, 2012

Well, it’s official (since we actually celebrated today) Mlle. Renee Taches de Rousseur is now four years old. And to celebrate the occasion, she dressed up in her brand new hot pink bandana.

Because of her found-on-the-street status, which would most definitely prevent her from running for any public office in the state of Arizona, her exact birth date is unknown. A good guess is somewhere between the middle and end of May. So today was as good a day as any.

I actually went out and bought her a McDonald’s hamburger sans onions. And she knew what I had in the bag as soon as I walked into the house. The only thing she likes better than Mickey D’s, is any kind of cheese. In this house I keep a box of Velveeta in the fridge for when I have to give her a pill. And if you happen to use the word cheese in the house, she searches all over trying to find it. I could have ordered a McDouble from the dollar menu, but she’s still on a diet and the extra burger and two slices of cheese were not on it.

Also I had to leave some calories for her oatmeal and apple cookie which served as her birthday cake.

Then she was finally able to tear the wrapping off of her birthday gift. A new bacon-flavored nylabone chew toy designed to help keep her teeth cleaned.

Renee is a wonderful dog and she has now owned me for 3.25 years. She’s always taking care of me … like if we miss a couple of days of taking a walk; she’ll take me over to the rocking chair where I always hang her walking leash and collar. On our walks I pick the routes we’re taking for the first half, then for the return half I say, “OK, take me home now.” Naturally, she’ll always go across a street we don’t have to cross so she can stop and say hello to a very old yellow lab who lives on that side of the street. She used to get up and give Renee a happy bark, but the last couple of months she just looks up with a sad expression.

For some reason, Renee has been developing a rash on her tummy the last two springs. Her vet lady says it’s like a diaper rash that only gets worse because she licks it. I think it’s caused by the zoysia grass that forms seed stems in the early spring. She loves to roll in the grass, because zoysia grass is like a stiff brush. The vet’s recommended treatment, is to rub Gold Bond Ointment on the affected area. So every evening after dinner, she will come and stand in front of me so I can rub the ointment on her tummy. Then she’ll turn around so I can rub some on the other side.

Mlle. Renee is most decidedly smarter than the average dog … or bear.