Shelly was our first pet after we moved to Tennessee. We got her before we had a house. She would go with us to the spot where we planned to build and we would walk around with her and tell her that some day this is where she would live. One of the first things we did after we moved in was to build a place for Shelly. We build a little pen and a shelter for her at the back of the house. As soon as we could we fenced the back yard. Soon she had a dog house of her own. Here she is enjoying her new home.

We had pets for many years in Illinois and we missed them now. If was as if Shelly had been sent to us. We started a new life of retirement in a new place with a new pet.

Soon Shelly was happy in her new home and we were all starting a new adventure together.

It was not long until Missy was added to the family. We got her when she was just a puppy. Missy grew up to be the kind of dog that loved everybody. In fact at times she would be too friendly. Missy wanted to be with us every minute. She would be under our feet everywhere we went.

Like Shelly, as she grew she soon became accustomed to her home and she made a good partner for Shelly. They have spent many hours together and most of them have been agreeable.

Some time after we got Shelly we learned that she was afraid of storms. When the sky would get cloudy and she heard the sound of thunder she would become terrified. One day after one of these storms we could not find Shelly. We looked everywhere we knew to look. We checked outside and we even looked in the house. We looked under the beds and everywhere we could think of. Just as we were about to give up the search we noticed one of the doors open on a cabinet in the den. We looked there and sure enough Shelly was curled up in the cabinet. We emptied that cabinet and from day we have left that door open and this is Shelly's storm house.

Every day has been an adventure with our pets. Early one morning Missy was in the back yard barking. We called her and she would not come in. She just continued to stand at the arbor and bark and look up. Finally, we saw what had her attention. Apparently a bantam rooster had flown over the fence and Missy had chased it and it flew to the top of the arbor. Missy stayed there for hours until the rooster finally flew to a nearby pine tree and then flew off.

That was a very exciting morning for Missy and in fact for us also.

Missy has always liked to have a crowd around her. Here she is enjoying the sunshine and the attention on the balcony of our home. Missy is always happy when there is a crowd around. She loves the attention.

Missy enjoying sunshine and attention from Memi and Susan.








Miranda loves to play with Missy and Missy is always willing to play with her.










Here Shelly is just relaxing. She has always liked to lie on a rug.

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Missy relaxing in front of the heater and Shelly in her favorite chair. These pictures were taken October, 2000.




This is Shelly in November 2000. She has been with us 9 1/2 years.

Here Shellly is enoying the chair again. This picture was taken in February, 2001.

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Shelly, Missy and Simon getting along like cats and dogs. They love to be together. More about Simon on upcomoing pages.