Guinea Pig Heaven

My husband and I got into Montpelier, VA (where his parents live) last night and have been trying to relax since. It's always so nice to come home and spend time with family. Last night ended on a sad note, though, as we say goodbye to my sister-in-law's sweet little guinea pig, Peanut Butter. He was almost 5 years old (average lifespan is 4-6 years) but had a large baseball-sized tumor on his back leg. A guinea pig might not mean much to you but he was a sweet, gentle little piggie and was a great pet. It was sad to say goodbye, but we rest easy knowing he's up in Heaven (YES I believe animals go to Heaven!) with his mom and brother, waiting on his rotten sister. Funny how the mean one outlived the rest!

Cute little Peanut Butter

"Hey...whatcha got there?"

Love this one of him and his brother Berber (like the carpet because he was born with curly fur)

Berber, Smoothie (the sister) and Peanut Butter as wee little babies. How cute are they?!? They were a a day old in this picture! They're born with all their fur and have their eyes and ears open. I didn't know much about guinea pigs when mine had her babies so I was surprised to see them like this! 

Not only was he good with humans handling him, but he didn't mind the dog or the cats! This is my in-law's dog Shadow, a white german shepherd mix. She's an awesome dog! 

After a sad night, today was spent relaxing and spending time with Brian's family. It was a good way to spend the day, minus the doctor's appointment I had to go to. I also stopped by a former employer's home to say hello. She's a golden retriever breeder and I used to dog-sit and exercise her show dogs for her. She's a sweet lady in her late 60s and it was nice to see how happy she was to see me. Her name is Diane and she even has three of her five dogs certified as therapy dogs. One of them she takes to the local YMCA and elementary school to help children in the reading programs. They sit and read books to Vera the dog. It's amazing how much they improve by reading to a dog! If your child or someone you know has a child in the Hanover, Virginia area, check out the YMCA or South Anna Elementary's reading programs and get your child to improve their reading skills by reading to Vera the therapy dog!

Vera after her exercise of retrieving bumpers! Not the best picture but you can see how cute she is! 

Tomorrow will prove to be a busy day of family and fun times. First things first...fishing in the pond in the morning!! Hopefully I'll have some big fish pictures to post!

In the mean time, tell me about your favorite pet or animal that has made an impact on your life! Have you ever felt like your pet has been a form of therapy in your life?

Till next time,
Catherine