Stuff

I find my attitude toward Speedy's stuff to be interesting.

I have no problem passing some of his things on to the other dogs.  And then there are other things that I simply cannot bear to hand on to one of the others.

Years ago, at our very first Star Spangled Swing, we got one of those raised bowl sets in the raffle.  Those bowls have been "Speedy's bowls" ever since.  I only used one of them for one of the others in a pinch.  I didn't even use the device to raise the bowls until this past summer when it was evident that Speedy would really benefit from a raised bowl.

I moved the bowl stand right over to Sammie's place - his bowl fits right into it.  I have no problem whatsoever with him using it.

But the bowls themselves, I cannot use.  I will probably end up packing them away.  I never used Maddie's bowl again, either.  I ended up giving it to a friend to use as a pivot platform with her cat.

I'm not sure why I am that way with their bowls, but there is just no reason to keep them out.

I am glad that Sammie is enjoying the stand, though.  I'd have gotten him one a long time ago if I had realized he would like it so much.

Tessa wears Maddie's collar.  It is just much prettier than the one I originally got her.  I love that she wears it.

I misplaced Dean's collar several months ago and he has been using Tessa's original pink one!  It's not actually girly - it's a diamond pattern.  But it is pink!

I hung Speedy's collar on the collar rack and I plan to transfer Dean's tag onto it and let him use it.  It will clash badly with his merle fur pattern, but I will like having him use Speedy's adorable collar.

But I caught sight of Speedy's 4 foot leather Rally leash that was a gift from his instructors when he earned his first Rally Q and I couldn't even touch it.  I have even used it for other dogs before, but I have always thought of it as his.  I will probably end up packing that away, too, at least until I really need it for something with one of the others.

Tessa inherited most of his decorative collars for Freestyle long ago, so I am fine with her using them.  Most of his training aids, targets, props, etc. have been held in common with the others for so long, I almost don't think of them as his, even if they technically were at some point.  But I'm sure I am going to run into some odds and ends along the way that I will hesitate over.

The biggest difficult I have is with his bed.  He has a really nice memory foam ortho bed that all of the dogs always understood to be his.  I never had to say a word to any dog, Speedy pretty much "claimed" it and nobody argued.

Now it sits empty in its place near the foot of the bed.  Nobody uses it.  I almost wish they would, but they don't.  It's too big to stash.  But is hard to see every day.  I think it might be easier if another of the dogs would use it.  I am thinking about rearranging things a bit.  Maybe if I move it, one of the others might make use of it.

These are the everyday life things.  The things that I encounter every day as I go through daily life and the little things that have to be dealt with as we start the process of moving on.