On a tuesday in december my sweet Sili turned 4. It didn’t seem like she could possibly be that old but then Cashew was a 5 lb beanie baby in my hand when Sili was 3 and Cashew was almost a year old now so she had to be 4. Unfortunately the tree pollen was really making Sili itch and she had licked a raw bloody spot on her leg, so the cone was brought out of retirement and tied around her head to save her from herself. So, not an ideal birthday but i tried to still make it fun. I kept her with me all throughout the chores because she was quite clumsy and couldn’t see where she was going and i recognized she was not a formidable opponent for a coyote with that giant plastic thing on her head. She would lay down near me and then when i moved down the laundry line i would have to call her because she couldn’t see that i had gone. Then i’d have to keep calling her so she could follow the sound of my voice. If she had held her head up and moved it around she probably could have seen me but Sili was not a problem solver like Cashew. It kept her out of trouble whereas Cashew was always in trouble. It also meant she did not adapt to new situations easily, or in the case of plastic cones…ever. Around supper time i made Sili a birthday dinner and Cashew and i sung to her. Well, Cashew was more protesting the fact that she had to wait for her food but i like to think she was helping me sing happy birthday to her sister. Then i opened the crate doors and handed them their food bowls. Sili figured out how to eat her birthday dinner even with the awkward plastic cone on her head. It was her usual dry food with a few scoops of salmon and potato wet food, 3 salmon biscuits, and 2 lamb hearts. Happy Birthday my sweet Sili.
