Maisie’s sister is for sale.  She’d be about 2 years old,  and I’m sure she’s a beautiful tri- sheltie.  I’d love to have her.  But this morning, in the early gray light of pre-dawn I recognized why having two shelties won’t work for us.

The one sheltie-girl we have had to go out at 6:30 this morning.  She doesn’t know that it’s Saturday.  Or that Mama had a really long week.  She just knows that she goes outside at 6:30 every morning.  If not earlier.  So I drag myself out of bed, bundle up in layers while she hops impatiently around my feet.  Out we go into the dark.  Up and down the path her Dad shoveled for her.  Up and down the path again.  Have to smell everything.  Trying to find a really good spot.

Apparently there were no good spots, and after 15 minutes she turned and trotted purposefully toward the house.  I went back to bed.  At 7:00 she had to go out.  I told her to “GO LIE DOWN!”  She did for a minute, then she was back.  She had to go! I told her to GO LIE DOWN!!! She burrowed under the blanket, down to my feet and nipped my toes.

I dragged myself out of bed, put on the layers.  We went out.  Walked up and down the path.  A lot.  I sang to her “Find a spot…find a spot.  Katie go bathroom.”  My ears were freezing.  So was my nose.  We left the path and slogged through the snow, out to the road, sniffed the mailbox and then trotted briskly back up the driveway.  She skidded around the corner into her path and we raced to the end of it.  I was excited; surely now we’d get some action?  She stood at the end of the path and looked at me.  Then she trotted for the front door.  I went back to bed.

Twenty minutes later she knocks me up the side of my head with her paw.  She wants to go out.  I didn’t even try to tell her to lie down.  I dragged myself out of bed, added the layers..we went out.  Read above paragraphs for the routine.  We ended up back inside with no business being done.

I thought to myself.  If there were TWO shelties I’d get to do all this times two.  No way am I up for that.  So we’ll try to find Maisie’s sister a good home, somewhere she’ll be spoiled rotten, in a warmer climate maybe, or someone with a fenced yard so going out isn’t such an ordeal.

Cause this Mama is already tired.  And it’s going to be a long winter.