Ixchel

The other day as I was writing about our Saturday with Dogs, I had planned to link various elements of that story to previous articles.   And that’s when I discovered that I haven’t written any blog entries about our critters!  At least, not in a very long time, and not at all about our youngest critter, Ixchel.

Now, if you know us, you know we went absolutely nutso over our newest pup, Ixchel, a black & tan, short-hair, miniature dachshund.  So, let me tell you ’bout our best friend… well one of the two, anyhow!

The story begins high up in the Wyoming mountains on August 3, 2011.  Our friends Cindy and Juline had arrived with their new dachshund puppy in tow.  Way, way, way back in 1998 Scott had arranged for us to adopt two White German Shepherd puppies (perhaps another story for another time) and I in turn had promised Scott that our next dog would be a dachshund since he had grown up with them, and they were his favored breed (German Shepherd Dogs are mine, maybe another story).  Later we got Nikki, an Australian Shepherd/Blue Heeler mix.

So, jumping back to near present, we’re sitting outside the trailer have our morning coffee, and I ask Juline & Cindy where they got their puppy.  I’m feeling expansive, as one does at 5 am on a morning, sitting on the top of a mountain in Wyoming.  I’m thinking “It’s time to make good on my promise to Scott!”

Juline proceeded to tell me about her friend who has two dachshunds, a boy dachshund (short hair, merle) and a girl dachshund (long hair black & tan).  Apparently, they had bred the two, gotten a nice litter, adopted them out, and decided that would be it for a couple of years.  But, they didn’t pay attention to the signs, missed Mommy’s going in to heat, and walla! a new litter of puppers appear around New Years Day, 2011.  This was IT.  No more puppies for Mommy for at least 2 years!  It is one of THESE puppies that Cindy & Juline have adopted.

Darn, I think.  I’ll have to look elsewhere for a puppy for Scott.  And THAT was how we spent August 3.  Get that?  AUGUST THREE.

AUGUST the THIRD!  (In case you can’t tell, I want you to remember August the 3rd, 2011.)

The following Sunday, we packed up and headed home to Omaha.  On Wednesday, I’m watching television with my laptop in my lap, like I often do in the evening.  Multi-tasking!  Watch TV, surf Facebook, chat with long-distance friends.  Juline sends me a text message on my phone.  I wish I’d saved it, I’d share it.  But she told me that, apparently, her friend’s son had allowed Mommy dachshund and Daddy dachshund to mingle during, THAT TIME.  And another litter had suddenly appeared.

ON AUGUST THIRD!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, on August 3, 2011.  The third of August, while Juline was telling me about how they got their puppy and that there would be no more puppies.  THAT August 3.

And so it was that on August 13, Scott and I met up with Juline & Cindy & Mommy dachshund and Daddy dachshund & 5 adorable Baby Dachshunds!  Scott picked out the littlest of the 5, the “runtess” of the litter.  The following Wednesday, August 17, Scott and I were back visiting as our little runt opened her eyes for the first time!  Oh, my, gosh.  One cute, adorable little puppy, and two melted hearts!

And that, is how Ixchel came to join our rag-tag family!  What?  What’s that?  Her name?  It’s Ixchel!  Oh! Where did we come up with that name?

Well, you all know Scott is studying archaeology, right?  The area he wants to focus on has to do with Native American cultures, and includes the Mayans.  The Mayan pantheon included the goddess Ixchel.  Ixchel was Goddess of Summer.  Oh, and if you look that up, you’ll see she had numerous other duties.  Mars, the color red, midwifery, war.  We liked the Goddess of Summer part.

Ixchel our little goddess of summer!