I haven't even introduced them, and that seems pretty pathetic considering I decided to rename this blog in their honor. So here they are ...

Barkley is my boy

- he's an 11-year old Silky Terrier who does surely live up to his name. It's not why we chose it though, and the fact that he suffers he's from extreme separation anxiety and has barked until he's actually lost his voice is pure coincidence. He's a very handsome black and tan fellow (soon the black will be all silver, but we're not going there), not your typical Silky with his floppy ears and coat with a natural curl. I spontaneously brought him home one very, very bad day ... youngest daughter was 9 at the time, and burst into tears when she spotted him tucked into the front of my jean jacket as I walked in the front door ("do we get to keep him???" yes, indeed we do!) Best spontaneous decision I ever made.

Zoë Lucille is our Westie princess

-- she was a gift to oldest daughter on her 14th birthday, 9 years ago(!) in July, and even though Barkley likes everyone to think he'd have preferred to be an only child dog, he really has grown to love his sister. And even though she was involved in the demise of 1/2 jar of my favorite extra chunky peanut butter while I was at work the other day, she's a love. It's her warm breath and cold wet nose in my face that gets me out of bed in the morning - she's the snooze on my alarm. :)

MaggieMay - what do I say about MM

- she is the most recent addition to our house having come to us only in the last 2 years, making them all officially a pack of dogs. She's also the naughtiest yet the most eager to please – she was the instigator in the peanut butter incident. MM came to us after being rescued from a horrid situation with 55-60 other dogs. She had no social skills, was afraid of everyone and everything, and has some obvious physical, mental, and emotional scars from her previous life. But, youngest daughter is the collector of all things stray … friends and animals alike. And we love her (daughter and MM :). With their short little legs it's obvious Barks and Zoë would never make it up and onto the counter to scavenge for snacks, leaving muddy footprints across the flat oven top. Not saying the other two aren't taking advantage of any prizes she scores during the day while I'm away. Oh, and she can climb our weeping willow tree.

Collectively they’ve come to be known to family and friends as those naughty damn dogs! Come to think of it, bet the neighbors know it, too. ;)