Wordless Wednesday...random acts of playfulness

I know that by adding my commentary, I am violating the wordless theme of this post, but I know you all will let it slide.  Payton was an extremely playful puppy, biting, chewing, chasing after Tim with the highest pitched yip ever.  She was always a very aggressive player, totally determined to kill whatever "toy" was in her path, not wanting to stop until it was completely destroyed.  It always struck me as odd behavior for a pug...just never thought of this breed as having any animal instincts since they are bread for companionship.  Her first toy was a rope bone and soon after that a red puppy-sized Kong.  She would run around barking with that Kong in her mouth.  It was like a funny megaphone.  Her most favorite toy was the petite Nylabone Galileo Bone.  We had to get rid of them about 6 months after she was diagnosed with PDE because she chipped two teeth (they were weak because of the prednisone steroid).  I have no doubt that it would have remained her favorite toy forever.  She really mourned it, almost refusing to play with anything else for a couple of months.  I wish I had thought to keep her last bone, but at the time, we didn't want to keep it in the house because we knew she would smell it.  Before she got sick another fav was Surfer Dude, a plush blue dog with Hawaiian clothes and rope bones for arms.  After she got sick, that toy just didn't draw her attention for some reason.  We searched seemingly forever to find a replacement for the Galileo Bone, when thankfully the Cuz came into our lives.  I guess she loved the feet.  She just couldn't get enough of it...whew!  Throughout the 6 years that Payton was sick, playtime came and went depending on her energy level and health.  I think it bothered her if she couldn't do it full out, or she couldn't see the toy well enough.  But oddly in the last couple years of her life, she was the most spunky and the most like her pre-PDE self.  Here are pictures of her having fun, all taken in 2012.

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I tore the butterfly's head off.  I have no remorse.

Yes, that is a string hanging out of my mouth.  So what?

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In her later years, Cuz was still a favorite, but after discovering Skinneeez (the stuff-less toys), there was a tie for her heart.  Her flying squirrel and ostrich are particularly beat up.  For those of you that read Payton's guide to toy management, you know she had a stash of them at Gammy and Gampy's house.  Her favorite there was a tiny yellow seahorse.  It remains there by a picture of our sweet girl.  I've been going through the rest of her toys, both the used ones and the rather embarrassingly large quantity of unused that we [ok, I] bought for our pampered princess.  It was equally hard to sort through both.  Memories of toys that saw action came flooding in and regret about not having memories for the others.  A great number will be donated, but there are some special ones we will keep for a memory box and a few that I know Payton would want to give her friends.  I look forward to sharing those.

Love,

Christy