Cormac, Suki and Tudi share their lives and adventures with my friends, Tom and Shane.

Cormac is Shane's golden girl. Almost fourteen years old and covered with scars, lumps and bumps, she hobbles around with an unflagging interest in her surroundings. This blonde bombshell with her bull terrier strut can still materialize in an instant whenever a stranger dares to enter her domain.

Cormac's most amazing talent as a hero/athlete is her ability to locate and retrieve any rock that Shane tosses, no matter how great the distance or challenging the course. Steep cliffs and deep waters are no obstacles - Cormac's longest dive lasted 35 seconds! This girl is courageous, important, eats with gusto, and has a face that could melt the stoniest heart. She does not complain. Cormac has shared with Shane and Tom the healthy qualities that help to define a vital senior life.

Suki is a long-tailed German Shorthair. She was a ten-week old pound puppy when Shane adopted her. Cormac was four years old at the time, and the two dogs immediately became buddies. Suki's personality continues to reflect her "youngster of the household" identity. Even as she approaches her tenth year, she still retains her puppy energy.

Suki is interested in all things that people do which create noise. Her most memorable trick occurred during the construction of Tom and Shane's barn. A renowned escape artist, Suki easily unlatched the gate to her pen and gravitated toward the barn where the contractor was working with his hammer, fifteen feet up on scaffolding. Suki paused for a moment to assess the situation, then proceeded to climb the nearly-vertical ladder straight to the top for a closer look at what this nice man was doing!

To this day, Suki's strongest bond is still with Cormac. She remains devoted to her, grooming her several times a day in search of ticks and burrs. She is constantly aware of Cormac's presence and is truly delighted by her.

One day Shane went to the pound with a friend who wished to adopt a dog. Shane returned with a little tiger-striped cat named Tudi.

"Her fur is so extravagantly beautiful in design and color that I figured if I can't look LIKE her, at least I can look AT her, admire her, and exclaim over her to my heart's content!" Shane laughs.

Tudi good-naturedly tolerates Shane's adulation, asking nothing but plenty of playtime in return. She loves to gallop through the house, sliding around corners, whipping under beds and jumping out from unexpected places. When life becomes too serious for Shane and Tom, Tudi is the magic musical note which interrupts and says "Hey, let's have some fun now!"