Pleasant Pets

     During a trip to Roseburg today, my mother and I stopped by the UMPQUA VALLEY HUMANE SOCIETY thrift store in downtown Roseburg. When we entered the business, we saw a familiar face: John, who works at the store, and was previously co-owner of the PLEASANT PETS pet shop in north Roseburg.
      John has been a longtime friend of the family, and bailed us out a time or two. More specifically, when I had my first cancer surgery in November, 2012, I was "supposed" to be in the hospital for only three-five days. Instead, a reoccurring fever of 100+ degrees plagued me for weeks, causing me to remain in the hospital for a month. I went in after Thanksgiving and got out right before Christmas.
      This obviously posed a problem for the care of my red-tail boa constrictor. While "Jelani" could go a month without eating food, I was worried that she might need fresh water and possibly the bedding changed in her cage. While I could rely on family members to care for my doves, ducks, and geese, very few people are willing to tangle with a seven-foot boa constrictor!
      That's where John came in. He came up to our house one night to check on Jelani. PLEASANT PETS was where I had purchased the snake, back when she was a small reptile that could wrap around herself my fingers. So John was more that aptly prepared/qualified to open Jelani's cage and check on her.
      Today, when we visited the UMPQUA VALLEY HUMANE SOCIETY thrift store, it had been too long since we had seen John (more than a year). But he made us feel at home and encouraged my mother to shop and look around, which she did. Because of my chemotherapy treatments, I can't stand for long and I get fatigued quickly. So I went to the book section at the back of the store, and plopped down in a chair and fell asleep, until an employee came and told me that my mother was   ready to check out.
      But John wasn't the only familiar face I saw today at the thrift store. A pair of doves, one white and one cocoa brown, were there to greet me. The same doves are not for sale and have been a fixture at the store for years. However, I did notice a new addition: a tangerine-colored dove all by itself in a separate cage.
     I always feel sorry for single doves; they require companionship. So I made sure I took the time to engage in "dove talk" with the isolated bird. It's a good thing I have cancer and need to eventually get rid of some of my pets. Otherwise, today I might have added another dove to my flock.