Animals
Lynn loved animals, especially her dog Louie and grandcat Medtner.
Lynn loved animals. She maintained a bird feeder outside of her kitchen window, and - despite mutterings of frustration when they went after the birdseed - would occasionally put out food to help the squirrels out during a hard winter.
Mr. Hooper
Always sensitive to the needs of animals, Lynn would not hesitate to bring in strays in need of care. One of my early memories was waking up late one night when Mum brought home a cat in need of a home, whom I christened Mr. Hooper after the Sesame Street grocer, unwittingly foreshadowing his passing on the busy 4th street in front of the house. (Mr. Hooper was the first character to pass away on Sesame Street - and the difficulty Big Bird had in accepting the notion of death struck a similar chord when our neighbour found Mr. Hooper in the street.) MMF
Louie: 1989 to June 2001
Louie Forbes. Lynn often took Louie for walks in the Roxboro park, where he played with the squirrels. When Lynn later had some difficulties, she would restore a calm mind by remembering these excursions with Louie - the "Lil' White Wonder".
Of all her animals, Louie the Bichon Frisée was her most precious. Bichon's used to grace the courts in France, but "mysteriously" fell out of favour. Louie's behaviour may explain this: he would greet visitors with gusto, warmly welcoming them with shouts of joy. Overjoyed with excitement, he would also warm their welcome with a little piddle an their feet!
Louie was inspired by his "uncle" William - the first Bishon in the family (of her brother Bob). Louie tried to learn from William, but often missed the point. After one Christmas dinner, Louie spied William licking food off of dishes in the dishwasher, but acted too slowly and missed his chance to participate. Not to be deterred, Louie waited patiently and then leaped into the dishwasher when it was next opened, and made a feast of licking the now clean dishes!
Poem about Louie found in Lynn's journals, circa 1993.
Animal Care
Lynn provided safe haven for many of her friends animals. For example, when Marilyn Seller's dog Schotzy was nearing his end, Lynn would look after him during the day while Marilyn had to work, making sure that Schotzy was comforted until the end.
Medtner
Lynn's grand-cat Medtner curled up in the corner of Lynn's couch. Medtner was always welcome a Lynn's, despite his occasional shenanigans.
Louie was Lynn's last pet - she worried about caring for another animal while she traveling to the coast to see her brother or south to see Michael and Katheryn. However, she still fostered affection for her friends pets, and her "grand-cat" Medtner, named after an under-appreciated Russian composer Nikola Medtner.
She was very proud of the fact that Medtner was toilet trained (aka. actually using the toilet) but hosting this feisty feline was a bit of a challenge. One day, while "chasing" jackrabbits from the front window to the kitchen, Medtner rounded the living room corner and could not get enough purchase on the polished hardwood - he (not so) gracefully slid into a 5-foot high brass rubbing that was waiting to be hung, knocking it over in a great smash of shattered glass scaring the bejesus out of her guests in the living room!