December 1, 2022
Cairo the Bronx Mastiff is presently part and parcel of the now Australian branch of the McCaffrey Family Tree.
Luke rescued Cairo from the NYC streets just before he met his future wife Georgie. The pup had been tied to a fence and was so emaciated his legs bowed and his hip bones stuck up above his haunches like horns. Luke named him after the city he lived in for a year, a place he fell in love with. Luke instantly loved this dog.
My beautiful (and terrifying) white Amstaff, Maeve (from The Claire Trilogy), took Cairo under her wing and moved in with Luke & Georgie so she could keep an eye on him. The two dogs traveled with L&G all over the US. I think the Tinker blood has manifested in Luke’s blood line.
Anyway, L&G got married, moved to Colorado, and began popping out my granddaughters, Scarlett, Savanna and Stella (that’s Stella sitting on the ever patient Cairo’s head, above).
Cairo and Maeve worked together as the fur nannies for the three sisters right up until Maeve passed, peacefully, last year, at the ripe old age of 15. She is now buried on Boot Hill in my back yard with her cohorts Phoebe and Lucky, with a perfect view of the back property where Mr. Rogers sleeps eternally.
I can feel all of them around me.
But that left Cairo to man the watch 24/7/365.
I have to tell you, I was worried Cairo couldn’t survive the arduous journey to the Land of Oz. He is now in his teens and large breed dogs don’t normally live into the double digits, although most McCaffrey pets age like Methuselah.
I offered to keep Cairo with us in Colorado to save the stress and expense of his travel, but the girls wouldn’t hear of it. In my 66 years, I have never won an argument with a female, especially if we share a last name.
So, Cairo left our shores a few weeks before the rest of the family, arrived safely, and then did his time in Aussie quarantine. I understand he listened to the Audible version of Shantaram during his incarceration.
I’m thrilled to report that Cairo has made his transition to living upside down very well, and still handles his daily duties of caring for my darling granddaughters. You see, he knew this was a big step for the family, and he wasn’t going to turn over his job to some other McCaffrey familiar. Not yet.
Note how Cairo’s attention is on the one granddaughter, Scarlett, that has wandered from the herd.
Hopefully, Luke (strongly recommend his debut novel, Lebanon Red)
(Thank you Kerry Freeman at Books & Bevies – https://www.kerryfryarfreeman.com/booksandbevies) will bring in a new fur familiar to watch over his family while Cairo is still strong enough to pass on the wisdom that Maeve passed on to him. Because that’s how it is with us McCaffreys. We learn everything we really need to know from those that have come before us. Love and loyalty.
And we man our posts until our last breath (and, in some cases, even beyond that).
Well, this old McCaffrey better get his shit together, while he is still breathing.
I have my own familiar to cuddle and rounds to make and torture to endure.
Then work. (Will Hollywood ever free me from my daily grind?)
But it’s Thursday. I can see Friday within striking distance across the room.
You fine, five (Claire’s Theorem) readers (which includes Kerry F Freeman from Books & Bevies –https://www.kerryfryarfreeman.com/booksandbevies) have that last cup of coffee and get at it. Tomorrow will feel so much better if you get the last of the work headaches behind you.
And if you have a familiar (please adopt from shelters – the older the animal the stronger the Karma), give it a cuddle before you head out the door.
But most of all, have a great day.
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