Each year, Grace Episcopal Church on Wentworth St. holds a Blessing of the Animals in honor of St. Francis’s feast day. The service is lovely – lots of small kids singing “God Bless the Animals” accompanied by dogs barking at hilarious times, everyone in a good mood and wanting to say hello to everyone’s pets.
Paisley, who has Deplorable Potty Habits, needed a bath before entering any place of worship. Or interacting with anyone, really. If she looks a little desperate here, it’s because she hates baths.

Every time we bathe a hedgehog, we end up with this picture.

June really didn’t need a bath so much as just a little clean up, so we didn’t do the full suds-and-soap route.

What did I say about always ending up with this shot?

The girls, once clean, dried, and snug, are packed into the basket I usually use for the farmer’s market with a bunch of blankets to hide in.

They made quite the impression with the St. Nicholas Choir. June is up and curious and Paisley is pretending to be invisible.

The girls in their basket on a pew.

Panorama shot of the inside of the church. If I’d taken this at floor level, you’d see a lot more critters (almost exclusively dogs).

Everyone wanted to say hello to the hedgehogs. Paisley did not want to say hello back.

I thought it would be a cute photo to get June posing with the bulletin. June had other ideas.

Paisley Demands an Explanation for this Bullshit.

Paisley receives her official blessing, although she refused to cooperate in any way.


