August is a warm and sunny month and a perfect month to feature a warm and sunny family! The Carltons: Kay, Rick and their 2 girls Sister Christian, 12 year old Springer Spaniel and Sally Cinnamon, 10 year old Boykin Spaniel. Of course the girls just go by Sister and Sally. Before the girls came along they had a succession of Springer Spaniels and were both pet lovers of all kinds of animals all their lives while they grew up in neighboring towns in north Mississippi, Coldwater and Arkabutla. Kay even had a pet squirrel named Frisky once!
As is often the case in small neighboring towns, Kay’s and Rick’s families had known each other for generations. They really kind of grew up together. They were high school sweethearts and in 1975 after Rick graduated from Ole Miss, they got married. Shortly after that, they moved to Jackson so Rick could attend medical school. They remained in Jackson for the next 40 years and there they expanded their family. They had 3 boys: Eric, Chris and Ben that they raised there. Chris and his family still live there but Eric lives in Oxford and Ben lives in Collierville with their families. In 2009 Kay and Rick adopted Sister and just 2 years later they adopted a sister for Sister, Sally. The girls were so happy together and full of energy. They got to run and play constantly. Sally would do her Boykin wiggle and Sister of course thought she was so silly but super fun! Sister is the more serious one but very vocal, loving and gentle. Sally is very much the comedic character of the family.
In 2015, Rick’s career in emergency medicine brought the family to Oxford. They are right in the middle of their 3 human children and grandchildren now which makes for a lot of visiting and babysitting. Sister and Sally are used to it of course and have adjusted to the visits. They don’t run and play as much as they used to but enjoy relaxing and getting around the neighborhood from time to time. Sally has been suspected to have gotten in the pond on the property because she had an emergency Spaw visit for the fragrance of her coat. They do love their monthly Spaw days. Sally is known to start wiggling in the car when they pull into the parking lot and Sister just smiles. They have been regulars since 2017 when the Spaw first opened. They loved Jackson but Oxford is home. Happy summer Oxford! From the Carltons.
From Sister: P.S. (“Pup script!”): Hello Oxford! Thanks for interviewing us. My name is Sister Christian Carlton, just call me Sister. And I’m here with my adopted sister, Sally Cinnamon, Sally for short. I’m a “Springer” and Sally’s “Boykin”, Spaniel Siblings! I’m older, so I’ll do the talking. That and, well, Sally’s super playful and sometimes has trouble focusing. Sally is a wiggler, you know, such is a Boykin!. Our whole family likes that about her. Her wiggling makes for a whole lot of fun, but maybe not the best for storytelling. Me? Well, I’m not just the storyteller in the family, I’m also our protector. I’m gentle with gentle people, and a super loving little friend, but my main joy is protecting my family, because that’s just what big sisters do! We both love our walks around the lake, and always look forward to our monthly Spaw Days! Who doesn’t like to be pampered. It is an oasis pup relaxation! They even let us nap during our sessions! We’ve been regular guests since their inception. Sally starts her wiggling as soon as our car pulls into the parking lot. I just smile. The Spaw keeps us looking young and feeling special. Sometimes they even send a Chauffeur to pick us up or drop us off at home. They even let us watch nature movies while we ride and listen to relaxing tunes. It’s a neat way to travel and that driver always takes us to the people we love; our Spaw friends and our Humans! We sure love Oxford and look forward to meeting many more Oxonians!