Saturday, December 10, 2011

My Dogs Have Made My Life Better

http://thebark.com/content/5-ways-my-dogs-have-made-my-life-better

Of course, they wake me up in the morning, they teach me patience, and they make me laugh. But there are other, less obvious ways in which being Bonham and Violet’s indentured hound-slave has enhanced my life.

1. They’ve introduced me to the whole village. My friends think I bought my house, an old Georgian farmhouse in Herefordshire, because it looks like Mr. Darcy might pop out of the front door, but the truth is I chose it because it’s on a footpath that leads round a three-mile nature trail of apple orchards, woods and fields—perfect for walking my two Basset Hounds.

Writing can be a lonely occupation, but no matter what time I take my dogs out for a stroll, we always meet someone, and they always stop for a chat. I’d only been in the village for a week before people would say, “Ah, you’re Bonham and Violet’s owner!” and now I know nearly everyone—and they know me!

2. They keep me warm in winter. There’s nothing warmer than a 70-pound Basset Hound in full slumber mode. They’re like giant versions of those beanbags you heat up in the microwave. Imagine two of those draped over your knee—who needs central heating? I just have to make sure all books, remote controls, tea and chocolate are within reach because when the dogs settle in, they don’t like moving. Their dream is for the temperature to fall below a certain level at which point we can all sleep in one basket to save heat.

3. They make me do more housework. I’ll put my hands up; I am not one of nature’s domestic goddesses. For years, my idea of spring-cleaning was opening all the windows and running around squirting Mr. Sheen into the air. However, when you have two enormous hounds shedding more than you’d think possible, and emitting their own delightful houndy aroma, you learn to love your vacuum cleaner. My household routine has never been more rigorously attended to.

4. I don’t need a doorbell. My dogs can detect a deliveryman at 500 meters. Also postmen, visitors, builders, window cleaners, gardeners and carol singers. I’ve also saved on burglar alarms, as any burglar within a hundred-mile radius has probably heard them barking and assumed I keep a pack of feral Great Danes, not two sleepy Basset hounds.

5. They save my agent, editor and friends from “I’m stuck with my novel!” meltdown. When you live with a dog, you’ve always got someone to talk to. Dogs listen to your rants and woes, never piping up with “helpful” reminders, always looking at you with the same adoration at the end of whatever peevish grumble you’ve got off your chest.

I’ve talked through endless plot problems while tramping through the fields with my dogs, practicing dialogue aloud till it sounds right—my long-suffering agent is very grateful for this service the dogs offer, as otherwise she’d have to listen to it. I find once I start walking, my brain starts working its way through the knotty problems, so I really have the dogs to thank for dragging me out and making that happen.

And finally, they watch my figure for me. If I make a cake, Bonham particularly likes to make sure I don’t pile on the pounds by helping himself to as much as he can snaffle off the counter. We’re still working on that one.

Lucy Dillon is the author of the novel Walking Back to Happiness, about a young widow who is rescued from loneliness when she becomes a dog walker. (Look for Claudia Kawczynska’s review in the January 2012 issue of Bark.)

Sunday, September 11, 2011

A Wonderful Weekend

I had a lovely relaxed weekend. Friday night I saw "The Help" with a new coworker who wanted to see it as well. It was such a great story; I laughed and I cried.

Yesterday I went with a dear friend to peruse Goodwill and have a super yummy lunch at Flying Saucer. I don't have the patience to find the deals that she does at Goodwill, but I was happy to meander the store. She has the patience and a good eye, so she found a lot of steals for her kiddos.

Last night I got to see my cousin and her husband - they are in town for a short time. I hadn't seen them since their wedding eight years ago, so it was a great reunion. They are here adopting a sweet baby girl. She was precious, and I am so happy for them.

Today I went to a sports bar to watch the Steelers game. It was a disappointing game, and unfortunately the best part of my outing was the hot wings. Haha. Hopefully their season will look up after today.

Now I'm just watching my Sunday night tv. There's a new Real Housewives of New Jersey on tonight. Oh, it's the simple (mindless) things that make you happy! I'm also researching evacuation plans. Feels like the fires are closing in on us here in Texas, so I need an idea of what to do just in case.

The pups are doing well. I think they love having mommy home on the weekends. We are going to start some of the dogs on flaxseed oil; it will help with joints, skin issues, and other minor ailments. Really it is a benefit for their overall health.

I plan to buy liquid Ivomec and start using that for our monthly heartworm prevention. If it's good enough for a rescue program, it's good enough for my dogs. Plus it will save a lot of money in Hawaii. Fortunately, I've been able to purchase our Heartguard at-cost for the last six months from a local shelter - not sure if I will have that option there.Still waiting on the bank to accept our offer on the Hawaii home...Any day now would be great. And so I wait...

Monday, September 5, 2011

I Had a Dream Last Night

Last night I dreamt that I was teaching middle school again. There were fifty kids in my class, and I had that one rotten egg who I sent to the office on the first day. Ok, it was more like a nightmare. Haha.

The night before I dreamt about dreams - kind of like inception. It was a little bit scary. The first three dreams we were put through were lessons, and then the subsequent dreams were brought on by the power of our minds and we had to learn to control them. Weird.

Today is Labor Day, and I'm just relaxing. I'm watching daytime tv and catching up on my sleep. Maybe I will do some cleaning and projects later.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Oh, Happy Day!

I'm in a good mood this morning. My friends are on their way over to help me move a couple couches to the curb for large item pickup this week. Pickups are in March and September - perfect timing to unload junk before the move.

Later I'm going to my supervisor's pool party & bbq. Last pool party of the summer! I can't think of a better way to send out the summer. Soooo excited for the holidays. October through December are my favorite time of year. We have both our birthdays and our anniversary in addition to: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. WOOHOO! I love it. And this year my big move will be somewhere in the middle of it all. Crazy!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

One Picture


Guess for the final day of the challenge I was supposed to post a picture of me. This one was taken in July at the Tower of the Americas when my little sister was visiting me. Good times.

Last weekend I took Mason and Katie to the vet. Mason had clostridium colitis, but he's all better now. Katie's labs came back normal for the most part; a couple liver enzymes were a little high but nothing alarming. We are going to start her on Tramadol to make her more comfortable and do further testing on her liver enzymes.

It's Labor Day weekend, and I'm happy to have time to relax! Going to a pool party tomorrow. Maybe going out tonight. And also doing some projects, laundry, cleaning.

:)

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Two Songs

This is probably the hardest category of all! Ok, two songs...

1. Ben Folds "The Luckiest" - a wonderful non-traditional love song

2. Elvis Presley "Can't Help Falling in Love" - gotta love Elvis. My grandpa is a huge Elvis fan, and I grew up listening to Elvis.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Three Films

Just three?! I LOVE movies. I live for movies. I'll have to think about this one...

1. Ok, well, Wizard of Oz was my first favorite movie. I watched it every single day the summer that I was four years-old. Every year I say I'm going to be Dorothy for Halloween, and I have yet to do it. Maybe this year it will happen.

2. The Family Stone. I watch it about ten times every year during the holidays. Love Actually comes close after.

3. Sex & the City the movie. I'll watch it every single time it's on tv. Same goes for the tv show.

I know I didn't give this enough thought. I love zombie movies, scary movies, dramas, bad scary movies, Spanish films...

Monday, August 29, 2011

Four Books

1. East of Eden - best story ever
2. Time Traveler's Wife - better than the movie. All books are.
3. Catcher in the Rye - another wonderful story
4. The Twilight series - they're an easy read

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Five Foods

1. Fajitas
2. Cheeseburgers
3. Chicken Parmigiana
4. Chipotle Burrito
5. Chinese

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Six Places

Hmm, I've pretty much gone everywhere I REALLY wanted to go...But here goes.

1. Greece
2. Germany
3. Czech Republic
4. Austria
5. Quebec
6. Maybe Morocco or India?

Friday, August 26, 2011

Seven Wants

1. To be settled in Hawaii with my husband in our new house and in a new job

2. I want to go home and visit my family.

3. I want people to be responsible pet owners.

4. some new clothes for hawaii

5. to be a better housekeeper

6. to be healthier

7. to spend the holidays with my husband

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Eight Fears

1. Dying without leaving a tangible legacy

2. rats

3. snakes

4. rollercoasters & rides...although I'll go on them anyway.

5. losing a family member

6. developing a debilitating disease or condition

7. injuring myself during recreational activities ie water or snow sports

8. being a random victim of road rage

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Nine Loves

1. my husband <3 he's my best friend, partner, and true love.

2. my family - especially my sisters. there's nothing like the bond you share with a sister.

3. my friends. they become family when you live a military lifestyle and are extremely important.

4. my dogs! they're my babies and my whole world.

5. my job. for real.

6. all holidays & special occasions

7. travel

8. dining out

9. dog rescue

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Ten Day Challenge


Figured this would be a good challenge to keep my blogging momentum going. Although ten secrets? I don't have ten secrets. I don't have ONE secret. LOL. Ok, I'll try.

1. I didn't grow up with dogs. Because of this I was terrified of them. But I always had this fantasy of having a Lab. Then I got Mason. And I was terrified of him. Haha.

2. I hate canned peas. Not scintillating at all. Sorry.

3. I was kicked out of Brazil. Not as juicy as it sounds.

4. I've breached airport security after 9-11. Not smart. At all.

5. I wrote the f-word on a piece of paper and showed it to my kindergarten teacher, because a little boy told me to. I didn't know what it said or what it meant. I had never even heard that word. Lesson? Never listen to a man. LOL.

6. I wish I was a size double-zero like my baby sister. I don't know where she got it from.

7. I took my parents' station wagon for a joyride in the middle of the night when I was fourteen. They still don't know.

8. I watch way too much tv.

9. I don't read enough.

10. I've never been arrested or gotten any sort of fine or ticket. Kind of the opposite of a secret.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Searching for some...Energy

I have so much to do before the move. Crazy amounts of stuff to do. But between working a full-time job, caring for myself, caring for all the dogs, and this huge feeling of being overwhelmed I just can't keep my momentum going. It's a lot to do all by myself - deep cleaning, purging, organizing, making all the dogs' preparations, coordinating the move, etc, etc etc...When I do feel a burst of energy I take advantage of it and tackle projects around the house.

Sigh. Baby steps.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Isn't it Ironic?

There was a third house we were going to make an offer on, but we didn't get the preapproval since the banker didn't have certain papers in hand. This was probably a good thing because yesterday we were contacted by the realtor from our first bid; they told us the deal fell through and wanted to know if we were still interested. This is the first house we were interested in and wanted really bad. We made two offers on the first go-around and ultimately lost out to someone else. So we bid on it again and the owners accepted. What an emotional rollercoaster. Now we're waiting on the bank to accept it and get a closing date. Tons to do.

This week was very busy at work and at home. I'm refinancing my car to make the new home purchase easier. I need our future tenant to sign the lease. I need to start rounding up dog crates for all the doggies...etc, etc, etc.

The doggies are well. We've been taking car rides lately, and they love it. I plan to take the puppies to Petsmart for some socialization.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

No Go

Second home we made an offer on didn't go through. I don't get it. Plus our financial obligations weren't calculated right the first time, so we have some more work to do. Sigh. ONE day I will be living under the same roof as my husband again.


Jilly is ready to move!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Searching for a Home




We've been searching for a home for awhile now. Despite a generous bid on a short sale the owners went with another offer. We were so disappointed. Now my husband just put in an offer on another home. Fingers crossed. Again.

I'm so ready to send the dogs, send our stuff, and hop on a plane. I have a TON of stuff to do all alone, but I'll get it done. I have to. At least I don't have to pack! I have another round of appointments for the dogs, somehow getting them all to Houston so they can get a direct flight, not to mention getting all their airline crates and paperwork in order. Also have to schedule and supervise TMO, make sure everything is clean and prepped to be packed, and get home for one more visit before I head to Oahu.

I'm so ready to be with my husband again!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Sad Day in SA


Took the doggy's daddy to the airport this morning. We left at 3:30 am, then I had to drive back by myself. His flight kept getting delayed and having complications. But alas, he is en route to the Aloha state. On some level I was so stressed I got myself really sick with a migraine. Really really sick. Blargh. I'm feeling much better now.

We have our long and short-term goals in place for me and the dogs to get to Hawaii as soon as possible. We really enjoyed our (short) three weeks together. I hope all the dogs will get along for me. We need this to go as smoothly as possible. Hoping to get there by Christmas, so we can all spend it together.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Gorgeous Day in SA


Sidney's grandpa face


It's sunny and warm - a perfect Sunday. Well, as perfect as Sunday's get. I hate Sunday. I spend the entire day dreading Monday. Always have.

ANYHOW, I wish I would write more frequently. Maybe 4-5 times a week. We'll see. I'll definitely have a lot to write about after the move to Hawaii.

The doggies' daddy should be home within the next week after seven months away for training. He'll be here for a month, and then he's off to Hawaii. We will all follow as soon as possible. We have to juggle selling our home here, buying a new one, shipping the dogs, I have to find a job there, etc. Our goal is for us all to be there before January.

Tyler is going to Spindletop on June 15. He is the only foster in the house right now. Although once he's gone I'll have to get used to have Jill and Keifer around again.

Guess that's about it. Happy Sunday!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Memorial Day Weekend 2011



Wow, it's been awhile.

I should start by sharing that both the Benny and Tyler situations have been figured out. Benny was adopted several weeks ago by a great family out in Bulverde. Tyler is going to Spindletop Rescue near Houston. Such a relief.

My husband graduated on Thursday. Now he's just waiting a few more days (hopefully) for official orders. Then he can outprocess and come home on leave before heading to Hawaii.

The dogs are great. I took Nala for grooming last week; she looks absolutely gorgeous. I was very pleased to find this pet salon. It's called Le Paws.

Hmmm...what else? We had a couple more Big Fixes. All the dogs have their Rabies shots and FAVN tests done.

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend. I plan to relax, spend time with friends, spend time with the pups, and CLEAN. I want the house to be decent when my husband comes home.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Hawaii, Here We Come!

I've been trying to get some more momentum going to prepare for our move. I've cleaned out some more closets, cupboards, and drawers. This morning I cleaned, purged, and organized the garage. It looks so good now, and I feel so good having done it.

Thursday night I had a water leak situation with the toilet. The hard water buildup caused some problem with the pump; it got stuck and the tank continued to fill with water until it leaked out the handle area and started flooding the bathroom and hall. I immediately shut off the water to the toilet and the house - just for good measure. Hey, I panicked. Luckily with my husband's help I was able to assess the situation quickly, get it cleaned up, and come up with a plan of action. Now I just need to go buy a new pump of higher quality and replace the old one with it.

Yesterday I took Katie and Mason to start their quarantine process for Hawaii. I got their samples and paperwork sent in, Katie got a Rabies shot, and got Spec and Colby's results back. They passed - yay! Now I'm just waiting on all the other results, and I need to come up with another Rabies certificate for Katie girl. Then we're done with this step of the process.

Next weekend I have a birthday party for a special little girl as well as an Easter celebration with good friends. The following weekend is the next Big Fix. After that it will be four short weeks 'til the hubby gets home. Hooray! Then the wheels will be set in motion rather quickly for the big move to the island.

I heard from Freddie and Stan's mom that they are doing very well. I was so happy to hear that. Now just Tyler and Benny need to find their forever homes. We have moved lots of dogs out of here in the last six months: Camilla, Hank, Suzy, Freddie, and Stan.


How cute is Clara?!
16 April 2011

Saturday, April 9, 2011

To the Next Chapter

I know it's been awhile. Again. But the presenting problem was the same. I was processing everything that's been going on in my life.

I'm looking forward to the next chapter, whatever that may be. The dogs are maybe halfway ready for Hawaii. I have to get Mason and Katie caught up with rabies documentation and FAVN tests. Then we have another round of appointments to get everyone's health certificates and then there's coordinating flights, crates, paperwork, etc. Exhausting.

Nala, Sid, the puppies, and Geneva have had rabies documentation/vaccinations and FAVN tests done. I had a great visit with my sister. She learned the shuffle procedure quickly, so I had some help that week. She also hung out with me at the last Big Fix, so she got to see what I'm up to down here.

Stanford went to his forever home; he now lives with Freddie bear. Tyler and Benny need to find their homes now. I have faith that it will all work out before we leave.

The doggies' daddy came home last weekend and surprised me. We took Nala, Colby, and Geneva to their appointment together. Colby had his shoulder x-rayed; it came back looking benign. Thank god.

That's about it. Another Big Fix is coming up on April 30th. I'm busy de-cluttering and organizing for the move. Now that I have my good camera back I'll post more pics of the pups.


Monkey says, "you're boring me". Haha.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Drip Drip Drop Little April Showers

Ok, so it's not April, but that's the song that comes to mind when I think of my recent ordeal with a leaky backyard faucet. I set all the faucets to drip when we were having freezing temperatures not so long ago. Last week when I went to shut off this faucet, it wouldn't shut off. I figured it had contracted and expanded or something, and I'd be able to shut it off within a few days. By late last week the dripping increased, so I started tinkering with it over the weekend.

Like all great minds I googled the solution to my problem. Replace the washer. No sweat. Except I couldn't remove the faucet. So off I went to my neighbor's house. Neighbor #1 couldn't remove it, and we could't find a wrench to fit it either.

Neighbor #2 quickly diagnosed the problem and prescribed a new faucet head. Ten dollars and a trip to Home Depot later, and I was well on my way to my solution. N2 easily replaced the old with the new, turned the water main back on, and I was good to go. Yay! Thank goodness for awesome neighbors.

Now I know this was not a titillating tale, but it's just another peek into my daily life of being alone with the dogs and juggling all that comes with the territory. Dogs are healthy and happy as am I. On deck is another Big Fix this Saturday followed by some much-needed time off work.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Just Like a (Three-Ring) Circus

I have today off. YAY! I think all weekends should be three days long. It is just enough time to relax, recharge, and catch up on everything - especially errands that can only be done during business hours...grrr.

So I found out early this morning that a veterinarian we personally know was willing to help me get things in order for the dogs to go to Hawaii. I let everyone out, gave everyone breakfast, got myself ready, got Colby and Spec ready, got some documents prepped, and I was out the door by nine.


Spectre & Colby Jack in the waiting room today.

After a quick stop at FedEx, an hour at the vet, and another stop at FedEx, Colby and Spec have their Rabies tests taken care of. Hooray! Two down, five to go! :P It was a little nerve-wracking to send it off - these things take a lot of time and money - but it feels good to know what to do now. Thank goodness for the generosity of Dr. A!


Silk Spectre on the way home - such a good girl.

I still have to go to the post office to send a package off to Adam and stop at the grocery store. I have a dentist appointment and oil change tomorrow morning, then I'm off to work for the week. My sister comes on Saturday. :)

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Oh, Hi!

What a week.

The day I posted the 'burnout' post I had the worst dog fight ever here at the house. It seemed to come out of nowhere. Although the two dogs involved were both probably ill at the time of the fight, so that could have contributed to it. It was a 10-15 minute fight, and I think it really traumatized both of the dogs as well as me. I won't go into more detail, but the dogs are both fine and I am ok too.

I have a three-day weekend, so I am getting lots of things done - cleaning, errands, phone calls, emails, appointments, etc. On the weekends I like to do my daily chores, weekly chores, and some decluttering projects to get ready for moving. So far I've gone through the master closet, dressers, armoire, bathroom drawers and cupboards, the junk drawer, ALL of our papers/paperwork/filing, and the dog records. I think that's it...so far. I still need to go through three closets, the kitchen, den, laundry room, and the garage. We have so much junk.

My sister is coming to visit me for a week. Yay - I'm so excited!! I am also working the morning shift of the next Big Fix the day she flies in. I'm ready to relax and have some fun, since I'm stuck here and can't really go anywhere. My fun is coming to me!

Still busy getting everything in order for the doggies to go to Hawaii. The vet at Lackland is TDY for several weeks, so I had to try and get appointments at Ft. Sam which has proven to be a total nightmare and next to impossible. I think we are going to work with a different vet we know to get some of it done.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Burnout

I'm starting to feel some burnout after being the solo captain at the helm for over three months. It's feeling like groundhog's day - wake up, let 12 dogs out, feed 12 dogs, work all day, let 12 dogs out, feed 12 dogs, try to get stuff done, let 12 dogs out, go to bed. Meh. Thank god my sister is coming to visit me. I'll have some time off to enjoy myself and enjoy her company.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

My Paper Project

Just spend about 90 minutes sorting and organizing paperwork ie tax documents, receipts, warranties & manuals, etc. It is now organized neatly into two filing systems. It feels great to get these small projects done; it gives me motivation to do even more!

The Darling Buds of May...Er, February

There are little shoots of bright green grass in my backyard - Spring's promise of a new beginning. It has been sunny and seventy lately; I kind of hope for at least one more cold snap. These miserable six-month long Texas summers are too much for me.

Yesterday I did my daily chores plus I decluttered for an hour. Purging things from drawers, cupboards, and closets will make for a smoother move and a fresh start. It feels so good to get rid of physical clutter. Where there's physical clutter there's mental clutter. If you're a mess as a person your home will likely be a mess.

On the agenda for today is more chores and decluttering. Love my time to myself on the weekends. Onward and upward!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Yes, I'm alive!

It's been awhile.

It's not that I haven't had time. Well, I really don't have time, but like I've said before I make time for blogging. It's hard enough trying to organize all the thoughts in my head right now, let alone get them out and on paper so to speak.

Anyhow, where did I leave off here? Well, the end of January saw another Big Fix. We fixed 224 animals this time -- an all-time record for us. I was at intake/discharge as usual with my trusty companions, A and T. What would I do without them? So that was January 29.

The pups and I had a snow day on February 4! The whole town shut down - roads, businesses, everything. I didn't have to go to work - yay! We had about an inch of snow in our backyard, and the dogs played in snow for the first time. It was too cute. Pretty sure we just cuddled on the couch all day.


Snow in Texas!

In other news, my husband got orders to...Hawaii. Nothing we ever expected or planned for. In fact, we thought it was out of the question for him. Apparently not. Anyway, I'm getting the dogs ready for the adventure of their lives. Everyone needs two rabies certificates, a working microchip, a rabies test, and a health certificate. This will be quite a time-consuming and costly process. But they're worth it, of course!

I was bitten pretty badly on Valentine's Day. Not by love, but by a dog while breaking up a big fight outside in the morning. I don't even know who bit me, but all the dogs were ok. There's no nerve damage and no infection, just really gnarly bruising. It looks awful. I called in sick that day, because it was so painful to walk.


OUCH!

Tyler has been pretty ill this week. His appetite is back now, and he's holding his food down. He never had a fever, so I'm not sure what was going on.

Benny is up for adoption and waiting for his forever home. I think Eddie, Clara, and Geneva are going to Hawaii. Suzy is waiting for her forever home; she is with a new foster now, and they love her to bits. Freddie is officially official in his new home. Tyler and Stan should be going to their forever homes in the next month or two.


Ben Rufflisberger AKA "Benny"

Wow, a lot happens in the space of a month...!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Guess I'm a Glutton for Punishment


I found a lost dog yesterday. Sigh. At least, I hope he's a lost dog. Strays are very rare here in my area, so I picked him up in hopes that someone would do the same for my pet if he were lost.

I've had him scanned for a microchip with two different scanners, put up two ads on craigslist, and put up twenty flyers all around my area. Hopefully I find his owner in the next few days.

I'm also trying to juggle: socialization for the puppies, getting Tyler into a new place, making sure Freddie's training happens, and trying to keep Katie from Spectre and Nala. And my job. And running the household. And a stab at a social life. :(

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Rain Rain Go Away!!

I HATE when it rains here. The dogs don't really like to play outside when it's wet, so we're all stuck inside. But I do push them out the door to do their business, and I inevitably end up with mud all over the house - on the floors, on the walls, on the couch, in my bed. Sob. Then there are the dogs who don't actually do their business when they go outside, and I find their messes in the foyer. Nasty. Now I just have to wait for the rain to stop and the yard to dry out a bit, and then I can really sweep and steam/sanitize the floors.

I HATE when it rains here.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

A Load off my Shoulders (for now)

So...When I finally got Freddie's new mom on the phone today (to ask when I could bring his crate over) she said she didn't think it was working out and it wasn't the right time for a dog. Completely crushed and overwhelmed, I hauled my sorry self over there to pick him up. Right when I got there she changed her mind and did not want to give him up. HUGE sigh of relief. Fingers crossed that it sticks!!!

In other news, I want to give an update on Spectre. I took her cone off for good last weekend and now keep her crated/loose as she is comfortable. Thankfully, she has always loved her crate as her safe haven and she still does after all her time spent healing in it. She is comfortable and confident with the other dogs again. Her wound is almost completely closed, and her fur has grown back. Another sigh of relief.

This morning Geneva got her nails done. I held her down while my friend clipped and filed them down. She was like a bucking bronco - worse than cutting any big dog's nails. But now it's done, and we're planning to do it on a regular basis so that she can get used to it.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Strength & Patience...

Are what I'll need to get through the next five months. Now Katie attacked Spectre last night and tried to attack Clara and Eddie this morning. I'm taking her to the vet as soon as possible to see if perhaps there is a medical issue causing the change in her behavior. It's a real possibility; she is over ten years old. I hope nothing is wrong; I don't either of us to have to go through something like that without Adam being here.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Fleas!

My days with the dogs pass by so quickly, and they do so much it's hard to remember everything. But last weekend I had some flea bites on my leg when I woke up. I examined everyone for fleas but found nothing. The next day Sidney was really scratching his back with his mouth, and I found a flea. Blech!

I have a SEVERE aversion to fleas. When Adam was deployed several years ago, I had a horrible flea infestation during our first summer in the house. When the weather got warm I think the eggs in the yard hatched. Or something like that. We had four dogs at the time, and two of them had horrible fleas. I started a small scale attack that got bigger and bigger until I realized I had to bomb the house and the yard. Things were absolutely miserable for a couple weeks until I completely got rid of them.

Anyhow, a quick hot wash of my bedding and Advantage for everyone did the trick. Thank goodness. For real. We don't have carpet anymore (where fleas hide) or cushy couches everywhere that also need to be cleaned.

Ahh, a day in the life of a domestic zookeeper...


There may be bugs on some of you mugs, but there ain't no bugs on me!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Anything Else?



I had a lot of doggie stuff on my plate today. There was an applicant who was interested in Eddie and Geneva. I did not feel it was a good match for either of them, but it's not easy to turn down a potential home when they are few and far between. However, it had to be done, because I just wouldn't feel comfortable otherwise. They can't make decisions for themselves, so it's up to me to make the best decisions for them.

We have been presented with the opportunity to send Clara and Eddie to doggie bootcamp where they would be boarded, socialized, and trained - essentially they would be fostered by the camp. While that was the good news today, I had a bit of bad news. Seems things are going super well for Freddie. I'm hoping he can also get in on the doggie bootcamp, so that he too can be a well-mannered member of canine society. We'll see.

Also, Katie keeps picking on Nala. She has attacked her three times in the last four days I think; I'm not exactly sure why. My husband thinks that now that she is gaining confidence she is challenging Nala for leader of the pack position. Whatever the reason it's not acceptable. With increased supervision and redirection it will hopefully come to an end.

Oh, and I almost forgot to add...The lady who just returned Clara called today to tell me she found a litter of puppies dumped at her church and was wondering if I could do something. Hmmm, no? I'm trying to adopt dogs out not bring dogs in. Of course I did not say it like that. Then she asked if SNIPSA had a truck that went around picking up dogs. I told her that unfortunately they don't, but both ACS and ADL should be able to help with puppies. And of course she asked if I had those numbers. Sorry, no. I was in the middle of working. Sigh.

Monday, January 3, 2011

I Spoke Too Soon

Clara was returned tonight. Boo. Oh, well. She's no trouble at all and a total sweetheart. Guess this may be her forever home.

Welcome to 2011


Puppies! January 2010.


I am currently down to TEN dogs. Yes, JUST ten dogs. We've not had such a low number in quite awhile. Sad that this is a low number for this house.

Freddie's visit went well; I think it's going to stick and be a fabulous home for him. AND she is very interested in Stanford. It's like a new year's miracle. I literally cried like a baby after that visit out of sheer happiness and relief.

Clara is currently on a trial visit. It could go either way depending on how long they try it out. We really think if someone gives it several days it would work out. But we'll see...

I am basically down to two "cycles" within the pup shuffle - Tyler and then everyone else. Like I've been saying we hope to get Tyler to a better place ASAP. Sigh.

Going from 14 to 10 makes things much more manageable for me. Ha, I remember when 8 was overwhelming! They are starting to seem more like pets/companions and less like a part-time job. Part of me is terrified that all who have gone will come back, and I'll be back at 14 dogs all alone.

Hoping this momentum continues in 2011!