A one of a kind dog

It's taken me over a week to write this post as I have struggled to find the right words to say good-bye to Hobo.

 

 

He was truly a one of a kind dog.  Every day we had with him was bonus time.  The very first night he was here a wolf came through our yard and tried to turn Hobo into her dinner.  I didn't even know his name as we rushed him to the vet.  Had no idea how I was going to explain this to the musher who actually owned him at the time.  Jim Bartlett, if you find this somehow, thank you for leaving Hobo with us.  At the time, maybe it looked like we were doing you a favour, taking on the cost of a badly injured dog who would like never run competively again, but Hobo was actually a gift to us. 

 

 

Hobo was unfailingly happy.  It didn't matter that we were strangers or that he was in pain.  He was happy someone was feeding him and petting him.  For every single day he was here,  he was happy.  Hobo truly lived his life, every damn second of it.  He believed in finding the joy in everything from meeting new friends to running in harness to slow walks down to the lake.  He never wasted a second worrying or looking back.  The world would be a better place if people could be more like Hobo! 

 

 

Hobo turned 17 this year...17, a remarkable age for any dog, stunning for a dog who's body had been through what his had.  In the end, Hobo had simply used up every ounce of energy  his body had to give.  His enormous heart and will to live was still strong, but his little body just couldn't keep up anymore.  There are many things I miss about Hobo, but more than anything I miss his happy presence, his boundless joy.  I will try to remember the lesson he tried to so hard to teach...that life should be enjoyed even if you have to search for the joy. 

 

Godspeed and thank you, Hobo. 

Good-Bye Big Guy....

We said goodbye to another pack member this weekend.

Heyoka has been here for ten years or so.  He wasn't the kind of dog we normally took in; he was very adoptable, but Stuart fell in love at first sight and decided we deserved an easy dog for a change.  Some guilt went with that decision which led to us also adopting Raven, a far less adoptable, long term shelter resident, on the same day. 

Heyoka was in many ways an easy dog.  He was the anti-malamute.  He had none of the traits that make malamutes so difficult at times.  He didn't eat cats; he wasn't same sex aggressive; he was reliable off leash and obeyed most commands.  He also had no work ethic and my attempts to turn him into a working sled dog were futile.  He was a pet, a delightful, happy, goofy, pet. 

 His name meant clown who teaches or a shaman who does everything backwards.  It fit him perfectly.  He was a clown.  Silly and happy all the time, even as he aged and his body let him down, he remained happy. 

 

Heyoka's health has not been great for much of his life.  He was a shelter dog but we know who bred him, a lousy backyard malamute breeder who bred solely for size & did not care about the overall health of his dogs.  Heyoka paid the price for that negligence.  A couple years ago we took Heyoka to Anchorage for surgery on his throat.  He loved being an only dog for a week and we are forever grateful that he had over 2 years able to breath with ease!  His spine started to degenerate several years ago.  He occasionally had difficultly getting his legs to do what he told them!  With help from our wonderful vet and good chemistry, he was pain free and mobile. 

 

Three weeks ago, Heyoka refused to eat and was working hard to breath.  His throat surgery left him at high risk of aspiration pneumonia, which he did have at that time.  Unfortunately, we also discovered that he had lymphoma.  He'd probably had it for a long time and the drugs we gave him for his other issues controlled the symptoms.  We elected not to try chemo.  Heyoka was not young dog and was not healthy to start with.  He also truly hated the vet clinic.  He had no problem with the doc, but he fought going in her building with everything he had!  Putting him through the stress of very frequent clinic visits didn't seem worth it.  We elected to keep him comfortable for as long as possible.  Unfortunately, it wasn't very long. 

Saturday morning, Heyoka was lethargic and refused to eat.  Heyoka always delighted in food.  We always assumed he needed immediate vet care if he didn't eat.  Our vet found he was running a very high fever.  She gave him a couple injections & said if he didn't respond in a few hours, we would have to make a decision.  We knew leaving the clinic the end was near for Heyoka so we spent the afternoon enjoying his company on an unseasonably warm day.  That evening we let him go, surrounded by the dogs, cats and people he loved and who loved him. 

 

I miss everything about him...his big raspy wooo, watching him chase his own tail, listening to his gentle snore, big dog cuddles on the couch, the way he bounced waiting for his dinner.....the list is endless.  There will never be another like him.  I am heartbroken & so glad we broke the rules and took that "easy" dog. 

 

Every dog leaves a hole when they leave, some  bigger than others.  Heyoka leaves a hole several times bigger than his 130 body.  

More Running Fun!

I spent last weekend in Victoria.  Three blissful nights of uninterupted sleeep!  No senile old dogs who want out every two hours all night long!  That alone was enough for an epic weekend, but I was there to run another half marathon...the Victoria Goodlife Fitness Marathon!

 

So I was up ridiculously early on Sunday morning, hanging out with 5000 other people running the half!  Over 10,000 people ran various events that day, from a one mile kids' race to a full marathon!

 I trained all summer for this run and was hoping to finish a few minutes faster than my first half marathon in Mayo. 

 It went better than I'd hoped!  I didn't cramp up, didn't feel like I was going to die at any point and I finished a whopping 16 minutes faster crossing the line in 2:23:07!  Running in the middle of the pack in a bigger race is a lot of fun!

My first finisher's medal!  I am ridiculously proud of that thing! 

 

I'm going to run a few more halves next year.  I'm registered for one in Calgary on June 1.  Next October, I'm planning to run Victoria again, but as my first FULL MARATHON!



How I spent my weekend....

Running in the Klondike International Road Relay!  It's a 10 leg relay from Skagway, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon.  Starts on Friday at 7pm in Skagway and runs all night long.  The last teams are into Whitehorse around 3pm Saturday. 

I was running leg 6, the longest leg of the race at just under 26km.  I started running in the pitch black and in a misty rain just before 5am.

 

About half way through I was out of the darkness...readers who know me will know that's a big deal.  The dark is one of my least favourite things!  The scenery along the highway is pretty spectacular once you can see it!  Most of my leg was uphill!  19km of elevation gains.  The last 7km were mostly downhill.  Downhill is tough when you are tired! Not as easy as it seems it should be!  I did handle it much better than I did in the half marathon in Mayo though!

The end of my leg in Carcross, Yukon.  The longest run I've done so far by a few kilometres and I was still upright at the end.  Yay Me!  :)

 

Next up I'm running a half marathon in Victoria on Thanksgiving Sunday & I've decided to try a full marathon sometime next year....it's a whole new kind of crazy around here!

 

 



Oh, the chaos!

The last few weeks have been chaotic around here.  Reminds me of the old days when the dogs were constantly into something or up to something!  I'd rather not be reminded quite so often of that!

 

Two days after Pingo's passing, I left for a family reunion in Saskatchewan.  The reunion was a ton of fun.  I am blessed with a large and loving extended family! 

 

The day I left Tehya seemed a bit off....lethargic and not her normal bouncy little self.  I asked our dogsitter, the ever brave Todd, to keep an eye on her and call our vet if she didn't perk up.  I thought Tehya was just mourning the passing of her friend and she'd be back to normal in a day or two.  It didn't quite work out that way!

 

The next morning, Tehya couldn't stand on her own and was nearly unresponsive.  Todd rushed her to the vet where she was immediately put on fluids, steroids and a host of other things!  It turns out that Tehya has Addison's disease, but she didn't show any consistent symptoms until she was in a full blown Addison's crisis.  Her potassium levels were so high that her kidneys had failed and her heart was shutting down.  If it had been an hour longer before she got treatment, this would be a memorial post!  I expect to lose several more dogs in the not so distant future, but I can't comprehend losing the Babydog yet!

 

Fortunately, Tehya survived the crisis and while Addison's is incurable, it can be managed.  Tehya will take at least two medications for the rest of her life to replace what her adrenal glands no longer produce.  The change has been quite astounding!  She's back to her happy, hyper, playful, sweet self.  She's full of energy!  We're working on finding the level of activity she can tolerate and learning what stresses her out.  Stress could trigger another crisis or require her dosages to be increased if we know it's coming!  She's a pretty well adjusted dog so hopefully she won't get stressed too often. 

 

A life threatening crisis is really more than enough for any dogsitter to handle!  But my dogs had more in store for Todd.  Like a porcupine that somehow got into the yard...through the game fencing or blown out of a tree or stupidest porcupine in history!  He did not survive to get back out of the yard and 5 of the dogs spent the day at the clinic getting de-quilled!  2 more had quills pulled at home! 

 Hobo, who is pushing 17 years old, had a seizure while he was at the clinic.  He recovered and it seems no long term damage was done, but it added to the chaos!  There's little as stressful as being thousands of kilometres away and completely unable to help your furry kids or your dogsitter!

 

The chaos did not end when I returned home!  Chum had surgery to remove a mass scheduled last week.  That all went as planned, but he's put on quite a performance about wearing a cone collar and having a drain removed from the incision site.  It really shouldn't take over half an hour, three people and a muzzle to clip one little stitch and pull out a little tube!  But if you're Chum, you assume anytime someone touches your legs, they are planning to hack them off! 

 

One day after Chum's surgery, the dogs had their first fight in several years!  I had thought we were passed all that crap!  Pacer, as always, got the worst of the battle. I wasn't at home when it happened, but I think it was small battle, mostly Antare and Pacer.  No other dogs were injured.  Pacer's injuries weren't serious, just some facial punctures.  Any blood on a solid white dog looks like the dog has been in a war zone though!  Pacer is healing well. 

 

Today, the big dog, Heyoka, visited the clinic.  He's had a hitch in his gait for a long time and a couple years ago he had some trouble with a compressed nerve in his back end.  The limp suddenly got worse and his back end was weak again.  Given how things have been going around here, I was expecting a terminal diagnosis!  It's not that bad though!  Heyoka has spinal stenosis, his spinal canal is narrowing and the nerves don't have enough room anymore.  The messages they send aren't getting all the way through to his legs!  He's not in pain.  Heyoka is a miserable, nasty dog when he's hurting and he's acting like his usual goofy self, just with a wonky gait!  We have a treatment plan, a new course of drugs to try; again it's not a curable condition, but hopefully we can manage it for some time yet.  He does have a bit of arthritis in his front leg too.  He's a giant dog and is at least 12 years old, very old for a dog of his size!  Arthritis is to be expected!

 

I am deeply grateful to our dogsitter for handling everything, for saving Tehya's life; to our neighbour who helped out with getting the quills out of everyone and especially to our vet, the remarkable Dr. Candace...for saving Tehya, helping the others and always having a smile for their neurotic owner!

 

 

 

 



Pingo-Pick-A-Trail

She arrived here almost 10 years ago, a timid little dog, intimidated by those already here who were so much bigger than her!  But she was smart and she adapted quickly.  It rarely takes a sled dog long to learn to love the comforts of the couch after a run.

 

She indulged her border collie herding dog side by chasing tennis balls and the occasional mountain biker! 

 

Her husky side thrived as a lead dog in my little team.  She was not a command leader, although she knew all the commands.  Her gifts lay elsewhere.  She was the finest trail dog I have ever known. If she balked at an ice crossing, it wasn't safe. If she refused a trail, even after I raised my voice to give the command, there was a moose on that trail.  She could pick the most solid trail out of a dozen crossing a lake, the fastest way home, the easiest way through overflow.  She may not have always turned where I told her, but she was smarter than me and her way always got us home safely.

 

For every minute of the ten years we shared & I suspect of the 6 plus she had before she came here, she was a good dog.  She never escaped, never wandered off.  She never fought, in fact, she hid under the deck at the first growl.  She accepted all the newcomers after her without a snarl.  She didn't dig, she didn't bark unless there was a very good reason.  She was mellow, laid back and an easy keeper.  She never caused me any stress and incurred big vet bills. She was simply a good dog.

 

In her last months, her hard working body began to fail her.  The back that strongly lead a team for a dozen years began to stiffen and ache.  The mind that remembered every curve in every trail began to forget why she wanted outside.  Good pain medications and cushy bed in the living room kept her comfortable until just a few days ago.  She didn't seem to be in any pain, but she was weak and wobbly.  She couldn't chase her beloved tennis balls.  She couldn't get in her favourite dog house or up on the couch. 

 

We tried and hoped for one more rebound, but it was not to be.  Earlier this evening, Pingo was released from a body and mind both no longer capable of keeping up with her spirit. 

In harness, her favourite command, the one she never ignored, was "Pingo-Pick-A-Trail", when she got to decide where we went.

 

Wherever she is now, I hope Pingo-Pick-A-Trail is the only command she ever hears. 

 

Run free, my pretty girl. 

 

 

 

 



Half a pack...

This afternoon our pack numbers just half as many dogs as it did a few years ago.  At our highest number, 26 dogs called this place home.  This morning there were 14; this afternoon just 13 remain.

This morning began like any other, with Reggae yelling at me from his pen!  This happened every morning as soon as Tehya came outside.  He wanted Tehya in his pen right now!  After a little while of listening to his complaints, I went to put Tehya in with him.  Reggae didn't come to the gate to greet her.  I found him a short distance away, laying in a patch of fireweed, alert & yelling but unable to move on his own.  The yelling stopped as soon as I got to him; he wasn't yelling for his girlfriend this time, he was yelling for help. 

 

He was less responsive and much quieter by the time we got to the vet clinic.  His gums were grey and his breathing was ragged.  An x-ray showed a large tumour in his chest cavity, pushing on his vagus nerve and likely his heart and lungs too.   Reggae had a senior check up about a couple months ago. He had recently gone blind in one eye, but other than that, he had no serious health issues. He turned 14 in May and seemed to be doing quite well.  The location of the mass in his chest meant it caused no symptoms until it caused major symptoms.  There was no choice but to release Reggae from a body that had suddenly and dramatically failed him.

 

Just last night he was yelling at me through the fence when I was too slow bringing him a bone.  Today it is oppressively quiet here.  My neighbours likely won't miss his racket, but I will miss my noisy, happy boy. 



First Half Marathon DONE!

It's done!  I crossed the finish line under my own power and upright!  I was a few minutes slower than I had hoped to run, but let's keep that in perspective...I ran just over 21 kilometres(13 miles) in 2 hours & 39 minutes.  8 months ago, when I started this running thing, a single kilometre left me gasping for air and I was taking an hour to get 5km finished!  So all in all, I'm pretty happy with my first half marathon!

This is where my time went off track!  Kilometre 19 and my legs decided they had done enough!  I was well prepared for this hill at the start of the race. It's an out and back course so this both near the start and the end.  I do lots of hills running around my neighbourhood.  Going up was no problem. I was not prepared for how difficult it would be going downhill with legs of lead! 

In hindsight, I don't think I drank enough on the course.  I had way more water left in my bottles than usual & I probably should have grabbed an orange slice or two at the turn around spot.  Lessons learned for next time!  There will be a next time!

 

The Mayo Midnight Marathon is really a nice event.  Besides being well organized and putting on a killer breakfast feast the next morning, everyone was really friendly.  Somewhere on that hill when I was obviously struggling,  a guy running the full marathon, at about kilometre 40 of his race, slowed his pace long enough to give me some words of encouragment. 

 

A couple kilometres earlier, a lady told me I had a "beautiful pace" and referred to me as "steady eddy" every time she saw me for the rest of the weekend.  She may have a point....my strength as a runner is never going to be my speed; I am not a sprinter, I'm never going to run a Boston Qualifer time, but I am steady!  I settle into my happy pace and I stay there!  My split times are almost always within seconds from start to finish! 

 

 

Oh, next time.....I just registered for another half marathon in Victoria over the Thanksgiving weekend!

Not a runner...

I'm not a runner; that's what I've said for most of my life.  Athletic, sure.  I've played all kinds of sports and even excelled at a couple.  I was a very competitive downhill skier in my younger days.  My coach, who was one of the most influential adults in my life who was not related to me, made me run several times a week.  I adored Scott, but I cursed him with every step.  I hated dryland training more than just about anything! I never got any connection between my performance on my skis and running around a park at 6am!  In my early 20's I went through a stage of working out obsessively. I could squat hundreds of pounds repeatedly, weighed less than was healthy for my frame and avoided the cardio equipment like the plague! 

A couple months before my 40th birthday last fall, I did a couch to 5km program and didn't hate it.  I bought some really good running shoes and fancy running clothes.  A girl can spend a lot of money in a running store!  Then I got sidetracked with holidays in Costa Rica, losing Glacier & Deuce, Christmas and a bout of  pneumonia.  I kept running but it wasn't nearly as often as it should have been. 

Once I got back on my feet, I started running more and more.  I started getting bitchy on the days something kept me from running.  My husband started encouraging me to run as I generally came home in a better mood than when I left!  I still avoid cardio equipment as much as possible.  We have a lovely gym quality treadmill in our shop. I have all the technology to distract me while I run on it...ipad, netflix, tunes...it still makes me want to cry with boredom! 

If it was above -15C, I ran outside all winter in a pair of trail shoes with ice spikes...I love those spikes!  Sometimes accompanied by Tehya, the only one of my dogs who has the energy or interest in doing much anymore!  The road through our subdivison is a 6km loop, ending with a massive uphill climb.  No matter what direction I go, I have to climb a big ass hill to get home.  Over the winter, I took 12 minutes off the time that 6km takes me.  I started wandering into the next subdivision to add a bit of distance.  I got farther up the hill before my lungs begged for mercy! 

Last week, I blew part of my tax refund on a Garmin Forerunner 210.  What a fun toy!  It tells me far more than I really need to know, but it's just fun to use! 

Sunday, I went into Whitehorse and ran a 10km loop around the Yukon River trails in just over an hour.  Not terribly fast but I was pretty damn happy about it, especially when I couldn't run a single kilometer not that long ago!  I could have gone farther; I didn't feel like I was dying, I wasn't begging for mercy.  That damn hill has had some benefits...a flat course didn't feel so bad at all!

Today, after some discussion with a cousin who is an elite runner and fitness coach, before I could remember that I'm not a runner, I registered for the Mayo Midnight Marathon!  I'll be running the half marathon, 21km or 13.1 miles, on June 22!  That's right about my favourite day of the year, when the light is at it's height and it never gets truly dark.  The half event starts at 9:30pm.  Eight weeks to train! 

So apparently, over 40 years later, I am a runner!

Etsy Store updated

I have been neglecting both this blog and my Etsy store of late! 

 

I did manage to get a few new items in the store tonight though! 

This is one of my favourite sets ever! 

 

More items will be listed in the next few days!

 

I'll try to get better at updating here too! 

Clearly it's been a pretty quiet winter!  The dogs have been behaving! They do that more often now that they are all old!  An aging pack has it's benefits!

 



Heaven got alot noiser and chaotic last night

Sunday and Monday my crazy wild child dog, Deuce, just wasn't himself.  He was yelling at me; not chewing on Raven's head; not running laps around his pen while waited for his dinner; just not his usual exuberant self.  I couldn't get him into our usual vet, but was able to get him into the clinic we used to go to all the time, where he received kind, compassionate and competent care. 

 

Monday night Deuce was diagnosed with pancreatitis, serious, but manageable.  He did not respond to supportive treatment overnight.  His vet saw some concerning things on his abdominal x-rays. She did an ultrasound yesterday morning that only increased her concerns. Late yesterday afternoon we gave her permission to do an exploratory surgery.

 

There was a mass behind his liver, cellular changes in the structure of his liver; his pancreas was necrotic and a section of his intestine so hardened and inflammed that nothing could have passed through it. We did not let him wake up again.

We brought him here in May 2005. He'd been a stray for years in a nearby community. No one claimed him and eventually he started getting in trouble while searching for food.   A young man tied Deuce and two other dogs up in his yard to save them until the shelter had room.

Deuce lost his mind in the shelter. From free roam of the Yukon wilderness, to a chain, to a tiny kennel! He hated the confinement and he was horribly bored. The shelter staff thought he was a aggressive and wanted him put down. Stuart brought him home instead. They always shared a special bond; Deuce knew who saved him. I am grateful Stuart made it home in time to say goodbye.

Deuce was not aggressive ever; he was just extraordinarily active, happy and exuberant! He didn't always know how to ask nicely for the attention he so desperately wanted so he'd just knock you over to get it! He was my wild child and I will miss his nutty self!

 

His penmate, Raven, is lost without him. They've been best friends since the day he arrived.

He didn't always get everything he should have here. He was a difficult dog at times; a special needs boy! But he was safe, warm, fed and deeply loved. I hope that was enough.

 

 Godspeed, my wild child. Don't cause too much chaos at the Bridge!

Farewell, King Muskwa

 He was the first Siberian Husky I ever met; the dog who changed my life. Not only was he a package deal with the man who became my husband, but everything I know about stubborn, digging, howling, escaping, challenging, frustrating,  funny, too-smart-for-their-good, dogs, I first learned from Muskwa. 

=No dog ever had a better life.  He spent his entire life with Stuart, best friends from the moment they met, when Muskwa was just days old.  He saw parts of the Yukon few humans ever get to enjoy.  He was a born alpha dog, a true leader who never resorted to aggresssion to prove his point.  He simply was the King and he expected that everyone, regardless of species, would recognize that! 



It was a life full of adventure and misadventure!  He had a taste for porcupines that never went away.  A dozen encounters never taught him that those things hurt.  Even smart dogs can't know everything!

 

Four days after his 15th birthday, four months after he was diagnosed with liver failure, Muskwa was released from a body that could no longer support his big spirit.  He has rejoined his pups, Earle and Hoodoo, along with so many members of the pack he started and always ruled.

Godspeed, old friend.  We will miss you!

Muskwa

King of Dogs

October 20, 1997 - October 24, 2012

Good-bye, Glacier

 He was my very first cat, my first pet in my adult life.  14 years ago,  I pulled him out from under a deck in Calgary, an adorable six week old kitten.

He saw some dramatic changes in his life; from just the two of us in a condo in the big city to living with this zoo.  He accepted every change, every newcomer with grace, ease and without ever peeing on my stuff!

He was not the brightest cat I've ever met; he could get lost in the living room!  But he was among the sweetest cats I've ever known, full of drooly purrs, head bonks, and love.

 

Until five days ago, he'd never been sick a moment in his life, never been to the vet for anything beyond routine care.  Over the Thanksgiving weekend, he became increasingly lethargic, just not his usual mewing purring self. 

 

He has spent the last three days at the vet clinic where a large tumour was found on his pancreas, his kidneys were failing and his blood sugar was dangerously low.  Despite the best efforts of his vet, he did not respond to treatment; he was miserable and we were out of options.

He was released from his failing body tonight, the last and only thing I could do for him.  He leaves behind fourteen years of memories, a huge hole in my heart and a very lost best friend.  Pete will mourn the loss of his lifelong friend as deeply as I will. 

Glacier

July 21, 1998 - October 11, 2012

 

From begining to end, he was a good cat!

 

Boots is Back!

It took multiple visits to the vet, a few house calls from her, several after hours emergency calls,  a couple surgeries, a feeding tube, and a couple weeks of round the clock feeding sessions. 

It was exhausting.

It was completely worth it!

Boots has made a full recovery from his injuries.  He's back to being his former snuggly, purring, headbonking, mouse killing self.  He eats on his own; more canned food now than kibble, but he eats!

The only reminders of the damage are one slightly squinty eye and a few broken whiskers from our feeding sessions.

Oh, and slightly more spoiled cat...I offered Boots a veritable smorg of kitty treats and food trying to get him to eat.  He now believes he should get Temptations treats multiple times a day and squishy food should be delivered to him wherever he may be!

I am a good cat slave so his demands rarely go unanswered. 



It had been too calm...

It had been too calm for too long, something had to happen and happen it did....

I don't know definatively what happened or who's to blame, besides me, so I won't name any suspects.  12 days ago, Boots had a run in with one of the dogs. I suspect he was racing through the house in the wee hours of the morning, probably harassing Ivy.  Everyone harasses Ivy!  Boots startled a sleeping dog and that dog reacted as dogs will react with a snap of teeth.  Whichever dog it was realized instantly that they had made a mistake and released.  Had they not, this would be a memorial post for Boots. 

Boots did suffer serious injuries including a crushed sinus cavity and a broken palate.  Fortunately, he did not suffer any brain damage and neurologically he's fully functional.  He has spent most of the past two weeks in the wonderful care of Dr. Candace Stuart at All Paws Vet Clinic.  He would not be here without her care! 

Boots came home on Thursday night.  His skull is healing. His palate is solid again, but slightly misaligned.  One sinus cavity is almost normal, the other has much more extensive damage.

 The most pressing current issue is that Boots won't eat on his own.  Cats get very ill very quickly when they don't eat.  Boots had a feeding tube put in on Tuesday.  It will stay in until he eats on his own for several days in a row.  So far he's eaten nothing on his own, but he has been a most cooperative patient !  Tube feeding is not as easy as it looks, but is more stressful for me than it is for Boots!  He purrs and sleeps through most of his feedings! 

He is acting like our usual sweet Boots, full of purrs, snuggles and kisses...even headbonks, although I don't think that's such a good idea given the whole fractured skull issue!

Boots is about the nicest cat I've ever met.  He's all kinds of awesome.  He's fought hard to make it this far.  I am hoping the fight gets easier from here for him. 

Delta Day

We don't celebrate St. Patrick's day; we celebrate Delta Day...not the day we adopted him or his birthday, but the day we finally got him home after he disappeared for a month. 

It's been six years since every mail box, bulletin board and utility pole for miles was plastered with a poster of this sweet boy. 

 Delta is the most timid dog I've ever met. He had no socialization as a puppy. He has little use for humans. It made him very hard to catch and led him a long way from home.

We've tried to socialize Delta but progress has been very slow. He follows me around the yard and woos at me, but prefers I not touch him. He's hypthyroid now and medicating him involves tossing a pill hidden in a hotdog from a safe distance!



But he has made some progress.  A couple months ago, he had a huge breakthrough...a simple thing for most dogs, but enormous for Delta.  He will come through the door into the house all by himself!  For years, bringing Delta inside required cornering him in the yard and then carrying him into the house.  Almost every night now, he runs in with the others.  The adorable, funny part is that Delta is so proud of himself when he does this that he stops in the kitchen and breaks into song...every single time! 

He'll be 11 this fall.  I wish I knew where he was for that month, how he survived and how he escaped.  He never goes near the gate anymore!  It is scary out there! 

Happy Delta Day!

Escaping February...

We have a long history of problems with the month of February.  Bad things happen around here in February.  This year, we decided that if something crappy was going to happen to us, we would be on a beach somewhere drowning our sorrows in slushy drinks! 

Much to my father's dismay, we chose Honduras as our destination!   Well, I chose Honduras; Stuart isn't very involved in planning these things. He just shows up at the airport when I tell him to be there! 

I'm pretty sure Dad did not believe one word of my attempts to convince him that we were not going to be in mortal danger!  We didn't visit the mainland, although there are things there I will see someday; this trip was confined to the Bay Island of Roatan.  While Roatan faces many of the issues common to Central American travel, it is safer than the mainland.  

 There were many slushy drinks consumed on this trip, but other than raising a glass to remember Bandit, Mac & Ozzy on the anniversary of their deaths, there was no sorrow drowning! 

No drowning of any kind actually!  We spent much of our time in and on the water, swimming, snorkelling, fishing, kayaking, sight seeing by boat tour!  Snorkelling Roatan's reef, the second largest in the world, was amazing!

 Like swimming in an aquarium!  Fish, turtles and coral everywhere!  If/when we return to Roatan, I'll be getting my open water diver certification.  I'd love to explore the reef from deeper and closer!



The view from our patio at the little hotel we stayed at.  If you're heading to Roatan and aren't into luxury resorts, I'd highly recommend the Seagrape Plantation in West End..reasonable price, safe, comfortable, quiet, but still close to all the chaos that is West End!  Really if you want full out luxury, Roatan probably isn't the right destination for you anyway!

For the first time in 8 years, we made it through February unscathed.  If it takes being on a Central American island for that to happen, I'm willing to make that sacrifice every year!



Our first vet trips of the year!

It didn't take long for the dogs to require the services of All Paws Vet Clinic in 2012! 

Franklin went first. 

Just before Christmas, Franklin was at the clinic getting a skin infection checked out.  His seasonal allergies never went away and turned into a bacterial skin infection.  During that exam, we found a lump on his front leg that turned out to be cancerous.  It grew like crazy over the holidays so it had to be removed!  A week ago, Franklin had the surgery.  He is recovering well.  The type of cancer he has is unlikely to spread to other parts of his body. It does have a high rate of reoccurance though so we'll be keeping a close eye on that spot! 

Franklin also turned 12 this week!  We are grateful he's back on his paws and here to celebrate with us!  Moose bones for everyone!!

We started today with an early morning phone call to Dr. Stuart. 

Heyoka couldn't stand up.  His back legs just weren't working.  He has had a back problem before but this looked much more serious!  We were waiting at the clinic when the door was unlocked.  Heyoka had regained some use of his legs by then, but he was unhappy, weak, and wobbly!  

A big dose of prednisone, a muscle relaxer and some accupuncture perked him right up!  He's not 100% yet. His balance is still a little iffy, especially if he tries to run or move too fast!  He probably has a pinched nerve in his back.  Fortunately it seems to respond to medication.   Heyoka is getting older too; he's so goofy that it's hard to believe he's a senior dog!   I'm very glad to have the big goof home tonight!



Almost silent bliss

Today was Fresh Bone Day in the dog yards....

The only sound in the yard is happy huskies chewing! 

Pure, almost silent bliss for both human and canines!

Looking back and forward

2011 was not a kind year to our pack.  I'm not sorry to see it end! 

We lost six dogs and two cats.  Most of those deaths were unexpected; three of them took place over the most traumatic 19 hours of my life; something I hope to never come close to experiencing ever again! 

While we mourn and miss  Founder, Bandit, Mac, Ozzy, Earle, Kayleigh, Puff and Sophia, the year wasn't all bad either.

Heyoka got his throat problems fixed in April.  He's a different dog; he's like a puppy again. It's so much easier to be happy and active when you can breathe! It's a huge delight to watch him run, play and live up to his name, which means Clown! 

Our ridiculously timid dog, Delta, had a huge breakthrough late in the year.  His sudden attack bravery and trust deserves a post of it's own!  I'll do that soon! After almost a decade together, it's nice to see him still making some progress!

Chum's diagnosis was changed from fatal to chronic.  He doesn't have liver cancer; he has a form of steriod responsive hepatitis.  We are currently finishing a long weaning program for all his medications, except a low dose of prednisone.  He remains the same noisy, nutty goof he's always been.

The year wasn't all bad for the humans here either....I had surgery on my wrist and after almost 3 years of chronic pain have a pain-free fully functional joint again.  I got to spend some time down south with my family; attended my niece's wedding; toured my sister and her family around Haines, Alaska; spent two whole weeks with my niece, Naomi. 

In November, I had PRK surgery to free myself from glasses and contacts.  For the first two weeks, I thought I'd make a very expensive and painful mistake, but now I am seeing clearly and loving it!

Stuart's drilling business seems to be taking off. It takes him away from home for long periods, but he's always happy when he's way too busy!  It appears he has finally figured out what he wants to be when he grows up...if he grows up! :)

We expect that we will lose several more pack members in 2012.  There are two 15 year old dogs in our pack, several more well over 12 and everyone but Tehya is over 10!  The cats are also aging, although with fewer obvious health issues. 

While the new year will most certainly have it's heartaches, we have happy plans too!  We're heading to Honduras in February for a far too short break from the dark and cold.  I can't wait to snorkel and swim without fear of losing a contact!  In September I turn 40 and that too will hopefully be celebrated with a short trip somewhere.  I suggested Santa Clara, Cuba; Stuart said Newfoundland! It's my birthday so I think I should win that debate!

We're hoping to return to Costa Rica at the end of 2012...Christmas on a beach next year maybe!  Depending on dogsitters...every trip of more than 12 hours for us depends on a dogsitter!

In May my family will welcome a new human addition too.  My sister is expecting another baby. I can't wait to meet the new little one.  I do love being an Auntie!

Bring it on, 2012.  If 2011 didn't break us, you won't either!

Happy New Year!