Good and Bad news....

The good news is we got a little bit of snow over the weekend. Not enough to get the sled back out, but enough to run the dogs on the ATV without any extra risk of injury. Much to their very vocal delight!

Doesn't that face just say "bliss"? Course it doesn't take much to make Hobo happy!

The temps are still way too warm.

Nothing Pingo hates more than being too hot! Except maybe sleeping outside. She does like laying with her belly in the snow after a run. She did very well today. We ran into a pack of loose dogs on the way home. Daisy, my neighbor's dog who tags along with us, helped chase them off the trail and Pingo did a solid ON-BY for the rest of them. No commotion at all. She just barked at them. "Get off of my trail"!


Franklin ran in lead today too beside Paxil. He did pretty well. I don't think he knows the commands, but he did what Paxil did and she's never wrong! This was after his run. Looks pretty proud of himself doesn't he!?


The sky was very pretty this afternoon. Even looks like it might snow some more!

And now the bad news:
I found another lump on Paxil over the weekend. She had a mast cell tumor removed in February. I thought she had beat the cancer, but it's reared it's ugly head again. She was at the vet today and we confirmed it is cancer again. Paxil goes in on Friday for a tumor removal. Dr. Candace is rearranging her schedule for Friday so she can do the surgery. Otherwise Paxil would have to wait until December 23 and that's just too long! Her long term prognosis isn't clear right now. The reocurrance is a bad sign, but the tumor is in a better place, if that's possible. It's up on her ribs this time, not her thigh. So there's enough extra skin that they should be able to get all of it. Last time they couldn't take as much clear tissue as desired and still close the wound. Paxil is not acting sick at all. She even came for run this afternoon.

Hopefully, it won't be her last run in harness, although she will be off for a little while! She did great. We didn't go very far, but she ran well, tight tug line and listening to commands. Her gait seemed a little off, but I think she was doing her happy dog wiggle and trying to pull at the same time! Hopefully, she'll still be doing her happy dog wiggle after Friday!

Christmas Decorating...

Despite my complete lack of holiday spirit this year, I decided to do some decorating tonight. It didn't improve my mood much, but the house looks kinda pretty, in a tacky, overdone sort of way!

Every critter gets a stocking. The dogs will get a candy cane shaped rawhide treat on Christmas day. The cats get some Pounce treats and a new toy or two. I have already bought all the treats, but it's too much weight for that garland to hold up!

The departed furkids still get their stockings hung up too, just in a different spot. I shed a few tears hanging these ones especially Dominique and Twicket's. Hoodoo has been gone longer and it's a little easier now. I still miss him when I'm stringing lights though. He loved to lay under the tree or near the windows and watch the lights blink.

I might even put a tree up this year if I can find room in the solarium for it--it the only cat free zone in the house!

Bored sled dogs...

Still no snow. The temps have dropped at least 30 degrees since last week, still no snow! It's -33C at our place tonight, according to the cheap little thermometer in the window so give or take a degree or two. No snow, the yard is still a sheet of ice. So what's a sled dog to do? Can't pull the sled. ATV is gone--recruited for a hunting trip that was supposed to be done by skidoo, but there's no snow in bison country either! No way am I trying to skijor on this junk. So what's a sled dog to do?

If you are Sleet, you sit outside the door and look cute until you get inside. Then you use that gift so many Northern breeds have and pretend you are deaf. That way you can spend the whole day inside because eventually the human has to go to work and she won't bother dragging a 12 year old dog to the door! She's a smart one, my Sleet!


If you are Bandit, you suddenly play the "senior" card. Remember you will be 9 in 22 days and start acting your age. No more of this running around and playing stuff. Nope, sleep in the human's favorite chair! She can have the recliner! Seniors should be house dogs, right? Any dog who can get into this chair without tipping it over deserves not to be distrubed!


Paxil goes for the pathetic look and no direct eye contact. Direct eye contact can lead to the humans thinking you need outside. Nope, not this girl, up to 18 hours between pee breaks is just fine with her. Paxil sends a special thank you to her Grandma Carol who sent her the fancy new bed!


The only way to stop Muskwa's incessant whining at the door was to let him in. I did wait until he had shut up for 30 seconds before letting him in. He took over the futon and has been there for hours now!

It better snow soon!!!