Animal Crackers

SAMANTHA'S GOLDEN COMET

2008-02-20T08:48:00.000-08:00

SAMANTHA'S GOLDEN COMET

You've come of age
A glorious, golden three!
Behold this lovely young lady of 21
Just like a bright, shiny penny!
We've shared so much in such a short time
A myriad of tears and laughter.
What a team we are in the obedience ring
What fun we have tracking.
You've taught me so much
About life - patience - forgiveness.
What monumental heights we've achieved together
One unbelievable new frontier after another!
How have I managed nearly four decades without you?
I love you, Samantha
My Golden Girl!
May your golden glow last forever!

Katie c: 4/79

GOLDEN SISTERS

2008-02-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

GOLDEN SISTERS

Soft summer breezes woven with a
warm blanket of sunshine
Bestows a utopia for
blissful dozing
On a cool screened porch.

One eye keeps a watch
on chipmunks romping in the wood pile
While above the, in the willows
mama chickadees feed their young.

Sparkling morning skies
are a time for sisters to play.
Blithe spirits
wrestling in the grass
chasing a butterfly
Learning to blow bubbles in the water bowl
while retrieving an ice cube.

Carefree days are -
a pool filled with fresh, clear water for play
a Frisbee sailing through the air
nose to nose with a bee in the flower garden
chasing raindrops in an eyening shower.
Our friendship grows -
we share, we learn, we play.

Imperceptibly fall approaches
soon to explode in a riot of color.
There are orchards to track through
flushing out rabbits.
Grandpa's leaf pile
abounds with imagination and fantasy.

Panting breath rises in the crisp air
as paw prints are left
On the early morning frosted ground.

Alas, soon our insouciant days will be over
But this year we have become friends
and mutually we will share our dreams
Before a warm, crackling fire
curled up on our rug together

Just you and I.

Katie c: 1983

BUCKLES

2008-02-11T08:49:00.001-08:00

I saved this Buckles comic from long ago because I thought it was so nice. I'd like to share it with you now.

From Me To You

I'll fetch a stick,

I'll fetch a ball.

Feed me treats

I'll fetch it all.

I'll run and play,

I'll bark all the day.

And through the night,

I'll wait at bay.

I'm your friend,

You're my pal.

Through thick and think,

Our bond won't fail.

Rub my belly,

And pat my head.

It's all I ask

And goes unsaid.

From me to you

With every stride,

I'll always be

Right by your side.

By: David Gilbert

GOLDWOOD'S CONDA

2008-02-07T13:43:00.001-08:00

WELCOME TO GOLDWOOD, CONDA !

What a beauty you already are!

Creamy white coat

Flashing brown eyes

Proud stance - and

Overflowing with love.

Every minute of life a challenge

Your days are filled with adventure.

So much lies ahead for Goldwood's youngest.

Proudly you will carry on the

traditions of your predecessors.

You surely will blaze a trail of

success, confidence, loving moments -

Eager to get on with it!

Darling Golconda

You have many wonderful years ahead.

How very lucky to be at Goldwood.

Katie c: 4/79

VALENTINE VERSE TO MY DOG

2008-02-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

HOW DO I LOVE THEE? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS.....

I love thee agreeably.....
enough to let your stinky doghide on the bed after a run through the
damp leaves, mud, and slug-infested gardens.

I love thee steadfastly....
enough to devote a year to raising you from a wobbly speck into a
strong, healthy adult [who promptly attempts to seize control.]

I love thee passionately....
despite your repeated efforts to probe my ears, eyes, and mouth with
the same tongue you use for various other atrocities.

I love thee well...
despite the amazing odors you produce.

I love thee deeply...
though you use me as a napkin at every opportunity.

I love thee madly....
despite the verious bodily functions you have performed
at inappropriate moments - in inappropriate places.

I love thee constantly....
despite the dog "bladder curfew" I have lived with for many years.

I love thee truly....
despite the "doggie landmines" hidden in the grass.

I love thee absolutely...
because you never [well, hardly ever] hog the remote control.

I love thee gratefully....
because you stay by my side [or on my side.]

I love thee devotedly....
more than clean carpeting, clothing, furniture, floors, or walls.

I love thee bravely....
enough to battle the indomitable flea on your behalf.

I love thee monetarily....
enough to put the vet's children through college.

I love thee openly....
I will bear any embarrassment for your furry sake.

I love thee totally....
more than free time or excess cash or a predictable life.

........................author unknown

SAMANTHA'S GOLDEN COMET

2008-01-29T13:28:00.001-08:00

SAMANTHA'S GOLDEN COMET

APRIL 76 - JANUARY 91

A worn leather collar, a small yellow ball
lie on my desk.
I reach out and touch them -
tears flow from my eyes.

My darling Samantha
you gave me a lifetime of love and happiness
in what seems but a fleeting moment in time.

You captivated a myriad of hearts Madam Ambassador
and always the lady.

Your eyes, with their deep serenity,
reflected your compassion and trust -
incredibly patient and forgiving.

I proudly look at all of your obedience ribbons -
you were a class act.
Tracking was your forte which you excelled in and loved.
We shared many wonderful hours in the fields -
our special time together.

I miss you Samantha.
The house is profoundly quiet without your presence,
so many taken-for-granted habits have changed.

Candi feels her loss in a legion of ways.
I sense her fear and pain and reach out to her.
she quiets as my arm steadies her shoulder.
Candi will proudly carry on your legacy in time.

You have coe home dear Samantha.
I will always feel a closeness -
no one can take your place.

Now at peace, your pain is gone.
At last you can rest serenely
on your very own twinkling star
which you richly deserve.

Looking into the night, I search the heavens,
knowing you are there.
In time, the good Lord, in his infinite wisdom,
will bring us together again.

Until then my precious Samantha,
know that my love endures.

You enriched my life.
You gave more than you took.
You taught me so much.

Sleep on in peace dear, loyal, and trusting friend

Katie c:2/91

ASTRO

2008-01-26T15:03:00.000-08:00

ASTRO

As though carved from granite
He stands in his stately silence.
The canine Cour de Leon!
Unsurpassed in intelligence,
Noblesse oblige determines his valor.
His greatness exemplified
Not only in mind, but in body.
Guardian to truth and loyalty
Undaunted!
An eminent perception
Of gentleness and compassion
Gracefully forgiving.

Katie- c '79

CREATION ACCORDING TO A DOG

2008-01-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

On the first day of creation, God created the dog.

On the second day, God created man to serve the dog.

On the third day, God created all the rest of the animals on earth to serve as potential food for the dog.

On the fourth day, God created honest toil so that man could labor for the good of the dog.

On the fifth day, God created the tennis ball so that a dog might or might not retrieve it.

On the sixth day, God created veterinary science to keep the dog healthy...and Man forever in debt.

On the seventh day, God tried to rest, but HE had to walk the dog.

POEM - ASTRO

2008-01-24T13:10:00.000-08:00

ASTRO

There is a stillness, an emptiness
Yet a feeling of presence
The girls mourn your passing as we do.
You are one of God's creatures
Quickly called home to your very own star
So you would not have to endure suffering and pain.
There you will remain for a millennium
Twinkling in the galaxy for all of us to see.
We away your return
Our bonds strengthen through death.
I believe it is God's way.
The true meaning of rebirth.
Just as Spring assures us of the continuing evolution
Through nature's rejoicing of the dawn of a new day.
You enriched our lives
Touching so many with your love and gentleness
Life must go on
One day we will all be together
And at peace with ourselves.
Shine brightly, dear Astro
While you sleep peacefully and re energize
We love you so and await your return.
Katie c:3/83

A Break for Dakoa

2008-01-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

The bitter temps and snow have been especially hard on our canines. I am so glad that I got Dakota booties before the sub-zero temps hit. WE got into a routine of getting them on quickly and putting the coat on so as to make it pleasent and fun for him. Who am I kidding? He wasn't thrilled but he was patient and did accept all of the dressing and undressing.

Today the temps moderated enough so that he could go out without any booties or coat. To his delight it has been snowing lightly. That was THE perfect combination for Dakota. When I went to open the door for him, he hesitated and looked up at me as if to say --"You're really going to let me out without all of that other stuff?" He started out the door and then saw the snow coming down. He was in his glory. He dashed across the deck with Boo Boo Bear on into the snow in the yard. He immediately dropped down to roll and roll and roll. Not only one, not only twice, but three times before he even thought about stopping. Then he stood up and shook all of the snow off, looked up at me with the biggest smile I've ever seen, wagged his tail, whipped around, grabbed his bear and off he went looking for the rabbit. Finally he came in and waited for his treat. But it wasn't long before he wanted out again. So far we've been through this routine for three rounds. He's had a wonderful day. I'm so glad for the break. We are heading down to the minus side again and we'll have to get the booties and coat out again. But it shouldn't be a long spell this time.

He is such a joy to watch outside. You can see he's catching up on all he missed for those 10 years and I don't think the well will ever be filled but he's sure working at it.

TOYS ARE US BIG TIME

2008-01-11T12:42:00.002-08:00

One of the most poignant events with Dakota is his reaction to toys and bones. For the first ten years of his life, he didn't know that dogs get toys and bones for their daily enjoyment. I cannot imagine a dog not being able to have at least a bone to chew on but Dakota had never had either. The first thing I did was give him a bone that I had waiting for him when he came. Shortly after that I got him his first soft toy - a teddy bear. He didn't know what to do with the bear and was hesitant to even touch it. But the bone became an instant delight. We are almost three years down the line now and he now has his very own stash of toys from Christmases and birthdays and just plain mom's weaknesses. His most favorite of all is a white teddy bear I gave him from my own collection. I don't know why except that he realized it was mine when I gave it to him one day in my office. He watched me reach up to one of my shelves of stuffed animals and pulled down the white bear. He looked at me, I smiled, and he gently took the leg of the bear into his mouth and off he went. While he takes various other stuffed animals outside with him, Boo Boo Bear is never far away. We have to make plans ahead of time to retrieve the bear for the washing machine. Here are some of his favorites.....bones not included.

This is only the collection of his most favorite. They are kept in "his box" and available at all times. He is so much fun to watch when he selects the "toy of the hour." Sometimes, in the morning, as I head up to my office, Dakota stops dead in his tracks. You can tell he's thinking. All of a sudden he wheels around and trots back to the kitchen or family room, grabs his bear and runs back to continue following me up the stairs.

When he takes his animals outside, he loves to toss them around and pounce on them. I think he's found a lost part of his youth and is enjoying it to the hilt. Every day brings many smiles to my face and sometimes tears of joy that I've been able to introduce Dakota to some more happiness.

FURTHER ADVENTURES

2008-01-09T08:46:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy fall and winter and now we're beginning a new year. My blog has suffered through much. Computer problems, holidays, book writing, and a myriad of other inconveniences.

Dakota has been dealing with new experiences. His life in Iowa did not subject him to sub-zero temps like we've had in MN. It is quite a challenge for him at his advanced age. But I found him quite up to it. How he loves the snow. I think he thinks he found utopia. If I let him, he'd be out rolling and playing in it all day. The cold has not bothered him until we got down into the single digits and below zero temps. He simply could not handle it with his rear legs. He became "paralyzed" and could not walk or get back to the house. He is a big dog and my husband struggled to lift him enough to get him into the house. I had his coat on him at the time but it just wasn't enough. He was in desperate need of foot protection. Luckily I found a place in Duluth, MN that makes the booties for the sled dogs of the country. I immediately ordered him four booties. They are wonderfully easy to put on and take off. They were also so flexible and comfortable for him. How he loves them. When it turns cold, he will not go out until I put them on. He is able to move around the yard at his own pace and, the best part, he is able to continue rolling and playing in the snow.

He loved his Christmas toys. For a dog that never had toys or bones, it's taken him a couple of years to get into this Christmas thing. But he's enthusiastic about it and hauls his stash around. Still, his white teddy bear remains his favorite. My thought is that it seems to always be there and available. His toys are kept in "his box" and I don't think he thinks about that much of the time. So he grabs what's visible and it's usually his bear. He does love his bones too. They provide enjoyable minutes after a meal or during the evening when he's bored with us and TV.

Dakota remains healthy and quite active for a dog that is almost 13. Soon he will have his teeth cleaned, a small tumor removed from his eyelid, and a little growth on his nose that is starting to interfere with his handsome profile.

DAKOTA'S PERSONALITY

2007-11-06T10:13:00.001-08:00

I firmly believe that Dakota was a gift to me. I explain that at the end of my book and will not detail it here.

Dakota has been with me two years now and made huge advances, at least for him. He is firmly set now in "HIS" home that he rules and watches over. He has learned so much for a senior dog and seems to love discovering new experiences to add to his repertoire. Most of these discoveries are to enhance his life style. It also brings out his wonderful hidden personality.

We have been doing a lot of upgrading in the house. This summer it involved the living and dining rooms. It led to eating meals off of TV trays while watching a new TV set. It took me quite some time to realize what was going on, but I suddenly became aware that Dakota felt he had access to my tray and should be able to graze about where I placed his morsels on a napkin and gave them out sparingly throughout the meal. In the beginning he would just settle down in the room while we ate. Somewhere along the way I gave him a little treat. It probably was a taste of turkey at Thanksgiving. I don't recall. Now that he's decided this is his forever home and he won't be shipped off to another home, he has moved up to my tray and sit opposite me. Dakota is not your average Golden. His head fits perfectly with the height of the tray thus making it fertile ground for politely grabbing food quickly and quietly while eyes are glued to the TV program. He's a perfect gentleman. It's hard to scold him and quite honestly I don't. Dakota needs to expand his life experiences.

In the 45+ years I've been working and living with dogs, I can honestly say that Dakota is a perfect example of a pet that has not had a chance in life to interact with humans. He was, for the most part, fairly well cared for when it came to food, shelter, and vet care. But he was not "involved" with people or his owner[s]. Watching him day after day I saw an animal that was in his own world. He really didn't know how to relate to people. He looked after and responded to his own survival. He has developed excellent resources of survival. The longer I watched him I was convinced it had nothing to do with obedience training or people training. For a short period of his early years he was on his own and had to rely on his own instincts. Other than that he was around people but they didn't involve him in daily living. I will have more discussion of this in my book too.

I am able to let Dakota do pretty much whatever he wants to do. I believe this is because he established his own rules of living and they're pretty darn good. As time went on, I started to draw him into my world. I was careful not to overwhelm him with too much "togetherness." The most important element I added to his daily life was talking to him. As I've said in earlier posts, I am a very strong believer in talking with your pets. It's amazing what happens when you do. At first Dakota didn't pay much attention to me. Soon, however, he started following me around. Then I decided it was time to give him something to do that would bring him into my world in a more permanent way. I introduced him to toys. He grew up without toys. I got him his first teddy bear. With that bear I encouraged him to take it outside whenever he went out. Then I taught him that he had to bring it back with him. It was like an explosion when he finally caught on. You could see the light bulb come on. Along with it came a huge smile on his face. And he was so excited. When he got in, I gave him a treat. That was the day I broke into his cloistered world and opened up the avenues for him to become part of the human world.

The second effort was to let Dakota know how important people can be to his psyche. He was constantly begging for attention and acceptance. He needed to be touched. He desperately wanted to be petted and touched. His head was forever on my leg seeking attention. I have spent a lot of time stopping to reach down and give him a long hug. That seems to mean more to him than just petting his head. Quite often I put my arm around him and just leave it there. He doesn't move. He absorbs all of this like a giant sponge. It's never enough. In the mornings when I get up I give him a whole body massage. At first he didn't want me to stop. Now he relishes every minute but is finally able to get down and go with me to the kitchen for his breakfast. He has even gotten to the point where some days that massage isn't necessary and I find him waiting for me in the hall and off he goes by himself to the kitchen and patiently waits for me to catch up.

His new life of talking, hugging, and things to do has brought him into my world and he is starting to blossom into the most charming guy. We are pursuing more avenues. See my next post.

DAKOTA'S SUMMER

2007-10-27T10:02:00.001-07:00

Dakota's spring and fall profile test remained solid. The only change was with his thyroid. His numbers dropped out of the normal zone. This is not uncommon for a senior Golden. I thought I might wait in putting him on medication but changed my mind because of his age and the fact that he was not as active as he was earlier in the year. He responded well to a minimum dosage and his follow-up test showed a return to the normal zone.

He's enjoyed the summer that kept him busy chasing rabbits. They were a huge problem this year. His frustrations came when they would run under the deck and wait it out. He never took it that seriously and I dare say I was more frustrated than he was.

It's hard to take a dog and rabbit chase seriously when the dog has a stuffed teddy bear hanging out of his mouth. I think the rabbits finally caught on too as they stopped looking for several fence boards to sneak through and simply hid behind one of the arborvitae until Dakota lost interest and went on to investigate another area of the yard.

It did have its advantages in that he got a bit of exercise. He felt that he'd done his job and seemed unmoved that he didn't catch the critter. However, it was a different story when it came to the squirrels. He took them quite seriously. Dakota would usually see them before I opened the door. He immediately went into his "stalking mode." This started before he completely got out of the door. So I would have to stand there until he slowly stalked his way to the edge of the deck. Of course, he did this with the teddy bear hanging out of the mouth too. The squirrels took one of two options. They would casually and slowly change their direction of interest and move toward the fence and climb up to the top and walk along the edge. None of this showed alarm. It was like this had been the plan all along. The second option was to totally freeze, sitting on its haunches and not moving a muscle while letting Dakota continue his stalking until he got within several feet and then they'd turned tail and bolt to the fence, race to the top and run like heck. Dakota would launch into his gallop and lope toward the fence but give up the pursuit about halfway there.

As for his chipmunks he simply enjoyed settling down on the deck and watch them play out in the garden. He continued looking for the one that lived under the arborvitae but either moved to another location or didn't survive the winter. Dakota still believes he will come out of the hole and patiently waits for him to appear. The chips have decided he is harmless and will scurry across the back of the deck or travel around the deck area without a care in the world and only give pause once in a while to see if Dakota has changed his mind.

It's been fun to watch him throughout the summer as he's also decided that it's safe for him to stay out on the deck without me being there too. The invisible leash has stretched quite a bit since last summer and he is not concerned every minute as to my location. He seems to vacillate between wanting me in sight even if I'm in the house to forgetting to look and see where I might be. He appears to be more trusting of his new home and that it will be permanent. I can still see times when he becomes concerned about his security, but it soon disappears and he's back into his comfort zone. A lot of hugs, petting, and talking eases his hesitancy and he's off to chew a bone or get his favorite toy of the day.

UPDATE

2007-10-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

I doubt that anyone is checking my blog as it has been a long time since I've been here. Just to update, I am writing a book about Dakota. Perhaps I'll put a bit of it on here while I'm writing that I feel you might enjoy.

Dakota has made a lot of progress since last fall. He really runs the house now and considers it his property to watch over. He's still very healthy at 12 years. His profile tests have been excellent with the exception of his thyroid.....something that's not unusual for Goldens. He's been put on medication and it raised his test back to normal range. He's also had to have some pain medication to help with the arthritis. It has worked well. He is moving around a lot more but really needs some additional activity. More on that later.

I'm back but not on a daily basis. Please come back. I miss you all.

NOTICE

2007-08-05T14:56:00.001-07:00

I have decided to take on the awesome task of writing a little book
about Dakota. It is consuming more time than I realized so I am going to
put my two blogs on hold for a while until I am better organized and can
be underway. I shall return for sure but most have given up on me. I
will post pictures of Dakota from time to time. Thanks for all of your
interest...I look forward to getting back to blogging in a few weeks.

Dakota is doing remarkably well. He's made tremendous progress with his storm fear and I am able to pretty much let him be during storms. I don't believe that he can be left alone yet, but he's a totally different dog from two years ago. His toughest time is during the middle of the night if he wakes up to lightening. But he's improved and I think will eventually settle down then too.

JOY, LOVE, and TEARS

2007-07-12T09:27:00.001-07:00

We had huge, loud storms over the holidays. Normally that wouldn't mean
much other than to spoil an outing or two but for me it was an awesome
experience that left me speechless with tears of joy and success in my eyes.

Knowing ahead of time that these storms would be heading our way, I
braced myself for how Dakota would react to them. Last summer and this
summer have not been big storm summers so I have not had much feedback
to all of the work I did with him on storm fear.

As you've read in previous early posts, I adopted Dakota as a rescue
dog. It was ten years old at the time. He arrived with a case of
separation anxiety and a pretty good case of storm fear. In my 40 plus
years of working with dogs and writing about them, I've pretty much had
the same answers for owners on how to deal with storm fear. I never had
a dog with storm fear until Dakota came into my life. I had no idea of
how long he had been this way, but I felt that I should be able to help
him soften the fear and anxiety and hopefully enjoy his senior years
more peacefully.

I hit the Internet in search of newly developed programs. I went back
through my huge notebooks of university colleges of veterinary medicine
hoping I'd missed an article about the subject. Bingo. I met with
success on both efforts. I found a CD from Masters Voice on canine
training systems. It also had another CD titled "Kennel Calm" that could
be used in a number of ways. This led me to Cornell University College
of Veterinary Medicine and their support of this training system titled
"Noiseshy Cure Thunder." One thing led to another and I was put in touch
with a wonderful gentleman that wrote a column for a sports magazine
relating to hunting dog problems.

How lucky I was that he took an interest in Dakota. For over a year, he
was kind enough to work with me in helping Dakota ease his storm fear.
This didn't happen overnight. It was a matter of little steps – one at a
time. Fortunately I never had to take a step backwards. The best part of
this system is the Kennel Calm CD. It is specifically designed for dogs
under stress.

I started in late fall after all of the storms in our area had pretty
much stopped and we were wondering when the first snow flakes would
appear. I followed the program exactly as instructed and when I became
frustrated or had questions, Larry was always there with sage advice
based on my observations of Dakota's behavior and reactions.

Eventually Dakota was responding in a positive way to rain. He had no
problem going out to potty if it was just raining and no thunder or
lightening was part of the storm. He finally got to the point that he
wasn't even aware of the rain and sniffed around the yard and took his
own sweet time coming back in. This progressed to his acceptance to
thunder. You have no idea how wonderful it was to watch him sleeping
away in the family room while rain and thunder passed overhead. I was
delighted with his progress and felt like I'd made significant changes
to his stressful life.

The biggest challenge I faced turned out to be the lightening. It took
me a while to break down the elements of our storms and determine where
his Achilles heel was. Any lightening scared him to death. It was the
catalyst that sent him into panic and looking for a place to hide.
Nothing I did helped him. He just became hysterical. I was playing his
Kennel Calm CD much of the time – before, after, and during storms, when
I left the house in response to his separation anxiety too. I became so
discouraged because he'd done so well with rain and thunder and the
separation anxiety had disappeared weeks ago. I tried building him a
little hut from a card table to do into, but he preferred to try and
break tables in order to get under them or through them on his way to
under or behind furniture. Like other dogs he tried to get into the
bathroom.

Then, last July my newsletter from Cornell University College of
Veterinary Medicine arrived. The behavior column written by Dr. Hetts
focused on canine fear and it's contents. The main point was to
distinguish between attention-seeking behaviors and fearful or anxious
behaviors. Her approach was a departure from past philosophy. It made
sense to apply reward to positive response. If your dog was evaluated as
having fearful and anxious behavior and NOT attention-seeking behavior,
then you applied a soothing or supporting principle – such as hugging
and petting your dog. If this calms him down, then you are actually
rewarding his improved state of mind.

I read and reread her column and gave it much thought. I decided it was
worth a try. I grabbed a lead when I heard a storm was approaching. In
order to apply Dr. Hetts principle I had to have some control over
Dakota so he couldn't run off. I attached the lead when the rain
started. He was fine with the rain and semi-slept through the thunder.
All of a sudden their was a flash of lightening. Dakota bolted up and
panicked. I grabbed his lead and held him by my side at the same time
encouraging him to jump up on the couch next to me. It took patience and
determination while trying to be calm and quiet. Finally he jumped up
next to me. I put my arm around him, talked to him calmly, and stroked
his back and scratched his ear. He continued to stay in denial and sat
next to me because he really didn't have another choice. Finally he
stopped resisting efforts to get away while I continued to talk to him
and petting him. I also had his Kennel Calm CD running.

It seemed to work – except at night. His fear in the dark of night was
really bad. Finally we moved his little hut up to our bedroom, covered
it, and put it way back in the corner next to our bed. I put a round
cuddle bed inside. Success! When he heard the storm approaching, he
jumped off of our bed and crawled into his hut until morning when I got up.

Fast forward to the 4^th of July this year. Storms abound. On went the
music. These were really violent storms that we hadn't seen the likes of
for several years. They were packed with lightening. I started our
routine. I attached the lead and continued to watch TV while also
playing his music in the background. All of a sudden there was a huge
bolt of lightening nearby. Dakota seemed to flashback to an earlier time
and started to panic. I calmly coaxed him up onto the couch. He finally
decided to come but he wasn't happy. I put my arm around him and talked
to him and told him what a wonderful dog he was. I petted him and tried
to reassure him it was all just fine.

All of a sudden Dakota just relaxed......totally. All of the rigidity
left his body and he slowly slid down and curled up next to me and put
his head on my lap. The storm continued but Dakota fell asleep while the
rain, thunder, and lightening continued outside the windows. I continued
to pet him a little but then quietly stopped and just left a reassuring
hand on his hip. He slept well after the storm ended and was in no hurry
to get up. I sat there with tears running down my face.

SUCCESS! How sweet it was. It was a long, slow road but worth every inch
of the way. I did it – I finally did it. I still can't leave Dakota if
storms are predicted. Good thing I'm retired. But I have improved his
life a little and taught him that he need not fear storms. Since that
day we've had more storms – fairly quiet ones with little lightening but
still the thunder and rain. The last one, he wanted to go out in the
rain. I had to make sure there was no thunder or lightening anywhere
near us...that is most important for any dog. I checked the TV weather
and when I knew it was safe, I let him out. He even took his Boo Boo
bear this time. Since that time I've learned a little about his past and
can understand why and how he developed his storm fear.

I'm glad I was able to give back to Dakota and make his life easier in
his senior years. After all, he's given me so much since he came here
two years ago. He's been through a lot in his life. I'm so happy he's
learning to live without so much fear and further learning to trust me.
We have developed quite a bond. I am so lucky he was sent to me. He's
having a wonderful summer. He loves watching his chips from the back
deck and he especially loves the front screened porch now and begs to go
out there every day with us.

Success – sweet success. From a dog that came into my home and refused to go out, eat, or listen to me when he first smelled rain or saw one drop on the deck...to grabbing his favorite soft toy and heading out in the quiet rain to potty and sniff where his chips, squirrels, and rabbits have been.

DAKOTA UPDATE

2007-06-24T09:13:00.001-07:00

Dakota continues to amaze me. He's feeling more and more at home. Running – well, loping around the yard with Bear hanging out of his mouth by one leg while chasing a rabbit is his greatest challenge, he is finding other outlets for his pastime pleasures.

While he keeps an eye on his #1 chipmunk, he has great interest in a
number of new babies that are romping around in the garden. But he is
content to watch them play from the deck. I have no idea how he can tell
one from the other, but should an outsider appear, it is not tolerated.
Dakota seems to feel that the deck is privileged territory for his
number one companion.

I am delighted to see, as summer advances and storms pass through, that
Dakota rides them out without his storm fear with which he arrived. He
sleeps through rain, hail, wind, and thunder. Lightening is his worst
fear – especially in the night. He ignores it during the day if it isn't
directly in our area, but at night he is up with the first indication it
is arriving. The good part is that he jumps off the bed and goes into
his little house we set up in the corner near the bed and away from the
windows. There he sleeps, through the storms, until morning where he
greets me when I get up. He doesn't seem upset – just his normal self,
ready to go down for breakfast. I am so happy to see this happen. My
goal when he arrived was to lessen his fear of storms and the extended
anxiety and stress he carried. For the most part, I think I've done
that. Although not perfect, he's so much better.

He pretty much has his own routine of his own design. I'm learning to
live with things I don't understand but accept as part of Dakota. At the
beginning I made the decision not to change anything unless it was a
safety or threatening issue. Through all of these months I've let him
make his own way and to be comfortable with whatever "makes Dakota, Dakota."

He considers my husband as part of his life now. That has taken a while
but now I see him make conscious decisions as to whether he wants to
follow me or stay with my husband. To be honest, I haven't wanted to let
him go or share him, but I suppose that's like mom seeing her child go
off to school for the first time. Mine is based on the fact that my
husband does not have good judgment and I don't trust his decisions
because I've seen some of them in my presence. But I have stepped away a
bit and try to gently inform him on what is right and what is not good
and why. Still, I hope that he will not become Dakota's single guiding
light.

I've been far more lenient with Dakota than any dog I've lived with.
Also, I'm far more patient and accepting. I'm sure there are some
canines at the Rainbow Bridge looking down wishing they had been so
lucky. But it has been good for me – something I should have learned
many years ago. Dakota is teaching me so much. I wish he had come into
my life much earlier but everything has a reason.

Our mornings are still the same – sit on the deck with coffee and watch
the sun come up and the birds feeding their young while enjoying the
quiet start to the day. We're going to try a 'kiddie pool' again this
summer but I don't think it will make much of an impression on Dakota then it did last year.
While not opposed to a good, soft rain to stand out in, he's not your
typical Golden who loves to plunge into a plastic pool of water in a
city yard. It seem to be below him. While chasing rabbits, watching
chipmunks, and proudly catching a shrew now and then, he's content to
continue his laid back approach to life – savoring each day as it goes
by and enjoying whatever happens to come his way.

BATH DAY

2007-06-11T15:05:00.001-07:00

This was bath day for Dakota. What a delight he is in the tub. He just sits and lets me get him soaking wet, cover him with shampoo and rinse away. Chaucie was pretty much the same way too. Until about four years ago I didn't have a dogie bathtub. Melodie got the kitchen sink and all of the others used my bathtub. It got to the point my back couldn't take it anymore and I sprung for the new Booster Bath. What a change. With my husband setting everything up from the hose to the bathroom sink and the drain hose to outdoors, bathing is a breeze.

I attribute my success with all of my dogs to my early training. Such
was not the case of Dakota, of course, but then he's a Golden and that's
enough of a reason. From the first day my puppies come into my house
they are on a learning program every day. Weekly sessions in the family
room include checking ears, looking into the mouth, checking out feet,
and getting put on their back to rub tummies and get used to all of the
handling. Then they get a wet [rung dry] baby washcloth all over so that
they become accustomed to handling.

If it is summer, I introduce a little play with the garden hose. You
start with just a little trickle of water out of the hose and NO nozzle
on the end. I usually put my hand below the hose so the water puddles in
my hand. My puppy can now stick its nose into the little water, perhaps
take a little drink. I work this slowly for a few days or weeks. I also
hold the hose up so that the water acts like a fountain. You have to be
very careful and not rush this playing because you can scare a dog
enough they'll hate water the rest of their life.

If it's summer and I've been playing with the water I add a very small
pool. I put a rubber bath mat in the bottom so the dog doesn't slip and
add about an inch or two of water – no more to start with. I use a
favorite rubber toy in the pool to entice the puppy into the water. Do
not splash water into the dog's face. Let the curiosity of a puppy take
hold. It may take all summer at this level or your dog may take to it
immediately.

It's most important to take it easy and slow so your puppy will learn to
love the water. One important note. Do not leave the water in the pool.
Empty it every day. With all of the yard sprays and fertilizers being
used these days, it can get into the water and dangerous algae can form
that could be toxic to your dog. I speak from experience.

Playing with the water will help you when it comes to bath time. One
works with the other. If done correctly, you'll never have trouble at
bath time. I bathe my dogs with water from an indoor faucet so that it
can be warm. Outdoor water is too cold for baths and I don't believe in
bathing a dog with ice cold water. I also feel that you should give a
bath in the shade on a warm, not hot or cold day. I also use treats with
a bath. My dogs may not be deliriously happy about a bath but they all
jump into the tub or stand still while they are cleaned. One last
note...don't get mad when your dog shakes all over at the end....laugh
instead and you'll all be happy. Dry puppy off and don't be surprised if
they want to roll in the grass if you are bathing outside. Don't forget
to take out the cotton balls you put in the ears to keep out the shampoo
and floods of water. Hopefully you remember to put the salve in the eyes
before you start to protect them from the shampoo.

If you're lucky and you are bringing a puppy into your home where you
already have an adult dog that loves the water, you are lucky. Each one
of my dogs has taught the puppy about the pool and water. It's been so
much fun to watch this process develop. I will write about it another
time. See my pictures on the previous blog.

PUPPY or RESCUE - It's The Same

2007-06-04T12:42:00.001-07:00

Dakota's birthday gives me a chance to talk about Goldens and my other canine companions.

The following is an introduction.

From puppies to seniors they give of themselves, unquestionably love
you and trust you, never question, and are totally faithful. They
overlook your mistakes, your anger, even your decisions. In many ways
they reflect your attitude and behavior toward them.

Puppies are fun. They make you laugh. They are so innocent and
non-judgmental. They are curious and have no preconceived attitudes
except for their genetics. They are taken away from their natural
environment of mother and litter mates and turned over to you. They
didn't select you – they love everyone. But once removed, you become the
mother and provider. Hopefully you have given a great deal of thought to
this journey you two will take for the next 10-20 years. You will have
many decisions to make along the way. Some will be positive, some
negative, some sad, some happy. From my point of view, the most
important of those decisions is that are you prepared and committed for
this very long journey. It is no different than bringing a baby into
this world.

If you cannot give your heart, your love, your patience, your
forgiveness and understanding, your tolerance, your efforts, the good
times and the not-so-good times, and the years of providing food,
shelter, and health care, then you should not bring a dog into your life.

But should you take on these awesome responsibilities you will be
rewarded with more love and life lessons than you ever dreamed possible.
Your companion will give you more to think about and marvel at and open
your eyes to the good in life and keep you humble. You will learn what
is important in life and what is not. You can achieve a balance. You
will have your very own psychologist and the very best listener in the
world. You will have a friend that will never turn his/her back on you,
deceive you, gossip about you, cheat on you, or hate you.

Puppies are furry and smell good. They are clowns that love to tease.
They are happiest when you laugh at their antics. The first thing you do
is pick a name that suits your ball of fur. Believe it or not, dogs
respond to their names just as people do. It is very important to
consider this when you will be using it for many years in many ways.

My very first tasks with a new puppy or rescue dog are observation and
communication. I could write a whole book on just these subjects.
Briefly, you will be able to train your dog easily and satisfactorily if
you watch and talk as much as possible. I talk to my dogs all of their
life. Constantly. I watch them and see how they are reacting to
everything around them. It is amazing how you can get your dog's
attention at any time if you've been talking to them while they follow
you around or lay nearby. If you watch them you will learn when they are
feeling good, when something might be wrong, what they like and what
they don't like.

Keep an open mind through this journey. There is much to learn from this
loyal companion. Sometimes they become a mirror or they may set an
example for you to follow. Trust their instincts and you will never go
wrong. Look into their eyes and you will find your answer.

Time flies ever so fast. Do not waste a minute of it. The rewards are
great and you will never regret the time and effort you invest in this
relationship. Whether your journey is with a puppy or a rescue dog it is
all the same.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAKOTA

2007-05-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAKOTA

SAM THE SHEEPDOG

2007-05-11T09:14:00.001-07:00

When Dakota came to live with us, I spent a lot of time with him in the mornings. I sat out on the deck while he checked out the yard and his surroundings. So much of the time he loved just sitting on the deck or in the yard looking – at what I'm not sure. But he really concentrated on whatever it was. He reacted to various car engines and his nose was constantly checking out the smells.

One day something jogged my mind and an old image popped into my head. I
used to love a cartoon I think was called "Sam the Sheepdog." This dog
checked in every morning at the time clock and spent the day atop a hill
watching over a herd of sheep while Wilie Coyote tried to outfox him.

Dakota sits on the deck looking exactly like Sam. I cannot help but
smile every time I see him. This is only funny to the folks that watched
that cartoon. The comparison and lovable image just make my day. To see
Dakota daily, watching the squirrels, rabbits, and his chipmunk and then
outfox them is my own daily WB cartoon. It's really quite special and
delicious. My mind can rerun those Sam cartoons but I see Dakota in his
place. I guess you have to have watched Sam the Sheepdog and spend the
days with Dakota to appreciate this lovable pair.

The Rainbow Bridge

2007-05-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

Late word into Animal Crackers this noon is that Gus was helped over the Rainbow Bridge by his mom and dad - Karin and Mike last night. He joins an august group of companions that wait for us to meet them some day and have a grand reunion. Until then his star shines brightly to let us know that he is happy and at peace and, if you look out at the clear night sky, you can find him smiling down to tell you it's OK. You can share the wonderful memories that they all shared since he came to live with them at nine weeks old.

Here is a picture of the family Gus was so lucky to be a part of through the years. All Goldens should be so lucky. He will be missed by his four-legged pals just as much as his mom and dad. Everyone will mourn his passing in their own way. Dogs do mourn the loss of one of their own. But how lucky they all are to be able to have one another to share all of the wonderful memories of the years with Gus.

DAKOTA UPDATE

2007-04-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

Spring has arrived for Dakota. He doesn't seem to mind that one day he's rolling around on green grass and the next day he's delighted to see snow to play in again. Either way he's not stuck in the house, looking out of the window wishing he could stay outside.

He is very busy now. He greeted his chipmunk's return. The squirrels are back and chasing around the yard. He can't wait to get out there and join in the frey. He seems to get upset when they try to steal food from his chipmunks. He is taking rabbits more seriously. Perhaps he's picking it up from me but he will not tolerate them in the yard. With the warming sun he loves to catch up on all of the smells the ground releases.

This spring yielded another surprise for him since coming to live with us. A pair of ducks dropped into the backyard from our roof. We still cannot understand how those ducks sit on the roof but they do it every spring. We had a pair that nested in our yard under the evergreens several years in a row. It was so much fun to watch them. At that time I had two Goldens. The ducks didn't seem to mind them and the dogs left them alone except to check on them every morning.

I was not about to let Dakota out at this point. He watched them intently from the family room and back door and never took his eyes off of them until they flew away. I waited a while before letting him out and when I did, he headed right for the spot where they landed and then followed their scent all about the yard - every square inch. It will be interesting to see if they return tomorrow. I rather hope they choose our yard this year. I think Dakota would love checking on them every morning and would sit on the deck and watch them by the hour. I don't think he would hurt them. I am applying my influence on him as I did with the chipmunks so I'm pretty sure he would enjoy and accept them as he does the chippies.

He also has started laying on Chaucie's spot in the family room. Until this past month he's avoided it completely but all of a sudden, one morning, he walked right over to that spot and stayed for a while. You just never quite know what is in their minds.

Soon he will be 12 and is doing quite well for an elder Golden. Over the winter he decided to let my husband into his life and they've become pals. He finally "trusts" us. He's been happy here and made himself at home..but you could tell that as comfortable as he was, the trust really wasn't completely there. It is now.

He loves the rain and stays out in it without question as long as it is just a quiet rain. We have not had any storms with thunder and lightening so time will tell if he's adjusted a little more to them. He is a delight to be with each day. It feels like he's been here forever. He just loves being in the kitchen with me and I'm having to look before I take a step. It's a challenge for me to step over or around him but I wouldn't have it any other way.

His new coat has grown in and it is lush and beautiful. It is a blend of many shades and I love just running my hands through it. For now he's healthy, doesn't like having the fur on his feet trimmed but cooperates with some reservation. His hips bother him off and on but he seems to tolerate it well with the help of medication. Summer will make it better. His picture is May on the calendar and it will be fun to have it up for a whole month. In the meantime we'll see if we can lure the ducks to raise a family in the yard.

NAIL & FOOT CARE

2007-04-05T09:04:00.001-07:00

FEET AND NAILS

I have spent years cutting dog's nails. I never gave much thought about
it and it was part of my routine in grooming. I also did some trimming
of fur around the feet but was not always diligent about it. Then I met
a vet trained in acupuncture and acupressure. Boy did she open my eyes.
She was not shy about castigating me regarding my trimming of Melodie's
nails. She was treating Melodie for some back problems and used her as
an example to show me what improper nail care would do to her.

I thought I was doing a pretty good job. I was told differently. She
let me know that there are vets out there that are not doing justice to
the canine population when it comes to nail care.

She gave me a lengthy lesson on what happens if a dog's nails are not
kept properly short. She brought out a skeleton of a dog and
demonstrated what happens to a canine if the nails grow out to an
unacceptable length and also if all four paws are not equal.

I was shocked to learn how my dog's balance was affected by my
ignorance. She showed me what happens to the alignment of their spine
and how it affects their hips, shoulders, and daily walking and
standing. It throws their whole alignment off if the nails are too long
and really plays havoc if one foot is different than another.

We probably think of their nails in relation to our own. Big mistake.
Put your hand on a table, curling your fingers so you're tapping your
finger/nail on the table. Depending on how long your nails are, you will
see how they relate to hitting the table. Even if your nails are short,
I'm willing to bet that a bit of your nails are making a noise striking
the table. Now translate that into walking on your fingers. While you're
thinking about that, mentally add the number of pounds your dog weighs
pressing down on your nails. It really is not pleasant. You can
experience the same thing if your toenails grow out too far and push
against the front of your shoe.

Your dog gets pretty tired of this. It is uncomfortable. Not only is it
not comfortable day after day, but they tend to throw their balance off
to find relief. You can do the same thing by relating to your shoulder
being thrown off balance and your neck becoming out of alignment. Pretty
soon you'd be seeking out a good chiropractor to adjust your back, neck,
and other parts that have been thrown out of whack.

I used to work with a dog trainer that would listen to all of the dogs
coming into class and as we walked around the ring. She told us that if
we heard our dog's feet hit the floor, the nails were too long. She was
so right. It's a great test. You should not hear your dog walk around
the house or on any hard surface.

If you are not up to trimming your dog's feet, then plan on making
regular appointments with your vet to have the job done. If you want to
learn to do it yourself, check with your vet on how to cut the nails and
what to look for. You do not go at it and take a huge chunk of nail off.
The quick grows out inside the nail. On some clear nails you can see it
but if your dog has black nails you cannot see it and have to learn what
to look for at the end of the nail to know when to stop. You go through
this process little by little.

My advice is to work with your vet until you have moved the quick back
and have the nails at the proper length. Once that is done, plan on
cutting back the nails once a week or every two weeks depending on how
fast your dog's nails grow out. If you walk your dog often, chances are
you won't have to do it as often. You will only remove a little each
time just to keep them at the proper length. If you are not consistent,
you will end up starting all over again. You do not correct it by trying
to take off a huge amount.

As most dog owners probably know there are several types of nail
cutters. Most vets have their preferences. I've used both types. It
seems to be a majority of vets use the type where you insert the nail
into the hole. I've asked them why and they don't feel comfortable using
the other style of squeezing the nail from side to side. I've always had
large dogs and I don't like the guillotine type. But it's just fine for
average to smaller dogs and for beginners. For me, they didn't stay
sharp enough and even when new they never cut the nail cleanly for
me..even the heavy duty model didn't work all that well. Replacement
blades are available. However, I think this is probably the best model
for a beginner to start with as you can see clearly how much nail you
are removing and won't cut back too far.

I like the heavy duty Millers-Forge trimmer. One model has a Safety Bar
to keep you from cutting the nail too short. The trimmer is sharp and
stays sharp for a long time. For me it does a nice clean cut once you
get comfortable using it and you don't leave a rough edge.

You should have a container of Kwik Stop powder in case you cut the
nail too far back. Do not panic if you see blood. Follow the direction
for use. But mainly do it in a matter of fact way so as not to alarm
your dog.

You can also consider an electric nail grinder kit. I used this for
years as my dogs seemed comfortable with it. However, a word of warning.
An electric grinder will heat up your dog's nail and you must not keep
it running on the nail until you reach where you want to stop. It's very
painful to the dog if you do. You must learn to do a tapping type of
motion, taking it off and on the nail as you trim. You can feel your
dog's nail and you will feel if it's hot or not. If it is hot, you're
not doing it correctly and you are causing your dog much discomfort.

However, there is another application with an electric grinder. It's a
sanding disc that you can put on the unit and just smooth off the
nail...much like a nail file for your own nails. It is for light use and
can gently just round off any rough edges so they won't catch on carpets
and blankets.

Before you start to do nails, you should trim your dog's paws of excess
fur. This is one thing that none of my dogs have ever appreciated. It is
very sensitive for them and they don't like it one bit. If I have a calm
dog, I use long shears that have rounded ends for doing the excess fur
on top of the paw and then if the fur on the bottom is long. But then I
switch to a pair of small scissors. They are known as ear and nose
trimmer. They have small round circles at the end. Both of these types
of scissors are for safety purposes as I never know if my dog is going
to move suddenly if I don't have them secured on a grooming table. You
certainly don't want sharp ends to accidentally stab your dog in the eye
or side or elsewhere. I lean heavily toward safety even though I've been
grooming dogs for years.

Keeping the fur short and well trimmed around the feet helps your dog
from getting mats between the toes which can hurt their feet and
possibly cause sores and infections. It also makes it hard for seed pods
etc. to latch on to their feet.

Dogs sweat through their pads and feet so it is especially important
that you keep their feet in good condition. The new boots for dogs have
improved greatly and should be considered if you walk your dog in the
winter and spring. You will avoid frostbite and all of the salt/sand on
the road. If you don't cover them, you will have to wash off their feet
when you return.

Should your dog being doing an excessive amount of chewing of the feet
you should contact your vet and see if there is a potential allergy
problem.

THOSE WONDERFUL COMPANIONS

2007-03-29T10:04:00.000-07:00

CANINE MUSINGS

2007-03-26T15:38:00.001-07:00

CANINE MUSINGS

FOOD:

In the wake of the recent recall of wet type pet food, I'd like to pass
on my experience. There have been other pet food recalls and I think
owners should keep that in mind and be aware of what they are feeding
their animals. It becomes a routine tucked into your day and little
thought it given to that food.

I have always fed dry food to my dogs with a few exceptions when one is
ill and requires a special diet. I must admit I took it pretty much for
granted at first. My first involvement with food problems came some 45
years ago when I had a dog on a special canned food because of health
problems. The food was terribly inconsistent in the can to the point
where I took it into my vet and questioned the quality control and other
problems. Back in those early days I don't think the manufacturers
really cared about quality control. My vet's complaints to the company
seemed to fall on deaf ears. It frustrated me considering how much I had
to pay for it. It was eventually worked out but to this day I refuse to
buy any food product from that company. Mainly because they still seem
to have an attitude that I don't like. If I have a sick dog and am
willing to pay extra for a product that will not make things worse, then
I expect it to be reliable, consistent, and of high quality.

My second experience was with the same company not many years later. At
that time this company was the only one around that had a food product
for an elimination diet. It was supposed to be neutral and used as a
control product. I no more started my dog on the food per her vet's
instructions and she became worse and quite ill. Her problems ballooned
to a point that scared me and I pulled her off of the food and we used a
different approach for her evaluation.

More recently I had two of my dogs on a high quality dry dog food that I
had a great deal of confidence in. I made up my mind years ago that I
wanted a closer relationship with the manufacturer so that I knew what
their standards and objectives were. I also wanted to be able to contact
them personally if I felt there was a problem. Unfortunately I had a
rocky start with this company because of the way I started out but
thanks to a wonderful man that evidentially understood my frustrations
and concerns he had a great deal of patience with me and through the
years he's been there when I had questions and problems.

One day when I opened a new bag of food, an odor poured out and into my
nostrils and caught my attention immediately. I did continue on a fed
the dogs from this bag but the food just didn't smell right or like all
of the past bags. I had learned to smell each bag when I opened it just
to make sure it smelled like "dog food" before I used any of it. I
watched my dogs and they were not happy about eating their meals as they
were in the past. When I put their bowls down they would sniff and then
look up at me.

Fortunately I didn't wait. I called the company the next morning and
talked to the poor soul that became my interface for many years. At the
time I did not realize how high up in the company chain this man was but
he never turned me over to anyone else through all of these years. I
told him what had happened the night before and of my concern. He
immediately asked me to send a sample of the food out to him and
instructed me to locate another small bag with a different code. To make
a long story short, the food turned out to have mold in it. That year
was the start of a large mold problem for dog food manufacturers. The
source of their food supply came from an area that had a huge mold
problem. It affected many companies.

I started looking for the alternate codes and discovered that many local
pet stores where dropping the brand I used. It became necessary to
change brands and I was not a happy camper. I researched, through the
Internet, brand upon brand of dog food. I finally found one quite close
to what I'd been feeding. I contacted the company and had a long
conversation with their marketing director. I explained what had
happened and wanted to know where their suppliers came from. Once I was
assured that their food was not dealing with the mold problem, I had to
find a source where I could purchase it. It was a fairly young company
and while they had a large sales base, none were in my area. I ended up
going to a neighboring state and working out ordering and shipping
details. It was worth it to assure the safety of food for my dogs. They
continued to flourish on the new food.

I don't remember how long after that I reconnected with my trustworthy
company and learned that they had worked to put together a plan to
assure that mold would never become a problem again. That and other
significant products that went into their food would have to go through
inspections and testing before they were accepted. They also built a
brand new facility for their manufacturing so they would not have to
contract out to other processing sources. The gentleman that had been so
gracious to me through the years sent me a detailed message of their new
procedures. My confidence was restored – I knew it would be – and I
returned to them as my source for dog food and treats.

What I'm trying to say is this. You have to be aware. Maybe not on a
daily basis but on a consistent basis. You need to know what your food
looks like, what it smells like, and how your pet reacts to it. Above
all, you need to be ready to challenge anything that doesn't seem right.
Yes, it takes time. But not that much time just to observe and be aware.
You certainly do the same thing for the food you feed your family.
Sometimes there are no outward signs but you can cut your losses and
pretty much stay on top if you just stay aware. Dogs have great
perceptions – more than man and you need to rely on that to help you.
Pet food is a huge market and competition is high. Sometimes excellent
companies end up with serious,unexpected problems. You may end up
traveling a different route but be prepared to do so. You are
responsible for bringing that wonderful companion into your home and
life and they rely on you for their good health and daily needs. Care
about them as you care about your other family members. They deserve it.
They don't ask for as much as they give.

DAKOTA UPDATE

2007-03-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

There is nothing funnier than watching a senior Golden, with a teddy bear hanging out of his mouth, lope across the deck and around the yard casually chasing a bunch of squirrels. What a sight. He stands in front of the windows in the family room and watches them eating bird seed that was uncovered by snow melting. Every muscle in his body is tight and ready to spring. Talk about intense! And then you let him out of the door and watch this lovable dog, with not a mean bone in his body, gently give the boot to those gray, furry marauders.

Dakota's weekend was celebrated by the return of his chipmunks. He instantly remembered their names when I spoke and was up like a flash from his sleep. His affection for the little creatures is entirely different than is sentry duty of the squirrel invasion.

The biggest creature problem at the moment are the rabbits. They spent the winter under our deck. We were unable to keep them out. As far as I can determine Dakota now thinks they are a part of our family. That will have to change when the snow and frost in the ground are gone.

BUSTER: THE DOG

2007-03-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

CHRISTMAS WITH BUSTER

Buster and his family get ready for "The Big Day"
Time to open the presents

Let the fun begin.... anytime now would be OK.

I'm just along for the toys

This one is pretty cool.....

I'm hiding this for future play and I'm not sharing...

I get the bows too - they're part of the deal..

No, you can't use them again next year

A guy has to rest between the presents and the turkey!

Not a bad Christmas...not bad at all
Sigh..............

GOLDEN'S VERSION - IRISH BLESSING

2007-03-14T08:31:00.001-07:00

GOLDEN'S VERSION OF AN OLD IRISH BLESSING

May the road rise to meet you. (After a VERY, VERY long walk with lots of birds, rabbits, squirrels and even leaves to chase along the way. And please let there be sticks to carry. Lots of sticks.)

May the wind be always at your back. (Especially if you have become wet
from your swim on that
very, very long walk, however, wind on my front is also very nice.)

May the sun shine warm upon your face. (You know we all enjoy this !!
Makes us look even more
golden and settles us in for a nice nap after our very, very, very long
walk.)

And rains fall soft upon your fields. (Wet fields makes digging all the
more fun on that very long
walk !!)

And until we meet again, (You know I'll go CRAZY when I see ya sometime
in the next ten minutes
~~ even though I've been with you all the way on that very, very, long
walk.)

May God hold you in the hollow of His hand. (Sounds good to me.)

A DAKOTAism

2007-03-07T08:49:00.001-08:00

A DAKOTAism

It has been fun watching Dakota over the past year and a half become
more comfortable living with us and gradually expand his world in some
fun, interesting ways. This is one of them and since I haven't found a
good name for these wonderfully funny escapades, the above will do.

I have always kept water upstairs in the bedroom for my dogs. There are
a number of reasons for this habit that I won't go into at this time.
Most of my dogs have started out as puppies so they learn this extra
benefit as they grow up.

When Dakota came to live with me, I continued the habit of having water
for him in the bedroom. In order for him to get used to the fact that it
was there, I would offer it to him at night when I went to bed. I set
about establishing our little routine by letting him out for the night
and then taking a couple of treats upstairs with him. I would give him
his treats, he would then jump up on the bed and I would bring the bowl
of water over to him to see if he wanted a drink. It would then take the
bowl back to the little stool I kept it on. Every afternoon before I
went down to fix dinner, I would put fresh water into the bowl. Many
times he would sneak a little drink before we went down to get his
dinner, so I was assured he knew what this was all about.

Most evenings he would reject the offer for a drink before I climbed
into bed. At best I would say he took up my offer about one out of four
or five nights. But I kept up the routine as he has arthritis and
getting up and down would be tough for him. My husband said of Dakota as
he has of all of the other canines, they were the luckiest pampered pets
in the country.

Recently Dakota started taking a drink from his bowl in the kitchen
before we went upstairs. I continued to offer him one, which he kept
refusing. At one point I thought there was no point in doing this ritual
anymore since it wasn't easy for me to keep bending over, picking up the
bowl, and having to put it back down. So I started to back off giving
him the water bowl when he'd get a drink downstairs before we came up.
The evenings he didn't drink, I'd go back and offer him the bowl.

One evening my arthritis was especially bad and I passed up getting his
water bowl and got myself into bed to watch some TV while my husband was
still downstairs. He finally came up, crawled into bed, turned out the
lights and all was quiet. Suddenly, Dakota was up, jumped down off of
the bed, went over and got himself a drink of water and then didn't know
what to do. He finally jumped back up onto the bed. I sat up and reached
over to give him a pat on his hip as I started to laugh quietly.

In the morning my husband asked me if I knew what his unusual move was
all about. I said that I'd thought about it through the night and
decided that Dakota was making a statement and reminding me that I had
forgotten my duty of bringing the water bowl to him. He wasn't about to
let me get away with ignoring him He wanted to make sure that he was
aware of how this routine operated. It isn't as funny as I try to
explain it here, but if you sit back and think about it and run the
routine through your mind like a movie short, it was quite precious and
special.

I love to just watch dogs on a daily basis. As I've stated before, I
have always talked to them throughout the day...chatting away like they
understood or even cared. Through the years I've caught them looking at
me and actually listening but I figured it was only because I was a
human making voice noises. One thing I do know, they had huge
vocabularies. I'm not convinced that Dakota had a life like that, but I
did know from the beginning that he was a very smart dog. He was not an
animal that was found in a corner day after day and being ignored. He is
sharp and very much seems like a thinking dog. Many things he does start
with look on his face that he's debating something in his mind. Then
comes a decision and he's off to complete the process.

Needless to say, I'm back as Dakota's personal valet providing him with
his bowl of water before he goes to sleep. He deserves all of the
attention he can get.

NEW TRICKS, OLD DOG

2007-03-02T09:18:00.001-08:00

NEW TRICKS, OLD DOG

As the saying goes - "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" has many
connotations but I am here to tell you that: An Old Dog Can Teach His
Mom and Dad New Tricks. I haven't taken a lot of time teaching Dakota
new tricks as he had other issues that too precedence. He learned one or
two just so he would be proud of himself and have fun at the same time
while adapting to a new Forever Home.

It seems that Dakota has pretty much settled into his new home with his
senior parents and he has gained quite a bit of confidence. He decided
it was time to show us how smart he really is. The fun part is that he
has taken on this project very casually and carefully so as not to
arouse suspicion.

As part of his training in separation anxiety and storm fear, I rewarded
him with tasty tidbits of his treat bones. I break them up into
bite-sized pieces in order to keep his weight down. Each piece went to
something that he responded well to. As with most dogs, he caught on
quickly and would head for his treat jar after he knew he was a good boy
and had been lavished with praise.

This has pretty much gone on for months without alteration. At first I
didn't notice subtle little changes happening. I was very busy one
morning getting coffee made and doing some extra morning chores before I
sat down with the paper, coffee, and TV. I was preoccupied with getting
Imus on when I noticed a Golden nose in my face. Quietly he stood in
front of me. I asked him if something was wrong when I saw his stare was
focused on his other treat jar next to my side of the couch. Not
thinking, I quickly reached in and gave him a piece while apologizing to
him that I was sorry I forgot to give him one when he came in from his
morning duties. Now mind you, my age is creeping up on me and I do have
memory lapses of insignificant proportion. I had actually given him one
when he came in but forgot. Dakota may be a senior too but he is not as
dumb as his counterpart – me.

The winter days went on. Habits and routines are hard to break when you
become a senior citizen. It wasn't until recently that I began to
realize that this clever Golden was hitting me up for a treat when he
came in and had added another to his allotment when I sat down with the
morning coffee, paper, and TV.

With no snow on the ground we were hit with a deep freeze spell like we
hadn't seen in years. My husband and I went into our team work mode.
Dakota was having trouble making it back to the house in the early
morning hours and late night before bed. With no snow on the ground I
thought he would not be troubled by freezing feet. Such was not the
case. Enter standby husband. He was only needed twice during the several
plus long weeks. Yes, Dakota got a treat for going out in any weather
and doing his duty. However, he didn't get one at night because when he
came in, I took him upstairs to bed and gave him his bedtime treats
along with our bedtime routine. Well, that was until my husband
unwittingly and generously gave him a treat one very cold night when I
was busy closing the door and pulling the curtain to keep the cold out.
He didn't know that Dakota didn't get a treat for his evening event. My
husband is older than I am and his memory is more flawed than mine.
Perhaps it's just a matter of spoiling his gentle giant but he made the
same error several times during that arctic freeze. Dakota wasn't about
to let another opportunity slip by. He tried valiantly to capitalize on
my husband's mistake. Alas, he had to deal with me and it didn't work
that time.

How he got started on his treat in my office is still in question. My
instinct tells me that the ghosts of a Springer and a Golden were
hanging around and helped out on this one. I had no treats in my office
after Melodie and Chaucie said goodbye within one year. However, my
routine was in progress of getting my computer on, the radio on, the
heater [it was winter and my office is over our garage] set when I felt
the presence of one canine sitting by my chair just slightly behind me.
That stare, quiet as it was, just went through me like a hot knife
through butter. I turned and looked at him. "What's wrong, what do you
want?" I asked him. He just looked at me with those sad, brown eyes and
didn't move a muscle. But he spoke volumes. "Don't tell me you want a
treat?" I tilted my chair back so as to see his face and noticed a
slight grin in the corners of his mouth. Being the softie that I now am
in my old age, I got up, went downstairs, and put a few small pieces
into a sandwich bag. Mind you, I never considered this to be a permanent
thing at the time. This past week I brought a half bag of his new treats
up to my office. The sandwich bag has been replaced.

I could go on but you get the point. This clever dog is expanding his
ability to get rewards little by little, quietly, and methodically, day
by day. I admire his intuitiveness and enjoy watching him plan out his
next move. I'm not sure whether he realizes I've caught on, but we enjoy
playing this game with each other. He is so subtle and he goes about it
in such an interesting way. It's a joy to watch his thinking process and
the best part is whether I let him win or not. I may have gone soft in
my old age, but I have my principles and he can't or shouldn't win every
time. It would ruin the sport. You can be assured if he doesn't win, he
gets a great big hug, a smile and my encouragement to try again sometime.

PROBLEMS

2007-02-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

I have a number of posts I've been trying to email to my blogs. I just learned they are having some machine problems and that is why I have not been able to publish them. Please keep the faith. I'm sure they will have it fixed soon. I know you will enjoy them once you are able to read them. Check back when you can. Thanks.

A TALE OF TWO DOGS

2007-02-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time there were two dogs. One was a senior dog and one was a

puppy. The older dog needed a new home because his master went to a
nursing home and he had no family to care for him. The puppy came from a
"puppy mill." Their lives were the same in many ways but caring and
living with them were quite different at times. One had a long history,
the other had none.

I adopted the senior guy – Dakota. My friend bought her dog from a pet
store. We both met at obedience school years ago. We both lost our dogs
suddenly and the trauma was more than we could handle. As a senior
myself, I could not even think of looking for a puppy. Training and all
that goes with it was beyond my capabilities now. My friend was younger
and felt that she could still manage bringing a puppy into her life.

I've already told the story of adopting Dakota. But I haven't said much
about what followed. He was ten years old. I had no knowledge of his
previous life. I started with a blank canvas while Dakota came with his
history. I only knew that he had separation anxiety and storm fear – two
rather debilitating problems. While I had written about them in my
columns and talked about them in my classes, I never had a dog with
either problem let alone both.

I had to quickly figure out how I was going to handle these problems
while making a safe, comfortable, happy, and secure home for him. I
decided my first task was to do nothing. Being a senior and having
worked from home, I could spend all of my time with him. I started with
observing him – 24/7. It was fall, so it was still warm and he could be
outside comfortably. Dakota and I got up early each morning. I let him
out and followed him to the deck where I had my first cup of coffee and
watched him around the yard. He listened to each car that went by. Now
and then one caught his attention. I brought him in and gave him
breakfast. Together we'd go to the front porch and get the paper. It was
part of establishing a very simple routine to help him feel secure. For
a couple of months I stayed home. My husband did all of the grocery
shopping and errands. Dakota came up to my office with me.

I decided it was necessary to work with the separation anxiety first
before I could work with the storm fear. Time was the answer. Dakota
needed to trust me and learn that I would always be there for him. He
needed to learn that even if I went away, I would come back. It took
time but it worked. Slowly and gently I became the Alpha Dog. With
Dakota I learned it was not the same as with my past puppies. He was a
senior and I had no idea how his life had been established as a puppy.
He was so gentle and so sweet, I felt I should give him the benefit of
the doubt and carefully slip this information into his head.

Years ago I learned that the best way to establish a relationship with a
dog is to talk, talk, talk. The more you talk, the more they listen. Not
only that, they learn to listen and interpret the meaning of your talk.
They quickly learn to be part of the pack [that's the family.] It also
establishes thinking. A dog left in the corner and never fully brought
into the family, will not do much thinking. But one that is involved
will read your every move and every sentence. They will know what you're
going to do before you do it. I have many stories and experiences to
document that.

So Dakota and I established our relationship. I soon learned there was
one hitch in my plan. He was very adept at reading my mind – all of the
time. He knew what I was thinking even when I was on my computer writing
about him. If I was worrying, he was worrying because I was worrying. If
I even thought that I should let him out, he was down the stairs and at
the door before I said something. When I went out into the hall, he knew
where I was going and got there before I did. I had to be careful. This
put a lot of pressure on me that I couldn't convey to him. But as time
went on, his trust in me grew. Then one day I decided to leave him with
my husband and drive around the block. That went well. We started
leaving the house together and going out in the yard where he couldn't
see us. That also went well. All of this we did matter-of-factly.
Finally the day came when Dakota and I had a talk and I let him know
that we'd be leaving the next morning to shop. I told him again in the
morning as we were going through our routine. I took several of his
favorite bones and filled them with his treats. We left with him trying
to get his treats out of the bone and ignoring our exit. I planned to be
gone only about an hour but it extended beyond that – way beyond that. I
hoped the house would be in one piece when we got back. He greeted us at
the door, turned and went to get his bone that he hadn't finished. Success!

The puppy came home with my friend. She was starting from the beginning.
We had several long talks before she bought her puppy about getting
another dog too soon or waiting. She was a person that couldn't wait for
a number of decent reasons. She found it difficult not to compare.
That's the biggest problem new owners have. It's not fair to the owner
and it's not fair to the new puppy.

My friend started off on a rocky road. She had one problem after
another. First of all she is a disciplinarian from the get go. Secondly,
she approaches training with inflexible zeal and fervor. She wants her
puppy to learn immediately and there really is no room for error.
Although she knows her way around obedience, she steps outside on
certain issues that I heartily disagree with and voice my opinion
loudly. She has her methods of house training etc. She's had many dogs
through the years and different breeds. She started with puppy just as
she always has in the past. But as time went on she realized all was not
going as it had in the past. This puppy challenged her every move. Her
home has gradually become a war zone. Puppy is not mean or viscous. She
just goes in the opposite direction with every command. From day one she
read this woman like a book. She is smart as a whip. She is also a
hyperactive puppy. She needs to be in her kennel to rest and calm down.

The other interesting point is that when puppy goes to the vet or to
obedience school she's a little darling. She does everything correctly
and behaves like a well obedient pup. One thing has led to another and
my friend began to wonder where this pup's origin came from. From day
one I sensed this woman had purchased a puppy-mill animal. She didn't
think so at first but as time went on and puppy became more and more of
a problem, she started investigating her background. The more she looked
into things the more she too started to feel that puppy came from one of
those puppy mills.

The point I want to make here is that this puppy and her siblings never
had time with their mother or with each other.

A pack animal becomes a full fledged member of the group by a process
called subordination. With dogs, subordination begins shortly after the
third week of life and continues throughout early development. Most
normal, healthy puppies are basically pushy animals, and will try to
advance as far as possible within the social order of the pack. The key
to successfully rearing a puppy is to establish yourself as the pack
leader and then maintain that position for the life of your dog.

The key to successfully rearing a puppy is to establish yourself as the
pack leader and then maintain that position for the life of your dog.

In the wild, the adults of the pack begin early to teach the cubs the
rules. The adults grab pups around the head or neck and gently, but
firmly, pin them to the ground. The cubs learn to greet the adults with
respect by approaching them using a slightly crouching posture, with
ears back, tail down and wagging, and they lick the adults' muzzles. The
cubs do this as a sign of respect and affection, not out of fear. It is
called the subordination display, and its function is to keep peace and
harmony within the pack.

Puppy was taken from her mother and other siblings and never given the
chance to learn the basics. I believe this had caused my friend the
problems she is facing now. Puppy is so lucky to be in my friends home.
She is trying to hard to establish a relationship with this dog. She has
done everything right. Puppy went to puppy class, is currently in
obedience, and my friend even sought advice from a fully qualified dog
psychologist. She has the patience of Job and she works at not loosing
her temper. It is unbelievable what this puppy is capable of doing. She
continues to test my friend every step of the way. I admire my friend
for her positive approach. Puppy is learning all sorts of things to
challenge her, keep her active, and finding outlets for her to learn as
she grows. She is a remarkably intelligent puppy – too much for her own
good. My friend is able to keep her sense of humor through all of this.
Most people would have returned the dog or put it down, but my friend
finds the good in puppy and hopes that she will eventually mature enough
to be part of the household.

So, our two dogs came with a blank canvas. Neither of us knew their
backgrounds or their breeding. One is a senior, one a puppy. We both
have had our challenges. These two dogs are lucky to find their way to
homes that are willing to work with them on their terms, give them a
gigantic supply of love, and provide an atmosphere for them to live in
secure, warm, and happy surroundings. Our routines and methods of
dealing with daily activities are based on learning, in site, and years
of dog experience. But mainly it's our love and devotion to these
animals. They didn't ask to be taken out of their normal environment,
they weren't given a choice of where to live and how to live. They
adapted to whatever their circumstance were the best they could. It is
our responsibility as humans to give back to them by adapting to them in
a way that helps them adjust and by providing them with a loving, caring
home to live out their lives and to be happy and share with us a
wonderful relationship.

I have no idea how many homes Dakota has had through the years but he
has adjusted well. I'm sure there were moments when he was scared and
wondered what was happening but he survived and I've tried to make his
life as happy and comfortable as possible. He gives me so much on a
daily basis and I hope my hugs, massages, and care are making him feel
secure in his senior years. I want him to have happy memories.

Puppy never had a normal start to her life. I know she's in a good home
with loving parents that are willing to understand her and help her make
up for the lack of foundation learning. She is a dog that should have a
chance and given every opportunity to have a long life.

More coming.

DAKOTA UPDATE

2007-02-11T13:30:00.001-08:00

It is finally above zero! It has been a long haul. We still face some sub zero temps I guess but at least you can stick your head out of the door without freezing off your nose. About the only positive aspect of this miserable weather is there was snow on the ground. It looked like winter, which is more than I can say for December and January.

Today Dakota could go out without a coat and he could take his Boo Boo Bear with him. My husband was able to sleep in and didn't have to dash down with us to possibly carry Dakota in if his feet started freezing. His past did not include sub zero temps because he seemed surprised by all of the commotion we were making each morning. He did seem to appreciate the coat and got used to having it put on. He was never happy about his toy being taken away however. I found it necessary because he would not come in if he took it with him.

We only had to carry him in twice. Never once did he give up his rolling in the snow however. That is part of Dakota's genes and no matter how cold it got, he HAD to roll. At least his feet were up in the air. I thought if I demanded him to change, he would be scared for the rest of his life.

I dreaded turning on the radio before I got up each morning to see how far below zero we were sitting at and knowing I'd have to pry my husband out of bed. He got his valentine's gift this morning. I wish we could have exchanged some of NY's snow for a few degrees of temperature. But it doesn't work that way. Rats! All of my snowbird friends in AZ were complaining about the cold 60 degree weather. Poor things.

There was one positive fallout to this ungodly weather. I got a lot of computer work done. I'm a happy camper now. I have a wonderful new software program for writing and drawing. It is wonderful. It also lets me upload my posts from my desk and it's so much fun. I need a new email program but that will come soon I hope. I can now start on my new blog.

Now it's time to think spring. We survived we always do. We're tough, that's why we live so long. Back to posting blogs.

2007

2007-02-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

This is not starting out as a good year. Computer problems abound. I did not expect this with a new computer but old or new one seems to be vulnerable to problems. These problems disrupt your lifeline to the world - email!!!! Having written down all of my addresses with the last crash helped but I don't trust computers and I don't trust my provider and I'm convinced that messages have floated around in space and/or my many bites of memory and never will be found. While trying to put my computer back in some sort of a temporary mode so I can get out some communication, my keyboard of many years decided to go on the blink too. Maybe that doesn't bother many folks, but it bothers me. I am a typist and my keyboard is my life because of its configuration. I type like the wind without errors. I am now beholden to a nasty black thing that has no respect for the typist. Errors abound and irritate me no end. I must have my old keyboard back or buy a new one immediately. I refuse to live this miserable life. I can put up with a lot of things, but not a stupid keyboard that has no ethics.

Then there is this darn weather. To say it is cold is an understatement. I don't think polar bears should live in this stuff. I will address this in another post involving Dakota. It's hard to complain because the first part of the winter was a piece of cake and you did not feel desperate about flying to a warmer climate and soak up warmth for your aching bones and repair your SADs condition that comes racing in each year about now.

Oh how I long to join my genteel friends that have turned their back on computers and calmly sit and write old fashioned notes on pretty paper and then attach pretty stamps to envelopes and send them on their way via snail mail. It's still a pretty good system.

See you soon with a weather/Dakota update.

UNBELIEVABLE

2007-02-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

I have had yet another computer disaster. I know it's hard to believe after two and now a new computer. This is all because of my computer guru spouse. I am contemplating divorce but this is the year of my 50th anniversary and divorce seems a little extreme. But it is in the realm of possibility.

I have a blog post - that is if I can find it. FYI it is titled "A Tale of Two Dogs." You will see it when I can find it on my computer and I am back in operation. I refuse to rewrite it AGAIN.

Please feel sorry for me . I am not a patient person but have decided that is why I was put on this earth - learn patience and compromise. My spouse says I'm making progress but I think he's pushing me to the limits.

I SHALL RETURN.

BELIEVE

2007-01-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

I believe that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe that we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I believe that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I believe that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I believe that you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I believe that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I believe that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel

I believe that maturity has more to do with what types of experience you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I believe two people can look at the exact some thing and see something totally different.

I believe that life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I believe that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I believe that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

NOTHING IS EVER SIMPLE

2007-01-17T07:56:00.000-08:00

According to my calculations I've made 18,250 meals, give or take one or two hamburgers, since I got married - a very conservative estimate I might add. And not a one was a TV dinner. As a 50s girl you made everything from scratch. I have a huge library of cookbooks - some antiques, some collectibles, - none are wanted by any organization. No wonder I'm burned out! Is it any wonder I'm not thrilled about getting on that treadmill? You try eating 3 ounces of meat while your spouse consumes a pound or more and doesn't put on an inch around his waist. He's a 50s guy and they were brought up by their dear mothers to be meat and potatoes men. And they want fried chicken like mom used to make. My very own mother played into the scenario too and won him over with her fried chicken. While wrinkles are not a huge problem for me, all of that spattering hot oil has left its mark on my hands.

My plans yesterday were to get my curtains up and the boxes and bags of "catch-all" stuff moved out. I thought it best if I did my daily sprint on the machine first, just in case I couldn't get on it later. It was a good plan - until I got out of bed. The storm moving across the mid-section of the country decided to invade our state with snow and plummeting temperatures. We are lucky they held off this long. In hind sight, I should have started with my evening cocktail and worked backwards.

Dakota is a Southern Guy from Iowa. He knows not of these sub-zero temps. To make matters worse, I removed a lot of undercoat in the fall that he'd been wearing for a very long time. It should have been taken out much earlier. So this sweet senior had to wear a coat, which he was not familiar with and he had to make his trip out in the early morning dark quickly so he would not freeze his feet. This was not a good time for a new learning experience for an 11-year old Golden. Let's just say that it was a bust. His rear legs collapsed from the cold and he had to be carried in. Dakota is, by all accounts, a very large guy. My husband is a very senior citizen, not in shape to pick up a dog of this size. Dakota is a cooperative dog and my husband is a softy for the big, brown eyes. Together they made it back, but Dakota decided it was best to stay inside for the day.

Meanwhile I was preparing to attack my new activities room. I crossed off my exercise sprint and went to work on the other parts of my plan. I planned to do the curtains - that is until I discovered the brass curtain rod didn't have any brackets. Again I changed gear and went looking for the brackets that should have been attached to the rod. They were nowhere to be found. Grumbling all the way, my husband went down to the hardware store for brackets while I changed my plans again. He soon returned and informed me that the hardware store didn't carry the brackets. WHAT? When did a hardware store stop carrying rod brackets? That's UN AMERICAN! It now took a huge adjustment to plans. We moved the top rod that was already up, to the middle of the window and found a different type rod in the basement that could be used at the top. With a huge sigh, I asked my less than patient husband to please put the alternate rod up. Several minutes later he stood at my office door and informed me that there were no brackets for the rod. That's it! I'd had enough. I told him to take down the rod in his office that wasn't being used as we just put blinds up and use those brackets. A heated discussion ensued. But I kept my resolution in mind and I won!

Things got worse. I opened one package. There were two curtain panels in the package but no valance! This cannot be happening. By now it was nearing dinner time. I was sure the store description on the Internet site stated two curtain panels and valance. That's the way it was in the 50s. I had already shut down my computer, my husband was not a happy camper after spending hours on curtains, so I suggested we just put up the panels and tomorrow I will check the web site. He had covered the end of the rod with masking tape - I had suggested scotch tape, and I tried to get the first panel on. There was too much tape. I finally lost it! Take the d**** tape off. I struggled to get two panels on. I cannot share the next conversation with you.

Back to my original plan for the day. I was going to make dinner in the morning so I would not miss a minute of American Idol. That didn't happen and you've already read about the rest of my day. I abandoned the curtain fiasco, skipped my daily treadmill routine, and headed to the kitchen to feed Dakota and make my cocktail while putting dinner together. I managed to get it all done before American Idol came on, and settled down on the couch with the fireplace ablaze and inviting and enjoyed what was left of my day. I made no plans for today and so far things are going well .

NEW YEAR POWER

2007-01-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

There is nothing more powerful to make sure you keep a new year's resolution than getting yourself in so deep you cannot back out without having egg all over your face. Let's face it, getting on a treadmill in January because you said you wanted to loose a few pounds or improve your brain isn't the most exciting thing to dedicate yourself to after the holidays. And, even with a TV to stare at, your chances of success are not great.

I decided not to mess around. I have a treadmill - a very expensive one - gathering dust in the corner of a "catch-all" room. That is the very reason I quit using it. I had to navigate my way through boxes and bags to get to the darn thing. Of course it was colder than heck because we kept the door closed. The biggest excuse was the fact that I'd lost the manual and, thanks to my advancing age, could no longer program the huge monster. It took me longer to figure out how to turn it on and set the warm up program than the length of time I was on it.

I was a '50s woman - well, girl, and
now I'm a next century senior citizen.
I come with all of the credentials like
white hair, a few wrinkles [not many
thanks to my heritage.] and the
attitude that 70 years of experience
entitle me to know the ansers to everything! [Ha Ha]. Unfortunately I don't have the answers to how to regain my 50s youth - or as it is commonly referred to as "The Good Old Days." I don't do botox, facelifts, or dye my hair. I love the color of my hair and even frosted it for years so why would I want to color it now that it is the way I like it. I earned the wrinkles fairly and squarely and have convinced myself that it gives my face character. Sure!

So, I decided this year that I would not fail again. I am changing the room into an "activities room." That basically means that I will move the old "catch-all" stuff out and move in new "catch-all" stuff to keep me company. Well, one thing led to another and now my sewing machine and everything that goes with it are now in one corner. I have restarted my studying of sumi-e Japanese art and have moved all of my art supplies I brought back from Japan into the room in a place of honor. I did not discipline myself well enough in my office because I couldn't tear myself away from computer solitare.

I couldn't possibly put these two additional hobbies in the room if I didn't spruce it up a bit. That required curtains, a rug, lamp, radio, and chair. Of course I couldn't forget Dakota. He had to have a bed to sleep on since he goes everywhere I go. And I needed something to keep him away from the treadmill because he wanted to get on it with me. I was not about to teach him to walk behind me for reasons I won't go into now.

I thought of better things to do that might have a better payoff in the long run but they either cost too much or I didn't have someone that would share with me. So much for you can't go back.......

So now, I have so much invested in my new "activities room" I cannot ignore the treadmill. And, as luck would have it, the company found a dusty old copy of the manual and has sent it to me. I have to save face now and I am committed to walking all of those miles. But the best part is, when I'm done each day...I'm still home. It's not that far to the bar and my pre-dinner cocktail. Oh, I already walked off those calories - .

DECLARATION OF SELF-ESTEEM

2007-01-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

This is my resolution for 2007.

I AM ME!

In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine because I alone chose it - I own everything about me. My body, My feelings, My mouth, My voice, all my actions, whether they be to others' or to myself - I own My fantasies, My dreams, My hopes, My fears - I own all my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes - because I own all of me. I can become intimately acquainted with me - by so doing I can love me and be friendly with me in all my parts - I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know - but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles and for ways to find out more about me - However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically me - if later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded - I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me - I own me, and therefore I can engineer me - I AM ME and........

I AM OKAY

- Virginia Satir

AFTER A WHILE

2007-01-13T13:39:00.000-08:00

I seem to be learning my lessons late in life - at least compared to my friends and classmates. It's too late to change things now and I must live with the die that has been cast. That's the bleak side but there is a brighter side that I try to concentrate on and make the most of what I have left. I'm at that age that you can preach and advise the younger generation, but they will do as most of us do, ignore the words and experience and make their own mistakes. I think life should be reversed. Why can't we suffer, make mistakes, learn and then put all of that good knowledge to work toward the end and enjoy one's aging years. But it is not to be. Why am I the only one that has regrets and passed opportunities that cannot be turned around.

AFTER A WHILE

After a while, you learn the suble difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts
And presents aren't promises.
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open,
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child,
And learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans,
And futures have a way of falling down in midflight.
And after a while, you learn
That even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul,
In stead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure..
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth
And you learn and learn
With every goodbye, you learn.

-Veronica A Shoffstall

WISHING

2007-01-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye

They say it takes a minute to find a special person -
an hour to appreciate them -
a day to love them -
but then an entire life to forget them.

SMALL THOUGHTS

2007-01-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

Work like you don't need money

Love like you're never been hurt

And dance like no on'es watching!

-------------------------

Never drive faster than your Guardian can fly.

----------------------------

Some people come into our lives and quietly go.
Others stay for a while and leave footprints on our hearts
And we are never the same.

A DOG'S PRAYER

2007-01-04T12:43:00.000-08:00

A DOG'S PRAYER
author unknown

Bless the house I live in, Lord,
the one that I call home,
the people here who really care,
a family all my own.

Bless the little children
who snuggle me to sleep
their gentle eyes so sweet and wise
that laugh and sometimes weep.

Bless the mistress of this home,
a wife and loving mother -
she always brings me doggie bags -
to me, there is no other.

Bless the master, good and kind,
he calls me his best friend,
But, Oh, the names they give us, Lord!
"Killer?" "Boom Boom?" "Ben?"

No one will ever know
how I stopped to catch my breath
the day they saw me at the pound,
as I faced certain death.

I love my little family,
They're all the world to me,
You'd have to be a dog to know
how lucky I am me.

A fairthful dog will play with you,
and laugh with you - or cry -
He'll gladly starve to stay with you,
and never reason why.

And when you're feeling out of sorts,
somehow he'll understand,
He'll watch you with those shining eyes,
and try to lick your hand.

His blind, implicit faith in you
is matched only by his love -
the kind that all of us should have
in the spirit up above.

When everything is said and done,
it isn't really odd,
because when you spell 'dog' backwards,
you'll find the name of God.

PARALLEL LIVES

2006-12-19T13:50:00.000-08:00

Most of you will probably think I'm ready for the little men in the white coats once you've read this blog. No matter. I find a commonality and for some unexplainable reason I decided to share. Please do not judge me. Just pass it off as holiday stress and advancing age.

One day I was sitting at my desk when these thoughts suddenly found their way to my brain. There is a validity to them even though I suppose I'm comparing apples to oranges.

Dakota and I are both rescue entities - one from the animal world and one from the human world. My mother didn't want me when I was born and offered me to hospital personnel. She finally left me there. The State required my siblings to pick me up and care for me for a certain amount of time and then I was turned over to the State. They placed me in a foster home. Eventually I was moved to an adoption agency where I was finally adopted.

Dakota was displaced because his owner could no longer take care of him and he was taken to a pet store and boarded until he was retrieved by a foster person in Iowa and eventually adopted by me.

Dakota is old. I am old. I need him. He needs me. We have similar needs, likes, and dislikes. We understand one another. We feed off of each other, support each other, and share our lives.

It's a perfect solution for us. Our days are filled with things we both love to do. I talk, he understands. I give, he returns 100 fold. I thank him with a hug, he thanks me with a smile, wet face lick, and asks for more. Our "love-in" continues 24/7. We know when each is "down." We both do our best to "make it better." When we are happy, we are very, very happy. When we are sad, we try to hide it. We accept each others weaknesses and we take delight in the strengths.

But most of all we TRUST one another. You cannot always say that when you are talking dog to dog or human to human.

We wish you a very happy holiday season and may your new year bring you good fortune and dreams come true.

FROM THORNS COME ROSES

2006-12-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

This has become a difficult holiday season like none other I've experienced. The bottom line is probably because of my age, life is handing me thorns and roses. Let me explain.

I have encountered a number of obituaries in our local paper of friends, classmates, and business associates. Of course it is always sad but when they appear at holiday time it seems much harder to deal with. And at my age it makes one face reality head on. It is difficult for me to get to funerals so I welcome and embrace our paper's Legacy program. I appreciate the Guest Books. I can enter my thoughts and sympathy to the family and not feel so guilty about not attending the funeral. Many times older folks just put in a notice, have no funeral, but plan on a memorial service at a later date.

From these "thorns" come roses. I appreciate reading all of the entries. Most, I do not know, but they provide further in site to the person I've known. So often I have lost track with a friend and I am able to learn so much more about his or her life since we lost contact. I would not learn all of this otherwise. My heart is warmed by how much my friend accomplished in a lifetime or how many lives he or she touched and in what way. It makes me feel closer and completes the circle of that friendship. It underlines my thoughts and memories. I am able to have a much broader picture of my friend.

More roses come from messages from the family or spouse thanking me for signing the Guest Book and adding my own personal thoughts. It makes them happy to learn things they might not have known. It provides support in their saddest hours and as the days and weeks go on, they are able to look back at a life they were part of and find peace in words of comfort from those that have written.

Other wonderful things come from these entries too. I have received requests for more information to share with children so they can carry on the family memories and ensure their children will have a picture of a grandparent, aunt, or uncle. I am so happy to share my memories of the friend or classmate that other family members may not know. It's a different kind of family tree and one I'm always glad to contribute to.

Lastly, there are messages from others that read your entry, not related to the family, but knew you years ago. I have been so pleasantly surprised to hear from individuals that I knew years ago. Sometimes they share their web sites. Sometimes they want to know what I've been doing with my life. They were not necessarily close friends. But it doesn't matter because these folks help complete your life.

It also makes me so sad that I have friends that refuse to use a computer. Yes, they can complicate your life if you let them. But they can also turn thorns into roses and enrich your life in so many ways as well as bringing you full circle. So, this holiday season has brought much sadness to my life, but it has brought me a huge bouquet of roses to enjoy and cherish and make this Christmas a very special time of my life.

ANOTHER DAKOTA TEST

2006-12-11T14:30:00.000-08:00

I introduced Dakota to a new part of my life. I felt he was ready to venture into uncharted waters. I have a theatre organ. Through the years none of my dogs have very much cared for this contraption. I'm sure it's an assault on their ears. I have not played it since Dakota arrived, but I just had to get back to it because of the holiday season. My life revolves around music. Music and dogs have kept me going all of these years. I am happiest when I can be involved in either. It's best when both are active in my life.

Dakota - The Saint followed me to the monster. He patiently stood by while I got my music and slid onto the bench. I made the mistake of turning on the organ before I turned on the light and the crack of noise even threw me into a spin. But the two of us recovered.

This is an old organ that I purchased in the mid 60s. Do I dare say it has "tubes?" I can hear the snickers and laughter. None-the-less, it provides me with great entertainment and relaxation. It needs coaxing now and then, but I work around it and enjoy myself, not caring what anyone else thinks.

I set it up for a very quiet presentation. I wanted to start out in a big way, but I knew that Dakota would run for cover and never trust me again. So I was quite conservative. Bless his heart, he sat next to the bench and endured my endless mistakes and flubes. He seemed quite interested in the foot pedels. I stopped playing and just played the foot pedles and he tilted his head with each different note. I kept the session short and he seemed to appreciate that.

The next day I ventured back to the organ. I turned to find Dakota looking at me as if to say, "Gee, I thought this was a one-time thing." He didn't seem quite as anxious to sit by my side and listen, but he's a pretty brave guy and stayed for a while. He didn't move very far away but he did pace a bit. This is going to take time. But I trust that he will eventually accept it or find a place to hang out far enough away to not endure the assault on his ears and still be near enough to be sure he knows when I will finish and go back to the quiet life he thought he'd found when he arrived here with his Forever Family.

I will not be able to play with the gusto I'm used to, but that's OK. It's wonderful to be back on the bench and flexing my fingers over the keyboards. I do have eye problems now that weren't there before and will have to be addressed when my eye appointment arrives, but that's a small part of the whole package. Dakota doesn't know how lucky he is that I didn't start singing along with the playing!!! I have some pride left.

AFTER THANKSGIVING

2006-11-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

This was an especially memorable Thanksgiving for me. It was totally unexpected but so heartwarming.

We lost a dear Navy friend. I had signed the Guest Book. Much to my surprise I received an email message from one of the children. She thanked me for writing and said that what I wrote was so true. I wrote back to her and asked her if someone in the family could write and tell us what happened. We lost contact with our friend some years back after his wife passed away. She wrote back and filled me in with so many details and shared so much with us. Although it was a sad loss for us, it was good to learn what had transpired since our last contact.

I lost another friend and also signed a Guest Book. Again, I was surprised to find a message from one of his children. We exchanged messages of memories, pictures, and thoughts. So many years had gone by this time that it was difficult to catch up. It brought back so many thoughts of high school and college days. It was hard to realize that so much time had flown by.

I've entered that age group where you read the obituaries daily and hope you don't see a name your recognize. In the last few months this hasn't been the case. But what impresses me is that family members are writing back and sharing so much. It is wonderful in many ways - sad in others. But it made this Thanksgiving a very special one for me.

I thank our newspaper for having the Legacy program. It opens doors that have been closed for a long time. It brings family members forward for you to meet and share. It is especially important for those of us that cannot attend services. And even then sometimes it's not possible to communicate with those attending and exchange thoughts and memories.

I encourage everyone to sign Guest Books if your local paper has this program in their obituary section. You have no idea what wonderful things can happen. I have not given a full account of these special moments for me this Thanksgiving, but I will remember them for as long as possible. They made this holiday so very personal and meaningful to me.

FUTURE POSTS - MAYBE

2006-11-22T14:13:00.000-08:00

We're into the holiday season starting with Thanksgiving. I've been thinking about doing something different during the holidays and then starting with the new year I'll get back to dogs.

For reasons I will not go into now, I've decided that I want to write about holidays, neighborhoods, and growing up. I am overcome with nostalgia I guess. It does seem to raise its head around the holidays. And so many posts seem to circulate relating to how it was back "in the good old days." Maybe it's my age. Maybe it's the loss of dear friends. It doesn't really matter. I just wanted to share some nostalgia with readers.

Enjoy your turkey, friends, and family tomorrow and over the long weekend. See you back here when you have the time and maybe while you're eating the last of the turkey.

THANKSGIVING

2006-11-19T13:21:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
KATIE & DAKOTA

2006-11-15T10:10:00.000-08:00

ANOTHER GARDEN STORY

While I was watching my husband’s tomatoes trying their best to grow and survive something else was going on in the garden. It was quite subtle. Only Dakota and I were aware and curious enough to spend time staring across the yard at what seemed like nothing.

As the garden grew, the tomatoes were quickly being taken over by the canopy of huge leaves and vines of the squash and cucumbers my husband had also planted. His approach to them was the same as with his tomatoes. However, the squash and cucumbers were far more aggressive and determined. Slowly they covered the tomatoes with their large leaves. I felt sorry for the tomatoes as in past years there were vines but little product. We were lucky to see one or two squash and maybe a cuke or two.

The more I watched the more I wondered why these vines and leaves had become determined to possibly take over the whole backyard. My husband continued his sparse watering and consistent feeding. I figured he was just feeding vines and loosing tomatoes in the process. I also started to wonder why Dakota was taking such an interest in this strange excuse for a garden. I noticed that Dakota was only really looking at certain spots so I decided to concentrate on one of them during an afternoon break. Suddenly a leaf moved and a little head popped out. It was a chipmunk. Our adopted chipmunks live near the house and generally don’t venture further than the bird feeder and certainly not out to the garden.

Dakota became interested in our resident chipmunks last fall when he came to live with us. That is another story to be told at a later date. He sits in the comfort of the family room and watches them through the windows. As with my past Goldens, he has no interest in chasing or capturing them. So it seemed that he found another one that came through the garden now and then and watched it from the deck.

As the summer progressed, the tomatoes were still struggling, and the vines were still growing at a fast clip. So were the number of chipmunks. They found a safe journey had developed along the fence and under the canopy of leaves and vines. Soon there were baby chipmunks playing about. I suddenly realized all of the neighborhood chipmunks loved our garden. We are a strange neighborhood in that most of the senior citizens have at least a token resident chipmunk living at their house.
I have no idea what went on under that canopy all summer but it kept Dakota occupied for hours on end. None of them came into the yard, visited the bird feeder, or ventured near the house. If they did, they were immediately confronted by our resident critters and a chase ensued until they finally took refuge back in the garden.

When fall came and frost took down the canopy of leaves it revealed a sight to behold. There were squash everywhere – big ones, small ones, even little ones – all beautifully developed with perfect coloring and hardened skins. I finally walked up and down the fence and my jaw dropped down with every step. Surely my eyes were deceiving me. I also saw long, long round sausage type somethings that were perfectly white. It only took me a minute or two to realize they were cucumbers that my husband neglected to pick and let them grow to enormous size.

Into the house came bag after bag of squash. The scene was comparable to zucchini in many gardens. I was speechless. What was I to do with this proliferation of squash. I hit the Internet to see if I could freeze all of this marvelous produce. In years past, we kept them cool in the garage or basement and ate them up before the year came to an end. This would not happen this year. Calls and emails went out to everyone that might like to have a share of my husband’s bounty. They were also passed around the neighborhood. Only one person accepted my husband’s offer and then politely “forgot” to take it home. Arrangements were made for pick-ups and bags were put by the front door.

I had been so in shock and riding such a high over this sudden abundance that I didn’t realize something was wrong with the squash. They didn’t look right. Practically every one of them had strange things on their skin. I picked one up and looked at it closely. It looked exactly like small pumpkin seeds had been glued onto the skin. They were beige/white and hard and dry. Back at my computer I could not find anything that resembled this strange happening. I rejected disease after disease. We had already eaten a number of them and given away a fair number. Oh my!!! I’d given them to friends and neighbors. Will they get sick or just throw them away. Now I was worried.

Exhausted from wasted sleep and worry, I finally wrote to Burpee. Since they had been my supplier of seeds for many years surely they would know what happened to these beautiful squash. My email message was very specific with a full description of what they looked like and an explanation of the condition of the veggies. I offered to send a digital picture of them if they needed it. They wrote back and said they would appreciate a picture. I rushed to the basement and picked two perfect examples, took them to the kitchen, and took pictures of them.

Quickly their expert came back with an explanation. Darned if those little critters in the garden tried to eat through the rinds as they were growing to get through to the meat. They weren’t happy enough just taking enough out of a tomato and leaving it in ruin, they had to try and eat the squash. I printed out the message to take down to my husband and laughed all of the way. I showed it to the garden guru and we both had a long laugh. The squash were safe to eat and the problem solved. We’re looking for more takers and I’m freezing others. Thanksgiving will be taken over by the squash rather than pumpkins.

The interesting thing was that not one single cucumber was touched. Must be a story there somewhere. My husband threw all of his seeds into the garden this summer just to get rid of them figuring he wouldn’t be gardening next year. Alas his success has changed his mind. I wish I could warn the poor tomato seeds that may find their way to his garden next spring.

A VERY FUNNY STORY

2006-11-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

A VERY FUNNY STORY

We planted our garden this past spring. It usually consists of a number of varieties of tomatoes these days. It’s just getting too difficult to do all of the beans, onions, beets, and all of the other veggies we used to put in. My husband still has to put down a few squash seeds along with cucumbers and any other seeds he sees floating around the house.

His techniques for raising tomatoes are astonishing. I feel sorry for any tomato seed within ten miles of his grasp. But he’s a happy camper and a frustrated farmer. He starts by putting his seeds in one of those large flat trays that has a cover. He puts the tray on my hot pad. So far, so good? Well, not exactly. He forgets the need for light. Somehow the little seeds struggle out of the soil and start their journey. At some point, that I don’t fully understand, he takes the poor little things and shoves them into paper pots that he makes himself from the wooden pot maker he got through Burpee.

Before the snow is off of the ground, he thinks they should be hardened off. Every year I show him what the tomato book says about that. But he ignores all SOP and shoves the poor little thinks out onto the deck where they get blown to shreds from the winds and dry out for lack of water. Sudden temperature drops do not phase him. Somehow these loving seeds survive, proving there is a higher power. His faith and the seeds’ determination go hand in hand to the garden. There they spend the summer doing their best to bring forth fruit for him. He feeds them regularly but forgets the need for water. Every now and then they droop while he dreams of the beautiful red orbs that will eventually find their way to his BLT’s.

When fall starts to arrive, he harvests his produce with love and awe and generously shares with the neighbors. Summers are fascinating to watch around here. I watch from the kitchen as this partnership develops throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Every year I am amazed. My husband does his own thing and in his own way. I truly believe that the little seeds understand and accept their journey through their relatively short life. When you think about it, they both have faith, they both struggle, they both believe, and they both survive.

Amazing isn’t it?

TIME MARCHES ON

2006-11-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

It's probably a good thing I'm the age I am. The technical world is just getting too complicated for me. I don't want that to happen. I want to keep going. I keep telling myself that I still have the brain power to investigate new technology, but it just isn't happening. I wondered why. I've decided it is because I now need help and those that are younger don't want to bother with the likes of my generation. Everything comes so easy to them. I remember when things came so easily for me. New software programs were a piece of cake and I took on each one like an old friend. In no time I saw similarities between them. I could take on any contract because all I had to do was look at the software and knew immediately how it operated. Those were the good old days...heady with pride.

I don't want to let go of those days. I'm fighting but I seem to be taking two steps forward and three backwards. I refuse to go quietly. It's not time. There is still so much to do.

All of this is because I have managed to survive two computer crashes in less than a month, bought a new computer, loaded programs, spent hours looking for lost data on the old one. Looking at the new programs is so exciting. There are so many improvements that I love. If only they had been there in my active writing days..what fun it would have been.

I thought I was making progress and getting back on my feet. Then, bang! Another surprise. My email provide was sold and I had to change my email address. More changes. Now I'm willing to roll with the punches but do they have to come so often and so fast. The world is spinning out of control. How I long for the days of my growing years. It was quiet. You could take your time. You could think. You could savor. You could dream. Nothing was impossible. Does anyone dream anymore? How sad. There's no time for that anymore. I cannot go back now and at the same time I struggle to go forward and keep up the pace. I feel caught between to wonderful worlds. But given a choice - I'd go back in a minute.

GOING TO THE VET

2006-10-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

A very dear friend came to visit and share a cup of coffee. We hadn’t seen each other in a very long time and had much to catch up on. She had not seen Dakota in quite a while so we got to talking about the changes he’d made since coming to live with me. One thing led to another and she mentioned how dogs seem so afraid to go to the vet. She said that her dog started shaking the minute she got into the parking lot. I mentioned that in all of my years of having dogs not a one got the shakes or resisted going into the clinic. I am no expert on the subject, but I think a lot has to do with the owner's attitude prior to going.

As I've stated in previous posts, I spend an inordinate amount of time talking to my dogs. I constantly jabber when they are around and quite often I talk directly to them. I know you probably think I'm crazy - maybe so - but it has worked for me. I tell them they're going to the vet and when it is time to go it is just a matter of fact thing for my dogs. I don't make it special except for surgery and major trips but I also communicate with them about their trip. It also is a matter of trust. My dogs trust me. That comes from communication too.

All of this communication pays off when you leave the house and other things that cause dogs to have anxiety. Then Dakota came here I was told that he had a case of separation anxiety. It didn't surprise me since he'd been bounced around - at least in his advanced years - and he had no one to trust or anyone that communicated with him. Today he accepts my departure as part of his life. He's so anxious to get his treat when I say goodbye, that he pays no attention to my exit and locking the door. He's not even that overjoyed in seeing us when we come back. He greets us with a wagging tail and wants to be petted and off he goes to get one of his plush toys and go out potty.

I have a wonderful clinic too where the whole staff responds to all of the animals that come in the door. They are welcomed with open arms, made over and greeted with wonderful tones in their voice. They are a big part of this issue. More and more clinics are changing their approach toward animals that come in for appointments. My dogs also go willingly with the vet from the examining room to elsewhere in the clinic for whatever needs to be done...such as cutting nails, getting shots, etc.

You can help your dog not to fear, tremble, or resist a trip to the vet and turn it into a matter-of-fact visit that may not always be fun, but it's nothing to get up tight over.

VOTING

2006-10-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

I’m always so happy when my ballot arrives in the mailbox. It means that I can cast my vote and drop it back into the mail. Now I do not have to listen to any more political ads or comments on the radio or TV.
I do not understand why this country cannot bring itself to offer voting by computer for those of us that have computers and by phone for those who do not. We go to the moon, send up spacecraft after spacecraft but we remain in the horse and buggy era when it comes to voting.

They claim it is because of security. Heck, we’re not doing all that well in other security areas. I believe that it is quite possible to make voting quite secure. It is barbaric to make people stand in line in this day and age to vote. Just look at the security lines at airports. This country should be the leading edge of technology. Is it any wonder the turnout for our elections is so pathetic.

This whole voting thing is based on fear. It is the very reason our highways are jammed with cars driving to and from work. Supervisors fear they will loose control over employees if they cannot see them at a desk. And to think we worry about gas prices and availability. And, it is not just gas, it's air polution with over crowded cities and their tall buildings.

We will see down the line in a generation or two quite a change in our old fashioned approach to dailing living. I believe I heard that we work longer hours than any other country. We are inefficient in everything we do. I think it is absolutely stupid to send people to Washington for legislating. They should be staying in their district and attending to business there. Imagine the money we would save.

I've had many technical writing contracts where I worked out of my office. It was wonderful. I usually got my work done in half the time. The companies I worked for did not have to supply me with space and equipment. I didn't have interruptions. I was able to send my work in via computer, communicate with engineers and staff by computer, get needed drawings, answers, etc. all by computer. Those that I worked with loved not being interruped with a visit from me. I made appointments to fit into their schedule when needed. There was no wasted time on their part or mine. They could always reach me by phone.

I suppose there are those that would take advantage of the situation but they are weeded out pretty rapidly. The one negative is that you do not have contact with people in person on a daily basis. At times you do feel isolated. But for me it wasn't a problem.

It was wonderful not to have to jump into a cold car, sit on the freeway, and deal with road rage. It cut down on the wear and tear on my car, lowered my insurance rate, and cost of clothes etc. Imagine the savings in this country if a lot of us could skip the commutes. We could cut down on road repair and congestion. We could cut down on the cost of government, cut down on the cost of energy, and run our lives so much more efficiently. It would also affect health care in a positive way. We would not be spreading viruses at mock speed. There are other benifits if you just think about it.

I am hard pressed to believe that our population reacts to all of these negative, mean-spirited ads and it is the only way canidates can get our vote. I do not believe or trust all of these ads. They cost a fortune. I prefer to get my information from reliable sources. If you do it on the computer and the Internet, it's faster, cheaper, and more accurate.

This country needs a huge overhaul. If we were really smart we would figure out how to put this country on hold and make changes...one by one until we had a better functioning country.

Maybe it's time for me to get back to doggie pictures and poems....next

PART TWO

2006-10-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

Well, my effort on Dakota’s elbow ulcer worked but not well enough. I’ve thrown in my dog nursing towel and turning it over to my vet. She can figure out what to do. I’m beginning to think just ignoring it would be a good answer but I don’t want to risk possible infection at his age.

I also have realized something positive has come from my two computer crashes. I put my brain into gear and all of the work I’ve put it through has really helped my thinking and memory process. At my age that is a good thing. It certainly helped me more than just becoming a couch potato and watching weekend football games and more baseball.

My sole mate of 49 years did battle with the media companies and I have my dish stations back again. I was so looking forward to getting up this morning to watch Imas. Wouldn’t you know I overslept. Usually when I oversleep I find Dakota waiting for me at the stairs rather than on the bed for his morning “love in” but such was not the case this morning. He wanted his time even if I was late. I cannot deny him that special time. I think he was so happy to wake up and find that I was no longer messing with his leg.

So, this afternoon his doctor will do what has to be done and I will nurse my guilt in failing to solve the problem. But he will be gushed over by the whole clinic staff that adore him and he will come home a happy camper. I will now be able to turn my full attention to my new computer and ponder how I can find my lost email addresses and files.

Halloween is next.

DAKOTA - THE SAINT

2006-10-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

DAKOTA – THE SAINT

Dakota breezed through his first year with me. Time flew by just as smooth as silk. Thank goodness! It all came to a screeching halt this past week. I found that one of his calluses on a front elbow had an open hole in it. As many dogs as I’ve had through the years, only one other had calluses as huge as Dakota’s. Through the ensuing days, I have put this poor dog through endless attempts to heal the hole right in the middle. This was only a tiny hole that I’m sure I overlooked for some time.

If you’ve never had the experience of wrapping a dogs leg, you’re in for the most exasperating time of your life. I’m convinced that a degree from veterinarian college is based entirely on successfully bandaging a dog’s leg. Pitfalls lurk with every attempt. I’m not talking about the straight part of the leg. Oh no, that would be too simple. I’m referring to the wrist, elbow, hock areas. You basically have two choices. You will wrap it too tightly thus endangering your dog’s circulation which is very serious or you can wrap it comfortably [loosely] and have it all fall apart.

A front leg callus is not a static object. It is called a Decubital Ulcer. It happens when a bony part of the body – human or animal – rests for long periods against a hard surface, restricting blood flow to the area. “With blood flow restricted, tissue dies and sloughs, or detaches from the body.” The treatment involves relieving all direct pressure on the ulcer. Trust me, this is not an easy task. Thankfully, there is a wonderful solution today. A company makes a complicated unit that fits over your dog’s leg[s] and solves this frustrating situation. They can be found on the Internet. You must send in measurements as they are made specifically for your dog. But be prepared to take out a second mortgage – this is an expensive investment. However, if you have a fairly young dog, I’d say it is well worth it. But it is hard to justify for a senior dog over the age of 10 living with retired folks on a limited income. The company is called Dogleggs.

I am blessed with a rescue dog that is a saint. Dakota has the patience of Job. Since I could, in no way, afford the Dogleggs solution, I had to set about contriving my own method of keeping pressure off of the elbow enabling the ulcer to heal. It was been so long since I dealt with a Decubital ulcer I’d forgotten how I solved the problem. I gathered a tray full of possibilities. Then I called Dakota to join me on the couch. He headed the other way. Smart dog. It was most important to keep a calm atmosphere because I knew this thing could drag out. I also knew that Dakota would probably put on a good five pounds with all of the treats that would be needed to get us to the solution. I reached for the lead. He immediately comes when he sees one and he quietly jumped up on the couch. I figured the couch was better than having him on his grooming table since this would be a long, involved experiment.

As much as I’d like to steer you through this nightmare try after try, I won’t. So far I think I’ve used half of a drug store. My greatest fear was getting the bandaging too tight. I think it is a phobia with me. Just because I haven’t had to deal with Decubital ulcers through the years, I have had to deal with other leg problems. It still is my worst nightmare.

I hesitate to say that I have solved the problem because sure as heck if I do, it will fall apart too. But so far, it’s the best I’ve come up with and it seems to be working. I am using one of those rubber-like heal cups you can put in your shoes for cushioning. It’s taken me only two tries with scissors to cut it down to the right size. It now fits exactly over the round ulcer and the thin part goes down his leg and can be secured with tape to hold it in place – mostly just to steady the cup part. I then put a cut section of a nylon [foot and top removed and sized] over it and firmly [not tightly] wrap it with self-sticking tape. So far Dakota has tested it out by going outside and rolling to his hearts content several times and it has all held together.

This sweetheart of an animal has been up on the couch endless times with his sad eyes looking at me as if to say…”Is this the last time mom?” The wastebasket has been filled with attempt after attempt failures. The little hole seems to be healing – at least getting smaller. I forgot to put come cotton or something to absorb a small amount of drainage and that may set me back, but at least I can correct that when I take it off at night to allow air to circulate around the ulcer and to let this precious creature sleep comfortably. I cannot begin to tell you how guilty I feel. Mostly because Dakota is a rescue dog. I have no idea if he’s had previous problems. I would think he has because of his size and I have good reason to think he spent time on a hard cement floor somewhere along the line. But he’s been on carpet since joining us and perhaps that’s added to this problem. But I still feel guilty. He shouldn’t have to endure all that I have put him through. With so many years and dogs behind me, I should have learned how to handle one of the major problems dogs have. I can’t hug him enough, love him enough, pet him enough or tell him how much I appreciate his patience and trust in me to let me try to help him. Hopefully this is a good solution as he might need to have it done again. The hardest part of all of this for me was finding patience and not fall apart. There were so many times when I wanted to scream or cry. Just to see him get off of the couch and watch everything fall apart after trying so hard and spending so long on something I thought would work. A number of times I just took it all off and left him alone. The sore would get worse and I would have to try again. I don’t know what I did to deserve Dakota, but I’m so glad I have him. He will have extra stars in his crown along with his heart that is as big as all outdoors.

MY TWO WORLDS

2006-10-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Since the first day I jumped onto a computer with fear and in trepidation, I was told that it would make my life so much easier. Just who the heck was the clown that started this rumor? This invention of the 20th century has made my life a living hell. I’ve learned that it does not cut down on paperwork. On the contrary, you have to document everything on this darn contraption because every time it crashes, you cannot find any of your precious world of documents unless you are a millionaire who can afford to turn the machine over to the Geek Brains to find all of the bits and bytes hidden in na na land.

Through the years I have slowly lost so much of my life. I’m sure it is just like living through a hurricane [that I’ve done too, along with a couple of typhoons and earthquakes in the Pacific.] It no long is a matter of how long computer printed pictures will last if they are not printed by Kodak. No, one just learns to adjust to reality. And don’t start on the “do a save every day” as the solution to computer life reality. It turns out to have just as many pitfalls as crashes.

This month has been the worst I’ve endured since entering the electronic world. Two crashes in less than a month! No human being should have to endure this evil event. I could write a whole book about the painful and sadistic twists and turns I have endured. I am a writer. I take pride in my craft – more so in the business end than the personal end. So much of that documentation was ‘me’ and it told about who I am. It is the same as pictures. But now, pieces of me are scattered in space – electronic space – never to be heard from again.

Then there is the matter of email! Don’t get me started on that madness. If you rely on it for daily communication with people that are important to you, when you loose it, you suddenly find yourself alone in the world. There are only two choices – you either wait until you hear from someone again or you spend hours and days trying to locate that person. I did just that this month. I desperately needed to find a friend for some important information. My defunct computer coughed up an email address for her but it was ages and ages old. She had changed her address several times before my computer crashed. But I was encouraged that finding her would be a piece of cake. She had a business. I knew what it was so it was a source to search for. She, like myself, was into dogs big time – AKC etc. so I figured I could find her through breed. She was into gardening. That was how I met her on the Internet so I thought I might be able to do it again. I tried everything but nothing worked. Then, one day when I turned on my computer – there she was! An email had followed my computer crashes. I was so excited. I finally found one of my friends. I was positively giddy. I wrote back and told her my story. It was quite a reunion.

But that doesn’t happen with all lost addresses. What bothers me the most are the email files with serious data in them. Some form the backbone of my writing. Some files have pictures and information about the family etc. So many things are lost and never recovered. I don’t have a lot of time left in my life to reconstruct the bits and bytes of my life.
Then there are the problems with software packages, upgrades and many other problems that deal with the hardware/software which cause more headaches than one person can effectively deal with. So, I am seriously considering the rebirth of the electric typewriter. I have a very close friend that refuses to use a computer. She writes postcards and old fashioned notes. I chastise her when I have to race out to meet the mailman or I’m out of stamps. But I don’t have to turn on a machine to go back and read her notes and look at the beautiful pictures she takes on attaches to the front of the postcards. I can see them anytime. I can put them up on my office board and look at them daily. They bring a smile to my face and memories of our years of friendship. While I do admit to loving the ability to search for instant answers to urgent problems via Google, I still enjoy picking up one of our old encyclopedia books and stopping along the way to read interesting sections. The same can be said for cookbooks. When I’m out of ideas for dinner, there is no better place than the Internet for instant ideas, recipes, and help. But there is nothing more satisfying than to curl up with one of my many, many cookbooks for inspiration and learning.

So I am caught between two worlds – the old one I grew up in and spent the best days of my life, and the new, electronic marvel I’m forced to tolerate and use on a daily basis for business and pleasure. I sigh and try to convince myself that I have the best of both worlds, but sometimes I’m not so sure. The best part of my world is my life with dogs. They keep me humble, balanced, and in touch with my true, inner self. There is nothing better for my health and happiness than having my four-legged canine companions next to me. It’s the very best world of all. [Stay tuned for Part Two]

BUT OH! WITH LOVE

2006-10-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

Nor what I am,

Nor what I say,

Will matter much

Beyond today,

And so it is

With this in mind,

I get on well

With humankind,

With rainy weather

And with pain,

With joy and sorrow,

Loss and gain,

But Oh! with Love,

I beg, I borrow,

Today, tomorrow

And tomorrow!

......Gladys McKeeflker

DAKOTA SPEAKS

2006-10-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Dakota here! My forever mom had another computer crash! Yup, two in less than a month. But there is good news. She now has a much needed new computer AND even a new monitor. There has been a lot of comotion around here, many, many boxes, cables, and a lot of other stuff I don't understand. She says she is still not up and running but my forever dad has her limping along and as soon as he gets some software she will be able to run like she used to. I don't understand any of this stuff. Dogs don't do computers.

I pretty much just stay on one of my beds or in a corner out of the way. The good news is we had some snow here. Boy was that fun. I had a a chance to roll in it and made tracks around the yard. I even brought my mom frozen green tomatoes. She praised me and gave me a treat. I've had to chase a couple of rabbits out of the yard too. I love winter..it's my favorite time of year.

I had a visitor yesterday. Boy was it fun. He was a little baby..they said he was 9 months old but he sure could get wround. We played on the rug and I shared my toys with him. His favorite was my polar bear rug. He really liked dragging it round and laying on it. I sure hope he comes back to visit again. I liked him better than the puppy and big dogs that come to visit.

I don't have much to say but I just wanted you to know that my mom will be back online here this week and hopefully she'll get back to writing about all sorts of things for you to enjoy. Please come back in a few days. We'll be here for sure.

Dakota over and out.

TO MY DOG[S]

2006-10-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

I love thee agreeably - enough to let your stinky doghide on the bed after a run through damp leaves, mud and slug infested gardens.

I love thee steadfastly - enough to devote a year to raising you from a wobbly speck into astrong healthy adult (who promptly attempts to seize control).

I love thee passionately - despite your repeated efforts to probe my ears, eyes and mouth with the same tongue you use for various other atrocities.

I love thee well - despite the amazing odors you produce.

I love thee deeply - though you use me as a napkin at every opportunity.

I love thee madly - despite the various bodily functions you have performed at inappropriate moments - in inappropriate places.

I love thee constantly - despite the dog "bladder curfew" I have lived by for many years.

I love thee truly - despite the "doggie landmines" hidden in the grass.

I love thee absolutely - because you never (well hardly ever) hog the remote control.

I love thee gratefully - because you stay by my side (or on my side).

I love thee devotedly - more than clean carpeting, clothing, furniture, floors or walls.

I love thee bravely - enough to battle the indomitable flea on your behalf.

I love thee monetarily - enough to put the vet's children through college.

I love thee openly - I will bear any embarrassment for your furry sake.

I love thee totally - more than free time or excess cash or a predictable life.

TREAT ME KINDLY

2006-09-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

TREAT ME KINDLY

Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me. Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do. Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footsteps fall upon my waiting ear. When it is cold and wet, please take me inside, for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements. And I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. Though, had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land, for you are my god and I am your devoted worshiper. Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to talk by your side, and stand ready, willing, and able to protect you with my life should your life be in danger. And, beloved master, should the great Master see fit to deprive me of my health or sight, do not turn me away from you. Rather, hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest - and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.

SPECIAL MEMORY

2006-09-16T08:28:00.000-07:00

My Memory of You

I have a memory of youWho loved poetry, even as I.

Who would walk with me through The fields and sigh For far-off dreams.

But youthful dreams did not Come true.

Or so it seems.

I wonder if they ever do. I mean the dreams of life that we Dreamed those long, lazy summer days And nights.

We would sit by the Water and gaze.

At ships that pass. And think how life is like the sea. And we, alas But ships that sail beyond the lea.

Who can control our destiny? Who can say whether your bark And mine Will meet again in some sunny clime Or distant shore?

I hope the fates, if such Have this in store there be,For two such old-timeFriends as we.

TOUCHING A LIFE

2006-09-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

TOUCHING SOMEONE'S LIFE

There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them. Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy. Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a tear. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

EVERY WOMAN

2006-09-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE.............

One old love she can imagine going back to

and one who reminds her how far she has come

Enough money within her control to move out

and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to

Something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams

wants to see her in an hour

A youth she's content to leave behind

A past - juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age

A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra

One friend who always makes her laugh, and one who lets her cry

A good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family

Eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal

that will make her guests feel honored

A feeling of control over her destiny

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW......

How to fall in love without losing herself

How to quit a job, break up with a lover, and confront a friend without

ruining the friendship

When to try harder, and when to walk away

That she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips,

or the nature of her parents

That her childhood may not have been perfect - but its over

What she would and wouldn't do for love or more

How to live alone - even if she doesn't like it

Whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally

Where to go - be it to her best friend's kitchen table, or a charming inn

in the woods, when her soul needs soothing

What she can and can't accomplish in a day - a month - and a year.

FALL IS HERE

2006-09-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Fall has finally arrived. How do I know? When I let Dakota out this morning he did his thing and than dashed back into the house and grabbed a toy. Out the door he went, tossing teddy bear in the air. When it landed, he flipped over and rolled and rolled in the cold grass. I stood there and laughed and laughed. I left the door open expecting him to come back in for his breakfast. He came back in alright and dashed out the door with another toy and repeated the process. Oh how happy he was. I finally convinced him to come in and eat but it wasn't easy.

It is so great to see him so active and playful at his age. Dakota and I were meant to be as we both feel the same when fall arrives. I don't fly out the door with a toy in my mouth, but I wish I could. It also means the end of thunderstorms. But with all of the progress he made this summer, I'm delighted with his progress and satisfied with his accomplishments. He's doing so well during the day and his stress level has dropped at least 80-90%. Nighttime is a little different but he did make some progress. I'll write about that later.

The computer is limping back to life. I'm slowly getting programs back up and running. The biggest problem are the email files. They are not cooperating. I must have them but I'm running out of ideas of how to accomplish that.

Posting will become more reliable. I found my pictures and a lot of DOCs so life isn't all that bad I guess. But a lot of people will not hear from me because I do not have their address. Quiet isn't so bad, but I miss seeing their messages in the morning.

Now that fall is here, I'm anxious to get busy with Dakota and some training. I think I mentioned that I will be using the CLICKER method with him as I feel he will have more fun with that. It will give me a chance to extend my bonding with him in a fun way. Keep tuned.

MINDLESS BANTER

2006-09-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Humpty Dumpty is still broken so what does one do on Labor Day when you don't have your computer. You pick on what readers you have left and write mindless banter material.

Again, I sit here wondering why they can put men on the moon but the will not make a computer that won't crash. The technology is there. I sure wouldn't want to go to the moon or anywhere without the assurance that my computer would not crash. Every time I've been through this I loose a part of me. Sometimes it's a big part. Those parts cannot be replaced. They were bits and pieces of my life. Some were important, others were not. But life went on and here I am yet again loosing more pieces of my life.

So questions still abound in techno world. Why can't they build a computer that doesn't have a drive that eventually turns into a high pitched sound that grinds on my brain daily. I am one of those persons that has sensitive hearing. I should not be complaining but you have no idea what it is like having that high whine hitting your ears every day - all day. My ears continue to ring after the computer is turned off. Ear plugs? Sure, but you have to give up your love of music and talk radio. Why should I have to do that!!!

Yet another frustrating computer-related monster problem is why can't they make it easy for you to copy your address book? Today's hackers don't seem to have a problem getting into address books. Since we make it so easy and challenging for them, why are we prohibited from easy access to making copies. Viruses sneak into our computers and attach themselves to our contacts, and yet, when my computer crashes, I quite possibly loose all of my contacts and the many links to my world. Have you ever made a copy of that list? You can hand write all of the many addresses into a file in Word, but it usually ends up with errors upon errors. Some use fonts that you simply cannot decipher letters and numbers and they never give a thought to others reading them.

It amazes me how much of "me" is on my computer. Every year there is more and more of "me" stored there. We add memory and increase the data storage of data. Many of us find we are pack rats when it comes to our computer, just as it is in our homes. You hate to delete anything because as soon as you do, you need/want it. There is a growing business in our country where you can hire someone to come in and organize your office or home. They help you throw things away and help you put everything else in order. I need one of those people to help me with my computer. My husband keeps saying - "Don't worry about it, you have plenty of memory." Well, maybe I do, but..................

When my computer crashes and Humpty Dumpty gets put back together again it is never the same. I come back to a strange "house." It doesn't fit like an old pair of slippers. I usually have to use new or upgraded software. My computer isn't "me". I have to work and work to make it mine again. But it is never the same. The worst part is that after you have been working to put it all in order again, you suddenly come upon something that wasn't there before or you go looking for something you knew was in a certainly spot and it's gone. For me it takes a long time to get those new slippers to fit again, but they still are never the same as the old pair. Again, part of me is gone forever. My finger prints are gone. It's a sad time. I'm a Virgo...yup, my birthday was Saturday, and Virgos are organized people. All of my life I have known exactly where I put things. Now computers and old age are changing all of that. My computer and my brain are attacking me and I live in an unsettled world now. Aging is bad enough, but when my computer adds to the problems, it's just not fair. Aging is supposed to be a happy time or so they say. Well, I have news for those who profess it's a great time of your life.....No, I'm not going there this time - maybe some other day.

Time for me to go check and see if any pieces of "me" are coming together again. I sure would like some to pick up this time as there aren't many left. Soon I can go out and look at the beautiful fall colors and breathe in the cool, crisp air. Dakota and I love fall. It's better than any old computer anytime.

DISASTER TIMES TWO

2006-09-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

I hope you are still out there. Please do not desert me just yet. I have experienced one disaster after another. I'm not even sure this message will post to my blog.

My computer crashed. Humpty Dumpty [my husband computer guru] is trying to put it back together again. Even if he is successful, there is little chance that the blogs I wrote to post will be found or survive. Yeah, yeah, we can talk back up, but the genius said that with the extra hard drive, I can just put everything on there as a back up. Sure, great idea, except it's gone too. The brain trust says he's recovered everything but we shall see. To top is all off, I've just spent over an hour writing or rewriting a blog only to save it and have it disappear before my eyes.

Life is not going well at the moment. Please check back as I will be back asap. I have such a wonderful story to tell. I have pictures but I cannot get to them either and some may be gone forever. Hope to be back soon.

WHEN I AM OLD

2006-08-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

When I am Old

I shall wear Turquoise and soft gray sweatshirts... and a bandana over my
silver hair...and I shall spend my Social Security Checks on Sweet
Wine and My Dogs...and sit in my house on my well-worn chair, and listen
to my dog's breathing.

I will sneak out in the middle of a warm Summer night and take my dogs for
a run, if my old bones will allow... and when people come to call, I will
smile and nod as I show them my dogs...and talk of them and
about them...

The Ones so Beloved of the Past and the Ones so Beloved of Today....

I still will work hard cleaning after them and mopping and feeding them
and whispering their names in a soft, loving way.

I will wear the gleaming sweat on my throat, like a jewel,
and I will be an embarrassment to all...and my family... who have
not yet found the peace in being free to have dogs as your Best
Friends....

These friends who always wait, at any hour, for your footfall...and
eagerly jump to their feet out of a sound sleep, to greet you as if you are a God.

With warm eyes full of adoring love and hope that you will stay and hug
their big, strong necks...and kiss their dear sweet heads...and whisper to
them of your love and the beautiful pleasure of their very special
company....

I look in the Mirror...and see I am getting old.... this is the kind of
woman I am...and have always been. Loving dogs is easy, they are part of me, accept me for who I am, my dogs appreciate my presence in their lives.... when I am old this will be important to me... you will understand when you are old.... & if you have dogs to love too.

Author Unknown

TONGUE IN CHEEK

2006-08-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Dakota belongs to a catch and release program. I discovered this yesterday. My husband took him out and while he was sniffing around the yard, my husband went to the garden to pick some tomatoes. When he turned around, there sat Dakota, proudly holding a gopher in his mouth. My husband, not being a dog expert on anything, of course, yelled for me. In the meantime Dakota thought it would be nice to bring the creature to show mom.

I learned years ago when my darling Springer used to pride herself in catching rabbits, that she was not about to drop her catch of the day when asked to. Dakota was not about to part with his new found friend. I went for a treat, hoping that might entice him to respond to my continued commands. Nope, that didn't work. He was not happy that I was not happy. Somehow my husband managed to get it out of his mouth and took it to the side yard where he dropped it and planned on getting rid of it later. Much to his surprise, the gopher ran off into the sunset.

Nature obviously trains little creatures to play "dead" when caught by a larger animal. Goldens, unlike my Springer, have a soft mouth and Dakota being Dakota wouldn't hurt anything. Last summer we went through a family of shrews under our new tree. They were not so lucky.

I was sure Goldie Gopher would not return. WRONG! This morning's routine was the same as always. I let Dakota out when we came downstairs and set about making coffee and getting Dakota's bowl for his breakfast. I was surprised that he hadn't come back into the house. I usually leave the door open for him. That part of the routine will have to change. I went to the back door and saw the "Golden Hunter" proudly sitting out in the yard with the obviously stupid gopher in his mouth. I quickly closed the screen door behind me and went out on the deck as Dakota came loping up to me with his newly acquired friend. Luckily I had put a treat by the back door and grabbed it on my way out. However, no amount of praise, coaxing, or pressure would make him drop the gopher. I left him sitting on the deck and dashed into the house, making sure to close the screen behind me, and called for my husband. I have never had a problem with snakes, spiders, and cockroaches. I even got used to geckos in the Pacific but gophers are not on my list.

When I was growing up and we'd spend the summer at our cabin that was inundated with gophers, my father routinely would push a hose down one hole, with my cousin standing at the other end. Gophers have two holes to their homes with a pile of dirt at each hole. My cousin would hold a bat high over his head and when the drenched gopher would appear - well, you know the rest of the story.

By the time my husband got downstairs Dakota was wandering around the yard continuing his morning sniffing. He must have dropped the gopher as we could not find him. So, I have a Golden Retriever with a soft mouth that hunts small game creatures. It wouldn't have been my first choice. However, neither my husband or I are hunters, so we will accept small critters as the game of choice for Dakota. In thinking about it, gophers are better than bunny rabbits even though we have enough of them around the yard and garden this year to start farm. Dakota doesn't seem to mind them and lazily chases them off if he's so inclined.

As I sat with him on the deck before dinner I wondered if he was born in Dakota and if he ever went hunting for those Prairie Dogs. I guess he's just tired of fetching his toys and wants to diversify. What a boy.

THE APRON

2006-08-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that "old-time apron" that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

I received the above in an email last week. It sent me down memory lane. I have vivid recollections about aprons. I first saw an apron like this at our summer cabin. My mother wore one, but only during the summer when we were at the cabin. The elderly woman down the dirt road from us also wore such an apron. They seemed to be the "dress of the day" at many of the cabins.

My mother used hers, not only for cooking, but for many events that included me. When I saw the apron put on Friday evenings, I knew it was time for my bath. Water was heated on the wood burning stove and poured into a huge galvanized tub. I must have been one of the last who had such experiences. There was an outhouse in my life up there too. And I remember them delivering ice for the ice box. One of the first duties when we arrived was to prime the pump. Oh that water tasted so good. The garbage was carried out in a pail to a hole behind the outhouse, dumped and covered with dirt. The nights were cool but the flannel sheets felt so good.

A number of neighbors shared apples and other fruits and mother would carry them home in the apron. My grandmother wore the same kind of apron. She crouched and would keep her ball of thread in the pocket and tuck her needle and work in beside it. When she would sit and chat, she pulled out the crochet hook and go to work on her project, never looking at it, while they talked. It always amazed me that she hardly ever glanced down at her work. And, it was always so pretty and perfect. Pockets were handy places also for dropping in things that needed to go into the wastebasket as she walked through the cabin. I remember that mother quite often carried a small pair of scissors in her pocket. I still have that ancient pair and treasure them.

I have worn the same type apron for a number of years now, switching more recently to the shorter cobbler version. I use the older one when I give the dog a bath. It's perfect and so much easier than the ones they show in the catalogs for dog bathing. When I have to comb a dog out in the winter, the apron holds all of the fur and can be picked up and taken the wastebasket. The large pockets are so useful for so many things that need to be moved from place to place, upstairs to downstairs and back. I carry my digital camera around in those wonderful pockets.

It all started when I was fed up with all of the grease spots on my shirts from cooking. Sure, we have sprays today that you can use before laundering. But half the time I forgot to spray the darn top and it went through the laundry only to come out with the spots still there.

More recently I've switched to the cobbler apron because it's easier to move around in and does look a wee bit better if I have to go outside to find my husband. Young neighbors looked at me like I had taken leave of my senses. Older women smiled as they walked by. Cobblers are wonderful all day long. But now that I'm a senior they are the best when it comes to eating. I can spill all I want and not feel bad. One of my catalogs offers "bibs for seniors". Not me! I refuse to wear a bib when I put dinner on the table. I'll save that for the nursing home.

So give me my "granny aprons"any day. There they proudly hang in my kitchen. One with dogs on it, one with kitchen gadgets on it, and a cobbler with pretty colors for the waiting. I grab the one to match the occasion and put it on with all of the memories and a closeness to my mother and grandmother.

SUMMER PROJECTS

2006-07-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

Summer has turned out to be a busy time for me. There have been many home upgrade projects. They are taking much longer than anticipated. The heat is taking it's toll. In the first place, I hate heat and summer. Perhaps it is because of my years in the Pacific and Texas with my Navy pilot husband. I missed the seasons. Fall is my time to really move and get things done, so I guess I'm doing a lot of stalling, waiting desperately for reasonable temps.

My biggest project stems from re-connecting with several of my cousins. We lost contact some years ago because our lives went in many directions. I have been without any family for some years now, so this has been an exhilarating time for me. We have been sharing so much. Just catching up with their lives is exciting. But they are happy to reconnect too. Thanks to all of the marvelous electronics, we are able to share pictures....many, many pictures - old ones and new ones.

We all agree that we never asked enough questions when we were growing up and now that our parents are gone, it's been so nice to share information that we did have to fill in some of the family gaps. There are also weddings and births on the horizon and I am so happy to be involved and share.

I have deleted posts about Dakota because I felt they were far too long and probably not very interesting. I am trying to condense all of the information into one short post. This is very hard for me because it is a personal thing. As a tech writer, I do an excellent job, but when it comes to personal documentation I really struggle. I will tell you that Dakota is doing so well with the summer storms. He's made a huge amount of progress and I'm so proud of him. He also has made great strides to being our dog and this as his home. It has been so much fun watching him slip into guarding his home, his family, and taking over duties of all sorts.

I also received a picture of my 'adopted sister.' She was a foreign exchange student when I was in high school and lived with us when I was a junior. She just celebrated her 70th birthday. It is really hard to believe so much time has flown by. I had hoped the day would come when I could travel to see her in Germany but it will not happen and I'm quite sad about that.

I will do my best to post more often for those of you that still come to read.

SUMMERTIME

2006-07-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

Summer has arrived. There are so many projects that must be done before the snow flies, leaving very little time to get all of the plans, that were laid out before a roaring fire and snow on the ground, completed. Every year it seems like there is less time and more work.

If there are any readers left, I apologize for my lack of updates. There just isn't enough time to do everything I'd like to do. It's so easy to sit at the computer and write. But if I let myself do that, the garden goes to weeds and the projects fade away.

I will continue to write, but it will be limited. I hope you won't desert my forum on my favorite subject - dogs - and check back once in a while to catch up. I have some interesting things in the back of my head, but they must wait until I have more time to assemble them.

I will be doing an interesting update on Dakota in the next day or two that includes some very interesting new data relating to his storm fear and how I am finding it quite successful. The theory behind it made sense to me and it works in well with all of the other tools I'm using. I hope you will find it a possible approach if you have the same problem or pass it on to someone that is dealing with this doggie dilemma.

Dakota is enjoying his summer and has absolutely no doubt that this is his home. He has both of us wrapped around his paw and protects and defends his forever family. I will update all of his summer accomplishments this week so come back and share in his fun.

FATHER'S DAY

2006-06-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

HIGH FLIGHT

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds-and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of-wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,
Where never lark, or even eagle, flew;
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

---John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.

--An Old Astronomer To His Pupil

THESE I'VE LOVED

2006-06-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

THESE I’VE LOVED

These I’ve loved since I was little;
Wood to build with or to whittle,
Wind in the grass and falling rain,
First leaves along an April lane,
Yellow flowers, cloudy weather,
River-bottom smell, old leather,
Fields newly plowed, young corn in rows,
Back-country roads and cawing crows,
Stone walls with stiles going over,
Daisies, Queen Anne’s lace, and clover,
Night tunes of crickets, frog songs, too,
Starched cotton cloth, the color blue,
Bells that ring from white church steeple,
Friendly dogs and friendly people.

…….Elizabether-Ellen Long

I LOVE OLD THINGS

2006-06-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

I LOVE OLD THINGS

I love old things:
Streets of old cities
Crowded with ghosts
And banked with oranges,
Gay scarfs and shawls
That flow like red water.

I love old abbeys
With high, carved portals
And dim, cool corners
Where tired hearts pray:
I join them in the silence
And repair my soul.

I love old inns
Where floors creak eerily
And doors blow open
On windless nights,
Where heavy curtains
Dance a slow waltz.

I love old trees
That lift up their voices
High above the grasses.
They do not sing
At the light wind’s bidding:
They chant alone to storms.

I love old china,
Knowing well the flavour
Of great, strong men
And fair, sweet women
Lurks at the rim
Of each deep brown bowl.

I love old books
Frayed from the searching
Of truth-hungry fingers:
Their warm, soft vellum
Leads me up through sorrow
Like a dear friend’s hand.

I love old men
And old, dear women
Who keep red cheeksl
As the snows of winter
Keep the round red berry
Of the winter-green.

I love old things:
Weather-beaten, worn things,
Cracked, broken, torn things,
The old sun, the old moon,
The old earth’s face,
Old wine in dim flagons,
Old ships and old wagons –
Old ships And Old Wagons –
Old coin and old lace,
Rare old lace.

--Wilson MacDonald

A LADY FOR ALL SEASONS - REMEMBERED

2006-06-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

TRIBUTE TO MELODIE

Near this spot are deposited the remains of one who possessed Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, and all the Virtues of Man, without his Vices. This Praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery if inscribed over human ashes is but a just tribute to the Memory of Boatswain, a Dog. - Lord Byron

LIFE AND THE UNIVERSE

2006-06-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

THOUGHTS

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined! As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler, solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness. -Thoreau

DAKOTA'S SUNDAY SURPRISE

2006-06-05T08:34:00.002-07:00

WELCOME TESS

Dakota had a big surprise Sunday. It was a very special visitor. Check out the pictures. I think he was a little concered about something this small. It wasn't a toy. He wasn't sure what to do for a while, but then he decided this was a great new playmate.

I'm not sure Tess was all that impressed but she remained the darling lady that she is. Dakota hopes that she will come back for more visits so he can try to impress her again and they can become friends.

Talk about both ends of the spectrum - a puppy and an 11- year young senior! Does it get any better than this?

SPRING'S FINERY

2006-06-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

SONNET
I wish I could remember that first day,
First hour, first moment of your meeting me.
If bright or dim the season, it might be
Summer or Winter for aught I can say;
So unrecorded did it slip away,
So blind was I to see and to foresee,
So dull to mark the budding of my tree
That would not blossom yet for many a May,
If only I could recollect it, such
A day of days! I let it come and go
As traceless as a thaw of bygone snow;
It seemed to mean so little, meant so much;
If only now I could recall that touch
First touch of hand in hand-did one but know!

Christina Georgina Rossetti

GARDEN FRIENDS

2006-06-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

Four-Leaf Clovers

I know a place where the sun is like gold,
And the cherry blooms burst with snow;
And down underneath is the loveliest nook,
Where the four-leaf clovers grow.

One leaf is for hope, and one for faith,
And one is forlove, you know;
But God put another in for luck-
If you search, you will find where they grow.

But you must have hope, and you must have faith;
You must love and be strong; and so,
If you work, if you wait, you will find the place
Where the four-leaf clovers grow
......Ella Higginson

WELCOME TO MY GARDEN

2006-05-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

New Beginnings

It's only the beginning now
...a pathway yet unknown
At times the sound of other steps
...sometimes we walk alone.

The best beginnings of our lives
May sometimes end in sorrow
But even on our darkest days
The sun will shine tomorrow.

So we must do our very best
Whatever life may bring
And look beyond the winter chill
To smell the breath of spring

Into each life will always come
A time to start anew
A new beginning for each heart
As fresh as morning dew.

Although the cares of life are great
And hands are bowed so low
The storms of life will leave behind
The wonder of a rainbow.

The years will never take away
Our chance to start anew
It's only the beginning now
So dreams can still come true.

......Gertrude B. McClain

PARDON THE INTERRUPTION

2006-05-24T08:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the interruption of posts. There seem to be some strange flu bugs flying about and we were both hit and hit hard this year. A bright side to all of this misery surfaced. I found two of my cousins. We somehow got lost in the demands of our busy lives through the years. It took me four days of searching the Internet but ended in success. There was such a rush to read E-mails flying back and forth and so much more fun than having to deal with snail mail letters. I will share some of the wonderful highlights with you in my posts from time to time.

I also had time to reassess my blog and have decided to make some changes. The blog will no longer be totally dedicated to my love of dogs. Along the way I will jump off the main highway and travel down some dirt roads. My dad loved to take sudden side trips on his way to a destination. My mother never knew where we'd end up but it was always such a pleasant venture, much like stopping to smell the roses. I am a multi-faceted person with a number of interests beside dogs [some of you will probably find that very difficult to believe] and I'd like to share some of them with you,

My first venture is "Spring in my garden" that will be coming in the next couple of days. Enjoy

A Dakota Update: He has been enjoying the spring weather and the lush green grass to roll in and stretch out to enjoy the sun. The 28th of this month is his 11th birthday. Hopefully he will be delighted with his new plush toys that await and a special treat - yet undecided. But first he must endure his first bath with us. That will be an interesting side trip in his life and fun to see how it goes. He doesn't care for the heat but he's getting as exasperated with the rabbits as we are.

I cannot believe what rabbits will chew through. They have managed to gnaw through the toughest of fences that are supposed to be rabbit-proof. There must be quite an improvement in their dental work. Sheesh!

See you soon. Have a wonderful Memorial Day.

TREAT ME KINDLY

2006-05-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

Please welcome Katie's Obedience School Doggie to my blog.

I created him for the cover of my doggie magazine, "Animal Crackers", that was published back in the 70s.

He is a very special part of my life and I wanted him to be my 'signature' on my blog. I hope he brings a smile to your face every time you log on. If you've ever been in obedience school you'll understand his 'attitude'. He's earned the right . Katie

TREAT ME KINDLY

Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me. Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you wouild have me do. Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footsteps fall upon my waiting ear. When it is cold and wet, please take me inside, for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements. And I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. Though, had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land, for you are my god and I am your devoted worshiper. Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to talk by your side, and stand ready, willing, and able to protect you with my life should your life be in danger. And, beloved master, should the great Master see fit to deprive me of my health or sight, do not turn me away from you. Rather, hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest - and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.

MY CREED

2006-05-11T10:56:00.000-07:00

When I am Old

I shall wear Turquoise and soft gray sweatshirts... and a bandana over my silver hair...and I shall spend my Social Security Checks on Sweet
Wine and My Dogs...and sit in my house on my well-worn chair, and listen to my dog's breathing.

I will sneak out in the middle of a warm Summer night and take my dogs for
a run, if my old bones will allow... and when people come to call, I will
smile and nod as I show them my dogs...and talk of them and
about them...

The Ones so Beloved of the Past and the Ones so Beloved of Today....

I still will work hard cleaning after them and mopping and feeding them
and whispering their names in a soft, loving way.

MY HEART HEALTH PAL

2006-05-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

Just in case you missed it - but we doggie people already knew it. I've personally tested my blood pressure versus my canine companions and I know what they do for me. It works - at least it does for me.

Dogs may be a heart's best friend
Pet therapy really is good for a patient's health, a study finds.
BY JAMIE STENGLE
Associated Press

DALLAS — Charles Denson's face brightens as a speckled Australian shepherd named Bart cuddles next to him while he rests in his hospital bed.

"You've got a pretty coat," the 51-year-old heart patient says while stroking Bart's soft fur.

New research indicates that hospitals that use such pet therapy sessions aren't barking up the wrong tree.

The novel study, presented Tuesday at an American Heart Association meeting, is one of the first to use scientific measurements to document that therapeutic dogs lower anxiety, stress and heart and lung pressure among heart failure patients.

"You can see it on their face, first you see a smile and then you see the worries of the world roll off their shoulders," said Kathie Cole, a nurse at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center who led the study.

Leslie Kern, director of cardiac research for the heart institute at Memorial Medical Center in Long Beach, Calif., said such visits help make patients' lives more normal.

"I'm not surprised at all that something that makes people feel good also makes them feel less anxious, has measurable physiological effects," said Dr. Marc Gillinov, a cardiac surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic who was not involved in the study.

Cole and her colleagues studied 76 heart failure patients — average age 57 — who got either a visit from a volunteer, a volunteer plus a dog, or no visit.

The scientists meticulously measured patients' physiological responses before, during and after the visits.

Anxiety as measured by a standard rating scale dropped 24 percent for those visited by the dog and volunteer team, but only by 10 percent for those visited by just a volunteer. The scores for the group with no visit remained the same.

Levels of epinephrine, a hormone the body makes when under stress, dropped about 17 percent in patients visited by a person and a dog, and 2 percent in those visited just by a person. But levels rose about 7 percent in the group that didn't get visitors.

Heart pressure dropped 10 percent after the visit by the volunteer and dog. It increased 3 percent for those visited by a volunteer and 5 percent for those who got no visit. Lung pressure declined 5 percent for those visited by a dog and a volunteer. It rose in the other two groups.

Gillinov said the study was especially impressive because of the hard data it provided.

"It helps to legitimize that the intervention is more than something nice and something extra to do for the patient, that it has physiologic benefit," said Janet Parkosewich, a cardiac nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Conn., who attended the study presentation Tuesday.

Cole said she hopes the study, funded by the Pet Care Trust Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes the value of animals in society, helps show that pet therapy is a credible addition to patient care, not just a nicety.

In Dallas, Linda Marler's animal assisted therapy program for the Baylor Healthcare System has grown from one dog in 1985 to 84 dogs today.

DAKOTA WELCOMES SPRING

2006-05-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

So you thought Dakota had a fun winter with his new Forever Family. You ought to see what fun he’s having with spring. At the end of this month he will have welcomed in his 11^th spring. I have no idea, of course. how he celebrated the first ten, but if this year is any indication, he’s had a whole bunch of fun experiences through the eleven years of his life.

It really is so rewarding to see a dog this age act like a teenager. I don’t think anyone ever thought to tell Dakota how old he is because age means nothing to him. The snow brought out the best in him this past winter. He couldn’t get enough of it. He rolled, played with his teddy bear in mounds of it, he used his nose to blaze a trail of scents everywhere, and he threw mouth-fulls of it everywhere.

Enter spring. Dakota has been like a kid in a candy store. Of course he continued to enjoy rolling – IN THE MUD! But when the grass grew lush and thick, he was in his glory. He had a game that included me and there is no end to playing it. First, of course, it has to rip out the door, fly across the deck, sail over the stairs, and land on that green carpet while tossing teddy bear into the air and catching it again. Then it is time to roll and roll and roll. Wet grass is even better than dry. And Oooo it feels so good. That is when the game starts. He jumps up, grabs the teddy bear and heads for the house just as fast as he went out. About a foot in front of the door, he slams on the breaks, looks at me with a huge smile, whips around, and takes off to the yard again. This whole process is repeated at least three times, maybe even four. When he senses I’m not amused anymore, he starts he trek around the yard to check out all of the new and old scents. This takes quite a bit of time. However, with spring, he’s not at all interested in breakfast. This was not the case over the winter. So, I just leave the door open and go on with my chores, watching him change with every new smell. Finally he comes in to eat, get his eyes cleaned and take his pills. Then it’s off to the backyard again. He won’t go with me to get the paper, turn on the TV, or pour my coffee. Nope, it’s the backyard that grabs his attention and delight.

Then there are the animals. The winter didn’t hold much in the way of animal entertainment, but spring – that’s quite a different story. He was delighted when he caught his first glimpse of his chipmunk. He sat in front of the window in the family room and watched intently while chippy gobbled up seeds and rushed by to his home. At first Dakota followed him by running into the kitchen and looking out the door. I think he was worried that the little fellow wouldn’t come back. But he did, so Dakota settled down to watch until the dish of seeds was depleted.

Then there is that issue of the ducks in the trees and on rooftops. They landed in the yard a couple of times but didn’t stay. Suddenly papa Mallard is back and cruising around the yard unconcerned about a dog. Unfortunately I didn’t see him at the time I let Dakota out. Now there was a sight to behold. Papa Mallard flicking his tail feathers and one huge Golden quietly stepping out the door and looking like a tiger stalking his prey. Oh, did I mention the patience? This dog has the patience of Job. First of all he’s big for his age [I couldn’t resist that one]. Most of that is in length. When he crouches like a tiger, he is sleek and every muscle in his body is in perfect harmony. Even with his thick, long coat, you can see it. There he stands waiting for the duck to make the first move. Evidently not sensing trouble, the duck decides to move on. Bad decision. Dakota explodes off of the deck, barely touching the stairs, and leaps toward the duck just as the duck takes off. This is poetry in motion and oh how I wished I had a camera to capture the moment.

Then there are the infernal rabbits. I’m beginning to believe they are smarter than the squirrels but that’s stretching it. Our fence allows the creatures entrance into the yard if they are clever enough to figure out how to defeat the fence. This has been going on since 1970 mind you. At the beginning they weren’t too talented. But I think that generations of breeding have inserted this ability into the gene pool. Then we tried a short wire fence covering the wooden fence. That stopped them for a while until they realized they could chew their way through. This was a banner year for them. Dakota quickly learned when he moved here that he had a job - that of chasing the varmints out of HIS yard. It became part of his daily SOP. However, he had only one or two he had to deal with. That is until spring arrived. One day I came downstairs to find six creatures holding a convention under the crabapple trees. I couldn’t wait to see what Dakota would do with so many. He followed me to the door and quickly caught sight of them. Now the biggest mistake rabbits make is to freeze right where they are when they sense danger. Normally this is bad procedure when dealing with a Springer in the house. Melodie was an outstanding rabbit chaser/catcher and proud of her accomplishments.

I quietly opened the door just enough to let Dakota get out. As he did with the duck, he slowly, paw by paw, crept out of the house. There he stood in all of his beauty, stalking position, and ready to fly off of the deck for a rabbit. Notice I said “a rabbit”. One rabbit, one ear twitch, and Dakota was off like a slingshot. Alas he hadn’t taken into account there were six of them. They scattered in every direction like a burst of firecrackers on the fourth of July. He stopped dead in his tracks, looking in every direction. There was a brief moment when you could see him processing this in his brain. He pulled himself up to full height and trotted off to sniff for moles around the tree as if that’s what he planned on doing all along. So much for rabbits!

Currently he’s busy checking out his chipmunk homes, chasing moths and June bugs at night, and lounging on the deck waiting for his next adventure. He seems so happy and is enjoying spring to its fullest. Winter life was pretty quiet. Spring brought about more noise, moving, and a certain sense of possible insecurity. But he seems to be moving past that as a new routine sets in that he can trust.

The winter of work on noise and thunder fear has worked a bit, but it’s far from over. The early spring rains didn’t make him uncomfortable. He actually loved being out in them and getting soaking wet. Some light, short thunder didn’t affect him either. However, now that the summer storms are moving in, he is falling back on his fears. He has tried to get under the table, behind the couch etc. He prefers to sleep at the head of the bed during a storm instead of at the foot. This is a challenge. But I do think he is a bit calmer. I plan to take it step by step and continue with his storm fear CD. If he’d only stay awake during it, he might make some headway. But the storms pass, the sun comes out, and it’s back to his chipmunks, rabbits, ducks, and rolling in the grass. Life is good! And another birthday on the 28th isn't going to slow him down one bit.

TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF LOVE

2006-04-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

It seems like I've spent a lot of time lately stuffing Kleenex in my pockets to sop up the tears in my eyes. Strangely enough half of those tears have been because of sadness and half have been for joy. Yes, I have friends that have said goodbye to their precious companions. I went down that road a few months ago and I still have days and nights when I can't help but miss my darling Chaucie and Melodie. The pain is still there, the questions are there too. Even as time goes on you still have a moment here and there that you simply don't want to accept their absence. As a writer and lecturer for so many years I've told many that the pain and hurt ease, but sometimes I find it hard to believe my own predictions. It's always easier to give advice than take it.

Doubts creep into your mind. Did I do enough? Did I make the right medical decisions? Could I have done more? Was I a good mom? Did I keep my human frailties, such as patience, in check? Was I too demanding? Then you always wish you could tell them you're sorry. They are so forgiving and their loyalty is boundless. So, you get caught up, from time to time, with all of these doubts. Then you pull out the tissues and wipe away the tears, hoping you did the best you could.

The one thing I've found through the years that's the hardest part to deal with are those wonderful, dedicated veterinarians who tend to be so non-committal and neutral. I must say they seem to be changing a bit. I think most of us silently beg for their support in our decisions. I am lucky to have a doctor that is very honest and mostly supportive of decisions that fall on my shoulders. I think it's her honesty, extensive information about the problem, laying out all of the pros and cons, that makes it easier for me to make those decisions myself and not expect her to necessarily point me in a certain direction. She also never hesitates to answer my questions, even if I ask them over and over. Her endless patience with me is more than appreciated. You see, as you get older and have to make these decisions about your dog's life, it doesn't get easier - it gets tougher. Trust me, I know.

The second part of this process comes when asked if you should get another puppy now or wait. Oh, how many times I've had to answer that one. I suspect vets have the same question asked of them. Nobody on earth can answer that for you....only yourself. You can really mess up on this one. Not intentionally of course. Just stop and think about the emotions that are tugging at you. Think about how unhappy you are. You want the hurt to go away because you don't want to deal with it. Sometimes even your guilt enters into the picture. Melodie died suddenly two days before Thanksgiving in 2004. I still am plagued with questions and guilt. I did everything possible for her. She lived a long and happy life doing exactly what she loved best. All I'm saying is that these things happen. Much depends on your expectations. If you want a puppy that will be just like your last dog then don't do it. It's more than likely you will be taking this darling ball of fluff back. How sad for both of you.

All of this rhetoric is leading up to the title of this post - two different kinds of love. Until last summer I didn't know that such a thing existed. Chaucie was going to be my last dog because of my age and not having any family to care for a dog should something happen to me. But I thought Chaucie would live a much longer life. However, he had a good life and was healthy, happy, and pain free to the very end. He was playing in his pool every day and didn't want to stop. We had so much fun. We loved him so much.

But it had been years since we came home to an empty house with no other dog to help us through this loss. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't think about a puppy. That was out of the question. I had to spend time getting my life back together. I hadn't even had time to mourn for Melodie. Everything just came crashing down on me.

I turned to Ragom. I found myself looking at their senior dogs that needed homes. As I went down the page my eyes stopped at a picture of Dakota. For some reason I said we needed Dakota. I sat and starred at him and read his bio over and over. Something just led me to adopting him. I don't remember any feeling being so strong. It seemed forever, but in a very short time Dakota was at our home.

He has been here now in his forever home for nearly ten months. We love him dearly. He loves us. We needed a canine companion and he needed a family. I can tell you this......it felt right from the very beginning. I never, for one minute, felt it was a gamble because of his age. I never thought I might be putting myself through another painful experience.

I do know that this is a different kind of love. We know that Chaucie would approve and is smiling down on us. I cannot explain why these two kinds of love are different but they are. They both are strong. One doesn't interfere with the other. They compliment each other. One doesn't impose on the other. There is room for both. I have never experienced anything like this and probably never will again. Some things have happened in our house that I won't go into now but we have a strong feeling that communications have gone on. It's OK. We continue to remember our wonderful times with Melodie and Chaucie and how lucky we were to have them as long as we did. Our days are filled with so much joy over the fact that we could give Dakota added life. Each day is so happy. We have picked up on his little habits and follow his lead. We spoil him and he eats it up. We are convinced he had a good home during his younger years. You can just tell by the way he acts. Each morning starts off with "wake-up time". Then it's a romp in the yard before breakfast. We are so comfortable with each other. We laugh with him and he returns with a smile on his face. Oh yes, he can smile and does. He has established unique routines with both of us. And there isn't a minute during the day where we aren't convinced that Chaucie and Melodie are smiling down on us. They seem just as close to us today. It seems like we are one big happy family.

So different from anything that I've ever experienced, we aren't questioning how this happened. We are just loving the moment. I don't ask questions, I just accept fate and embrace this wonderful happening. I'm grateful for every day with Dakota and I cherish the time I had with Melodie and Chaucie.

etc. etc.

2006-04-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

OH HOW THEY LOVE THE WATER!

MORE KATHY'S GOLDENS

2006-04-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

TOBY and PEARL

CHAUCIE ONE MORE TIME

2006-04-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

Chaucer

You are the personification of the perfect companion.
A virtuoso of charm and decorum
blended into golden bonds of harmonious affection and friendship.

The epitome of a gentleman
your strength is in your silence.
The gentle nature in which you reach out.
The love and serenity in your eyes
calm even the toughest of hearts.

You are my guardian angel too -
never more than several steps away.
Understanding human frailties seems to be your niche in everyday life.

How I love your company in the kitchen.
And always tucked away somewhere in my office
ready to answer my call for help in this stressful life.

You are the perfect answer to a couple of aging, doting old folks
who find talking to a dog makes more sense than
dealing with the craziness of modern man and his complex gadgets.

We have a long road ahead of us - you and I.
Somehow I am assured that you will lead me in the right direction
and when I get off on the wrong path,
you will gently nudge me back .

I have the security of knowing that you will be keeping a watchful eye
on my coming and going, aware that I am slowly turning frail
and my judgment is not as keen as it used to be.

Thank you my friend and dear, dear companion.
How lucky I am to have found you.

Katie 12 / 99

KATHY'S GOLDENS

2006-04-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

CHAUCIE

SPECIAL GOLDENS

2006-04-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

Starting Monday I am going to do a series of pictures on "Kathy's Goldens". They may not all run right in succession, but I just wanted to alert you so you will be on the lookout. I will start with my Chaucie. Kathy has the most wonderful Goldens and I just wanted to do this for her. I hope you will enjoy looking at them.

JENNA

2006-04-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

Jenna, shown here, was a sister of my Chaucie. News arrived in my box this morning that she has joined Chaucie, Toby, and other siblings at the Rainbow Bridge. She succumbed to a blood disease called Hemangiosarcoma. A particularly insidious cancer that seems to attack Golden retrievers and German shepherds more than other breeds [that is my understanding from what I have read so far about the disease and may or may not be accurate]. She is shown here with a niece and nephew of Kathy's.

Kathy breeds the most wonderful Goldens. They have all of the best qualities you'd ever want in a companion. She puts her heart and soul into them. They are brought into this world with so much love and cared for with their every needs being answered. Only families that carry on her dedication will be lucky enough to take these darlings home.

I had planned on writing about Kathy and her Goldens down the line when I finished my stories about my first two Goldens from Goldwood.

Right now I cannot find the words. My heart aches, once again, and my tears and sympathy go out to Kathy on this very sad, sad day. But I can tell her that, although Chaucie's life was taken far too early, he left us with a legacy we will never forget. His spirit is with us and seems to guide Dakota on a daily basis. His pictures and poem around the house are daily reminders of how much love and happiness he brought to us that was so very special. Kathy was always kind enough to share news of Jenna and we always felt part of the extended family. Kathy has also been thoughtful enough to share with us even though Chaucie is now waiting for us at the Rainbow Bridge.

JUST DUCKY

2006-04-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a long, hard week. I spent a lot of my time with a cup of coffee and looking out at Spring emerging in the backyard. Life cycles, life goes on. Somehow you pick up the pieces and move on. It's not without tears and without memories everywhere you go. You just forge ahead.

So, there I am watching the birds at the feeders knowing I have to take them down and clean them. It's time to put up the hummingbird feeder. I hear they are back in the city. It's too early but everything seems ahead of schedule. The darn rabbits come hopping into view. They are after the bird seed that fell from the feeder when the squirrel decided he could fly through the air above the cone that was preventing him from getting his fair share. He managed to dump the whole tray of food onto the ground and break the lines holding the feeder up. Normally I would panic and race to get the wet vac to suck it all up thinking about all of the weeds that would sprout from the ground. But with the darn rabbits, squirrels, and the resident chipmunks eating it up, I just smile and watch their antics.

I keep nagging my husband to get rabbit fencing to put around inside our board fence. The rabbits have chewed their way through holes and edges of boards in our fence as well as the heavy, wire-coated fence we had hoped would keep them out. And they still have their teeth!!!

Last week a pair of Mallards sailed in and took their merry sweet time investigating the yard. Dakota saw them and didn't take his eyes off of them until they flew away. He gave me a dirty glance as I would not let him out to get a better look. My last two Goldens let the chipmunks run over their paws but I doubt very much that Dakota would be so benevolent.

My eyes are drawn to a neighbor's 50 foot tree. It hasn't leafed out yet, so you can see the huge squirrel nests near the top from years past. My eyes are telling me there's an awfully large bird up near one of the nests. Surely it's not an eagle. That would be too much to hope for. I grab the field glasses and quickly focus them on the nest and bird. Good Grief I yell! It's a duck! I accuse my husband of lacing my morning coffee. Nope, it's really a duck. Further investigation shows a male Mallard sitting on the roof of the house. We've accepted the fact that every spring the ducks sit on the roofs of the houses all around the project. They seem to enjoy it and they are able to look over the whole neighborhood for possible nesting sites without being harassed by people or other wildlife. Every year pairs of Mallards fly into our yard and check it out. It's part of the Spring ritual that we enjoy. For two years we had a pair nest in our backyard. It surprised the heck out of me as at that time I had two Goldens who spent their summers out there in the pool. Mama must not have been worried about them. They were under a hedge of Russian olive shrubs/trees. It was so much fun to watch them follow mama along the fence, in single file, every day. The dogs never touched them.

Then a day would come when mama flew out of the yard and left the babies for the day. The babies, now quite grown, would continue to march up and down the fence under the olives. In the late afternoon mama would return and by the next morning they were all gone. Then one summer she didn't return. I refused to let myself think of what might have happened to her. We missed them and since that time none have found our yard acceptable. But they love our roof.

So, all week I have seen mama fly in and land on what seemed like a very small branch and look over the nest. Papa was always around somewhere. He too, actually landed in the tree a couple of times, but mostly waited on the roof. They have not been around the last day or two, so I figured mama had come to her senses and found a more stable environment. Then, this morning as I was turning off the TV and heading for my office, there was a large creature in the tree. I grabbed for the field glasses again and sure enough mama duck was by the squirrel nest again. However, papa duck was no where in sight. I have no idea where this is going to end, but it has been fun to watch them. Many couples have flown over the house but none have returned to our backyard.

Last summer we watched a family to wild turkeys walk through the neighborhood. I swore my husband to secrecy. I didn't want the neighbors calling for the men in white coats to haul us off. Now it turns out that other neighbors saw them too and while listening to talk radio one afternoon I learned that they are all over the suburbs around town. They seem to enjoy living among the neighborhoods and don't feel threatened.

One morning I looked out and saw a lynx/Bobcat crouching on the fence. Wildlife seems to be moving into the suburbs. However, when we built our house back in 1970, it was not unusual to see fox walking down the street and see that dear had jumped our fence and bedded down in the yard. So this is nothing new. Raccoons love the bird feeders too and we've had to cover our fireplace chimneys with caps to keep them out.

I don't mind all of the wildlife. It keeps me balanced and in tune with nature. It is only spoiled by the drone of cars and trucks on the freeway in the distance and those darn planes that have invaded the peace and quiet of our skies.

I hope the ducks find a safe place to raise their young. I wish it was in my backyard.

DOG HEAVEN

2006-04-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Is there really a Dog Heaven?

For thousands of years, the dog has been mankind's best and most loyal friend. The first drawings by man indicate that the dog was the first domesticated pet on Earth. Even in prehistoric times, the wildest of wolves found a common bond with man in their quests to discover and share the world together.
When the life of a dog passes, grieving is often deeper and more devastating than when people close to us die. Perhaps this is because the dog gives us unyielding, unconditional love and devotion through its entire lifetime. No other species or living thing on Earth, including human beings, possess the capacity to give so much, demand so little, and forgive so quickly. What a unique blessing this is. Ironically, it is often the unaccomplished mission of our lifetime as people!
When we lose our friend and companion, we inevitably ask ourselves, 'does this dog have a soul? Was his life on Earth his last? Does this spirit move up and on to a higher place?' After having given us the rare gift of his life, surely the dog must move on to an eternal place. Theologians and religious scholars are reluctant to decide, so for most, the question remains unanswered. As for me, I have known too many dogs in a special way that I have never known people. My heart knows the answer.
If you have any doubt, be comforted by this belief. The loving creator of all universes and creatures would not have blessed us with them, if He had not blessed THEM first. Is it a coincidence that this is revealed to us so clearly by the simple reflection of the word DOG in a mirror?

Cleveland Wheeler

TREAT ME KINDLY

2006-04-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

TREAT ME KINDLY
Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me. Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you wouild have me do. Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footsteps fall upon my waiting ear. When it is cold and wet, please take me inside, for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements. And I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. Though, had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land, for you are my god and I am your devoted worshiper. Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to talk by your side, and stand ready, willing, and able to protect you with my life should your life be in danger. And, beloved master, should the great Master see fit to deprive me of my health or sight, do not turn me away from you. Rather, hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest - and I will leave you knowing with the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.

ANOTHER SAD DAY

2006-04-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

PLEASE STOP! PLEASE...........

This morning's e-mail brought more sad news. Melodie's pal from obedience school will join her at the Rainbow Bridge this week. My heart is so heavy. The tears will not stop. I have always been told that God never gives you more than you can handle. This is one of those times when that is really being put to the test. I am still hurting and mourning my loss of Melodie and Chaucie just months apart. Now Michele has had to say goodbye to Abby. Thursday Bonnie will say goodbye to Shadow. No, I don't think I can handle this. Maybe twenty or thirty years ago I could find a way, but not now. I'm too old. I don't want this to happen. It feels like my whole world is coming to an end. I can only sit here in my office and hug Dakota for dear life. Unfortunately he can read my mind and senses my hurt and he is scared. He wants to run away from me. I let go. It's not fair to impose my pain and anger on him. He goes to my husband in his office. He feels safe there. There are no sad vibes. I keep telling myself I must not do this to him. He is a very senior guy. He is suppose to be happy and having fun. I should be outside with him playing ball and laughing. But it has to wait. Life is not fair. I must mourn with Michele and Bonnie. That is part of my life and the way I am. I sit and wonder how a veterinarian manages to deal with this. They have far more sadness in a year than a physician I'm sure. Through the years of writing columns and conducting classes I've had my share of sad news days. They don't get any easier. But I wouldn't change it for one minute. I have shared many wonderful companions with their families - the good times and the not so good times. I chose that path and am glad I did. Today is hard, yesterday was hard, my last year was hard but it gets easier with time. You never forget and the sadness never goes away totally but the happy memories come and carry you through. My previous posts on Goldwood and my Goldens have brought back so many wonderful memories. The journey will continue. But first we must get through these sad days.

NO MORE! PLEASE - NO MORE!

IN MEMORY OF DARLING ABBY

2006-04-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown