Last Day Of 2007

I have been very busy...! Preparing for Christmas for family, friends and a business takes up most of my free time in December. We had a great holiday season...! We took extra time off which gave us much needed "play" time with the dogs. Winter is hard to find good play time as most days are utilitarian, a lot of washing feet and underbellies! Oregon is very muddy in the winter and our yard is very flooded. Thankfully, the dogs don't have a problem with wet conditions. I noticed Nixie has a problem with both eye's, each has a halo of white matter on the surface of the cornea. I took her to Dr Christina and she suggested the eye vet in Corvallis, so we are going there this week. Lance said he already decided if she lost her sight he would be her seeing eye human, ha ha ha. He loves his girl, as do I. I'm keeping my hopes up until told other wise. Nixie is a fighter, that I know. Yesterday, she tried showing Avery how to go down the slide at the park, he wasn't having any of that, his front feet hit the metal and he backed right off of it. Nixie showed off, going down it 3 times! Lance took this picture a couple of days ago. Avery (far right) has such a wide chest. Nixie (middle) looks small, but her weight at the vet was 83.5..! Alcatraz, is feeling great, eating good and getting around pretty well. I did notice yesterday, when Avery took off after a squirrel, traz didn't follow. He saves his energy for more important things now, like chewing on bones and guarding the shop. Today I am thankful to have all that I love still here in my life for the beginning of another year.

Baking Dog Cookies

My house smells funny, of dog cookies....! I baked these cookies, in the shape of small hearts. I got the jar of ingredient's at the bazaar last weekend, from the human society table. You add eggs and water, roll it out and cut into shapes, bake for 90 minutes. I'm sure the dogs will love them, after they cool..! I read this line in a book tonight "Our dogs see us through more than they put us through" I like that, its very true, in the long run of things. Right now Avery is testing me, daily. He's impossible to get mad at, the minute you act upset with him, he comes over, flattens his ears and pushes into what ever part of you he can lean on. He looks so sad I have not be able to stop myself from petting him and telling him everything is OK.
He loves people, ALL people. Having him on a leash at the park yesterday and running into a person on the trail nearly left me minus one arm...he can pull in any direction..! I keep telling myself soon he'll be over this, but I sure wish he would hurry it along. He is such a sweet, sweet soul, but with the energy of 10 dogs! Today I am thankful to be done Christmas shopping! Thankful to have a great family to spend the holidays with and thankful for my furry loves, even the wild little one!

Winter has arrived

It's been raining non stop for a few days now. The yard is flooded, the park has turned into a river and they have the road closed. The dogs could care less about any of it, they play just the same as if it were a sunny hot summer day. I finished the second book by Louise Bernikow today. The end made me cry, I figured it would. She was brave to have been able to write about Libro's last weeks, days, hours and moments. I could not do that when it came to Shadow, not even years later. I did write poetry about her. It would just come to me. Like the day I was going through the old metal desk at work and came across the coat we bought for her after she was shaved for surgery. Her beautiful wavy hairs still stuck in the lining of it. My mind even let me believe, for that moment that I could smell her, one last time. Avery just jumped up on my chair and licked the tears from my cheeks. He is healing me one lick at a time!
Avery is mentally slow, not stupid, but slow growing up. I don't know, but suspect its because he didn't have proper nutrition when he was very young. He is nearing a year old, but still acts like a 6 month old pup. I don't mind the playful part of it, but he is getting big to play rough with. He listens, but often chooses to ignore directions and do his own thing. I know, just like the other dogs, all of the sudden, one day he'll be all grown up and I will want him to be a puppy again, so for now, I will enjoy all that he is and deal with all that he is not. Today, I am thankful to remember Shadow and all that I loved about her. To have new loves in Traz, Nixie and Avery. Thankful Lance felt like bringing a lot of Christmas cheer to our new neighborhood and put up tons of lights and decorations, I get to watch the cars slow down to look, right here out my window! I am most thankful to have a dry place to hang my hat on this very wet day.