A Baby Bird Flutters In

     In my posting of 6-19-11 I wrote of the Bluebird our Whitney rescued from the wood stove. After the bird was rescued, it flew back to its nest. Having seen no activity near the nest for a couple of days, DJ got close enough to the nest to see that the babies were gone.
     Early Sunday morning, DJ and I were sitting on our deck, enjoying our morning coffee. Whitney was curled up on the cushion of another chair, keeping watch over her domain.
     As we sat, enjoying the peaceful morning, a very young bird fluttered in and perched on a cushion, a mere two feet away from Whitney. Whitney and the bird calmly watched each other.
     Eventually the bird hopped up onto the arm of the chair, bringing itself even closer to Whitney. DJ and I were both afraid Whitney would snatch the bird from its perch. Instead, the two continued to calmly observe each other.
      As Whitney peacefully watched the bird, I swear I saw her give a quick nod of her head. After a short time the bird fluttered out the doorway it had entered in.
     We quickly determined this bird was one of the young bluebirds from the nest. I have always believed that dogs communicate with one another, and with us 'two-leggers'. After watching the calm interaction between Whitney and the bluebird, I am further convinced that dogs are capable of communicating with other species just as easily.   
     Being just a bite away from Whitney, the bird showed absolutely no fear of her as they eyed each other. The bird had fluttered in to simply say, "Thank you" for saving its father. Whitney's calm nod of her head was her response of, "Your welcome."
     An observation such as this, is just a reminder to keep your eyes open and always be aware. A moment like this happens so quickly, it could easily pass unnoticed.
     Coincidence? Imagination? Neither; my eyes were open and I was truly attune to the amazing encounter that had just occurred.
     You, too, can witness such things, just believe.
    
     So long, I'll see you soon!

What a Surprise

     This past week I celebrated a milestone birthday, let's just say it was a 'big' one. DJ orchestrated a wonderful surprise party for me. Usually I figure things out before they happen, but this time I was totally clueless.
     Whitney excitedly met my car as I pulled into our driveway, the evening of the surprise. When she jumped in my open car door, she clearly was saying, "Hurry, hurry, Mama, there's a party going on."
     All the neighbor dogs gathered around me as I stepped from my car. They then hurried me to the open garage, where I was greeted by the sounds of the 'Happy Birthday' song, sung by my awaiting friends. (I must say that you all had a very interesting manner of singing it.)
     Let me say, right now: Thank you, thank you to my friends for sharing this special day with me. I truly appreciated the fun evening.
     Everyone was ready to party, including all the neighborhood 'four-leggers'. Thank you to Tucker for wearing your special party bandanna to the party.
     It has always been obvious that Tucker enjoys all the activity of a party. After experiencing a few parties with Whitney, it is evident that she too, is a true party dog. Not once did either Tucker or Whitney wander away from the festivities. Was it the aroma of good food that kept them close by, or was it that they didn't want to miss out on any of the fun?

     One of the few times that all the dogs gathered together was when the food was placed on the table. All the hungry mouths were hoping that maybe a taste would drop their way.
     Bracken wandered away a few times, but his wandering was to take care of some personal business.
     Stanley, ah what can I say about Stanley. He has the short attention span of a two year old. He stayed close by for a while, but when he was sure no one was watching, he was gone. He was found across the highway, at his Grandpa's house. I'm sure he tried to coax Whitney to go with him on his mission; but her leave a party-- No Way!
     Once Stanley was caught he was banished to his own yard. His punishment? He was now alone, but within earshot of the fun he was missing out on.
     The party now over, Whitney stood in the driveway and stared in disbelief as the last car drove away. Her reluctance to come inside was evidence that she wanted to party on.
     Just be patient you little party animal, I'm sure there will be another party sometime soon.

     So long, I'll see you soon!

Sophie Returns for a Day

     After spending three weeks with us, Sophie returned to her home last week. Apparently she is prone to car sickness on long rides. With a two hour ride ahead for her, I was instructed not to feed the always hungry girl her breakfast. It was hard to ignore those big brown eyes as she looked up at me and asked, "I'm hungry! Can you please feed me?"
     Whitney and Sophie went outside as DJ packed the truck for their journey. Within seconds Stanley appeared at the gate. As the three dogs played, Sophie's thoughts of food quickly disappeared.

     Sophie survived the journey home without incident. Happy to be free from the truck, she excitedly greeted her family. That done, she went about the important business of seeing what animals may have passed through her yard while it was unprotected during her absence.
     Five days later Sophie, along with her owners, came for a visit. After Sophie and Whitney greeted each other, Sophie did the all important 'sniff through' of every inch of our house. Satisfied nothing had changed since she left, she sat down, wagged her tail, and waited for a treat.
     Sensing that Sophie had returned, a soaking wet Stanley was soon jumping at the door. I could clearly hear as I looked into his eyes, "Let me in! Let me in! I know she's back."
      An impatient Stanley waited as I wiped his wet body. Dried off and inside, playtime had officially begun. Even though the dogs are all small, three dogs barking and running throughout the house became a little too much for us 'two-leggers'.  When the rain stopped, it was clearly time to move the dogs outdoors.
     The three weeks Sophie had spent with us, Whitney ate her meals the same time as Sophie. After Sophie had left, the competition was gone and Whitney quickly fell back into her habit of eating only when she felt the urge. However with Sophie's reappearance, Whitney quickly remembered the importance of eating when the food is set in front of you.
     Eat it now or lose it to another hungry mouth.

     So long, I'll see you soon!

Whitney Rescues a Bluebird

     Earlier this past week we noticed a pair of Bluebirds had nested in a decorative pump that we have in our front yard. We have had such enjoyment watching them gather food and bring into the nest for their babies. The adults take turns coming to our deck screen, carefully removing the dead bugs that have accumulated on the screen. Once each bird gathers enough bugs, they quickly return to the nest to feed the hungry mouths eagerly awaiting inside the pump.

     Yesterday morning I noticed the male hadn't been around all morning. Thinking he was elsewhere gathering food, I went about my business inside our house. Walking into our living room I noticed Whitney pacing in front of our wood stove, occasionally stopping and staring at the stove. I thought this was a very strange behavior for her, since she had never paid any attention to the stove.
     Thinking maybe a bat had found its way down the pipe, I gave the stove a few taps to check if there was any movement inside. I heard nothing, but by now Whitney was on the hearth, trying to peer inside.
     DJ, also thinking there was a bat inside, planned to start a small fire inside to flush the bat back up the pipe. Opening the door just a crack, she struck a match and threw it in. Fortunately the match immediately went out. Opening the door a bit wider she was able to see the male Bluebird perched inside the stove.
     I scooped a nervous Whitney into my arms as DJ reached into the stove, in hopes of catching the bird. The bird darted past her hands and escaped into the kitchen, as a wide-eyed Whitney watched from my arms.
     Tucker, who had been oblivious to what was transpiring, suddenly became aware that something was happening in the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, Tucker noticed this object fluttering around the kitchen. Being the stately dog that he is, Tucker sat at attention as he watched the now panicked bird fly around the kitchen.
     The bird soon found its way to the now open patio door, and quickly found its freedom. Panicked from his ordeal, he disappeared from our sight. After a short time he reappeared and was again perched on the handle of the pump, guarding his family.
     Thank you Whitney. Your attentiveness saved the life of this beautiful bird, and possibly the lives of the whole family.

     So long, I'll see you soon!
   

Here, Kitty Kitty

     Remember the cat from my last posting? Can I lure her in? Read on and find the answer...
     Early the next morning I saw the cat by our garage. She watched intently as I set a dish of food on our deck. Whether it was curiosity or just plain hunger, the cat slowly approached the deck.
     "Here, Kitty Kitty," I said as I held a treat in my hand, coaxing her closer. She moved in just close enough to gently take the treat from my outstretched hand. I then slowly moved up the steps, and to my surprise the cat was right behind me. One whiff of the dish and she quickly gobbled up all the food.
     After all this time she finally trusted me. She purred as she rubbed her body against my leg and in a instant she was on my lap. Holding her I realized how young and very skinny this kitty was. Knowing how afraid she had been all summer, I was surprised how she now craved human contact.
     She stayed around throughout the morning and disappeared in the afternoon. In the evening she reappeared, hungry and cold. I fed her and made a warm bed for her, sheltering her from the cold wind. At sunrise I found her sleeping soundly in her bed.
     This routine continued for several days. Even when I couldn't see her, I knew she was always close by. All I had to say was, "Here, Kitty Kitty," and she would quickly appear.
     In the best interest for the cat, I thought it best to take her to an animal shelter that would deal with any health issues she may have and would then find her a suitable home.
     I heard somewhere that cats generally don't ride well in cars. This was not a good thing when we had a 45 minute car ride ahead of us. I fixed up a small carrier to transport her in my SUV. As she meowed and scolded me on our drive, I continuously talked to her in an attempt to keep her calm.
     About halfway into our trip she was suddenly very quiet. I looked in my mirror and there she sat on the top of the back seat, watching me. I was now afraid that an angry cat would leap at me at any second. But to my surprise she sat in that spot the rest of the trip, totally enjoying the scenery.
     Leaving her at the shelter was more difficult for me than I had expected. Fortunately, because of her young age, the shelter assured me she would be easy to place in a good home.
     They say cats have nine lives; so Kitty Kitty enjoy your 'lives' in the comfort of your new home.

     So long, I'll see you soon!

    

A Kitten in the Woods

     As followers of my blog, I'm sure you are aware that I am a dog person. I've never owned a cat, therefore I know very little about their mannerisms or behavior. However, I've always found it interesting that when I visit people who have a cat (or cats), the cats seem always to gravitate to me.
    Springtime, two years ago, I noticed a very young cat at the edge of the woods across from our house. Thinking that it belonged to someone along our road I didn't give much thought to its presence. When I began to see it more frequently, I asked all my neighbors if the cat belonged to any of them. No, was the answer I received from all.
     I began to see the cat on a daily basis; always peeking at me from the wooded area. The times I would try and coax it to me it would run deeper into the woods, obviously afraid to make human contact.
     As the summer went along I began to notice her in our driveway and from this I sensed, maybe, she was beginning to trust me. However, when I would attempt to approach her, she would bolt across the road into the safety of the brush and trees. Obviously she was not yet over her fear of humans. Each time she ran I wondered what could possibly have happened in this young cat's life to make her so afraid.
     Fall came early that year, and the nights were very chilly. One evening, hearing some scratching at my deck door, I looked out and there sat the cat, cautiously peering in at me. As soon as I approached the door she ran off into the dark of the night. Even though her appearance was brief, I was now assured I was one step closer to gaining her trust.
     I decided that food was what I needed to lure the cat in. The only food at my disposal was dog food and dog treats. Hmm...do cats eat dog food, I wondered. Since I did not have a dog at that time, neighbor dog Tucker's owner gladly donated food for my cause.
     There is so much more to this 'Cat Tale', that it needs a second posting. Until then...

     So long, I'll see you soon!
    

Get It Off Of Me

     Tis the season. No not Christmas, wood tick season. We all enjoy springtime: the warmth is returning, the grass is greening up, the trees are budding, and flowers are blooming. With all this beauty around us it's hard to believe there is an evilness lurking out there, eagerly waiting to latch on to any living creature that ventures by. That tiny evil being is the dreaded wood tick.
     I am afraid of all creepy, crawly things, but I do think the wood tick easily holds the top spot on my list.
     This is a topic I previously discussed in my posting of 4-2-11, titled 'Springtime and the Wood tick', but it is a subject that bears repeating.
     Coming from the Twin Cities wood ticks are not in abundance as they are in my current location: The 'Wood Tick capitol of Minnesota'. More appropriately it is dubbed 'The Deer Tick Capitol of MN'.
     All tick varieties have the potential of transmitting diseases to their unsuspecting prey. However, the deer tick appears to be the tick that can cause the most damage to us two-leggers and our four-legger companions.
     On our Whitney, we use a product called Frontline, for tick disease protection. Also, all of our neighbor dog friends use the same product with consistently good results.  Our vet, Dr. Kyle Adkins, also offers a Lyme's disease preventive shot for added protection.
     As with anything else, there is no guarantee, but they are excellent preventive measures. Dog friend Tucker, is an example that there is no 100% guarantee. A couple of years ago Tucker was diagnosed with a form of Lyme's disease, even having all of the preventive measures. The vet quickly treated the symptoms and Tucker is doing fine. However, he does now suffer from arthritis. Is this from the nasty tick bite or just from being an older dog? Who knows, but since that summer, Tucker does need to take a daily pill for his arthritis aches.
     We all do a tick check on our dogs every night. (Well, the all doesn't include me.) For Whitney's sake I have DJ do the checking. If I were to find one on her, my scream would scare our little girl. When I look into her eyes I wouldn't hear, "Get it off from me," instead I would hear "You keep away from me."
     Last year, my friend Karen sent me a 'helpful hint' that she had received from a nurse. Here's the hint: Soak a cotton ball in liquid soap; cover the tick with the soaked cotton and swab it 20-30 seconds; remove the cotton ball. The tick and head should be attached to the cotton.
     I have not tried this myself, but the nurse stated she has succeeded using this method every time. Her method is for humans, but my thinking is it should work on dogs, too.
     If the need arises and you give it a try, please let me know if it works for you. Or if you have another remedy, please send it my way.
     Tick check before lights out, everyone.

     So long, I'll see you soon!

A Dog Park for a Day

     Yesterday was my 10 day eye checkup. My surgeon told me my retina is attaching well, exactly where it should be at this stage. He reminded me this is a long recovery and it will be awhile before I will be able to see from that eye. Also the cataract that they assured I will get has already begun to develop. It seems awfully quick to me, but what do 'eye' know, I'm just the patient. I'll just sit back and go with the flow.
     Since it is a two hour drive, one way, to my eye doctor, the three dogs had to be left alone. Tucker, being the eldest of the three, was left in charge of the girls. All three were extremely happy to see us when we arrived home. I'm sure Tucker was relieved that his dog-sitting duties were finished for the day. The house was still intact. So thank you, Tucker for keeping the girls in line.
     Sunday, we had a mini dog park in our yard: Tucker, Whitney, Sophie, neighbor dog Bracken stopped by, and not wanting to miss out on the fun, Stanley joined the crowd. It was a fun filled afternoon for all, even the 'two-leggers'.
     Sophie and Stanley ran and played nonstop, with Whitney occasionally joining in. The fast pace was too much for older dogs, Tucker and Bracken. Tucker chose to stand by as 'keeper of the peace'. The rest breaks of the youngsters were few and far between.
     Sophie, if you had Stanley to play with, daily, you would easily shed a few of those extra pounds that cling to you.

     So long, I'll see you soon!

Our Visiting Sophie

     Just a quick update before I get to today's posting. I'm only able to see out of my good eye; the operated eye, I am only able to see some shapes in brightly lit rooms. My perception is way off and I stumble a bit as I feel my way around. Typing is quite a challenge, but I'm able to slowly peck my way on the keyboard. Hopefully this will all improve in time. The dogs have learned to allow me a clear path as I walk through the house. Speaking of the dogs, let's get to today's posting.
     We have been dog sitting Sophie for two weeks now, and what a joy she has been. She goes back to her owners next week and I will definitely miss her presence. (Whitney probably would disagree with me on that.)

     Sophie is very different from our Whitney. Sophie is laid back and has a calm temperament; whereas Whitney can be very temperamental at times, especially when it comes to sharing. Sophie isn't afraid to stand her ground when Whitney has one of these moments.
     Sophie learned quickly to put her nose in the air and sniff as Whitney walks by. It's obvious she can tell by that one sniff what Whitney's mood is at that moment.
     Sophie is a bit shorter than Whitney, but outweighs Whitney by more than a few pounds. What can I say, she enjoys eating. When she came to stay with us, I was told she gets a half a cup of food in the morning and the same amount at night. No more! Oh, and only two treats a day. Okay, so I've done the feeding correctly, but the treats, I admit I've not followed that rule as closely.
     Watching her eat the first meal I fed her, I realized why they have this rule: this little girl would eat any amount of food you put in her dish. The instant I set her dish down her mouth goes into the dish and doesn't reappear until every nugget is gone.
      Whitney is a slow eater, usually taking a bite and walking a few steps away to chew it. Some days she may even ignore her food entirely, eating only when she feels the urge. So the first time she saw Sophie eat, Whitney looked on in astonishment.
      Watching Sophie's eating habits has taught Whitney to stay close to her own dish. The few times Whitney has stepped away, Sophie quickly moved to her bowl.
     What really has given me a good daily laugh with Sophie is, every afternoon at 4:55 she picks up her dish and carries it around. One day I found she had placed her dish in her bed. From this behavior I determined her mealtime is 5:00, and that her inner clock is very punctual.
     Breakfast time is just as humorous: 7 AM is her time. Try and feed her at 6 AM, she'll just sit and stare at her food. (That is if I can even rouse her from her bed that early.) As the clock gets closer to 7, then, and only then, will she eat.
     Tucker is spending a few days with us, so mealtimes should be especially entertaining. Whitney will have to speed up her eating time, or she'll have two hungry dogs watching her dish.

     So long, I'll see you soon!