Summer at the Lake

     Its summertime and time for our dogs to enjoy a swim in the lake, after all, our 'four-leggers' love to swim, right? Well most, but not all. I personally have owned three dogs that didn't even want to get their feet wet, much less their whole body in a very wet lake.
     My dog Tammy was terrified of going in the lake. Dad would sit on the dock with Tammy on his lap. With an eye on the water below, Tammy quivered as she anticipated what was to come. As I stood by and cried, Dad set her in the deep water, assuring me she would get use to it and like it. Guess what, she never did.
     Next came my dog, Missy. Each summer, at the cabin, we couldn't keep her out of the lake. I remember one evening Mom and Dad were out fishing across the lake and Missy jumped in and started swimming to their boat. She had made it halfway across the lake before Dad heard my shouts. We learned from that experience, if anyone went out in the boat, Missy needed to be in the cabin.
     Willie was next. He didn't have the opportunity, as my two previous dogs, to frequent a lake. However, when given the opportunity it was obvious he didn't care for the concept of swimming, but he wasn't afraid to wade out to his chest in a lake.
     Our dog, George, was a miniature dachshund and our current dog, Whitney, is a poodle. Totally different breeds, but when it comes to getting wet you'd swear they were one in the same. It's a battle to get Whitney outside if she even senses the ground may be wet. Ditto for George. If Whitney sees the tiniest of puddles, she will walk 10 feet around it. Ditto for George. So did George or does Whitney go into a lake? Not a chance.
     At the other extreme is neighbor dog, Tucker. Tucker and his family live on a lake, so you can bet that on any given day you'll find Tucker in the water. If you have time to spend on the dock or in the swing, Tucker can amuse you for hours with his 'fishing'. He is all business as he 'fishes' and tolerates no distractions. Back and forth he swims as he intently watches the fish below, often leaping at them, but ever careful to keep his head above water.
     I have always hoped that as Whitney watches Tucker 'fish', she would get curious and join him. But as you realize by now that would require her to get her feet wet.
     And that's unacceptable to this 'girlie girl'.

     So long, I'll see you soon!
    

Our Beloved Pets

     Pet owners will understand when I say our pets are a member of our families. The common bond all pet owners share is simple: we love our pets. It doesn't matter the species of our pet: whether it be a dog, a cat, a horse, a bird, even a goldfish; they are our pets and we love them. It's a love that non pet owners can't usually understand.
     An acquaintance of mine recently told me that one of her horses had died of old age. The pain of her loss was very evident as she fought to hold back her tears. Even though I know very little about horses, she shared her grief with me simply because she knew I would understand. Whatever species of pet you have, the pain of losing them is tremendous.
     One evening several years ago as I was driving on a busy street, a small dog suddenly darted in front of my car. It happened so fast that I had no chance to avoid hitting it. Ignoring the honking cars behind me, I parked my car and hurried to check on the injured dog; immediately realizing the poor little dog had died.
      I was sobbing uncontrollably, as I pulled into a nearby restaurant and called the police. I was asked if the dog was alive, and when I replied, "No", I was told that they would get to it when they could. Upon hearing this uncaring response, I was unable to compose myself.
     As I sat and sobbed, a friend entered the restaurant. When I was able to say what I had done, his response was, "Calm down, it was just a dog. At least it wasn't a person."
     Believe me I was thankful that it was not a person. But as I looked at my friend I said, "I just took the life of a dog, someone's beloved pet. Someone will be waiting for a pet that will never be coming home."
     Not knowing who the dog's owners were, I was never able to tell them how very sorry I was.
     I know it's a dog's instinct to run, but please, little dogs and big dogs, listen to me: stay home, where you are loved. Accidents happen so quickly, and not one of us 'two-leggers' wants something to happen to you.

     So long, I'll see you soon!
    
   

Whitney's Stubborn Refusal

     When I ended my last posting, Stanley was home, safe and sound. However, I did forget to mention that when I pulled off the highway, in search of Stanley, Whitney was convinced that I needed her help in finding him.
     No, Whitney, I can't have you both loose along the highway. She was miffed, but stayed in the car and intently watched, with obvious concern for her friend.
     When I got Stanley home, I could see that Whitney was enjoying the scene of me trying to catch Stanley as he jumped from seat to seat. I don't know if she was laughing at me or cheering her buddy on.
     Finally Whitney and I could continue our important drive to town. Each stop we make, she knows she needs to remain in the car.

     Errands done, we return home. When I parked the car, Whitney refused to leave the car. Ignoring my command to get out of the car, she stubbornly jumped from seat to seat. Hmm...Didn't I just have this experience an hour ago?
     I let her stay in the car and proceeded to carry in the groceries, convinced upon my return she would be out of the car. Wrong! There she sat, with a very determined look on her face. What I heard when I looked into her eyes was, "I'm not getting out of here until you bring me to see Tucker!"
     Being that Whitney has me wrapped around her finger, (I guess I should say paw), and I'm a sucker for those eyes, I drove her to Tucker's house.
     No problem getting her out of the car at Tucker's. She flew across my lap the second I opened my door. She hurried to the house, where Tucker happily greeted us both.
     After the two greeted each other, Whitney rushed inside, obviously in search of Diane. Satisfied at finding Diane, and receiving the all important treat, Whitney proceeded to a favorite window spot. From this spot she is able oversee any activity on the lake.
     With our short visit over, Whitney cooperatively jumped in my car to go home. At home and the car parked in the garage, she gave me a satisfied grin and jumped from her seat in the car.
     I guess all that this girlie girl needed was her Tucker and Diane fix. Now her day was complete!

     So long, I'll see you soon!
   

Stanley and 84

     Last Friday I drove beyond my one mile comfort zone for the first time since before my surgery. Our town is 10 miles away, and I had a few errands to do in town. I did do okay, but I know I'm not near ready to drive a long distance in heavier traffic.
     Whitney loves her ride in the car, so whenever one of us goes to town she always rides along. As we walked to the car, neighbor dog Stanley appeared and expected to join us for our little trip.
     After several tummy rubs to distract him, I told him he had to go home to Brian. As I drove down our driveway and onto our dirt road, I saw in my mirror that Stanley had not gone home, but was instead racing behind my car.
     Brian has always told me, "Just keep going and Stanley will stop when you drive onto the highway." Wrong!
     He had appeared to stop, but as I drove onto the highway I again looked in my mirror and there was Stanley running on the highway center line. His little legs were working overtime as he raced to catch up with me.
     I pulled into the first driveway I saw, got out of my car, and Stanley was nowhere in sight. I frantically searched the area, repeatedly calling out his name. After five minutes of this I began to think that maybe he had crossed the highway and went to the lake.
     I returned to my car and as soon as Stanley heard my car door he jumped out from behind the trees. I opened my door and a very exhausted Stanley jumped in.
     So I now had him safely inside my car, now the seemingly simple task of delivering him to his home. That does sound like an easy task, right. Such is not the case with Stanley. The drive home was the easy part; once there I did have to get him out of the car. You have to understand, with Stanley, you can't just open the car door and let him out. Why not, you might ask. Stanley runs, and it is impossible to catch his fast little body and then the cycle would start over again.
     After a few attempts of getting my hands on him as jumped around inside my car, I finally succeeded.
     After transferring him from my hands to the safety of Brian's, Whitney and I continued on our journey to town.
     How was Whitney's venture to town? Tune in next time to hear of the stubborn side of our little Whitney.

     So long, I'll see you soon!

Friends

     This is a follow-up to Whitney's busy Fourth of July weekend. Being that DJ was out of town that weekend she missed out on seeing Tucker teach Whitney about fireworks. After reading my posting, 'The Fireworks Game', DJ commented: "That must have been soooo cool to watch. Whitney has such a good friend in Tucker. Friends are sooo important to both four-leggers and two-leggers. Aren't we lucky!!!!"
     Here is how Tucker and Whitney's friendship began:
     Christmas season 2009, Whitney had been with us for just a week when Tucker stopped by to meet the new dog of the neighborhood. Once inside our house, Tucker caught sight of the new dog and excitedly hurried toward her to make her acquaintance. Whitney, who had not socialized with other dogs very often, was frightened by the size of this approaching dog. She let out her signature scream and beelined to the safety of our bedroom. Eventually she reappeared, but kept a very cautious distance between herself and this very big dog.
     Whitney quickly realized that Tucker was gentle and had no intention of hurting her. Over time a strong bond has formed between the two.
     The one thing Tucker has not been able to convince Whitney to do is, join him in the water, and teach her to 'fish'. She will sit on the dock and watch the water splash as he fishes, and eagerly join him on shore as he rolls in the grass. But Whitney step into the water, no way!
     The friendships she has with all the neighbor dogs are important to her, and have helped her socializing skills to mature.
     As for my 'two-legger' friends, I am fortunate to still have friendships that go back to my childhood. I am fortunate to have a brother who is not only my brother, but also my friend. I am also very fortunate to have wonderful friendships that have formed in my adult life.
     Thank you all, for the beautiful friendships that have so enriched my life.
     Whitney is also sending special 'Thanks' to not only her 'four-legger' friends, but also to her very special 'two-legger' friends.
     Yes, DJ, we are very lucky, indeed!

     So long, I'll see you soon!
    
   

The Fireworks Game

     As I ended my last posting, we were preparing for the fireworks to begin around the lake. We moved from the dock to the campfire after being overtaken by the multitude of mosquitoes that swarmed upon us.

     Tucker enjoys the sights and sounds of the fireworks, and after hearing a distant 'boom' he hurried to the shoreline. Clearly anticipating what was to come, he ignored the buzzing of the hungry mosquitoes and eagerly waited for the show to begin. At the sound of the next 'boom', followed by flashes of light, Tucker's excitement increased. He let out a deep bark and raced along the shoreline.
          Whitney, not having a clue as to what was happening, barked and hurried to Tucker's side. Whenever there was a break in the action both dogs reappeared at the campfire. Each time there was a 'boom', Whitney looked to Tucker for guidance as to what needed to be done. She quickly realized that all she needed to do was follow Tucker along the shoreline and bark.
     Whitney can be quite skittish at times, so I was unsure how she would react to the fireworks.  After Tucker's assurances to her beforehand that fireworks are fun, she truly enjoyed this new game.

     When the fireworks were done I brought a very exhausted Whitney home. Sleep came quickly and I'm sure her dreams were filled with visions of her newly discovered 'fireworks game'.
     The next day Whitney was alone for only a few hours, but when I arrived home it was clear that she thought she should go to Tucker's house. When she realized we were staying home, I looked into her eye's and heard, "This is boring, Mama. I just know Tucker has new fun stuff to teach me about."
                                         Another day, girlie girl.

                                        So long, I'll see you soon!
 

The Busy Weekend

     Despite the fact that DJ was out of town and I was busy helping a friend at her store, Whitney managed to have a fun filled Fourth of July weekend.
     After being cooped up in the house for several hours on Saturday, I expected Whitney to be anxiously waiting at the door when I arrived home. Surprised to not find her there, I began a search of the house, calling out her name several times.
     Just as I was about to call my friend Diane I saw a note on the table from Whitney, (actually written with the help of Diane). Whitney had been bored by herself, and sensing that Tucker may be partying without her, she decided that was where she really should be. (I need to explain this about Whitney; she adores Diane. She eagerly awaits any opportunity to go to Diane's house; and for an added bonus, that just happens to be where Tucker lives.)
     When I arrived to pick up Whitney, she and Tucker had just come inside from a fun filled afternoon, and both dogs were exhausted.
     The next evening I was invited to come along with Whitney. As I drove into Diane's driveway, Whitney spotted Tucker and neighbor dog Bracken. I opened my car door and she leaped across my lap and was with the other dogs before my feet had even touched the ground.
     One of Whitney's biggest joys is running. Watching her run is like witnessing art in motion. She is extremely fast and achieves this with an effortless graceful glide.

     After dinner Whitney started her run. Tucker and Bracken stepped back and watched in awe each time she flew past them. At one point I saw, in Tucker's eyes, a flicker of remembrance of his running days.
     When the run was over, the dogs and I headed down to the dock. Tucker hopped into the lake to start his evening 'fishing'. Each time he passed by the dock he glanced up at Whitney and his eyes were saying, "Look what I can do, Whit."
     Done with his swim, Tucker joined us on the dock. Soon Bracken appeared, and Whitney was overwhelmed by two big dogs on a narrow dock. Her eyes widened in fright and she quickly bee lined to the safety of the shore.
     The mosquitoes appeared as darkness quickly approached. With darkness comes the boom of the fireworks around the lake. How will Whitney fair the evening show? Tune in next time, when the fireworks begin.

     So long, I'll see you soon!

A Vision Update

     I just wanted to give my readers an update on how my recovery is going after my eye surgery. It was six weeks ago today that I had my surgery. I saw the surgeon last week and I was told that things are progressing, as they should. Considering the extent of the repair work that was done and the size of the bubble that was inserted in my eye, the recovery is a very slow process.
     The bubble is still there, but is decreasing in size. So now I watch a dark circle bouncing and rolling around in my eye. Annoying, yes, but fortunately the bubble has done its job of keeping my retina attached.
     I cannot sleep on my back until the bubble is completely gone. Since I am a side sleeper, I never thought this would be an issue. Boy was I wrong on that. Hourly I was waking up laying flat on my back. Nothing I tried would prevent me from rolling onto my back, until.....our friend, Steve, came up with the brilliant idea of attaching a golf ball to my back. Amazingly it worked; it woke me up every time I started to roll. Although, I did have to advance to a tennis ball for the simple reason that my back began to ignore the small golf ball. I am now anxiously awaiting my first night of sleeping through the whole night without being awoken by a tennis ball.
     Night vision is gone in that eye, so I now have a flashlight next to my bed for my night time roaming after being rudely awoken by a tennis ball. And our black dog, Whitney, has learned to stay clear of me during these wanderings.
     As for my driving, I still have not driven any further than a mile. Since I can only basically see from the one eye, any long distance driving is out of the question for the time being.
     Back to the surgeon in mid August, and she'll determine when I may be able to get corrective lenses.
     Today's posting is just to let my friends know how I'm doing. So don't worry, the 'four-leggers' will be back tomorrow. Until then....

     So long, I'll see you soon!

    
    

The Writing Adventure

     As I began to write my first book, 'A Puppy Called Runt', I was not sure if it would be a children's book, a book for young adult readers, or for adult readers. I decided to let the character Runt lead me where he wanted the story to go. Upon completion I felt this was a dog lover's story for all ages.
     It is an excellent chapter book for parents or teachers to read aloud to children; a good story for older children to read for themselves; and a feel good story for dog loving adults.
     Some adults have told me they read the book from a human perspective. From one woman I heard that the book brought back memories from her childhood with her siblings. Another woman said that as she read the book she wished her own mother would have shown her the same love that Runt's Mama gave to him.
     Unbeknownst to me, maybe some of my own upbringing came out as I wrote both this book and also my second book, 'A New Life for Runt'.
     Both books are about dogs, but in reality they tell so much more. Through the innocent eyes of dogs, my books remind us all, about: love, friendship, being proud of who you are, and don't judge someone by what they can or cannot do; everyone is unique in their own way, accept that.
     Runt taught me, as we embarked on our journey together, to look for the good in everyone you meet. Everyone has 'issues', and just maybe you can help them through your kindness. Also, throughout our journey, I was reminded to truly value your friendships; don't let them slip away through neglect.
     Whatever your age, if you should choose to read my books, my hope is that you truly enjoy the stories. Who knows, my adult readers, maybe they will stir some memories from your past.

     So long, I'll see you soon!

Hey, That's My Dish

     Have you ever observed when two dogs are eating in the same room, out of their own dish, that they inevitably switch places at some time during their meal? Even if they are both eating the exact same food, it's a ritual that must take place. Proof of this ritual was documented on film recently.

     We were scheduled to dog sit for neighbor dog Bracken, which also included a sleep over. Because of an appointment, we needed to be out of town for most of the day. Tucker's mom, Diane, took our Whitney and Bracken for the day.
     At suppertime, Diane set out Whitney's and Bracken's food in the kitchen. Each dog went to their assigned dish and began to eat. Tucker, as he always does, ate his supper downstairs. At some point, both dogs wandered around the kitchen, leaving their dishes unattended. Upon returning to their eating, Bracken went to Whitney's dish and Whitney to Bracken's. Both dogs happily finished each others meal, and eagerly awaited Tucker's return.

     I'm sure Tucker inspected the empty bowls and was a bit miffed that he wasn't able to participate in the switching of the bowls. (A feat that Tucker is quite capable of  doing whenever he stays at our house.)
     We arrived home shortly after suppertime, and brought both Whitney and Bracken back to our house. Upon entering the kitchen it took Bracken about two seconds to find Whitney's untouched dish of food from the morning.
     As he began to gobble up his second meal in less than an hour, Whitney stared on in disbelief. As she intently watched him it was as if she were saying, "I can't believe you're still hungry."
     Suddenly the realization hit her: she looked up at me and what I heard when I looked into her eyes was, "Hey, that's my dish!"
     Imagine the chaos if we 'two-leggers' sat down to a meal and then, half done with our plate, we reached over and took the plate from the person sitting next to us.
     Fortunately in the dog world this is totally acceptable behavior.

     So long, I'll see you soon!