Hello September!

Well, we round the corner flying past Labor Day weekend. What a whirlwind summer it has been. I am looking forward to things slowing down, and hope it happens soon. 

But here are a few things we've been up to. 

Our boy Max was groomed a couple of weeks ago. Our last groomer retired and Max was way past due because I was having trouble finding someone I trusted. At 15+ years old, of course I want Max treated as gently as possible. As luck would have it, Maryal, who worked for and was our dog walker (she was let go when business slowed) and knows our dogs, returned being a part time groomer.

So, Maryal came, and she set up a mini portable grooming salon in my kitchen. I gave Max a bath early that morning so he'd be dry and rested before he had to stand on a grooming table. And when she was done, there was practically another Max on the floor of my kitchen. WoW! 

But Max feels so much better, and even has a bit more of a spring in his step - That of course makes me happy too! 

~Max was cold after he was groomed - Understandable after losing all that hair!~

On another day, the spotlight was put onto Keira when she was a demo dog for a *Trust Building Massage* seminar. The class allowed the participants to learn and practice different massage techniques, while building trust with a particular dog. Several were included and Keira was asked to participate because she's a bit shy and nervous. She did really well allowing everyone to practice on her -- She was a bit unsure of the massages, but loved that lots of treats were involved. Her tail never stopped wagging. I was really proud of her. It was also a good experience for Keira, and I'm glad that the therapist who does Noodle's massages and cold laser therapy asked us to be part of the seminar.

~Keira enjoyed being a demo-dog!~

Then it was Jack-Jack's turn to go to the vet this past Saturday. Why I made an appointment at 8 AM is beyond me. But the most perfect family is very interested in adopting him. They have already met him, and fell in love with him right away. Unfortunately we've found a lump that needed to be aspirated, so we're waiting on the results for that. I'm hoping for a good report. To not jinx anything, when everything for Jack Jack is diagnosed and decided, I'll tell you about the family that hopes to add him to their home. 

~Jack-Jack happy to be going home after the vet!~

For me, September is going to be a busy at the start of the month. I'm off to Kentucky next week for a few days to attend my oldest brother's memorial service. We've waited until the weather was cooler and family and friends could be there. Although a sad occasion, it'll be good to see everyone. `

--Thank you for stopping by to see us!! 

~White Boy~

Hiding in Plain Sight

Thank you all for cheering Keira on as she settles into her new life with us. 

One of my biggest worries with dogs like Keira is her escaping because she's skittish and she would be hard to find and catch. So when I don't see her with the other dogs, I feel an instant panic. Then I begin a bit of a frantic search everywhere. I know it's irrational, because my rational mind is reminding me that everything is secure, and there's no way she darted past out the door. 

But the irrational voice in my head is louder and I am searching everywhere inside and out and calling her. Which I'll add that a raised voice scares her a little bit. 

And then, I stop because I see her. Doing what I call "hiding in plain sight." This time it was behind the coffee table. In dim light, she can be hard to spot. But there she was, watching me and probably wondering "what is wrong with that lady?"  Can you see her?? 

Panic attack over until next time. And yes, there has already been a next time. It'll be a daily thing for me. At least for awhile. 

Keira Arrives at Golden Pines

To begin this post, I want to express a big thank you for sharing the recent loss of our sweet boy Milo. Losing both he and Lily this year has left a void in our home, because both had big personalities (especially Lily) and I know it goes without saying that I really miss them. 

**Thank you Ingrid at Meezer's Mews & Terrieristical Woofs for making these lovely mementoes! 

As we all know, life has a way of continuing whether we want it to or not, and the dog beds at our house hardly ever get cold. And I never know if, when or how the next additions will come to us. 

But for whatever reason, it seems that the cosmos always tells me to 'get ready' for one. For several weeks, I felt like I should contact the foster home coordinator for Lab Rescue and tell 'Christine' that if needed, we could take a foster dog. It had been almost a year since we'd welcomed a Lab -- even though we'd been asked a few times in recent months, the timing just wasn't right -- But now, despite everything that was going on in our lives, and knowing that the loss of Milo was coming, it didn't keep me from feeling like I needed to let 'Christine' know anyway. So, around the first part of June, I did. But I didn't hear back from her, which was okay. But it didn't stop that nagging feeling I had as each week I poured over the list and photos of the Labs that needed a foster home. However, none of them caught my attention. 

Then about 3 weeks ago, I was asked to take a 10-ish year old chocolate lab girl named Keira -- Who by the way, was not on the list of dogs needing a foster home --  Keira was a stray that found her way to a shelter in North Carolina, and then onto Lab Rescue. She is and was not in the best of health. Her biggest medical issues is that she is heartworm positive, and has 'dermal hemangiosarcoma' -- or skin cancer. She has had to have a toe amputated, but still has other cancerous lesions that will not be removed.  All this means that Keira is considered a 'hospice foster.'  Of course none of that matters, I agreed to take her, and about 2 weeks ago, Keira arrived at Golden Pines. 

Keira has settled in nicely and has found a friend with our big foster boy, Jack. The other dogs like her too. 

What is (also) sad and a bit heartbreaking, is that some things in Keira's behavior strongly suggest that someone was 'heavy handed' with her. She's very skittish, and a raised voice for something as simple as calling the dogs inside, or loud noises, cause her to cower, run off or hide in fear. 

Despite Keira's fears and her past treatment, it hasn't dimmed her gentle, sweet spirit, her smile or her really wanting to be your friend and share all that love she has inside -- And she has found a place 'inside' our hearts. ❤

The Good-bye to Milo

We had kind of been keeping a secret at our house. Several posts were started telling about it, but I never published them. I just couldn't. That secret was that in June of 2024 Milo was diagnosed with nasal cancer. I'd noticed a slight swelling, and hoped that it was maybe a bee sting, but when it didn't go away, I knew what it was. 

~The day we met Milo~ 

A visit to my vet a week or so later, and an appointment with specialists in Baltimore in early August also confirmed the diagnosis of nasal cancer. The specialists (there were 3 of them) all agreed, and gave us treatment options. Treatment involved a very invasive surgery to remove the tumor by removing the entire bridge of Milo's nose and upper teeth. The chances of success were not guaranteed. Recovery would be a long one, and even with radiation, the possibility of it being curative were slim. Not to mention what his quality of life would be - Eating and playing ball (his two favorite things) would be a challenge. In the end, I just couldn't do it and wouldn't do that to Milo. The specialists told us that without any treatment, Milo would only live 3-4 months, taking us to the end of the year. 

Of course I was heartbroken. Milo had such a fun and playful spirit, and I don't think he was ready to give up either. So, I looked for other options that took me to our holistic vet. Milo was put on Chinese herbs, and we hoped for the best to slow down the cancers progression. 

The end of the 2024 came and went, and May came marking one year since the lump on Milo's nose appeared. We silently celebrated that Milo was still with us and doing well. And I guess I was superstitious, because I still didn't want to put it out into the cosmos that we were past the time the vets had said we'd have with Milo.

But by the end of May, the tumor on Milo's nose was noticeably getting bigger, and I was feeling a few more lumps on his body, indicating that the cancer was spreading. Below is a photo of Milo taken in April -- It is one of the last photos I have of him. I chose not to take many because it's not how I want to remember him. 

~A rare 'last' photo of Milo~

Through it all, I kept telling Milo that he was so brave and stoic. He really was. But a couple of weeks ago, it was easy to see that it was getting harder for him -- even with more pain medications, he was slowing down, and his spirit was dimming. 

Getting him to eat was becoming a challenge, and when Carl had to go out of town, Milo stopped eating all together, even refusing treats. But when Carl returned 2 days later, Milo perked up and even ate his dinner. Even with his eating again, we both knew that it was time to say good-bye to Milo. I have to add here that Milo of course loved everyone. But his heart belonged to Carl. The two had a strong connection and Carl needed (and he wanted) to be there with Milo when he left this life for the next... We're both thankful that they were able to be together. It was how it should and needed to be. 

We're both beyond grateful that Milo's previous owner trusted us to give him a good home and love and care for him. We really loved having him as part of our lives - The 2 years and 7 months with Milo went way too quickly - He really had a way of reminding us about living in the moment and finding fun and something to smile about -- and to maybe even 'woo-woo-woo' just like he always did, about something in each day too. And like all those before him, Milo taught us about love – pure, unconditional, and boundless like his energy and enthusiasm for life was. Milo was a true treasure. 

Run free over the rainbow bridge, sweet Milo. Chase those endless tennis balls, enjoy infinite treats, and know that you will forever be in our hearts. Until we meet again, our faithful and fun friend ~ Your spirit and the memories of you are now and forever a part of us. ❤