Time Flies Past

I don't know about you, but for me, time seems to be passing all to quickly.  We have really gotten caught up in a whirlwind and time has just flown past us.  Each day there has been something I’ve wanted to post about.  I've even gone as far as to organize those little thoughts so I can tell you about them.

But then Eva needed to be taken to the vet to recheck her kidneys.

...And then Todd had to go back on another day to have his ears rechecked,

...And Ms. Yellow needed a rabies vaccine. And lets not forget that I have to work. I was pretty sure I was supposed to tend to all those things first.

So as of now, I am going to put those ideas on hold and I'll just tell you about the start of our week; which at the moment is not that exciting.  But I've a feeling Todd will find something to change all of that!

As I was writing this, I heard from the vet about Eva's test results.  While some "values" and her blood-pressure seem to be stable, unfortunately,  the kidney damage is advancing.  We're going to change the dose of one of her medications, and recheck her blood work in another week.  Fortunately she seems to feel pretty well, has a really good appetite. So, we'll hang onto that and consider it a positive.  

I hope the week for all of you is off to a positive and good start!

~Church steeple from our trip to Greeneville Tennessee~ 

Report Cards

A snow day for me today as a Nor'easter moved up the East Coast.  We continue to feel the effects here at our house in the form of high-gusty winds and wind chills in the teens. Never complaining about the weather is Todd.  I did put a coat on him this morning so he could stay outside a little longer than the rest of us.

Speaking of wind, it has been a bit of a whirlwind for the dogs since my last post. Our last week ended with Eva and what I'm sure was probably with the help of Todd, "making dead" a poor rabbit that somehow got into our yard.  In the nearly 10 years we've lived here, aside from the moles, only one other critter has found its way into the fenced part of our yard. In the early morning darkness, I thought that Eva had a towel when she was doing a very proud "look-at-me, look-what I've got, woo-hoo!!!" prance and dance around the yard with Todd in hot pursuit.  Poor bunny.  Poor me for having to get it away from her - Eva didn't give it up easily, not even with a bribe of treats could convince her - I had to pry it out of her mouth.  I buried it in our woods.

~Hunting partners - Todd and Eva~

Mobile Vet came to meet Bo and do an exam on Friday.  He received a good report.  Mobile Vet did confirm something that we already knew, and that's that Bo hears very little if at all.  This now has me doing a bit of research to try and find things to get him engaged in life, and to help stimulate his senses.  Any thoughts you have, I'd be interested in hearing.  

Josh also had an exam.  My concerns remain about his arthritis and being able to get up on his own, which he can't do very well.  He is on as high of dose of supplements and medications as he can be, so there's not much more we can do. But he's happy, and part of the activity of the day and that's what matters.

Also receiving a good report card was Cissy.

Finally - Receiving a good report card is our snow day.  A lazy day at home with no worries or pressure to be anywhere is my favorite way to spend a winter day!

Doubt Doesn't Mean Don't

Thank-you!!  You were all so kind and supportive in your comments on my last post about keeping or not keeping Jake.  I held onto the doubt and I agonized over what to do for a couple of more days.  Then someone said to me that "doubt doesn’t always mean don’t."  With that, I knew what you'd all said was right, that Jake belongs with us.  And with us Jake will stay.  

The couple could not have been more gracious and understanding. Below is part of their e-mail.

Hi Kim!
Your devotion to Jake is very apparent, so we completely trust and understand any decision you make......... Our biggest concern was the impact on Jake of separating him from you.  We've been concerned about that since learning that he's been with you for over a year.  Those concerns were elevated after seeing first hand his devotion to you.  When he raced back to you when we were on our walk with him and Honey, our hearts broke at the thought of him not spending the rest of his time (time you have given him) with you.  We talked about that a lot.  In the end, we decided that what was best for Jake was a decision we needed to leave in your hands.  If Jake is staying with you, we are absolutely thrilled! 

 In the coming days, we will pay Jake's adoption fee and make it official.

Thank-you all again for helping me to sort this out, 

You all are truly the best! 

Who Stays and Who Goes?

Our trip to Tennessee could not have been any better.

Todd, Josh, Jake, Charlie and I, ALL ate too much of all the wrong things, stayed up late, and slept in.  I could have used one more day to top off my inner-gas-tank.  And Todd would have loved one more day to bark at whatever was in the pasture. But I had to be back to work on Tuesday. 

I brought back 4 exhausted dogs that slept the whole way home.

I was just barely home on Monday when I got a call from the SPCA about our foster-kitty Mo that left us about 3 weeks ago.  He and the cat that he was partnered with were not getting along with the dogs in their new home, and the family wanted to return them both.  I was asked if we would take Mo back. Of course I agreed, and I picked him up on Tuesday evening.  I opened the crate, and with no hesitation at all, and a quick sniff from the dogs, Mo was home.  This is the second time a family hasn't worked for Mo, so I'm wondering if fate is trying to tell us that he belongs here with us.  

And speaking of fate....  Before I left on my trip I'd been discussing Jake with the rescue.  He's been available for adoption on the website for about a year.  At about 13 years old, I felt that he should be taken off the "available-dog-list" and stay with us.  The rescue was unwilling to let Jake remain a "foster dog."  I talked to Carl about it, and let the rescue know that we would go ahead and adopt Jake.  I know what you're thinking..... Given how much Jake means to us, we should have decided to do that long before now.  I'm regretting not doing that.  Because literally, out of nowhere a couple applied to adopt Jake.  To say that I was stunned is an understatement.

A whole range of emotions followed because even though the policy of the rescue is to allow foster homes to decide who adopts their foster dogs. I was asked (by the rescue) to put our adopting Jake aside and seriously consider them.  The reasons for their suggestion was because Jake could receive more individual attention than we're able to give him because we're a multi-dog household. For whatever reason, that now has me doubting myself and the care I can and do provide for him, and the other dogs too.

I'd hoped when I was in Tennessee that maybe I'd feel better about the situation, and perhaps letting go of Jake.  And I'd hoped meeting them yesterday would give me that moment of clarity and I would know what to do.  However it didn't.  They are a nice couple and certainly more than able to give Jake a good home.  But just where he will spend the rest of his life, and who will write the final chapter of his life, right now, is a really tough mystery to solve.