Update on a Girl Named Riley

Our weather here in northern Virginia could not be better this weekend with warm temps and lots of sun!  The day started out with a beautiful mist on the field next to us, and my having breakfast with two friends.  Carl is mowing for what we hope will be the last time this season.  The dogs have been outside soaking up the sun too.  The only thing keeping me inside are the mass of stink-bugs covering the side of our house and buzzing all around.  The good and bad of this time of year.

I thought I'd give you an update on Riley.  You'll recall that she's the golden that came to us and needed extensive knee surgery.  Riley had her first surgery on Thursday, and below is the update that I received from her foster home.  It's pretty good news, and I continue to be grateful that she's able to have the surgery and a chance at a healthy, active life. Here is a portion of the e-mail from the foster home:    

"I spoke to Dr Walker earlier today, he said Riley's knee was one of the worst he's ever seen.  Her condition was allowed to go on so long that the "fix" wasn't able to be 100%.  If she had come in earlier, there was a chance that surgery would have made her "normal" but as it is now, we're settling for a compromise. 

The malformation of the tibia was so much that he had to do three cuts instead of one, and the groove in the front of the knee where the tendon is now laying is very deep, a little more than expected.  Riley's patella is now back in place and her foot placement is 80% better but there was no way to make it 100% better because of what she had to work with.  The pain Riley will  feel is not so much what they did to her bones, it's the stretching of the muscles in ways they haven't stretched before."

I hope you will all send good thoughts and prayers for Riley as she begins this new chapter in her life.  She has one more surgery just like this one and a long, hard road to travel, and extensive rehabilitation which won't be easy for her, but it'll be worth it!

I hope you're having a relaxing and enjoyable weekend!    

Sheba's Wrinkle

As you may know, when you bring a 'rescued dog' into your home, you are accepting some of  the proverbial wrinkles that they may have in their personality.  Our girl Sheba is a dog with a wrinkle all her own.  She came to us at almost a year old in October of 2007 when the family who had young children, couldn't afford her hip surgery. I can only think that the kids were allowed to torment her, because Sheba in no shape or form likes young children.  Knowing this, I keep her away from them.  If anyone comes to our home with kids, I put her in her crate.  When I take Sheba anywhere with me, I am always watching so that we can avoid contact with any children.  It was no different today when I took her to the vet.

When we were waiting for medications and our bill at the end of our appointment.  I sat in the far corner of the waiting room away from everyone.  Someone came in with their dog, a stroller and a little boy that looked about 3-4 years old.  The little boy smiled when he saw Sheba and took a step towards her.  I stopped him and politely asked the Mother to please keep him away from Sheba, explaining that children made her really nervous.  She replied telling me that she didn't believe this because all Golden Retrievers loved children.  I told her that 'this one didn't, and it was best if she just kept an eye on her son and made sure he kept his distance.'
The whole time I am talking, I'm holding Sheba very close and I have her leash cinched up very short, and my other hand on her collar.  I could feel her growling.  When the little boy started jumping up and down and hopping in our direction, I tried to be polite and tell him that he needed to go play somewhere else.  The mother looked but did nothing.  Sheba continued to growl.  The girl at the front desk said something to me and as I stood up the little boy threw a magazine in our direction.  At that, Sheba started barking and lunging at the little boy.  Thankfully I still held onto her leash and collar and so I was able to keep her under control.  The Mother unleashed a barrage of accusations and threats, telling me that I had no business having such a vicious dog in public that was out of control!  I really tried to not show how upset I had become but told her that the only thing that was out of control was her son!  The rest of the incident is a bit of a blur that ended with the office manager (who had seen the whole thing) escorting the Mother and her entourage into a treatment room, and apologizing to me for their client.

Sheba, I think, is really a lovely dog.  There is so much about her that is everything that a Golden Retriever is supposed to be. So even knowing this, why am I still upset about the reminder of 'Sheba's wrinkle' and why am I taking this all so personally?

Back to Work!

The end of our stay-cation and back to work on Monday for Carl and I.  This weekend has been cold, rainy and dreary!  I even turned the heat on to get take the cold edge off the air inside the house.  Any thoughts we had about doing anything outdoors didn't happen.  But in the end, it was okay I got a few things done inside, and just relaxed.  We were able to reschedule our trip to Tennessee for early November. 

As hoped, it really did all work out in the end.  

For us and Todd.

Stay-Cation and Puppy-Doody

When I finally got over the disappointment of not being able to go out of town, our stay-cation become an enjoyable one. Yesterday a friend told me about an estate sale not far from me, so I went to that.  It began at 10 in the morning, and I arrived around noon. I'm guessing that I was a little too late because there really weren't a lot of things left that I could spend my money on.   I did however end up with this.

I'm not sure exactly what 'this' is, but it was only $4, so I knew I had to have it.  As you can see, it's a pretty good size, and weighs about 20 pounds.  It does have a hanger on the back, but I've no idea what to do with it--Any suggestions will be appreciated!   

Last evening we met some good friends for dinner at a place I'd been hearing about not far from us.  It's called Patowmack Farm.  It has a stunning view of the Potomac river and bridge at 'Point of Rock' between Virginia & Maryland.  

We felt like VIPs with customized menus, and other special unique touches.  The food is amazing and is 'farm to table.'  I had the 'Autumn Blend' as an appetizer, and 'Farm Beef Duo' as my entree.

I cannot remember when I've had a more enjoyable evening out with friends! 

Back on the home front, we are STILL on 'puppy-doody' as we look for the reappearance of the cap that went to the water jug.  I'm starting to doubt that Todd actually ate it.  But if it's going to show up, my vet feels like today will be the day.  I wonder if Todd knows that...

It's a new month and a new feel to the weather.  Our day is starting out with cold winds and clouds and some showers.  After a couple of errands, it'll (hopefully) be another quiet day at home, following Todd around.  I hope you have an enjoyable day too!

~Sheba and Todd~