Boys on the Move

I can't wait to meet my new canine nephew. He and Alex are going to have a wonderful time growing up together!

Goodbye Strider

I take great enjoyment out of being a doggy auntie, and my first real experience being one was with my nephew, Strider. He was a wonderful dog and I will miss him terribly. He was put to sleep yesterday after they discovered aggressive cancer throughout his digestive system. The picture above is one of my favorites of him (in the black collar) playing in the leaves with his brother, Jag.

Goodbye, sweet boy.

Home Safe

Baron is back with his parents again. He was pretty intent on getting home again. I knew he was missing his routine, but I didn't realize how MUCH! Knowing that now, I'm glad he restrained his "I wanna go HOME" whine until they showed up. Whew! His good behavior all week shows what a well behaved and nice dog he really is.
Thanks, J & T, for letting me take care of your big baby.

In other news, my dad and I are working on a home renovation project in the basement. I'm putting in a storage room/walk in closet since the old storage room will eventually become a new bathroom. A friend helped me frame the wall, and my dad's helping me with the electrical. It's "fun" in the way that working on an old house can be "fun". ;)

Tasty Friday & Baron Watch: Last Day

We had a yummy veggie soup today and are watching Ratatouille right now.

Baron and I took a long walk this morning and then he waited patiently in his crate while I went with the family to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It's well done and interesting. My brother commented that it felt a bit like Forrest Gump. Turns out, the same guy wrote both!

Today's the last day with Baron. Tomorrow morning, J & T come to pick him up and as fun as going for walkies is, he will be overjoyed to see them. He's wonderfully well behaved -- which is a good thing considering how big he is. It's like having a pony around the house. He's used to being cared for by family (real or adopted) and though he does like me a lot, he misses them. So, I'm looking forward to the adorable little hop he does when he's excited. Only 12 more hours, honeybunch!

Merry Thursday and Baron Watch: Day 8

Hope you all are having a lovely midwinter celebration. Last night we opened presents (not our typical tradition, but we like trying out the imported traditions). It was a bit different, since we were doing a "secret Santa" version. That's the one where you each draw a name and only buy one gift. Would have been much more straightforward, except that four of our Santas were trapped in the Pacific NW. Very peculiar feeling for some people to open presents and some not.
My dear aunt Ruth was there, so it was wonderful to see her. G&A were lovely hosts.
I'm sitting with Baron right now, waiting to go to my sister's till a little later in the day. He's been missing J & T more than usual today. My mum took him for a walk and she felt like he was less into the walk and more into looking for his house. I think it's because he had a yummy peanut butter mailman that reminded him of J & T. We reminded him that he only has two more days until they come back.
He'll be OK. He's snoozing in his crate right now. Soon I'll take him out back for a potty break and head on up to the festivities.
Hope all the rest of you are having a great day. I am thankful to have you all as friends. It's really friendships and families that make the holidays as special (or "special" if you've got one of Those families) as they are.
Merry Thursday!

Christmas Prep & Baron Watch: Day 7

Well, all day I was either shopping or cooking most of the day.

Baron, Jag, and the rest of the crew went out for a quick walk (it was cold!).
Then we (sans dogs) shopped for Christmas ingredients.
Then, we headed up to my sister's. Baron stayed behind, not because he wouldn't behave, but just so I could focus on cooking and he wouldn't get too stressed being in a new place.
I made AB's baklava, easy fudge (not a true fudge, but oh, so chocolately and really, what's the difference?), and chicken salad in toast cups (the salad and the cups are separate until tomorrow). My mom put together the artichoke and Parmesan dip (to be baked tomorrow) and cut up veggies for the veggies and dip and the cream of broccoli soup. My sister made "texas caviar" and sugar cookies (I think there was something else she made, but I can't put my finger on what it was). My BIL made homemade eggnog. My dad made an emergency trip to the grocery store for forgotten items.

Now, I'm back at home and I've just put the finishing sauce on the baklava. There are sounds of Baron eating his dinner coming from the spare bedroom. We'll go for a walk and then it's back into the crate for Baron, 'cause I'll be going up to G & A's for a Christmas Eve gathering. Hopefully this'll be the only day out of the week that he'll have to spend so much time in the crate (albeit with breaks at decent intervals).

Yes, my parents do think Baron is a nice, well-behaved and handsome dog. My sister will make sure to come down on Friday to meet him...
Ah, he's done dinner. Time to go for a walk!

Baron Watch: Day 6

All is well. Went for a short walk this morning. Am busy all day! O.o

Much Later: Well, my parents arrived safe and sound. The dogs met and had a bit of an Omega-Off. Jag won (lost?) and retains the title of Omegaest Dog We Know. Turns out that Baron isn't a total weenie. He's still got a healthy respect for the cats though. Things are fine and stay pretty peaceful, since everyone's got their own space.
Tomorrow: Christmas Prep!

Baron Watch: Day 5

All is well.
Took Baron out for a freezing cold walk this morning. He loves it regardless of the cold. He's learned to recognize the sound of me putting on my shoes and the little bouncing hop he does while he's waiting for me to put on my jacket is hilarious.
He didn't eat much this morning, but I'll re-offer it at lunchtime.
Until then, he's safe and warm and napping in his crate.

Later:
Baron was very good today (as usual). I had a friend come over to pick something up and stayed for dinner. Baron was well behaved, if a little needy. I was very pleased. Plus, it's almost a perfectly coordinated gradual introduction of Baron to new people. Tomorrow my parents and their lab, Jag, arrive. They have a plan for shifting Jag to his brother's (my sister and BIL's) house if there are just too many animals in this house. We'll see.
So far so good! Easy when Baron is such a nice doggie. :)

Baron Watch: Day 4

All is well.
Baron's learning to snooze while I'm being boring (like now), which is nice.
Until I can get a photo, here's a Google image search for those of you who are curious what a giant schnauzer looks like. Baron is pretty much exactly like that.
It's a little like having a small horse around the house. He's around 30" tall at the shoulder and very fit. He's got a cropped tail and cropped ears and his coat is kept short, except for his shaggier legs and handsome eyebrow trim and beard and mustache.
We'll go for a walk later and I'll try and take a photo then.

Later: We took a long walk around the other lake. My thighs were starting to go numb after the halfway point, so we mostly jogged back from there. Now Baron will probably nap while I clean up the downstairs for guests.

Still Later:

Per popular request, here's a photo of Baron and Martin enjoying the sun.
I, on the other hand, have been toiling away in the basement.

Baron Watch: Day 3

All is well.
The cats are very relaxed around him now, though a little irritated that they have more competition for my attention. He likes to give them a big sniff as they pass... funnily enough just then, he wandered by to sniff me and the Dell Mini, then lean in to be scratched (it's a little like having a horse lean into you when you scratch).
He's still slow about eating his kibble, but I figure if I stay on routine, it'll self correct. No, I'm not feeding him too many treats. :P
We went for a medium sized walk yesterday evening, which he enjoyed very much. He loves his walkies! If it gets reasonably warm like it did yesterday, we may go on a long walk around the lake. Otherwise, I think today's schedule is filled with "follow Anne while she cleans up around the house."

Later:
Well, we went for a long walk around the lake and now Baron is sacked out in his crate. Hee!

Still Later:
YAY! Baron ate all his dinner! He's officially settled in now. Whew!
And now he's dragged his blanket out of his crate and is playing with it. Wierd doggy. ;)

Baron Watch: Day 2

Morning:
Baron seems to have slept well. I didn't hear a peep from him all night. He looked around for J & T when he got up, just in case they reappeared overnight. He didn't eat much breakfast (still a bit unsettled, I think). I'll offer it again at lunch when he's hungrier. He was very cute and went to lay in his crate while I was getting dressed. He misses home, I'm sure. Then, we went for a walk (yipee!). It was a fast-paced sniff fest, hurrying from one smelling spot to the next.
He is so cute, looking for his treat after being told to go into his crate. He seems quieter and more at peace when put in his crate, so that's where he is right now, taking a morning nap and waiting for me to come home for lunch.

Baron Watch: Day 1

Baron, a handsome giant Schnauzer that many of you know by a nickname, has come to stay with his Auntie Annie for a week.
His parents (J & T, who I shall not link to in order to not advertise they will be away from home) dropped him off a couple hours ago. He was a bit agitated by the signs that he was being left behind (his crate being put in my spare room being a big one) but gradually settled down while we went over his routines.
When they left, he whined a bit and wandered around for a long time investigating or whatever it is he was doing, going from room to room. Then, after about an hour, he finally settled down, ate the rest of his dinner, played hockey with his empty bowl, then carried it into the spare room. Now, he's lying against my feet, getting the patented Annie Pet (tm). He is such a big cutie.
He and the cats are getting along fine. Martin was very curious about him and followed him around a bit. He also likes Baron's food. When I put it down on the floor, he came over to investigate, which meant Baron (a little nervous of cats) couln't approach. I don't know what it is about his food, but Martin takes out a couple chunks and chews on them. He lost interest eventually, and Baron was able to eat, but it was funny. Matti's been pretty cautious, but Martin and Baron have reached an understanding (maybe they bonded over food). Martin even let Baron smell his rear end. That makes them practically best friends, right?
So, everything's good for now. Yay!

Back On Track

Ahhhh! This is why I live in Colorado. Today, the high temperature was 74, so I took the motorcycle to work. I didn't get out of work early enough to drive anywhere except home, but it was nice to be on the bike again.
Yesterday I spent the afternoon with my siblings and thier S.O.s (and JR & Stacey and Paden). I got to meet my brother's girlfriend's Akita. Such a sweet dog. Towards the end of the evening, we were playing Guitar Hero, a Wii game that's played on a guitar-like controller. Jenn persuaded me to try it, and after an initial frustration with it, I started to get better and started to like it. It's a very good thing that I don't own a Wii. That would get way too addictive.
Also, on Friday, I led a group tour of my project for a group called Women In Design. It's an appropriate fit, since so many of the key people on the project are women. Anyway, I'm told it was a good tour. That's good, 'cause I was tired of talking by the end. The building itself is pretty darn impressive. They just poured the 31st level last weekend. Almost to the top!
And I am REALLY looking forward to the long weekend.

Life is good.

PS - While looking for a site that shows what an Akita looks like, I found this site, which has stories about the history of the Akita, two of which are particularly touching:

First was the story of Hachi-Ko, one of the most revered Japanese Akitas of all time. He was born in 1923 and was owned by Professor Eizaburo Ueno of Tokyo. Professor Ueno lived near the Shibuya Train Station in a suburb of the city and commuted to work every day on the train. Hachi-Ko accompanied his master to and from the station each day. On May 25, 1925, when the dog was 18 months old, he waited for his master's arrival on the four o'clock train. But he waited in vain; Professor Ueno had suffered a fatal stroke at work. Hachi-Ko continued to wait for his master's return. He traveled to and from the station each day for the next nine years. He allowed the professor's relatives to care for him, but he never gave up the vigil at the station for his master. His vigil became world renowned, and shortly after his death, a bronze statue was erected at the train station in his honor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

However, just as the breed was stabilizing in its native land, World War II pushed the Akita to the brink of extinction. Early in the war the dogs suffered from lack of nutritious food. Then many were killed to be eaten by the starving populace, and their pelts were used as clothing. Finally, the government ordered all remaining dogs to be killed on sight to prevent the spread of disease. The only way concerned owners could save their beloved Akitas was to turn them loose in the most remote mountain areas. There the breed's hardiness and keen hunting instincts helped them survive the war years.

[sniff!]

Golden Brown Treats

My mum's yellow lab, Jag, tucking himself under my desk. What a cutie!
My dad decided to make bagels for the first time. They were horrible. I volunteer to dispose of them in a safe and sanitary way. ;)

Pets loom large again...

Mum was kind enough to send me the link to Petfinder.com and that set me off again. This time, it's cats (plural)...
First I was just looking at the selection, browsing different breeds and colors...
Then, one handsome fellow (grey tabby short hair) caught my eye. But the description said that he came with a sister.
The sister (black medium hair) said she was shy and bonded with the brother.
"Hmm," I thought, "I wasn't planning on getting two, but should I?"
After much thought, it seemed to me that it might be preferable to get two because they could be company for each other while I'm at work.
I consulted with my Great Cat Advisor (Paden), who said yes, two is good, and also gave me bunches of other advice, # of litterboxes, Simple Green spray, cat carriers, etc.
The organization under which I would adopt them is Rocky Mountain Alley Cat Alliance and they are having a general cat visitation session tomorrow at a local Petsmart. Paden and I are going to that, and if my pair are not there, then we will make an appointment to visit them specifically.
Oh, yeah, and there is a second bonded pair, two brothers, and a single cat (part Russian Blue) that look interesting too.
Yep, I'm in it up to my eyeballs...
(See this space for updates over the weekend.)

And for those who will ask: yes, I still would like a dog, but since my "nephew" Strider will be coming to stay at the end of July, I will have a chance to sample dog ownership before making the full plunge.

Well, a week ago today, on the 4th, the Lab Rescue place called. They had found another foster home for the puppy.
So, that evening, they came and took her away. So ended the toughest 84 hours I've had in many a long year.
I think I will now pull back the scouts and sit-tight while I let the dust settle in my life before I make anymore forays into the unknown.
Maybe I'll get a cat instead.
No, dust settling first, cat later.

What an idiot I am.
I didn't listen to my mother. I guess that was bound to happen one of these days, and bound to turn out badly.
I thought I wanted a dog. A nice medium level dog that needed to be walked once a day and would curl up at my feet when I was working on the computer. A friendly dog that I could take to play at the dog park, take on hikes and camping. I figured that an adult dog, say 3 to 7 or so would be fine -- seasoned and trained. I like the disposition of Labs, so I thought "I'd like one of those."
When I contacted the local Lab Rescue organization and had my application accepted, I was thrilled. I inquired about two dogs that fit my parameters. I would have to wait, someone else was looking at them this week.
Here's where I went wrong. I should have said "Ok. I'll call again next week."
But I didn't. I inquired about another dog, a young (1 year old) female that was only part Lab. When I heard her sob story (neglected by previous owners, but still with them because all the foster homes were full) I decided, what could it hurt to see her?
I went to see her and knew right away she was not the dog for me. But I really wanted to help her. I figured I could deal with her enthusiasm for a short time. So, I offered to foster her until she was adopted.
Argh! She's always on the go, either leaping around outside or pacing around inside. I take her for long walks, but she never seems tired out. Probably that is because, ironically, when I am not there, she sleeps. At night, she paces and barks at imaginary things outside. I think she's getting better about night time though.