Adventures about pet therapy, dog rescue and urban life in the 'Burbs
It’s Monday and for both of us, it came way too quickly.
The Mum: Good morning, House Pony…what have you got planned for today?
Wilson: {lip smacking, snorf, burp} Umm, extensive sleeping with intermittent snoozing, some yawning, a bit of stretching, relaxing, a few dreams with a bit of leg twitching.
The Mum: Whoa…I see. Sounds like you have a busy day planned.
Wilson: I’m wondering how I’ll be able to fit it all in.
We hope you have a great Monday. Don’t overdo it, ‘kay?
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where only three words dominated the landscape. Cold, white and mats. Elsa here joining our favorite Nature Friday ambassadors, Rosy and Sunny, from Adventures of the LLB Gang. Be sure to click on the link to see what others have shared.
Like most of the country, Denver was knee deep in a brutal Arctic blast. Outings were fairly limited due to the extreme windchill factors and Mom’s obsession with getting the new guy de-matted. Every day for a few hours, she’s been removing mats as it’s been increasingly difficult to find a professional groomer to take on this project. If he’d been a pocket sized dog, it wouldn’t have been as much of an issue but because this monster [Mom hollering from the other room…ELSA!] , erm…I mean, big boy…yeah, that’s the ticket…no one was willing to take on the project. Speaking of the bigger than life dude, Mom is fairly sure on a name other than ‘Not Sam’ but will wait until the beginning of the week to commit. I remember she took her sweet time picking my name too and she wants to make sure it reflects his personality. The only thing I can say about ‘he who shall remain nameless’ is that he’s humongous and sometimes thinks Mom is his personal toy and I need to be elsewhere. We still have the occasional and very brief dust up before Mom puts us in time out. WTD? I still don’t know how come I get blamed?
The Mom: Sometimes you both are guilty of a little too long of a look or you startle simultaneously.
Elsa: I can guarantee, HE’S the one who starts it, Mom…well after I thought I’d let him know I was the boss. Didn’t realize he was bigger and stronger than me and not intimidated one bit.
The Mom: You were quite surprised someone stood up to you, weren’t you? I realize you guys will need to work out the details on the pecking order but I think I’ve made it clear, there will be no dust ups over me.
Elsa: Don’t tell me…tell HIM.
The Mom: He’s starting to get the idea and seems to be doing better.
Elsa: Oh sure, he didn’t scare the crap out of you when we both came around the corner in the kitchen at the same time.
The Mom: Yeah, the timing was unfortunate but I really do think he’s getting the hang of things.
Elsa: {grumbling under her breath} Fine, you say puh–tey-toh, I say po-tah-toh.
The Mom: Aww, sweetie, you’ll always be my favorite princess and you need to know I will always protect you. We just need to be a little patient. Not Sam has been through quite a lot over the last 13 days. Remember how I was patient with you when you joined the Ranch?
Elsa: You’re right, I’ll try to be more understanding. You gotta feel badly that he lost his home, his mom and then travelled across 3 states to live in a busy noisy city after living on a quiet 13-acre country farm with his OES pals.
The Mom: That’s the spirit, Ninja. You guys may never be BFF’s but you’re getting there.
Elsa: So…getting back to the nature part of this post, like I said before, it’s been cold and we had some snow but mostly the week has been about mats. When you took Not Sam for a bath (thank dog for that…man that boy reeked), you took him for a bit of a walk to wear him out before the Chinese water torture session before the bitter cold settled in and if I do say so myself, was a pretty brilliant strategy on your part. So what did he think about the Canadian Geese on the lake?
The Mom: I think he was pretty overwhelmed with all the new sights, smells and sounds. He’s still startled by auto traffic but he’ll get there.
Elsa: Once it warms up, I’ll show him the ropes around those Canadians. They’re not so tough.
The Mom: {eyes rolling} Uh-huh…sure you will. Why do you think I keep you on short leash around those birds?
Elsa: It’s in your nature to be a helicopter mom?
The Mom: NO!! I’m just trying to protect you. You don’t want tangle with those guys. Trust me.
Elsa: If you say so. They’re cool to watch but I think there are more interesting sights around the lake. Like muskrats and…
The Mom: Umm, no to muskrats or other creepy rodents.
Elsa: Oh man, you’re no fun. Why do we always have to stay on the path and not really get to go exploring for critters when we’re out in nature?
The Mom: It’s for your (and their) safety. Nobody wants to get hurt. When it comes to nature, our motto is “live and let live.”
Elsa: Maybe YOU think that way. I’m sure I can convince a certain someone that chasing squirrels and bunnies makes for fun times.
Elsa: {continuing} I see you’ve managed to get rid of 90% of his mats removed. After last night’s session where you took care of that left paw and chest, Not Sam is starting to look like a new sheepdog.
The Mom: Yup, he’s completely transformed although the removal of those mats make him look like he’s been chewed on by a pack of mice.
Elsa: Wait…you let him play with mice?
The Mom: No, he’s not allowed to play with mice, his coat however looks like it’s been chewed on by mice. I’m sure once I use the clippers and blending shears when he’s completely de-matted, he’ll look better but it’s been quite the process. I’ve filled several large trash cans with all that fur. And as long as it’s going to be cold, it’s a good way to bond while we’re staying warm on a long winter day.
Elsa: Good point…I’m just grateful you’re not “bonding” with me like that.
The Mom: Trust me, I’d never let you get that bad. I think I’ve removed enough fur to make a couple of sweaters.
Elsa: Umm, I’m rather partial to my fur so you can keep mitts to yourself, ok?
The Mom: {smiling} You got it, sweetie. Just don’t get jealous if I’m spending a few hours a day brushing him and removing the final mats this weekend.
Elsa: Trust me…not a chance. So is it ever going to warm up so that we don’t need to imitate Eskimos with coats and boots?
The Mom: I think we’ll get back into the 40’s starting this weekend and we’ll be able to take proper walks around the ‘Hood. We may even go the lake again to see how birds and other critters are holding up. The Stock Show ends this weekend so I’m sure it’ll start warming up and we can start counting down the days until Spring arrives.
Elsa: Well aren’t you Miss Pollyanna. You know there are bound to be some snowstorms over the next couple of months?
The Mom: Just trying to be optimistic. But yeah…I know, there’ll be snow. So long as there isn’t bitter cold temps, we’ll all be just fine. And I think we’ll start planning a trip to introduce the new guy to your Grandpa. What do you think of that?
Elsa: That’d be great, just so long as he understands he’s MY grandpa!
The Mom: {eyes rolling} Just so long as you remember the phrase…”Be Nice!”
Elsa: Tell him that. So…you guys got any groovy winter plans for this weekend? Whatever you are able to do, just make sure you take in some of the beauty nature offers. Have a grand weekend!
The Mom: I think ‘somebody’ started theirs.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Welcome to this week’s edition of Nature Friday where we join our New Mexico hosts, Rosy, Sunny and Jakey from LLB in Our Backyard on their blog hop. Be sure to click on the link to see what others have shared.
Hard to believe little February’s last Friday of the month is here. Where has this month gone? The cold and snow repeatedly shared over this month seems much like a listening to a record with a deep scratch, repeating the chorus over and over in the short month. But time marches forward so we continue wait for Spring’s pending arrival.
Don’t know if you guys are as tired or snow scenes as I am, but I’ve grown weary of them. Don’t misunderstand, I’m happy about the moisture, especially since February is one of the driest months of the year here, but I need a change of ‘mise en scène.’ So for today’s post, let’s check out some critters from around the ‘Hood.
I’ve noticed traffic has picked up after a bit of melting with the congestion remaining front and center.
From a recent walk during a lull in the white stuff, a friendly nose greeted me. This big girl always comes charging toward the fence but then seems to realize, “Oh yeah, you’re that lady with the magic pocket of treats” who then turns into a tail-wagging ‘pussy cat.’
No matter what the weather is like, Sloan’s Lake Canadian Geese never seem to mind. While somewhat threatening when the dogs are close, when I’m alone I can get closer to watch their slow paddling about in the water. It’s calming on the mind and allows me time to take in other slices of nature that I might normally miss just walking around the lake when I’m more focused on keeping the dogs in line. Reminder to self: walk this park more often, it’s good for your spirit.
The cabin fever that’s rather consumed the Ranch Hand brains has also tugged on my psyche, so with a friend from the Old English Sheepdog Rescue of Colorado, we took a cheese-making class at a nearby urban farm. The owner used to be a neighbor who moved 5 miles away to the farm which is located on a conservation easement in Wheat Ridge. She has a thriving egg business along with a small herd of La Mancha goats and offers cheese-making classes once a month. Previously she raised Nubian goats but switched to the La Manchas whose milk produces a less ‘goaty’ taste to the milk, are hardy but prolific milk producers with high butterfat content in their milk. Amanda’s goats are docile and will follow you around much like a pet dog. Not only did we all have a great visit away from all the recent, intense work of the rescue, we were also able to make a nice mozzarella, as well go home with a bonus of some ricotta made from the leftover whey. It was soooo tasty on a slice of breakfast toast this morning.
The resident pooch is a real favorite, greeting all visitors. After a good ear and belly rub, sweet “Ava Perón” a friendly Bull Terrier, spent time enjoying a nice sun puddle while we swooned over the relatively simple cheese-making process.
Well, that’s it for a slightly different look at nature around the Ranch. We hope it inspires you to seek something similar this weekend. Whatever you do, we hope the last weekend in February is extra ‘pawsome!’
Live, love, bark! 🐾
It’s Labor Day today in the US and its territories where we celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of workers. Every first Monday in September we honor the labor and union movements (if you work 40 hours or less a week, you can thank unions) as well as the role all workers made to the strength and well-being of the nation. Many of us will have today off (Labor Day is a national holiday) and this day often signals the new school year along with the start of football season. Although with the current age of the COVID panDAMNic, nothing is the way we were used to on past Labor Days when swimming pools, amusement parks generally close at Labor Day, summer concerts and festivals wrap up the season. Labor Day is usually considered the unofficial last weekend of summer with BBQ get-togethers often being a frequent pastime as well as any number of retail sales events. All that has been turned upside down if you’ve been following common sense, local mandates about personal distancing and mask wearing in public.
Ungodly heat has marked these past days of summer (we send particular sympathies to our friends in California after the weekend of hellish temps), and because it’s 2020, nothing is normal this Labor Day (including tomorrow’s forecast of snow with temperatures in the 30’s after again being in the 90’s today.
If you’ve ever wondered how Labor Day came about, a look at history indicates that as the trade and labor movements began to grow, calls for a day commemorating workers’ contributions were proposed. Colorado has long been progressive on social issues and was one of the first five states to enact legislation recognizing Labor Day, with Oregon being first to officially make it a public holiday in 1887. Labor Day became a national holiday in 1894. Our Canadian neighbors to the north also celebrate “Labour Day” on the first Monday in September.
But as is often the case with social change, it wasn’t all roses and candy. Following deaths of workers during the Pullman Strike of 1894, Congress unanimously approved legislation making Labor Day a national holiday and Grover Cleveland signed it into law by shortly after the end of the strike.
So on this Labor Day, we hope you celebrate (safely of course) with pride for all your work accomplishments, just like we will.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
We hope you enjoyed your weekend but can’t help but wonder if Mondays are really necessary?
Live, love, bark! 🐾
It felt strange to type 2020 for this post but I suspect it’ll get easier as we write our ‘best-seller’ this year. The past reflection through images as well as thoughts about last year brought this photo up and one of those that is aw-worthy in integrating Elsa into the family pack. Taken just a couple months after she was adopted and after several trips to the vet before we managed to get control of her seizures, it’s apparent she loved her brother almost as much as she loved stuffed toys. Knowing that her first few years were devoid of love and toys, I’ve always been touched by this scene.
My heart is full of gratitude when I see Sam acquiesce the dog bed in the studio to his recovering sister and comfortable enough to let her lay close to him. Seeing scenes like this sets the stage for focusing on the more ‘pawsitive’ moments that will happen this year.
We hope you safely survived any New Year’s celebrations and the many of the college football bowls (is it me or are there far too many?). How ’bout that Rose Bowl game? Congrats to the Oregon Ducks on the comeback win.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Hi there, it’s me, the Ninja. While most of Blogville is participating in Wordless Wednesday, today is a working day around the Ranch, at least for one of us. Today is the last working day this year for my knuckleheaded brother to spread smiles at West Pines. But first, I have to get him out of bed. Looks like yesterday’s hospital visits took a little out of him. As soon as he came home, he took a long nap.
Meanwhile for me, there are stuffies to attack play with and squirrels to bark at while he’s working and far too busy to miss him while he visits his friends at West Pines. I just hope he doesn’t try to use that stethoscope on me.
Happy mid-week. Maybe I can help huMom out later after she comes home with some of her Christmas preparations. I have offered to help her out in the kitchen, by licking keeping the floors clean while she’s making treats but she keeps shooing me out. Not worries for me though, I can block sit in the doorway and obstruct her path almost as easily as I can under her feet. Then again I can always use a paw to help tie bows on presents she’s wrapping. I’m a equal opportunity, multi-dimensional helper.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
🎵 Scooby-doo-bee-doo…ooh baby…oops, wrong opening chorus. Hi-ya…Sam here. While I can’t sing this post, I can share some of the adventures from last week in my triumphant return to hospital and West Pines. Now that I’m finally back to 110% it was nice to get back in the saddle and visit with my friends.
Naturally mom said I had to be spiffed up. Ugh…not a bath, mom!! Seems like the nurses like a sweet smelling boy so I didn’t mind too much when she put a blend of relaxing essential oils on me after the bath. Chicks seem to dig that and well…when there are hugs and “atta boy’s,” how can I refuse?
It only took a few nanoseconds for me to remember some of my favorite peeps who I’ve regularly visited in the past. Mom thought we should go visit the Lab and soon there was a crowd of the regulars welcoming me back. One of the managers is a favorite of mine so I spent a long time visiting with her. I sure have missed her so it was a great way to start out what would end up become a long shift.
After our swing through the Lab, we made it down to the surgical reception area for another memorable visit. I like going through this area providing comfort to peeps waiting for their loved ones to get out of surgery before moving up to their rooms. One lady with a mini-peep tagging along lit up like a candle when she saw me. She told my mom they loved us poodle-y dogs. What I loved was her mini peep…a twenty-two month old granddaughter who was exactly my height and the two of us had a great time visiting. She had this weird thing in her mouth (mom said it was a nuk) that I was kind of interested in at first but realized the chubby little hands that pet me ever so sweetly were much better than some slobbery chew toy. I spent a long time with her and her grandma was very happy for my therapy.
I had a lot of dates with nurses encounters all over the hospital and it all began to come back to me. The ladies in the gift shop were as nice as always and told me about their summer adventures. I listened and wagged my tail at all the right times. They seemed to appreciate my listening skills. They were equally impressed I remembered where the treats are stashed.
The next day we went to West Pines. The director who shepherds us around to the various buildings on campus is one of my favorite hospital peeps. When we arrived at the first building, it was like I’d never been away. A number of patients were super excited to see me. They asked me all sorts of questions…how old was I, what was I, you know, stuff like that. I was the ‘pawfect’ gentlemen and let them all hug me and tell stories about the dogs that were in their life. Then there was one woman who just sat back on the other side of the room and watched me. When mom asked her if she’d like to pet me, her face lit up with a huge smile. I pranced sauntered over and sat in front of her and looked her in the eye. She began to talk to me and that made my tail wag. Her fingers were soft and gentle on my ears as she pet me and we both relaxed like old friends. When it came time to leave, mom offered her hand to shake and wish her well but her arms withdrew and her head turned, much like a turtle. Her face grew dark as she looked away. Clearly she has issues with people and touching and it left me sad. Everyone likes my mom but the patient only had eyes for me I guess. Hopefully the staff will help her learn to trust again, in others and in herself. I liked visiting with her.
All the way home, mom just couldn’t get over that young woman. The pain in her eyes when she folded up on herself left her very sad. It seemed my therapy work wasn’t over even though we left the hospital. I wanted to give mom some therapy when we got home. I stayed with her and she pet me. Whenever my tail wagged, she’d smile and say I was the bestest boy in the world. All the attention she gave me really cheesed Elsa off but I knew mom needed cheering up. She kept whispering “but for the grace of god, there go I.” Not sure what she meant by that, but was glad I could be there for her when she needed me. Ater making her feel better, I relented played with the Ninja and then took a nice long nap. It sure felt good…both the making peeps smile part as well as the long, rejuvenating snooze. Life is good around the Ranch and this work makes us really aware of that.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to West Pines we go.🎶 After many patient and staff visits (and more than a few ‘dates with nurses’) at hospital yesterday, Sam is off to West Pines this morning. We had loads of interaction with all sorts of folks yesterday from two year olds to eighty plus year olds including a surprising number of visits at hospice. Since it was the first time this summer that Sam has been back, I wasn’t sure how he’d do. But my boy proved he’s still got game and was only slightly off kilter. I tried to make yesterday’s shift as easy as possible and he seemed to enjoy the lighter duty. His hospital friends we always visit were very happy to see his sweet face. When I saw the smiles he put on people’s faces, I know he was back in his element despite being tuckered out once we returned home. Visits normally take a lot of energy out of him, but after a good night’s sleep, he’s raring to go today and ran toward the garage before our morning constitution.
Happy mid-week. May the slide toward the weekend be an easy one for you.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
Hey guys, let’s start the week out with a smile. Do you allow your dogs on the furniture?
Wishing you a week full of smiles. Now that Sam is back to being his normal self, he’ll be making some hospital calls over the next few days and spreading smiles over at hospice and West Pines so we might be a bit tardy reading your posts and comments.
Live, love, bark! 🐾