The Sweetest Things

Just look at that picture. Is that not one of the sweetest things you've ever seen.

That is, of course, our little monster, Scrat. Granted he doesn't look like much of a monster in that picture. But looks can be deceiving.

Scrat is

• the Rock Eater
• the Cat Chaser
• the Ankle Biter
• the Riot Barker
• the Walkabout Hound
• the Carpet Wrecker
• the Aggressive 'this is mine' Snapper
• the Crate Escapist
  

He gave us a huge scare before Christmas.

One thing that has always been constant with Scrat, is that he is a bundle of energy. He is always ready to do something fun, or just hang out with you. His speeds are 0 and 60.

But somewhere in early December he lost speed 60 and we had a really hard time getting him past speed 0. Lethargic, seemed like he had a cold, would eat and drink, but wasn't excited about it, or anything, like he used to be. Its like he was just aging in front of us. Please note that he's not even 4 years old.

We got through the holidays and on our camping trip, we saw little pieces of the old Scrat shining through, chasing snow balls and tennis balls in the snow, but it didn't last long and he was back to sleeping all the time and crying out in pain if you even looked like you were going to try to move him.

Enough was enough and we hit the vet for a full blood work up and a complete check up. He'd lost 1 pound 3 oz since last May. That almost gave me heart attack because I was sure he was gaining weight. The doc put him on an anti inflammatory to help with the pain and she took blood.

The next day we found out he has low thyroid at not quite 4. must be the dachsund we think is in him. I had a hard time reconciling with the weight loss with low thryoid, but I let it go while we got meds for him and got him started on them.

It is ABSOLUTELY amazing what one little pill, half twice a day, has done for the little guy.

He plays ball again, and he learned to give it back. He comes when called (by Slugbo). He has stopped chasing the cats (thank goodness all the way around). He's happy and excited and bouncy at dinner time. I tell him to find 'Dad' and he runs full bore across the yard to the office and bounces his front feet till I open the door for him so he can run to Slugbo.

He goes for a follow up in two weeks to find out if he will have to stay on the meds forever. We are reconciled to it and totally okay with it. I finally asked about the weight loss and our vet thinks the pain caused it. I feel so bad we waited to see if 'he would snap out of it' before we took him in.

So now we can also say that Scrat is:

• a joy
• a shining light
• a snuggle bunny (that first pic was taken on my lap when I was home sick)
  

Scrat is everything

Most importantly, he is loved.

Slug and I are glad you're doing better Little Dude. Sorry we took so long to help you get fixed.

Good Bye McGee

This is somewhat graphic, and very sad, so I'd stop reading now if I were you and you cannot handle that right now.

Sunday started off okay, then I left the house (first mistake) to take Mom to church.

Driving down Fulton road, we are getting close to our turn and there is a dog in the other lane running AGAINST opposing traffic. And there was some traffic.

I tell Mom we will be late for church because I will try to catch the dog and I have a barricade in the back of my car to hold him.

Then a truck is turning into the same lane as the dog, as the dog runs up to it. The truck tried to stop. He really did try. But his back tires went over the dog anyway. I am not happy the truck driver didn't stop though.

The dog did manage to get up and run down the street I was headed for. I just had to get the guy in front of me in the turn lane to get out of my way (he was tracking the dog too).

I made the turn and could see where the dog had collapsed (thankfully on the sidewalk). Another vehicle pulled off from the other direction and was calling animal services (I think). I pulled off to a side street by the same lady, told Mom to stay in the car and ran to the dog.

He had a tag on (thank goodness). His name was McGee. I called his owner and told him what happened and where we were and that I would wait for him. McGee kept trying to get up. I kept holding him down.

I think he was a pit bull cross. Beautiful dog. Young dog.

Every breathe brought more blood down the sidewalk and there wasn't anything I could for him other than keep him calm. I still don't know how I ended up without blood all over me.

The female half of his owner walked up about then with their other dog. McGee had gotten away from her. I could see how that happened. You have a strong dog, that wants to chase cars, being walked by a very small older lady that probably couldn't handle him.

I told her what had happened and that I'd already called her husband and that she needs to call the 24 hour vet clinic down the street and let them know they were on their way with the dog.

McGee started bleeding more heavily and all I could do was tell him it would be okay and that his owner was there and everything would be all right really soon.

The husband showed up and I asked the other lady that stopped to go to my truck and get a blanket out of the back (a Winnie the Pooh blanket I had made that my furbabies loved because it's fleece) so we could wrap McGee up for the ride to the clinic.

We got him into their truck. I said of course I don't need the blanket back. It's gone to a good cause.

I went back to my car and wiped the blood off of my hands and thanked the other lady for her help.

Mom and I went on to church. We actually made it on time, not that Mom was worried about it.

I went by the vet clinic on the way home. Their car wasn't there anymore which didn't bode well. I took Mom grocery shopping. We got the Christmas tree taken down and the living room put back together and I called the owner back since I still had their number in my phone.

His female owner answered the phone and thanked me again for stopping and for following up with the call.

McGee did not make it, which was not really a surprise. But I was crying anyway. A death of a beautiful animal never makes sense.

Good bye McGee. Your owners loved you dearly and miss you terribly.

In Retrospect (pic heavy)

Last week was a pretty busy week in my household.

The office was almost finished. There were a couple of events to take notice of and some road trips in the works.

Last Tuesday I came home from work early because I wasn't feeling so hot. Perhaps it was fate, but I found this cute little darling attempting to cross one of the busiest roads in town at rush hour.

Her name is Stella and she belongs to Mary, who was smart enough to tag her and chip her. She came home with me after I stopped and picked her up and pissed off a few cars and bicyclist getting to the side of the road before she got run over by something and left a voicemail with her mom.

Turns out Stella gets to go for a bike ride most days but this day Mary needed to go pick up her car and thought Stella was secure in the yard. Such was not the case. But all's well that ends well. Thankfully there was a phone number and Stella was able to hang at my house for a little while till her mom returned my call and came and got her. I love seeing doggies go back home.

Wednesday was gloriously uneventful and the blah feeling from the day before was mostly gone.

Thursday was my wedding anniversary. 4 years to hubby honey. He had guitar class that night and since he'd missed the first three and I got him a new guitar for his class, it seemed appropriate that the first time he used it was on our actual anniversary.

I stayed home and watched Under the Tuscan Sun. Cute movie, total chick flick. Hubby curled up on the sofa with Scrat the Brat and watched the end of it with me.

Aren't they cute?

I love all my dogs, and most people that know me, know that Cliff the Mutt is first and foremost my baby.

But Scrat the Brat is just the best snuggle dog because he'll just curl up beside you and wait till you're ready to do something more exciting like play ball.

Friday I turned 37. I wasn't too excited about this since we are still trying to have kids and the age increase just makes it that much harder.

Hubby got me the most gorgeous dress for our anniversary. Someone apparently told him (google is his bud) silk is the present for four years.

Even better IT FIT! It has to be hemmed (I did some resourceful tucking Friday night so I would trip over the 3" heels) but other than that it's perfect.

So we went to John Ash for dinner.

While it's a lovely restaurant (mmmm Calamari), I have to say my saltimbocca is much better. :-) Thank you food 911 for that recipe.

Saturday dawned early and if you read my last entry you'll see what we did that day.

Sunday is the day Romi is waiting for info on. Taunya and I had made plans to go to the California Wool and Fiber Festival in Boonville. Turns out it's part of the Mendocino Country Fair and Apple Festival.

I don't have any pictures of inside the festival itself. We were WAY too busy drooling over all the yarn and fleece and rovings. You would not believe how soft Yak can be, and dog fiber is truly not smelly. So I guess it's just my dogs that stink.

T and I scored the following:

That beautiful green is my first purchase ever of Zephyr Wool Silk. It's is totally gorgeous and the color is peacock.

However the real find was the Handmaiden SeaSilk in Mineral. OMG that stuff is so very soft it's impossible to describe. All T and I could do was stand there petting all the different colors.

I bought the Peacock Zephyr on the first circuit of the room. I just couldn't help myself and it was only $10 a skein (that's 1200+ yards for $20). Mine, mine all mine.

Second circuit of the room we end up back at the booth with the Seasilk. I was going to get the color Glacier - because is had this gorgeous turquoise with brown and cream, but the Mineral kept calling to me, because it was just so pretty.

T spent forever picking two colors: the Bronze to the left and the Cornflower to the right. The Bronze and Mineral are in the 400 m lengths and the Cornflower was in the 600 m length.

T is making Amy R. Singer's Tuscany shawl with the Cornflower. I absolutely fell in love with the Bronze after it was wound and it turns out T's daughter S, really really liked the Mineral color the best, so a swap was made. I am the happy owner of Bronze and S will probably get a Clapotis out of the Mineral for graduation.

We headed home via Ukiah (I'm sorry but downtown Ukiah is a ghost town on Sunday afternoons) with a stop at Powell's in Healdsburg to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Got to T's house and hung out and knit for a little while and watched her kitty babies worship the sun.

Then I went home and helped hubby honey finish the office for Monday.

Boonville was great. The fair was tiny. Hubby did a wonderful job on my birthday and anniversary.

With the hard part of the office done, perhaps I'll be able to blog on a more regular basis.

As it is I have requested hubby get a house cleaner in to do a thorough cleaning (because boy did we let it slide while finishing the office) since we are having a couple of friends over for dinner Saturday night.

If that doesn't happen I'll be scrubbing the house from one side up the other on Saturday morning.