This post is part of the 10 Posts For $10 series to raise money for the American Lung Association by supporting my bike ride across Maine.
Puppy Update:
We decided to name our new puppy Trixie - she seems to be turning into quite the trickster so it suits her well. She had a lot to adapt to at once: a new family, cold weather, snow, walking on a leash, stairs, etc. The snow right now is over her head, but she forges ahead bravely. She is great with letting other people meet/pet her, and is getting more comfortable with other dogs as we socialize her. She is a food gobbler, which is something we were not used to. We got her a toy/dispenser that slows her down a bit and that has worked very well.
Bike Update:
I am still biking to work most days even as an early winter drops cold temperatures and snow on us. The coldest I've biked in so far is about 10 degrees F. When the roads are snowy/slushy it is a bit slower going, but I have an alternate route worked out that keeps me off the worst of the side streets.
Everything Else:
Between the puppy and getting ready for the holidays and shoveling snow it has been a busy month so far. Last night we went to the holiday program at Strawbery Banke which I highly recommend if you are ever in the Portsmouth area in December. Last week we had some guests in town and enjoyed walking around downtown Portland, going to the museums and eating good food.
Coming Soon:
Skiing! Christmas! Travel! Other things!
Brandie's last day with us was last Thursday. We went to the beach in the morning, and she walked in the water a bit then sat with us and watched (and sniffed) the other dogs. Then we sat along the river path we have walked many happy times. It is very strange and sad to suddenly be without a companion of almost twelve years, and I am missing her constantly.
I wasn't a "dog person" growing up. Some friends had dogs, and they were great fun to play with and offer them food of dubious nutrition to see what they would eat. Peanut butter makes them smack their lips and gumdrops get stuck on the canine teeth, for the record. I didn't beg my parents for a dog or envision myself ever owning one. They drooled a lot. And a lot of them, quite frankly, smelled pretty bad.
We always had a cat/kitten or two around the house. They were typical cats, doing their own thing for the most part with occasional bouts of playfulness. This bothered me a bit when I was young ("the cat doesn't want to hang out with me!") but as I got older I could appreciate this aloof personality.
Soon after I was married, my wife wanted to get a dog. I naturally would have preferred a cat. So we did what all married couples do, and compromised. We got a dog.
We rescued her from the North Shore Animal League on Long Island, NY. Our strategy was thus: drive out there and look for a cute puppy. That narrowed it down to about all of them. We ended up picking out "Brandie", who was of course cute, but also showed character by exploring the cage below hers by stepping on the occupant's head repeatedly. She was so excited she threw up in the car on the way home.
Brandie is a corgi/cairn terrier mix which results in a stout yet fast dog with wiry fur, whose looks were most often described by strangers as "interesting." As in they would stop you and say, "My what an [awkward pause as they realize you might take offense] *interesting* looking dog you have!"
A good way to get to know your dog is to give it various types of medicine daily. Coming from the shelter, Brandie needed to take some pills, which usually involved hiding it in some food, feeding it to the dog, finding where she hid the food and spit-covered pill, holding her mouth open and then throwing it down there. Bonus: this gets you over any drool issues quickly. And if you ever have to put your dog in a headlock and place some ointment directly onto her eyeball, you'll quickly learn how strong and wiry and squirmy she can be.
Brandie had a bit of separation anxiety. One night she howled so much/loud a neighbor asked if she had been giving birth. Another time, she ate her way through the drywall by the door, removed insulation, and was working on the outer wall when we came home. She was an escape artist, bypassing any cages or gates we constructed.
While she did get over this in time, we needed a way to go out at night without her freaking out. After going out and observing her through our small windows (we lived in a basement apartment) a few times, we eventually figured out a routine that worked:
When we were ready to go out, we would make the motions of going to bed. Then I would distract the dog in the spare room while my wife shut the bedroom door and then went out the front door. Then, I would send Brandie to her bed, turn out the lights and then go into the bedroom and shut the door. Then I would stand on the bed and go out the window. Note that since this was a basement apartment, the window was one of those little skinny half-height ones that opened sideways. After I shimmied up and out we were free and clear for the night. Brandie would always be mad and confused when we somehow showed up at the front door later, but she never quite figured out what was going on.
They say you get one great dog in your life, and Brandie is definitely mine. She enjoyed too many adventures to recount here with us. She loves to do everything we love to do, and was really a perfect fit. Although almost twelve years old, she always had the energy of a much younger dog, and never hesitated to play.
Just a few weeks after a great annual checkup at the vet, she started having various symptoms, low energy and otherwise just not acting herself. After x-rays, bloodwork and an eventual needle biopsy they found a very aggressive form of cancer. It cannot be operated on, so our other option is treatment that could buy her a few comfortable months.
We're giving it a try. It did help enough to get in one more road trip to NY, where she lounged about outside all weekend, and a (mellow) trip to the beach nearby. And, she got her appetite back somewhat (but is still so skinny).
Anyway, sorry for the rambling on but that's what is occupying my life lately, and probably the reason I haven't been able to write about anything else here.
A great day in Maine for laying low, drinking hot chocolate, and playing in the snow. Sure, we had to dig out a bit tonight, but totally worth it :)
This is the twentieth picture in the 25 Pictures of Xmas series:
This is the fifteenth picture in the 25 Pictures of Xmas series:
You can find this stuffed four-legged friend decked out for the holidays in the window of Fetch, on Commercial Street in Portland, Maine.
Show us your pets.
Submitted by Prakash Daniel.