Jasper's First Duck Hunt

I just cannot resist sharing this image and story with everyone. What a great picture!  Handsome boy!

Jasper had a successful duck hunting trip with my son, John this last Wednesday (see picture).  He didn't go in the water to do any retrieves (which was not unexpected because he's not much of a water dog at this point - and besides that it would have been too cold) but he found all of the ducks that dropped in the high grass surrounding the ponds where the hunt took place.  I've been out there with my boys before and much of that grass is knee high or higher and we've lost many birds that went down mortally wounded and then managed to burrow deeply into the grass.  My son said that happened with about 6 birds that he and a friend downed and Jasper used his nose to find every one of them!   My son's friend was quite impressed.  And Jasper was quite the happy boy.

Int'l/Am CH Pirok Kirbi MH "Kirby" 3/10/03 - 10/25/09

I received this note from Marty this morning:

I am having a very hard time dealing with this but wanted to let you both know that Kirby died on Sunday.   

We found him collapsed in his kennel and before we could get him to the ER he died.  The vet said that he had died of a major brain aneurysm (stroke).  He said sometimes bad things happen to good dogs for no known reason. 

He was too young and his joyous spirit will be sorely missed.  Roy will craft a black walnut box where his ashes will reside.  It is in our will that our ashes and the dogs are scattered together so we may all be joined in the future in a happier place.

Good bye my "heart dog". 

Marty

Finnrok Vizslas  

I am writing this with tears in my eyes - so young to leave so soon. I had always hoped I would see you one more time, to get a few of the kisses you so sparingly shared and to watch you wiggle butt your way into my lap as you did when we first met. My heart goes out to Marty and Roy, his owners and to Paul and Linda Collins, his breeders. To Cathy Gallagher, who also used Kirby as a stud to her beautiful puppies whom I met at Nationals in Omaha, 2007. I am comforted to know you felt no pain. Play in the green fields of the Lord until we all meet again one day. Kiss your daughter for us.

With love and nuzzles - Audrey, Hannah, Marley and Paloma

Marley's Pathology Results

A while back, probably in the Spring, if you had come over to the house you would have found Marley incessantly licking at her back paw. Then, one day she just stopped licking it and the next thing I noticed a bump had appeared.



I have been watching this bump for a couple of months now. I was concerned about it being a Mast Cell Tumor and the only reason I let it go so long is that it didn't seem to be bothering her and it's not getting any bigger or angry looking.

I had to take Paloma to the vet for conjunctivitis and dragged Marley along hoping she had time to see her, too. Dr Woodside did a needle aspiration and sent it off to the lab. She just called with the results and they are good indeed. Marley's bump is a histiocytoma. It should disappear on its own in 2 - 3 months. You can read more about histiocytomas at Veterinary Medicine.

Three days and counting until the pups are one year old! Until then . . . . have fun together!

Loki

Loki came for a visit last weekend. I didn't take pictures the whole time he was here but managed to get these ones just before he left.




Loki, Marley and Paloma

The Mission and Plants of the Arizona Sonoran Desert

Mission San Xavier Del Bac


I love the blue sky of Arizona!






Barrel Cactus


Prickly Pear Cactus aka Beavertail Cactus


At the entrance to the Pima Mine Company, a copper mine near Bree and Josh's house. Looked like a camel to us!

Taking Patriot Home to Arizona

The deal was I could keep Patriot until TEVCO's Specialty on September 5th but then he would have to go home to Bree and Josh, his REAL parents! As it turned out, Brianna was going to be in the area and could be "home" on the 18th. So we left Tigard on September 19th and headed to Reno, our destination for the first leg of this trip - it took us 10 hours! On the second day, we drove from Reno to Sahuarita, AZ, which is just south of Tucson. We drove through Hoover Dam but I have no pictures to share because they are on Bree's camera. I think the rest of the story can be told with pictures, so here goes!

Patriot and Paloma the day before we left to take Patriot home.


The gang's all there for one last gathering before moving the party to Arizona.


On our first night at Bree and Josh's, Paloma had a nasty encounter with this fellow - a tiny little scorpion that had made its way onto the coffee table. Paloma had been licking the coffee table when she started to shake her head and push her tongue out of her mouth like she had just been stung. Everyone immediately began searching but certainly there were no scorpions in the house! Josh grabbed the black light and found it hiding under one of the coasters. Scorpions glow under the black light and it makes it really easy to see them. Anyway, in the picture above, he is dead, dead as a door nail. Marc put the quarter there so you can all see just how tiny this creature was. Josh does a nightly scan of the yard as nightfall arrives. While we were there, he killed three scorpions and one black widow. By the way, the hourglass shape also glows under a black light.


The gang's all here and settled onto the couch.


A close up of Paloma sleeping - we gave her 25mg of Benadryl as a precaution in case she had been stung. At this point, we don't think she actually was, just that she was pinched or that it didn't taste good. A call to the emergency vet revealed the knowledge that dogs don't seem to be affected so much as we might think. Now, if she had developed shaking, seizures, a temp, then we would have needed to get her seen, ASAP. But, the vet said they have never lost a dog to a scorpion sting. Comforting knowledge that was indeed!




Marc built these gates to keep Patriot away from the side gate (which has a dip in the dirt under it) and from being able to get on top of the air conditioning unit. There will be no hopping the fences to get out of the yard. The house is one street away from the wide, open desert - no man's land and the area from which no dog would ever return.

ADDING SOME SHADE

A tiny Navel Orange tree is planted in the desert - hoping to provide the family with sweet pulp and juice.


A Queen Palm is added to bring a little sense of San Diego to the backyard.


An Olive tree is planted. This kind of tree did very well in Albuquerque and will do well here.



There are doggy neighbors on the other side of the fence.


Josh pulling weeds so Paloma couldn't eat them.


"Can we move to where the sun shines?"


You're home, Patriot!

Happy Birthday, Marley!

Please join with us as we wish Marley a Happy 6th Birthday!

You are my sweet girl, constant companion, and best face and foot licker in the world. I have been with you since the very beginning, even when Karen and I first saw "you" as a tiny pea on the ultrasound! :) I was with you when you were born and had secretly hoped you would come home with me after the evaluations. It was a happy moment when Karen told me I got magenta girl! I couldn't have been happier ~ I still am! Thank you for the love you have given us and for the pups you had almost one year ago. Because of you (and Kirby), there are five other families sharing the love!

We love you ~ Mom and Dad, Hannah and Paloma
P.S. When my REAL computer gets hooked up again, I'll have pictures and an update on taking Patriot to Arizona.