Monday, May 29, 2017

Jenna Update


Hi y'all!  I'm writing this blog post from the vet's office.  I'm not having a good time AT ALL!  I thought I was going on a vacation since it was just me and Mommy in the car last Wednesday morning (See ya, Dixie!), but it turned into a nightmare!  Yes, my leg had been hurting a bit and yes, I was hobbling around on it and had been for the past year off and on, but I was NOT prepared for what happened to me!

Instead of an all expenses paid vacation for just the two of us, I had SURGERY!!!!  Mommy said the surgery was totally necessary to repair my ACL (technically in canines it's called the CCL: cranial cruciate ligament).  She quizzed the doctor on every aspect of the procedure and my recovery (which lasts forever apparently).



Now I'm stuck at the vet until at least tomorrow.  My parents were told NOT to visit the first night for fear I'd get too worked up.  Mommy wanted to come the second night, but Daddy talked her out of it.  He knows how much I like to wiggle my hiney when I'm excited and that would NOT be good for my knee!  Mommy finally broke down and visited me Friday afternoon.  She visited the Barkery next door first (conveniently located, don't ya think?) and brought me some delicious treats.  As you can see from the pictures, I was happy to see her and didn't get too excited.




There's a dawg bed in the visitation room that's HUGE!  As in THICK!!!  Mommy thinks they need to re-think that since a dawg with a surgery like mine might not be able to easily get on the bed and get comfy.  After a couple tries, I managed.




After this experience I have to admit I do NOT see why you human ladies feel the need to shave your legs!  This did not make for a good experience.  And I have rashes in places too!  Ouch!

On Sunday afternoon, both Mommy AND Daddy came to visit me!  Yeehaw!  I was SUPER EXCITED!!!  Mommy wasn't sure if it was because I was feeling better or if I was just that excited to see Daddy!  I'll never tell . . .

They stopped in at the Barkery again, and I got to pig out on more treats.  Perhaps this surgery thing isn't so bad after all?





Once I finished eating my treats, I was able to devote all my energy to DADDY!!  At this point I got a little TOO excited and tried to jump up.  A big no no as far as my leg and doctor are concerned.


Daddy knows exactly where the sweet spot is!




Hopefully tomorrow is the day I get to return home.  Mommy said something about being in my crate 24/7 for several weeks, but I'm sure she's just being her usual dramatic self!

Crossing  my paws,
Jenna


PS: Happy Memorial Day!  Thank you to our brave service men and women who have served in the past and present.  We know we have you to thank you for the freedoms we enjoy!

Since I'm in the slammer right now, Mommy had Jenna pose for this year's patriotic picture . . .


 Here's my patriotic picture from a few years back . . . who do you think did it best???






Friday, May 26, 2017

Saying Goodbye to The Sofa!


We've had to say farewell to a good friend in the past few months:  The Sofa.   [sigh]   [deeper sigh]

This is such a sad story you may not be able to read it all the way through.  We had a difficult time writing it since these pictures bring back great memories of time spent with The Sofa.

This story actually starts with The Old Sofa.  It was once a lovely deep navy color that had been passed down to our parents from Mimi and Grandaddy and had been re-covered.  After years of comfort provided to our parents and our big brother Hunter, it had to be retired.


Of course we also had a few good years with The Old Sofa.


And then it was time to say out with The Old Sofa and in with The New Sofa!  



We desperately wanted to sit on The New Sofa, but Mommy adamantly REFUSED to allow us up there!  Hmpf!


Then a year and two months later, The Unfortunate Incident occurred and The New Sofa situation changed!  YIPPEE!!!!  We guess Mommy was in so much pain that she had a weak moment.  We were invited onto The New Sofa!  Ohhh . . . Ahhh . . . 

And suddenly The New Sofa became simply known as The Sofa and we were right at home!  We LOVED sleeping on The Sofa!



The time we spent with The Sofa was a fabulous five months.  Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end . . . or so we've heard.  Mommy started noticing quite a bit of dawg hair on The Sofa.  We're not sure what the problem was; after all, The Sofa wasn't complaining!  One fateful day in February, Mommy was vacuuming and decided it was past time to vacuum the sofa as well.  She sprayed Static Guard on the sofa because that helps release the dawg hairs . . . usually!  After vacuuming The Sofa twice, she finally went to retrieve the lint roller.  We lost count after four swipes and changes of the sticky paper . . . and THAT was the END of our friendship with The Sofa!

Now we're back to sleeping on The Floor.  We aren't sure why, but The Floor doesn't seem to want to be good friends with us . . .


Have no fear, The Master Bed is always available for good snuggles!


And if The Master Bed isn't feeling friendly for some reason, there's always The Guest Bed!


[sigh]  It was good while it lasted!  Those were the good ol' days!  [deeper sigh]

Dixie & Jenna
[sigh]


Monday, May 22, 2017

Our "New" Beds


You've probably noticed in lots of posts from the past that we have fabulous Orvis watershed dawg beds.  These beds can stay outside in the rain, and the water just runs right through them.  They have to be one of the best inventions known to canines (and dawg moms too).  Mommy isn't sure how old the large bed is since it was Hunter's, but it's been around for a while and has had two previous covers.  When Dixie joined the family, she received a smaller bed (technically the medium size) and so did I two years later.  These beds have withstood several blizzards and countless rainstorms.  They've even been frozen to the deck at our previous house.  In the interest of full disclosure, they did come inside for two hurricanes.




Unfortunately, the wind where we live now has taken a toll on the covers.  Mommy first noticed a hole in the large bed cover back in the fall.  She fully intended to patch it up, but just never got around to it.  By the time spring rolled around, there were several holes in both bed covers.  To be honest, she probably could not have sewn the holes up since the fabric was shredding.  Mommy decided the best and easiest (but certainly not cheapest) option was to just order new covers.

Mommy wasn't thrilled with the cover options available at this time, but we had to have them!  There were three choices this year: a red and orange stripe, a white tropical print, and a blue stripe.  We tend to decorate with blue when given a choice, but not necessarily these shades of blue!


I'm looking good in my supermodel pose, aren't I??


Dixie's tennis balls even match the new cover.  That makes Mommy a tiny bit happier with this bright blue since she's a matchy-matchy person!


If you haven't tried these beds out and you spend a lot of time in the sun like we do, you should give them a chance!

Jenna

Thursday, May 18, 2017

The Trouble with the Vet . . .


I had to go to the vet recently.  Mommy debated over and over about taking me.  I've had issues with my knee off and on for a while.  Mommy had noticed I was starting to adjust my mannerisms so that I didn't stress my knee out.  She was so afraid I was in pain.   I have been for while now, but I'm a trooper and keep right on going!

 Waiting on the doctor . . .

Eavesdropping on the wonderful comments the nurse was making about me . . .
beautiful, great personality, etc.  The usual! 

If I'd known then what I know now, I should've pawed through that door and made a RUN for it!

The vet couldn't believe my knee had never been x-rayed before.  He voiced the biggest fears Mommy had, that it was probably a torn ACL.  Before I knew what was happening, Mommy was leaving me behind so they could sedate me and take x-rays.  She returned an hour and a half later.  I was more than a little put out with her!  Hmpf!



I was also VERY sleeeeeeeepy!  

I slept all the way home and Mommy even had to pick me up to get me out of the car!  

The results were exactly what Mommy had feared.  I'm going to have surgery to repair the tear in my knee!  Apparently I'm channeling my big brother even more than I thought!  Mommy was really bummed out, but she's told me it will all be worth it eventually.  When I'm fully recovered my soccer ball can come out of hiding and I can finally PLAY again!

For the rest of that evening, Mommy and Dixie tried to cheer me up . . .





I just decided the best course of action was to sleep it off!  That anesthesia really took a toll on me.  I slept all evening long and didn't even budge when the fridge was open!  Hard to believe, I know!!!




I'm sure Mommy or Dixie will keep you updated on my surgery and recovery.  Mommy says I have endless walking in my future . . . (I really think she's thinking about her future!!).

Best Patient Ever,
Jenna

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Channeling My Big Brother


We've said before that it was a blessing in disguise that our big brother Hunter didn't have to make the move to our new location.  He would have hated the looooong drive to get here and the heat would have been too much for him.  We miss him very much, but our parents have noticed something strange in the past year.  I seem to be channeling several of Hunter's habits (the good ones and the bad ones)!

You may remember Dixie is the one who spent the most time with Hunter. She joined him when she was just a puppy.  I didn't join the family until I was almost two years old.  I only spent about three and half years with Hunter before he passed away.  Some of these strange habits I've "picked up" he didn't even do anymore by the time I knew him!  Weird huh?

Here's a few pictures from my first meeting with Hunter:




Mommy and Daddy have recently been keeping a list of the many ways I've started to act like my brother:  (We don't have pics of everything, so lots of reading involved!)

1. Hunter loved to eat paper (including cardboard).  He'd come running when he heard a nose being blown or the roll of the toilet paper!  I do the same thing with the exception that I don't go into the bathroom looking for paper when my parents aren't in there.  Out of sight, out of mind.



2. He also loved to eat snow!  Me too!




3. Hunter LOVED to play fetch with anything that was thrown.  I love to play fetch as well and don't care what you throw, just throw it!

 Playing baseball with Daddy

 Trying to convince Mommy to throw that giant mangled tennis ball . . .

Waiting on Daddy to throw the pallina in a game of bocce ball . . . 

4. He carried his toys around the house in his mouth.  I do this often.  I even pull Hunter's very first toy (yep, it's still alive after all these years!) out of the toy box and carry it around sometimes.



5. Hunter became very good at trying to predict which way Mommy was going to throw or kick the ball.  She says I'm the same way, and I try to get in front of the ball every time.

6. Hunter had a very strong tail.  (Once he cleared a coffee table and broke a candlestick.  At least that's Daddy's story and he's sticking to it.)  I'm often called Thumper because of my heavy tail.  I've cleaned the coffee table off, but so far I haven't broken anything.  Crossing my paws . . .

7. Hunter wasn't trained as a puppy to ring the bell to go out.  He tried it a couple times when Dixie was learning, but mostly he just gave my parents the stare down until they noticed he was in need.  I try not to ring the bell either.  I prefer my big brother's stare method.  If I ring the bell, it's because I'm desperate!


8. We're all guilty of begging for food at some time.  Daddy could tell Hunter, "Don't beg!" and he'd look away as if he wasn't watching what was happening in the food department.  Hunter watched from the corner of his eyes instead.  I do the same thing!  As if I'm NOT going to notice food!  Ha!

9. When Hunter was an only child, he liked to sleep with my parents.  He would burrow between the two of them and stretch out his legs to push against one or the other to make more room for himself.  I've been told I'm doing this too lately.  I never slept in the bed at our old house, but I've been given a little more freedom here and I LOVE it!

10. Sometimes that burrowing in the bed is apparently disruptive or annoying for my parents.  I can't imagine why.  Hunter soon learned the command to go to his bed and he'd hop off and move to the dawg bed kept in our parents' room.  This is a fairly new command for me, but I know it well!  I'm even using the same bed!  Maybe all of Hunter's habits are sinking in through osmosis???


11. Hunter was famous around our house for his loud moans and groans as he laid down (and that was even before he grew old).  I apparently sound just like him some days!

12. My big brother annoyed Mommy to no end when he came into the bedroom and proceeded to rub himself all along the edge of the bed getting hair and dirt on the dust ruffle.  Mommy said Hunter had one thing going for him that I apparently don't when I do the same thing: he didn't shed nearly as much and his hair blended a little better on our khaki linens than my black hairs do!  [sigh]

13. Last but not least, our parents love both of us endlessly! (And Dixie too, I guess!)



There's a nasty rumor going around the house that a new chocolate lab puppy will be joining us soon.  We hear it's a boy.  Wonder if he too will be able to pick up on some of these family traits???

Inquiring minds want to know,
Jenna


PS: Happy Mother's Day and  Happy Birthday to Uncle W!  And belated birthday wishes to Poppa yesterday.  

PSS:  Today would've been Hunter's birthday too. Perhaps eventually Mommy won't mark the date, but it's not this year!