My Afflation

So this happened today ... Your legs make great scratching posts... ...and pillows So I'm walking to the store (mostly in my own world) and this homeless lady asks me if I want a kitten. "Excuse me? Can you say that again?" "Do you want a curtain?" "A curtain? You need a curtain?" (I'm so confused)  ... "No, I said, do you want a *kitten*?" pointing into her cart ... At first I misunderstood her and thought she was a bit off and asking about curtains (probably because I had blackout curtains on the brain). She proceeded to tell me about her situation and how she couldn't care for the kitten, that she found on Friday 13th, thought she wanted a companion, but a 6-7 week kitten definitely wasn't it. After much hemming, hawing, and purring... Geez I'm a soft touch. Especially after she said she tried a shelter but was turned away because they were full. And the poor thing was almost dehydrated.... I think I wi...

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My dog, a border collie mix, is sometimes too smart for her own good. In all the cleaning and packing we found a misplaced tennis ball. Zoe has been known to play fetch with herself if I'm not paying enough attention. This morning she started her little game and then stared at the ball as if it were defective because it didn't roll far enough away. And then she barked at it. I finally tossed the ball a few times, but instead of bringing it back for a proper game of fetch, she "tossed" it herself -- and repeated the staring and barking. I don't suppose anyone's made a self-propelling ball for dogs yet?

Back scratching that is.

Here are the dogs waiting patiently with me as I wait for AAA, again. A little over a month ago I had to call AAA to come unlock my car. Last night was a little more dramatic. I thought I was being a good doggie mommy when I got home and it was about 90 degrees in the house. HOT! I changed as quickly as possible into a T-shirt, board shorts and Teva's (love my Teva's, but that's another story), grabbed leashes and away we went. The dogs get so excited when I grab the leashes. And even more so when I told them to go to the car instead of "Front" (front means you have to pee and poop out front and just get a walk. Car means "Yay! We're going somewhere and get to SMELL things!") So, we head out to the beach. I chose the board shorts because they have a pocket I can keep my keys and phone in. Apparently about 5 minutes in, or sometime after I locked my car (this time I clearly remember having keys in hand!) my keys fell out into the soft sand from a ho...

Zoe finally got her chance to cuddle after being jealous of Buddy. She prefers to lick your ear and sneak in french kisses. Beware the frenching dog! S

We have a new dog, Buddy. He's an 8 yr old male. Zoe and he have been trying to decide which one is dominant. It's hilarious to watch, but now Zoe thinks she needs to hump Buddy.

those are my legs under Zoe

made it to Vegas. 80 degrees and Zoe is ready to get out of the car

HUNTINGTON BEACH - Soccer Collies has grown by six. Border collie "Keeper" had six puppies Tuesday. Owner and coach, Mark Lukas, said he plans to train the puppies to play soccer and may sell them. The mother is the goalie of a four-dog team that can dribble the ball with their noses and paws, shoot with their shoulders, and catch the ball in the air with their teeth and paws. The Soccer Collies were featured at a Radio Disney convention in Florida and have become a favorite at birthday parties. The father, "Beck," is another member of the Soccer Collies and plays offense. I could totally teach Zoe how to do this. OK, maybe I couldn't teach her, but she could totally learn. You can read the whole article here

She's doing much better now. She has energy (not the whopping amount that we are used to), but at least she has an interest in life again. And scrounging. No more vomiting and Tim said she had a clean crate this morning. Next on the list ... a bland diet till the runny poops stop.

Zoe has parvo . :-( Right now I'm at the vet debating whether to admit her or do outpatient care. I brought along a friend who just saved me $1200 by asking the right questions, so I'm probably going to do outpatient. Zoe is so lethargic ... It's heartbreaking. The vet thinks she'll recover fine since she's older and larger. They just took her blood to do some tests, it looked like sludge. Eye crusties, red eyes, sitting in her own bloody diarrhea this morning... I hope we're starting treatment in time.

We went on a 3-4 mile dog-friendly hike that I found in Favorite Dog Hikes In and Around Los Angeles . This book has a LOT of hikes that I want to try with Zoe, though this one, while great for her, proved exactly how out-of-shape I am. I was huffing and puffing by the time we got to the top. Going back to the car was MUCH easier and faster. I can do 4-5 miles on a flat surface no problem, the elevation on this hike reminded me of the elliptical . Ah, but ... I have to get out more. Fresh air does a body good. Here are a few photos. There were some totally awesome views from the mountains. Vetter Mountain Fire Lookout Hike

Now if they always got along this well, things would be swell. But as it is in all families, the siblins often fight. -- Joy thinks of Zoe as her little sister. The problem these days is that Zoe can jump over Joy's head, and often jumps on her, causing much consternation and woe.