DORA-DOG'S RECENT LIFE JOURNEY

 POST # 708

I took the above photo of Dora-dog just this past Tuesday.  She sure looks happy, just as she did in a similar photo taken quite a few years ago, which can be seen on the right hand side of the blog (7th photo down the page).

And since last Tuesday, that is about the happiest that she has looked since that time.  But why is that?  Well in order to answer that question, we have to go back in time to last month. The vet noticed a small lump (lipoma-A lipoma in a dog is a common, non-cancerous (benign) fatty tumor that grows just underneath the skin) on the inside of Dora-dog's right front leg, and she suggested that we keep an eye on it.  Since that time it had grown, which resulted in a very pronounced limp, and so recently a decision was made to remove it, which of course meant surgery.

So this past Wednesday, we took her to the vet, dropped her off, and returned home without her.  It was strange being home, without Dora-dog.  In fact, in all of the time since Mary has had her, and I have been visiting, this was the first time that we were at home, and not had her around.  

Later that day, the vet phoned to tell us that the surgery had been successful, and that we could come and pick her up.  When we arrived she was happy to see us, but she was still getting over the surgery, so she was a bit groggy, not her normal excited self.

So she's now back home, and she is probably trying to work out why so much of her fur is missing.  She looks somewhat stunned by the new hair cut.

I suppose that she could look on the bright side of things, and pretend she now has some new "fur boots" to show off to her four legged friends.

But they really did remove quite a bit of her fur ( more than I would have expected) but I'm not a vet so what do I know when it comes to having a procedure such as she has just had?

It's going to take a long time for that fur to grow back, but it's really a minor issue.  The main thing is that the surgery was successful, and for that we are all very thankful indeed.

Of course, Dora-dog now has to wear a cone, to prevent her from licking the affected area, and she won't be able to go for any walks for the next two weeks.  TWO WEEKS.  

She gets all excited each day when she sees me putting on my shoes by the front door, because that is the signal that we will soon be walking out the door and heading out for our daily journey to town and back.  And then she can't work out why I am walking out the door and leaving her behind. I'm guessing that she feels sad, and I certainly know that I do.  But it is what it is, and we have to be thankful that she is now recovering, and eventually she should be back to her normal exuberant self.  We will both be very happy when that day finally arrives, and we can once again enjoy our daily stroll.  And maybe then, we will appreciate how lucky we are to be able to do that simple activity.  Like often happens, we take things for granted until they are not there. Thanks Dora-dog, for teaching this lesson to me yet again.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

PS: Here is a post from August 28/2019, when Dora-dog had her first encounter with a cone.

https://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/search?q=post+372

MY JOURNEY CONTINUES

 POST # 707

Yesterday, I had to say goodbye to Maggie.  As you can see, she wasn't very happy to hear the news. On the plus side, her owner would be home later in the day, and when that happened, she would once again be a bundle of joy.

And today, I have to say goodbye to Ollie once again.  I think that he's used to it by now, and after I walk out the door, he'll more than likely just find a comfortable place to curl up and go to sleep for the rest of the day. It's what he does best.

Mind you, he did have a shocked look on his face when I told him the news a little while ago.  He can't quite work out why I am leaving so soon, seeing as I only arrived here last night.

But my journey continues.  This afternoon, I will once again be heading to Washington to spend some precious time with Mary and Dora-dog.  Hopefully all will go as planned and I won't have any issues going through Customs, but I guess I'll know the answer to that question a few hours from now.

So once again, it's time to pack up my things, and head to the train station, in anticipation of my upcoming journey.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

MAGGIE

 POST # 706

Less than a five minute walk from Purl's home, is the home of Maggie. Purl and Maggie are best of friends, so I would like to think that it was Purl who suggested that I spend time with Maggie, but in actual fact it was Maggie's next door neighbours, my friends Pam and Don, who referred me to both of them.

So after I finished up with Purl it was time to settle in with Maggie, and I have to admit that we were buddies right from the get go.  Maggie is less than a year old, so she wins the award for the youngest four legged critter that I have ever had the pleasure to care for.  

We make sure to get out twice a day for a walk, but Maggie seems to be more interested in sniffing everything along the way, than actually getting some exercise walking.  But that's okay, as I am more than happy to let her decide how the walk should take place.  And if sniffing the ground is her priority, then so be it.  Like most dogs, she probably can't work out why the human is so disinterested in all of the various fragrances along the way.  

Aside from our daily walks, there is plenty of time (and plenty of dog toys) to play with when we are inside, and Maggie makes sure to try each and every one of them with the house sitter.  I've had plenty of experience with this, and I think Maggie appreciates that fact.

Of course, after all this walking and playing with toys, it's time for an afternoon nap, which of course we both feel that we have earned.

So we have settled into a good daily routine, and I expect that it will continue for the remainder of my time here, which is now a little less than one more week.

If I ever have the pleasure to spend time with Maggie in the future, I sure hope that the message on the sign on her front door isn't what she will be thinking then.

Somehow, I don't think that that will be the case.  In a very short time, we've become friends, and I think that makes us both very happy.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

SAY HELLO TO PURL

 POST # 705

Say hello to Purl, who lives here in Ladysmith. Yes, that's how you spell her name.  I thought that it was spelled Pearl, but I found out from her owner that it is spelled Purl, as in the saying, "knit one, purl two."  Knitting is something that her owner likes to do, and so Purl inherited her new name.  What she was called prior to being adopted, I don't know.

Anyhow, I arrived here at the beginning of this week, after my return to Canada, from Mexico, with an overnight in Vancouver. By the time I finally got to sleep in Vancouver, after my journey, I had been up for a total of just over 44 hours, which is certainly something I don't recommend.  I hope that I never have to do that again.

But now I am enjoying a very relaxing week with Purl.  She took a little while to get used to the new human on the scene, but I'm pleased to report that we have now become friends, and are enjoying each other's company.

Here she is showing off her big ears.

We make sure to get a couple of good walks in each and every day, even though the hot weather is somewhat of a challenge.  Purl doesn't seem to mind, as there are plenty of wonderful smells along the way to keep her distracted from the temperature.

Of course, after a long walk, it's time to settle down for a nap, and Purl has plenty of locations around the house to do exactly that.  I guess she has earned it.

I'll be hanging out here with Purl for a few more days, and then I will be wandering down the street to the neighbour's home, to take care of another four-legged critter named Maggie.  We've already been introduced, so I think it will go well, once I am settled in there.  

And just to finish off today's rather short post, I'll add a link to a previous post which has photos of my  friend, Blanca, who lives in Cadboro Bay.  Blanca and Purl could be sisters, or cousins or something, as they certainly do look very similar, and they both have the same laid back attitude.

https://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2023/06/another-day-in-paradise.html

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer