Freddy Update

Freddy

It has been a while since I posted about Freddy's progress. He has lived with us for 6 weeks as of Saturday. 6 weeks is such a short period of time in the grand scheme of things, but it is like he has lived here forever. It amazes me how quickly he learned the routine and rules of our home. It amazes me how quickly he has claimed us as his people. From the stories and accounts I had heard, I expected the transition to be long and difficult. After all, he had lived with his old family for 8 years.

Of course, I wonder how much of what I was told was true, and what was said in an effort to make one's self look better or how much emotion was created out of guilt.

Freddy's old owners seemed nice enough. They acted like giving him up was like detaching a limb (although I think back to the original email and how it mentioned that they were considering putting him to sleep). He came with a heart wrenching letter, about how much they loved him and wanted to keep in contact, wanted pictures, etc.

We called the first night and the woman cried when we talked to her. She said she would be in contact and she was given our phone number and email address. Two weeks went by, and we didn't hear from her so we called again. She said she had been thinking about calling us, but never got around to it. We decided that would be our last call to her. We would let her contact us. She hasn't.

Maybe I am wrong, but her lack of contact and Freddy's quick adjustment make me wonder if his perfect life with his perfect family was so perfect after all.

But the important thing is how well he is doing. He learned his new name without a second thought. It took a few days, but he learned to eat food out of a bowl like a dog...and even to eat dog food! We were told he hated going for rides, but yesterday we took him in the big truck when I went out on a short run with my husband. Freddy did well. We were told he wouldn't walk on a leash, but he walked like an old pro when we stopped for potty breaks. As a matter of fact, he walked so well on the leash he almost had a gait of a dog you would see at a show. I wonder how much of what we were told about Freddy and his hang-ups were really about him and how much was about his owner.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter

We had plans for Easter. We were going to go to family's house for dinner. This is the first Easter since we have been married that Joe was home and not on the road. However, he was assigned a load, and although he will be home this afternoon, he has to leave this evening. We decided to cancel our plans because he needs to nap. It really isn't a big deal though.

Yesterday we spent the day together in a family outing. He had a load that was just going up north a couple hours and right back. So, I went with him, along with Morgan, Bailey and Freddy. It was a relaxing few hours and the dogs seemed to enjoy the ride.

The Mystery

Around 1 PM this afternoon I happened to glance out my front door window and I saw a newspaper on the step, pushed slightly under the porch door. Sometimes the local newspaper runs a promotion where they send the paper to non-subscribers trying to entice them to subscribe. However, I thought it was odd since when the paper is delivered, it is early in the morning. Usually between 5-7 AM. I know it wasn't there earlier because I was outside around 11 and it wasn't there. Also, the paper had just a few water spots on it. It is a warm day, causing snow to melt and drip off the roof. If it had been there for any length of time it would have been soaked. I find it puzzling since my dogs will bark anytime someone comes near the house. Yet, someone was obviously at my front door, and they never made a peep.

Once I got inside and started looking at the paper, and the news was old. The front page had something about Sandra Dee's death. I looked at the date and the newspaper is from 2/21/05. Even though it was an old paper, it doesn't looked "used". Not one crinkle or crease. This made this mystery even more puzzling. I thought that perhaps there was a message that I missed that someone wanted to make sure I saw. I checked the personals and the legal notices, and there was nothing which needed my attention.

It is just weird. The only thing that stands out about 2/21 is that was the first day that Joe went from working locally to driving over the road.

My Baby Boy Is Growing Up

My baby boy is growing up. Bailey will be 20 weeks old tomorrow, 5 months old on April 6th. He has been with us for 14 weeks. 14 weeks, that is it. Really just a blip in time. How is it possible that he has grown, and changed so much in that time?

When he went to the vet this week he weighed 10 pounds. Three weeks earlier he weighed 8 pounds. It is hard to believe this is the same, puppy who was under 2 pounds and fit on my shoulder.

Bailey is also discovering his inner dog. He is testing his limits and ability. He usually puts his front paws on the bed and waits for me to lift him up. My bed is very low, and he has been big enough for a few weeks to get up on his own, but he just didn't realize it. He surprised himself this morning, when he climbed in on his own. He has always gotten scared when we were outside and the beagles across the road bark. As soon as the barked he would come running up the ramp and go to the door to go inside. Last night, he ran up the ramp, and went to the door. Then he stopped, he turned around and stood at the top of the ramp, looking towards the fence, where he tried to see the other dogs barking. I am sure that soon, he will just ignore them as the rest of my dogs do.

It is just amazing to watch his grow and develop before my eyes.

Happy Spring

First Day Of Spring

Today is the first day of spring. As you can see from the photo, it isn't too spring-like here. Living here the calendar doesn't really mean much. Our warm seasons are shortened, and the cooler ones extended. Although the calendar says it is spring in March, we don't really see spring until May. We have spring for one month, then summer begins in June. Although fall doesn't start until late September, our fall starts in mid-August. By time "fall" arrives the trees have already lost at least half of their leaves.

We have a winter weather advisory, calling for snow and freezing rain tonight. HAPPY SPRING!

Birthin' Babies

I have spent most of the first part of this decade wishing I could get pregnant, and doing all the things a person does when they want to have a baby. When I was growing up, I was taught that a girl grew up and became a wife and mother. It was never brought up that something else might fill a person's life. A husband and babies were the end result of a successful life.

Alas, I couldn't have a baby, and I am sure that makes me somewhat of a failure in my parents' eyes. Oh, they never came out and said it in those words, but it was implied. It was implied every time my Father would say he wished we had kids. It was implied the way the sun rises and sets on the heads of my (deceased) brother's children, yet my folks have no real interest in my life.

Then about a year ago, I woke up one morning and I had an epiphany. Having children may have been my parents' plan, and I may have had it drilled into me that it was my purpose, but it was not. As I sat up in bed that morning, and looked around at the dogs that surrounded me, I realized that if I had children, I wouldn't have all of them. I might have had a dog or two, but I wouldn't have been able to have the dogs I had. Most of my dogs are older, or have health or emotional issue from past abuse and neglect. If I had kids, I wouldn't have been able to devote myself to these innocent creatures who would be seen as "throw away" animals to many people. My purpose wasn't to be birthin' babies, but to tend to God's other creatures. My life had gone to the dogs....and I loved it. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders as this realization hit me.

I had, up until that point, bought into the idea that my pets were a replacement for children that I surrounded myself in for comfort. However, I realized that wasn't true. My pets were my children....the children I was meant to have.

After that time, I was still open to having babies. I didn't think it would happen, but I still longed for the parental approval that would come with having a baby. I also wondered what it would feel like to have a baby growing inside me. Sometimes I think I just wanted the experience more than I wanted to have an actual baby.

Recently, I was hit by another realization. Not only am I comfortable with the fact that I won't have any human children, I actually don't want any. So now, I have a new concern. Over the years, as others would offer support, people would often tell me stories about someone they knew who couldn't have kids and found themselves pregnant at 40, 42 or 45. I never gave it much thought, but now I find myself praying that this doesn't happen to me.

I sort of live Murphy's Law. Now that I have reached this point in my life, I worry that I will become pregnant. I guess only time will tell.

Mila Goes On The Road

Mila

Ever since we have had dogs we have had "truck dogs". Back when I was on the road with Joe, Buddy and Morgan (as well as our cat Romeo) lived in the truck with us. For the last 6 years, Joe takes turns with the dogs. He usually takes one dog, sometimes he takes two. Buddy, Tequila and Furby alternate. Joe has been wanting to take Mila for over a year, but since we are unsure how she will do in the road, and it isn't the sort of situation where you can just turn around and come home if it isn't working out, she has stayed home with me.

Until now....
Joe had a load that came by home, delivers in Rochester and then he will be home for the weekend. Since it is just over night, this was the perfect time to take Mila out for a test run.

As we got her prepared to go with her harness, collar, leash and winter coat, she seemed excited, but not quite sure what was going on. She knew she was going with her Daddy and that is really all that mattered to her.

I really don't know how she will like it. She is a bit nervous when she goes for rides, but riding in the truck is a little different. If nothing else, I hope she enjoys her special time with Daddy. She has always been a Daddy's girl.