Ellie's Day Out

 Ellie is our runner. She doesn't run away, she just loves to run! She has a good time walking and loves our new neighborhood here in California! When that harness goes on she is ready to go! She's happy and bouncy and you can just feel the excitement. There is no gated dog park here in the neighborhood, so I walk her as fast as I'm able on her walk. I just know that she wants to run.

It was time for a dog day out! 

You might wonder why she was getting this special day. Well, Maddie has trouble with her hips and back, being a Lab/Great Dane mix, this is normal and she's 9 years old. She gets her walk, but it's slow and short. At the dog park all she wants to do is chase a ball. All day. We have to limit her running or she has a horrible painful day after. Annabell rambles around, sniffing and grazing. She doesn't care about socializing, really. And Bailey. Well, Bailey can't be trusted. She's developed a nipping issue and since we don't really know what triggers her, we don't feel comfortable taking her around other dogs, especially off leash.

Ellie, however, will take a torturous car ride in hopes of a dog park destination any time. 

She sits in the back with her head pressed in-between the front seats, head hanging low, not watching out the windows at all until she feels us coming to a stop, then she'll look up and glance around looking for the ever hopeful sign of a dog park. I don't think she likes riding in the car. She loves the idea of the ride, but just wants to get to where we are going and then go home. 

Mary has physical therapy on Thursday and Ellie is often the topic of conversation, so she mentioned to them last week that we would have Ellie along and they all wanted to meet her! I went into the office and the first thing the receptionist asked was if Ellie was here. I wanted to get permission to bring her in first. 

Of course, Ellie was nervous. Her rapid sniffing as we approached the door to go in told me she was trying to identify the smell and I hoped she would recognize that this was not, in fact, the vet and she would relax a little. 

We only went into the front of the office, where everyone came over to greet her. She was nervous, but okay with meeting people. She felt comfortable enough after a couple pets to hop up in one of the two chairs there in the reception area. She popped up, turned around and plopped herself into that chair like she was a patient waiting for her scheduled time!

There were three or four other people there for their appointments, so there was a lot of new noises and activity that made Ellie nervous, and we didn't plan on being in there long, just a little meet and greet. One woman was done with her therapy and she was just delighted to see Ellie there in the lobby. She walked right up and sat down as I told her about Ellie and she was okay to pet. Ellie didn't hesitate. There was a quick, cautious sniff, but then she just started kissing the lady's hand and rubbing up along side her, wagging and clearly happy to visit her. I was worried she'd try and jump in her lap, she was that happy. We sat and chatted a couple minutes then the lady told me her daughter was probably wondering where she was, as she was out in the car waiting for her. I told her I'd walk her out, if she'd like, so Ellie and I headed out the door while Mary was doing her PT thing.

Mary is usually there for an hour or so, so I drove to the neighborhood adjoining the businesses there, certain there would be a park where Ellie could get out and walk for a while, instead of sitting in the car. A beautiful little park next to a school was found and off we went! She was hesitant, it was someplace new, but she bounced down the path with a happy wagging tail.

She wandered through the grass, following her nose and all the smells that were new and interesting until she found the right place to, well, you know. Doggie bags at the ready, I picked up her masterpiece and continued through the park. 

Ellie bounced around after seeing another dog, hoping that this new stranger would want to play, but, alas, it was not to be. She did spot the car while she was mournfully watching this other dog walk away from us and once that happened, all she wanted was to go back to the car.

 

She headed back to the car with no sideways glance at anything! 

We found a semi-shady parking spot by the office, left the car running and the air on and waited for Mary to emerge from the office that was not the vet.

I was backed into the spot, so Ellie just kept an eye on the door.

She finally lay down for a while, but was hopeful when she heard another car pull up next to us.

There was a doggo in that car! She could see it bouncing around, but there was no greeting, much to her dismay.

It wasn't too terribly long before Mary emerged and Ellie was SO happy! No cone on Mom's neck, so it most definitely Not a vet.

The excitement only got higher when she saw it was lunch time and she got her own little bowl of chicken.

We headed over to the dog park in hopes of finding another dog or two for Ellie to run with. (She also had the last little bit of her lunch.)

As we got to the gates it looked like the park was empty! As luck would have it, though, off at the other end of the park we saw someone with their two dogs coming our way. 

We chatted with the dog's owner for a long time while Ellie and her two dogs got to know each other. As we talked other people started coming into the park. Ellie designated herself as greeter and happily ran to meet each new potential friend! 

It was really good to see her out and running so happily with all the other dogs! She really needed a good dog day.

Happy Howloween!

 As with everything this year, we wondered what craziness Halloween would bring to our new neighborhood. I followed the chatter on a neighborhood Face Book page and knew that there would be people taking their kids out for Trick or Treat, so we got some supplies and were ready to see the kids and their costumes!

Mary and I bagged up the candy, a few pieces per bag, and set them out on a table so the kids could take what they wanted and not have to reach in a big bowl filled with all the other little hands that would have reached in the big bowl. 

Bill and I sat away from the table and greeted everyone who marched up the drive.

The dogs didn't know what was going on, of course, but we had fun trying to get them ready for the evening.

Ellie has always loved getting 'dressed'. She knows what bag in the closet holds all her latest fashions.

She's outgrown most of her costumes and not-so-happily handed them down to Bailey. 

Bailey Loved the elephant costume because the trunk was a toy right in her face! Didn't last long before that came off, but she had a fun few minutes.

We waited outside for the ghosts and goblins to arrive, the dogs wondering what was going on from the window. Three of them were none too pleased with being excluded from the driveway antics. Except Annabell. She really didn't care. 

The three pitiful faces from the window each got a chance to come out into the driveway between guests and they were both happy and confused as to why there were no walks involved. 

When all the hub-bub was over and we turned the porch lights out, the dogs were introduced to a new treat; dates. (Fine for dogs in moderation due to sugar content, so they just got a smidge)

All in all, in was a good evening! Not as raucous as I expected it to be and only experienced a short burst of fireworks in the neighborhood. 

(and really? I hate fireworks. And California? The 'fire' state?)

It wasn't terribly long before we were off to bed ready to wake knowing the clock was going to say 4 a.m. 

Hope your Halloween was special!

Maddie had a hard day

Maddie is a really good dog. She does all the good dog things. She loves catching sky raisins (flies) and loves watching light reflecting on the walls. Sometimes a bit OCD. She'll stare at lights and shadows on the walls for a long time. Spot a fly and she'll sit there and stare at it until it goes on it's merry way or she's lucky enough to catch it.

She loves bubbles, too. She will jump around the yard snapping away at those soapy bubbles floating around, filled with light from the sun, just as happy as can be.

 

She also really loves a good ball. (What Lab doesn't? Well, Ellie, not so much, but...)

Thursday she had a day of bubble catching and a couple of throws of the ball in the house. It was too much, I guess, because Friday morning, as Bill is leaving for work, he tells me Maddie hasn't gotten up out of the bedroom. I found her in the bedroom near the door. She would cry whenever she moved.

She lay in the hallway all morning. I sat with her every few minutes and checked on her often, wondering what in the world we were going to do. She has had trouble with her hips and legs for a while now and we are really careful about how much jumping and running after the ball she does, but Thursday was just a bit too much for her, I guess.

I reached out on the neighborhood page asking if anyone knew of a vet who made house calls. As slight as the possibilities were I had to ask. I had no idea how to get Maddie into the car even if we were able to get a vet appointment. 

When Mary got up she managed to get Maddie up and outside to go potty. Her poor back legs were shaking and I could see she was having trouble. She stood on the patio a few minutes, legs shaking and her tail straight down. (It's never straight down.) She finally made it back in the house and laid down on the rug right inside the door. We got her into a dog bed next to where she was and she stayed there for a couple of hours. Mary sat down on the floor and fed her by hand. She was hungry and ate all she was given.

I talked to the vet's office where we took Annabell when she was hurt. The first regular opening for an appointment is October 28, but the emergency vet would be available. I told her I would keep an eye on her for a little longer and call back if we thought we should go in to see the vet.

She rested all day, and seemed to be better and better. She yipped once getting up out of the dog bed, but, even though she struggled, she seemed to be feeling a little better. Even snapped at the fly that kept landing on her while she rested.

By evening she was much better, but still walking carefully. She ate her dinner and had some quality begging time when dinner was being consumed. Her eyes were bright. Her tail was up and wagging. I think she's feeling a lot better. A vet appointment will be made and we will keep an eye on her, of course, being careful of how much Lab antics will be allowed, and take her sooner to the emergency vet if the need arises, but I think we have gotten through the worst of it.

Looking forward to all things Fall?

We can all agree, I think, that this year has been more than crazy. So many things. It's not hard to imagine looking forward to something in the future. Anything. The little things. 

Although Fall Festivals will not be happening around here, I'm sure, I'm looking forward to being able to go back to Apple Hill one day soon. The stands. The art. The orchards. The festive atmosphere. I have really good memories of this place.

Fall arriving brings visions of cooler weather (not for a while), the beginning of the holiday season, (people already talking about Halloween here), the sights and smells of the season. 

As candles fly off the shelves every year I am so thankful that I learned about the negative effects of these items. Wished I had learned about it sooner, but you only know what you know until you know better. 

I'm not going to get on the soap box about all the things, but I encourage you to do some research, especially if you love your candles. I did for a long time and still miss them... until I get close to them. Then I remember why I love my diffuser. 

Jump on over to the Young Living Blog, The Lavender Life, and take a look at these diffuser blends that will want to try! You can live without candles. No, really! You can!

If you want to learn more about Young Living and a less toxic home environment just let me know!  Comment here or on Facebook! 

Hello, Lake Tahoe!

 When we left California in 1995 and moved to Indiana we found out pretty quickly that Indiana is flat. Off to Florida, then Georgia. Flat. Moved to Vegas and the views of the mountains were awesome! A short drive to Mt. Charleston and it was wonderful to drive a bit of winding roads and see the pine trees! It was awesome! Another relatively short drive and we could be in Utah where we discovered Duck Creek and some beautiful mountain driving! 

I grew up going to Big Bear where my grandfather had property. A lot of good memories there. When Bill and I got married (in Lake Tahoe) I found my new mountain paradise. We didn't go too often, but it was close to home in Sacramento. We went camping a few times and made the drive a few times. I didn't know how much I would miss it when we left California.

But we're back!

I tried to visit Tahoe a couple of times since we've moved back to this side of the country, but it never worked out. It's no news that this move back to California has been a pretty stressful one, so Friday Mary and I decided to take a drive and see Lake Tahoe. It's only a couple of hours away and we needed some driving time. Mary has never been there, so she was looking forward to seeing what I'd been describing for a while!

My favorite memory of Lake Tahoe is when we stayed at Zephyr Cove  along with my brother and his family. And this picture is still a favorite. 

That's Bill and Dayna walking along the beach. I love the snow on the mountains in the distance.

Mary and I got up to the Lake around noon and, of course, it looks a lot different these days, but enjoyed the drive through town, passed the casinos and found Zephyr Cove pretty easy. We decided to drive a bit and see what there was to see because I don't remember every driving past Zephyr Cove. We hoped to find someplace to stop and visit the lake. Say hello. Feel the breeze.

Turned out there wasn't anywhere obvious along the way, so we turned around.

We pulled into a turn out to get some shots of the lake. The first thing we noticed, though, was this huge pine cone just sitting on a rock. Maddie would love it! (She loves to play with pine cones)

Except for the power lines, the view was beautiful! 

Then we headed back to Zephyr Cove, noticing the dozens of cars parked along the highway just before the entrance, and pulled into the parking lot. To the fee station. Where it cost $12.00 to park, but we were welcome to go park on the highway and walk in for free.

No thanks.

We drove around a bit nearby hoping to come upon someone leaving so we could snag a parking spot, but the walk would have been too much for us (right now) especially since we didn't intend on spending the day. We just wanted to say hello and snap a few pictures. 

We headed back toward Emerald Bay. We saw the turnoff for that earlier and decided to take a gander. The drive there was really pretty, but certainly not a big highway. There were a couple really scary hair-pin turns along the way, but everyone was driving responsibly (surprise!) so we did not end up over the cliff. 

We pulled into a viewing spot and were lucky to find a place to park.

 

Mary brought her 'big' camera and probably got some really cool shots, but I haven't had a chance to steal those from her yet.

We headed toward home after a bit. I didn't really want to drive down the mountain in the dark. It was a short visit, but it was fun showing Mary what was there. She'd heard a lot about Lake Tahoe and the mountains and my love for the pines, but growing up in Florida and Georgia never understood why I loved pine trees. They are very different here. 

Someday we will go and spend more time and, maybe, just maybe, we'll get to get to know the lake better.