Happy 15th Woofday!!

Hello Big Girl, it's Mama. Still have a hard time looking at your page and spending time on Dogster.

I'm sure you bullied at least a couple of Dogsters into leaving you some gifts!

I have no regrets leading you to The Bridge. You were truly miserable and I appreciate you hanging on for as long as you did.

I miss you, but I know we'll meet again.

Oh My Good Gravy!!!

*flaps in, looks at the Dogster Community homepage, jaw drops*

I can't believe it!! I'm Dog of the Week on Dogster!!

*whispers to Mom*

Ok, you can stop crying now. I know I've only been gone for a few days and you are alternately crying happy and sad tears, you can stop now.

*wraps Mom in her wings*

*whispers*

Be happy silly woman!

Up North

North of The Rainbow Bridge

The time comes. A Siberian Husky lifts up its head. There is an untested adventure beyond. Time to go.

Across the Rainbow Bridge is a place for all dogs. A river runs wide and shallow with tennis balls that fly with their own wings; that is the place for a Labrador or Golden to await its master's arrival.

The Siberian is not content here. Northward is its trail....

There are soft pastures for Aussies and Border Collies, with sheep and geese to pen. Agility equipment grows like trees amid frisbees and flyball.

But the North continues its sure wild call, and the Siberian's journey continues....

Now the air is colder. Now the moon is always full. Now the light is silver and it breaks and shimmers on fields of bright snow. Now there are no roads, no walls, no pens, just endless space to run. This is where Siberians gather, North of the Rainbow Bridge.

They wait in this beautiful place, happy, but not complete. Suddenly, a howl begins, as one dog senses someone coming, someone very special. All the Siberians raise their heads and join in the ancient chorus. They dance like moonbeams and sing like winter winds.

There are red ones like dawn streaks, black ones splattered with many colors and silver ones like the first strange hour before light. They line up as if in harness and run together, in a scintillating, many-colored streak. The leader of the team guides the others past the fields and river, with racing feet and racing heart. They rush to greet the new arrival at the Rainbow Bridge, where the leader is rejoined with its beloved person, never to be parted again.

The glory of the reunion is celebrated by all the Siberians dwelling beyond the Bridge, a glimmering, multicolored team leaping and whirling with joy. The light from that scene is what we see on magical evenings in the northernmost parts of this Earth: The Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights beyond the Rainbow Bridge

It's Over

I left at 3:00 today EST. Unfortunately, I did not leave easily. Mom is still very sad, but relieved it is over.

Many, many thanks to all of you for your gifts and notes of encouragement. Mom felt some strength from our pals while she was at the vet's office.

Date Has Been Made

Mom has set up the date for my time to go to the Bridge. It will be at 2:00 on Thursday, June 24.

Mom came home crying and hugged me, telling me she is so very sorry. It will be for the best since I'm pretty depressed about my life and am in pain.

Thank you all for your support and well wishes. Please send love and support to Mom, she's torn up about this.

Pupdate

It's been way too long since I've written a journal entry and I'm certainly not to blame for that.

*glares at Mom*

I'm around 14 years old now. Not sure if I'm 13, or maybe 15. All I know is that my body is aging rapidly. My quality of life is sliding down.

Mom has to help me up every time I need to move somewhere. If she's not within eyesight of me, I'll cry out to her. I'm not real crazy about Mom helping me up. I'll growl at her and I've actually bitten her a few times.

Mom had me shaved to help me. (Before I continue, I know there are many Dogsters who have a thing against shaving. Before you jump on your judgment seat, let me tell you that if you have met my Mommy, you know she knows what is best for me and believe me, this has really helped me a lot.) I mess myself once or twice a day, so cleaning me up has been easier, plus I don't get as much of the mess over me. I'm also walking a bit better without the pound or so of hair on me. I'm not panting as much and am so much cooler.

I'm still pretty aware of things. I've got my hearing and my sight, but I'm not happy. I'm glad Mom will be home with me full time in a week so we can decide what the best course of action will be.

Mom and I are not interested in extending my life just to extend it. I've spent over half of my life with Mom and it's been a wonderful one. Mom wants me to enjoy life as best I can with the time we have left. Being a big girl, I've lived longer than I thought I would and am grateful of that.

So, I plan on being here for a time longer as long as I enjoy my life. I ask that you be respectful of me and Mom and not give us a ton of advice on medicine, tests, doctor visits, etc. I just wanted to take some time to update our pals to let you all know where we are at.

I'm still an empress and you all are my servants. Just because I'm an old fart doesn't mean that has changed.

The Tooter Brothers Drop By

We had something interesting happen to us last night.

Mom and I were watching some TV. Mom was finishing up some work when she looked out our patio window to see two very large yellow Labs. Mom went outside and both of them came up to greet her. She grabbed both of them and noticed that they had no tags. Sighing, she brought them inside to us since they seemed very friendly.

After we got the greetings and the sniffs over with, she leashed them up and put them in our dogmobile. She drove with them around town to see if there was anyone looking for the two dogs. She also stopped at the police station. No luck.

So, she brought them home and told the pups that they would be spending the night with us.

These two Labs were very large and overweight. I was not really impressed with them and was relieved when I found out they were neutered. At least these two boys were well taken care of. Both of them had nice fur coats with lovely Christmas collars. They were both very happy boys, smiling, kissing, and wagging their tails, sending some items flying across the room.

The smaller of the big boys was an American Lab. The really chunky guy was an English Lab. Both were very friendly and spent some time with me and Mom on the couch. I was concerned because I thought the couch would tip over because of the weight!

The English Lab loved all over Mom and she was foolishly eating it up. The American Lab was a big whiner and wanted to go outside every five minutes.

We were all having a nice visit until they decided to toot. Since they were both very large, the toots were very smelly. I even jumped off the couch and left the room. Mom thinks maybe they ate something on their little odyssey. So they were dubbed The Tooter Brothers.

Before bed, Mom emailed the local humane society to let them know the Tooter Brothers would be dropped off in the morning. The plan was that the Tooters would be sleeping in our crates and me and Molly would sleep upstairs with Mom.

Well, I nixed that idea. There was NO way that one of the Tooter Brothers was going to stink up MY crate! I ran into my crate and shoved myself in the back. Mom could not lure me out, no way, no how!

So, the American Lab Tooter Brother went into Molly's crate for the night. Mom took the HUGE English Tooter (Tudor?) upstairs with Molly for the night.

Molly sprawled out on the bed which is her usual nighttime routine. Mom crawled in after her. Of course, the Tooter wanted to come up too. Somehow, that English Tooter got his big bulk up on the bed. He then stepped all over Molly and Mom. He settled down next to Mom and loved all over her. She swallowed that up! He had the happy tail and the kissies going on! He stayed on her bed all night, snoring away and she didn't even mind! Yeesh!

After Mom got ready to take the Tooters to the humane society, there was a knock on the door. The Tooters went nuts because their Dad had showed up. Evidently, the Tooters went after a deer in a nearby forest and got lost. He thanked Mom for taking care of the Tooters and off they went.

I'm happy for a happy ending and to have my domain back to normal. We also need to air out the house.

14ish Today.

Many thanks to all of the woofs and purrs who have sent me lovely birthday wishes. You all are wonderful, even if you have lacked on sending me treats and rawhides.

I feel very blessed to still be around. I have the dreaded arthuritis now. No more flying over coffee tables or running up the stairs. Getting up on Mom's bed is more of a challenge. I'm tending to hang out downstairs now, just a lot easier on the bones. I'm also leaving little brown presents for Mom when she wakes up in the morning sometimes.

All and all, I feel pretty good and I definitely don't act 14. I could be 13, but my vet says no younger than that based on my toofers, as dull and cracked as they are! BOL!

I really hope to see you all when #15 comes around.

8 Lives Left.

This critter now has 8 out of 9 lives left, thanks to me!

We were on the way home from the Tails of the Tundra Siberian Husky Rescue Hike when Mom had this brilliant idea to stop to see Auntie Leslie and her crazy Labbies Talley, Bridget, and Doobie on the way home.

Molly and I got along with the Labbies great! Talley took a real liking to me. When Talley wasn't admiring me, I sniffed around the yard and found Aunt Leslie's cat underneath the porch!

I started digging and clawing around and Mom kept calling me to get away from the porch. Auntie Leslie said Bagger was a smart kitty and was safe under the porch.

I was very tenacious in looking for that fat morsel and my persistence paid off! While the Moms were chatting, I grabbed that yum-yum! All would have been fine, except when he started screeching bloody murder.

The Moms came a-running and Auntie Leslie got me off the kitty. I signaled to Molly to finish what I started, but Mom grabbed Molly and shoved her inside the house along with me.

Auntie Leslie looked over Bagger and he didn't even have a scratch.

Then the Moms looked at me and found that my ear had gotten scratched along with a tiny spot above my eye. Auntie Leslie grabbed some peroxide to clean it all up. Thankfully I didn't need any stitches. Mom said I deserved what I got and that I was very naughty. Auntie Leslie said we were both lucky and because Bagger is a very fat kitty, his plumpness saved him from my jaws.

Mom was VERY angry with me and said that I was VERY lucky that Auntie Leslie was a very understanding person in that we weren't banned for life for my antic.

Mom has also threatened to not send in my paperwork for my Canine Good Citizenship certificate. I swear it says nothing in the paperwork about dogs not being able to threaten, harass, or try to harm cats. I know. I've looked.

Orneriness Taken to the Next Level

I'm going to let Mom tell this story since I refuse to disclose my secrets on the following matter:

Mimi's been having problems pooing and peeing in the house after I go to bed. She almost always stays downstairs now because it's cooler and she doesn't have to worry about her achy joints going up the stairs.

So last night I put her in bloomers. Molly and I went upstairs to go to sleep.... Read More

I woke up this morning to an interesting sight. Beside my bed I found Mimi's bloomers, intact and full of poo and pee.

How in the world did she wiggle out of them and get them upstairs??????