November 2nd 2009 9:50 am
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Hallowe'en went well. Mom was home and the kitties and I and some visitors all stayed in the house. When kids came to our house, I kept Mom safe by watching while she handed out candy. The visitors made sure the kitties didn't try and get out. It went very well.
The next day, Mom took me on a nice hike. We went way up high in the Battle Bluffs. It was sunny and cool. Perfect for hiking. Last time we went there, Tasha was with us. I miss Tasha.
Today is cloudy and wet but we will still go for a walk.
Tomorrow, little kitty Kitcat is going to the vet for her spaying. Mom finds that very tough. I will go with them and after Kitcat is dropped off, Mom and I will go for a walk to try and get her mind off of it. Then, we have a furnace man coming to our house to make sure our furnace is good for the winter. Shortly after that, we will go and pick up Kitcat. Mom is hoping she won't have to wear a cone.
October 13th 2009 8:29 pm
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Prairie Road Trip 2009
I knew we were going on a trip when I jumped into the back of the truck and it was crammed with stuff. This was confirmed when we stopped at the small lake we always stop at when we are going East. Mom and I were heading back to her prairie home town for a family reunion of sorts. I settled into the familiar driving mode ... though it had been two years since we went on such a trip.
We stopped near the place where Mom found Lucky and Squirrel over 6 years ago:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/00ea gle.jpg
We stopped in Glacier National Park and did a quick trip around the Giant Hemlock interpretive site:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/01g ianthemlock.jpg
Then, we stopped at a secret campsite that Mom knows about. It has Wapta Falls, Yoho National Park, visible and audible in the background. It was too early to camp there but we had our supper at that spot:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/02s uppernearyoho.jpg
We drove on and Mom almost ran into two black bears on the Icefields Parkway in Banff. Good thing she was driving slow and there was no traffic. She kept going and we camped in the David Thompson park. The stars were bright and there was zero noise all night. Not one car went by. It was amazing. This is the view we awoke to:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/03sun risedtp.jpg
More driving and we found ourselves at the home town of the world’s largest bunnock. This is a tourist attraction in Macklin Saskatchewan. A bunnock is the ankle bone of a horse. The place was closed so we didn‘t learn more about it:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/08lar gestbunnock.jpg
We camped in the town of Wilkie, Saskatchewan. The campground was almost empty so I once again could go off leash. We got up before dawn and kept on driving. We next found ourselves in North Battleford, Sask. I got my picture taken with a bison made out of barbed wire:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/10b arbedwirebison.jpg
and a giant Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman and his horse at the museum:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/1 1battlefordmuseum.jpg
The museum did not allow dogs but was closed anyway. So, we kept on driving as we were very close to Mom’s home town.
We finally made it to uncle N’s house. Uncle N was allowing us to stay at his house for a few days before our cabin up at Loon Lake was ready. Uncle N really likes me and I like him:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/12un cleN.jpg
The next day, after Mom took me for a walk in the woods, we drove out to visit uncle M at his acreage. He has 7 kitties and 2 dogs and 2 horses. Here is a photo of uncle M having a morning chat with Squeak:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/1 3uncleMchattingwithSqueak.jpg
Squeak is a kitty that showed up at his house over 3 years ago. She was pregnant and had 4 healthy kittens. Uncle kept 3 of the kittens, found a good home for one of them (a neighbor, so he sees the kitty all the time) and has had all of them neutered. Here he is telling Squeak that she is a good kitty except for being on the table.
One of Squeak’s kittens is a GIANT cat. His name is Pumpkin. He weighs more than 20 pounds. Uncle finds him to be a very special boy and loves him dearly:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/1 3uncleMgiantpumpkin.jpg
Uncle M was hoping we could fit it and helped Mom load up a chair that she inherited from their Mom. It is a chair that is made out of moose antlers and such. Grandpa made it way back in pioneer days. It made for a lot less room for me in the back of the truck but Mom and uncle really wanted that done. Mom is very proud to have it.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/grand paschair.jpg
Later in the day, we drove over to auntie L’s house. She had just returned from Ontario. She lost her husband there in January and had finally taken care of the numerous details that it took to move back home. She had just finished making the super long trip with 4 cats:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/16a untieL.jpg
Mom and uncle M showed up there to help her unpack her camper. While there we saw auntie S and her new baby B. This was the first time Mom saw baby B ever:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/15a untieSbabyB.jpg
Once back at uncle N’s place, he took us on a nice walk. He said I was the best trail dog ever! The best hiking partner a person could have. I love my uncles. Then in the evening, uncle M brought over some stuff that made everyone laugh a lot. Stuff from their past. Auntie L was too tired to visit that night as was auntie S.
The next day, Mom and I got up early, took all of our stuff out of uncle N’s house and put it back in our truck (because that night we were heading to the lake). We then went for our walk in the woods before visiting uncle M for breakfast at his acreage. Once there, uncle M fixed something on Mom’s truck. This is when I got into a bit of trouble. One of his dogs, Reba, and I got in a bit of a scrap. Mom grabbed me by my loose skin on my back end while uncle grabbed Reba and we were pulled a part. None of us got hurt. It wasn’t a serious fight but we scared our people.
Then we went back to uncle N’s to wait for the time to go to the lake. Auntie L showed up and we all visited some more. I am kind of used to them talking forever and I just wait patiently.
Finally, we started driving north. I had never gone this way before and got a bit nervous and was trying to tell Mom that she was going the wrong way! She told me everything was okay and we kept driving. After a while, she stopped and I could smell auntie L and uncle M were near. Sure enough, there they were! In a really nice cabin. I was welcome to come in. Dogs were allowed. Auntie L paid extra so that I could stay there. I was a good boy and fit in real well. This is a photo of our cabin:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/17 ourchalet.jpg
Auntie L took a nice picture of me, my uncle M and his partner in the cabin. It was so cozy! I had a nice carpet to relax on in front of the fire and beside Mom’s bed:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/23me inthecabin.jpg
Uncle N was not expected to spend the night or come the first day. Auntie S and her family were supposed to but never showed up. Auntie L and uncle M and his partner went out to the fancy lodge for supper. Mom wanted to stay put, wash up and just relax at the cabin. She made her own supper with her camping supplies and we relaxed on the deck:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/18m ydeck.jpg
When they got back, uncle M’s partner had to leave. Uncle M had brought a box full of goodies including some crazy stuff Mom had done as a child. So, auntie L, uncle M, Mom and I spent hours looking through all of that stuff. At one time, something my Mom had drawn made auntie L laugh so hard V-8 juice came out her nose!!! Mom had to get her a towel. So that was a very fun night for my Mom.
Next day, I had a nice long walk with Mom first thing in the morning. Uncle Nelson showed up a bit later on. That was so cool to have those four siblings together. Lots of laughing and talking. Then uncle N took Mom and me on a long walk. He knows most every area of the bush around there. After the walk uncle M and aunt L were going to go to the lodge for fine dining while uncle N and Mom were going to stay at the cabin and visit. Mom had plenty to eat from her camping supplies. Well, the fine diners changed their minds and we all stayed together and ate from Mom’s camping supplies. Uncle M helped Mom give me my dreaded pills that night. I was still taking my 4 pills a day at that time. Yuck. Then, uncle M played a movie he had brought. “Into the Wild“ Based on the true story about Chris McCandless, a young man that escaped into the wild but got in trouble and perished. It was a good movie to watch up in the wilderness of Northern Saskatchewan.
The sad part for my Mom was that her youngest sister, auntie S, did not show up. There was no reason for it. Auntie L had planned this ages ago and auntie S was all for it. Also, auntie L paid for everything. She also paid a lot more to get a big enough cabin to accommodate auntie S, her husband and her three children. Cell phones did not work from up there so there was no way to talk to her. Auntie L would drive out to a phone and get “Yeah, we are coming!” from auntie S. This is what hurts Mom so much. It became obvious that auntie S purposely messed up this family reunion for no good reason. Mom is super sad because she has not seen the older niece and nephew in over two years and just saw the youngest nephew briefly and by accident on that one day at auntie L’s. So that was the down side of this super long drive that we made.
So, next morning we all went on our way. Mom stopped by the graveyard where Grandma and Grandpa are buried. I never met Grandpa but Grandma and I got along real well. Then we started our serious driving all the way home.
Had a nice walk in the David Thompson Park area:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/20d thp.jpg
We got caught in an early mountain blizzard up at Peyto Lake viewpoint:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgiv e/21miniblizzard.jpg
It was really nice to get home and see the kitties. Mom had to pretty well rush off to work right away. That is why it took so long for me to get her to write about the trip for me. She still has a big sad place in her heart over what happened with the younger auntie.
Finally, Mom got through her first work week back and we went for a nice drive and walk around here. This is a photo from that:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee21/breakgive/21p rairiedog.jpg
That is all for “Road Trip 2009”.
Lobo
October 13th 2009 10:58 am
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I only got to go on the road trip with Mom because my vet sold us a bottle of 100 antibiotics. This was so that my infection/wound would not flare up on the trip. It closed up just before we left so I didn't have to wear the cone. That was sure a lucky break.
When we got back, Mom discontinued my pills and waited to see what would happen. Those pills were no fun. I had to take four each day and I am not a good patient. Anyhow, after a week everything was fine. The vet had asked Mom to let him know how things went so she called him. She told him everything went well and I had been off the pills for just over a week now. She asked how long before we can quit worrying about the infection and resulting "exit wound" coming back. He said it often comes back within days of discontinuing the pills, but it can take months. It all depends on what is causing the infection. This we do not know. He said, that if it doesn't come back by Christmas then Mom can relax. That will mean the body has either dissolved or encapsulated the foreign object that is causing this.
So, Mom and I have a reason to be anxious for Christmas.
Mom is going to eventually write about our road trip. Soon, I hope.
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