Author: Christine

Hoppy Ampuversary Frank’n’farter… xoxoxo

And what better way to celebrate but wear something that is very close to my heart… a memorial bracelet about you dude!!!

Rene.. LOVE IT!!!!!   LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!  I got it on Monday when I got home from work!!  THANK YOU for making a wonderful tribute bracelet.. you are an exceptionally talented lady!!!

I had been chatting back and forth with Rene about getting a bracelet made to honor Franklin.. threw ideas back and forth, changes, suggestions.. and here is the final result!  Money well spent on a beautiful piece of jewellery that I will wear alot!!  LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT!!!!!!

AND.. is jingles and chimes when I move my arm.. kinda reminds me of Franklin’s coller jingling!!  lol

on the back of the Franklin charm, there is a stamped angel.  And on the charm on the right that says.. “always in my ♥” there are three hearts on the back…  Tripawd charm is double sided as well.. Have I told you how much I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you everyone for all your kinds words and thoughts, and warm cyber hugs as we all travel through our adventures together…..

bark atcha later!

it’s December 3rd.. the night before your one year ampuversary.. Dec 4th. One year ago tonight we were curled up on the couch.. you had had a spa day. and got all handsome for your surgery… I took pictures of you .. and posted them here on the blog…  you were such a handsome boy.. so silky smooth like velvet. I would pet you and hug you for hours after a spa day… I could feel every little bump under your spots.. the ridge of your brow that I used to kiss between your eyes…   your muzzle was like silk without your whiskers…  and you knew you were a handsome boy cause you just loved it up….  you “Vogue’d” well!!

I really wish I could have said this nose to muzzle… and I wish you could have been here with me to celebrate… but you are you know.  I’m sitting here.. and I have opened my heart.. and I feel you buddy..   I can feel you… and yes.. the memories are falling out of my eyes and rolling down my cheeks…

This picture was the morning of your surgery.. December 4th, 2012.  Fred took you for a little walk before heading to the vets… We were so worried that we were doing the wrong thing.  But you proved us wrong… you flew through that surgery with flying colors… and you  enjoyed every minute afterwards.  You rocked dude…  you were our three legged farting machine..  and we loved you.

Hoppy Ampuversary Mr. Magoo…

We will always love you…. xoxo

your pawrents…. Christine and Fred… the human pack Andrew (moon boy) and Jordan…. and your Maggie buddy… and Wilson says hi too!

I posted that story in the forums under coping with loss.. and I just love it…  And… I will choose tears until the day comes that I can choose no more…

My Maggie….   is getting old.  That’s all..  PHEW!!!!  THANK DAWG!!!  My heart aches seeing her get old… knowing that we have only so much time left..  I think this one, when the time comes, is going to hit me the hardest because she is the last of the three amigos…  Diesel, Maggie and Franklin…

I was very concerned when we went to the vets..  she has her lumps and bumps on her body… those fatty cysts.. but.. the one on her side has almost doubled in size over the last month or so…  and the one at the back of the pad on her paw was a bit concerning too..

So…  the vet drained some of the liquid or whatever it is that makes up those lumpy bumpys and it came back CLEAR… just fatty deposits… nothing to be concerned about!!

(happy dance inserted here ================>     *jiggle*  *jiggle*  )

Now, the lump on her paw is at the back of her pad but is not affecting her walking as she does not press on it.  We could have drained some of it to analyze it but the pads are so sensitive she didn’t want to start sticking a needle in there.  She said that even removal of that would be a bit of an adventure as well becuase they don’t have skin, etc to pull over.  So I decided to not poke at this time.  Just to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get any bigger.

But.. my Maggie is getting old..   *sigh*  I was petting her last night and I can feel her hip bones starting to stick out..   Her walk is a little slower sometimes.. and her getting up is slower as well..   Sometimes when she is sitting and she wants to move over, she doesn’t even raise up on her four legs.. she just slides her arse over.. lol

Maggie is a great dog… gentle.. caring.. tolerant, patient, and loveeeeeeeeeeeeeees attention..   She is a orange hockey ball whore!!  She loves her ball chasing, catching, and fetching.  She also loves her cheesies, her carrots,  celergy, asparagus and basically almost anything to eat really.. lol  She loves when you sing to her.. mosting about her though.. you have to sing things like… “Beauuuuutiful Maggie.. you are a queen… the most beautiful girlie that I’ve ever seeeeeeeeeeen…..!!!!!  She actually squnits her eyes and smiles.. Hang on.. maybe she is grimacing at my singing!!????  All those years I thought she loved it and maybe it has been painful for her!!??  I will have to check this out when I get home… but now that she is about 80% deaf.. maybe she won’t mind it now!!

I remember when she was younger, she used to jump off of the docks, pool ladders, just about  anything to get her orange hockey ball!!  She used to jump from the ground up into Fred’s arms… after all.. she IS a springer!!

Here’s a few memories of my Maggie Girlie…

Pretty Pup….  June  2002

Maggie at 3 months old…. and again in the same pose at  1 1/2 years old…

one of my all time favourite pictures…  Maggie and Diesel.  This picture was taken when I split from my ex-husband.. I remember putting that chair in the room and they jumped up onto it.. November 2003

Maggie 2004 – 2 years old…

MAggie and Franklin… December 2005

This was my screen saver for the longest time.. made me smile…

My girlfriends daughter loves photography and here is one of her pictures…

My Maggie girl….  May 2013

Bark atcha later………..

So many emotions are happening at this time of year for me..

I am very busy with Christmas craft shows with my handmade goats milk soap, bath and body products which does not leave me much time to myself.!!  Lol    Although I do know that every year I will be busy at this time, it still jumps up and smacks me occasionally to shake things up.

Because of the crazy whirlwind that I am in right now, I haven’t been spending much time in here..  I haven’t been in to Chat in ages cause I just don’t have the time to spend chatting.  I need to wrap soap, make body butters and sugar scrubs!!!  Work! Work! Work!!  Lol

It’s coming up to that one year mark… on November 22^nd,  it will be one year since I found Tripawds.  My very first post was on November 22, 2012.   It has been one year since we were chatting about what to do with Franklin, to amputate? Or not to amputate?

It’s been one year since September really, since we found out that my sweet boy had cancer…   WTF has that year gone?  I can’t believe it has been one year… some days it feels like it was just last month that we lost him.. and that it was just a few months ago since his amputation.

I broke down yesterday and last night… I was driving down to a greenhouse to set up my soap for a craft show on the weekend at lunch time and I was driving down the road that I normally go to go to the vets office.  I lost it as I was driving.  Just a sudden wave came over me and I burst into tears..   Okay.. it was more like a tsunami, I will admit it.  I had to pull over.. Here I am, in my car, on the side of the road.. and NO KLEENEX!!!  Using my sleeve to wipe my eyes, and my nose.  Needless to say I had to do laundry when I got home.  But I think it was just remembering how many times I drove down that road with Franklin and his head out the window, with four legs and three legs… and how he loved the wind in his face..   YUP.. I lost it..

Perhaps it was Franklin racing through my heart at that time, telling me that he was with me on that ride..  and I was just overwhelmed with love and sadness that I could not catch him at that moment to hug him tight.  Maybe that is what it was..  Maybe.

I get to drive down that road again today since the doggers have a 5:15 vet appointment.  Wilson needs his bordatella shot and Maggie has a large lump on her side and on her front right paw that I want checked out.  Call me crazy, but my gut instinct tells me that something is going on with Maggie…   Her hair for one thing… it’s not soft and silky the way it used to be… nor is it growing in long, or full the way it used to..   Her hair is looking like Franklin’s did when he had the cancer.  Whispy, thin and bare.   Just a little voice in the back of my head that says.. get this checked out…   hmmmmmm….

Some recent pictures of our runs in the meadow…  I’m so proud of him with his recall.. we have had a few meetings with other doggies and he plays and chases after them.. but when I call him.. he comes right back!!  Good Boy Wilson!!

Bark atcha later

We all have our year of firsts.. the bad AND the good..  yeaaaaaaa for GOOD!!!!!

And we had a first for Mr. Wilson on the weekend!!  We always take the dogs for a walk down along the trail that leads behind our house along the Grand River.. they enjoy this walk as they meet people and other dogs too.  But, every other day, I like to go down to a place called the “Bus barns”  beside the bus barns are trails that go through a bit of a forested area and there is a huge meadow there.  The river also runs behind this area and so does the trail that continues from my house.  It is quite a hike to walk it, but it’s nice to load the dogs up in the car and take them for a run.  Sometimes we see deer there.

This was a first for Wilson.  He got to play in the field OFF LEAD!!!!!  He was a very good boy… and did not stray far!

Now.. in this first one… I call Tigger Springer… I want you to have this song in your heard when you watch this.. you know the tune.. the Tigger song..   you know.. how it goes.. “The wonderful thing about tiggers….”  Now that you have that tune in your head….. fill in these words….

I’m Wilson and I’m a Springer!

and Springers are wonderful things!

Their ears are long and floppy..

Their legs are made out of springs!

They run and jump and spring and bounce

and have such crazy fun!

The most wonderful thing about Springers

is I’m Wilson, and I’m one!!!!

Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii am really one!!

http://s215.photobucket.com/user/WildSheWolf/media/IMG_1911.mp4.html?sort=3&o=2

Fitting.. don’t you think?  lol!

And I may as well show you just one more…. This one is cute.. he ran back and forth, back and forth and right through the puddles!!!  this boy had a ball… and I am so proud!   Now.. not sure what would happen if a bunny crossed our path.. but we shall deal with that when it happens!

http://s215.photobucket.com/user/WildSheWolf/media/IMG_1916.mp4.html

Bark atcha later!

Yup.. I said Hollow….   which was how I felt a little while ago….   facing the year of “firsts:”…   and today was the day we had talked about and joked about earlier this year… we were going to dress up Franklin as a pirate and get a wooden leg or a hook for his costume…   It is probably an old costume for Tripawds… but we thought he would be the best pirate out there…   after all.. he was the  Frank’n’fart’ arrrrrrrrrrrrr

I think today when I get home… everyone deserves pig ears to celebrate what would have been Franklin’s first Tripawd Halloween!!

Happy Halloween big guy….   I hope there are plenty of treats in the pumpkin patch at the Bridge!!

Since I have figured out how to post video links here.. I just have to share another one or two…

First.. Mr. Wilson was standing outside the door looking up at the pergola a week or so ago.. IT was dark and I thought.. what has gotten this little guys attention… I looked out and thought.. oh oh.. a raccoon?  grabing my phone and opening up the door.. I see this….

a leaf.. twirling on a strand of a web….?  Fascinating…….   obviously to the mind of a pup!!!

http://s215.photobucket.com/user/WildSheWolf/media/IMG_18161.mp4.html

And a little proud bragging moments…   Wilson has beenthrough his level one training at obedience school and we are now onto level 2.  Here we are practicing the “Down” command, with hand signal from a distance.  This works for when your dog is loose, or perhaps in a dangerous situation like across the street and you want then to drop where they are so they don’t get hurt…   We start out with baby steps.. but we are now at about 10 feet away with the command…

Needless to say.. Maggie is playing along as well.. lol

http://s215.photobucket.com/user/WildSheWolf/media/IMG_18881.mp4.html

He’s getting better.. and learning.. every day!!

Bark atcha later

because the last two days I have gone onto the Tripawds site..  this is the first banner I have seen…….even before I have logged in….  both times!!!

two days in a row.. how coincidental is that?  I Just can’t wait for the calendars to come out.. I’m going to get a bunch for my kids and friends too!!

6 1/2 months have passed.. and yup, the pain is still there.   Yes.. it is not as sharp as it was… but it is enough that if my sweetie and I are at home and we are talking about Franklin, both of us could burst into tears at any time…  geesh!!  lol  I think it’s because we are coming up to the anniversary date of his amputation… December 4th.  Once this year of “firsts” have passed, I think all will be well.. and we know he will never, EVER forgotten!!

In the mean time… look who turned 6 months old on October 23rd!!

MR WILSON!!!!!    47 pounds…  geesh!!

(ok.. it’s a program that I can put stickers onto the picture.. he is NOT actually holding a cigar in his mouth!!  he’s too young to smoke!!)

too funny.. I was having some fun time with my iPhone…

Anyhow… he is now bigger than Maggie….  which is not good for Maggie!!  The other night he jumped on her and knocked her to the ground and she yelped!!  We have now started to limit play with Maggie cause she is an older lady.  WE know he is just a puppy and wants to play, but he needs to learn some manners…

Meanwhile.. they are still sleeping buddies…

And on a good note..   Mr. Wilson’s mohawk is getting biger..   almost ready for some gel!!!  I am going to book him for a day at the doggie spa next month.. just to get him trimmed up a bit..  but I think we should leave the mohawk for now… lol

bark atcha later!

It’s been a while since I posted a few pictures here of Mr. Wilson.   He will be 6 months old in 3 days!!!  A few things have gone on in the last few weeks or so.  Mr. Wilson had his “you know what” snipped a few weeks ago… and he had his dewclaws removed…   He made it through surgery.  Surgeries, no matter what it is, are always stressful as you never know what can happen!!

I kept his back legs loosely bandaged even though they said I could take them off after 3 days.  I hate seeing them wear a cone.. they look sooooo sad!!!

So.. we only used the cone when we were not here.. and I did not put him in his crate with his cone on cause he would hardly be able to move in it.  I didn’t want him hating his den!  So.. we kept a close eye on him to make sure he didn’t pay any attention to those bandages.  Of course, we had rainy days then as well and I was constantly changing the bandages.

Everything healed up beautifully…and he is crazy as ever!

Here is a picture of Maggie and him.. notice the fact that he is now BIGGER than her!!!

and one more picture before I hit the hay.. which I think is appropriate…

Mr. Wilson has a teddy bear that I have had in his crate since we brought him home.. he has never ripped this bear.. he snuggles with him.. and wants him to come to bed with us now..   It’s been a while since I slept with a teddy in my bed…

bark atcha later!

wow.. it is almost to the hour… in an hour and a half.. it will be exactly 5 months since I let Franklin’s leash go one last time for him to run free..

Time certainly flies….  and the heart never loses the love there………..

I thought I would share something that I have in my home….  We always took photos of the dogs in front of the Christmas tree.. every year..  and closer to Christmas… I will share those memories… but…   in 2008 I received a gift from a dear friend of mine who took our Doggie Christmas 2007 picture to a girlfriend of hers who paints on slate, rock, feathers, leaves.. etc..   My girlfriend Marieann has a piece of slate with her dog Lady on it.  Lady passed away over  5 years ago…

She painted my Christmas pups on a piece of flagstone.. and we have it in our dining room…   it really is a great memory to have…

bark atcha later…..

Good night my sweet boy… I hope you are snoozing curled up with Diesel under a beautiful clear midnight black sky, full of stars shining down on you while you breathe easily and snore on a comfy bed, big enough for any of your friends you have made at the Bridge to curl up with you if they want to.  You deserve it.

Almost 5 months have passed since you left us and we are coming up to a few first anniversaries..  amputation day, coming home day, Christmas, New Years and many more to follow…

I miss you… I see you every day in my computer screen pictures… I walk past you every day on the dresser in the bedroom.  Sometimes I jingle your collar with my eyes closed and I smile cause I can make it sound like you are just coming around the corner from the kitchen…

I will always love you Mr. Magoo…   You were very special to me and taught me many things.  I’m so blessed to have you in my heart. ♥ xo