It would be rough to go it alone!

 

Two weeks can feel interminable.   Owner is worse than useless.  Curley isn’t into taking me for long walks on his own…oh, he gets the job done but he’d much rather have company plus his job demands he be away from the apartment a lot.  I don’t need much but I’m bored out of my dog-like little mind!

If I sit here long enough she’ll take pity on me and get me outside.  It has been two weeks and I’ve heard enough about the boot and the crutches.  Scarlett….Frankly, I don’t give a damn.  

Heaven, I’m in heaven.  Aldo and Tina dropped by take me for a walk.  You have no idea how many meals I’ve saved up for a long walk…if you know what I mean.  Tina is in for a surprise.  Hope she has lots and lots and lots of those bags humans like to carry.  You’re going to need them baby! This dog is heading out to let loose and lighten the load.

Well it isn’t Telluride but it sure is pretty. My coat is heavy but I can’t take it off because I’ll freeze to death when I get back home. Evolution has to work on this only sweating through the paws and tongue thing.  I’m a Texas dog no longer.

If you have to live in a neighbourhood in a suburb, this ain’t bad.

You’ll see below I quickly put Tina to work…..that’s why we dogs hire humans to look after us.  We can’t do it ourselves and actually we don’t want to! Besides, she’s so good natured and cheerful I just can’t get too worked up about it.   She works out and does tons of squats just for the heck of it so might as well give her a reason to work those quads and hamstrings that actually does something for the environment.  How “green” of me, eh?

    

We hooked up with some other guy and Aldo just had to show off his Olympic time trial results.  I mean the guy is young and fit so of course he can go from zero to sixty in less than a second.  I gave it my best shot but I’m just not as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was…..gee, where are all these quotes coming from.  Obviously been listening to the country station just a tad too much….however it is what it is.

 

This is an eye test.  How many dogs are in this photo?  Hope you said three.

If you are into Ayervedic Medicine or perhaps want to do a little Transcendental Meditation, we have the temple for you.  This incredibly gorgeous architectural marvel is right smack dab in our neighbourhood.  It may not be your thing but it does add a sense of peace and beauty to the area.  It’s pretty quiet over there; they must meditate really well and often.  Some locals were really terrified and concerned about cults taking over The Woodlands when these guys came to town, but  you’d never know they were here.  Owner thought it took courage on the part of the group to even move to this neck of the woods given the general religious nature of south Texas, however, so far so good for all concerned.  They probably just pretend the other isn’t here.

So on we go with our walk.  I enjoy every second I’m outside.  One thing about heat and humidity is that everything smells richer and more exotic.  The swampy water….sublime.  Rotting vegetation…..energy infusing. It must be such a drag to be a human and not have a tremendous nose.  You think you have everything but guys you miss a lot.  

Now it is time to get back in the car and head home.  I had a great day….in fact owner’s friend took me out several days in a row.  Thanks Tina.  Thanks Aldo.(and a big shout out to Becca too!)  You made my weeks of confinement with Scarlett a lot less painful.  Her stitches come out next week and hopefully we can get back to some semblance of normal.  Oh Lord, I sure hope so.

Just checking that this is really Aldo and that  I’m in the right car. Aldo speaks English, Dutch and some Tamil…so a sniff is my best way of identifying him.  He gets confused sometimes and speaks in the wrong language which truly messes me up.  Yes, you heard it from me  - there are multilingual dogs.

Yup, right car.  Right dog.  See ya later.

Don’t forget to tell your friends to find me on Facebook. Just type in Telluride Dog Blog when you are checking your own Facebook page and sign on to become a Fan.  You’ll be hanging with a great crowd.  Never hesitate to drop me a line.  I LOVE correspondence.

Michael and Shannon Sitting in a Tree!

Well folks, I’m back.  Owner had an operation and I got to go on a vacation for a few days to get away from the stress and strain of her hobbling around with crutches.  Ah, bliss.  I went for a swim every day down at Dog’s Day Inn, perfect antidote to the September heat of Houston. Nothing better than someone bringing your food directly to your kennel every morning, giving  you a “wakey wakey” pat and just generally spoiling you rotten for a few days. Where would we dogs be without our all-inclusive vacations every once in a while.  Sure it can cost a pretty penny but I’m worth it.  However, I was worried that owner would be languishing in the apartment without me to keep her company so dutifully I returned home. 

Yesterday  I got one of the  best hairdos of my life.  It’s been a long haul with my thyroid issues and patchy fur, bristly regrowth.  My ego had been run over with a transport truck!  Luckily,  those girls down at the spa really took some time to give me the perfect blow out…and the scent of the shampoo – let us simply say I have been sniffing my own fur ever since I got home.  Maybe there really is something to this “not rolling in dead things” idea. 

But back to my headline.  One of my favourite guys is tying the old knot, and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. Michael is the person who found me when I was thrown out like an old piece of junk mail. To look at me now it is hard to believe I was once a reject isn’t it?  Those people were  stupid because apparently I’m the smartest and most gorgeous dog who ever lived.   I heard Owner and Curly haired  tried to figure out how to make it to the nuptials but she is barely maneuvering with the crutches. Throw in  painkillers and you don’t end up with a pretty picture as Owner tries to waddle down the aisle to her seat.

None of us have  met Shannon but we’ve heard as many wonderful things about her as I’ve heard about myself so you know she has to be pretty darn special. Let me simply state she was willing to put on fire fighting equipment and head into a  “training” burning building with Michael, a volunteer fireman….he’s not going to find a lot of other women anxious to do that to show their commitment!  Michael is an honourable, responsible, loving guy and so we are delighted he found someone to share the rest of his life. It is worth waiting when you know what you want; the perfect woman doesn’t just pop along every day, eh?

He’s so responsible that he made me spend a day and a half or so locked in a tiny bathroom a few years ago.  He kept me company and so did his dogs.  He reinforced the bathroom walls with old tires and things to make everything stronger and safer and then we  locked ourselves in there with some water and some food and passed the time.  Weird eh?  Weird until you know Hurricane Rita was passing by, through, and around us.  The power got knocked out for two weeks or so and Texas without electricity is almost unbearable.  He was with us every step of the way even when he was offered accommodations with air conditioning.  He’s nothing if not loyal! Owner and Curly were up in  Maine checking out that girl, College,  Benj was so into for four years – still don’t like that chick. She’s no Shannon let me tell you that! Benj dropped her last May.  His new girlfriend is called Work and apparently she lives in Boston – not crazy about her either to be honest.  Why can’t he be satisfied with me?….smart, gorgeous and my fur looks fab when blown out properly.

Owner has always had a thing for Michael. Oh don’t be ridiculous…not that kind of thing.  She just knew he was a special guy.  It was something ephemeral; something she could never quite put her finger on.  Now she knows what it is…..owner has a softspot for men who love and marry women with children.  Obviously this is a cause near and dear to owner’s heart since she was one of those women when Curly found her and swept her off her feet.  Jon and David thought Abe had lost his mind….think of all the money you could have if you didn’t have us…but he was not to be deterred.  Oh, owner will give a big song and dance about marriage, schmarriage, it’s not the deal of the century…..but she wouldn’t trade one minute of her life with Curly-haired for a life without him in it.  Let me just say she blows a lot of smoke that he has trouble seeing through.

She hopes Shannon has the same  disposition and appreciates the special qualities that led Michael to her and her beloved daughters.  Men like Michael and Curly haired, and to be fair, women who marry men with children and love them as their own, are not a dime a dozen.  It is like finding the perfect Shamrock.  Are shamrocks and the perfect four leaf clover related?

So Michael…thanks for rescuing me.  Thanks for teaching me right from wrong. A word of advice – the girls will respond to love and kindness the same way I did but you can probably replace the dog biscuits with something a bit more to their liking…say ice cream?  I couldn’t have had a better first home and I wish you years of love, laughter and family memories. See ya later (big guy).

When you say nothing at all

 

Very much in the moment, as you can see!

Bluegrass is a big Festival in Telluride.  Famous people come to perform for anyone who has had the good fortune to get a ticket. They even  play for those who don’t have the correct coloured wristband  but want to sit near the river and listen to the music without partying along ringside.  That would be me!  Being a dog  there is no way I can buy a ticket. I guess it is to keep me away from all the great food inside the gates, not really clear on why I’m not allowed to attend.

During the last couple years Alison Krauss has come to town; she’s a favourite of a lot of people.  Who doesn’t want to go Down to the River to Pray?  She prettinear makes me want to go get saved and I’m of the canine persuasion, in case you forgot.  She has another song that I love called When You Say Nothing at All.  It’s beautiful.  Since I have never said anything (out loud) I feel it was written especially for me.

When you say nothing at all you can live inside your head for a moment or two.   Owner and I are living there right now.  We are eking out every single bit of pleasure we can from single solitary moments because we know that next week life is going to change.  Once the surgeon puts the big slice into her foot….the only moments we will have to enjoy will be flat…me on my stomach on the floor and she on her back on the couch.  So, you see even though it is hotter than hell  and miserably humid we are working hard at enjoying ourselves every sweaty moment.  This is especially difficult for me as I don’t sweat well; you think dogs are scratching when in reality we are wiping the sweat off our paws onto our fur. Learn something new every day, don’t you!

A few special moments this week

Seeing my old pal Silvia and having her love me up.  Swimming at Dog’s Day Inn in The Woodlands.  Air conditioning blowing into my face while I ride in the car.  Chewing a pillow and playing with the feathers in the back of the truck on our way to Texas. Watching the white heron fly in for a landing on the dock in front of the apartment. Meeting Curly haired when he comes  home after a long day’s work.  Playing in Sue’s garden.

Yes, life has been good  this week. Change is on the horizon so I’m going with  “enjoy the moment.” Owner has no idea how she will get me out to the “relief” yard when she’s got stitches, a giant boot and crutches.  Oh well this too shall pass, right.

And since it is best if i say nothing at all….how about you copy and paste the link below so you can see this great but short little video.  (or google “What is a Moment….video.” Have you ever thought about the “moments” in your life. This little video covers them all with hardly a word.  

Quiet moment in the tall grass

Why this little clip makes me think of Tiny Tim I don’t know as it has nothing to do with Christmas.  Somehow I  think he would say, “enjoy your moments, every one!” See ya later. 

What is a moment - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

http://vodpod.com/watch/2781142-what-is-a-moment

Seconds before sunset in Telluride – priceless!

Telluride I’m going to miss you

 

 

Well it is time for us to pack up and head on back to Texas.  Owner’s foot surgery beckons.  Nervous? You betcha! What am I going to do while she recuperates?  There is little enough action  for a dog in The Woodlands on a good day,  and now I’ll be holed up with nothing to do and nowhere to go.  Oh well, once that foot heals, watch out world!  I know skate skiing is on her agenda and if she can learn to do that the world will be our oyster.  One thing about owner she never stops trying to learn new things.  Dancing? Yup, I heard her discuss beginner  ballet  class…surely to God she doesn’t mean LEOTARD!  Where’s my blindfold?

So as we pack up the condo, clean out  our refrigerator, hand over keys to Alice so she can keep an eye out for leaks from the upstairs apartment,  and unload old clothes at the Free Box for those less fortunate, I am reflecting on the things I’m going to miss over the next few weeks.

1. COLD AIR. Texas is too hot for me at this time of year. Humidity--I hate it.  No, I much prefer  searching for the warm spot inside the snuggly covers on the bed.  Chilly paws and nose make for great dreams.

Benj come home…I miss you!

2.  EXERCISE.  Just being alive means you are exercised in Telluride. Even though we have a vehicle we rarely hop in.  The first year and a half we were here we didn’t even own a car which was fantastic.  You can easily get in four to six miles a day just walking around without having a serious hiking agenda.  Texas….drive to Starbucks, drive to the grocery store, drive to your friends…..did I mention it is freaking HOT.

Dogs also stretch out after a good workout

3.  FRESH AIR. The air is so clear here that you just know it is good for you.  Of course we don’t have a lot of air pressure to get that good clean air into our lungs but eventually you adapt.  We will be sucking wind when we return and try to hike up the Judd Wiebe.  Every time we get  really and truly acclimated, we pack up and go back to Texas for some dumb reason, surgery say.   Fresh air, clean air, clear views is what it is all about here in town.

clear, pristine, perfect

4.  FRIENDS.  There is nothing better than heading out for an amble and suddenly Zak or  Shipper is in front of me waiting for a friendly sniff.  In Texas a lot of people pull their dogs away from me as if I’m dangerous. Texans are not big fans of dog sniffing.  Seriously folks this is not smart behaviour on the part of a human.   Us dogs are easier to handle, nicer to own, and better socialised when you let us up close and personal with other dogs’ behinds.  Duh!

 

If you read this blog at all you will know this is my good pal Shiprock!  Fellow rescued dog by fantastic owner woman he calls a Folly.

5. RIVERS AND WATERFALLS.  Yes, I appreciate beauty.  Perhaps  the colours I see are a little different than yours and perhaps I don’t see exactly the same view you do, but I get it.  Beauty is beauty.  Waterfalls and Rivers are more than beautiful, however.  Nothing beats being out on a long hike and suddenly a spray of water cools me down or a trilling spring offers up a fresh drink of water.  Oops, forgot, our Texas apartment has a fake waterfall complete with frogs.  I don’t drink out of it though.

spontaneous ephemeral waterfalls are the best

6.  APPETITE.  I have often lamented in this blog that I eat the same damn thing day in and day out and have done so for ten years now.  The good news is that in Telluride, unlike Texas, I actually have an appetite (see the reasons why…1 and 2) and so am able to stomach that dry boring kibble.  In fact (owner avert your eyes) I look forward to 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. when I hear JD Science Diet tumbling into my delightful “I Love Telluride” bowl.

My foster dog, Don…remember him.  Too young to know KIBBLE gets OLD after ten years!

7. KARAOKE PARTIES.  Call me weird but I like owner and Curly’s friends dropping by to sing.  I can’t sing a note but I can tap out a good beat with my hind leg.  I hear there is another choir event coming up some time in  November.  Yahoo Mountain Dew!

Yes, they look silly but it’s really fun!

8. DOGS COME TO DINNER.  Not only do owner’s friends drop by for supper but their dogs do as well.  Chloe has been by for some soup with Shannon, Lily rested her weary head on the dining room table when Eric came over, Moose slept quietly under the table the night Jerry and owner skipped out on their swimming lesson.  Ship and Zak…well they practically have their own honourary dog beds when they drop over.

 

Lily makes herself at home on the dining room table

9.  GARY AND YOGA INSTRUCTION.

Every Sunday I get a good chuckle! Nuff said, eh?

10.  SMALL WEASLY THINGS TO CHASE.   I don’t care what you call them: I love them. Haven’t caught one yet but I’m still trying.  These are more fun than Texas squirrels. They love to run in and out of the rocks along The River Trail.  They don’t just disappear up a tree and end the chase.

I want one of these so badly I can almost taste it.  These are “chips” right?

11. URINE AND OTHER STINKY SMELLS.  I know, you even find the word  “urine” disgusting.  I can’t help my fetishes; I’m a dog.  We love pee.  Bear pee, Elk pee, Chipmunk pee (yes, they do…how do you think I know which rocks they have been hiding in?), neighbourhood dog pee…You name it I love it.  I can sniff it, lick it, and best of all roll in it.  Add a dead and decaying animal nearby and I’m in absolute woofer heaven.  I have to be up and out really early in Texas to benefit from any messages left behind from other animals.  Sure, there are ducks and geese and other dogs in The Woodlands but there are also hundreds of men out keeping our sidewalks and pathways tidied, swept, hosed off.   Just like number 4 above,  involving dogs sniffing other dogs,  Texans don’t like any odours or rotting varmints lying around for dogs to roll in.  Oh woe is me.

My philosophy exactly!

12. HOME.  Telluride is home.  Everybody misses home when they aren’t there.  Hey owner…this time the bed comes with me.

 why on earth do I have all those towels all over the place?  what’s up with that?

When I get back to town the leaves will have turned and there will likely be some ice in a few of the waterfalls.   The first snowflakes will have fallen.  Snow won’t have arrived but that first  “take your breath away” childish moment of delight  for the initial flake will have passed. The first snowflake I catch on an eyelash or taste on my tongue won’t be one of the first to arrive in town this Autumn.  Why this makes me so sad I don’t know but it does.

Hang on Telluride pals.  We’ll be back.  Here’s hoping that owner will be better than ever.  Maybe she’ll be able to put on a pair of high heels for the first time in years. Can’t wait to see her navigate the streets of town in some of those.  See ya later.

Don’t Forget to tell your friends to find me on Facebook – all you have to do is type in Telluride Dog Blog and up I pop.  Thanks to a super nice guy in Wyoming and the help of an Animal Hospital from the same state I have a lot of followers now.  Join the crowd.

Memory Lane with Ol’ Pops

 

Sorry folks but I’m not around today.  I’ve had to give the task of getting the blog out to owner. Unfortunately she’s not nearly as articulate or creative as I.  Here’s hoping she can throw together a record of her trip to Canada to visit her father and other family members (I’m helping from afar otherwise the dialogue would be so dull.)  They took a trip down Memory Lane to old picnic haunts of their youth, yes Ol’ Pops was young then too.  Getting a post out brings on a “crise de nerfs” so I had to give her a lot of shoulder pats….for God’s sake what’s up with that?   The French quote….well they are pretty close to Quebec up at owner’s old home.

(Ol’ Pops – a spry ? years old….Age is just  a state of mind he says.)

Duramax, the young Border Collie featured above is one of  my Canadian cousins.  He’s the only one of any size or durability.  Shall we  say, he’s all dog! The other cousins are of the puny and hairy variety, much loved, very pampered, and opinionated. Granted they are cute…but demanding?…hmmm, let’s just say Yes.

Duramax tried to convince owner to bring him down to Telluride to hit the trails  but his owner, James, had different ideas.  How would James cope out on the farm without Duramax to keep him company with the horses.  Actually, after the damn dog nearly electrocuted himself by chewing up owner’s computer charger….she wasn’t sure he’d be such a great addition to the condo.

 

(here’s The Old Homestead in all its glory.  Pops got older and suddenly grew a green thumb….who knew that was possible? Not looking bad for a house built by the Grant family back in 1903.)

First owner dropped in at the old homestead.  (I get confused about this term since owner’s family also uses it to refer to people taking up way too much time in the bathroom…as in , what the heck, are you taking up a homestead in there? The term comes from the good old days with five people, one bathroom.  Won’t even mention the “rip your tits off shower.”   To keep ol’ pops happy they headed down to The Legion to do some karaoke.  Trailers for Sale or Rent (or whatever it is called) never sounded so good.  Pops and Margot singing We Got Married in a Fever….sounded like the original! By the end of the night people were doing the limbo and generally going wild. Beer does that to some folks.   What happens at the Legion stays at the Legion apparently as there are no photos that I can find. 

 

(A little view through the front porch windows down to Lake Temiskaming and yes, folks, that IS Quebec on the other side of the lake.)

(View from the verandah, pops favourite place on a summer evening watching the boats go by.)

 Here’s the newest addition to Aunt Karen’s family, Chloe. She’s cute; I get it.  She reminds owner of a cartoon dog.  She has expressive eyes; you’d swear there was a person inside that little body.  It would be a person of very little brain (sorry Winnie the Pooh) since what dog would be content to waddle around with a huge leaf stuck to her lip.  However, she’s very young so I’ll forgive her.  You don’t get to choose your cousins after all, do you?

Now Aspen is a whole different ball of wax.  She’s a Shih Tzu or something.  My first question  is if you mix a Bull dog with a Shih Tzu…don’t you end up with something rude? However, it is extremely unlikely Aspen would ever stoop so low as to “mix” with anyone.  Haughty?….her picture defines the word in the Oxford English Dictionary!

This dog got adopted by the right family.  She arrived with some god awful skin condition that caused all her fur to fall out, bleeding, death–defying fevers,  mites.  She proceeded on to need her eye bags removed – plastic surgery for a dog! Then  she needed surgery to prevent her eyelashes from growing into her eyeballs.    Seriously folks!  Aunt Karen drew the line at braces although lord knows Aspen could use them – she barks with a lisp!   Considering Aspen didn’t come free from the pound and then ran up thousands of dollars in veterinary bills just to stay alive that first year….I repeat she found the right home.  The good news is that now she’s actually “large and in charge.”

Everywhere the people went the dogs went. Out to Mowat’s landing where a bunch of canoers were heading down The Lady Evelyne towards Temagami, if I remember the direction correctly. Out to The Old Mission to see what had happened to the Brion’s cottages the family used to stay in every June.  Over to the more rugged part of the Old Mission to remember picnics with cokes tucked safely into cold water harbours created by damming the area with rocks.  Mum, gone eight years now,  used to make the best salmon sandwiches, brownies, and pack chocolate bars which were a serious treat. Everything was recreated for the Memory Lane picnics with ol’ pops but they couldn’t bring mum back; she was missed.

(Yup, that would be the picnic area just left of Karen at Wendigo, it’s gone!)

(Karen, that place you could picture in your mind but couldn’t name….well it is Wendigo, imagine that!)

Memories of shooting tin cans with the BB gun (more likely Ron than Karen and owner),  outings in the old freighter canoe  (testing the already old life jackets every year with a short swim to make sure they worked), swimming along the seven feet of Old Mission shoreline that were safe – or the big drop off would suck us away! Pops caught in a mini tornado at eight years old and seeking shelter in an old shack with his dad.  Tasty meals in the restaurant in Ville Marie, across the lake on the Quebec side….everything came up in conversation.  Let me tell you the fish they caught back then were quite H U G E!  Some shock resulted when “the going back in timers”  found out their  old picnic spot along Lake Wendigo, on the way to Englehart, is completely overgrown with a pine forest.  Were those gigantic trees babies in the ground forty years ago while they sat on the ground  around the tablecloth and enjoyed each other’s company.  Owner can remember a gigantic peacock blue and vibrant green blood sucker swimming by her one day but everyone else just nods politely and wonders if she is nuts?

Ol’ Pops pointing out how the storm came up the lake when we was on a fishing adventure with his dad back when he was eight.  Uncle Chick had to hack his way down to The Old Mission  with a saw and axe so that they could be rescued. This drive is no picnic today!

(Mowat’s Landing…canoe trippers still head out on long voyages from this spot.)

 

And then it was time to leave.  Ol’ pops wishing everyone lived nearby for Sunday dinners.  The dogs wishing they lived up North where they can run around leashless and the chipmunks are a dime a dozen.  Karen and Kath wishing they could go back and enjoy, even briefly, a day in the old homestead with everyone singing along as mum accompanied them on the piano for the latest show tunes.  Who wouldn’t give anything they could to be driving on a family road trip to Toronto and screaming out the lyrics to “What Do You Get When You  Fall in Love?”  Oh, those were the days.  See ya later.

Ol’ Pops and owner reliving the old days

 

Aspen and Chloe enjoying life up around Haileybury