How I remember my boy

I keep running across pics of my baby boy Thor, which of course sets me off into a crying jag. Some of them make me laugh a bit though, which is a good thing. Mostly Thor did a lot of resting.

And that was true even if some actual person thought they should sit on his couch. This is Shelby, the neice. Thor was happy to share with her as long as she would love on him while they laid there. This is typical Thor.
This may be one of my favorite pics of him ever, and I just found it. He almost always had on a tragedy face and this is a good example of it.
This is another typical Thor look---a little out of sorts, with one ear up and one ear down.
This is my last pic of him, as I was saying goodbye before we put him to sleep. He had already had a good dose of torbugesic to relieve his pain, but he was still with us a little bit. Not as much as I really needed him to be in order to say goodbye, but I am sure it was best for him.
At least his last moments were cudddled up with me, and some good blankeys even if they were not his own personal blankets.

Hawthorne Animal Hospital in Glen Carbon was a wonderful place and Dr Izzo and her staff could not have been better to us.

My God do I miss him.

Kind of eerie

As I was posting that photo of Thor from last nite, he was acting strangely. He kept trying to hack up something, but got nothing but foam. That put me on high alert. When he finally laid down on the couch and cried, I knew we were in trouble. I recognized those symptoms

It is now 2:18 am, and we just checked into a hotel in St Louis. Kevin sent me to Hawthorne Animal Clinic, where we did xrays and confirmed he had bloated and torsioned, and at his age and other maladies, they did not think he would make it through surgery.

I cannot believe that I started this day with Thor, watched him play with Tequila at 6:30 and at 1:45 am, he was dead.

I loved this dog like I birthed him, he was special. He had a hard life, and we were just getting ready to celebrate his 6 year gotcha anniversary on September 14.

I feel like I have been hit by a car. That would be a lot easier to get over

Thor thinks I stay up too late

Have you ever seen such a pathetic puppy? Last nite, he very much wanted me to go to bed before I was ready--he spent about 20 minutes standing in the bedroom doorway at the end of the hall trying to convince me that it was time. When I would quit looking at him, he would whine. He is a champion whiner, it is one of his worst attributes.

Of course, when I got up to get the camera, he came out so I lost some of the drama, but I feel you people should know the drama I deal with.

Now you know why I do not have kids--my heart could not possibly take more guilt

Don't they look sweet?

Thor and Tequila love each other---it is cute how they love each other. Sometimes they have spats--usually about something stupid, like who can lay on the bed (Tequila usually wins that one). Tonight, Thor plopped down in the middle of the couch instead of the end like he usually does. That did not leave any room for Tequila so she wandered around telling people about it---

eventually I made Thor get up so she could lay down too---I really just wanted him to scoot down, but he had to be tricked to do that and ended up just getting up altogether. No problem, he can get back to his spot---except she beat him to it and did exactly what she had just been complaining about--laid smack in the middle of the couch.

You would think these are not big issues, but whiners of this size are significant.

Eventually, they reached an agreement and fell asleep, cuddled up like buddies.

Gabi likes dogs--especially Thor

Mostly she is just silly---

She has a fondness for dogs--it is one of her few words, and she signs "dog" too. Thor likes to have company as long as they do not get in his way on the couch. Once they worked that out,Gabi got her flirt on. She sure takes after her mother. She played with his feet, but that was just the start of what she had in store for him.

Then she hugged whatever she could reach, some legs mostly--this was big love. Thor is tolerating it but I am sure he thinks he is getting brownie points for putting up with it--look at that look on his face
Then she decided to kiss him---all she could reach was his foot, so that is what got the smacker. My shot was a tad slow, but since we know what was going on, it is still a funny picture.

What a ham this kid is

Thor loves camping

Whether you know him or not, you can probably tell that this is Thor's happy face. His REALLY happy face. He got picked to go camping, which he does not know is for his own good, so he does not get beat up at home. We will let him think he is picked though.



Look at how he can put the sad face on. Have you ever seen such drama in a situation with no blood?

He does not usually have to be tied and was particularly good this time, but there was just way too much food at dinner time to trust him. As it is, he stole a turkey carcass and loved it to death Saturday nite.
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Lazy afternoon

This is Slater's chair, but not his regular position. He normally lays up on the arm of the chair, and gives high fives to anyone who passes by. I am actually kind of surprised her can git himself down in the seat of the chair like this.

Thos has been feeling neglected lately, I do now know why. He never asks to sit in anyone's lap, although he will lay on top of me on the couch if I will let him. Saturday, he crawled right up on Barry's lap and looked pathetic. He is losing weight again too, and I do not know why.





Have you ever seen a face as sad as this poor boy? Somehow he can make you feel guilty with just a look. I am trying to make it up to him (whatever it is) today by taking naps all day. I am selfless like that.

Barry does Yoga

As if that is not funny enough as it is, I had to share this photo of it.

He has started this P90X thing, where you do a one hour workout every nite for 90 days and then you will be perfect. It has something to do with muscle confusion, so you have to follow the daily plan and do the video they say. This was his first week on it and tonight was his first yoga thing. He wanted me to do it with him, but I was laughing too hard---even yoga is too complicated for me (I think it was that business about clearing my mind--how can I do that when I have 47 things to do?)

I happened to stick my head in the living room where he is all set up to do this--he uses a portable DVD player which is funny enough in itself, but that is the only room with carpet so he has little choice.

He is getting more than a little help from the dogs---they are laying around watching him, crawling up under him during movements that allow for it, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. See how Thor is crawling out from UNDER Barry and Slater is looking for a place to go?

But the one at the top is the BEST one--Thor is evidently bothered by all the activity---note how he is covering his eyes.

One step forward, two steps back.

I swear, I cannot win for losing lately. I know these are not a big deals, but still I am irritated.

I had to take Thor to the vet to get his shots to go to the kennel while we are on vacation. As a rule, I think dogs are overvaccinated, but whatcha gonna do? He went yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised that the bill was only $52. Pretty good deal for rabies, distemper and bordatella. While there though, I had the doc look at this growth in his mouth and she says it has to come out. It is surely benign but will cause trouble anyway--so now he is scheduled for that on November 9 for $205.

Today, I am scheduling my referral dives with the dive shop in St Martin. We have to do four. I assumed that would happen in two sessions, like two mornings of two dives each. Um no. The way this shop does it is to do the first one at 2 pm on Monday--which means we cannot go to St Barts or Orient Beach that day. The second one is at 2 on Tuesday, so another day out of whack. Then Wednesday we start at 9 am and knock out the last two dives. I had been concerned that the first dive at least would be a pool dive and I would feel like I had not had enough time in the ocean. But I was also worried that there will not be enough time to do everything I want to do on this trip---which is a dumb thing to worry about, we have almost 8 full days and will be back for a day in February with Carrie and Doyle while we are on our cruise.

I no longer need to worry about that. There was a mixup and we now have to ADD pool dives to the deal. This means we will have full days on Monday and Tuesday and 3/4 day on Wednesday---and of course, have to pay more money. I do not really care about that as it is so absurd after all, but ... and how can adding a pool dive or two add that much MORE time? I am sure I do not know.

On the scuba front as well, I have heard an unfortunate rumor that I am going to see octopus on this trip. Now everyone who knows me knows that it gives me the shakes to even type that. Give me a man eating shark and one of them shocking sting rays over over a damned octopus or a squid any day. And This after I was coming to terms with the whole eel thing which has been bothering me more than it should. Barry calls them "those snake like bastards", and I suspect he will pee himself when he sees one--he is deathly afraid of snakes and snake like bastards.

That is a heck of a problem for me to be whining about, isnt it?

Now Barry has decided he has nothing to wear on vacation and wants to go shopping. If you could see his closet, you would laugh, there is enough in there for 10 people. He probably has 15 swimmers, and thinks he needs a new one and where do you get that in Illinois in October.

He also does not want to wag my camera all over so wants to buy a really tiny digital to carry in his pocket. He has been asking about this for a long time, as he wants to take one biking with him--so we are off to look for one after work today. cha ching! I am still taking mine with me, I have news for him.

But, I have dealt with AQHA today who actualyl FIXED a problem I was having with their upoad photos form for registrations. And I got four more submitted, leaving only two more to do and they are not under a time crunch yet. God knows what I named them or how hideous the photos are, but I do not care. The point is they are in and they are not late!

The end of a long hard day

Brings this picture of domestic bliss. HA-- I am confident that Thor would not describe it that way. Notice how he is sharing his blanket with the little feller-- who you would never know was a pig if I had not already told you, would you? Normally, Thor stuffs this comforter down in the couch cushions, so no one else can use it, so I have no idea what this familial behavior is all about. I think the closeup photo tells a more accurate story of how he feels about this whole arrangement. Now if Thor only knew that when he is sleeping really hard, Bocephus crawls up in his tummy area and snuggles up to him.

No news--kind of

Nothing to report on Hawkeye today--the camera batteries were dead when I got there to take pics last nite. Even far stranger was that I could not find any of the multiple chargers that I have, so I will buy even more at lunch today.

His swelling is changing every day--this morning, it is a little mushier and moving to the right towards his right arm, but when I go to feel it, it still seems rock hard on the left. The really goofy looking swelling under her left armpit is gone.

He was LESS lame last nite. Markedly so. That made me feel good after talking with Stace about how odd it is. Thanks sister!

So stay tuned for tonite, there WILL be new pics to evaluate, even if I have to draw them myself.

On another front, Slygirl's 30 days with Susan are up next Tuesday, so I guess she is coming home then. I hear she is doing great- I cannot wait to see!

I used the mower, which is now working- to mow inside the fence line at the house last nite--for my efforts, I must have had an asthma attack and I could not find my inhaler, so I was in bed with my dog and my pig by 9 pm. That is a sad state of affairs. And yes, you read that right, the damn pig is sleeping with me now. Thor is not thrilled about the matter, but is tolerating him and at one point, I woke up to see that the pig had come out of his little blanket bundle and was sleeping with his whole body curled up to Thor's butt. And of course, the camera with no batteries--it was precious.

More pig pics

I knew I would not get away with just that piggy pic, so here is one more of the piggy once he got home.....it did not take Barry long to smack down the idea that there would be no pig in his house. He put one right in his bed to watch TV with him and Thor! Forgive Thor looking a little insane there--it is a little shocking to find a pig in the bed. He just went with the flow though like he always does- at least until piggy let loose with a big squeal!

A Strawn Fourth of July

It rained off and of all afternoon when we should have been in the pool, but you won't hear me complaining about rain! We need it, even if it meant not much fence building got done. So we doctored Riot, went to the movies, doctored Riot again, and tried to take a family nap. That is rarely successful, as the dogs are the only ones getting any sleep, as usual, as they had me pinned in the bed like a cocoon. Notice how possessive Thor is when Simba tries to lay beside his mama. It is nice to have a little free time to spend with them, instead of rushing around all the time.

Meanwhile, Riot is holding her own. She actually sucked the Pepto out of the tube again this afternoon, and her temp has not gone above 99.5 in over a day. She does not want the grass hay I gave them, so is snacking on the good stuff-if alfalfa is the thing that gets her to eat, then alfalfa it will be. She is starting to nurse again as well. She even pooped something that is approaching cow patty status, which is a HUGE improvement over where she was. Keep your fingers crossed that she is on her way to full recovery, so she can go back out on pasture with Grandpa who is bellowing and bawling for her outside