Multiple interpretations of the word “bed”
Beau cools his belly in the puddle
Mountain Goat Maddox
My Sadie girl had a tumor in her eyeball. A melanoma distorting the lens, so she’s already blind in that eye. I suppose her surgery will be a bigger adjustment for me than for her.
This year my girls are getting settled into their new home, and getting to experience a New England winter! I clear paths for them through the deep backyard snow and bundled them up for romping in the trails out back.
Anxious for the spring thaw
Enjoying the yard now that the snow is gone. Sadie prefers the shade, and to look out from her perch on the deck. Maddox zonks out in the warm sun.
Peter appeared to be practicing the standard dog butt-sniff greeting, but actually just likes the feel of Sadie’s tail as it brushes across his face.
Girls get a dog door today! I’m so excited to give them the freedom to enjoy the yard whenever they want.
Maddox greets Amira with a long howl.
Read about our trip to Provincetown… these kiddos love the beach!
MMMmmmm… something good and stinky must live here.
Sadie and Maddox check out the new dog play area, complete with home-made agility equipment and a digging box.
My Little Lookout
Fall Fun at Tower Hill Pond
Maddox warms up by the stove in the office.
Sadie watches out the window from the new office couch.
Girls in the office.
Now that I’ve moved my work-at-home office into the walk-out basement, I love that my girls have a cozy couch to snooze on during the work day.
Girls out for a hike.
Riggings visit
All. The. TOYS!
This was a big year for the K9K8 household!
Sadie atop her boulder perch
Maddox perched on the couch back.
On the lookout
You had to put your butt… RIGHT THERE?
Maddox snuggles up with Rex after a long play day together.
Miss Sadie loves to ride in the passenger seat.
Sadie surveys the collection of seagulls.
Edgar and the girls enjoying low low tide at Edmonds Dog Park.
Sadie suffered from a mysterious lameness in her hind quarters around May 2013. The x-rays didn’t indicate any spinal injury, so the vet suspected a degenerative disk. She recovered after a few weeks on prednisone and painkillers… which was long enough for her to put in some serious princess miles in the carriage.
Carrying Sadie up and down stairs, around the building, and through the parking lot every two hours - while helping build my biceps - became exhausting. I knew I needed to find us a place to enjoy single-level living and a yard of our own. After much internal debate, I decided to bite the bullet… a 3000-mile move and a new house! See all my posts from the cross-country road trip.
Gil treated Sadie to a spa treatment, complete with bows.
Okay, okay… Gil treated Sadie to a whole lot more than a spa treatment. She quickly learned the best seat in the house!
Sadie’s lameness returned just as I was getting ready to close on the New Hampshire house, and after x-rays, blood work, an MRI, joint tapping, and opinions from a number of veterinarians, we figured out she has immune-mediated polyarthropathy (IMPA). Her matrix of medications brought her back to comfort and mobility… and going forward, an immune suppressant will help prevent future attacks.
Not a moment too soon! With all my warm-weather clothes tucked safely in a Seattle storage unit, I was counting the days until I could move into the new house. I got keys on October 18, 2013.
Sadie breaks in the new couch
Maddox is fascinated by wild turkeys
Fall hiking in the local woods
Checking out the nearby dog park
New window benches give the girls an easier view.
Maddox isn’t sure she likes this snow business.
Merry Christmas!
Baby Booties
Jake and Mathilda wonder who this frosty friend is.
Maddox, Sadie, Rex, and Dakota wait patiently for treats
Get this handsome black man a smoking jacket!
Pooped Maddox sunbathes at the dog park
Does your mom know we’re in here?
Sadie and Mom nap after a long day of play.
Maddox soaks in the sun
Sadie shares her favorite digging spot with Erika at a ShoreDOG work party.
Jake and Sadie ask for cookies at the Starbucks drive-through.
Sadie, Maddox, Rex, and Dakota enjoy frozen treats on a hot day.
Fourth annual DogFest
Sadie and Maddox get treats from Robyn
Sadie sits watch while Maddox patrols the perimeter at Skip & Betty’s house in Sequim. Having a fenced yard is a nice vacation from the 720-sqft condo in the city.
Maddox has turned the back of my couch into a hammock.
Lots of snuggles and romping through the woods with furry friends Shep, Della, and Edgar.
Maddox slips into her little pink nightie for a snuggle with Shep.
As it turns out, I’m being parodied by Pemco’s “A Lot Like You” advertising campaign. (Okay, of course it’s not really about me… but how funny is this?) In Northwest Profile #23, the Marymoor Off-Leash Dog Lady is armed with treats and a latte, and coos at her best friends as they frolic at the park. Yep, sounds all too familiar.
Maddox in the cocoon bed
Sadie is queen of the queen… she loves to claim the prime spot on top of all the pillows.
Girls take turns digging in the soft dirt at the Shoreview Dog Park
Maddox, Della, and Sadie hiking at Rattlesnake Ledge
HOLY @#%@ THOSE ARE SOME BIG DOGS! Sadie encountered these llamas during our hike and frantically raced back down the trail to warn me.
Rainy Day Dogs
ShoreDOG’s third annual DogFest
Shep struts the red carpet in the fashion show
Pie eating contest
FlyDogs
Sadie & Kate in the lookalike contest
Maddox, Sadie, and Della are pooped puppies after a long day at DogFest
Babies enjoy treat balls
About two weeks after I had hardwood floors put in, Maddox decided to become afraid of them. For about 7 minutes.
Edgar, Maddox, and Sadie out for a snowshoe at Stevens Pass
Sadie watches whales on San Juan Island. Maddox naps in the soft salt breeze.
Whidbey Island ice cream break
Furry 5k at Seward Park
Maddox, Rayna, and Pat look out over Rattlesnake Lake.
Sadie is pooped after a hike up Rattlesnake Ledge. We soon learned that a thyroid deficiency was to blame for her energy loss.
Sadie leads the pack up Poo Poo Point after starting thyroid meds
Maddox, Sadie, and Kate watch paragliders take off at Poo Poo Point.
Girls at Blanca Lake
Alpine meadows on the way to Blanca Lake
Are you coming, Mom?
ShoreDOG’s second annual DogFest
My girls show off their good manners.
Two girls on a log
Muppet, Cobi, Sadie, & Maddox sporting their Halloween finery
Sadie on Cobi’s bed: “Does this make my butt look big?”
Basking in the glow of the fire after a day of playing in the snow.
Sadie and I getting our snuggles in.
Happy Maddox
Maddox claims the spot in front of the forced-air heater… regardless of if i have to sit awkwardly to work at my desk.
Maddox, Cobi and Sadie snuggle with Kate on the couch.
Sadie holds hands
Maddox, Kate, Sonja, Jeremy, and Sadie at Double Bluff on Whidbey Island, Washington.
Maddox the mountain goat climbs the bluff
Sadie and Maddox explore the beach on a foggy morning.
I became involved with the non-profit organization vested in creating and maintaining off-leash dog areas in the city of Shoreline. We worked with city officials to identify good candidate locations and launch pilot programs. We hosted work parties and a big summer festival.
Getting the border ready for fencing
Kate and Erika bundled up for cold-weather brush pulling
Clearing brush, picking up poop, and spreading mulch is a common assignment at work parties.
Official Leash-cutting on April 25, 2009
First Annual Dog Fest
2009 DogFest Poster by Sonya Reasor
Bumblebee Maddox
Mom, are you coming?
Herding Shep
Kissing Shep
Our second year together has been fabulous, and I have gathered some pics from my favorite memories to share.
My ladies show off their dainty table manners at our one year anniversary celebration at the Dining Dog Cafe in Edmonds, Washington. See the full post here.
Girls in their new winter coats
It's Wild Kingdom day at the beach
See the full post here.
Maddox got to meet a horse!
Riding together in the truck through the back forty(fish) of Juliann's ranch.
Tired after a day on Julann's ranch in Marysville.
Camping with Jeremy and Pat at Lake Wenatchee. When the rain and the mosquitos drove us inside for most of the evening, I decided that the girls and I needed a bigger tent. Sadie and Maddox claimed the majority of the floor space in my 2-person backpacking tent, leaving me to squeeze myself into the corner.
A perfectly peaceful morning in the woods... except for the bored puppies anxious to escape the tent. We went for a hike at dawn to avoid annoying the entire campground.
Our array of tents
Maddox shows off now nimble and agile she is.
SHIT! This log rolls! Sadie goes for a dunk.
Jeremy, Kate, Pat, Sadie, Maddox
Furry 5k, June 2008
My Subaru fit five dogs and three people. These tired pups slept on the ride home after a very exciting morning.
July 2008: Auntie Bec brought fun floppy frisbees for the girls, and came to the beach with us at low tide. Want details on the best time to hit the beach? Check out low low tide at Edmonds Dog Park.
Heading back to shore after getting nice and tired running through the sand and water.
August 2008: Mom's visit brought snuggly custom-knit sweaters and trips to Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA. The video quality is atrocious, but i guess that's what you get from a PocketPC-circa-2008 phone. The important thing is that you can tell how much fun the girls are having.
Sweaters knitted with love by Grandma
Sept 14, 2008: Island Dog Reunion Day at Magnussen Park
September 2008: Visit with Dad.
We explore the dock at ELWC each morning.
Snuggling in the grass at Gas Works Park in Seattle.
Golden Gardens
Snuggling on the big bed
Abby practices "Check In" with all the fur babies.
Best. Mulch. Ever.
Friends on a log at Magnussen Park
Snuggly ride home after a fun day
Cobi, Maddox, Kate, and Sadie top the mulch pile at Marymoor Park.
My girls were born on the streets of Saint Martin (or Sint Maarten, depending on where they chose to roam) in the Caribbean. A group named the Animal Rescue League partnered with SXM PAWS to rescue and find loving homes for feral island dogs.
My neighbor at Echo Lake was in the process of adopting Maddox in December 2006. As she watched me fawn over the little black puppy, she convinced me to reach out to Mary Kate McDermott, who had another dog who had been flown to Seattle along with Maddox in an attempt to find them loving forever homes.
Sadie playing at the doggie daycare owned by her foster mom.
Despite consistent meals since her rescue in November 2006, Sadie was still underweight. (Shown here in January 2007 at about 25 lbs.) We overcame her food aggression with lots of practice and consistency.
Shy and nervous at our first introduction. We visited for about 2 hours, and I knew I'd see her again the following weekend.
First morning at her new home.
She picked out this giant bone at our first trip to Petco.
My Caribbean mutt doesn't know what to make of this snowy Seattle morning. (Neither do most Seattleites, for that matter.) I adore this little muppet-fuzz bed head.
Our very first outing... meeting my friend Jeremy at the Seattle Arboretum after a dusting of snow. This MLK weekend was a 'trial' period... but who was I kidding? I was in love. We even had matching hair.
Cold bum.
Playing with our first new toy: shaggy stuffed squeaky moose, which was a gift from my neighbor Meredeth.
An upgraded bed.
Sadie prances around Magnussen dog park in Seattle, WA.
When I met Maddox, she had already been adopted (almost?) by my neighbor. She was quick and clever, and not a great match for my neighbor and her 102-pound dumb-as-a-box-of-hammers bulldog. When the bulldog needed knee surgery and bed rest, Maddox went back to the rescue organization. While I respected the decision, there was no way I could let Maddox become a stranger's pet. I immediately called Mary Kate and told her I wanted to adopt Maddox.
Baby Maddox in her little pink sweatshirt.
Mange had caused hair loss around Maddox's eyes and lips.
Sadie: You must recognize my dominance and surrender that delicious treat.
Maddox: Huh? I can't hear you... I was too busy chewing on this delicious treat.
The origin of our "out of the kitchen" routine.
The track at Shoreline Community College was never used, except by local off-leash dogs.
Reading the daily news
Are you standing on the log? I want to stand on the log too.
Zoom ZOOM ZOOOOOM!
Flying through the woods at Shoreview Park, in Shoreline WA.
Muddy paws
Baywatch Sadie
Edmonds Dog Park
Girls after a summer walk around Green Lake.
Sunbathing on the deck of the Echo Lake Condo.
Maddox suffered through 10-minute sudsing to combat her mange. The first time I didn't realize how chilly she would get... and I felt TERRIBLE keeping her there shivering.
After that, I used a space heater to roast the bathroom up to a toasty 85 degrees prior to kicking off her bath.
Kate & girls at the Furry 5k
Laura and Mathilda
Laura doles out treats to Sadie, Chas, Maddox, Mathilda, and Buster.
Girls bask in the afternoon sun shining on the stairwell landing
Maddox is cozy... Sadie seems unimpressed.
Girls at Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon
In theory, backpacks would give my girls a job and tire them out more on walks. As it turns out, Sadie is so well mannered that when the backpack touched the chair on her way past, she stopped and woulnd’t go any further. My goofy girl.
Waiting patiently to be invited up on the bed.
Sadie and Maddox play chase at the Island Dog Reunion
Happy reunion with Mary Kate
Stockings for my girls on our first Christmas
Sadie has a conversation with Uncle Skip during our visit to Sequim.
