Sadie and Amira both beg for cookies.
Dog Mountain
Let's say you're an eccentric dog-loving artist. What do you do with your money? Well, buy a 150-acre mountain and dedicate it to the love of dogs! I'm a little jealous that Stephen Huneck did it first. Dog Mountain is a worthwhile pilgrimage to St. Johnsbury, Vermont. Serene, picturesque, and dog-welcoming... my girls loved wandering through the gallery of Huneck's work, sniffed the butts of the chapel dogs, dunked into the pond, and roamed the hills of lupine. What a great day!
K9K8 Year In Review: 2015
Sadie's Crown
Well, she's officially a princess now... crown and everything. Except this one goes on her tooth and not her head.
Read MoreSadie's Wake-Up
Favorite morning loves. And a bossy dog who wants breakfast.
Sadie and the Vacuum
Snow melt has revealed twigs that must be shredded all over the carpet. It's like Sadie knows I've just cleaned, and has no tolerance for it. The upper right fang-bearing pic shows the face she makes when she's rolling something around on her tongue.
Snow Gear
A new meaning of the phrase 'dog shelter'
Keep in mind that we'd only been outside in this 20-degree day for... I dunno... SIX MINUTES. I had shoveled paths around the yard, and apparently they all lead back inside. Where it's WARM.
I massage Musher's Secret into the pads of their feet to prevent cracking and dryness, salt injury, and wadding of snow in-between Sadie's toes.
I finally broke down and ordered Sadie a full-body waterproof shell to avoid the snowball-butt woes. For anyone who's interested, this is Hurtta's Slush Combat Suit, size 22".
Snuggly Maddox
Maddox got scared by the noise of the plow last night, and she was able to calm down only once I wrapped her up under the covers with me.
K9K8 Year In Review: 2014
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!
Dog Door #2
The first is so indispensable that we want a second dog door at the bottom level, too.
Read More70B Dog Park
A small corner of the world to focus on my puppies.
Read MoreProvincetown
Beach time with the fur babies
Read MoreRex at 70B
This little furball loves to run out one dog door in and the other, finding all kinds of toys and leaves to chase along the way.
Read MoreFirst Fourth
Celebrating with a bang.
Read MoreDog Door
A good Father's Day project for me & Dad... giving the puppies on-demand access to the yard.
Read MoreMaddox and the Tooth Fairy
No more bones in this house. Time for these kids to have some softer chewy treats.
K9K8 Year in Review: 2013
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.
Granby, MA
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!
End of Summer
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.
New House
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
Other Years of the Dog
Fence
First major project: FENCING. I want my sanctuary to extend to my yard so the pups can roam.
Read MoreDufresne's Christmas Tree
Maddox, Sadie, and Riggins with a decorated tree in the Dufresne Woods.
Dog Benches
Giving the pups a little lift to enjoy the view out the living room windows.
Read More