Behind the Digital LensMusings of an Amateur Photographer

15th Nov, 2021 Going to the Park

With the advent of cooler weather it was time to get out and take Roby to the dog park. I have to admit that I was apprehensive at first because I didn’t know if he would be scared of all the dogs or he would be aggressive toward some of them. My little adventurous puppy was neither! Shy at first, he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do, but after a few dogs came up to him and were friendly Roby opened up and found a couple of dogs his size to run and play chase with. And boy, did he ever run hard! stretching those little legs out as far as they would go. I don’t know, but it was almost like seeing him “fly” – he was free to run as fast as he could chasing, playing, and a couple of times tumbling. It was so fun watching him have fun!

We now have been four times, going on Sunday’s late afternoon. This Sunday, when we got up and during our wake up snuggle, I asked him if he’d like to go to the park. Whoa! PERK! Those ears stood up and he sat back and looked at me and I asked, “yes, would you like to go to the park?” He definitely knows that word and what it means for him. Excitement galore engulfed him and every inch of him started to wiggle, along with excited barking. I wasted no time getting him ready. And myself, too. Once he did his business, he headed to the car and barked to get in.

Now, he does not like riding in the back seat of the car, but it’s necessary because he’s too big to hold and I can’t see around him while driving. Plus, he once gave me a slight concussion when jumping from the passenger seat into my lap! So, into the back seat with him. Only problem there is he cries and whimpers because he’s not close to me. And in a closed car he is LOUD!

Once we got there, it was pandemonium in the back seat. Bouncing puppy, happy barking, paws on the window – he wanted out NOW. After I got him out he basically dragged me to the small dog area. Roby was ready to play. And play he did. He ran hard, chasing and being chased, and meeting new friends. For an hour. He had the best time playing and I had the best time watching him and talking with other humans. Oh, of course, I was greeted by other wonderful furkids. Did I ever mention I love dogs? When it was time to go, Roby was ready. He was so tired I had to lift him into the car. On the way home, it was quiet in the back seat. Roby was worn out and it was nap time when we got home.

I’m glad Roby is enjoying the dog park. I took Bentley once, but it was not a good experience. A little girl ran toward us and he lunged out at her. He didn’t bite her, but it upset me enough that that was the one and only time I took him to the dog park. The only other time he went [well, it was a couple of times, actually] he didn’t play with the other dogs, he just stayed to himself and close to Rebecca. I think Bentley just enjoyed playing with his sisters at home and didn’t care to play elsewhere. And that was okay. Roby, though, has no one but me to play with, so it’s important for him to get out and around other dogs of other sizes. The dog park is the perfect place for him. At least he gets to really stretch his legs once a week.

5th Oct, 2021 He Survived!

Well, despite dad having a nervous breakdown, Roby did great with his very first haircut! I decided that for the first go round I didn’t want a lot cut off him, but that he definitely needed a good face trimming, especially around the eyes. [His face turned out really well, I think.] And I also didn’t want anything done to his beautiful tail. The groomer did a really good job and said that there were a couple of things that Roby didn’t like or wasn’t sure of; he definitely didn’t like having his toenails trimmed and when it came time for the clippers he was rather shy but the groomer let him sniff the clippers and then waited until Roby was okay with them. Even though there wasn’t a lot of cutting that happened, I am completely satisfied with the way Roby’s cut turned out and I am looking forward to the next haircut which will most likely be in November. Let me say, we were both exhausted after that day and the nap we took was hard and long!

He’s still my fuzzy boy – for right now!

23rd Sep, 2021 Nine Months Old!

It’s hard to believe Roby is 9 months old because he seems so grown up now; I have a hard time remembering he’s still a puppy. Oh, we still have lots of puppy play, and he still tests his limits, but he learns fast. I think his favorite thing to do right now is jump from his bed on the floor up to my chair and then back down. He can do this over and over again and one time almost went flying over the top of the chair! I’m glad I was sitting in the chair at the time he did it or he could have really hurt himself.

He’s still a happy puppy and when we go out for walks he’s beside himself when he sees his favorite people. His tail wags so fast I’m almost positive it’s going to come off his backside! Of course, he still barks a lot on our walks, which can get to be embarrassing, especially at 1:00 or 2:00 AM. I guess he just has a lot to say and doesn’t mind saying it! I hope he always stays as happy as he is now. I have to admit, I’m a sucker for his grinning smile.

He definitely needs a haircut. That is still his puppy coat, but the good news is that he is getting his first haircut this coming Monday. I pity the poor guy that is going to cut him, knowing how resistant Roby is to new things. It is really going to be a challenge. I kind of like his scruffiness, but his hair is beginning to mat now, so it’s time. I’ve been brushing him, but that isn’t an easy chore, and he most definitely doesn’t like his belly being brushed. I have this vision of this little dog coming back half groomed with razor burns all over, and through no fault of the groomer. So, we shall see, we shall see.

31st Aug, 2021 The Rainbow Bridge

I’ve had dogs all my life and it is never easy having to say goodbye to one at the end of their life, and so it was today. This little girl didn’t have the best beginnings in life and my wife and agreed to take her and rehome her to someone. But, we couldn’t. This sweetheart, named Daisy at the time, stole our hearts and giving her up to someone else became out of the question. She was ours forever, good or bad. But it was all good. She was sweet, funny, smart, demanding, and begging to be loved. And love her we did. How could you not?

She had a bigger than life presence and let you know about it. She also had horrible separation anxiety from the get-go, with a ton of swear words to go with it and didn’t mind spouting them off if you tried to leave her behind, even if it was just to go to another room. She let our other dogs know she was in the house to stay and she was bound and determined to be alpha dog despite the fact there were a number ahead of her in line. And she was quick to bite them if they got too close or tried to take something of her. So quick we actually called her movement “the snake”. Oh yes, she nailed us a couple of times, too, but she never meant it. I think!

She was definitely mommy and daddy’s little girl and loved us both so much. She loved sleeping with us, usually between us, and as close as she could get. After our divorce and once I moved into this apartment, Lily loved sleeping with her head on my left shoulder. It was something so special that moving was out of the question, even if my shoulder went to sleep. When I started sleeping in my easy chair because of my back and hips, she slept on my right leg, sometimes by my left leg, and when she did that brother Bentley usually ended up on the couch or on the floor. Her bestest friend in the whole world was Bentley, and they played endlessly. Until Bentley’s cancer caught up with him, and even then, the few days before he died, she tried hard to get him to play to no avail.

After Bentley crossed the Rainbow Bridge last year he took some of Lily with him, and her health began to slowly deteriorate. She already had pancreatitis before he died, but she developed diabetes and then her eyesight began to fail because of cataracts. She was just 13 then. Soon, she became blind except to light, so she could see movement. She never really came out of her depression, but she did perk up some and I began looking for another dog. I hoped to have found one that she could play with, even being mostly sightless, but it wasn’t to be, and then puppy Roby came into our lives. While he was good for me, I’m not so sure he was all that good for her because he was like all puppies – rough and tumble and full of play with razor blade teeth. She couldn’t see him, but gamely tried to play “teeth” with him only to find him pulling her hair and her ears and yanking her around the floor until I stepped in and stopped him.

And then her health really took a turn with her pancreatitis flaring up a lot and becoming dehydrated a lot. Lots of IV fluids and medicines to keep her going. And the little Yorkiepoo with the beautiful hair started losing it, as many an older dog will, and then we found her thyroid wasn’t doing its job, so another medicine. And LilyCatherine stepped on the path to the Rainbow Bridge. All I wanted was for her to make it to her 14th birthday on July 4th. We weren’t sure. But she made it and seemed strong – for a while – only to falter again and again.

LilyCatherine was telling us it was time to go, that she was tired. She was done. My strong, brave little girl tried for me, but I couldn’t be selfish for her. After discussions with her two vets we decided it was time for her to cross the Rainbow Bridge on September 7th. It was not to be. Over the weekend, LilyCat stopped eating, although she continued to drink. She was telling me and so it was decided that August 31st, 2021 she would cross the Rainbow Bridge and go find her bestest friend who would be waiting for her.

I will miss this cute, sweet and loving little Yorkiepoo, but I am so grateful we were blessed and graced with her soul while it was here. I told her while kissing her between her eyes: “Lily, this is where God kissed you when he sent you here to us and God has kissed you here telling you it’s time to come back Home”. And so it was.

I am so grateful to the dedicated and loving vets, techs, and staff at City Vet Addison [TX] for their care and love that they have shown LilyCatherine over the years and especially over the last eighteen months and for their compassion and kindness they have shown me over the last few months. A hard transition for all of us, but made easier by these special people.

6th Jun, 2021 My Puppy Roby

My dear little Roby is 5 months old now and already seems like an adult dog, but he’s not. I have to remind myself that he is just a puppy; he’s just growing so quickly! Last Wednesday he weighed in at 13.4 pounds, and that was up from 12.8 pounds on May 26th! It’s like lifting a wiggling brick, or trying to hold on to a large fish you just caught. Every day, though, I am just totally amazed at this little guy and still wonder how I got so lucky to have him in my life. Sure, he gets into things like most puppies do [he’s a master paper and box shredder!] and does things he shouldn’t [like try to pull his 14 year old blind sister’s tongue out of her head], but he’s really a delight to have around. Oh, yes, he talks incessantly, too, even on his walks. Sometimes it’s embarrassing, especially when we’re walking late at night and everyone has gone to bed. It’s like he’s saying, “Wake up! Roby-boy is here now!”. And most of my apartment complex knows him because he’s so danged friendly – and because of his barking. He loves people. Heck, he loves life in general! He is an incredibly happy dog! Like I said, how did I get so lucky!

Roby loves to watch television, and his favorite commercial is the Bravecto Flea & Tick Protection for dogs. The minute that comes on, he’s at the tv barking like crazy and wagging his tail so hard I’m afraid he’ll disconnect it! He also watched the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes horse races – actually watching with interest. That was pretty cool. Unfortunately there are a lot of shows he doesn’t like and he lets me know because he won’t stop barking. That means either the tv goes off or I find another show to watch. And, oh dear, animal vet shows….well, it’s hit or miss with him; some he likes, most he doesn’t.

One of his favorite activities is going down to the leasing office after hours and playing in the water fountain. He barks, he lunges, he gets soaked from head to tail, but he’s having the time of his life. [Of course, when it comes to a bath, or in his case shower, like most dogs, that’s a no-no!] And then he starts to walk away and I think he’s done, but nooooo, he runs right back at the fountain and starts again! He definitely keeps me laughing!

If the last three months are any indication, it’s going to be an incredibly fantastic ride with this Schnorkie!