A bit of this, a bit of that

Time for a little catch-up of the events of the past week or so. The trip to the mainland was uneventful - no whale sightings, no glorious sunrises or sunsets, and the task of clearing out mom's old suite is now complete. Mom seems content enough in her new facility. The nursing staff there is excellent, the place spotless, and there are lots of amenities and activities for the residents. It was heartwarming to hear my mom say of the place, "I feel like I'm HOME." And it is a huge relief for us "kids" to know that mom now has the 24 hour medical and personal care she needs.

Next to each resident's door, built into the wall, is a lovely glass-enclosed display cabinet, where personal items that tell the story of the resident's life can be placed. It is fascinating to see each person's memorabilia, a visible reminder to staff and visitors that these are not just patients but unique individuals with long and interesting histories.

The process of clearing out mom's suite was, in many ways, also a lesson in history. I learned things about my mother's and late father's life that I never knew. We found journals and scrapbooks that I didn't know mom had - she had kept every card her children had ever given her, and the programmes from every show we had ever taken her to. And among the programmes, we found a treasure. These photos are some of the pages from the programme for a 1923 performance of Anna Pavlova at the Royal Opera House in Covent Gardens, London, England, which my mom attended when she was five years old!

Front cover

Back cover

My mother's oldest sister took her to the ballet, and mom kept the programme all these years. It is 17 pages long, with beautiful representations of dance, interesting descriptions, and several ads for Roaring Twenties fashions. We have been in touch with the Royal Opera House, who tell us highly decorated programmes such as this are very attractive and are often used in their exhibitions. This particular one is extremely rare, and my mother has agreed to donate it to the Royal Opera House for their collection. How cool is that?

I arrived at my mainland destination before the snow flew - my timing was perfect as the next morning I received an email from my neighbour showing a foot of snow covering the neighbourhood! (Oops, I deleted the email, so can't post the pictures here!). And by the time I arrived back, five days later, the snow had all disappeared. The snow on the mainland lasted only a day or so, also. The goddess must have been smiling on me. I hate driving in snow!

Charley, Sadie and Allie were very well taken care of by their new petsitter (thanks, Barbara!). In fact, too well taken care of - Charley and Sadie didn't even bother getting up to greet me when I returned! At least Allie ran to the door when she heard my car - my nose would really have been out of joint if none of the critters missed me!

Since returning home, the weather has been a mixed bag of rain and sunshine - and lots of rainbows. The pulp mill on the edge of town must be doing well - at least, if they found the pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, which shone directly on one of the ships loading at their docks.




And what are these blue and orange sausages?



Why, it's Charley and Sadie in their raincoats (it is too warm for their warmer winter coats, but their fur is so thick that some protection is needed from the rain or they take forever to dry when we get home).




They were investigating this rusty chain at the end of the boat launch dock.



No doubt it smelled of crabs or prawn - here's one of the many boats being put into the water to head out to set some traps.



Poor Charley, who doesn't have much range of motion in her hind quarters, lost her back end down the crack between two pieces of dock. She never made a sound - I suddenly realized the leash was tight and looked back to find her looking pathetic with her front legs on the dock and her back legs down in the water. Oooops.

Well, that's enough for tonight - it's past my bedtime. Tomorrow I shall post an update on Martin, the alpaca I found abandoned on the farm I rented in Mission. Stay tuned!

I am speechless

And so today I am just going to post a link to a post on the Turtle Gardens blog. Turtle Gardens is a northern BC dog rescue run by a couple I greatly admire, and they struggle to help in a location where there is little money, few volunteers, and even fewer options for animals in need. Please help if you can. In memory of 100 dogs.

Here is the link: http://www.turtlegardens.org/2011/01/17/in-memory-of-100-dogs

Jean

New Years on Salt Spring Island

Watercolor World

This post is a bit late, but I decided a post with blue sky and sunshine and beautiful scenery was an appropriate antidote for the grey skies, dark, cold, and snow that is the current reality.

My daughter was in Victoria with friends for New Year's Eve, and then caught the bus up island on the first day of the year to spend the weekend with me. On Sunday, we decided a day on Salt Spring Island would be enjoyable. So we boarded the ferry near my house and headed off just as the mist was rising over the waters.

Mist rising on Crofton harbour

We checked out the fair trade store (where I bought a nice warm hat), had a very nice lunch at the Oystercatcher overlooking the harbour, browsed through the tall, old wooden stacks in our favourite used book store, had a latte at the Saltspring Island Coffeehouse, and picked up a gift I needed for a friend on the mainland. It was a great way to spend the day. And like a dolt, I forgot to take pictures of any of those things.

My daughter lives in downtown Vancouver, so decided to take the plane from Salt Spring Island to downtown, rather than the four or five hour trip by car, ferry and bus from Crofton. We had booked the ticket by phone, and been told to just wait on the dock for the three o'clock plane - no airports, no security check, no baggage handlers, no boarding passes here! It's a beautiful area to wait.

Salt Spring harbour at Ganges

Waiting for the plane

Here it comes!

We watched the yellow and white Harbour Air seaplane come in and discharge its two passengers, then my daughter walked down to the wharf and hopped on board.

Airline travel made easy

Soon it taxied across the water, close on the tails of a boat heading out.

It passed the boat and was soon airborne.









It would make one stop at Maple Bay (back on Vancouver Island, about ten minutes from Crofton!) and then off to downtown Vancouver, where it would arrive at 3:45.

I drove the fifteen minutes back to Vesuvius Bay to catch my little ferry to Crofton. I arrived just in time to watch my daughter's flight take off for the second time, this time from Maple Bay, and fly overhead as it continued on to the mainland.



I had some time to kill (ironically, my daughter would get home before I would!), so took some photos around Vesuvius Bay.







As my ferry arrived, the sun was just setting and we sailed home on a golden sea.

A wonderful weekend to start a new year.


Note: This will likely be my last blog post until next week, as I'm off to the mainland tomorrow until Saturday, if my petsitter can get over the Malahat and I can get to the ferry. Forecasts are for a big dump of snow tomorrow - I am soooo hoping the weatherpeople are wrong.

The Benefits of Crate Training

(I had a several people email me asking for more information on crate training, after I mentioned using it for Lucy. I apologize for the delay - here, at last, are my thoughts on crates and the techniques I use).

The concept of crating dogs took me some time to get used to. When I first heard of the practice, as something people did to their pets and not just to contain dogs in shelters, veterinary offices and airports, I was appalled – who in their right mind would want to put their dog in a CAGE? After all, aren’t cages horrible things, like jail cells?

Not so. Since I began taking animal care seriously, fostering and adopting older dogs, and getting involved in animal rescue, I have done an about face and now see crates as an essential part of a dog’s environment. I consider crate training a pup as important as teaching the pup to walk nicely on a leash or to wait for a command before barreling out of the car.

Almost all of the people I know in rescue with a true commitment to helping rescued and shelter dogs become adoptable, family-ready, companion animals recognize the value of crates. We want our dependent family members, whether children or animals, to be good citizens, to be social, to have some manners, and to feel safe and secure. My dogs are far from perfect, but they are easy to live with. And crate training has been partially responsible for that.

Before I go on, let’s first look at my choice of words: cage vs crate. A cage confines, a cage keeps the people outside the cage safe. A cage is what was once used in zoos before we better understood the need for animals to have as natural a habitat as possible. A crate also confines, but it also protects the contents – think of a shipping crate, for example: sturdy, safe, protecting the precious cargo it carries. But I digress.

Dogs tend to like crates. Why? Because dogs are, by nature, den animals. They like to feel secure, to curl up in a safe space where they can relax, sure that nothing can harm them. Most of us have dogs who feel safe within our homes whether in their crate or not, and many of those dogs have their own favorite corner or bed or couch or even closet in the home. But it’s hard to fit that couch or closet into the back of the family vehicle. Crates are portable and can go along on vacations whether to grandma’s house or camping by the lake.

Having a dog that enjoys a crate is useful, too, when the dog is faced with stressful situations. Being used to a crate means that when Fido is stuck at the vets, the wire door won’t be quite so scary. And when Fifi pulls a cruciate and has to be confined “on bed rest” for weeks, liking her crate makes that sentence a whole lot easier! Crates are useful, too, when the house is full of busy company (human and/or canine) and a dog just wants a place to chill.

I believe every puppy should be crate trained for all the above reasons, but also because it is easier to housetrain them, and to keep them safe during those times when there is no one home. A crated dog will not usually soil its den, and it certainly can’t chew up the electrical cords, tear off the plastic hose at the back of the toilet, eat through the drywall, or make a feast out of your favourite antique table (and yes, I have had pups do all those things in my pre-crating life!).

Like any other piece of equipment, crates have to be used responsibly. If a dog is to feel safe and comfortable there, it needs to be a safe, comfortable place. A soft mattress or blanket provides a comfy place for doggy knees and elbows to rest. Happy voices and rewarding treats make going into the crate fun. Crates should never be used as punishment, and a dog should never be shoved in there by a human yelling at the dog in anger. Nor should dogs be left in crates for long periods of time – a few hours at most, though I do know of people who crate their very happy adult dogs while they are at work all day – but are committed to giving their dogs lots of daily exercise as well. Crating all day would certainly not be appropriate for young pups, who can only comfortably hold their bladder about an hour for each month of their age – a four month old pup may be comfortable for a maximum of four hours, but no longer. And if the dog is high energy, a vigorous play period or a really long walk will do both the dog and the human a whole lot more good than sticking the dog in the crate. A tired dog is a good dog – and a tired dog is happy to have a nap in his nice, safe, comfy crate.

What kind of crate to get?

Crates come in both wire and plastic or fiberglass models, as well as the fabric ones sometimes used for travel or shows. The fabric ones are quite easily torn or even flipped with the dog inside, and, in my opinion, are best kept for short term use only. Wire ones provide more visibility than plastic – which some dogs like and some don’t. Wire ones fold flat, making them easier to transport or store. That giant sized plastic kennel just isn’t going to fit in the back seat of the Honda Civic very well. However, many dogs prefer the fiberglass/plastic crates as they give a more secure den-like feeling.

My dogs prefer the wire ones. This may be because they were not crate trained until they were older adults and they consider the whole house their “den” and the crate merely one of several beds in it. Charley was trained to an x-pen, which we still use for travel today, and she is quite happy with the wire of an xpen or the wire of a crate around her. Sadie isn’t terribly happy with either – perhaps she has a learned fear of being confined when her beloved family disappeared and she scratched at the wire of the shelter kennel until her paws were raw and bleeding. However, even she voluntarily goes into the open wire crate in my living room for a nap from time to time, and will happily stay in there with a frozen stuffed kong.

Some dogs like wire crates better because they are cooler – Charley and Sadie both have very thick coats and really suffer in the heat, so the more limited air circulation of the plastic crates does not suit them. That said, there are plastic crates with built in fans available – though I am not sure how efficiently they work and whether some dogs would object to the feel of air being blown on or away from them. And small skinny hairless dogs who feel the cold more may well like the warmth of a plastic crate, no fan needed!

One good compromise, especially if you have a long haired dog who will be hot in a plastic crate in summer, is to get a wire one, but toss a blanket over it. For a price you can even buy special cloth or canvas crate covers that look very nice (or if you are a zillion times more talented at sewing than I am, you can make your own to match your décor!). That way, you can provide a covered den-like crate, with the option of good ventilation and visibility by removing the cover.

Getting the right sized crate for the dog is also important. Used crates are always available on online classifieds like craigslist, so sizing up as the pup grows is not a big issue. However, there are also crates that have an adjustable interior “wall” so the crate can grow as your pup does. Too big a crate for a little pup and they may not feel secure (and may well poop at one end of the crate). Too small a crate for your adult dog, and you can cause pain in its neck or limbs. The right size crate is one in which your dog has three or four extra inches of head space when standing or sitting, and is long enough and wide enough for the dog to turn around and to lie down.

Teaching the dog to like the crate:

Getting a dog of any age – pup to senior – used to a crate is not usually too difficult, unless, like Sadie, they have experienced a traumatic event associated with being kenneled. Whenever I foster or adopt a dog, every new dog to my home is introduce to the crate by eating all his or her meals there. At first, that may mean just putting the bowl on the floor of the crate just inside the door and letting the dog stand outside the crate to eat. Then I gradually move the bowl further in until they must go right inside the crate to get the food. Then I begin closing the door while they are in there eating, but opening it right after. Then I make them wait a moment or two, slowly increasing the wait time. I also hide treats in the crate for them to find, or put them in the crate with a high-value treat like a bully stick, or a long lasting treat like a frozen stuffed kong.

I make sure the crate is somewhere quiet but central – usually in my living room alongside a wall, or between a couch or chair and the wall. I want them to feel part of the family. Depending on the dog, I have at times had crates in my bedroom as well – Belle used to like to sleep in a crate in the bedroom, whereas Charley has always preferred her “own” room at night time. She says my snoring keeps her awake.

When crate training, I try not to let a dog out when she is whining – I want to catch her being quiet in her crate and THEN open the door for her. Sometimes that may mean dropping a toy or treat in at the far end of the crate to distract her, and when she stops whining to go investigate, whipping the door open and telling her good dog. Otherwise she will learn that whining will get her what she wants. If she goes in voluntarily and lies down for a snooze, I wait a few minutes and then go over with a treat for her – good dog, crate!

Just as kids can learn to like their own beds and rooms, dogs too learn to see their crate as their favourite place to be when they can’t be with you.

Here’s a couple of good links about crate training:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI8b_xfEuPA

http://www.pets.ca/dogs/articles/housebreaking-crate-training/

An Update on Lucy

Lucy Lou is doing well! I heard from her new mama today, and she says Lucy is settling in nicely. She has already found her favourite playmate - her mama's best friend's dog - who she'll be seeing lots and lots of. Lucy has decided the daughter's bed is just the right place to sleep, which makes young Kaia very happy indeed!

So far, the only real mischief Lucy has gotten into is stealing the cat's food - including sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night for a midnight snack. Now that made me laugh - it is sooooo Lucy. They have solved the problem by moving the catfood up higher where she can't reach it. Hopefully the kitties aren't too annoyed with the change.

So, all in all, Lucy is off to a good start. Of course, when a dog changes homes there is often a "honeymoon" period as they figure out their place in the pack and get a sense of who the other "pack" members are - both two legged and four legged members. I certainly saw many changes in Lucy's personality and behaviour during the months she was with me, and it has been my experience that adopters often don't really get to know their dog's true personality until three to six months later. I look forward to future updates on Lucy Lou as she continues to settle in.

I apologize for the lack of posts the past several days. Now that my household is back to 'normal' (if there is any such thing!), I'm catching up on a number of tasks that have been on hold. I'm also heading to the mainland for five days next week, with a new petsitter coming to look after Charley, Sadie and Allie, so I'm trying to get organized for that. I have several blog post ideas (and rough drafts) and some photos to post too and will try to get some up tomorrow - but as the song says,

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya Tomorrow!
You're always
A day
A way!

It's a top ten bloghop!

Evensong, a blogger friend at Mountain Music, drew my attention to a blogging event which sounds like fun. Each blogger chooses their ten favourite posts that they made in 2010, and links to each other for a bloghop (which is kinda like a pub crawl but without the morning-after effects). So..... I went through my posts for 2010 and ended up with twenty favourites --- ooops!

And then I narrowed it down.

It was hard to decide on the criteria - was I looking for ones I felt were well written? creative? had good photography? meaningful to me? I ended up with a mix. If I've missed one of your favourites from this past year, be sure to mention it in the comments.

The first four were easy:

The Magic of the Quilt in which I tell the true story of a quilt that helped a puppy find a perfect home.

Foster Mama, Lucy Lou and a Little Dr. Seuss in which foster dog Lucy and I discuss the merits of snow, in the style of Dr. Seuss.


The Dog Who Thought He was a Polar Bear, a story based on a morning walk with my late sheltie, Oliver.

Why the Sky Turned Orange, a myth which came into my head as I watched a beautiful sunset shortly after Oliver died.

Then it gets a little trickier, and the final six were hard to choose. But I think these give a wide representation of my blogging work of the past year - a little pensive, a little humour, a tribute or two, and some photographic essays. Here, in no particular order, are the ones I selected:

Beautiful Borzois and a Passel of Puppies, a series of photographs of my foster pups and my friend's gorgeous borzois that she just adopted from Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue.

Touring Cowichan Valley, Part 3, (and also parts 1 and 2) in which a visit from a friend motivated me to capture some of the beautiful spots in the area where I live.

Ebeneezer's Rescue, a true story of the rescue of a lonely, abandoned potbellied piggy. Perhaps not my best writing (I've since edited it quite a bit for a book I'm working on), but a fun tale worth the telling.

Watercolour World, in which I am tempted to take up painting, motivated by the natural beauty of sunrises and sunsets. I chose this one because the photos give me a sense of tranquility.

My Precious Boy has passed away, a tribute to my sheltie Oliver

And Now my Belle has left us too , a tribute to my sheltie Belle, who died a week after Oliver. I chose these last two because they are truly written from the heart.

Okay, that's ten. Aww shoot, but I have more I really liked:

Confessions of a Patio Gardener
My Favourite Shot of the Week
Magical Morning Meanderings
Two quiet old easy care dogs
A little comic relief
Lucy's song
And off they go
Those long awaited omg couldn't ya just smooch those little faces puppy pictures.

Okay, I cheated. But so did some others in the bloghop.

Now check out these other bloggers' top tens:
Here's the bloghop list:

And so another year begins

My years are not marked so much by the dates on the calendar, but by the critters that come and go. I think in terms of “that was the year I lost my Caleb” or “that was the year Oliver came into my life”.

And each January 1st, I find myself reflecting “What has changed in this past year? How is my life different now?”

And so it is today, this New Year’s Day 2011.

I began the year sharing my home with four dogs and a cat – Charley, Sadie, Belle, Oliver and Allie. The passing months saw the loss of my two precious shelties, Belle and Oliver. Oliver passed away six months ago today, and Belle one week after that. I miss them still, and always will.

In September, pregnant foster dog Lucy came to live with me, and October saw the arrival of her ten pups – Deli, Peanut, Hubbard, Pumpkin, Zuke, Patty, Bo, Nugget, Acorn, and Summer. Fourteen animals in my home. It was a busy time, a very busy time. By the end of November, the pups were all gone, and yesterday funny, silly, smart, loving Lucy left for her new home.

And so I end the year with just two old easy care dogs and a mischievous cat. It is awfully quiet around here. I can’t help but wonder what this next year will bring. What critters will arrive, pass through, pass on, or stay?

I am hard pressed to think of anything inspirational to write this New Years day – the bittersweet feeling of placing Lucy yesterday is at the forefront of my mind. And I think of all my human friends who have lost canine companions in this past year or welcomed new ones to their homes. Each leaving, each arrival, affects our heart forever. Last night my friend Ellen sent this quote to me, and it is so right, so perfect, for those of us who love animals:

It came to me that every time I lose a dog, they take a piece of my heart
with them. And every new dog who comes into my life gifts me with a piece of
their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be
dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are.
- Cheryl Zuccaro -

Happy New Year, everyone. May we all become as generous and loving as the critters we care for.

A sunrise walk and a bittersweet farewell

Crofton sunrise

I lie awake in the early morning, the crisp cold dawn slipping through the slightly open window. I snuggle further under the blanket, spooning around Lucy as she sleeps on, oblivious to what lies ahead. Soon, I feel her nudge my arm and start to lick my hand. I stroke her soft fur and she wiggles up the bed to cover my face with her morning doggy kisses. It is time to get up, though today my heart is heavy.

In just a few short hours, Lucy’s world is about to be turned upside down. This is the last time she will sleep on my bed, the last morning she will wake me with her kisses. For Lucy Lou has found a home.

She came to me a scared, anxious, sad, and very pregnant girl. Slowly she learned to love car rides and walks about town, to crawl up on my lap and sneak into my bed. She gave wonderful kisses – timid at first, and then more generously washing my face and hands with her tongue. And she grew to trust me – to trust that when I left the house without her, I would return, and when I took her places where she had to stay without me, I would come back for her.

Today I am going to break that trust. Today she is moving on – to join the family who has pledged to love her forever, her adoptive family. In time she will learn to trust them, in time she will love them as she does me. Friends tell me dogs are very adaptable. And I know that is true. But I know before her trust and love will be freely given again, there will be a time of sadness and confusion, a painful time for Lucy – and how I wish I could protect her from that pain.

I get out of bed and go to the back door. I pull on my boots and warm jacket and step outside with Lucy. The sky is orange and red with the glow of sunrise, and I impulsively forgo our morning routines and grab the camera and Lucy’s leash. We head down to the beach and watch the sunrise, sitting side by side in the frosty morning air. It is a perfect way to spend our very last morning together. A perfect time for a final walk.

Boat leaves the marina

Sunrise from the seawalk

Sunrise and reflections

I have always known this day would come. And for nearly a week, I have known it would be today. The family came to meet her last Sunday, and I took her to their place for the homecheck on Tuesday, and then I recommended the SPCA approve the application. And they did. It has been my secret, one that I didn’t want to share on the blog until all was complete.

By noon she seems to know something is up. Perhaps she senses my emotions, perhaps she makes sense of the things I am packing for her. She sits by the window and watches and waits.

Are they here yet?

I'm tired of waiting

I am going to miss her terribly. I will miss her enthusiastic greetings when I’ve been gone, whether for five minutes or five hours. I will miss her climbing onto my lap and pushing me out of my chair. I will miss her running to her crate and sitting up tall as can be as she waits for her meal. I will miss her wonderful silly grin, her willingness to dress up and her excitement as soon as I pick up her leash or the car keys. But most of all, I shall miss her climbing up onto my bed and snuggling up to me, licking my hands and covering my face with her kisses as we wake up in the early morning hours and head out for a walk in the sunrise.

It is always good news when a shelter dog finds a family. She joins a mom and dad, and a boy and girl. The girl, Kaia, shall be her special pal, and it is on her bed that Lucy shall likely sleep. Her new family also has two cats, and she’ll have doggy friends to play with regularly as her at-home mom walks neighbourhood dogs each weekday, walks our Lucy will now enjoy too. Oh, and Lucy will have a gramma just down the road, whose two dogs she met and liked on Tuesday.

She will live in a lovely comfortable home with a nice yard to play in, protected by a solid six foot fence, though it will be awhile before she can be out there unattended for even a minute, as we all know about her invisible pogo stick and superpower flying abilities! Her new family has been well versed in the rules of keeping Lucy safe.

And so Lucy rides off, not into the sunset, but into the sunrise of her life – into the promise of a brand new day, a brand new life. With her she takes her martingale collar and a new id tag, her sweater, a few favourite toys, some dog food and some treats......and a very large piece of my heart.

My sorrow is a little girl’s joy. My pain is a family’s excitement. Such is the role of fostering – to nurse back to health, to teach some manners, to care, to love, to let go. Lucy Lou is going home.

Heading home



A Poem for Lucy

It is perhaps the hardest thing that I have ever done,
To love a dog and earn her trust, and then to send her on.
In fostering, the joy I feel at seeing safely placed
A homeless dog, is bittersweet; with sorrow it is laced.
A young girl's gain will be my loss; my mind has but one thought:
That I will truly miss this dog and all the love she brought.

Have a great life, Lucy Lou.


© 2010 JFB

Lucy's morning sunrise, December 31, 2010

Viewed with her foster mama the day she begins her new life

A fun day, and a gift to treasure

Lucy and I headed up island early this morning, amid sunshine, blue sky, and occasional surreal patches of fog hovering just above the water. Lucy travelled well, and once again proved her dexterity by somehow squeezing through the bars of the dog barrier to sit in the driver's seat when I popped into a store. Silly girl!

We had a nice visit with some new friends, and she met two little dogs who were both named Ginger (both rescued dogs), and once again did me proud with her nice doggy manners.

On the way home, we popped into The Village Puppy, a wonderful dog boutique owned by our friend Kelly in Qualicum Beach. Lucy even tried on a few coats in the store, said hello to customers, and showed off what a great dog she is! She has come such a long way - no longer nervous in new situations, happy to meet everyone and explore new places.

Kelly wasn't there, but a quick phone call and she came over to say hi - and brought me a wonderful gift. Kelly had arranged for an artist friend of hers, Vicki (Kelly, please email me with Vicki's full name so I can give proper credit!), to do a portrait of our dear Oliver who passed away this past June. It is absolutely beautiful and I shall treasure it. I love how Vicki captured Oliver's happy smile - he was always such happy dog, such a ray of sunshine in my life. Thank you Kelly, and thank you Vicki!

This isn't the best photo as the lighting isn't right and it is full of reflections, but I wanted to post it tonight as I'll be away all day tomorrow.



When Lucy and I arrived home, Charley and Sadie were happy to see her, and all three of them ran and played and acted goofy in the backyard - how I love to see my old girls join in the fun of zooomies with young Lucy.

It was a very good day.

Hey, Time, could you stand still for a moment?

I honestly don't know where the days go - they just fly by. I still haven't finished that post on crating that a couple of people asked for.....will get back to it soon.

Christmas day was peaceful and pleasant. The rain stopped long enough for Lucy and I to go for an hour long walk around town. I made her dress for the occasion :

Aarggh - you expect me to wear this????

I'll never be able to show my face around town again!

She was such a good sport, wearing her reindeer antlers all over town. She certainly got lots of comments from the other people we met! And when we got home, she was rewarded with a bully stick in her crate while I took the other two for a walk:

Well, that certainly made it all worthwhile!

It was starting to rain by the time I took Charley and Sadie out, so we mostly just wandered down by the seawalk watching the ducks and gulls and people. These cats were hanging about the empty house near the start of the seawalk:

Cats by a vacant house

Boxing Day, some visitors came to meet Lucy, who took a particular liking to the little girl and gave her a very thorough face and ear wash! Lucy is such a very good dog with everyone, two legged and four legged. Today she spent a few hours with Cheryl, owner of U-Dog dog care services, as she is going to have a sleep-over there later this week while I dash over to the mainland for a day. Cheryl commented on how nicely she got along with all the other dogs even though she was nervous being in a new place. Whether it was the nervous energy or the fresh air, Lucy was a tired puppy when she got home:

ZZZZZZZZ

Lucy loves to ride in the car now, so tomorrow she is coming up island with me while I do a homecheck. Then Wednesday I'm off to the mainland, and on the weekend my daughter will likely come for a visit (barring ice and snow on the roads).

Hopefully sometime late Thursday or Friday I shall get that post about crates up!

I'll end with this photo, which I took just to make Big Sis drool - our family's traditional Christmas dessert, an English trifle. This year I soaked the bottom sponge cake layer in Cointreau and used mandarins for the fruit instead of strawberry - it was yummy (and yes, I ate the whole thing myself over the last two days!).

Drool, Big Sis, drool!

Christmas Morning, 2010

Six o'clock Christmas morning. It is quiet in the house, and dark in the village. I turn on the Christmas lights as I step outside, and I watch their many colours sparkling in the light rain that falls. It is a blustery day, but a warm one, a beautiful morning in its own West Coast way. Lucy is bouncing around my feet, childlike in her happiness, while Sadie and Charley slowly plod around the yard before heading back to the shelter of the house. I smile, and I gaze to the heavens as I whisper a heartfelt thank you to the Great Spirit that guides my life. I am richly blessed.

Christmas has always been a special time of year for me. When I was a child, no matter how tight things were financially, or how rough the year had been, my family always celebrated with music and worship, with overflowing stockings and presents under the tree, with turkey and Christmas pudding and mince tarts and trifle, with silly paper hats pulled from Christmas crackers, and funny party games like Squeak Piggy Squeak. But most of all we celebrated with love, with joy, and with togetherness.

Over the years, my Christmases have changed in form, but never in feeling. As we children grew and scattered across the country, family gatherings became less frequent, new traditions emerged, and the Christmases of my childhood became a memory. And I made a conscious choice to keep my Christmases simple.

And yet December 25th remains my favourite day of the year. It is a time when, no matter if I am with family or not, I feel a great sense of joy and love, a sense of belonging – to the people whom I love and who love me, to the Spirit which nurtures me, to the earth which sustains me in so many ways.

This Christmas day, as others frantically prepare their feasts and tear wrappings off presents, the dogs and I shall go for a walk along the beach, breathe in the salt air, watch the birds overhead and admire the shells at our feet. Then we shall return home, curl up in our favourite spots, and I shall listen to music, read a good book, cuddle my dogs, and graze my way through the day. It is how I wish to spend this Christmas. Simple, peaceful, cosy.

May you celebrate your day in the way that pleases you most.

Merry Christmas, everyone, from all of us to all of you.

Jean, Charley, Sadie, Allie, and the irrepressible Ms. Lucy.