The Last Ride

Jake left us today for greener pastures.

a place of eternal sunbathing on grassy hillsides
with an endless supply of big ole ham bones, I hoping.


He's been busy for so long watching over our little kingdom...


and escorting us up and down the driveway every day.


Bless his heart, he just wore himself out.

Now he can finally rest.

The Sky Is Crying

It started raining late yesterday afternoon.

JB had mowed the immediate yard, as Jake lay on the porch complaining. If his legs were working, he would have found a vantage point on the hillside to oversee the operation. He's definitely not happy with the situation.

The vet had referred to Jake as a whiny dog. He assured us that
Jake was in no real pain and his cries were more from anxiety.

But isn't anxiety emotional pain?

Jake's been a lot more anxious the last 24 hours.
And now I'm beginning to feel his anxiety. What's next?

Anxiety about the future is now an everyday occurrence.
I wish I could make it go away.

I wish he would just get up already.

Tick Talk

Jake is still holding on. He's able to lift his head and wag his tail, but his legs still don't work. It's been a week today.

Bless his heart, he's fed up. I understand this. It's no picnic doing physical therapy with a 65 pound dog and changing out bedding twice a day. I can just imagine how he feels about it all.

During the course of all this, I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about ticks. I have read things that make me want to live in a bubble--and yes--miss the city somewhat.

I also got a bite from a Lone Star tick last Friday that has created a reaction. I was showering and felt something at the back of my calf. The nasty little bastard had latched on and created an an inflamed area as well. It took tweezers to remove the thing. It was attached as if it had been harpooned into my leg!

I'm guessing my jaunt down to the garden the afternoon before was when he got me. After researching all the fine details, I think I will live. The reaction, while still yucky-looking, is subsiding.

I've spoke with the "specialized veterinary representatives" at Frontline who have educated me further. I was told that typically it took a tick longer than 48 hours to transmit disease. It has something to do with their feeding patterns.

I'm really grossed out by all this tick-talk.