Haiku My Heart Friday

Black and white streaks by

Leaps, pounces, growls, spins, then barks

"Throw it again, Mom"

More haiku offerings can be found at Rebecca's place - go visit!

Cleanliness is....

...next to Dogliness!!

Kylie at the groomer and happy to be just about finished!

Scenes from our snow storm

 

Kylie  

  

California coastal redwood - in New Jersey! 

 

White pine

I had some problems getting the other pictures to load properly - that is, they simply want to be on their side!  If you would like to see the other snow pics, please check my Flickr account here.

Here in this house...

Here in this house......

I will never know the loneliness I hear in the barks of the other dogs 'out there'.
I can sleep soundly, assured that when I wake my world will not have changed.
I will never know hunger, or the fear of not knowing if I'll eat.
I will not shiver in the cold, or grow weary from the heat.
I will feel the sun's heat, and the rain's coolness,
and be allowed to smell all that can reach my nose.
My fur will shine, and never be dirty or matted.

Here in this house...
There will be an effort to communicate with me on my level.
I will be talked to and, even if I don't understand,
I can enjoy the warmth of the words.
I will be given a name so that I may know who I am among many.
My name will be used in joy, and I will love the sound of it!

Here in this house...
I will never be a substitute for anything I am not.
I will never be used to improve peoples' images of themselves.
I will be loved because I am who I am, not someone's idea of who I should be.

I will never suffer for someone's anger, impatience, or stupidity.
I will be taught all the things I need to know to be loved by all.
If I do not learn my lessons well, they will look to my teacher for blame.

Here in this house...
I can trust arms that hold, hands that touch...
knowing that, no matter what they do, they do it for the good of me.
If I am ill, I will be doctored.
If scared, I will be calmed.
If sad, I will be cheered.
No matter what I look like, I will be considered beautiful and known to be of value.
I will never be cast out because I am too old, too ill, too unruly, or not cute enough.

My life is a responsibility, and not an afterthought.
I will learn that humans can almost, sometimes, be as kind and as fair as dogs.

Here in this house...
I will belong.
I will be home.

(author unknown)

 

Same goes for Millie!

I took this poem from someone's Flickr site; since the author is "unknown," I felt it was alright to post it.

3 years ago

3 years ago today, Kylie arrived on a flight from New Orleans to New Jersey, sprung from a high kill shelter in Houma, Louisiana.  She was a scrawny 29 lb, 11 month old Border Collie I had only seen in a picture.  I had no idea what temperament she had - the gamble was one of the best I've taken.  She is a great dog - happy, funny, friendly with everyone and every dog and is great company for me.

You're a good girl, Kylie and everyone loves you - especially me!

Now, let's go for our walk!

xoxo

~Mom

Good Morning!

Isn't this a great picture of Kylie? It was taken yesterday, early afternoon, by Jessica, a friend of my sister, Jacki. Both of them are very talented photographers. Click on their names and visit them over at Flickr - they have some beautiful works over there!

Be back later - we're off for our morning walk!

Mind games for dogs

Kylie with her new pumpkin bandana

Mind Games for Dogs to Play With Humans

After your humans give you a bath, don't let them towel you dry! Instead, run to their bed, jump up and dry yourself on the sheets. This is especially good if it's right before your human's bedtime.

Act like a convicted criminal. When your humans come home, put your ears back, with tail between your legs and chin down, and act as if you have done something really bad. Then, watch as the humans frantically search the house for the damage they think you have caused. Note: This works best when you have done absolutely nothing wrong.

Let the humans teach you a brand new trick. Learn it perfectly. When the humans try to demonstrate it to someone else, stare blankly back at the humans. Pretend you have no idea what they're talking about.

Help your humans learn patience. When you go outside to 'pee', sniff around the entire yard as your humans wait. Act as if the spot you choose to pee will ultimately decide the fate of the earth.

Draw attention to the human. When out for a walk always pick the busiest, most visible spot to go 'poo.' Take your time and make sure everyone watches. This works particularly well if your humans have forgotten to bring a plastic bag.

When out for a walk, alternate between choking and coughing every time a strange human walks by.

Make your own rules. Don't always bring back the stick when playing fetch with the humans. Make them go and chase it once in a while.

Hide from your humans. When your humans come home, don't greet them at the door. Instead, hide from them, and make them think something terrible has happened to you. (Don't reappear until one of your humans is panic-stricken and close to tears).

When your human calls you to come back in, always take your time. Walk as slowly as possible back to the door.

Wake up twenty minutes before the alarm clock is set to go off and make the humans take you out for your morning pee. As soon as you get back inside, fall asleep. (Humans can rarely fall back asleep after going outside; this will drive them nuts!)

~Author Unknown~

Morning garden stroll - part 2

When I first photographed this pumpkin, I didn't realize it was a pumpkin! Now, I just have to wait for it to turn orange! Hope it's ready for Hallowe'en! Do you see the witches flying on the pumpkin? I do.

Not sure what kind of squash this is - it's in Brian's garden.

Light through the corn in Brian's garden.

Kylie - notice her fashionable bandana of Moon and Stars in seasonal colors!

Poison ivy. It turns such a gorgeous shade of red in the fall. I've been lucky - I've never had a reaction to it.

Click on any image to enlarge it.

Greeting a friend

~Kylie greets Faye~

Exuberant young dog:
wants in, wants out,
wants everything.

~Michael Garofalo~

Observing Sleeping Beauty

Here's Millie watching Kylie take a nap around dinner time yesterday. It was cute to see her just watching Kylie.

And here's a close up of Millie without her trying to kill the camera or me!

Click on images to enlarge them.

Canine epilepsy

Kylie, 1 week after arriving in NJ from Louisiana

I don't like this disease. I don't think any dog likes it, either. It is sneaky. The seizures arrive unannounced, much like an earthquake. And like earthquakes, there are severe tremors and shaking.

Kylie had one yesterday afternoon. And under the worst case scenario for me. I was working on the computer and she came over, nudging me. I thought she had to go pee, so I got up to take her outside. Now, I keep a baby gate upstairs and downstairs because I've had this fear of her having a seizure while on the stairs. And, I am usually quite vigilant in making sure that the gate is in use.

But, yesterday I forgot.

And unfortunately, Kylie had already headed downstairs. I heard a couple of thuds and then a crash. She had had a seizure and had fallen down the stairs. I saw her thrashing about at the foot of the stairs. I felt sick to my stomach.

I ran down the stairs and straightened her out - she tends to contract during a seizure. I was frantic - I didn't know if she broke any bones or ruptured any organs. The seizure was short, as usual. It took her a couple of minutes to stand up, stagger around and pace off the effects of the seizure. While watching her, I called the vet. I could hear my voice shaking. Then, I called one of my sisters and asked her to drive me to the vet if I needed to go. I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate on driving and Kylie at the same time.

The vet wasn't in the office, but the receptionist said he would call me and just to watch Kylie until he did. By the time he called, Kylie was back to normal. She wasn't limping and didn't flinch when I felt around her abdomen, ribs and spine. She was alert, interested in playing with her Squeaker and finally, I indulged her in her favorite pastime: I threw in a load of laundry. She seemed back to normal.

Kylie and I went on a long walk this morning. I haven't noticed anything physically amiss with her - let's hope it stays that way.

Dogs never cease to amaze me - they truly live in the moment, another trait they can teach us humans. I read this article this morning and thought you dog lovers might like it, too.

Kylie this afternoon, lounging on the bed while I update this post!

Dog days of Summer

There is NOTHING sadder than a bored Border Collie!

The humidity has been too oppressive for our long walks, the downpours prevent us from taking those walks and I have been sitting way too long at this computer trying to figure out how to blog.

Poor Kylie is being so neglected!

Amazing Grace

Meet Kylie's "cousin" Grace, a retriever mix who is about the same age as Kylie. She's also another Southern Belle, coming up from Mississippi when she was 8 weeks old and a fluff ball. We think she is mostly Nova Scotia Duck Tolling retriever, although with her current short summer "do," I can see a Chocolate Lab in the mix, too.

Grace spent much of her first year over here when my sister was working. She associates being here with being fed. Constantly. That dog loves to eat more than anything! Well, she also loves to chase cats, rabbits, deer and the lights from a flashlight or other shiny reflection. She's quite a character and is dearly loved by Kylie and me.

Millie, not so much.

Millie had her close encounter with Grace when Grace had her cornered under the dining room table. Neither one is too bothered by each other now, but back then - Millie went immediately into her cage whenever Grace showed up.

Image made by Grace's mom - click to enlarge it.

Meet Kylie

Alright, I can see that this blogging can be addictive! Kylie is still waiting for her short walk - good thing she is patient!

Kylie is a 3 year old Border Collie whom I adopted from a high kill shelter in Louisiana when she was 11 months old. She's a great dog having one of the best temperaments I've ever seen. She's good with other dogs, children of any age, older folks - she simply loves people and wants to be around them all of the time!

Kylie suffers from idiopathic epilepsy. She takes pheno for her condition and is mostly alright. She still has seizures - extreme excitement will trigger one, as will extreme heat or cold. Other reasons remain a mystery. She's a trooper, though - she usually snaps out of the seizure quickly.

Kylie's "hobby" is doing the laundry. Yes, you read that correctly. She is completely fascinated by and devoted to the washing machine and dryer. She will lay by those machines just waiting for them do "act up." She whines and nips at the clothing going into the washer and coming out of it - I think she thinks that the clothing is responsible for all of the noise the machine makes! I taught her how to spell L A U N D R Y and F L U F F (as in what the clothes do while in the dryer) - when I spell those words, she dashes over to the machines and waits.

Sigh. Well, Borders must have a job to do and this is hers!

Soon, you'll meet Kylie's "sister" Millie along with her "cousin" Grace.