S-N-O-W Part II: Three Amigos

Fresh snow + 2 young dogs + 1 senior duck toller = 3 Sleepy Dogs



The race is on! 



Not a lot of words needed here.  Zoë, Mika and Piper had an absolute blast in the park.  You can see the absolute joy on those doggy faces and can't help but smile. 

Piper takes charge!

A picture that IS worth 1,000 words




Snow wrestling with Mika and Zoë




Piper takes a break from the action

 
It's only fair that I give a shout-out to Mika's dad, Rob, for these great shots.  He just happened to have his camera with him and captured some great moments - about 300 of them to be exact!!  Thanks again Rob!  Not only does he take great pics, Rob also has some great videos of Mika and Lucy on YouTube - take a look, you won't be disappointed folks!



So, until the next snowy post.....

The End

S-N-O-W

Our little spaniel absolutely loves cold weather and snow.  This is our first major snowfall and Zoë couldn't have been happier! 



Look at that grin!!!


Zoë gets so excited once she's out in the snow - she'll run, full tilt - like a complete maniac through all the white, fluffy stuff.  She'll eat it, lie in it, dig in it and never seems to get cold.  The one thing she does suffer from is snowballs between the toes!!  This slows her down, but only for a couple of minutes - some focussed 'toe' work usually melts those little snowballs and she's ready to get back out there.

Cold??  Nah!!


The other day, I took her over to the park across the street. We met up with her friend Mika and her old buddy, Piper.  For a little Blue that has been feeling down, this was the perfect activity.  Together the three dogs charted new trails through the pristine snow.  But, that's for another post!!



Snow Dog



Life after Gus

I had a lot of different posts lined up - mostly humourous bits about Zoë and some of her new Christmas toys.  I even had a great one with Zoë and Gus.  But, it's not quite time for that yet.  Tonight, its a week since we lost Gus. Zoë continues to mope around the house.  She looks for Gus under the bed, beside the bed, behind the bathroom door.... She's started to sleep in Gussy's favourite spots as well.  Our vet, Dr. Paul Walker, told us that it was going to take some time for Zoë and that she will continue to mourn the loss of her cat brother for a few more weeks.  I can't say enough about the excellent care provided by Dr. Walker and staff.

The Pets of 2010

Kypros and I were very proud of Zoë and Gus in 2010.  Despite the age difference, peace had come between the two.  It was amazing to see the friendship that developed.  This was more than a truce it was an affinity - a bond.  We were so pleased with both of them.  If there was such a contest, both would be 'paws' down winners of dog and cat of the year!

Gus: A True Companion

This is Zoë's Blog.  But, today, it belongs to Gus.

Sadly, our dear ginger tabby passed on New Year's Eve.  He had a sudden and very acute pancreatic episode and despite the best efforts of his veternarian, he slipped away from us early Friday night.

Never could there have been a more class act than this cat. He was a true companion and a kind soul. A better friend than most of us will ever have. 

When I met Gus, he was the 'clinic cat' at a local veterinary hospital.  He had been abandon there, left in a sealed cardboard box.  He had been living at the clinic for two years.  I feel in love with his larger-than-life personality and his incredible ego!  That was Thanksgiving 2000.  His age could only be estimated, but the consensus was that he was at least 3 yrs old when I adopted him.  He has been my "G" for very close to 11 years.  When Kypros came into our lives, his relationship with Gus got off to a rocky start.  But, they quickly became fast friends for life.

For a cat that had suffered the negative side of humanity, he was a trusting, upbeat guy - always there to greet you at the front door, always there when you tried to make the bed (with him in it!!), always there when you needed a friend.  He was affectionate, playful and accepting - even to a crazy Blue Picardy Spaniel.  He taught Zoë who was really "The Boss" of the household.  He pretended to hate her, but he had allowed her into his house and access to his "humans".  He allowed her to share his last day...

Zoë knew something was wrong with her cat brother.  Before we took Gus to the vet, Zoë gently jumped on the bed where he was.  She lay down very close to him and just sighed.  She stayed there with him until it was time for us to take Gus.  It was the sweetest and most heartbreaking moment that either Kypros or I had witnessed between the two of them.

There is an uncanny quietness in our home today. 

We love you Gussy, Nola will be a dear forever friend to you now ........




"If animals could speak the dog would be a a blundering outspoken fellow, but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much." - Mark Twain



From our family to yours.....

Have a very Merry Christmas
and a Happy, Healthy New Year!!

Winter Woofstock: Recap

What can I say?  We packed up the Blue for a trip down to Winter Woofstock 2010 hoping for a fun-filled morning.

Not so much.

Although there were tons of people, there really wasn't much to do there.  It was just a sea of people retailing with their dogs in tow.  Don't get me wrong, I love retail - but not that much retail.  It was a huge event - but it was mostly doggie clothes, toys, treats, food.  Yes, all things for dogs and that's appropriate, but wow!!  Some of the more interesting booths belonged to those of the rescue associations and breed specific groups.

We checked out the fashion show (Zoë is not really into sequined pjs or tiaras!); there was a microchipping service ($30 per dog); pictures with Santa (a huge, frenzied line-up) - even someone selling subscriptions to local newspapers.  One mystery area was the VIP Lounge.  Not sure who or what you had to be to enter - but there wasn't anyone in there when we walked by!  Unfortunately, we also missed the Wiener Dog Race and the Running of the Pugs - sorry folks!!!

The most puzzling feature of Woofstock was the Doggie Daycare area.  I mean, why????

On a positive note, Kypros and I were very impressed with Zoë.  She doesn't have much experience with large groups of people, but we were very impressed with her.  She was good - so good in fact that we received compliments from complete strangers! Once they found out that she was still young, they were shocked at how well-behaved she was.  This confirms that Zoë is definitely a contender for Dog of the Year!

Benefits of attending?  We did get some great swag and Zoë did get a new collar from Hustle Up! and a tasty dog treat or two and a complimentary copy of the Toronto Star.  All in all, we spent about 2.5 hours at Woofstock and headed home.  Will we go next year?  Probably not to the Winter Woof - but we might check out Summer Woofstock.

So in conclusion, what's a blog post without pictures - here's a pictorial of our day at Woofstock (nothing exciting I'm afraid). 

Woofstock Promenade

At the Fashion Show: Skunk Couture?

Taking a Break

No pulling on-leash??  What!?!?!

How do I get out of here??



New crowd arriving

  

Fresh Air!!



"Home, James...I mean, Kypros"



Rocky??

Dear Rocky,

It's been days since I've seen you.  I've been to the leash-free on the weekends, but haven't seen you there.....I miss you!!!

Love,

Zoë