Where Have I Been?

Home...mostly. 

This blog started as a way to share my travels with friends and family back home.  It evolved a little when I made a bigger move overseas and grew to incorporate posts about the dogs, exercise, books, food, etc.  That wasn't my original intent but it's what happened.

Last year I didn't really go anywhere.  I had plans but then Tex got sick and shortly thereafter we lost him.  It was a huge emotional blow and I'm still not over it.  On the same day my car engine blew up.  Seriously!  I lived a bad country song for a little while.  In addition to the emotional trauma of it there was also a big hit to my bank account.  So my travel plans were put on hold. 

I wasn't the only one to be hit very hard by Tex's parting.  My other (much older) dog also lost her best friend and she was clearly very depressed. I felt like I had to do something or I was going to lose her, too. So after a month I brought home two foster dogs from the rescue where I volunteer.  They came to the rescue together from the same house and I didn't want to separate them.

Bella (I nicknamed her the Little Monster)- a miniature poodle who was in terrible shape when we got her. After getting her healthy and recovered from her recent abandonment and neglect she was adopted by a wonderful woman and is thriving in her new home.

Jack - a black lab/pit mix who is about the sweetest dog you'll ever meet.

I wish I could say that these dogs were the balm my old dog needed to get over her sadness but they weren't.  However, she does seem less depressed although I doubt she'll ever fully get over the loss of Tex.  She really didn't like Bella (Bella had some aggression issues even though she was a tiny little thing and at her age, Chey is just not as understanding and adaptable as she used to be).  No dog will ever replace Tex but Jack has a great sense of when something is wrong and he checks on her (and me) often (sometimes knocking her over in his haste to see if she is okay).  It's not perfect but it's better than what it was. I no longer worry that Chey is going to commit suicide while I'm at work (I'm not making light of suicide...I cried every morning when I left just because of the look on her face).

Chey and Jack the day he came to live with us. I think this might be the only picture I have where Chey is smiling.

So we've just been here, doing out thing...recovering emotionally and figuring out a new normal. 

However, I do have travel plans for this year!  And I have travels about which I have not yet posted.  So I hope to get back to this blog and tell you about some trips I've taken in the past and what my plans are for this year.  I'm excited!

Do you have travel plans for this year?  What are they?

A Happy Rescue Story

I've mentioned before that I volunteer to walk dogs at a local (local to me) rescue.  I love spending time with these dogs and it's so great when we get to see one of them get adopted (it's also a little bittersweet because we get so used to spending time with them and we miss them when they go).  One of the ones that has been there since I started volunteering was adopted over the weekend.  I had no idea that he has never been in a house before. He's spent almost his whole life in a cage.  Hard to imagine that such a happy dog had such a rough start to life.

Brolin (along with another dog that was with us, Zephyr) came into the Floyd Animal Control in Georgia, as a neglect case over 18 months  ago. They were driven in a transport to a rescue western Pa, where that rescuer had them brought to the facility where we board rescue dogs around June of 2013. However, the PA rescue group never made a payment for them at the facility, and so their future looked bleak. Rather than allowed the two dogs to be taken to Baltimore County Animal Control, AAHA (Adopt a Homeless Animal rescue) took them in, and paid to board them, as well as paid all of the costs of Brolin's Lyme disease and heart worm treatment.   Below is a  photo of Brolin  when he was taken into the Floyd Animal Control.

Poor neglected little fella

Zephyr was adopted a couple months ago.  Brolin, who absolutely loves people, loves to cuddle and give kisses, LOVES going for walks and is great on a leash...for some reason we just couldn't find a home for him.  I sent out word to people I know and asked my brother (who works for a vet and knows lots of dog lovers) to do the same. One of his colleagues picked up Brolin the other day and is already in love with him (no surprise there as he's a fantastic dog)!  He's now living large on a 8-acre farm and adjusting to the new experience of being in a house.  No more cage-life for this awesome dog!!

Brolin with his adopters when they picked him up.

I can't wait to go visit this sweet boy at his new HOME!