Southern "Snow Day"

After living in Minnesota for 5 years and experiencing 6ft+ snow drifts and -30F as a normal winter temperature, I keep laughing at everyone talking about how cold it is down here and all the chaos a little ice and dusting of snow has caused. The difference is, these areas aren't prepared to deal with these sorts of winter conditions, pipes and structures are not properly protected, and the DOT doesn't have snowplows to go out and salt/sand the roads or anything because it is typically never needed here. Stores here don't even carry icemelt, so when stuff does ice over, it stays that way till it warms up. It's supposed to get worse over the next few days with freezing rain, which should make things even more interesting.

Pup Update

We've been trying several different names to see which best fit his personality and which he responded to best. So far he seems to like "Journey" best, and comes happily bounding.

He had his first vet appointment yesterday. The pup is healthy as an ox. The doc said I picked a good one. He's healthy and in great shape, looks good build wise, and it is obvious he's going to be a big dog.

He was awesome at the clinic too. Alert and curious and all wags. Only got a little upset when they restrained him to check his eyes. I kept him distracted with his stuffed kong and he hardly uttered a peep. Everyone was gushing over him with cute puppy syndrome.

Going forward we really need to get the fundraising going so I can get him into puppy socialization classes and other starter classes that will help build the foundations for service dog training.


Please consider donating to help and share this everywhere you can so more people can see and help.


http://www.youcaring.com/pet-expenses/fundraising-for-mobility-assist-service-dog/125196

Heartfelt thanks.

Silly puppeh

I swear, as much as this puppy chases leaves and tries to bite and carry them, I am tempted to call him Leaf Erikson ( after the famous Norse explorer ), or some variation with Leaf in it. Leafchaser maybe!  I really do need to decide on a name though. He has his vet appointment tomorrow.

The puppy arrives!

We went and got him yesterday. This pup is so adorable and very smart. He already learned to walk real nice on a leash and follow me when I call with minimal resistance, and he's learning sit! He learns very quickly, which is making house training and crate training a breeze. Still deciding on a name.

Dreams

Had a symbolic dream last night involving lifepaths and journeys. Wolves and horses. Mountain and ocean.

The Pup

This is how the pup laid against me most of the time we were visiting.  I need to come up with a good name for him. Or see if he'll name himself.

Arting Again

My wrist still hurts to bend certain ways, but is healed enough from the De Quervain syndrome/tendonitis that I plan to start working on art and pending commissions this week.

I am open for new art commissions because I need to raise money for starting expenses for the pup I will be getting soon as a service dog in training.

I will finish the orders I got before my wrist injury first ( again major thanks for the patience and understanding ), then start on new commissions.

Dog saves dog

This is absolutely amazing beyond words, a prime example of why I like animals better than I do most people.  It angers me that no one stopped to help them until those workers came along.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=247258078770981

A Puppy

I have been searching for months now, before we even left Minnesota, to try and find information, networking contacts, and sources for potential dogs I could train as Ember's successor. I made many new friends along the way, and have spoken with lots of helpful people, but they all agreed it would be a difficult process to find a good dog, especially in the South with prevalence of heartworms being so high that many available dogs are heartworm positive.

Since talking with my family and having their support, I started putting feelers out and having friends watch for potential dogs, locally and out of state. Most dogs didn't meet the physical size requirements, and many that did were too old or had physical or behavior issues that disqualified them.

I checked the rescues and local shelters, but they didn't have anything that would work out. I came across various private owners with dogs that sounded like they had potential, and went through evaluations, but still no luck. Even area CL postings were pretty dry.  I contacted many, but only heard back from a few, and most of it was just absurd or too questionable for my taste, as those things tend to be.

Sometimes I click on random links that have nothing to do with what I am searching for, just to see something someone is offering or see if there's anything I could do to help if I am in the local area and it is a rescue post or missing animal post.

By chance I happened to click on one and found beautiful images of a huge sable male German Shepherd who was missing and the family ( especially the kids ) were devastated because it was just around Christmas time. I was sad for them and hoped they'd find him, but never expected to hear the outcome.

It was some time after that, over a week I believe, and to my surprise I found an update post with the family happily rejoicing because some kind person had rescued the dog and through sheer luck and good fortune, they'd been reunited.

Having heard and seen so many similar stories in my years of rescue that didn't end well or you never end up finding out what happened, it was touching to see them post the update thanking everyone who had helped search for their beloved dog.

I was so happy for them by the luck of the situation and how they explained it all fell into place, I contacted them to thank them for posting an update to let us know their beautiful dog was safe and sound. Since their dog was such a large size and had characteristics I was hoping to find in a dog, I asked them if they could tell me where he'd come from, since I was having so much trouble finding anything locally.

That's when I found out they had the puppies. After lots of discussion, we came to the conclusion it was the closest we had come to finding reasonable options that fit the specifics we needed.  Mom and I drove out to see them. We saw the mother and father, both beautiful animals. I told him he was a lucky boy to find his way home. He was a gentle giant. The puppies were adorable and fun to watch. We spent a long time there talking with the awesome family and watching the puppies.

From the moment they were brought out where we could see them, one male puppy took an instant liking to me and followed me when I would move, and when I sat on the ground to watch them all, he'd come over and interact with me, and several times he curled up on me and took a nap. I'd move ( sore from sitting ) and when I sat back down again, he kept seeking me out.

He chose me. The rest was history. We just have to wait till they're a little older so they can get the early socialization they need with their parents and the other pups.

This feels like one of those situations that was meant to happen.


Please consider donating to help me get this pup so I can start training him for service dog work.


http://www.youcaring.com/pet-expenses/fundraising-for-mobility-assist-service-dog/125196



Share this everywhere you can so more people can see and help.

Service Dog Fundraiser Is Live

Service dog fundraiser is live. Please share and help spread the word!


http://www.youcaring.com/pet-expenses/fundraising-for-mobility-assist-service-dog/125196

Fundraiser

Puppies are love. Service dog fundraiser will be live tonight. Will probably post it tomorrow, in hopes more people might see it and share it.

Passing Out Update

Doing okay since passing out earlier. It normally leaves me feeling weak and wobbly and highly disoriented and prone to falling or passing out again if I move to quick, too fast.

Sorry to worry anyone. I was more worried about "air from eye socket" than I was passing out. Spells of dizziness, episodes of stumbling and bumbling with balance, and white outs and black outs are actually pretty 'normal' to me these days.

Now that I can think more clearly, I wonder what caused it. I have had a sinus infection, but the worst is gone and I am starting to get rid of it. All I did was come in to blow my nose so I could breathe.

When I did, I felt a weird pressure and pressure-pain near top of nose, then felt air coming out of my eye socket, which freaked me out because I never had that happen, but looking in mirror could see 'wiggle' in skin where pressure was.


I pressed at it and there was a crunch/pressure pain/felt like something moved and that triggered me into tunnel vision and disorientation so bad I couldn't tell what was happening. I felt it coming on and knew what it was, tried to fight it off but couldn't.


Ember braced me so I could get to the floor safe without falling or hurting myself on any objects. I blacked out on the way down. Came too laying on my stomach with her against me and the cats hovering over me worriedly.

Ember would normally get help for me, but since I was home alone, all she could do was stay with me or get the phone or something. I had my cell on me so wasn't too worried.

Lay there for a while. If you try and get up again too soon, you just keep passing out. Best to lay down and equalize blood flow/pressure. Was very disoriented to begin with and makes it hard to think or speak clearly. Slowly sat upright and waited, eventually got into sitting position and waited again.

Finally managed to think clear enough to type that earlier message so Mike would know and nurse friends of mine might be able to calm my worry on the "air from eye socket" thing.

It occurred to me that this is the first sinus infection I had since my oral surgery.  Memory is fuzzy from that day, but I did have tunnel vision that day for similar reasons.

I tried to blow my nose carefully to breathe and there was pressure and bleeding and that plus pain triggered me. I even mention it in my recovery post:  http://leopardwolf.livejournal.com/2013/04/23

Glad I actually write this stuff down somewhere. I am a little worried to blow my nose too hard or try and clear it from sinus pressure and wondering if this is going to be a reoccurring thing. Almost afraid to sneeze too. My damn nose keeps tingling like it wants to.

So, free roller coaster ride today, yay!

Dogs do everything better

This is a MUST see if you need a quick laugh! GSDs are love.


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=615721491832504

Fundraising For Service Dog

Fundraising for my future service dog and service dog related expenses is a go.  Who is interested in helping?

Sniffles

I have defeated 4 boxes of tissues in 3 days with the help of a Fibro flare sinus infection.

New Beginnings

A fresh start with the New Year and New Moon. I have finally found my way to a few new sites to try. You can now find me at the following:


Dreamwidth:  http://leopardwolf.dreamwidth.org

- Like what old school LiveJournal used to be, but rumored to be much better.



Tumblr:  http://leopardwolf.tumblr.com



Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/leopardwolf