Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

'Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough.'
Groucho Marx


'I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.'
Groucho Marx

Maybe I'll get 2 of the younger puppies.......

Thanks for the clarification about IH, Heidi! I guess I'm not the only one who wasn't clear about his background (including him). His non-military background (AVOIDANCE) doesn't come as a surprise to me.

Thank you for sharing links to the pictures of the Catahoula puppies from the breeder. They're very cute! When you go to look at the puppies, will you take Candy with you to see her reaction? Or is that a No-No? (I guess you might be able to tell that we haven't had a dog, though both of our D's have, and we have helped with them, including a few multi-week dog-sitting opportunities. We 'owned' a cat from each D as they transitioned into and out of college and could no longer keep them. (One lived to be almost 20.)

I need to head into the kitchen and do some preparations. I might possibly find time to visit again later tonight, but can't guarantee it. {{{{{HUGS}}}}} to all!

I knew he did research, I knew there was veterinary in his degree, but I wasn’t sure if he was actually a vet. That’s why my comment was vague.

I originally proposed a visit to the Catahoula breeder on Thursday. He said that he'd have to get back to me as to time because he was having an injection into his eye sometime on Thursday. So I then suggested Saturday instead, because i felt he should be resting after the injection, not visiting with me. So I'll be seeing his dogs on Saturday. He has no merle (or patchwork, as he calls them) puppies left, just solid reds and solid blacks, with minimal white markings. I'm more interested in disposition than color, anyway.

Great TOPP quotes, Heidi! I wonder why I didn't see them last night when I posted. Well, I was tired, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Heidi, if you get 2 more puppies, IH will REALLY be frightened away if he should set foot on your farm.

Suzy, you're right. Now that I think about it, I also remember that IH did research.

Heidi my guess is that the breeder is an older gentleman. At least, your comment that he had to get an injection in his eye reminded me of a couple of our friends, both over 70, who also get injections. The doctor they go to is a well renowned retina specialist in the area, so I assume the injections have something to do with the retina.

I noticed a merle puppy in one of the pictures - cute as a button. But, of course, you're right to consider disposition as far more important that looks. Good luck on Saturday!

Thinking of everyone and sending healing energy, , positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and prayers for everyone!

Heidi - how many dogs do you have now? You will soon be getting a new bed just for you - no space left on the current one. Maybe you can train Candy to get rid of IH once and for all.
CynB - Hope Col is going well with the chemo.
Julie - maybe a no-no with the pups as they may not be vaccinated yet. How is the cello going? we too have had pets inherited from our children - but we always paid for food and vet bills. Wish we had dogs now but we have decided to wait until we retire. Cannot bring a dog into our office as there is ground glass in the carpet after years of cutting samples.
Hubby drove to Sydney again last week - a dog would have been good company. Instead we started de-cluttering the house in preparation for no. 1 son moving back home in a few weeks with an apartment full of furniture etc.. Now found we have a lot more termite damage in one bedroom than we thought. Happy days - can't walk in there properly as the floor is crumbling away. How I hate our old neighbours for not doing anything about their termite nests!! They actually laughed - it has been a very costly exercise for us with inspections every couple of months and lots of damage. Too old, too tired for this rubbish.

I'm way down in dog numbers.... only 6 Collies and 1 Catahoula. I have lost 10 dogs in the past year and a half, most to old age. I'm used to having between 12 and 16 dogs at any one time, often more. The house feels nearly empty.

Oh Heidi - you may be down in dog numbers but certainly up in others - you have had so many additions to your family - including the alpacas (do they have names?). There is a beagle rescue group who have been saving beagles when the university has finished with them (absolutely hate this practice and will not buy products tested on animals) - they used to dispose of the dogs but there has been a lot of protests and they are now up for rehoming. We hope to get a couple from there. They are senior dogs and deserve a lot of love and attention.
Your Catahoula Candy sounds lovely. Hope she teaches IH to stay out of your way - how dare he come to your house when you are not home - that type of attitude is revolting.

Yes, Midge, the alpacas all have names... both every-day names and regustered names. They're ''Barbie'', aka ''Bajan Barbi'', ''Tempe'' aka ''Deacon's Shirley Temple'', ''Julie'' aka ''Nightwatch's Ms Julie'', ''Skipper'' aka ''Barbi's Skipper'', ''Zoe'' aka ''Nightwatch's Zoe'' and ''Ginnie'' aka ''Nightwatch's Ginnie''. They're listed oldest to youngest.

There should be laws against experimenting on sentient creatures. Dogs are highly sensitive, loving creatures. I believe that instead of experimenting on dogs, etc, those unfeeling research scientists should be doing their experiments on prisoners convicted of murder. In my mind, they've vacated their rights to be called sentient beings. If that fate were commomly known beforehand, as well, I believe anyone contemplating killing someone might re-think that idea. nd if it doesn't, they deserve what they get. Just leave those Beagles and other critters ALONE!!! Good for you for trying to get some of those delightful dogs, Midge!!!

Candy is up-to-date on all her shots, and so are all of the puppies. But if I decide to get 2 puppies, I won't have room in my truck for Candy, too. And she may not enjoy the drive. It's a little over an hour each way.

Tomorrow evening I'm going to a rodeo with a friend. I'm thinking of taking Candy along for socialization. I'll have to bring along some cold water and a collapsable bowl for her. And a new chew toy to keep her entertained during the show. I want to get her used to going places with me.

Greetings, Fellow Sudokuaholics!

Midge, cello is going well. I'm learning a 3-page movement of a concerto for 2 cellos written by Antonio Vivaldi. It's quite difficult, and I doubt that I will ever be able to play it as fast as he intended. But I really like it, so practicing it is mostly enjoyable. It's the end of Suzuki Book 6, and I have to admit that I didn't think I'd ever get this far in the Suzuki books. I've noticed this summer when playing with mostly adult professional cellists in a cello choir at the music camp and when playing in the string orchestra that my sight reading skills have improved. (Not that I am able to play every note correctly yet, but there is a noticeable improvement, so I'm feeling hopeful that the improvement will continue.)

Midge, it's nice that you can look forward to having a dog or two again in the future. They can be very good company. Unfortunately, you're needing to deal with termites again. How awful! Your former neighbors were certainly inconsiderate and unhelpful about taking care of THEIR problem. That's not the kind of sharing good neighbors should do. I hope repairs can be relatively quick in inexpensive, but your description of the damage makes me wonder. Are you looking forward to having your son back at home for a while?

Heidi, 7 dogs sounds like plenty, but if you're used to having a dozen or more, I guess it must be relatively quiet. I'm guessing IH would be uncomfortable if he showed up and found3 or 4 dogs he didn't know. It might be worth it to see his reaction. Better yet, it would be nice to know that he wouldn't set foot on your property ever again (unless invited)!

Midge, it's good to know that the university now makes sure the beagles will go to good homes. Any beagle(s) that come to your home will undoubtedly feel as if they have won the lottery and will get lots of love and attention for the rest of their lives.

Heidi, are all of the alpacas related? From their registered names, I'm guessing that 3 of them may be sisters.

Have fun at the rodeo tomorrow evening, Heidi. If you take Candy with you, I hope she enjoys the opportunity for socialization!

Cyn, I hope you and Col are both doing well How has he been feeling? I hope he's able to deal with being at home a lot, or are you both trying to get out and about on a regular basis? I hope you're both able to find something enjoyable to do every day!

Thinking of everyone, including those who don't have as much opportunity to post! Sending positive thoughts, , healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and prayers! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

My hot flashes are very welcome right now. Our feels like temps are below freezing because we have some nasty winds right now. When I get a flash I am hot enough to want to throw my dog blanket off. I can’t do that to them though because they don’t have hot flashes keeping them warm.

Four of them: Julie, Skipper, Zoe and Ginnie, have the same sire. He's a true black named 'Nightwatch'. Furthermore, Zoe and Ginnie have the same mother: Tempe., so they're full sisters. Barbie is Skipper's mother. Tempe has been bred back to Nightwatch, so we should have another full sibling coming in late Spring. I haven't bred the others yet because the weather was too hot. I plan on doing that in October.

BYW.... this avatar is Skipper.

Hello all! Sorry I haven't been around for days. No real reason, Col is doing okay. Only side effects have been a bit of reflux and fatigue. Session 2 starts on Thursday.
Daughter Karin and niece Sarah have just left today for Greece. They were to fly to Sydney for their connecting flight but that first flight was cancelled. They are now en route to Melbourne to catch a different flight to Abu Dhabi, where they will meet their next flight as planned. I don't envy them flying south in the bad weather down there. I'll be happy when they've landed in Melbourne.

It’s nasty down here, Cyn, but not as bad as yesterday

Back from the rodeo. I decided last minute not to take Candy.... because of my torn rotator cuff and the heat. I had to take a cooler with my protein drinks and I felt that I couldn't carry that and hold Candy's leash with one working arm. Anyways, it lasted for 3 hours and she probably would have gotten restless. I bet she was happier staying at home.
The rodeo was fun. Only a few good performances, a LOT of try and only one bronc rider seriously injured when he got hung up and smashed aroung the arena for quite a while before they could free him. At least he was awake when he left the arena. There was only one good bull ride, and it was awesome. The rider and bull got a high score that would have won money at any rodeo.

Well, I did it. I got 2 puppies. This guy is NOT Candy's breeder, and his dogs, though well cared for, are not as well socialized as Candy. But, they are beautiful. The 2 I got were the last 2 from the older litter. They are both black with a little bit of white. The male has more white than the female. And he's far more outgoing. She's super-sweet, but unsure of herself. I'm calling her ''Molly'', for the song ''Sweet Molly Malone''. I'm calling the male ''Zorro'' because it fits him. Neither one has ever been inside a house, and neither one has ever had a toy to play with. It'll take them a while to adjust to their new environment. We had some growling and barking for first half hour, but they're all calming down now.

Suzy, there are times when hot flashes are welcome. Fortunately, it's now for you. I hope you and the dogs can stay comfortable!

I've been trying to remember how long I had to deal with them, but I guess it's been long enough ago that I can't remember. We've dealt with so much in the past 15 or so years that I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Sometimes, it seems like something was a relatively few years ago, then we try to pin down a date and realize it could be 20 or more years. Other memories seem like they're from long ago, until we realize it's been only 5 to 10 years ago. I think it's because we have stayed so busy, but I could be wrong.

Heidi, I've been doing some research on alpacas. It's very interesting. I'll put the link here in case anyone else is interested. https://www.livescience.com/52668-alpacas.html

It's nice to 'see' you and read about Col's progress, Cyn! I suspect you've been busy as your D made preparations for her trip! I hope their flights and connections go well!

Heidi, I think you made a good decision to leave Candy at home. Carrying a cooler and controlling a dog on leash with 1 hand sounds like a lot! How is your PT going? I suspect it's too early for you to notice much improvement. I'm glad you had a good time at the rodeo!

Welcome to Molly and Zorro! I hope they quickly get used to the rest of the pack and having inside space and toys! With luck, Candy can be a good influence for them and help them quickly learn 'how to dog' in a loving home!

Sending lots of , healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, and positive thoughts for everyone!

Candy has already taught them to use the dog door and play with toys with her. Right now all 3 puppies are asleep at my feet, having tired themselves out playing.

Has anyone heard how MizT is doing?

No, and I'm concerned.

Daughter and her cousin finally made it to Ithaki Island off Greece. 4 flights 1 ferry and 2 taxis! They left here at 12 noon on Saturday and arrived about midnight Sunday night (our time). 36 hours on the go. When I woke up this morning I had a Snapchat from her an hour or so later saying they were going to bed. I don't expect to hear any more until much later today.

They ARE having an adventure! I hope they have a great time there after catching up on sleep.

MizT posted something on TOS on Friday. It wasn’t anything personal just a post the nth line of page n of the book you are reading thing. But she posted.

Heidi, it's wonderful to hear that Candy has taken Molly and Zorro under her wings and is teaching them about the dog door and toys!They are already learning to 'dog!' I honestly wasn't expecting a quick transition. It seems they may be at just the right age to learn.

Cyn, how reassuring that you have heard from D and her cousin! What an exhausting day and a half they had to reach their destination. I hope they were able to catch a bit of a nap somewhere along the way! I hope they have a wonderful time and feel the travel difficulties were worth it!

DOrA, Heidi, Cyn, Suzy, and all, I'm glad I wasn't the only person wondering about MizT. I think she had been having difficulties logging onto the page on her computer, and it was uncomfortable to sit very long at the computer. I hope she has had some relief from all of the pain! Thanks for the update from TOS, Suzy! I hadn't seen any posts recently.

It's getting later, and I need to get a load of laundry started if it's going to get dry before I go to bed. Sending warm & positive thoughts, healing energy, prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and for Everyone!

Zorro has an appointment at the Vet Clinic first thing tomorrow to be neutered. He's at the age where he's just starting to lift his leg, and I want to prevent him from learning to mark his territory... inside my house. Candy will be spayed in a week or two... I made an agreement to do so with the shelter when I adopted her. I will probably leave Molly intact. She's not the type to be jumping the fences and looking for love off the farm, and the closest intact male dog is over a mile and a half away. Maybe further. I have left my female Collies intact as well. It would be different if they had access to an intact male, but they don't. I'd rather not put them thru' major abdominal surgery if I don't have to. In the case of my late Malinois, Heidi, she would jump my fences and leave my property. She left me no choice.

Heidi, will Zorro's appointment be quick? Do they keep him for a while until anesthesia wears off? I hope all goes well and back to a normal day at the farm!

Thinking of everyone and sending {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, , healing energy, positive thoughts, and prayers for all!

I dropped Zorro off just before 9 am, and I pick him up at 4 pm. They want to make sure he's completely recovered from the anaesthesia. He's also getting his rabies shot and microchip. He's up-to-date on all other shots. He was NOT happy about being left behind in a kennel.

Puppy pictures of Zorro and Molly are posted. I still need to get a good one of Candy.

Heidi, thanks so much for posting photos of Molly and Zorro! What cuties! I'm looking forward to seeing a photo of Candy.

Hoping all went well for Zorro today and he's happy to be back at home with his pack!

Sending warm and positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, , healing energy, and prayers for everyone!

5 ambulances, 3 police cars and an emergency helicopter. Something really bad has happened.

Oh, no, Suzy!!!! Let us know what you find out.

Zorro came through his surgery just fine. And he was delighted when he got home. I think he was unsure as to whether he was returning here afterwards, and went crazy when he realized he was home again. I had a bunch of new toys and chews waiting for him, too, which thrilled him.

Therapy went great today. I had better range of motion without pain than I've had in a long time. At this rate, I may be able to avoid surgery after all!!!

Suzy, it really sounds like something major. Hoping there's no loss of life and all will be well!

Heidi, I'm so glad Zorro's surgery went well and he's happy to be back home with you and the pack! It's hard to imagine what an animal's thought processes might be. What a great idea to have a bunch of new chews and toys for him when he got home!

Hurray for therapy! Heidi, that's great news that you're getting better range of motion and less pain! I hope you can avoid the surgery!

I hope everyone is well! Sending healing energy, prayers, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and

The only news I could find with an emergency helicopter was a single motorcycle accident. He didn’t make it. That doesn’t explain 5 ambulances though. No idea where they went.

Col had his second course of Chemo yesterday. All seemed to go well until about 6pm last night when he said he was freezing, took his temp, it was 37.4, high but not worrisome. He was shaking so I got a warm blanket and let him settle. He slept for a short while, then woke up blazing hot. I took his temperature and it was 38.6! Freaking out, I called the ambulance, it took nearly an hour before they came. His temp was down to 37.6 but I had given him some paracetamol which can mask infection. Anyway they took him away. The hospital where he was being treated had no beds so he was diverted to another hospital where he is waiting this morning until they can find him a bed at his regular hospital. Don't know where he got the infection from. I'm feeling a little distressed. Have only told my son and SA. Keeping it that way until I know more.
I'll let you know more when I know more.