We're off

Saturday I delivered Marvel and her litter of mini marvels to an extraordinary puppy foster out in Waynesboro. Marvel accepted her immediately and allowed her to handle her puppies immediately, I am sure they will all be fine. I spent the rest of the day mowing grass, cleaning the house, and eventually doing some packing. Our house sitter came out, met the dogs and we went over everyone's basic routines. He will be staying here with Norman, Paisley, Elvis, and Candace, a pretty easy group of dogs. As with Marvel, I felt confident that everyone will be fine.

Sunday morning we got up at 4:00 a.m. so I had to wait for the sun before taking Bailey out for a hike. Although we started early we weren't the only ones on the trails, but there were still plenty of deer to be seen so she enjoyed it. We did my favorite four mile route and then I took Bailey to her home away from home for the next two weeks. This is the first time I've left her since we've had her, but if anyone can handle her this place can.

I finished the mowing and gave Norman and others some time in the pasture and was still finished by noon. We'll head over to Richmond Sunday afternoon, hit a brewery or two, spend the night near the airport, and then we fly out very early Monday morning. I don't anticipate blogging for the next couple of weeks but will undoubtedly post some pictures on Facebook while we're away. Dogspeed everyone.

I took pictures of the four dogs and printed them out along with information for the house sitter.

In bed this morning with Elvis and Bailey.

The woods are still full of mushrooms. Most are plain white but then I saw these. I had to take a picture. 

One of at least six deer we saw on this morning's hike.

Norman will be moving indoors when we return from vacation.

The great work continues

The great thing about dogs, or animals in general, is that they teach us that life goes on. Whatever is going on in your life, the next day comes around and the cows, horses, dogs still have to be fed. It's another day. You turn the page and keeping moving forward.

I may have felt like staying in bed for a few days, curled up in a fetal position with the sheets pulled up over my head, but that wasn't possible. In the immediate aftermath of Della's passing, we first went out and had a beer, but then drove up to pick up Cara, one of the dobie pups. She came back home with us for the night and early the next morning she and Rex were picked up and taken to a clinic in Fredericksburg for their spay/neuter surgeries. 

Bailey has soaked up the time and attention if not the treats that I had been lavishing on Della, taking me on two walks on Thursday and and two more on Friday, a total of six miles each day. After the morning hike on Friday I drove over to Green Dogs to meet an incoming shepherd, Bear, who went to a temporary foster today but may be coming to us after we get back from vacation in a couple of weeks. And of course there's Marvel, who gets fed four times a day, and her marvelous puppies, who eat whenever they aren't sleeping. 

They all have continuous needs and are dependent on me just as Della was when she first arrived here, regardless of whatever had happened the day before. Failing them is not an option. I like to think of it as active grieving, dealing with loss by throwing myself into something useful and productive, keeping busy and preventing grief from becoming depression. It has worked for me anyway.

This is the new shepherd, Bear, emerging from his crate after transfer from North Carolina.

He's got some very big ears.

Very good looking dog.

I got Marvel out to run around the yard for a while today. 

She really enjoyed it.

I've been waiting for these morning glories to bloom all summer and they finally are.

They don't look very active here, but the puppies are becoming more mobile and more active. Their eyes are open and they are defecating on their own now.

Elektra

Thor

Storm

Wakanda

Rogue

Monday evening hike with Bailey

Della, gone too soon

Queen Della, ally of Serena, mother of the dozen Danes, midnight slayer of rabbit, canine mother of the year. 

I lost my first female German Shepherd just a few months after my first partner died. It felt like a punch in the gut followed up by a kick upside the head. Losing Della today just a few months after losing Maya had a similar impact. But Della's greatest impact wasn't the pain of losing her, it will forever be the joy she brought to our lives for the past five years. 

She was a major feature of our lives and our household, from the very beginning to the very end, but Della's impact extended far beyond our home. There's the obvious impact she had on the 12 homes who adopted her 12-pack of puppies, of course, but even that is just the tip of the iceberg. Della's story reached far and wide, something that she came to really appreciate when complete strangers knew her name and showered her with attention and praise. 

Taking Della out in public was always a social event. She was a very striking dog even if her markings didn't fit the AKC breed standard. Della set her own standard. She was a harlequin, but she also had significant merle markings, and even the least little touch of fawn. It gave her a "cookies and cream" complexion that never failed to draw looks and inspire comments from admirers. 

Aside from her looks, Della had something special that people would pick up on when meeting her. She had a charisma that any politician would envy. She was always self-assured, confident, and in command of any situation in which she found herself. You can see it in her stance, her noble bearing, and most definitely in her eyes. Her eyes had the deepest soul-penetrating radar I've ever encountered. They could take the full measure of a person with just a glance. They had a fire in them, the fire of life.

My favorite Della story demonstrates both her intelligence and her loyalty. It happened when we were out in the pasture playing ball with Theo and Serena. Della had no interest in the ball, but Serena wanted it and Theo had it. Della came running and basically body slammed Theo, dislodging the ball from his mouth and leaving him a bit stunned and surprised, which gave Serena the chance to snatch the ball and run off with it. Della was a valuable ally and always a loyal friend. 

It's never easy to euthanize a dog, even when it is the last act of kindness we can perform for them. But I don't think I've ever had a rougher time parting with a dog than this one. I had really hoped and had reason to expect that we'd have several more years together. Bone cancer sucks. It brought down a vibrant dog in the prime of her life. Although she hasn't been able to bear weight on that leg for past several weeks, it had barely slowed her down until recently. The pain meds had kept her relatively comfortable, but she had already outlasted the estimates they gave us when she was first diagnosed and it was not realistic to believe that she would make it another three weeks. I've been carrying her back end up the stairs for the past few weeks and lately I've noticed that she was providing less of an assist than she once did, even with her front legs. I believe that it's better to call it quits a week too soon rather than a week too late. Although she must have been in pain, she never really showed it. Her eyes were as bright and eager as ever right up to the end. 

The puppy days. She was a proud and happy mother of many.

Sweet Serena, her soulmate. I think Della decided to live here as soon as she met Serena. Whether it was high flying games or snuggling, Della loved spending time with Serena.

She liked us well enough too.

Beautiful in any setting.

Gone too soon.