Australian Shephoarder

Focus

If you focus hard enough, someone will throw the tennis ball.

Product Flaw Correlation

It is interesting how Winston's health is directly related to product manufacturing.
Everyone here has noticed that when Winston feels really good, we begin to major design flaws in our trash cans. They tip right over.
On an especially "up" day for Winston, our receptacles throughout the house repeatedly collapse and fall to the side. Maybe it is a weakness in the construction of the sides or possibly the material is too soft--although this same thing happens to round, rectangle, plastic and metal cans alike.
Maybe the wind is just stronger on those days and the cans were all blown over.
Maybe there have been earthquakes and the cans were all conveniently shaken over.
Maybe they just accidently get knocked over.

No, it has to be the design, because Winston would never dig in a trash can.

Winston Update

So the coolest of all dogs is on a diet of anything he wants, anytime. He gets a half a Prednisone twice a day and some anti-diarrheal powder which has worked wonders.
He's eating voraciously--extremely voraciously--clearing the tables every chance he gets. He is also consistently being a member of "the clean plate club."
He feels so good, or so it seems. If I am working at my computer, the ball amazingly finds its way underneath my elbow while I type, while Winston stands by, at attention ready for the throw. So, I throw the ball. I want to spoil him. He's such a cool dog.
The ball intensity and frequency has grown and there are consequences. My newly painted walls are marred, spattered and scratched; but hey, that matches the floors. There are small, circular rings of dried saliva/tennis ball fibers all over the halls.  He's slammed the pocket door so many times it hardly works. The furniture is pushed back from digging for balls and retrieving and bumping. Our clothing gets spots on it because if we do not get the hint and take the ball from him, he kindly places it in our hands or if our hands are busy, it goes into our laps, or chairs, etc., wherever is convenient. As I type, it is on my thigh, still in his mouth. Soon it will move to the top of the desk and then under my forearm.
Winston is worth it all.

From Cool to Cold

Five degrees.
That was the temperature Sunday morning as we headed to the horse show in Lake Saint Louis. One of the reasons it is a great facility is because all rings--warm up and show--are indoors as are all stalls. One barn is disconnected & naturally, that was where we were stalled.
Getting there is always "iffy" in the wintertime & in years past we have had to stop and spend the night at a roadside motel--they highway patrol closed roads because of heavy snow.
One of the things we never miss when we attend a show at the National Equestrian Center is a quick visit to Greene's Country Store.

It sits just adjacent to the equestrian facility.
This store is awesome.

Air catch

IMG_0165, originally uploaded by mimipogo21.

Perfect example of the coolness--although he doesn't become airborne like he did before he had cancer, he's still really awesome. And COOL!

Too Cool

The deal with Winston is he's just so cool. He's been that way since we first acquired him. His grandma Pam told us he was the first one in his litter to bring her a toy from the toy box.

That sold us.

He immediately began his love affair with tennis balls and has never been satisfied with just "retrieving." Winston has always preferred and excelled at air catches. He hardly EVER misses; short distances or long. He's just awesome.

We went to the doctor today for a B-12 shot. While there, all the office staff had to play with him because he is just the coolest dog. He makes tossing the ball a privilege--just to get the chance to watch his graceful form catch it.

We stopped at the bank. The teller said, "That's a neat dog."

We stopped at the Sonic. The carhop said, "That's really a cool looking dog." I said, "Yeah. He's really cool."

That's what makes giving him up so damn difficult.

He's just the coolest.

Still in a Holding Pattern

Winston is still in a holding pattern. He is eating! He's had three great days in a row with lots of games of ball and times when he eats everything in sight. It makes me pause and think that possibly, he's not even sick.
But he's still very thin and has the horrid diarrhea problem. He also easily tires. Beyond that, I'm not sure what to expect next.

Show vs. Snow

So we are off to our first 2008 show next week in good ol' St. Louis. One of the concerns is that it always snows or ices on the day of travel; or that a winter storm will hit while we are there.  Wintry travel is no fun especially in the part of the US where folks aren't used to wintry travel.
We are taking both Atticus and Buddy, who we hope will have a very excellent year, fully recovered from the 2007 year of colic.

Outside of Nursing, Life Goes On

The new horse show year has begun and we are preparing for another year competing in "juniors." We all love Atticus dearly, but like others in the hunter jumper world, riders can only take a horse so far. We've done childrens, then juniors; last year back to children's to try to market Atticus; and now back to juniors. We'd like to buy a "better" junior hunter, but have to sell Atticus first.
Letting him go is like slicing out my daughter's heart. Well, he's just not going unless he goes to an "approved" rider, who must meet her high standards. Those standards are personal, judgemental and very picky. In a year and a half of him being on the sales market, ONE person has been considered an appropriate placement for him. ONE.
Many have inquired and have been refused. Sitting at the in gate for all these years, she witnessed riders and trainers all over the area & country and how they treat their horses. I'm not sure he'll ever go anywhere & that's just fine.

Excellent Day

Yesterday was excellent for Winston. He felt really good most of the day and his appetite was excellent. It seemed every time we sat down to eat, he was there wanting the food--and he got it.

Even though he has the appetite and will eat, it doesn't mean his body will absorb any of the nutrients.

There were also many extended games of ball, which is always a good sign.