Bob and Emma's Blog

Time Goes By

2012-01-27T14:45:00.000-06:00

Time sure fly's by, as Emma will be 4 next month. She is such a beautiful dog. She and her brother from a different mother, Bailey have such fun together. Baily will be 3 in June. These two Golden's frolick, run, and play the day away. It must be great to be a dog. So much to see, so much to smell. To run as fast as you can and then flop down and take a nap. Maybe if I am lucky, I will come back as a dog in my next life. Of course it would be my luck to have an owner than kept me chained and alone. No, I would not want that. My dogs are very spoiled. They are members of the family. Whoever gets to the couch first gets the best seat. We share almost everything except the items that are not good for dogs. They sleep right beside us on the bad and go with us everywhere in the car. We certainly have a special relationship with our dogs.

The woods of North Carolina are a great place to be in the Winter. Now that the leaves have fallen and the brush has died back it is heaven for a dog to run at his or her heart's content. We have lots of deer and every once in a while they chase after one but they never really get close. We took Emma to a Christmas Parade in December and she meet her first horses. I don't think she knew what to make of the giant creatures.

Today is a beautiful cool sunny day and they are outside enjoying every moment.

Big Change

2011-08-21T11:33:00.000-05:00

About a year ago I was forced to retire early due to health issues. I was about 3 years earlier than my planned retirement. We had always planned on retiring to the mountains of North Carolina. Earlier this year we started looking. I felt like I was getting too old and in poor health to continue to take care of a home, so we decided to rent. It is a big load off of your mind when you don't have to worry about the A/C going out, the roof leaking, plumbing backing up, etc. We looked at several places and finally decided on a cabin in the mountains. We are in a gated community which limits access to the public. The subdivision is 83 acres with over 3 miles of gravel roads. There is a pond, a creek, lots of deer, wild turkeys, squirrels, rabbits, birds, and even a black bear (though I have not seen her yet). We have a big wrap around porch that is covered in the front. There are no street lights so at night it is really dark and the crickets and tree frogs are deafening and in the quite of the morning you can hear a pin drop. It is much cooler up here (one advantage to getting away from all the asphalt and concrete). There are only 9 homes in the subdivision with 6 being occupied full time. We have great neighbors who genuinely care about each other.

Now Emma and Bailey are in heaven with their new home. They leave and go off exploring for hours at a time and come back home, usually wet, and their tongues hanging out. They always seem to find water somewhere to romp in. I don't have to worry about traffic. They seem content to track the various animals that inhabit the area. They are getting a lot of exercise that they did not get at our garden home. You know the old saying that a happy dog is one who has run to his hearts content.

I still worry about the snakes and animals higher up on the food chain but seeing them so happy gives me a sense of security. I am sure that they will limit their explorations once it becomes second nature. I have always lived in an area where they had to be contained by a fence or on a leash. Their only free time was at the dog parks where they could run and play. There is another dog that lives over the hill and they have to go down and say hello several times a day.

I am looking forward to fall and even winter (actually having four seasons again). They had several good snows last year so hopefully this year will again bless us with the white stuff. October is the color season in the mountains and I look forward to the pallet of mother nature's colors.

It is pretty nice now that I am retired and can enjoy being with my dogs and doing things on my own time. I like to call it retired time, when I want to not when I have to. Don't get me wrong I miss having health insurance and a big pay check but I will be 65 next year and will be eligible for Medicare and my lovely spouse will be eligible for her early social security. I must say this past year has been one of the best and least stressful.

So here's to a new chapter in our lives and the lives of Emma and Bailey as we explore our new home and all of the beauty of nature.

Bailey

2011-02-11T14:57:00.001-06:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bailey

2011-02-11T14:56:00.001-06:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bailey has been with us a year today.

2011-02-10T16:45:00.000-06:00

It was one year ago today that we adopted Bailey. He was about eight months old when he came to live with us. He will be two on June 1. He is growing into a beautiful dog and will probably start to fill out and get his adult coat this year. He has so much energy and I say that he is like a Mexican Jumping Bean. He is very fast and can outrun Emma. They are a perfect pair and would be lost without each other.

We are glad that Bailey came into our lives.

Stuck

2010-12-20T14:04:00.003-06:00

I was setting at the computer about lunch time and heard this crying sound. I didn't do anything until I heard the second cry. I went outside and I could see Bailey but could not see Emma. I could hear the crying coming from over by the fence and when I got there I found Emma under the deck stuck and crying for help. She could only get her muzzle out. She had gone under down where the yard slopes down and now she was up where the ground almost meets the deck. Now Emma is a pretty big girl and weighs in somewhere in the high seventys and is very tall for a Golden.

What to do; tear up the deck, get a shovel, call the Fire Department? I finally convenced Emma to back up and turn around and head back down the under the deck to where the yard is farther away from the wood. She was still stuck but after a few minutes of dog power she was able to pull herself out. She was not hurt and just a little dirty from the bare earth under the deck. I don't know if she chased something under or what. I put a big rock to block her from attempting the feat in the future.

October update

2010-10-23T11:08:00.003-05:00

October is the month that Megan and Jordan were born. They were our second and third golden's respectfully. They were very special to us and we miss them a lot. Now we have Emma and Bailey to carry on the tradition. Golden's are such special dogs, always eager to please, and are a member of the family. While there lives are shorter than we would like, we have to love each and cherish the time that they are with us. The next time you are snuzzeled be happy for the opportunity.

1 Week Today

2010-08-05T12:18:00.003-05:00

Emma's new Kitty has been with us now for one week. She has gained 5 ounces and starting to eat solid kitty food. She is very energetic and into everything.

Look what the Dog drug in!

2010-07-30T13:57:00.004-05:00

Emma found a kitten in the back yard this morning. He or she weighs in at 10 ounces. We feel like it must be about 3 to 5 weeks old. So far no luck in finding it's mom. Emma is being a really good stepmom.

Your Dog.

2010-07-13T16:47:00.003-05:00

He is your friend, your partner, your defender,your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.

Bailey & Emma at the Dog Park

2010-05-20T22:03:00.002-05:00

Barkley's Christmas Greeting

2009-12-17T21:49:00.006-06:00

Barkley is Emma's 10 1/2 year old step brother. He belongs to my daughter and son-in-law. He was one of Megan and Jordan's ten pups.

Emma's Happy Tails Story

2009-12-15T12:41:00.003-06:00

Please visit Petfinder.com and read Emma's Happy Tails Story.

Emma's new brother

2009-10-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

This is Bailey, Emma's new 8 month old brother.

Emma in her jewelry.

2009-10-30T21:35:00.000-05:00

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Happy Halloween

2009-10-30T18:11:00.016-05:00

Sunday afternoon at the Dog Park

2009-10-26T13:47:00.002-05:00

Birmingham, AL has opened a new dog park at Greensprings Park. It is 3 acres fenced for dogs and their owners to run free and be off the leash. Three Cheers for Mayor Larry Langford and the city council for finally making this a reality. There are 2 acres for large dogs and 1 acre for small dogs. You enter through a double gate system. There must have been over a 100 dogs and their owners and everyone got along great. Lots of socializing, sniffing, and running but no fighting. It was clean and no poop was visible anywhere in the park. This is a big plus for responsible dog owners. Now if the other cities in our state would get off their duffs and create more wonderful places for dogs.

Close to Death

2009-10-22T11:40:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone, I guess by now you have noticed that I have been missing for about a two months. On Aug 20 I had surgery to remove the hardware in my back that was put in a year earlier, but when they got inside nothing had healed properly. They had to replace the hardware with more (bigger and stronger) and start the fusion process all over again. They added some bone growth protein and put me back together. I lost a lot of blood and they had trouble getting my blood pressure to come up and get my kidney’s working properly.

On September 10th I woke up to 102.6 degree fever, sweats, body aches and immediately went to my doctor. They thought I probably had a virus. On September 15th I went to my Spine Surgeon and he ran an MRI to look for infection. Nothing showed up definitely on the MRI so they sent me back home.

I was sick for the next 3 weeks and finally I called my doctor on September 29th and told here something was very, very wrong. I went to the doctor the next morning on September 30th. We also noticed that morning that 3 sores had appeared under the back incision. I got to the doctor and was still running a fever and my blood pressure had dropped to half of normal 60/40. The doctor looked at the sores and said they needed to be cultured. She told me to go immediately to the hospital and they sent us to UAB Highlands. I got into a room and my blood pressure had dropped even more. After my evaluation by the UAB doctors they said that I was being transferred to ICU. I was very dehydrated and they ended up giving me 15 liters of saline. For all of you guys they had to put a catheter in and boy did it hurt. My kidneys were in stage 4 failure and hardly putting out anything. My white count was so low they said that my body had used up all of the white blood cells and my bone marrow could not keep up with the production. I did a lot of praying that night and by some miracle I made it through the night. I was diagnosed with Sepsis and I learned later that very few people survive sepsis. My doctors actually did not think that I would make it through Wed night but fortunately I did not find that out until late Friday evening. I stayed in ICU for 3 days on massive IV antibiotics and then moved to a step down room for the next 5 days. I think I was taking five different antibiotics at one time. On Friday they did a biopsy on the sores and started growing a culture. On Sunday it came back as Pseudomonas. Pseudomonas is second only to staff as a bug that you can pick up in the hospital. They put a PICC line in the subclavian vein in my left arm and the tubing runs up to the vena cava right above the heart. They were also giving me Potassium, Magnesium, and other items that my body had used all up in fighting the bacteria. I began to get better on Saturday and my blood pressure was returning to a more realistic number. They finally sent me home on Wednesday, 8 days later for home IV antibiotics. They had a home health nurse come out and show us how to setup the IV, which I have to take every 12 hours. It takes about an hour to infuse. The nurse also comes out once a week to change my bandage and do blood test. I am feeling much better, no fever, and good blood pressure. I am down to 188 pounds from my original 215 (27 pounds lost) but my appetite is back and I am eating well. This is about as close as I have ever come to dieing and it has given me a new prospective on what is important and to take each day as a present and not to waste it. I feel like God still has something for me t do before I leave this earth. Apparently this pseudomonas got into my system through the back surgery site and no one picked up on it until it was ready to do me in.

Well, what can I say? I kept telling my doctors that something was wrong but no one seemed to take me seriously. The doctors ending up running 3 MRI's, a CT Scan, an ultrasound, an echocardiogram, and many, many blood cultures and blood test. They checked everything from urine to stool trying to find the source. I was stuck like a pincushion until I got the PICC and then they began taking the blood out of one of the ports. I think I had close to 6 doctors working on me at different times. We have to clean and flush the ports daily and they sent me home with all of the supplies. I can setup or lie down and go back and forth to the bathroom. Hopefully this is behind me now and it will clear up over the next three weeks. Then more test and they will decide if I need another round of 3 weeks IV antibiotics. What can I say, I feel better, I am alive and life is good. I just wished someone had taken me more seriously when I kept telling them that something was wrong. They said that if I had waited one more day that I would not be here now. That is pretty scary! They said this bacteria is microscopic can hide along the hardware and the blood does not get to the hardware so the antibiotic can't get to the exact spot where it is needed. Right now the plan is to just do nothing but the IV antibiotics and hope it gets rid of everything. Keep me in your prayers and hopefully I will beat this and get back to normal.

I had 3 doctors’ appointments last week I am getting stronger and better. My ports flush but they can't draw blood from them anymore, so now I have to get stuck every Monday for me blood test. I can only set for a short while and then I have to lie down or walk. I am constantly changing positions. We are really getting good at the IV and so far have not had any reaction to the antibiotics. I get one IV at 8 AM and another at 8 PM.

Hopefully I will be back to posting soon with more stories of Emma who I might add has stayed by my side and watched over me except for the 8 days I was in the hospital and my sweet daughter stepped up and shared her home with Emma. My lovely wife took on all the responsibilities and wore several hats. Please keep me in your prayers that this bug is killed and I don’t have any further problems.

Bob

A Trip to the Park

2009-09-07T16:20:00.002-05:00

I had back surgery 17 days ago and on doctors orders I have to start walking. Well we took Emma to Orr Park in Montevallo. This is a great park with a creek running through it and concrete walking trails. There is also about 25 acres of lush green grass in the middle of the park surrounded by the walking trails. I walked out into the middle and turned Emma loose from her lead. (All dogs are to be kept on a leash at all times). She is such a free spirit. It made my heart fly just watching her run in loops and circles as fast as she could go. Then she would race back to me and start all over again. I wish I had a big farm where I could let her run every day but my little back yard is tiny. She did pretty good until she spotted other people and Emma loves everyone and she just has to go over and say hello. Well some people don't like the idea of a 75 pound Golden Retriever running at them at full speed even though she would not harm anyone. She ignores me and runs around her prey jumping and sniffing. Suddenly she is deaf to the sound of my voice and acts like she has never seen me before. Then after I finally get to her and get her back on the leash all is well. I am a responsible pet owner and pick up after my dog. I wish we had a dog park like they do in other states where you can go in and turn your dog loose and let them run. The only people inside the park are other pet lovers who eagerly welcome another dog as well as their own. I don't understand why our city and county leaders have not figured out that we need an area for dogs and people to interact. I just wish we had one dog park for at least every ten people parks. The City of Hoover is actually securing funding and starting to build a park for dogs. This will be the first park within a hundred miles of our area. I can only hope that more city and county leaders will see the light and start their own projects.

Emma's Latest Picture

2009-07-22T16:58:00.003-05:00

One Year Anniversary

2009-06-23T13:55:00.001-05:00

Well, June 23rd was our one year anniversary, celebrating Emma coming into our lives. It has been quite a year and Emma has grown into a beautiful dog. I can not thank God enough for bringing Emma to us. While she is still a puppy, and still gets into things that she shouldn't, I would not trade her for anything.

Emma and I went to get her shots last week and the Veterinarian said that she was in great health. It is ironic that this was the last day before our Veterinarian for the past 15 years, and three generations of Golden's, is retiring. We will miss him and wish him good luck in his retirement.

Emma's other Brother

2009-06-10T23:11:00.003-05:00

This is Emma's other new brother Black. He is very shy and stays hidden most of the time. Black is a domestic short hair, all black, and believed to be about 3 years old. He came to us through TEARS (The Emergency Rescue Animal Service). He has got better and now ventures out and explorers. We did not see him for the first five days that he lived here. Emma loves them both but Black is a little afraid of Emma. She wants to play and can move very very fast which makes Black run and hide. I found all three of them in bed with us the other morning so they are getting more comfortable with each other.

Emma discovered the hammock

2009-05-31T23:38:00.003-05:00

Emma has a new friend

2009-05-31T23:28:00.008-05:00

Emma got a new friend last week. Blu is a 1 year old Russian Blue domestic short hair cat that we adopted from TEARS (The Emergency Animal Rescue Service). They get along great and have become best friends. This is her kitty and she is going to take good care of him.

Emma's Big Adventure

2009-04-16T12:16:00.010-05:00

On March 27 we left our home in Alabaster with our 1963 Shasta Travel Trailer and headed south. We stopped in Biloxi,MS and Lake Charles,LA and spent a week in Round Top, TX for the spring antique fair. Coming home we stayed in Minden, LA and Cotile Lake, LA (near Alexandria). It was quite a trip, over 2250 miles all total. We got back late on April 7. Emma was the perfect traveler and met lots of new friends. Her only problem was a bout with an upset stomach on the first day we headed home. After several trips to the side of the roadway we finally got it under control.

Passing of a special friend

2009-03-19T22:28:00.003-05:00

Jordan was born on October 20, 1967 and died this past Monday, March 16, 2009. He was a champion tennis ball fetcher who loved to swim and go everywhere in the car. Jordan had been sick for the past few weeks with a cough which turned out to be some type of tumors in his lungs. He was doing fine and then suddenly went into a seizure shortly after lunch and it was almost 2 hours later by the time the Vet got enough Valium into his system to stop the seizure. We had already made the decision not to prolong his life and opted for quality of life. We did not want him to ever have to go through the seizure again so in a very quite room with both of us and the Vet at his side,he went peacefully to sleep and crossed the rainbow bridge to be with Megan (his mate) who died last May from another type of cancer. He will be missed but he knew that we loved him as we totally shared our lives over the past eleven years.

I'll always love you Jordan!

Emma's First Snow

2009-03-01T13:41:00.003-06:00

Today was Emma's first snowfall. It is pretty rare for us to have measurable snow in the South. She went outside and sniffed of it quite extensively and then finally put her snout in the snow and tasted it. The slowly one foot at a time she ventured out into this strange white wonderland that appeared overnight. It did not take her long to get used to it and was happily romping all over the yard.

Emma's First Birthday

2009-02-05T10:40:00.009-06:00

We rescued Emma on June 23, 2008 from the Chilton County Humane Society. While we will never really know her actual birth date, we have chosen February 23 as the official date. This is due to the Vet's observations on that second day we had her, that she was somewhere around 4 months old when she became an official part of our family.

In honor of her birthday, we are giving 15% off on all orders placed during the month of February at http://www.myshop4pets.com. Use coupon code Emma1 at checkout. In addition, an additional 5% of all sales at the site is donated to animal rescue organizations. We are so fortunate to have found Emma through http://www.petfinders.com and can't thank them enough. Everything at MyShop4Pets has free shipping so come and help us celebrate her birthday all month long in February, 2009.

Watch out for Silica Gel Packets

2008-12-02T13:37:00.002-06:00

Be careful this holiday season to properly dispose of all the packets of silica gel that come inside new items to keep moisture out. They are harmful to dogs if they should find them and ingest them, and believe me they will. My second Golden Megan decided to eat several of them in her life and we had to contact poison control and take action to bring them back up with not so fun methods. We now make sure that all of these pesky little packets marked "Do Not Eat" (unfortunately written in English and Dogs can't read), are quickly thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet.

Emm and the Bone

2008-12-02T13:34:00.002-06:00

I gave Emma a new rawhide chew toy yesterday. She played with it a while and then decided that she was going to hide it so that Jordan (our other Golden) would not find it. She stuffed it down between the cushions of the sofa and then pushed a throw over it to cover it up. Later she came back and moved it into the bedroom under the bed and pushed her fleece bedding up and over it to hide it from any other dogs that might happen upon her treasure.

Emma's Goofy Look

2008-12-02T13:23:00.002-06:00

When Emma is really content and comfortable she gets this goofy look to display her contentment. She reminds me of a little child that knows they are getting a lot of attention and start acting out to shine and bask in the moment.

My Poor Pansies, Emma chews them up!

2008-11-19T16:06:00.008-06:00

We hope you have enjoyed the video of our daughter, Lisa with the crate ( Dog Digs) easy up and down method for using it. You can take it anywhere with the carry-bag and easy put up and take down she shows in the video.

Emma has now even decided she enjoys an afternoon nap in hers to be away from the main part of the house, as it is in our bedroom for her nighttime but we trust her enough now to not close the zippers on it.

She is a good girl and the main problem with her chewing is my pansies in my flowers pots on our back porch. She loves destroying them. OUCH! We got some new ones today for replacements and I may have to use some wire fence if I can get it around the pots. Good luck to me! I may need it. It got to freezing here the last two nights and the pansies droop, but they perk back up in the daytime sunshine.

We had to take her back to the vet yesterday to look at a place on her belly where the stitches were from the spay a couple of weeks ago. It looked like a stitch was still there and inflamed but the Vet said it was an inflammation of an inside stitch and gave us a RX for inflammation. She eats the pill like it was candy. so that makes it easy for us.

She and Jordan have actually been playing together a little lately. I love that they are starting to become friends. Jordan has still been so sad from missing Megan, his mate we lost this spring.

I don't think he was quite ready for a puppy but it is working out fine. After all, he just turned 10 years old and is not as active as Emma.

I thank God for giving them to us as the enjoyment with them both far outweighs any attitude
of anger that she gets into something and chews it till destroyed. She still is teething and we have bones and chewies available for her. I have many squeakers from toys and filling I could make new ones or repair old ones, if I only would do it.

They both enjoy the new pumpkin toy from Halloween and play with it alot. Emma also likes her plush TEAPOT we will have available at MyShop4Pets online shop. In fact, we have many new toys and books to add, so sign up for our newsletters and see for yourself as we add new merchandise.

I appreciate all our customers and your business.
Smiles, Cyndi

Emma's Crate

2008-11-17T12:32:00.002-06:00

This is a video of the crate that Emma uses when we travel. Her's is the large version but it works just like this one. If you are interested in one go to http://www.myshop4pets.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=TravelCrates

Emma's Getting So Big

2008-11-09T14:12:00.002-06:00

Emma is getting so big. She is about 8 1/2 months old and starting to put some meat on her bones. Her coat is getting thicker and it is so soft. She has become my best bud and follows me everywhere.

Emma got her stitches out

2008-11-05T21:23:00.001-06:00

Emma got her stitches out on Monday afternoon. You would never know she had anything done. The Vet Tech told me they trimmed her nails too. I am sure that she scratched someone. She does not like to be held down and she can be pretty strong if someone is trying to make her do something that she does not agree on.

I am glad it is all behind us now. I guess it will be a month or so before her hair grows back.

Emma's Back Home

2008-10-25T19:12:00.002-05:00

The Animal Clinic called about 9:30 AM and said that Emma was ready to come home. We went and got her and she is doing fine. She made friends with all the doctors and veterinary technicians at the Animal Clinic, and won all of their hearts. She has a little incision about 2 or 2 1/2 inches long on her belly. She does not seem to be in any pain and does not act like I would expect anyone to act who just had a complete hysterectomy. I guess dogs are tougher than us humans. I am supposed to keep her from running and jumping; right! I really missed the little booger last night but I guess she was somewhere in lala land sleeping off her pain medications. They said that she ate her breakfast, went outside and did her business, and acted like nothing had happened. We go back in ten days to get the stitches out. Thank God that everything went as planned and she is back in our home again.

Spay / Neuter

2008-10-23T09:20:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day, we take Emma in at 8:30 AM to be spayed. It is a big decision, and I hope that I am making the right decision. It would be great to raise a litter of pups and find good homes but I don't know if I could handle eight or ten little Emma's running around the house. It gives me chills just thinking about it. They are such soft sweet bundles of love and joy that can get into everything. But, I believe that for every dog that is rescued from a shelter or adopted from a rescue group is one more life than can live out to its fullest potential. If I have Emma spayed it will open up eight or ten slots for a dog to be adopted. A lot of people don't realize that 25% of all shelter dogs are full blooded purebred dogs. They may or may not have papers but there is no mistake that they are full blooded. So I guess we will do the right thing. She will have to stay overnight at the Vets. I hate that but I understand that they want to make sure they don't jump and run around right after the surgery. I will be on pins and needles until she is back home. We got Emma a certificate for spaying through the Friends of Cats and Dogs Foundation and Dr. Tate, a wonderful veterinarian at the Riverview Animal Clinic will be doing the surgery. FCDF provides spay / neuter certificates at affordable prices and they are honored by veterinarians all over the greater Birmingham area. It would be hard for us to afford this surgery without the help of the FCDF. They can be reached at http://www.fcdf.org/nspay.php3 if you happen to live in our area. I will post more on Saturday after Emma comes back home.

A dog is like an eternal Peter Pan, a child who never grows old and who, therefore, is always available to love and be loved.

2008-10-12T13:32:00.003-05:00

Today would have been Megan's 11th birthday had she lived. It has just been a little over five months since her death. I am so grateful having Emma to come and share our lives. We miss Megan dearly but know that she is no longer suffering. Emma is getting so big and will be eight months old in another 11 days.

Emma looking stately

2008-09-28T14:08:00.002-05:00

I was laying on the couch and noticed Emma looking back toward the kitchen. She looked so good, I got out my cell phone and snapped this picture of her. I can't believe I actually got it before she moved. She is 7 months old now and is getting so big. She is almost as tall as Jordan.

An Afternoon in Orr Park

2008-09-22T21:43:00.003-05:00

This afternoon Emma got her nails trimmed and it took three vet tech's to hold her still. She also got a microchip so if she ever gets lost we will be able to ID her. On the way home, as a reward, we stopped at Orr Park in Montevallo. This park allows dogs as long as they are on a leash. I am also under doctors orders to walk everyday so this was perfect for everyone. Here are some shots I took on the cell phone as we walked through the park. When you see the scruffy old guy with the back brace and the beard it will be me and my friends.

Update

2008-09-09T16:09:00.005-05:00

It has been a little over five weeks since I last posted to our blog. I have been recovering from back surgery and it has been slow going. Emma is doing fine and is now up to about 50 pounds. She has so much energy and can run and jump like a pony. She loves to play in her wading pool. She puts her head under the water and blows bubbles from her nose. She met her first toad the other night and was very interested in this strange creature. Emma will be somewhere around seven months old at the end of this month (since she was a rescue we will never know what her exact birthday was but the vet estimates this based on the development of her teeth), and it is getting to be time to have her spayed. I hate to have to leave her overnight at the clinic. She will probably be a much better patient than I was at the hospital. She is at the back door right now chasing flies that have gotten into the house. I still have a problem with her biting and jumping which is going to have to be addressed. Perhaps a obedience class at Pet Smart might be a good idea. Since I have been home for the last five weeks, we are beginning to bond more closely. She is discovering that it is nice to have someone scratch your back and rub under your chin. She sleeps beside me in her crate every night but is an early riser. I have really missed taking pictures and videos and posting them to the blog. Hopefully in a few more weeks I can get some more good action shots. It is kind of hard to hold the camera wearing a back brace and using a cane. My lovely wife has posted a few new pictures to her blog if anyone would like to check them out.

Abby and Emma

2008-08-03T09:34:00.003-05:00

Abby came to visit Emma for four days earlier this week. There is about three months difference in age and of course are the best of friends. They played together from morning to night. Here is a short video clip of them playing together.

As a note, I am going to have back surgery next week so it may be a little while before I am able to post again.

A Little Over a Month

2008-07-26T10:59:00.002-05:00

We have had Emma now for a little over a month. We are uncertain of her exact age but we guess she is somewhere about five months old give or take a month. She has gained 10 pounds and seems to have gotten a foot taller. Her coat is very soft and shiny, along with her perfectly white teeth. She is getting much better about letting me sleep late. She is still a furry ball of energy who loves to run, romp and play. She has started digging in the last few days and is still having occasional accidents in the house. She gets into everything and if it can be chewed on, she will do it. Her favorite place is still in front of the fireplace on the cool slate hearth. Matter of fact, she is there sleeping right now. We have switched her over to Science Diet Large Puppy Food and so far has made the switch without any gastric upset. She went to the Vet last Tuesday and got the remainder of her puppy shots so now she is good to go with the next event being spayed in August or September. Having a puppy again has been a challenge but it has showed me that I have much more patience this time around and realizing that most of the accidents are due to my lack of attention. We seem to have a great relationship and she is starting to learn that it is fun to just cuddle up and be rubbed rather than chewing on my hand. I still miss Megan very much but am thankful for the opportunity I have been given to let a new little life into our home.

Funeral for a Friend

2008-07-20T11:33:00.006-05:00

We went to the Hiwassee River in North Carolina on July 16, 2008, to have a funeral for two really great Golden Retrievers, Megan and Ally. Megan was born on October 12, 1997 and crossed the Rainbow Bridge on May 10, 2008. Her puppy Ally was born on June 16, 1999 and crossed the Rainbow Bridge ahead of her mother on April 6, 2008. We traveled to the river because it was their favorite place and we decided that it would be appropriate to sprinkle their ashes into the river. An Episcopalian Priest lead a small service followed by the sprinkling of their ashes, followed by Rose Petals, White Roses, Daylilies, and assorted wild flowers. The Roses were for their never ending love and purity and the wild flowers were for their wild hearts. They can forever romp and run in the place they loved the most. We say goodbye to two wonderful dogs. They will remain in our hearts forever and hopefully some day we can meet again when we also cross the Rainbow Bridge.

If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.

The River

2008-07-20T10:51:00.009-05:00

This was Emma's first trip to the Hiwassee River in North Carolina. She is definitely a swimmer and totally not afraid of the water. She saw her first Ducks and Geese and met her new friend Abby. Abby has on the red bandanna and is almost 8 months old. Emma has on the blue. Jordan is just standing by watching the kids make total fools of themselves. The top picture is Jordan and Emma on the trip home.

3 Weeks tomorrow!

2008-07-13T11:56:00.003-05:00

Emma will have been with us three weeks tomorrow, and she is growing like a weed. I swear that she has grown a foot. She now leaps and bounds over and onto everything with the greatest of ease. She is so full of energy. She plays and plays until she wears herself out and then naps and repeats the cycle. She is like a toddler, when it becomes quiet and you can't see her, you know she is into something that she shouldn't be in. Potty training is coming along with occasional accidents in the front hall. At least it is stone, so it is pretty easy to clean up. She is so intelligent and aware of everything going on around her. She is interested in everything and loves to explore. We still only allow her access to the front of the house. She will have to earn her freedom as time goes by. She still protest when she goes into the crate, but settles down quickly. She is a very early riser and interrupts my sleep cycle almost daily. She wants to get her mouth on everything. I know that this is a puppy thing and while I will be glad when she out grows this stage, I don't want her to grow up too fast as their time on earth is much too short anyway.

Emma and the plastic bottle

2008-07-06T09:41:00.003-05:00

Here is a little 15 second video of Emma with a plastic bottle, tearing around the yard. Notice the brown spots under the swing where she has ripped the grass out by the roots and started digging toward China. I wonder if I could get her to dig where I want to plant a Willow Tree?

Emma has been doing much better on her house training. She has now started going to the back door and barking when she wants out. She gets up between 5:30 and 6:00 AM and is ready to go. I stumble out with her and get her business done and try to coax her back into her crate for a couple more hours of sleep. Today she would have none of it. I finally gave up and stayed up with her. Then she wore herself out and we both went back to sleep, her on the fireplace hearth and me on the couch.

The world is such a wondrous place for her with so many places and things to explorer. I watch her with awe, wondering what is going on in her mind.

Emma

2008-07-03T12:20:00.003-05:00

Emma is caught between Cyndi's legs while she tries to get at Jordan's food.

She is being a little angel asleep on the couch. A dog always gets the most comfortable spot in the house.

Emma is outside wanting in, patiently waiting for someone to come to the door.

"Angel" Megan

2008-07-02T11:44:00.003-05:00

This is my very best friend in the whole world Megan who was born on October 12, 1997 and crossed the Rainbow Bridge on May 10, 2008.

After I lost Megan my heart was broken beyond repair. I was very sad and got weepy eyed at the mention of her name. We had so many good times together. I celebrate her life but my heart ached for her and I missed her so much.

Well shortly after Megan's death I signed up on Petfinder.com to look at Golden Retrievers who were available for adoption from shelters in my area. On Thursday, June 19, 2003 I got a notice that a 4 - 6 month old Golden Retriever female called "No Name" was available in the Chilton County Humane Society in Clanton, Al. I was sure that this bundle of joy was sent to me by my "Angel" Megan to heal my broken heart. I called the shelter and they confirmed that she was there and available for adoption. I immediately went to work on my sweet wife Cyndi in hopes that she would give me her blessing, which of course she did. On Friday I turned in an application for adoption but again my hopes were dashed when I was told that there was a lot of interest in the bundle of joy that I had already named Emma. They said that she had been moved from the Humane Society to a local veterinarian's office to insure that she stayed in good health. I was also told that she could not be adopted until Monday, June 23rd. I called again on Saturday and was told that they had received good reports from our references and that we would be called on Monday to come and adopt Emma. My heart was overjoyed! I wish to thank my "Angel" Megan and the fine people at Petfinder.com and the Chilton County Humane Society for making this all happen. Emma has been with us for 8 days now and has filled a void that was left in my heart.

Cool Spot

2008-07-02T11:06:00.002-05:00

This is Emma's favorite spot. I guess it is because the slate tiles are cool. When she slows down, I can usually find her on the fireplace hearth.

We have had her now for a little over 8 days. We are doing better on our house training but still have little mistakes. Yesterday I finally broke down and shampooed the carpet. I think I will just keep the machine close by just in case.

Today I am going to the pet store to get a clicker. Hopefully this will allow me to get her attention (other than yelling at her) when she does something wrong.

One minute you can be angry with her and the next she looks at you with those sad puppy eyes and it melts your heart. How can you possibly be angry with something so precious that God has created. I feel that a dog is special as God used his own name backwards for this special creature.

Emma's - Wags her tail with her heart!

2008-06-29T12:03:00.007-05:00

Such an angel when she is asleep but watch out when she is awake. I should have named her Double Trouble, she is into everything. She has got to have something in her mouth every waking minute. So far I have been able to rescue most things but you can't let her out of your site.

We still have a ways to go on potty training. She had several accidents yesterday but I have been home this morning and able to watch her closer. So far so good!

Dogs: God's way of showing us how to be happy.

Days 3 and 4

2008-06-26T20:08:00.004-05:00

Each day she is getting better and better with her potty training. So far today we have not had any accidents. I am keeping my fingers crossed. She is so inquisitive! It can be a bird flying over or something as simple as a fly. She has eyes like a hawk. It is exciting to watch her experience new things for the first time. This morning I heard a lot of barking and carrying on and she was standing on the bed looking at herself in the mirror.

She is on the couch asleep next to Cyndi as I write. But when she wakes up watch out. She is into everything. She has two speeds, high and off. Today she was carrying my lunch box around. I guess she thought I had brought her a present when I got home from work.

She sleeps all through the night and is having no problems with the crate, but she wants to put her mouth on everything. I am giving her lots of chew toys but every so often I catch her with some forbidden fruit and have to rescue it from her clutches. I would post more pictures but usually all I get is a blur, as she moves before the camera can focus.

Our first full day

2008-06-24T13:23:00.003-05:00

She slept her first night all night long (about 8 hours) and did not mess her crate. She has had several accidents today but we are trying really hard. She is asleep right now and looks like a little angel. We have an appointment at the Vets this afternoon to get started on all of her shots. When she is awake she is into everything. I have given her a rawhide bone which keeps her occupied for a while, and of course she has all kinds of dog toys. She has already torn up the newspaper and chewed up a small bamboo plant. You have to watch her like a hawk. She was out in the back yard smelling a flower and the next thing I new she took a big bite out of it.

Did I mention that I discovered that she was left at the Humane Society at night in one of their drop off cages. I can't believe that someone would throw away something so precious. I will definitely make up for lost time and shower her with love and affection.

She has been asleep for about an hour now so I better go wake her up or she won't sleep tonight.

We went to the Vet and she was a big hit with with all of the Vet Techs. She got her rabies and parvo shot, got her heartworm preventive and flea treatment. They checked her over for worms, and pronounced her fit as a fiddle. The Vet figures that she is somewhere around four months old so we still have got a couple of months till she will be spayed. We got her an ID Tag (purple) and a shiny new rabies tag. She is now a big girl. Three more weeks and back to the Vet for another parvo booster shot.

One last stop at PetSmart for a teething toy. Once again she was a hit in the store. We are now home and she is once again into everything. We have a long way to go on the potty training but she is pretty smart and will learn fast. She has found a new playmate in Jordan. I hope that it keeps him young.

Emma's Video

2008-06-23T22:35:00.000-05:00

She is a little wet from playing in the hose while Mom was watering flowers.

Today's the day!

2008-06-23T22:20:00.001-05:00

Well, today is the day. I got the call this morning from the Humane Society that we had been chosen and we could come and pickup our 20 pound bundle of love (Emma) anytime. It was a long day, I did not get off work until 3 PM but some good friends let me get off about 2:30 PM and it was off to the shelter to get Emma.

Emma had been moved to a Veterinary Clinic by the Golden Retriever Rescue Service so that she would not get sick. We had to go to the Humane Society first and pay the adoption fee and then we were off to the animal hospital to pick up our new bundle of joy.

When we got there we had a surprise, they had given her a bath and she was all cleaned up and ready to go. Jordan met his new step sister in the waiting room and tails began to wag. They both hit if off from the start. Jordan just could not get enough of this little sweet bundle of energy.

She rode back home in my lap while my wife drove. She was so interested in everything going on around her. She did not get car sick but she was so excited that she did have a small accident in my lap.

We got back to town and she got to meet her step brother Barkley. Once again it was all wagging tails and lots of licking.

We finally made it back home and she got to explore the back yard and have fun with the water hose. We moved into the house and there were even more things to check out. We had one more accident in the house but otherwise she has been a really good girl. She was so tired but refused to give in to sleep.

Next we are going to settle in for the night and I will be introducing her to her new crate. Wish us luck.

2008-06-22T18:11:00.001-05:00

This is Emma, a four month old (we think) Golden Retriever rescue that I will be adopting on Monday, June 23, 2008. I plan to post our adventures (both good and bad) over the coming years as we get to know one another.

Emma will be my fourth Golden Retriever so I am not a stranger to the breed. She is going to get all of the love and attention she will ever need for a long and happy life.

Tomorrow is the big day. I picked up a crate, liner, and puppy food on the way home from work. I still need to pick up some good chew toys (preferably the type you can freeze) to help her with her teething. I can't wait until she is actually here and a part of our family.

Emma means "One who heals the universe" and in my case I had lost my best friend Megan (Golden Retriever) on May 10, 2008 due to cancer. Hopefully Megan was the one who sent me the path to Emma to heal my longing for my lost companion.

Jordan, our other 10 1/2 year old Golden will be her mentor. Hopefully they will hit it off like old friends. Only time will tell. I know that she is going to be a bundle of energy and wanting to get into everything. We will need lots of patience as we enter into this adventure.

Wish us luck!