C: Turning the New Year

Well, V and I have certainly been derelict in our blogging duties.  The Christmas season was all-consuming.  I was blessed with a houseful of nephews plus a niece.  The house seems quiet after that many people, but at least one has promised to come in the summer to help me stain porches.

We have lots of snow for our area.  Here is what my place looks like:

Chili is loving the snow.  My problem is that he’s decided he wants to go out in the middle of the night (unusual) and play in the snow for an hour or two, whining at the door when he’s ready to snuggle back down.  I don’t have the heart to leave him out there in low teens weather, so I drag back up to indulge him by letting him back in to sleep.

Notice the deer rib cage Chili has dragged up.  So picturesque in the snow.

And, now, for the sad news.  Earlier this week we had to put my Sheltie, Scout, down.  She rallied a bit last month after her vet visit, but the last couple of weeks have been hard for her.  She would faithfully try to make the trip from my house to MIL’s to take up her guard there when I left for work—the routine.  We’d see her fall over about halfway.  She’d lie there til we almost got to her and then she’d get up to resume the trek.

We began taking her in the car up and down the driveway to spare her the exertion, while keeping her to her routine.  Early this week, just as the snows came, she lost use of her back legs.  There is a bit of a story behind all that, but I’m going to let MIL tell it on her blog in a day or two.

In short, after twelve years of very healthy life, Scout just finally gave out.  I miss her very much.  She was pretty much the perfect dog, living solely to take care of us in any way she could.

But, in spite of that circle of life thing and the fact that I am recovering from a very bad cold, the New Year looks promising.  I hope yours does, too.  C