pupdate: surgery was a success, now for the long haul

 

Here's Cookie post-TPLO surgery, day one. 

It was rough getting her home -- pain, disorientation, incontinence, and a three-hour drive. One bad night, to be expected. This morning she was back to herself, although quiet and drugged. We have a lot of meds and a long rehab plan. 

The vet who performed the surgery has done more than 400 of these procedures, on dogs of all ages and sizes -- from one year to 14 years, from 8 pounds to 150 pounds. He confirmed a complete ACL tear, and also said that everything else is strong and healthy.

They gave us this velcro sling, pictured above, a lot easier than using a towel, which is the default. They also gave us this bootie, fashioned from a repurposed IV bag. Very clever -- and since we live in a rainforest, very important.

The bandage comes off -- and the cone goes on -- in three days. Meds, massage, ice, graduated walking. At day 45, we get more x-rays and will know how she's progressing. Full recovery? Four months if we're lucky.

I'm glad the surgery is behind us.

pupdate: sad (but not that saddest) news

Our Cookie has a torn ACL and needs surgery. Surgery itself brings worry and concern and inconvenience, and of course, massive expense. But none of that is the worst part. The worst part is Cookie's future. Her days of running free on the beach are over. For me, that is heartbreaking.

This is our third dog who has had a repaired knee. Our first dog, the amazing Gypsy, had a busted ACL. The surgery was cutting-edge at the time. We had to borrow a car to take her to a specialist in the suburbs north of New York City. We were about to leave for vacation in Alaska, when she developed a post-op infection. I remember being at a baseball game in the Kingdome in Seattle, calling our dogsitter from payphone. So many ancient words in that sentence!

A few lifetimes later -- six months after moving to BC, after we had adopted both Kai and Cookie -- Diego tore an ACL. He was still recovering from the surgery when the other knee gave out; the repaired knee wasn't strong enough to hold him as a tripod. Apparently this is very common. He was an older guy, and we felt the only viable option was to say goodbye. (Story here, here, here, and finally here.)

Our beautiful Tala developed degenerative disc disease. This was very similar to what we're about to go through now. There was a long period of rehab, after which Tala's life could never be the same. No more running at the dog park or on the beach. On-leash walks only. It was heartbreaking. 

There are some great pics of Diego keeping Tala company while she was confined: first here, then here. (That second link was super hard to find! My stupid cutesy titles are not search-friendly.)

And here we are. X-rays, bloodwork, surgery, meds. Confinement, rehab, new life.

historic news: south korea bans dog meat trade

I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw the email from HSI Canada: South Korea has banned the dog meat industry.

Humane Society International Korea, along with many other organizations and individuals, have been working on this for decades. I think everyone echoes JungAh Chae, director of HSI/Korea, who said: "This is history in the making I never thought I would see in my lifetime".

Decades ago, I saw a tiny, incredibly brief, blurry image from a dog-meat market, a millisecond in a documentary about dogs. I have never been able to get the image out of my mind. 

We contribute a small monthly donation to HSI Canada, and I follow their news -- although I often won't open their emails, for fear of what I may see. The dog-meat industry is a big focus of their work -- rescuing and rehoming dogs destined for slaughter, and campaigning locally to shut down the industry. This has already been successful in several countries, along with many regional and municipal bans on the industry.

I doubt anyone wants to argue with me about this, but just in case, here, in advance, are answers to the standard questions and objections.

No, I am not vegan. Yes, I support animal welfare initiatives in all forms. There is no contradiction in this. I can eat meat and still oppose inflicting needless suffering, abuse, or cruelty to sentient beings. 

There is no requirement to be an absolutist in our moral and ethical choices. In fact, the false construct that only absolutes are valid is often used as to justify immoral and unethical behaviour.  

Yes, I believe it's all right to eat some animals and not others. This is, in fact, an almost universal belief among humans, across all eras and all cultures. The humane treatment of animals is more important to me than anyone's personal decisions about what to eat.

I don't believe that campaigning against the dog-meat industry is imposing western values on non-western cultures. In every case, the principal campaigners -- the people driving the change -- are local. They are working to change values, then to create laws based on those values. At bottom, that's what most activism is about. 

The details of the new South Korean law, which provides compensation for workers in the dog meat industry, are incredible.

My heart is full of appreciation and admiration for everyone who has worked to make this historic win possible.

+ + + + + 

BREAKING: South Korea bans the dog meat industry with historic vote at National Assembly as animal campaigners 'overjoyed'

'This is history in the making I never thought I would see in my lifetime,' says JungAh Chae, director of HSI/Korea

SEOUL—South Korea's National Assembly has today voted through a ban on the dog meat industry in what animal campaigners at Humane Society International/Korea have called "history in the making." Up to 1 million dogs a year are factory farmed and killed for human consumption in the country. The ban, which comes into force in six months' time with a three-year phase out, will make the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs and dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027, with penalties of up to three years' imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million KRW.*

This news follows considerable public and political momentum. With over 6 million pet dogs now living in Korean homes, demand for dog meat is at an all-time low. A 2023 Nielsen Korea opinion poll shows that 86% of South Koreans won't eat dog meat in the future and 57% support a ban.

JungAh Chae, executive director of Humane Society International/Korea, which has campaigned tirelessly for a ban, welcomed the news by saying: "This is history in the making. I never thought I would see in my lifetime a ban on the cruel dog meat industry in South Korea but this historic win for animals is testament to the passion and determination of our animal protection movement. We reached a tipping point where most Korean citizens reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering consigned to the history books, and today our policymakers have acted decisively to make that a reality. While my heart breaks for all the millions of dogs for whom this change has come too late, I am overjoyed that South Korea can now close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog-friendly future."

Dog farmers, slaughterers and restaurant owners will be eligible to apply for compensation, and after review, government support will be offered to transition or close those businesses, similar to the Models for Change program run by HSI/Korea. Since 2015, HSI has helped 18 dog farmers across South Korea switch to growing crops such as chili plants and parsley, or water delivery and other livelihoods.

HSI/Korea urges the government to use the three-year phase out period to work with animal groups including HSI/Korea to rescue as many dogs as possible in a state-sponsored, coordinated effort.

Kitty Block and Jeff Flocken, respectively CEO and president of HSI globally, issued a joint statement, saying: "This is a truly momentous day for our campaign to end the horrors of the dog meat industry in South Korea, and one we have been hoping to see for a very long time. Having been to dog meat farms, we know only too well the suffering and deprivation these desperate animals endure in the name of an industry for whom history has now thankfully called time. This ban signals the end of dog meat farming and sales in South Korea, and we stand ready to contribute our expertise until every cage is empty."

South Korea now joins a growing list of countries and territories across Asia that have banned the dog meat trade (with varying degrees of enforcement), including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Thailand and Singapore, as well as the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China, Siem Reap province in Cambodia, and 45 cities, regencies and provinces in Indonesia.

[Go to original for links.]

i need something lighter: my two favourite dog vids plus a golden oldie

Being confronted with pit bull bigotry has triggered a lot of sadness for me. To feel better, I am sharing my two favourite reels. These make me laugh every single time.

Bonus round: a blast from the past. 

It occurs to me that the expressions "blast from the past" and "golden oldies" are themselves golden oldies. We said these things "back in the day" -- an expression I hate and try never to use. 

Many thanks to my esteemed partner for always knowing what will bring me joy.

something new: in which i defend pit bulls challenge bigotry without losing my cool

I was at a nail salon. Not an upscale spa, a loud, basic, ramshackle kind of nail salon. Two women sitting side by side for pedicures were speaking loudly and drowning out all the other noise. 

Loud Woman One was telling the whole salon about her upcoming trip to San Francisco, where her grandchild lives. She was listing all the things to do in San Francisco. Then she was telling the whole salon about traveling with her dog.

Loud Woman Two says, loudly, "You know what dogs I hate? I hate pit bulls. They are horrible dogs. They bite people. They kill people."

My head jerked up. I stared in their direction. 

San Francisco Tour Guide said, "Well, the thing about pit bulls is, sometimes, if they have good parents, they might be OK. My daughter's ex-boyfriend had a pit bull. He got him when he was a puppy, and he trained him very well, and it's a very sweet dog now. He also has a Min Pin, and the Min Pin weighs 12 pounds, and you know what, that little dog is the boss."

Breed Bigot says, "That dog is probably not really a pit bull. If it was, it would be horrible and vicious."

I tried to look away. 

I wasn't sitting near them and I wasn't involved in the conversation (although they were talking loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear). 

I tried to look away. 

But I felt sick. I literally felt sick to my stomach. I knew if I didn't say something I'd feel sick all day.

I called over to them, "Pit bulls are no more dangerous than any other dog. You're repeating myths and lies."

They continued talking, oblivious.

I tried again. "Excuse me! Excuse me, what you're saying about pit bull dogs is not true. It's bigotry. It's like saying, 'All Koreans are this,' or 'All Black people are that'. Pit bulls are ordinary dogs. They are often the victims of abuse."

Breed Bigot wouldn't look at me. She turned her face away.

Tour Guide said, "It's like I was saying, good parents make good dogs."

I said, "I hear what you're saying. I agree." I looked at Breed Bigot, but she was refusing all eye contact. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but you're repeating lies. What you're saying is bigotry. It's wrong." I stared at her. "Statistics show that pit bulls do not bite more than any other dog."

Tour Guide said, "Do you know down in the US, which dogs bite the most? Golden Retrievers. It's because there are so many of them there, so they are where most of the bites come from. So you see, statistics can say anything."

Ignoring the idiocy of this statement, I said, "I hear what you're saying. Thank you."

Then I stopped.

I let Tour Guide have the last word.

I apologized to the person doing my nails, and ended the conversation.

So what's new?

In the past, I would have gone right over to them, gotten in their faces. Raised my voice. Expounded on the virtues of pit bulls and their victimization. And I don't know what else. Because when I'm in that zone, I can't think. I'm pure anger.

Then in those old days, I might have been slightly (but only slightly) embarrassed afterwards, depending on how far I went. I might (or might not) apologize for going too far. But a younger version of myself could be counted on to let loose. It never felt like a choice.

So here I am. I'm 61 years old, sixtyfuckingone years old, and I have finally figured out how to speak up without attacking. I can finally control my emotions enough, manage my anger enough, keep my composure enough, to speak up without making a scene. 

I still haven't figured out how to shut up completely, and I'm sure I never will. But at least I didn't bite her head off.

a remedy for my blogging funk: interspecies love

I had a wildly busy -- and interesting and fun -- October, and no time to blog. Now I have time, and plenty to write about, and can't seem to string together words in any coherent order. This is typical for me when I haven't written anything in a while. I believe -- quite literally -- that I have forgotten how to write.

Luckily, some pretend blogging tends to re-boot my writing brain. Interspecies love to the rescue!

Here's a very unusual friendship: a man plays fetch with a beautiful beluga whale.

Beluga whale playing fetch near the north pole pic.twitter.com/ZjVBmaJtDU

— B&S (@____B_S____) October 28, 2022

I'm not sure if this is love, but the puppy clearly thinks they're a rabbit, too.

this puppy thinks he's a rabbit too ..... pic.twitter.com/glKYvhQYMH

— B&S (@____B_S____) October 28, 2022

Why would a butterfly want to play with a puppy?

Puppy playing with a butterfly

📽 shoyubr pic.twitter.com/eYNrpmzgzz

— B&S (@____B_S____) October 27, 2022

This tiny kitten isn't sure about her pittie brother -- at first.

This Golden Retriever and deer have been best friends for 11 years. Here's a time lapse view of their friendship.

And finally, a dog with too much energy and his bestie, a rescued raccoon.

You're welcome!

can you give a few dollars to help a giver in need?

From a wmtc party: clockwise: P, Chelsea,
Jericho, Diego, Kim, Tala.

Some of you may recognize an occasional wmtc commenter "Dharma Seeker". Dharma Seeker -- whose name is Kim -- is a terrible situation right now. One of her dogs has been stolen, she will soon have nowhere to live, and her car has broken down.

I have organized a fundraiser in her behalf.

I  have known Kim since 2007, when she answered my ad for a dogwalker and we instantly became friends.

Kim is a steadfast protector and defender of animals. One of my treasured memories of Kim is when my partner and I were getting ready to say goodbye to our dog Cody. Our other dog, Tala, was very sensitive, and not used to being alone. I asked Kim if she could come over and walk Tala while we took Cody to the vet this one last time. Kim lived 30 minutes away. She dropped what she was doing, drove over, picked up Tala's leash and went out walking. Just like that. That's the kind of person she is.

Kim started a pet food bank, so people in crisis wouldn't have to give up their animals. She did this completely on her own -- she saw a need and she took action. 

She has given so much to the world, especially to animals and the people who love them. I'm hoping some of that giving can come back around to her.

Like many people, Kim struggles with mental health issues. She has had challenges over the years in finding stable housing for herself and her dogs and cats, but she has never, no matter how difficult the situation, given up on an animal.

This year Kim found herself in an abusive living situation. There was verbal, emotional, and physical violence. (This was not from a partner.) One day Kim came home to find an empty crate. Her housemates had taken her beloved dog River. They have refused to say what they did with him or where he is. Can you imagine such a nightmare??

Now Kim has nowhere to live, doesn't know where her dog is, and on top of all that, her car broke down -- the car she may soon be living in. Social services are working on finding her pet-friendly housing, but that may take months. Kim has missed a lot of work from the stress of this ordeal, and is worried about retaining her job.

Kim needs $1500 for car repairs, and if we could get her an additional $500 she could have a tiny bit of security until social housing comes through for her. Any amount will help. $5 - $10 - anything. It will all help and be deeply appreciated.

Go here to donate. 

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

dog agility, worm composting, and morning tea: three things going on with me

Does it make sense to create compost when you don't garden? I don't know, but I'm doing it.

Worms, but no garden

So, I'm not gardening. 

The Urban Worm Bag v2

Since moving to a cool, wet, temperate climate, I haven't done any successful gardening. My little mini gardens in southern Ontario were fun because they were incredibly easy. They also helped me enjoy being outdoors within the densely packed suburban landscape. 

Now, gardening is much more challenging, and I am able to enjoy the outdoors any time, whether that means sitting on our deck, talking long walks through the woods, or strolling on the beautiful empty beach. Working full-time, with limited time to myself, I really don't want to spend any of it gardening.

Last year, I tried to establish a small garden, and thought I would try vermicomposting -- composting with worms. The garden was a bust, but I've decided to continue my wriggling adventure. 

Why create composting if you're not gardening?

• It reduces waste. We don't have organics recycling here, and it feels really wasteful. Most of what can go in the organics bin can be used as worm food.

• The worm castings (compost created by worms) will improve the soil for all the plants already growing in our yard, including the raspberry bushes that Allan is trying to re-establish.*

• Working with worms, creating this miniature ecosystem, just appeals to me. I want to try it. 

The worm adventure was supposed to start last year, but the worms I ordered never made it here. I had already set up my Urban Worm Bag, organics scrap bin, and so on. So this year, I tried again. 

The worms were shipped from Wormbox, a company in Montreal. They assured me they have successfully shipped live worms to every Canadian province and territory, including remote locations, and that the worms would arrive alive. They wait to ship until there are three consecutive days of temperatures above freezing in Montreal and the worms' destination. That finally happened in early May!

The clock was ticking. With a long weekend coming up, and no mail delivery on Saturdays, I was starting to worry. But hurrah, the little creatures arrived on Friday morning, well packed and wriggling. Now they are in their new home, and my project begins.

Canine agility

Now that I am not taking piano lessons (at least for now), I'm planning to do some agility with Kai, and possibly with Cookie, too. 

I've been thinking about this since we bought our home in 2019. It's great physical exercise and mental stimulation for dogs, and having watched agility competitions on video, and once in person, I've always wanted to try it.

Will Kai ever do this? Time will tell!

Decent equipment is quite expensive. And while building a DIY agility course is A Thing, you may recall that I am not a DIY person. I have zero interest in building or macgyvering this equipment. I've decided to start with one piece of equipment -- one event, so to speak -- and gradually add on, as I can and want to spend more. Agility World has periodic specials where one obstacle is deeply discounted, so I'll track that as I go. (There is also the much less expensive Aosom, but I've read the equipment is quite flimsy and falls apart easily.)

This is decidedly not for competition. Just as my piano lessons were not intended for performance, my interest in canine agility will not leave my backyard. I find the human capacity to fashion nearly every activity into a competition simply baffling. I'm just hoping my dogs and I enjoy this and benefit from it.

A momentous life change

I am not drinking coffee in the morning. I am drinking tea! While not quite on the level of moving to Canada or becoming a librarian, I believe this qualifies for Big Change status.

I love coffee, and I'm completely addicted to caffeine. Although I've cut back by mixing regular and decaf, I've given up trying to eliminate it from my diet. I've gone caffeine-free for months at a time for various reasons, but I have no wish to do that permanently. I figure if caffeine is my worst vice, I'm doing pretty good. Caffeine may even have some health benefits -- although that's not why I love coffee.

I do have sleep issues, though. Like many people, I sometimes struggle mightily with insomnia. And because of this, I've always had a strict cut-off. Coffee in the morning, and strong black tea in the afternoon, but never after 4:00.

Allan and I picked up the afternoon tea habit during our trip to Ireland in 2001. It was November, and every day we'd arrive at a bed-and-breakfast, chilly and windswept. And the host would say, I'll put the kettle on. It became an enjoyable habit.

When we got home, we found a New York source for Bewley's Irish Breakfast tea, and with both of us working at home most days, a tradition was born.

When we moved to the Toronto area, I found it too difficult to get Bewley's, and we switched to Red Rose, the Canadian equivalent of Lipton. Now that we can get anything from anywhere, we're back to Bewley's. 

(We do also have decaf black tea in various flavours, which Allan drinks all the time, and herbal teas in a range of flavours, which I drink both hot and iced. I find iced herbal tea a good way to stay hydrated: tastier than water, but with nothing added.)

Recently I realized I really shouldn't be having caffeine in the afternoon, at all. Cutoff or no, it could be impacting my sleep. So I'm trying -- quite painfully -- to give up my afternoon caffeine. 

I made this decision right after a box of Bewley's arrived in the mail, plus a shopping miscommunication landed a huge box of Red Rose in the house at the same time. I can't return either of them, I don't want them sitting around getting stale, and it's more than I want to give away.

So I had an idea. Maybe I could try drinking tea in the morning, and seeing if I can get enough of a caffeine fix to start the day. When we've travelled in places with bad (or no) coffee but good tea, I have had tea in the morning. Maybe it would be possible?

I bought a teapot, and the experiment has begun. I still miss coffee, so I don't know if this will be permanent. But so far, I appear to be surviving.

And by the way, since giving up afternoon caffeine two months ago, I have had only one night of insomnia -- far less than usual.

* There were amazing raspberries bushes when we moved in. Then we cut them down -- as I read you were supposed to -- and they never returned. Allan is starting over.

friends and family road trip reunion: day twelve: ashland to portland

On our last day in Oregon, we met my mother and sister-in-law for breakfast in Ashland, finally getting to Brothers, a favourite of mine from our 2016 trip to the area. After breakfast, we brought my mother with us to the dog park, which I knew she would enjoy. Allan is having a lot of hand pain (he has a compressed ulnar nerve) and he met our nephew D in town for some treatment. 

At my mom's apartment, we all said goodbye, which was painful for me. I realize I have to come down here every year, probably flying by myself, the way I did when my mom was still in New Jersey and I was in the GTA. She's 90 years old, and I want to see her at least once a year. This makes me feel better. But still. Goodbyes are hard.

For various reasons, I hadn't done more than an hour of driving on this whole trip, so I was happy to give Allan's hand a break and drive to Portland. On one stretch of I-5, the sky was very hazy and there was a strong smell of smoke. Whenever we stopped, the heat hit with a wallop, well over 37 C (100 F).

We're staying at The Benson, a historic hotel, which I found only because I love the Coast hotels on Vancouver Island and will always choose a Coast when it's an option. The Benson has been open in the same beautiful building since 1913.

On the way to the hotel, we passed Powell's, then found our hotel only a few blocks away. This is our first time in Portland. We're here one full day. Our plan: Powell's, murals, food carts. 

Cookie and Kai will spend the day at Sniff Dog Hotel. Rather than do an evaluation and have them in regular daycare, we've booked a private room, where they can have their own beds and toys, and cuddle with each other, plus "potty breaks" with staff. Travel and all the new places have been stressful for Kai. Right now she needs comfort more than play. Cookie's eye looks much better.

friends and family reunion road trip: day eleven: mostly waiting to see a vet, with some family time

Yesterday Cookie woke up with what appeared to be an eye infection. I was concerned that it might be conjunctivitis, which is highly contagious. We had a full day of daycare booked in Ashland, with someone I found on Rover, but obviously we couldn't do that without knowing what was going on. I called five or six different veterinary clinics in the area. With many doctors on vacation, everyone was booked solid. I took the advice of several of those calls, and we went to the Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center -- the 24/7 animal hospital, not far from where we're staying. 

It looked like a great place -- very modern and efficient -- but they were very busy, likely with much more serious emergencies than ours. So we waited. And waited. And waited. For six hours.

It was boring and the dogs were not very happy. The treatment itself took about two minutes. But Cookie does not have conjunctivitis, or anything contagious. Kai is not at risk, and we can use any daycare services we have booked. Yay! It was also not a scratched cornea or anything requiring serious care. Also yay. 

The eye issue may have been caused by some debris getting in her eye, then Cookie pawing at her face, or something similar. We have some antibiotic/anti-inflammatory ointment, and the poor girl has a cone on her head for a couple of days, and we'll follow up with our vet at home.

By the time we finished up at the animal hospital we were so hungry. I used our last dregs of phone battery to find the In-N-Out (less than 10 minutes away), and we devoured that. I've eaten more burgers on this trip than I have in the past three years -- probably since our last mega road trip, when we moved to BC. 

From there we drove to the dogsitter's house in Ashland, hoping to salvage the last few hours of the full day we had booked and paid for. She had a large, shady, fenced-in yard, where three dogs (one her own and two other guests) were playing. Cookie and Kai were very happy to be off the leash. The cone doesn't slow Cookie down. Typical alpha dog, she takes it in stride. 

After we saw the dogs settle in, and chatted with the dogsitter a bit, we met M&M (brother and SIL), who had already collected my mother, plus nephew D and the lovely grand-niece. The place we were going to eat was closed, but even with many restaurants closed on Mondays, Ashland is still spoiled for choice. It's a touristy town built around the Oregon Shakespeare Festival: restaurants and cute shops galore. It was over 100 degrees and Allan and I were amazed that people were eating outside, or in places with only ceiling fans. No and no. 

We ended up at Louie's, which has several great, eclectic menus, including separate gluten-free and vegan menus, a kid's menu, and a fur-kid menu! The food was very tasty and the service was great. Definitely worth a positive Tripadvisor review. It was lovely to sit in the cool, have a glass of wine, and be among family, especially knowing the dogs were not waiting in the car.

After dinner, we picked up the dogs. They were (of course) thrilled to see us but relaxed and not at all stressed. Three hours of play did them did them a world of good. We went over to M&M's house (everyone minus my mother), and hung out on the deck with wine and ice cream. 

The temperature had cooled off, as it does here at night, and there was a breeze. There was also smoke in the distance, and the faint scent of smoke in the air. M&M have had their share of scary wildfire issues, with highways closed, long power outages, and evacuations in the area, although (obviously) they haven't had fire tragedy. We tethered the dogs to the deck posts, and after their somewhat stressful day, they were happy to lie down and nap.

After a little while, nephew and grand-niece said goodnight, and we continued hanging out with M&M. It was a lovely relaxing evening, drinking wine and gabbing about anything and everything. I'm so grateful to have such wonderful, close, loving relationships with family. As in all families, not all the relationships are happy and fun, and I cherish the ones that are. It's also so great to have close friendships with all the generations.

I have a fun note to share about an old children's book, but I don't have that together yet. To be continued.

friends and family reunion road trip: day ten: berkeley to medford

Yesterday, we got a short list of car repair places in Berkeley that are open on Sunday. Allan went out to try to get the electrical issue fixed, while I packed up and took care of the pups. No joy: the garages were either closed or extremely busy. One place said they "might" get to it in a few hours. We made a sign "TURN SIGNALS NOT WORKING" and stuck it on the rear windshield. (Thanks to our wonderful Berkeley host and her incredibly well-appointed cottage!) We had a burger and a hotdog from Smokehouse, then got on the freeway to connect with our old friend I-5.

It's around five hours from the Bay Area to the Ashland/Talent/Medford area, but since we got a late start, I called the hotel in Medford to confirm our reservation, and we went straight to the Kaminker compound. We left the car at my brother/sister-in-law's house, because my brother wanted to try and fix the car. We walked up to the little house where my nephew D, his partner R, and my great-niece S live. S was excited to show us her room, and to have us meet (from a distance in my case) her two adorable gray-striped kittens.

D grilled steak for tacos, and we sat on their patio and talked. S stayed up late to visit with us. Allan had picked up some weird little handmade finger puppets in the Mission District and we played with those. We also took turns on the trampoline with S. Thankfully the trampoline sessions were timed: parents got 5 minutes each, Allan and I had 3 minutes each. It was a long three minutes!

As it got dark, we said goodnight, and Allan went down to M&M's house to get the car. Voilà! The turns signals were working. My brother can fix anything.

Thanks to our one working phone, we found the Best Western Horizon in Medford and happily collapsed. The trip is winding down: we have one full day in the Ashland area today (we'll see my mother a few more times), then drive to Portland, two nights with one full day there, then two days to get home.

* * * *

Two notes about the dogs.

Cookie is what I call a "go-anywhere dog". She is always up for a new adventure, a tiny bit cautious in new situations, but then very quickly dives in and enjoys everything. That's typical of an alpha dog. Kai, on the other hand, is stressed by new situations, and takes longer to adjust. She's not extremely fearful and anxious -- we've seen much worse -- but she does love her routines and would just as soon not have any adventure! I think this whole trip has been stressful for her, and not always pleasant. We've seen her have some fear reactions, barking and snapping, clearly telling people to keep away. We can very quickly soothe her and she'll return to being her usual friendly self.

I love traveling with the dogs, but of course there is a downside. Surely the most annoying part of having them with us is this: on the first night of any stay, Cookie will not pee. The first time this happened, we were at the Coast Bastion in Nanaimo. Allan must have taken her out four or five times, walking around and around, returning to the room in frustration again and again, before Cookie finally graced us with her precious urine and we could go to sleep! After a few trips with them, we clearly saw the pattern. It is so annoying! Last night Allan gave up and went to sleep. A few hours later, the dogs woke us up, barking, and I prevailed on Allan to try again. Finally! This is very annoying!

* * * *

Cool tidbit that I missed in an earlier post: San Francisco's Mission Dolores was a location for the film "Vertigo" in 1958. If you know this Hitchcock classic, you will recognize the Mission's tower.

family and friends reunion road trip: day four: birthday party at a winery

This was another big family day, and a wonderful one. 

We took Kai and Cookie to a dogsitter who we found through Rover, the Airbnb for dogs. She has a sweet little older house with a big fenced-in yard, and was very relaxed and easy-going. I had already told her about Cookie (a/k/a She Who Cannot Be Contained), to be on the alert for digging, and to keep her double-collared on walks.

This was the first time these pups have been left at someone's home, rather than a doggie daycare place where there are lots of other dogs to distract them. They seemed perfectly happy and comfortable, trotting around in the backyard, sniffing everything, and we made a quiet getaway.

My brother and sister-in-law had booked a private room at a local winery. The food was very good, the wine was cold and plentiful, and the company was outstanding. My brother asked me to make the toast, which was a fun challenge, since I hadn't prepared. It seemed to go over well.

My mother seems somewhat overwhelmed by all the goings-on, but also seems very happy. She had presents for my own birthday, including this cute "librarian bookend".

When we picked up the dogs, they were (of course) thrilled to see us, but they were also relaxed and not stressed. The dogsitter said they were well-behaved and no escapes were attempted. At night they were completely wiped out from their big adventure.

I've said this many times in this blog: I didn't grow up in a particularly happy family. Certainly there were good times, and I do have many happy memories. But the head of the family was a tyrant and a bully, and also mentally ill (although there was no awareness of that at the time). His issues and behaviour controlled our lives in myriad ways. Family gatherings were generally riddled with anxiety, fear, and abuse. These fun, happy family gatherings, free of fear and anxiety, are something I've only experienced as an adult. To both love and like my family is something I am truly grateful for.

family and friends reunion road trip: day two: everett, washington to talent, oregon

I am happy to report that today was far less eventful. 

The most important thing was to get on the road early. We know from past experience (our first trip to Vancouver and Oregon in 2016... where the idea to move west was born!) that there are two major traffic areas on this stretch of 5 South -- Sea-Tac and Portland. The plan was to get up very early, start driving immediately, and be past Sea-Tac before the major morning rush.

This is not an issue for me, as I am normally up at 5:00 a.m. Sleeping until 6 or 6:30 is late for me. Allan, however, is most definitely not a morning person. Waking up early is painful and difficult for him, so I was very grateful to be out the door by 6. We stopped at one of the famous coffee shacks that are everywhere in the PNW, got back on 5 South, and didn't stop until we were in Lakewood, south of Tacoma. 

I brought the laptop to breakfast, and executed my cunning plan: logged into my Telus account to change the plan on Allan's phone, emailed friends and family we're seeing on the trip to tell them my phone is out of commission and give them Allan's number, got my email set up on Allan's phone, and installed the apps I need to make the trip work. All before our food arrived. 

Which is not to say I worked quickly. I could have knit a sweater before our food arrived. Or someone could have, someone who knows how to knit. Black Bear Diner chain: a long wait for mediocre food. But again, happy to be there, and even happier to use their wifi.

After breakfast, we gave the dogs their breakfast in the parking lot, and got back on the highway. As we were slowly driving past Portland, I had a brilliant idea: why not find a dog park in the area and give the pups some exercise and fun.

Now here is an example of technology improving our lives in unexpected ways. I was able to use Allan's newly data-enabled phone to find a list of fenced-in dog parks in the Portland area, chose the southern-most one -- and we were about three-quarters of a mile away from exit we needed! Amazing timing. Google navigated us to Willamette Park, a huge and beautiful multi-use park on the Willamette River. The fenced in dog area was just a large square of sand with no shade, but our dogs were very happy to run around for a bit. Cookie especially seemed very happy, bouncing around, awkwardly chasing a toy, so happy and relaxed.

It was sunny and pretty hot, so after a short time, we put the dogs' leashes on and walked on a shady bike/walk path. We took them to the boat launch -- many canoes and kayaks on the river -- so they could wade in and cool down. Cookie was eyeing a family of ducks, but no dice. She Who Cannot Be Contained will not be off-leash on this trip unless surrounded by visible fences!

After the park, we couldn't find an entrance to 5 South, and had to take a connector highway north, get off, and U-turn. Worth it!

The rest of the drive was uneventful. We picked up some supplies at the Medford Food Co-Op, and discovered we were only 10 minutes away from the cottage in Talent that I had booked, pulling in around 7 p.m.

It's a lovely one-room cottage, very comfy, everything we need, and surrounded by fields and orchards.

Seen on a highway billboard: MARXISM, YOUR TICKET TO A POVERTY LIFESTYLE, with a picture of Uncle Sam.

cooking with cookie!

We had a bit of excitement last week, and I realized I shared it only on Facebook. I'm sure wmtc readers want an answer to the burning question, What is Cookie up to now?

This is what she's up to! 

She Who Cannot Be Contained must have put her paws on the kitchen counter -- I had been cooking and she was looking for morsels -- and on the way down, hit the stove, turning on a burner. The Instant Pot lid was resting on the stovetop. 

I was on a zoom meeting with my door shut, but Allan (who has almost no sense of smell) smelled fumes -- went downstairs -- and found the kitchen and hallway filling with smoke. The smoke detector never went off. The smell of burning plastic lingered for days.

New Instant Pot ordered.

Batteries in smoke detectors changed.

Guards for the burner knobs ordered.  

Reading reviews of various knob guards on Amazon, more people needed them for dogs than for children!

In case you are wondering, Cookie is still finding ways to leave the house -- unauthorized and unaccompanied. She runs around the neighbourhood, joyous and free, until she lets us corral her. She has done some very impressive recall when we were away from home, but when it comes to her own street, nada. 

Somehow these shenanigans just make me love her more. Maybe I relate to her total disregard for authority.

 

interspecies love: it's been too long

I've been stashing these in a folder, but it's been years since I've posted any! I don't know about you, but I could sure use a break.

simple but amazing experiences healing dogs from past trauma

Cookie recently had a fear reaction, and we're working on desensitization. I thought I would share our experience with changing fearful behaviour. 

Diego

Not long after we adopted Diego, we learned he had an extreme fear reaction to anything involving his ears. Neither Allan nor I can remember exactly how we learned this, whether he growled at the vet during an exam, or something else. But I distinctly remember that, when he saw a Q-tip in my hand, Diego showed his teeth for a split-second -- then instantly looked sorry and guilty. Poor guy!

The vet could see that Diego had a very severe ear infection. Not wanting to traumatize him further or cause him pain, she suggested general anesthesia, a full-on ear cleaning, then a program to desensitize him to ear-touching. 

Diego was highly food-motivated, so it was not difficult to re-program him.

First we associated the Q-tip or cotton ball with the treat -- so that he earned a treat just for seeing the Q-tip, then for smelling it on his own, then we would touch his ear very lightly, and so on. Then we moved on to very light touches to his ear, gradually increasing the interaction, using plenty of rewards and lots of happy talk and affection the whole time.

We did this over the course of a week, and it went brilliantly. Diego never had the fear-aggression reaction again, and for the rest of his life, he enjoyed being rubbed or scratched behind his ears.

Could this be why such a sweet-tempered and well-trained dog ended up in a shelter? Perhaps he growled, showed his teeth, or even snapped at someone who was trying to look into his painful ears.

Cookie

It's fortunate we had this experience with Diego, so we knew what to do for Cookie.

Cookie is extremely frightened of the monthly anti-flea and tick prevention we're using. I didn't understand it until I held the vial to my face: it smells like rubbing alcohol. 

Cookie did live in a house where there was drinking, drugs, and violence, so it's not surprising that she has a negative association with the smell of alcohol.

When we used the treatment last month, Cookie was wary, but she allowed us to put it on her. After, she rolled around and acted strange -- and I later realized she was trying to run away from the smell or rub it off.

This month her reaction was much stronger. As I started unwrapping the vials, she jumped away. When I moved towards her, she showed her teeth for a split-second, and frantically moved away. So sad!

Because of our experience with Diego, I knew what to do. We put the stuff on Kai, then I held the empty vial in one hand, and put a treat in my other hand. I held my hands out, palm up, a few inches apart. 

Cookie would dart in, take the treat, and dart away. After doing that a few times, I put the empty vial and the treat in the same hand. 

She did the same thing, quickly grabbing the treat and jumping away. We did that four or five times, then stopped. That's enough for one session. 

The next day, I did the same thing -- not advancing, just repeating the same level of interaction. Cookie took the treat with relaxed body language and looked at me, asking for another.

That's where we are now. I plan to do this for a few more days before trying again to use the treatment on her.

It's important to go really slowly, never forcing the dog into contact with the stimulus that's eliciting the fear reaction. Gradually, you create a new, positive association. Hopefully Cookie will soon know the smell of rubbing alcohol means a treat is coming.

Buster

Of course, not all trauma and fear-aggression will respond to desensitization. Buster, our beautiful broken pitbull, needed medication, and special training, and still could never be safely off-leash outside. But we did use a similar idea on a regular basis.

Our lives in those days depended on having a dogwalker visit twice a day, two days each week. This meant that every once in a while, we had to introduce Buster to a new person. 

The behaviourist we worked with gave us a plan. 

It took four sessions. Buster would be on-leash and wearing his "gentle leader" -- which made him feel safe. As long as he was on-leash and a stranger didn't enter his (literal) comfort zone, Buster was fine.

The first time New Person entered our apartment, we would scatter yummy, "high value" treats on the floor. New Person would come in, sit down, hang out, talk, say Buster's name many times in the happy-lovey voice. All the while, we would continue to scatter treats on the floor and Buster would go around gobbling them up. 

Session two, we would do the same, but we would place the treats near New Person's feet -- so Buster had to be near New Person while eating the treats. New Person would sit on the couch, talking to Buster in the happy voice, saying his name often, but not trying to touch him or even putting their hand out.

Session three, New Person would offer Buster the treat, open hand, palm up, doing all the happy talk, saying Buster's name a lot. Buster would accept the treat from the person's hand, and we could see his body language was relaxed. There was no further touching, but Buster was willingly touching NP's hand every time he accepted the treat.

At session four, Buster would be relaxed and friendly. All his fear would be gone. He would spontaneously come to New Person asking for attention. New Person could put on the gentle leader, touch Buster's head. Buster would rub his head into NP's leg -- and that was it.

Once Buster gave his trust, it was total and irrevocable. But we had to do this every time, and there was no rushing it or skipping a step.

Except for one remarkable experience that we'll never forget.

Our dogwalker and his partner were coming over for dinner. We had not met Partner before, so Buster was on-leash with the gentle leader, lying down next to Allan's chair.

During dinner, Buster went under the table, and put his head on Partner's shoes. Partner reached down and stroked Buster's head, and Buster snuggled closer. Somehow, Buster understood that Partner was part of Dogwalker, and he would be safe.

pupdate: prison break, cookie style

I've been putting off the recall training. We have equipment, and we have advice, but we don't have a plan -- because we haven't made it a priority. Honking big flashing neon note to self: make it a priority.

This morning I when called in both dogs from the backyard, only Kai appeared. And she appeared from behind some foliage. Hmm. I called for Cookie a few times, then followed Kai to the back fence.

And there it was, well-hidden behind tall flowers. A tunnel.

 You might not think our girl could fit through that space.

But she's very skinny. And very determined!

This escapes marks a milestone for She Who Cannot Be Contained. It's the first time she's breached the main perimeter fence. The new fence which cost many thousands of dollars. Sigh.

I grabbed Cookie's collar and leash, and my car keys, assuming I would have to drive around looking for her. Once out in the road, I saw a neighbour, several houses down, was talking to Cookie, trying to keep her occupied. I yelled for Cookie -- also yelled a thank-you -- and she came running full-tilt towards me. Yay! She's doing it!

The celebration was premature. I grabbed Cookie, but while I struggled to get her collar and leash with my other hand, she squirmed away. And off she went, running around the neighbourhood, the happiest dog you've ever seen. We'd see her investigating the porch furniture on one house, then she'd disappear for a while, then re-emerge from a different yard, her front legs flying in the air, her tongue wagging, a huge panting grin on her face. I wish I had a video to share, but capturing the scene is not a high priority when I'm trying to capture the miscreant.

At one point she approached me to check out the treats I was holding, then realized it was a trick, and took off again. Food is just not that interesting when you're running wild and free.

This went on for quite a while. It's embarrassing.

Finally, we used the only thing that works when we're at the beach: pretend abandonment. Making sure Cookie was watching, we put Kai in the back seat and drove slowly down the street. She followed the car -- even circled us -- but when we stopped, she would take off again.

Then, while Cookie was off in someone's backyard, out of view, we drove to the end of the block and stopped. She emerged, didn't see us, and took off at full speed -- towards our house. I called very loudly, Cookieeee!!  She turned, and ran as fast as I've ever seen her run, straight to the car, and jumped right in.

All smiles, no shame.

"This look always makes Mommy melt."

Yes, it's time for more training.

pupdate? in which i worry about traumatizing our dog who has zero recall

Cookie does not, will not, come when called.

She is just not interested.

At mealtimes, "wanna eat?" will bring her running. And if she's in the backyard or on the deck, the sound of the clicker and the treat jar will usually work.

But at the beach, she has no intention of coming back to us.

We've done the high-value treats, we've done... everything. The beach is simply too wonderful to leave.

I am Cookie, and I answer to no one.

Last year, on a wet, cold day, I was waiting outside the library for Allan to pick me up. He was late. I knew he had taken the dogs to the beach in the morning, and knowing he soon had to clock in to his own work, I thought he forgot about me.

When Allan showed up, I learned that Cookie was still at the beach! It was getting late, he knew I was waiting, didn't have his phone with him -- so he left (with Kai)! Now he was going to head back to the beach to get Cookie.

I was worried and scared! But a few minutes later, Allan and Cookie came home. Apparently at the beach, Cookie was anxiously trotting around the parking area, looking frightened. She hopped in the car and they came home.

I made Allan promise to never do that again. But after this incident, it appeared something had changed.

Now when Allan needs to get Cookie back in the car, he gets in the car and begins to slowly drive away. Then she appears, sometimes trotting alongside the car until he stops and lets her in.

I had never seen this method myself until yesterday. We had a few hours of sunshine that coincided with a low tide and a day off, so we hustled down to the beach. When it was time to leave, Cookie was completely ignoring us. (She was "fishing", even though it's winter and no fish are visible.)

Allan persuaded me to try it. We put Kai in the car, and I drove slowly to another parking area, adjacent to where we had parked, but maybe 50 metres away, where we weren't visible from the water. I waited there nervously for less than five minutes, then drove slowly back to our usual parking area.

I saw a flash of golden colour. I called her name, and Cookie came tearing towards us, running at top speed, then overjoyed, licking and wiggling with happiness. On the way home, she was very affectionate, almost clingy.

It was very hard for me to do this! Was she frightened? Did she think we had abandoned her?

Or is this just how things work now? Has she simply learned that when she no longer hears our voices or can see us, she should come to the parking lot and look for us?

I don't want her to be frightened! But on the other hand, if it takes hours and hours to collect her, we are seldom going to have beach time.

pupdate: the fence, the beach, and the cuddling that melts our hearts

It's been a while since I updated wmtc readers on the continuing adventures of Cookie and Kai.

Short version: they are doing great. They are healthy, happy, and a constant source of entertainment, not to mention love and affection. But when it comes to dogs, who wants a short version?

The great escape.

Cookie has matured and settled in -- but she is still a wild child, and very independent. I have to lock my closet door, and if I forget she will find a shoe to use as a chew toy. Now that she knows she'll earn a treat for coming inside, she stands on the deck and waits for me to put my hand on the treat jar before trotting in. She's that kind of girl.

You may recall that shortly after we moved in, we discovered that (a) the backyard fence wasn't very good and (b) Cookie was an escape artist. When she first let herself in, we thought it was so cute and funny. But when we forgot to lock the front door and she let herself out, not so much.

So we have a beautiful new fence now, and we keep our doors -- and closets -- locked. Yet despite the new fence and our new lock awareness, she has found ways to escape.

There was one tiny part of the fence that we didn't replace -- a connector between the deck and the main fence. It seemed secure. Wrong. She found a way.

Post-fence, most escapes have involved wriggling under the deck, then finding a way out from there. Cookie would find an area where the wood lattice was thin, or softened from years of rain, and she'd work on dismantling it until she could fit through the hole.

Allan has been covering the whole space under the deck with chicken wire. Once wire is up, Cookie seems to understand that route is blocked.

One time, looking out the window, I happened to see a quick flash of something that might have been Cookie's ear or the top of her head -- in the neighbour's yard. I got outside just in time to see her squeeze under the neighbour's fence and into the street.

Once she's out, she cavorts around with glee, her front paws flying off the ground as she runs. She might as well be shouting, I'm free! Freeee!!!

Inevitably, we end up jumping in the car and driving around to streets she's visited before. When she sees us, she's not the slightest bit chagrined. Oh, look, my ride is here.

This ugly fencing is only under the deck. The new fence is great.

The love bugs.

All our dogs have loved each other, but the affection between these two is unprecedented in our experience. My phone is full of pics like this.

The wood stove + the new bed = puppy bliss.

 

The beach.

This is their playground. Allan checks the tides and takes them at least once a week, but usually more often.

picket lines, pupdates, and the 51st parallel: 10 things on my mind

It's been a while.

1. Mom went home.

My mom went home two weeks ago, after spending seven weeks here. I was sad to see her go! We had a great time, and it got better as we went along and settled into a routine. The dogs must especially miss her. They loved to hang out in her room, and she adored them.

2. I took union training.

I was in Nanaimo this week, participating in some training with my union, the BCGEU. I had three days of courses, plus a full day of travel each way, so I was gone for the whole work week.

My workplace has an interesting union model. All the frontline staff are members of CUPE, and the professional staff -- librarians, senior librarians, and library managers -- belong to the BCGEU. This means I'm the only BCGEU member in all five of my libraries.

However, there are BCGEU members in many other workplaces in my area. It's a very diverse union that represents social workers, administrative staff, BC Liquor and BC Cannabis workers, correctional officers, and many others. I'll be available to assist members who want a representative from outside of their workplace.

3. My union is amazing.

The courses I took were excellent, but the best part of the trip was spending time with other labour activists, and getting to know the culture of my new union.

I had heard good things about the BCGEU, but it was wonderful to see this for myself. I learned that Stephanie Smith, president of the union, came up through the rank-and-file, as a new activist. Her election (and re-election) as the union's first female president, and as a former frontline worker, transformed the union from an old-boys service model to a progressive, member-driven organizing model.

I'm pretty sure this was the best part of the training!

4. Loggers are on strike.

Forestry workers from USW Local 1-1937 are on strike against Western Forest Products, one of the largest employers on Vancouver Island. The strike is going into its fourth month, and there's no end in sight. Our North Island communities are severely impacted.

I was feeling really bad that I had done nothing to help these union brothers and their families. When the strike was called, we were closing on our house, then we were moving, then my mother was here... My focus was elsewhere, but every time we saw a picket site, I felt guilty.

Yesterday on my drive home from Nanaimo, I bought major quantities of snacks and some gas cards, and stopped at every line I passed. I also stopped into a USW office in Port McNeill: I figured a staff rep would know which families were most in need.

I visited seven lines, and should be able to hit two or three more this week. I admit much of this was to make myself feel better, but when you're on strike, picket support visits mean a lot. Presumably it wasn't an entirely selfish endeavour!

5. I wish Cookie would go on strike.

Image from Etsy

Our darling Cookie is driving us crazy. We're dealing with multiple issues: she's chewing stuff (not teething, just destroying), she's an escape artist, she has zero recall, and she seems to have developed separation anxiety.

Our friend Dharma Seeker has been consulting with us on training ideas, and suggested setting up a webcam. I learned how to make a webcam from two cell phones -- and we learned that Cookie does better when she's not crated. This was scary! The two young dogs alone in the house, not crated, could literally destroy everything. But it worked. Now they are confined to one room. We've dog-proofed the room as much as possible, and they seem calm and happy when we're gone.

This has resolved one issue. We have a long way to go.

6. We need a new fence.

We've learned the fence around our backyard is falling apart. Cookie has gotten out of at least four places.

Allan keeps working on it, but dog-fence whack-a-mole is a losing battle. We need to replace what's there with professional-grade stockade fencing. We're getting estimates, and it's not pretty. This is one reason we never wanted to own a home.

Cookie's latest chew toy: a rug we bought in Egypt.

7. I am swimming.

After ten years away from the pool, I've started to swim again. It's going to take a long time to get back my aerobic strength! But I have time.

8. I am not gardening.

I've discovered that I have little to no interest in gardening, which includes upkeep on the lovely landscaping that was already in place when we bought the house. If I didn't work full-time and if my joints didn't hurt, perhaps I would feel differently. But here in my real life, I just don't care.

Now I have a big backyard, a sizable front yard, and a whole mess of raised beds -- and I don't want to do anything with them. I'd love to find someone who loves to garden but who doesn't have one of their own. And doesn't mind dogs crashing through their work.

9. Summer is ending.*

Port Hardy is not far from the 51st parallel, the farthest north we've ever lived.** Summer days went on forever; at 10:30 pm it was still twilight. Now, of course, we're about to experience the other side. It will be interesting to see how our habits change in winter. But one thing we know: we won't be shoveling snow!

* I don't watch Game of Thrones and I was sick of hearing Winter Is Coming.

** The farthest north we've ever been is Denali National Park: 63rd parallel.

10. I love my job.

I can't believe how much I love my job. It's the perfect mix for me.

Many librarians, as their careers advance and become more managerial, lament no longer leading storytimes. I haven't done those in years (except in an emergency) and I've never missed them! Storytimes are skilled work and very valuable to the community, but I didn't get a Master's degree so I could read to kids. To me that's a poor use of my skills and a waste of taxpayer money.

For me, my job is a perfect mix of administrative work, community engagement, and hands-on librarianship. I really enjoy the admin work -- which is good, because there's a lot of it! But I still have lots of customer contact -- which is good, because I love it.