Rommel and Patches update

Rommel and Patches are both gone.  Rommel was our beautiful German Shepherd.  He died while we were away on Christmas vacation to visit hubby's family up in Napa.  Actually, Rommel lasted until we got home and we at least were able to say good-bye to him and love on him as he passed.  He had canine lupus, a disease which basically turned his immune system against him.  He was 9 years old...Patches, our calico cat, was on our bed and she just fell over, the breath slipped out of her, and she expired.  She had been an outdoor ranch cat at the horse ranch up in Lancaster and had survived living outdoors for several years.  So, at least with us, she had nearly 5 years of peace and quiet, since we kept her indoors.  We don't know how old she was, but she was OLD when we got her.  While I really miss having a German Shepherd, hubby and I don't think we can handle another dog right now, since we have Ripley and Atticus (our son's Weimeraner).  That's two big dogs who follow us everywhere and eat us out of house and home!  Plus, we have 3 outdoor cats and Abby, our black cat, who stays inside.  She doesn't even attempt to get out of the house.  She usually sits with me as I blog and she jumps up on the windowsill to watch the birds outside.  And, hubby and I are getting older, so it is hard to have big dogs.  I know that sometimes Atticus gets in my way and with my bad knee (arthritis), I sometimes fall down!  I can't afford to tweek it and make it any worse than it is!  He is usually at my feet as I blog (he's asleep right next to me now) and it wouldn't be fair to either him or Ripley to bring in another dog right now. Daisy, my orange and white tabby (female) cat is ...let's see...16 years old and Loki, our white male (neutered) is 17!!!!  Daisy occasionally comes inside for a meal, but mostly stays outside and catches gophers and mice and rats in the yard, and an occasional sparrow.  She's still pretty spry, but I notice she is very light.  She seems to be in good health.  Loki is doing okay for his age, but seems a bit senile at times!  (crazy cat!)  He'll wander out among the birds and take a nap in the sun (a "sun nap") while they look on.  He doesn't seem to bother them and they ignore him!  So, all are pluggin' away at this point.

Ripley and her bone!

And, it's HER bone!  I bought 3 rawhide bones, one for each dog.  NOT!  GUESS who got 2 of them?  Yup.  The princess herself!  She's so proud that she STOLE this one from our German Shepherd! And, I was thrilled that she actually stood still for a nano-second, long enough for me to snap one photo...then she was gone!  That was it...she wouldn't hold still at all after that!  Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle...sigh...

Canine companions~Sunday Stills Challenge 032011

Two of my doggie companions. That's Atticus, the gray weimeraner, who is actually our son's dog. I believe he is focused on one of the cats down the hallway. Unfortunately, with their busy work schedules, he and Claudia just didn't have time for their two dogs, so we got Atticus. Our daughter took their small dog. And, yes, that's RIPLEY! Can you believe it? For 5 minutes, she's been konked out on hubby's chair! She's usually going through the trash or ripping something up, but I guess she wore herself out overnight! It's cloudy here anyway and nobody or nothing has any energy today! Sunday Stills Challenge for March 20, 2011.

Ssssttttrrrrreeeetttccccchhhh!

I woke Daisy up and she did a LONG STRETCH and went back to sleep!

Shots updated

Ripley finally got her shots! I just had to wait a couple of weeks until my Christmas break. Now, I need to take our son's dog, Atticus, in for a nail trim! Oye vei! It's always SOMETHING, isn't it? Oh, and Abby got spayed (THANK GOD!). What a difference! That's Abby and Daisy, sort of together on top of my chair! And, that's the elusive Patches on the chair with hubby. She hates all the dogs and will only come out to the living room when they are OUTT! Finally, that's Atticus, our son's dog, YES, IN MY CHAIR! All our animals seem to love my chair and I have to constantly shoo them away!

Shots? No shots...sorry

So, yesterday morning, I bundled up Ripley to take her in to our local animal services clinic for her annual shots. Now, it is about a 12 mile drive out there. I looked them up online as they had just moved into a new building, and headed out with THE PRINCESS. She sat quietly on the passenger seat the entire way (I did not have her buckled in, but I held on to her leash with my right hand!)...next time I'll just put her in the back, but it was full of STUFF! Got there...lovely, nice new building, and they were CLOSED. Yes, CLOSED! For the ENTIRE HOLIDAY WEEKEND! Workers were busy polishing the floors. Eh? Did they even say they would be closed for the entire weekend on their website? No. Nope. Nyet! ...sigh...so next Saturday, I'll have to pack her up in the car (I'll have it cleaned out by then) and trudge back all the way across town again...

His Highness, Prince Loki~Camera Critters and Pet Pride 110610

Here he is in all his majesty. He THINKS he rules the place! HA! Loki has been with us now about 13 years. We adopted him from a PETCO weekend adoption. I just fell in love with his blue eyes! He's a very mellow cat who prefers to sleep all day and then get up and feed himself, then go back to sleep! Awww...what a life!