RIP Ripley

Ripley passed from this earth on May 5, 2016.   She didn't eat and was sleeping 23 hours a day, so we had a vet come to the house and ease her across the Rainbow Bridge.   I held her and cried the whole time.

Six weeks later (and many tears), we stopped in at the Inyo County shelter in Big  Pine and hubby bonded with a 6 month old lab mix who we named Bodie.   We were on our way to a 4 night stay at a cabin in June Lake that didn't allow pets, so Bodie stayed, was neutered, was given and flea & tick bath, and was dewormed.   We picked him up on our way home.   I only stopped once and he spent the entire trip on hubby's lap.

The minute he got into our house, he ran down the hallway and jumped up on our bed and he has slept there EVERY. NIGHT. SINCE!   He is the goofiest, friendlies, silliest thing and the grand kids all love him!   We are lucky to have him.  I made a sign that says, "Ripley's Garden" and I put it in the pine tree where my hollyhocks grew that Spring and where she liked to hang out.   I miss her dearly, but we now have Bodie in our lives...

Things in hand~Ripley's paw~Sunday Stills Challenge~121613

I don't have many photos of Ripley because she just will NOT stand still!  Little bugger!  This took several takes with my cell phone and she was gnawing on my hand every time!  She is a feisty one, although she's asleep on the couch right now.  HA~ Maybe this is a good time to get a couple of photos of her?  SSC for December 16, 2013...To visit SSC, please go to:   http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/

Daisy is gone, too...sigh...

Daisy, our petite orange and white tabby, is gone.  She whittled down to just skin and bones over the summer.  I wanted her to die peacefully in our yard and she did.  I found her one day after school.  She went peacefully.  I am thankful for that.

Daisy was an incredible hunter.  She brought home baby rabbits, lizards, mice, rats, and even a baby hummingbird once!  YIKES!  Absolutely NOTHING was safe around her.

We still have our two outdoor male cats (they are pretty worthless).  And, we have Abby, our black cat, who doesn't go outside AT ALL.  Still, I miss my Daisy girl.

RIP Daisy...

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!