The World Stops when Charlie gets sick

 

Oh Charlie .... Charlie!

I knew something was 'off' with him when I put out his food and he looked at it ... then at me ... and walked away. That IS not Charlie. He is a food driven dog. So much so that if he hears a plastic bag rattle or the lid to his dog food can, he comes on the swift trot to observe and to hopefully eat.

He loves dog treats and gets mini ones on the trail when he comes to my call. So I knew this was not normal. He sat on the porch when I did chores and didn't follow me. He was begging to get back inside the house.

Later, I took him for a long walk and he did his regular business, then ate grass and tossed up. He seemed better after that yet still ignored his food. He took a drink and moments later that came up too. 

Oh Charlie.

As I was talking to Rich about it, he kept putting a paw on my leg. He wanted only to lay in my lap. I will admit. I am a softy when it comes to my pets. Even Rich leaned over and asked Charlie, "Hey buddy, what's wrong?" For Rich to show concern is a big deal as he likes to claim that he doesn't care about house dogs and that he is a tough old guy.

Huh. Not so. 
More barf of clear foamy stuff and I could hear his stomach gurgling. Rich blamed it on the treat he'd gotten. Actually I think while I had him in the woods with me yesterday, he had busied himself with digging hard under rotten logs. He kept grabbing things with his mouth and shaking them. Something in the woods more than likely didn't agree with him.

I took a syringe without a needle and gave him some water. He took that then got up and took another drink.

I had plans for the day. Run to the butcher/meat place and get a month's supply of meat, get some more dog food and gasoline for the mower and later diesel for the skid steer. 

I'd taken inventory of our household items and planned on making October a NO stores/ no outside contact month. I had a local supplier for eggs and a plan for milk. My stock was just about complete.

But the World Stops Turning When a Pet Gets Ill. 

Yes. I spent the whole day holding Charlie in my lap and listening to his stomach gurgle, checking his gums, and watching over him. 

About 4pm a light switched on in his eyes and he bounded off the couch and ate his breakfast. He then went on to annoy Rich with his tennis ball.

I swear

You could hear us both sigh with relief.

Whoever said a Dog is Just a Dog? Or a pet is just a pet?

Not in my house.

All is well again.

Be Still...What ifs!

It is 4 AM and I awaken. The house is Still. I am the only one awake and it is still dark outside.

Charlie wakes up when I walk into the kitchen. As is his routine I let him out of his crate and we walk out onto the porch. He stands quietly and looks around in the pre dawn dark. There is a hint of light to the woods in the northwest sky.
He does his business and we walk back into the house where I warm up some coffee from yesterday's leftovers while I feed Charlie. It is early for him but he doesn't mind and he quietly munches away.

My morning musings are not light and airy. I awakened with all sorts of jobs to do on my mind. The yard that needs mowing, the garden that needs tilling, dog food for Dixie, checking the forest fence, and the CT scan that was ordered for Rich tomorrow. Company for the weekend. Shipping the extra head of cattle, ... getting the diesel truck in for service. MIL...

I generally awaken in the middle of the night with the 'What ifs'. What if this happens, what will I do? What if ...
I hate the What ifs.

I flip open my laptop and sip coffee. No, I am not going to read the news, so I check the emails and turn my cell phone on to Airplane mode.
I click on a song I heard last night while watching an old episode on Criminal Minds. I play it and am stunned again by the song. I'd never heard of the group nor the song but for some reason it hits home.
Be Still by The Fray.

I listen to it again.
I finish my coffee and close the laptop.

Charlie looks up and in the semi dark I attach his cord and grab my camera case. We walk up the long hill. The sky is now giving us a private showing of pinks and purples breaking away the night into a new day.
I pick up Charlie and show him the sky. I want him to be as awestruck as I am.
Well, he isn't. He is more interested in deer poop. I let him down and he walks with me to the ridge.

And I stand still. I am still.

I walk a bit further down the road towards the south.

And then I just stand. I watch the fog and the colors change. The fog creeps up and the trees in the distance disappear.

The song is repeating in my head now, echoes of the words... Be Still, over and over...and the lyrics...
I sigh and watch the day break.

Charlie and I head home. I have to make fresh coffee.
Daybreak was amazing and I feel sorry for those people who never make the time to experience the special show that is put on for them each day.


Be Still ~ The Fray
Be still and know that I'm with you
Be still and know I am here
Be still and know that I'm with you
Be still, be still, and know

When the darkness comes upon you
And colors you with fear and shame
Be still and know that I'm with you
And I will say your name

If terror falls upon your bed
And sleep no longer comes
Remember all the words I said
Be still, be still, and know

And when you go through the valley
And the shadow comes down from the hill
If morning never comes to be
Be still, be still, be still

If you forget the way to go
And lose where you came from
If no one is standing beside you
Be still and know I am

Be still and know that I'm with you
Be still and know I am

Be Still

Morning

I pop awake around 4 am when it starts to get a bit light outside. By 5 am I am wide awake and it is Charlie time. We run through our morning routine, but this week it has been different.

I realize that mornings are all mine for a bit. If there is left over coffee I heat that up and have some while I feed Charlie and have him do his morning business.

Then I make a pot. I look at Charlie and he looks at me. I pick up his little cord and glance out the window. The temperatures are decent, the grass is soaking wet...
we seem to decide together that we should take a morning walk through the meadow and enjoy some quiet moments.

This morning was quite different. We had the fog, but the sun shone through it turning it a brilliant orange/yellow color for a bit.

I even found some spider webs!

I didn't have a proper lens or set up for a 'great' shot, but there it was! A magical web glistening in the morning fog and dew!

There it is, the Meadow in its morning glory with fog moving over the ground and the heavy dew reflecting light.
The wild apple trees are coming into blossom and soon the meadow will be buzzing with bees and full of sweet smells.

We spent about 20 minutes just wandering around looking at the leaves, the trees, the grasses and the dew.

And Charlie came on the first 'whistle' I gave him.

On the run he came, the dew drops flying and his little bells jingling.

We walked back to the house in the morning sunlight together and ... well.
It was awesome.

The coffee was done brewing when we came in the house.
Charlie needed a towel to get him partially dried off.

But our early morning had been like a secret that we shared together as best friends.

Dogs, Sunrise, Fog, and Dew.
Birdsong and Sunlight.
What better things can their be in life?

On the Ropes

So sorry to bore you all. But this is a way I can keep track of my 'tiny' dog training. I can see what I try and what may work for Charlie.
He can be a rascal.
Morris always without fail followed me like a lamb when he was a pup.
Charlie tends to decide that I am not worthy of following once in a while. I think he has an excellent nose and so many things are so new to him.

I am being super patient. Our walks are very short and in areas that he can safely be loose.
He still comes almost without fail when I call him in a large open area with no distractions.
Areas that are packed with deer smell, raccoon, and other wild critters are so distracting!

Rich said he'd make me a nice cord for Charlie.

Well when we got home from visiting his mom in the nursing home, Charlie was full of energy.
I needed to water the cattle, the bulls, and other creatures. And Charlie needed the exercise.

I grabbed my old training cord and hooked it to his collar. I tied the other end to my belt loop.

Now I had both hands free and could carry some water to Stella. Charlie would just have to follow. I walked slowly and asked him to come along. He trotted along side of me and would once in a while pick up the cord with his teeth.
Just one week ago he had a fit if a cord was on his collar and he came to the end of it.
We solved that by putting him out on a tie out under close supervision often on the nice days. Just time enough for him to figure out that he was yanking on himself.

Today he never let the cord get tight on him. I bumped him with a shift of my hip and called. He came running along.

Charlie was not bothered by the cord at all and enjoyed helping me with the chores. Cords and puppies along with hoses make for interesting entanglements.

And then there is the BIG Face Off with Black Bart.

Charlie decided that the big black thing that was huffing at him was not anything that he wanted to play with. After one good look, Charlie turned away and decided to enjoy himself by...

Rolling in the hay chaff that had gathered from where I'd cut bales all winter while feeding them out. He made quite the show of it and enjoyed himself immensely.

He never missed a beat when I called his name. He never got distracted while I was doing chores. He followed like an old pro. Though I am sure that would not have been the case without the cord today.
I would have been chasing him all around.

So I can establish a new routine with Charlie and the cord. Our 'walk' with the watering and the haying took around 45 minutes. Charlie ran or trotted to keep up with me.

We look forward to many great adventures together.

Off tomorrow to see Oncology at the VA for Rich's checkup. Hoping for continued good blood work and a doctor saying... 'It looks good, see you in four months.'