MUD, mud, ticks and mud

Yes it is still March.  March 28th to be exact.  Officially, Spring arrived earlier this week, although weather wise it seemed to arrive very shortly after the big snowstorm earlier this month that caused us to lose power for almost three days.  Temps soared up into the 60's; all the snow melted, the springtime bulbs started to push through the dirt, flood warnings all up and down the connecticut river valley as the melt off had no where to go.  The ground is completely saturated.
And of course it got cold again.  Not freezing, but quite cold.  I don't think it matters if you are a person who boasts generations of New Englanders living before you, or you are just a few short years new to the area, it is essential that the hard wiring of our brains prioritize the "never saw it coming, major winter snowstorm" well into the last weeks of May.  If you are a Labrador retriever, you're all set.  You expect the coldest of the cold.  You are prepared to jump into waters that are so cold they could only be loved by blubbery whales and seals.   Not only are you prepared, you seek it out.  You LOVE it!  Such was the case with Henry's mother, Sally, this weekend.  She came out trail riding with Colleen and me both Saturday  and Sunday.  She very happily sloshed through every vernal pool, puddle, snowmelt stream, delighted when she found the deepest water.
Colleen's dog, and one of Henry's favorite friends, Getty, would have NOTHING to do with all the cold water.  She would hang out on the edges waiting patiently for Sally to return to dry land.  Henry tried to reconcile the internal conflict of his breeding:  his Lab self was very interested in sloshing around with Sally, his APBT self was much more interested in staying dry, playing with Getty, and getting as many treats as caninely possible, even if they were horse treats.  In the end, he stayed relatively dry, opting for racing around with Getty and pushing the bounds of rough house play.  Fortunately, Getty has a strong voice and had no problem scolding Henry when he got too boisterous.
I wonder if Henry can learn to extrapolate on-going self care from Getty's and other's 'reminders' of overdoing, over playing, over exerting.  After our ride today, and after Henry's after-dinner walk, he seemed to suddenly become quite lame and gimpy.  He could barely walk up the stairs to our bedroom.  During the night, he groaned and labored just to change positions.  What is normally a three turn readjustment, became a 'barely get to my feet, then look around for a minute to see if any attention might come my way, and then flop back down again and go back to sleep' turn around.  The next morning, Henry could barely hobble down the stairs and go outside for his morning routines.  He immediately came back inside, lumbered up the stairs, and passed out again.  After sleeping for another four hours, he appeared to regain his youthful agility and demanded a frolick outside in the rain and fog.  He feels better and better as every hour passes.  He is way too young to be plagued by weekend warrior pains, and should be much smarter by now about pacing himself....if he would just look to Sally....her dignity, serenity, calmness above all....and diving into deep COLD waters regularly during a foray into the woods....
Well, I KNOW he has learned to avail himself to all the blood sucking parasites that like to cling onto warm doggy bodies even if those bodies have tried to flash-freeze in water newly released from 8 inches of ice.  I have already pulled half a dozen ticks off Henry and several off Ian, Chris and myself.
I must look to QTee, my sage, 22 year old, quarter horse mare who has more wisdom and common sense in one front hoof than Henry has in his entire 2 year old body.  I think Henry looks to her as well.  He gives her the most disarming, manipulative doggy eyes that are rimmed underneath with the tiniest amount of white:  a deliberate ploy to play off his already, way too cute, tuxedo bib and white tipped toenails.
Actually, maybe he offers up those manipulative doggy eyes to me (someone is falling for it, and I do not think it is QTee).  Oh, I do have to sign off now, Henry is needing yet another cookie to help facilitate his recovery from such a strenuous weekend of physical activity and self discovery.   Pics will soon be following this blog entry to help document the joys of trail riding on enthusiastic and life-loving horses with great dogs who choose to be nowhere else!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HENRY!!!!!!

Today, march 23, is Henry's SECOND Birthday!  A two year old who seems to be past most of the terrible two's, even in dog time.  He has been very animated today (cold. rainy, dreary weather....usually this is his absolute perfect 'sleep all day' kind of day).  Perhaps he has gotten way too much attention from everyone here telling his it's a special day.  Is it just us, or is it innate human frailty to coddle and spoil our dogs.  My mother commented last Christmas how we now all sit around and focus all our attention on Henry much as we did towards my boys when they were babies.  Henry is very willing recipient of a less than healthy transference:  he is the default baby, the answer to 'empty nest'.  God forbid he is relegated to Dog status.

Ian took him for a long walk/run/hunt down an old dam area left over from the FDR administration.  Henry got his fill of chasing wild turkeys and other uncatchables.  He came back exhausted, wet, and COVERED with mud and sand.  Ian returned feeling cold and wet, but quite satisfied with Henry's outing.  Henry is getting better and better at following directions from everyone.  Once in a while that APBT stubborness shows through and you can actually see him pondering free-will vs. directions and training.  His ultimate act of entitled thinking today was to jump into the middle of my bed all covered with sand and mud and whatever little critters were also attached and pass out.  He opted for the bed over the warm carpet in front of the woodstove where we attempted to direct him.

Here is a picture of Henry lounging in front of the stove:

Transitions

While this was not the snowiest winter on record, not by a long shot, I still dutifully donned my yaxtrax every evening when I would go out after dinner with Henry.  We live in the center of a small little hilltown that has a major state route that becomes Main Street for about half a mile.  Unfortunately, that makes for a trafficky little stretch of road that people seem to be in such a hurry to get over.  And that makes for a terrible accident waiting to happen.  (Coal black dog on poorly lit blacktop road that has very little in the way of sidewalks.)  Needless to say, Henry NEVER walks around our neighborhood without a leash on.  A couple of years ago, my father gave both Chris and I reflective orange vests to wear just for the purpose of walking at night.  I bought one for Henry as well last year.  It serves two purposes:  He lights up like a Christmas Tree when car headlights catch his reflectors and he stands out like some awful, unnatural intruder in the woods during regular hunting season (No body can confuse him for a black bear while he is wearing that outfit! ) while we are out riding the trails.

We had our largest storm of the season just three measly weeks ago.  We lost power for almost three days.  Thank goodness for the generator we installed right before Christmas.  And now, I just came inside from walking Henry at 3:00pm and the snow is almost completely gone, temp is pushing 65 at least, perennials are starting to sprout up and the yaxtrax have been turned in for sneakers.  Henry is like a lightswitch.  Two weeks ago he was VERY content to curl up next to the woodstove and sleep for hours.  The last couple of days, he cannot get enough outside time, every sound, smell, animal sighting, causes him such internal stimulation and chaos, it makes me think he's drinking all the leftover morning coffee:  he's wired.

But I feel very wired as well with this weather.  I feel like I'm coming out of a LONG fog and starting the next chapter of my life.  It has been almost an entire year that I have been laid off from a job that I really loved.  The layoff came completely out of the blue:  very, VERY unexpected.  Funny how life can work sometimes....Henry's first year with us had me experiencing strong bouts of guilt going to work and leaving him here.  I actually resorted at times to bring Henry with me.  He was so adorable as a pup and so sociable, that there were no objections.  In fact, we actually instituted 'take your puppy to work on fridays' policy.  Nevertheless, I would fantasize about being able to stay home with Henry full time, much like I did when I had my first child twenty plus years ago.  The whole thing gave me new reason to reflect on 'be careful what you wish for'.  Anyway, today I found myself taking giant steps towards my application process to graduate school having been inspired by Henry's energy.  The question of 'what's next?' has been answered with a profound sense that going back to school is the ONLY next step. 

Thank you Henry!!

Henry gets familiar with his new home, I get familiar with blogging

Even though Henry has been with us for almost two years, the memories of his move to us still feel like it happened just last week.  At the same time,  as I watch how our household has changed with his presence, it's very hard to remember life before Henry.
For example:  When Henry arrived, he already had to learn to share his new house with Ian (my oldest son) and his relatively new houserabbit, Fluffernutter.  Fluffernutter had come to us as a rescue bunny of sorts earlier that winter.  In some ways, the bunny could not have come at a better time as my younger son, Matt, was getting ready for a second brain surgery; one that was not supposed to happen.  We all managed our fears and concerns by doting after this cute little bunny in need of a new home.  While Matt was in Boston for his operation, Chris and I with him, Ian watched over the house and in particular, after the new little bunny.  They became very bonded:  Fluffy became the household pet, rather Ian's household pet. 
Several months later when Henry came home, he experienced the new sibling treatment.  The fact that he and Fluffernutter were exactly the same size was both a blessing and a curse.   At first greeting, they ran in opposite directions of each other for as far as they could go.  Eventually, as summer got along, Henry started to overtake Fluffy in size, Fluffy had totally fallen in love with Henry and the two have worked out a mutually happy and rewarding relationship.  The rest of the family followed their lead and Henry has  become unconditionally loved by everyone in the home.  Now our lives are sooo attuned to Henry and the bunny,  it is as if life never happened without them.             

Here are Henry and Fluffernutter being distracted from their play together by the camera:

Here is Fluffernutter moving in to give Henry a big bunny kiss on his ear.  For some reason, Fluffy LOVES to kiss Henry's ears.   It must be a bunny thing.  Henry has no objections! 

baby Pics of Henry's first day at his new home

Here is Henry when he first arrived.

A little cautious on the moss covered slippery  bricks

Here is Henry feeling a little more brave.  Notice how big his head is in relation to the bricks on the patio....the lease is also for a very small dog.  Oh, and do you see his beautiful white bib and dainty painted toenails????

A brief History of Henry,

Henry is one of five pups born to Sally, their black lab mother who lives on Bear River Horse Farm, where I have been riding for about 8 years.  As the story goes, Sally was destined for breeding purebred black lab puppies each to be sold on reputation alone.  Sally, however, had other ideas.  She managed a brief, but passionate affair with Henry's father who lived up the street.  While Henry's father moved away shortly thereafter, Sally carried on with wonderful memories and a belly full of puppies that she delivered during a snowstorm on Easter Night 2008.  Owner/Horseman Extraordinaire/all around friend to animals everywhere, Bill, had created a cozy whelping area in one of the stalls in his barn.  It was here that Henry and his littermates spent the first eight weeks of life.  They became accustomed to the noises, smells, comings and goings of all the animals and people around the farm just as the whole world around them was waking up to the new spring.  

Each pup was absolutely adorable and mesmerizing in their own way and had small characteristics that distinguished each from the other.  They were all black just like Sally, but they carried small mementos of their father.  Henry carried a large white bib that looked like he was decked out in a formal tux and tails.  He also carried white fingernails that looked almost as if they were deliberately polished as such.  It is with some shame that I admit I was open to adopting only a female, my biases were right up front and formed with no reasonable information.  However, when the time actually came, I had become very enamored of Henry and so on a sunny afternoon in mid-May, Henry came home to live with my sons, my husband, fluffernutter, the house rabbit, our chickens and me.  As Henry began learning to adjust to life with us in his new home, we were figuring out just how long it had been since we had a puppy in the house and how much our daily routines and structure were going to have to change.  Teaching OldDogs, (Chris and me) new tricks seemed the sole purpose of Henry's new life with us.  Thank goodness he was up to the challenge!  Could we reciprocate and teach him all the stuff he needed to know to get along well in this world.  Time would tell.
Here is Henry's first day at his new home: