Nice afternoons....

The temperature has moderated a bit and we have been sitting out on the deck in the late afternoons. I love listening to the sounds - my chimes, the big bullfrog in our pond, the neighbor's mule, and the hummingbirds (both the beating of their wings and the chirping at each other as they try to guard 'their' territory).

We now have four feeders out and have seen at least 5-6 hummingbirds at one time. Because of the placement of both our chairs and the feeders as well as the green background of leaves, it's hard to get a decent photo. You'll need to click for a larger photo and zoom in on some of these, but it's what I could grab.

The #2Doods are loving the cooler temps - today's high was only around 82 degrees. They are staying outdoors, lazing in the shade of the big tree in our backyard, scratching up a cool spot in their "sand box" or racing around chasing each other.

Then it's time for this...

Then this...

And this...

Tell me, does this look comfortable to you? My head hurts just thinking about laying on that metal ring. LOL!

Ciao for now!

A little miscellany...

I know you've seen the "He went to Jared..." jewelry commercials, right? Well, right here in Cookeville, we have the OTHER Jared. Guess they have the beginning AND the end of the marriage  covered....

Yes, I already shared this on Facebook and Instagram....

A stop at Cracker Barrel and had to take a pic...it's not even August yet!

We have had some severe weather lately...and for the first time EVER found ourselves under a tornado warning (both phones screaming alarms) and were advised to take cover immediately. We determined the utility room would be the most protected from the incoming weather (typically moves west to east). The master bedroom (with windows) and master bath (no windows) face the west and the utility room is behind them facing the east (no windows), in addition the garage and the kitchen are on the north/south sides.

So we gathered up the dogs, our iPads and two chairs and settled in until the warning was lifted thirty minutes later.

You can see how concerned the #2Doods were. Here they are just afterwards...

Cooper

Murphy

Both pups have been great during storms, not even being bothered by the thunder and lightning. But the other night someone in the neighborhood decided to set off some fireworks. Cooper barked, his normal reaction, but Murphy started to get a bit agitated. We sent them to their crate and being their safe place, they both went right to sleep. Phew!

I had posted a question on Facebook about why people buy/collect coffee/tea cups/mugs. While some were for sayings and travel memories, the majority cared about how it felt in their hands as well as how much they held. What about you?

We have a HUGE collection of diner mugs that we picked up during our years of travel. I also have quite a few I bought for the sayings as well as my pottery ones that feel SO good. Here are three photos showing maybe a little over half of what we have. The rest are in the RV or in totes for Stu to use in the Back End of Nowhere Garage.

Diner mugs, Disney mugs, mugs with sayings

More Disney mugs and my favorite pottery mugs

I bought this set because I love the looks. Unfortunately they don't feel as good as they look
and will probably get sold at some point

Oh, and I almost forgot our new bean pot mugs!!

Ciao for now!

A little iPhone/Siri humor....

I tend to use Siri for calculations (how many teaspoons in 1/4 of a tablespoon, what is 96 divided by 18 - that sort of thing). I usually keep my iPhone face down so Siri doesn't accidentally get activated.

Recently, after the latest iOS update, I've had to reboot both my iPhone and iPad frequently due to apps not responding. Today, I was struggling to reboot the phone and Siri popped open, asking me how she could help.

My response was after the third time the Siri window popped open was "I just want to start the damn thing." (or something similar to that).

This is what she responded with...had me laughing for several minutes.

Ciao for now!

No food aggression here!

One thing we have always done, both with Sadie and now with the #2Doods, is be sure there is no food aggression. This means no growling or any kind of reaction if we take food/treats away. You've seen photos of them waiting for the OK to eat their treats, the same thing happens when we feed them. They sit and wait in front of their food bowls, waiting for the OK.

We also don't give them people food. Well, most of the time. I've been known to let them lick the empty yogurt container. It's really funny to see them both licking it clean - at the same time! But I've never been in a position to get a photo of this.

Today, once Stu finished up some tuna salad, he let them lick the bowl clean. I managed to snap a few photos. Both were happily licking away - at the same time. So funny!

Murphy asks, "Daddy, are you done yet?"

Ciao for now!

Still blooming.....

Thought I'd share a few more blooming photos...some may be repeats of the same type of flower but hey, they're still blooming! LOL!

Pretty, even while wilting...

And then there is this...seen in the back of a truck at a traffic light. LOL! I think he was parked for too long...

I don't think I ever posted a photo of the back of the house...unfortunately, all three of our gorgeous Butterfly Bushes were winter killed and had to be pulled out. Not sure what we will do with that bed under the edge of the deck. I do have to say, we are loving the canopy over the deck. Really helps the temperature so we can sit out there more often.

Ciao for now!

A little weekend excitement!

Here's Stu's version:

Well, just another side effect of losing weight. Over medication! Seems the dosage for my previous weight was too much for my slimmer self. That and a full day wrestling with a trenching machine, I decided some chest pains were in order.

Long story short, a late night trip to the ER and an overnight in the hospital, 4 blood draws over time showed I was not having any kind of heart issue. Pulse rate in the 40s kinda freaked everyone out. Drop one of my meds and the problem has resolved itself....follow up tomorrow with my PHP and we adjust my meds accordingly. Most likely a stress test to rule out any issues.

Here's my version:

Well, this has been a fun weekend - not! Stu woke me at 1am Sunday and asked me to take him to the ER due to a pain in his chest that wouldn't go away. Started about 11pm.

Got up, dressed and drove the 30 miles to the closest hospital. They were terrific. Over the next four hours he saw 4 RN's, an x-ray tech and two doctors before he was admitted for observation. Nitroglycerin under the tongue, a shot of Plavix in his stomach, multiple blood tests, a chest x-ray, multiple EKGs and then a nitroglycerin patch on his chest.

I drove home around 5:30-6am, slept a couple hours, got up to let the dogs out and feed them. Texted with him and he said if his heart rate came up (was running in the 40's), he was probably coming home.

Went back to bed for another hour or so. Got up, spent some time on the computer before heading to the hospital. They discharged him at 5pm, new drug orders, see cardiologist for a stress test and see primary care physician.

End result, his 30# weight loss meant the meds he has been taking were driving him B/P and pulse too low. They don't suspect any major heart issues but want the stress test to be sure. Took him off one medication, added an old one back into the mix but at a lowered dosage. He may still need one more taken away. We'll see. He has an appointment with our primary care physician tomorrow, will see what she wants him to do next. 

Ciao for now!

A little organization

Everyone knows how much we buy via Amazon Prime but it's not always the best price. For example, I wanted some mesh metal magazine organizers for the pantry. We keep several flavors and strengths of K-cups on hand for our coffee maker. Multiple boxes stacked haphazardly was not the best solution. I thought this might work out better.

I started looking for them and discovered Target had them at half the price of anywhere else, including the office supply stores. I ordered four and loved them once I got them set up. They worked out well!

In fact, so well, when I found a perfume I was looking for cheaper at Target than anywhere else online, I ordered two more. When they arrived, I reorganized the pantry, pulling out multiple items to take to a local shelter, things no longer on our diets.

Then I added the two additional organizers which let me load one with DECAF coffee on the lower shelf. I love it!

So, what do you think of my new shirt? LOL! Kind of fits, doesn't it.

Speaking of diets....I'm happy. Now within 2.5# of my next goal. Of course once that's met, I set a new goal of 5# less. All in all, my final goal by the end of this year is 12.5# less than where I am now. I think that's quite doable! My bust has lost size so the comparison isn't as dramatic, but I'm happy! I've gone from tight size 14 pants to loose size 12 and sometimes even a size 10 pant.

Ciao for now!

Ramping Up (and down)

There are a lot of ramps/steps out there for pets. We had already tried to use stairs with Murphy and he was really reticent. When asked, the vet said a ramp would be a much better long term solution. We had specific needs, knowing that we would need this for the rest of his life.

Let the research begin...and this is what we decided on after reading many, many reviews and specs for the various options.

Solvit Smart Ramp

Shur-Foot tread material is the same material for indoor/outdoor pedestrian safety. Rigid-Rail frame provides support just like today’s tough fiberglass ladders. High profile rails in contrasting color keep unsteady pets securely on track. Non-slip feet at both ends keep ramp in place. Telescopes anywhere from 42” to 70”. Great for small breeds with delicate backs and joints, too. Smooth edges and rounded corners protect pets, people and car surfaces. Dual pinch-free grip areas for easy transport, whether collapsed or extended.

Unboxed the ramp for Murphy and let him walk on it last night. No problem, in fact, both dogs walked across it multiple times. This morning we put a wooden box under one end for a little lift. No problem. Then we made it a little higher. Still no problem.

Time for a trial run in the back of the car. With a little persuasion, he went up. Then he went down just fine. Repeated several times, each one easier than the last. Yay!

Will repeat tomorrow and on Monday we use it to head to doggy day care. Should make things much easier. Only down side is it's fairly heavy and there is no latch to keep it from telescoping out when you're carrying it.
Ciao for now!

#2Doods Visit the Vet

Cooper was due for his annual shots and Murphy was due for a one year checkup. We had both good news and not so good news.

First, Cooper. His ears are both clear! Yay!!! Hoping we can keep them healthy. His weight was good at 58.5# and he took all his shot updates like a Trooper. Okay, so there was a little stress pee at one point...LOL! He laid down and slept, one foot on Stu's leg while it was Murphy's turn.

Murphy keeps growing by leaps and bounds, topping out at 73#. Yikes! Remember, he's younger at 12 months than Cooper at 15 months. And they are both still growing! (Note to self, order next weight class flea/tick meds for Murphy next time).

In general he was healthy but we had concerns about his hips. Since he is 1/2 Rough Collie and 1/4 Golden Retriever - both known for hip dysplasia - we thought he should be examined (thus the one year checkup). He never jumps up or down anywhere/anytime, he is slow to get up from a sit and prefers to stand rather than sit, won't go into a down position on command (not even for his favorite treat on the floor, but will lay down if you force him) and we can feel his hip bones crunching &/or cracking if we press lightly on his hind quarters when asking for a sit.

The arrow points to the socket where the joint should sit. His joint is only 35% in, whereas 65% is point where they diagnose hip dysplasia.

So the bad news is he does have severe hip dysplasia. The good news is it isn't hurting him now, but he will most certainly develop arthritis over time. We are starting him on Synovi Soft Chews (double dose for 30 days) and hope it will delay the onset of the arthritis and bone deterioration.

Our vet offered us a referral to an orthopedic specialist but we passed on that for now. I doubt we would do a full hip replacement (x2) for many reasons. We will do all we can do keep him happy and playing (the playing and running are good for him).

He was pretty relaxed during all the discussions, too. LOL! (Yes, they both wear gentle leaders when on a leash and they still tug, too much. More training needed....)

We have been trying to get Murphy to use a two step stool to get in and out of the back of the Jeep but now we will be moving to an aluminum, portable, folding/telescoping ramp. He will always need this and since he is already well over 70#, lifting him in and out is hard on Stu and impossible for me.

Ciao for now!