Kobi's New Bed

Kobi has been sleeping on the hard floor because the cats keep taking over his stuffed bed and I think its just too hot. I wanted him to have a cool place to lay down that still supported his joints. I found this Coolaroo bed online. It's just high enough to get him off the floor and give him support as well as make it easy for him to get on and off. I think he likes it!

Farm Life

Going back to the family farm for vacation is not all rest and relaxation. However, it can turn out to be a gratifying experience. Not only did I get fresh vegetables from my Mom's garden, I also got a nice farm work out by helping my Dad unload wagons of hay. My brother Alan was also home for the 4th of July holiday and he got to partake as well.

Here's how it works. My dad drives the tractor with the baler that shoots the bales into the back of the wagon. My brother walked along side picking up the bales that get over shot or under shot. Once the wagon was full, I threw the bales out of the wagon and my Dad picked them with his little bulldozer like tractor and took them into the barn where Alan stacked them. I have to say that my job was a bit "easier" than Alan's as I wasn't inside the dark enclosed barn. He also got to do a couple extra wagons while I was visiting friends.






You can see a bale being "shot" into the wagon in this photo.


The hay before it's cut and dried.

Kobi's Not So Great Day...

My dog Kobi has always acted younger than his age. He's 13.5 (He may be 14 but I think 13.5 sounds better) and for a bigger dog that's getting up there. He's has a pretty pampered life and still loves his walks, herding his cats and running out to scare off a bunny or squirrel in the yard. I'm optimistic that he has at least a couple of quality years left...so at the advice of my vet, I had his teeth cleaned—and while they were doing that—they removed 4 lumps that were in his armpit area. Eventually those lumps were going to be an issue with movement. Not to mention, it was important to know exactly what those lumps were.

The verdict was no cancer. The lumps were lipomas, which are common in older dogs. That's good news. I was also lucky that he had no tooth fractures, infections or dental issues other than a nice coat of tartar that got removed. His teeth are now all shiny and white. He has the teeth of a puppy now.

That being said, the bad part is that it's just harder for an old dog to bounce back from anesthesia and drugs. He was pretty pathetic when I brought him home yesterday. He would cry and whimper when Matt or I were not in immediate proximity to him and he couldn't stand on his own—letting out big yelps when we tried to move him. We finally got him to the bedroom and on a thick rug so he wasn't laying on the hard floor. I woke up at 1:30 a.m. when I heard his collar shake and looked over to see him sitting up and then he rearranged himself to be more comfortable. This morning he got up on his own and is now walking around pretty good. He took a nice drink from the his water dish (I put ice cubes in his water—he loves that) and snarfed down a little doggy sausage. That's always a good sign. He follows me from room to room and lies down somewhere between where Matt is and where I am, so he can watch his people.

I know I'm going to be quite pathetic when I have to say good-bye to my buddy... but that won't be for a few years now.

Below are a few photos to show his "war wounds". He's on the mend and he'll be back to his daily routine soon.