Can't You Tell... Summer is Ending

One of my late summer/fall bloomers

 - isn't it pretty?!

With record temperatures here in Colorado it isn't obvious that summer is almost over. But, the nights are coming earlier and getting colder. My only consolation of summer ending is the changing leaves around the neighborhood and in the mountains. It makes it all a bit more bearable - ok - and the winter boot and sweater shopping. :)


Andre and Taylor are loving playing outside in the early evenings - now if we can just keep the neighbor dog from jumping towards our yard. It's been a bit better but unfortunately still an issue.



Chillin' in the shade



I have been checking Taylor's cancer site for bumps. Just every couple weeks to make sure nothing is coming up. So far I haven't seen or felt anything. I have to admit, I hold my breath every time. If his personality is any indicator - all is well - he is still a love bug that loves to play tug-of-war when I get home at night



Fun in the sun! Now let me back inside :)

I have noticed in the recent months that Andre is getting to be more and more like a little old man. It's kinda cute, but he is moving a little slower these days and his sight (in his good eye) seems to be getting a bit worse. We recently had our eye check-up and got a clean bill of health. So we will continue to monitor. These are small things - out little guy is quite the firecracker and still one of the happiest and spunkiest dogs I know.



Days are still busy... Taylor's birthday and Halloween are just around the corner! Still working on those costumes. :)

Now on with the day!

Can You Believe It?

"It's a miracle! Today I can swing my head
and play with toys!"

It's amazing! :) Taylor woke up this morning cured from his neck kink that had him crying with every movement all day yesterday. He even refused to eat his dinner because he didn't want to bend his head down. I had checked his mobility throughout the day, the way the vet showed me, and knew he was ok. If something was wrong I would have been the first person calling the vet - and don't doubt it's tempting seeing him so unhappy. I usually try to give it 48 hours to see if it goes away since it always had in the past. I do think he enjoys the neck massages and extra attention. :)

Today he was running, jumping, eating and back to his old self. It's so funny how it will completely ruin his day when he sleeps funny. I guess the strange part for me is knowing all that he went through with his surgeries and this little thing gets him down.

At least we all got to enjoy our Sunday! Now, if he was just feeling good enough to help me write my business plan assignment.

I Have an Answer!

Thanks to my brilliant uncle, I was reminded of two words full moon! That is the closest explanation I have gotten to the neighborhood dogs acting crazy the other night. Thankfully, they only come around now and then. Maybe things can be normal for a while now.

What a day! While out stimulating the economy today, Taylor was relaxing at home with Jim. When I came home, he had kinked his neck sleeping and was crying through the house. Now please remember - this is the same dog that hardly made a peep after two major cancer surgeries and one restitching. He sleeps so strange, many times on his back with his legs up in the air and twisted in a half circle. It takes just a little time and he will be back to normal, we have gone through this before. Oh my, these are the days he gets a reputation for being dramatic.

Hopefully he will wake up tomorrow feeling better. It's still the weekend, we need to enjoy it!

Dogs Gone Wild

See, he looks innocent with those
big brown eyes... don't be fooled! :)

I have decided that I live in an urban jungle!

To start, I thought I owned your standard domestic canines - oh no, I own wild beasts! Last night they came out. :) It's almost like the Incredible Hulk. By day, they are calm and cute... by  night... well watch out! Taylor was pouncing, running and jumping everywhere. Andre was throwing toys under the sofa and then barking until we pulled them out. It was crazy! I don't know what gets into them, seriously if I only knew what was going through their minds it would be a scientific breakthrough.

To top it off, all of the surrounding neighbor dogs were barking at something outside. Back and forth the barking continued. Now, I have two terriers, barking really doesn't bother me that much. But really, what was going on?

What? I'm missing the wild monkeys in my jungle? Wait, I have those too! They squeal, shout, run and play (sometimes they even cry). Yes, you may have guessed - my neighbor kids. As cute as they are, just wait, they have a wild side.

Hmm, now what about the king of the jungle? You guessed it, I've got one of those. Football was on last night, and he was roaring at the TV. Good thing his team won, thank you Miami!

Well off to work, a jungle of a whole different kind. As a side note, I was inspired on the Halloween costumes last night... I've got a good one up my sleeve and it's making me scratch, let's see if I can pull it off. Good thing I have over a month!

Trick or Treat...?

"Did somebody say costumes?"

It's that time of the year again, the stores are filling with Halloween costumes - not just any costumes - dog Halloween costumes!

At this point I haven't been successful purchasing any for the boys. Jim keeps telling me our boys don't dress up for Halloween - party pooper. This is interesting, since Halloween is one of our families favorite holidays. Every year, I try to get something and every year I get "the look" like I'm crazy. I figure, after all these two have gone through they deserve a bit of fun and crazy. I guess the bigger question is - is it really fun for them - or just me? Come on, if I'm happy, they are happy. :)

So that leads me to some of the ideas I have for this year for the boys:

• a pair of fleas
• cop and robber
• pumpkin and scarecrow
• skeleton and ghost

I'll probably just end up with a cute bandanna for my furry little monsters. :) One thing is for sure, we're doing something this year! Just wait and see.

Catch Me If You Can!

"Bet you can't catch me!"

It's another Monday and what a fun weekend! After being stuck inside studying and rainy weather on Saturday - we got to enjoy some sunshine in the mountains on Sunday. The aspen trees in the mountains are so close to changing to their brilliant yellow - these are the days I love living in Colorado. :) I didn't want the weekend to end!

The boys also had some fun this weekend. Taylor was my shadow, curious about everything I was doing. I was picking up his toys on Saturday and he went crazy running around playing with everything he could. I tried to get a photo of him and this blur was all I got. I'm not sure why, but I found it funny! :) What can I say, I'm easily entertained.

I got to enjoy a walk down memory lane this weekend... we went down into the basement and opened the boy's box to gather some toys we were going to share. Our boys are definitely spoiled (it can't be helped) - not only do they have their toy box upstairs but a storage box where some of the older, gently used or favorite toys live. (Are you kidding? I couldn't throw away Mickey Mouse's hand from Disney World.) Every now and then I change out the toys - it's like Christmas when they come out. In the box, I also found puppy collars and Andre's old cones. Like looking back on my blog posts, finding these old items are a bit nostalgic and fun. Sigh, the good - and the challenging - old days.

What is the Probability?

Fall is here! (at least today)

We woke up to a drizzle outside and a bunch of clouds. Sounds like a great day to get things done inside (and in Jim's case enjoy football).



Andre and Taylor have already started lounging around. Taylor is following me from room to room laying at my feet. I can tell already, today I will have a shadow.

Today is also my last week of statistics homework. Next week, we get to move on to another topic in class. Three cheers! The boys haven't been that helpful in my homework questions. Their only concern is the probability of - if they sit at my feet - will they get treats?! :)



What are the odds these big brown eyes are
going to get spoiled today?





"What are the odds she is going to stop taking
photos and let me sleep?"





Scrub A Dub Dub

Three cheers for our pupacinno!

Hooray it's Friday!

This week went fast and what a better of a way to end it - with a haircut. Not for me, for our Taylor. :) It's been two months of furriness! I have to admit the extra fur is cute, but I know it's warmer and less polished look for him. I think he likes to be the handsome dog. (Andre's our scruffy one - and he loves it!)


Awe, how pretty! (ok, handsome)



I have often wondered if the boys enjoy baths and haircuts. I know Andre loves nice warm baths - he actually stands under the running water in the tub. Taylor seems to get excited when he sees Jay. We all know he loves his bandannas for being good while getting groomed. I know I feel better when I get to be pampered for a bit and leave the salon a little bit nicer than I went in. Hmm, something to think about.

And the day just got better! What's better than a clean dog? A clean house - I love my husband! :)

Happy Friday!

The Verdict: A Clean Bill of Health

"Ready to go for my ride!"

Three cheers - Taylor received a clean bill of health from Dr. Burns today!

It's been one month since our stitches were taken out - and months since the original cancer diagnosis. After a thorough looking over of lymph nodes and the surgical site (scar), Dr. Burns gave us his approval. It's always exciting to see a doctor smile while looking over your pet. We did loose two pounds in the last four weeks... I had to laugh, guess the lounging around is over and Taylor is back to is usual active self. Taylor went racing for the door on the way out... guess he didn't want to stick around and see if anything else was going to happen this trip. :)


"Can we go home yet?"



We have new instructions to check the site and lymph nodes monthly on our own and go back for another check up in three months. I have been trusted with doing the checking between now and then... actually I was told to only check once a month (hint: don't obsess about it - Taylor was happy to hear that part). How exciting that we may be able to go three months without visiting a vet's office.

Another successful morning!

It's a Bird... It's a Tree... it's Our Wonder Dogs!

It's Monday morning... another eventful weekend of football and fun is behind us. :)

In summary:

This one flew right at my head... after it
hit the back of the car we realized what it was!
Isn't he cute!? He was quite the talker!

• I rescued four cute baby birds at a friends house this weekend. They fell out of their nest in the tree while it was being pruned. Momma Collen to the rescue! With the help of neighborhood boys I got them all back into the tree - and even offered them a tasty worm to munch on (they declined). Good luck baby birds! UPDATE: Rumor has it they made it through the night, chirping was heard this morning. I'm not sure if our friend just doesn't have the heart to tell me they didn't make it or they are ok. Either way I'll hope for the best!



Isn't it a beauty? With it's red/orange leaves
in the fall it will be one of the prettiest!

• We got a new tree (finally) - it's a little smaller of a clump tatarian maple than I was hoping, but should grow fairly fast! The best part will be the red helicopters that will appear in the summer time.
• Taylor got lots of time play time outside this weekend - after a summer of being stuck in the house recovering, he made up for it with lots of exploring through the back yard while we were working on the landscaping.
• Andre enjoyed relaxing in the house! (with the occasional trip outside)

Now we are ready for the week ahead - Taylor's cancer check-up and grooming. It will be interesting to see what they do at our first cancer follow-up... I think we can expect an ultrasound but where I'm not positive - abdomen maybe? His scar is looking great! Fully healed, slightly bald and super soft. I check it every day for a lump. Many time he gives me a look like he just wants me to leave him alone. Sorry, this is life now. :) Thankfully, nothing has been found but these check-ups will be nice for a more formal inspection.

Andre, Taylor & Balloons? Oh My!

Yes, balloons! On my way to yoga this morning I saw a beautiful hot air balloon. It was drawing lots of attention from those passing by. I was running a little early for class... strange, this almost never happens.. so I even took a closer look. What a pretty sight on a clear Colorado morning with the Rocky Mountains in the background. I was thinking all through yoga how much fun it would have been to take a ride. :)

This was a super busy week at home and work. Another one is around the corner, so we better enjoy the weekend while we can!

Taylor has been lucky enough to have a break from vet visits and car trips - he loves the car trips though! This week, we have our first cancer check-in with Dr. Burns and we get groomed! Jay is going to be very excited to get his scissors on Taylor. He isn't as shabby as last time we had to wait, but some grooming would be nice. Even some blending of his regular coat to where the surgical site fur is growing back. Although we will see his scar - his fur won't look as patchwork-like.

I'm guessing through this busy schedule, Andre will take pleasure in a quiet house with Taylor out for a bit. :)

Well, it's time to enjoy the weekend... football (again), homework (again), playing outside AND (keep your fingers crossed) my dead shrub should get replaced this weekend! Three cheers!!

Up Dog? Not on a Bad Toe!

Aww, how can that face not make
you feel better? :)

Have you ever noticed that yoga moves really can represent animal behavior? Up dog and down dog always make me laugh. It totally reminds me of my boys! :)

This morning in yoga class I realized I must have looked similar to Taylor when he was recovering. You want to stretch and move but, your injury (even if it is a ripped off toenail) just makes you look strange. Putting pressure on the top of my right foot just wasn't happening in today's class - so my left foot had to be the strong one. :) I really tested my balance this morning!

I have to admit, it isn't that bad. But, it hurts! I can't be in heels too long or it oozes a bit. Silly toe! These types of injuries just make me feel stupid. I can complain all I want - you can bet Jim has been hearing it - but I was reminded this morning by Taylor life isn't that bad. I came home feeling sorry for myself after class (thus the Starbucks in hand) and received my wheaten greetin' from Taylor at the door. This happy (and healthy) ball of fur jumped up and as I reached down to pet him, I felt his scar. That was a soft reminder of what challenges life really presents to us. Ok, lesson learned - if he can survive all that cancer put him through - I'll deal with my toe! :)

Something to look forward to: my new Banana Republic shoes - smoke sling-back clogs with four inch heels! Three cheers - they finally arrived last night and they are beautiful!

It's a Rocky Day

What a morning... after a late night of studying the morning came too fast! To make things more challenging it got off to a rocky start... literally.

Let me set the stage... I was chasing Taylor (in my flip-flops and sweats) to stop him from running and barking at our neighbor dog that jumped the fence and was approaching our yard. Suddenly, I tripped over one my strategically placed decorative rocks (they are pretty mossy rocks). I had placed them to stop Taylor from running - yes, a small bit of karma this morning. Anyway, I fell face first (my hands did prevent me from a face plant in the rocks - good thing) scraping my toenail polish off and busting my big toe nail. The good part was the spray bottle I was carrying flew through the air, landing near Taylor causing him to stop running and for the neighbor dog to head back over his fence. What a vision I must have been to anybody looking out the window eating breakfast - I have a feeling it didn't look that graceful. (sigh) I hope this isn't a preview of the rest of the day.

So after getting ready and going down to the kitchen to get some juice - I was sweetly attacked by Taylor and his nutcracker solider toy to play. This was either a peace offering from the morning's events (especially since he knows this is my favorite ballet) or because he thought a distraction would keep me home for the day. I had to leave anyway... but it made the rough start to the morning so much better!

I love my boys - they can always put a smile on my face and brighten even the rockiest day!

Life is Just a Walk in the Park - at Least Today

Watch out, we're getting crisscrossed :)

What a beautiful Colorado day! We went from 90's to 70's and a breeze (ok, it's pretty windy). Most importantly, we finally got to enjoy some of it today.

We just got home from a walk in the park... it was nice and calm outside. There was a little girls soccer team practicing (they boys weren't that interested - even with their squealing) and a couple other dogs walking - but overall pretty wonderful. Our entertainment on the walk were the many grasshoppers. There were everywhere! At first, Taylor was trying to ignore them... after a while, he decided to start trying to catch them. I'm not sure what his plan was once he got one. Good thing I didn't have to find out!

I also got to the nursery today... no mums but some pretty succulents for a trio of pots I had in our house. At least it will give me something fun to look at while studying tonight. (sigh) We're back at work tomorrow... wish the weekend lasted longer. :)

One Down... How Many More?

We survived - three cheers we made it through our first football weekend!

All of the football games started to blur but at least the boys and I had each other. :) So I ask again, one weekend down... how many more to go?

The boys enjoyed lounging around the last couple days - it has been in the 90's the last couple days. A bit to hot for a shaggy wheaten and an slower silky to explore outside. According to WeatherBug tomorrow should be in the 70's. We are hoping so! If the weather is good, we will definitely take a walk. I'm crossing my fingers to even take a trip to the local nursery for some seasonal mums. We are so lucky to have a three day weekend to play and relax!

I realized this afternoon it has been about two weeks since Taylor got his stitches out. It's amazing how fast a body (even an animals) can heal. We have turned from healing to manner training. We are working hard to keep him from jumping on our fence when other animals and people are outside. Being on a leash for most of the summer in the back yard (part of our recovery process) didn't help much. This weekend we were pretty successful - but - we still have a ways to go. At least he is listening better, it doesn't hurt to get a soft spray with water either as a friendly reminder to calm down. We are trying our best to continue being good members of the canine world. :)

The best part of the slow weekend was that I was able to get a bunch of homework done... unfortunately Andre and Taylor aren't much help with statistics. Big bummer, I could have used it! :)

We are Football Orphans

"I'm not coming downstairs with that flag out!"

It has begun, officially today we are being abandoned for the next 4 1/2 months. College football season has started (officially his team started earlier this week) - really ANY football would take Jim away from us but college is the worst. Thanks to Comcast launching new HD channels, now we get even more games. Aren't we lucky? Thanks Comcast!

The day began slowly, we all got to sleep in. I'm actually tired from sleeping so late. Is that possible? I woke up and found Taylor rolled on his back... I wonder is it a breed thing? Do all wheaten terriers sleep on their back or just ours? It would be interesting to know. Andre, on the other hand, would sleep all morning if you let him. He curls in a ball and shuts the world out. It may be a bit of his stubborn personality but, I have to admit I'm a bit jealous.

So what's coming up for us? Looking at the calendar, In a couple weeks is our first cancer check-up at the vet and a grooming appointment. We will be visiting the vet every month for the first three months after surgery to check for any signs of reoccurrence. It's the second I am personally excited for - grooming. Although I love Taylor when he starts getting furry, he also starts getting tangled and matted.

But back to this weekend... the boys and I are excited for an extended weekend - it's a beautiful Colorado day - nice and sunny. So far, it's not too hot. Sounds perfect for an official first walk around the neighborhood since the second surgery. With an extra day off, there will be no excuse to not enjoy the outdoors this weekend. Who knows, maybe I can even convince Jim to plant a tree or shrub. :) We'll just have to see.

A Tale of Two Scars

I call them battle wounds or the tattoos... Jim calls them street credit... the doctor calls them a scar. Anyway you put it... we have them. :)

Taylor's scar is starting to disappear in fur. I have a feeling the fur is going to be a bit thinner on this hip - it's kinda funny how part of the scar even turned a little black. It is so soft and smooth - I love to rub it as he falls asleep at night. The scar almost feels hollow... you can tell a good amount of muscle was removed in the surgeries.

I like to call the first scar, our Frankenstein scar. It reminded me of the stitches along Frank's head. It seemed a lot larger, and the skin definitely tore more as it was healing. This one was definite street credit in the neighborhood!

Our newer scar is a bit smaller even though the incision was longer, it was amazing how well it healed - it's reminds me of a paw print tattoo. Just that smaller area that opened up in the end. The restitching we needed after the second surgery definitely prettied it all up. This one is a bit nicer, not as obvious but still the battle wound of a strong fighter! It will be fun to see how his fur grows in, I wonder how much you will see it in the end.

It's funny how each had character of their own. Either way, we're just happy Taylor's healing!

Scar #1: Frankenstein

Scar #2: The Paw Print

It's Good to be Healthy!

What a busy last couple of days, I haven't had much time to blog. Between work, school and family we have all been running around doing lots of fun things!

"Look I'm laying down... do I get a cookie?"

It's so nice to have our Taylor back to "normal." I laugh though and think what does that really mean? - was he ever? :) We have been getting a taste of this re-found energy. We have a neighbor dog that enjoys hopping the fence (of his backyard into common space) and has been paying Taylor a lot of visits through our fence. The biggest downside is running and jumping that happens during these visits (not always invited visits). It's nice to see Taylor has his mobility back, but we are trying to keep him from getting so excited - it was so nice when he was calmer during his recovery stages. I had to look back though and say - at least we have this challenge to deal with. It could be worse.

"Hello from under here!"

Andre is also happier these days. With Taylor being kenneled while we are away, he has free reign in the house again. I'm finding pillows off chairs and sofas along with little paw prints in the fabric from where he roams during the day. I can always tell where the sunny and warm spots are.

Well, it's Wednesday... how far away is that three day weekend?! :)