Good days

Yesterday, in warm sun and still air, K and I hiked up to "Hug Hill", our absolute favorite lookout spot around here. We don't go there as often in the winter as in the summer because its slopes hold deep snow all winter long. During our trek yesterday, K was full of romping energy, leaving the packed path to plow through the loose snow.

When we arrived at the top, K seemed thrilled to be there! She gazed out toward the Continental Divide behind her.

When she noticed that I was clicking away with the camera, she "offered" a play bow. One of the fun side effects of using positive training techniques with K is that she loves to "offer" behaviors to see what will make me smile. In other words, she does tricks without any prompting from me.

At this time of year, our snowy world can become blinding, when the strong sun reflects off the white ground. K was continually squinting while we played on Hug Hill. So, I offered her my glasses. She carefully balanced them on her face and never dropped them.

She seemed to decide that she didn't like looking through them (maybe my prescription isn't right for her). She looks professorial, doesn't she?

We had a wonderful time, playing in the snow and enjoying the views. I'm guessing that that K and I have visited this spot more than a thousand times in her lifetime yet we never tire of it.

When we arrive home from our morning hike, we have a ritual. I feed her breakfast, and then I drag her new bed, so generously given to her by many of you, into a sun puddle. Yes, K is spoiled rotten.

In the warmth of the sun with a full belly, her eyes don't stay open for long.

These are good days, and we know it.

Sunday Images

We have only one thing to say this Sunday!

Okay, I lied. K wanted to say something peaceful.

What a pair!

A bluebird day with K

A bluebird day... and I was so glad to share it with K.

We headed out into a 20°F world this morning, which is cold, but the sun feels warmer each day as it arcs higher in the sky. We went exploring, looking for animal tracks in the dusting of new snow that fell last night.

I love bobcats and capturing their photos with my trail cameras so K and meandered among the boulders where bobcats love to hunt. I was hoping to find a new place to post a trail camera but we didn't find any fresh tracks... but K didn't care! She wanted to leap up onto a boulder in the photo below but I'd asked her to "wait".

K loves our "exploring" because of the animal scents that she gets to investigate. She's always alert and scanning the area around us.

I did a little research into bone marrow suppression by carboplatin chemotherapy, and I found out that K's white blood cell ("neutrophil" count, to be specific) count is pretty dang low. It's 1200 while the normal range is 6000-14,000. I really hope that it rebounds enough (to 2500) to resume treatment next week... but I'm guessing that it'll be touch and go.

During my research, I accidentally ran into the statistics about the prognosis for osteosarcoma before I rapidly slammed the browser windows closed. I don't want to think about that right now. I just want to enjoy my girl. We savored our morning together.

Best friends together on a glorious bluebird winter day.

Unexpected turn

The osteosarcoma road continues to hold unexpected turns. K's white blood cell count was too low for her to have chemotherapy today. That's a common side effect of chemotherapy drugs because the drugs kill bone marrow cells as well as cancer cells. Now, we have to wait for her bone marrow to make more white blood cells before she can have any more chemotherapy. We're hoping that her immune system will bounce back sufficiently that she can have chemo by the end of next week.

Her low WBC count and the delay will hopefully not turn into a big deal. The vets might reduce her dose next time or change her chemo schedule to allow more time for her bone marrow to regenerate between doses. I always hate changes to "the plan" but, in this case, we have to roll with the punches that are inevitable with cancer and its treatment.

This morning, our nominee for "Cracker Critter", R, joined me for a sizzling bike ride.

I tried to take some close-up photos of his handsome face but he kept barking at my camera lens.

Seriously, the boy barked and barked and barked. And, by barking in my face, he made me laugh - which was good medicine for my soul.

Check out his ears during this bark. He's a wonderfully crazy dog!

In between barks, he found sticks and sprinted through the snow while carrying them.

His joyous spirit was infectious, filling the world with glitter.

As you can see, a morning outing with R is quite different from one with K. R is a black bolt of lightning, zig-zagging through the snow, and bringing a big smile to my face with his exuberance.

In contrast to my morning outing with R, K and I went for a very peaceful walk this evening. She loves her "working stiff job" of being my photo model and naturally posed on a rock while we lingered near a lookout point. Thanks to all of you who voted for K in the Working Stiffs competition of Mango Minster. We were so surprised that she did so well!

She looks strong to me!

Savoring a bluebird day

Before dawn, a pack of coyotes howled near our bedroom windows. R rushed to the windows to add his own distinctive voice to the chorus. The coyote pack is buzzing with energy now because the females are in heat. K and I saw three spots where a female coyote in heat had urinated, leaving a deep red splotch in the snow.

A pair of coyotes spent a long time in our clearing the other night. I arrived at my camera to see that it had taken 700 photos overnight. That's an extraordinary number! I'll include more footage in the future but most of the photos are of the pair of coyotes wriggling in the snow in front of my camera. They wriggled for about 10 minutes!

This morning, K was excited to sniff all the coyote scents during our morning hike. I talked her into stopping for a moment for a photo in the light of the rising sun as we walked through an aspen grove.

After we'd climbed up higher into the region where the bobcats love to hunt in the boulders, she slowed again to let me capture her in the glowing light.

We savored our time out on this glorious winter day. It was another cold but very clear and sunny day - a bluebird day in February. K seems to love these days too.

I kept noticing K licking her nose today, particularly while she was sniffing the intriguing animal scents. I wonder why she does this...

Late this afternoon, the coyotes were back again. As I worked at one end of the house, a scary howl resonated from the other end of the house. I quickly scanned around me for the Duo because the howl sounded almost like a dog in pain. I saw R but I didn't immediately see K nearby. I was scared that she'd somehow broken her leg and yowled in pain so I sprinted toward the sound. To my surprise, there were no dogs at that end of the house. I glanced around and a coyote outside the window caught my eye. He must have howled at our windows!

I was so relieved that K was fine. She and R romped this evening with the enthusiasm of a pair of puppies. Our fingers are crossed that her chemotherapy is easy for her tomorrow, and that the drug searches out and destroys all the cancer cells in her body. I know that's a long shot but I have hope.

Countdown and our bobcat

I am enjoying reading the amazing posts written by so many generous people for my K. I'm still reading... and I think that I will be reading for a while! You've written so many beautiful thoughts that will sustain us through thick and thin.

I feel like we're in a familiar countdown now. K's next round of chemotherapy is on Friday so we are making the most of these days. It's a bit silly because she's handled the previous two rounds so easily... but I still try to have as much fun with her as possible during the countdown days.

Yesterday, we had a true bluebird winter day. The skies were cobalt blue and the air temperature never broke freezing. I adore those classic winter days. The snow is becoming easier for animal travel, including our dogs. In the photo below, K had been walking atop the snow crust and had just started falling through.

We took advantage of the great conditions to track a bobcat. The bobcat had walked atop the snow, and, in the photo below, he walked straight into a cavity under the rocks. I wonder if he curled up in the mini-cave for a while, perhaps sleeping during the day.

K and I have a long history of tracking animals together. She loves doing it, and she has even learned that she needs to stay behind me until I tell her that it's okay for her to go ahead and sniff the tracks. With this simple rule, I can look over the untrampled tracks before K tromps on them (but she gets to have the fun of sniffing them too). In the next photo, I'd given her permission to sniff the tracks.

She paused to listen to the sound of a woodpecker drumming during her sniffing.

Soon, we returned to the packed trails and she walked ahead of me. She often stops and glances back at me, wondering why I'm so slow!

As we walked toward home, she explored off trail and then romped back to me. I grin ear-to-ear when she looks so happy in the woods. Every day that K is gleefully romping in the forest is a gift.

After leaving the deep snow, she always shakes the snow off her fur... She looks like she's dancing in this photo.

On that day, we were following the tracks of the bobcat that my motion-activated wildlife camera photographed recently. It's rare to get daytime photos of a bobcat so I was thrilled to see these ones!

He arrived in front of my camera, staring down toward a trail used by humans.

After a long pause to check for people (I'm guessing), he walked out into the open, in full view of the distant trail.

K and I followed his tracks, and he explored around some fallen trees where rabbits like to live on an open slope. Then, a minute later, he circled back to the forest's edge to stand in front of my camera again. He stood there for a moment, and then he "marked" a tree with his urine. My camera caught him in the act.

It appeared that he wanted to go back out into the open. Again, he stood for a long time scanning the trail below before he descended toward it. This time, he boldly walked down the slope and directly across the trail, disappearing into an aspen forest below. I know what he did based on his tracks in the snow.

I'm generically calling this bobcat a "he". However, we followed a bobcat mother and kitten all summer via my wildlife camera photos, and it's possible that this bobcat is the mother who has, by now, sent her kitten off on his own. She's probably preparing to breed again. Maybe we'll have another kitten or two to follow this summer!

Now, I'm going to continue reading the wonderful posts in honor of K. What an amazing gift! We all thank you!

Surprised, overwhelmed, and incredibly grateful

You all surprised us in a wonderful way this morning, and we are thankful, amazed, and happily stunned beyond words.

It was a huge surprise for me. Most mornings, I wake up slowly, needing caffeine for my brain to function so I was a little slow on the uptake this morning. My first hint that something was "up" was my email inbox. I noticed that I had a long list of new messages... and many were comments on yesterday's not-terribly-exciting post.

Next, I clicked on Google Reader, and, then, even my sleep-addled brain started to realize that something unbelievably sweet was underway. I started reading posts dedicated to my K, and my eyes filled with tears. I am grateful and humbled by the outpouring of love and support. I literally just sat there, with tears running down my face, for quite a while. Even "wow" doesn't express how overwhelmed with thankfulness I was and still am.

I wanted to read posts, leave comments, and write thank-you's all day long but I had a packed schedule for the day. So, just now, I am settling in next to the fire to slowly read and savor your amazing posts.

"Pillars of Strength" is a poignant badge that will live in my sidebar forever. It is so beautiful. I am floored.

K wanted me to take a photo of her legs for you today, to show you how strong they still are. The support of so many people like you has touched us and strengthened us, helping us keep K strong.

For those who don't know, K's front left leg was the one with the osteosarcoma tumors. She had radiation therapy to kill the tumors, and you can see the remnants of the radiation burn and the lack of fur on that leg. Those cosmetic things don't matter - K's legs are still "Pillars of Strength" and her heart is still made of gold.
K lives joyfully despite her disease, and despite the radiation and chemotherapy. The photo below is from this morning. She galloped up the snowy trail with the Continental Divide on the horizon behind her.

We know the odds when it comes to this kind of evil C so we are seizing each day. Every single one of you strengthened us by sharing the Power of the Paw with us today. We are stronger thanks to the outpouring of love. With tear-filled eyes, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I never forget that many others out there are struggling with the evil C as well as other diseases. The next badge was also made by one of you, and it sums up what we all hope for. Maybe someday we won't have to "imagine"...

Now, I am going to do what I have been eagerly awaiting all day. I'm going to read every single post. I might not finish all of them tonight but I will read and savor every single one. Thank you so much. You are the Power of the Paw.

Mum Monday

Scenes from our weekend...

Answers

Our friend Goose tagged us to answer some questions. All three of us will answer: K (chocolate lab), R (black lab), and KB (boring human).

1.  Describe yourself in 7 words:

K:  loving, bunny soft, sweet, sensitive, watchful, joyful, loyal

R:  rambunctious, speedy, energetic, obsessive, handsome, mischievous, HAPPY!

KB:  determined, loyal, stubborn (K chimes in: you can say that again - just try training her). Grateful, outdoorsy, nature-loving, happy.

2.  What keeps you up at night?

K: Nothing, ever.

R: I sleep like a log.

KB: back aches (there's no photo for that one!). 

3.  Who would you like to be?

K: Me with no osteosarcoma. It might be cool to be Bert for a day because I'd like to be a therapy dog. The problem is that I'd have to deal with Allred, and that thought terrifies me.

R: Me!!!!! I don't want to be Bunny because I'm already faster than her! I'm faster than a rocket ship!

KB: Me with no spine problems. Who'd ever want to be someone else with this world outside your back door?

4.  What are you wearing right now?

K: My lizard collar.

R: My red collar that the Runner made for me.

KB: My snowshoeing clothes because it's almost time for our afternoon hike.

5. What scares you?

K: Osteosarcoma and the dark hallway between the kitchen and our bedroom. That dark hallway has become a huge issue recently. I get "stuck" on one side of it or the other, and I can't cross the gauntlet without KB holding my paw for courage. My fear of this spot and others in the house have come and gone through my life. It usually gets worst when I'm sick.

R: Large objects in unexpected places, like a big empty box left in a corner of the living room that makes me slink away on my belly. Plastic bags or balloons hung up in trees terrify me. And, ground squirrels inside the house make me quake in my boots. I chase them like a maniac outside. Then, one time, a ground squirrel chewed through our screen and came in the living room. I found the bugger. I fled away from him at the speed of light and cowered in the furthest corner of the house. KB thought, based on my behavior, that there was a bear in the house but it was just a tiny ground squirrel. I finally emerged from hiding when KB took the ground squirrel outside and closed the window.

KB: Osteosarcoma is the big bad monster in our lives right now. Rodents inside my house do scare me a little too!

6. What are the best and worst things about blogging? 

K: Getting my photo taken all the time is the best and the worst. Having all our blogville friends is awesome.

R: Being in the Mango Minster contest is the best. KB being late for our afternoon hike because she's blogging is the worst.

KB: The best is the power of the paw. The worst is feeling so sad about illnesses and deaths among our friends.

7.  What's the last website you visited?

K and R: The ranch where our humans buy the beef that we eat. Drool. 

KB:  North American Bear Center, watching the live den cams. Bears are my favorite animals, and all our local bears are asleep in their dens now. I can get my "bear fix" by watching the cameras inside dens in Minnesota.

8.  What's one thing that you'd change about yourself?

K: I'd get rid of my osteosarcoma. 
R: I'm perfect, absolutely stunningly perfect! Look at my handsome eyes!

KB: I'd get a new spine (no photo for that one either).

9.  Slankets?  Yes or no...   

We had to Google what a "slanket" is and I think that tells you the answer.

Thanks to our buddy Goose for asking us these questions!

I'm supposed to tag a few other blogs... No obligation but have fun if you feel like answering the questions!

Running with Kona

Paws helping paws 

Jo, Stella, and Zhat
Maggie Mae and Max