February 18, 2008

We had our February birthday party at my mother in law's house. She gave me a huge stuffed weiner dog! It might be a basset hound, but it is a bit long for that. We'll just say that it's a weiner dog. Poor Linus flattened out on the ground and all his hackles stood up when I walked in the door with it. I stood it up on the ground and pushed it towards him (I am terrible about teasing these dogs!)  He ran and hid in the bathroom. The giant freaky weiner dog hunted him down and peeked in the bathroom at him. I stopped when I saw how scared he was....not fierce anymore, but scared.

Jeau and Teena, on the other hand, were hanging off it and I was pulling them around. Finally, Linus emerged and decided he wanted to join in the fun. Telly was enjoying all the fun and took a few chomps at it. He just likes all the excitement!

I dont know why all of my pictures came out bad. Anyway, here is who is who in the pic.

Jeau is at the mouth
Linus is at the armpit
Teena is at the tail
Telly is at the ears

February 18, 2008

Notice how Linus and Teena's tails are both cocked to the right. Concentration. They were pulling that poor giant weiner dog all over the house!

Can you hear the growling?? : )

February 18, 2008

Telly was always close by. He loves when everyone gets all excited!

He even took some time out to pose for a picture.

Hehehe....we had an opossum incident a few nights ago with the other dogs outside. The 'possum's tail looked just like Telly's! Poor little hairless dog!

February 18, 2008

Linus finally started eating on his own as of Wed evening, Feb 13th! And now he hasnt missed a meal or a treat since then! We appreciate having him around sooooo much. He's my velcro dog. He's my guard dog. He's my best doggie friend in the whole wide world. I thank God every day that He helped my Linus through such a difficult time. I was worried that God was wanting a beautiful, fierce, silly guard dog. But, He has chosen to wait.  : )

February 9, 2008

For you Telly fans...here is a short video of Telly and Jeau playing ball. Telly is fast!

I must have taken this video before Christmas, as they pass the undecorated Christmas tree : )

February 10, 2008
(See below on Feb 8 to read what happened to Linus)

I am not really a big believer in bad omens and stuff like that. But another overwhelming one presented itself today that I just couldnt ignore. (the first one was the thousands of crows...see below)

On my drive home from Manhattan, KS, a black cat ran in front of my car. Then I saw two more black cats by the side of the road. When we got home, there was a black cat sitting on my front porch. A bit later, I saw a black cat running across our street.

What the hell????

And the worst part is that I did something stupid. When I saw the black cat on the porch, I picked up Jeau and showed it to him. He, of course, went ape. Which stimulated all the dogs to go ape. And my Linus was all wrapped up and sleeping in a blanket in a dogbed on the couch...and he went sailing off the couch with a vengeance.

After that incident, he seemed to go downhill a bit. He was really out of it and shaking. We were both getting worried about him and Bob kept saying, "I hope he didnt tear something open inside." . It was turning into a deja vu of last year. (We had gotten him home and within hours he needed to go back down to KState. His intestines were leaking into his abdomen.)

After a good night's sleep, Linus seemed better this morning. He is still not eating, but he is not resisting the "force feeding". He seems interested in food, but when it comes to actually putting it in his mouth, he just cant get the job done.

February 9, 2008
(See below on Feb 8 to read what happened to Linus)

He rolled over to show me his belly and I took a pic of his incision. He has about forty little staples. They bother him, but all in all his incision looks pretty good for just having had surgery on Wednesday (Feb 6)

He might get to go home tomorrow morning! Dont tell daddy...we're going to surprise him by coming home a day early!

The next pic is a close-up of his tum.

February 9, 2008
These pics are from my visit to see him this morning. They put us in the "grief room"....definitely more comfy than one of the exam rooms that we are usually in!

Linus loved being on the couch...but he is getting very very impatient. He's crying now because he wants to go home. That sure beats hearing him cry from pain!!!!!

The second pic is a closeup of his beautiful face.

February 8 , 2008
It has been a long, sad, frustrating week.

Linus had been vomiting every morning for about a week. Then he would be perfectly fine for the rest of the day. Last Sunday (Feb 3), he started vomiting around 5am and got sick at least 20 times over the next three hours. He had no appetite and seemed pretty miserable. He was also doing this weird walk. He would almost drop to his knees and creep.

After our experience last year with the toy being lodged in his intestine, it really concerned me that he was presenting the same symptoms. I didnt want to take him to our vet and have him misdiagnosed for two weeks (again).

I packed a bag and drove him to Manhattan, KS, to the vet hospital at K-State (3.5 hour drive). They saved his life last year. Even if it were something simple and treatable, I knew they'd get it right.

They did x-rays and blood work and he was diagnosed with gastroenteritis and laryngial something. We were prescribed four things (pepcid-y stuff, anti-nausea stuff, anti-ulcer stuff) Then, we were being sent on our way. I drove all the way back home. I just didnt feel right in my gut about this diagnosis. They didnt seem concerned about his walking problem....said that sore intestines can cause that.

He was miserable all day and night. On Monday, it really pained me to see him this way. He was walking sooooooo slow and painfully. He squatted and tried to poop for THREE minutes. I walked out into the snow to see if anything came out...just some gelatinous orangey stuff. I ran him down to my local vet to have them give him some subcutaneous fluids. The vet gave him the liquids, a shot of butorphanol (strong painkiller), did a quick abdomen check. He said he didnt think it was a foreign body and that sometimes, gastritis can take a few days to turn around. He also said the walking funny could be a result of sore innards.

Linus passed out for five hours from the painkiller. At six hours, he was lethargic and pretty unresponsive. I didnt feel good about this. We called the vet and he assured us it was the pain killers....that they can last "up to" six hours. Ok. It has been six hours and this dog should be snapping out of it by now. At least looking when you call his name. This is my velcro dog!

Bob and I discussed the pros and cons of me leaving to go to K-State right then (it was 11:00 PM) There was a huge snowstorm scheduled for morning. Kansas and Nebraska would be included. IF I drove down tonite, I would miss the storm and be there. If I waited, I might have a critical dog and then take four or five hours (rather than three) to get to KS. I would rather be there and have him take a turn for the better...than be in NE with a critical dog and WISH I had driven down there.

I arrived in Manhattan, KS at 3:00 AM.

They did more xrays and blood work. Still not showing anything. Still a very sick dog. Tues AM, he went in for an ultrasound. Maybe a small blockage, but it was inconclusive. Very sick dog. Wed AM, he went in for another ultrasound and more bloodwork. This time, the possible blockage was confirmed...and his white cell count was going up. They scheduled surgery for that afternoon. My little man is undergoing his third major surgery in less than a year.

I am staying at the Hampton Inn in Manhattan. I am lucky that I can stay here with him. I go up and visit him at least twice a day. Manhattan is a nice little college town...but nothing to do.

Linus came through surgery just fine. He has an 11" incision (he's only a 17 lb wiener dog!) He is so sore. He cries. He's shaking from pain. It is very very hard to be around. But, I think it does him good to have mom visit him. The piece they got out of him was a small chunk of JollyBall. I am so careful with the JollyBall! I supervise them when they play with it! I buy a new one every month when the old one starts getting ragged on the ends ($19 at Petco)

February 4, 2008

When I pulled in the parking lot in the middle of the night with Linus, I was creeped out by something flying throuth the air. Big somethings. Lots of somethings. Bats? What kind of birds are so active at night? Then I saw that it was giant crows (ravens? blackbirds?)

The really creepy part is that there were literally thousands of them perched in the trees. It's winter, and, of course, there are no leaves on the trees. There were sooooo many birds in the trees that you couldnt see the sky.

When I left him there that night, I walked out amidst the cawing and flapping. Crows are a sign of something bad...of foreboding. I got in my car and cried.

The picture below shows a couple of trees that were bird-laden. The ones in the pic werent as thick as some of the other trees. There were probably 20 or 30 trees that were full of hundreds of them each. And one used my windshield as a target. It looked like someone had thrown an egg on it. Also, the pic was taken in the middle of the night. It seemed "light" outside because of the snow clouds.

February, 2008
Telly update!
Telly is soooo sweet. Our therapy sessions have been going well. I had been getting frustrated that Telly sometimes just doesnt want to stand for me, but in working with Dr Simmons, I have found that he is much more likely to do well if two people are working with him. I asked Bob to help me with his exercises.

I honestly dont know how long I'm going to keep at the therapy sessions. I'll give it another couple of months. I know Telly is really happy...but maybe it is selfish on my part to assume he would be happier if he were walking.

My mother-in-law was over last week and she just couldnt get over how happy and satisfied he seemed.

I cant wait until the weather turns nice (and the ground dries out) and he can go outside and snoop around!

January 19, 2008
Bummer... My homemade peanut butter doggie treats (from Jan 5th) got all fuzzy and moldy in the dog-cookie-jar.

If I attempt them again, I will cook them longer and slower...and then dry them for a couple of days before putting them away. And put more peanut butter in them. They seemed bland when I tasted them. Though, I cant expect them to taste like a peanut butter cookie, or can I???

Telly's appt with Dr Simmons on Wed went fine. She is encouraged that his legs are getting stronger. She sent me some literature regarding purchasing a sling/harness to use for helping him stand and walk.

He usually does great on doing his standing exercises here at home, but last night he just didnt want to stand for me. He also wasnt interested in his favorite toy, so I think he was just tired. I need to start earlier than 10:00 pm. Telly likes to go to bed around 9:00. It was discouraging, though, that he absolutely would not stand for me : (

January 16, 2008
Telly loves to pretend like he's going to bite me. He is so gentle. If he ever does make contact with my fingers, he is very careful not to chomp down : )

He also boxes at the air when he does this. Very cute.

Today, at 11:30, we have a vet appt with Dr Simmons. She will do her usually accupuncture, massage, and exercises with him. We are seeing her every other week. (FYI - approx 30 minutes and it costs around $90)

Last week, I finally gave up on Telly's tinkle. I sure did give it a good try to go holistic on treating the UTI and preventing them. But, nothing worked and his urine smelled so bad it made you sick.

He is on Clavamox for two weeks (125mg twice a day) to treat the current infection...and then he will be on a daily maintenance dose of 125mg once a day for prevention.

FYI - my holistic approach consisted of:
CranActin cranberry syrup (purchased at No Name Nutrition - $19)
Acidophilus Two Billion (purchased at No Name Nutrition - $8)
Bladder Strength by Vetri Science (purchased from Dr Simmons)
UT Strength by Vetri Science (purchased from Dr Simmons)

That is one content, nekkid, little, blue dog. He's smiling.

He usually has on a belly band, as his tinkle tends to dribble out. And he always has a blanket on, too, as he gets cold very easily. But, I wanted some pics of without "clothes" on. He seems to be enjoying all the attention.

Close-up

Me and Jeau...or, Don King, as Daddy calls him

Jeau is a kissy, kissy boy.

Me and Linus. Very stoic boy. And I love those big, fat feet.

Poor Teena wasnt around for the photo shoot. She is shy around camera's...so she was hiding somewhere...otherwise I would have scooped her up for her turn.

We have had some extraordinarily beautiful weather events this year. Ice and frost seem to be particularly heavy.

I posted some ice pictures earlier in Dec. Here is a pic of some heavy frost we had from a foggy night (on a single-temperature day). The frost was so heavy on the trees, that it "snowed" glinty diamonds all day long.

It really was very beautiful.

01/05/08
We made cookies today. Julie Brummer, my sister-in-law, gave us the Three Dogs Bakery cookbook for Christmas.

Today, we made peanut butter treats. Here was the recipe (which I doubled)
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup skim milk
1 T baking powder
2 cups wheat flour

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
The recipe calls for rolling out the dough and using a cookie cutter. Heck, I havent had time to make PEOPLE cookies for the last three years using that method. I knew there was an easier way... PLUS, doggies do not require dog-bone shaped treats.
They are ok with blobby looking things : )

I started by making a "play-doh" snake out of a baseball sized lump. It's about the thickness of breakfast sausage.

I cut the snake into pieces and separated them for baking. This was my test run. I baked them for 15 minutes and they came out fine.

Everyone sample the finished product and I got four nods to continue.

I got lazy with my skinny snake and they started getting fatter. I then found that if I cut the fat snake in half (long ways) and then did pieces like the picture, things went faster and they were a better size for little tummies.

Here is Jeau guarding against any bad crumbs that might decide to try and escape. His punishment is swift and cruel. Death by a large, toothy, furry monster. Yes, he metes out his own punishments : )

He's also an extraordinarily helpful boy on the clean-up. I dont know what I would do without his little brown butt hanging out of the dishwasher. He's the only one of the four who does this. (Yes, I am careful about knives and bad foods) I usually "put" something within his reach, and then when he's done cleaning it...he gets the boot.

By the way, before cookie-making, we had just played Jolly ball and Cuz ball, so Telly was too wiped out to be in his cart. He is on a nearby bed keeping track of every move. Every round of treats handed out and he patiently knows I will be walking over to put one under his blanket. He is a very very careful boy so that he doesnt hurt my fingers. He takes things soooooooo gently that he drops them!

01/01/08

Telly.

01/01/08
So, if a bed is not available and he just needs to rest for a few minutes, he always finds a little something to "park" on. I think this is Telly's version of "sit". And it's darn cute.

01/01/08
Telly is on a double-decker bed in front of the picture window. He is soaking in some sun and guarding us from those passing cars...which annoy him so. And the flock of birds in the front yew (I put seed out front to attract them for him). And an occasional stray cat (which causes a ruckus that you can probably hear alllll the way down in Auburn, Nebraska!)

He is a very content boy.

12/29/07
OMG...I have great news!
We all took a nap this afternoon. Then I took Telly in to tinkle him into the toilet. I hadnt weighed him for a few weeks, so I turned on the scale and plopped him down onto it. I couldnt believe the number.

10lbs 8 oz !

Telly has lost FIVE pounds since he's been here! I guess all the exercise is working! He plays fetch for 15 minutes a day and always gets enough exercise that his tongue is curling from panting. And he also is getting exercise from our learning to stand lessons. His poor little muscles quiver and shake after we're done because he is working so hard to stand.

He really is a small mini. I still feel a lot of fat on him. I had thought that ten pounds would be a good weight for him, but he may be better at eight or nine pounds. Every bit he loses will help him get around better...whether it's in his cart or walking. I'll take a picture of that naked little body tomorrow.

12/29/07
I have been working on a mild UTI with Telly for a few weeks now. I was trying to go the holistic route to cure and hopefully prevent...but after taking cranberry, bladder support, acidophilus, and something else...his tinkle still had a slight infected odor.

Two days ago, I put him back on his Clavamox. As of this morning, his pee smelled absolutely normal.

12/29/07
My calendar has a notation on it on Dec 31. It says, "Telly Comes Home". I am so glad I decided to get him in October! I had decided that working for a few hours every day would not be a problem for Telly, as he can be in a cage anywhere! He might as well be home.

It was so fun to watch Telly enjoy all the fun things that go on with Christmas. His first Christmas.

12/29/07
These pics show how all the rats get to share a plate to lick. Sometimes I have to pluck Telly off his bed and cart him...so that he gets to share in the treat. But, Telly is a total plate pig when he shares a plate. I have to roll him backwards sometimes, as he is so voracious that he scares Teena and Linus away. Jeau is a trooper and keeps on licking while Telly tries to inhale the plate (he pops up and down)

12/29/07
Christmas season was so hectic. We had Christmas eve at my in-laws and then Bobby and I hosted Christmas day for my side of the family. A couple of bad migraines, a ton of shopping and wrapping and cooking, and that's why I have been so negligent on updating Telly's page.

This Monday, Dec 31, is my last day at work. Bobby's office manager comes back from maternity leave. My rats will be excited to have me home more! I'll be excited, too! Though, I may look for a part time job, as it has been nice getting out of the house.

They were all soooo excited about their presents. I wish I had taken a picture. We had four Bobo's, a big Christmas Bobo, two cuz balls, a jolly ball, and at least ten stuffies. They were on toy overload all day! It was fun! The cacophony of multiple sqeakers meant that nobody was fighting over a toy. Though, Teena, who is in charge of all toys, kept running around stealing everybody's toy right out of their mouths...but there were too many for her to keep track of and everyone had plenty of back-ups. I think she finally gave up!

12/12/07
I have such AWESOME news!
Telly met his new vet today. We spent an hour and a half with her as she evaluated him, did accupuncture, and infra-red massage. She was very surprised at how much muscle tone he still has in his legs and said that he has everything that he needs to walk again!!! He just needs some work : ) AND that she's excited to work with him.

The two most important things I need to work on are making him stand for long periods of time (5 - 10 minutes) and keeping his legs under him when he's laying down. Usually, his legs splay out parallel to his body along side is abdomen. He needs to stand before he can walk!

She was a bit concerned about his right leg and how it pops. That was the leg that I had checked when I first got him, as it bent at such strange angles that I thought it might be broken or dislocated. She feels that his left leg will be more responsive at first, but that that's the way it usually happens...one leg is stronger than the other. Actually, she said that the tail is the first indicator...and his tail was vibrating, twitching, and wagging a little bit from all the stimulation today!

I'm going to make Telly stand three times a day...and when he's in his cart, I need to slow his speedy self down and make him take steps. When he gets impatient, he actually uses his back legs to try and push away.

We talked about supplements, antioxidants, and a raw diet. Also, poor Telly is having some UTI problems starting to flare up again today. She has some supplements that will help strengthen his bladder for when he starts walking again and something that will help prevent him from getting them in the first place!

Telly's next appointment is next Wednesday at 9:30 AM.

(dont tell HUA, but we are going to surprise them one of these days and come walking through their door!)

12/11/07
Bob and I thought this was pretty darn funny. Linus did NOT. And he was a pill and froze into position and gave us the stink eye.

12/11/07
Ok...let's try somebody else. Teena was just as unimpressed by our creepy sense of humor. She, too, froze into position and just looked miserable. I told Bob that there's no need to even put Jeau in the cart. He claimed favoritism. Ah, well...

12/11/07

Yep...still funny.

Poor little elephant passed out in a laundry pile.

And...he's high-centered on a Booda hedgehog.

12/11/07
My wonderful dachshund forum (www.dachsie.org) turned me on to the fact that Walgreens has CHEAP BOBO's ! I bought four Bobo's, a mallard duck, a black squirrel, and a dachshund magnet...all for under $20 !

They also have super-cheap dog beds made by Milkbone. A fairly good-sized bed with a zip-off cover... for $10 !

12/11/07
I shoved the new dog bed into one of the crates. It has been a very popular crate!

Teena loves little Telly. She is always kissing him and sniffing him.

12/11/07
Linus LOVES the new dog-bed-in-the-crate. He hogs it. And he is king of the stink-eye....with that one good eye...

12/11/07
Speaking of kings...Jeau has some crazy crazy hair. Daddy calls him Don King. And, the gals at DayCamp LOVE to play with his freaky hair and make it into a mohawk or twist it into a troll twirl.

And do you see the lighter colored mustache hair? It is kind of wire-hair-y. I keep telling him we got a bad one and that we're gonna send him back. And then I have to give him a big hug...because it's hard to even joke about.

12/06/07 (that was the day it snowed)

So, when the deck is covered with snow, weiner dogs just assume that the yard has moved up the ramp and flush with the house? (flush...hahaha)

They all walk out onto the large deck and start doing their business. I caught this picture of "the smooooth" making chalupas during a heavy snowfall. He has accumulation! And he's only been out there for about 30 seconds!

12/07/07
Telly has lost another 1/2 lb !!! He is 12.5 now (he started out at 15.5). And his girth measurement is 16" ! He was 18" when I first measured him to order Belly Bands. All that ball-chasing is really getting him in shape! He absolutely loves to chase the Cuz ball (after I de-feet it. He is a champion foot-chewer-off'er)

12/07/07
I went to the health food store to get some Solid Gold Berry Balance powder (cranberries) for Telly's tinkle. Maybe this will help stave off future UTI's. They were out of it : ( so I asked if they had any "human" cranberry additives. Of course they did! I bought some concentrated cranberry syrup that has an eye-dropper. Perfect! Then he suggested acidophilus as an additional supplement that may help. That will help keep the whole tract healthy with good bacteria and not just focus on the bladder itself with the cranberry. I'll update occasionally. Hopefully it will be a monthly mention that Telly's pee pee is fine : )

BTW, everyone is getting cranberry drops. Telly and Teena get two and Linus and Jeau get one. (Teena is also prone to UTI's...and she is our secret bathroom rug tinkler...maybe this will help!)

12/02/07
My tiny little elephant...passed out after dinner.

By the way, Telly's tinkle is pretty much back to normal : )

Thank you to all the suggestions for PT, accupuncture, and hydro therapy in my area! I am disappointed that my vet from the Elkhorn Animal Hospital and a vet from Harvey Oaks both said there is no one in the area that can handle Telly's special therapy needs. Both recommended going back to K-State. (three hours away)

There is a holistic vet in Ralston, NE...Dr Diane Simmons. She even has a downed dachsie! We have an appointment with her on Dec 12th. She is looking forward to meeting Telly! She also specializes in nutrition and raw diets. I'm going to talk to her about that for all my rats. If she cant help Telly, I will be pursuing one of these other options. I may pursue them in addition to seeing Dr Simmons. Time is of the essence for Telly's legs. I dont know how many of you believe in dreams...but I have had two vivid dreams of Telly running in the backyard. A little wobbly, but moving on his own : )

"There are two places I know of here in Lincoln for hydrotherapy, Kenl Inn and Nebraska Animal Medical Center (Forney's). Pam took Abby to Kenl Inn where they have a pool. The therapist is a certified in that and massage therapy. NAMC has a hydotherapy treadmill that can handle little guys and gals to huge ones. Dr. Ehlers kind of heads up the program at NAMC and does a full orthopedic exam before prescribing treatments. They also have a new vet who specializes in accupuncture and alternative treatments.
Sally"

"I did just also find this doctor in Ralston who apparently does acupuncture
and some other forms of holistic healing.
Lori from HUA"

"Lori with HUA here. I was just checking in on Telly and noticed that you
were having trouble finding a clinic that does hydro-therapy/physical
therapy. I know there is a place in Lincoln that does it. One of our
adopters took a cocker spaniel with a bad leg there for hydrotherapy
treatment. If I remember correctly you live by Gretna? So maybe that
wouldn't be too far. I will copy Sally here, our director from Lincoln. I
know she knows the place because I remember her saying she would see Pam
going in to the clinic with her cocker since it was close to where Sally
works. I'm thinking it might be Nebraska Animal Medical Center, but I'm not
positive. I'm sure Sally will confirm.
Lori from HUA"

"I will do some checking, but think I have heard of someone here in Lincoln that does AP, etc. for animals.
Carolyn"

"Hi! I enjoyed reading Telly’s website this evening, and I noticed that you were looking for someone who does acupuncture on dogs. Dr. Robbi Long-Knudsen is a chiropractor who helped our dog Willy when he had disc problems. She did chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture on him off and on for a couple of years. He never had to have surgery. Willy passed away peacefully on Aug. 22 of this year, and a few weeks later we adopted Ralf from HUA.
Here’s Dr. Robbi’s phone number: 493-6800. Her office is at the corner of Blondo and 156th Street. Most of her clients are people, but she may be willing to help you with Telly.
Janet"

"Try this lady for Telly...DIANE SIMMONS , DVM
HOLISTIC VETERINARY PRACTICE
PO BOX 27025
RALSTON , NE 68127-4235
Phone: 402-593-6556
Fax: 402-593-6556
Modalities Practiced: (Modality Quick Reference)
AC(IVAS) AK BF CH CR CR(AVCA) CN CM GT H HC NAET NU MA MT WH
Practice Preferences:
SMALL ANIMAL EQUINE
She has (or has had) a dachshund of her own that had back problems.
That long list of letters are her modaliaties. It includes just about everything that we might want to use. The last time I checked, she practiced on Thursdays at the Ralston Clinic. I have never been to see her but have heard very good things about her from Dr. Stacy Curro.
If you do see her, I would like to know what you think. I might need her for Dweenger.
   ems736336 from the dachsie.org forums"

12/02/07
Sorry, but his just never ceases to be funny! Even Linus is giving Telly a strange look. I have so frickin many dog beds in this house that I stuffed one into a crate. It's the crate of choice for everyone now...even for Telly!

You would think that a dog wouldnt care that much about cushy pillows and clean things...but they do. They love clean, comfy beds.

12/02/07
Telly eats like there's no tomorrow. He is usually more voracious than this, even, but I must have been freaking him out a little. : )  He usually pops up and down in the air for the first fifteen seconds!

12/01/07
Where was my video camera??? I had an opportunity to make $10,000 today! (America's Funniest Home Video)

Linus, Teena, and Jeau all slid down the ramp....stiff-legged. Then, Linus chose the steep end of the yard to head out into. He had all the brakes on, but he was still moving! He was stiff-legged and gracefully did a 180 degree turn. His lips were pursed. Hehehe. It didnt help that I was laughing at him!

Then, they have all had enough "fun" for one day and head back to the ramp. Nobody did squat in the yard anyway (literally!) Jeau hit the ramp and realized it was a sheet of ice and hustled to get up it. He only made it halfway. Linus was right behind him. Then, stiff-legged, they both slid backwards down the ramp...just like they were on an escalator!

Dachshunds are highly entertaining! I recommend a few for any dog lover!

Interestingly enough, Telly doesnt demand to go out when it's cold. He is a fiend to get out the door when it's nice out, but he doesnt seem interested in it since it's been cold (and I've never made him go out in it, so maybe he remembers "cold" from his puppy mill days)

12/01/07
We had a wicked cool ice storm today! We got over 1/4" of ice coating everything. The dreaded "black ice". The down side was that we lost some big branches off some of our forest in the backyard. Tree branches breaking sounds like gunshots!

The little birdies were taking refuge under the eaves of this feeder...until I had to come out and scare them away.