Ramblings from the Ranch

ok, quick up date here. fill ya'll in later. School starts this week, Vet Tech, here I come!!! Gideon is 5 1/2 months now and off to the vet next week (don't tell him he's getting fixed, he might not like that) and he's also getting all 4 sets of dew claws off. He's got double dews on all four feet. Horsefair starts in two weeks, gotta get the ponies clipped this week and transported next week, woohoo, here we come! I'm starting to get some new perspective on life now that I've started a new decade, more to follow on that later, when I have time to sort it out.
Blessings everybody!!

Pix of Gideon

Looks like Giddy and Bear have hit it off. Already conspiring against the two older dogs lol!!

He looks so proud!! The company he's keeping in the first shot sure looks like trouble looking for a place to happen, don't it. Its the muttly mafia

He's really quite inquisitive and his onery side is starting to show.

Here's my sweet boy, all 30.7 lbs of him. Hard to believe he's only 4 mos. old.

Gideon

Well, ya'll, we have a new member at the ranch. Gideon joined us Wed nite. Gideon is a 4 month old Great Pyrenees puppy, straight from a sheep farm in Irving. He is a total ball of fluff, weighing in at a hefty 30.7 lbs according to the vet this morning. I know, I know, you all are thinking, another dog....what was she thinking. 3 dogs is a lot, but 4....she must be nuts. Nope, just a sucker for a furry face and a cold nose. Besides, I'm going thru my midlife crisis...thats my story and I"m sticking to it. I've heard stories of people buying sports cars and cheating on their spouses when they hit that dreaded stage in life...me, I just buy a big truck and a big dog. Giddy has joined the pack and seems to be a good fit with the rest of the gang. Shadow mothers him, Bear finally has someone with enough energy to play with her and Riley, well, Riley is finally not the only man at the ranch, at least for a couple more months (but don't tell that to Giddy). He's an amazing little booger, very smart and learns quickly. I'll add pictures soon!!!
Welcome Home Gideon!!!!!

2009, Oh Boy!

Well, it was bound to happen, 2009 has arrived and with it has come at least 1,000 questions for me about life. I stare at this pretty certificate on my wall that has my name on it and looks really official, like its something special, but I really can't do anything with it. Being a Certified Veterinary Assistant qualifies me only for a minimum wage job...so what do I do? Seriously look for the minimum wage job that would bring so much joy and fulfillment into my life or stay with the dead end job I"m in because it pays the bills? or, do I go back to school, again, for 2 more years and earn an Associates as a Veterinary Technician? Sounds good, feels right, except for a few hiccups. How do I squeeze two 9 week clinicals into the schedule of my dead end job without losing that job and the ability to pay the bills?

The 30 day countdown has begun for my "mid life" crisis, although, I think I"ve had about a dozen of those already. How is it that I'm about to be 40 years old? How did I get this old? Thinking back I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would still be alive to turn 40. I"ve always had this picture in my mind that when someone turned 40, they had their life pretty well mapped out....family, home, career, friends, etc. Well, I definitely don't fit that picture. I don't really have a family to call my own, unless you count my furry children. Don't have a career, just a job that is slowing driving me nuts. I have a house that I'm trying to redo, but, its really hard to redo something the way you like it and want it, when you really haven't figured out who the heck you really are. It took me a year and a half to pick out paint colors for my back room that will eventually (hopefully soon) be my office. A year and a half to pick out paint......well, have you seen the choices out there. I was at Home Depot today with a friend and she brought home a bunch of those paint swatches, just how many shades of purple does the world really need?!

I don't feel 40, I still feel like I"m 20 something...except that I"m trying to start my life 20 years late and there isn't any way to get back the time that was stolen. Don't mean for this to sound heavy or depressing, just had to get it out of my head before it drove me nuts.

On a lighter note, "da boys" are visiting the ranch again. Chiefers and Jericho have joined the pack for the week. I can't get over how much Chiefers has grown, he's almost as big as my Shadow now. Have you ever tried to share a full size bed with approx. 400-425 lbs of dog? Crowded just ain't the word for it, but once they all settle down and find their perfect spot, and I can finally find some semblance of a comfortable position....the slowing of their breathing, their little snuffles in their sleep as they dream of chasing rabbits, its so beautiful and peaceful.......then Shadow snores like a freight train and everybody wakes up and all in unison we roll over so we don't knock each other out of the bed. Ain't it great!!

Ok, well, I"ve rambled long enough to bore myself...

I"m still trying to find myself...have you seen me lately? LOL!!

oh, if anyone knows how to put in parquet flooring (sp?), let me know, got a new project on my hands and could probably use some help! (and the flooring only took a year to pick out, maybe I"m getting better :o)

Update at the ranch

Hey ya'll, sorry I've been a little incognito lately...its been a little nuts around here. Riley is still amazingly doing wonderful, thanks for all the prayers for the little stinker, typical boy....just likes to give his mama a scare. Sorry I've missed Life group and Sunday nights. Things have just been a little hectic. Dogs, dad, time at the real ranch, work, refinancing the house, making arrangements to get the truck fixed and trying to get stuff together to fix the roof...just haven't been able to squeeze it all in. Things should hopefully calm down in the next week or so and life can get back to "normal" (whatever that really means).

This might sound a little weird, but things are going really and truly incredibly good right now and that just scares the tar out of me. I'm so used to the bad that when its good I'm always waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under me. Trying really hard right now to just trust God. Trust is really a 5 letter word for me, didn't learn how to do it growing up so its really hard now. Doing my best to just accept the fact that God is in control and I just have to do my best to live in Him but every once in a while, the fear rears its ugly head. Is God playing with me, getting my hopes up or setting me up to fall really hard? I know that isn't truth but my head doesn't always see the truth. Ok, this necessity to be so transparent is really freaking me out. Bear with me, I'm still trying to find myself....have you seen me lately?? LOL!!!!

My boys are coming for a visit this week, Chiefers and Jericho get to come spend Thanksgiving with Aunt Robbi and cousins Riley, Shadow and Bear. Woohoo....fur will be flying everywhere. Thats an ok thing here at the ranch by the way...it all sweeps up eventually! Now, the only issue is going to be, where is Aunt Robbi gonna sleep...have you ever tried to share a bed with 5 dogs, especially when 2 of them are already over 100 lbs each and the other 3 combined make another 100 lbs. maybe I'll just grab a blanket and hit the floor!!

Oh, news flash...I"m thinking about going back to school again. I know I know, I just got done, but I'm really thinking about going for the Associates in the Veterinary Technician program. Another 2 years, but this time I'd actually have a degree instead of just a certificate. Thoughts, opinions, suggestions.............

God is Good

well, amazingly my little dog must be part cat because it appears that he has 9 lives. Riley woke up this morning and bounced out of the bed on his own, trotted outside, did his morning ritual and bounced, yes, bounced, skipped, jumped, whatever you want to call it, up the back stairs and into the kitchen where he proceeded to eat half of my breakfast. he's back to his perky 15 year old self and I only have God to thank. I went to bed last night pretty sure that I would have to put my boy down today and God heard my cry and restored my little old man. Thank You Jesus!!

Sadness at the Ranch

This past two weeks have been somewhat bittersweet. Got a new truck, finished school, hit deer with new truck, house appraisal in hopes that refinance goes thru and now, today, a great sadness has descended upon the ranch. My BFF in the whole wide world seems to be on his last legs or paws. Riley, dear sweet lovable Riley, turned 15 years old on 11/8. This morning we went thru our usual routine, alarm goes off and 3 pups head for the back door for their morning potty break. They usually stay out while I shower, breakfast and get everything ready to head for work. I went to let them back in this morning, Riley was sitting on my tractor, as usual. The last couple months he has had problems getting off the tractor, I think because his vision is failing. This morning was no surprise, he was up and couldn't get down. I picked him up and set him down on the ground and he proceeded to collapse in front of me. He had no control of his rear extremities and couldn't stand up. I picked him up and carried him inside. He was shaking so hard, like he just couldn't get warm. I put him in bed and covered him with 2 blankets and he was still shaking. He always follows me to the front door when I leave but this morning, he didn't even lift his head when I said goodbye. I just wanted to cry and I wanted to stay home, but I had to go to work.

When I got home this evening, Riley was still in the bed. He had moved, he had himself propped up against the window. He drug himself to the edge of the bed and tried to hop down but couldn't. I picked him up and put him back in the center of the bed and covered him back up with his blanket and layed down with him. As the evening went on, he became a little more mobile and actually ate his dinner. I"d like to get my hopes up, but not sure its a good idea. He still drags his rear legs and he can't hold his balance. He's still shaking like he can't get warm.

I'm in a position now where I have to decide the fate of my best friend. How do I make the decision of whether my best friend gets to continue living or if he should die? I've had to make this decision before and you would think it would get easier each time you have to do it, but it doesn't. Each one of these special friends that God gives us is so uniquely different, personality, little quirks, vocalizations, the way they snuggle or play. How do I give up my best friend of 15 years? How do I go on without him? Do I wait it out and see if he gets better or do I just end it now and hope its the right decision? I can't stand to see him suffer and I won't let him. Thankfully he doesn't appear to be in any pain. All he wants to do is be near me and comfort me. Why are our dogs granted so few years to share our lives? Why can't he be with me for another 15 years?

After watching him all evening, I'm beginning to think that he may have had a stroke and that is what is causing the paralysis that comes and goes. I don't know how to say goodbye to this one, he is like so many of my other dogs but yet he is so totally different. He has compassion and intellect and a sense of humor....man he really loves to play jokes and horse around...when I was part of the clown troop at Stones, Riles was right there with me in his little tuxedo and top hat, loving every minute of it. He's never met a stranger and if he didn't like somebody, by golly, I knew to stay away from them because he generally loved everybody he met.

I don't know whats gonna happen tomorrow, maybe God will choose to heal whatever this affliction is or perhaps He will just let him slip into slumber and chase those dadburn rabbits he was never able to catch or a decision may have to be made depending on his condition when we wake up. Whatever happens, please be praying for Riley and me...because right now I don't know what I"m going to do without him.