Ironstone Park

It was a cold winter day in March that Maggie and I took a walk at Ironstone Park.  

It's a local park in my area that is busy in the summer time with families having picnics and kids baseball team in full swing.  In the winter the park is empty and a scenic place to take a walk.

One of the cool things at the park is an old railroad trestle and metal bridge with Ironstone creek running underneath it.

Maggie got Fish Hooked

Trouble seems to follow Maggie where ever she goes.  

Yesterday she was chasing a squirrel. The squirrel hopped from the tree, ran across the yard and under the chain link fence headed for the woods.  Maggie tried to follow the squirrel under the fence.  Somehow - not sure how it is possible - Maggie's nose got caught on the bottom part of the fence that curls under.  This piece of wire pierced her nose like a fish hook does to a fishes mouth.

She was howling and crying so loudly is scared me.  At this point I didn't know she was stuck to the fence.  When I got to her and knelt down I was in disbelief.  I tried to push her towards the fence so I could slide the piece of wire back through her nose.  The more I pushed her, the more she pulled.  She was panicking and I couldn't calm her down.  She ended up ripping her nose right off the wire.  I couldn't determine the extent of damage because there was so much blood. It was awful!!

I had to take Maggie to an emergency vet.  They were awesome!!  They saw us right away, calmed Maggie (and me) down and took excellent care of her.  She had to stay the day to stitch up her wound.  She's wearing the 'cone of shame' until her stitches dissolve and has to take antibiotics to make sure the wound doesn't get infected.

I am hoping this will cure Maggie from trying to escape under the fence, but I am not holding my breath!

Where O where has my little dog gone....

A few weeks ago my dogs found a way under the fence and took off. We have woods and a creek behind our house. It was a rainy day and a few thunder rumbles came through.  Ellie (our black lab mix) is afraid of thunder.  I believe what happened is that the thunder spooked her, she couldn't get back in the yard and followed the creek looking for cover.  Maggie (our brown lab) being goofy Maggie, followed Ellie!

I had friends and family (even strangers pitched in) looking for 5 hours.  There is a local Facebook page that posts missing dogs.  I am forever grateful to them notifying the community.  I had over 85 people share the status and even a few volunteered to go look for my dogs.

Luckily Ellie and Maggie's story ends with a happy ending.  My sister, Tiffani and friend, Heather found them on an abandoned farm inside a shed.  As soon as Ellie heard my sisters voice she came running and jumped in the car.  Maggie was a bit leery, which is unusual.  Maggie is such a friendly dog.  She growled at first with her hair sticking up.  Once she realized that she knew Tiffani, she jumped in the car too.   I'm so glad the dogs stuck together and were home safe and sound.

We have since found the spot the dogs were getting out and fixed it.  Thank goodness we haven't had a problem since!  Now... if I could only keep them out of my garden. That's a story for another day.

Spring Break

Zachary has been home on spring break for almost a week.  It's been nice having him around again.  

I'm glad he was home to celebrate Easter with us.

Egg hunts are a thing in the past. 

 My boys think they are too old for an egg hunt, but they are okay with getting Easter baskets on Easter morning.

We spent Easter with Todd's parents and his brother's family.

Maggie's spring break was spent with a cone around her head.

 Poor baby.  

She had surgery to get spayed.

The vet also tattooed a state license number on her.  In the state of PA, you have to apply annually for a dog license.  Because Maggie is tattooed, we never have to get another dog license for her.  That save a few dollars.   Pretty soon the cone will come off and stitches out.  Maggie will be good as new!

Adventures of Ellie & Maggie {snow day}

We've had a lot of snow this winter.  Not as much as the New England states, but enough to crave the warmer air of spring.  This was Maggie's first major snowfall to play in.  I hope you enjoy watching them play as much as I did!


  

Cone of Shame

At first I chuckled as I watched Maggie trying to walk through out the house without bumping into stuff.  I soon felt guilty and very sorry for her.

The cone of shame was attached to the Maggie's collar with strings passing through holes punched in the sides of the plastic.  After a few days the string began to stink. Yuck!

Maggie did not adjust to the newly acquired lamp shade quite well.  

She would not eat or drink with the collar in place and we had to temporarily removed for meals.

What a pain the in butt it was to put back on too!

I had the hold the plastic part upwards towards her snout so she could get up the steps.

Maggie and I were both relieved when the cone of shame was removed!!

What does Christmas Eve look like at your house?

Christmas 2001

Probably the only time I wait to the last minute to do anything is on Christmas Eve. I got into the bad habit of wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve.  Although it isn't as hectic and stressful as it used to be when the boys were younger.  There are less (but more expensive) presents to wrap.   I like to wrap presents watching the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart and drinking a glass (or two) of wine.

Christmas 2009

Christmas Eve is when we hide the pickle on the tree.  In the past the boys would rush down to find the pickle.  Whoever found the pickle first got a prize.  The pickle prize varied over the years from toys to games and now... money.

Christmas 2007

We also spend Christmas Eve with good friends of ours.  We have Chinese take out and unwrap gifts.

Christmas 2006

Christmas Eve is always the time we would take a family photo.  Not the easiest thing to do with three uncooperative boys and dogs that can't sit still.  Seems like each year it gets harder and harder to get a picture.
Wishful thinking on my part, but maybe this year the boys won't moan and groan!!

Otter Lake and a Teddy Bear

 We had a springer spaniel named Teddy and we took him camping with us whenever a campground allowed pets.  Otter Lake was one of our favorite campgrounds located near the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.

The scenery and lake was gorgeous.  The lake also had a lot of DUCKS!

Springer Spaniels are known for hunting birds.

The term springer comes from the historic hunting role, 

where the dog would "spring" (flush) into the air.

I wish I had pictures of Teddy 'springing' off the dock to jump in the water.  

It was beautiful.

Teddy loved the water.  He would swim after those ducks until he got tired.  

After the swim we would dry Teddy off to keep him warm.

 
I loved snuggling with my Teddy Bear. 

 Even though he is technically not a lapdog, Teddy seemed to think he was.

 Teddy passed away August 30th, 2013.

My heart still hurts when I think of him.

I miss him very much.

 Otter Lake Camp Resort 2004.

Maggie {8 weeks old}

Last weekend we brought home a chocolate lab puppy.  My eldest son wanted to name her: 

"Lady Regina T. Wigglebottom the 7th, Countess of the great divide, Queen of the land of Minth, Seducer of the fallen kings, Baroness of the red crusted dough, and Princess to the sovereign nations".

I called her Maggie.
She weighs 9.5 lbs.

Maggie got stuck under our island.....

 (My husband had to lift it up so I could pull her out).

she fell into the pond....

her favorite toy is a ball that is too large to fit in her mouth...

 she loves the outdoors....

and she has already figured out I am a sucker.