The National - Lindy Loo's Day

This is part five - good grief! Part one is HERE

Lindy Loo. Photo (c) Laurie Erickson

When it rains, it surely can pour. My poor friend was critically ill, and she knew it. Without prompt treatment, she could be dead in as little as forty-eight hours. But. The Universe, with its perverse sense of humor, decided on that very moment to pinch a rather large nerve in her sweet young dog's neck.

So there she was, knowing that she had to get to the Emergency Room but horrified at the sight of her brave, stoic dog reduced to screaming every time he moved. She couldn't - wouldn't - leave him. His eyes were wild with pain and fear. It was awful.

And this is where dog people shine. In no time, one of the Best Vets in the World (who was showing her dogs at the National) appeared and took care of the dog. Someone else who is a Vet Tech helped hold him for his exam and meds. Another friend appeared who knew the ill person's dogs well, and agreed to take all three dogs to her room. The vet assured us that the dog would be fine, after his injection of steroids and some Tramadol. Someone else ran and got plenty of Tramadol. I told Lee and Dee and Lisa that I'd have our dogs with me in the van and we'd be back at Central Baptist Hospital, but that someone had volunteered take them back to our hotel after the Top Twenty.

And off we went.

The E.R., which had been empty at 7:00 A.M. Monday morning, was packed full at 9:00 P.M. Thursday night. My friend's treatment had already been delayed too long. I was really concerned. A young pregnant woman told us she had been waiting for two hours. "I just want to make sure that my baby is okay," she smiled. After about an hour (I think), I had just decided to ask to speak to the triage nurse when they called us back. Despite my friend's calm - and crazy brave - demeanor, I could tell by the triage nurse's expression and reaction that she realized she needed to bump this case up to the front of the line. And they did.

As they were getting her processed, Lee called to say that they were on their way to the hospital with someone else's van. They would leave that van for us, and take my van with the dogs back to the hotel so they could walk them and tuck them in. "Oh, that's super," I chortled. There was a pause. And then there were giggles.

"Well..."

"Well?"

"It's got a lot of character," Lee said.

Now, most of my life I lived on farms. Big farms, little farms, rich people's farms, working farms, my own little farm. Every farm has a Farm Vehicle. Or two. Farm Vehicles are treasures. They might not appear that way to non-farm folk, but you farmers know exactly what I mean.

"We're out here in the parking lot next to your van," said Lee.

And there they were. Eighty-two year old Lee, sixty-five year old Dee, and Lisa, The Queen of Sweden. Laughing like a bunch of sorority sisters out on a panty raid!

"The headlights are a little dim!"

"Don't take the key out!"

"Don't touch that window it's duct taped shut!"

"I don't know what that wire is for but don't undo it!"

"It runs great, but you can't see so good!"

It was a relief to know that the dogs could get taken care of. If I had half a brain, I'd have sat quietly and let my sick friend sleep. She was getting the treatment she needed and the docs agreed to release her when she was done. She would need to come in the next night for another treatment, but could go back to the hotel with the IV cathelon in place and be with her dogs. (I LOVE Central Baptist!)

But no. I felt I needed to entertain her. So I talked and blabbed and tried to make the time go faster. (You know how good I am - I'm the Queen of Blah Blah Blah!)

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

And then it was time to go. We got in the van. With not a small amount of trepidation I turned the key. Like a Good Farm Vehicle, it started right up! Oh it smelled like heaven to me. Horses and cows and hay and corn and all the sweetness of the farm that I miss like sunshine. Whoa! The lights were a little dim, but they were good enough to see with. And the wires that came out of the hood and in through the duct-taped window and disappeared under the steering column were a little disconcerting, but it had started right up after all and the brakes were great and we laughed the whole way back to the hotel and wasn't life grand!

I tippy-toed into my hotel room at 3:15 A.M. I told Lisa, the Queen of Sweden that I would just skip showing Lindy Loo at 8:00 A.M. "There are forty-six bitches in her Bred By class," I said. "She won't do anything anyway. We can just sleep in."

The Queen of Sweden wasn't pleased. "No," she replied. In her lovely sing-song Swedish accent she said, "We are here. You will show your lovely bitch!"

And so I did. (Would you dare argue with the Queen of Sweden! No. Me either.) Poor Lee and Dee and Lisa: no time for breakfast. We rolled out of bed, fed and walked the dogs, threw the dogs and ourselves in the van and headed the mile over to Griffin Gate.

Now I love my Lindy Loo. She is very type-y and old fashioned. Our modern American whippets have gotten heavier boned, and less curvy. (That is a gross generalization and only my opinion. If your opinion is different, I mean no offense and you're probably much more knowledgeable than I am. But it is my opinion.) In the little bit of breeding that I do, I strive to preserve whippety-ness. Lindy Loo is very whippety.

Her markings on her show side don't help her. Some judges will walk around and look at her off side, and then I know they get it. I'll try to have her stacked backwards at least once so they can see her off side. Anyway, I was hoping the the National judge would appreciate her type enough that she could make at least one cut. But this was the National, and we'd be in against the top breeders in the country, and I didn't have any expectations.

At the National. The judge walked around to look at Lindy's off side. You're looking at her show side. Photo (c) Steve Surfman

Here is the judge's view of Lindy Loo's off side. Photo (c) Lisa Winder, Queen of Sweden

Well, she made the first cut. And then the next cut. And before I knew it we were back in for the the final cut!!! In Bred By (short for Bred By Exhibitor - meaning that the handler is the breeder of the dog) at the National!!! Lindy Loo loves to show. (As anyone who has heard her ringside while I'm in the ring with another dog will tell you.) She and I were having an absolute ball. To be in the final cut in Bred By at the National? To channel my dear, late friend Carolyn: Oh my gawsh!

Before the judge made her final placements she told the ten (?) of us left in the ring, "This is so hard. All of these bitches are just beautiful and could win anywhere. I hate to cut any of them!" I was beyond pleased that my little Lindy Loo had made it that far.

So. You can imagine how I felt when the judge pointed to Lindy Loo for second place! No, maybe you can't! I couldn't imagine it! I looked over at Lee and Dee and Lisa. LISA!! I wouldn't have even shown Lindy if it hadn't been for Lisa!

I could not believe it. Simmer had WON the Triathlon. Mia had made the final cut in her class. And now Lindy Loo was second in Bred By? Nah I had to be dreaming that was it. I was about to wake up and think oh rats what a great dream.

I love my little Lindy Loo. Photo (c) Laurie Erickson

Her photo came yesterday!

And that was nothing compared to what happened next...

hug your hounds

The Many Benefits of Having Laurie as My Friend

Minnesooooooooota Laurie, that is. She just happens to be a talented photographer, as well as a kind, caring, understanding, funny, advice giving, dog training, always ready for a laugh or a hug friend. Oh I could go on forever but here's what I'm talking about today!


First, here's Laurie in a photo that her sister took. Laurie's on the left, then goofy me, then Laurie's 89 year old dad with whom I'm a little bit in love, watch out Bill! then Crystal who went with me to Minnesota (and to Sweden a couple of years ago if she looks familiar) and who was trying to snag Mr. Erickson with her blond hair and blue eyes and I had MY green eyes on her yes I did!

I digressed.

So, Laurie is this fantastic photographer. I get awesome show photos.


(Okay, if you look carefully, I'm trying to be a real pro by tossing the liver and catching it. But notice how the liver is bouncing off my wrist and will soon hit the ground? Yeah, I'm cool!!!)



Lindy Loo looking glamorous!

But then there are the candids. Oh my heart! Absolute TREASURES, and there are tons more. It's impossible to choose which to share so I just randomly picked some.



Sweet essence of Sam I Am

Mia - Oh breath-taking!

Swede William and Sam - pure art

More art - Lindy Loo in the sunshine

But then...

there's the risk ... well, remember how your mother told you if you made a face it might stick like that forever?

Oh boy!!!

LAURIE!!!!!

I sure am lucky. And she did formal portraits, too. Wait til you see them!!!

hug your friends and your hounds

Bells a'Ringing !

My much admired Canadian blogging friend, Barry, has finished his Chemotherapy. There is a tradition in the Cancer Center where he is being treated: the client rings a big, brass bell after the infusion of his last Chemo. But for our beloved Barry, would just the one bell do?

No way!

On the actual day that he finished, hundreds of bloggers joined him and bells rang all over the world.

I am quite tardy, but I am also a charter member of the Better Late Than Never Club. As I read the blogs which I've missed during my work imposed, funk imposed, not-enough-hours-in-the-day imposed blog exile, I realised I needed to Ring a Bell, late or not!

So, I called on the Waggle to help, of course.

My charge nurse at my new job gave all of her crew a gift for Christmas. I was touched to be included, as I had only been on the floor for a couple of weeks. I received a cute little Santa doorknob decoration with a jingle bell.

Swede William was the first to learn that if he rang the bell when he wanted to go out, he got our attention faster. The rest soon caught on. So I imagine Santa will be a permanent fixture on the kitchen door!

Without further ado (and, unfortunately without the knowledge of how to edit these videos) Here are the BELLS FOR BARRY!!!

Hugs today are for Barry, Linda, and Lindsay!

Friday My Town Shoot Out - Look Up Look Down

So LAST week's assignment was Look Up Look Down, but I got confused and did THIS week's topic (circles) last week. So here is Last Week's topic this week.

I am a dedicated acrophobe, so no no no you won't see any photos from great heights. Oh no.

There is nothing more uplifting than looking down and seeing Mama Pajama with a snow nose:
(Mama Pajama survived a horrible anti-immune disease at age six, which claimed most of her ears, one lung, and a good deal of her kidney function. It did NOT claim her spirit or her life, and at twelve and a half she is my hero.)

Hardly anyone in these parts bothers to shovel. They are tickled by the snow and figure it's going to melt anyway. Looking down Monroe St.

Looking up at the appropriately named A.I.R. Studio sign. (A.I.R. stands for Artist In Residence. If you want to come live in Paducah's Art District for a week or a month, this is the spot.)

The whippets are fascinated with looking down the storm drains. So am I. They are made of brick and they are ancient. At night they serve as a raccoon Interstate. Whole families emerge to check out whats going on in Lower Town.

Looking up in the newest gallery's window, I think "Hey! There we are!" Only I can't imagine walking whippets in heels! Studio 7 features these art rugs.

Looking up at Paducah Yoga Center.

Looking down in front of the Yoga Center - ah, yes, the famed Snow Angel Pose!

Looking upstream: on the left is the Ohio River; on the right is the Tennessee River. I thought we were in Kentucky?

Looking downstream towards the Mississippi. I think Kentucky has an identity problem.

Looking up Broadway from the river.

Looking down Broadway towards the river. The farthest trees are in Illinois.

Looking up a giant snow bank at Sam I Am the King of the Mountain!

And looking down at little Lindy Loo who wanted to be.

Well that's it from my town. If you want to see fantastic photos from towns all over this world by much better photographers than I, just click on the camera on the right of this blog. It's really fun!

hug your hounds and stay warm and safe

Here we are!

Emmett

Playing catch up.

I've got some orders to get out: thank you wonderful people who are buying my book! You know how in that James Stewart Christmas classic movie every time a bell rings an angel gets wings? Well, for me, every time a book sells, I feel like I can fly. Just for a second.

But it feels great, so thank you.

We went to a dog show on Sunday and had a blast. All three dogs showed like pros! Emmett went first, and did better than I imagined he would. His Heather was home - baby Ben's little brother is due in four weeks, but that wasn't why. Ben's daddy had to work, so Heather had a day with Ben, just the two of them. My great and generous friend Dee (of Lee and Dee fame) went with me, packing a yummy lunch to eat on the way, to hold dogs ringside and be excellent company on the SIX hours - three up, three back - of fascinating southern Illinois Interstate.

So Emmett had to go first, and didn't have his Heather to cheer him on, but he was a brave and happy and wonderful boy. No stage fright for him! Then it was Swede William's turn and he gave me goosebumps. Not so much the judge, though, who apparently got indigestion from William's glorious Swedish color. Dee reported hearing collective ooooh's and aaaaah's from the whippet folks ringside, which is gratifying.

Lindy Loo, who is the worst little fussbudget when we practice, was showier than a Rockette! She stood like a statue, arched her neck, cocked her head at the judge and moved like a dream. I couldn't help smiling - okay, beaming - at her. She had a blast.

These three dogs just love to show, and that makes it so much fun for me. Plus I got to see some friends who I haven't seen forever. Dee and I got home to Bill and Lee enjoying wine and cheese in our kitchen while Bill made a signature pasta dish - oooooh sun dried tomatoes artichoke hearts shrimp wine and cream sauce ohhhhhh ahhhhhh. It was just a great day. I was asleep under a pile of whippets by 8:30.

Work is going fine. (Although you've noticed it cuts into my blog time something fierce.) Bill is doing a heroic job of being primary dog servant. I am so enjoying giving patient care again: it is such a special privilege. I don't have the time to devote right this minute, but in another post I'll talk about that. The gift of caring for people.

And I'm having a blast getting to know the staff of the floor where I'm working. It's a delightful, fun, energetic, responsible, cooperative group of people. They help each other, and they put their patients first. That makes for a rewarding work environment. My preceptor is a very good nurse. So young! More on that in another post, too.

It's a busy day. The Paducah Kennel Club Christmas Party is tonight. No rest for the weary!



Hug your hounds - it's good to 'see' you!

Helpful Ben Takes A Hike

You all met helpful Ben before when he threw a party for Lindy Loo and her brother, Emmett. Well, Ben is still helpful and he thought that Lindy Loo and Swede William, and especially their old servant Patience might need to get out of the city and take a hike.

So he helped his mom Heather get all ready, and he even wore his big boy underpants. He brought his Old Dog Edgar, and his Young Dog Emmett, who is Ben's good friend. Ben helped print out the directions and the whole kit and caboodle headed north to Ferne Cliffe State Park, in Illinois.

Before they all started hiking, Ben peed right on a leaf and the grass. (It was okay, because we were in Nature, not in civilization.) That was very helpful. His mom was glad that he did not need to change clothes.


Once they started hiking in earnest, (they were in Illinois, but they were also earnest), Ben realized that the stroller was going to be a lot lighter without a Ben in it. "I'll walk," he said. And he did. The whole way.

Ben grabbed his mommy's hand and helped her escape from being squished on the head by a giant tree!

Ben helped his mommy from tipping over when he showed her the cool stuff. Ben's mommy is a little tippy these days, since his baby brother is taking up a lot of room in her belly.

Ben was showing his mommy the gargantuan rock. Ben's mommy smacked her own forehead in disbelief and amazement.

Ben helped his mommy and his baby brother and his Old Dog Edgar and his Young Dog Emmett who is his friend through the muddy slippery part. He held on extra tight, which helped his mommy be extra brave.

They made it! They thought this was where Ferne Cliffe State Park got its Ferne Cliffe name, though they didn't know where the extra ees (Ferne Cliffe) came from. This cliff was covered with ferns. (You can click to enlarge and use your back button to come back. Ben said so.)

Ben helped his baby brother feel like he was part of the gang by sitting on him!

Ben helped show his mommy and his dogs the way.

Then Ben showed his mommy the slimy stuff under the biggest rock in the world. Young Dog Emmett didn't care to see, and Old Dog Edgar thought they should have a snack.

Ben helped by posing handsomely in front of a Big Dark Crevice. Ben is not only helpful. Ben is brave.

Ben realized that his Old Dog Edgar was thinking about a little snack. He gave each dog a dog treat, and then got out the graham crackers. He gave each dog a graham cracker, and then he gave his mommy one (who shared it with his brother in her belly) and he even gave Lindy Loo and William's old servant two! (Maybe three, but who was counting.)

This will be hard for you to believe, but Ben went down all of those wooden steps far away, and then he went up all of these wooden steps right here, by himself without help! Yes, that's right, he did. His mommy and Lindy Loo and William's servant carried the stroller down and up and Emmett the Young Dog decided this was an opportune time to try to romance his sister Lindy Loo. He got a head bop from Lindy Loo's servant. He decided it was a bad idea after all.

Ben even made his own sandwich in the picnic place after that long hilly hike. He ran up and down the hill and helped lead his Old Dog Edgar back to the car.

On the long ride home, Ben sang his A B C's and 1 2 3's and made everyone in the car just a little smarter.

Anyone who got to take a hike with helpful Ben is lucky lucky lucky, and they know it.

hug your hounds and any helpful Bens you know!

Sunday

Lindy Loo is finished with her time of confinement. (Sing Hal Lay Looooo Ya - do I hear Amen!)

She has returned to the general population. Swede William is glad to have his best buddy back, but... "Are you sure, Lindy Loo? Don't you just want a little Swedish Schmorgasborg?"

No. In no uncertain terms, her answer is no way hose head.

It is so nice to have the household back in the natural order of things.

Swede William is sleeping in the sun. Luciano is barking at me every two seconds to "Turn up the heat!! Now!" Or at least, cover him up again.

Thank goodness we have a little under counter refrigerator in the dog room. Our big refrigerator died on Saturday. Only seven years old ooooooh that gets my goat.

When I was a teenager, I was embarrassed of my parents' refrigerator. It was older than I was, and my friends all had newer, sleeker models in their kitchens. Well, our fridge just wouldn't quit; it lasted until my son was a teenager. In fact, I don't believe it ever died.

Our recently deceased Kenmore is only seven years old. And I think it cost around $1200. Not a top of the line sub zero model, but not the cheapest, either. Seven years!!! The compressor went. It would cost $438 (with labor) to replace the compressor. So much for planned obsolescence. I think it stinks.

Bill and I spoke angry words last night. At each other. This is such a rare occurrence. Twenty-six years of marriage, and I think I can count the times we were angry at each other on one hand. Today we're being extra nice. Sheepish. Quiet. We'll laugh about it soon enough.

I am going to spend the rest of the afternoon outside. It's warmer out than in, and the grass is an out of control swampy jungle. The dogs will bask on the porch furniture in sun while I mow. It's rained for so many days; this sun is like a nice dose of soul morphine. The dogs are addicted.

I know that I will get a hit eventually on one of the gazillion of job applications I've filled out. It never occurred to me that my age and experience would be a liability! How naive am I? Yup, that naive. But this too shall pass.

In the mean time, I have a lovely sunny day to enjoy all the good. There is so much good.

hug your hounds

Swede William to the Rescue! (another story of a senile servant)

Lovers

I did it again. I misplaced a dog. Not like the first Sad Story of A Senile Servant, which in keeping with the Blogoversary was posted the second week of this blog's existence, and in which I thought I had put Fat Charlie in the dryer with the wash. Nothing like that.

Lindy Loo is in season. This makes for a twenty-four/seven finely choreographed dance, in which our little lovers - Lindy Loo and Swede William - are never, ever partnered. We put a crate in the TV room. Either Lindy or William is in the crate. When one goes outside, the other is in. I worried about Bill keeping up with this, but the threat of puppies is a great incentive!

Last night at bed time, William wouldn't settle. He sleeps in a wire crate adjacent to Lindy Loo's VariKennel. He whined softly. I looked up from my book, (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court). Their crates form a bank on the wall opposite our bed. William's eyes were glowing red Martian things, twice their normal size, burning holes in my forehead.

Well, the dogs have been passing a diarrhea bug around, so... "Come on, William," I said. "Gotta go out again?"

He ran to the TV room. (There's always a special chewy in the special TV room crate.) Then he ran downstairs, ran outside, took a warp speed pee, ran back inside, ran upstairs, ran to the crate in the TV room, and when I called him he ran into his crate in the bedroom and instantly recommenced whining.

It's only day eleven of Lindy's special time, and the real fireworks don't start until day fourteen or fifteen. "Hush, William!" I said. He tipped his head up to look into the strip of side window of Lindy's crate and looked back at me. His eyes were the size of a '55 Chevy's headlights, and were blinking RED - GREEN - RED like some kind of devil possessed doggy eye neon. It was rather eerie. He whined again.

Hmmm. Maybe he would rather sleep in the TV room crate with the chewy, I pondered. Maybe Lindy is especially alluring and it's too much being in such close proximity. "Come on, buddy. Let's see if you're happier in the next room." I took him by the collar so that he wouldn't think we were going downstairs and out again, and we walked into the TV room. "It's tough on a guy, isn't it, sweetheart," I said.

Well thank the good lord I had a hold of his collar because when I opened the TV room crate, out came Lindy Loo! WHAT? HUH? Uhhhh... But I had given her her biscuit in her bedroom crate??? Did I ... oops, get your sexy butt out of his face! Yikes, oh no.

I got my wits - what's left of them - about me and took Lindy and William into their proper crates in the bedroom. Lindy gobbled her biscuit, which had been sitting in her empty crate. William curled right up and went immediately to sleep.

He had only been trying to tell me that I had misplaced his Lindy Loo! What a good boy!



Hug your heroic hounds

For Ben: A Special Party

Once upon a time there was a very helpful little boy named Ben. Ben lived with his mommy Heather and his daddy Jason and his whippets, Edgar and Emmett.

One day, Emmett had a birthday! Ben, being a helpful little boy, suggested that Emmett and Emmett's sister Lindy Loo have a Pizza and Pupcakes Party. The big day arrived and Ben helped. He helped his mommy make the Pupcakes and he helped wrap the presents.

It was time! Patience came in the big Whippet Wagon with Lindy Loo. She brought even more presents. Emmett and Lindy Loo don't have thumbs, so it was up to helpful Ben to unwrap the gifts for his friends. Ben has thumbs. And a very cute tongue.


The Pupcakes were very fancy as you can see because Ben helped with the decorations.



Emmett got so excited about his first present - a squeaky stuffie birthday cake - that he got a little googly-eyed.



"Here you go, Mr. Googly-eyed Emmett," said helpful Ben, handing over the toy.




While Emmett enjoyed his gift, helpful Ben opened the next one, being as he still had his thumbs handy.

Emmett said, "Whoa, Ben! You ROCK!!! A squeaky duck for my birthday! Cool beans!"

Ben ducked, too.

"Woo-HOOOOOO!" said Emmett and his sister, Lindy Loo. "We love youooooooo, helpful Ben!"

Ben got right back to business and opened the next gift, ever so helpfully.

"Look, Daddy," said Ben. "It's a sock monkey lead. I like it!"

Then Ben's mommy lit the candles on the Pupcakes which Ben had helped to make and decorate. Ben helped the whippets contain themselves. It was pretty darn exciting, I tell you that!

Lindy Loo and Emmett had a terrible time making their lips blow, so Ben came to the rescue and helped blow out the candles.

Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday dear Emmett and Lindy Loo.

Happy Birthday to you!

"Yayyyyyyyyy!" sang Ben, helping the grownups remember the words.

Ben helped put the Pupcakes on the plates for the whippets. Emmett did not need any help eating his!

Chomp, glomp, slurp, gulp!

Lindy Loo needed a little help eating hers, but Emmett had learned from Ben how to be helpful, so he pitched right in.

Then it was Ben's turn. He chose a beautiful Pupcake with green sprinkles.

It was delicious and a half!

Emmett and Lindy Loo say

Thank you helpful Ben for our BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!

We sure do love youooooooooooo!!

hug your hounds