Tuesday, 03/06 Wow, where did February go?! It's a short month anyway, but it just flew past.

We had a good adoption day on Sunday. This is the first one we've had this year - we lost our other place and hadn't found a new one but finally found a place and had our first adoption in the new place. Crash went home with a family that had already been approved. (Reference check and homecheck had already been done, they were just coming to adoptions to meet the dogs they were interested in and they decided on Crash.) Very nice family with two boys (maybe 10 and 12?), and a good home for Crash. I embarrassed the heck out of myself by bursting into tears in front of everyone there. I really loved this little guy, and would have been very happy to add him to the family. They have my e-mail - I sure hope they'll let me know how he's doing.

There was a Basset/Brittany mix boy there who'd been kept at a vet clinic until then. He was heartworm positive and was treated a couple of weeks ago. But the vet who owns the clinic was back from vacation and said the dog could not come back to the clinic, so they were scrambling to find a place for him to stay until he's adopted. There was a vet assistant who was looking at him and wanted him, but needed to clear it with her husband first (he was out getting her car fixed and she couldn't reach him). Since I now had a vacant crate (he needs to be kept very quiet for another week or so), I brought Gus home with me. He's a sweetheart - very laid-back, gentle, easy-going, friendly. And just too cute - low and very long, he's built like a Basset but is black with a black-freckled white muzzle, white "footies", and a few white hairs on the end of his black tail. He probably won't be here for long, but he's such an "easy keeper" that he's welcome to stay as long as he needs to. Poor guy wants to come out and play so badly, but he needs to stay quiet.

I've got several good inquiries on Honey. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that one of these homes works out for her. One is to an older couple who recently lost a young Sheltie to cancer. The wife is hearing impaired herself, so feels a kinship with Honey. The other home is a family with 3 kids and a young-at-heart small Collie who needs a playmate. If both sets of references and homechecks pan out, I think I'd rather see her go to the family - she really enjoys the company of other dogs, she and Crash were great buddies and since he's gone she's been playing with Gruffydd, and I think an active household would probably be best for her. I think she'd be lonely without another dog. On the other hand, she might have a better opportunity to reach her full potential if she didn't have other dogs to depend on. I don't know..... I guess I'll just go with my gut after I've met the people who are interested in her.

There were a couple of people interested in Gruffydd too, but he was second choice with one woman, and the fellow who was looking at him (who I think would be a very good match) was worried that Gruffydd was "too hyper". Gruffydd's not hyper, he was just pacing in the kennel at adoptions. It's hard to convince people that what they see at adoptions is quite often not reflective of what the dog is like in a home. I'll give this guy a call tonight and tell him that his first choice (Crash) was adopted and see if he'd be interested in having Gruffydd come visit him at his house so he could get a better idea of how he'd be in the home.

I walked into the living room this morning to find Snickers curled up on the couch. This is only the third time (that I'm aware of) that he's ventured out of the bedroom. (Many of the cats hang out in my bedroom most of the time.) He looked as relaxed as could be. I went and sat on the couch, 'Mingo jumped up onto my lap, settled down and started to purr, and Snickers crawled up into my lap and curled himself into 'Mingo and started to purr too. Both of my thighs were buzzing with kitty purrs. Snickers gets more comfortable here all the time. He's timid but not scared. Shy, but social. He sure does like 'Mingo, and 'Mingo likes him right back. They're pretty cute together. The fur on Snickers' nose is almost grown back now - I was a little worried for a while that he'd always have bare skin on his nose from where it was scraped, but it's looking really good and the fur is also starting to grow back on the edges of his ears where I think he had a little frostbite. He's such a petite little boy!

The weather was nasty here yesterday - high winds and some snow, and people didn't want to go out last night so Blizzard and I were the only ones to show up for the first class of Agility II last night. We got a private lesson. I haven't "worked" her during the 3-week break, but she's managed to learn in the interim anyway - she was amazing, and was really focused and accurate. It was a lot of fun. I'm going to start a class with Penny tomorrow night - Rally Obedience. If nothing else, it'll be a "night out" for her and it'll give us some good one-on-one time together. Blizzard is competetive, Penny's not. But I'd still like to train Penny to a pre-Novice or Novice level and do a little competing with her. I think she'll enjoy it, and it'll give me an opportunity to take her out and show her off. On the other hand, I think Blizzard's potential is unlimited, and I know the activity is good for her - it gives her a "job" to do, uses up some of the inexhaustible energy she has, and besides, she's a show-off.

Before I head to class tomorrow night, I'm going to go temperament test another English Setter coming into rescue. I seem to be the ES contact/evaluator now. That's OK - I love setters!

Sunday, 3/11 Well, I have yet another foster - Raggs the English Setter mix. (Probably mixed with Border Collie.) He has a setter temperament - sweet, social, happy - and a setter build, and his coat is that of a setter (feathered legs and tail) but he's colored like a Border Collie - black and white - and his tail, though a setter tail, is set into his body like a Border Collie's tail. Very handsome boy. The guy who rescued him as a stray couldn't keep him and was going away for the weekend so had to have him gone by Saturday morning at the latest. We managed to get Raggs a neuter appointment for Friday morning, so the guy dropped him off at the vet Friday morning and I picked him up Friday evening. He's a very sweet gentle boy, actually pretty calm for a youngster. (I'm guessing him at about a year and a half maybe.) Shouldn't take long to find him a good home.

I took Gruffydd to a business expo yesterday - lots of businesses of all sorts have booths promoting their services/wares/foods etc. and the rescue group is offered a free booth each year to promote ourselves. Gruffydd was a wonderful ambassador; he'll schmooze up to anyone who looks at him, will lean into their legs and sit perfectly still as long as they keep petting him. Lots of people really liked him; we'll see if we get any applications to adopt him out of this. I was watching the 11 o'clock news last night, and saw a bit of film showing some of the dogs that were there. (I think they must have filmed it before we arrived.) We did pretty good on donations (about \\$140, I think), lots of people took brochures with the website addy and phone number, and we even got a couple of adoption applications on the lab/coonhound puppies that were there. All in all, a very successful afternoon.

I'm taking Gruffydd (and probably Raggs too) over to meet the guy who thought Griff was "too hyper" on Tuesday night. That'll give him a chance to see how Griff would behave in a home setting, rather than in a crate at adoptions. The potential adopter for Gus fell through, so it looks like he'll be here a little while longer. He doesn't like Raggs. He doesn't mind Gruffydd, but Raggs was just neutered and Gus hasn't been neutered yet (can't do it for a while because of the heartworm treatment) and I think Gus felt threatened by another "intact" male. I'm betting Gus will get better about it as the testosterone leaves Raggs' system. The home visit on Honey's potential adopters will be done on Tuesday; I'm hoping that she'll be going home to them by next Sunday at the latest. She's a sweet girl and I'll miss her, but I will not miss that sharp little bark!

I was sitting on the floor with Gus on Tuesday night - easier to cuddle him since he's so low to the ground - and he put his front paws up on my thigh, leaned into me, put his chin on my shoulder, nuzzled my ear, then "talked" to me as I scratched his head: Ohhhhhhhh....... Ahhhhhhhh........ Mmmmmmmmmm..... He has a very deep voice - he sounds just like Barry White!

The weather is warming up here, all the ice in my yard is finally melting, and my yard's one big mud puddle. Ugh. I really want to put some 1-foot square stone tiles in around the back stoop to form a kind of patio, and also do a walkway from there to the driveway. I'm really tired of sinking into mud up to my ankles. And wiping off muddy dog paws is getting really old. If it doesn't rain, it should dry up back there within a week or so but it's going to be one huge mess until then. I think I'm going to have to use the front door to come and go for a while, which means moving one dog crate into a different spot. That's the crate Honey's been sleeping in - I wonder if she'll knock herself down if I put that crate on top of Gruffydd's crate? She throws quite a tantrum in the crate when she wants out in the morning. I might just move it into the middle of the living room when I go out and move it back in front of the door when I come home. Probably safer all the way around.

Talked to Mom and Dad this week - they'll be home late Friday night. Wow, that 6 weeks went fast! It'll be nice to have them home.

Saturday, 3/17 Happy St. Patrick's Day! Penny got a haircut on Tuesday. While she was at the groomer, I went and got a haircut too. Very short, and I love it. It's so easy to take care of. And it's not so nasty when I wake up in the morning after having night sweats. *sigh*

I got the application for Honey all approved. Her potential family is coming to adoptions tomorrow - they're planning on being there when we open at noon to meet her. They're excited. I am too - I hope they like her. They'll be a good home for her, she'll have a couple of kids and a small Collie to play with, and a small fenced yard to run and jump in. I'm going to miss her; she's gotten so affectionate the last few weeks and I will miss the little fairy nose touches when she thinks I'm not looking - on my hand, on the back of my head, on my knee. I will not miss the early morning barking, though!

I took Gruffydd to meet a potential adopter last night. Divorced guy who gets his kids every other weekend. He was originally interested in Crash and was disappointed when Crash was adopted. He looked at Gruffydd but decided Griff was too hyper for him. (Griff was dancing around in the crate - I probably would have thought he was too hyper too, but he's really not like that.) I explained that Griff was just wound up with all the commotion at adoptions and wanted out of the crate to come sit next to me, that he's actually pretty calm around the house. So we went to visit last night, and I have a good feeling about this match. This guy wants a companion, and one that'll be good with his kids when they visit. He lives 1/2 mile from work so he goes home for lunch most days. Griff will be alone during the day, but I think he'll be OK with that. When the guy's home, Griff will get all the attention he desires. I think these two "lost boys" will be very good for each other. He's coming to adoptions tomorrow with the kids to let me know what they decide. I told him that even though I thought he and Griff were a perfect match that he shouldn't feel pressured to take him. I'll work with him as long as it takes to find him the right dog, and place a dog in the right home. Still, I have high hopes.

I'm going to let both Honey and Gruffydd sleep in bed with me tonight. I wonder if there will be any room for me?

I took Gus up to meet Mom and Dad today. He's really perfect for them - slow-moving, sweet, gentle, not likely to run away, good on a leash, won't get up on the furniture, housebroken. They fell in love, but told me to take him to adoptions tomorrow to give him one last chance to have the perfect person find him and fall in love and if it doesn't happen by the end of the day to turn in their application for him. He's already met the perfect people for him - there won't be anybody interested in him tomorrow. I'm 95% sure Gus will stay in the family, and I'm glad - he's such a love. Dad took him for a walk, and Mom and I stood on the porch and watched and giggled - they were really cute together.

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