Gypsy Drama

 Just before Christmas Gypsy seemed to be feeling bad. She was needing to go outside to pee more and seemed lethargic and had some diarrhea.  She would also tire quickly on her walks. The first thing I thought of was a possible issue with her Kidney's. So, off to the vet with go for a check up. Her blood test didn't indicate any problem with her Kidney's but it did show slightly elevated levels for her Liver. The other thing of concern was her weight was down to about 36 lbs. The Vet said we had to do whatever we had to do to get some weight on her.

She gave us this probiotic to sprinkle on her food. I'm making a mix of white rice, chicken parts, peas or carrots to mix in with her food. She has been eating better and seems to be feeling good, ready to walk or play as usual. Her weight is up to 39.5. I am open for suggestions on how to get some weight on this non food driven dog.

Moose post Chloe

It has been several weeks since we lost Chloe and we've noticed some changes. The dynamics among the cats has changed. The biggest change has been with Moose. Moose was Chloe's arch enemy and tried her best to catch him first thing in the morning. Her short little legs would just spin on the hard wood floors as she tried to take off. Moose spent much of the day on the second floor in the office, his safe place. Since loosing her Moose has been out playing with the other cats and just much more relaxed. I guess this is one of those "happy ending" things.

Holiday Grooming

OK, we take Gypsy to the groomer every year just prior to Christmas. This is not one of her favorite things to do but it is nice to have a well groomed, good smelling dog to spend the big day with. And every year she comes back with silly bows in her hair and some kind of holiday scarf. Gypsy is mortified by this and quite embarrassed. So, being the caring owners that we are, we make her wear this crazy costume for a few days. Kind of the same thing as Ralphie having to wear the pink bunny costume in "A Christmas Story." So Gypsy was a hit everywhere we went over the Christmas holiday. I think she actually enjoyed the attention.

After it was over, her bows and scarf came off and she could finally relax.

New Duds

This morning was a bit cold so Gypsy had an opportunity to give her new coat a try. We went down to the field behind our neighborhood and let her run.

She loves visiting that field. Wide open space and lots of things to sniff.

She had a great time, great exercise, and now she is crashing hard.

Holiday Season

Yep, it is hard to believe that the holidays are here. Gypsy loves this time of year. Sandi and I take time off work and spend much more time with Gyp. She goes just about everywhere with us. I came home the other day and Sandi had gone on a shopping spree with Gypsy. Two sweaters and a new coat!

Here she is modeling one of the two sweaters she got. You can see that the cats are envious.
Hello, I'd prefer virgin wool!!!
I know you would.

She likes having a sweater on.

Sandi went all out this year and got Gypsy an ugly Christmas sweater. The timing was great as we participated in an Ugly Sweater 5K yesterday morning.
You aren't going to make me wear this in public are you!!
It was for a good cause. The entry fee was a toy that would go do a deserving kid.

It was cold out but there were hundreds of runners in some very ugly sweaters. Gypsy was obviously a big hit with all.

Happy Holidays!!!

She was a World Class sleeper....

Talk about relaxed. If you listen closely you can hear her snore.

Chloe...RIP

We lost Chloe this past week. A very quick, unexpected turn for us all. Prior to Thanksgiving she was ill and Sandi picked up on it and took her to the Vet for treatment. Chloe showed signs of improvement and we left for the weekend with Gypsy in tow. Whenever we travel we have experienced cat people come in and take care of the boxes, feeding, and make sure they don't burn down the house. When we returned, Chloe didn't seem right to Sandi and back to the Vet they go. That was the last trip Chloe ever took.

I'm not going to dwell on the sadness that this caused. I'd rather think about the life Chloe had, the life that Sandi gave her.

Chloe was in really bad shape when we got her. Her liver was failing and she was way under weight. Sandi had to run her back and forth to the Vet on a regular basis. From an early age Chloe hated the Vet. She was well know by Vet Tech's in our area as a cat not to mess with. Along with her liver problems we found out she had bad allergies and the tip of her tail was missing. We're not sure what happened with that but it probably wasn't good. Anyway, Sandi literally nursed Chloe back to good health. Chloe became the Queen of the house.

She was the only cat allowed outside with us spending many summer nights lounging on the deck. She was the best at finding sunspots throughout the house. She would try her best to run fast but her short legs would just spin on the hardwood floors, making her look like a cartoon character. She would hiss at just about anybody except me or Sandi. She was a Pro lap cat. She was the Queen Mother and Sexy Mama of the cats.

She had a good life with us giving us many happy moments. Come next spring, on the first warm day we spend on the deck, we'll miss her. 

Pet Valu

 We took a trip the the pet store after our run around the pond. Sandi is a regular, spending a fortune on cat supplies. She is well known by all the employees. This, however, can pay dividends for a poodle. Not only did they give Gyp a treat while she was in the store shopping. They gave her one for the rode.

Sandi let her roam the store freely, picking out anything she wanted. She went straight to the foot long Bully Stick and took it straight to check out.

Poodle Saturday

I went to Sandi's spin class on Saturday morning and Gypsy rode along. After class, I let her run in a field across the street. This is a place where all the Labs come for water fowl training. She could care less about that.
I don't want to get my feet wet!!!
She is still very fast.

Poodle(s)

Those of you new to this stupid blog might wonder why Poodle is plural in the title. Really? Is anyone curious about that? You would understand if I used Cat(s) in the title. Heaven knows we have plural cats running around the house.

A few years ago we had a little boy dog. Rim was a great little boy, very playful, we were very excited to have him enter our family. Gypsy on the other hand, was not quite as excited about having a playmate. Rim quickly recognized the fact that Dino was Gypsy's favorite toy and so he tried to snatch it from her all the time. He was always trying to get Gypsy to play and was a bit rough with her from time to time. Not in a mean way. He was just a big pup and was acting like a normal dog. Something that Gypsy is not very good at. This is when I added the (s) to Poodle in the title. Rim grew really fast and became a big boy with a great personality. I always thought he was going to be a special dog. Gypsy just didn't like having him around. She was basically in a state of depression. So, after much soul searching, we decided to let Rim go to another home. 

 It is always really difficult re homing a pet but I feel sometimes it is the best thing to do. In this case it was the best thing for Gypsy. We were fortunate that Rim moved in with a cousin in NC. Here he is, living the good life in Chapel Hill. He is now Ram and we get to see him on occasion. The last time Sandi was visiting Ram was at here side all day long. He has turned into that special dog and still has a special spot in our hearts.

Ram came from a wonderful breeder (friend) from St. Louis. Crossbrook Standard Poodles. We have stayed in contact with her over the years. One of her champion dogs, Violet, just had the litter shown above. 13 puppies total with 4 of them being female. We have the itch again thinking perhaps a female would be to Gypsy's liking?

Gypsy's Friend

Occasionally a local shop owner sets up an oyster shucking station in front of his store. Many locals stop by and have wine, oysters, and fun. We stopped by the other night and visited with several folks and Sandi had her share of oysters. Gypsy met a few other dogs but was very pleased to have a visit with another SP Juno. Gypsy had a great night and events like this make me appreciate living in a small town.

Catching UP

 We have had a busy month. Gypsy welcomes the cool, fall weather. One thing she looks forward to is the annual "Bark in the Park" that is a fund raiser for the local shelter. Hundreds of dogs attend and compete in talent contests, parades, tail wagging contest, and other humiliating things for both dogs and owners.

A three legged boxer dressed up like a lobster?

Gypsy met a little Cavalier King Charles dressed up in a Ravens jersey. Gypsy isn't much of a Ravens fan but enjoyed this little guy.
Go Browns!!

OK, something is wrong with this right? A tutu on a St. Bernard? It would have looked nicer on Gypsy. And her owner seemed to be proud of her.

Yesterday we took a hike in the woods. It Halloween afternoon and one of those days that you don't want to end. Gypsy was really excited to get into the woods.

 It is an absolutely beautiful trail. We usually let Gypsy run off leash but we kept on leash yesterday. She was so excited I think she might have taken off on a long run, sniffing everything along the way. We were in a State Park but it is adjacent to land that guys hunt. Gypsy can look like a deer running through the woods.

Gypsy was exhausted by the time we got home. She crashed out in the backyard in a sun spot, taking a power nap preparing for trick or treating.

Cat Sunday

Still windy, wet, and cool outside. Hanging out in the house with the cats. They are an endless source of amusement. Although the little guy Junior is a thief. He swipes Sandi's hairbands and was seen running off with a $20 from her purse. She found in days later hidden under a bed. If you come and visit our house, keep an eye on your wallet.

 Sushi (aka: Junior)

Zoe (aka: Zo Zo)

Tang (aka: The Sheriff) and Moose

these are the orange boys.

Saturday Errands

We've had buckets of rain this week plus it has been in the 50's. This morning I decided it was a good day to make chili. So...that meant I had to go run some errands. The cooler weather is just fine with Gypsy. She gets to go on road trips and we don't have to worry about her getting too hot.
She is a bit of a "back seat driver!"

Getting Quirkier

I think as Gypsy approaches old age she is getting quirkier. I've written about her quirky nature. Here she is checking the sky for big black birds (or 747's) keeping them clear of our air space. She hops down the step on three legs, circling to the right at the bottom every time. Many things.

She has never been a fan of loud noise and hates the 4th of July.
Hey, I'm very patriotic though!!!
Yes, she is that. Anyway we were outside the other day and Gyp stands up and with tail between her legs, walks over and goes into the garage. After a few minutes she stuck her head out, checking things, and came back out and joined us again. Then 10 minutes later, the same thing. Sandi noticed gun shots coming from a local range and that is what had her all upset. We could barely hear them.
Could be a long hunting season this year on the shore.

Pretty Girl

This is what Gypsy looks like after a visit to our miracle worker groomer. Gypsy has been going to the same person for her beauty parlor needs since she was a puppy. We don't go full out fancy pants cuts on her. Mostly just a puppy cut. We try not to have her cut too short as she would then look like a refugee poodle.
Not a bad looking Gypsy Gal...

Hot Summer

 It's been a very hot summer. We walked this morning and saw signs that summer is coming to an end. The field behind us is about ready for harvest.

Relaxing on the hammock after the walk. Gypsy and I tried to take a selfie.

Lazy Labor Day

We had a bit of a lazy Labor Day around here. The town was buzzing all weekend long with visitors, weddings, and happy people. We ended up our weekend with a 20 mile bike ride this morning and then some quality poodle time in the yard. It was a bit warmer than it has been but Gypsy does a good job of finding cool places to lay.
Holiday weekends in our little town are special.

Feeling Better

 Yep, Gypsy is feeling much better. Thanks to those that asked about her. Sandi and I took her along with us to lunch the other day. She didn't get her usual cheese burger off the kids menu but she did enjoy the view.

We couldn't decide on what these guys were. They seemed to be very interested in Gypsy though.

Easton in Drag

OK, before you start getting the wrong idea, this was a fund raiser for Hospice. Our little town always has something going on. Street concerts, Plein Air, Water Fowl Festive, and last Sunday was the third annual "Drag Race" to support Hospice. The organizers get prominent citizens to volunteer to participate.
Good thing you are not a prominent citizen!!!
True. I don't think I'd make a very good contestant. Look at the legs on these guys.
Anyway, people line the streets as the "guys" parade up and down the street. Eventually they line up and sprint (in heels) to the finish line.
I think I saw Caitlin Jenner!!!

Gypsy was still not 100% so I stayed home with her while Sandi and her crew went down for the festivities. Everyone has a hoot and they raised over $70,000 for hospice. Not bad for a bunch of Queens.

Poor Gypsy...again.

Still not on her game. She is drinking water. Just down in the dumps.

Moose the Office Assistant

While the other cats are running around the house, reeking mayhem and havoc, Moose can usually be found in the office taking care of business.

Poor Gypsy

Gypsy has not been feeling very good this weekend. Friday night we took her downtown after work and met half the population of our little town. She seemed fine Friday, meeting everyone and generally being the center of attention. One server did bring her out a small handful of roasted chicken followed up with a few strips of bacon. I wouldn't think that would upset her stomach. We usually order her a cheese burger off the kids menu.
I am keeping a close eye on her.