Another cold, winter day

It's the end of February, and it's cold. So cold, in fact, that my paws kept freezing on our walk this morning. We cut it short because my sore paw is still healing.

The medication is making my paw feel a bit better. We've gone to Bronte the past few days, and I'm able to run a bit, walk normally and have some fun with the other dogs. There was a new dog at Bronte yesterday - a totally hot German shepherd named Boscoe. I played coy, tried to hold back from chasing after him, let him sniff me as much as he wanted to. I hope his humans bring him there again!

Lesli took off for a few hours yesterday afternoon. When she came home, she had so many new smells that it took me a few minutes of intense investigation with my super-powered dog nose to figure out exactly what she'd been up to. I smelled a dog - appeared to be male, in good health, young. I smelled cats. I recognized horse smells. But there was one scent I couldn't idenify.

I think it belongs to the suspect in the mug shot above.

Still a gimp

My leg still hurts.

I don't know what's going on. I spent the weekend with Mike, and we really didn't do much, so my leg got plenty of rest. Mom got home Saturday night, and noticed that I was still limping and seemed down. Sunday, I was no better. My leg hurt quite a bit, so I was panting a lot, even though our house is kept at what I consider to be a very comfortable sub-zero temperature. So she kept me quiet again on Sunday and decided we would head to the vet Monday morning.

As much as I like everyone at my vet, the experience left a great deal to be desired. The poked, prodded, made me walk around, stuck me with a needle. We were there for an hour and a half. They didn't find any conclusive reason for my lameness. Since my bloodwork came back fine, they sent me home with some medication. I got my first dose yesterday, and I actually feel a little better already.

Hopefully this will go away now, because I have a lot of running and hunting to get done.

It's snowing again today - the kind of day a girl wants to be running in a snowy, open field at Bronte with her pals!

OUCH

My leg still hurts. It's really hard to walk without limping, and I can't put any pressure on it when I'm sitting, either. We went for a couple of slow walks yesterday, but today, I'm apparently cut off from anything but short, leashed walks outside to go to the bathroom. I hope this gets better soon. It's making me sad and kind of sulky. Even worse, it's making me cuddly.

The human is heading to London in a little while for a political convention (despite the fact that she continually tells me she's walking away from politics, she keeps going back). Our friend Mike is here, and he's going to stay with me. I love Mike. He used to give me steak and egg mcmuffins before Lesli sold him that line that I need to watch my weight. Despite the fact that he no longer brings me tasty treats, I still totally love him. We're going to take it easy this weekend, and I'll cuddle with him.

Storm's having a rotten day

Thought I'd add a picture taken the other day. The human describes it as pure bliss. We had just finished a hard walk at Bronte in all the fresh snow, and I was chilling out in the back yard.

Bliss is right.

Now, to my bad day. It actually started last night. My paw hurts.

I must have pulled something during one of my crazy runs at the park. Or, perhaps it was one of the gazillion times I've slipped on the ice while trying to navigate the horrendous sidewalks in Burlington and Oakville.

I started limping last night, tried to take it easy on the leg, figured it could only get better.

Little did I know.

We did a short walk this morning so there was less risk of me pulling it again, and then she packed me up into the car. And took me to...the vet.

It was annual physical and shots day for me.

Yipee.

Normally it's merely a mild irritation.

But today was no fun at all. When the vet tried to give me a shot in my left hindquarter, it hurt like crazy. I cried out a few times, until the human distracted me with food and the vet finally managed to get the shot done.

Then the vet took me to the back to take blood so they could see how my thyroid is doing (I keep gaining and losing weight, with no real change in my food or activity level). Lesli went out front to wait for me.

She says she heard my scream. It was primal - she knew it was me. She had tears starting.

The vet left me. I heard her go down the hall and say "we need you, mom".

They took me back into the examination room. Two vet techs held me and patted me, and then the vet came in, and then my human came in.

Everyone held me again, while they tried to get the needle into my back leg. No one realized they were trying to take blood from my sore left side - until my human showed up! They were all holding me, and my human said "hey, that's her sore side!"

Yes, Einsteins. No wonder I was screaming, eh??

The technicians switched to my rear left leg, the vet held me at the neck and my human held my face, talking to me in a soft voice about going to Bronte, seeing Diane, Cosmo...ahhhh...relaxing....and it was over.

We went straight to Bronte from the vet. I was a bit bitchy and slow, but it was good to get some fresh air after my ordeal.

I'm taking it easy at home now, resting my sore paw. POOR ME.

Game, Set, Match

The German shepherd finally wins.

That's right - at long last, success.

I saw it.

I killed it...

...and I ATE it.

The mouse didn't have a chance, and neither did the human, though I admire her heroic dash across the field. In her Sorels, through deep, slushy snow. She tried her best.

But I was too fast for her.

Mmmmmmmm. Field mouse.

Plea for sympathy

You, dear readers, have no idea what I go through.

My name is Storm.

Storm Tomlin, German shepherd. Solid black mass of muscle, intelligence and true grit.

Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Ok. That's stretching it. But you get the picture.

My human, however, has deemed it appropriate to subject me to a wide variety of nicknames. Some horrible, some embarrassing. Some that make me slightly concerned for her sanity.

It started with Boo, the name she called me when I was a puppy. It worked then. I was little, fluffy, cute. She really did try to come up with a more "German shepherd appropriate" nickname for me, but Boo stuck.

And evolved.

We also have Boo Boo Head. Boomeister. Boodle. Little Boo.

But wait...there's more.

Agent Storminator (there's a story to that one...someday I'll tell you).

Stormy Wormy.

Stinkerella.

Stinkerbelle.

Poodle. Poodlehead.

Poodle-icious (I kid you not)

Doodlehead.

Doodle bug.

Puddles (I earned that one by eating too much snow and accidentally peeing while I sleep).

Pumpkin.

Pumpkinhead.

Get ready for this one...Love Pumpkin (almost ran away when that one appeared).

My owner is creative - I suppose a creative brain produces these monstrosities.

So please, when you read this, throw a little sympathy my way. I could use it.

High Tea...Storm Style

I had such a delicious snack this afternoon at Bronte.

I'll give you a hint.

It was appetizer size.

It had a tail.

And it's dead now. (insert evil laugh here)

The human and I got separated. I heard her calling me - "Storm, here!"

I ran to her. She always gives me a little treat when I follow her commands, and so she held out a treat for me.

When I didn't show any interest in it, she knew immediately that something was up.

It all happened so fast after that. She noticed legs sticking out of my mouth. She opened my mouth, did the 'head shake with mouth open' thing to avoid having to touch my appetizer.

I held on.

She had to go in.

I held on as long as I could - but she won. She tossed the dead, bloody mouse into the snow.

Between that and the dead rabbit in the garbage by the field today, she had a bad day at Bronte.

I, however, had a great one!

What kind of idiot...

...encourages her dog to hop out of the car...while she's still attached to her seatbelt tether?

We pulled into the garage. She got out, came around to the passenger side door and opened it for me.

I stood up, and waited for her to release my seatbelt tether. You know, so I could jump out? So I was no longer attached to something?

She starts with the "come on, Storm! You can do it! Come on!"

I continued to stare at her.

Um, hello? Attached here?

Her response?

"Come on Boo boo! You can do it!"

This goes on for a few seconds.

I finally decided, well, maybe she is smarter than me. She seems convinced that I can do it. Why not? Maybe I can!

So I hop out of the car.

Or try to.

And get completely hung up on my tether.

My front paw was bent back. Half of my ass was stuck on the passenger side floor.

It was then that the moron realized her grave mistake.

It took a few minutes for her to set me free.

She offered food as an apology.

I accepted.

Dear god, how do these humans survive in this world?

What Happens to Caterpillars in February

The human and I just got back from Bronte. It's very slushy and snowy. Yesterday, it was 8 degrees here in Burlington so all the snow we got last week was mushy and melting. Last night, there was more snow. And it's still kind of warm. Bottom line - a very mushy and wet walk. Especially in the big field we go to in the winter.

Today there was an odd surprise in the field. When I saw the first one, I thought it was a new form of poo. I checked it out, gave it a good sniff, decided it wasn't worth consuming and continued along.
The humans investigated and discovered they were caterpillars. They must have thought it was spring yesterday and come out.

I determined these green things warranted further investigation. I sniffed one. Rolled it around with my paw. Sniffed some more. Then nibbled at it - you know, like when I nibble at an itch. After a few minutes of playing and nibbling at it, I ate it.

I did the same thing with the next one I saw, except instead of eating it at the end, I peed on it.

Heh heh. Bet they wish they'd stayed home!