Gizzy in Heaven!

Gizzy in Heaven!
I love you forever and ever, Amen!

Followers

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Spay/Neuter Clinic


Tomorrow is our monthly low cost spay/neuter day and I set out my trap early since it looked like rain. I put a can of cat food inside the trap and walked around the lake with Weezie and Romeow. When we returned an hour later, there was this young cat inside:


I'm glad I set the trap early, because it is raining as I type this.

Poor thing will have to spend the night in the bathtub till I take him/her tomorrow morning with the help of my neighbor since my car is still not running. I sure hope I have the date right because if it's on Tuesday, that poor kitty will have to spend another day in there...

Here are a few photos of our outing around Lake Irma with Weezie and Romeow:


Romeow is getting so big and is doing very well on his harness and leash. He is 5 1/2 months old now and has been neutered already. He enjoys it by the lake and is watching "his domain" as if he is carrying on the tradition for Gizzy. I still miss my boy very much - every day! 


I love Weezie's white eye lashes. She looks like such a girl. We went to the Nursing Home again last Tuesday (our second visit) and am scheduled to go every week to see the old folks who look forward to petting and holding my Weezie.




Then we had some kitty boot-camp when Romeow practiced his climbing skills:






Romeow practicing his ambush skills on a flock of unimpressed ducks


I'm very proud of the way Romeow handles his harness and leash!


Mush, little doggy (ahem) kitty!


This is Romeow's climbing tree and I loved the way the hazy winter sky was dimming the sun light.

It was a nice outing yesterday, but today was too cold and wet, but we'll go back as much as we can before the summer spoils our time outside.

Always in my thoughts and in my heart - my Gizzy boy!

(I love you forever and ever, Amen!)

Friday, February 17, 2012

Spring Blossoms in February

Look, what I saw today!


If all goes well, we should have pears again this year for making pies and compote. This tree did not produce last year, so I'm hoping it will this year. It's not mine, but I have permission to pick as many as I want from the owner. They are the green, hard ones that nobody wants, but they are excellent for baking, juicing and making compote with cinnamon and honey!


The Carolina Jasmine or "jessamine" (aka Yellow or Confederate Jasmine) or more properly Gelsemium sempervirens is one of my favorites. I find the faint, delicate scent intoxicating - as do the bees. It reminds me of a little flower called Himmelschluessel (Heaven's Keys) that conjure up childhood memories of field trips in Germany. Here it's known as Cowslip and is often confused with Oxlip (photos below)

Primula Veris (Cowslip)
    often confused with Primula Elatior (Oxlip)





and this concludes our little horticultural lesson for today - hope you enjoyed it! Happy weekend y'all!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Weezie and my Valentine's Day adventure

I trust everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day yesterday! Weezie and I visited our local Nursing Home facility for the very first time yesterday. I've been wanting to do this with her for a long time, and finally decided to go for it. Weezie is the total opposite in temperament of Gizzy's and I never could have taken him to be held or petted by strangers. Weezie however did great. Weezie, sporting a strawberry scarf, was a big hit from the moment we walked in the door until we left about an hour later!


The night before, I made about 80 Valentines to bring with us. I attached a photo of Weezie to each one! I used them all up giving them to the patients and nurses who were all thrilled to see us.


Due to the HIPPA laws I was unable to take photos for my blog, but the Activities Director, Karen, took photos for their bulletin board and she asked me to provide her with a big picture of Weezie to frame and hang on their wall for everyone to see their new Therapy Dog! 

I'm so thrilled because we are invited back anytime and I will make this our new weekly adventure for it'll give Weezie something to look forward to as well. She was so calm and mellow when people petted and held her. Many asked if she could stay and take a nap with them and one man (who I learned was difficult with taking his medicine) was bribed with Weezie if he took it. He quickly took his pills and received the Weezie with open arms in his bed. One lady I was told rarely speaks, but she opened up and talked when she saw Weezie and held her in her arms. I saw many big smiles and requests to let them keep her... one man got very emotional and cried when he found out we had to leave, but we reassured him that we will be back and gave him a photo of Weezie to keep. All the staff was super friendly and very encouraging about our visit.

It was one of my most rewarding Valentine's Days! 

After I got home, I got ready for my Valentine's luncheon with my friends Arlene and her sister Marcia. They came over for tea and sandwiches and playing Scrabble till dusk. Romeow had to be restraint a couple of times because he kept wanting to play with the chips, but we all had a good time and I want to make it a regular game night as well.

As always, I remembered my biggest love of all, my dearly departed Gizzy whom I miss every day! Rest in peace, big boy, till we meet again! Mommy loves you!


(This photo was taken on our last walk around the lake, the last time he drank water, two days before we said our last good-bye! You could tell he was not feeling well!)

If he had lived, I believe that he and Weezie would have become good friends since he was already trying to be friends with her. 












Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Happy Wednesday from Georgia!


(Romeow loves his Nana Weeze)

Thank you for your nice comments. I really appreciated them as the tears flowed...because when I'm here I remember sharing photos of my boy and I know most of you enjoyed seeing his photos as much as I enjoyed taking them. He was my most favorite and obliging subject. He loved the camera and vice versa!

Have you guys ever noticed that when some people casually ask you how you are doing, you are able to maintain your composure and reply in a calm and sensible way assuring them you're ok, everything's just fine and under control, yet when someone you know who cares about you asks that very same question, you just fall apart and can barely speak for crying? Well, that's how I kind of feel with you guys because you knew my boy and you know how much I enjoyed writing about him. I think that's why I always cry when I come here and post and read your comments...because I know, I'm in sympathetic company and I really appreciate that. I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me even when I don't come and visit as much as I should right now. I just lit a candle for Gizzy and I still talk to him in my Gizzy voice. Hearing myself talk to him in that special way makes me feel closer to him. He is the first pet I had that I felt this close to and so awful about him being gone - just like a human.

Having said that, I have some pictures for you to see. But first, let me say that Romeow got neutered on Monday and he's doing just fine. Now I'm hoping and praying he'll simmer down a little, although there is no guaranty that will happen, but the Vet thinks it probably will calm him down in a few weeks.

Weezie also went to the Vet on Monday to get her bloodwork done, including a thyroid test because she sleeps so much and is so calm and relaxed (unless Romeow bugs her too much.) She got a thorough examination and he's going to run a urinalysis because she had a couple of "incidents" in the house when she cried and lost her water...at first It thought she was having a seizure because she was laying on the floor crying, but then later that day, she was on the chair and screamed when it happened, both times she looked at me with clear eyes, aware of her surroundings, more embarrassed and surprised than anything. That made me think to check for a urinary tract or bladder infection and stones before doing an extensive neurological work up. I'm hoping it was just a fluke or if she passed a stone, maybe that will be it for a while, but the urinalysis should indicate any crystals and maybe she can be treated with a pill instead of surgery. We'll get the test results back sometime this week. But, she acts the way she always has, she sleeps, eats and loves her walks...so I'm hoping for the best.

She does need a dental however, and will lose about three teeth and that will have to be done either next month or the one after, because she'll also need an X-ray on her chest to check for an enlarged heart while she is under. She has a heart murmur and Pekingese are prone to congestive heart failure (Gizzy had it, which is why his kidneys went bad.) Weezie is difficult to examine and the Vet had to sedate her on Monday and I don't want to subject her to too much sedation so I have to try to do as many things as possible while she's unconscious.

(My Glamour girl, Weezie)

Below is a photo of Weezie and her little friend, Seila, from the lake. We have not seen her for a while and yesterday we met her while she was walking around Lake Irma with her grandma. Weezie pepped right up and wagged her tail happy to see the little girl. Weezie just loves little children, especially the girls because they are not as loud and boisterous as the boys tend to get:


Don't they look cute together? 

Romeow slipped outside on Saturday because I failed to put him in his big kennel before opening the back door for the mail lady. I learned my lesson! He climbed up on the big Bradford Pear tree and decided he was going to hang out up there all day watching the birds below eating at the bird feeder:








He was up there for about an hour, but finally, with the help of a smelly can of sardines and the tall Animal Control guy, we were able to get him back into the house.

I hope this will be his first and last time, but there is no telling since today, on our walk, his lead broke as he bolted away and a neighbor was able to catch him for me before he took off and probably up another tree...his harness stayed on him and the clip was still on his harness, but the nylon lead had broken off the clip! I'm going to reinforce it and use a double lead using a piece of twine PLUS the nylon lead next time.

Here is Romeow exploring near the woods yesterday (near the cat feeding station.) He was being watched by several of the stray/feral cats that come out of the shrubs when they see me since I'm the one feeding them.



(Romeow spies the black cat in the woods)

(Romeow sees another cat in the woods)

(Here is a closer view of "Leggs", one of our residents cats)



Here is Romeow perched on top of his cat house wearing the harness. I let him keep it on inside for a few hours each day so that he can get used to wearing it. So far he's doing really well.


Here is Romeow after our walk wearing his harness. He's inside his huge "Petmate" Pet Porter that's big enough for a German Shepherd, but apparently just right for a five pound Romeow. He loves to knead on his stuffed kitty toy when he's in there. He does it right before falling asleep. I was offering him a piece of Swiss cheese and that's why his mouth is partially open - he was smacking his lips in anticipation!

And lastly, here's a nice picture of my Gizzy with Weezie. I believe they would have become great friends.


I love you guys!!!