Buddy Here - Checking In

Buddy here - checking in.  It's been one month since my last confession.  Errr,  ummmm, I mean another month as a permanent foster has passed.  There were a few moments.  Let's see. There were the three pots I drug off the deck last week and disassembled.  There was the pot I knocked off yesterday and dug about in.  Yes, I see a trend here, do you?  

There was the cut on the bottom of my foot.  Nope, not saying how that happened.  Sorry about the blood on the floor.  Didn't I do a good job tracking it all through the house? Spread your blood, I mean love all about.

Oh ya, there was the old tree stump you used as a coffee table.  I tell you there was a rodent inside it that had to be flushed out.    And, I need to mention the toads.  Dang the toad hunting is good here.  Anyone else notice they look way better than they taste?  Egads they make me slobber.  

There have been visits by that other pointer recently.  He has a silly name.  Freckles, who names a dog that when the name Buddy exists?  Bud, Buddy, Budwheezer.  You can't say Freck. Freckbudy and Freckwheezer.  It just doesn't make sense.  

Now, I get checked regularly for new lumps and bumps.  More often than a boob in a mammogram clinic.  Any time I expose my belly for belly rubs I get checked.  Geesh...give it a rest.  So far so good!

I've been digging the bee's too.  Lots of clover blooming in the yard makes the bee hunting fabulous.  My success rate for catching them varies too.  Mostly because they fight back.

So there you have it.  I'm still kicking it and getting into mischief.  It's good, I'm good...and the treats here are good.  May treats rain from your sky, they sure do from mine.

~Buddy.

No Remorse

One thing I love about dogs...one of a thousand or so, is how they live a life of acceptance.  If the treat jar is opened, they accept that good things are about to happen.  If they find a nibble accidentally dropped on the floor, they accept it was meant to be just for them.  They accept your meager show of love and bless it with their unlimited wealth of affection.  They absolutely ooze with affection and gratitude. If that isn't a lesson to us it should be.

Here's another one.  They show no remorse.  In spite of the photo's and dog shaming signs we see on social media, I don't believe they feel any guilt.  At least for certain I know my dogs weren't raised Catholic.  No guilt, no remorse.

You drop your cookie?  They won't ever say "hey, let me get that for you...or you wanna share?"  Nope.  They see an open spot, and I do mean spot, on the recliner and are unabashed in joining you.  Move over, make way, can you shift just a little. Pretty soon they have the prime real estate and you're squished side ways wondering what happened.  Give a dog a place on a king size bed and they take their 1/3 of it diagonally along with 75% of the blankets.

They don't mind showing you what they are afraid of, or what they get excited about.  They certainly aren't choosy about who they are silly in front of.  And if there is one thing they are lacking it's the ability to laugh out loud. Probably not an oversight, now that I think of it.  Surely they would be laughing their butts off constantly at the struggles humans have and the amount of remorse we have for having them.  

Mick doesn't feel bad in the least for napping more hours a day than he is awake. Buddy doesn't stress over the holes he digs.  He finds his way out of them which is more than some folks can say.  Layla never worries over the enthusiasm that she just can't contain.  People should be so open to tapping into that joyous energy.   

They are what they are and they give it their all.  Without hesitation, remorse and with more than their share of the bed.  

Buddy's Story - How You Can Help

Buddy joined the Great Plains Pointer Rescue family in March.  He was vetted, had some lumps removed and was moved to a foster home.  Okay, he was moved to our home. His lumps were mast cell tumors and while at first we thought his prognosis was good, now we are finding his status has changed. He is having an additional lump removed next week.  We''ll know more about his status then.

This will sound funny, but we feel pretty darned lucky to love this guy. Sometimes our fosters find their forever homes, sometimes we are that forever home. While our dream is placing them with a loving family, sometimes we are blessed to be that family.  We feel bad for him. We wanted him to find a fabulous home and live happily ever after.  We always have high hopes for our fosters, and fall in love with them in the process. Seriously, isn't making a commitment to love, honor and cherish what pet ownership is all about? Why would fostering be any different.

The decision has been made to change Buddy's status from adoption ready, to sponsorship only.  What this means is Buddy will live out his days with us. Rest assured he'll be loved, pampered, kept comfy, and we pray it will be for many, many days.  He'll get his romps in the country, naps in the sun, and we'll work closely with our vet to make sure comfort is his first priority.  If you'd like, you can sponsor Buddy, or dogs in situations like Buddy's.  Your donation will go directly to the medical needs of that dog.  Sponsorship donations are every bit as important as adoption fee's.  Your contribution makes a difference.  Your donation will help us keep Buddy a happy guy. 

We love this old boy.  We know you would to if you could meet him.  Help us care for him.  Loving them to a new home, or until they cross the bridge, is part of what we do. If you'd like to help, go to www.greatpointers.org and click on Buddy's profile.  You can sponsor him directly from that page. Thank you for helping us provide the best for Buddy, and stay tuned. Hoping he has many days with us.  Will update on what a love this old lumpy geezer is and how lucky we are to love him.

Discoveries

There have been several discoveries of late.    None of them earth shattering, thank Dog.  

I've finally discovered a vet I like here as well as the vet in my old home town.  I loved my old vet.  Not that he was old, but there was something about him sitting on the floor to examine my dogs that just melted my heart. I've visited several vets in this area, all of them qualified.  Just couldn't find the right fit.  Hated not feeling the love, glad I've finally gotten there.  

I've discovered as cute as little bunnies are, I detest what they've done to my garden.  Little stinkers mowed down two rose bushes over night and then feasted on my cucumber plants.  You might be thinking, now where are those dogs she always writes about?  Hmmmm....well, the flippin bunnies are opportunists.  While the dogs snore, the bunnies do their chore.

Another discovery is that while I've been here several years, I am occasionally overwhelmed by the feeling I'm still not completely connected. Granted I had years of building relationships there, and only a few here. I need to be gentle with myself in this regard.  But for the record it's a lonely feeling. Or maybe there are just lonely times in life, wherever you are.

And like with children, sometimes when your dog poops it's cause for celebration. Bet you didn't see that discovery coming!  Thanks to the vet mentioned above poop moves freely.  Count that one in the column called poo gratitude.

So there you have it, vets, bunnies, the blues and poo.  Just a little update from my doggy dog world.

Random Thots

My mantra for the week is "ask and you shall receive".  Some of my ask's will be verbal, some will be mental.  After all who doesn't have some mental moments every week.  Some things we ask for are so subtle they don't even register, but they get heard.

So this week in the ask column I ask for employment opportunities for those in need. That they be open to new opportunities, not just what they have always done in the past.  It's okay to clunk them on the head to make those opportunities obvious.  Sometimes the obvious escapes us.

Also on the list...help for parents who struggle to meet their kids needs.  I was blessed in meeting my kids needs when they were at home.  I know I asked and received tons of help in that area.  Pretty sure I crossed over the mental line a time or two during that part of my life too.

Now it wouldn't be my blog if I didn't share about the dogs and ask on their behalf. Buddy and I have really become bathroom buds.  At first we sat in there for steam bath's to help with his kennel cough. Then it was medicated baths for his skin conditions.  Of late he and I soak our feet in warm Epsom salt water for a sore he has on his paw.  Sure, only one paw needs soaking. But have you ever tried to soak one paw on an animal?  Go for four, it's much easier.  And if I need to sit with him, I might just as well soak my tootsies too. So I'm asking for some healing vibes for Mr. Buddy, and will someone please pass the loofah.

Last, but not least I'm gonna ask for good graces and healing for any of your loved ones (and mine) who are ill.  

Ask, ask and ask again.  And if you wanna soak feet with Buddy and I, c'mon over the water is warm and the company is excellent.

Do You Wonder

Do you ever wonder if you have done enough?  Made enough difference in the world? Tried hard enough, appreciated your blessings to the max?  Been present and utilized your skills?

What if you haven't?  What if life is passing you by?  What if, what if, what if.

I know, pretty heavy conversation.  Truth is I have all the questions and none of the answers.  By dog standards, if I get excited about treats, turn back flips when my owner comes home (or out of the bathroom), nap in the sun (or the shade) and wag with joy daily, I'd be a success.  I'd have given my love unconditionally, received openly and not bitten the hand that feeds me.

I would like to be more dog-like, and less human-like.  I'd be more warm and sunny and less nit picky.  I'd be goofy without thought and gentle beyond measure.  

Here is the deal.  You never know the burden another is carrying.  Best we can do is try to lighten the load.  We can be the treats and give the treats.  We can give soft touch, and in turn receive them.  We can wag with unbridled joy, laugh at the ridiculous and the sublime, circle three times and lay down to rest.

And we may still wonder if we've done enough.   

Why not me??

Here's the deal.  I'm looking for you, so listen up.

My name is Buddy, but you can call me Bud, or Pal or Dufus.  Just call me okay.  I have lots to offer.  I'm not a wild young puppy, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.  I can nap with the best, but I also love going for a run. I dance when I'm excited, I've got a bark that means business.  I point.  I clean my plate.  

My needs are simple.  I like to be with my people.  If you're home most the time and need a friend, it's me.  I need a soft place to lay, but I never get up on the furniture. I like to dig. Owning it is the first step. I'll stop if you ask, fair enough? 

I am just one of the terrific dogs looking for homes with Great Plains Pointer Rescue.  So if a sensational senior is not the right fit for you, there are other dogs who could be.

Now, for the record, I was not bribed, coerced, or otherwise pressed upon to make these statements.  I may have a treat waiting for me when I'm done, I'm not telling.  Foster care is awesome, don't get me wrong, but I know someone special is looking for a sweet 'ol soul like me.  

So, again I ask, why not me?  Really,  why not me?  No, seriously, why not me?