It has been quite the 72 hours for little Simmie. I have to confess I thought Simon was nearing the end. His 14 years flashed before my eyes as I laid next to him on the bathroom floor late Sunday night(technically early Monday morning). He looked so bad. He's never been as sick as he was the last 3 days. He wouldn't eat. He wouldn't drink. I was giving him water with a syringe.
Cody didn't seem to understand that Simon was in a bad way and needed extra attention so he got jealous. Lashed out at Simon, his lashing actually fell short as I stopped him. Cody was not permitted to sleep in the typical sleeping quarters of the pet trio. He spent the night in the living room. Piper on the other hand didn't leave Simon's side. She stayed close to him all night long. She's a very caring little sister.
I'm happy to report Simon is slowly making improvements. He started to turn the corner on his issues late Monday afternoon. Believe me, I truly thought and so did Brad that we were going to be rushing him to an emergency animal hospital late Sunday night. So relieved our little dude is getting better. I like to call Simon "little man", Brad calls him his "little dude". Even in text messages to check on him today, Brad refers to Simon as his "little dude". It's kind of cute in my opinion! As far as Simon is concerned, call him anything just don't call him late for dinner. :)
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Rainy Sunday
Last night we were treated to a loud rather typical Texas thunderstorm. Yesterday was the start of what is predicted to be a rather wet and wild rain filled 5 days. Late last night I walked over to open the door leading to the balcony all three furries arrived quickly. All three furries put their brakes on quickly too as they saw the extreme amount of rain falling. Only two of the three however are allowed on the balcony, unsupervised.
Our poor little Simmie is not doing so well today. He's quite sick. I noticed right away this morning that he was not acting "normal". About halfway through the morning walk he couldn't go any further. I ended up carrying him home. The scariest part was being out on the walk and noticing his tongue was turning purple. As I carried him home it began raining. Which didn't affect me too much but I worried about Cody. Cody is usually difficult to walk and extremely difficult in bad and/or cold weather. When he walks he exercises every stubborn quality within him. However, this morning I got lucky, once he saw Simon wasn't well and I was having to carry him home...Cody was excellent! The perfect little dude walking along beside me. No stubbornness at all. He's an interesting one!
Simon has been sleeping quite a bit this afternoon. The morning was a challenge to get thru. Now though he's snoozing. Once getting him home, Piper would not leave his side. Brad tried to remove her from the general area Simon was occupying but she went right back. She's persistent. She wasn't into going far. She loves her brother. She is currently curled up next to him as he soundly sleeps.
Our poor little Simmie is not doing so well today. He's quite sick. I noticed right away this morning that he was not acting "normal". About halfway through the morning walk he couldn't go any further. I ended up carrying him home. The scariest part was being out on the walk and noticing his tongue was turning purple. As I carried him home it began raining. Which didn't affect me too much but I worried about Cody. Cody is usually difficult to walk and extremely difficult in bad and/or cold weather. When he walks he exercises every stubborn quality within him. However, this morning I got lucky, once he saw Simon wasn't well and I was having to carry him home...Cody was excellent! The perfect little dude walking along beside me. No stubbornness at all. He's an interesting one!
Simon has been sleeping quite a bit this afternoon. The morning was a challenge to get thru. Now though he's snoozing. Once getting him home, Piper would not leave his side. Brad tried to remove her from the general area Simon was occupying but she went right back. She's persistent. She wasn't into going far. She loves her brother. She is currently curled up next to him as he soundly sleeps.
Quick Snap Sunday
Sunshine!
Cody says, "Psst, hey little you! Wake up. Isn't this sunshine great?"
Piper says, "Shh, I'm trying to sleep. It's nap time! And by the way get your big ol' head out of my bed."
Both are soaking up as much sunlight as possible. Which isn't a lot in our house. I'm actually thankful for that, I prefer direct morning sunlight over afternoon sunlight. I guess Cody had to use the edge of her bed to hold his head up properly because he's leaning on the edge of his own bed. But both are content and comfy. All that matters.
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Come On Get Up
Last night our oldest nephew came over to stay the night. He was taking a little trip this morning so we took him to the airport. This was the second Saturday in a row our household has gotten up before a rooster would even consider awaking. Simon was completely fine with the early start, he was quick to arrive in the kitchen expecting breakfast to be served promptly. Think again little man, think again.
I'll be honest, I was not planning on going to the airport with Brad and Wes. I figured I would sleep until my normal rise and shine time, while Brad took Wes to the airport. But my husband was completely against me snoozing any more than him. ;)
It got rather comical around here as he attempted to get me up out of bed. I've never been begged so much ever. Simon should take lessons from his daddy. Brad sang, as well as danced. He even brought Piper in our room, holding her over my head as he did a cute version of Piper's voice. She was begging me to get up too. As a last resort in a playful manner he grabbed my foot and dragged me to the edge of the bed. First time I've ever been dragged out of bed. I'm still confused why it was so important for me to tag along this morning. However, I'm flattered my husband wanted me to go so badly...I think!;)
Here's something to note, when out and about that early in the morning the lights are not turned on downtown. All lights are blinking yellow to yield. To me it's a clear sign one is up and out the door way too early! Good times!
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Cody vs. A Frog
Yesterday in a post I talked about the small creatures the puggies as well as myself are now accustom to seeing since moving to Dallas. Seeing lots of little critters was a regular occurrence back in Seattle as well. Anyway, this morning while walking the boys I happened to recall the first time Cody encountered a frog. It was the first time both boys encountered the frog but Cody's reaction was more noteworthy. I thought I'd briefly tell the story. I don't believe I have ever shared this story. If I have then oh well, it's a repeat.
There we were walking late one night, the last walk of the day. We had only been Dallas residents for a few weeks. We're walking along when all of a sudden a frog jumps out of the grassy area landing directly in front of Cody. The frog stared up at Cody with zero fear. Cody jumped about a foot. A look of fear instantly arrived on his little puggie face. Once his feet came back down to the ground he backed up as far as his leash would allow him, which wasn't far I like short leashes gives me more control. He then stood there staring down the frog as the frog stared him down too. Simon in a rather nonchalant manner looked over completely unfazed by the new creature near him and directly in front of his brother. There was no moving Cody along. Finally after a few minutes or so the frog jumped out of Cody's path. Cody's head turned to watch where it landed then he turned to watch it as we walked away. I guess he was making sure we really got by the frog without it jumping out at him again.
I wish I had video of the moment, Cody jumping a foot off the ground and the look on his face of disbelief as to what that strange creature was in his path was priceless. Since then he's come across countless frogs, he's fine with them now. That story very appropriately demonstrates the difference in Cody and Simon. Cody is fazed by EVERYTHING. Simon is drifting through life in a very nonchalant manner.
There we were walking late one night, the last walk of the day. We had only been Dallas residents for a few weeks. We're walking along when all of a sudden a frog jumps out of the grassy area landing directly in front of Cody. The frog stared up at Cody with zero fear. Cody jumped about a foot. A look of fear instantly arrived on his little puggie face. Once his feet came back down to the ground he backed up as far as his leash would allow him, which wasn't far I like short leashes gives me more control. He then stood there staring down the frog as the frog stared him down too. Simon in a rather nonchalant manner looked over completely unfazed by the new creature near him and directly in front of his brother. There was no moving Cody along. Finally after a few minutes or so the frog jumped out of Cody's path. Cody's head turned to watch where it landed then he turned to watch it as we walked away. I guess he was making sure we really got by the frog without it jumping out at him again.
I wish I had video of the moment, Cody jumping a foot off the ground and the look on his face of disbelief as to what that strange creature was in his path was priceless. Since then he's come across countless frogs, he's fine with them now. That story very appropriately demonstrates the difference in Cody and Simon. Cody is fazed by EVERYTHING. Simon is drifting through life in a very nonchalant manner.
Quick Snap Sunday
7 Years!
Move over fur-babies, your human parents are taking up this week's Quick Snap post. This past Thursday, the 15th, was the anniversary of our first date. Seven years ago I went out with such a cute man and the rest is history as they say.
Can you believe it's been 7 years? Can you believe in a mere 3 months we will celebrate 4 years of marriage? Am I mentioning too many numbers in 1 post? Where is time going? I guess it's a good sign to us it still all feels fresh and rather new. Certainly doesn't seem we've been together that long. Not that it would necessarily be a bad thing if it did, I suppose.
In the pic above...yes, Brad is wearing a camouflage Nike Football shirt, don't fret he'll be in full Cowboys attire by the time noon arrives. Lol! Trust me this pic looked best in black and white because of the light shining through our windows. Oh the fun of some simple editing.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Early Morning Saturday
The day started early for us...all of us! It always starts early for myself and the pet trio, we're up and about before it's even light out. But this particular Saturday featured an early wake up time for Brad too. He had to go play tennis bright and early. It was kind of nice having one day where I didn't have to tip-toe around the house attempting to keep 3 pets quiet. When one of those pets is Cody, believe me that is no easy task. He is the loudest of the pet trio overall.
I'm happy to report Brad won his tennis match. Plus he used sunscreen!!! Last week he came home looking like a lobster. Likely suffered the worst sunburn he's had since I've known him. He received quite the lecture from his wife after arriving home burnt to a crisp. Perhaps he learned his lesson, as he made several comments early last week about the pain of the sunburn. I told him last night if he didn't remember to wear sunscreen I was calling his mom! LOL! Not sure if that threat is actually what made him put sunscreen on or not.
Well a first happened this morning while walking the boys around the lake. I glanced up to notice something landing in the lake quite a distance in front of us. About 15 seconds after I saw something land in the lake a man jumped in too. As I got closer I realized a dog had jumped in the lake likely after a duck and the human parent of the dog had no choice but to jump in after him. There is no way a dog or a child could get out of the lake on their own. Another passerby came to aid in the rescue which was very successful. I've never seen that happen before, as I mentioned. I actually rarely worry about the boys falling in the lake. Brad has mentioned it numerous times to me. Telling me to keep them far from the edge. The boys are not erratic type of dogs. They do not go jumping after duck or birds. There's ducks, storks, and pelicans that we pass by daily, our boys could careless. I mean, they see them but aren't trying to go after other creatures. I'm very thankful the boys and I have lived in areas(with the exception of Phoenix) that have featured lots of small critters, ducks, and loads of water dwelling birds. The boys have simply gotten used to being around lots of different creatures. They know how to act right and share the "road" so to speak.
Since our boys aren't erratic like that it would have to be quite the accident for them to fall in the lake. Based on the events of today though I think I'll be keeping an extra safe distance from the edge just in case. I don't want to go for an early morning swim in lake water that features catfish, turtles, and who knows what else.
I'm happy to report Brad won his tennis match. Plus he used sunscreen!!! Last week he came home looking like a lobster. Likely suffered the worst sunburn he's had since I've known him. He received quite the lecture from his wife after arriving home burnt to a crisp. Perhaps he learned his lesson, as he made several comments early last week about the pain of the sunburn. I told him last night if he didn't remember to wear sunscreen I was calling his mom! LOL! Not sure if that threat is actually what made him put sunscreen on or not.
Well a first happened this morning while walking the boys around the lake. I glanced up to notice something landing in the lake quite a distance in front of us. About 15 seconds after I saw something land in the lake a man jumped in too. As I got closer I realized a dog had jumped in the lake likely after a duck and the human parent of the dog had no choice but to jump in after him. There is no way a dog or a child could get out of the lake on their own. Another passerby came to aid in the rescue which was very successful. I've never seen that happen before, as I mentioned. I actually rarely worry about the boys falling in the lake. Brad has mentioned it numerous times to me. Telling me to keep them far from the edge. The boys are not erratic type of dogs. They do not go jumping after duck or birds. There's ducks, storks, and pelicans that we pass by daily, our boys could careless. I mean, they see them but aren't trying to go after other creatures. I'm very thankful the boys and I have lived in areas(with the exception of Phoenix) that have featured lots of small critters, ducks, and loads of water dwelling birds. The boys have simply gotten used to being around lots of different creatures. They know how to act right and share the "road" so to speak.
Since our boys aren't erratic like that it would have to be quite the accident for them to fall in the lake. Based on the events of today though I think I'll be keeping an extra safe distance from the edge just in case. I don't want to go for an early morning swim in lake water that features catfish, turtles, and who knows what else.
Think Fast...Real Fast!
Allow me to set the scene for you, Brad is playing with Piper. Simon is minding his own business over in his own world(a.k.a. his bed). Cody is at the local watering hole filling up like a camel. As for me, much like Simon, I'm minding my own business sitting in my typical spot on our sofa with my laptop.
I glance down over the arm of the sofa to notice Cody is done at the watering hole and is now passing by to head back to the pet corner to likely rest his weary bones in a bed near his little brother. As I'm noticing Cody, out of the corner of my eye I'm noticing something else. Didn't take me long to realize that something else was moving at a fast pace. Is it a ball? Is it a random pet toy? Nope it's Piper! Brad was lifting her up and about, having a good ol' time when she somehow slipped thru his hands and began flying at her mommie. Not that I had time to think about things but I glanced back down at Cody as I leaned up over my computer enough to snatch a Pipe from the air. Saving her from the wrath of Cody, as well as saving her from crashing into my computer. Had she landed on Cody, he would've erupted like a volcano at her. She was actually in danger of hitting both. First the computer then bouncing off it and landing squarely on Cody's back. Once I grabbed her, a look of relief was in her eyes. Cody looked up after I had her in my arms with great relief in his eyes too. Knowing Cody and how scared he is of EVERYTHING, he likely saw his 14 years of life thus far flash before his eyes as his cat-sister was in great danger of taking him out.
Brad couldn't believe she slipped thru his fingers like that. I don't think I've seen cats flying thru the air quite like that except in cartoons. It was a rather cartoon-ish and comical moment. Never a dull evening in our house. There's always something happening! :)
I glance down over the arm of the sofa to notice Cody is done at the watering hole and is now passing by to head back to the pet corner to likely rest his weary bones in a bed near his little brother. As I'm noticing Cody, out of the corner of my eye I'm noticing something else. Didn't take me long to realize that something else was moving at a fast pace. Is it a ball? Is it a random pet toy? Nope it's Piper! Brad was lifting her up and about, having a good ol' time when she somehow slipped thru his hands and began flying at her mommie. Not that I had time to think about things but I glanced back down at Cody as I leaned up over my computer enough to snatch a Pipe from the air. Saving her from the wrath of Cody, as well as saving her from crashing into my computer. Had she landed on Cody, he would've erupted like a volcano at her. She was actually in danger of hitting both. First the computer then bouncing off it and landing squarely on Cody's back. Once I grabbed her, a look of relief was in her eyes. Cody looked up after I had her in my arms with great relief in his eyes too. Knowing Cody and how scared he is of EVERYTHING, he likely saw his 14 years of life thus far flash before his eyes as his cat-sister was in great danger of taking him out.
Brad couldn't believe she slipped thru his fingers like that. I don't think I've seen cats flying thru the air quite like that except in cartoons. It was a rather cartoon-ish and comical moment. Never a dull evening in our house. There's always something happening! :)
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Quick Snap Sunday
We're Ready For Football!
Cowboys shirts times 5! All 5 of us are geared up! I must admit I had a hard time deciding which shirt to wear. I have 3. Yes, I have 3, you read that correctly. If you'd told me 8 or 10 years ago I'd have 3 Cowboys shirts hanging in my closet, I would have laughed so hard I would have fallen over. As it is now though....I can't imagine it any other way. Three Cowboys shirts in my closet, 3 Cowboys sporting pets, and a diehard Cowboys fan as my husband. Let's go Cowboys!!
Lots of uncertainty as the season kicks-off today. However, I'm super excited. Lots of Prescott jerseys are popping up all over the city. Definitely the jersey being sold the most right now. We'll see how he does today. Cowboys this afternoon and my Cardinals tonight! Woo-hoo! I get to start the season off with a Cardinals game. Isn't that nifty? Trust me it is. There will be a wardrobe change in this household.
By glancing at the boys from this angle can you guess who is who? Who's on the left? Who's on the right? One fills out his shirt just a bit better than his bro.
Monday, September 5, 2016
What's Wrong With It?
"What's wrong with it?"...a question posed earlier this evening by my husband referring to Cody. He was being funny, or attempting to be funny. I laughed a little...Cody did not. LOL!
Oh Cody how we love thee, let us count the ways! Cody is a joy please don't get me wrong but he is a challenge at times. He has just begun a new nightly routine. Key word is "nightly". He whines every night after dinner. No, he's not whining in a painful manner. He's whining in a get our attention manner. He can't snap his fingers to get us to snap to attention so he whines and whines and whines some more until he gets our attention. Once he has his nightly snack he's good to go for the evening. But until snack time rolls around it's a long stretch of annoyance for his human parents to deal with. This whining issue only happens when he wants something. And it always occurs around dinnertime and after dinner. Otherwise, he's a non-whine-o!
By far, Cody has had the most changes in behavior over the years. Slight changes here and there. Some good others not so good. He's a mild rollercoaster of interest and intrigue. However, he's never been too bad ever, thankfully. He would be considered "high maintenance", without a doubt. Simon on the other hand is steady as a rock. No changes in his behavior since he was a young pup.
As I stated before, oh Cody how we love thee, let me count the ways...
Oh Cody how we love thee, let us count the ways! Cody is a joy please don't get me wrong but he is a challenge at times. He has just begun a new nightly routine. Key word is "nightly". He whines every night after dinner. No, he's not whining in a painful manner. He's whining in a get our attention manner. He can't snap his fingers to get us to snap to attention so he whines and whines and whines some more until he gets our attention. Once he has his nightly snack he's good to go for the evening. But until snack time rolls around it's a long stretch of annoyance for his human parents to deal with. This whining issue only happens when he wants something. And it always occurs around dinnertime and after dinner. Otherwise, he's a non-whine-o!
By far, Cody has had the most changes in behavior over the years. Slight changes here and there. Some good others not so good. He's a mild rollercoaster of interest and intrigue. However, he's never been too bad ever, thankfully. He would be considered "high maintenance", without a doubt. Simon on the other hand is steady as a rock. No changes in his behavior since he was a young pup.
As I stated before, oh Cody how we love thee, let me count the ways...
Sunday, September 4, 2016
Quick Snap Sunday
The Blur
This is how it is sometimes when I try to get Piper's picture while she's in action. Blurry! She has been nicknamed Hyper-Piper for a reason. In this pic half of her body is going one way while the other half is attacking a worm and a fish on a "fishing line". Obviously, not a "real" fishing line, but one perfectly devised for a cat.
She loves toys with bells and toys that dangle from a wand. For those unfamiliar with the play habits of cats, they love toys that dangle on a cord that are attached to a handheld wand. The handheld wand is for the human parent to hold in an effort to tease the cat with what's being dangled at the end of the cord. Pretty much since Piper arrived so did toys that dangle from a handheld wand. It is great fun getting all three pets going as I hold the wand that has the toy attached to it and attempt to tease them with the toy at the end of the cord. The only thing to look out for is the strength of Simon. He'll snatch that toy off the cord and the fun times will quickly end. I must say though the boys are very respectful of Piper's toys. They only play with her toys when we engage them in playtime with her "cat toys". Otherwise, they leave the "cat toys" dangling around the house.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
A Killer Among Us!
Boy do we have a mystery on our hands! What is happening to our angelfish? We woke up the other morning then quickly noticed one of our large angelfish was swimming upside down. Now if you know anything about fish you know it's not "normal" for them to swim upside down. He seemed dazed, confused, yet he was breathing. We tapped on the glass. Yes, picture the two of us, eyes wide open as we both tapped on the glass to attempt to get the large angelfish to "snap" out of whatever weird state he was in. It wasn't long before we noticed the red tail shark kept going at that specific angelfish. It was like a boxing match...but inside a fish tank.
Late in the afternoon when it was clear tapping on the glass wasn't snapping the angelfish out of his upside down swimming maneuvers there I was with a net trying to get to him as he was in a back corner of the tank. That darn red tail shark kept diving at the net I had in hand. Before long I had both arms in the fish tank. Believe me, I was truly trying to avoid that. I'm not one for sticking my hands/arms in chemically treated fish water. I was successful in rescuing the angelfish and I situated him in the net, allowing him to hang out in the net as it dangled in the water. No fish could get to him. Once Brad arrived home we made the decision to remove the red tail shark because he just couldn't behave. He kept diving at the angelfish(we have 7 large angelfish total). I'm really surprised the 7 angelfish that are all much larger than the red tail shark didn't band together and go after the shark. It took both of us to catch the slippery red tail shark, he's a fast dude. He has been placed in the old fish tank, completely by himself. Solitary confinement! As for the angelfish that I rescued and let hang out in the net, sadly he didn't make it. He survived about a day in the net before succumbing to his issues. We are down to 6 angelfish.
After this whole incident all the angelfish are struggling. Its crazy! None of the other fish in the tank are struggling. Brad has been messing with the water and chemicals to hopefully save the angelfish. It is quite baffling that all the angelfish are doing so poorly while the rest of the fish are fine. Did the red tail shark pick on the angelfish that much to have caused injuries to all of them? That's what I'm thinking. Fish are very sensitive and can't be messed with too much or they will die in a hurry.
So what's happening in our household this weekend, you ask? Operation save the angelfish! Brad changed the water out last night but the fish are still struggling and one more died this morning. We're down to 5 large angelfish!
However a bit of a cute moment did come about when Cody noticed Brad was teary up over the struggles to keep the fish alive. Cody in a concerned way moved over to Brad. Today, he's going to be known as "Comforting Code"!
Angel fish are Brad's favorites. They grow and live a long time. We've watched these angelfish slowly grow since getting married and setting up this household. So it might sound odd that Brad's emotional about it but he loves his angelfish. Keeping a nice aquarium going is a fave past time of his. It's frustrating to not know what to do to prevent all these large angelfish from dying.
Late in the afternoon when it was clear tapping on the glass wasn't snapping the angelfish out of his upside down swimming maneuvers there I was with a net trying to get to him as he was in a back corner of the tank. That darn red tail shark kept diving at the net I had in hand. Before long I had both arms in the fish tank. Believe me, I was truly trying to avoid that. I'm not one for sticking my hands/arms in chemically treated fish water. I was successful in rescuing the angelfish and I situated him in the net, allowing him to hang out in the net as it dangled in the water. No fish could get to him. Once Brad arrived home we made the decision to remove the red tail shark because he just couldn't behave. He kept diving at the angelfish(we have 7 large angelfish total). I'm really surprised the 7 angelfish that are all much larger than the red tail shark didn't band together and go after the shark. It took both of us to catch the slippery red tail shark, he's a fast dude. He has been placed in the old fish tank, completely by himself. Solitary confinement! As for the angelfish that I rescued and let hang out in the net, sadly he didn't make it. He survived about a day in the net before succumbing to his issues. We are down to 6 angelfish.
After this whole incident all the angelfish are struggling. Its crazy! None of the other fish in the tank are struggling. Brad has been messing with the water and chemicals to hopefully save the angelfish. It is quite baffling that all the angelfish are doing so poorly while the rest of the fish are fine. Did the red tail shark pick on the angelfish that much to have caused injuries to all of them? That's what I'm thinking. Fish are very sensitive and can't be messed with too much or they will die in a hurry.
So what's happening in our household this weekend, you ask? Operation save the angelfish! Brad changed the water out last night but the fish are still struggling and one more died this morning. We're down to 5 large angelfish!
However a bit of a cute moment did come about when Cody noticed Brad was teary up over the struggles to keep the fish alive. Cody in a concerned way moved over to Brad. Today, he's going to be known as "Comforting Code"!
Angel fish are Brad's favorites. They grow and live a long time. We've watched these angelfish slowly grow since getting married and setting up this household. So it might sound odd that Brad's emotional about it but he loves his angelfish. Keeping a nice aquarium going is a fave past time of his. It's frustrating to not know what to do to prevent all these large angelfish from dying.
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