So Halfway Through April, huh?

It's been one of those times without very much funny stuff going on.  But that's not to say that nothing at all is going on.

Cindy and Keith welcomed little Jessie a couple weeks ago. On March 29th she finally made her entrance.  She's super cute and both Mom and baby are healthy (but a bit tired).

This is Dave holding little Jessie.  He'd never held a baby before.  Not that he hadn't held a baby who was three days old--he'd never held a baby ever.  Of any size.  He finally relented to my peer pressure and agreed to hold Jessie.  And he didn't even break her.

Yes she's wearing a pink hoodie.  And she LOVES it.

Before Lemon went back to her foster home, she got comfortable enough with us to snuggle up and go to sleep on us.  (See--she really is super tiny.)  We were so glad that she finally came around to us and let us treat her like a pet.  She still has a lot of confidence to build and I'm sure her transition to her forever home will be a bit of a challenge, but she is definitely a dog worth saving.  Amanda told me this weekend that she was supposed to have a meet and greet but it was cancelled.  We'll be watching Lemon again this weekend, so hopefully she'll remember us and be a good pup.  And on Sunday I'm taking her to Especially for Pets for an event sponsored by our group, All Dog Rescue.

I'll just help you check your email.

Dave and I have been enjoying the bursts of spring we've been getting, taking to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail on our bikes as often as we can.  We can access the trail from the end of our street (well, the cross street at our corner), so it's been easy to just hop on the bikes and go.  At one end, the trail dumps into the parking lot of a movie theater.  With The Avengers, Men in Black III and other movies coming out this summer, I think I know what we'll be doing over the next few months.  And if we take the trail to the other direction and bang a left, we can be at Kimball Farm for the most delicious ice cream EVER in about 5 miles.  It is my understanding that the calories don't count if you ride your bike there and back.

Our Itty Bitty House Guest

One of the other foster families in our group, All Dog Rescue, needed someone to watch their foster dog this week as they had a trip planned.  Having recently dealt with not having anyone available to take Mia when we had to go out of town, we felt sympathetic and figured we had some time to lend a hand.  So on Saturday, Amanda and Ted dropped off Lemon, a 5 pound miniature pinscher with a story that'll break your heart.

(Seriously, go get a tissue.  I'll wait.)

Ready?

Meet Lemon.

Cute, right?  The left ear stays at a right angle, the right one goes up and down.  Lemon is quite literally a rescued dog.  A little over a month ago, she was rescued from an animal hoarding situation .  She and 39 other pure bred miniature pinschers were taken from a home were they were sequestered in a basement strewn with wooden crates and covered in waste.  Not cool.  The dogs were taken to Animal Control and several organization stepped in to find them a better place to be.  One of the shelters our group works with took many of the dogs and selected a few of them specifically for our group because they knew we could rehab them into becoming loving, adoptable dogs.

After getting medical care (check up, shots, etc.), Lemon went home with Amanda and Ted to learn how to live in a loving home. She bonded with them, played with their dog and tolerated their cat.  She started to learn house training and took to a crate, albeit a cat carrier.  She was making progress.

Unfortunately, I think the transition of being with us has set her back a few paces.  She's slow to warm up to people and although she likes food, her fear and timid nature overpowered her food motivation.  For two days, Lemon wanted nothing to do with us and would let us touch her.  Poor girl was still wearing her leash because she wouldn't let us near to take it off.  (Which ended up being a good thing because we could grab the end of the leash and usher her into whatever room we wanted her to be in, or outside to go to the bathroom. 

She spent all day Sunday perched on the hearth, making sure to watch us so we didn't do anything scary.  Since we couldn't touch her to crate her, she spent the night in the half-bath with lots of blankets. In return, she left us presents and barked from 3 am to 5 am.

We called reinforcements from our group and learned a little bit more about feral dogs (as Lemon and most of her friends were).  We did learn that we didn't do anything to piss her off (yet) and that in time, with continued temptation of tasty food, she would make progress (we had been able to feed her, but she was taking the food and running away from us.  While we sat on the couch, watching Lemon watch us from her perch, Dave and I considered what she reminded us of.

Me: She should be a Muppet.  Doesn't she look like a Muppet?

Dave: She looks like Rizzo.

Me: Yes!  I knew she looked like a Muppet.  She's definitely Rizzo.

Dave: Cause Rizzo's all twitchy and shakey n'at too.  Except he's a rat and she's a dog.  (Dave totally said n'at.  Totally.)

I also think she looks like a tiny deer prancing around our living room.  She's got bitty legs and walks so delicately, like Bambi just learning to walk on the iced over pond.

Monday morning, I decided to do some touch training with her breakfast.  If she wanted to eat, she had to touch my hand.  This worked really well.  I didn't push it and try to touch her back, but I was pleased with the progress and liked seeing that she was capable of training and learning.  When we left for work, we decided to put Lemon in a proper dog crate, despite the fact that it was designed for the last dog who used it, 45 pound Mia, not the 5 pound pup in our presence.  She went in without problem and we left her with blankets, toys, and a peanut butter filled kong.  When we came home, she was timid but happy to see us.  Slowly she came out of the crate and we did some more touch training.  I took her outside and for the first time she actually when to the bathroom there, instead of in the house.  Much praising ensued.  We tethered two leashed together and let her roam around whatever room we were in.

Dave and I had chicken for dinner and I set aside a forkful of shredded chicken for some training later that evening.  While I was sitting on the couch wrapping a birthday gift, Lemon invited herself onto the couch and sniffed around.  Not wanted to scare her, I let her go, happy that she was getting comfortable, and confident, to come so close.  When Dave saw it, he grabbed the leftover chicken, perched himself on the couch and started doing more touch training.  Eventually she let him pet on her.  Carefully I reached over and gently petted her.  We were shocked.  Dave was able to finally take her leash off and she slowly worked her way over to me and sat on my lap!  We decided it was the perfect opportunity to see if we could get a coat on her and take her outside since it was cold and she needed to go out.  Success!

She even came to be and "asked" for her coat to come off afterward (I had knelt down and she cam over and put her front paws on my leg, and leaned back so I could get at the closure).  While I was working at the computer, she tried, unsuccessfully to jump into my lap and let me pick her up to put her there.  Later, while I was on the couch, she climbed into my lap, curled up and took a nap.  Huge progress.

This morning wasn't quite as smooth and she's not quite as willing to let Dave handle her.  She's not mean or nipping, but she does run away.  Hopefully we'll make more progress tonight as well help build her confidence and get her ready to be a wonderful adopted pet.

Mia Adopted!

Despite the fact that it's a little quiet in the house and there's no wiggly butt waiting for us excitedly when we come home, Dave and I are thrilled that we helped Mia find her forever home.  And it couldn't be a more perfect home for her.

Quinn and Carey have a wonderful home with a big fenced in yard and two wonderful daughters, Natalie who is 10 and Melanie who is 7.  The girls are very mature and the family is very dog savvy. They've had 2 other dogs in the past and have lots of experience with training and positive reinforcement techniques.  Carey is a runner and wants to run with Mia (who will LOVE that) and Quinn mostly works from home, so she'll always have someone for belly rubs.  Natalie and Melanie are just the perfect girls to have lots of fun with Mia and give her the play time she needs.

When we arrived, we quickly went to the backyard where Mia had her choice of about 4 or 5 tennis balls to play with and much chasing ensued.  Mia loves her tennis balls and will usually try to bring one into the house.  Which of course she did this time.  She really didn't want to let go of that ball.  She was clearly thirsty and on several occasions went to her water bowl to take a drink, but didn't want to let go of the ball, so she skipped the refreshments.  Finally she just gave up and dropped the ball into the water bowl, took a drink, then pick the ball back up and went on her merry way.  She has a curious little mind.

Dave and I have been lucky to adopt to warm and hospitable people, but this is the first time we were invited to stay for lunch!  It was so sweet.  Quinn grilled us up some fantastic burgers and we enjoyed talking with the family, about their past dogs, what to expect with Mia and what their plans would be. 

When we went to leave, Mia thought she was coming with us (she always did!) but the girls distracted her with toys and peanut butter and we were able to sneak away after a few good bye pets.  It's always bittersweet to see our pups go to another family, especially the sweet ones like Mia who we do develop a special bond with, but we couldn't have asked for a better family and home.  And the next night I got two emails from Natalie.  First she included this picture, which she just titled "Mia chilling"

(Why yes, we think she's on the couch in that picture too!  But really, how do you say no?  Look at that face!)  Then Natalie sent this video (please excuse the sideways nature--she's only 10!)

We love getting updates from families and I hope we get to see more of Mia's happy home.

Totally Spoiled

One of the things Dave and I do when we foster a dog is start on teaching them good manners.  We teach them basic commands, like sit, stay, down, wait and come.  We teach them to walk on a leash and hopefully not jump on everyone that walks through the front door.  We teach them not to get on the furniture or the bed and to stay out from under the table when we're eating.  We figure if their new family wants to allow them to do any of those things, they can easily allow it, but it will be harder for them to break the dogs of bad habits if we encourage them.  Some dogs are easier to train (Chiquita) than others (Rondo), but overall we pride ourselves on adopting out well-mannered pups.


The other day I was busying myself in the kitchen, probably making food for the shower, and I kind of lost track of what else was going on in the house.  Dave had some chores he'd been taking care of and Mia was spending her time going back and forth between following me, following Dave and chewing her Kong.  Suddenly, I noticed I was alone.  I didn't remember Dave leaving the house--he would have been near or gone through the kitchen to do so--and Mia's dog bed and crate were both empty and toys discarded on the carpet in three rooms.  Her collar and leash were still in the closet, so I knew Dave hadn't taken her out.

Suddenly I vaguely remembered Dave mentioning earlier in the day that he hoped to take a nap at some point.  So I grabbed my camera and quietly made my way up the stairs.  Sure enough the bedroom door was open and the lights were off.  I peaked in the bedroom only to see this:

Of course.  I could only imagine that Dave just lost the battle.  Mia likes to think that she's allowed on the bed and will jump up there once in a while.  She rarely has to be told more than once to get off and then will happily curl up on her own bed.  Unless she's got us pinned down under the covers, then she just takes advantage and gives us the kisses we normally don't allow.  But since her bed was downstairs I guess she thought that the carpet wasn't good enough and decided it would be ok to snuggle up next to Dave. 

I love the look she gave me of, "Oh, hi.  I'm on the bed now.  It's okay, it's my turn now.  I'll let you know when I'm done, so please leave so I can go back to sleep."

Yes, a well-mannered dog is what we aim to produce.  And occasionally that well-mannered dog is spoiled.

Better still, I'm pretty sure the next day she "finished" the peanut butter and thus earned the right to lick the jar.

Yes, spoiled.  It's a good thing she's cute.

Third Times a Charm?

Yesterday Mia had a meet and greet with her third family.  And Dave and I really think this is the one (knock on wood!).  Carey came by with her two daughters, ages 10 and 7.  Both girls were very mature and dog savvy and the older one even helps a trainer that the family has used in the past.  Everyone was smitten with Mia and they weren't turned off by her high energy or her jumpy greetings. For Mia's part, she was much better with her greetings and sat on command for everyone, which is a marked improvement.

Carey's husband couldn't make it to the meet and greet since he was traveling, so he'll meet Mia tonight.  Paws crossed because we're pretty sure dad won't have much choice but to say yes!  We understand that when he got home last night, all the girls could talk about was when they were going to get Mia and what they were going to do with her.  We're very excited for this family. They've already made arrangements to work with their trainer and have been very thoughtful and careful about their adoption process.  Hopefully I'll have a paws-itive post next week (that pun was just too easy).

Another Meet & Greet

Mia's meet and greet was on Saturday and she was awesome.  While she was a bit jumpy in the beginning, she really just wanted to give the family (mom, dad, son and two daughters) kisses and get pet on.  The family was great and listened intently to Dave and I as we gave them suggestions to interact with her and keep her from getting too rambunctious. 

The family is looking to adopt their first dog and while they've watched friends' dogs in the past, they really don't know a lot about owning and training a dog.  They stayed for about an hour, asked really great questions (many of which came from the kids) and took Mia on a walk outside.  The oldest daughter, 14, was a little afraid of Mia's jumping, but still liked her a lot and even took the lead to walk Mia for part of our time outside.  The youngest daughter, 8, was quite precocious asking a ton of silly questions among very good questions and had no fear to let Mia eat a treat from her hand.  The son, 12, was very interested in getting Mia to run through her commands and was equally attentive when Dave and I explained the techniques we use.  He was eventually able to follow them and get Mia to listen to him once or twice.

It was a lot of excitement for Mia and she was distracted by the shear number of people and the level of activity and attention she was getting, but she had a very good showing and I think represented well the kind of pet she would make--loving and energetic but overall just wanting to please her people.

The family wanted to talk it over and discuss if Mia would be a good match for them.  They were concerned about making sure they and Mia got proper training to keep her a good girl instead of going wild.  We heard from them later that evening, and unfortunately they decided she wasn't the right dog for them.  Based on their questions and the way they listened to Dave and I, we thought they'd be a good match for Mia but they were concerned that as first time dog owners, they wouldn't have the skills she needs.  It's a good concern and I'm far happier knowing a family was cautious and decided against her than one that rushed to adopt and it have it not work out (again).

So Mia is still with us and hopefully another application will come in soon and prove an even better home for her.  While Dave and I are at work, Mia's new friend Paul comes over to walk her and play with her (and give her a peanut butter kong, which is probably her favorite part), so we still have a happy pup when we come home.  And we're super proud of her because she's had free reign of the kitchen, dining room and office (instead of being confined to her crate) and we haven't had any issues.  The right family is out there for her; we just have to find them.

Oh yeah, that happened

It's been busy what with the holidays and all, so we've been in the swing of things with people to see and place to go.  Here's what's happened in the last week or so.

• Dave had a birthday party. It was fun and everyone showed up (except Ben because he forgot).  I made awesome cupcakes because I finally "applied myself" so Cindy can shut it. :)
• Dave's party was great until Mia made everyone leave because she kept farting and her butt smells like rotten eggs rolled in moldy bologna when she really gets going.
• I told you about Mia's meet and greet.  So we still have her.  Santa may or may not have gotten her extra gifts because of it.
• Dave had a birthday. He's old.
• Dave's cousin Mike and his wife Donna came to visit us on Friday.  We hung out for a bit, they spoiled Mia by letting her lick and give them kisses.  Then we went to Madaline and Ernie's house for dinner and had a simple Christmas evening with them.
• We took Mike and Donna to Nashoba Valley Winery at 10 am where we made them do the tasting before they picked which wines they wanted to buy.  In our defense, Donna was the one that suggested going there in the first place.  Note: Dave and I did not do the tasting, in part because we could still taste our toothpaste.
• Mike and Donna headed out to her sister's for a party, so we went to my aunt and uncle's house for their holiday party.  We were thoroughly entertained by a former Pan-Am pilot who had some pretty amazing stories.
• For Bud and Sandy's party, I made this appetizer because it was simple, cute, and I had all the ingredients.  One of the guests actually paraded it around the room before anyone was allowed to eat it so everyone could see how cute it was.  Then she let people eat and by the time it made its way back to the buffet, only one-third was left.  Hilarious.  Who knew?
• The Baltimore Ravens lost.  

I think that sums it up.  This week will most likely be the LONGEST.WEEK.EVER. and not just because Christmas is nearly upon us, but because WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!  On Christmas Day, Dave and I are flying to Charlotte where we'll meet my parents and my sister and her family.  We'll drive part way to Orlando on Sunday and then the rest of the way on Monday.  We'll meet my brother and his family in Orlando and spend a week with the Mouse (and friends).  It'll be awesome. I'm anticipating lots of blog fodder, if not from my family then from random people at the parks.  

Mia Meet & Greet

On Sunday afternoon, Nancy, her son and her mother came to visit Mia.  Despite being exhausted from staying up too late the night before to play during Dave's birthday party, Mia was eager--maybe a little too eager--to meet these new friends.

The family asked a lot of good questions, has experience with dogs and overall seemed like a good fit for Mia.  Nancy and her son were positively smitten with Mia, allowing her to lean in for snuggles and pets.  Mia was a little jumpy, just her normal excitement from meeting someone new, but eventually settled down. Nancy's mother was concerned about the jumping, and it sounded like a deal breaker.  We gently explained that Mia is learning how to behave and is entirely trainable.  We also pointed out how she was allowing Mia to jump, rather than being more of a leader and not let her jump, as Nancy was able to prevent Mia from doing so.  We had a nice conversation and answered lots of questions, even offering to use part of Mia's adoption fee to pay for a session with a reputable trainer familiar with Mia and our group.  The family left and we crossed our paws for good news.

Later in the day, Nancy texted Dave, apologizing for her mother's criticisms and explaining that she absolutely wanted Mia.  On Tuesday Dave and Nancy spoke more and Dave answered many more questions about Mia and her history, as well as ways to help Nancy's mother see how good Mia is (she doesn't bite, get aggressive or territorial, and loves people and other dogs her size).  Jumping is easy to fix, with proper training, and a very minor problem in the range of dog issues.  Nancy intended to speak with her mother on Tuesday night and outline the positives to get her on board with Mia.

Unfortunately, Dave heard from Nancy today that her mother wouldn't budge and therefore they would have to pass on Mia.  It's a shame because it would otherwise be a perfect living situation for Mia and they seem like a great family.  But it's also good that they are choosing to pass rather than try to make it work and risk either a bad situation or Mia not bonding with everyone.

We'd still love to get Mia a home for Christmas, but even if we don't, her forever home is out there and will find her soon.

A Happy Lizzy Update

At Thanksgiving, Dave and I were commenting to his parents how the home we found for Lizzy was absolutely perfect and we couldn't have asked for a better family for her.  And then I got this message and photos.

Dear Colleen and Dave:

We are thinking of you both today because we are so happy to be sharing our first Thanksgiving with Lizzy.  She is such a wonderful presence in our home and we are so lucky to have her with us.  Lizzy has formed a special relationship with each of us in her very democratic style.  She is a real pal to Renee and waits for the school bus every morning and afternoon.  She loves playing with all of the kids in the neighborhood and has even made friends the dogs and cats on our road. She goes for runs every morning with Lee and patiently hangs out with me at home while I work - a real family dog! She goes everywhere with us and we just love her.  Lately she has even started to "find her bark" and is turning out to be a surprisingly good watch dog, for being such a sweet and gentle soul.  Thank you both for taking care of her and helping her to find her way to us. It was such a labor of love and we will always be grateful to  you.  Best wishes to both of you with hopes that you will enjoy a wonderful holiday season. 

In Gratitude,

Stella, Leland, and Renee

This is my favorite because it looks like Lizzy is laughing.

             

Mia Meets Santa

On Saturday, All Dog Rescue, the group Dave and I foster for, held a fundraiser.  Volunteers offered pet photos with Santa.  We thought this would be a good opportunity to take Mia on a car ride (her favorite), pick up some new toys (since she keeps destroying them), and get a cute photo (success).

Mia was a little nervous in the store.  She entered the store and met another dog and while things started ok, he scared her and we had to separate her from the other dogs to be safe.  She remained a little stressed out and was mildly distracted by treats and toys, but eventually Dave just took her outside until it was time for her picture. 

Now, bear in mind we are a volunteer group, so we have to take the help we can get.  Unfortunately our Santa, who was great with the dogs, has a baby face and couldn't really pull off the whole jolly St. Nick thing.  But that's ok because we still got a great shot of Mia that is totally going on her adoption profile.

Who could say no to a face that says, "I told Santa all I want for Christmas is my forever home"?  Or a face that says, "What's up with this Santa character--I don't think he's old enough to be out late delivering presents!"  Either way, Mia did have a good day, met some people, got some toys she loves and hasn't destroyed (yet) and even got fitted for a new harness to help her learn how to walk sweetly on a leash.  What more could a pup ask for?

Poor Little Raccoon

Way back when Dave and I had Panda, we picked up one of those stuffing-less squeak toys that had like 6 squeakers in it (one in the head, one in the tail, and one in each leg) thinking she'd love it.  But the thing with stuffing-less toys is that the dog can't just poke at it and make the squeaker go, like Panda loved to do with her Lovebug.  So the toy went unused by Panda.

Then we got Taco and he was all "Dude, this thing's as big as me.  And I'm afraid of squeakers.  And I'm all about getting the stuffing out of these things.  This toy sucks."  So back in the dog supply bag it went.

And Lizzie attitude about the whole thing was "I don't do toys.  I'm just going to lay her and drool."  So still the raccoon sat waiting for someone to play with it.

But we knew Mia was into squeak toys, so last night I dug the raccoon out of the bag, hoping she might be interested.  Interested doesn't quite begin to describe it.  She jumped around once she saw it and tried her best to get it out of my hand.  When she calmed I let her have it and she was in heaven.  She squeaked away, chewing the raccoon's head and tail, tossing him up in the air, giving him a good shake (to make sure he was dead) and carried him all around.

While Dave and I ate dinner, she took the raccoon into her crate and began the process of trying to pull off his tail.  When she was bored with that, she worked on his head.  I couldn't resist, so I pulled out the camera.

Besides the eye becoming a snack, she also managed to pull the squeaker out of his head (along with the little bit of stuffing that was in there).  I successfully swiped the squeaker without her realizing--the last thing we needed was a trip to the animal ER for a squeaker removal.  At least the eyeball should "come out" some time today.  (On a side note, when Dave picked up Mia, he was told that earlier that day she had eaten some crayons.  Sure enough, that afternoon she pooped a rainbow.)

After cleaning up all the detached (and available) raccoon parts, Mia spent the rest of the night destroying him a little at a time.  Eventually she did get his tail off.  Oh the humanity.

So now she had a faceless, tailless raccoon with 33% less squeakers.  I think Dave and I need to invest in some stronger squeak toys.

Meet Mia

There are barely any words to describe her cuteness, so I'll just let you look at that photo for a bit.


Done?  No?  I'll wait.


Ready now?


Ok, let's get started.  This is Mia and she's the new little fur-friend wandering our house and yard.  Mia came into our foster group this past May and was fostered by another volunteer.  In September she found what she thought was her forever home. Unfortunately, the family wasn't the right fit--they had two small children and while the mother was home during the day, she had difficulty with training and couldn't figure out how to help Mia behave on her leash.  They lived in an apartment complex with a lot of other dogs and Mia couldn't quite figure out how to play with them since a lot of the smaller dogs were afraid of her.  So the family made the decision to put her back in foster care until her for real forever home is ready for her.

Dave picked up Mia from her temporary family on Wednesday and brought her to our home.  She was great in the car--in fact she loves car rides.  She came with Dave to train station to pick my up last night and I didn't even realize she was in the back seat until a cold wet nose met my arm and then she licked my hand.

A boxer/pit bull mix (just like our sweet Chiquita) and almost 2 years old, she is of course very smart and very loving.  She basically just wants to be near her people and is curious about everything going on around her.  When I got home, she just leaned up against me while I leaned over and pet her.  Much to my surprise I got my first kiss right on the mouth when she popped up and licked me. (Really--my first kiss!  We've always been pretty good about not letting the dogs lick our faces since we don't want to encourage those habits if their forever home doesn't want that.)  While she's highly food motivated which will make for great training, she was by my side while I prepared dinner.  Not in an annoying "please feed me what your making" way, but more like a "Whatchya doin'? Are you going to pet me and love me and pet me some more?" kind of way.

She's crate trained (although she was a little whiny when we shut out the lights and went to bed last night, she calmed down after a few minutes), house trained, and knows some basic commands.  She needs some impulse control training and to learn a little more for "stay" and "leave it" but she certainly knows what we mean when we tell her to get off the couch!  We'll also have to teach her not to pull on the leash, but all of this should be pretty easy because she listens really well and wants to please us.

Finding her forever home might be tough--we'll certainly be very particular about the family that want to adopt her.  We want her to go to her home and stay there this time around.  Until then, I think she'll just stay close to Dave when they're at home.  She has a bed in all the rooms she's allowed in, so she can be near him all day long.

Happy Ending

A little lesson in protecting your pet and why you should get your dog microchipped.

This past March, Mary Lou, a woman who fosters for our group, All Dog Rescue, took in a 9 year old pit bull who she started calling Marta.  She's a sweet dog, but unfortunately there were no applications coming in.  Finally last week, an application came in and Mary Lou set up a meet and greet for Saturday.  And then, on Thursday, we got a voicemail from a woman claiming Marta was her dog.

Turns out, Marta, whose given name is Lexus, was stolen from her owners in July 2010.  They'd searched for her to no avail and pretty much gave up.  Then this past week they were on Petfinder.com looking for a new dog and came across Marta's listing.  So they called and after some fact checking, Mary Lou made arrangements for Lexus to go home.

Lexus' owners hadn't microchipped her. If they had, when she was taken in by animal control, they would have scanned her and gotten her home.  But since she came to our group, she's chipped now and will always be able to get back home.

Mary Lou did a great job and was able to get the local news to cover the story.  Here's the video from when Lexus was reunited with her family.

The Best Random Day Trip EVER

When I realized how far up into Vermont we would have to drive to get Lizzy to her new home, I started wondering what else we could do in that direction to make the trip a little more palatable.  So I looked at the map and I thought about places and things in Vermont that Dave and I like and tried to find some overlap.  Lo and behold, we lucked out.

Being a novice baker, I have been wanting to visit King Arthur Flour, ideally for a class, but even just to go to the bakery and store.  Luckily King Arthur Flour was minutes off the interstate we used to get up through Vermont.  And better still, the Harpoon Brewery was only about 20 minutes from King Arthur Flour, a few minutes off the same interstate, a little further south. Since Harpoon is Dave's favorite beer, I knew we would have to stop.

While driving towards Lizzy's new home, I mentioned to Dave that we would have to stop at a roadside stand of some sort to get real Vermont maple syrup.  As a huge maple syrup fan (I haven't been able to buy anything other than the real stuff since we moved in together), he agreed and we kept our eyes peeled for the right place.

About 15 minutes from our first destination, Lizzy's forever family, we spotted a sign on the side of the highway for Cabot Creamery, indicating it was only 5 miles away.  We agreed we should stop and see what it was like.  So after leaving Lizzy with her new family, we got back in the car and headed to Cabot, VT.  The town is quite quaint and soon we found the Cabot Creamery, including a factory store.

We went inside and started looking at all the local Vermont goodies and then Dave noticed that they offered a tour.  Since it was about to start and was only $2 per person, we joined the group.  The tour started with a short film noting the history of the Cabot Creamery and farm co-op.  It was pretty cool to learn how they started, the quality they require of their farmers and what they do with all the milk, curd and byproduct.  They actually return the water drained off the cheese to the farm fields, putting nutrients back in the soil, and then of course the cows are eating that naturally enhanced grass.

Then our tour guide Tori told us all about the different cheese products and types they make, including some limited items that are only available close to the creamery.  She was very thorough--I had no idea they were so specialized in certain types of cheddar.  She then took us a on a quick trip through the plant, showing us the machines that make cheddar cheese (from curd to package) and another machine that, at the time, was filling 16 ounce packages of sour cream.  The video actually showed us one of the machines, the one that lifts the finished boxes onto the pallets.  I had to comment on it when Tori asked if their were questions because it was painted like a cow. (I asked who painted it.  She said the company that made it sent it like that.  How funny is that?) So of course when we saw RoboCow, I had to snap a picture.

After the tour we went back to the store to sample some of the cheeses.  We tried to behave ourselves since we hadn't yet had lunch, but I did have to get a second taste of the Buffalo Wing Cheddar and Dave was amazed at the limited batch of Classic Vermont Vintage Cheddar.  So of course we had to get both.  And then a few more.  We could have done a lot worse, but ultimately this was our haul.

I don't know if it was the lack of food or just being happy from finding a random place to stop, but outside I goofed off a little.

Moo.

We got back in the car, quickly got back on our route and decided it was time to stop for real Vermont maple syrup.  We'd passed a sugar house on the way up, so when we came near it again we pulled in and got exactly what we wanted.  The sugar house itself wasn't very exciting, but we knew it was the type of place where we would get "the good stuff."

Now it was time for me to get excited.  We were on our way to King Arthur Flour.  In true Vermont fashion, this company is 100% employee owned and really turns out some quality products.  Their recipes are amazing and I understand they have wonderful classes.  Ideally, I'd like to take a class there sometime, but stopped by the store was a fun introduction. 

King Arthur Flour is undergoing a huge expansion, building up their Baking School, store and bakery, among other things  The project will be done sometime next summer.  Guess I'll be holding off on that class until then!

Inside the store, I found myself completely mesmerized by all the different ingredients and tools. all of the thoughts running through my mind of what I could potential make with some many tasty morsels.  Dave was very patient with me as I slowly and methodically went around the store (literally around--the store is a giant circle!), placing things in my basket.   I'd warned Dave that I planned to fill my basket, but then promised to go back through it and buy only the things I wanted most.  Which I did.  My final purchase was only a fraction of all of my wants.

Indeed there actually were specific items I knew I was going to purchase, like Fiori di Sicilia, an extract-like flavoring that gives a unique "secret" ingredient flavor.  I also ended up getting maple flavoring and cinnamon oil, among a few other things.  Items that did not make the cut were the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion cookbook and the mini cheesecake pan, but not I have a reason to go back.  On the plus side, they were running a special that day so I got 15% off my total purchase, which was like getting the cinnamon oil for free!


Happy with my King Arthur Flour swag, we got back in the car and headed toward the Harpoon Brewery.  Dave had been there in July for their BBQ festival with his friends Ben and Nick.  They'd gotten a brief tour, had some beer and ate some good food.  Dave asked if I wanted to do the tour, but I wasn't sure if they would be offering one, based on the information in the pamphlet I'd picked up at the Visitor's Center that morning.  We'd planned on grabbing a bite to eat since they have a pub-style restaurant and we were famished.  We'd left around 8:30 in the morning and other than the stop for nibbles of cheese at Cabot, the only other sustenance we'd had was a bag of peanut butter M&Ms.  

Inside Harpoon, Dave used the facilities and I started poking around the store with all the hats, T-shirts and what not.  I was just about to go to the hostess stand and give our name for a table when I heard a woman holler to the crowd that anyone going on the tour should line up at the door.  I hesitated, not sure if I should hurry and buy tickets for the tour or if Dave wasn't interested.  Just then he came out and I told him the tour was about to begin and did he want to go.  So we ran over to the register, got tickets and headed to the door.  They carded us, gave us tasting glasses (that's always a good sign) and the tour began.  Dave's tour back in July was only an abbreviated version, so this was definitely a treat. 

I'd like to stop for a minute and appreciate our tour guide who, while admittedly having trouble with math at the moment, almost didn't give me a glass because she didn't think I was 21.  And then realized by birth year was 1980, not 1990, and that even if it was, since my birthday is in February, I'd be 21 anyway.  Looking back, I kind of appreciated it because when I'm with Dave I never get carded at all, let along questioned about actually being over 20.


Cat and Dan, our tour guides, gave us an amazing tour.  Having gone on a brewery tour before, we kinda knew how beer was made, but the history of Harpoon and the unique things they do to make their beers was pretty cool.  Local farmers actually take the brewery's used mash for feed for local cattle (no wonder the cheese tastes so good up there!).  Plus Cat bubbled over with personality and energy and you just know she loves her job.  Along the way we had some samples.  First was a swig of unfiltered IPA.  IPA is Dave's absolute favorite, but I usually don't care for it.  But this unfiltered stuff was great.  And super cold.  Cold beer is happy beer.


Cat had filled a pitcher of the unfiltered IPA and then started given about 2 ounce pours to everyone.  With beer still left in the pitcher, she started handing out seconds.  Who was the first person she refilled?  Dave, of course.  There were probably 15-18 people in our tour, and there was a couple standing near us. The woman leaned over to Dave and asked him if he liked IPA.  He said yes and she asked him if he wanted hers--she hadn't tasted it because she knows she doesn't like it, so she just poured it in his glass.  Dave made a beer friend!

Later on in the tour, Cat brought us another sample, this time of the filtered IPA.  And yes, the entire scenario I outlined above was repeated.  Exactly.  At this point Dave had 6 tastings to my 2.  Of his favorite beer.  Lucky duck.

Finally, the tour concluded with a sampling frenzy as Cat described the 10 or so beers they had on tap at the moment and Dan offering to pour us as many samples as we'd like to try.  I tasted the UFO Raspberry Hefeweizen and the UFO Pumpkin.  Both were super yummy, and as Cat described, the pumpkin tasted like "liquid pumpkin pie."  Dave tried the 100 Barrell Oak Aged Dunkel and the Leviathan Imperial IPA, and another one I was forgetting.  Clearly he had so much beer, I was starting to forget things.  Or it could have been the fact that in 8 hours I'd only eaten cheese and candy.  One of those.

So to the pub we went!  The restaurant is the Riverbend Taps and Beer Garden and the food is classic pub fare of burgers, sandwiches and fried things.  We each ordered UFO Pumpkins and then tucked into an appetizer of chicken tenders served with amazing french fries and an awesome ranch dressing.  Again, in true Vermont fashion, ingredients are local where possible and out sandwiches were actually served on King Arthur Flour bread.  Everything was delicious and a leisurely dinner was truly was the perfect way to end the day.  With stomachs filled and our beer buzz subsided, we headed back home.


So let's recap: In a little over 12 hours, we drove to Vermont, adopted out dog to a wonderful family, visited a creamery for a tour and tasting, got real Vermont syrup, visited the King Arthur Flour factory for perfect baking ingredients, toured the Harpoon brewery and got lots of samples and a great dinner.  Yeah, I'd say that's not bad for a random road trip.

Lizzy Adopted!

This was totally worth the wait.

Stella, Leland and Renee are the perfect family with a wonderful home and lots of property for a dog to explore, sniff and call her own. 

On Saturday morning, Dave, Lizzy and I piled into the car and began our trip to Vermont.  For the most part, Lizzy was good in the car.  She got a little talkative when we were stuck behind some slow moving vehicles on the back roads through New Hampshire, and towards the end she was ready to get out of the car.  We'd made two stops to let her walk around, but it was a much longer trip that she was used to.

The drive was pretty good despite the partial clouds and slight drizzling rain.  While the fall leaves weren't quite at their peak, had the sun been shining, the colors would have been beautiful.  We had no trouble finding Lizzy's new home, especially since Renee was sweet enough to be the official welcoming committee and posted a sign on their mailbox.

Their house was great.  They have a beautiful home, and since Stella works at home most days of the week, they converted the space above their garage to an office/loft, which Lizzy thought was awesome.  With big windows on one side and a sliding glass door on the other, she'll have her choice of where to sit to watch the squirrels and other critters passing by.

Lizzy got acclimated right away and Renee even took her on a short walk of the property while Stella and I handled the paperwork.  Clearly Lizzy and Renee are going to be the best of pals.  We can see them doing just about everything together.

It's been almost a full year (next weekend) since Dave and I started opening our home to wayward dogs (as one of Dave's family friends put it).  Five dogs saved and placed in perfect homes.  We learned an awful lot from each of these dogs and they will always hold a special place in our hearts.  Maybe the next year will bring us more dogs, or maybe soon we'll be able to call one our own.  Who knows, but it's definitely been fun and I like to think we've been stockpiling karma points for something really good.

Yet Another Meeting

Lizzy's meet and greet over a week ago went very well.  Jim, the applicant, really liked her and brought his dog Wilma and his sister Karen to meet Lizzy.  Everything was great--the dogs got along, Lizzy was well behaved and allowed lots of pets from both Jim and Karen.  We thought it was a good match and Dave set up a time to do a home visit.  Meanwhile, I'd emailed Stella who had submitted an application for Lizzy just after Jim's and told her that it looked like Lizzy would be adopted.

Unfortunately for Lizzy, the home visit didn't go so well.  While Jim's home was lovely, it was small for the size dog she is and there really wasn't a good place for Lizzy to lay down (Lizzy was with Dave at the time).  She seemed very uncomfortable in the home, which is not the case when we've taken her to other homes.  And Dave learned that they don't walk the dogs regularly due to a rogue dog in the neighborhood.  Since their yard was small, he didn't think Lizzy would get the exercise she needs.  Dave and I talked it over and decided this wasn't the best home for Lizzy but that their were possibly other dogs in our group that might be a better match for Jim.  So I emailed Stella and asked if she was still interested in Lizzy.

I had a lovely conversation with Stella and was thrilled to be able to set up a meet and greet for Saturday.  It would be Lizzy's fourth in as many weeks, but I felt really good about this family and Stella admitted to having a good feeling too, despite the fact she and her family hadn't even met Lizzy yet.  The difference between this meet and greet and the others Lizzy's had?  This time, it was with her forever family. 

Stella, Leland and their daughter Renee drove down from Vermont on Saturday afternoon and ended up spending almost an hour in the yard with Lizzy.  It marked the first time Lizzy completely ignored us around other people.  Twice (in an hour!) she came over to say hello but immediately went back to the family for pets, snuggles, hugs and treats.  She showed off her tricks, often unprovoked because she learned that if she did one, she would get a treat simply for being so cute.

Stella and Leland have experience with positive training techniques and Renee has a very good sense for dogs, and even asked some good questions her parents didn't think of.  Lizzy gave lots of kisses, something she hasn't given us, and basked in all the love and attention.  Toward the end of their visit when we were discussing the next steps, Renee was genuinely sad and confused, wondering why they couldn't take Lizzy with them.

Helping to cheer Renee up, we decided to set up a time to finalize the adoption this Saturday.  We got a virtual tour as part of the home visit and will follow that up with an inspection when we get there.  We typically try to not do a home visit and adoption in the same day, to allow a 24 hour waiting time to make sure everyone is comfortable with the decision, but the family has a great property on a quiet road and we couldn't be more thrilled with the opportunity for Lizzy. 

She's been a pretty easy dog for us and we're glad that we've taken our time to find the right home.  There's been a lot of interest in her, but she's going to be a great addition to this family.

Every Dog Deserves a Treat

Last weekend I was baking and ended up using the last bit of peanut butter in the jar.  Of course, when talking about peanut butter, that means there's always still more in the jar, but just really tough to get all the last bits out of the jar without getting your hand stuck in it and peanut butter all over your hand. 

As the resident dog, Lizzy has the privilege of "cleaning" the spatulas used for peanut butter when I'm baking.  It's only fair since the other dogs got to have it.  Having come to the end of the jar, I did what any well-minded dog lover would do. 

I gave the empty jar to the dog.

 

She was pretty happy.  Even when Dave went outside, she kind of looked up and then decided she was too busy and interested in her jar than to follow him. 

Guess we know where he stands.