Category: Family

Adopting Alexis

Alexis (aka Lexy)
Alexis (aka Lexy) adopted July 2012

Terry started surfing PetFinder a couple of months ago, looking to adopt a female Rottweiler close to Apollo‘s age (he’s six).  While Apollo seemed to be less depressed about Roxy’s passing, he still wasn’t eating enough or getting enough exercise.  We visited nearly every shelter in the Kansas City metro area, and some in outlying cities (like Atchison, Kansas), but could not find many Rottweilers (regardless of gender).  We’d almost given up on adopting, and had started looking at buying a puppy (gasp!) or a retiring female from a breeder.

Midway through the middle week of July, Terry saw a post appear on Petfinder for an abandoned female Rottweiler in Parsons, Kansas.  The listing claimed she was six years old (a likely perfect fit for Apollo).  Terry contacted the shelter, Proud Animal Lovers Shelter, and expressed our interest in adopting her (almost sight unseen).  Alexis (the name given to her by the shelter) would be spayed that day and would need to recover a few days before she could be released to us.  Terry arranged to pick her up on Monday, July 23rd.

I requested vacation (or PTO as it’s referred to now) for that Monday and made arrangements for my backup driver to drive the van.  Parsons was about three hours south of us, between Pittsburg and Independence, Kansas, nearly a straight shot down US 59.  Early Monday morning, Terry met me at my backup driver’s location so I could trade the van to her and become a rider in my own car as Terry drove us south to Parsons.  Because the shelter didn’t open until noon, we took our time, and even a detour through Iola.

Upon arriving in Parsons, we drove around for quite some time trying to find the shelter.  The street sign for Meade was very far back from Main Street, but after passing it for the fifth time, we spied it and found the shelter.  We returned after a quick lunch at the local Brahms just after noon to fill out the adoption papers, pay the adoption fee (and make a donation in addition) and finally met Alexis.  She had just had a bath that morning and was shedding a truly terrifying amount of fur.

While Terry finished the paperwork, I took Alexis outside wiht a borrowed brush and attempted to help her shed more of her fur.  I was only partially successful.  We said our goodbyes and thank yous and walked Alexis to the car.  Unlike every other dog we’ve ever had, she did not jump into our car the moment the door opened.  We had to coax her, with treats, and in the end Terry had to lift her into the backseat.  We could only surmise her last trip, when she was abandoned in a drought scorched field in 100 degree heat, must have scared her and left very bad memories.

I drove the return trip home as quickly as I could, with only a brief stop in Garnett, Kansas by a small fishing lake to allow Lexy to stretch her legs.  Except for the construction and delay of crossing through Lawrence on US-59, we made record time, returning to Lansing before four o’clock.

We introduced Apollo to Lexy (both of them on leashes) in the front side yard.  Since Lexy only weight 75-78 pounds, Apollo outweighed her by fifteen to twenty pounds.  They both seemed to get along (at least they didn’t immediately growl and attack each other).  Terry took Apollo back into the house and I followed with Lexy through the garage.

Lexy
Lexy

The next obstacle we discovered for Lexy was how to climb stairs.  Apparently, she had only been a kennel dog as she didn’t know what to do with stairs.  We got her up the stairs into the main floor.  Her first attempt at descending the stairs amounted to a flying leap from the top step, bypassing six or seven intervening steps, and splaying out on the tile floor at the bottom.  I am happy to report that almost two weeks later, she now sails up and down the stairs, nearly as well as Apollo does.

Lexy had an eventful first week.  Terry took her to our vet and his examination revealed a much younger dog.  He estimated her age between two and three, not the six suggested by the vet in Parsons, Kansas.  His reasoning:  her teeth were damaged from chewing on either chain link fence or a chain (or both).  Also, her paws were permanently splayed out, most likely from wire mesh on the floor of a kennel.  We can confirm Lexy is much younger than Apollo because once she became more relaxed in our home, she began playing energetically with toys, shoes, food dishes, water bowls, laptop lap desks, … just about anything that wasn’t nailed down.

Six days after adopting Lexy, Apollo and her had their first major altercation.  It happened last Sunday evening and it upset Terry and I so much neither of us could sleep and Terry took Apollo to the vet first thing Monday morning.  Lexy had latched onto Apollo’s neck and would not let go, even with Terry and I both attempting to separate them.  Apollo received a puncture wound and an abrasion.  Lexy received no wounds, mostly because Apollo is a gentleman and knows when to let go.  The vet examined Apollo and said he would be fine, giving Terry a prescription of antibiotics just to be on the safe side.  He is doing well a week after the incident.  Lexy has behaved better in the following week.

We put the baby gates back in the doorways between the great room and the kitchen, so that visitors would not need to worry about a Rottweiler frontal assault.  We’ve started training Lexy, teaching her how to sit and lay down.  I haven’t walked her yet, but come to think of it, I’ve only walked Apollo once in the least two weeks due to the near constant heat advisory we’ve been under for most of July.

Lexy
Lexy, relaxing and getting some much needed affection.

We are so glad we found her and hope Lexy spends many more years with us.

Welcome to your forever home, Lexy!

Hot June, Cool Moon

I backburnered my walking routine as the mercury topped triple digits the last week of June.  I just can’t submit Apollo, who is mostly black in color, to early evening walks, with the sun still beating down, making the asphalt and sidewalks very hot for his paws.  I managed to squeeze in four walks this last week of June, but only three the week before.  My best most consistent week came during the second week, where I only missed two days out of seven.  The first week became almost a complete wash, since I spent three days at an astronomy convention, one day observing a lunar eclipse and another day observing Venus transit across the Sun.

June 2012 Step Stats
Step Stats for June 2012

I didn’t take many photos this month with my cell phone while walking Apollo, probably because we walked very early or well after sunset most days, to avoid the heat and humidity as much as possible. I did capture a few flowers, sunsets, sunrises and quirky canine moments though and am sharing them below (click on the image to see the entire album):

Apollo returning home.
June Walks with Apollo (click image for rest of album)

I need to find a better way to get exercise for both of us during the summer.  My experience tells me July and August will not be any cooler than the last day of June.  I guess it’s back to doing Wii Fit Plus in the great room for the next couple of months.

Remembering Roxy: Profile Portraits

For the last couple of months, Terry has been scouring the Internet in search of a female Rottweiler to rescue.  He spends hours on the PetFinder web site.  He has found several beautiful Rotties, but unfortunately they end up being two or three states away, and even then, when we call, they’ve already been adopted. We may even take a roadtrip one of these weekends to Omaha to a Rottweiler rescue organization up there.

Terry’s frustration with the search for a female Rottweiler has been first and foremost the poor quality of photographs taken of the adoptees.  His second gripe is misclassification of dogs as Rottweilers.  He has almost reached the point of purchasing a pure-bred female from a breeder.

I can understand how difficult it can be to capture a canine in a photo.  Especially if they are young (puppyish and frisky) or even old (and tired and lazy and not wanting to be bothered).  A Rottweiler looks best in profile, usually standing.  This shows off the breed’s distinctive characteristics to best effect. Over the seven years we enjoyed with Roxy, I managed to capture her in profile numerous times.

Roxy (Feb 2005)
Roxy (Feb 2005)
Roxy (May 2005)
Roxy (May 2005)
Roxy (May 2005)
Roxy (May 2005)
Roxy (Dec 2005)
Roxy (Dec 2005)
Roxy (May 2006)
Roxy (May 2006)
Roxy (May 2006)
Roxy (May 2006)
Roxy (June 2006)
Roxy (June 2006)
Roxy (May 2007)
Roxy (May 2007)
Roxy (Apr 2008)
Roxy (Apr 2008)
Roxy (May 2010)
Roxy (May 2010)
Roxy (Dec 2010)
Roxy (Dec 2010)
Roxy (May 2011)
Roxy (May 2011)
Roxy (Nov 2011)
Roxy (Nov 2011)
Roxy (Mar 9, 2011)
Roxy (Mar 9, 2011 – two days before she died – and the last photo I ever took of her)

The Twenty-Third

What? The twenty-third what you ask? 

Well, obviously (to me anyway) the twenty-third anniversary of the birth of my daughter, Rachelle, that’s what.

I want to take this opportunity to stroll down memory lane and share a few memories with you.

Rachelle ‘climbing’ the ‘mountain’ … one of my favorite early photos of her (c. 1990)
Silly family photo (c. 1989 or 1990)
Flower girl, Rachelle, and ring boy, Derek, at my brother’s wedding.

We’ll skip ahead a few years (the years during which I took mostly video to VHS-C tape and not film photos), to the time when Rachelle perfected ‘the look’ of exasperation because I loved taking candids of her with a digital camera.

Rachelle giving me the ‘look’ during vacation Bible school (c. 2005)
On the tennis court (c. 2004)

Of course, there was the ever changing (sometimes by the week) hair color:

Blonde, First day of School as a Freshman (c. 2004)
Reddish Blonde (c. Sumer 2004)
Black and Teal (c. Summer 2005)

Rachelle played various team sports, including soccer at a young age (and I can’t find any of those photos, probably because they are in a box in the basement with the videotapes of the games).  She also learned some judo and jujitsu, but never competed.  Besides tennis (shown previously above), she also played fast pitch softball for a couple of years:

Rachelle on the field during the season opener (May 2003)

Rachelle played lacrosse for three years, the only female in an all-male league, who went undefeated that last year and she earned the Player of the Year award from her coaches.

Bulldogs Goal Tender (c. 2005)

But singing became her first love and most beautiful talent, joining a youth choir in third grade and continuing to perfect her voice through a succession of choirs and voice instructors.

Performing her solo at the Honor Recital (c. 2006)

Rachelle graduated from high school with honors.

Graduate Rachelle (May 2007)

Rachelle received two full scholarships (one academic, one music) to attend a local community college, where she continued her pursuit of vocal performance in various choirs and voice studios, including the Jazz Choir (notice the dark hair color).

Rachelle performing with the Jazz Choir (Mar 2008)

She gradauted with honors, but declined to attend graduation, so I have no photos of that non-event. In August 2009, just three months after graduating, she moved to North Texas (as did her brother and his wife). Rachelle enrolled at the University of North Texas and Derek joined the Guildhall at SMU.  Terry and I found ourselves empty nesters rather abruptly. 

Funny Face (Apr 2010)

Rachelle studied abroad in Europe (Germany mostly) during the Summer of 2010.

Rachelle with her Dad before leaving on the plane for Europe (May 2010)

For the last three years, Terry and I have made the annual Thanksgiving trip to North Texas to visit them.

Rachelle transfers the ‘look’ to her boyfriend (finally, I’m spared) (Nov 2010)

But she still tries to hide from my camera.

Rachelle and Terry hiding from my camera while tailgating at the UNT v KSU football game (Nov 2010)

And both my kids know how to ham it up for a photo.

Rachelle (smiling sillily) with Derek (Dec 2010)

For Christmas, Rachelle comes home (usually by plane) and Derek and Royna rent a car and drive up to visit.  Usually, she helps me trim the Christmas tree.

Setting up the Christmas Treet (Dec 2010)

This past spring has taken us to North Texas twice. First to visit for Easter and second to attend Rachelle’s graduation (again with honors – manga cum laude) from UNT. 

Seventy Eggs and One Ham
Rachelle hamming it up with the Easter eggs (Apr 2012)
Derek congratulating Rachelle with a bear hug (May 2012)

Rachelle really needs to overcome her shyness problem when I point a camera (any camera, including my cell phone) at her.

Future Graduate Student of Vocal Performance
Soon-to-be Graduate Student of Vocal Performance (May 2012)

And so I reach the twenty-third photo featuring my daughter, on this her twenty-third birthday.

Between Sets
Rachelle performing at her Senior Voice Recital (UNT, May 2012)

Happy Birthday Rachelle!

Remembering Roxy: Hardheaded Airhead

Roxy (May 2005)

As ditzy as Roxy could be (I often mused she should have been a blonde), she could occasional be a typical Rottweiler; the perfect example of the definition of hardheadedness:  obstinate, stubborn, willful (sort of like the daughter who rescued her from the dog pound).  But I’m not going to talk about the softer, more abstract aspects of hardheadedness today.  I need to expound on something just a bit more concrete, and significantly harder:  The density and unyielding properties of Roxy’s skull.

Have you ever been headbutted by a Rottweiler?  I have, more than once (and I saw stars flash before my eyes almost every time).  I didn’t go seeking contusions and concussions, but Roxy happily dished them out, most of the time as a byproduct of her exuberance to greet me or play or, come to think of it, if anything remotely resembling food became involved.  And while I held my aching head between my hands and moaned, Roxy continued on, oblivious to the aura of destruction emanating from her thick cranium.  In fact, she would stare at me, the picture of innocence, even while my eyes struggled to refocus through the haze of double or triple images generated immediately after impact, completely oblivious and waiting expectantly for me to interact with her.

Have you ever almost bitten through your tongue because a Rottweiler uppercut you unexpectedly with her head in her excited rush for attention?  I have (and I took precautions to never repeat that experience).

When I asked Terry if he had any fond memories of being bashed by Roxy’s skull, he related an incident where he had called Roxy to jump up on our bed, where he had been reclining.  She ran across the room, launched herself into the middle of our queen sized bed from a location roughly midway between the door and the bed and barreled into Terry.  I hope he didn’t have his glasses on (I forgot to ask him that) but he did say his vision went black for a couple of seconds after the collision.

I spoke to Rachelle, who couldn’t remember ever running afoul of Roxy’s hard head.  She must have been more agile than her aging parents and the ditzy train-wreck of a Rottweiler named Roxy.

Rachelle and Roxy (Christmas 2010)

It’s been three months, come Monday, since Roxy left us. On a much happier note, Rachelle celebrates the anniversary of her birth on Tuesday.

Remembering Roxy: Who Hated Water, But Loved Showers?

Roxy Playing in the Snow (Dec 2005)
Roxy Playing in the Snow (Dec 2005)

On this first day of June, an unofficial summer Friday start to a fantastic weekend, I went looking for an appropriate photo of Roxy to share with you.  This one jumped out at me as a reminder of much colder days and Roxy’s resistance to all things watery.  Although she did like to chomp snow, as you can see clearly above.  But enough of that white cold soft solid stuff and on to more liquid indulgences.

For this week’s installment of my “Remembering Roxy” blog series, I wanted to expound upon Roxy’s love-hate relationship with water.   Last week I mentioned her ability to out drink a camel, and prior to that I related her first trip to a dog park and her unintentional dunking in a lake.   Roxy also had an aversion to baths, but she stood resolutely still in the tub while I quickly cleaned her.

But the weirdest thing Roxy insisted upon doing was interrupting family members while showering.  It happened to Terry, as well as Rachelle.  Terry remembers Roxy whining outside the shower door, until he opened the door and let her in.  It took her a minute to realize the shower wasn’t exactly the experience she had thought it was, probably because she immediately got soaked.  However, that didn’t deter her from interrupting someone else’s shower on a different day in the future.

I guess being a ditzy Rottweiler had its drawbacks, especially if your goal was staying dry.

Lazy? or Distracted?

I spent too much time standing around on a sidewalk, staring up at the sun, moon, Venus and stars last week, when I should have been striding along it.  Apollo only got half the walks he usually gets in a week.  I just couldn’t resist the allure of a solar eclipse, hunting for the tiniest sliver of a new moon and earthshine on a moon near Venus to be bothered with walking.  My daughter stayed with us until Wednesday, returning to North Texas after visiting us for ten days after her college graduation.

My pedometer left me accusatory notes all week long, irritating me so much that I left it at home in “time out” one day. But stats don’t lie, and I only hit my goal of seven thousand steps per day one time last week:

Apollo finally got out of the house Wednesday evening, after Terry and I returned from dropping Rachelle off at the airport.  We repeated our evening walks for the rest of the week.  Not even the threat of thunderstorms could keep us cooped up in the house.

Red lilies
Click image for rest of album.

We welcomed the rain the thunderstorm brought.  The grass desperately needed a drink.  Thanks to the setting sun, a rainbow graced the sky east of our house.

IMGP3101
Rain brings rainbows (click image for rest of album)

I anticipate the final week of May to include more walking for both us.  Next week, I’ll be distracted on Monday and Tuesday by the moon and Venus again, but I hope to squeeze in walks with Apollo at the other end of the day from the astronomical observation points.

I hope everyone is having a fun and safe Memorial Day Weekend.

Remembering Roxy: Knock Knock!

Roxy with Royna and Derek July 2011
Roxy with Royna and Derek (July 2011)

My Memorial Day weekend edition of ‘Remembering Roxy‘ catches me scrambling after an incredibly chaotic week at work. I usually aim to publish these posts a few minutes past midnight on Fridays (thanks to automatic scheduling from WordPress).  Not only did work leave me exhausted, but I spent many evenings this week either visiting with my daughter or standing for hours outside on a sidewalk photographing the moon (during the solar eclipse and playing tag with Venus).  I woke up this morning and realized I neglected to finish writing about Roxy and door bells.

When someone rang the door bell at our house, before we rescued Roxy or Apollo, most of the time we couldn’t hear it.  The physical bell is located in the basement in the area where the water heater and furnace reside, directly under the coat closet and the front entryway.   Visitors could find themselves stranded on the front porch and may have resorted to calling our cell phones to get our attention.  All this changed when Roxy arrived.

Roxy could hear the screen door opening.  She would charge the door, growling softly but insistently.  If someone knocked, she might bark, once, sharply.  If the doorbell rang, without someone opening the screen door first, she would bark quickly, once, maybe twice, and then charge the door.  I never worried about intruders with Roxy on patrol.

When Apollo joined the family, we noticed a marked difference in his attitude towards the door bell and visitors.  Roxy continued to charge the door, and usually made it there first.  Apollo barked loudly and frequently, but did not attempt to rush in front of Roxy.  Rather, he would hang back and wait to see who came through the door, opting to circle behind them in his stealthy sneak attack mode.  Roxy and Apollo made a great team.  She charged in where angels, and Apollo, feared to tread.

Roxy and Apollo waiting impatiently for dinner. (Oct 2009)
Apollo takes point, but Roxy not far behind. (Oct 2009)

Terry discovered that a door bell sounded during a commercial, television show or movie could cause both dogs to jump up and start barking.  The first time this happened, they both ran to the door expectantly.  One day, he teased them relentlessly, hitting the ‘instant replay’ button on the satellite DVR remote, replaying a commercial with a particularly authentic sounding doorbell.  Eventually, both dogs gave him ‘the eye’ and grumpily went back to napping.

Knock Knock!

Who’s there? 

Howl

Howl who?

Howl you know unless you open the door?