Dan & Ness

So we decided to try putting the dogs in another kennel for a weekend. I have been determined to get them used to staying somewhere without us, because I am not putting all my future travel plans on hold due to not having a dogsitter. So last weekend we dropped them off on Friday and picked them up on Sunday. We didn’t actually go out of town, and it was so wierd being at home without dogs again. I was somewhat worried. I made Dan call the place up on Saturday to see how they were going. When they said everything was going great and they were having a wonderful time I was sure they had the wrong dogs. But, come Sunday when we picked them up, they seemed happy as larry and got rave reviews. Everyone loved them, thought they were well behaved, and they were even described as ‘cutie-pa-tooties’ on their report card. Amazing! And such a relief

more fighting dogs.

why? that is a good question.

Took them both to our local vet last evening, and they seem to be healing okay. Rosso’s ear and neck is much better and Merrick’s chest is still sore and nasty looking, but healing. Poor bugger can’t stop licking it 24/7. They had a heartworm test too and Merrick was very sooky. Rosso also peed in the waiting room

They both love to stare at, and then chase after, the squirrels in the backyard.

On Thursday I took my longest drive yet on my own, into midtown. I’m feeling much more confident on the road now. I met a friend of a friend for lunch, who also recently moved to Houston, after spending a year in Perth. She is also a librarian and it was good to chat about Aus and swap tips on things to do here.

In the evening Dan and I went to one of his work mates for a good ol Texas grill in Sugar Land. There were a few other older couples there who liked a drink and were fascinated with Aussie culture. There was lots of eating and dart playing and childhood tales of turnip greens. Good stuff.

We arrived home about 10pm to discover the dogs had had one of their big annual brawls. Rosso wasn’t too bad – a few chest scratches and bloody ears, but poor Merrick copped his usual teeth puncture wounds all round his chest and some of the big ones were bleeding. We cleaned them up abit and took them to the nearest 24 hr vet which thankfully was only about 15 minutes away. We were there for awhile and eventually Merrick was examined, shaved and prescribed painkillers and antibiotics. We arrived home, and a couple of hundred dollars poorer, after 1am.

Today the poor buggers have been very tired and smelly, and Merrick is still bleeding in spots and in some pain. It will be a quiet week for them.

Dan has also discovered a group of guys into Aussie Rules Footy here and is heading off to have a kick today. I think he is rather excited at the prospect of playing a few games every now and then

Their flight from LA was delayed 45 minutes, but they arrived at IAH safe and sound. They were wheeled out in their crates and looked very tired and wary. Pretty smelly too. Once home they had a good look around and drank lots of water. We let them out a a few times during the night and they slept very well on their beds. Now the mischief will begin!

Their crates were specially made – not alot of room inside though. There is a water dish attached, and they travelled with their blankets and a toy

Merrick and Rosso have started their long journey over to Houston. They should be on the plane to Sydney right now. They will have a comfort stop in Sydney, then fly to LA, have another comfort stop, and arrive in Houston Friday evening. Hopefully everything goes well and they are not too traumatised. We haven’t managed to find the hessian beds they love, however I have ordered some similar ones online. In the meantime I have bought them some doona-type beds:

In other news, we introduced ourselves to our neighbours on both sides. One is an older couple with an old dog named Thor. The other is a family of three with small two dogs. Both seem very friendly.

Dan and I have been cracking up over this ‘email’ we received from one of our dogs today. Who would have thought that Merrick was so hilarious, not to mention literate! Haha, they will be here with us next weekend. Can’t wait to see those crazy dogs again.

Subject: Rescue us

Mum & Dad, Where are you? We hate it here with these 2 old farts. We can’t run flat out up any driveway! Can’t even run right around the house. We bark a lot, hoping that someone’ll here us and take us to you. There are more people to bark at here. I guess there’s a bus stop nearby!

Even though we miss M Street we’re doing our best to make our hosts (old fart1 – that’s the tall guy, and old fart2) appreciate us most of the time, but we have to play up now and then just to break the monotony. The other day Rosso did a really good piss all over OF1’s lawnmower and then jumped over the fence and crapped all over the lettuce and beetroot plants. We both laughed like hell. “Improves the flavour!” said Rosso. As you know, I’m perfect and have managed to convince OF1 & 2 that I’m also more handsome than Rosso, who we all know is just a clothesline thug. The other day when the wind was howling we both became hyperactive and I was so good not to join in with Rosso as he ripped into the washing. As the pegs pinged off the line, they made a humming sound, so I urged him on. I’ve got pretty good hearing you know and I know a good musical sound when I hear one! When Bradley came home that day and found that his best $4:00 smart casual shirt, that his mum had got for him from her favorite Op shop, was torn into shreds, he was not a happy chappy. Anyway I’m sure his mum will buy him another one and as sure as night follows day, the clothesline thug will continue his monsterously funny and musical work again.

Yesterday I’m sorry to say, I blotted my picture perfect ‘Copy-book’. I spent just a few seconds deciding whether or not to dig up a sprinkler that OF1 had spent hours repairing. Then I did it! It had to come out of the ground fast. The sand around it was soft and moved quickly, but not as fast as OF1. Did he scream and yell? He was worse than my Dad, (young fart 1)! And what’s more the DLS (that’s the Dog’s Legal Service) are going to hear about it. He actually threatened me with the spade he had been using. In the dog world we all know that’s excessive force. I ran for my life down the side of the house. I wagged my tail to show him that it was nothing to worry about, but he screamed and yelled even more! So I stopped the wagging and began to fear for my life. Some time later when he called me, I froze, sat there and just frowned. You’ll be pleased to know that we’ve made up now, and have become good friends again! Really good friends.

Next time I send you an email, I’ll tell you about OF1’s bike riding episodes, as he takes us down the street! Here comes OF1 with a fresh juicy bone, so I’ll talk to you later – in person I hope. Please rescue us! We miss you.
Loving Licks,
Merrick

i was sooo sleepy last night and was sooo sleepy all day today. needless to say i did not do much at work. and have lost interest in doing much too. got quotes for blinds and paid deposit right away. no point waiting any longer. husband is home tomorrow finally. there is much to do before we head off to margaret river on thursday. took lumpy to the vet and am none the wiser re the lump. he is going back on wednesday to get cells taken out and tested. have got a ‘catch up’ with the witch tomorrow at work. she better play nice.

why are my 4-legged children so gorgeous/funny/tiresome/pesty??

merrick has punctured his soccer ball and it is lying deflated and chewed outside.

rosso had a moment of excitement and ran right through the flywire on the door.

and i get home today and notice merrick has a lump about the size of a golf-ball on his side. if the little bugger has cancer or something he is so in trouble. i guess another trip to the vet is imminent.

This has been a tough week for me (V)!

Aside from the work dramas, ie the inability of my workplace to treat anyone with decency and respect combined with the fact that I am barely coping with things, Dan has been in PNG living it up (well maybe I exaggerate, I think he actually works 12 hr days but that’s besides the point).

However the toughest part of the week began on Wednesday when I got home from work to discover my darling dogs had tore into each other. They were a disgrace and didn’t seem to have major damage so mum and I cleaned them up. On Thursday Merrick seemed fairly fine (apart from a limp which he pulled out when he wanted some sympathy) however I knew something was up with Rosso as he wouldn’t let me near his ears and they smelt very very bad and festy. So I took Rosso to the vet and explained he had been in a fight and maybe his ears were sore. The vet took a look and with a horrified expression said his ears were badly infected and would have been for the last 3-4 weeks. Not only that but the infection had spread to his neck and face. He took him off me, sedated him, flushed his ears out and I picked him up later with $500 worth of medication to give him for the next 3 weeks. I had no idea he had an ear infection and felt so upset. The poor bugger is not himself, is very troubled by his ears, not eating much and not doing much at all. It is quite a task giving him pills, ear drops and washing his skin twice a day.