Ann’s Weblog

Yesterday I had a pretty sheltie to groom. She is very shy, but not “snappy”, and though she hasn’t been groomed here too often, remembers me and warms up quickly each time. I was asked to shampoo and brush her, and trim her coat a little, and “check her nails”.

And now comes the hard part, but I feel I must share. This might spare another dog some discomfort. The sheltie’s back dewclaws had become so overgrown that they were piercing the pad, on both sides. I am the WORST photographer, but you’ll get the idea.

Can you imagine the relief that the dog felt after the claws were extricated from the pads? Bless her heart… she hardly flinched or fussed at all during this maneuver, nor while all her other toenails were being clipped.

Then I showed the owner the dog’s “injuries”, I asked if he had noticed his pet licking at her back paws. He reported, “Yes, I’ve wondered why she was fussing back there for the past two months.” Good heavens !!! TWO MONTHS ??? Poor little thing.

We babysat this handsome boy for a couple of days while his owners were sledding in the Valley:

Wyatt

Wyatt might look grouchy in the picture, but he most definitely was not. He “fit right in” immediately, and because he is a sensitive guy, we kept him in the house with us most of the time. I just love that his ears are so spotted… they look different than most border collies’ ears. We would be lucky to have him come and stay with us again.

You’ve met Axel before. He’s a thin-coated fellow, so he stays with us in our house also. He’s showing you his “best sides”… which are any of them.

Axel

You’ve met Katie before, too. She’s a purebred Jack Russell Terrier, and as sweet as can be. We can treat her as one of our own, because she never does anything wrong, and always comes when called, etc.. She comes with her “big sis” Zena, whose portrait I didn’t take during their visit this weekend. Perhaps if I add a “Tag” with the name Zena, you can view any photos that were uploaded previously.

This is the view of the Beaver Mountain from our door.

It used to be, in this weblog, that you could click on a picture and get the original full-sized print. Seems like the photos don’t work like that any more. However, if anyone wants a picture via email, just leave a Comment to this Blog.

I think I’m all blogged out! Time always flies by. I have not been terribly busy, but I’m never bored anyway. Have been trying to do more “down-sizing” aka Spring Cleaning, and it’s difficult for me to part with stuff. It feels good afterward though.

Take care my friends! ~ Ann

That was funny… good thing I didn’t actually type anything too nasty in my attempts to make a blog entry; eventually they showed up!

However, any text that I composed that actually meant anything has disappeared. Now I’m tired. I’ll share pics of Kopper tonight and see how I feel tomorrow about writing.

Kopper

Kopper

Kopper

Isn’t she photogenic? She was cuddly and fun to have with us for the weekend. At one point I tripped over her, or tripped avoiding stepping upon her, and “cracked” my big toe. It hurt a lot at first and the skin was really roughed up (bleeding!). It’s healing rapidly… both knuckles in the toe were bruised, and only the one is a bit painful now. At least the puppy was unhurt! Next time we see her, she will be a “big girl”, as her owners are from Lloydminster… unless they decide they can come out here often for sledding.

All is well here. Gary and Rob are skiing their “usual” days this week in Jasper.

Take care, everyone. ~ Ann

I’ve been trying for an hour to make a blog entry…. grrrr! Picture don’t load and my text disappears, not even saved to draft. There is plenty of “space” left on this paid blog. I’m furious again.

We have the privilege of babysitting this little girl while her people are sledding in the mountains near here. Not much needs to be said about how loveable she is! She is also very smart already, and her very savvy owners are teaching her new things daily.

Kopper

Lady with Kopper

Lady is looking disconcerted and tries to blend into the chair for a moment, but warmed up to the puppy completely and acted like a mother dog.

Below is Willow, who I’ve groomed for years. Her owners rescued her, and she is very well loved now, and always. She is among the most patient dog clients I have.

Willow

And here is Boss, another little dog who is treasured here, and of course at home.

Boss

After I did a modicum of work this morning, and of course after the animals were cared for, I threw the ball for Lady for awhile:

I groomed Mocha last week; you’ve met him before:

Mocha

This is Joey, whose owners politely request that he not look TOO poodle-like after grooming:

Joey

Two old gentlemen in our care at this time:

Rumba

Sedgerick

Sedgerick was brought to us on New Year’s Eve, and we didn’t know whose dog he was. The RCMP officer who rescued Sedgerick had found  him standing ON the highway, in danger of being hit by vehicles; our friend said that he put the sirens on, and the dog didn’t even flinch! Sedge is a very old boy, and we took him in, even though we don’t usually take in a “stray”. Eventually we located the owner and are now boarding the dog while the man works “in the bush” for a few more weeks.

Okay, that’s the newest photos I can share. Everyone have a good day, (except, of course, my nemesis in the Chat Room).

~ Ann

Oh well, I forgot to take the camera.

It was a wonderful experience to see friends of ours carry the Olympic flame around the town. One bearer was an Olympic runner in the 1952 games (and Commonwealth Games later), so it was amazingly fitting that she should have this honour. It’d be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her… and also for us!

I personally am lukewarm about the Olympic Games; it is a huge expenditure and the process has seemed shadowed by bureaucracy and nefariousness. Much of the information we get is hearsay and we don’t get accurate details from the media, I’m sure. In the face of terrible deficiencies in our health and school systems, it seems that all the money could be better spent. I don’t understand much about how politics (or Olympics) work.

The school that my children attended through their elementary years is threatened with closure. A grant that friends thought they would receive in order to built a facility and resort that would have benefited many people and the town in general, has been denied. There’s not enough money to go around, but it seems that our tax dollars should be better spent.

I’d better get on with my day, and will get back here later to post a few pet pictures.

~ Love, Ann

I shampooed and trimmed this wee doll on Saturday. I know I make glowing reports about so many of my doggy clients, but Lexi was such a lamb. Some pets are almost like human babies… as innocent and appealing as can be.

Lexi

Nothing is very new around here. Every day is different, but not too hectic.

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I typed the posts “Liezel” and “Lexi” DAYS ago, but I’ve had trouble logging into my Blog. I kept getting a message, “Server is unable to make the redirect and is giving up.” or some such. I had done nothing different with the blog or anything else on the computers, so I was puzzled, and not sure if I would EVER be able to get back in! With no problem solving on my part, I am able to sign in this morning, and have no excuse not to keep in touch with you fine readers.

Thank you for stopping by.

~ Ann

This little schnauzer has been a darling of ours all her life. There is no part of the grooming process that she seems to resent. While boarding, or simply waiting to get picked up from her spa treatment, she is most content sitting beside me as I read or use the computer. She looks unhappy in the picture, but she is not.

Liezel looking grouchy

Yesterday my clippers ran slower and slower while I tried to use them to groom a dog. I sprayed with appropriate clipper spray, brushed, cleaned the blades. Then I took the machine apart and cleared the housing of dog hair. The clippers still didn’t work well and I got an old pair  (why do they call it a “pair of clippers”?)  out of the cupboard and muddled through my job.

After some reflection, I decided that it had been a VERY long time since I replaced the carbon brushes in the motor of my clippers. On a search, I found not new carbon brushes but half-worn ones. I replaced the thoroughly worn brushes with the less worn ones and VOILA …. the clippers run like new.

Did I feel a bit smug? Maybe just a little. Mostly, I was relieved that at the moment, I didn’t have to buy new clippers.

Thanks for reading. ~ Ann

Today I have been sorting and purging old papers. I need a month of Sundays to really get through the “stuff”. I’m energized by a little anger and frustration that I am not going to explain here, but I certainly have some momentum today! At the same time, it is very tiring to go through the chaff of one’s life… divorce papers, old receipts, ancient letters once considered poignant (by me) but no longer relevant. Now it’s all chaff (or ash) in the wood stove. If ever I was asked for something, for instance, by Revenue Canada, I would explain with honesty that it may have been destroyed by fire.

We have not been too busy at the Pet Hostel, but still satisfied to “be there” for folks needing accommodation for their pets! Most days have SOME interesting pet component, either grooming or boarding or answering of questions or taking of reservations. There are always our own animals  to attend to.

Here are just a few of the guests who have come and gone through our doors, of late…

Below is Tika, a cockapoo, who is one of the gentlest canine souls ever. Honest and innocent, she was a perfect “spa” customer, then followed me around the house as if she had been here many times. Her owner reports that she has Canine Auto Immune Disorder, which makes her frail and shaky. Isn’t it awful to see our pets grow old?

Tika

Myrtle

Katie

Zena & Katie

Bailey

Colleen and Lady

Raina

Raggedy Ann

Raggedy Ann & Lady

Tugs

Hi everyone. I imagine that I have lost some of my “readership” in these months during which I haven’t posted. However… YOU dear reader wouldn’t be one of them, because here you are!

I’m not going to try to go over all the events of the last weeks and months; I can hardly remember what I had for lunch let alone days gone by. We have been very well and busy and happy, suffice to say.

Gary and Susan and I were watching a Bette Davis movie tonight. I found myself reflecting on a long-ago acquaintance with a senior fellow who used to come into Dad’s pharmacy in the years that I worked there. He had written one poem called “Bette Davis Eyes”.

When I say “long ago” I’m not being facetious. I would have been 15 to 18 years old, making the relevant years 1970 to 1973, approximately. I worked in the drugstore sporadically after that, but I don’t remember visiting with Mr. Barabash during the later time.

Volodimir Barabash was a poet and story teller, and he would come to see me, bringing copies of his poetry. He would sometimes read aloud to me if I was not busy. The Calgary Herald featured an article about him, about his work, his life, and his calligraphic writing style.

On a hunch, not expecting much of a result, I searched “Volodimir Barabash” on Google, and immediately found a GREAT site about the man. Here it is: *

Site about Volodimir Barabash

Volodimir Barabash

That is all I have to say about this man. I was not much of a friend, me being so young. I was not duly appreciative, but I wonder what he would think of me recalling our association now, so many years after the fact, and also a long time after his death in 1989.

R.I.P. Mr. Barabash.

~ Ann

I went to Calgary last weekend, and had a wonderful visit with my three daughters. Of course I did spend some time with my stepmother, who is now in a nursing home; that is somewhat saddening, but we did find some bright moments.

There is some very rugged country en route:

These are views of the Banff-Jasper Parkway, which is majestically scenic at any time of year, but which can be treacherous and subject to sudden changes of weather and road conditions. I was very lucky this trip, as there was compact snow on the road in places, but mostly bare and dry or bare and wet but not icy. And, as I’m fond of saying, there were “not too many OTHER idiots on the road!”.

Every time one stops along the Parkway, one is greeted by a raven looking for a handout; now I plan for it, though I’m not fond of ravens. This one, as large as a housecat, received a brownie:

The Pet Hostel is not too busy at this time… it’s a little break from the pace. I’m glad that the garden and garden centre have been “put to bed” for the winter. In some ways, it would be nice to grow vegetables and flowers all year ’round, but I would have to give up something in order to “keep up”. As it is, I’m thinking that the summers are too hectic, but this year the weather was wonderful and the bugs, very few, and the memories are precious. Shelly’s and Merv’s wedding, along with the party here in August, and the associated time with family, were all high points, of course.

I’ve had a few dogs to groom this week, and have neglected to do photo shoots after most of them. This is a darling wee puppy from Valemount, a new customer for me, and related to some shih tzus that I groom regularly. This is Daisy:

I really have to run along and work again now… I just have a beloved regular client to groom today, “Mickey”. I have fallen behind on Raggedy Ann doll requests and MUST get sewing again this winter, along with catching up to bookwork and taxes.

Take care, my friends, and have a good day. ~ Love, Ann