Always Remember

Ira Block (c) National Geographic 2002

Today we remember all of those lost on September 11, 2001.

We're new New Yorkers. We moved here post 9-11. I never saw the Towers -

although Mom tells me they were magnificent.

As we walked to the vets this morning - past the UN - we were surprised to see over 30 NYPD squad cars. The command bus was there. Officers were gathered getting their assignments for the day. Everyone was on high alert. It was another reminder that things will never be as they were prior to the attacks on America.

Today we honor those who lost their lives on that brisk, beautiful September morning.

For some - they had merely gone to the office that day - for others - they rushed into harms way to do their job - savings others.

We came across this post today at Wild About Pets. It tells the story of many of the search and rescue dogs who helped out at Ground Zero and the Pentagon.

So on this, another beautiful brisk September morning in NYC - Remember the families of those lost, the first responders who still suffer the aftereffects, and those who decided that day to serve their country in response.

Always Remember.

Weekend in Connecticut - Day 3

Yes - I think I'm a weekend in the country kind of gal after all.

Just trying to soak up a little more (conefree) sunshine before heading back to the city.

Thanks to Due & Co. for a lovely weekend!

Home please. I'll stretch out in the backseat here - maybe take a nap.

Wake me up when we're home!

The perfect weekend!

Weekend in Connecticut - Day 2

Saturday morning started with an outing to Litchfield, CT.

A beautiful colonial town with it's own white stemple church on the village green.

Then there was shopping....

and we waited.

More shopping...

And even more shopping....

Even though I promised to keep my tail in check - Mom was afraid I'd swing through

the antique shops and knock every thing over. So Due and I waited...AGAIN.

What can I say - I think I was meant for the country life!

We hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend as well.

A special thanks to Tom (Due's Dad) for keeping us

company while the Moms shopped! (And shopped)

Weekend in Connecticut- Part 1

We're packed and ready and hitting the road...to Connecticut!

Due and his peeps have spent an entire week relaxing at a lake house in Bethlehem, CT.

Mom and I headed up to join them for the weekend.

The most important word being LAKE of course.

(NOTE: Abbs was allowed to de-cone for the drive once she settled into the car)

Check out this lake. I was so excited I ran ahead and forgot to let Mom take off the cone.

I just had to check things out. A dock - a canoe - a LAKE.

Oops. Guess I should have waited for the de-coning before jumping in!

Due is NOT a fan of the water - so he had to check me over once I was back safely on the dock.

Then it's back to the deck for the rubdown.

Mom gave me a serious toweling off. Due wanted no part of this. Per vet's instructions Mom dried me off and then some! I could lay here all afternoon for a rubdown. The ears were flushed and cleaned. I was then allowed to dry off in the sunshine - au natural.

Yes - this is the portrait of one Happy Dog!

We had a great time with Due and the Peeps. We got home a few hours ago and promise to post more pictures of our adventures tomorrow.

Time to nap. Weekends in Connecticut are exhausting!

A NEW Kind of ConeHead!

LOVE IT!

Don't let the look on my face fool you. I can work this pout face for another 13 days...and I plan to do just that. However, I have a NEW CONE! A new FABULOUS cone. I couldn't be happier - just don't let Mom know.

That's right - it's a "Comfy Cone" thanks to a very special pal of mine. It came in the mail yesterday -addressed to ME - all the way from the Amazon. JackDaddy had suggested Mom look at the new cone options. She wasn't sure - thinking I might not like the darkness of this padded model. Then cousin Mags suggested the same thing. I LOVE IT.

Ah - look - it's a little me right there on the tag!

If any of you guys are in need of a conehead - you might want to give this one a try.

13 days until the stitches come out...6 days until we go to someplace called "Connecticut".

CONE-FREE

As free as the wind blows....as free as the grass grows...CONE FREE

Forgive me Jimmy Webb (and congrats to those of you who get that very OLD reference).

No - I'm not really FREE - it was just a momentary break from the imprisonment of the dreaded CONE.

When we WALKED home (14 blocks!) from the vets on Monday after my checkup - we did so in a downpour. We're city girls. We walk rain or shine. Although Mom dried me off (love a good rubdown) when we got home - she didn't take the cone off. Hours later as I was pouting (monster pout at that) - Mom discovered my neck was still soaked. (OK - sometimes - Mom is a little blonder than others).

To make amends - she took the CONE off - and gave me another good rubdown around the neck. But she insisted on sitting with me on the floor and tried to distract me with a belly rub. I had no problem with that. Unfortunately - I started to itch - and before I knew it the CONE was back on.

The good news is - Mom has figured out that we can have an hour "CONE-Free Belly Rub, Combing" session every night after dinner.

Life is all about the compromises. I let Mom take the CONE off - give me extra treats, rubs etc. In return she gets to feel (a little) less guilty.

CONE-Bed

I refuse to let this cone thing get in the way of my relaxing! Although it takes up half the bed - I can still make it fit!

I had my first post-surgery followup visit this morning. There's good news and bad news.

The good being that I am healing well. The bad - stitches (and cone) must stay in place for 3- AND A HALF WEEKS. I thought it was 3. Mom was hoping for 2 - but the truth is 3-1/2 it is.

The best news - the vet gave me permission to go swimming over Labor Day weekend! Mom just has to dry my ears well (and flush them out of course) - and put the cone back on - but I still get to go swimming. I'm hearing rumors of Cape Cod - or a country Lake House. Either way - paddle up boys - I'm going swimming!