RIP Little Buddha

My little Japanese Chin, Little Buddha (of Suburbia) is gone!

I let him and Sandy out to go pee and play this morning. Then I left the front door cracked open so he could push it open when he returned, like he always does, but I know he never will again. Recently, he had a back injury and was hurting for months. He got a couple of steroid shots and then he began to feel like a puppy again. He and Sandy loved to go for runs in the nearby fields, visiting the neighbors. I knew the risks, but keeping him close was nearly impossible. He would wait and wait until he got out of sight and then make a dash, running off for twenty minutes at a time. I guess his luck ran out this morning.

As I was waiting for him to come back, I heard some yipes in the distance behind my house. I also heard Sandy growling and barking along with another dog. I ran to the back door and saw a brown shape, carrying something in it's mouth run across the fields in back of the barn, followed closely by two more brown shapes. They were gone in a flash and then as I headed out that way, Sandy came running up to me. I wish she could talk. I fed the horses in silence, thinking about it. I know what happened. Coyotes. I always thought Sandy would protect him because she is the only dog I know that will go running after coyotes but I guess the numbers were stacked in their favor. I guess it's all about the Circle of Life, isn't it? He couldn't have been worth eating. He weighed all of four and a half pounds and most of that was his thick fur.

Buddha will be missed so much! He would come back from doing his duty outside and just run around the house madly for a few minutes because he felt so good. Whenever it was feeding time, he would do "Chin spins". He loved to lay on the top of the couch or on the table so he could look out of the window. He was always called a puppy by strangers and a "she" because he was so tiny and pretty. He had a beautiful white coat that was never dirty looking and the silkiest, softest long hair ever.

He was the best lap dog! He was my constant companion for the last seven years. 

Just yesterday, I was thinking about my life and how I couldn't cry any more and it's true, I can't. I just visited CTG Ponies blog and The Hurt, sung by Johnny Cash, was playing. It should have made me break down and cry just for the song but now, with Buddha gone, I still can't.

R.I.P. Buddha, my little buddy!!!

Weather blows

After yesterday's shot, Buddha appears to be feeling much better today. We drove to my mom's house again today, but only as a day trip.

Here he is, smiling.

How many lap dogs stand this way in a moving car? 

 My son calls this photo the set up

 for this "rock star and accessories" pose. Doesn't it look like they're in an airplane?

It's actually in the back seat of my pick up truck. This is the vehicle with the multi-cracked windshield. Last weekend, Ross and I drove it because we took some wood home after cutting down the trees in her backyard. Today, we delivered a refrigerator to my mom. Her old refrigerator door's seal was wearing out and she was using a wooden spoon to hold the door shut. She has always wanted a bottom freezer and I found a used one for her in ABQ. So, today, we delivered it and took the old one back. My son Ross's girlfriend and her brother came along to help. Moving the refrigerators was so easy with three strong young men that us girls didn't even need to help, other than cleaning the floor area. My mom roasted some chickens and I brought steaks which Trevor grilled. Right as we were getting ready to eat, my daughter came by with her friend, and Sandy the dog, so we all had a wonderful afternoon dinner together. It almost felt like Thanksgiving.

During last week, I bought a new oil pan for my mom's van and today, my son Ross, put it in. Yes, Trevor does work too. This time, he was there to hand tools to his big  older brother. He just likes to ham it up for the camera more and I always seem to catch him on a break while Ross is working away. 

Here's Ross, under the engine. I'm so glad he likes to work on cars. It's such a good skill for him to have.

While they were working on the car, I took a walk down to the river that runs through my mom's property. 

I came across these downed trees. I think the first one is beaver activity.

What about these? Do beavers cut tree limbs off like this?

I saw several logs with the bark stripped off, some laying in a dammed up area of the river. I wondered if there were any beavers around?

Too bad it was so windy and cold. It even sprinkled rain on us a little. Seems like fall is everlasting up at my mom's house.

Afterwards, Trevor, Buddha and I drove up to my cabin, while my daughter, her friend, and Sandy hiked up to it (about 1 mile-up the mountain). We all visited for a while, sitting in the living room, reminiscing about all the great times we've spent there over the years. Too soon, it was time to go back down the mountain to my mom's house. We loaded everybody into the truck (5 adults and Buddha) and decided to bring Sandy back with us too so that my daughter and her friend could go to Santa Fe to watch his dad play in a band there. I drove with the seat pulled all the way up so that the big guys could sit in the back, with Sandy on the seat between them, and the other three of us in the front seat with Buddha. It was crowded but fun, as we played all kinds of games on the way home: the alphabet game, I spy, etc. etc. 

We fought strong winds all day long and, with a refrigerator in back of the truck both ways, struggled to get any speed on the hills coming home. Even the semis were passing us. We finally made it home, only to find the town in a black out. Thankfully, our area still had electricity. As I type this, the wind is still blowing hard outside and the night air is chill, typical early April weather. I wouldn't be surprised if we got snow tomorrow.

Weather Blows - song: Beat of your Drum, artist: Tin Machine, album Tin Machine II

Monkey on your Back

Along with my recent electricity woes, my poor little Buddha has been suffering terribly with a twisted back.  Last Friday night, he was pacing all night long, couldn't lay down, and usually stood in an "s", so last Saturday, I took him in to the vet's office.

The vet cleaned out his anal glands in case that was the problem. Ugh! They were pretty impacted, and it smelled! About three or four years ago he needed to have them cleaned out then too. It's a common small dog problem. He has been dragging his tail a lot recently. Maybe that's why. He also cut Buddha's toenails and boy, did he shriek! All the other dogs and cats must have thought he was being murdered. It's a common thing for the Japanese Chins to cry out when they get their nails done but Buddha has never been that vocal before. It must have really hurt being moved around.

Sometimes, he appears fine and sometimes his back gets all twisted like he's having muscle spasms. The vet gave him a short term steroid shot and said to come back in a week for a longer term shot if he's not feeling better. Right after the doctor appointment, we had to go up to my mom's for some car and yard maintenance. Buddha slept restlessly on the seat but, isn't he cute?

He seemed to rest a little better from the shot, but then a jolt would send him into yelps of pain and trembling. This went on all weekend. Often, we'd think he's getting better and then he'd go worse again. Laying on the couch next to me, if someone sat down and the cushion moved, he'd yelp and pace around all twisted up for a while.

When we were at the vet's office last weekend, he gave us Simba's body so that we could bury him in the back yard. So, before we drove up to my mom's house, my boys dug a grave in the back yard.

Along with Simba's body (black sack) we decided to bury Daisy's ashes (white box) which I had gotten back from the vet in February, when I took Simba in. All the cinder blocks are covering Gunnar's grave which is right next to the new grave.

 We had a moment of silence to remember all the dear pets we've buried and Yalla! joined us from afar.

Along the way to my mom's house, we pass this cool rock formation. It's known as the Devil's Backbone and sure reminds me of my little Buddha and his current back problem.

At my mom's house, Ross worked on her van. It has a hole in the oil pan, which he tried to weld, but as soon as he'd repair the hole, another one would appear from the heat of the welder.

 

We decided to get a new one which means a return trip this weekend-tomorrow, to put it in.

That evening, we were lucky to see a dozen or so turkeys in the distance. By the time I got my camera, however, I only managed to capture three.

 

The sunset was beautiful with fast moving clouds of pink and purple which brought snow in the morning.

 Here's Buddha surveying his snowy surroundings in the morning. 

While we were at my mom's house, we cut down some trees that were hanging over her back yard. It was tough work on the rocky hillside. The ground was slippery too, from the fresh snow we got early in the morning. Here, my son is lassoing a tree. I held the rope, with the help of other trees, of course, while he cut it down so that it wouldn't take out her fence or house when it fell. We made a good team and cut several down with no damages to person or property.

He even managed to save a little pine tree growing right next to one he chopped down.

Seeing this photo of Buddha with my mom's dog, Tobey, he almost looks normal, but he has been having recurring bouts of twisted "S" back and neck all week.

Today, I took Buddha back to the doctor for a long-term steroid shot and he will be going back on Monday for Xrays. We found a large swelling on the side of his neck. He's been keeping his neck kinked at an angle all this week, and we're hoping it's a pulled muscle and not a tumor. Please send prayers that my little guy gets better soon. He's only five pounds, four ounces, with his harness on. Often, he yipes and jumps away when he thinks he's going to be stepped on, and he has hurt his back himself, this way. This is what I think happened to him last week. I sure hope it's not cancer!

Monkey on your Back - song: How Lucky You Are, artist: David Bowie

It's a dog's tomorrow

"First, I had to have a bath...

I'm ready for our road trip...Whew it's hot! 98 in the shade!!
I'm sure glad I get to be carried...It sure pays to be little when all you get to drink out of is a bottle cap!

Stay tuned to find out where we went!"

It's a dog's tomorrow - song: I Pray Ole, artist: David Bowie

I will wash my face and hands all by myself

Buddha loves to lay on the back of the couch. Every morning he waits for me there as I return from feeding the horses. Sometimes, he high fives me. Today, he was busy cleaning himself.

I will wash my face and hands all by myself - song: When I'm Five, artist: David Bowie

Sunday (2/14/10 Valentines)

Let him put his arms around me or "let her put her arms around him" actually, but.......isn't this great? Terra doesn't look to happy to be caught in the act of hugging Buddha, does she?

Notice how her arm is all tucked up under her now? Oh well, we have photo evidence anyway. ;)

Let him put his arms around me - song: Black Tie, White Noise, artist: David Bowie, album: Black Tie, White Noise

Friday Foto

Here is my Little Buddha, a Japanese Chin. This is the same kind of dog that was featured in the movie 2012.
Friday - song: Friday on my Mind, artist: David Bowie covering the EasyBeats, album: Pinups