Rusty has Wheels and I’ve Got a Cold

If you are a regular reader, you know the ongoing saga of my aging dog, Rusty, and his increasing lack of mobility.  Poor guy, he does his best but his hind legs just keep getting crossed up and tangled then he falls and he cannot keep up.  There are spots on the top of his rear feet where the hair has been rubbed off and the top of his nails are all worn down.  This is from dragging his feet and not being able to always walk on his pads.  It’s something like walking on your knuckles.  I bought him some booties but they just cause his feet to tangle more than they already do and make it harder for him to get around.

When I had my little Chihuahua years ago, she used to love to ride in a stroller.  I had thought about it for Rusty but he is so fiercely independent and also over 40lbs. so I didn’t think it would work for him.


  Yesterday we went to the lake and, after letting him out to sniff and pee for a bit and get his feet wet, I hoisted him into the stroller.  I expected a big struggle from him but to my surprise, he sat there like a good dog and seemed to enjoy the ride.  So here’s a picture of Rusty in his new-to-him wheels.


I kept him on a short leash in case he got any ideas but he never tried to jump out or acted like he didn’t like it.  Those red things hanging off the stroller handle are his booties.  He wore them in the water and was just barely managing to stay upright.  I took them off and hung them on the stroller to dry.  Miss Poppy, who is a tad lazy, was eyeing the stroller like, “Geez, mom, how does he rate?”!!!  So finally, we were able to take a good walk along the lake, rather than the few yards that we have been walking lately.

Last time I posted pictures of the sailboats in the marina Judy mentioned that all the sail covers were blue and thought a red one would be nice.  Well, here ya go Judy, Russ found one!!


There were also some guys out on paddle boards.  It was a great day for it as the lake was smooth and the weather warm and sunny.  I just don’t get the fun of standing on a board paddling around in the water though!!




Russ was also lucky enough to spot another Oregon alligator.  This species is not as rare as one might imagine, but you do have to look carefully to see them.


We also made a return visit to Hendricks Park.  This is a beautiful rhododendron and azalea garden and we wanted one last look before all the blooms had faded.  Most of the blossoms are already spent but we did find a few blooms left, along with some other flowers. 


This is a beautiful place to walk but, unfortunately, no dogs are allowed in the garden area. The paths and the dappled sunlight in this park make it a perfect place to take a stroll or just relax on the grass with a good book.



Our granddaughter, Bekah, came to visit this weekend and I spent some time with her making a new summer top.  I only did a small portion of the work.  I would say she completed 90% of it on her own.  She was feeling pretty comfortable with the sewing machine by the time she was done and she did an excellent job.  Unfortunately, Bekah had a cold and all that working together allowed her germs to jump all over me.  Used to be, I would never get sick but it seems my immune system just isn’t what is once was.  Now I am putting all my chores on hold and trying desperately to get better quickly.  We have two blogger couples that we are scheduled to meet with – one on Saturday and another on Monday and I don’t want to mess that up.  Vitamin C, zinc, Echinacea, cold capsules, hot tea with lemon and honey – it’s all on board.  All I am missing is the chicken soup and I don’t have enough energy to make a pot.  Maybe later cuz I gotta be well by Saturday.  Wish me luck!!