February 15, 2026 It's A Dog's Life

 How do people live without a dog...or cat...or any pet? If you are not an animal lover, I get it. I'm not one of them.

Our 8 year old silver Lab is recovering from his third ACL repair. Twice on both legs; the first was his right knee, the second was his left knee, plus a tightening up on the right, and now, a total rupture of the left.  Five days later, the bandages are off, the boot comes off during the day, and he has yet to put any weight on the repaired leg.  His comfort has been in the forefront of our care, enabled by a thoughtful vet and effective meds. The incision was closed with buried sutures, so the temptation to chew out staples was eliminated. His leg being shaved from toes to hip seems to bother him more than anything.  He was a complete nightmare after his initial two surgeries; this time, he could not have been any better.

We also have Jared and Gayle's pups here while they travel. They have been the comic relief, giving us some respite from the worry about Bo.

Lolita is a black/white mini Greyhound, and she is the queen. Greyhounds are notorious nappers, and she's no exception. One of her quirks is barking or vocalizations during commercials, especially, but not exclusive, to ones with dogs. She's a gentle, well-behaved 5 year old, and while a bit reserved with her affection, she does make her preferences known. I'm lucky enough to be an object of her love.

And then there's Meadow. She is an 18 month old mini Aussie who emanates pure joy.  We have had high energy dogs before but none match the level of Meadow.  She keeps us on our toes! Jared has trained her to be obedient and has mastered many tricks in the process. Her superpower, as it turns out, is as a therapy dog. She's been exposed to college students, as well as younger kids. She's patient, tolerant, and overall adorable. She met the criteria earlier than most dogs, a great source of pride for Jared.  She has a constant smile on that cute face.

Both girls have been sweet around Bo, and he, in return, has not shown any territorial behavior toward them, likely because they are not strangers to him. He used to be fussy about his water bowl, toys, and let's not even bring up his food. All three have respected each others' space and it's been wonderful.

I read somewhere that it's okay to be overwhelmed with responsibilities and still be  grateful for your blessings.  This is a perfect example of that.

We have a slower week ahead than we've had lately. You may hear our sighs of relief. While we love following our wrestler, we now are looking at the end of his season; no more three trips a week., with one this week and the last two next week.  He's had a great season. Jared gets back tonight so he and the girls will be headed back to Chicago tomorrow.

The weather, for now, has been wonderful, raising our hopes for a balmy St. Patrick's Day. I think we are due for one! ☘


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