9.1 Miles

Yesterday was beautiful—one of those gorgeous, sunny, fall days. Perfect for a bike ride! We decided to take Lucy mountain biking since it had been a couple of weeks since she'd had the opportunity.

There is a place close by that we visit frequently when time is limited. Although we expected crowds, we had the trails to ourselves. The trails are great, convoluted, ever-changing. It seems every time we go, we find a new route or two. Even though the area isn't new to us, there are so many trails, that getting lost is part of the ride. Yesterday was no different although this time we had Lucy with us.

We had ridden with her 6 miles on vacation, so I was thinking that was a good length to do again. It's been about15 months since her back surgery and she's strong, but older and I didn't want to push her abilities. However, in our exploration of some new trails we found, our directional sensibilities got turned around. Ha! Our direction? I can't enter those woods without getting totally confused! In this case, my husband must take the full blame. (In his defense, he always gets us out, no matter where we go.)

So what would have maybe been 6 miles, ended up a third longer. Plus, the riding was more difficult. After 3 weeks of biking in a dry environment, it was startling to be back in the wet, slippery Northwest. I had to concentrate more on the actual riding so that the slippery roots and slick mud didn't throw me. There wasn't anything we could do when we realized we were lost, but keep riding. Three additional miles, doesn't sound like much, but mountain biking can be a full body workout. Sitting here this morning writing this, I can feel those parts I worked!

When we finally made it back to the van, we were all pooped. Happy, but pooped. Lucy got in (with some help) and conked out. She didn't budge until we pulled into the driveway. I can tell today will be a 'slow' day for her.

A Sad Recipient

Our neighbors lost their dog recently–lost, as in they had to put her asleep. If one of the owners wasn't a vet tech, their dog wouldn't have made it as long as she did. She had many health issues, but was a wonderful hound and lived a long, well-loved life.

We hadn't seen them much since this sad occurrence, but I ran into them yesterday while I was returning home from walking Lucy. They asked if I needed any dog supplies: boots, water bottle, biscuits, food, teeth cleaning supplies... I had such mixed feelings accepting their largess, though I recall going through the same thing when our first dog died. I wanted someone I knew who loved their dog to have my dog's things.

So with a sad heart, we took them. And thanked them. How kind; how sad. Lucy loves the biscuits. Although Lucy and their dog didn't get along (both lean towards the alpha side of life), I'm sure Rainy is happy her things are staying in the 'hood.

Vacation

It's been over a month since I've written. All good things have happened.

1. Lucy's hearing came back in her one ear, so that must have been due to congestion from the pneumonia.
2. Her pneumonia is gone. In the beginning of a 3-week camping trip, she ran out of drugs and we had to connect our vet at home with a vet in Boise, ID to get more medication to see her through. At the end of the trip, I took her back into the vet for a chest x-ray which showed healed and healthy lungs.
3. Over the span of the vacation, Lucy did a lot of running. Probably no more than 7 miles at any one time, but she ran with vigor and had no shakes at the end. Hats off to Dr. Sanders and his team for their excellent work. Lucy was full of energy (despite recouping from pneumonia) and was always eager for a mountain bike ride.

The picture is taken in Oregon at Paulina Peak in the Newberry Crater. The drop off is thousands of feet. Look how happy she is! Dirty, but very, very happy.

When we got home, her reverse sneezing returned and intensified. It had been almost completely gone. The vet, during a phone consultation, thought it could be allergies. Of course, there was also the scary possibility of cancer, or another possibility: nose mites. (What a juicy nose to have bombarded by mites!) She suggested I try Lucy on an over-the-counter antihistamine: chlopheniramine (4 mg/3X day). She said if it wasn't better by Monday, to let them know and they'd refer me to a "rhino" specialist. I'm happy to report, Lucy is doing much better. Little did we know what a "precious" girl we have!