Ski Day!

I went to Cranbrook this weekend to go skiing with my dad and celebrate his 65th birthday (which was in January).

Neither of us had been skiing for a very long time (we are guessing it had been about 8 years!) so it was quite the adventure for us.  We weren't sure how our legs were going to handle it and how our coordination would be, but we did pretty good!

I'm sure it helped that the snow was amazing!  It was probably some of the best conditions I'd skied on.  It was warm, sunny, wasn't windy and the snow was soft, not too heavy or thick and not at all icy.

It probably helped too that there was no crowds to get in our way.  I've never skied with so little people.  We couldn't figure out why no one was there.  It was our first time skiing in Kimberly so I have no idea if that is how it usually is or not.  The views were amazing too.

And the skis have sure shrunk over the years!  I can't believe how short they were. They seemed to work OK though!  

We had a great day! It made me wonder why we don't go skiing more often.

It's Not Lupus!!!!!

:)

I'm Not Freaking Out

Thanks for the comments and emails about Coulee.  So far no test results regarding her auto-immune (they are thinking we won't hear now until next week) but we have discovered that her Creatinine levels are a little high.  So today we've followed up with a urine sample to see if this could just be "normal" for her, or if we should be concerned. (High creatine levels can indicate kidney problems.)

I'm not freaking out yet, but it has been all I've really been thinking about since I heard about the levels last night.  I'm hoping the urine test today will bring some peace of mind and it is taking all my will power to not call the vet to see if they've done the test yet.

Her paw has been good but her nose bleeds happen about every 2nd day. At least that is how often I notice them.  It really is a tiny amount of blood so who knows if it is happening more often and she just isn't leaving any evidence behind.

She has been a little more lethargic this week (barely got up the other day when Jack came back to the house and I would have expected her to be a little more excited than that) and panting a little more out on walks and stopping more for rests but that could be the warmer weather and because I've been throwing the toy down some pretty steep coulees lately.  Not sure if I'm just become paranoid or what, but Marlin has commented on this as well.

I don't mean to be such a downer on the blog. It is just such a good place for me to keep track of what and when stuff is happening.  Feel free to ignore the ramblings and just enjoy the pics.

On a positive note, Coulee has been embracing the warm weather and all the mud that comes with it!  She had her first bath of the season last night.

Off to the Vet

It is Coulee's turn to go to the vet this week.

I don't want to go!

Her nose has been bleeding a bit on and off while we are out on walks.  Never a lot of blood and never for long.

The first time it happened, I thought she must have bumped it.

The second time it happened, I decided it was the cold air.

Every time it happened after that, I still thought it was the cold air.

Then I decided to ask on Facebook if anyone else's dog ever does this.

Apparently not.

Soooo.... It could be another sign of Lupus.  Or it could be me being paranoid.  So we are getting a blood test done that has lots of false positives and lots of false negatives.  What is the point?  I'm not sure exactly.  My vet said that if we get a negative in the middle of her having an issue, it is highly unlikely to be a false negative.  So that will be the only result we can actually trust.  So here's hoping for a negative.

I find myself obsessively staring at her nose now. The more you look at dog noses, the weirder they look.  Try it.  You'll see what I mean.

Enough Already!

I know, I know.  All we do is complain about the weather.

But come on.

Enough already.

I Miss My Camera

This would have been in focus with my other camera.  And it is so cute...  Sigh.

Jack Frost

Someone came into work with a kitten they had found out in the cold.

How could I say no?

We named him Jack (Frost) because it has been such a cold winter to be homeless.

He needs a home.  Know anyone looking for a new guy in their life?

He is cute, cuddly, good with other cats, a little leary of dogs (but he's learning) and got a clean bill of health (along with his first vaccines) from the vet.

PS - I miss my camera!  It is WAY better at indoor photos.