Tonka is approximately 16 weeks old and is a giant ball of puppy love. He spent the night last night sleeping next to me on the floor and he woke me up every 45 minutes or so to make sure I was still there. No accidents, no destruction…and he goes right back to sleep with a little pat on the head and a “good boy”.

He is right here sleeping with Mr. Bill (who no longer has a nose) and is getting along fine with Captain and Bodie.

Here he is…isn’t he beautiful?!?!?

Thank you so much to Karin Foley of Solar Hill Sport Horses for trusting us with your lovely boy. We ADORE him and are looking forward to many adventures in the years to come!

It has been cold, and I am still missing my dog something terrible. February is really hard for me, it always has been, and I struggle through this whole month just barely going through the motions. It has been this way for as long as I can remember. I decided to take a quick peek at some photos, which is always good for a cheer up.

Miss Firefly received a beautiful new hot pink cooler from Ann. Here she is modeling it for Todd…

Of course Rye needed to try it on too…

Katie had a go with a blanket too. Go ahead, laugh, but I wasn’t going to put a $300 Rambo on her and have her destroy it so we went with what was in stock. It was this or a white, yes WHITE, old New Zealand rug. I didn’t have a spare backhoe handy to help me heave the New Zealand on her so we went with this one. Check out her butt hanging out….heheheeee….

Of course it came back to bite us. Twenty four hours, a pot of coffee, a near case of pneumonia and we were left with this:

What blog update is complete without a cute face and seriously, could he BE cuter?!?!?!

Paco is doing really well. He is affectionately known as the “sofa” now because he has gained his weight back and has been moved back into the easy keeper category. Thank goodness. I love how much he adores Todd, and that the feeling is mutual. Todd said to me the other day “What do people who have no horses do with their time?” To which I almost answered “well, honey, they go on vacation. They can sleep in. They can leave the house for more than three hours at a time”. But I didn’t, because I knew exactly what he meant.

These are the moments that I wouldn’t trade for anything. So I close this post feeling a little more cheered, a little more positive, and ready to face February the best that I can.

He’s gone. I cannot believe my dear sweet Golden is gone. Not a day has gone by for three years that he didn’t make me smile and do something goofey.

Every morning at 5am he went out and stood in the driveway and let out a BARRROOOO! Just like a hound dog, and only one big barrroooo. Then he’s turn around and smile at me and wiggle off to the yard to do his business. He ate breakfast and dinner with Trooper every day since September…Trooper would slide his bowl under the fence for Bonks to lick clean…no wonder I couldn’t keep his allergies under control lol!

I will miss him so much, he was the epitome of a Golden Retriever, all love and no brains. There wasn’t a soul who didn’t love him.

All I keep seeing in my eyes was the first time he got here and his owner came to pick him up. They would start heading down the driveway and Bonks would come running back and wrap himself around my legs behind me…he did that SIX times. My heart broke that he was going to leave me and there was nothing I could do but offer to give him a home should he ever need one. Three months later he jumped out of their car and ran for my porch and waiting at the door to go in and hang with the other dogs…I will never forget that day. He was black with staph infection, septic and bald. He never grew all his hair back and his ears were hard and thick from the scarring. His nose and eyes were always rimmed in black…the only parts besides the balding that just never went back to normal.

We loved him for more than three years. Enough for several lifetimes and not a day went by that he didn’t know it. I had wanted a Golden Retriever my entire adult life and he never once disappointed me. He was worth the wait and worth of everything I could have done for him and more.

Godspeed Bonks…you are in good company in Heaven. Thank you Dr. Shokoff and Jeff for the care and compassion you showed Bonkey, to have him pass here at home meant so much to us. You gave helped give him one last gift…Peace.

Old Gold
by Cheryl Minnier

She sits in silent misery.
Confusion colors all she sees.
The sights, the sounds, the smell of fear,
all seem concentrated here.

“The kids have gone.” “There is no time.”
They brought her here to leave behind.
The ghost of those who died alone
have now replaced the home she’s known.
She kept her family safe all those years.
No creeping threat escaped her ears.
So much love left to give,
she has fears to vanquish, slights to forgive.

Will all that end in this cold, sterile place?
Will the light slowly fade from this lovely white face?
A couch, just a piece, and a spot in the sun,
is all that she asks. She needs no “room to run.”
Into rescue she comes, her hopes rise anew.
But how many young faces obscure the view,
of a home of her own, a family to love?
Of a chance to start over, a way to rise above?

Can you find in your home a place for her to live
In return she will give, all in her power to give.
In Old Gold you will find a treasure so grand,
that the gift will be yours. Will you please understand?…

..that Seniors are special, the best that is Gold.
Their gratitude endless, as their spirit unfolds,
and they start to recover the joy that they knew,
’cause they know in their hearts…

that their savior…
is you.