It's A Boy!!!!

Meet Jaxson!  We adopted him on Saturday, May 25th.

This is the photo that was on the GPA Houston site.  I fell in love with him when I saw this photo.

He is a beautiful brindle boy.  He never raced, but his registered name is Farewell.  He loves toys, people and watching TV.  He reminds me of Jack because of his love of toys and the TV.  He looks more like Scout. He is very soft.  He is a sweet boy and loves to nuzzle up to everyone he meets.  We thought he chose us but after seeing how he reacts to people, I think we were just the lucky people who snatched him up.  I knew before I ever met him that he was the boy for us. 

This picture looks so much like Jack watching TV.

He is doing really well.  The first night, he didn't sleep much, but the second night was great.  We are working on his alone training and so far he is doing fine with it.  He lived in a kennel, so everything about home life is new to him.

Jaxson likes kids and little dogs are not a problem.  He is not scared of the traffic noises.  He is exactly what we needed for our lifestyle.  Tomorrow, he will test out the beach.

Stay tuned as Jaxson takes over the blog.  I think this boy will have a lot to say.

One More Week!

My husband retired early on April 12th.  We drove to Michigan to visit the Ford Presidential Museum.  We have now visited all 13!  It was on our bucket list to do this.  Joey was with us for all of them except for Ford's.  We then went home to Missouri and visited family for a few weeks.  It was a very nice trip.

We received the call from the adoption group this week.  They have a few dogs for us to see.  Our appointment is for May 25th.  We may be bringing a new boy or girl home with us.

The new pup is hopefully going to Abilene KS with us in June for a greyhound event. 

I hope the next time I post I have a new pup to tell you about.

Another Step Closer

We are another step closer to adopting our new grey.  The greyhound group that we are adopting from came out Saturday to do the home check.  They showed us how to teach our new pup the stairs.  We have an elevator, but in an emergency, he needs to know how to do the steps. She told me a technique that I had not tried before. She said when going down the stairs to put the dog on the side of the wall and put my hand through the loop of the collar.  When going up the steps, the dog is still on the side of the wall put you pull with the leash, if necessary.

We passed the home check and now they are checking our references.  We were hoping to adopt in early May but they are backlogged, so that may not happen.  I am hoping we are able to adopt early enough that we can take our new guy to the greyhound event in KS.  We will just have to wait and see how all that works out. 

I have been a little sad that Joey hasn't been sending me signs that he is okay but he may have done that on Thursday.  I was at a thrift store and saw an angel greyhound ornament that kind of looked like him.  It was the first time I have seen any greyhound items here.  Later in the day, I received the call from the greyhound group that they wanted to come out on the 6th.  Joey died on Thursday, the 6th.  Thursdays and the 6th are hard for me but when I realized the connection, I smiled.   I also found several dimes last week including on Saturday before the home check.  Can greyhounds send dimes?  I don't know but it is strange since I really use cash or coins. :-)

Ready To Adopt Again

It has been a very long winter without our wonderful boy, Joey.  He is missed every single day. I swore when he died that I would not adopt again.  I think that thought lasted just a few days but I knew I needed time before adopting again. We put in an application with a greyhound group in Houston and the process is underway.  We are hoping to bring a new boy home in May.  Yes, I am hoping for a boy but we will see who picks us.  The dogs at this group live in a kennel, so we will meet a few and decide who wants us.  I have been stalking their website since January and I have my eye on one but he may be gone before are able to adopt.  We did meet three dogs at the office visit and they were all sweet. 

We kept Joey's collars, leashes, and toys but not his bed or his raised feeder.  We repurchased those items last month and have them in place for our home check with the greyhound adoption group. We also purchased a nice car hammock.  Joey always rode in the Jeep but the Jeep is 15 now and we do not take it on long trips and we wanted the new guy to be able to ride safely in the car.  If the new guy arrives in time, he is headed to the Hearts of America Greyhound Gathering in KS in June with us. 

I decided that the new guy will carry on the tradition of writing this blog. I realize that blogs are not that popular any more, but I enjoy looking back on our adventures.  I have found that when I am really down, I come here and read about all the adventures that Jack, Scout, and Joey had and it makes me laugh and smile.  The new guy will definitely have a lot to say about his new life with us. 

We hope the new guy enjoys the beach as much as Joey did. It really was Joey's favorite place. The beach is not as much fun for me without Joey.  I actually quit going to the beach until recently because I couldn't walk on it without crying.  There were just too many memories.  I did take some of Joey's ashes to the beach, so he is there but it is still painful.  I started taking my camera to the beach recently and that has made the beach enjoyable again.  The camera gives me something to do other than think about who isn't with me. 

I have found that not having a dog is easier.  There is no one to worry about.  There is no one to walk in the rain, cold and wind.  There is no one telling me to get up.  So why do I want another dog?  My heart is empty.  My days are long.  I am lonely.  My life is easier but it is not better. 

Stay tuned... a new greyhound is coming!!!!

Joey 11/1/2007 to 12/06/2018

It is with great sadness that I announce the death of our dear Joey.  He had a wonderful summer walking on the beach and playing in the water.  He definitely loved being a beach boy.  He walked two to two and a half miles nearly every day including his last full day on this earth.  The above photo was taken just two days ago when he was being sassy asking for his beach walk.

He had not been feeling well recently and even though we still did his walks because he insisted, I knew something was wrong.  His appetite had grown small and getting him to eat was a challenge.  We hoped he was just being a senior but that was not the case.  We found out today that he was in renal failure and there was no saving him.  His numbers were extremely bad and the vet was surprised that he was even attempting to eat at all.  Joey's Dad left work so that he could say goodbye to his boy.  Joey chattered when he saw his Dad.  This excitement was rarely seen anymore.  It ended fairly quickly and Joey once again looked like the sick boy that he was.  He left his world hearing that he was loved.  I told him not to bully Scout and to send me a sign.  I told him a rainbow or a butterfly would be nice. I hope I didn't confuse him on all the final instructions. :-)  We had never had this talk before because I didn't think it was necessary.

Joey had a wonderful life with us.  He traveled the country in a motorhome for five and a half years and he loved it.  We then settled at the beach and he loved his daily walks and playing in the water.  He also loved walking the neighborhoods because of all the wonderful smells.

Joey celebrated his 11th birthday last month.  He had a nice day with a hamburger and treats.

He was a very popular boy here at our condo and there have been many people crying when they learned of his passing.  He will be missed by many.

I love you "boyfriend", "Babycakes" and "Joey Oey".  You were my constant companion for the past seven years.  I don't know how I will walk on the beach without you.  How can I eat green beans without you?  I ate KFC tonight and it was not easy because I knew you would have been asking for some.  I will miss seeing you roaching on our bed.  You were such a wonderful boy and I loved you with all my heart.

Love,
Mom