Been a Long Haul Back!

Mom/Em at the keyboard this time. I just want to thank everyone for your patience as Roo has been busy playing nurse and had to miss a few weeks of her blog. I took a serious tumble on a hike with three of the dogs (the girls, of course) and have been recuperating ever since. The good news: I should make a full recovery.

The ironic part - the fall happened when the girls were being EXTRA GOOD at responding to my commands! We were in an off-leash area out in the boonies. Usually I call, wait... wait some more, and they come walking or trotting back. Well, this time Roo and Brenti decided to come at warp speed, and before I could turn around at the sound of their thundering paws and side-step them, they skidded to a stop, but not before they struck me from behind and flipped me up into the air where I did a [no doubt very lovely and graceful] cartwheel and landed on my back and head.

To their credit, all three girls stayed with me......

                                                   

                                              ......and this is what I saw when I opened my eyes:

Oh... sorry... that's what I WISH I had seen when I opened my eyes... sigh...



OK, here is [the cheap, poorly staged, fake re-enactment of almost] what I saw:

Brentina & Onyx: "Hellooooo there! Are you alive? If not, is it OK if we go all Donner Party on you in order to survive??"

  

Roo: "I hope you made arrangements in your will to leave me to someone with money for hats."

Dogs know when their owner is not doing well and these girls were so careful with me as I slowly realized I was alive and in one piece, was finally able to breathe after having the wind knocked out of me, then limped back to the car. While recuperating at home, it's as if Brenti and Roo (my two rough and tumble girls) called a Time Out. They were quiet and docile... at least until I was better able to move and fend for myself! Now that I'm getting back to work, all bets are off and the household is again filled with scampering and growling and play bows and body slams... but they are playing AROUND me instead of ON me the majority of the time.

While I was temporarily living in a wonderful pain-pill-induced haze, my dogs, my FABULOUS local and online friends, and my very understanding bosses and co-workers made all the difference in the world to me. At work, schedules were shifted in order to give me sufficient 'down time' to feel better. Friends brought me food, helped me feed the dogs, were so very supportive, and even loaned me a wonderful grabby thingy so I could pick stuff up off the floor (a godsend since I couldn't bend down and the floor was getting pretty cluttered as I kept dropping things... thank you, Hydrocodone). You, my online friends, were also supportive and kept cheering me on, letting me know I wasn't alone. My dogs provided love, concern (nothing like a big snoot in your face first thing when you wake up.. "You still alive??"), gentle snuggles and the occasional laugh (ow... my ribs... ) throughout the healing process. They're amazing, these animal companions of ours.

Again, thank you all for your support and love! You have no idea how much it has meant. Seriously.
Miss Licorice Roo will be back... and with a vengeance, I'm afraid! (You know how she is!)
-Em