Kanga the Korat

Kanga is an adorable and beautiful Korat kitty.  She's silver-blue in color and her breed originates in Thailand and is one of the oldest stable cat breeds!  Kanga is very small and super playful.  She reminds me of the Burmese cats I house sat for recently (see above blog for pictures).  Kanga lives right by the Lu Lu kitty that I recently posted about and is one spunky cat!  She lives up to her name as she bounds around; when I come over she is very vocal, meowing and running just under my feet as I walk.  I will often sit down on and Kanga will crawl right up into my lap and purr and purr and purr as I pet her. She has a very eager way about her when she wants attention and will shove her cute little head into your hand to help you pet her.  She soaks up the love and gives it back!

Kanga the Korat Kitty :)

Video Riding Poco

Here is a video of me riding Poco and doing some casual barrel trots on my new saddle!  My momma was sweet enough to film it for me. There was another girl in the arena at the time so I had to share the space. :-/

Lu Lu!

This is Little Lu Lu, or also known as Emmie.  I get to visit her when her family goes out of town and recently had the chance to.  She is an adorable Siamese kitty who emerges for the scent of food in the air.  She is not the easiest to photograph as she is always moving, but you kind of see her pretty blue eyes.  She has a funny little walk and meow and loves to be loved.  She has a brother who is a therapy dog through Intermountain Therapy Animals where I work but he goes somewhere else to play while the family is out of town.  I also house/cat sit for their neighbor; post and picture coming soon! :D

Me and Erdo Dog

It has been far too long since I have posted here, especially since there are so many new things to post about! First things first: the next chronological house sitting gig since Maddie and Hootie is with Erdo and his kitty friends, Twinkle and Pee Wee.  Erdo is an absolutely adorable Boxer.  He has some anxiety and fear issues with new people, but he and I bonded quickly and now we (his Mom, Dad, and I) like to joke about how I am his girlfriend since he lays on my lap and won't let me leave (see picture above!) or gives me lots of kisses. :)  I got to play with Erdo and cats in October and it turned out to be a really fun weekend!  Erdo and I went on a few hikes up Millcreek canyon; it was his first time trail running and he had so much fun! 

The second hike was stunning and healing the whole way.  We went to Mt. Aires and the leaves were just in their prime of Gold, Red, and Orange.  There were blankets of Aspen trees draping the mountainside, quaking as they do with Gold leaves shimmering in the beautiful Saturday morning, sunshine air.  I started at the trail head by about 9AM and there was not a soul in site, so it was very solitary.  I met no one on the way up and only 2 small groups on the way down.  This hike was like opening a present: it started out beautiful and as you unwrap it just kept getting better and better.  I remember at a few points I would just stop in awe, with my jaw dropped.  I have included a few pictures, although they don't do the experience justice, but you get the idea.

Starting Mt. Aires Trail.  Erdo isn't too sure about this...yet!

It was just what I needed to heal my soul that day, being up in the crisp air and rejuvenating my body and mind with a sweet pup running ahead.  The further I hiked and the more beauty that was unveiled, the more my heart expanded.  Negativity melted from me with every step I took and by the time I reached the peak, I felt reborn. 

Wow!

Aspens

View on the way up

This is the view of the ridge from below, just before the peak.

When I did eventually reach the peak the sun was streaming through the trees just over the ridge of the mountains beyond. Below is a picture of Erdo at the peak, with the sun coming in from behind him.

Erdo made it to the peak!

And so did I!

Needless to say Erdo and I had fun.  The kitties are more shy so I have not gotten a photo of them yet, but I will try this month as I will be watching them next week!  I'll post them soon.  Thanks for reading!

New Adventure!

Today I finished house sitting for a quirky duo: a Maine Coon, Hootie and a Labrador Retriever, Maddie.  Hootie is enormous and looks like a wild cat...from his 30 pound (?) body with bobcat-like markings to his lynx-like tufts of hair on his ears.  If I saw him in the woods or on a boulder somewhere in the mountains, I would absolutely think he was a wild cat.  Even his meow is not like a standard cat, like a growl or call rather than a meow.  However, his completely sweet and social demeanor changes your mind instantly!  He's so adorable and has such a lovable personality; and his purr can be heard across the room!

Maddie is also a silly creature.  She is so eager to know what you are doing all of the time, following you around from room to room anticipating your next move.  If you stand still or stop for too long she starts whimpering in anxiousness and need to keep moving!  We had quite the scare last night when I was throwing the ball for her in the backyard.  We've thrown the ball in the yard on multiple occasions but this time, as she disappeared into the darkness chasing the ball, I heard a very unassuming whimper from the trees.  I called to her and she came limping out on one of her paws.  She had a gash on the top of her paw.  We went to the emergency room and it turns out the gash went all the way through to the bottom of her paw!  It was so sad but she was so brave, practically elated as she usually is.  Anyway, she got all stapled up and came home that same night.  She has to wear a cute e-collar, or "Collar of Shame" as they refer to it in the movie Up.  :) Plus her cute, bandaged paw has to be tied up in a plastic bag when she goes outside so it is quite the scene to see her stumbling around in the yard trying to potty.

Bucky, the Newfoundland, used to live with Maddie and Hootie but recently passed away.  He was a gentle giant and I loved sitting for him.  He and Maddie would wrestle and eat ice together.  He had this adorable straight-haired fro on top of his head that would stand up like static electricity.  He had a biggest and softest tongue that would cover your whole face from top to bottom and side to side.  Plus, he was the best cuddler!  I have included a picture of him and the rest of the gang below. 

Bucky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bucky and Maddie

Hootie

 

Hootie and Maddie.  Hootie looks tiny here, I swear he's huge!

My most recent and interesting house sitting gig

I just got done house/pet sitting for a friend of mine.  I can easily say this is my most interesting gig as she has a plethora of animals ranging from horses, pigs, a sheep, to dogs, and a gecko.  It is also exciting because we trade services instead of being paid.  She has given me horseback riding lessons and the opportunity to go riding whenever I want in exchange for my house sitting for her.  Many of the readers who know me well, know this is a dream come true!  When I was a little girl I used to write stories about a young girl who lived on a dude ranch with nothing but horses and got to ride them all day long.  I would draw pictures of a little blond girl riding horses everywhere.  Also, when we would go on our annual St. George trips with my family, the one thing I would always insist on, is horseback riding.  Horses have always been my favorite animal and I have always wanted to be a savvy rider and to someday have my own horse(s).  So getting connected into this community so conveniently has been awesome!!

I have been riding my friend's horse Poco (this is the same lady who has all the other animals I just mentioned) and I think I can say I am to a point where I ride comfortably on my own!  I can set up the saddle and reins, trot, and lope without outside assistance!!  And when I ride, I feel completely in my element.  I remember the first time I rode without fear, I said to myself "This is it."  So THANK YOU to my friend who has allowed me to ride with her!  I have included a few pictures of Poco and me and some of the other gang I house/pet sat for too! They are so fun.

Poco and me! She is a Morgan and a great horse.

Riley (the Quarter Horse) and Ellie the pig

Snowflake

Jazz

Harley, the foster boy

Fostering Buddy

For 3 months I had the amazing privilege of fostering the sweetest dog I've ever known: Buddy.  Ever since I was little, I have wanted to foster for a rescue organization and when I moved out on my own back in January, I thought this was the perfect time to do it!  So I began fostering for an organization called Ruff Patch Rescue.  I found them when I went to an adoption even in December of 2009 at REI and fell in love with this little pooch named Eli (I will post a picture soon!).  He was an elder Lhasa Apso with hardly any teeth and a tiny little bony body.  I wanted to adopt him but decided it wasn't the best time for me to own a dog, so instead I began (finally!!) my fostering career starting with little Buddy.  He came to me from another foster parent with energy, energy, energy!!  He was always like a toddler, wanting to know everything and know where I was at all times, but then at nap time, he was out like a light. 

I developed a great sense of stewardship and responsibility over this guy and as time went on I thought "What was I thinking, thinking I could foster a dog without falling in love??"  I seriously considered adoption, but had to remind myself of the commitment I have to rescuing animals from death row in shelters.  By adopting Buddy, I would eliminate one more foster home for a pound puppy to potentially stay in.  So, I opted to not adopt Buddy, but to not settle on just any forever home.  He was very emotionally and physically needy so I knew he needed family with kids, dogs, and a big back yard to run in.  I knew he needed a family that was willing to give as much love as Buddy gave and one that loved his quirks through and through.  After 3 months of wonderful bonding time with that little rascal, the perfect family came along.  Their daughter (along with her parents) fell in love with him and knew he was right for her.  They had just adopted a Pit Bull puppy that worships Buddy and follows him everywhere and runs and plays with him till he's tuckered out.  They have a big backyard and a 6 foot fence so there was ample running space and not a chance of escape.  They contact me regularly, giving me updates on Buddy's well being and he is in Buddy heaven! He gets to sleep on the bed with the daughter, run with the other dogs, and be spoiled!  I couldn't have been happier!  It will be only a matter of time before I foster again, but I've been so busy with house sitting I haven't had a chance. 

Buddy!