Now this is much better

Mommy has not stopped laughing since she came back from the evil place that took her away for 8 hours. She came back smelling of all kinds of interesting things and people, including my cousin Thulku the pit bull and of baby. I am very upset she didn't take me wherever she went, but she says that I wouldn't have liked it anyway and at least she left me three nice juicy bones to play with.

This little excursion also came with some rewards for me! You see, usually, at Christmas, I get abandoned for hours with a bone and then mommy comes home and that's my present, getting her all to myself for days until lots of people come over to adore me on granddaddy's birthday. But this year in the family gift exchange, my cousin Thulku's mommy picked MY mommy, which means that I'M the one who got all the presents! Mommy came home with a nice, big, soft cushion for me to sleep on. I love being comfy when I sleep! And unlike some huskies, I like keeping my right to soft things to sleep on, so I don't tear up cushions and stuff. So I got a nice, comfy cushion that's big enough for me and so soft that mommy said that if I didn't want it SHE was stealing it. It's a little warm for my hot husky self, but it's good for lying on a few hours, at least. I also got this weird thing to wipe off my paws that's blue and shaggy and that I just want to eat and some hand-booties for mommy so that she doesn't lose a finger mushing, this winter because that would not be good. All nice me-oriented gifts, as it should be. Mommy is laughing at me and telling me I'm spoiled. I'm just ignoring her from my nice new throne. Mommy says I actually look all tiny, curled up on it, not huuuuuuuge like she knows I am when I sleep in her bed (that is totally mine when she's not around. Just saying).

I also have some very sad news. My cousin Thulku who, like me, is a former shelter dog and who unlike me is elderly and is like bionic spinless Sammy has no hip, has just been diagnosed with cancer. Even worse, it is leukemia and since it is in his front left leg, on the same side as his hiplessness, it cannot be amputated to keep the cancer from spreading. His chances for recovery do not look good and his mommy is very sad. Thulku is an old dog. He is not a very pretty dog and he can be a bit of a grumpy dog, but he is a good dog and he has spent a very, very long time of his life as an abused dog. Unlike me, who has a rather good story, as shelter dogs go, he was one of seven dogs bought from an abusive owner who decided to liquidate her "stock" of dogs. When the shelter came to take the six they had been called for, the mean person said "oh, yeah there's this other dog you can take too and him you can have for free" and showed them to a back room where an old, depressed, uncastrated male pit bull was lying, in bad shape. He moved painfully and he had most probably been used for breeding pit bull puppies irresponsibly. He had quite possibly never known love, was despondant and showed signs of physical abuse. That was my cousin Thulku. My mommy's aunt was looking for a dog and fell in love. She made sure he got the surgery he needed, even went to Ontario to get the best care possible for him. She gave him physiotherapy and, most importantly of all, she gave him all the love and affection a dog needs. He went from a depressed, moth-eaten old mutt to a happy, smiling, stub-wagging (you just can't call that a tail...) family dog. He has had a wonderful two years and I would like all of you that can to spare some good thoughts and hope that he does not suffer and manages to stay with us a long while yet.

Here's to you, Thulku.

Back to normal

Well, the schnee is mostly gone and the sled has been put away. Both mommy and I are a little sad, but that means that life has gone back to normal, here.

Yes, our room is kind of messy. But that's ok. I have other rooms to lounge in that are less messy, especially since Auntique is gone. Mommy's been a bit depressed because she and auntique are from the same litter and they've never really lived apart and auntique won't be back for months and months. She's in Europe. I don't mind too much because now I have taken over her room and... her balcony! I love the balcony. I get to spend all my time out there, now, just chilling.

I also have been spending a lot of time at Harem member #1's house. They've determined that I'm not too bad with kitties, so I can go visit when mommy does. Of course there are no soft surfaces to lie on, so I am resigned to this:

That sleepy person is my mommy. And before you ask, yes, we are about the same size. I'm big for a husky and she's small for a human. Like Rusty, I'm definitely a lap dog. It's all about being cuddled, for me. I am a hard-working husky, I totally deserve this.

Harem member #1 is not just #1 because she's the one who comes to visit and scratch and worship me the most often. She's also #1 because she collects all kinds of cool stuff, like furs and bones!
Don't I look like a scary husky? That's one of my jobs, apart from pulling the sled, being a good guard dog like Qannik and therapy dog like Nanook. Mommy has some anxiety issues and having a big scary monster like me protecting her makes life easier for everyone. And I work for cheap. I'm paid in kissies.

Sigh. A husky's work is never done. I have to go lounge on the balcony, now. Maybe I'll get all nice and brushed and groomed later. Woe is me

Woos,
Louka

I've got it made

Two posts in one day! Unheard of! But I just had to post. I just had to brag about how far I've come from that scary little cage at the pound where Mommy found me.

Today, I decided to snub my meal. I do this every now in then, in hopes that mommy will give me something better or that she'll run around like a good slave trying to make it more tasty. Usually, one of these two things happens. Today, pig spine was on the menu. I decided that no, I wanted more ground meat, preferably with a little liver. Mommy was annoyed. So she let me in (evil granny insists on exiling me to the balcony to eat, something about not wanting my food on her floor. Really.) and started teasing me a bit with the spine, hopin to make it more appetizing. I made my "ick" face. She growled and tore off a pit to show me all the nice meat on the spine. I pretended to be interested and took it, tugging a bit. Now she was sitting on the floor, right where I wanted her. I started gnawing experimentally, then took it away from her and laid down next to her. Then put it down and ignored it. She tried again. Now, sneaking into her lap, I allowed her to hold the spine for me while I ate, comfortably cuddled in her lap, being petted with her other hand. Now that, my friends, is the life.

Woos of happy spoiledness,
Louka