Out Of Office

So for once I have a legitimate excuse for not bringing you all a Ruby update. A week ago today I had ACL reconstruction surgery on my left knee. I've spent the better part of the last week in a horizontal position, whacked out on Vicodin, and being somewhat pathetic. To pass the time I've been watching a lot of home improvement television, doing a little sewing, and, well...sleeping off the Vicodin.

The before:                                                                                       The after:

Ruby spent two days at camp last week. That was just a win-win all the way around. She came home with a twisted ankle on Monday, but seemed to be over it by the time she went back on Thursday. She's had a hard time understanding why Mom is very hands-off. No snuggling on the couch as we did the day before surgery:




















For a day or two after surgery we pulled out the hide-a-bed and Ruby was thrilled that there was room for her (on my right side only).


She developed an immediate fear of both my knee brace and my crutches. So while a little fear of her knocking me over still exists, if I have either apparatus around me, it's a bit like a force field. She's getting  a little better with the crutches and just takes a wide path around me all the time.

While I've been recovering, Ruby has been up to a few projects of her own. First, she took on a little sewing project, but she didn't get past the thread.

Then, she decided to work on another fluff project, dismantling one of her beds. I believe that's three down now, officially.

Between that, terrorizing the cat, stalking the squirrels, abusing Sophie, barking incessantly at every noise in the house and running across the neighborhood (because she knows I can't chase her) every time I let her out, she has earned herself another day at camp tomorrow. Again, it's good for everyone.

Favorite pic of the week.  If you can't snuggle with Mom...Dad's a pretty good substitute:

Squirrel!

It is definitely fall, with temps dipping into the 40s making for chilly mornings and evenings, leaves changing, and days getting shorter. The only important thing about fall to Ruby, however, is the bushy-tailed creatures that mock her from every window and every corner of the yard. She stalks them. CONSTANTLY.

Squirrel encounters (or near-misses) this week are too numerous to count. Every time the back door is opened for her, Ruby races out and leaps off the deck at the trees. And leaps. And leaps. Roughly every other time there's a squirrel in the yard so she's rewarded regularly for her attempts. This keeps her going, watching, and waiting. She's learned of several great viewing locations. 

The spot in this picture (standing on the back of the couch) is a favorite, and often a perfect view with a small tree just a few feet from the window that the critters use to get on our roof (and chew through our satellite cable but that's another story). She's can't usually SEE the squirrel unless it moves, and this one was particularly stealthy, just hanging on the tree literally right in front of her nose. We told her it was there and she was on point. But as soon as she turned her head, it scurried up and onto the roof and she never saw it.

Another near miss when Ruby was coming home from camp Thursday and saw the squirrel in the front yard before I did. I thought she was going out the window, but I managed to get the car stopped and the back door open in time for her to chase it up a tree. There is one large tree in the front yard, the kind a squirrel can hide in, but can't get to other trees or roofs from. In other words, he has to come down sometime. Ruby camped out at the base of the tree, watching him for several minutes.

I was very proud of my big protective dog, patrolling the grounds, keeping out the critters. Until she got bored waiting, stood up, pulled a piece of bark off the tree and started eating it. With me, Ruby, AND Sophie all at the base of the tree, but with the more threatening of the three of us occupied with a piece of BARK, the squirrel saw his opening and made a break for it, racing down the tree, across the yard, and under the neighbor's fence to safety. By the time the dogs got their wits about them, there was nothing but a squirrel vapor trail and a little poof of dust under the fence. Our little fury invader proceeded to climb the neighbor's tree and heckle the dogs from above for the next few minutes. Pretty sure Ruby still thinks he's up there.

My favorite Ruby story of the week...she went to camp on Thursday, chased the squirrel (above) and then came in only to find out that the Dad had decided it was bath day. Sophie was already clean, and Ruby fell for the oldest trick in the book ("come get a treat!!!") and immediately had a bath. She managed a few laps around the house, and then was shivering cold. I know, she's a sissy. But it was chilly that evening, and since she ATE her kennel bed, she didn't have a place to keep warm. So I got out her hoodie. It did the trick keeping her warm and keeping the wet dog smell out of the couch. By then the activity of the day had set in. And she was too tired to fight it. I guess sleep trumps humiliation.

After her dinner at 5:30pm.

At 7:00 PM.

At 8:30pm (very little change in an hour and a half):

And at 9:30pm when Sophie was playing with the Dad and Ruby was fed up with the noise (make sure you have the sound turned up):

What a mouth on that girl!

In other news, she is now eating only twice a day, but still 6 cups a day. Occasionally she seems to think I've forgotten to feed her before bed, but she's not waking me up in the middle of the night, so I'm calling it good. And not a single potty accident weeks and weeks now. Also, I finally watched Homeward Bound with her. She digs that movie. I mean, who doesn't?? It's a classic. 

We are still sticklers for the 'no dogs on the bed rule.'  Even if we got rid of the queen-size and moved to a king, there wouldn't be room for her. And the bulldog. AND the cat. So the rule stands, but it doesn't keep her from trying. 

Favorite Ruby Picture Of The Week:

Stay classy, girlfriend.

Welcome Back.

After a week rejuvenating in sunny Jamaica...wait, no, that's not EXACTLY how it went. Thanks to Tropical Storm Nicole, the vacation wasn't relaxing, rejuvenating, or sunny. Mostly wet and stressful. Wet and stressful with friends, but still.

ANYwho...Ruby had to live without her favorite human (me) for a whole week. Once again three of the four kids tag-teamed pet and house care and all went well. I'm told there were a couple of Ruby romps through the neighborhood, and she ate another of her beds. She also spent two bonus days at doggie day camp. I tried to 'talk to her' on the phone from the Atlanta airport (what else is one to do during a 6-hour layover). She was deeply engaged in the conversation until a squirrel bounced through the front yard. That was the end of that.

So after the most stressful vacation in recent history, and then 17 hours of travel to get home to 48 degree weather, my greeting was something like this:



Remarkably, it was the highlight of the week. :) (I apologize for the commercial...YouTube.)

Since returning home, she's gone about her daily business. Chasing one of her two butterflies, and getting to know her new friend, who we call Rasta Monkey. He came directly from the Montego Bay airport and he annoys the living daylights out of her. Which makes it fun for everyone. I can't even get a decent pictures of her with it.




A few other developments...Ruby is officially down to two feedings a day. She hasn't had an accident in the house for over a month now. Well over a month. The Bell, originally hang on the back door for potty alerts is now used for squirrel stalking as well. But hey, as long as she gets hte meaning behind it.

The following chart outlines the remainder of Ruby's 'free time.' Please don't make fun of me. Charts speak to me.



She excels at being annoying right now. Case in point:



I guess we call that the new version of a laptop. Or a lap dog. Or a laptopdog.

And my favorite photo of the week:



All for now...