The vet took x-rays and found that the lump we are feeling is simply arthritis from an old injury and ACL surgery. What an absolute relief. Jackson is almost 10 so a little arthritis is not unexpected. For now his discomfort is mild and intermittent so no real intervention is needed yet other than some supplements and the occasional Rimadyl.

I can’t help feeling as though one of these days my luck will run out and we will receive The Diagnosis and it will be time to say good-bye. But for the time being, I will hug him close and throw his toy and breathe the biggest sigh of relief.

So now most of the water has been cleaned up, Baby Boy has been comforted and I am wearing a dry shirt. None of us are worse for the wear. Time for a few deep breaths and a laugh. Oh, and to look for the sprayer nozzle which still hasn’t been found.

Cheyenne wants to be a human baby. Although she was originally excited about the baby’s arrival, she is now reconsidering this position as the baby seems to receive quite a bit of specialized attention that she wasn’t quite prepared to share. She still celebrates when he comes home and licks his face joyously but the rest of the time she goes back and forth between sulking around with a befuddled, wounded expression and trying her hardest to “out-cute” the baby, sometimes resorting to imitating the baby. Which, by the way, her annoying antics are far less funny and much more… annoying than before the baby came. But I digress. Today I was giving Baby Boy sweet potatoes, which was hilarious in itself. He was so excited, grabbing the spoon, putting it to his mouth, and then as soon as the sweet potatoes reached his mouth, this disappointed look would take over his features and he would immediately blow the sweet potatoes off his spoon and everywhere. Meanwhile, Cheyenne was beside herself, wagging her whole body, pawing me, climbing on me. When Baby Boy was finished I let her taste the sweet potatoes, thinking that would put an end to her begging but lo and behold, she loved them. The quest to be a human baby continues.

In the days long before LM and the rest of the little pack, when we just had IO and Jack and time was less of a commodity, I would spend hours just going for long, long walks with the dogs. I would take them places where they did not need to be leashed and could just be dogs. My code phrase to them was: “Far enough.” And they would either wait up or return. I so want to say this to IO now for it feels she has strayed impossibly far.  I have always loved this picture of IO, but it speaks to me especially now. I like to think that this is really how it is, that she is somewhere simply waiting for me to catch up.

Meanwhile, we were visiting family in our old hometown. I’ve written about the treat truck before. Well, 6 months later, she has not forgotten. Saturday morning, she was suddenly desperate to go outside. I went out there with her and of course, here came the mail man. He said, “hey, I know that dog” and threw her a treat. She was so proud of that bone. She picked it up and carried it across the yard, tailed curled and touching her back, chest out, ears up, galloping. She buried the bone. Amazingly enough a week and a day later, the day we were leaving but before we had even started packing, Cheyenne ran out to the bush, dug up her treasure and ate it. She not only remembered to go outside and meet the mailman, but also where she had buried the treat 8 days later, and somehow knew when to uncover it.

Also amusing was the night we heard rustling. My husband turned to me and said you realize that she is pulling our clothes out of the suitcase to lay on, right? Well as it turned out, not quite. When I looked to see what she was doing, I saw her standing on top of the suitcase, turning around and around moving the clothes in the suitcase to their optimal postions for her comfort.

Oh and have I mentioned that she pulled the corner of the screen back so she can some and go as she pleases? Seriously, I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. She is the epitome of hilarity, this dog.

Its been nearly 6 months and I still miss IO so much. I am often still moved to tears when I think of her and she visits my dreams frequently. No doubt that I will miss her for the rest of my life. This picture was taken during the last days of her life and shows how she never lost her happy spirit.