Checking Out a New Pool

As most of you know by now, Shiva's Mom and I spare little expense when it comes to the health and well-being of our pets, but this is especially true when dealing with our Red Dog. A walking - well, hopping is more like it - medical miracle, Shiva spreads her own special combination of cancer awareness and goodwill wherever she goes, and she recently had the opportunity to do so in a bastion of modern veterinary medicine when she visited the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine to try out their new therapy and rehab pool.

A guest of our dear friend Dr. Cheryl Cross, and under the supervision of the Red Dog's new bestie Dr. Marti Drum, Shiva was able to overcome her initial white coat apprehension to enjoy a nice dip in this little gem. Although our main concern was exercising her arthritic hips, we also hoped to provide our spoiled dog with a regular place to swim through the winter. As you can see, after learning how to negotiate the tight turns, the Red Dog really got with it. She also seemed to do better once her float coat was removed. We'll leave that for her future oceangoing voyages.

We found the staff and the facilities at the UT Vet School to be top notch, and we have since returned and plan to make this awesome place a regular stop in our wellness routine. Thanks, Drs Cheryl & Marti. WOOF!!

Photographic Evidence of a Cattle Dog's Mind at Work

Having observed his latest obsession Kennedy use her new pink car seat, our resident lunatic Cattle Dog mix Joey (aka JoJo Sweetface) decided to try it for himself after she got out of the car earlier this afternoon. Observe the result:

Back to the Cape

As many of you know, Shiva the Red Dog made what we thought would be her final pilgrimage to the beach shortly after her amputation surgery two years ago. Instead, it was the first of a string of beach visits to places both old and new. Thanks to excellent care and more than a little luck, she continues to amaze everyone as she thrives in her post-amputation and post-osteosarcoma world.

To celebrate the completion of her second unlikely year of survival, we decided to return to that magical place we call "the Cape." A few quick emails to our old friend Wendy at the Cape Escape, and we were in business. To say we had a blast is an understatement. In addition to Shiva and two other doggie friends, we took three of our family's human little ones for their first look at the white sand and green water of the gulf.

Here's a video that captures just a bit of what was an all-too-short but oh-so-special trip to that wonderful shore: