The BDH calming vibes must’ve worked and Kid 2 made it through the appointment like a champ. We are all very proud of her. She kept it together and although things were a little traumatic – she is just not a fan of scraping – this was the best dental visit we’ve ever had.
This year has been interesting for us collective at Chateau Andrews. One of the fun interesting things that happened is that the sidewalk at Kid 2’s house settled. Normal sidewalks use a relatively shallow layer of concrete, but the sidewalk by Kid 2’s house is really thick and heavy. Whoever poured it was very generous with concrete. So generous that over the years and after some heavy rains, the sidewalk sank and disconnected her sewer pipe.
I discovered this when she called me and said, “Mom, I’ve got a bit of standing water in the tub.”
It was quickly discovered that water was also in other places, like under the cheap vinyl in the bathroom. The wax seal failed. All of this happened at the tail end of January, the claim was filed on February 2nd, and this week she is finally getting new floors put in.
Because of this development, the two German shepherds had to be boarded. Kid 2 worries about boarding the dogs. Last year one of the boarding kennels in our area had a fire with very tragic consequences. At the time, our animals were boarded at another facility because we went on a short vacation, and we are all still freaked out.
Everyone, including Gordon, Kid 1, and me, assured Kid 2 that nothing bad would happen. She drove Artha and Quincy to the boarding kennel she trusts an hour away.
Phone rings.
Floor repair person Rebecca: Hello, I am so sorry.
Me: Oh no.
Rebecca: You know how we told you the floors would be there tomorrow? They’ve been delayed by 5 days.
So Kid 2 goes and gets Artha and Quincy back. Five days later, they are boarded again. She drives them an hour, comes back, and stresses out that something bad would happen. Once again everyone assures her that since the kennel is attached to the veterinary hospital, it will be fine.
Boarding count: 20 hours.
Kid 1: OMG!!!
Me: What?
Kid 1: You know how we told her nothing bad would happen?
Me: facepalm.
Kid 1: Quincy might have been stung by a bee on his paw, and she is trying to pull the plug on the boarding.
Me: Oh no, no, no, no.
Me, calling to Kid 2: Please don’t take him out.
Kid 2: My baby! How could he have gotten stung?
Me: It’s spring in Texas?
Kid 2: I have to go get him.
Me: If Quincy was strung in your backyard, what would you do?
Kid 2: I would take him to the vet.
Me: Well, he is already at the vet. Problem solved.
Thankfully cooler heads prevailed. Artha and Quincy are still at the vet. Quincy’s paw swelled up a bit, he was seen by the vet, and the next day we were given these pictures.
What you see is what you get. Hehe.
We are all crossing our fingers for their safe return later this week.
Glad it went well!
Certified!
OMG…I was first?!
And 2nd!
… And Quincy. Hahahaha!
Wait… omg, am I 2nd? Woohoo!
Quincy doesn’t seem to mind the Cone of Shame.
He’s wearing it like a toddler in a tiara! I am giggling at my desk.
+1
Yep, me too ????
???? whoever said that wolves are only ever stoic and majestic needs to re-examine Artha & Quincy’s side-by-side snapshots!
Yes! He is adorable and happy
+1 ????
Poor Quincy!
Sounds like everyone is doing ok. Happy dogs, new floors and great dental visit. Enjoy spring. It’s still snowing in Idaho!
Glad all is well on the homefront. Quincy and Artha are adorable! It is in the upper 70’s here in Durham and yesterday I planted flowers in containers in my front yard. These are the first plants I’ve had in the 10+ years I’ve been in the house.
After the last two plus years of misery it is astounding what these blooms are doing for my spirits!
Wishing casa Andrews, ModR and the BDH a wonderful safe spring.
hear hear! ???? to a safe spring!
Ah, such sweet dogs! They are both so cute! I’ll keep my fingers crossed also for good luck for the rest of the dogs’ stay!
Quincy ????????
ok, that was funny. Can’t help the chuckle, sorry kid 2! And the galumphing Quincy, gotta rofl over that precious photo.
Does Quincy look a bit like a hyena in the photo? Glad things went well at the dentist. All the best for the home repairs
Well, he is 6% Wolf hehe https://ilona-andrews.com/2022/quincy-a-very-important-announcement/
I’m glad the pupper is OK. It’s hard when the furry ones are hurt.
Yikes on the house. I’m gonna really dread my kid being responsible for getting things fixed as he buys his first home. As I’m the minor fix it person here, I expect a ton of text.
OMG–can totally relate! My son once got stung at a soccer camp…on ARTIFICIAL TURF. Luckily the team Dr. came over to check in, but still…HOW??
Quincy is redefining the word derpy. But he brings me joy. Thanks for sharing!
I am just getting my floors fixed from a water accident. My two dogs hate the fan and dehumidifier noise—sounds like a plane— so I have been with them at home the last two days. Tomorrow they have a doggie spa day so that I can go into work. Luckily I have Friday off and they hope to be able to remove all fans and such then.
My oldest son is deathly allergic to bee and wasp venom. Our old dog used to kill bees and wasps because if they got bad, M would come in and not play with the dog (Rewind) in the yard. When Mike was in high school and not going out to the back yard to play anymore, you’d still hear Rewind outside (snap) YIPE! (Snap) YIPE! Killing wasps in the back yard….
I’d bring him in and make sure all the stingers were out of his mouth.
He was protecting his boy even when he didn’t remember why he was killing wasps. He was a Very Good Dog.
Ahhh! Such a good doggie! ????
I was visiting a local friend, whose dog kept getting stung. We were touring her gardens… and then I realized that the dog was attacking a ground dwelling wasp nest! Can’t say if it was protective, or just ire at those wasps, though, in his case.
(Alas, while they live nearby and are very cool, they’re caring for a fragile elderly parent, so while we’ve said hi at the grocery a few times, they’ve been extremely locked down during covid…)
I’m glad all is well. Hate the scrapping too, more then the drilling.
Never a dull day in the Andrews abode. You are so strong. Happy everything is going in the right direction. ????
+1!
And fingers crossed for the safe return ????????
HeHe, my greyhound was stung by a bee, it flew into her side, and of course it stung her, I got the plug out and off to the vet, as a swollen greyhound it a funny sight, injection of antihistamine and all better.
I’m sure the floor installers would be thrilled to have Quincy supervising. NOT. He can post a review on Google when he gets home.
Thank you for pictures of Fur grandbabies. It cheers me up 🙂
German shepherds. Gotta love em
GSDs are the Ferrari of dogs. Best dogs ever.
More good vibes sent!
Fingers Crossed
Ommmmmmmm….. ommmmmmmmm at least until the boarding is done
I sympathize. I have a German Shepherd who will eat bees. They are his favorite delicacy.
I have two dogs and saw them both repeatedly try to eat a wasp on the deck. You would think the first mouth sting would be enough ????. They are fine btw.
There is nothing dopier than a dog you think SHOULD be regal. We had one that liked to catch bees and eat them. Spicy raisins were his favorite thing, no matter the consequences. Sigh. Good luck, and here is to flooring being completed SOON.
Around here some folks board pets i their own home..dog walkers, trainers etc. However a boarding place next to a vet sounds wonderful and a boarding place with a nice yard like that, next to a vet office even more so.
Sigh. Today I heard from a breeder about current costs. $2000 for a healthy pet quality miniature poodle is just not enough and likely not not for most smaller breeds.
Hug your dogs and snuggle them for me.????
You manage to brighten the day for me. Thank you.
I had two cats stung by bees within a week of each other. The first evidently swatted it and ended up with one normal paw, one baseball mitt for a week. We just got him better when his less intelligent brother tried to eat a bee and had one chipmunk cheek for a week. Both recovered and it never happened again so I assume they learned to leave the bees alone. Or at least better hunting technique.
Pupper pictures always make me happy.
Thank you for the Artha and Quincy photos. Quincy doesn’t look very traumatised. ????
Poor Quincy. Forced to wear the cone of shame.????????????
I enjoyed seeing both noble beasts, though I have to admit Quincy’s derpy-dance made my heart shine!
Glad the dental appointment went ok. Does anyone like the scraping? It’s like fingernails on a blackboard.
Awwww Artha, you are so handsome. Quincy, sorry but you are a dope, a cute dope for sure, but still a dope. I miss having a black and tan, my current boy is all black, but we take the ones the rescues can’t put with families with children, so we take whoever needs a quiet home, nevermind the colour.
For what it’s worth…I have a fear of cotton balls. There’s actually a phobia term for it, which makes me feel slightly less neurotic. Gah. Like nails down chalkboard. Point is, I get Kid 2.
Doesn’t surprise me at all! They’re still coming up with new phobias- newest one I’ve heard is aibohphobia- a fear of palindromes. Lol! All I can say is that I’ve got to meet this They person…who comes up with this stuff?!?
Love both doggie photos so much!! Glad the dentist went well and house is getting fixed!
My last GSD Petey was like Quincy. He was very lovable but a bit dense. Hope everything goes smoothly for their safe return.
Haha hehe. Once my neighbours dog a shelty was stung on her nose it really swelled. And she that a trip to the vet. Will are sad as our wee 16 years old Poppy will need to visit the vet for the last time.she is blind.
????
A friend of mine had a particularly goofy Anatolian Shepherd. When she was forced to wear “the cone of shame” she would trap the kitten in her cone. We used to call it “coning the cat”.
My daughter is exactly this way with her cat. I sympathize.
Oh Lord! I’m having one of those strange moments! I SWEAR I’ve seen those two dog pictures BEFORE!!
Is anyone else 72 and having weird brain moments? 🙁
NO! Hahaha. I will not be 72 til September, so mine are not Official Weird Brain Events.
They are, umm I forget. Did we discuss this before?
I just found out I either missed an entire chapter of Sweep of the Heart or I read it and did not remember a single thing.
Just to share how easily my hubby and I are entertained! Hubby called me to the back door and I ran thinking some terrible emergency was happening! It was actually a hilarious moment-we are the proud step parents of four kittens who were born under our air conditioning unit to a female cat that came around about the time our male kitten we actually adopted began to dash outside and we moved too slowly to catch him. We didn’t worry because although the black female had a bad rep in the neighborhood, we had our male kitten fixed and so we did not expect to be blessed with any surprises. Well, anyway, two of the four surprise kittens look EXACTLY like our male cat so I expect child support will be demanded any day, although there is NO WAY it is possible! Anyway back to the story-hubby was laughing at one of the kittens that look just like our cat. He is braver than the others and will come up on the porch to eat cat food that we provide to his mother (She’s a mother, for heaven sakes, someone has to feed her!). The amusing episode came when he looked into the big bowl of water we provide for them and saw his reflection! This is a BRAVE kitten and he did not like someone in his territory! He slapped at the other cat and that cat fought back by dousing him with water, the evil cat! So he slapped again! Hubby and I are very easily entertained and watched this cat battle his reflection until he stomped away, drenched! 🙂
???????????? Too funny!
???????????? too cute!
I hate scraping, too, so I started FLOSSING. Worked liked like a charm.
Note to self: take off August 23rd. Not only is Ruby Fever out that day, but I just noticed that Patricia Brigg’s Soul Taken comes out that day, too. That day is hereby booked for reading. (With a nap scheduled for the middle, since I’ll probably stay up late reading one of those books. First one to hit my Kindle after midnight wins.)
+1
I’ve somewhat come to look at my cats getting stung by a wasp as a rite of passage.* But… that hasn’t kept me from turning into a stressball when I’ve left town. And this was when I had my lab member and his boyfriend, who are fabulous catsitters, staying at my place for the duration and sending me pictures every day. (They are no longer students, and in fact recently bought a place a few minutes away. And adopted one of my foster cats. The day before getting engaged. I’m pleased as punch, but darn it was great having folks who loved staying at my place for a week…)
* There is one exception – Keanu, my boy cat, once had a very sore paw, and wouldn’t put weight on it. The vet first assumed he’d managed to break a bone. Then he was thought to be snake bit. But considering the single puncture with the raise lip, and how quickly the symptoms subsided, the best guess are the enormous black wasps we sometimes get.
???? and counting down the hours to both the repairs are finished and the babies are back
We had a gsd named Quincy too. I love the breed but was told it’s hard to get home owners insurance with one and that most apartments won’t accept them.
Wow; best of luck with all of this.
Both dogs looking adorable as heck. And great pictures to reassure everything is ok, they look happy and relaxed.
I love getting your updates. Very happy all is well.
Tell Quincy I feel for him.
Less than two weeks ago I was stung under the toe by an ambushing wasp that had decided that the carpet between the bed and the bathroom was a nice place to sleep and didn’t approve of me stepping there…
Oh what joy – Had a walking trip planned for the next day. Decided to postpone that 😉
Hahaha Artha and Quincy reminds me of my friend’s two golden retrievers. Their first dog was the Artha equivalent of a retriever: steady, willing to please, obedient, virtually the perfect guide dog retrievers are so well known to be. Their second dog, also a purebred from the same breeder would lick a burglar to death. And unless you kept a firm hold on her, she’d dash you right into oncoming traffic.
You never fail. Made my day and gave me a good chuckle, although I do sympathize with kid 2.
A mixture of mint/camomile tea, a tablespoon of honey and a dropper full of CBD oil works wonders to calm people down. A nurse at a family friends nursing home swears by it to help get patients to complicated tests and screenings.
I love the dog stories!
Thank you, Ilona Andrews for the hilarious post. Glad it all turned out well.
Memphis was a German shepherd. He was trained to protect females. He bit every single male except Dad. However the female vet technicians could do anything they wanted to him (give shots, get blood, give medication, give medicated bath, paint his toe nails poodle colors…) and he was a willing party. Male technicians always donated blood because he looked so adorable just like your Artha.
Quincy reminds me of the Rhodesian Labrador knucklehead pup that lives with me. Life is never boring. He just lives life to its fullest. He is presently digging up and checking his buried treasures that he carefully planted under my Rose of Sharon. Well, No marshmallow trees, no cat food trees…. I tell him they are very difficult to grow. ????
Thank you. Tell Kid to count her blessings that he will wear “Cone of Shame”. ????. Titan won’t. Titan won’t wear a cast either. Sigh. Also accidents happen. That why they are called accidents.
I love Quincy! ????
That picture of Quincy, LMAO. Reminds me a bit of my roommate’s dog.
Happy with a cone on is a win!
You live such an interesting life. Great fodder for the books.
Not a fan of dental scraping but have had FAR less since gifted with an electric toothbrush with timer.
And totally understand pets and vet visits. Our 19 year old cat just went to vet for feeling poorly. We know her kidneys are failing but we’re doing everything we can to keep her comfortable. New pain meds made her too loopy to walk on half dose so must try something else. Meanwhile she’s happy sleeping on my lap as much as she can. My husband suggested getting her a German shepherd puppy to boss around but I think she’s happy in her Queenly status. ????
We found very helpful info on Tanya’s Chronic feline kidney disease website. One of our cats had to have daily IV fluids. We learned we could do it at home, buy fluids online with a vet script. Even if different illness you may find info.
https://felinecrf.org/index.htm
Love hearing about the animals. ❤️
+1
And the saga continues. I’m sorry about Quincy’s bee sting, but I am very happy that the cooler heads prevailed.
Also, congratulations on the successful dentist visit.
Quincy looks like he knows how to weaponize that cone. (With joy, they always ram your shins with absolute love.)
Glad the dentist visit went well. Huzzah for the BDH love!
How many of us are Artha’s and how many are Quincy’s?
I’m more of a Quincy than an Artha ????
Never a dull moment???? In regard to fear of the dentist, hypnosis worked for me and for really unpleasant stuff I still use LaMaze techniques i.e., finding a focus point in the room and concentrating on my breathing.
So glad that it went as kindly as it could for Kid 2!
Glad that the pups are having fun even if there was spring weather injuries. May it all go smoothly and the house stuff be less of a headache.
Apropos of nothing but did you guys see the article in the Atlantic about Babel and Shinar and the fall of the tower? It made an analogy to what has happened in the 2010’s in American society. Instantly thought of KD and the first & second shifts.
Sending positive vibes to the two pups. I love hearing about them. My last shepherd died 20 years ago and I bitterly miss having one. So I live vicariously through your daughter’s pups
I’m so glad she made it through her dental appointment with less trauma than expected. Sorry about the sidewalk/plumbing issue. Oh boy.
And I hooted at your big goofy dog.
Hopefully the repairs will soon be complete.
Glad kid 2 did so well at the dentist. Thanks for the dog photos, made my day to see dignity and goofiness so well represented.
Shepherds can be an interesting breed. I used to house and dog sit for my sister’s boyfriend when he was out of town. He had a beautiful brindle German Shepherd fierce as all get out until her Master said you were okay then she would cuddle up next to you by the couch. One night while I was dog sitting there was a thunder and lightning storm and the dog literally bolted into the bedroom I was staying in climbed onto the bed and got under the covers shaking like a leaf. Once the storm was over she climbed out of the bed and went out to sleep on her own doggy bed. I talked to the owner. He was a parole officer and one of his parolee’s didn’t like his last evaluation and came after him and found where he lived. The parolee tried to shoot the owner but missed and then his dog went after the parolee and took him down. Even since then the dog would get scared at thunder and loud noises and go searching for her master. If she couldn’t find him she would hide in bed until the storm was over. She was extremely loyal to anyone she considered part of the family.
I totally sympathize with kid 2. I had a leak in my home and mine happened on Feb 11. As I type my house is still torn apart and my floors are foundation. Finally settled with the insurance co and repairs will hopefully start in another week…hopefully. I put the deposit on my floors so at least that’s done. The worst is my two poor kitties that have been segregated to two rooms for the last two months. They are elderly to boot so this has been so incredibly difficult and boarding them is not an option. I came home every night after the first two weeks and cried. It took me a little bit to get a grip and just push through. It just all around sucks that 2 mos in and I’m still in a disaster area, but glad there is now hope in sight. Hope kid 2 hangs in there because I really do understand and empathize.
So happy the dental visit went well.
Love the doggie pictures and captions.
Animals are such funny creatures. Poor Quincy. I am sure the boarding will be fine, buy I understand the nerves.
I had hypnosis for a fear of ‘rachnids that was getting irrational. The object was to create a happy association when seeing one, but for some reason my brain went for irritation, so now when I see one I get irrationally tee’d off. Better than the OMG OMG OMG OMG it’s a ‘rachnid response I used to get, so I count it a success!
Everything you write you make interesting and amusing, even a trip to the dentist and a bee stung dog. It is why I read your blog, buy all your books, and reccommend you to everyone. If I tried to tell about the dog/bee sting incident, it would be short, uninteresting, and have no punchline.
Good that all turned out well in the end.
So, cheers to House Andrews. May you write long and prosper.
Cheers
Artha: proud, serious and majestic
Quincy: Derp
Gotta love the furbabies
OMG! Oldest son lives in a cottage behind my house. We share a septic system. You have my sympathies! And the dogs??? ROFLMAO They sound pretty close to mine. Idiots. This is said with much love!!! Attached is the painting I did of my Hell’s Bell. She’s an old girl now, but you can see how she got the name…
Artha is a gorgeous dog. Quincy? Hmm. I suppose y’all have seen ‘Up’? Sweet dog, but I see a lot of ‘Bless his heart!’ in his life.
But sometimes you really need that mix to keep both dogs on an even keel.
ANd Re: Kid 2, anxiety is hard. Spouse has medical anxiety, knows in head it not real, but even say ‘take BP’ will get it to spike to 190/140. We know that playing beat star will drop it right back to 120/80 in about 3 mins, so while it is totally Real, it is not dangerous. And still so hard to watch and not be able to help or, really, understand. I am glad it went well. The worst part of it is putting off simple things that become problems that aren’t simple. So, a victory it is that needful stuff got done.