Are you expecting a coherent thoughtful post? Maybe something with a bit of humor? Or something to make you think?
Nope. It isn’t going to happen.
I’m so mixed up I feel like it’s my head in a cone. Here are my random thoughts.
On Honey’s Surgery
Honey had a bumpy thing removed from her leg yesterday.
All went well and the vet confirmed that they don’t think it’s malignant.
We’ll get a pathology report next week that will hopefully confirm her diagnosis.
On A Dog Without A Face
Like many dogs recovering from surgery. Honey has a cone to keep her from licking or nibbling her wound.
Luckily, it’s a soft one that makes it easy for her to lie down and sleep.
But it’s not see-through. And I keep looking up to find this dog I don’t recognize because I can’t see her face.
It’s very strange.
Dog As Flower
To me, Honey looks like a morning-glory in her blue cone.
The Most Beautiful Dog In The World
The day before her surgery, we took Honey to walk around Rehoboth Beach.
I joked that she’d enjoy having tourists who had left their dogs behind on vacation coming to greet her.
But apparently I wasn’t kidding.
We must have had 20 people or more come running up to us on the sidewalk asking if they could pet Honey. Everyone told us how beautiful she was.
Last night, one of the vet’s staff members kept remarking that Honey was beautiful. Her face. Her soft eyes.
She didn’t seem to be just being nice.
And yet this woman is around beautiful dogs (and cats and birds and guinea pigs etc.) every day.
I think Honey is beautiful. But she looks like lots of other golden retrievers.
Every dog I see is beautiful to me.
Am I wrong? Is Honey the most beautiful dog in the world?
Why One Dog Is Not Enough
I have one dog because I wanted to foster.
One dog makes it easier to take a second dog into our home. Then that one dog is there to comfort me when the foster dog leaves.
But when you take your one dog to the hospital for the day and no one follows you out of the room or curls up by your feet, you realize one dog is not enough.
Horrible Things You Think When Your Dog Is Sick
I know I’m not the only one whose mind leaps to the worst possibilities when her dog gets sick.
But I bet I’m the only person you know who immediately considered how hard it would be for a three-legged dog to live on a sailboat.
It’s a horrible thought.
And in a weird kinda way, it’s funny.
Oh, And About The Boat
We’ve been talking about the dang boat so long that people probably think we’re making it up.
When are we going to stop talking and start posting cute pictures of Honey at sea?
Yeah, it’s taking way too long for us too. And it’s certainly taking too long for my kind sister and brother-in-law who let us move into their house thinking we’d be gone in 2-3 weeks (instead of 2+ months).
The sellers are taking care of one last repair this week before we close on the boat. We’re hoping we’ll be moving aboard in a matter of days.
Then we’ll tell you the boat’s name and show some pics of our new home.
Gratitude For Stories
Y’know, hearing everyone’s bumps, lumps, humps and-everything-turned-out-fine stories really helped.
I’ve never found anything scary looking on my dog and had it turn out to be anything but horrible.
So thank you. It really helped me worry less.
And I’m really thrilled to have an “it was nothing” story of my own.
Everything Is Normal
And finally, although Honey looks strange in her blue cone, she’s perfectly normal in every way.
She barks her disapproval when my husband is too slow getting her food. She needs to greet everyone as soon as she hears their voices. And she sprawled all over the bed last night leaving both me and my husband with our bums hanging off the edge of the bed.
Yep, she’s gonna be fine.
slimdoggy
So glad Honey’s surgery went well and so excited to see Rehoboth Beach – spent many summer weekends there when we lived in DC!
Pamela
Cape May is still our favorite East Coast beach town. But Rehoboth probably runs a close second. It’s lovely.
Mary, Simon and Kima
Pamela, we are new readers and love your blog. We are so, so happy that the news about Honey is positive. I know you won’t sleep soundly until the pathology report come in, but in my 25-plus years of pet companionship, I have found that vets don’t give that sort of good feedback unless they are pretty darn sure. So….YAY!
And Honey has the look of a a dog who is beloved member of a family. She’s beautiful to begin with, but her innate beauty shines with the love she has known through her life with her family.
Mary (and canines Simon and Kima)
Pamela
Welcome, Mary, Simon, and Kima. I’m so glad you found us.
I know you’re right. No vet wants to get someone’s hopes up. So I’m feeling confident the pathology report will come back just fine. And Honey is healing well so we have a lot to be thankful for.
Thanks so much for your encouragement. Look forward to seeing you here again.
Mary
Good news all around. And yes, Honey is very beautiful. I have to say though, that Torrey gets that same treatment when we are out and about. It’s like walking a rock star. I’m sure walking Honey feels the same way. We need to get them together and have a real doggie rock star moment, wouldn’t that be awesome.
Pamela
OMD, I have trouble imagining what folks would do confronted by both Roxy and Torrey. π
And yes, let’s make a date when we can get both of us on a coast.
Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom
I’m glad that all our stories of “it turned out to be nothing” helped you worry less!! Honey’s bump is just that, a bump. I have found that when our vet is 99% sure a bump is benign! it has been. What scared me was the concern on his face and in his voice when he examined Callie last week. His visual and hands-on exams of Callie’s and Shadow’s lumps and bumps over the years have been spot on. But, somehow, we all made it through that horrific day. Now we move forward, a step at a time, in our battle for Callie’s life (and quality thereof). I’m just glad that your vet feels Honey’s bump is benign. I’ll be waiting to read that the pathology report confirmed it.
Pamela
I have a human friend who is just finishing up treatment for lymphoma. It’s amazing how much more effective and comfortable cancer treatments have become even in our relatively short life times.
I’ll be cheering you, Callie and the whole family on as you find your own way with her treatments and care.
Callie, Shadow, and Ducky's Mom
Thanks! Callie goes back for her second treatment tomorrow morning. Hoping her white blood cell count will be where it needs to be.
Ellen Haith
What great news! I confess to tearing up just a little – and giving Annie and Harry slightly longer hugs. More to come when the diagnosis is complete.
Pamela
It’s never a bad thing to hold the ones we love close, is it? Maybe that’s why we need little scary reminders eery so often.
Beth
I’m glad that Honey’s surgery went well and hope her recovery goes quickly. I can’t wait to see pictures of the new home–Barley and I walk by sailboats in the marina all the time and I’m always so curious about what the insides are like and just how much space there on them!
Pamela
You’ll get to see soon enough.
Our new boat is pretty dark inside. I’m trying to figure out how I can lighten it up without spending any money.
And there’s very little space. It should be an interesting exercise in just little do we really need. π
Jen Gabbard
Glad to know the surgery went well, at least that part is done and over with. It is eerie coming home to a dog-less household isn’t it? Those soft cones are so much nicer than those plastic ones, thank goodness. And yes Honey is beautiful, even for a Golden π Laika doesn’t get the beautiful remarks but everyone either says “oh those ears” or “is he a police dog?”
Pamela
Well I’d go rushing up to Laika to call him handsome and give him lovies. Except I respect and love dogs too much to get in their faces when they don’t even know me. π
Cathlin
So glad to hear of a positive outcome! And I can definitely relate to everyone coming up to Honey on the beach. Whenever we go anywhere with Richie, people are always coming up and wanting to pet him…luckily that is his job in life, so he loves it. We get a lot of comments from people who are missing their dogs at home.
Pamela
In a sense, you’re doing dog therapy every time you go out. π
Patricia
Glad to hear Honey’s surgery went well. She will be fine. I am sure you and Mike are very relieved.
Honey does have a very soft, beautiful soul. It just shines forth like her golden fur.
Pamela
Awww, thank you. I certainly do believe that Honey is a much better person than I am. π
Monika & Sam
I think blue is definitely Ms. Honey’s color and who knows, maybe you can get HBO with that thing? Glad everything turned out well. We’re still sending positive thoughts your way while you want to the pathology report. Have a swell weekend! π
Pamela
Actually, when Honey appeared not to be fussing with her bandage we turned the cone inside out so it looked more like a super hero cape.
I’m definitely seeing her as Woman Woman. π
Emma
On the bright side, moving into the boat won’t take long as you can’t take much stuff along! Glad Honey is doing well and it looks to be a “nothing” they removed. She can share her misery with Katie who is sporting a donut collar right now because she started getting a hot spot on her back leg. She is not happy either.
Pamela
Poor Katie. Hope that hot spot clears up soon. She can’t be very comfy.
As for the boat, you’d think moving was nothing. But all the storage is hidden behind settee cushions or in the floor. You can’t put anything away without making a map or spreadsheet to figure out where it went. I’ll time how long it takes us to move in and you can compare notes from when your family moved from Europe. π
meghan
Honey does look exactly like a flower in her cone! And yes, she is very beautiful. I would definitely fawn over her if I were a tourist near you.
And I’m so glad and relieved to see that all the news has been good so far! Up to and including the loss of bed real estate and the return of your furry little shadow.
DZ Dogs
“I do not like the cone of shame…” Dug, from Up!
I think of this every time!!
Pamela
I really have to see that movie. All my dog crazy friends love it!
DZ Dogs
You haven’t seen it?! YOU’LL LOVE IT!! π It’s a favorite for both myself and my hubby.
Jan K
I have trouble focusing on one thing when I’ve been stressed too….I’m glad to know it can even happen to you, Pamela, who almost always has a coherent thoughtful post. π I’ve had a few rambling posts myself, but I think sometimes that’s a good thing!
So glad that it looks like Honey is going to get through this fine, and that you will be on your boat soon!
Jackie Bouchard
So glad to hear that that icky lump was nothing! Hooray for good news.
So nice of you to take her out so the tourists can love on her. We do that when we’re traveling without Rita… See a cute dog and ask if we can love on it a little cuz we’re missing our girl. Luckily we don’t travel without her often!
Pamela
Because as nice as someone else’s pup is, there’s nothing like having your own supply, right? π
Margaret T.
Whew! I hope your vet is right, but, as someone already said, they don’t say that unless they are fairly sure. I’ll be even more relieved when you get the results from pathology, but we’re happy for/with you right now.
Pamela
Thanks, Margaret. And one great blessing about having a dog from an excellent hobby breeder is having her information about Honey’s genetic line. Honey’s family is not prone to big scary cancer things as much as some goldens. For which I’m thankful. But not taking it for granted.
24 Paws of Love
So glad all went well with Honey. Thinking of you and your new boat life.
Pamela
And thinking of you, my friend.
Barbara Rivers
Now those are some great news about Honey ~ of course she is the most beautiful (Golden) pup in your world & that’s exactly how it should be :-)) I am SO looking forward to seeing the pics of your pack on the boat.
I’ve been following the new trend of Tiny Homes on HGTV ~ very interesting because it always makes me wonder how much stuff one really needs. You’ll get the even cooler version of your very own Tiny Home on the water! How many square feet will you live on?
(Our pups had soft cones of shame, too, when they got neutered & spayed. After Missy had her tumor removed last October, she sported a purple sweater to keep her from scratching at the incision on her neck/chest area, custom made by my awesome mom!)
Pamela
Long before the tiny house movement, I read avidly about people who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. Apparently many of them feel overwhelmed by stuff when they come off the trail because they just spent 6 months with only the items they could carry on their backs.
Our boat is 34 feet long and 10 feet wide at the widest part. Once you take away the chain locker at the front of the boat (where all the chain from the anchor goes) and the storage area under the cockpit, I’m guessing we’ll have about 240 sf of living space.
I’ll definitely provide a guided tour on the blog when we finally move aboard.
Missy’s protective sweater sounds awesome. We tried to use an old sweat shirt on my dog Christie after surgery but she kept getting out of it. We didn’t know how until we spotted her sister Agatha helping her remove it. It was the only time they ever cooperated on anything. π
Kaitlin-SheSpeaksBark
So glad things went well for her in surgery!
Elaine
Isn’t it a great feeling when you find out everything is fine? It’s like “Okay, normal life can proceed again now”. And you may be moving into your new floating home in days, so exciting!!