managed a short burst of model walking at work...

 

that is quite the accomplishment for me. shows some real knee progress. headed to the snow sculptures yesterday.  this and the mall for the native craft sale is all i've done in the abbreviated Fur Rondy events. those were always my favorites anyway.  

the sculptures did not disappoint!  it was more crowded than i would have liked but i breezed through and got out pretty quickly. 

my walks are all bog walks at this point or neighborhood walks. Ivy is nearly to week 7!  we are getting there.  she seems to be feeling more perky.  wants to jump and play again.  

so a new place in recovery in that i still need to keep her fairly calm but i do want her moving a bit more.  i have slowly increased her activities. when we were opened to 2-3  10-15 min walks we started with 2 short ones for a few weeks and then 3 short ones and then one longer one and two short ones....

so now we are mostly at 3 of the longer walks...which i admit do get stretched out at times lasting a bit longer than the 15 minutes. we move slowly though so Ivy can sniff and attack twigs. she just likes being out there on the trails. the bog is flat as well, which helps

with 3 walks i have just been taking both dogs on all the walks.  when she was doing super short walks i did attempt to take him separate but in truth that was a bit crazy, especially with my knee. he's now getting enough walks in with hers.  that is 45-65 minutes of walking a day so not bad.  we hit the bog and i let him off leash so he gets to romp around. 

loved the sculptures this year. there were very few tables at the craft fair.

figured i'd toss in a blog before walk #2. 

so getting a lot of bog time in.

the fisherman was cool.

the temps are strange, spring. the am walk was 1 degree, now it's over 20, feels warm

the world as a pearl in a clam

birds. my pictures don't show the crowds

the bog has it's own snow sculptures.

my work week passed by mostly uneventfully. the schedule is working so far. 

it's tough to get motivated for the first walk but it got done.

the week was ICU, ER for holds and then back to ICU with an incompetent nursing student.

i'm sure some of it is the lack of bedside due to covid but i wouldn't hire that student as a tech. i feel they haven't really done the prep...i mean she can't get into the med machine, clueless about the charting, had no idea how to even do the basic tasks a pct would do. 

too stressful. 

trying to keep Ivy busy and engaged.

this guy keeps me entertained as well.

i did have the holds one night. it was one of those nights. remembered why i am not a fan of the holds.

tomorrow there is the DMV, Tuesday i have a massage.

Tusker is off leash in the bog so he gets his exercises.

views of the sunset on the way to work

selfie

Ivy takes little breaks and sits.

the igloo is still there. 

this is the walk now

sunrise after work.

looking through the igloo

the usual views.

Tusker rolls around happy.

different views of the same place.

so nice to not be too focused on the government.  

of course, the right needs to drum up drama...apparently they are a bunch of drama queens...so they are freaking out over such things as Dr Suess and Mr Potatohead. distract from the working class getting helped finally by the Dems and the Dems alone since the GOP, who scream that they are for the working class totally ignore the needs of the working class. the only way they want to help the working class is by making life great for the wealthy and then convincing the working class that they are going to be the recipients of trickle down economics...after all this time that has pretty much been proven a bust.  

the right was fine saving the ultra rich a few billion and making the deficit go nuts but helping the poor...no thanks. just distract them with threats of cancel culture...they just move from one idiocy to another but sadly, so many of their following move along right with them.  taking the bait over and over. 

i really wish they would wake up but i have lost much hope of that. 

i have zero shame wandering around in my pajamas in the neighborhood.  

we have so far only encountered one moose out there.  have run across dogs, bikes, joggers...

Ivy seems more ready to jump and run so a bit tougher holding her back. i need to find her harness like Tusker has. that really helps keep him from pulling.  perhaps i should carry treats for being pulled off trail like when they were puppies. 

Ivy looks inside the igloo. 

time for more drugs and another walk. 

i am getting my steps in for sure. so is she. it's flat out there so that is good i think. 

have slowly bumped up her walks.  not too long now for the xrays...can't wait. 

hoping for good news.  this is sunrise on the way home from work. watched "murder among mormons" or something like that last night.  Mark Hoffman is my SIL's cousin so made it just a bit more interesting. seemed fairly lacking in compassion/empathy.  strange that he had a room locked and his wife was not allowed in...don't people have any curiousity about these things their partners are doing? he even fooled many experts his forgeries were just that good.  crazy. people get caught in the end. sadly, a few had to die before that happened.  you are like if you were going to kill yourself why kill the others? 

thankful for A. surviving each day of work.  some days are a test of your patience. one elderly lady had to be made to not eat pending an US after she was given a full meal.  she began to cry....i was at a loss. i so do not like drama. B. that the schedule seems to be working and we are all getting by week to week C. that we have not had streets and trails of ice.  so thankful for that. 

the pups are officially 5!!

 

bummer to have her Birthday while penned up but it is what it is as they say. 

we made the best of it and we have increased her leash walks to 3  10-15 minute walks/day when i am off work this week.  

Ivy takes good care of her new toys, whereas her brother has already destroyed his stuffed toys and was itching to get in the pen to grab ivy's toy. 

my knee keeps improving and i was even able to manage Tuskers walk out at N. Biv yesterday afternoon.  fresh snow, uneven trail and little hills. i still get grabs of discomfort but  so much better. not up to speed for sure and i still have a bit of a limp but i do feel i am getting on the right side of this.  hopefully, my next week of work is much smoother.

so my step count is bumping up quickly with 3 leash walks plus a Tusker walk on regular trails and then at least one more just yard walk with Ivy. 

was happy i got in some laundry/chores and bill paying between all the walking.  i am getting my 10,000 steps/day again.  that first week or two i think i was anywhere from 1,500-5,000 steps. pretty pathetic for me.

that tail on the kitty. so fluffy.  this was right after he went in and lay down next to Ivy Rose....this soon turned into a bit of a kitty humping session.  video was taken and shared.  shame....

we shall call it physical therapy. 

my life is pretty dull at this moment admittedly.  it was nice having visitors those first weeks. the dogs really loved it. i think Tusker loved having some alternative walking buddies. 

with his Birthday gifts and treat.  

only one hat not broken these days..reused.  so i took turns doing the photo ops for their Birthday.  

dogs could care less about Birthdays really but i like to mark the time. dogs are great that way.  they are not bothered by the passing of time and all that.  they do not spend their days wondering if they have any fulfillment in life. have they been productive? they are not bothered with the things us mere mortals worry and fret over.  

they are always a great lesson in that they live in the moment and they forget the past for the most part.

in this moment they were thrilled with their new toys and treats and for the walks that came through the day 

i use a harness for Tusker for the leash walks which does an amazing job keeping him from pulling.  it's the only way i can walk them together really.  yesterday evening i took Ivy by herself. i try to get her a walk alone each day.  he gets one so i figure she should as well. 

i'm still debating the what car to buy thing.  i go back and forth.  was really thinking of the truck with the camper added on...currently leaning towards an suv again with the plan to buy a van for road trips perhaps.  will there be room in the truck camper for myself and two dogs? may see if i can rent one this summer and see how i feel about it. a van would just be so much easier...if i can find one that isn't too crazy expensive.  seems a difficult task.  

so in the meantime i do nothing and buy nothing. 

Tusker helps me make the bed. 

always cracks me up trying to make the bed with dogs around. 

Ivy gets her xrays on March 22 and i'm really hoping that will open up the dog door for her. i'll probably have to put a gate up for the stairs though and prevent that freedom for another month.  hoping she gets full range soon.  can i keep her sedated forever...? haha. 

it's actually hard to tell she is on sedation really. i mean if you never met her she acts like a regular dog but i can tell the difference.

some outside time together.  Tusker joins us. those crazy dogs next door often jump at the fence and look like they may launch over it. their heads up at the top of the fence can get Ivy all amp'd up.  annoying really.  i wish she would actually walk her dogs and release some of their pent up energy.  i don't think she walks them very often though.  they bark a lot.

i'm still pretty beat by the end of each day. from doing nothing but walking and taking care of dogs. 

they look so cute in their birthday digs. 

they are fairly tolerant of my antics.

can't wait for life to return to normalcy.  

meeting some neighbors i guess with all these neighborhood walking and i'm super happy we haven't had a warm up with icy streets.  so far it's been safe walking her.  not even sure what we would do with icy roads...probably would have to just stick to the yard for potty breaks out of concern of slips and doing damage. the joys of northern life.

do enjoy those early morning sunrises on the mountains...views from bed. i always love to wake up to a view.

MO did this mural years ago, it really does brighten up the yard and is nice for photo ops.

good northern lights last week but it's been cloudy here or i have just crashed for the night.

enjoying the photos others are taking closer to Fairbanks.

the pups soon after they came home...so adorable. were they really this small?

i got some silicone heart molds and did some hearts last week.  test run...came out really nice though

more of the cute Tusker

not sure where i will walk him today.  it is nice to be out on the trails again though. 

some normalcy to life is returning. 

trying to keep to her schedule so that the return to work again will go smoothly.  still feel bad leaving her alone all night but sometimes i think having someone stop by will get her more amp'd up anyway. 

very happy with her progress so far. i'm staying a bit off the TPLO site as there are too many reports of things going badly so i don't want to get stressed by that.  

i still keep the notebook of her meds and walks.  that is the nurse in me i suspect. 

we like checking off the boxes i think.  

thankful for A.  Ivy and my progress B. the harness that keeps Tusker from pulling and makes group walks successful C.  to be out there on the trails a bit more again.  good for my soul.