Sunday, August 29, 2010

Quick update...

Hey all, sorry for the lack of posts lately. We've been very busy and have had a lot on our plates in the past few weeks. Our biggest concern has been our dog Kaiser, who has had a slow but steady decline these past few months. His kidneys are going, he has a inoperable tumor in his stomach, and he probably has a heart problem as well. We've been pampering him all summer, giving him anything his heart desired to eat, - BBQ chicken, tuna, sardines, rice, potatoes, black forest ham, you name it. He has gradually stopped eating all together. Nothing tempts him anymore. He's drinking a little, but not much. Brad and I have decided that it's time to let go. Before he gets to the point where he can't even get up. Hopefully the vet will be able to come to our home tomorrow or Tuesday and euthanise him. Very hard to type that, harder to say it, and it will be extremely difficult when the moment comes, but it has to be done and it is for the best for Kaiser. He had an extremely good life with us, we love him dearly and he us. We will miss him immensly. He's one of the best dogs who ever walked the face of the earth. Please raise a glass or light a candle in his honour.

We've also had to deal with the rest of regular life, which lately, has meant lifting and moving A LOT of wood. We ordered 2 cord of wood this spring and it was delivered to our driveway last Monday. In preparation for that delivery, we moved the wood we had in our garage into our newly insulated basement. That was probably about half a cord. I loaded it up in a wheelbarrow and passed it down to Brad in the basement through a window. (We couldn't just chuck it in because the washer and dryer are right where the wood would have landed.)

Check it out - the basement:



And here's what's now in the garage - after a lot of lifting and stacking - 2 full cord of wood. Hopefully with what's in the basement and now in the garage, we should be good for 2 years.


To keep our energy up, Brad made this delicious Pasta al Forno dish from my David Rocco cookbook. It was delish. A definite keeper - and lunch for a few days this week!


And here he is. Kaiser. One of the best hounds in the world. Last weekend when he was still able to get up onto the sofa in the sunporch. Sleep well dearest friend. We love you with all our hearts

5 comments:

Ice John's World said...

So sorry about Kasier. But you guys made the right and best decision for him.

And that's quite a lot of wood! I assume that you guys use those wood for fireplace in the winter?

Jim said...

We are so sorry to hear about Kaiser. We know how hard this is and feel for you having to go through such a difficult time. But in the end one must consider what's best for Kaiser and you have made the right decision.

Big hugs to you and Brad.

Jeff said...

Thanks Jim, very much. It's a very sad day in our house.

And thanks, too, Ice John. Re the wood, yes, we recently installed an airtight insert in our fireplace so it will be much more efficient. I'm actually looking forward to long cozy nights by the fire.

ChefNick said...

Hmm . . . not much of an animal lover but it must freak one out to lose such a long-term companion.

I'm almost afraid of owning dogs since losing a favorite to rabies so I'm not much one to talk . . . but I'm sure you gave him the best life a dog could ever have.

Sorry, Jeff.

Jeff said...

Thanks Nick. Much appreciated. :)