Maizy True

This is the re-homing photo of Maizy. I chose another dog. I couldn't imagine loving such a "scruffy" dog! I wrote paragraphs about my lifestyle, feeding habits, trips to the beach and dog park and the owner of that dog simply replied, "No."   No explanation; just no. And I kept returning to Maizy. I wrote her pawrents on March 6 and heard nothing. I kept thinking I didn't deserve a dog. They called on March 8th. I was running laps with my boys at school and my aide answered my phone. Spying the mean principal on the yard, he ducked into a bush and told the caller all about me and just how lucky their dog would be with me! When the coast was clear, he came running, holding out my phone. "It's the DOG!!"

She wanted me to come that night. I had a root canal at 3:30! As the dentist was drilling and drilling, all I could think about was that puppy! The dentist took so long! It was after 6. I called...it was still a 75 minute drive. They said come! We met at a church; their church. Maizy leapt out of the car and into my arms!  She was hyper / crazy / insane. I was thinking it was lack of exercise but the people at the church knew her. "Do you want her?" "YES!" 

I followed them home and fed her supper. They showed me how she was trained to potty behind the bushes. I put her in the car and she jumped out and took off down the street. The neighbors all knew her and helped me catch her.  She was nervous...but she didn't seem scared. 

She got on the bed but she didn't sleep the first night. The next day, we hit the park and breakfast at Mabel's favorite spot. She jumped on the sofa next to me and looked around and smiled.  She hasn't stopped smiling. 

She reminds me of the Mabel Lou so much! Only she lets me rub her belly and she does not argue! But so smart and so fast! She's had an argument with one of the skunks that come in the yard 3 times... and never been sprayed! Mind you, that skunk has attempted to spray ME for simply walking nearby!

We've had several vet visits, including the first one above. Maizy had DEEP ears and gets infections. I can tell when it's coming on and can often avoid a vet trip with a good cleaning. But she is TERRIFIED of the vet's office. Not the vet though. 

Maizy has a wicked good sense of humor and loves game play. She is honestly the happiest dog I've ever known! 

She's a hunter! I found evidence of her playing with her prey on my bedroom floor, my bed and in the yard! She's brought me a mouse she killed in the yard! And she's gotten a few critters at the creek....but she leaves the ground squirrels alone. We really need to discuss that.

She is also the only dog I've ever had that pays attention to the tv! She barks at any and every dog on television and many other animals! It's exhausting. The other day I really wanted to watch The One and Only Ivan and to my surprise, she simply watched it. NO barking! 

She loves the creek. She explores but doesn't disappear on me. She did take off after three coyotes when I got her. I dashed into the creek right after her and she managed to get back across the creek without me seeing her. I found myself knee-deep in the river, slipping on mossy rocks with her looking at me like I'm nuts! She's has not run off since. 

This is her "I'm so patient waiting furEVER for momma to get ready" pose. 

Like all my dogs, she LOVES coffee!  She's not always patient when waiting for the dregs of my cup. 

When we are hiking in the wilds, she is most often found walking right next to me. Not in front; never behind. It's annoying when the trail is narrow. But I do love that she stays so close. As with Macy Blue, "Find a good mom!" will bring her right to me! 

She was a little terrified of the river until her pals showed her what to do. Now, she just adores the water. I really love how this just runs through the generations of our hiking pack. I still remember when we met baby Aria, the rott. Mabel Lou just looked after her and showed her how to dip in the water. Aria taught Macy and Maizy. And Maizy was trying to teach Aria's little sister Roux the other day! 

She's SUPER  fast. During the Pandemic, we do a long walk each morning. Some days we go to a little park near the house and I let her off leash on the tiny patch of green grass. She runs zoomies while I stretch. 

Maizy True loves the ocean. This was her second visit. She was a little put off by the creek that "moves at you!" But she adored it before the trip was over. 

 

She has lots of her friends but this girl is her absolute bestie. Bella is half Chihuahua and half German shepherd! They will play NON-stop if we don't give them a time out! Maizy actually sprained her tail from wagging it too much when Bella came over! Poor Bella has gone home limping from their antics!  They make each other SO happy, so we try to get them together a few times a week. 

She is so joyful, I feel so very blessed to have her! 

Maizy True Stats: 

DoB: 12/26/2018

Gotcha Day: 3/08/2019

DNA: 64% Golden Retriever / 12% Husky / 12% Poodle / 12% Berger Blanc Suisse

Best trick: holding her paws "just so" to put on her sports bra

Best unwanted trick: Closing the middle console in the jeep so she can work her way into the front seat.

Edibles: Anything mom is eating... except fruit and medicine "treats"

Toys: Loves anything she can tear up! 

Hello Old Friend

 Well, I guess the nothing of a Pandemic has made me miss writing!  Gosh so much has changed since I last posted...and so much is the same. 

I'm a dang school teacher, fully credentialed as of this year! Something I never wanted to be but... hey, there's health insurance and a pension. I love the kids but I've been so disillusioned about how little of teaching is about the kids! It's a business that rarely accounts of the kids involved. 

I had been teaching a behavior based program... which I loved but...I had a principal that was a "box-checker." Behavior programs do not check boxes... we are soooo outside the box! I spent an entire year teaching with my back to a student. We had a whole checklist of what that student had to do to earn my attention. If attention was paid for the wrong things...we were off and running toward a very bad day! I loved working that program...save for the crazy boss. I had to leave the district to get away from her. 

Loved the next job (High school algebra! Ha! I haven't used algebra in 37 years and why the state of California makes us torture special needs kids with it...UGH!) ...until Covid sent all teacher specialists back to the classroom, bumping newbies like me. 

So, I'm jobless and awaiting a re-entry interview at my old district. I'm honestly so exhausted from the last four years, I really don't mind the lack of work. 

My goodness... I started working on a credential in July 2016 not understanding that I would be a classroom teacher by late August! (Thought I could do that and just sub.) 10 days into my new job, Mom's house flooded with 38" of water. Spent the year flying back and forth dealing with FEMA and contractors all while trying to get Mom to leave the house so the work could be done. (She won that argument!)  So much craziness at work...constant meetings about my students, data tracking and reports to be written. I took NO time off, working every holiday. Worked all summer on salary points. 

Mom in the boat when the Cajun Navy finally got her to leave her flooded house after 3 days! 

Mom's house after we tore out the walls and tossed the furniture.

Fall of 2017 brought crazy fires. One side of the mountains would catch on fire and I would pack a car with clothes, dog food, hard drives and vital papers and drop it off on the opposite mountain. Weeks later, the other mountain was on fire! Lather, rinse repeat. The morning the Creek Fire took off, even though it was close to me, the smoke was at my school. Of course, my school was the only one that didn't close! By midday, I was getting texts that I need to get home and get Macy Blue. It was a harrowing drive home with fires breaking out and taking multiple back roads to get into our valley. The next morning, my school still open, I took surface streets as the freeway was jammed. I noticed police blocking the way back toward home. I stopped and asked what was up... I could leave but I could not come home! NO WAY was I leaving Macy Blue in that fire ridden valley when I couldn't get home to her! 

Creek Fire as seen from space. 

Our pal, Osa, days before Creek Fire

(Front to back) Osa, Riley, Aria, Macy Blue - same spot as above - after Creek Fire

And  after the fires, you know it, came the flood! I got home on January 9th to 10" of mud surrounding my house and in my pool! 

It took months of shoveling to get all the mud out! 

Backyard and pool

Spring was spent trying to dig out and repair the pool. It was ready for summer, thank goodness. Especially during COVID, the pool has been my sanity. I swim about 90 -120 minutes a day! 

All better! 

June  brought coyote drama. Macy Blue and I were hiking the dark side. We had just emerged from the swimming spot when I heard Macy growl...totally out of the norm. Ten feet away, she was on her hind legs in an embrace with a small coyote. He must have noticed her limp and took her for an easy target. She was NOT! Plus, her momma is part rottweiler... I screamed so loud, I terrified them both! The coyote took off and Macy ran to me. I thought she was fine but took her in anyway... it was a severe bite! My poor baby! 

Fall was more craziness, dealing with Mom's dementia. January, I was part of the one of the largest teacher strikes in history. It poured rain the whole time we were on strike. In the end, I feel special education lost out...our numbers actually INCREASED. 

And then came February. Macy Blue had been on a weird eating streak for months. I kept wondering if she had pica! She ate most of a letter. She ate beads... glass ones. She passed those. But in early February, she ate most of two different dish towels.  And here's where I was stupid: When I lived in my previous house, I was friends with a hair dresser and her rottweiler. He loved to get his lips on any towel she had used to do hair! Seriously, this dog would eat and entire towel. When he would pass it, she would don gloves and pull! DON'T DO THIS! Rags can get impacted. 

Macy had a helluva week...overnight at the hospital, radio active beads confirmed nothing was moving. Day at her vets. I would have to pick her up when the overnight place closed at 7 am, drive her home so I could get to work by 7:40. I would leave her in my dog car and the bestie would drive  her to the vet at 8:15. Back and forth for days...finally, my vet operated, found the rags and I was SO hopeful (and broke! $4K+). I took her for what I hoped would be her last overnight, begging her to live. Just after midnight on Valentine's Day, she crashed. I knew she could take no more. Her limp exhausted her and her heart murmur...it was too much! I told them to leave her in peace. 

The last photo of Macy Blue.

And that brings me to the ray of sunshine at the top of this blog. Maizy... The first time I kept the M name a dog arrived here with. It just fit her and it was so weird. I really wanted to name Macy Maizy...but there were a number of bloggers with that name. So Macy it was... and Blue because she was so sad. Maizy's family wanted to name her Macy because the mom loved to shop there but she made them change it.  And I kept thinking of the dream I had of Mabel...where she left me a pot of gold. 

Maizy was rehomed. She was such a high energy pup, I wondered what the hell I was going to do with her. But big hikes have tamed her! She often hikes right by my side. She is the happiest, smartest little thing ever! She reminds me of Mabel... capable of understanding conversations and reasoning... but without the arguments and disagreements! I'm over the moon with her!  Middle name: True (short for Truelove - but that would embarrass her so please don't mention it!)

Day nine - Maizy True giving me a run for my money!

My job at the high school was really demanding... I had a huge case load (26!) and saw 80 students throughout the day. But Maizy was kinda thrilled with lockdown. Long walks twice a day and Mom always at home. 

Not sure what's next... but I have a great pup by my side! 

Happy Barkday to Moi

Yeah it's my barkday! Nothing too special... Mom's SO busy. Work and school and dealing with my Granny's flooded house and a wedding in the family and taxes schmaxes blah blah blah.... She did clean off the porch sofa and let me have a good sunbake today while she worked. She told me no new toys until she's "caught up..." what ever that means! But she did bake a lasagna and a lemon cake and I got some. Then we took a nice nap together. That's quality time, you know!  But when we got up, it got fun!

We dashed over to Auntie Rottrover's and jumped in the Otto Mobile with Osa and went to our favorite Sunday hike. It's on the back side of our mountain up in the National Forest. Nobody is ever there...but there were some "bee people" there today. More on that in a minute.

First, we got to roam a bit. Can you see me??? I WAY ahead of Osa! Isn't it gorgeous there??

Just as we got to our favorite swimmie hole, we ran into all these big trucks. The local bee peeps were having to re-do the trails a bit because they washed out in all our rains. They were doing this to get their hives way back in the forest. I was quite happy cause they made my swimmie hole deeper!

After swims, I got to run...

And Osa Bear ran and ran...

Then we needed snacks so we grazed a bit...

And Mom took pictures of flowers so we waited and waited and waited...

Then we went back to Osa's and found Otto out back showing off his circus skills to the new neighbors. We put him in the car and went to our local favorite spot by the river and went for a hike with him too! We got to hike for four hours!!!

I'm home now and ready for bed. All in all, my 6th was pretty darn nice!!!

Product Review: Pawsta

Hello good pups and peeps of Blogville! It's me, Macy Blue, with another review for our pals at Chewy.com.

I thought you might be tired of our reviews from the backyard so I got my Auntie to bring my best bud, Otto Rotto, out for a hike with some treats!

Chewy sent me Pawsta  from Rachael Ray Nutrish line to review. First of all...how cute is Otto Rotto staring up at his mom?? Can you tell from the look on my face that I adore him??? He was my first friend my mom introduced me to after I came to live here!

Here's a shot of the bag. Mom likes the window where you can see what the treats look like and how big they are. They are shaped like rigatoni and filled with meatables! Yum!

Come ON Auntie!! Let us taste!!!

Oh you're just teasing us!!! Poor Otto! 

 

Hurry up Otto! I want one too!!!! Dang this is taking for ev errrrrr!

 

Finally!!! It's MY turn!!! Chewing.....

 

Oooh and another!!!! THANKS AUNTIE!!!

 

I better let Mom take over with her blue words about the 'gredients and stuffs: 

Creekhiker here. I was not sure about these...they were nothing I would have picked. RR is not my favorite chef cook er....television hostess.  But darn if they aren't affordable, made of good stuff and...it appears my princess and her big guy like them! 

Here are the ingredients straight from the Chewy.com website: 

Beef, Ground Rice, Pearled Barley, Rye, Vegetable Glycerin, Potato Protein, Brown Rice, Rice Syrup, Tapioca, Brown Sugar, Oatmeal, Gelatin, Water, Flaxseeds, Poultry fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Natural Flavor, Sunflower Lecithin, Salt, Citric Acid (a preservative), Paprika Extract, Beef Stock, Sorbic Acid (a preservative), Potassium Chloride, Carrot Extract, Titanium Dioxide (color), Rosemary Extract.

So...it appears we may be adding these to the autoship rotation. 

Whoo hoo! I got it in writing folks! More Pawsta for me!  As for the last word, I think Otto's lips say it all: 

That wraps it up! Otto 'n' me give Rachael Rays's Nutrish Pawsta eight paws up!

Creekhiker received no compensation to do this review. Macy Blue was given one bag of Rachael Ray Nutrish Pawsta  by Chewy.com to devour or not.

Still Beating

I hope no one faints with me posting twice in two days.We have no one to hike with on Saturdays so I've been adding Mr. Bart for extra protection. He's a Senior citizen now but he still disappears at times ... to do "Bart stuff." I went back to the upper river as it's been really hot and Bart and Macy have both been suffering on the mountain trail.

I marveled at the dried mud the waters had overflowed it's banks.

Macy and Bart had both slipped further downstream...it was too overgrown for me to follow...when I found myself face to face with three huge pitt bulls. At first I thought they belonged to the homeless guy who lives nearby...but his are smaller and bark well before they get near people or strange dogs. Finally their owner showed up. After telling me they were friendly, he noticed my leashes and the foursome took off toward my car. Macy and Bart showed up as soon as the big dogs were gone. Wanting to kill some time, I hiked up my pants and just ran into the river. 

It was just so strange to stand in a spot you know but realize the ground is not where you remember it being. It was obvious I had a much higher vantage point. I went up to where the hill had washed out and check it out:

As I mucked about trying to find my bearings, I noticed Macy had decided to take a trail nap.

Only she was chewing on the leg bone of some critter... ewwwww!

I decided to find that clump of bamboo and work from there. I just kept staring down stream, squatting to try and get my vantage point right. I just couldn't imagine that boulder washing away...

Then suddenly, I realized I was standing on it!

It didn't wash away.. it's just been buried! Here's another shot from up in the air...those are our leashes for size reference.

It's been a weird month since David's funeral...I've called Macy "Mabel" more in the last month than I have in a year and 7 months prior. I'm sure that losing my friend has amplified Mabel's loss for me in some ways.

But I love knowing that our boulder is still there! Maybe it's not mine to linger over any more. Maybe it will be someone else's favorite spot someday when the waters come and reveal it again.