A Day at the Pool

Here I am arriving at my swim center, Waterworkz.

Watch me paddle...

Then Erika carries me back down to the end of the pool so that I can get my chicken treat.

Then I swim back down to the other end of the pool.  

I usually swim the length of the pool an average of 11 times.

My dad claps his hands and walks along the side of the pool, encouraging me. 

A couple of times during my half hour session, Erika "floats" me. Basically, this means she cradles me so all my legs are floating and I'm weightless. It feels pretty nice. 

Ah Erika, are you sleeping?

After a few more swims, Shannon comes in to help Erika.

Then I get my initial toweling off. I like this because I get rubbed all over.

Then its off to the second drying area where I get blow dried and brushed out.

Then I go outside, all dried and fluffy and Erika gives me a little treat and a kiss.

And then it's back in my car kennel for the ride back 

home for a short rest, and then out for a much longer walk. 

And that's what happens every Sunday.

Tuvia & Jetta are 10 Today

OMD - my sister and brother are 10 years old today.

Hmmm..maybe I could get a boat ride

Bunny - Deconstructed

By my brother Owen....(do you know where YOUR stuffie is? Keep them away from Owen!!!)

Owen aka "the stuffie deconstructor"

I help out sometimes too...

One Lovely Blog Award

Oh, this is so cool. Our friend Aimee, http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.ca/ who lives down the street in Oregon, gave us a “one lovely blog award”. We think that’s pretty cool.

She asked if we would mind listing 7 things that folks may not know about me. It was kind of hard to think of 7 things so we’ll just start and see how far we get.

1.    Before I suffered my injury, I was pretty much a “couch potato”. I liked to lie around quite a bit. In fact, my parents gave me a fancy nickname, “Sir Chesterfield of Valiant”, partly because I used to lie on the couch so much. That all changed during my rehabilitation when I got my wheelchair from Eddie’s Wheels. I love to get out and walk as much as possible.

2.    When I was in the emergency hospital after my disk ruptured. My dad told me that I had suffered a bad “owie” in my back that wasn't due to anything that I had done or that anyone had done to me; he said that the doctors were going to try to help me with surgery but it might “sting” a bit. I said okay let’s do it because I wanted to stay with my family. I told my dad to not worry, that it would be okay whatever happened. We’d figure out everything else as we went along.

3.    My current wheelchair is actually my second one. I kind of outgrew my first one because I built up really big muscles.

4.    Most of my caregivers are female. Janice (vet), Gail (chiropractor/vet), Lori (laser therapist), Erika (swim coach), Audrey (groomer) and her sister Debbie, Cari (walking buddy), Kathy (walking buddy), Debbie (previous walking buddy), Mairin (previous walking buddy), Cathy (previous walking buddy), Jill (raw food retailer for dogs and cats), my grandmother and my mom.

5.    I get brushed and blow dried by Erika and Shannon after my weekly swim sessions. I like that part of my swim day the best. Erika also gives me chicken before I swim a lap.

6.    I don’t like the sound of water splashing around when we’re driving in the rain.

7.    I like girls and cats. Not necessarily in that order.

Ta da. Thank you Aimee.

Goats?????!!!!, Ah mom - what's a goat???

My mom took me out for an adventure kind of a walk a few weeks ago. We had walked quite a ways on a nice sunny day, up and over on a pedestrian overpass and whoa, we spotted some goats nearby in a fenced-in field. So yesterday, we decided to retrace our steps a bit and get up "close and personal" to check out these goats.

Hi there, my name's Sam. What's your name?

Bye, maybe I'll see you next week.

Hey dad, why did you stop pulling the wagon?

Are you tired dad?

Come on, let's go. Faster this time and stop talking to the girls.

1,000 Yard Stare

Hey dad. Yes Sam? What's up with you and mom? You both have that 1,000 yard stare today.

Well Sam, 10 years ago, mom and dad had to let our first kid go in peace. His name was Wupper and he was 18 years old when he left for the Bridge. He was born deaf but we think that he made up for it by barking so loud, the folks on the East Coast could hear him.

10 weeks earlier in 2004, we lost Wupper's younger brother, Max. 

Max was 15 years old when we had to let him go. 2004 was so bad that your mom and dad skipped celebrating Christmas that year. No tree, no turkey. Just sadness. 

The Boys

The porch light's on again? Yes Sam, until tomorrow morning when we go for our morning walk. 

So their spirits can find their way back home again, right dad? Yes Sam. That's right.

World Smile Day

Tuvia

Me (Sam)

Owen (smiling)

Jetta (yum)

Good day and woofs to everyone!