Goodbye to our Dear Champ - Hello to New Life

We're a small family; having only one daughter, so we have added some furry friends to the mix.  We have a while female AKC Mini Schnauzer named Annie, but on any given day, she could be "Annie", or "Nini", or "Fifi".   Lately we've taken to calling her Fifi as Casey has affectionately dubbed her.  Originally we got Annie for Casey to be a companion so she would not feel lonely.

Annie is married to Lincoln, aka, the chicken stalker.

Lincoln has captured my heart's affections, and on any given evening, he can be seen burrowing under the covers as he curls up by my side for the evening.  Did I mention that I just like that?  Yep, he knows how to capture my heart.

So Annie has had 3 litters with Lincoln now, and their puppies sell like hot cakes here locally.  AKC purebred Mini Schnauzers are funny, intelligent, vigilant, loyal and adorable pets, and a big plus is that they positively DO NOT SHED.  Not even 1 hair!   I could be wearing a black velvet dress and wash blow dry and brush them out and never even get a morsel of hair on me.   That makes them good for families with allergies. They are also great car companions, and easy to pack and go.  They LOVE to go bye bye with me in the car.

This past week has been SO eventful here at our home.  Our beloved Champyon, our 11 year old yellow Labrador Retriever, passed away on Friday of last week.  I was with him when he passed and our hearts have been broken since then.  We still expect to see him on the front porch when we get home, and it is strangely quiet outside right now....

My husband Joe got Champ for me as a consolation when I had a sudden miscarriage back in May of 2001.  Or else, my lovely daughter Casey would have had a baby brother to pester and boss around.   It was a heart wrenching event, very painful and devastating to us.  I was 44 years old at the time, and it was my second and last pregnancy. Champ was an adorable 6 week old pup.   He had soft brown eyes and the kindest heart.   Champ was never in good health though, and his health kept going downhill no matter what we did to try to help him.

His favorite thing was just to lay at our feet.   So loving, so accepting, so docile.  A true friend.  My husband called him BooBoo and I called him Buddy.  I will miss Champ terribly but I am glad  his suffering is over and he is laid to rest next to his brother Buster and Emily in our back yard.

I love you, Champyon Taylor.  Thank you for guarding my front door every night for the past 11 years.  Thank you for your undying affection, and for being excited every time I came home.  Thank you for your friendship.   If there is a dog heaven, Champ, YOU would be in it!

So while we have been grieving over the loss, day by day, Annie was getting more and more plump.   Her little sides bulged like a pack mule's saddlebags!  Yesterday I saw her walking around the back yard and I thought,  "TODAY I go and get her special "box"; her whelping box that we make and line with towels and give her a special side easy access entrance.

So I brought the box in from the cabin, and cut the whole and showed it to her, and she RAN into it and immediately began pushing!   About 3 hours later her first pup was born.

Here is the Hotel Fifi....we keep it in the living room until the pups are about 2 weeks old, then expand into a wire play yard...then a kennel...

I had to help her deliver; she had a couple of pups who did not make it.  We had not planned on breeding Annie this year at all, but she and Lincoln found a way.....love does, I guess, and our attempts at keeping them apart proved unsuccessful.   But now we have an adorable liver colored male, and a beautiful black and silver female.   We're always tempted to keep them but most likely will sell them when they are weaned.  

So in the midst of our grieving over our old friend, we have new life and new hope.  I guess that is what springtime is for!

Well just wanted to update you on what has been happening, and I will post again probably tomorrow as I have some exciting new things to share!

Bye for now!