Jungle Jill

Because of Elayna’s continuing potty struggles, we decided to increase her daycare time – and hopefully increase her consistency - to 4-days a week instead of 3.  Friday’s are my day home with Elayna and I’m really trying to make the most of our time together.  Today, we went back into school.

It really wasn’t as bad as that sounds.  E’s school was having a special animal program today that I didn’t want her to miss – so we both went in for about an hour.  This was incredibly confusing for Elayna but I think she enjoyed herself after a while. 

Jungle Jill brought in about 6 different animals to talk to the kids about:  tortoises, turkeys, bunnies, a ferret, a flying squirrel, and even a boa constrictor.  She let them pet most of them and gave a good explanation of each.  I think the snake was E’s favorite – purely from the ‘ehhh’ factor.

Here she is petting the turkey.  She’s sitting on her teacher, Mrs. May’s, lap.

The flying squirrel.  With best friend, Kira.

 

Petting the bunny. Video from Mike Hernandez

Memories and Fog

Aaron has been in Europe for this entire week.  E and I are actually managing well and keeping ourselves.  I’ve only had one mommy tantrum – pretty good really.  And we’ve had lots of friends, playdates, and visiting Brook and Alicia’s new house.  We’re keeping ourselves busy.

Even with all this, I still find myself bombarded daily with memories of Clancy.  Evidence of his life is everywhere – in E’s stuffed yellow lab, or unused ear cleaner, or piles of dog hair under the bed.  Our door bell sounds hollow when not followed by a booming dog bark.  But other memories of him are slipping away into fog, days where I only absentmindedly notice his absence.  I still cry and I still miss him and I still continually wish I could have done better.

But here are a few memories or tributes that I’ve collected.  They always make me smile.

 

From my baby shower 3 years ago:  “Little Baby Kellum – we are so happy you are arriving soon.  You have a great set of parents, so be nice to them, and you have the best yellow lab in the world!  You are a lucky girl and we can’t wait to see what you will be!  Love, Hagans”

 

Text from Jay Williams:  “Mr. Clancypants will be missed.  He was Supai’s first really good doggie friend.  He guarded our yard with his big bark when he visited and snuggled with Val when I was out of town.  When we came over, he always had love to spare and a big doggie grin.  I loved him, too.” 

 

Card and plant from the Vet:

In Facebook archives:

Welcome to the USA, Uncle Nate!

My brother has spent the last 4 months in Australia – working odd jobs, traveling, seeing the sites.  He returned on June 2nd by way of Phoenix and we were very happy to have him here for a week.

Unfortunately, we spent several days tending to and then mourning Clancy.  I’m sure it was not a very exciting time to visit us – sorry Nate!  But aside from that, we had a very fun week.  We ate steak and Mexican food; we watched movies and swam in the pool, we spent a few hours at the MIM, and drank beer at several Irish pubs. 

At Rosie McCaffrey’s

 

At the MIM

Glad you’re home safely, Nate!!  Have a great summer!

The Longest Drive

On Saturday, I took Clancy into the vet; he’s been loosing weight and getting a little slower.  Yesterday (Tuesday), we visited the vet again to say good-bye.  The speed at which we’ve lost our good friend has been heartbreaking – I miss him.

I knew something was horribly wrong on Saturday when the vet could feel his liver in his abdomen.  She suspected some kind of mass and we scheduled blood-work.  At that time, he was still eating and drinking ok and enjoyed playing, although not as quick as he used to be.  By Monday, he had stopped eating and I was getting concerned.  Another trip to the vet confirmed the worst – his x-rays showed a massive mass in his spleen and his blood was extremely anemic.  Clancy had cancer.

We did have options.  We could have done a painful surgery.  There was a chance the mass was benign and Clancy could live happily ever after.  There was a chance that even with cancer, he could live another year after the surgery.  But those chances weren’t good and with his anemia, surgery would have required 2 blood transfusions and was risky.  On Monday, we opted to bring him home and spend one more night with him. 

His last day was very sweet.  We all showered him with love and affection.  Nate is in town, and he and I took him for a short hike in the desert.  Clancy was happy, he ate again, and I believe he knew he was loved.  Our last trip to the vet – the longest drive ever – was tearful.

I am relieved to have his pain over and the decision behind us.  But I also miss him in so many ways.  I miss tripping over him at night, hearing his collar jingle in the hall or the sound of him crunching his food as he eats.  I miss seeing his ears pop forward when we open the closet door for treats or the sad look in his eyes if we leave without him.  I miss his happy face at the door at the end of the day or the way his tail would wag like a heavy stick against the floor.  We have millions of memories of happy days spent with him – adventures in Montana or camping in Arizona or laying around our house or mornings at the park or trips around the block.  He was a great dog; he was our dog.  Life feels more empty without a dog to share the days.

I love you Clancy and I miss you. 

 

Will Work for Food

When I was about 15, our family had a new ranch-hand for the summer.  Her name was Sarah; she was in her early 20’s, a cousin-of-a-cousin, drove a VW bus, was Ansel Adams’ granddaughter, and had come to Montana to ‘find herself’.  I thought she was the coolest thing ever.

Sarah spent her summer in the ice-house-turned-bunkhouse on my grandparent’s front lawn.  She mended fences, drove the swather, irrigated, and in general got her hands dirty.  I’d like to hope the summer was healthy and healing for her – that she always looks back on it fondly as a simple, hearty, beautiful few months.  I’ve never heard from her since.

However, I think about my grandparents and parents most.  On more than one occasion, my grandparents have taken in young-adults, thrown them to work, and nurtured their spirits.  I’d like to think they never hesitated to take Sarah in, to shelter those that needed sheltering, to provide room and board for a chance to work hard outdoors, to share the land and stewardship that God has given us.  I’d like to think this is what Jesus commands us to do – and I’m always proud that my family does it.  I know few families that take in strays like we did.

Fast forward 20-years.  My brother has been traveling Australia for the past 4 months.  He has little money, random difficult migrant-worker jobs, a backpack and a friend, and little else.  A few weeks ago, he arrived in Sydney and called Phil McCarroll – and old friend of ours from our Tour de France trip in 2005.  Phil and his partner Sheridan have given Nate a place to stay.  They’ve given him random jobs (power washing the tennis court, cleaning the pasture) in exchange for room and board.  He’s stayed their several weeks.

So perhaps there are other people out their like my grandparents.  Perhaps there are other families willing to help someone who just needs a place to stay, work to do.  I’m very thankful to Phil and Sheridan, oh so far away, for their generosity.  I’m very thankful for many things.

My brother arrives in Phoenix tomorrow afternoon to spend a week with us before heading home.  His adventure in Australia over, he’s spending his summer in the bunkhouse.

Nate and Phil, hiking in Australia