I'm back...again!

 Hello there! It's been quite a while since I wrote about life here on Hickahala Ranch. My apologies for that...I've had my hands full (as usual). I have to confess...my biggest reason for not blogging is that I forgot my password! So tonight I finally sat down and figured out how to reset it!

As you can probably guess from the photos we've had a few new members join the family and, sadly, we've lost an old one that is missed.

Pictured above is little Max. I found him last December running down a deserted road late one cold rainy night in the Bankhead National Forest Wilderness Area. Of course I stopped immediately, hopped out and snatched the frightened little boy up and brought him home (a two and a half hour drive).

Max is a chihuahua/dachshund mix and was only four months old when I found him, weighing a mere six pounds. He's doubled his weight now and is quite a round little sausage of a dog. He's a Mama's boy too, of course!

Next is our most recent family member, Bailey. Don found her sitting next to our garbage can when he left for work one day a few months back. She was also about four months old and is a boxer mix.

Like all the dogs we find, Miss Bailey fit right in with the other dogs and is a happy-go-lucky
girl who loves to play and jump in the pond. She's like a bull in a china shop, but is such a friendly sweet girl I can't help but love her.

It is with a sad heart that I have to add that we lost dear old Drake a few weeks ago. Drake was nearly 14-years-old and was suffering congestive heart failure. Meds helped him for a while, but age caught up with him. Fourteen is very old for a Labrador, so we were fortunate to have him in our lives for such a long time.

A kind soul to the end, Drake released us from the hard decision of taking him in to be put to sleep. While I was grocery shopping he slowly followed Don to the pond where the other dogs were playing. Drake loved to go swimming, but hadn't made it down there in several months. I guess he wanted to leave this earth doing what he loved best though. Don watched in surprise as Drake swam out to the deep end and took a few laps. Then he paused, looked at Don for a moment and slipped under the water. Don dove in and pulled Drake out, but he was gone. Rest in peace old fellow. We miss you.

Fitting in...

It's official...Aislinn is a bona fide member of the Gallagher family now. This was made official last night when she hopped up into a living room chair and claimed it as her own. None of the other dogs challenged her and Aislinn had herself a nice nap.

It always amazes me how easily our dogs accept new members to the family. I often read about people having trouble introducing a new dog or cat to their family, but we've never had a problem. Perhaps it's because we get new pets so often, or perhaps it's the way we go about it.

When we get a new pet they are crated in the den so that everyone can get used to them without the worry of an attack. It's also a good idea health wise too. With the high incidence of Parvo and other diseases stray cats and dogs may have, time in a crate is also a quarantine period.

Aislinn was in the crate longer than usual because the last two dogs we'd gotten prior to finding her had Parvo when we picked them up. We lost one of them (sweet little Aoife) and the other, Caoimhe, survived after spending a week at the ER veterinary hospital. I was terrified that Aislinn would get Parvo before she was completely immunized and our vet agreed that she should be crated. Poor baby did have a battle with intestinal bugs, but is now healthy, happy and a tad bit bossy!

It's hard to believe Aislinn has only been with us for eight weeks! She is so much a part of our family now that I can't imagine life without her. How did I ever survive without my snuggle buddy while watching TV? How did I get by without those warm kisses and her bouncy cheerful ways that light up my days?

I know one thing...I am so very grateful that we were in the right place, at the right time, that hot August night when we spied little Aislinn running down the deserted country road in front of our place. I am also grateful that she stopped and let me pick her up...trembling with fright while I reassured her that everything was going to be alright.

I think she believes me now...all is right in Aislinn's world tonight.