2013 Remembering a Special Year with Mali and Chi - December 31, 2013

Chi, Mali and I started taking longer walks in Rock Creek Park  - June 4, 2013

Each of us could hear or sense when the deer were around...we were seeing them almost every day

 June 14, 2013 - they are watching us, watch them...

Patuxent Wetlands Park

After the long ride to the vets, we'd take a walk in the Patuxent Wetlands Park

As we walked along, I realized that we were sending some parents into a panic - into the air they took to protect their three babies...

 The osprey parent on the nest takes flight, alerting the other parent to return and help protect their young...

 But they are not alarmed by cars stopping near by...just the dogs and I on foot...

A month later, July 22, 2013, the 3 "babies" are almost fully grown...the nest was abandoned by our next visit.

 Mali rests in the shade on June 21, 2013, as we take in the beauty and variety of Patuxent Wetlands...

By the end of June, Mali has learned so many of the "proper family dog" procedures and behaviors, like how to great your master after a hard day...

I can't believe that I haven't updated the blog in so long, but that can happen when you're on the go constantly.  Mali and Chi care so much about each other.  Mali now has "doggie dreams" and when she does those little dream "woofs", Chi snaps to attention, usually looks to me like, "Help her!" and runs to her side.  If either one of them is in the house and the other is in the backyard and woofs, no matter where they are, they fly to be at the door to help out.  Chi's tail wags when she comes near...

But I need to take a moment at this time of year, and give thanks - to the SPCA of Anne Arundel County where Mali came from.  One of their staff found her running loose and frightened along a highway at about 5 months of age, and for almost 16 months, they took care of her and worked hard to find her a home.  I learned about her from an email that one of the Anne Arundel SPCA staff sent out over the Best Friends e-mail network.  I saw her at their facility, and the next day Chi went out with me  - and Mali came home.  All with the AASPCA staff's coaching and assistance.

And those 16 months of care for Mali were not where AASPCA stopped.  It wasn't easy in the beginning.  We didn't think we would ever be able to touch her.  She is still skittish in some circumstances, but oh the kisses and greetings we get now.  (Chi has helped show her how to treat your humans.)  And the formerly tightly tucked tail now wags free!  And then when the third day with us came around, Chi seemed to suddenly realize that she wasn't going away and he was determined to "draw the line" - he willingly shared his bed, toys and food, but NOT his humans!  The staff were there for us - e-mails, phone calls, and even the new trainer called and talked for quite a while with me.  They haven't stopped caring for her, and we so appreciate that!  They helped us to have confidence in what we were doing, and my son can even get her to obey with hand signals.  (A trainer we had worked with before wasn't sure that she could be trained to obey commands because she did not respond to treats - our Mali works on love and pride!)  And Anne Arundel SPCA staff had most fortunately gotten her to KNOW her name - that comes in handy every day - today we visited a cousin's place out in Stafford, Virginia, and I could confidently let Mali and Chi run loose on the acreage because I knew that Mali would come when her name was called.

We have a healthy, very special dog - thanks to the SPCA of Anne Arundel County, Maryland!

We managed to catch a perfect time for a walk in Rock Creek Park today...it was sunny, but still cool and not humid.  Knowing that it is going to be hot and humid as the week goes on, I made sure we did a good, long (for me) walk...over a mile round trip.  (I like the fact that there are quarter mile markers along the walk, so I have a good idea about the distance we cover.)  Mali always looks up to me to make sure that she is doing the right thing, but when we turn to go back to the car, she just goes forward with confidence and a pretty quick clip for me.  About half the way back to the car, there were 2 deer on the path.  I like that neither Chi nor Mali jerked the leads to give chase.  The deer cautiously crossed the street into the more "private" underbrush.

 I've never noticed them before but there were yellow iris-type flowers growing along the edge of the little stream branches that drain into Rock Creek Park.

I saw a red-winged blackbird, too; the first one I have seen in a good long while.  Thanks, Mali, for another great walk in the park!  May 28, 2013

Yesterday, Mali was leaping all over the yard!  She hops...she spreads out long and leaps as if she is flying!

Today, my son took them on another excursion through fields and streams up-county.

 Photos by my son - May 25, 2013

Mali's other special friends - Buster (brown) and Leroy (black) - Photo by my son - May 10, 2013

Unfortunately, Chi gets protective of Mali the Flirt, so he can't join in the runs with the other dogs; so the "ole man" stays home with me on those days.

Mali watches everything I do...watches so intently.  I am waiting for her to start sending out e-mails...

                                                                     May 15, 2013

Waiting for me to get dressed to take them out back...May 19, 2013

                                                  Our Dynamic (and inseparable) Duo!

May 22, 2013 - Mali has seen her first deer!  Chi alerted to it, and then Mali went to the back fence to watch the solo female white-tail deer as she wandered around our neighbor's yard.  It was my first since the deer hunt in March...I hope she is not alone.

From the beginning, walking Mali and Chi has been a big part of her acclimatization.  My son was taking them on 3 or more walks per day to help things settle in.  He spends hours walking them 3 1/2 to 5 or more miles on the weekends now.  I understand that Mali, like Chi before her, is quite adept at jumping logs and enjoys the water.
And I am now able to take them on walks, too, as a lunchtime break in nearby Rock Creek Park.

Photo by my son - April 5, 2013 - a caring moment....

May 2, 2013 - Rock Creek Park near Kensington Parkway

I find it is not so easy to walk them AND take photos...so most days we just enjoy what's around.

                        My upper body gets a work-out trying to keep the leads from tangling...

                                                                May 3, 2013

On May 1, 2013, it was time for another series of CAT scans, so my son took off to help me through it.  He took Mali and Chi for her first walk along the entire "Crescent Trail" and down to Fletcher's Boat House.  Chi has enjoyed his walks with my son on this trail many times in the past, especially while I was in chemo.
(Photos by my son)