Ten days of dog hospice

Well, the last ten days or so have been trying. My best canine bud, McDuff (Duffy) is on his last life journey. We adopted him 7 years ago. This larger than norm Scottie has been very close to me. He is 13 years old this fall. Duffy was diagnosed with Bladder Cancer in early June, 2009 and was given about 30 days to live. But, he fooled everyone and is still with us, barely. He stopped eating about 10 days ago. Last Tuesday I took him in to the vet. They found aggressive arthritis at the joining of spine, tail and pelvic area, continued growth of the prostate (bladder cancer related) and a slow bleed into his stomach area. Duffy was given some medication and sent home. It has almost been a week and I've exhausted every brainstorm concerning the food options to get him to eat. He has slowly stopped eating all of his fav's like toasted almonds, dried liver treats, pill pockets.

Last night I was desperate enough to go up to the local Safeway and buy a fresh oven roasted chicken. Duffy wasn't even taking his medications and my arthritic hands won't allow me to force open his jaw if he chooses to clamp it shut. So, I tore off some of the crispy warm skin (just a few pieces) and wrapped his meds in a couple of them. He ate all the pieces (totalled about 5, not a lot). We repeated that this morning successfully, but he is refusing water and still is not eating anything else.

Our next appointment is Tuesday morning. So goes everything.

No art, or very little. I missed the international (local version) sketchcrawl on 11/21 Sunday. Maybe I'll make it next month. Finished one oil painting and am starting another. I need to get back into the swimming pool. I think I've gained about 10 pounds not swimming for the last month or so. Will post more later.

Okay, my second post. I have had a great week asking myself on so many levels, just what did I want going toward my art goal. Well I came up with the decide that I must try to do something 5 out of 7 days a week. Hopefully that will be drawing, painting or something related.

I'm also beginning to learn how to take digital photos of my sketches and other work. They will be posted as they get done but my inventory of actual work is pretty small at this point.

I went to a friends "new studio" opening tonight. I've been out sketching and plein air painting with her but have never actually seen her "other" work. Her colors are marvelous. The small plein air work is beautiful in color and value. More, More, More!

More to come. Leighzy Beighzy

First Ever Post

Wow! Never thought I'd be "blogging". It's been encouraged by friends and acquaintances. I'm like many other "baby boomers" - in transition. A time when the career and parental life are becoming things of the past and the desire to let life take a new "fork" in the road. My new fork has at least three lanes: learning to draw and paint to fulfill a life long passion, masters swimming which gives me a reason to exercise, and learning to pursue life long goals long put on hold.

Here are a couple of goals for the next 3 years:

• Attend the FINA World Masters Aquatic Championships in Gotenerg, Sweden during late July, 2010
• Live and paint in the Orkney Islands for one year sometime around 2011.
• Become skilled enough in drawing and painting to journal in real time.

So to return on a daily basis is a bit much at this point but will try for weekly at a minimum and hopefully post more often.