Funny Face

I have tried for sooo long to catch this photo.  Now, I know it's not great quality or anything, but it's too funny not to share.  Probably someone out there needed a laugh today.  Probably someone out there was just thinking:  "It's been a horrible day.  I'm really down and need something to make me laugh.  I need a picture of Alfie's Deranged Pig Impression!"  If you are that person, what can I say -- it's your lucky day!

...Mwahaha!

He actually does this a lot.  Do you think it looks comfortable?  No, me neither!  But he is not explaining why he does it.  Your guess is as good as mine.

In the meantime...yeah, we've moved!  Alfie's been busy supervising.  Of course.

No, actually, the Borders box should go on top.  Let's do this right!

I think he wishes this sleeping bag were still on the floor, like it used to be when we were at Grandma's house.

Hey, where's my air mattress? It should be right here, with my sleeping bag...what do you mean, of course it's my sleeping bag...

No place like home!

Hellooo out there!

So, to start by stating the obvious...haven't updated in ages!  Time to fill you in on what's been going on -- and a fresh look on the blog to go with a new season. 

Hey, anyone out there still remember me??

The purchase of our new home went through smoothly.  Now we're proud owners of a great house that, due to much deferred maintenance, falls squarely in the "fixer-upper" category.  There's a lot to be done before we can move in:  new heating and air, new floors and paint, as well as various exterior repairs.  By the time we're done it'll feel like a brand new house!  The great thing is, since it's just a couple of doors down from Mom's, it's easy to supervise the repairs from here.

In the meantime, I've also been busy doing freelance editing work, as well as getting in gear with the new year for homeschool. Things are hopping!


I love the neighborhood -- very friendly.  Of course, people are always more friendly when they meet you out with your dog, don't you think?  This is the first time I have met all my new neighbors, including those across and down the street, before we've even moved in!  Alfie loves his dog neighbors:  Missy the toy poodle on one side, Baxter the Norwich terrier behind us, and schnauzers Winston and Bosley, the self-appointed neighborhood watch, rounding out the field.  Across the street there is little Molly...she looks a lot like a bichon to me although I can't say for sure.   Anyway, you know the type:  a sweet, smiling ball of white fluff.  Alfie mainly meets her out on walks, and he is absolutely smitten!  Two doors down we have Reesie, a sweet but shy Jack Russell terrier who was rescued from an awful life caged as a puppy mill breeder.  It's so great to see her now, happily going for walks and playing in her yard -- what  a difference!

Went to the doctor for a checkup recently and they asked me, Did I exercise?  I said yes; I walk just about every day.  For how long, they wanted to know?...Well, I explained, about 45 minutes to an hour every day -- see, I have this dog...

The nurse grinned as she scribbled on my chart.  "You have a lot to thank that dog for!  You better keep him."

Smile. Couldn't agree more.

Big News!

Read that sign carefully and you'll see two of the most beautiful words in the English language where Tim and I are pointing:  Under Contract !

It's been a long time coming!

As some of you readers may remember, way back in the mists of time (last November), our family moved to Missouri from Texas to be near family while Tim pursued his Master's.  In February, Alfie joined us, and everything just felt "right," having him around again! We've been enjoying staying with my Mom while working through the whole process of selling the Texas house and hunting for a new place here.  

We love Mom's place -- it's a wonderful home in a fantastic, friendly neighborhood.  Besides that, it's near miles and miles of walking trails, and is less than five minutes' drive from my brother and his family.  And as if that weren't enough, we've got an aunt and uncle and other friends nearby, too!

So when a deal on a house in another part of town fell through and an opportunity opened up to buy a home a couple doors down from Mom...we couldn't pass it up!  Maybe it was just meant to be. 

The girls are excited because they'll each have their own bedrooms now -- unlike our last home, where they had to share a room.  Alfie will love playing in the nice fenced yard.  It needs fixing up, but we're even excited about that!  With closing scheduled in just a couple of weeks, we're all thrilled. 

I can still come visit Grandma, right?

Quick Update

So here's the deal: if you don't hear from me on the blog for a while, you know it's not that nothing has happened...on the contrary, it's that everything has been happening and I haven't had time to write about it!

The big news is that our Austin home finally sold -- hooray!  Now we're starting to take the first steps toward getting our own place here in Missouri.  Alfie has already put in his vote:  It needs a big, fenced yard! 

And yes...Alfie's been learning many new things...not the least of which is his trailing/tracking work.  Doesn't he look happy?

Now, in all honesty, Alfie has always been a super-enthusiastic worker for me...but I have never seen him work so wholeheartedly and eagerly as he does with his scent work.  It's almost like he can't believe I would really ask him to do something so fun!  All his scent "problems" have been very short and easy so far, as I just want to build on success.  We'll have to wait and see how he does as he goes along.  But for now, we're having a blast!

Updates

Family update:

We made it to Missouri...guess what, it snows here!  We're settling in and enjoying my Mom's hospitality while waiting for our house in Austin to close (looks like it'll be before Christmas).  Soon we hope to start looking for a place of our own.  Everything has gone really smoothly so far, and we've got a lot to be thankful for!

Alfie update:

I hear from Larry that Alfie's been having quite an adjustment period with his new raiser!  His new family has kids, an older dog, and an assortment of other animals, from what I understand:  cat, birds, tortoise, and a miniature horse if I've got it right.  Sounds like he's had some issues with settling down and determining his place in his new family "pack".  Some readers may remember that when he went on puppy swap before, he "forgot" some of his training (finds and things), and that's been happening again.  Larry said he thought it was Alfie's way of reacting to the stresses in his new environment.  However, Larry says he's settling in much better now and seems to be getting more comfortable with it all.  I know this is going to be such a maturing experience for him and certainly appreciate all the work his new family is putting in! 

Larry also said that the assessment, previously scheduled for January, is now being delayed until the spring.  Maybe some extra "growing-up" time is a good thing though, given all the adjustments Alfie's undergoing!  He has tons of potential and I'm really expecting good things from him as he goes along. 

In the meantime, I'll leave you with an Alfie picture.  All my good Alfie pictures are on a computer that's still packed away -- oh well!  This one's framed funny but I love his expression.

Be a good boy for me, Alf!

Now for the BIG News

As some might remember, Alfie's scheduled evaluation date is January 2011 -- the same time as Bob, Celia, Petey, and Piper.  So "goodbye" was always just around the corner.  But recent events have accelerated that timeline...our family is moving out of state early next month, and so Alfie will be moving to another raiser home for his last couple of months as a puppy-in-training.

Yes, we're looking forward to our new venture for many reasons!  I'm so proud of my husband Tim, who is going to be focusing on finishing grad school (the main reason behind our move).  The whole family is excited that we'll be living in Springfield, MO -- near my Mom, my brother's family, a dear aunt and uncle, plus other friends!  The only hard part, of course, is saying goodbyes:  to family here in Texas, to our wonderful church family, to friends, to GDTx...and, yes, to one special doodle.

It's tough for me to let go of Alfie:  somehow, with each successive guide dog pup I've raised, it seems that the bond has been deeper.  Alfie has such an uncanny way of "reading" me, and quite a flair for 2-way communication!  Aside from my emotions, however, it's also hard to turn over a "project" in which I am so invested.  Maybe that's just my perfectionist/controlling streak...I'm sure that another raiser will do their best, just as I have, and Alfie will turn out fine.

The GDTx team is working on selecting Alfie's new raiser home, and I'll keep you updated!  I don't yet know exactly when he'll leave.  But until he does, I thought it would be fun to do a few posts on what I'll remember most about my time with Alfie.  Stay tuned!