Well now, how was your week? I’m gonna tell you mine, in pictures and words.
It’s been a pretty cold week here at the Ainsley Institute, a few neighborhood patrols, one bath, some sentry duty, some TV watching, and an overnight stay at the Aunt Judy Inn.
First off, come Tuesday, me and Mr. Bear watched the election returns from New Hampshire. Mr. Bear, being a supporter of Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump, was quite happy.
I can’t say I was thrilled though.
The next few days were uneventful. I didn’t even get a visit to see Ms. Mary at Angus Fala Worldwide HQ and get a performance bonus, and believe it or not, on Thursday, I didn’t get a car ride. Much of the day I spent in my favorite place – under the bar stools.
Things started picking up toward the end of the week. Got a card in the mail from Skyler Braveheart – my only Valentine’s Day card to date.
Come Friday, my staff decided to go to Chicago and see the play about Carole King. I got the better end of the deal – I got a nice relaxing stay at the Aunt Judy Inn. Here I am utilizing their early morning check-in service.
Yes, it was cold this weekend. Yesterday, the low got down to -1 at the Inn, and quite windy too, hence my sweater.
It was a delightful stay. A 45 minute spa massage from Aunt Judy, meals included Fish and Chicken Liver, and of course plenty of treats…
So that’s about it this week for Valentine’s Week for me. Just leave you with one thing – I’m trying to convince Aunt Judy to allow Angus Fala Worldwide to franchise the Aunt Judy Inn – wouldn’t you want one in your neighborhood too?
Aunt Judy is hard to convince and is withholding the licensing rights – she is afraid she will lose her quality control.
Fear not – I’m still working on her about it. I’m gonna get this deal made.
Til next week –
Captain Ainsley McKenna, CEO
Angus Fala Worldwide Enterprises
This morning, me and the staff traveled to the town of Mendota, about 30 minutes north of the Ainsley Institute.
Mendota is the home of Angus Manor 1 – my late great brother Angus lived there for the first 7 years of his life with the staff, and they moved to the current Ainsley Institute (formerly known as Angus Manor, or Angus Manor II) about 8 years ago.
Staff has been in the habit of taking me different places to walk most mornings. I enjoy barking to my neighbor Luke the Poodle as much as the next dog, but let’s face it – the areas around the Institute are well pacified. Hearts and Minds have been won. Kinda boring. So I need new areas to explore and put under the rule of my iron paw.
So anyway, we went to Mendota this morning, arriving around daybreak. First thing I saw – SQUIRRELS! Ficelle, my Canadian Scottie friend, has warned me about these crafty little ba$#ar%$, and I couldn’t get one. Wasn’t from lack of trying though.
Then we went up this big hill, and surveyed the countryside.
And then we walked through some woods and meadows, and reached the shores of a frozen Lake Kakusha
Saw a big stoopid lab and a Schnauzer on my way back to the Scottie War Wagon – but no auditory salvos were exchanged.
Then back home, and then a short walk in the pacified ‘hood for a well-deserved R&R at Aunt Judy’s.
Going through my 2015 pictures – y’know, sorting, deleting, and renaming – and thought I would try to condense 2015 into 15 pictures. Pictures that help highlight the year 2015 here at Angus Fala Worldwide Enterprises.
And I am gonna bring in a special guest announcer to help me out here – so Ladies and Gentlemen, Scotties and Westies, Schnauzers and Poodles, straight from the Rainbow Bridge – here’s our special guest announcer, the one, the only, Kasey Kaseeem!!!!
THANKS AINSLEY, GLAD TO BE WITH YOU ALL TODAY. AND
WE’RE COUNTING THEM DOWN, FROM 15 TO 1, ON AINSLEY MCKENNA’S TOP 15 PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2015.
First up, coming in at number 15, a picture that was a hit back in September – Mr. Bear decides to get all political on us, and Ainsley can’t believe it…here’s #15!
And we’re back, and counting em down to number 1!
There was a lot of traveling and a lot of guests at the Ainsley Institute. Back in August, Ainsley, Catman, Mr. Bear and Mama went to beautiful TOLEDO, OHIO, home of Corporal Klinger of MASH, and while they didn’t have time to partake in any of the cultural opportunities of Toledo, they did even better – by visiting SADIEPALOOZA! It was loads of fun, one of the Scotties kept escaping, there was the requisite Scottie fight, and the reclusive and enigmatic Sadie came down even to greet her guests, and then retreated to her bedroom, and came down again at the end for the mandatory group picture. So let’s take a look at #14 in our countdown – the Group picture from SADIEPALOOZA!
And we’re back, and counting them down. I’m Kasey Kaseeem, straight from the Rainbow Bridge.
And the bridge has had a lot of new arrivals this year in 2015, unfortunately. One of them was, of course, Ainsley’s older brother, and her biological uncle, Angus Fala. Here is a picture that has never been seen before, so it is a hidden gem on the countdown. It is Angus and Ainsley at Dr. Pokey – back from February, when Angus and Ainsley are about to be told that Angus has contracted lymphoma. Here’s #13 on our countdown – Angus and Ainsley at Dr. Pokey…
And we’re back on the countdown of Ainsley’s favorite 15 pictures in 2015. I’m Kasey Kaseeem.
Let’s stay in February – and another picture you haven’t seen before. It is the morning Angus goes to the Rainbow Bridge. Angus and his devil ball troops, coming in at #12…
We’re back and let’s go to our #11 photo in our countdown.
Let’s go on another trip – this time in September, and let’s see if it can play in Peoria!
Ainsley visited the home of the Reeds, home of 2 gorgeous standard poodles. And also met a visiting Commandor, a member of the Scottie Old Breed, Rascal B. Dascal! Ainsley tells me that Rascal is renowned for killing a copperhead poisonous snake. So coming in at #11, Commander Rascal B. Dascal, Daisy the Pitbull, the Reed’s 2 Standard Poodles, and Ainsley (and assorted staff)
We’re 1/3 through out countdown…and I’m Kasey Kaseeem!
#10, and making an appearance also from the Rainbow Bridge is Cary Grant. Cary died after living at the Institute only 2 weeks, in a loss that still tears at Ainsley and the staff today. Cute as a button, and smart too…Ainsley’s loss is the Rainbow Bridge’s gain, let me tell ya what.
A day before Cary was diagnosed with a terminal heart condition, Cary and Ainsley and Mr. Bear visited the Aunt Judy Inn in Late November for one of Aunt Judy’s famous photo opps.
So from November, it’s the Christmas Picture, and one you haven’t seen before, where Cary is wondering just why the heck Mr. Bear is here…#10 in our countdown….
We’re counting them down as we’re looking to the stars, on the Ainsley Institute Top 15 Pictures of 2015. I’m Kasey Kaseem.
Now, we crack the Top 10.
Ainsley, Catman, and Mama left Mr. Bear guarding Angus Manor (now renamed the Ainsley Institute) for a trip to the Windy City – and paid a visit to Princess Peyton, Handsome Jack, Judy and their respective staffs. #9 on our countdown is Mama and Ainsley, on a chilly March Saturday afternoon, on the shores of Lake Michigan…
Let’s move on through the countdown. A lot of distinguished guests at Ainsley Institute this year. First to visit was Beril, all the way from down under. So #8 on our countdown is Beril, Mama, Aunt Judy, and Ainsley in the reception hall of the Ainsley Institute…
And keeping to our theme of down under guests, just 2 days later, the So’s from Perth Australia visited. And to help Ainsley welcome them, she enlisted the help of Aunt Judy and Uncle Bob, and invited her dear friends Princess Peyton, Handsome Jack, Bee Bee, and Bella. So here’s #7 on our countdown…and look for Bella and Bee Bee’s Hooman photobombing the picture at the top left of the picture by waving Ainsley’s paw…….
We’re more than half way in our countdown – let’s go to #6. I’m your special guest host, straight from the Rainbow Bridge, I’m Kasey Kaseeem.
Now, let’s keep with our group pic themes. Just 2 days after this last picture, Ainsley, inspired by all her guests, killed her first baby bunny. A very eventful day – as Ainsley never killed anything before. And then 2 days later, she killed again. Then, 2 days later, ANOTHER KILL. And later that day, Ainsley hosted Indy and Lucy from Oklahoma, and also Princess Peyton and Handsome Jack surprised everyone by coming too! So here is #6 in our countdown…from late May, Ainsley, Indy, Lucy, Handsome Jack and Princess Peyton – and that Mr. Bear – and assorted staff…
Of the literally thousands of pictures Ainsley’s staff took this year, we are now in the top 5.
Let’s go back to November…the day that Cary Grant came home. Mama sure looks happy here. A happiness that was short lived, unfortunately…
Didn’t they look happy?
#4 on our countdown we are going to February….just 3 days before Angus passed to the Rainbow Bridge. Here is Angus on a cold February morning.
We’re counting them down, here on the Ainsley McKenna countdown.
Let’s now go to the oldest picture on our countdown – Angus enjoyed a good game, and Scottie Scrabble was one of his favorites. Let’s go back to January of 2015 – with Angus, Ainsley and that darn Mr. Bear, playing scrabble. And the words are all words frequently used around Angus Manor (now Ainsley Institute) –
Here’s #3 in our countdown…
Alright we are down to #2. I’m Kasey Kasseeem.
And just last night I had the opportunity to eat, once again, at the Angus Fala Boiled Egg and Ice Cream Parlor, at the corner of Stoic and Stubborn in the heart of Terrier town…and who was my waiter, but the one and only Cary Grant….not the actor, but the Golden! And Cary is the subject of our #2 picture…the moment that Ainsley and Cary met for the very first time back on November 12, 2015. Here’s First Meeting with Ainsley and Cary, taken at Aunt Judy’s!
We’re counting them down, so you don’t have to use math, here on the Ainsley Institute Top 15 of 2015. And our #1 picture of the year was taken on one of the most pivotal and incredibly sad days ever at Angus Fala Worldwide Enterprises. Our #1 picture is from February 28, 2015.
This picture too was taken at the Aunt Judy Inn, just like the #2 picture.
I gotta say, first though, it has been a pleasure presenting these pictures to you. And I want to thank first off, Ainsley McKenna for giving me this opportunity. And I want to thank those who helped make these pictures possible – Catman, Mama, Uncle Bob, Aunt Judy, Handsome Jack, Princess Peyton, the So’s, Beril, Indy and Lucy, Judy, The Reeds, Daisy, Commodore Rascal B. Dascal….and last and least, Mr. Bear – who I hardly know and don’t really like! And let me say that no cats were used in taken these pictures. Let’s go back to the countdown.
And now – our #1 picture on the Ainsley Institute Top 15 in 2015. Of course, it will star Angus Fala.
OUR NUMBER ONE PICTURE OF THE YEAR IS …
Angus – saying farewell to Uncle Bob…
That’s it for the countdown….and Angus, reserve me a table in the back please, I’ll be eating lots of eggs and Ice Cream Tonight! Thanks again for viewing our countdown. So until we meet again, keep your paws on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. But don’t reach too high, or your grubby little hands might just get high enough to mark up Angus’s Boiled Egg and Ice Cream Parlor’s exterior – that stucco ain’t easy to clean you know! So til we meet again, I’m Kasey Kaseeem.
“The Owner of Angus Fala’s Boiled Egg and Ice Cream Parlor” – by Elena Adam
Happy Holidays all of you:
I’ve had a very eventful year. First, I died. And for any of us, that’s pretty dang eventful.
I remember being at Dr. Pokey and a tearful mama was whispering in my ear (no, I’m not telling you what was said – that’s private, confidential, information), and next I know I went to sleep. Then, I woke up on a train seat, filled with other dogs in the train car, and the train was slowing down. The conductor came through, said “NEXT STOP, THE RAINBOW BRIDGE TRANSIT STATION. ALL MUST DEPART!”
Being a Scottie, I don’t usually follow orders, but I had a feeling this was an order I better obey. So I got off the train as directed – boy, what a busy place it was as I got off the train. Dogs walking, cats strolling, birds flying, fish in their bowls, all scurrying to and fro.
As i left the platform and entered the Grand Arrival Hall, I saw my Golden Retriever sister, Lady. And a Scottish Terrier that I recognized from family pictures, her name is Aberdeen. Boy was I happy to see Lady! Aberdeen – well, let’s just say the reports I received from my hoomans about how cantankerous, aloof, and moody she can be were well-founded.
They told me what I already knew – that I am at the Rainbow Bridge now. Got me all settled in- I shared a room with Lady and Aberdeen is down the hall in our three bedroom condo.
So what about this Rainbow Bridge place, you want to know. Is it all a big meadow, with everyone playing, frolicking, and stopping occasionally and putting their nose in the air when a hooman comes in? Heck no! The poem the vet gives you when one of us dies, while not totally wrong, is misleading!
First off – let’s do the math here. Every animal that ever died is here (well, not quite – since the Pope opened up Heaven for us pets, many animals went with their hoomans to Heaven. That’s cut the population quite a bit, and means that now real estate prices have plummeted, as the housing supply is outstripping demand, but I digress). There are easily 5 billion animals here. Think of Shanghai on a Saturday night, and multiply that by 500, and that gives you the scope of this place.
So it’s a big sprawling metropolitan area. Neighborhoods, suburbs, expressways, subways, trolley cars. Right in the middle is the Rainbow Bridge Meadow…think Central Park, with the famous Rainbow Bridge at the edge of it. Do we go to the meadow a lot? Sure, maybe, some of us. But we don’t spend all day there. We got afterlifes to lead, y’know!
Which brings us to what I’ve been doing. Of course, I offered my services to the Scottie Army, Rainbow Bridge Brigade. And of course, the work I’ve done on Earth, especially in the Husky-Scottie War of 2009, preceded me here at the Bridge and impressed the Generals here in the Scottie Army. So I joined the Rainbow Bridge army, after some refresher training, at my old rank as Master Sergeant.
But that’s not all I do. No siree. I realized real quick that there are 5 billion animals here, 2 billion of them dogs, and not much of a supply of Boiled Eggs AND Ice Cream (preferably Vanilla). So I found an empty storefront in the heart of TerrierTown (got a good deal on it too, see my discussion above about the decline in real estate prices), and opened up my store this past Summer. “Angus Fala’s Boiled Egg and Ice Cream Parlor.”
It’s done quite well too. Got lots of specials and events at the Parlor. Tuesday is buy a dozen boiled eggs, get the thirteenth free (I call that an Angus Dozen). Thursday is Piano Night – Liberace plays in the main dining room with his 27 dogs accompanying him. Saturday night, the mayor of Terriertown, The Late Great Fala himself, FDR’s beloved Scottie, holds court in the backroom. Fala can really put away the vanilla ice cream with hamburger sprinkles, let me tell you what. And Sunday afternoons, I bring in an expert to lecture the patrons on various subjects. So far, the expert has been me every week. I can’t find anyone as knowledgeable or handsome or modest as myself.
Anyway, the Parlor is going great guns. We have it decorated for Christmas too – my Golden sister, Lady, has helped me with that, as you see in the painting above.
In fact, the business is doing so well, I just opened up a second location, in the Rainbow Bridge Meadow, that you might have noticed from the picture of the new Golden Retriever who joined my Rainbow Bridge family late last month. That would be Cary Grant 2.0. Cary Grant 1.0 stayed with us a while this past Fall, but he moved on and moved in with Goldens that he was actually related to, since he never officially was a dog owned by the staff back down there at Angus Manor. But Cary 2.0 is a member of the family – so he has moved in with Lady, and I took the third bedroom of the condo. (When Ainsley joins us, she will be crashing on the couch in the den)
“Cary Grant at the Rainbow Bridge” by Kate Wood
Anyway, I will answer your questions now, gentle reader. What’s that you say? Have I seen your dog that is up here? Yes, I know your dog. I probably have served your dog AT the Parlor, or served WITH him in the Scottie army. And I go to the Rainbow Bridge Transit Station every afternoon to meet the new arrivals, and give them an advertising flyer for my Parlor, so I met your dog there too if he or she arrived in the past 8 months or so.
Next question? Does your dog miss you? Of course. Your dog misses you greatly, but we stay busy here, that’s for sure.
Any more questions? No? None? Great, that’s it, I got to get back to the parlor. I’m busing in some illegal immigra…excuse me, undocumented workers…to work the kitchen at the Parlor. That’s gonna drive down my labor costs, even though it means I’m gonna have to lay off a bunch of Pomeranians. Some of the business strategies we learned down on Earth are directly transferable here, doncha know.
Anyway, this is going to conclude my Holiday Newsletter. I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas.
Sincerely, and Hooyah!
Master Sergeant Angus Fala
Rainbow Bridge Scottie Brigade, and Sole Proprietor, Angus Fala’s Boiled Egg and Ice Cream Parlor with two great locations to serve you better, right in the heart of TerrierTown at the corner of Stoic and Stubborn, and our new location at the Rainbow Bridge Meadow
Hello friends – my last posting was “Meet Cary Grant” – unfortunately, this posting is going to discuss the passing of Cary Grant.
I wrote the “Meet Cary Grant” post on Sunday night, November 22nd. Just 12 hours later, our lives got turned upside down by unexpected news.
And if you will indulge me, I am writing this not only for you, my friends, but for those who stumble upon it researching Mitral Valve Stenosis and Mitral Valve Degeneration. After Cary was diagnosed with the disease on the 23rd, we tried researching the disease in puppies – and found few reports of owners dealing with the disease in puppies as young as Cary.
Perhaps if you have found this blog searching for Mitral Valve Stenosis in puppies, our experiences will be of some use to you.
First off – let me give you a glossary that you might find helpful:
Ainsley – that’s me, your narrator. I am a 5 year old Scottish Terrier, and yes, I write my own stuff. Ainsley Institute – my house. Where I do all my writing and research. Angus Fala Worldwide Enterprises – the name of the company my brother, a Scottish Terrier named Angus Fala, founded. He left us for the Rainbow Bridge, where he founded Angus Fala’s Boiled Egg and Ice Cream Parlor, on February 28, 2015 Mr. Bear – an intern at my company. He is an idiot. He has never said a word. I don’t see why Angus ever hired him in the first place, but he works cheap, so I have kept him on staff. Mama – That’s my hooman Mama Catman – That’s my hooman Daddy, who got the nickname because of his love of felines. Aunt Judy – not really my aunt, but my neighbor, and an owner of many Scotties through the years. Uncle Bob – Aunt Judy’s husband, who has famously said “I am asked why I have two Scotties – and I said it’s because Judy won’t let me have three!” Dr. Pokey – my name for all vets Cary Grant – a 9 week old Golden Retriever with champion blood lines, and from a very reputable breeder in Wisconsin. If you frequent the Golden Retriever Forums, you will see them mentioned in quite high regard.
I didn’t name the names of any Dr. Pokeys or clinics in the story. They all gave us exceptional care, but there was no point in mentioning them, I didn’t feel. I did mention the name of the Chicago Cardiologist we heard such great things about – Dr. Luthey. Unfortunately, Cary didn’t make it long enough to meet him. But I included it because everyone in the area seems to feel he is the vet for all things heart related. I am not naming the names of Cary’s breeder. They have been exceptionally kind and generous during this whole event. Even though Cary’s condition was, we are told, a birth defect, we are also told there is no way anyone could have known, and not a reflection on the quality of Cary’s breeder. In fact, Cary’s breeder have offered us another pup – and we have not hesitated to accept their offer. Cary was a great Golden – except for one flaw…his heart.
If you want more details than I have included, email me at ainsley@angusfala.com
Now begins my story of Cary’s last 6 days.
Let’s start on Saturday the 21st. We woke up, and Cary Grant seemed to be doing great. Getting into trouble, playing, just acting like a happy puppy…
Cary Grant Saturday Morning
It snowed Saturday – we got about 5 inches here. And Cary, like all Golden Retrievers, loved it – he snorkeled in it, he rolled in it, he played in it. He had a good old time.
Cary in the snow Saturday afternoon
Overnight Saturday night, Catman wondered if something was wrong. He noticed Cary was breathing a lot as he was sleeping, and breathing loud too. He even woke Mama up and asked her if it is possible Cary was having bloat (where the stomach turns if a dog, usually large breeds, exercises too vigorously after eating). However, Cary was taken outside in the middle of the night, and pooped just fine, so Catman and Mama just chalked it up to being an energetic puppy.
Anyway, Sunday came, and Cary seemed fine. Here is Cary Grant playing with Mr. Bear. Does Cary look like a sick puppy to you? He doesn’t to us.
But we did notice that Cary was sleeping a lot on Sunday. Catman even took a picture of Cary sleeping. But again, it’s been 14 years since we had a 9 week old puppy in the house, so we just thought it was tiredness from a growth spurt.
Cary Sleeping Sunday afternoon
But, when Cary work up, he was the same ol’ Cary. We even went to see Aunt Judy and Uncle Bob, and had our Christmas picture taken for our Angus Fala Worldwide Enterprises 2015 Christmas Card.
Christmas Card Picture
Anyway, so we came home, and went to bed. Over the weekend, the hoomans started allowing Cary to sleep in their bed – and they are sure glad they did, because of what happened 5 days later. Catman took this picture of a Mama and her little boy, Monday morning.
Cary Monday Morning
So Monday morning started uneventful. Catman took Cary to McDonald’s, he wowed all the ladies working the drive thru,
and when Catman shoveled the drive way, Cary helped him by taking a plastic bottle out of the recycling in the garage, walking with it 40 feet, and depositing it at the end of the driveway.
But a few hours later, Mama noticed Cary was sleeping a lot, and sleeping loud. She could hear him wheezing from across the room.
Mama called our regular Dr. Pokey, and they told her to come in in 2 hours, and she did. The vet took one look at Cary and said “this is bad!.” She ran x-rays, wondering if something was wrong with his stomach, maybe he swallowed something, but it all showed clear. But she told Mama, and Catman, who came from work after Mama called him all upset, that Cary needed to go to a vet with an ICU and an oxygen crate right away.
So, they dropped me off at Aunt Judy’s, and rushed Cary to a specialty vet clinic in Aurora Illinois, a 90 minute drive. Cary was breathing really really hard on the way, and they were afraid he wouldn’t make it.
When they entered the vet practice – a big room with lots of people and animals waiting – the lady at the counter took one look at Cary and got on the loudspeaker and said “I need immediate assistance, all available personnel, to the front desk, STAT!” She actually used those words “STAT” – I thought they only said that on TV shows. For a second, Mama wondered who was in distress, but then 3 vet techs came rushing out and took Cary to the back. So they were calling for help for Cary – this is real serious.
Then a Dr. Pokey came out, the emergency Dr. Pokey, and told Catman and Mama it was definitely Cary’s heart (until then, we were thinking maybe it was pneumonia, or something bad, but something that could be overcome). She said it could be 2 things – one that could be managed, called PDA, and one that could not, called VSA. But from what she heard in her stethoscope, it sounds really bad, whatever it is. But they would stabilize him enough in his oxygen crate and then do an echo cardiogram.
About an hour or two later, a cardiologist Dr. Pokey came out, and said it wasn’t what they though, it was instead a condition called left side Mitral Valve Stenosis. She said she has never seen it in a pup as young as Cary, and that she didn’t know for sure, but his life would probably be measured in weeks or at best months. The way she explained it, Cary’s heart was malformed, and fluid was building up in Cary’s lungs. Cary was now in heart failure. His Mitral Valve Stenosis was very severe. My hoomans were devastated. It meant the hope of seeing Cary grow up a healthy happy Golden were now gone.
Dr. Pokey said my hoomans could visit Cary, but Cary would have to spend the night. When the hoomans visited Cary in the ICU, he was alert, and spry, and wanted to get out of his oxygen crate. He tried to fit his whole body through the hole in the cage. So sad.
So anyway, the next day, me and Catman went to go to pick up hooman sis as the airport. Since I have not included any pics of me, here I am waiting for hooman sis to say she has arrived while at the Ohare Oasis in Chicago. Consider my pic a brief Scottie interlude in my narrative…
Your intrepid storyteller waiting for sis to land
So we pick up sis, then we get the call from Dr. Pokey that Cary can come home. We pick up Cary, and wow, what a greeting! He was thrilled to meet hooman sis for the first time – and she was pretty happy herself!
Cary and Hooman Sis
Cary was a new boy for the first 2 days home. Tons of energy. You could tell, which we didn’t realize earlier, that this was the way he was supposed to act. While he was at Dr. Pokey, they gave him intravenous Lasix. And at home, we were to give him Lasix, which gets rid of extra fluid, and also a pill called an ACE inhibitor. Also, we had a followup appointment with the cardiologist for the 3rd.
On the way home, Catman called our petsitter, who owns 6 Goldens, and has shown them for years. First thing out of her mouth was “Get Cary in to see Dr. Luthey.” Dr. Luthey was a cardiologist in Chicago that the breeder told us about also, when we talked to them about Cary’s condition. So Catman made an appointment with Dr. Luthey for his next availability, 8 days away, December 2nd.
Anyway, Cary was a Gold Menace his next two or three days. Playing, playing playing! And so smart….he started pawing at the door to go out and potty. I ask you, ladies and gentlemen of the internet, does this look like a terminally ill puppy to you????
So Cary had a good 3 days…Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Friday was good too. Me and Cary went to work at Angus Fala Worldwide Enterprises, saw all the hooman staff there. Played with them. Got treats from Ms. Mary, who works in the front office. Then, Catman was at his desk, and Cary was sleeping and he heard Cary breathing. Uh oh, he thought. Then he did what the vets told us to do…count the breaths. Over 50, it’s an emergency. So he counted. 100! Oh NO!
We went home immediately, Catman talked to Mama, and they had two choices. No Dr. Pokeys in the local area could handle this. They could go to Aurora to the clinic they went to Monday, or they could go to the specialty clinic in Chicago – the one that Dr. Luthey practices at. They have a 24 hour vet practice too. It’s further, about 2 hours away, but it seemed to the hoomans that Cary wasn’t as bad off as he was Monday. So they called the emergency vet in Chicago, and they said bring him in. Dr. Luthey is off onn the weekend, but he can be consulted if need be. And in any event, all the vets there are well versed in heart problems.
So Cary was bundled up, and I stayed home with Hooman sis, and Catman and Mama and Cary Grant took to the road. Catman, on the drive to Chicago, told Mama he thought at worse they would stabilize Cary and maybe Cary could hang on until the appointment on Wednesday to see Dr. Luthey. But maybe it would be better, that the vets in Aurora got it all wrong, and it isn’t the heart at all! Unlikely, but possible – right?
On the way, they realized they needed to stop and get something to eat, and Cary needed to potty. So they stopped in the burbs and Cary sniffed around. Turns out this is the last picture of the very photogenic Cary Grant.
Cary Grant sniffing around in Bolingbrook, IL
So they arrive at the ER Vet in Chicago, and just like Aurora, no waiting for Cary, he got to bypass all the other people waiting, and the hoomans and Cary are whisked to an exam room. Vitals are taken, a Dr. Pokey arrives, and listens to Cary. She says without a doubt, it’s heart failure. The vets in Aurora got it right. But…But…BUT…she says this is so unusual in such a young pup, maybe a university, such as Purdue, or Ohio State, would want to take a crack at him. She says that may not be what you want to hear, but Catman said “oh no, that’s exactly what we would like to hear!” Then the vet says we need to take him back for some tests.
She comes back with Cary about a half hour later, and says “I don’t have good news.” He definitely has heart failure and Mitral Valve Stenosis,and she consulted an experienced cardiologist out in California, and he said he has only seen one puppy like Cary with Mitral Valve Stenosis – and it didn’t end well. There were no treatment alternatives. No miracles for Cary. Time to put him down.
Mama was beside herself in grief. Catman was trying his best to hold it together. Now let me digress and say that there is one thing for you, the reader, to understand – how can you be attached to a puppy you’ve only had 15 days? Easy – with a dog like Angus, who died at nearly 14 years, you mourn the lost past. With Cary, you are mourning the lost future. In many ways, with a pup, it is actually harder. We didn’t understand that until last week.
Dr. Pokey said hoomans could have some time with Cary. Cary was breathing hard…his lungs were filling up, but he still had the wag in his tail and wanted to play. So for an eventful too short 30 minutes or so, they tried to give Cary the best time of his life. Catman even took off his shoes and socks, so Cary could play with the forbidden sock. At that point, worrying about bad habits and choking can be thrown out the window.
But then it was time. Dr. Pokey came back in, and had the injections. During the first one, right before Cary slipped consciousness forever, Mama whispered in his ear…low enough so that no one could hear but Cary. “Goodnight Sweet Prince” – words from Shakespeare, and the last words Cary would hear on this Earth.
So that is the story of Cary Grant’s last 6 days. I will end my lengthy posting now with another picture, a beautiful picture, created by our friend Kate Wood, an artist from Alaska. Cary meeting our beloved Angus and his Scottie friends.
November 12, 2015 was a momentous day at The Ainsley Institute. The hoomans adopted a Golden Retriever Puppy. And Mama named it after her favorite movie star – Cary Grant.
Here is the photo gallery of that day. Top row, from left, is Cary Grant on the car ride home, next pic is the moment Mama met Cary Grant at the breeder (we had first pick of the males), then a pic of when Mama inspected and deciding that Cary Grant was the one, and far right top row is Mama bringing Cary Grant outside (for the first time), to the car.
2nd Row, Mama with Cary on the ride home, and Cary chewing on Catman’s jacket.
3rd row, Cary doing more chewing – and me, who was hanging out at the Aunt Judy Inn while this whole new puppy transaction was taking place, meeting Cary for the first time.
I liked and played with Cary Grant for about 12 hours – then after I realized he wasn’t going anywhere, I decided I didn’t like him anymore. This picture above is when I still liked him.
Anyway, Cary Grant, when he came to the Institute, weighed in at 9.5 pounds. This morning, he weighed in at 12 pounds. Every day it seems he has grown a couple of inches. He was at the cute as a button puppy stage, like you see here, about 2 days. Now he is beginning his rapid transformation to a gangly awkward adolescent.
In my spare time from CEO of Angus Fala Worldwide, I’ve been going through old pictures. You know, recategorizing some, deleting many others. Right now, I’m going through 2009 – before I was born. Back then, Angus was at peak Scottietude. A good picture of him above at the dog park – back then he would go to the dog park about every day.
And he would go anytime – even after it rained. It never stopped my brother – much to the consternation of Mama!
And finally, remember the great Scottie-Husky War of 2009? I gotta show you this pic – though Angus is a little blurry in it…this is the Husky that started the war with Angus. And gave Angus a grievous head wound! Of course, Angus also gave as good as he got in that war!
What caused the war? The same thing that causes wars throughout history, according to my brother. Two tough boys, and one tennis ball. Recipe for a conflagration!
Well, friends, it’s time to say goodbye to a friend.
Goodbye to the AngusMobile.
Today is the last day. I took my last ride in her to McDonald’s and then to the country to bark at cows.
It’s been a good vehicle.
It was the vehicle I first came home in on my Gotcha day back on Mother’s Day, 2010.
It took me and Angus to the dog park too many times to count.
It was the vehicle we all took for the big Pitbull battle of 2011. And the vehicle I took back when I took sweet sweet revenge against the Pitbulls back just this Summer.
It took me to McDonald’s just about every day since 2010, and then to bark at cows.
It took us all to the East Coast, where we saw Ty and Ivy in Clifton, Ohio, and then to Charlottesville, Virginia, to meet sis, Diablo Uno and Diablo Dos, and tour Monticello.
It took us to Chicago many times – to see the late great Caymus…and then Pippen and Handsome Jack – Bella and Bee Bee, and Lucy, and also we picked up Ficelle at her hotel in the AngusMobile and took her to see Pippen and Jacque.
We took it to see Zorro, and Patch, and Buttons, and Pierre, and Laci, and the world’s cutest dog, Niqqi.
It took us St. Louis – to meet Duffy. Where we gave that husky a barking at a lifetime at the Museum of the Dog. Then on the way back to the hotel, we got caught up in a bunch of hippies protesting, and they surrounded the van. Boy, they made Angus mad.
It carried many a distinguished guests – in safety and comfort. Like Beril, and Penny and the Count’s Hoomans, and Bella and Bee bee, and Ficelle and her hoomans.
We took it to Oklahoma back last year – in Angus’s last major road trip – and saw Henry and Jonesy and Bonnie, and Lucy and Ivy, and that Marla, and Mr. Gary. That was a magical day at the dog park in Tulsa.
And we took it on too many Dr. Pokey visits.
And it is the vehicle that took Angus on his last ride.
sniff…
So I’m sending the AngusMobile on…on to the Rainbow Bridge to Angus. And Today, I took the liberty of painting it up, so it is ready, immediately, for Angus to put it to use as his official catering truck.
SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN (music and lyrics by K Kristofferson, revised by A McKenna)
Well, I woke up Sunday morning
With no way to hold my scottie head that didn’t hurt
And the puddle water I had for breakfast wasn’t bad
So I had kitty litter poo for dessert
Then Mr Bear fumbled in his closet
And found his favorite Star Wars shirt
Then I brushed my sticky beard and combed by skirt
And stumbled down the stairs to meet the day
On a Sunday Morning Couch
I’m wishing, dog, that I was gone
Cause there’s nothing like a Sunday
That makes a Scottie feel alone
And there’s nothing short of aroooing
That’s half as lonesome as the sound
Of the empty TV room couch
And Sunday morning coming down
Keep your bed, and your spot on the couch. I’ll just stay here under the kitchen bar stool, where no one can GRAB me and give me a bath.
There are three kinds of people in this world. Good people. Bad People. And those out to GET ME. Unfortunately, I have never met the first two.
That’s why I have putting laserjet to paper and written my new book –
I wanna thank President Nixon for writing my foreward. I never will forget when I was a young intern in his administration. I didn’t even have 2 days growth of beard back then. And I told him “Dick, it doesn’t matter how big a lead you have in the polls, you gotta stay paranoid. For all you know, those Mainstream Liberal Commie Media people…like Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, Harry Reasoner – they tampered with the polls to give that McGovern the edge. Don’t get complacent, Dick! I bet they have all sorts of information in a safe over there at the Waterdoor…or maybe, no, it’s the Watergate Hotel – a president sure could help himself by finding out what is in there you know”
The next day, I went back to skool, and left his administration. I always wondered if he took my advice. So I was pleasantly surprised when President Nixon came back rose fromthe grave to write my foreward.
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