Surgery and Recovery

Wow, I did not think that it would take me this long to recover from what I thought would be a quick surgical procedure and an even quicker recovery. I won't go into the details of the surgery but rest assured that it has not been a pleasant experience. The supposedly low pain procedure has turned into quite an ordeal. I take two steps forward and one back in recovering. Doctors like to push the pain meds as well. Most of the time I don't even like taking aspirin. Some of the pain meds that I've taken over the last couple of weeks would put most people on cloud nine. I've been trying to work during this recovery period but I have found it to be most difficult! Maybe tomorrow I feel better...Until tomorrow!

Hey everyone

Sorry about not updating the blog lately. I'm coming off my second operation in two months and my re-coupe hasn't been as quick as I'd like. The doctor wants me to do lots of walking and less setting at my computer for the next few weeks and I must comply. Just thought I'd take a moment to explain the lack of postings. Give me a couple weeks and we'll get all my sites back up to full strength. I hope and pray that everyone that reads my blogs is in good health and spirit. I know what it is like to be down. My constant side kick Lucy is doing well. She just has this gentleness about her every time I return home from the hospital. It's like she knows when I'm not feeling particularly well and adjusts to the role of spirit keeper. She sure brightens my days lately with her gentle, kind and entertaining ways. People can learn a lot from their pets.

See you in a bit! Good blogging to all...

Human Food for Your Boxer

A lot of people wonder what type of human food they should feed their Boxer. Even though many prefer to stick with dog food and only dog food, there are certain types of human food that Boxers love - and is actually good for them. Boxer’s crave attention as we all know - and when they watch you eat it never hurts to give them a bite - as long as you know what they should and shouldn’t consume with their diets.

For your Boxer’s health, feeding him foods such as chicken, raw vegetables, turkey, brown rice, fruits, and oatmeal are always great. Even though we think of these type foods as “human food”, they are actually good for many animals as well. All dogs have taste buds and noses, meaning that they get very excited when they see you with food.

If your Boxer runs to the refrigerator when you open it up, he’s trying to tell you that he smells something good. Even though he may run to the refrigerator, he isn’t begging for food as many think, he is simply wanting to have some real food. Once your Boxer starts to do this, you should give him some of what he wants. Although most real food is great for Boxer’s, there are some that aren’t quite so good.

Egg whites
If you feed your Boxer a large amount of egg white in his diet, he will get a deficiency in biotin, which is a B vitamin, due to the amount of avidin, which is a very destructive substance. If you are feeding your Boxer egg yolks, you shouldn’t worry as the effects of avidin will be offset by the high biotin levels that are found in egg yolks. You can also feed your Boxer egg shells as well, as they contain a large amount of protein. If you want the best for your Boxer - try feeding him raw eggs - with the shell intact.

Any form of Chocolate
We all know never to feed chocolate to any type of animal. Chocolate contains bromine, which is very toxic to both dogs and cats. Unsweet chocolate is by far the worst to feed to your Boxer, as it contains a large amount of bromine. Bromine is a very harmful chemical, one that normally leads to death of your animal should he be fed any type of chocolate.

There are other foods out there that can be good or harmful to your Boxer. If you have any questions, you should always ask your veterinarian. Your Vet will be able to recommended real food that is beneficial to your Boxer, as well as foods you should avoid. You can experiment with real food if you like - although you should never allow your Boxer to consume any type of chocolate.

If you would like a very good guide to feeding your dog Click Here!

An Update on Lucy...

Wow, this is the funnest area of all the things that I do online and yet I dedicate the least amount of time to the project. I haven't really sat down and written about Lucy the White Boxer Dog in first person in some time now! I must change this!

For everyone that is interested, Lucy is doing well. Right now I have her on the fat-girl program! Since I took ill a couple of months ago, I haven't been up to taking her out on her almost daily hikes and she's put on a little weight. The last time I weighed her over at the Vet's, she was up to 75 pounds. That's a bit heavier than I would like her to be. Boxers tend to develop real problems when they're to heavy, especially joint and hip problems. So, Lucy's on a diet!

She doesn't like the fact that she doesn't get as many treats as she used to get. She's limited to just a couple a day now. We've also cut back on her food portioning. We feed her Royal Canaan Boxer Blend dog food. It's a special food blended just for her needs and her sensitive stomach that we buy over at PetSmart. The only problem with the food is she tends to put on weight if we fail to measure out her food. She's down to 2 and 1/2 cups of the food per day now. We may step it up a little once we get into the winter months. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Lucy also loves waffles! I made the mistake of giving her a portion once and now every time I get the waffle machine out she comes a beggin'.

I'll post some new pictures of Lucy this weekend for all to see. She really is a great dog!!! Do I dare say it - "I love Lucy". What a great name for a really great dog!

Until next time :)

Is obedience Training right for your boxer?

Obedience training teaches your Boxer how to perform various activities. This type of training focuses on general behavior as well, teaching the dog to be well behaved. Most dogs who go through a class in obedience training turn out to be well behaved and will listen to your commands and shouldn’t do things such as chewing and barking for no reason. If you want your Boxer to be well behaved and obedient, you should enroll him in a obedience training class as soon as you can.

Keep in mind that there are certain lines and distinctions with each type of training. If you choose obedience training for example, then your Boxer won’t get any help with his behavior. When you select a class for your Boxer, you always want to select a class that fits his needs at that time. If you are having trouble controlling your dog, you may want to start him off with behavior training, which is what most Boxer owners tend to do.

When you look for a training class, you should also know what area your dog needs help with. Sometimes, a behavior pattern can be the result of boredom, which can easily be fixed by spending more time with your dog. Once you have spent more time with him, you’ll sometimes notice his pattern to stop. Other times however, he may need a bit more help with certain behavior patterns, which is where training comes into play. Although Boxers are smart dogs, they won’t know if they are doing something wrong unless you show them.

Before you can train your Boxer puppy, you need to know what to teach him. Boxer puppies adore routines, and feel more at ease than ever if they are on a schedule that they can predict. When you take your dog to training, you should always be patient with him and reassure him that he is doing good. As your Boxer gets older and begins to learn new things, he will never forget his training. In the unlikely event that he starts to slip on some of his training, you can always let him go through a course again to brush up on the techniques. This way, no matter how old your Boxer gets, he will always be the ideal companion that you have grown to love over the years.

Hi to our kids in Texas

We put this video together for our kids last summer. If you are a parent and you are separated from your kids by some measure of distance, you understand the message that we wish to send with this video. Look for Lucy in the video as well. She's a big part of our family. Notice that she appears a lot of shots when we are playing our guitars. Hope you enjoy the posts and once again we would like to high to our kids Aaron, Whitney, Lauren, Robert (son in law), Sophie(grand-baby and chunky monkey , and Justin (future son in law)...we miss you all!

Here are three great shots of our Lucy and me. The first two pictures depict her active lifestyle. The picture of her on one of our couches is what she does in her spare time. She's put on a bit of weight this summer due the high temperatures here in the Mid-South this year. Boxer's don't tolerate heat very well, much the same as most people don't, so we've just not been as active. Even when we went to Shelby Farms and their "dog park" this past weekend, all Lucy did was splash around a bit in the pond and then look for a shade tree. The sun really got to her! As a matter of fact, we have to guard against sunburn on her. Enough rambling, trust you enjoy the pix. Novo

I just had to post this picture of Lucy! This is such a good pose, it's almost as if she knew she was getting her picture taken. Sometimes I think animals are smarter than most people give them credit!!!

4th of July weekend!

Hey everybody! The 4th of July had Terri, Lucy and myself traveling to Texas to be with family. The cool little gal in the shades is the latest addition to our family. We'd like for everyone to meet Sophie E'lynn our new grand baby. We have a great shot of Lucy giving Sophie a ride on her back. Boxers are definitely great kid dogs! I'll try to post more pictures of the big visit in a later posting. It's amazing we live in Memphis and all our kids are in Texas. We miss them allot... It's nice to visit as often as possible.

Memphis in Mud

Saturday May 3rd, Terri(the wife) and I went to Memphis in May. If you've been following the national weather seen you'll know that we have had a lot of rain this spring. We stood out in the mud on Saturday evening for 4 hours to be able to get up close to the stage to see Carlos Santana, one of my favorite guitar players of all time. We also saw Buddy Guy and Lou Reed. Buddy Guy was fantastic, Lou Reed was barely tollerable and played none of his classics, kinda boring if you ask me. What a great concert Carlos Santana put on! He and his band came on stage at 10:30 and did not finish until 12:40am Sunday morning... Can you say worth it!!! If you ever get a chance go see Carlos Santana, go!!! You won't be disappointed. Lucy stayed at home that evening, no dogs are allowed on the grounds at Memphis in May. She greeted us at the door at about 2:00am in morning in classic clown boxer style...What a super evening we had! If you need a vacation in early May and you want to include music to your trip, check out Memphis in May. You can get discounted tickets in March and April for all 3 days of the music festival. Please bring a poncho and rubberized boots. It always rains, but good times can be had!!!

Not feeling well...

Sorry for not posting anything for a bit. I haven't been feeling well as of late and work has kept me quite busy. Lucy's adventures are about to kick off again real soon. The weather in Memphis and the surrounding area is starting to get really nice. We are looking to go hiking over in the Smokies just as soon as I get into a little better shape. Lucy is getting excited! Please return soon for our next post.
Ciao for now!

Rocky Mountain National Park

At one time, the Rocky Mountain National Park was known by
early explorers as “America’s Switzerland.” Although there
are many beautiful mountains for hikers in this country, none
beat the Rocky Mountains.

The beauty is breathtaking, the colors vivid, the wildlife
diverse, and the air crisp and clean! The entire park covers
approximately 415 square miles, meaning you have a huge
selection of areas to backpack. One of the favorites is
outside of Estes Park, a quaint little town with a big heart
and even bigger history. This area of the park has massive
alpine tundra that covers about 65% of this area.

If you backpack on the lower section, you will be walking
through ponderosa pine, juniper, and Douglas fir trees.
Wildlife includes large herds of elk, coyotes, marmots, badgers,
and bighorn sheep. Since this park offers more than 355 miles
of trails, it is considered among the best in the United States.

The only downfall to backpacking in the Rocky Mountain National
Park is that because it is so incredible here, people come from
around the globe to get caught up in the experience. Therefore,
fighting crowds is a possibility, even in the backcountry.
In fact, each year more than three million people visit the
Rocky Mountain National Park although not all backpack.

Keep in mind that because this national park is so precious,
special permits are required for backpacking on some of the
trails as well as camping. In fact, you would need to make
reservations ahead of time. While you can reserve a one-day
permit to stay in the backcountry overnight any time during
the year, from June to September, you are limited to seven
night stays.

You can learn more about backpacking, including how to plan for
a trip, what to bring, how to pack and how to remain safe, by
buying a new ebook, “A Beginners Guide to Backpacking”.

Here is just SOME of what you will learn by reading this
comprehensive ebook:
- The unwritten rules and backpacking ethics shared by fellow
backpackers – you’ll know what to do and what not to do in
every possible situation that could arise out on the trail!
- How to properly plan for a backpacking trip – knowing this
important information could very well be the difference between
having a safe and a disastrous outing!
- Five things you must know before going out on a backpacking
trip – skip these important steps and you will be inviting disaster
- The truth behind the statement “great campsites are found –
not made” – and what you can do to ensure you always have a top-notch
campsite!
- How to build a campfire safely – you may be very surprised at
what you read here! What to do with food to ensure that it is not stolen or eaten by
animals – this tip will keep you from going hungry later on!
- Four tips for remaining safe while backpacking – follow these
important tips and ensure that you return safe and sound!
- How to choose the right equipment – this is the most important a
spect of successful backpacking ... I’ll tell you what you need,
what you don’t, how to pick out the best equipment and even how to
save money on your purchases!
- How to develop an equipment buying strategy – so that you don’t
end up spending your entire savings on equipment!
- What to expect as far as backpacking costs – read this information
and ensure you won’t be surprised or unprepared later on!
- How to pick the perfect tent – The book will advise you what size is best,
what features are essential and much, much more … They’ve even
included a list of the best tents available and recommended
manufacturers!
- How to pick the best backpack – there are hundreds of options
available, they’ll tell you how not to be overwhelmed by the wide
selection and how to choose the very best one for you … I’ve even
included a list of the best backpacks available and recommended
manufacturers!
- How to select the right boots/shoes – this information will
help ensure your trip is not ruined by sore feet!
- And much, much more!
- You can find this ebook here! be sure to type in "Beginners Guide to Backpacking" in the "search window" to go directly to the book.
Here's to good camping! thanks, Novo

My dog is smarter than yours...

What a great shot of an obviously very intelligent dog... My wife sent this to me the other day and I felt I had to post it... cool picture!

Here is something I believe in...

I took the pledge won't you. I love this organization...

A new friend

I would encourage everyone who visits this blog to head over to my new friend's blog. Himalman's blog is really great if you like mountain adventure. He just posted a summiting of Mt. Everest on his blog. This guy is living a dream life... you can find him in my neighborhood section on the right side of this blog.

Run your car on water...

As you might have guessed by now, I'm a bit of a tree hugger. My wife and I both drive fuel efficient cars. I drive a Mini Cooper and she drives a Miata. Well I've been spending a great deal of time online lately and I came across this great idea and I felt I needed to share is with everyone. This is something that I can really get behind and I've already ordered my guide to build my own kit for my already fuel efficient vehicles. If you are interested in learning more about how to run your car on water to increase fuel efficiency just click here! I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I saw this. I'll let you know as time goes on how this is working out.

Yesterday's Hike

We had a great hike yesterday. Lucy is putting on some winter weight and she must go on a diet. The heat that's coming will really knock her down if we don't do something about it now. But in this picture she really is beautiful wouldn't you agree!
Our hike took us along a creek bank with a steep cliff that we had to make our way down. Terri took a great shot of the creek and I feel I must share it with everyone. I hope you enjoy the picture as much a we did taking it.

Big Hill Pond State Park

I was just setting here reviewing some of the hikes that I've taken Lucy on recently. I want to make a case for folks from Western Tennessee to take a trip over to Big Hill Pond State Park. The park is about 60 miles east of Memphis on State Highway 57. I went there this past fall and and fell in love with the place. It has a really nice camp area and lots of trees and trails. I believe it is listed in the State Park guide. Please look this place up and make use of it. The park is on the endangered list. Nashville has tried to do away with it a couple of times through budget cuts. I'd really hate to see that happen. If you like low lands and water with no motor boating allowed then this is the place for you . I know that the wife and I will be taking Lucy back real soon!

It's Raining in Memphis

It's raining in Memphis today. Lucy is setting at my feet wondering why we aren't going somewhere. After last weekend's trip to Arkansas I think she's wanting to go again... She's really a going concern!!! Well she just moved to a chair. Good picture!!! Maybe tomorrow?

My wife and I took Lucy hiking at a new location today. We went over into Arkansas to a really nice state park named "Village Creek". What makes Village Creek unique is the fact that the "Trail of Tears" military road from the early 1800's runs through the park.

The "Trail of Tears" is a term that is used to describe the road from the southern states that various "Native American Tribes" were forced to travel to the reservations located in Oklahoma. The trail runs up over Crowley's Ridge. The trail itself was so traveled that the path in places is twenty feet deep and about thirty feet wide. If not for the nature of the cause of the trails depression I'd say that it was really cool.

The hike we took today was actually a trail that connects with a portion of the Trail of Tears called "Military Trail". The duration of the hike today was right at two hours. If you would like to learn more about the park you can go to http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/villagecreek/ . The website is one of the best I've seen.

I've attached a couple of photos that we took today...

Helping other dogs

There's a great site out there that I would like to introduce everyone to! It's called http://www.1-800-save-a-pet.com/ . This is a great cause and if you can please provide a home or a donation to a homeless pet! If you are thinking of getting a new dog, I'm sure there is a rescue out there somewhere that really would love a good home. Thanks!

A new hike in Memphis

There is a new park in Memphis that is just now being completed. It is located off of Forest Hill Irene and Loop 380. Nice park. Right now there is only about 5 miles of trail and some of it is kind of rough. Lucy and I went there today. I managed to fall due to some slick mud that stepped in going up a small hill. That's okay, Lucy managed to fall in the creek that runs parallel to the paved walk way. She went submarine on me! Boxers don't swim well, but they love the water, go figure?