The Evil Aliens and Their Zombie Slaves

There was a period recently when Ivan was feeling a bit unwell, due, we think, to his recent decision to inhale something disgusting during a walk, a disgusting something that he expelled from both ends. His digestive system clearly needed a rest.

This is the point where the Evil Aliens replace his loving parents with Zombie Slaves who were sent to torture and starve Ivan. Instead of the usual carefully prepared entrée, he was served a few pathetic grains of rice floating sadly in watery chicken broth. Ivan inhaled this paltry offering, but when he realized no real food would follow, he favored his server with dour looks. When he was slipped only two Charlee Bears at bedtime, he said something that even a minion of the Evil Aliens could tell meant "You're not my real mom."  This torture continued all the next day, as the Zombie Slaves provided no treats and served Ivan only these pitiful meals of watery chicken broth with rice sprinkles. 

Finally, just as Ivan was sure starvation was imminent and he’d never have the energy to play with his fuzzy toys again, his real mom and dad escaped from the Evil Aliens, banished the Zombie Slaves, and provided pasta with chicken broth, thus saving him from wasting away to nothing. At last his poor tummy was no longer empty and shriveled. Things continued to get even better when Ivan received his excellent chicken and sweet potato cuisine and even some treats. Ivan told me he's very glad to have his real mom back. He missed me a lot, especially at meal time.

River's Run: My Arrival

& ALL ALONE...

On April 27, 2013 I arrived to my third forever home.  Being that I have had 2 other forever homes and more than 3 foster homes in my 6 years - well now 7 since yesterday was my barooday - needless to say my separation anxiety was at an all time high.

When my new humans picked me up in Michigan (the fifth state I have been in), they seemed very nice.  However it was a long drive to their home in Southern Ohio (now six states).  As usual we, B's, latch on to humans immediately.

Then it happened....within 24 hrs they brought out that wired thing...they tricked me into it and left me for 20 minutes.  I snapped....Yes, I've been in these before...but in a new strange place it makes the crate seem tight, uncomfortable, and awful.  So, I did what any Basenji would do...just take a look..

After the 20 minute anxiety driven destruction of a drill bag, rug and the crate itself,  my new humans determined the crate was not for me.  

Then life seemed good until they did it again.  I guess there was a funeral service and again I had to be left alone.  This time they used those things to keep smaller humans from entering rooms - every where - they blocked the stairs, the computer room, and the living room and shut the bathroom and bedroom doors. Well, again, the anxiety overwhelmed me and I knocked down every single one of those little fences and had a field day!  I found a nice bag to chew the handle off of upstairs. I tore down and chewed holes in curtains.  I even tore a hole in the recliner. 

But guess what?  I was never scolded, hit, or anything.  They just cleaned up my mess, sewed up the chair and curtains.  Wow...these humans are awesome.  I guess they understand.  As time went on,  I gradually grew used to being left alone for short periods of time and I noticed they always came back. 

I guess what I'm trying to tell you - when you get a new one of us in your home, take the all alone time slow...build the time alone by 5 - 10 minutes each time. Determine if a crate is appropriate for the new Basenji in your home.  Use those interior fences if needed.  And most of all, be patient...time will make a difference.  I've been in this home now 8 months and am staying by myself four hours with minimal issues...well let's just say that thing they put up with lights and decorations...is missing a decoration.  :-) 

Have a Happy New Year....

River

Merry Christmas 2013

To our basenji friends far and near, the ones we’ve met in person and the ones we know online, to those who find forever homes
for basenjis in need, and those who adopt basenjis and give them a second chance
for love and a family, to all of you
we send our very best wishes for a
Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year.

(Click on the link below for our photo card.)

Merry Christmas 2013

Christmas Decorating

Years ago when all we had was greyhounds, our Christmas tree had beautiful ornaments on it.  Some would spin, some would sparkle, all would be pretty.  We had shimmery garland on the tree that shone like diamonds when the lights were lit.  In those days we had a little magnetic skating rink, you’ve seen them.  The people of the town would skate around in circles and figure 8s and the little trees would dot the bank around the pond.  In those days we wrapped gifts and carefully put them under the tree where they would stay undisturbed for the week or so before being unwrapped.  We had a precious little nativity scene complete with the barn and straw which my mother-in-law had carefully made and placed the baby, the wise men, the kings, the sheep, and especially the straw.

Well, guess what?  We still have greyhounds but have added 3 basenjis to the mix.  No ornaments, only silk poinsettias.  No garland.  No skating rink as all the towns people lost their arms and magnets and the trees where destroyed by some natural disaster known as hurricane basenji.  And certainly no nicely wrapped packages under the tree until we are only minutes from ripping the paper off ourselves.  The nativity scene was just too full of tasty straw to be left alone so it is carefully packed and safely stored in the attic until we move into a house where we can place it up very very high.

So Christmas decorating has changed but because we love our little furry family we are very much ok with the changes.

Judy Murray

December Birthdays

December is birthday month in our house.  This year Shaka turn eight on December 13, and Audrey turns six on December 15.

It has been a good year with both being healthy and getting a clean bill of health from the vet on December 5 for their semi-annual physical.

After two and a half years of Audrey having hotspots and issues with her coat, it is finally just about perfect.  A great way to end the year.

Head Licking

I don't think it's unusual that my basenjis like to lick heads; from what I hear it's a pretty normal basenji "quirk."  I always thought it was because most peoples' foreheads are slightly salty, so that's what draws the dog to lick. But if that's true, then why is my basenji Biko obsessed with licking our new baby's head??? Take a look:

As you can see, the baby isn't too happy when Biko licks his head, so I try not to let it happen, but sometimes it's hard not to because it's just too funny!  Maybe the dog is trying to "groom" the baby as would a mother dog with its young?  I don't know, but I think we're going to have to teach Biko that the baby isn't a puppy :-) 

We Celebrate Tuesdays

 

We celebrate Tuesdays. We celebrate quiet miracles of normalcy because they are the moments of joy we build our lives on. Not fireworks, not New Year’s Eve, not grand glittering events, but the small smiles, the sighs of contentment. We celebrate tail wags, snuggles, baroos, and “talking” from our babies. We savor the sight of them lying in the sun, or sprawling in the grass. We caress soft ears and rub endearingly freckled tummies. We bury our faces in their sweet fur. We live our lives in small fleeting seconds of joy.

We celebrate Tuesdays and evenings when the sky is so clear we can see stars everywhere. We rejoice in perfect vibrant leaves falling in our backyard as the Munchkins jubilantly assist in raking multi-colored mountains. We celebrate the owl who visits our pine trees. We applaud the ordinary, which isn’t; we marvel at the normal, and we count our blessings during our usual evenings snuggled together.

Our Munchkins are now seniors with health issues, and we tweak their routines a bit, change their diets, make no plans to travel.  Their walks are shorter and they let us know when they’re ready to go home. We try to make changes almost before they are needed to make life easier for the Munchkins.

 Although she still leaps and twirls when her food is about to be served, Dasa gets tired and sometimes has difficulty jumping onto the people bed with its high mattress. We added  small carpeted pet stairs by the sofa and bed.  She looks askance at these new things. It takes Dasa a while to get used to anything new, so the stairs are there waiting, giving her suspicions time to fade. Gradually, our little Doodle will realize these new obstacles a) will not eat her and b) might be handy to have around.

I’ve been using treats and a clicker to coax her up the steps. I’m having some success with this, although she is still not sure this is a good idea.  Ivan leaps onto the bed, taking the fast track to the treats. Dasa follows the treats step by step, but she has the air of someone who is patiently humoring me, hoping I’ll tire of this new game. 

 

 

We celebrated little Doodle’s 14th birthday on November 22.  I believe 11/22/99 is among the luckiest of numbers, bringing most uncommonly good fortune and blessing us with Dasa. And yet, and yet, time runs merrily along, a river of days, hours, bright moments rushing past us. Time is a force stronger than gravity. The speed of sound, the speed of light, the speed of life. All those moments we try to savor flow through our fingers and somehow, we are miles and years from where we were such a short while ago.

We celebrate because the day comes, and always too soon, when ordinary, simple, usual, small joys and routines are replaced by heartache and oh how we wish for ordinary once again. So we hold our dear ones close, and we celebrate Tuesdays.