MIZ BAILEY UPDATE

Miz Bailey continues to be a challenge, but we are seeing little changes daily. She is such a sweet little dog and our hearts break just knowing how abused she was.

She is most comfortable staying entirely in her bed or up against the wall hiding her head, but we don't let this happen for long periods of time. She is beginning to be more social....not to strangers, but to me. She likes to sit on my lap and in my office. She loves riding in the car in her booster seat and sitting on the porch with me. Today I took her in the golf cart and she was great...as long as she could snuggle close to me.

At night I had put a small bed on the floor next to our bed, but she wouldn't have a thing to do with it. However, this morning when I woke up she was sound asleep in this little bed. I was so excited!! I had been leaving our bedroom door partially open, hoping she would eventually come in.....and yep, there she was. It is amazing how excited we get with the slightest improvements.

She was so frightened of her leash, so I put it on her and just let her walk around with it trailing behind.....she finally realized that it wasn't going to hurt her and now she is okay with it.....just time and patience. She will now stay by me when I feed her and she loves her food. In the beginning I had to sit her food down and walk away.....not anymore.

Her bath is traumatic....I end up as wet as she does, plus the kitchen gets a bath too. I am taking her to our Vet next week, and I think that is going to be traumatic also. Potty Pad training her will be a BIG challenge....we haven't started that yet, as I think it would be a lost cause. As soon as she has our entire trust, that will happen and then hopefully, the travel bag will follow.

As soon as I know it is 'safe' to let her out of the kitchen, she is beginning to venture into the other rooms and will run back and forth from kitchen to my office. That is really a biggie!! Eye contact for her is very difficult and when in her bed, she will usually face the wall. We are seeing marked improvement in this area.

We shower her with lots of love, which is very easy to do. We love her dearly and just knowing we have made her life much better is worth it all. Starting today, she has wanted to follow me and be with me wherever I am...that is really exciting!

Blessings galore with Miz Bailey, so I remain a Blessed and Happy Arizona Gramma

Randy and Tiffany's Visit

We all enjoyed Randy and Tiffany's visit, but time passed too quickly and there seemed to be so many things happening all at once, plus their time was so short. One of the purposes of the trip was to bring Wayne's car down from Seattle.....so, it was convenient for Randy to stop in Sacramento to pick up Tiffany....it was a great opportunity for some special Father-Daughter time together.

It was fun showing Tiffany around in our Park....putting around in the golf cart. They took my car to the garage for a check up. They came home with toys and treats for Miz Bailey. Soon it was time to head to Sahuarita where Shari had baked and prepared a special dinner for us. This was the first time that Tiff had seen the new house and the boys were soooo excited to give her a tour. Both Rob and Ted think their Uncle Randy is the best ever and they are always so happy to be with him. It was a delightful and fun evening for all of us.

The next day there was more running around and of course, we had to indulge in Sonoran Hot Dogs at BK's. They are famous for their Sonoran style hot dogs and the locals say you are not a true Tucsonan if you have never eaten these hot dogs. They are a delicious true Mexican treat. Tiff and I were also able to visit Shari again before she flew back to Seattle....staying one night with Randy and Dana before flying to Sacramento.

The above swimming pool is where I spend daily time and was the main reason that we moved to this Park. Not many place heat their pools during the winter months, but our Park keeps the pool at 88 degrees all winter - plus they keep the pool in pristine condition...very clean and beautiful. I couldn't find a condo unit that heated during the winter.

Definitely feeling blessed with my family and where we live,
ARIZONA GRAMMA