A Staycation!

 

A scorching 43+ degrees centigrade, an umpteen number of heartrending, nerve wrecking events in addition to work and regular life in the past two weeks were all brewing into the perfect recipe for a nervous breakdown – it was all just too much.

We put our paws down!

We need a break. NOW!

 

Flurry of plans – do we escape to the Himalayas or find a quiet resort in some other place?

A dog needs, once in a while, to rediscover himself. What better way to do that than to go lose oneself in the hills – away from the city lights, the internet, phones – just breath in the fresh clean air, listen to the birds and watch the twinkling stars in the night sky. (Do you know? We never see the stars here in Delhi clearly. The lights are perpetually on and the haze dulls the view.How sad!)

 

But it wasn’t to be. What’s that saying? – ‘A dog proposes but Mummy disposes’.

Well, apparently hill–climbing was out of the question because Buddy still hasn’t recovered fully from his limp.

So, after much deliberation, we decided to make it a ‘STACATION- Stay-at home-holiday’.

Which is the reason why we disappeared without pupdating you about Sheru and without telling you the incident with the Girls – Daffodil and Lily. (A harrowing incident – but the girls are fine now. We’ll come to it later)

We were on a HOLIDAY! No phones(at least not work related), no facebook, no blogging – just a Holiday!

Plenty of good food, some photography, some movies, exploring our museums, the cultural events and exhibitions by day and the city parks by evening.

 

 

 

 

 

When night fell, we went on long drives, played fetch in the parks at India Gate till they switched off the lights at the monument and almost everyone else but the lone ice-cream man hoping we will buy yet another ice-cream, left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was rather fun. And it seems to have ended too soon.

And we all seem to have got back from the brink of losing our sanity!

There was this terrifying storm that lashed our city last evening with a ferocity it seemed like the world was at it’s end. All due to the intense heat of the last few days creating a low pressure zone. As dust blew at speeds of 90 kilometers per hour many lives were lost, trees uprooted, electricity suspended and thousands lay stranded in the underground metros and massive traffic jams. Thankfully, our corner of the city escaped without much damage except for a few uprooted trees.

 

Thanks a lot for all your wishes for Sheru. We have been in touch with the shelter and Mummy & daddy went visiting him. He is recovering well. There’s a storm alert so it isn’t really a good idea to try bring him home this evening as per the original plan. If all goes well, we might go fetch him tomorrow morning. And if the vet gives a thumbs-up, he might get pampered at a dog-spa before he comes home!

 

 

 

 

Hope you are all well and hope your summer isn’t as harsh and un-relenting as ours.

 

Wags,

Ginger, Buddy and Shadow

 

 

Technorati Tags: Holiday 2014,Stay at home Holiday,New Delhi,Ginger,Buddy,Shadow,Sheru,Explore Delhi,Delhi storm May 30th 2014

 

All your prayers that you can spare….

 

It was by habit that I packed three portions of dinner for my street pups last night. When I realised it was going to be only Daffodil and Lily waiting for me, there was a lump in my throat. But I was not prepared for the surge of sadness that overwhelmed me when I went down to the gate and saw Sheru’s empty bowl. I had not realised just until that moment how integral a part of my life the familiar figure of the 14 year old pup with salt and pepper fur has become.

 

 

 

It isn’t like he always sits there waiting though. On many an occasion, I would need to go look for him all over our apartment complex in his favorite lounging corners that I’m familiar with now. Till last year it was easier. He would come hobbling on his rickety, arthritic paws as soon as he heard me call out for him, sniff hard to make sure I got his dinner and would follow me till the guard house by the gate where his bowl is kept.

But of late it has been difficult to find him. He can no longer see well – his eyes thickly clouded by cataract – and has lost almost all his hearing so he can’t hear me searching for him.

He would jump up startled at my touch and then begin his whining and sniffing ‘ Is it you with my food?’.

I would let him get a whiff of his dinner and he would invariably follow me to his bowl.

He loves milk and chicken. I always give him, Daffodil and Lily ( my two girls at the gate) steamed rice, some boiled pulses, a bit of vegetables and chicken. Actually I cook for six whatever I cook for Gin, Bud and Shadow for dinner.

This has been a part of my nightly routine once I get back home from evening clinic. The pups know. They follow my car on days I’m late till some distance from the gate, Sheru often standing in the middle of the lane right in front of my car whining while the girls prefer to stay back outside the campus gate.

It is an overwhelming feeling – a privilege actually - to have him waiting for you and asking for dinner when you know he cannot see or hear you. Somehow he senses and he trusts.

 

 

On Sunday morning, Sheru was hit by an errant driver. The guards called up ‘ Sheru has been run over. Can you come and check on him?’

He had deep cuts on his belly and hind paws, lacerations and open wounds and a very badly injured hind paw that looked like it might be fractured. But he stood up and whined, ‘It’s paining. I’m hurt’, he seemed to say.

P dressed up the wound and I called Gin, Bud and Shadow’s vet. He would see Sheru after 5 pm. By evening, his paw was badly swollen and though he stood up he was crying in pain and dragging it.

It was bad. Might be a fracture but there wasn’t any dislocation. Mostly a lot of swelling and oozing from the open wound but that made it difficult to clinically assess much.

We discussed shelters and finally the vet suggested one he said he trusted. So on Sunday night, after preliminary medication, P and I drove down and left him there.

 

 

He was scared and in pain but again, like always he overwhelmed me with his infinite patience and unquestioned trust. He would sit up and look out the windows but for most parts all the way to the shelter which was about 35 kilometers away, he cuddled up on my lap and slept. Like he was tired, just very tired. 

 

There are about 350 to 400 homeless, injured and abandoned pups of all breeds, shapes, sizes and temperament in this shelter. It’s full beyond capacity and bursting at the seams. But like they put it, ‘their gates are always open for just one more injured and sick dog’!

The vet refused to accept his fees and the shelter took Sheru in. Little acts of kindness so rare these days.

 

Sheru, I was informed is eating well and settling in, in spite of his injuries, hundreds of new smells and unfamiliar quarters. Which is a saving grace I’m sure. However much I’m dying to bring him home, I can’t manage to look after him on a full time basis. Left out at the gate, there would be no one to watch over him and ensure he wouldn’t hurt himself again. I can only feed him and take care of his medications but what he needs now is to be safe till he is up on his paws and the open wounds heal.

I can’t help but keep him at the shelter now for some more time where he’d be safe, get regular meals and veterinary care.

No news today morning, which I assume is good news. But I’m going over for a visit this evening.

 

Please do keep my precious old boy in your thoughts and prayers and send some healing vibes his way. I need him to recover fast, start walking and hobbling and whining.

I miss him….

 

 

 

Technorati Tags: Sheru,Car Accident,Dog adoption,Sai Ashram Animal Shelter,Delhi,India,Indian dog

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY–Daddy and Us and WHO??!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technorati Tags: Wordless Wednesday,Photography,Labrador Retriever,Indian Dogs,Dog Adoption,Shadow,Park Dog,Ginger,Buddy,Morning Walk

It’s done!

 

 

The ink is supposedly indelible should be impossible to wash away for at least a week. But it faded from day one and disappeared by the end of day 2! Unlike the blaring newspaper headlines every morning that didn’t seem to talk about anything else except what one candidate said about another and what rules were broken by high profile politicos for the last one month.

Finally, after a long drawn out drama, the multi-phase polling in the world’s most populous democracy ended last evening.

In Delhi, there was no dearth of incentives to encourage people to go vote.

Show your inked finger – buy one exotic lunch buffet and get another free! Get fifty percent off on all salon services on poll day if you are inked! Upload selfies of your inked finger and stand a chance to win a holiday for two!!

But the drama is far from over. From all that has been happening one is inclined to be concerned that the large electorate hasn’t quite managed to decide on an absolute answer, in spite of  more than average polling.

814 million registered voters. An overall average of 65% voted. Well, about 600 votes, give or take a few millions!

They say a brisk voter turnout indicates ‘vote for change’. Not good for the ruling political party but then, in today’s scenario I wonder if we have managed to elect a government that will be stable enough to last a full five year term.

What a mess that will be! Re-elections – like we have all the time and money in the world to indulge in sheer wastage! I am not sure I’m ready for another round of debate and drama, which, like an eminent columnist said the other day, wouldn’t even qualify for a college debate – it is so irrelevant.

 

But amidst all these emerges some heart warming stories that make you wonder – about those who fought for the freedom of our country and who set out to mold a free India – what made them tick? What made them different, who were these people?

Shyam Saran Negi –  a 97 year old walked several kilometres to the polling booth to cast his vote at 6:55AM on 7th of may 2014 along with his 92 year old wife Hira Mani. The first person to vote that day in his constituency at Kalpa, the little Himalayan village in Himachal Pradesh. Incidentally, the polling booth was at the very school from which he had retired after a service of 23 years.

 

( Photo courtesy PTI )

 

What’s amazing is that Mr.Negi was the first person to cast his vote in Independent India in 1947 and has since then never missed a single general election, often trudging through heavy snow to reach the polling booths. The state Election Commission had appointed Negi it’s poll ambassador for campaigning in the tribal areas in the state and this grand old man also received a  lot of media attention when he was featured in a Google India campaign video.

Negi was cheered on by local well-wishers and honoured with flowers, a shawl and scarf by the Deputy Commissioner of Kinnaur where his constituency is when he emerged from the booth after voting.

"I’m happy to get yet another chance to vote”,  he said. “At 97, if I can vote, there’s no reason why the youth cannot. I  Want India to be led by an honest leader, a leader who is not corrupt in any way”.

 

‘AMEN’!!

 

 

 

 

Technorati Tags: General Elections India 2014,Shyam Saran Negi,First voter of Independent India

Storm!!

 

 

 

 

Daddy is away on a work related conference, so it is just us and Mummy tonight. Our walk this evening was a short, quick affair. There’s a storm brewing, I have been sensing it since our walk, and now it’s here! We are snuggling close to Mummy so she won’t be scared by the loud thunder.

After the dust and heat of the past few days, rains are very much welcome. But I wish it came alone and did not bring along thunder and lightening. It’s nice and windy outside, fresh earthy smells and all. It would be really nice to open all the doors and windows and let the cool air in. But we can’t do that. Loud sounds often prove too scary for Mummy and I always need to snuggle close to calm her down till they stop.

 

 

Music often helps but since it’s weekend we have decided to settle in ‘The Den’ and watch a movie.

Have a nice weekend, everypawdy! Hope your whole family is home.

 

Ginger

 

 

Technorati Tags: Storm,Movies,Home alone,Weekend

Me? A BAD Dog? ?

 

 

I can’t help it. It’s the weather. Everything’s so dry my fur and my paws feel flaky and itchy. Then there are the mosquitoes on our nightly walks. They seem to prefer my black fur and gravitate in hoards! Mummy puts on some repellant cream just before I venture out which seems to help a bit but there are still those smart ones that remain undeterred.

Inspite of Mummy’s ministrations I have been itchy, especially where the harness rubs into my fur. Then there’s this pawticularly itchy spot at the base of my tail that’s really troublesome. So yesterday, when no one was looking I chewed off all the fur so there’s a large 2 inch long furless raw patch!

It felt really good!

Unfortunately Mummy wasn’t in the least bit amused. Well, you’ve to agree it wasn’t as bad as Buddy chewing off a part of his paw-pad (YES! He did just that sometime back!) but apparently it wasn’t acceptable.

So ‘SHREEIIIEK! Shadow has eaten his tail fur! Wash, scrub, medication’ later there was this thick layer of smelly cream covering the area I had worked so hard upon.

‘Don’t lick, Okies Shadow baby? You’re a goody boy’, Mummy snuggled close and returned to her book.

 

Normally I let stuff rubbed into me be. Unlike Buddy who has to lick, chew, eat everything I know what’s good edible stuff and what’s not! But this spot was - like I’d told you - pawticularly itchy. So when Mummy stopped my chin-rub and stuck her nose deeper into her new book, I decided I could work on it again. After all it is my tail! So I licked off that smelly cream before it could dry and chewed off some more fur.

I don’t know what brought mummy back to the world but suddenly there she was  - ‘SHREEEIIK! Shadow has licked off the medication!’

SIGH!

Tooth brushing and rinsing hard followed, as if it was going to help. Ministrations on my tail was repeated and I was called ‘A BAD BAD Dog!’

 

Me, a BAD Dog? After being the most tolerant and accepting of Mummy’s ministrations always? I don’t see where my fault is. Shouldn’t Mummy have paid better attention to me instead of her book?

I don’t think I want to talk to her or lounge close to her or give in to her hugs ever again. And I am not going to come when called. In fact I’m going to sulk!

 

 

 

SULKING,

Shadow

 

 

Technorati Tags: Shadow,Indian Dog,Dog Adoption,Summer allergies in Dogs,Allergic itch in dogs,Itchy dogs,Dog allergies

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY–Shadow

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technorati Tags: Wordless Wednesday,Shadow,Photography,Indian Dogs,Dog adoption

Any Snoozing preferences?

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There's no way he can fit under that coffee table but Buddy insists on snoozing at that spot, twisting and turning and fidgeting and grunting and oftentimes falling asleep with his head hanging over the wooden bar. Hence the pillows so he doesn't wake up with a stiff neck.

Maybe he is worried the sky will fall on his head- this constant obsession of sleeping 'under something'!
In another life,  he might have been in Gaul. Budmatix? !!

 

 

 

My Shadow Puppy, true to his name, forever follows me around untiringly till I settle down, when he’d come cozy up to me. Often, he would wait outside the bathroom attached to the utility room and fall asleep in this favourite corner of his!

And to my utter distress, almost always in weird positions I am convinced will give him a sprained neck someday!

 

 

 

 

 

Ginger is my 'shadow dog' too. She follows me around EVERYWHERE - ever since she was a pup till this time and date - come rain n thundershowers when she'd pull me by my skirt insisting I hurry up and settle down ;or come hot summer winds when she'd wait patiently hot and panting, unwilling to go settle in the airconditioned rooms till I'm done.

However,when it comes to matters of sleep, Ginger simply doesn't believe in inconveniencing herself !

She wants her floor cushions or the bed or the sofa or the garden seater. Her Royal Highness wouldn't lie down but pace around looking rather displeased until the bed is made, the cushions dusted and straightened and the sheets changed!!

My fussy Princess!!

 

 

It’s very dry, dusty and hot outside. Typical May in Delhi. Though we look skywards and hope for rains the dark clouds that come floating by float away unrelenting and we are stuck with a merciless sun! Everything around looks starved for water which is why I fished out this last picture from our walks one beautiful rainy morning when the world around had burst into a myriad hues of green…

Have a lovely weekend, Friends! Hope your days are greener than ours!

 

 

Technorati Tags: New Delhi,Photography,Snoozing positions,Ginger,Buddy,Shadow,Mundane days