Rivers Edge Ultra - the Longer Version

One of the things I missed when living in Phoenix was the changing seasons – the buds coming out on the tress whilst the spring flowers start to burst out of the ground, the summer blooms, lush green grass and leaves on the trees, being wowed by the colours of autumn when the weather starts to cool off and the leaves on the trees become vibrant golds and reds, and then of course the dark, cold winter months when everything hides away and all you want to do is sit in front of a burning log fire drinking a cup of hot chocolate.

When signing up for the Rivers Edge Ultra, one of the things that appealed to me was the course description of woodland trails and running across farmland above the North Saskatchewan River valley, with a river crossing and a bit of scrambling thrown in for good measure. I’d looked at photos from previous years and the colours were breathtaking – I couldn’t wait to run those trails and experience the beauty of the fall colours whilst out there.

Of course, one of the things we can’t control is the weather, and in the days leading up to race day, the Edmonton area was hit by early snowfall. Sure, it wasn’t “proper” winter snow with the bitterly cold temperatures you usually get here in Canada, but it’s safe to say that none of us were expecting a whiteout come race day.

The forecast was calling for 3 to 6cm of snow with temperatures hovering around freezing point with a wind chill making it feel more like -7. The organisers had already made the decision to remove the river crossing from the race – the water would be far too cold and there was a serious risk of hypothermia for the runners. Come race day, trails conditions on one of the loops were so bad and treacherous that they also decided to change the course – we would now be doing one lap of loops 1 and 2, and two laps of loop 4.

Not knowing the course, I didn’t really mind the change and was certain that I would still get to experience the beautiful scenery. My main concern was making sure I was warm – I can handle the cold without too much difficulty, but snowy and windy conditions add a completely different perspective to things – a wet cold is not fun! I’d raced in crazy sub-zero temperatures before, I raced in blizzards before, but these were short 8km cross country races where you’re done within the hour. Today I was expecting to be out for 5 or 6 hours and whilst we would pass through the start/finish area at the end of each loop, there are times when we would be exposed to the elements with no shelter – if I ended up having to walk for any reason, it would be easy to become cold very quickly.

The good news is that I seemed to have dressed appropriately – I got quite warm on loop 1 and almost removed a layer, but as the snow started to fall more thickly and with the forecast saying it was only going to get worse, I kept the layers and was grateful for them later in the race when I really was covered in mud and sopping wet.

Just before the start - before the snow got crazy!

Loop 1 was around 8 or 9km and from the start, I was loving how magical the wooded trails looked in the snow with the bright reds and golds adding a wonderful contrast to the brilliant white. There were a few climbs that were extremely slick and muddy making them difficult to run up, and there were some exciting downhills where a few people ended up on their butts. There were quite a few muddy puddles to negotiate as we crossed the farmland, and I could already feel my back and hips starting to ache from all the sliding about whilst trying to get a grip.

For the first couple of miles, I was leading the ladies race but there were 3 other ladies hot on my tail. With Javelina Jundred being just 5 weeks away, I didn’t want to race this one too hard – I also didn’t want to trip or fall and end up twisting an ankle by becoming reckless out there – the snow was hiding lots of roots and tree stumps and with the uneven ground also being less obvious, it would have been so easy to end up with an injury from the race. It took a lot of self-control not to go chasing after the three ladies that passed me towards the end of loop 1, but I was trying to keep a relaxed pace and I was thinking more about my longer-term goals for the remainder of the year.

As we passed through the transition area, I dropped my backpack and headed out on loop 2.

The second loop consisted of a good climb and I got passed by another lady as I made my up the hill. I’d now slipped to around 5^th place in the ladies and I was a little bit disgruntled at how things were going. I wasn’t feeling as energetic as normal and I didn’t really have the mental focus on the race. I was running a decent pace, and yet I just wasn’t making any ground on the ladies ahead of me, and even when we hit the open fields, they were nowhere in sight. The course record was 6 hours 22 minutes and yet today, there were 5 ladies that were currently on track for a finishing time of around 5 to 5 and a half hours! I didn’t want to race hard, but I had hoped that I could at least win an age group award, so I was a little disappointed that I just couldn’t seem to catch them. What the hell was wrong with me?

It was hard to let them go, but I somehow managed to talk myself into a better frame of mind and started to enjoy the running. The course really was beautiful and there were lots of sections that took us through low lying branches that made it feel like we were running through a delightful snow tunnel. The muddy sections were still hard going, the snow was getting heavier and deeper, but I was having fun. At the back of my mind, I was still hoping that the ladies ahead would start to tire – I was confident that I could keep the pace going simply because I’ve been doing a lot of progression and negative split runs in training – but I obviously didn’t know how they prepared for races. I grabbed some chicken broth at the aid station which hit the spot and gave me the warm boost that I needed – I was starting to feel much better.

I still had no idea how long this loop was but kept pressing forward, and eventually it felt like we changed direction and were heading back. The trails were getting quite muddy again, but the worst was yet to come. As we climbed a small hill and started the descent the other side, we were greeted by the worst mud imaginable. Not only that but it was a steep slope that looked to be around 100m down. Up ahead, I saw the 4^th placed lady tentatively picking her way down, using the bushes at the side of the trail to stop herself from just sliding.

I’ve said before that I get a little reckless on downhills sometimes – I find downhill running extremely exciting, and as I made my way down that hill, my feet had no grip whatsoever and I started to slide out of control. I squealed in my excitement, laughing my head off and whooping as I went along and passing the lady in the process. I was almost skiing down the hill but without ski-poles, grabbing the occasional tree branch or bush when I could to help maintain my balance, but otherwise just going for it, getting covered in mud up to the knees but not caring in the slightest. It was so much fun!

That section of the course was the turning point for me, getting fueled on adrenalin to give me the boost I needed which enabled me to overtake some other runners and to start gaining on the leading ladies.

As I headed into the aid station by the start, Andy was there with a hot coffee for me and some nibbles. I grabbed a bit of both but having spotted another lady racing the 50k just ahead of me, I set off in pursuit.

If lap 2 had been fun, lap 3 was incredible but also frustrating at the same time! It was exceptionally muddy, and I felt like my pace had slowed dramatically as I fought to keep moving in the slick conditions. The snow was also falling even heavier by now and it was almost blizzard like. Everybody was bundled up so much that it was difficult to distinguish the girls from the boys, but I had a feeling I had now moved in to 3^rd position although I was certain there was another lady about 200 metres ahead.

We ran along more single track before hitting double track trails, and then joined the trail alongside the river banks. The river looked amazing but also very cold with the snow falling and I was feeling relieved that we wouldn’t have to wade across today! We dropped down to the river’s edge and ran along a beachy area for a short time. This part wasn’t much fun and for a second the negativity was starting to creep back, but as soon as we left the river and headed up the hill, I had my fight back.

I hadn’t realized there was another aid station on this loop so I when I spotted the amazing volunteers there, I headed over and grabbed a drink of coke. The caffeine and sugar gave me the boost I needed, and I headed off up the hill, slipping and sliding once again. I could still see the other lady ahead of me and she was making light work of the hill – I had to keep going and keep her in my view, but a half mile or so later she disappeared in to the trees as the route took us through the next exceptionally fun part of the course.

The last couple of miles on loop 3 were so much fun. The trail was amazing as it wound through moss-covered trees and with the snow having still made its way through, there was far more mud making some of the steep downhills slippery hard going. The difference this time was not having anything to hold onto and slipping here would take us rolling down the hill to the stream below. By now my gloves were sopping wet with using the ground to steady myself and I could feel my fingers starting to get numb from the cold.

We dropped further down the hillside and then had to use a rope to drop down to the stream and cross over to the other side. I tried not to step in the water as I knew it would be freezing cold, but the wet rock meant that my feet got another soaking and my toes were starting to protest.

The trail appeared to disappear the other side as we climbed up a peat covered hillside, climbing over fallen trees and literally dragging ourselves up the short, steep climb. Only on reaching the top could we start to run again and even then, it was very wet and muddy causing me to almost lose a shoe as the mud tried to claim it.

5 or 10 minutes later, I heard the main aid station again and I found that I had already completed the loop. I was expecting it to be about 10km, but it hadn’t taken long to complete, and I thought that maybe we had to do it 3 times rather than twice as I’d previously thought.

Andy was once again at the aid station waiting for me and I removed my gloves with intentions of changing them. I spotted the other two leading ladies at the aid station and knew that I needed to start the next loop ASAP to give me the advantage over them. In my haste, I forgot to take my dry gloves with me which I would come to regret just 10 minutes or so later, but I had spotted the opportunity to take the lead, so I went for it.

I’d moved into second place and after a few minutes chasing the leading lady, I caught her on a narrow, muddy section of trail and she stopped to let me pass. I don’t know if she realized she had just given up the lead and I hesitated thinking maybe I should say something, but my legs just wanted to go and started to pull away.

I knew that this was the last lap for us but when I looked at my watch and it showed just 20 miles or so, I thought that we either had one more lap to do, or else I had accidentally stopped my watch and forgotten to restart it. I was more frustrated about the latter crazy as it sounds – geez, us runners eh?! – and tried to speed up to open as much a gap as possible now that I was leading. I knew the river section was coming, I knew that the climb was coming, I knew that I had to make ground before the climb, and somehow, I managed to keep ahead.

The final stretch through the woods was just as much fun as last time and I recklessly ran up and down the hills, getting caked in mud pretty much everywhere in my determination to now win this race. The steep climb after the stream had my legs burning but I refused to relent, and as I ran down the hill towards the finish line, I knew that I had just about done it.

But there was still a lingering doubt – my watch only said 22 miles - and despite the course change I was still expecting to be closer to 50k. As I ran towards the finish line, I was convinced I’d have to do out to do another lap. I stopped to check with the timekeepers and only when they confirmed that I had indeed finished did I stop my watch – 22.1 miles in 3 hours 48 minutes, I had won the ladies race with just a minute between me and the second placed lady.

Have I finished? Or is there another lap?
PC Rivers Edge Ultra

I was presented with my trophy at the finish line as the snow still came down, but I was so happy to have won that I had become oblivious to the cold and the wet. It was only when I went in to the warming tent to change in to dry clothes that I started to shiver and realized just how cold I really was. Thankfully Andy was there to look after me and I was soon toasty warm again and drinking a most welcome cup of hot coffee.

Finish line awards and happy to have won. Snow? What snow?!
Picture Credit: Rivers Edge Ultra

The Rivers Edge Ultra really is an awesome race on some gorgeous trails and the organisers did an amazing job adapting and making sure the race still went ahead, especially considering how crappy the weather was. The volunteers deserve a medal for standing out there in the cold just to look after the runners – there was a 100k race too along with a 50 miler, and folks had been out there for hours already before I even started to run!

What I loved more than anything about the day was that nobody complained and the ultra-running and trail running community came together to make the most of the day. The conditions only made the race more challenging which is why we enter these races – to challenge ourselves, to test our limits to the max, to see what we are really made of. If Mother Nature gave us perfect conditions all the time, if every race we did went just as planned, how do we ever learn to adapt? Do we ever really learn what we’re made of? What’s the point in even doing these things if everything is easy? And let’s face it, when we have a race that really is perfect, doesn’t it make it even more special?

Until next time, happy trails and happy running to you all 😊

Beautiful wooden trophies ;-)

A Snowy Fall :-)

After Iron Legs I had a few easy days to recover but I'm now back into the flow of things with my training as I start to build up again for Javelina Jundred in just 6 weeks time.

I've never really been a high mileage runner when it comes to ultra running. I remember doing a 100 mile week once - it was several years ago when I had a difference coach and I ended up feeling extremely tired with niggles starting here and there. We agreed to reign things back so I was averaging no more than around 60 miles a week - this worked perfectly, and it's the most mileage I'll do in a week even now, unless it's a race week and the race is 100k or more!

Whilst my mileage may be low compared to others that are training for 100 milers or 24 hour races, I have always included a good balance of quality in my sessions. My current coach Adam is of the same mindset and he always includes tempos, negative split runs and progression runs in my schedule to get my body used to running a decent pace even when it's tired. Of course recovery is also important, particularly now I'm older, and nowadays I will have a couple of rest days each week with some easy paced runs thrown in the mix too.

The session I find most difficult is the tempo run. I really struggle to keep a hard pace going for very long, and I always look for excuses to either slow down or even stop for a few seconds just to catch my breath. This past couple of weeks, I've had a couple of tempo runs in my schedule and I've been extremely grateful to Julie who has joined me for some of these sessions - we may run at different paces but we both push each other which helps to ensure we both have a good session and put in the effort.

Last weekend I had a 6 mile tempo run to do but rather than run around the streets of Leduc, I registered for the MEC 10k road race at Terwillegar in Edmonton. I hadn't really looked at the course description and having ran an average 6.42-mile paced tempo a few days earlier, I was hopeful that in .race conditions, I could maybe get close to 40 minutes again - this would be nowhere near my PR of 37.06, but it would be the fastest 10k I had ran for a while.

Julie had also registered for the 10k and was hopeful of a PR, so we travelled up together and were both determined to give it everything we had.

Unfortunately neither of us hit our target times. The weather had turned much cooler and the brisk wind literally took our breath away which made running at a faster pace even more difficult. In addition, the course was extremely hilly as we dropped down to the river only to climb up the other side, then turning around and doing it all again in the opposite direction - 600 ft of climbing doesn't sound a lot but over 6 miles it was tough. I managed to hold onto 3rd placed lady in 46 minutes and something, whilst Julie was less than a minute behind in 4th place. We both felt like we had ran as best we could, but for me personally, I did feel a little frustrated - sometimes we runners can be extremely harsh on ourselves!

Road Running Fun - I really don't enjoy 10k races these days!

The good news is that the race wasn't really a target race so the disappointment didn't last long and I was raring to go as a new week started.

The weather this summer has been beautiful and for a while, we had temperatures hitting the 30 degree celsius mark and higher. I really enjoyed those days - yes they were hot, but not Phoenix hot, so I was coping pretty well and having some good runs. But last weekend, things started to cool off and by Wednesday afternoon and into the evening, the snow had started to fall and temperatures overnight were falling below zero. Thankfully the Leduc Runners were still happy to meet up and we had a great run around Telford Lake, whilst the dogs got frisky and had lots of fun digging and diving in the snow at the dog park.

Small group of Leduc Runners this week in the snow :-)

I love the cooler temperatures and I have had some really good runs this past few days despite the weather. Fortunately the snow didn't stick on the pavements so I was still able to run outdoors, but it was definitely wet, definitely chilly and on some days the wind was a pain. Julie and I did a 5 mile tempo run and the cool air made breathing difficult, and yet we both managed a really good pace, but this weekend, the snow really came down and it certainly felt like winter had arrived early. I still ran outdoors and enjoyed every minute and I have to say that I was feeling fit and strong, and even the faster pace was starting to feel easier - I can honestly say that I haven't felt this good since last year in the build up to ATY 24 hour race, and that ended up being a fantastic race with just over 129 miles covered which earned me selection to the GB 24 hour team.

A snowy run in Leduc this weekend :-)

Autumn in Alberta = Snow!

My next major race is Javelina Jundred and I am hoping that I have a great run there, but I also have Desert Solstice 24 Hour Race in December. With just 6 weeks between the two, it's going to be tough recovering from one but still being in peak condition for the other as I try to improve on that 129 miles to once again put myself in a good position for selection to the British 24 hour team.

I've actually had another good year of racing so far but with the big move and one thing and another, I sometimes forget what I've already done. I'm one of those people that always looks forward to my next goal but sometimes I have to stop and look back to fully appreciate what I've already achieved so that I don't put too much pressure on myself.

Of course, the weather in Phoenix in October is going to be somewhat different than what we've been having here in Alberta this past week and I do need to brace myself for the heat and blazing sun. I'm sure I'll be fine but over the next few weeks I need to somehow get my body used to running in the heat again - with my preference for running outdoors no matter what the weather, and with a broken treadmill, I'm not entirely sure how I'll do this but I'm sure I'll find a way.

Next week I'll be running the Rivers Edge Ultra 50k as a long training run in preparation for October. I'm excited about racing again and looking forward to another race in a different location. I won't be going there with any expectations of times or positions - I just want to get out there, enjoy the fall colours and have some fun :-)

For the Love of the Pups

Brandy came into our lives nearly 6 years ago and she has been - and still is - an amazing pup.

We'd moved to Calgary earlier that year and having found work in the city, we felt guilty leaving Wilson at home on his own. We wanted a friend for him to keep him company during the day, but having been to a few shelters in the area, they refused to let us adopt a rescue dog unless we had Wilson castrated. We had no intentions of having him castrated - nor did we have any intentions of ever breeding him - there are enough homeless pups in the world without us contributing to the problem, and whilst we understood their reasoning, we also felt that they too were contributing to overcrowding in shelters simply because they refused to let perfectly capable existing, responsible dog owners from adopting. Wilson had absolutely nothing to do with the shelters, he never wandered and he never showed any interest in humping anything other than his big toy dog, but we accepted their decision and decided to look elsewhere.

We scoured various other sources and even considered having a pedigree Golden Retriever from a reputable breeder on the outskirts of Calgary, but then we came across an advertisement for a young 6 month old puppy that was looking for a new home.

We arranged to meet with the family that were being forced to re-home Brandy and took Wilson along to make sure they got along. It was love at first sight for both us and Wilson, and so a week later, we headed home with a beautiful lady pup that was soon to become a huge part of our lives. Brandy's previous owners were devastated at letting her go, but we promised to stay in touch via the powers of Facebook, and nearly 6 years later, we've kept that promise and they know exactly what kind of life Brandy has been having since she came to live with the Salt-Smith household.

Brandy is a wonderful girl and she's a very intelligent dog. You can see her working things out, and she's very sneaky and extremely playful in a crafty kind of way. She won't bring a ball to you, but she will mischievously steal an item of clothing or a shoe or something, and will casually walk past and pause with it in her mouth knowing full well you'll end up chasing her to get it back. She really is a very funny girl. She's also very stubborn. She's well trained and obedient, but when she decides to be rebellious, she really is rebellious and she can outwit the best of trainers.

When she was younger, I used to take Brandy and Wilson running with me and she has easily done a 15km or 9 mile run with me without any difficulty. When I used to run them together, Wilson would be too fast for her, so Brandy used to grab Wilson's leash to pull him back. I would howl with laughter and of course, Brandy would get her way as we would all end up slowing down. She was a slim, fit girl, and she loved to run around the dog parks and hike up mountains with me.

Mountain hikes back in the day :-)

Running fun with Brandy and Wilson as puppies

Three years ago, we made the move to Phoenix. The dog parks were much smaller, the heat meant that we couldn't go hiking as much as we wanted to, and even walks during the working week were shorter because the pavement was too hot to walk on. Within a year, Brandy started to put on weight and whilst we reduced her food as much as we could without starving the poor girl, she ended up with her Brandy jelly belly.

I felt awful for both Wilson and Brandy. They'd both had so much exercise and fun when living in Canada, but since moving to Arizona, that had been taken away through no fault of their own. We signed them up for agility classes and dock diving which kept them active for a couple of months during the winter months, but otherwise it was far too hot to do much else. We couldn't even take them swimming as oddly enough, all the rivers in the desert are dried up.

We don't know what made us adopt Tillie.  For some reason, I had done a search for whippet mixes in the Phoenix area, and Tillie came up in the search. Once again it was love at first sight, and so Tillie - who was previously called Sonia - also joined the Salt-Smith clan.

Brandy has been a superb big sister to Tillie, and from the get-go, they wrestled and played and have been having the time of their lives. In having Tillie, Brandy was becoming more active and she started to slowly lose some of the weight. But then we noticed that Brandy started limping and we thought that perhaps they'd been playing a little too rough. We rested her for a couple of weeks and the limp went away, but she became even more laid back and even more lazy.

Moving back to Canada in April gave Brandy a new lease of life again. She loved the cooler weather, the dog parks gave her a huge sense of freedom again, and she was having so much fun running around with Tillie and Wilson.

On arrival back in Canada we stopped off at the dog park in Lethbridge and spent a good hour there letting the dogs play in the snow. There were some icy patches and all 3 dogs were slipping and sliding on the snow and ice but showed no signs of any problems. Unfortunately when we arrived in Leduc, we noticed that Brandy's limp was back, only this time it seemed much worse and even with rest, it wasn't getting any better.

Fun in Lethbridge and likely where the damage was done

We found a vet pretty much straight away and within a couple of days of taking possession of the new house, we'd made an appointment and Brandy had been for xrays. We were told that she had joint problems and early signs of arthritis - it didn't look like a soft tissue injury. We were given a course of anti-inflams and put Brandy on a joint health diet, but after a few weeks, things weren't getting any better but neither were they getting any worse. I started to restrict her walks again - 10 minutes at breakfast and dinner, and then the dog park with Tillie and Wilson later in the day - but even that wasn't helping.

It was whilst at the dog park that a lady noticed Brandy's limp and she suggested I try a chiropractor that specialises in animals. I called Dr Jen Webster and managed to get an appointment the following day, but as soon as she saw Brandy and had a feel at her leg and range of movement, she knew that it wasn't a joint problem but most likely the ligament in her knee, otherwise known as the CCL.

The CCL has the same function as the ACL in humans, that is to support the knee joint. In dogs, the rupture of the CCL is the most common injury particularly in large dogs and those that are overweight, and it generally results in surgery. 

There are two types of surgery for dogs - the first is where they attach a band to the bones in the knee to mimic the CCL - this usually works for small dogs or those that are under 40 lbs. However, for larger dogs the surgery is more in serious.

The TPLO procedure is very expensive but it is proven to be 90% successful. It involves cutting the bone in the knee and repositioning it so that it stabilises the dog's knee without the need for the CCL. They then insert a stainless steel plate and 4 screws to hold it in place. The surgery means just one day at the vets but the rehab and recovery can take 2 to 3 months.

Having been referred to an orthopedic vet, they confirmed that it was indeed the CCL that was causing the problem for Brandy. It was likely that she had ruptured it back in April and since then, her knee joint would have been quite painful and the bones rub together without the support. This really upset me, knowing how much pain Brandy was in, and yet she had never given any indication of pain other than the limp.

There was no question about it - despite the cost, we agreed to surgery and Brandy was back at the vets less than a week later undergoing surgery.

It's now been almost a week since she had that surgery and she is doing really well. The first couple of days back home were really difficult. She stumbled out of the car and her poorly leg got caught between the front and back seats and I couldn't lift her out of the car properly without hurting her. She was also a little disorientated due to the anesthetic and she didn't pee or poo for nearly 48 hours. Weighing in at 106 lbs or 48 kg, she's a heavy girl, and having to carry her up and down the steps to allow her to go the toilet has been tough. I'm not going to lie - I cried a lot.

Tillie looking after big sister Brandy

She's also on 4 types of pills to help her recover, and with the addition of massage, icing and physio, it's taking up a lot of time making sure she's comfortable and recovering, but not overdoing things.

The problem is that Brandy is stubborn - did I mention this?! I secured her in the living room and she was happily relaxing in her corner, but then one day when I got back from walking Tillie and Wilson, she had jumped over the barricade and was sitting by the front door waiting for us. I then moved her to the mud room which seemed far more secure, but she still managed to head but the child gate and knock it out of the way. The other morning I came down stairs and she had climbed onto the sofa and I've been worried that she had done some damage by climbing. I'm limiting her to 2 x 5 minute leashed walks per day but when she goes out, she is leading the way with a waggy tail and a wet, black nose. It was expected that she would start to put weight on her leg after a few days, but she is actually walking on it already, albeit with a limp and she does still hold it from time to time. I've never heard Brandy howl until this week, but it wasn't through pain, it was through frustration that she wasn't able to come out with me and the other two - it broke my heart.

The good news is that as things stand, Brandy is recovering remarkably well and next weekend, she will be having her stitches out. My only concern is that things are moving too quickly. It's really difficult knowing how much to do to aid recovery, but how much is too much, and how much is too little, both of which could be detrimental to her success. I've been very lucky to have a couple of friends who have made contact with me whose dogs have also had the same surgery. They have shared their experiences with me and offered guidance and advice based on what they went through and I'm truly grateful to them for this. 

Of course, I also have Wilson and Tillie to look after and at the moment, Wilson is also having some issues. A couple of weeks ago, he started to bleed from his willy which of course had me thinking the worst. Having been to the vets with him, it was discovered that he had a cut on his privates that had got a little infected, so he too has been on antibiotics. His problem cleared up but then he went swimming and ended up bleeding again, so it was back to a different tablet to solve the problem. Again it cleared, and I've kept him away from the water to ensure it clears up, but once again he's been spotting blood this week and I really don't know what to do. He's happy in himself, but I don't want him getting an infection that could spread and get worse. He's also developed a limp on his front leg and so he's been on limited exercise for a couple of days to rest it. Wilson is very high energy and everything he does is done at high velocity - it's hard to keep up! I did wonder if maybe he was play acting as he's seen Brandy having a lot of attention, but I do think he's either twisted his ankle or has something in his paw - we really aren't having much luck right now.

Fortunately, Tillie is ok. She had lots of allergy problems when we lived in Phoenix and was on medication to deal with swollen, crusty eyes and a huge red sore on her inner thigh. Since moving to Canada, those allergies are cleared and I'm so thankful for that.

I'm hoping that in the next couple of days, Wilson will be ok, and once Brandy has had her stitches removed and a checkup on progress at the vets, everything will be heading in the right direction.

For now though, I'm taking things at day at a time, and trying to give as much time as possible to the care that all of our dogs need. I do find it frustrating that if it were children, work would be more flexible in allowing the time to care for them, but because they are dogs things are different. Luckily I do work from home so I can keep watch over them, but having to make up hours due to spending time administering medication and doing physio does make things difficult, especially with Andy being away so much and me being on my own.

But I'm always an optimist, I'm always trying to see the positive in things. Yes, I have down days when I'm at my wits end, but I know that things can only get better and that's what I focus on.

Thank you to those friends that have offered me help and support this past few days, and for all those that have sent well wishes to Brandy. It is greatly appreciated and of course I will keep you all informed as to how things progress.