Safyre Qwynn, Saf, Saffy, Roo, Safaroo-Kangerpuppy
She joined me on January 3, 2009, but we celebrate her "birthday" on the 4th.  I thought she was maybe a year when I got her, but it is so hard to tell, so I don't have an actual age for her.  From what I learned from the Huntingdon Humane Society is that she was initially in there as a stray, adopted out, and returned because "it just wasn't working out".  I can only imagine it was a family that was not experienced with a siberian.

I wasn't looking to get a third dog.  I don't know why I was looking at Petfinder the day I spotted her.  But I knew I needed to go see her.  When I went I took Danika with me.  They met briefly through a fence before joining together in a play area where they immediately romped and had a blast.  Danika needed a friend to play with (since she and Vixen didn't get along) and I had room in my world for this wild child.

I'd call her gray and white.  They named her Keesha at the shelter.  Those bright blue eyes and little dark spot above her mostly open face made me think of a diamond which led to the name Safyre.  She spent the first night in a crate - cried a little - and then from there she started sleeping with me (and continued to for quite some time).

She and I were good cuddle buddies.  I've never had a dog that would curl into your side so perfectly.  Then when I would flip to my side so did she - pressing our backs together.  We continued on this way for many years, until I decided to feng shui myself (for lack of better phrasing) into a real relationship.  If there wasn't room in my bed for someone, ya know?  But the fact is, Saffy made it okay for me to be single and sleeping alone.  She healed me a great deal.  Periodically we do still cuddle up and I enjoy it immensely.  While I was pregnant it was hard to cuddle just right and I think it frustrated her a good bit.  At one point she got kicked pretty solidly and then she stopped cuddling into my side with her head on my belly like she used to.

I know you shouldn't have a favorite child.  So let's just say she and I really got each other.  We needed and loved each other in the same way.  It didn't take long to realize that she was meant to be mine - that's why I spotted her when I wasn't even looking for another dog.

If my age guestimates are right that made her nearly 17 years old, and the oldest Siberian I've had in my family, beating Vixen by a few months.  She was a trooper, despite the aging issues she's suffered, like having an eye rupture!  In recent months she's had a hard time holding her poos and getting up from a sleeping position has gotten more difficult.  She was still doing the stairs with me behind her for reassurance and an occasional boost.

I took her to the kennel while I headed out on vacation with some concern, and I had gotten her a hamburger from Wendy's as a token of affection just in case earlier in the week - but no feeling that there was anything imminent.  The day of we noticed a spot at her hip that I thought was a hot spot, so I had sent meds to keep that in check.  Turns out it was a bed sore of some sort.  It ruptured the day after I took her to the kennel, so it was being tended to. Then she wasn't able to stand.  My favorite egg came and brought her home as to take her to get checked the next day and during that time another spot that we didn't know existed opened and was clearly causing her discomfort.

With the heaviest of heart I had to decide to let her go when I wasn't here.  Technology being a blessing I was able to video in so she could see and hear me and I could see her.  I am still so sad that I wasn't here with her and for her.  My heart is broken either way, but I didn't get to say the goodbye I wanted.  Coming home from vacation my house has a hole in it.  Zero is clearly noting her absence.  She will come home once she has been cremated.

Through the years...

Like I said - she was the best cuddler ever.

The little booger liked to dig when she got a chance, so we were constantly fighting.  I'd fill the hole and she'd open it back up.  This stopped in later years, thank goodness, but it is who she is.

She was quick too - one heck of a sprinter when she was young.  She would get a crazy look in her eye and then the zoomies would ensue.

She scared me a few times when she got away from me and ran off. My "nightmares" were dreams of her being missing or running away.

She was a healthy girl through the years with the exception of the eye in the past year and a steady decline as one might expect for her age.  She's had a few teeth fall out in the front, but never had broken teeth or any need for care in that regard.

She got on well with everyone - people, dogs, and even the cats that I brought into our home in the past few years.  Heck, I think she was more irritated about Zero joining us than Church.

She loved to go to the Meadows for ice cream and would jump up placing her paws on the ledge at the ordering window.

Saf even walked well on leash.  She wasn't perfect, but compared to other sibes she didn't pull much and walked along side me nicely.

There were moments when she would give me a look like my mother would.  Perhaps Mom was working through her from the great beyond.

I'll never know what her life was like before she came to me, but I hope she was as happy in her life with me as I was to have her.  Saffy will receive an individual cremation and will get her own container to stay with us forever.  I pray to see you at rainbow bridge Saffy.  You were a good girl and one of my very best friends ever.  I love you more than you could know and there would never have been enough time with you.  My heart is broken.

1/4/2008 - 09/23/2024

For a long time before my mother passed I prayed that her time would be peaceful.  I prayed she would be at home and not long-suffering.  Sure, her COPD wasn't ideal, but in the grand scheme when you see people suffer through months of cancer or years of dementia -- I still feel like my prayers were 100% answered.

I find myself saying similar prayers for Saffy.  It's been a bad 24 hours for her and she's really struggling.   She was pacing the room at 5am and didn't go when I brought her down and took her out.  This time she doesn't want to eat, even the  moist food.  I did get some pain meds in her, even though they are supposed to be taken with food, so she is at least resting now instead of trying to pace and slipping/sliding about.

I know it's rare that a decision doesn't need to be made for a pet.  The whole peaceful passing in their sleep thing doesn't tend to happen, but it could, right?  The thought of taking the very best buddy I've had to a vet's office just isn't okay.  I've been through it 3 times.  I watched and tried to comfort Vixen as she fought the sedative.  I sat beside Satin and Danika as they passed, unable to stand up on their own -- Danika in the back of my car thanks to COVID and the vet not allowing people into the building.  I just want Saffy to be here at home.  I suspect a point will come when I know she needs my help and I will of course, do what is right for her so she doesn't suffer, but I hate it.  Here's praying she bounces back like she did this time last year or that resolution comes quickly.  Speaking of last year (yes it was late August), I really thought she was gone then.  Since she's had her struggles, like with her eye and some days were better than others, but she kept pressing on.

Barnabas had his first trip to the vet (under my care) today.  Can you believe he's been here for a full year?  I was worried he wouldn't be the angel that Church is at the vet since Barney tends to disappear if someone he doesn't know comes to the house.  Much like Church, he was willing to walk right into the carrier (the time using the carrier when he was a foster paid off!) and he sang the song of his people on the drive to the vet.  At the office he wasn't quite as chill, but didn't have an issue at all.

I learned he doesn't have a few of his front teeth, which is interesting. We also need to keep an eye on his weight, which doesn't overly surprise me.  So proud of my little black voids.

Saffy has been hanging in there.  Some days are better than others, that's for sure, but she's still walking the stairs on her own with me behind her.  As to not leave him out I will say that Zero is still his crazy self.  My very routine-based nature helps keep some of his insanity in check... unless it's time for dinner.

As to the garden, the tomatoes are all coming in a steady stream now.  The lantern flies are insane here.  They're here and there on the house and also sitting in piles, I can hit 4-6 in one swat of the fly swatter.  Sitting outside you periodically get hit by one that jumps onto you, it's kind of unnerving.  I've probably killed over 100 of them each warm day for weeks at this point.  Tonight I sat out back and noted some large black ants coming and going, so I'm trying to carefully put treatment out for that.  Then I saw wasps going into the brown paper I have hanging on the deck to deter the carpenter bees!

Work is busy.  Time keeps flying by on me and I'm trying to keep up.

Am I making the kid soft?

The past few nights have been cooler, so I have turned off the AC and opened the windows.  The upstairs does get a bit warmer, it's true, but nothing like the heat of the summer when I was a kid and we didn't have central air.  I remember laying in bed unable to sleep from the heat. Run the window AC just long enough to cool it down and then turn it off and try to fall asleep.

Avery has gotten back out of bed 2x so far tonight because she's warm.  She does have a fan running in her room and I would put money down that her room is a good 10-15 degrees cooler than the memories I am reflecting on.

This weekend I started trimming things back as I do leading into the fall.  4 dog food bags full of russian sage, a dead cucumber plant, brown fronds from decorative plants in the back, and dead sunflowers.  There are many more bags where that came from.

The weather has taken a cooler turn getting us into the upper 40s at night.  Hopefully the nice weather can hang on so I can get the rest of my tomatoes ripening on the vines. I also had some lettuce seed itself that is growing nicely at the moment, so I'd like to get something out of that.  I have 3 green peppers out there that could probably be plucked at any point, one very nicely sized white onion, and a good handful of snap peas.  The rest is tomatoes tomatoes tomatoes - and I'm here for it.

With the CSA baskets I've been cooking up green beans and peppers this week. I tried cooking up the cherry peppers .... dang they're hot, I just can't do it.  Hopefully neighbors are willing to give them a try tomorrow.  I also made some zucchini fritters last night that turned out quite tasty.

With the long weekend I finally got caught up on laundry and checked off a few things on the to do list.  We also hit the pool with Avery's bestie - a last minute plan that I'm grateful for.  This was my first visit to the pool this year.

Avery returns to the podiatrist on Thursday, hopefully her wart is gone, I don't want her to suffer the numbing and removal.  She did take the ear piercing like a champ -- and they remain pain free and looking healthy!