For the Love of Ivy

This is Ivy. I named her myself. Ivy deserved a name. She showed up at the barn where I board my horses in early spring. Someone probably dumped her there. Ivy wasn't like the other barn cats. She was sweet, gentle, and friendly. From the very beginning it was clear that Ivy liked people more than hunting. Her loud purring resonated around the horse-filled stalls. By late spring it was obvious that Ivy was pregnant. A kitten having kittens, I thought to myself. Ivy isn't more than eight months old herself. As sad as I was I turned a blind eye. I already have three dogs and as most of you know, we kept our last foster...an 18-month-old-145 pound Newfoundland.

About a week ago, Ivy disappeared. Everyone assumed she had gone off to have her kittens somewhere. We were wrong. She returned still pregnant and dragging her right back leg behind her.

I couldn't leave her at the barn. I just couldn't. I took Ivy home with me and put her in a large crate in my office. My husband wasn't happy and neither were my three dogs. On Tuesday I took Ivy to my vet, Dr. Kelli French. She took x-rays and came back with the bad news. "Ivy's femur is so badly broken she is going to need to have her leg amputated," Dr. French told me. I asked if there were other options and Dr. French told me yes, but surgery to put in pins and plates would cost thousands of dollars. "Cats do very

well on three legs," she told me.

Dr. French sent me home with Ivy. "Let her have her kittens. In five weeks, we'll take off her leg and she'll be ab

le to walk and stand so much better." I took Ivy home.

Normally I can handle my rescues on my own. This time I can't. I need help. The surgery to amputate Ivy's leg is going to cost around $800 dollars. Dr. French has set up a fund at Beechwold Vet Hospital for Ivy. If you can help me, please send a check to Beechwold Vet Hospital, C/O Dr. Kelli French 4590 Indianola Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43214. Put "For Ivy Mader's surgery" in the memo line. Ivy and I will be eternally grateful. Also, if you could share this post through a link on your blog that would help too. Animal people help animal people.

Ivy delivered her four beautiful kittens on Tuesday night - shattered femur and all. When Ivy is well and her kittens are weaned I'll find wonderful homes for all of them. For now, that's the least of my problems.

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Touching Tulips

I had just walked down the little path and back in our yard when Sammy came out to greet me. He walked beyond me and turned back as if to say...you missed something...you didn't stop to smell the flowers. Isn't it interesting how our animals can remind us of the importance of recognizing special moments? Every moment is special to them. Each word each touch. Each sight each sound. I went back down the path with Sammy and bent down to feel the dampness of the dew on the tulip stems. I missed that the first time around. After all, who touches tulips? As of today, I do.

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Happy Easter

Happy Easter

From Tangobunny and Me!

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Trail Ride

Horses (and good friends) make early spring landscape even more beautiful than it already is.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Spring Music on the Farm

My granddaughter Alexa, friend Holly, and I decided to take a ride around the farm. The ground was still squishy under our horses' feet, but the squish was a good squish. A chill in the early spring air was soon forgotten as we roamed around the vast acres of pastures. In the summer they would be filled with hay, but now they were wide open for riding. Alexa felt as free as the whistling wind and asked Tantra to gallop. It was not my intention to follow, but Tango wanted to keep up with Tantra, so that's exactly what we did. The sound of Alexa laughing as I begged her to stop (half-heartedly) was music to my ears. Spring music. As we walked up the path towards the barn Chuck was waiting there with his video camera.

It was the perfect timing for him to open the gate for us to the outdoor arena so we could ride in a confined area before we called it a day. Just a little more cantering. A little more music from the horses' hooves on the soft ground. And a little more wind to remind us of the melody of the wonderful season that had not quite blossomed enough to burst into an entire orchestra of sound .

Though the video is far from artistically perfect, my guess is you can hear the same spring music that we heard on our lovely ride in the early spring.

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Who's Cold?

In spite of the fact that I'm ready for spring, one thing I never am...at least for very long...is cold! I can honestly tell you that a three-dog-night (or day) is as good as warm sunshine when it comes to thwarting off the March chill. This photo was taken right after I got home from a long morning of riding. Of course, Tango's body heat keeps me warm when I'm on his back but afterwards when I'm untacking, well, it's cold!!! Three dogs are better than hot tea. They're better than a glass of wine. They might even be better than a hot bath tub! And as I half-sit half-lay on the couch, having the three dogs as close to me as they can get is a great way to drift off while I'm remembering the thrill of my morning ride.

Who could ask for more? Not me!

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