Geordie

GEORDIE My Wonderful Border Collie

Geordie has been my constant companion for almost 13 years. He usually goes with me everywhere and he knows just about everything I'm talking about.

Last week, I almost lost my buddy. He had a little "thing" on his lower eyelid that was scratching his eyeball every time he blinked causing his eye to bleed and so I decided to have it removed in order to take away this irritation. Due to his age, the vet tried to do it with a "local" anesthetic but Geordie sure didn't like to see those scissors so it was decided to use a very mild "general".

Geordie just had a very bad reaction to that and on Tuesday, I nearly lost him. The vet worked so very hard (over 3 1/2 hours) trying to revive him and so far his time spent with "Geordie, my lad" (as he called him) has been working albeit very, very slowly. Last night, I slept in my bed with him beside me in his bed on the floor. Up until last night, I've been just lying beside him on the floor and we've spent a lot of time staring into each other's eyes!

Here's Geordie the day before his surgery. As some of you know, he went downhill very quickly followiing the anesthetic and I nearly lost him. He so loves the snow and he was just sitting at the door staring and wishing I'd go out and play with him.

Geordie Today

Geordie loves his bed. Today he seems to be much more comfortable and I'm so happy. I'm still force feeding him though as he really has no interest in eating yet.

He's not out of the woods yet. Last year at this time, he was about 45 lb. On Boxing Day, he was 35 lb. and on Tues. he was 33 lb. So, he's been losing weight gradually and the vet suspects something "nasty" but we're going to try hard to get some weight back on him as he loves to run and explore and I just know that we're going to have many more fantastic days together.

More of Geordie

Since I've been otherwise engaged for the past few days and unable to get out to get new photos, I thought I'd just share a few more photos of my good buddy. Actually, I just can't imagine life without him. He listens intently to everything I say as if he's wanting to join right in. Here he is again where he loves to be--in the snow!

"I'm sure she said we were going in the car..."

I had told Geordie that we were going in the car to the store and this is how he stayed at the door just waiting for me to keep my word. And in between times, he was busy chasing the black squirrels out of the back yard!

"Getting Old"

He's getting old but still loves to run and play...

"Pat! Rescue Me!"

Geordie takes a lot from my youngest grandson who insists on dressing him up! Here he is all ready to go out in the snow with his winter toque on!!

Geordie

Geordie is a tri-colour border collie and one of the most intelligent and obedient dogs that I've ever met. He knows left and right and he's just my good friend. He's 12 years old but is still full of life and just loves the snow.

So, this photo of him was taken one day at the back door after he had been playing in the snow and he was asking me to go outside to play! If you click on the picture, you'll see it larger and see that he's simply covered with snow!

GEORDIE

Geordie and Jack

Warming up to each other

Here they are both together on my swing on the deck. Both are fast asleep. We had gone for a little walk up the road and I carried Jack and put him down sometimes and he had so much fun trying to keep up.

Both were keen to just have a sleep when we got home.

Julie, it would be nice if you did that! ;) Maybe some time!

Nice and clean now...

MY BUDDY

When my grandson was here the other day with his Daddy, he invited me for Easter dinner and "please bring Geordie too, Grandma!"

So, today, he went next door to my neighbour who has the best grooming business in her home. I send Geordie over and he yips at her door.

When he's done, she sends him home and he yips on my door!

And all this, "NO CHARGE!" She says he's the best she does. He stands there and she says, "Now, your other paw needs clipping and nails cut!" so up goes the other paw.

So, tomorrow we'll head north-east of Guelph to Orangeville to where my son lives and enjoy Easter dinner and then head home.

BUT... there's a blizzard outside right now so we'll make our minds up tomorrow.

Daffodils are planted!

Geordie and I planted the Daffodils

It was such a lovely day today. Mice were coming out of their winter homes as were moles and the squirrels were so numerous--too numerous to count and it almost drove Geordie nuts! He was having such a great time chasing all of these!

Then he saw me walking from where I parked the car with the pot of daffodils and a little trowel and as soon as he noticed this, he ran right to the spot where his master lay and just laid down on the spot where I wanted to dig.

He watched as I made a little hole for the bulbs and kept on lying there.

Finally I got the little job done and Geordie had jumped up onto "his" bench and suddenly the expression on his face was, "Pat, I see a squirrel!" but this look was a wee bit different. So I turned around and a long distance away, all I saw was a tail wagging and I said, "Oh, it's another dog!" And with that, Geordie ran so quickly to the wagging tail.

I then heard some little playful growls and I turned around to find two dogs having such a great time together, most of the time on their back legs alone trying to knock the other one over.

The other dog's owners walked over to find out where their buddy had gone and they called, "Hey, Geordie! Come on boy!" and both my Geordie and their Geordie ran to the other couple!

Well, did I laugh! And so did Geordie! See his smile? He met another "Geordie" and they had so much fun together while we visited my Geordie's master's resting place!

Geordie Fell in Love--Once!

We always had a cat. I grew up with cats but when our last cat died many years ago, we just never thought to get another one and then we brought Geordie home. He was all we needed. Several times I'd bring up the subject of a cat to Jack but then we realized that with his fistula in his arm in order to have dialysis, it would have been terrible if he ever was scratched there causing unnecessary bleeding.

So, we never got another cat...

Until...

I saw this lovely cat at the Humane Society and his name was Victor. Oh, I thought Victor was a lovely looking cat and I decided that since I was now a widow, that I'd bring Victor home to live with Geordie and I.

Geordie didn't like the fact that Victor was in the cat carrying case but I wanted him to get used to the smell of our home and some of the things before letting him out into the living room.

Well, Geordie loved Victor from the first.

Geordie was never allowed on the furniture but one day I came out from the computer room and found this scene. Of course Geordie isn't sleeping. He's pretending to though! I suppose he thought that if he couldn't see me, then I couldn't see him up on my chair!

Victor loved to be in Geordie's arms and the two of them got on so well together.

Then Victor got a urinary tract infection so bad that in a couple of days, he went downhill in his health so badly that I had that terrible decision to make. Geordie missed Victor so much. He moped around the house constantly looking for him.

That's when I got Lauren but it's just not the same relationship. Geordie tolerates Lauren and herds Lauren but he doesn't love her and cuddle with her like he did Victor.

Geordie rescued!

Last Sunday, my brother-in-law was driving me around Guelph in order to get some photos for my Guelph Daily Photo blog. John had decided to stay in the car but then he got out and so did Geordie.

Well, I was on the railway trestle taking this photo when all of a sudden, I heard Geordie crying at the top of his voice. I turned around and here was my buddy! He had slipped down between the railway ties and he couldn't get up and below him was the frigid waters of the Speed River. His hind legs were swinging and his front claws were all dug into the ice railway ties and he was just trying to hang on tight until I got to him.

Of course, we got him up from between the ties where he was wedged and here he is sitting nicely maybe contemplating his icy cold swim that he missed!

This was Geordie's first experience walking along railway tracks and to have his first one being on a railway trestle, is something else!

Another at sunset at Elora Gorge

Geordie at Sunset in Elora Gorge

Just after I took the photo that I showed yesterday, I turned to my left and there was Geordie running toward me full rip. I think he thought I was leaving and he didn't want to be left behind.

"I'm sure she said we were going in the car..."

I had told Geordie that we were going in the car to the store and this is how he stayed at the door just waiting for me to keep my word.

And in between times, he was busy chasing the black squirrels out of the back yard!

He just loves to be out there in the snow and the more blustery it is the better he loves it.

LOVING EYE

I was just looking at my buddy's eyes and he speaks so much with his eyes.

I know I haven't captured what I really wanted to but he has a way of showing such love and concern with those eyes of his.

Border Collies are special--as far as I'm concerned and I'm wondering now if I should have a young one that Geordie can help train now that he's going to be 12 years old in June. Not sure if I really want that burden of training another. I don't think that there could be another like Geordie.