Whippet Snippets

Tuesday catch up

Ribsy's feeling a bit under the weather and will be heading to see the vet for the first time in Hamilton soon. His eyes are irritated and Girl wants to make sure that all is well. With the pet food recall, you never know. So today's catch up post will be whippet-thin.

Friday - Went on a nice walk along the Chedoke Rail Trail and romped at Webster's Falls. Slept in the Element as Girl took Boy to 1010 Bistro for his birthday dinner. Smelled sesame-crusted ahi tuna and New Zealand lamb shanks on their breaths when they returned to the car.

Saturday -  Girl went  away on some bus. Heard something about "Toronto". Enjoyed a man date with Boy, going on a long walk in Dundas and napping together as we waited for Girl to come back.

Sunday - Spent a lot of time in the Element as Boy and Girl kept leaving and coming back with groceries, and stuff for some "trip to Dallas." Then stopped at a muddy farm filled with about 10 big hounds. Had arrived at the Romp n Roo greyhound get together. Was kept mostly on leash because the greys were so powerful and huge. Ha! I thought I was fast.

Monday - Pus in eyes. Maybe it's sadness over Boy's departure to Dallas? When will he be back? Took minds off of sadness with visits to two dog parks and a warm walk along the Waterfront Trail. Temperature soared to 20 degrees, although multiple thunderstorms scared the both of us.

It's another warm day today - first to the vet, then if all is good, to the sunshine.

Good things: mittenless

Good things about Hamilton this week.

1. the temperature finally went above zero. In fact it's currently 12 degrees (yes, it changes from winter to spring overnight here. What transition? We don't need no transition). However a wicked thunderstorm had Ribsy and Girl ducking for cover on their morning walk which was cut short by the buckets of rain drowning them on the street. And no one wants to see a drowned whippet.

2. government getting after the companies responsible for lovely weather phenomenon such as 'black snow'. Yes, that means you, Stelco and Dofasco. Not surprisingly, their PR wonks refuse to accept blame, even though the worst samples containing 70 percent coal and coke dust came directly downwind from the steelmakers' storage piles. It's no wonder that life expectancy in Hamilton is shorter. Beautiful place.

3. learning about the upcoming Romp N' Roo put on by the Greyhound Lovers of Hamilton-Wentworth, or GLOHW for short.  Ribsy can't wait to run around with the hounds this Sunday.

4. getting a library card from the cute Locke Street library. Located in the pack's new neighbourhood, the cozy one-room branch has oodles of fiction and magazines. Girl has already scored a copy of Wallace & Gromit: The Whippet Vanishes (published well before Vivi the showdog whippet disappeared).

5. Westjet seat sales to BC.

Did you 'recall' that IAMS was cruel?

A massive pet food recall has Girl thinking twice about IAMS! Dozens of major dog and cat food manufacturers, including big names IAMS, Eukanuba, and Nutro, have been affected - read the latest details here to see if you should be concerned about your pet. So far, ten cat deaths in the US have been reported.

The recall was issued on March 16, yet Girl was able to go into a Super Pet store in Burlington on March 17 to purchase several 13.2 oz cans of IAMS dog food, which coincidentally were on sale! Now she feels terrible about her purchase, and hope Ribsy doesn't experience any symptoms like vomiting or loss of appetite. They'll be keeping a close watch on him, since he's also eaten IAMS Adult Beef in Gravy wet food pouches regularly for a few months now. The pouches Girl has on stock right now were manufactured at the same affected plant in Kansas. Very scary indeed.

Googling "IAMS recall" yields a website called IAMS Cruelty, spearheaded by the PETA folks. Apparently IAMS tests its food products in laboratories on real live cats and dogs suffering under appalling, inhumane conditions. Do any of you know the truth about IAMS? Is this a well known fact among dog and cat owners, despite the fact that the food is sold in more than 70 countries. In retaliation to PETA's accusations, IAMS has countered with its own website, called IAMS Truth, with their own series of facts and videos. Who do YOU believe?

Girl thinks it's a good idea to just avoid IAMS altogether. Why support a questionable company (Hello Wal-Mart shoppers!!) with questionable ethics? According to PETA, here is a list of pet food manufacturers that do not test on animals.

(Danish) Modern Dog

A Sunday off and sunshine meant one thing: day trip to Toronto! This time the pack had items in their minds: furniture for their new loft. The shopping trip was about browsing and boy, did they. But first, they made a quick pit stop at the WAG dog park in Burlington. The disappearing snow meant that Ribsy was in his running element - dashing, dodging and spurring on the chases in a way only whippets can.

Courtesy of the insanely fast highways, the pack made into the T Dot in well under an hour. Fueling up on eggs benny from POP Bistro and French toast dripping in maple syrup from Bonjour Brioche, they headed out, furious for finds on Queen St. East.

With their intrepid Toronto guides, they ducked into the many furniture stores that  Leslieville is known for that specialize in their favorite, mid-century - in particular Danish modern. From Eames to Olsen to Jacobsen, the designers were representing and the various wares  - Machine Age Modern, Zig Zag, and Phil'z were especially full of nice stuff - were extremely tempting, and pricey. In the end, they drove home to the Hammer empty of finds but full of design inspiration.

Good things: lofty heights

So this week's installment of Good Things only has one good thing. But it's a special one. Ribsy will be on the move yet again in the Hammer - this time to a loft. Converted from a schoolhouse into condominiums in 2003, the building is big, brick and beautiful. Their unit has all the features that they love: hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, 12 foot ceilings, lots of windows, jacuzzi, double shower, and even a secret hideaway!

Beauty and the beast

Victoria. So beautiful. So fun.

Hamilton. So dirty. So sad. Sorry to offend any staunch, proud Hamiltonians out there but Girl must call it like it is.

Ribsy, however, disagrees. 

Hamilton. So many littered food bits. So many squirrel chases.

Howlin' at Hamilton's Heart

Ribsy and Girl went on a long 2 hour walk over the weekend, and they criss crossed the streets of downtown before making their way to pedestrian-friendly, dog-loving Locke Street. Passing by landmarks such as Copps Coliseum and the Farmer's Market, Ribsy had plenty to sniff at in terms of garbage and the overall stench of hard-luck years. More than once, they had to backtrack after taking a wrong turn and ending up on a questionable street. A young-ish looking female and her sweatered whippet certainly garners attention in this neck of the woods!

This report by the Hamilton Spectator newspaper pretty much sums it up: "by just about any measure, Hamilton's downtown is seriously ill." Visualize empty storefronts, vandalism, graffiti, litter, grown men in hoodies riding bicycles, half-occupied office buildings, dirty parking lots, and you've captured the sad picture of the current Hamilton core. Pictured at left is the derelict Century Theatre which has stood vacant for more than 20 years.

Yet businesses and developers and city officials are optimistic that things will improve. In essence, it can only go up from here. This situation is a far cry from the few buildings in Victoria that stand empty. The biggest nuisance in Victoria's downtown? Urinating in public. Yes, really!

Dinner time

Could whippets be the Rolexes of dogs? One thing's for sure, Ribsy knows how to tell time. His dinner is usually served at 4pm, and despite the daylight savings time switch over the weekend, he's primed for his feeding. The microwave says 3:59 and the open bag of kibble on the counter begs to be fed to the starving dog.

Whipped it good

Ribsy has asked Girl to write up today's entry because he is simply much too tired.

"Ribsy lays curled by my side, his head tucked into his chest and his ribs rising and falling with each deep breath.  Somewhere else in Hamilton, this scene repeats - another pooped out whippet. That's because Ribsy met his first whippet in Hamilton! At the WAG dog park in Burlington this afternoon, he began whining well before the entrance gates, as soon as he spotted another ribby, big-eyed, large-chested speed demon. Ribsy and two-year-old Cosmo tag teamed on the unfortunate (eg. slower) dogs, chased each other, and play battled for dog park supremacy, slugging it chest-to-chest while balanced on two legs.

"Their tails were wagging the entire time at the park. It was great to see Ribsy make a new friend and run around like his old confident, spunky self."

Our 'lil sold house

Finally, thought Ribsy, the stress levels of his pack has somewhat lowered. Their little house, the one that Ribsy was brought to as a puppy, where he had his happiest times (besides outgunning all the dogs at the dog park of course), has sold.

There are so many fond memories. From a poopy Ribsy dancing on Girl's head to innovative sleeping positions to his just helping out around the house, the pack will never forget their first home together.

Thanks to everyone for sending their positive vibes throughout this whole nerve wracking house selling process.