A Piece of Paradise Revisited

Why wouldn't anyone revisit Paradise given half the chance. So we did.

A month after heading for the East Coast, we found ourselves excited to plan and make the same trip again. This time with a lot less dogs but a plan to meet up and spend some quality time with good friends from across the border. And this time we took a new addition, little kitty Hilly too. Since she sleeps with Hopie, she had to come! So off went the pack!

our chalet and happy retreat

why are we shut in and missing the fun!!

The churning restless sea spoke of the coming monsoon. People flock to beaches and sea resorts for the sun and sea but at this time of the year, dark skies, brooding clouds and rain were to be expected on the East Coast.

But the healing nature of the ocean could not keep me and Hopie from the sea. True, there's the initial lazy bone of two to awaken and the mental bracing to face getting wet again without the sun's warming rays. But each time we crossed this little barrier, we slept sated at the end of the day- contented and a settled quietness with the feeling of wellness.

There were so many adventures in store for Hope that she was off in no time, eagerly leaving my side, which was quite uncharacteristic of her. The salt water as expected, was good for her. More weightless exercise and her dry, cracking foot pads are now soft to the touch.

water therapy- despite the rough waves at times and roving jellyfish ,
it was all good

surfer gals meet

Just simple pleasures - all because the big-hearted owner of the resort also takes joy in sharing her treasure. In a country where it is hardly possible to walk your dog or take them out or even just having them in your private compound invites problems from the neighbourhood, this generosity truly gives us a little piece of paradise.

get the sand outta my hair, mum!

best friends snuggling down at the end of a good day

License to Chill

Positively good advice!

Downtime is another city is not my usual remedy for a much needed break but at least this Perth getaway offered hours in a well-stocked bookstore, a chance to replenish my reserves at the health food stores, catch up with a few friends, review the view of "the forest from the trees" and enjoy a change in weather, flora and fauna. I spend a large part of my day cocooned in the comforts of my room.

six extra large pillows!! and lots of books make my perfect cocoon

The biggest part of being able to get away and enjoy some breathing space is we're so fortunate to know responsible and caring people who are taking good care of Hopie and Hilly while we are away and given us peace of mind. This we could not have compromised on. Since Hopie came to live with us some six months ago, she and I have not been away from each other at a stretch for more than 3 days. It is not due to any over protectiveness or wanting to cling but rather Hopie still suffers from neurogenic incontinence as a result of her spinal injury and requires assistance with voiding.

Apart from this, I've often been reluctant to be away from her as I'm so used to her needs that I worry about an unfamiliar caregiver not realizing them. This includes waking up during the course of the night to check on her sleeping position and regularly during the day when she's at rest. Hopie still does not have full neurological control of her hind legs and often when she lowers herself down to rest or sleep, her legs get tangled under her in awkward positions and somehow she's not aware of it and does not correct her position at rest. I worry about the circulation in her hind legs as their functioning is already somewhat deficient from her spinal injury.

I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless,
as it extends into the world around us,
it goes an equal distance into the world within. ~Lillian Smith

(L to R) Neighbourhood architecture, Driven by What's Inside (Subaru slogan), chill time in Fremantle

(L to R) Seen from the train, "dog" hanging around Fremantle port, free CityCat bus

perfect food for thought

Cranes pepper the Perth city skyline attesting to a boom in development but who knows if they'll merge into the permanent architecture with the current gloom of world recession. This one unusual cloudy day!

Off The Leash!!

This was one we knew we couldn't pass up on. A bunch of doggie parents and their furkids were driving west to east coast, across the peninsular to spend two nights at a rustic beach resort. Packing for Hopie was a major exercise- our stuff took a couple of minutes to stuff in overnight bags. Setting up the car for the four hour drive with Hopie was another effort to ensure that any unfortunate car-sickness could be promptly dealt with. Then there was the smuggling of Hopie out of our apartment to the car in her huge box. How could anybody not suspect that something fishy was going on if they'd bumped into us in the lift.

Our spirits were high and we were off!


We finally arrived none the worse for the drive and were welcomed by the smell of the sea. I can't imagine what an experience that must have been for Hopie and her nose!

sitting quietly in the shade on arrival and taking in her surroundings

feeling more adventurous and cruising the perimeter with a big smile!

Despite being one of Asia's great melting pots, with a rich mix of races, cultures and religions and a far better record of multicultural harmony than many of its neighbours, our host country's dominant religion practices low to non-tolerance of dogs which are seen as unclean. Local authorities also ban or restrict dog ownership and dogs are not allowed in public with the exception of a single public park in the suburbs. If you had a dog companion on your own private landed property, you might still face the disapproval (in many forms) of your Muslim neighbours.

This resort on the coast is different. It's owned by a woman who has an arrangement whereby guests can bring their furkids if all the resort chalets are booked under the same group. Is this cool or what! Thus avoiding any untoward situations with guests holding other beliefs.

Pulling this together was a bit tricky but all well worth the effort! To be able to share this space with other life is a joy! It's amazing how beleaguered we humans have been with claiming the earth spaces as ours and not realizing there are others who inhabit the space and have rights to it.

hello! anybody home???

Hopie inseparable from her mattress on the terrace in front of our room

the 100-meter dash to the beckoning beach

soft sand, rolling surf and off the leash!

favourite new friends

discovering others

There's just this simple contentment of watching the furkids' joy and enjoyment of the moment and being free outdoors. It was just so uplifting seeing them running and sniffing around at their own will, making new acquaintances and just being free to be who they are.

digging to China

sunset stroll with a pal

pix by lukman

let's get to doing what we're here for

This time by the sea gave us the precious opportunity to take Hopie swimming which was excellent exercise for her hind legs. Needless to say the first moments were rather frantic, putting to test Hopie's confidence in me. She was scared but willing to trust me. Soon we figured how to let the buoyancy do all the work.

pix by lukman

ok it was real scary at first, Hopie says and all the struggling almost disrobed my Mom

but I got the hang of it- phew!!-

The day was as close to perfect as could be.

pix by lukman

dinner served in bed- thoroughly sapped of energy, what better way to end a day!

As Good As It Gets

Hope never leaves my side and even when she's feeling a little stiff in her unsteady hind limbs, she often gets herself up and going, wandering from room to room with me during the course of the day. So it was only natural that when The Four kittens came to stay with us, predictably, Hope was by my side, keeping an eye on the newcomers.

I kept Hope at a supervised distance, yet at every opportunity, I presented the squealing little fur balls for her sniffing inspection and a nuzzle or two. Her eyes were always lit with curiosity as she watched them intently with her head cocked. She and I were both learning about these little bundles. We set up home for The Four in our bathroom with lots of light and access to the sink to clean them after feeds. Which meant P lost his top dog rights- for now. Before long the bathroom morphed into kitty playland and a plywood board served as the door barrier where Hope could come by and watch them as she pleased.


Then for the very first time, she would leave my side for hours and sleep by the bathroom door close to The Four. With no access to the mysterious world of a dog's thoughts, I had no way of knowing if Hope's hardwired instincts had her keeping an eye on what might possibly be undiscovered food morsels or was it her mothering instincts that kept her near their tiny mewing moments or was it just childlike curiosity that motivated her vigil.

When the two surviving kittens, Mu-mu and Hilly had been with us for more than a month, it was time for all the furkids to get together.

Mum, do we really have to pose together?

my, what big feet you have

Kids taking liberties and wrestling in Hopie's bed

Hopie and Hilly sorting out rules of the game

furkids gotta stick together at zzzz-time

It is touching watching this little alliance form over the days and it makes me happy as Hilly has lost all her siblings and in many ways, so has Hopie.

This is as good as it gets.

This Little Light Went Out

It's happening again. Mu-mu is now the one taking a dangerous dive. She's been to the vet and all that could be done was for her to be injected with sub-cutaneous fluids (essentially electrolytes) to prevent rapid dehydration. She can't seem to keep her food down and has totally lost her appetite. Back to two-hourly feeds of just glucose to keep her hanging in there.

Eye bags and diminished faculties are my hallmark now. Good thing this two-hourly feeds are keeping me homebound or I might just be a liability to myself and others. My physical and mental coordination seem to have never me before. Lack of sleep transforms a person. I wonder at my previous life of insomnia and that of other people's.

Mu-mu hangs on bravely subjected to my force-feeding by (needleless)syringe. A mere 1ml each hour is all she can hold down. It's painful to watch her and she's losing weight rapidly.

surf n turf doesn't even mean anything

I try to entice her to eat. Prescription formula food from the vet which is supposedly very tasty. Not working. Softened little dried tuna kibbles. Not working. Steamed chicken breast. Not working. Back to syringe feeding.

Sitting at my keyboard while I work. Weak and not quite able to keep her head up.

The vet reckons home care is best at this stage. No vet's clinic could do the hourly intensive care and I plod on willing to try anything. A close friend who works with animal therapy has connected me to a kind senior vet who will take my call at any time and give me advice over the phone. She tells me to monitor Mu-mu's temperature- any one degree drop in body temperature over 48hours indicates a critical situation. I rush out to buy a digital thermometer. You figure out fast what you need to do when you need to do it! It really hit me. Normal temperature for a kitty is 38 degC. 37 degC over 48 hours is critical. Mu-mu was 36.5degC..... something inside plummeted for me too. The next four hours, she lost another .5deg and the next 4, another .5deg. She was slipping away.

Wrapped in a little sock-modified sleeping bag atop a heated pad
in desperate attempt to keep her warm.

I gathered her in her towel and warm pad and held her over my heart, sitting in the dark, the seconds ticked by silently. I hoped she would hear my heartbeat and whatever comfort that would bring her. The heavens began to cry and it felt like the open ocean. I cried till exhaustion claimed me. We clung together not knowing what else there was to do. I worried that I would fall asleep and she would leave. I worried that she would leave and I wouldn't realize. The was only a faint rise and fall of her chest. I walked as far as I could with her.Then she left me in the quiet before dawn and I felt her little light go out.

quiet moments when life hung in a delicate balance

It never gets easier- this letting go and I know it will happen again and again in life. I found my grounding in the quiet and still morning hours even though the breaking dawn colours were clouded by tears. Then my day's routine brought me back to the immediate and Hope needed her daily attention and Hilly cried for her meal service.

What better way to live through sorrow and loss than to appreciate life. I went out and bought a little pile of fresh fish, no bigger than a finger and Hilly got to enjoy the taste of her first fish.