Now I am kicking myself for not having blogged regularly over the past few months. But honestly I did not want to sound negative or overwhelmed, which is sometimes how I felt.
…So today I will lay out the synopsis.
Aoife looks down over Arctic Valley… July 5th
Months ago I spent weeks – sometimes frustrating weeks – presenting proposals – several versions, in fact – to my service chief and then ultimately to the director of the medical center where I am employed. The purpose of all that was for pre-arranging time off for the whelping and rearing of our first litter of puppies.
Before any of that was finalized I was faced with decisions pertaining to genetic and health testing, the selection of a suitable sire, as well as the decision on the best method for breeding our bitch. From there we had to watch for “first blood”. And shortly thereafter came the challenge of arranging travel for the engagement.
None of that was simple. And much of it was characterized by the frustration of “hurry up and wait”.
Four weeks after the breeding, Aoife was still not showing any sign of carrying. Our repro-vet examined her and suggested there may be “at least 3 or 4 puppies”. I could hardly believe my ears, and I am pretty sure I squealed. But as the next two weeks unfolded, I found myself still not at all convinced that she was expecting. On top of all the signs I could not see, at five-plus weeks I watched Aoife ambitiously climb Arctic Valley & Rendezvous Peak leaving me in her dust! Now at seven weeks it is obvious, so we restrained her exuberance with a long leash for our hike at Independence Mine.
Aoife romping the trails around Independence Mine – July 13th
Looking down on Independence Mine
We have much to do before the puppies whelp, so I am back to feeling overwhelmed.
Life is good.
Aoife romps the fields of Arctic Valley – July 5th
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