I don't think there's a way for me to write this post without sounding like a big whiner, but here goes nonetheless. For those who might not know, we adopted a rescue "pitbull" this past spring. It has been a learning experience, especially for me. He has required a lot more energy (physical and mental) than I could have every predicted, and a lot of ongoing work to address his "issues" after spending the first part of his life in a troubling situation. Thankfully he is friendly and amiable with people and small children, but dog and deer reactivity is an ongoing struggle and source of stress.
Along with the blog break just as summer was kicking in, I announced on facebook that I would be pretty quiet throughout the month of August. Part of the reason for that was knowing I would be the sole caretaker for our dog for a good chunk of that month. That I would be spending a lot of my time when not at work making it up to him after leaving him at home all day. That I would be tired, not just from taking care of his exercise needs on my own, but from the stress that comes with never knowing how your dog might react on a given day when another dog passes on the street. And that finally, some days just need to be finished with a 60lb weight on your chest (as seen above), hoping that slowly, maybe, we are building a strong trust bond with this scarred boy that will bring us all happier and healthier out the other side.
I know, melodramatic. There are so many women who shoulder much more than I do, with kids and jobs and life. Trust me, there is no one more disappointed by me than me.
While we are back to being a family of three (and Ty is so thrilled to have his AK home), there will be a similar situation in September, so I suspect things will continue here much the same, for now. I hope I'm not making it sound like all struggles and gloom. There have certainly been many good summer days, exploring, fishing, and even mushroom hunting as the autumn season begins to make an appearance. I'm hoping an adventure is in order for the long weekend coming up, just as we slip into September.
If you're still stopping by here (and I don't blame you if you're not), please let me know what you've been up to - I'd love hear!
