Normally at this time of year we are planning, packing and surveying daily our travel checklist for our fall desert trip. The warmer climate beckons us...plus the fact that I don't want to put on a pair of pants yet. But this year, that all changed.
First, let us introduce you to the newest member of our pack...Kiah (pronounced Keey-ah). The word Kiah is an Aboriginal word meaning "beautiful place". We rescued her from Woods Humane Society, an awesome no-kill shelter in our county. We found out later, that they had rescued Kiah from the Animal Shelter in the hot and barren town of Avenal. She was a runaway with no tags or an embedded chip and had been kenneled for over two months before she embraced our arms.
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| Kiah at Woods Humane Society...eyes say it all...please adopt me |
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| Kiah returns to Woods Humane Society as a student |
We love Australian Cattle Dogs, so we when we decided to rescue another pup we were seeking either Blue Heelers or a Heeler/Mix. We saw of her availability the first evening it was advertised. Imkelina drove down to Woods the next morning, spent some time with her and immediately fell in love with the 2 year old. But our adoption was held up as another family had put a hold on her and was coming in later in the day to claim her. All Imkelina could do was commit to being the "backup" if they chose not to adopt. She came home crushed, but optimistic that this puppy was meant to be part of our pack. Well long story short, destiny prevailed...the other family baled on the adoption and we celebrated for Kiah was ours!!!
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| The look of joy on her face the first time her toes touched the beach was priceless! |
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| One of her favorite beaches...San Simeon Cove |
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| She has to personally choose which ball to fetch |
Over the last 5 months, Kiah slowly adapted to a new home offering a property full of trees, cooler weather, indoor living, multiple choices of comfy beds, wonderful food and daily outings on our local trails, dog parks and beaches.
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| Volcanic Tablelands |
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| She loves staring beyond the horizon |
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| As mighty as a Redwood...at Henry Woods State Park |
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| She really does know how to relax...sometimes |
Plus all the new adventures and wonders she gets to experience via our motorhome getaways. Kiah is our pack's new baby...loved and spoiled rotten, all deservedly so.
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| One of our favorite benches at Fiscalini Ranch Preserve |
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| Every sunny day is a beach day! |
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| On the bluffs at San Simeon |
She tries to embrace Sydney as her new step-sister during all the time they spend time together day after day. But this relationship still needs more time to ferment as there are many times Kiah wants to be the Alpha Female in her pack and Sydney has not forgotten that she was once the only "child". So with that, the bonding process of our two girls has progressed at a snail's pace, although the other day we did catch Sydney licking Kiah's ear.
Now back to the story...
The same day we returned from our late summer fishing safari up in the Eastern Sierras, Kiah decided to go after a plump gray squirrel in a nearby oak tree. Unfortunately, that "mix" terrier blood was stronger than the common sense of a heeler and "forced" her to jump over a 4 foot high patio railing, onto the overhang 14 feet above un-level ground. Naturally the squirrel easily got away, as gravity aided it's escape. Kiah, unable to stop her momentum plummeted straight down upon a rock lined landscape stream bed and bounced upon the hard walkway pavers. We believe that the bark wood chips surrounding the stream bed softened her fall, preventing more extensive damage, but her front legs, which took the brunt of the fall, could not withstand the massive compression upon her wrists. Bones snapped and ligaments were torn. Surgery, metal plates, screws and dual leg casting has been required...and then up to 3 months of recuperation time to get this little girl back to critter chasing form.
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| A "you can't lick it" bonnet |
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| Post surgery healing nap |
But our Kiah is pretty damn fierce...a "rez" dog for sure. We are confident it will be only a short while before she once again enjoys the spacious queen rv bed and snags her preferred space in the cab of WeBeGone.
This legendary girl will see many more of those spots that her namesake inspires. She certainly has made our world a more beautiful place!
