Some time

Now that we aren't going to the vet every few days, I finally have some time to sit and watch my hummingbirds.  They may think I'm more of a stalker than a watcher..but they are cute and oblige.

 The females seem to be most active now.  The males were out there..they were just too busy guarding the feeders to be still long enough for a photo op

 Seriously, human?  Can I eat in peace?

 And then they would just hover and stare..

I love this photo of Roxi.

 To photograph hummingbirds, I sit..for a long time in the corner of the deck quietly.  this is strange to a 2 year old hound.  So I get this stare..a lot.

 Cali continues to do well and is happy on the couch.

Cali update: 20 months: 5 months

Cali will be 20 months post amputation on 9/7/15 and just hit 5 months post Lymphoma diagnosis last week.
My last update spoke about an ultrasound.  While on vacation, the options 'gained' from an ultrasound were not worth the risks so the ultrasound was no longer necessary.
The monoclonal antibody treatment was not working and all the chemotherapys we've tried recently have either made her very ill or done nothing.  And those that made her ill only 'sort of' worked.  This is the problem with T-cell Lymphoma..resistance is high and fast.

So we have stopped all treatments and tests and her oncologists fully supported this decision.  Cali will live out her days on our couch enjoying doing what she loves.  the symptoms we combat are nausea and lethargy and she is on 4 medications to counter the nausea.  she has good days and bad days which is what the oncologist told us to expect. This was not an easy decision and we will never know if it was the 'right' decision. But we feel it is the best decision.

On a recent good day, we took her, Cody and Roxi to a local dog festival at Blue Bee Cidery.  she still has that therapy dog thing.  This little girl rubbed on her and snuggled with her for a long time.

 She still enjoys time in her Daddy's lap

 And I don't think she has lost any large amount of weight and still looks shiny and healthy. 

  On her bad days, she eats very little even when presented with everything under the sun, and she lays around quietly all day.  On her good days, she eats like a pig (usually our dinner as well), plays with toys and runs around the yard.

As of now, the good days are outnumbering/outweighing the bad days.

St. Lucia 10 year anniversary trip

The timing wasn't great but we managed to pack up and leave the fur kids in Nerice's very capable hands to head off for our 10 year anniversary trip.  A Cali update will come later this week. But for now..here is our trip!!! (photo heavy post)
We stayed at Ladera Resort in Souffreire, St. Lucia. the rooms were three walled with a pool..and a fabulous view of the Pitons (the two peaks that are St. Lucia's hallmark).
The sitting area

 the bedroom

 the view (that is Gros Piton)

 and the one on the right is Petit Piton.  The bay is Sugar Beach

We watched a lot of flora and fauna

I desperately tried to get the hummingbirds..they were every where but faster than my telephoto auto focus!!  They had the coolest 'hat'.

 There are three in this photo in the tree.  They were quite a bit bigger than the ones in the states.

 We did a lot of snorkeling (Jason is working on a video from all of his GoPro videos)

 We took a water taxi to Anse Chastenet and got a great view of the Pitons from the water. 

 we both love snorkeling and spent a lot of time doing this.

 I seem to always find the squid and always make the angry.  They like to 'follow' you which makes them a wee bit intimidating! Especially when they turn bright red. 

 One day we took a tour to the 'landmarks' of the island.  The active volcano which smells terrible but the 'vents' are what keep the island existing!!

But the volcano leads to warm mineral springs that they have pumped in to pools that you can soak in. Supposedly, it is very good for your skin and joints. It was nice to float in

 And volcanic mud and hot springs which is again supposedly good for your skin.  This water was HOT and it did make for a great exfoliation!!

 Another day we went with the Chef from the restaurant to the market and bought fresh produce that he came back and cooked for us.  The market was very neat and we got to taste all the different fruits.

 

Chef Nigel

But mainly, we spent time enjoying the views.

 The sunsets from the bar were amzing.

 We ate dinner at this spot most every night.

 And pre-dinner drinks were here

 This is my favorite

 the sun

Overall, it was an amazing trip to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary.  (more photos will be on my FB page)

The Faintest ink

"The Faintest ink is better than the best memory"  This was a Chinese proverb quote on Mad Men that made me think of my blog.  It's why I continue it in the day of social media, I will always be able to look back and see my memories good or bad.
A quick Cali update before we head out on vacation (lots of photos will be coming!)

All available chemotherapy agents available for her cancer have been used or ruled out for one reason or another.  Her spleen is not responding.  Nor has it responded to the Monoclonal antibody treatment.  All treatments have been stopped.

Our options are very very limited.  She eats occasionally and definitely has lower energy.  But she still asks for loving and seems to still have her diva ways.  And her bloodwork isn't that bad..relatively speaking.

When we get back from vacation, she will have another non invasive ultrasound to determine if the cancer has spread (and she still has osteo so we have to check in on that too) beyond her spleen.  

If it has..Cancer has won.  If it hasn't...we have an option but it certainly isn't ideal.

But while we are gone, Aunt Nerice and Aunt Kristen will take very good care of her and make sure she eats.