Mountain Bike Monday - Ridin' It Up!

On Friday, we took the day off and went for a short ride at Poco in the early morning.



There's nothing more beautiful than the sun glistening through the damp green leaves in the early morning at the park.



There had been a little rain overnight, so everything was crisp and clean.



The leaves were sagging a bit from the weight of the water.



When you rode through the canopy of low leaves, you would get a whack from the wet leaves. It actually felt refreshing!



In my opinion, the morning is the best time to ride...



Everything is fresh and new. Not worn out from the day.



There are also very few riders out early. You have the time to be peaceful, quiet, and alone with nature. There were beautiful tulip poplar blooms everywhere!



We had a lovely time riding together. The ride was good.



We did stop for a few more pics than usual!



It was too pretty not to stop and enjoy it!



Usually I look forward to seeing this sign...



But, for some reason I didn't on Friday!

And...

On Saturday we met Mom and Dad at the Jamestown Settlement to do the kid exchange. They watched Charlie for the day while we got in a good long training ride.



I was in charge of mapping out our ride. We were shooting for 35 miles. This is all in preparation for our 50 mile ride this Saturday - The Cap-2-Cap!



First, we headed out on the Capitol Trail that we caught from the Jamestown Settlement. This was Mile 0 on the route.



There was lots of farmland at the beginning of the route, but then we ventured into a beautiful wooded area.



There was a really nice bridge at the start...





The scenery was lovely and everything was well marked and safe.



We had never travelled this section of the trail...only the Charles City portion. So, this was new for us.





This trail took us 8 miles out to the Chickahominy Bridge.



It's a beautiful bridge today, with a dedicated bike lane.



Up until a short while ago, this bridge was a rickety little draw bridge that honestly was a little sketchy to cross.



It was a whole different feeling being on top of the bridge on a bike rather than in a car.



Talk about a long way down! But, we had to stop at the top and take our self photo...



It's just so amazing to be on top of the world!



We turned around and headed the 8 miles back to the car. Along the way we saw red birds, deer, blue jays, and even a baby groundhog!

We hopped on the Colonial Parkway for our 10 mile trek to Colonial Williamsburg.



If you've never ridden the Parkway, you should do it once.



The scenery is lovely!





The cars go at max 45 mph. The buses are more aggravating than anything!



There was such a lovely smell in the air. It's a beautiful spring scent of honeysuckle and wild roses.



There was a dairy farm along the route. It appeared to be very old, but the view they had was breathtaking.





Do you see the 3 crosses?





There were lots of bridges and pull-offs. The locals seemed to know where the beaches were.





We got to Colonial Williamsburg and stopped to refuel. I got a Pepsi! I think that really helped me regain my umph!! Strolling the streets we saw a beautiful garden of foxgloves in full bloom!



I've never seen so many in one place! I've tried to grow them without much luck. Now, with Charlie eating everything they would be a bad idea. They are poisonous to dogs.



We headed out of downtown, past William & Mary back towards the car. There were some bike lanes along the road, so this was a plus!



Once we reached the car, we headed back out on the Parkway towards Jamestown Island...



We could see the Ferry the whole time.





The weather was perfect.



Just as we got back to the car, the rain started. We felt great after completing a successful ride. We completed 36.5 miles! I think we're ready for this Saturday's ride!



Hope your weekend was great!

Big Boy!

Here I am. I'm loved. I'm adored. I'm the center of my parents' universe.



Can't you tell?



Mom says people at work think she's talking about a real child when she's talking about me. Well, I am aren't I?!



I just wanted to let you know that I'm getting to be a big boy. Mom and Dad weighed me and I came in at 10.5 pounds! I'm a sturdy guy!



Really...I'd say that I'm just solid. Or, I'm big boned. I have a lot of bulldog in me I guess! No, the truth is that my parents didn't realize they were feeding me a little too much food. The measuring cup size was misinterpreted. Way to go, Mom! Oops! I didn't know any better and wasn't going to turn good food down, so I gobbled it up anyways!



It's ok because I don't look fat...I mean fluffy...do I? They say that when I reach 16 weeks I will be half of my real big boy size. So, I think I'm going to be between 20 and 25 pounds. It's all muscle...trust me!

May Calendar Page

I'm only a couple of days late posting my May Calendar Page!



I decided to do a collage this month with the pastel colored pages in my collection.



Hop on over to The Kathryn Wheel to see other lovely pages for this month!

Madelyn's Friends at the Furry Friends Jubliee this Sunday

Have you heard of Madelyn's Friends? Well, after we lost Lexi I began thinking about how wonderful it would be if there was a way to raise money for those pet owners who needed specialty/emergency veterinary care for their "kids", but couldn't afford it. We happened upon Madelyn's Friends Foundation, and that's exactly what the Foundation does. So, we contacted the Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center to find out more and how we could help!

We are working the booth on Sunday, May 6, at the Furry Friends Jubilee in Carytown. We will be there helping to sell raffle tickets, dog washes, nail trims, tee-shirts, etc. to raise money for this wonderful cause. If you're in the area and want to stop by, the event is from 12 until 4 p.m. at the Cary Street location of the VESC.

If you're unable to attend, but want to donate or buy a raffle ticket, click here!

Now, here's a little more about Madelyn's Friends Foundation from the VESC website:

Why We Began Madelyn's Friends Foundation

Desiring to provide advanced quality of care to all of Richmond's community, the VESC and one of the owner's and hospital administrator, Laura Dean, created and applied for a non profit, Madelyn's Friends Foundation. The goal of this fund is to provide financial assistance for members of the community with a lower income comprehensive emergency and specialty care to the four-legged members of their family. Our hope is to ensure the appropriation of funds goes to those families and pets with true need.

Madelyn's Story

Madelyn was thrown off a truck on interstate 64 when she was just two months old. She needed emergency care and was brought to the Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Center by a Good Samaritan and received the special care that she needed, but still needed a home. At the time I was both a student a Virginia Commonwealth University and a part time receptionist at the VESC, and I knew that I could provide her the love and attention that she needed. But I also knew that I was living hand-to-mouth (as most students do) and feared that I would not be able to afford the necessary veterinary care that all pets need in their lifetimes. I was smitten, however, so I took her home knowing the challenges. Almost 12 years later she is still the love of my life and brings me joy every time she wags her tail, attempts to talk to me, plays dead, and kisses me awake in the morning.

Over the years she has required life saving care and treatments from both emergency and specialty veterinarians. Once she ingested a sock at 11 pm on a Saturday night and had to have emergency surgery. Another time she had a big lump that needed to be biopsied by an oncologist. And, of course, every few months as a puppy she got into something and terrified me with lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea at all hours of the day and night. The emergency and specialty care has saved her life, I'm certain, on so many occasions that I've lost count. Fortunately, in the years before I got out of school, I had the good fortune of my parents' financial assistance and was always able to provide the care that she needed. Even at the time, I realized that not everyone is so lucky. I always wanted to provide a fund to those like myself, who have a lot of love to give, but no funds to match it. I want to give to others what my parents gave to me... The gift of providing the necessary advanced care to the one who love's you unconditionally. The promise of a few more years with your best friend. The commitment to ensuring the quality of life that we expect for the members of our family. An opportunity for all of Madelyn's friends.

Overview of Need

Over our many years in practice we have observed first hand the challenges many people face providing emergency and specialty veterinary care to their pets. Veterinary medicine has shifted away from the need to maintain livestock as an agricultural necessity to the nurturing of a bond more similar to the one shared with a beloved family member. This change has created a demand for progressive veterinary health care that closely parallels human medicine in specialty scope, research, resources, modalities and expectations of care. In return, the cost to provide this level of care has proportionately climbed and the ability for some pet owners to finance these costs has become more challenging, and in some cases, prohibitive.

Veterinary medicine is not, however, like human medicine in a few important ways. First, there is not a common form of veterinary health insurance to support the rising costs of medical care. Secondly, veterinary hospitals do not receive subsidies from the government to help with the costs of indigent patient care. Another significant difference is that operating a 24-hour veterinary emergency and specialty care facility costs far more than a conventional veterinary day practice. Also, veterinary medicine, in response to the shift from agricultural to companion animal medicine, now also has board certification in most of the same specialties as human medicine. For a veterinarian to become nationally board certified in a specialty area they must complete at least one year of internship, apply and be accepted into a three-year nationally recognized residency program in the desired area and then take a national board examination for licensure in that area. Board certification is relatively new to veterinary health care. Since the creation of this necessity in veterinary medicine, general practitioners look to specialists and are often unable to perform some techniques, diagnostics and treatments specific to specialty areas of veterinary medicine. In many cases, pet owners are not willing to allow their family members treatment and care to be placed in the hands of someone without the proper training and expertise. As a result, previously untreatable diseases are now cured, but there is a cost associated with these specialty veterinary practices that must be covered by the devoted owners whose pets require them.

The costs to run a veterinary hospital are substantial. Emergency and specialty care bear the greatest brunt of this financial strain. As we know from reports in human medicine, the cost of medical care rises on average 16% every year. Though veterinary costs rise at an almost identical level, we do not have any financial assistance from the government, so we must sustain ourselves solely from the clients that can fund the care. Therefore, we often make disproportionately low fees related to the escalating costs associated with operation to keep prices low enough to provide care to most of the community. Providing the drugs and supplies that are common in day practices is only the first challenge faced by emergency and specialty practices. Because of the scarcity of specialists, the amount of training and school that they must complete after graduation, the demand from the day practitioners to have their support, and the supportive diagnostic modalities that are required to practice this level of medicine (e.g. CT scanner, ultrasound, endoscope, etc.), costs can become prohibitive to many pet owners. Because of the combined overhead costs associated with the operation of a specialty veterinary facility, and the inability to have fees at a proportionate level to rising costs, emergency and specialty practices often are financially unhealthy. All of these factors combine to create a risk of being put out of business by attempting to provide low cost or free care. This, of course, would damage jobs, and the ability to provide this much needed service to the community.

The purpose of this foundation is to raise and administer funds to help subsidize the cost of veterinary specialty and emergency care in the Richmond metropolitan area. Pets are no longer disposable to the community; they are caregivers, friends, protectors, rescuers, and therapists. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) has a center for the human animal bond. Every year, a representative from this center gives our staff a presentation on bereavement, during which they state that based on research, 33% of people find their pet to be closer to them then their closest human family member. Providing the care that these valued family members need has no longer become optional to the pet owning community. It has become essential. The cost has risen and will continue to rise, creating an inability for many people to provide this necessary care for their loved ones.

The foundations recipients will be approved based on income and the ability to finance care. The assistance would be granted based on need and prognosis. Though we currently provide humane care to all pets that are suffering without any guarantee of payment, hundreds of animals every year must be euthanized that could have survived and had a long and healthy life if they had the specialty care they needed. The Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center want to give more animals a chance to receive this care. We would love to provide comprehensive veterinary care to every pet, but without assistance from a foundation such as this, we would hemorrhage financially and go out of business. We need this foundation to succeed in fulfilling our vision to provide the necessary care for Richmond's entire pet owning community.

Charles in Charge

Have I told you how much I love my Dad? Well, I do! A whole lot!



I can't wait to see my parents everyday when they come in the door! It's like Christmas morning!



They always stop to give me love and kisses and ask me how my day was!



My Dad takes me outside and we run around and play! We fetch and explore!We check out the baby birds in the birdhouse!



I explore the whole yard and they hollar at me to "get back here."



I get very distracted and like to go close to the edge of the woods. It makes Mom nervous!



So, I listen and come when they call me, but sometimes I just wanna do my own thing. When I know I've been bad, I roll over and act playful...



Mom likes to keep me on a leash. She says it's because I don't listen to her. That's kinda true!



I do kinda let my nose lead me!



I'm really glad we have a nice patio. I like to veg out there, especially when it's rainy and the grass is wet! I hate to get my paws in the wet grass!



I still like to chew on everything!



Did I mention that I'm 14 weeks old today?



I'm such a big boy they say! 9.5 pounds now! Mom even said she thought I was up to 10 this morning! They keep having to stretch out my collar!



I'm so big that I get to ride with Grandpa in his blue truck and can now see outside the window when I stand up...



Look at me!!!



Life is good!