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88 posts
Mabel Moved Into Hank's Bed While He Was on Crate RestFebruary 4, 2026For weeks the big orthopedic dog bed sat empty, and Mabel noticed. A small, funny story about a cat, a borrowed bed and a long winter.
Crate Rest Gear That Kept a Bored Dog SaneJanuary 31, 2026Lick mats, a snuffle mat, frozen food toys and a white noise machine. The crate rest gear we used daily in January, and what sat in a drawer.
Line by Line: What Insurance Paid on Hank's $6,840 SurgeryJanuary 28, 2026The claim went in on January 9 and paid on January 27. Eligible charges, the deductible, the 90 percent math and the $816.30 left to us.
Wild Rice Soup for a Week of Minus-24 MorningsJanuary 21, 2026My grandma's wild rice soup, made in the big pot during the January cold snap, with notes on what I've changed and what I never will.
Turning the Living Room Into a Recovery SuiteJanuary 15, 2026Eight weeks of restricted activity on slick oak floors. Runner rugs, an exercise pen by the sofa and the sling that got Hank outside.
Surgery Day for Hank, From a Waiting Room in BlaineJanuary 10, 2026Drop-off at 7:30, a phone call at 1:10 and a groggy dog in a cone by evening. TPLO day felt very different from the other side of the counter.
Reading a TPLO Estimate: What $6,200 to $7,400 CoversJanuary 5, 2026Our surgeon's estimate for Hank's knee, line by line: surgery, anesthesia, the overnight stay, X-rays and meds, and why there's a range.
Hank Slipped on the Ice, and Now We Wait on a KneeDecember 30, 2025A squirrel, an icy backyard and a yelp on December 28. The exam, the likely torn ligament and the uneasy days before a surgery consult.
Plow Season: Caleb's 3 A.M. Call-Outs and Our Quiet HouseDecember 20, 2025When snow is coming, Caleb's phone rings in the dark. County plow season seen from home, with a dog who waits up by the back door.
Paw Balm, Booties and Road Salt: What Holds Up on a Minnesota SidewalkDecember 15, 2025Salted sidewalks crack Hank's pads by January. The paw wax, booties and rinse routine we tried, and the booties he kicked off in one block.
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Biscuits for the Neighborhood DogsDecember 9, 2025We bake about 120 dog biscuits every December for the dogs on our street. The simple recipe, the xylitol label check and how we bag them.
Christmas Tree, Meet the Cat Who Climbs ItDecember 3, 2025Mabel has climbed every tree we've put up. How we anchor it now, our ornament rules and why the bottom branches stay bare.