Thinking of getting a Golden Retriever? Please read this!

I want to share something that I have learned while going through the grieving process with the loss of our beloved Golden, Baylee. There has been extensive research (most notably by UC Davis) that shows that hip displasia, which is the terribly crippling condition that our furry baby suffered from, is most often brought on by spaying or neutering the dog too early. I find it agonizing that I did not know this when we got Baylee 9 years ago. The study was done for Labs and Goldens, which are both incredibly popular breeds, but the results were most dramatic for Goldens. 

The solution is to wait until 6 months (or up to 2 years) to spay or neuter (and be responsible with your dog's interaction with other dogs beforehand, lest you be joined by many new little fur balls) or for females you can ask for a modified spay which leaves the ovaries intact, so that the much needed hormones can still to their job in building the bone and cartilage plates.

I know that someday soon we will welcome another Golden into our lives, and we will do things differently this time.  

Always in our hearts...

For the greatest Golden Retriever who ever lived: Thank You.

We had to let you go on Thursday, May 21st, and I couldn't bear to write about it until now. I truly believe we'll see you again someday, so I can't bring myself to say goodbye, but instead I'll say thank you.

Thank you for always protecting us. People say Goldens aren't watchdogs, but you always made sure you slept in a central spot where you could guard everyone's rooms at once. You'd have never hurt a fly, but we'd have a hard time convincing that plumber who peed his pants that time. Sorry, Mr. Plumber.

Thank you for keeping the lizards in the backyard in line, they were far too cheeky and you always let them know their place. 

Thank you for your constant unconditional love, and for always giving us the best of you, even when you were in pain. You always put us first, and even though I know we'll never be the same without you, I am glad we were brave enough to put you first when it really counted. Even at the end we could tell you were more worried about us than yourself. 

Thank you, Baylee. We love you, and will always miss you. You will never be forgotten and you can never be replaced.

Book Review: E.M. Powell's The Fifth Knight

Okay, so George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire notwithstanding, I'm not usually a swords-and-castles type of reader. (And even though I read the first SoIaF novel, A Game of Thrones, I ultimately decided not to read the subsequent books because I was already firmly ensconced in the TV series and enjoying it immensely. I'd rather read books I'm not seeing.)

I can't clearly remember what made me purchase the book I just finished, E.M. Powell's The Fifth Knight, but I'm definitely glad I did. I follow a lot of writers and agents and editors on Twitter, and I think maybe someone tweeted about this book, or perhaps its sequel, The Blood of the Fifth Knight. (Since I've only finished the first one, the title of the sequel makes me a bit nervous. I've grown attached to that Fifth Knight, and I don't want anything to happen to him.)

The story revolves around Sir Benedict Palmer, who has been sent with four other knights to murder the The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket and kidnap a nun and her daughter (also a nun, or more like ultra-nun, known as an anchoress).  Finding he doesn't quite have the stomach for the task, he finds himself in league with the stronger-than-she-seems anchoress, Sister Theodosia.  Together they seek out her mother and the truth behind the contract on the Archbishop and Sister Theodosia's past.

Being far removed from the life of a nun, I found the extreme piousness and guilt a bit unsettling at times, but that only added to the authenticity. Sir Benedict is an unlikely hero, swashbuckling as he is, simply because his original goals were simply monetary gain, but he is ultimately as likable as they come.

Historical fiction is becoming more and more interesting to me because of books like this. I got to enjoy a great story and learn some actual facts as well. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a fun mystery, and a chance to step out of the modern world.  Five out of five.