Wrapping up the Trip

I’ve got some final pics I thought I’d share. The first is taken about 3am Sydney time from 37,894 feet in the sky according to the info United Airlines was giving us. It’s a picture of the sun rising off the starboard wing of a Boeing 747. There weren’t a lot of people awake on the plane at that time, one of the benefits of being an insomniac. This was the second sunrise of the day for me, the first being about 21 hours earlier.

First Light

This is a picture of a Singapore Airline’s Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger plane. There was an A380 next to a 747 that I tried to get a picture of, but we were moving too fast on the taxi ramp. I was amazed at how much higher the tail of the Airbus stuck up compared to a 747. The Airbus almost dwarfs the 747.

Airbus A380

This was the first sunset I saw in 2011 in the US. I was driving back from Phoenix to Tucson and snapped this picture using the driver’s side mirror. Probably not the safest thing I’ve done in retrospect.

Sunset Over the Highway

I even met a few friends while on vacation. The first is Mr. Salty, the salt water croc.

The Croc

Sydney has a lot of saltwater pools that are next to the beaches. You have to choose your swimming partners very carefully. My friend here, doesn’t like to swim slower then anyone. He told me point blank, “I rule this pool, you go faster then me and I’ll nibble on your toes.” Needless to say I “let” him nip me at the wall.

My Swimming Partner

I was going to take on of these home, but I got stopped at customs. It seems exporting a Koala is a no-no.

Doesn't Fit in the Overhead Bin

My niece wasn’t impressed that it was time to go home.

So Sad

My nephew wondered who he would bake a cake with.

Baking Fun

A Punch to the Guts

This morning I’m walking around dazed and stunned. Bridgette went to the vet yesterday. Her tail stopped wagging like normal and her appetitive decreased. It seems every time I go to the vets the news isn’t good. Bridgette has cancer among other things like arthritis, anemia and some bad teeth.
There are lots of little tumors in her lungs, a nice size tumor at the base of her spine and one of her anal glands has a tumor. She has to be put her down soon. The tumor at her anal gland is already impacting her ability to go to the bathroom. Her poop comes out one side flat the other side round. Much more growth and she’ll be completely stopped up.
I’m stunned. I guess I shouldn’t be. She is ~14 years old and in great health otherwise. We still walk just about everyday, she plays with other dogs at the park and seems to be her usual self. As a pet owner, who has seen her everyday for the last 12+ years, sometimes you don’t notice the little things that might tip you off sooner. I never noticed she was getting indentions above her eyes until the vet pointed them out. She gets her head rubbed everyday. How did I miss that?
For now she is on antibiotics and prednisone. The prednisone should help perk her up a bit more and increase her appetitive. Since she still has a relatively good quality of life, I’m going to be selfish and keep her around for a few more weeks. Through all the years, I’ve always said I’m not going to be that dog owner that hangs on too long, that I’d rather put her down with a few good weeks left, then have her suffer for a few weeks because I didn’t want to let go. To me, being kind and letting your dog go out on top is the best thing a dog owner can do. I’ve already chosen a tentative date, and I’m not looking forward to it showing up. Hopefully she’ll respond well to her drugs and maybe I’ll get to keep her for a another week or so. I hope so anyway.