Devorguilla, The Original Baying Hound {Obituary}

Devorguilla, a.k.a. Devie, our blue tick coon hound mix, died today, December 29, 2013. She was approximately thirteen years old, having been adopted as a young adult at the Capital Area Humane Society in January 2002. She is survived by little hound Hawise, cats Moonshine and Nightshade and people Alex, Lillian, and Rachel.

Despite our attempts at training, Devie was a headstrong troublemaker. She bayed at everyone who entered, stopping only when she was ready. Barking was how she related to other dogs and while we understood her noise to be playful, most other hounds cowered away from her. She surfed counters, scavenged floors, and ate anything possibly food-like. In her twelve years with the Tayse Baillieuls, she consumed the following in addition to regular meals: human birthday cakes, six packages of raisins to include packaging in one sitting, several bronze ring nails and the plywood they were attached to, boozy fruitcakes, chocolate truffles, a sheet pan of cookies, compost, a bag of flour, trash, and countless breakfasts, lunches, and dinners left unattended for a few seconds. Devie's stomach of steel allowed that these indiscretions were uncomfortable for her but didn't results in messes for her family beyond the missing food.

While she was difficult to live with, Devie was easy to love. Friends and neighbors who understand hounds carried on howling conversations with her. Many admired Dev's unflagging devotion to food, annoying as it was.

She was extremely gentle, especially around Lillian. Devie not only tolerated but seemed to enjoy being dressed up and always won 'cuteness contests', Lil's habit of dressing up pets and stuffed animals for fashion shows. Devie's coloring was beautiful and inspired our first business name, the Baying Hound. After losing an eye to persistent infection in 2010 she became even more striking.

We noticed Devie slowing down this autumn. When she stopped enjoying food, her one true love, this week, it was our signal that organ degeneration or cancer had progressed enough to severely affect her quality of life. We made the difficult choice of euthanasia. She was buried at home.

Rest in peace, Devorguilla. You will be missed.

Life - And End Of Life - Is Messy

Devie is dying. We all are, of course, but our thirteen-year-old dog is very near to the end of life. She's lost eight pounds in the last six months and she sleeps most of the time. Her kidneys aren't processing food well anymore and she exhibits cognitive dysfunction. All of this adds up to one thing: she makes messes all the time.

Dev finds new food-like items to tear into, like the box of bulk spices she never disturbed before. She no longer signals to go outside, so we clean up puddles inside nearly every day. We started crating her when we're gone and sometimes she messes in there. If doggy nursing homes existed, Devie would be a resident.

Meanwhile, the federal government is shut down. Alex, a federal government worker who was just furloughed this summer, will be paid for an uncomfortably vague 'twenty to sixty days'. Other friends are already furloughed.

If adulthood has taught me anything, it's that people are at least as messy as old dogs. We stick to insignificant points instead of compromising. We are greedy for what should be shared. We make mistakes, like the local school district that left my friend's kids stranded on a bus for three hours. We complicate life into a huge ugly tangle.

In both cases, my aged dog and messed up human systems, I want to hide my head in a hoop house and opt out. I feel powerless in the face of all this mess, yet it surrounds me.

So I will dig my cares away this afternoon. I'll dirty my hands in nature's mess while planting garlic. Chaos in nature, the only kind of nature, is beautiful to me.

I will stare at the birds and warm in the sun and remember there are much more important things in life than a bunch of people arguing in Washington. Important things need my care: growing nourishing food, protecting the wonder of nature, and providing comfort to the aged.

How do you react to overwhelming mess?

Old Hound Devie {Wordless Wednesday}

They say moving is one of the most stressful life events along with death, divorce, and illness. Most of the family is holding up well but the old hound dog Devie is a mess. Alex insists that I tell you I am the second in line for 'most stressed'.

First we took away her couch. Her twelve-year-old paws click and clack on the hardwood floors downstairs as she tries to find somewhere comfortable to rest.

Then, when we have showings, we are taking her on rides in the car (which she hates) to new and unfamiliar places.

She has taken to lying on our bed (previously forbidden) where I snapped these shots of her sweet greyed face, outstretched paws, and my favorite droopy lips.

I wish Dev could understand me when I promise that she will have a wide wonderful world to explore at a new house soon. We'll even find a place for her old stinky couch.

Hounds in the Kitchen Merch! {Wordless Wednesday}

I love the new Hounds in the Kitchen logo so much I want to wear it!

I used Skreened to upload the design and print on an American Apparel ethically made baseball shirt. I know the owner and several employees at Skreened and love to support their sustainable business. The best part of ordering from Skreened is that their location is only a mile from the house so I can pick up!

If you want to sport the Hound look, I uploaded four versions of the design - large and centered like on the shirt above, a chest emblem, medium logo for a tote bag, and large logo on the back. The cool thing about Skreened is that you can choose the shirt style (short sleeve, hoodie, etc.), color, and size for any of the Hounds in the Kitchen designs. They print quickly (my order was done in less than 24 hours!), ship around the world and have a pick-up location at I-71 and Hudson in Columbus.

Disclosure: I receive a few bucks commission off Hounds in the Kitchen shirts sold through Skreened. A girl's gotta buy groceries once in awhile.

Eco-friendly Dog Gear {Birthday Giveaway}

As I was thinking about my life and readers, I considered 'how about something for the four legged beasts?' My dogs keep me company on walks in the alleys, bark at strangers, and eat cooking leavings off the kitchen floor. They also eat my tomatoes, birthday cakes, and everything else passable. They are, in part, evil.

But even evil dogs deserve a nice fresh collar and leash once in awhile. Today's birthday giveaway is a OLovesM leash made from reclaimed Chaco sandal straps, a biodegradable poop bag dispenser, and a collar in your choice of size medium or small.

Comment below with your dog's name to enter.

Giveaway Details

Contest entries close at 12:01 AM EST on Tuesday, October 11, 2011. One winner will be selected with random.org. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to email notification with their mailing address for delivery of the gift card.

Winners must have a US address. Only one entry per person please. Retail value of dog gear gift pack is $30.

Disclosure: I am personally sponsoring this giveaway. Opinions are my own and shipping is also covered by me.

Additional Birthday Giveaways:

Kroger Giftcard (ends October 10, 2011)

No More Hounds in the Kitchen?

You may have noticed that posting has been light the last few weeks. I have had a sinus headache to end all headaches that leaves me with little energy to do anything but sleep. After many meetings with my Ear Nose, and Throat doctor, he referred me to an allergist. Today I suffered through nearly four hours of the arcane prick tests to determine that I'm allergic to dust mites and dogs.

So the blog is not going away, but the hounds and I are renegotiating terms. Little Hawise will no longer be allowed to sneak into our bedroom and might be bathed more often. Big dog Devie is going to have to give up her couch soon for a washable bed.

Posting may continue to be uninspired or few and far between as we tackle a few home improvement projects that should ease my allergies - removing carpet upstairs and the basement drop ceiling. I'm trying out some medicines too.

Hopefully soon I will feel like my usual self again. In the meantime, thanks for your patience!

Black (Pet) Friday

Did you know that black dogs and cats are more likely to linger in animal shelters than any other color of pet? The problem is so pervasive that shelters have given the syndrome an acronym, BBD, for Big Black Dog. BBDs persist in shelters despite being personable, house trained, and gentle.

The animal shelter from where we adopted our hounds, Capital Area Humane Society in Hilliard, is actively combating the lack of adopters from dark colored pets. Today, Black Friday, the shelter is offering special low rates on black (and mostly black) animals. The shelter is open from 12 - 7 pm today. For the first two hours the shelter is open, black pets can find their forever home for 50% of the standard adoption rates. From 2 pm on, adoption fees are discounted 25% for black pets.

If you visit the shelter tomorrow, say hi to my sister Sarah, one of the shelter managers. She is forfeiting family holiday time to help the wonderful animal souls at CAHS find homes. I hope she is able to make many matches with families of all sizes and pets of all colors.

The Dog with the Purple Eyelashes

Devie the big hound is adapting wonderfully to life with a single eye.

At our dinner party Wednesday, everyone commented on what a different dog she is now.  She is calmer, quieter, and seems happier than any time in the last year.

Guilt creeps in when I think that perhaps her bum eye was hurting her for a long time.  But there was no way to know how much pain she was feeling and only now we can notice that she feels enormously better.

Soon, Dev's 'purple eyelashes', as Lil calls the stitches, will be removed.  I hope all traces of trauma will also be tossed aside and many years will follow with our one eyed pirate dog.