Rivergreen Cottage

A few days ago, Yangkyu and I took our first overnight trip with Momo. We rented a little cottage on a working farm in Elkton, VA, called Rivergreen Cottage, and it was the type of experience that we had been looking for (well, I guess mostly me).

For a while now I had been wanting to get into camping but wasn't sure how often I would keep it up. I had camped a lot as a kid and it wasn't actually one of my favorite things to do. And as I got older the thought of sleeping inside a tent, being outdoors with a ton of bugs and having the bathroom not be so accessible wasn't really my jam. But as always, having dogs often changes my perception and with Momo and the current state of affairs with the pandemic, I thought it would be the perfect type of getaway that all of us can enjoy.

Before we decided on investing in camping gear though we thought it would be better to try out a camping type of experience. I had Rivergreen Cottage saved as a place to get away to for a couple of years. We had actually wanted to take Noah here as well and had been waiting for the day when he would get better. Unfortunately that day never came for us and I wasn't so sure how Momo would do without Noah by her side but we decided to take the plunge anyway (instead of constantly worrying about what ifs - we always get in the habit of worrying too much) and Rivergreen Cottage just so happened to have an opening for two nights and three days this past week. Timing couldn't have been better as it was following on the heels  of our wedding anniversary and also right before Yangkyu gets busy again with his PhD program this week. Rivergreen Cottage was also a good distance (a little less than 2 hours) from our home - a distance that feels like a legit road trip but short enough so that Momo doesn't get too stressed (she is not a fan of car rides).

I always get a little nervous when people ask us where we went and how it was because for us this experience was a good one, but it definitely came with some quirks that may not be so ok with others. So just a little background - Yangkyu and I are the type of people that are ok with forgoing some of life's conveniences for a couple of nights. And to reiterate what I said earlier, we had been wanting a sort of an off the grid type of experience to see how we would like it. With this in mind, these are some things about Rivergreen Cottage that are helpful to know for folks who fell in love with the scenery but are a little weary about spending a couple of days in an off the grid like experience: 

• It is on a working farm and so there are herds of cows that come by the cottage, which is fenced off with an electric fence (more on this a little later). But this also means that you'll smell cow manure and your tires may possibly run over them too. This sounds terrible but it really isn't. The tires actually freaked us out more than the smell (more Yangkyu because he is more of a clean freak than I am).

• The electric fence is for the cows and surrounds the cottage as well as I believe the way down to the private river area. Kids, dogs and adults are cautioned not to touch it. Thankfully for us, Momo can't be off leash since she will run away and so we didn't have to worry about her wandering off and touching the fence by accident. 

• The private river area is beautiful and close to the cottage but the walk down is steep, although I believe there is a way to get down there with a car (which we didn't know before). 

• The toilet is a compost toilet. This was also a big concern of mine but again it was just one of those life's conveniences that Yangkyu and I were able to do away with for a couple of nights. Although when I did come back home I was thankful for my flushable toilet!

• The shower didn't have strong water pressure and hot water. I believe this might have been a fixable issue if we asked the hosts but it really wasn't that big of a deal for us and so we just used it as is.

• The cottage doesn't have 24 hour electricity. It does have a generator which can be turned on for up to 8 hours. Again, something we could do without and we were also surprised at how much we didn't need constant electricity. The only times that we felt was absolutely necessary as when we needed to boil water quickly and to turn on the AC for Momo so that she didn't overheat. And overnight while sleeping we had the generator off. Since we were up in the mountains it was incredibly cool at night (almost a bit chilly the first night).

• The thing with electricity though was that we didn't pay too much attention to food. We brought instant foods that could be either microwaved or needed a little bit of hot water mixed in to eat. We didn't bring anything like eggs butter or milk, etc. because we weren't sure how to keep it cool without relying on electricity. We don't have a big ice box and constantly going out to get ice wasn't something we were keen on doing. It did make us be better planners to think through these types of situations (and not having the mentality of just winging it) should there be a next time we do a similar experience.

• We did run into a little bit of an issue with Momo though with food. She normally eats human grade food that needs to be refrigerated. I ended up transitioning her to a dry and wet food combo a few days before our trip only she ended up being finicky because it was a new environment. We ended up adding some chicken we grilled with her dry food but she got an upset stomach and what I think was acid reflux. It scared for a bit but she was able to bounce back.

• There are bugs. Lots of them. I mean it's the outdoors. It's on a working farm. It isn't so bad. We did bring an electric fly swatter just in case and it came in handy (although it is harder to catch flies with it than I had imagined).

Some amazing things about Rivergreen Cottage: 

• The private river area is lovely. We didn't get to spend a lot of time there because Momo ended up not feeling well but we had the whole area to ourselves. There are a couple of grills, chairs and a fire pit area, too. It would be perfect to just spend the day reading, relaxing and being in the water.

• The scenery is beautiful. We got to witness some beautiful sunsets and sunrises and stars at night (not as bright as I experienced as a kid camper but definitely bigger than what we get to see in the suburbs). 

• It is only 16 minutes away from the Swift Run Gap Entrance at Shenandoah National Park for people who are looking to hike. 

• There is a grill and fire pit also right at the cottage.

• The hosts are very friendly and helpful. We had a couple of questions and they were quick to respond. They don't interact often but when they are needed they are readily available. 

So Rivergreen Cottage being such a good experience for us, are we going to delve into camping? 

Probably not.

Not right now at least. I am still not convinced that we will camp as much as I would like and I am not exactly prepared to invest in a whole lot of camping gear right now. So it will be mainly going to secluded places like Rivergreen Cottage. We already booked our next trip for November in West Virginia called Lost River Vacations. It is a tiny house in the woods, also secluded, which I loved even before COVID. It is dog friendly as well. 

A few more pictures of our time at Rivergreen Cottage.

Thank you for a wonderful stay!

Noah's Urn

 

Noah’s urn came in the mail the other day. Green is the color we gave him because he came to us old and ill. But I wanted him to always stay green no matter how old he was or what condition he was in, just as evergreen trees stay green all year round. I couldn’t have found a more perfect color to suit him.

Noah’s final home. The same as his rainbow bridge family.

Life with Momo (or maybe.. life without Noah)

All the while when Noah was with us I had a worry in the back of my mind. I worried for the day we would need to say our good-byes with Noah and how Momo would do without him. She has always relied on other dogs for confidence. Before Noah it was our guest dog, Lucy. Whatever Lucy did, Momo did. Even in the scariest of circumstances, if Lucy did it then Momo could do it too. Soon after Noah joined our family Momo transferred her dependence to him and she has thrived by his side.

We said bye to Noah late afternoon on July 6. By night time that day Momo grew anxious and nervous, panting and pacing, looking at the front door then the patio door and asking to go outside only to sit still in the middle of the yard and not wanting to come in. She repeated this. She would try to climb on top of Noah’s bed and blankets.

Since he’s been gone we tried to set up a routine for Momo including daily morning walks and occasional evening drives around the neighborhood. Oddly Momo grew even more nervous and didn’t want to stay downstairs anymore (I think something spooked her but I am not sure what - downstairs was the only place she wanted to be as being upstairs used to terrify her) and the only place she wants to be now is upstairs in our bedroom.

Out of the blue one night, Momo began to pace and pant after dinner wanting to be upstairs. At first we let her do what she wanted but we were afraid that we were instilling a behavior which might be harder to correct later and so we began to close the gate that leads upstairs so that she can get used to the idea of being downstairs after dinner and going up when it was time to sleep. Then Momo began to come up on the sofa, which I thought was her wanting to be finally close to us but it was her attempt to jump the gate to go upstairs.

It’s been a little over 2 weeks since Noah crossed the rainbow bridge and Momo continues to remain nervous (not all the time but during certain times of the day and also during certain situations).

We rely heavily on CBD oil now, which works on and off or when it does work sometimes it doesn’t work long enough. But when it kicks in properly she is completely calm and sleeps soundly downstairs while Yangkyu and I close out our evening in front of the TV (this was last night and we were so proud of her!).

Momo is the first dog we have ever had that is incredibly timid and has a hard time getting over her fears. But we remain ever so committed to helping her gain confidence but also not overdoing and learning what works for her.

A week and one day

 

A week and one day ago we said good bye to Noah. It was expected and abrupt at the same time, if that’s even possible. I guess for a long time we thought we would need to help him cross but I kept holding out on hope and a sheer stubborn will to just get him to a point of walking so that he may live out his golden years a little longer.

Noah lost the ability to walk properly. I can’t remember when. It might have been a month or two ago. But we have been carrying him out to the backyard since December, since after his dental surgery, because he couldn’t quite get himself out on to the deck without slipping and falling. He walked fine still then though. When I look back to videos from 5-6 months ago, I can’t believe how well he was moving about. I can’t believe that was Noah. Even more so when I look back at videos from a year ago. Was that really Noah? My Noah?

When did it all go wrong?

When did he begin to deteriorate?

It seemed so sudden and yet my head flashes back to moments here and there to tell me that it had been progressive. I’m still not sure what to believe.

On the morning of Monday, July 6, I woke up with the intention of keeping him going until the coming Saturday. That day he was due for a recheck on his thyroid levels. We had chased different illnesses for a while to get to the bottom of his cognitive issues (Lyme disease and B12 deficiency) but I really believed that he had Hypothyroidism. I had read that some dogs show neurologic symptoms, all of which Noah had, including seizures. Since March I witnesses Noah have four seizures. My heart breaks when my mind recalls the memory of him working through them. His full thyroid panel came back inconclusive with his T4 and thyroid stimulating hormone coming back incredibly low. Typically dogs with hypothyroidism will have a low T4 and a high thyroid stimulating hormone, although there is a small percentage of dogs who are hypothyroid with low thyroid stimulating hormone number.

Despite the inconclusiveness of his panel, we decided to go forth with treatment anyway. It had been advised that if Noah showed clinical signs to go ahead with medication.

Noah was on Thyroid medication and a re-test on Saturday would show us if his thyroid levels have improved, if his dosage levels were correct or if they needed to be adjusted. Just get to Saturday. That was our goal. We had overcome so many little goals together these past few months. This time, all we needed to do was to get to Saturday.

Yangkyu had taken Noah out for a bathroom break. Because Noah couldn’t walk, his way of telling us he needed to go was to lift himself half way and wobble his legs (although after starting his thyroid medication Noah, in some positions where he was lying down, was able to get up on his own). Noah ended up pooping on himself and got it on his behind. He had never done this before. He always pooped cleanly and his poop was always perfect (if you are a mom to a senior dog or more specifically a sick senior dog, you understand the joy of seeing perfect poops). Yangkyu had to give him a quick bath in the backyard because his poop was ice cream soft. Then just a little less than an hour later I took him out for another bathroom break. This time he peed. On his side and got it all over his fur again. He had been peeing on his side for over a week after many attempts at trying to walk and stand. Sometimes we would be able to hold him up while he peed. And other times he was able to hold himself up (with us just shadowing him incase he lost his balance). I remember those moments feeling so triumphant. I used kiss his head as I carried him back inside and whisper, “Oh, what a good boy. Good job.”

The last couple of weeks Noah had a harder time finding his balance. He leaned heavily to his left. Had a slight head tilt to the left - like he had another vestibular episode. And just a few days before we said good bye to Noah I found a hard lump near left side of his jaw. That felt devastating. What is this? What is it that keeps plaguing your body? “Leave Noah alone!”, I silently screamed.

After I had to give him a second bath I decided to give a call to the vet.

I don’t know what made me make the call.

My memory tells me that I think I wanted Noah to have some dignity.

By 2:40 pm - 20 minutes before our scheduled time to bring him in - I felt the whole decision to be impulsive and wanted to cancel. Maybe he’ll get better. Maybe I just need to give the medicine more time. Maybe I just need to give his body more time to produce the thyroid hormones he needs to function properly.

Good byes are so hard. So damn hard.

During the car ride over to the vet’s office Noah rode quietly. He actually slept the entire ride over. He wasn’t crying or getting nervous, which was so out of character for him. No matter how tired he was, a car ride would have always woken him up and he would get incredibly anxious.

Noah’s vet gave us all the time we needed to say our final good-byes - after the first injection that sedates him but is conscious and aware of his surroundings. After the second injection that makes him go into a deeper sleep and no longer feels our touch. To the final shot that stops his heartbeat. His perfect heartbeat.

Each time after those injections, we cried and touched and talked to him. He looked incredibly peaceful. I remember him yawing after the second sedation injection. I replay that yawn over and over in my head because.. I’m not sure why actually. Maybe because it felt like all the other yawns he did at home. After he woke up or before he was going to sleep. It felt ordinary.*

Did he know it was the last time he would yawn?

For Noah I would have done anything. I would’ve carried him. I would’ve been his legs and support. Noah had an incredibly rough start to his life and so when he finally began to understand what it was like to live inside a home and have a family at the beautiful age of 14, I wanted to give him the world. We knew he had kidney disease when we adopted him but we had experience in managing that. He can still have a few years to his life. And that is all I wished for him. For a few years to just live as a house dog. To live with a family. To hold on to his last name a bit longer.

He ended up living a year and five months with us.

I have said this about all our dogs but I don’t think I will ever meet a dog like Noah.

He was special. So very special to me.

Noah Yoo

August 21, 2004 - July 6, 2020

// I had a sweater of Piri’s that I kept as a memory of a dog that I loved with all my heart. My first dog as an adult who got me through so many growth periods during my twenties and thirties. Piri holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. I never intended to pass down that sweater because it just held a huge sentimental value for me. But on a snowy day in January I gave it to Noah. Sometimes I have a hard time conveying how special Noah was to me. Then I remember the sweater and say, “This was how much Noah was special to me.”

*There are actually many moments from this day that I replay over and over again in my head. Him breathing his last breaths, the yawn and when I saw his last breath leave his body. The heaving motion. Like it was the moment his soul left his body.

Spaghetti with Lemon-Parmigiano Sauce

 

We tried another simple pasta dish for dinner the other day. This too is from Food52. Spaghetti with Lemon-Parmigiano Sauce and the recipe can be found here. You need a generous helping of olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese along with some lemons and salt and pepper. It was delicious and I am really loving all the simplistic dishes I’ve been making lately that provides just the kind of flavor I am seeking.

With all this cooking I was inspired to rearrange my kitchen yesterday (again - for like the bajillionth time). There was an itch to make things flow a bit easier - from preparing, cooking to clean up. I’m not sure if I’ve found the right formula but it’ll work, for now.

Our home has the oddest layout in most (or maybe all) rooms and I have a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with our kitchen. The cabinets are not practical and they are old, crooked, installed terribly and have a lot of wasted space. While we’ve been meaning to give our kitchen an upgrade for years (new cabinets, appliances and countertops) we wanted to actually hire people to do it instead of doing it ourselves because I wanted it to be done properly and not haphazardly like our current kitchen. I mean, you should see our countertop too, a lot of mismatched pieces stuck together in a horrible way where water leaks into the drawers right below the countertop. Like.. really? But with senior dogs and their medical issues and paying for their needs has kept our budget a little tight and so the kitchen renovation has been on the back burner (Noah’s dental back in December alone was $4000 which we are still paying off). One day though. One day (along with a bathroom upgrade too!)

Here is an end to the most relaxing three day weekend. We did a little BBQ with our tiny grill and watched an unhealthy amount of Sweet Magnolias on Netflix (it’s so bad but so addicting…)

Have a wonderful week ahead.