My Rusty dog is getting older

My Rusty girl has given me two scares this year. 

First, suddenly weakened back legs for, fortunately, only a day - on New Year's Day. I suspect this was from a bit of strain on the trail the day before when she stepped over a log (maybe caught a back leg). We started on meds that help with arthritis (she has had joint supplements for a few years). We did four weeks of weekly shots and we are now on monthly. 

About three weeks ago, the vet recommended that Rusty has anti-inflammatory daily, not just as and when needed, which is what I had been doing for years if I saw she was looking a bit stiff. 

Last Saturday night Rusty was restless. We were up multiple times in the night and her poops we dark and liquid. I knew what near-black faeces meant: blood and a possible bleeding ulcer. This is exactly what my mom xprienced last year - also as a result of anti-inflammatories. 

I phoned the emergency vet on Sunday morning. As Rusts was eating, drinking and not vomiting, we were not at emergency stage. 

Rusts was improved Sunday night but lacked her sparkle and was very down. She didn't eat her breakfast on Monday morning. Rusty never says no to a meal, and as she never complains she must have been feeling terrible. 

We saw our vet on Monday morning and started on stomach and gut protecting and healing meds. By Tuesday afternoon, my girl had some sparkle and appetite back. We even went to the Botanical Gardens for a short walk. 

Feeling better. Visit to the Botanical Gardens on Tuesday afternoon.

We've had some beautiful late evenings this week. We've been chilling on the lawn or doing gardening. I enjoy this as an opportunity to do stuff outside with the dogs. Rusty loves to watch Rosy catching the ball and even does her herding thing. She also made a lot of faces for me (the puffed out upper lips / cheeks is part of her smile).

Miss Silly Face (her, not me)

Rusty is going on towards 14 years of ages. We've been together for almost eight years. My special girl is no longer young and while I will never be ready to let go, that day will come. She has rarely been ill and I find it very distressing to feel unable to help my girl. She is through this and I am thankful to have a well dog by my side. I treasure every day with her. My heart almost bursts with love and adoration just to look at her. Rusty changed my life, that's for sure.

I am very much a one-dog-person, but as luck would have it, I have three dogs. There is Rusty, Rosy (sorta shared with my mom as Rosy was her dog, but Rosy is very much my special girl and trail companion), and there is Cani, my foster turned adopted child.

Rosy and her ball. She is a silly monkey. Lots of attitude but actually a softie.

Purple flecks on her tongue. Chows are the breed known for an all-purple tongue, but many other breeds can have spots. Rosy is certainly a genetic mix that arrived at a 'small black dog'. She is the splitting image of the Dutch Markiesje breed.

A common Rosy look - ball in mouth

My love dog, Cani. We still have reactivity issues with strangers. Some days good, other days not as good. Slow improvement. She is a super loving and sweet girl. She was concerned about her Rusty.

Cani is such a pretty girl. She has a little white under her chin, a small flash on her chest, another on her belly and bits on her paws. Otherwise she is an almost-all-black border collie. She is actually a browny-black. Rosy is properly black.

Kloofing Kaaimans (the tame section)

 A local hiking group coordinated a group outing to follow a section of the Kaaimans River. 

When kloofing (aka canyoneering/canyoning), you follow a river course by hiking, scrambling over rocks, sliding down rocks, beating through vegetation, and swimming through pools of water as you make your way downstream. In technical sections, you may need ropes to rappel down cliffs or, if you have explored a pool and know that there are no submerged rocks, you can jump into deep pools.

On Saturday, we met at the Kaaimans Bridge on the Seven Passes Road to enter the river course. This is a non-technical section with no big drops. Risks are low. For the most part, you just need to watch your footing stepping from rock to rock, and be cautious stepping on rocks in the water as they can be slippery. Vegetation was not a problem.

I was there with a group of friends, in addition to people from the hiking group. We must have been about 35 people. The trip, which was in no way rushed, with stops, took us around 4 to 4.5hrs.

I did a more technical section higher upstream with Marthinus from Paradise Adventures (highly recommended) a bit more than a year ago. Marthinus is a superb guide with excellent rope skills and safety. There were three rappels and a number of low-height jumps. It was a brilliant experience.

This lower section is low-risk and it was absolutely spectacular in sections. 

I will definitely do this again and it may turn into a must-do with any friends that come visit.

Can you believe this place!

In reality, the water is cola coloured and you can't see rocks as clearly as in this photo. Amazing what my phone camera picked up. Maybe a light thing like those photos of the aurora vs naked eye. This is why you don't jump into murky pools.

We were not the only people that have been through here. Loved this, balanced by someone for all to enjoy.

The couple of long pools with cliffs on both sides are spectacular.

The rocky cliffs on either side leave you marveling at the shapes and patterns of the rocks.

Such a pretty section.

In reality, the water looks cola brown and dark but my phone camera picked up this interesting green in a couple of photos. Pretty.

Kloofing in my old trail shoes with my AR Gaiters. Yes friends, even in water, AR Gaiters stop sand from getting into your socks and shoes. Try it.

Crossing rocks to get into another pool.

Zelda, Talita and pretty Watsonia.

Photo from Zelda of me striding away. My red backpack drybag was a win.

Photo with Otto and Talita. Magnificent morning with that blue sky and warm temps - in and out of the water.

Big group today. Really nice bunch of people. Start at the Kaaimans bridge.

A snap with Otto. Photo from Zelda.

Our group of friends today for the kloofing. Liz kindly dropped us at the start.

Zelda and I almost at the end. That's the N2 bridge in the background.

KnysnaX Summer Trail Run 19km

The KnysnaX Trail Run is held seasonally - spring, summer, autumn and winter, organised by Peter Szeili. The route is the same each time but he does alternate the direction with each event. The summer running took place on 29 December 2024.

I met Peter two years ago when I did his Oyster Festival Amazing Race with my friend Rob, who knows Peter. We did the Amazing Race again this year. I've also been at the same event as Peter with product stands - him with his KnysnaX run shorts and tees, and me with AR Gaiters. 

I've missed a bunch of Peter's events. I've either had something else on or the muscle-related (lower back, tight quad and glute) knee niggle that I've had on and off this year.

While I'm not completely clear of current left-knee flare, I've been running well, feeling good, doing well at crossfit and working my biokineticist exercises. After a solid 10km run on our local December FKT route in the days before the summer sun, I confirmed my entry for the 18km event.

The weather forecast was for hot and humid - and it was. Rob recommended that I wear my AR Adventure Gaiters against the overgrown grasses and plants along the railway line, and he had also sent me the altitude profile (flat, up, up, up and then down, down, down).

My mom Liz came through with me, dropping me at the start in Knysna. This is an A-to-B route and while there is a shuttle at the finish to get you back to your car at the start, the finish was at Blackwater Lodge which is on my way home. Liz headed through to the finish for breakfast and to wait for me in the shade of their beautiful big trees on the Goukamma River.

The route started off on the old railway line crossing the Knysna lagoon. That was pretty cool to run along there. 

We stuck on the railway track through the Belvidere area to where the railway line meets the Brenton road - approx 6km. While flat terrain, it was actually hard going because of the baking heat, even early in the morning before 8am. 

This is actually overgrown railway - you can make out some sleepers. Very sandy. I was glad for my gaiters.

I was really feeling the heat when I got to the first waterpoint. I drank some water and put some ice down the back of my tee.

Walking into the waterpoint.

The route then went up the road and across to the other side to hook up on forestry roads. I was looking forward to the uphill ahead to walk a bit.

First, a hello to Peter around a bend.

The wide forestry roads were mostly contouring with a few steep climbs. I used the ups to walk, stretch my legs, drink and snack, and to cool down. I was feeling good on these middle kilometres and enjoyed the running.

The last few kilometres were hot again and on the railway line, which takes focus and concentration. It was fun overtaking a few people.

A really lovely section with smatterings of shade. It was hot though. I had a few little walkies.

Lots of festivities coming into the finish at Blackwater Lodge. Such a beautiful venue.

I logged 19.2km and a run time of 2h24. Fair. It was great to be out there. I had a bit of left upper calf stiffness that worked itself out after a few days. Left knee mostly fine.

I don't feel quite that I'm 'back' - not the return of the invincibility feeling of old that I felt in July, but I'm feeling mostly good and strong. Aside from being hot, the run was smooth.