Marty’s photo of the day #5155: I think squirrels are more intelligent than people give them credit for. Due to Nellie’s surgery for a second bionic leg, she has at least three more weeks of being restricted to leash walks. The devious little squirrels seem to know that and are braver than ever with their […]
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Tag: bionic
Nellie’s Second Bionic Leg
I had high hopes that Nellie’s second bionic leg would be ready to engage at warp 9 as of this week. She had TPLO surgery on her right-rear leg eight weeks ago (to remove a ligament, refit the knee bone, and install a metal plate with six screws). Since this is Nellie’s second bionic leg, […]
Nellie’s Hydrotheropy
Marty’s photo of the day #5132: In nine days, Nellie gets the final X-ray on her second bionic leg (she had TPLO surgery seven weeks ago) and, if all goes well, she will once again be off-leash and free to race through the forest at warp-nine. For now, she covers every inch of the Essen […]
Warp Drive, a Bionic Leg, and a Woodpecker
Marty’s photo of the day #5118: Nellie’s recovery from getting her second bionic rear leg will take at least 8 weeks, so I must restrict her to leash walks to keep her from engaging warp drive too early. Because of that, we are covering every inch of the 25-acre Essen Wildlife Refuge. And since Nellie […]
Nellie’s Nighthawk
Marty’s photo of the day #5097: For the second day in a row, Nellie gets credit for my photo of the day. Until her new bionic leg heals, she is restricted to leash walks, and it was during a leash walk yesterday through the Essen Wildlife Refuge that we spotted this nighthawk. The nighthawk immediately […]
The Once-In-A-Lifetime Dog
On August 3, 2020, Deb and I adopted Nellie from the Bitter Root Humane Association. The moment I saw Nellie there, I knew she was the one. And for some reason, the woman who assisted us did everything she could to keep us from adopting her (I think she wanted to adopt Nellie too). But […]
Snow Dog
Marty’s photo of the day #4627: We got about 16 inches of snow over the past several days, and Nellie is ecstatic! In some places, where the snow is past her chest, she dives right in. And when she runs up the steep hill below our house—snow flying everywhere—I can almost hear her bionic rear […]
Ears flapping!
Marty’s photo of the day #4680: Nellie, ears flapping! She’s now damn close to being just as fast as she was pre-bionic left-rear leg (surgery to remove her cranial cruciate ligament, refit the bone in her knee—all held together with a metal plate and six screws). I still cringe when she makes sharp cuts to […]
Keep-away
Marty’s photo of the day #4670: Now that Nellie’s bionic left-rear leg is totally healed, we are back to all our old pre-surgery routines. One of those routines is a vigorous game of keep-away each morning, where Nellie will grab a stick and run at me full speed, only to dodge my grasp for the […]
Let’s play!
Marty’s photo of the day #4663: “Come on Dad! My bionic leg feels great. Let’s play!” *For those that don’t know about Nellie’s bionic leg: She had TPLO surgery to remove the cranial cruciate ligament in her left-rear leg, refit the bone in her knee, and hold everything together with a metal plate and six […]
Nellie is back!
Marty’s photo of the day #4653: Nellie is back! As many of you know, Nellie had TPLO surgery on her left rear leg on November 1. That surgery involved removing her cranial cruciate ligament, refitting the bone in her knee, and holding everything together with a metal plate and six screws. It’s her “bionic leg.” […]
Night walks in the forest with Nellie
Marty’s photo of the day #4644: Nellie loves routines, and with her it only takes once to establish a precedent. After she had TPLO surgery on November 1st, to get her bionic left-rear leg, she would get me up three and four times a night to go for walks in the forest. I was happy […]
Nellie’s bionic leg update
Marty’s photo of the day #4610: Seven-and-a-half weeks have passed since Nellie got her new bionic left-rear leg (TPLO surgery to remove a ligament, reshape/refit the bone, and install a metal plate with 6 screws). Nellie’s recovery is coming along on schedule. She doesn’t limp anymore when outside, but still limps sometimes inside—especially after a […]
Looking for . . .
Marty’s photo of the day #4605: Six-and-a-half weeks have passed since Nellie got her new bionic left-rear leg (CCL removed, knee refitted, and a metal plate with six screws installed). Deb and I have one more week of sleeping with her on the pullout couch mattress placed on the great room floor before moving up […]
Martyman loses his legs
Marty’s photo of the day #2145: Oh, nooooooooooo! Martyman and I were setting up a shot this morning (it was going to be really funny), when our hero lost his grip and fell from the back of a chair and broke off both of his legs. But don’t worry fans. We can rebuild him. We […]














