A Week of Changes

(and lots and lots of packing!)

Hi all!
We hope you are happy and healthy out there!

I ran out of time to do the newsletter last week, and I apologize. We had a ton of things on the go, and then on Tuesday the Bernoulli stuffies arrived! Kris and I spent three straight days packing all of the preorders. On top of that, Bunsen suffered a pulled back late Sunday, and we’ve been adjusting to not having Ginger, as we moved her up to live with Adam over the weekend. It has been a busy and emotional week.

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Bunsen

After we got home Sunday from traveling to Edmonton, we went right into our live stream with The Paw Pack. It was right after the show that we noticed Bunsen was in a ton of pain. He was walking like a scared cat—arched back and really struggling to take steps. Luckily, we still had meds from his surgery, and the pain medication helped him settle. His walking smoothed out, and the next morning he was moving better, though still stiff.

We got him in to see the vet ASAP. By then, he was walking 90–100% fine and didn’t appear to be in any pain. The vet figured that what happened in his neck before (slipped disc) may have occurred in his lower back to a lesser degree—just a reality of a big dog getting older. Right now, Bunsen is walking well, looks happy, and is on one pain pill a day just in case. His activity is limited, and while it’s possible our last mountain hike triggered the flare-up, we’ll never know for sure.

We’re scheduled for a full CT consult in September to check his neck and back (and to make sure there aren’t any sneaky cysts). The big guy still wants longer walks, and the vet suggested we build him up gradually but be mindful he could re-injure himself at any time. At supper with my dad, who’s in his 70s, he joked that he could relate to Bunsen—sometimes you just “get up funny” and walk weird for a while until things loosen up. It was a funny, relatable moment.

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Ginger

On Sunday, we moved Ginger up to Edmonton. It was a hard day for Kris and me—especially Kris. Ginger traveled really well in her carrier. We brought Bernoulli along both to keep her company and to make sure he saw she was moving away. The drop-off at Adam’s apartment went smoothly. Ginger quickly came out of her carrier and started exploring. She was clearly happy to see Adam, as they had been apart for a couple of weeks (he moved first to get settled). We made sure Bernoulli knew Ginger was staying behind when the door closed

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Until the stuffies arrived, the house felt emptier. I didn’t expect to miss her so much. She’s been my little sidekick for years—napping on my computer bag while I worked or sleeping on my side of the bed most nights.

Kris also had big feelings. And of course, so did thousands of people on social media. Most were supportive, understanding that Ginger is Adam’s cat and belongs with him, but a few were upset about “breaking up the gang.” I get it. For us, it wasn’t just the gang changing—it was also our son moving away, likely for good. We were saying goodbye to a whole chapter of life, and that hit hard.

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The Days After

We monitored Bernoulli’s behavior closely (as well as Bunsen and Beaker) and checked in with Adam multiple times a day.

From what we can see, Bernoulli is still himself. He isn’t sad, depressed, or searching for Ginger. Maybe he’s bugging Bunsen and Beaker a bit more—wanting to play and pushing into their space.

That was the big concern online, that he’d be devastated without her. But he isn’t, which is great… because we are! HA!

Meanwhile, Ginger is thriving in Edmonton. She’s already getting along with her kitty roommate Toque (they even played a little), and Adam has been taking her on urban adventures in the cat backpack.

She’s used to daily farm walks with us, and now she gets to explore Edmonton sidewalks instead. Adam has been sending a steady stream of photos and videos so everyone can stay connected with Ginger. He says she’s completely herself—calm, curious, and comfortable. (I gave up my computer bag for her, and yep, she still sleeps in it.)

So, seasons change.

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Beaker

Beaker has just been her normal good-girl self—the calm, gentle smile in the middle of Bunsen’s injury, Bernoulli’s youthful chaos, and us missing Ginger. She sometimes gets overlooked because she’s so steady, but truly, she is the goodest girl.

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So Many Stuffies

The last big story of the week: the wild number of pre-sales we packed and shipped! We were racing against the clock because on August 28th the U.S. government is ending the de minimis rule.

Before, Americans could order up to $800 USD worth of goods duty-free. Starting August 29th, every shipment to the U.S.—even the smallest order—will require duties, tariffs, and possibly other prepaid fees before entering the country. On top of that, small businesses like ours will face piles of new paperwork.

Thankfully, we got every preorder out before the system shut down—which it officially did on Monday. Right now, nothing can be shipped by small businesses into the U.S. until this all gets sorted. You can probably see why we were stressed and hustling—it’s wild.

For Canadians and international friends outside the U.S., nothing has changed and shipping continues as normal. But for Americans, Kris and I have to wait until this mess clears before we can reopen the store. Nobody in the shipping business has a clear plan yet. The good news? If you got a preorder, your stuffie squeaked through!

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This was a longer newsletter, so instead of extras, I’ll end it here and add some more photos for everyone.

Have a great week, and we’ll chat soon!