#three legs

(I’m WAY behind on doll posts… heck, I still have to finish writing the one for Evette’s birthday last month! But I unexpectedly had some free time, and since this one’s short I wanted to get it posted while it was still fresh.)

Kaya doesn’t have an official birthday (I’m guessing her people didn’t have an exact calendar to keep track back in the 1750s), but American Girl has designated August 15th as her “Celebration Day,” so on Friday we went to a local nature preserve 🌳 with my friend Nicole to honor the occasion. My gift to Kaya was a surprise reunion with her dog Three Legs 🐕 (from “Kaya and the Injured Dog”)! After that, we shared a meal… Kaya had brought dried salmon 🐟 strips, huckleberries 🫐, and Camas finger cakes in her basket, and I brought salmon jerky and blueberries for Nicole and I.

Three Legs is a custom I’m pretty darn proud of: she started out as an AG brand husky from the late 90’s, and I changed out her eyes and nose, removed the front leg she lost in the bear attack, and added a flexible wire skeleton to make her posable.

I hunted for huckleberries (which I guess is another name for wild blueberries) and Camas bulbs for weeks; I found frozen wild blueberries at Hy-Vee, but they were too mushy when thawed; besides, the juice stained like crazy, and I didn’t want to risk that with Kaya’s lovely white dress. I went to the local farmer’s market, consulted friends and family, searched online, and called garden supply shops in search of Camassia quamash bulbs, but the only local option was individual potted plants, and online they don’t ship the bulbs until September for fall planting, so I finally had to give up completely on that. Still, I’m pretty pleased I found the salmon jerky (which was good but very fishy).

NOTES: I used the Nez Perce spelling for words/phrases in Nimipuutímt, rather than the anglicized phonetic spelling American Girl uses in the books. I do not speak Nimipuutímt myself, so please forgive (and more importantly, correct!) any errors.

I am White. If you are Indigenous and find anything in this post offensive, please let me know and I’ll edit it or take it down!

Steps High strode joyously through the woods; the mare seemed happy for the chance to stretch her legs, and Kaya was glad to be one with her beautiful horse again. She rarely was able to ride living at Marley’s because there weren’t a lot of good horse riding spots nearby. Tatlo weaved around the horse’s hooves, running off a little to sniff at an interesting scent in the brush or mark a tree, then racing back to Kaya again.

Suddenly, they heard another dog’s bark… a very familiar bark to Kaya. “Three Legs?” she asked wonderingly, barely daring to believe it.

It was Three Legs! Kaya swung off her horse to greet her beloved dog. Three Legs leapt up to meet her, grinning a doggy grin. Her mismatched eyes, one yellow and one brown, seemed to speak to Kaya, as if the big dog were saying “I missed you!”

Tatlo and Three Legs sniffed each other curiously, deciding if they should get along; then Three Legs licked Tatlo’s muzzle, and soon the two dogs were jumping all over each other in play, mock-growling. Even with her missing foreleg, Three Legs was able to run and jump as well as her able-bodied companion; Kaya had done well nursing the dog back to health after her fight with the bear.

“Wáaqo’ kíiye hipsíix (Now let’s eat),” Kaya declared. Tatlo gobbled down a salmon strip and ran off to chase squirrels, but Three Legs sat attentively at Kaya’s side while she spread out her meal on the tule mat and ate it slowly, savoring the flavorful salmon, juicy berries, and tasty finger cakes. Marley set out their own food, offering some to Nicole, who first sampled the salmon and then went back for more.

The friends sat and looked out over the lake below, listening to the lapping waves in the distance and the rustling of small animals in the treetops. Steps High cropped grass nearby. It was so peaceful that they never wanted to leave… but all too soon, the sky began to darken into twilight, and it was time to pack everything up again and head back up the trail towards the exit.

“Happy birthday, Kaya,” Marley said softly just before they left.

Kaya enfolded her friend in a warm, grateful embrace. “Qe’ciyéw’yew’ (Thank you),” she breathed. “I am very happy.”

The End

BONUS:

(Our view from the bench where we ate! I’m disappointed I didn’t get a better picture; it was already getting dark when I took this, but in the sunlight it was breathtaking.)

Tristomp

CR 6 Giant

With legs like towering pillars, the tristomp shakes the battlefield with every step. It doesn’t fight with weapons, but with brutal kicks—pinning, trampling, and crushing anything smaller beneath its relentless stomps.

💬 Would you stand your ground against a stomping giant, or dive for cover before it kicks you accross the whole battlefield?

UPDATE: This design has been purchased by STrRedWolf on FurAffinity!

Came up with this design back in December, but I ain't using it for anything, so I might as well see if anyone's interested in taking it! Might do more adopts in the future if I get takers for this one, but no promises yet. Details below the cut.

GALTx ENews: Shyanne Seeks A Forever Home

Shyanne isn't your typical Greyhound because she isn't a Greyhound at all! She is a two year old Doberman/Australian Shepherd mix with just three legs. She is seeking a forever home without cats or small dogs.

Shyanne loves to snuggle, squeak her toys, play bitey face, and run in the yard. When she perceives an intruder, she is a bit barky, so apartment life isn't for her. She knows how to sit for meals and treats, asks to go out to potty, sleeps through the night, and is unbothered by storms.

Shyanne is a delight, happy all the time, and incredibly photogenic. She is not defined by her missing limb and runs zoomies, plays with toys, gets on furniture, jumps high for food, and pulls pretty hard on a leash for her size. She has no focus when out on a walk and gets in twice as many steps as her peers. Shyanne crates well when her foster family is out and is thrilled to see them come home.

Shyanne will be happiest in a home with another big dog (or two) to play with, an abundance of toys, a yard to explore, and people who don't mind sharing their bed. She has a special $125 adoption fee and you can watch a slide show of her photos here. If she sounds like the right pup for you, please consider completing an adoption application here.