Memories

With a road trip on the horizon, and a virus on the PC, I am enjoying the pictures that are stored away on the laptop from my big trip with S2.

Two of my favorites (taken through the window, so quality isn't great)



G2

hmmmmmmmmmm

(Thanks, Mark, for helping make the file accessible.)

Anyone smelling puppy breath in the future??

G2

Crazy, freaked out, silliness

and a wee bit of sadness.

Last night after a nice wander around the park to see Christmas lights and then dinner, I came home to computer problems. Instead of messing with it I decided to watch some TV and furminate the two shedding dogs. I then wrapped a few more presents and headed to the warmth of my bed, still looking for something on the television. I found a show titled "Modern Family," and settled in. In minutes I had one dog sleeping at my side. I had one dog who had crawled under the bed with just a nubby tail showing. The third dog settled at my head, panting and shaking. What the heck was going on?? Suddenly there was movement under the bed. Henry came out like a bullet and clawed his way onto the bed and tried to dig his way under Nugget, and under the covers. Kate was now panting, shaking, and drooling on my head. I put on my leg and went to the door to see if I could see anything. Nope. All is secure in the house, but now I am not only perplexed by their reactions but getting a bit nervous myself. My bed is actually vibrating from the shaking doggies. Nugget, however, is calmly resting as if nothing is happening. Again, what the heck?!

Then, just as I get the glazed look out of the dogs' eyes it happens. Frantically Kate looks at me as if to tell me I had deceived her. Henry wants to become one with the middle of the box spring, through my mattress. I have to laugh at the silliness of it all. Then I changed the channel. If any one out there watches "Modern Family" I would love to know if the guy ever found the beeping smoke detector...



Within minutes peace was restored to the house.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On this Christmas eve eve I would like to take a minute to wish a great holiday season to all. My thoughts are with all my friends and family that are missing loved ones or dealing with health problems. It is a tough time of year for so many.

I look forward to many new experiences in the days and months ahead and wish the same for all. Life is such an adventure, isn't it? I intend to do my best to enjoy each and every minute of it.

Hey, lady. Is that a tomato in your ear?


G2

Road Trip

The last week of January. Nugget wants temperatures over 37 in the morning.

So in keeping with my oh so important "crazy dog lady" title we are heading to Southern California.

Details to follow, but I will say that we will be riding/driving in luxury; although I am not sure we will notice as we are driving straight through...

Crazy? Absolutely. It will be a blast!!

Watch out SoCal, the butter babies are heading your way.

G2

That time of year

Normal

(as is possible, living in this house!)



Kate. Following the whole tail wagging thing a few weeks back, seems to have finally decided to settle in and just be a dog. I sometimes think there is something wrong with her and go in search. Since I brought her home, she has not left my side. Literally. She wanted to be no farther than about ten feet. Certainly within eye shot. Whenever I left she would destroy things in the house if not crated. She had her obsessive things she did; the licking of inanimate objects, the staring at nothing. Most of those went away after the pup came home; just showing in times of severe stress.

I went away for three days and boarded Kate and Henry. It was the second time I had left her at this same place. When I picked her up she was happy to see me and greeted me, then headed up the stairs to see what the six year old was doing. I put the dogs in the back of the truck as they were wet and muddy. She was delighted to be home, and happy to see Nugget, and happy to see the horse. Just smiley. Then she came in the house and had a drink of water and settled in like it was just another day. No tripping over her as I moved about the house. No frantic whines as I unloaded the truck. It was a bit weird. We are talking Kate! Then she disappeared. I was on the computer and I couldn't find her anywhere near. She had decided it was bedtime and went to bed. (Sadly, that would be on my pillow, where I soon discovered how truly muddy she and Henry were. Needless to say when I got to bed it was with three clean dogs; two of them a bit damp.)


I can leave to do little trips to town now, and not crate the dogs. No trouble. Nothing destroyed. I won't do it for hours at a time, but that would be more because I have a pup in the house, and because I think they need to be comfortable hanging out in their crates.

So, the count is now TWO relatively normal dogs and one psycho dog. Henry, however, is not destructive and I know his buttons so can avoid them.

The tailed ones are definitely my breed. What truly amazing, and cool dogs they are.

So it is on to hips and eye testing for the girl. The future may be interesting...


G2

Tomorrow is another day

Tomorrow the pup and I will head out for the Ridgefield shows. The details of the whens and hows and wheres are still a bit sketchy, but it is the end result that matters, right?

My favorite show dog color? Purple. Nugg-pup's favorite color? Brown. As in mud brown. Everything is flooded around here and that just makes the Nugget boy even happier. Does he not understand that he is supposed to be cool, calm, collected and beee-you-tea-full? His white is brownish, his black the same. But the smile on his face is priceless. For this reason I always put off his bath for an extra day and get to pay for it. If he gets a couple of days for the coat to settle and shine up, then he looks so much nicer, but I just cannot deny a puppy his FRAP. So in another hour he will get one last romp in the mud and then it is bath time.




All arrangements have been made for the care of the other two dogs and for the feeding of the horse. The lists are made and the packing has begun. (Well, in all honesty, I never completely unpacked the truck from the last shows. It just made more sense to leave some of it, namely my show coats, out hanging in the truck.) I'm excited about this one. It will be fun.

Once back, the tree that is sitting in a bucket by the carport will take its spot of honor by the front window. I've been collecting strings of LED lights whenever I see them for a decent price, so will be pitching all of the old strings this year. I have boxes of them. All those that were guaranteed to stay lit, that didn't. Why do I not pitch them when they go out? I really don't know for sure, but think I will blame Dad for this one. After all, he was the one that made us carefully collect the tinsel back off the tree after Christmas. It was then laid out straight and carefully folded into paper for the next year. I swear some of those strands were only about two inches long, but we still had to carefully place them (No throwing!) and re-collect them each year. No plastic back then, it was a thick foil, I believe. Then again, it could have been lead based, hard to say...

I received a beautiful ornament today as a gift from a friend. It will get to go on the tree first as it will need to be in the perfect spot under the perfect light. Yep, I guess I did get a wee bit of Dad's precision, when it comes to the tree. That's about it, however. Dad had his Christmas decorating traditions. They included painting the front window each year, and setting up spotlights outside to show off his work. It was always based on a Christmas card that we had received the year before. I think we must have learned VERY early on that we were to keep our fingers away from the painted windows. I don't recall any of the four of us kids ever etching our initials into the paint. Dad had a box that was filled with his window paint. It was just always there. Then Mom had her places for each decoration that she had gathered over the years. The egg carton tree and macaroni wreath hung with such pride one would think they were made of gold. And those awful fuzzy wreaths! A green one and a white one. Each item took its spot each year. Always the same. Only the design on the window changed. When Dad sold the house he included the Christmas lights that were hung under the eaves each year. I doubt they were ever used again, but I suppose it is possible. He was so proud to give them to the new owner. I sure do miss him, and Mom too. The little irritating things from back then are so endearing now. It's funny how that happens.

Off I go to run the dogs in a break between rain squalls. Then it is back to reality...wait, is dog showing reality????

G2

Discovery, and back on the leash

The other morning I went out, as I always do, to take the dogs to their equine buddy. Three little tri-colored stubby dogs, tongues flapping with happiness as they run to the barn. This day, however, they didn't stop at the gate, but ran around the barn and down the outside of the fence line. When they stopped they refused to even acknowledge that I was calling them. All three. Rather than wade through the leaves and weeds, I went into the field to get a glimpse at what they were looking at. All the time I am saying, under my breath, "Nugget still hasn't tried to roll in it, so it must not be dead." Wrong! Without studying it too much as I was instantly bellowing the dogs' least favorite phrase "LEAVE IT!," I am going to guess it was a cat's head, sans skin. I ended up grabbing some baling twine and running back to grab the two older, and least cooperative, and leash them and bring them into the field. Of course I could not get them away from the section of fence that was closest to this wonderful prize they had discovered, so did my chores and re-roped the older dogs and led them back to the house. It was too early in the morning to go out and examine this mass of pink and white yuk, so I made a note to check it out after I was a bit more awake and my stomach a bit more settled. It was somewhat round in shape and a bit bigger than a tennis ball, but smaller than a soft ball. We have eagles nesting around us, as well as coyotes, and owls. Any of them could have done the deed. There was a LOT of bird poo in that area of the field, so I was leaning toward eagle or owl. When I went out later the thing was gone, but there were a lot of small bird bits and pieces that I likely had not noticed before. Did I think to look up? Of course not. I haven't even done it yet today, but will on the next trip out. I suspect there is a nest very close by, as this morning when I went out there were a pair of eagles flying directly over us as we approached the barn. They were screaming, and I was a bit freaked about my dogs, even though the smallest is close to thirty pounds. (One never knows if a near sighted eagle night make an attempt, and I can only imagine the damage that can be done by those talons!) Nugget is incredibly obedient and was the only one off leash, so I called him to me and he stuck there like glue. The crazy dog lady of Kingston, was yelling up into the air and raising her fist at these two eagles circling overhead. They must have gotten the message as they quickly flew off; perhaps on to their next hunting expedition.

So the dogs are back on leash when we go out to do chores. Most of the time I really enjoy seeing the eagles; they really are stunning to see with their blue black backs and the bright white heads and tails. Some days, however, I would just rather they stayed down at the tide flats and fished.

Welcome to my world...ewwwwwwww

G2

Inspired

by a few folks who have made some dietary changes, (and they know who they are) I decided it was time to bite the bullet and go back to Weight Watcher's meetings. (Don't get me wrong, I rather enjoy the meetings, I just couldn't handle the idea of being weighed.)

I had been quite successful with WW a few years ago, losing around 60 pounds. Then I had a relapse with my disease and my eating habits went down the tubes. So I regained 2/3 of what I lost. I needed to be held more accountable than I was on my own. There is also the part of me that feels that if I am paying for something, then I need to get something in return. I know, weird head games, but so it goes.

I am pretty excited about upcoming training and being able to do more as I will be carting less.

I am also excited about the new program that WW has started. I am actually not hungry, and I am not sucking down the celery and salsa. Now if I can just wrap my head around the fact that this is all new and the old points are rubbish, I will be a bit less stressed. However, seeing those numbers on the scale going down definitely eases the stress!

So I am back to eating a good breakfast when I get up. I think that is the key for me.

Time will tell.

G2

Passages

Many, many years ago my sister introduced me to a man that mentored her in the horse driving world. He was a slightly built Scottish man, and an "old school" veterinarian. Besides his beloved Jersey cows, or perhaps BESIDE his beloved Jersey cows, were a number of Clydesdale horses that he farmed with. It was not unusual to drive down the highway and see him and a team out working the fields. The horses dwarfed the man, yet were as gentle as kittens. He was so proud of all that he did with them. I remember going to the Monroe fairgrounds to the Draft Horse Extravaganza to watch my sister drive his horses in the show. They were polished to a beautiful sheen, as were his huge harnesses. I still can hear the sound of the massive feet on the pavement as they were led from the barn.

At the age of 88 years, Doc Mustard passed away. I tried to pull up the article and it is "subscription only" so I cannot access it. 'Tis a bit frustrating, as I read all the newspapers online, but perhaps this small town has lost too much money because of folks like me so have locked it down. At any rate, it is with much sadness that I hear this, as he lost his farm to a family member a few years back so no longer had his roots firmly planted in the soil that he and his team worked for many years. I cannot imagine that the eviction helped his "will to live." But rather than fall prey to that anger, I prefer instead to remember his stories as we sat around the kitchen table. The volunteer fire department in Brady and the calls that he went on. The smells of the big barn and the hogs, horses, and cows that made their homes there. His tough wiry body and heavily calloused hands. His very Scottish "way." They don't make them like him any longer. He was the James Herriot of Washington state.

Godspeed Don Mustard. I smile when I think of all the critters that met him at the bridge to escort him to his final destination.

G2

One of those AHA moments...

It wasn't me...



Nor me


Guilty as charged!


I was out scooping yesterday morning and found something suspicious that had been in Henry at one point...if you get my very disgusting drift.

While it looked quite familiar, I could not place the origin of it until tonight. Now I can rest a bit easier. However, there is the question of where, or in whom, the other might be...





I did a toy box check and anything that was the least big ragged is now gone.

There is only room for one amputee in this house, and that would be me!

G2

Just because

Dear Santa,

A new lens and flash would really be appreciated.

Love,

G2

A nice, albeit early, start

Nope. I don't do Black Friday. It was not sales that got me up at 4am. It was not pre-Christmas excitement or decorating. It was the normal type day. I wanted badly to sleep, as I had consumed enough turkey to have me in a Tryptophan haze for days. (It was good, what can I say?) It was a sound rarely heard from this particular source...Miss Kate.

Kate is a happy dog, in general, but very obsessive. When she plays, she plays hard. Usually it is with balls. She FRAPS, but that is generally short lived and is followed by her thoroughly cleaning the other two dogs; every inch of them. She sometimes will start to lick me, but it is weird and very rhythmic, and gets creepy and I stop it. This morning was a rather unique sound from her, especially first thing in the morning.

Kate sleeps on my pillows. She and Nugget trade off on that spot. He was at my feet and she at my head. I reached up and gave her a pat, as I do frequently through the night, to whomever has that spot. She returned my pat with a quick nose touch and then I heard it. A very loud thumping coming from above my head. For most of you dog folks this is no big deal, and likely a bit irritating at 4am. To me it was a shocking sound that was music to my ears. She was wagging her tail against the head board of the bed. It is not that she doesn't wag her tail. But her tail wags are usually very gentle sways as she is walking or running. She smiles a lot, but no tail wags as she lays around. This is huge!! I gave her a pat and quick ruffle of the fur on her neck. The thumping began again and this time with greater intensity. No nudges, no licks, no obsessing. Just plain happy dog tail wags.

I have had this dog for half of her life now...18 months (she is just over 3 years)...OK give or take a couple. She is still a work in progress. People on one of the Corgi forums were comparing the two breeds of Corgis and someone mentioned that the Cardigan Corgi REALLY needs human contact; a lot more than the Pemmie. It is difficult not to try to put human emotions on my dogs, and I do know that they process things differently than a human does, but Kate is just beginning to blossom from all of the work that I have done. She was a crate dog, and had never left the property she was born on. I put her in a car and drove for nine hours. I sleep with her on my bed. I take her to parks and subject her to lots of people of all sizes. The smells are not smells she had ever experienced. I live a block from the salt water and the sand. She has taken it all in stride, no matter how confusing and overwhelming it may have been. She is still not reliably house broken. I have become good at making sure she goes out, but she has yet to ask to go out. Since getting Nugg-pup I have come to find out how truly easy this breed should be. It makes me think about the price I have paid for Kate both monetarily and figuratively. From there, of course, I go to that awful place of wondering how to deal with this long term and the whys and what ifs. She is healthy physically and has wonderful bloodlines. Her heart is bigger than big. It has wound itself around mine and the thought of not having her hurts my heart. Realistically, it is the thought of her still living in a crate that breaks my heart. There is still a lot of baggage to work on, at this point.

Just when I think that it is time to think about Prozac (for her, not me!), I get a nice gentle tail thump on my head board. You have no idea how huge this really is!!!

Thanks, Kate.

I think I will head to bed and a nap before the cleaning begins. If you want to join me, and sleep on my pillow, you are much more than welcome.

G2

Turkey Day eve

this year's version of the previous post
We've warmed to a balmy 25 degrees F. The snow that was predicted for tonight has begun. I remembered that my dear neighbor, who is always gone during the worst weather, has a well pump that notoriously freezes, so I decide it is time to go down and make sure the pump house has a small heater plugged in and turned on inside. On the way I take pictures, as she never believes that it is "that bad." As I round the corner I see smoke coming from her chimney. Fearing that she didn't get to the airport I called from her driveway. I wake her up. Uhhhhhhhhh. It seems she flies out on Monday. Oops. "How's the water pump," says I. "I think it is frozen. No water coming out the tap." I go into the shed and find the space heater and plug it in. Hopefully that will take care of it. After she climbs out of bed we can hit the elbow with a hair dryer if she is still frozen.

With the snow falling again the odds of making it to the farm up north are lessening. I would prefer to hang here with my animals over risking having me stuck somewhere with no one to care for them here at home. My other neighbor has invited me to share food with them if I cannot go out. They are not sure that many will make it to the house. I am beginning to think that we are in one of the hardest hit areas. Power is still out to many in the area.

So here I go, should I not be able to get to the farm:

I am thankful for my family, and for their health.



I am thankful for my friends and the closeness I feel to them.


I am thankful for my four legged family and the true and deep love that I have for them, and for the people involved with them.


I am thankful for a sense of humor in the face of adversity. (In the dog show world it is a MUST!)


I am thankful for the technology that allows me to do whatever I want to do. I am also thankful for the medical research that has kept me in remission and has helped friends carry on with lives that were at one time unbearable. I am grateful for the animals that were sacrificed, and sorry that it was necessary.



I am extremely thankful that I awake each day to see the beauty in my life, instead of the ugliness. (Without a little diversity the beauty might be less appreciated.)


I am thankful that I have reached a point in my life where I don't have to pretend to be something that I am not. It is so much simpler to be a "what you see is what you get" person. And that leads to the last:

I am thankful for who I am, and what I have become. The road has been very tough at times, but without all those bumps and turns I would be a different person. I'm pretty much digging where I am, so accept all those tough times with a smile and a nod.



So, as you break your bread, and stuff your bellies with turkey tomorrow, take a little time out from the craziness and have a funny crazy moment. Then give thanks for what we are all gifted with...each other. I know I will.



G2

Monday, Monday

"FRAP"



I know there is a ball in here somewhere.


Yep, it's in there!

Good morning, Sunshine

Low thirties this morning with a breeze. BRRRRRRRRRR. It's a good thing I have sunshine, albeit through a bed hog, to warm me from the inside. (No need to wipe your monitors; that is hair on my comforter! Yep, it's still flying here.)

Snow warnings continue, and I choose to pretend that I don't read them. 50 toenails are trimmed (Henry has thumbs) and Nugget is set for the show. He will get his bath on Friday morning after a final run in the muddy field. I will then sing praises, yet again, for the trailer out front.

I'm off and running to stock the pantry and fill the truck with gas. I am also hoping that my order of grooming supplies comes today.

G2

It just got busier

(this was taken two years ago...)
As if pre-show "stuff" isn't enough, the weather service just informed Kitsap County residents (that would be me) that snow is likely coming in this weekend. I noticed the beauty of the snow capped Olympics while driving to Poulsbo on Saturday. I knew it would come, but not on a show weekend!! So now I have more on the plate as I need to drain the pool down to a reasonable depth. We have had an incredible amount of rain and the water level is almost over the skimmer line. This year the pump is working so I can turn it on to avoid freeze damage...if there is power. Kitsap County is known for those wonderful lovers of trees. (I admit, I am smitten myself.) However, trees and power lines often times clash in my area. Snow laden trees take a heavy toll on the over time work crews for the energy company. I'm sure this year will be no different. Add to it the fact that I drive a small pickup truck. No amount of weight in the back seems to be enough to give me the traction needed to get in and out of my driveway if it snows.

This year I do, however, have a snow shovel. Two years ago when we had substantial snow, I used a regular flat nosed shovel to build trails in the snow for the dogs. My dogs had some issues trying to comfortably relieve themselves. They had a blast bunny hopping around, but then would come in with the task at hand undone. So I had trails leading to clearings for them. I also had trails leading to the horse. I found that as the snow began to melt those places that were not cleared and were packed down became ice skating paths. I decided to get a snow shovel. There were none to be found. I take it back, there were some, but they were being hawked on CL and other places for many times a "normal" price. I continued using my heavy, ice encrusted, steel shovel. As Spring arrived that year, so did a shipment of snow shovels. I remember standing in the aisle holding this thing of beauty. Huge plastic blade. Lightweight. Nice short handle with a hand loop. I was in love, and clutched it to me as if I had found hidden treasure. It has been sitting in the garage ever since. Still shiny and new. If I never have to use it, that would be fine. But it is there, along with its can of Pam. Waiting and watching.

And I sit, and look at the lists. This show is a bit of a handler's nightmare. The rings are set up in a horse arena. Packed dirt. Usually it is raining outside. Wet dogs, especially bellies on the corgis. Wet bellies into dirt. Muddy corgis. Nugget will not get to touch the ground from the point of the truck until he enters the ring. I have instructed him that he will be going potty at home, on the grass, before we leave and that will be it until he is done in the ring. So he had better start going today. (He doesn't believe me.) Grooming wise, it is a bit of a nightmare and a blessing. The lights are also marginal. No need to get too crazy about making sure the whites are overly white and blacks overly black. My goal is to be sure that the judge doesn't end up with mud on his/her hand when examining my dog...

So, I built a wood top for my crate. Put some angle iron on the edges to keep it secure. A bit of spongy shelf liner for grip. Voila. A place to perch the Nugg-man for last minute touch up. $6. I will eventually replace the shelf liner with a rubber mat or indoor outdoor carpet. For now it is fine and I am patting myself on the back. We are set, equipment wise. We have our big wheel, adjustable, "four wheel drive" crate dolly. Nice, big, inflatable tires that won't bury themselves in the arena dirt. Both a one dog, and two dog crates, should I bring along Miss Kate (which isn't happening at this show). And now a crate top grooming "table." Life is good!

Today is "run around" day. Appointments, shopping, picking up the cleaning. All that fun pre-show stuff. Soon the house will smell of liver brownies. MMMMMMMMMMM....gag. I am still getting handfuls of hair off of Nugget. I haven't a clue how he is going to look following his bath. He will be wearing his sleezy to the show on Saturday morning. His new big boy hair is not quite long enough to lay flat on its own. His baby hair is still flying around enough that I find it everywhere. Now Henry is beginning to blow his coat. Oh the joy of Corgis!

So I am off to the shower. I'm sure I will have my audience with me. My protectors.

Shoot...I almost forgot, I need to order a new "foot" for my prosthesis. You see IF you don't feel your feet/shoes getting wet, and don't change the socks, and don't have any heat coming from aforementioned foot to dry the sock/shoe, the plastic/rubber/whatever will deteriorate. Yep, I rotted out my foot. Just the cover that allows me to fit into a shoe. It's pretty important. The inner makings of my leg are coming out the bottom of my foot cover. I guess I am also going to Bremerton today to order a new one. It likely won't be here by Saturday. If I fall on my face, could someone ringside run in and turn me over so I don't inhale too much dirt? Thanks in advance!

No rest for the wicked. Did I say it may snow this weekend?...

G2

29.6

That is how much Nugget weighs right now. I was so worried he would be over standard, so can breath much easier now. I have been watching his rations a lot more carefully, and he has probably lost some weight in hair as well. He thinks he is starving, but still piles the green beans on the floor by his dish, so I don't think starvation is truly an issue.

It is in the mid thirties when we go out for our first run in the mornings. I rather like it, and the dogs do as well. This whole "set the clocks back" thing has really got us messed up and I try to put them off until at least 8am since they can get rather noisy out there. Wild running and wilder digging goes on each day. I don't know if the rodent critters have gone to earth and they smell the nests, or what it is. I just know that my bellowing is probably as loud as the two tailed ones' barks; another reason to wait until I know all neighbors are up.

Nugget is on the grooming table at least three times a day now; as I try to remove as much blowing hair as possible. This has been going on since Idaho; I don't know how he can have any hair at all left on his body. With shows next week, I am just hoping what is there is somewhat manageable. He loves being on the table as that means a treat afterward. I love that he no longer runs and hides when I grab the brushes, but one of these days he will clock me in the chin as I lean down to pick him up, and we will both go down for the count.

After meals all three dogs like to chew; most often on an old bone. I decided to treat them to cow hooves this week. I forgot how much I hate them. First I smell them prior to purchase. Some just smell nasty. ALL smell nastier after being chewed on for a while. They smell particularly nasty when they are chewed on my pillow. Worse still is to hit one of them as I hop to the bathroom. I have found something as bad, or perhaps even worse, than a lego stuck to the arch of my foot.

So I will let them enjoy cow hooves for another day and then the hooves will disappear. The games I play with these dogs...

but the Nugg-man is going to be well within the standard. I am a happy camper...

G2

Just thinking about greatness

CH Coedwig's Carbon Blue ROMG, BISS, BIS (borrowed from his web page http://www.coedwig.com/index.html)


His son, Coedwig's Alchemist; who inherited his fantastic temperament (as well as a few other nice things)

Thanks, Kim. (s)

Yes, Virginia

Corgis shed!!

Lately I have been having a few issues. Anyone who spends more than five minutes with me will see it. Thumb and forefinger plucking. Hair from my tongue. Hair from my shirt. Hair from my food. Black hair. Brown hair. White hair.

The Nugget-man is trying hard to get his big boy coat. It is just taking way too long for my tastes...literally (don't ask for buttered anything at my house). He sees me grab the "Furminator" and his tail goes between his legs and ears go down flat on his neck. He then calmly slinks to the grooming table to await his fate. (Such a good boy!)

We have two shows in two weeks. He has crazy hair. It is about half puppy coat and half big dog coat. At nine months old, that is about right. However, his attitude and composure in the ring has made it easy to decide it is time for him to compete with the big boys. He is ready. Except for this hair thing.

I was going to start prepping the inside of the house for fresh paint. Except for this hair thing.

At some point we will reach the point where this will slow to a light dusting of hair everywhere, right?

Why am I the only one coughing up hairballs?

G2

The Crazy Dog Lady

is alive and well, or so it seems.

Yesterday morning the phone rings and it is from Puerto Rico. "Can you do me a huge favor?" The voice is from a young lady that is the Cub Scout leader in the area. One of the sweetest people I know. She has two young munchkins under five and a big sweet chocolate lab. She was also 22 weeks pregnant. Key word here: "WAS." On a cruise with her husband she began to hemorrhage and had to be flown to Puerto Rico where they managed to transfuse her with nine pints of blood and save her life. Her little baby, at 1 pound, 1 ounce, is clinging to life. Her concern at that moment? The dog. This dog is bullet proof and happy, as a picture book lab always is. He is old enough to also be quiet and gentle. I do adore this dog. He was at the house, alone. They may be gone for days, weeks, or months. He was used to cleaning up after the toddler, and looking after the family. I headed out to get him, wondering how my three, a giant lab, and I, would all manage in this little house.

When I got to the house there was no question that he needed to be with people. His head was down, and his tail low. He wasn't sure who was coming in his driveway, but one quick look told him it was NOT his family. I rolled the window down before I stopped the truck and spoke his name. He knew my voice and began to wiggle. When I got out he began to do a corgi frap! He ran as fast as he could around the house, gently touching me with his nose on each lap. We could figure something out.

I didn't feel he would be completely happy here. My life is pretty boring for him. I have no kids. After a phone call, I found a family with kids his kids' ages that was more than willing to take him in for however long was needed. Their little girl had been begging for a dog. They were not ready. Enter "the test."

I think the dog likely feels he has died and gone to doggy heaven. There is a pond. There are four children to keep his mind occupied. There are chickens that he must learn to "LEAVE IT.!" As I left he was rolling on the grass with the silliest lab grin on his face.

In a couple of hours I will call and make sure the night went well. I will make a date with the little girl and will go over with a bag of goodies and we will teach the dog to "shake hands."

I will also take her one of my (still in the wrapper) pooper scoopers.

I am honored that this new again Mom thought to call me when she was fretting about her dog.

However, this song keeps running through my head now:

If there's something strange in your neighborhood
Who you gonna call?
Ghostbusters!
If there's something weird and it don't look good
Who you gonna call?
Ghostbusters!

Ghostbusters Ray Parker, Jr.

Yeah, change a few words here and there and it does seem to work, doesn't it? sigh

Good thoughts are streaming to Puerto Rico. I hope it is a long time before we see this young family back in town. I will be calling to fill them in on their beloved dog in a bit.

G2 (aka the crazy dog lady)

In an effort

to have more money for showing the Nugget (and pay the bills) I decided that there needed to be some changes. I have been grumbling about Century Tel since I moved here. As the bill has steadily gone up, the service has gone down, as has the reliability of said services. Lately I have been accessing the internet by way of a line strung from one end of the house to the other. Then the modem began to give out. When I last called they informed me that there was now a monthly charge on the modems, but they would be delighted to send one out, which would require a one time fee as well. So I have been researching options and pricing. My house phone has been turned off for the last week due to political telemarketers. I haven't missed it.

Today I took down the phone line strung across the house. No more need to hire an electrician, yet again, to restring phone cable under the house at another $200. (Only the jack in the bedroom is functional now). The DSL box is out of the system and I have a lot less cables tangling themselves behind the desk. The wireless router? Yep, it, and its "signal enhancer" are both unplugged and piled on the table awaiting their final fate. (Anyone need them?) The Dishnetwork folks have been called and my account has been pulled from the phone company bundle. Tomorrow I call the phone company. If they offer me a super cheap, super nothing special phone line I may spring for it so that I don't have to give out my cell number. (But it will have to be REALLY cheap.)

Oh, if you are wondering...

The wireless card from the cell company: starts at $190.00 plus a 2 year contract and upgrades to cell plan. Ends up costing more than my current bundle.

Cable: $100/month for a year, then up to $160 for what I now have and am paying $146 for.

Clear Wire: Modem for the PC and card for the laptop $60/month. Equipment is free.
DishNetwork: $60/month for what I have, but I am going to get a "deal" for a year as I offered to move to Directv.

So, as I was told (thanks, Mark), they are all pretty close in price, but I did break away from repairs and modem fees and am still over $20/month less. Not quite one class for the Nugget pup, but it was fun and I have fast and reliable internet running on both the PC and the laptop and can take the laptop anywhere and it will be free. (Pending signal, of course.)

So I can now begin the process required to get the house painted. I have the paint, but that darn wire strung around was driving me crazy. Then I will dream of the day I can pull this carpet out. One small thing at a time, but it is progress, and that makes me very happy.

Another thing that makes me happy:

Friends finding friends who end up connecting and getting a great dog. Congrats to Cotton on her new life; to Sandy and Bruce on their new companion; to Creel on his new sister that will likely drive him crazy; and to Kim and Mark for finding another perfect home for a bouncing pup. It will be great fun to read about the adventures that unfold, and see the pictures, as the family of two and four legged critters begin their journey to retirement and beyond. (It will also be an excuse for us to make a trip to New Mexico; doesn't a good breeder do occasional checks to see that all is well? and doesn't the breeder need a buddy to tag along?)

So, it was a great weekend...and I haven't even spoken of the wonderful time with two little blond girls and our early thanksgiving dinner. Perhaps tomorrow. I am plum tuckered out from all the smiling.

G2

Two years ago

today. Kate came to live with me. It has been a tough road at times, and there are still things she is working through. When I think that I might have walked away, it breaks my heart. I adore this pup and will continue to work with her. I often wish I could get into her head. 99% of her quirks have been worked out; many since the puppy came to live with us. She is the ultimate care giver. She loves everyone and everything. She introduced me to a breed of dogs that is a perfect fit for me. I have no idea what the future holds, at this point. Only time will tell. One thing I do know:
I love you, Kate, and will do my best for you. Happy Gotcha day!


The day the papers were signed and the night before we headed for home to begin her new life.




She has found her place in the home. On the arm of the couch!


Her smile makes me smile.






Welcome to the funny farm.




G2

Say it isn't so

I had such a blast at the last series of shows that I have been trying to get the next shows set up. It is getting to be pretty slim pickings now and I am bummed. Nugget is hot to go and I really don't want him to get out of this mood he is in. I took him to handling classes on Wednesday and he once again stepped up to the plate, but the teacher is thinking of dropping back on the classes now that the season is "winding down." Come on people...we can do indoors venues now, right?

Nugget and his mama...we be hooked!!

G2

Computer ills

I haven't used my laptop since the trip to Kentucky two years ago. I know the first time I get on the internet it will take forever to scan and get cleared protection-wise. I also am thinking of buying the "tether" program for my cell so that I have free internet on the lap top whenever it is near my phone. So yesterday I set it on the desk and begin the process of checking out the Tether on a free trial. No go. I don't have the Blackberry program on the laptop. I have no disk, and must load it off the internet as I did the PC. I can't get on the internet as my wireless is funky. I can't hardwire the laptop via the cable, for some reason beyond my measely computer mind. So I sat and grumbled. I tried everything I could try and just couldn't get the connection.

Guess where I am going in a few minutes? Yep. Starbucks. I will take some time on their free internet to download the Blackberry program, and let it run its ad and virus checks. Hopefully following all that I will be able to check out the program that should allow me to access the internet anywhere I have phone service. It still won't cover me at the Mutha's house on the coast, but it might be rude to sit on the internet when visiting her and eating her fantastic fresh bread.

So I am off. I will check back in a few to share my sweet success.

G2

Back to normalcy

While many will argue that "normal" is in no way a part of my life, I do, indeed, have my own normal, and we are there. The dogs are all at my feet. Literally. I dropped all the bones off the desk. They were at one time matching. There are many. Of course they want the same one. So they are snarking at each other and have about two more minutes before I do the bone sweep which will bring them all back on the desk until tomorrow morning. They seem to enjoy chewing a big bone after they eat, and it buys me time for sun up before we go out to the field for chores. Like children they have quickly gone past the "I missed you so very much" to the sibling rivalry.

Picking up the two from "Doggy camp" was quite the adventure. Henry went crazy in a way only Henry can. I have bruises on my thighs from him tagging me mid frap. Kate just coyly stood next to me with the tip of her tail wagging. We got into the car and she sat close and then began to very methodically lick me. By the stop sign she was wiggling everywhere and had the biggest grin I have seen on her, ever. (She reminded me of Polly after her first sheep herding trek.)

We got home and both just wanted in the house. Bugget-Nutt was inside barking hysterically. When they all got together no dog touched the other. They just ran crazily up and down the hall. It was time to reunite with Windy, the horse. I really needed to save the house! Windy was delighted to see her babies back and trotted over to say "hi." She quickly found that they would not stand still for a true greeting and gave it up. They were running full speed; tongues wagging and silly dog grins brightening the new morning light. After a few minutes of ball fetching, a whole lot of territorial marking by Miss Kate, and silly grinning from me, we were ready for the first quiet time of the new day.

My truck is only half unpacked. The two older dogs need baths. I need to work on my grooming technique with Nugget. Laundry needs to be done. Bills need to be paid. I need to vote. The list grows.

I think I will crawl back in bed and snuggle with my pups for a while and see what the DVR recorded while I was gone.

I love my life...

G2