dogs, squirrels and shopping.....

Well, first of all, my daughter had to put down her wonderful pet, Mollie. Mollie, a black lab, just had too many aches and pains from old age and it was something that had to be done as she could barely move any longer.....she was an important part of our family for over 15 years and was a bit of a heroine to my old dog, Tommy. You can read about it here. Rest in peace Mollie.

If you read that old post, it gives you a little insight on the problems I have had with squirrels. They are the cause of many power outages, not to mention the intimidation they do to the family pets. Tommy (my Lhasa Apso) wasn't able to fight them back like Mollie did so he had to put up with it. This dog I have now...my rat terrier, Abby, just hates squirrels. I think her breed is born hating them. She spends her days running from one window to the next watching the squirrels jump from tree to tree or scamper all over my roof. Since Abby would rather chase a squirrel than eat, I have to let her out on a 50 foot nylon leash so she won't leave my yard....the squirrels have learned just where the boundaries are and they will run around just inches beyond her reach with her angrily yapping. Yesterday I let her out and she tore off the deck and headed straight for a squirrel that wasn't out of her reach....he just wasn't paying attention. My sweet little pet turned into a snarling savage as she tackled this squirrel....they tumbled ears over tails in the yard and the squirrel managed to get away from her. That was her first taste of actually having one in her grasp. When I let her inside a few minutes later and went to unleash her my hand came away covered in blood. Upon checking her over I could see that the squirrel had bitten her on the top of the head and also on the ear. Abby has her first battle scars and she wears them proudly. I hope she was able to get a couple bites on him too. I called the vet to make sure I didn't have something to worry about as I've heard that a lot of squirrels carry rabies. They said as long as she's up to date on her shots, (she is) that she should be fine. I cleaned her wounds with peroxide and put some antibiotic ointment on them. Now when I let her out, she actually prances. The squirrels are keeping their distance for right now, but I know they'll be up to their dastardly tricks again before too long.

Now this is off the above subject but its something that I have to pass on or I'll surely forget to. About 6 months ago I came across what I refer to as a best kept secret in the shopping world. Yep, its a family owned department store somewhere in PA. They may have more stores elsewhere in that general area too, I'm not sure. I was looking for something (what....now I can't remember) and I believe their name came up in Google. I checked them out and really liked what I saw. I have bought from them 3 times now and they are wonderful. This last time I got my granddaughter a London Fog winter coat for only $43. and some new Mary Jane type shoes for $16. I also got her some nice waterproof and insulated Totes winter boots for $23. These prices are absolutely unbeatable....especially for brand name merchandise. Yes, they were having a sale, but they seem to have a lot of those. They ship for a flat fee of $9.95 no matter how big your order is and they are prompt, as well as accurate. I'm not getting anything from them to promote their business....I just wanted to pass along a good thing. Go to www.boscov.com and see for yourself. I just love it when I find good deals. And just in time for Christmas too.

My morning takes a different path.....

Usually I get up, have my fruit juice and my meds, then make a pot of coffee, freshly grinding the coffee beans. I simply LOVE good coffee. After the coffee is finished brewing I make some cinnamon toast and then log onto the computer to read the news and my favorite blogs while I'm enjoying the coffee and toast. The news is always a downer and I only read it so I won't have that DUHHHH expression on my face when someone starts talking about a current event. I have to put up the facade of being at least halfway intelligent, you know. This morning was different. When I logged on to read the news I was drawn to an article about a lost, then found, dog. With tears in my eyes I read this most up-lifting article and it has started my morning off on an entirely different path. Matter of fact, I don't even think I'm going to read the rest of the news.....I really like this path that I'm on. I'm feeling good about people right now. So, for your enjoyment, I have linked this great article. Please read it and afterward you, too, will wonder if guardian angels do, indeed, come in the form of animals. I think they do.

The dog next door.....

Well, of course....I'm an animal lover. I have a dog and at one time I had both dogs and a cat....plus a bird. So, yes, I am indeed an animal lover and protector.

Now the house next door to me used to be home to my best friend. I was devastated when she had to move....not just a little ways away, but all the way across the nation away. The people who bought the place from her were great neighbors. They had a gorgeous black lab and he was my buddy. They sold out after 10 years and bought acreage. The people who bought from them were.....different. Not as easy going friendly as the previous owners but still nice neighbors. They had a yellow lab who was trained to be a hunting dog. Wow...I loved this dog a lot! When they moved after only about 3 years I really missed the dog more than the humans. Now there are new people in there. They seem friendly enough but both work and there isn't a lot of time for sitting around and chatting. They have cats. They also are new to the area, having come from several counties away.

One day last summer we looked out to see that they had a new addition to the family....a small brown puppy. My son visits with the guy more than I do and he said they got the pup from the animal shelter. Well, weeks turned into months and then winter was upon us. Their dog is let out primarily in their back yard and I don't have a very good view unless I actually leave the back deck and go out into my own yard. I hadn't seen the puppy in a long time. I looked out the other day and did a double-take. This is an 'oh-oh' moment for sure. The guy was outside and his dog, who has grown considerably, was out there with him frolicking around....happy as can be. The dog is a pit-bull. If its not 100%, its more than half. This is an oh-oh because in our community pit-bulls are prohibited. Even if they are only part pit-bull, they are prohibited. I feel really bad about my neighbor's dog. This dog will never be abused and will never be used for fighting. It will be loved as part of a family....the woman is pregnant now. But, they are not allowed to have it here. I'm sure they are totally unaware of this and I just CAN'T be the bearer of this bad news for them.

I really don't know what to do.....its only a matter of time before someone calls about the dog. The school bus stop is in front of his house. The neighbor behind him has two matching Shelties (one is mean, one is friendly) and the one is actually more of a threat than this particular pit-bull could ever be. I have a miniature poodle behind me, and two doors down is a Schnauzer. Across the street are two Bassett hounds and next to them are two yellow Labs. Yep, this is a neighborhood full of dogs, the breeds all diverse.

These people are going to be heart-broken when they are told they can't keep this pet. I blame the animal shelter for not being well-versed on the restrictions of the various townships and/or cities in the area they service. For once I'm really glad that we do not visit often with this neighbor.....I'm sure he's going to wonder why no one told him before he got attached to this puppy. We simply did not know the breed....it was hard to tell when it was so small and from a distance. I really do feel for them.....but I just CAN'T be the one to tell them.

A Dog Mom.....

It seems like I've always been a dog mom...and for a while I was a cat mom too. They are like our children, they just have an extra set of legs and are a bit more furry, that's all. Last winter was a bad one for me and getting that rotten cold that was going around really set me behind schedule in a lot of things. Getting my dog her shots and license was one of them. June 1st, the license fee doubles so I made the appointment and took my dog in there. They are always so happy riding in the car, heads trying to get out the window. I don't put my window down much, so about all she can get out is her nose. But that's enough to make her happy....lots of smells out there to check out. As soon as we pull into the parking lot of the vet's office, however, that happy demeanor changes. She's usually a ball of energy trying to smell every bit of grass and pavement and steps all the way to the door. Once inside, she starts to quiver and looks at me with those huge soulful eyes. We know what's best but its hard not to give in and take them back home right then.

The other dogs in the waiting room are courteous and quiet. I wonder what's going through their minds. Its fun to match up the dogs with their owners. The resemblance of dog and owner sometimes is surprising as well as humorous. Well, my dog wanted NO part of getting on the scale, which looks like a treadmill to me. She's rather small so they said they'd use the baby scale for her. She's a whopping 17 pounds when they finally weigh her, with every one of her claws grasping at whatever she can get ahold of to keep from standing on that scale. Her check-up is fine. Her tests are all fine. I get a new supply of heartworm preventative and flea preventative. She gets her nails trimmed. I bought one of those clippers, but have been so afraid to use it because some of her nails are all black and I can't see the vein. The vet also tells me that she's getting a bit of tarter build-up on her back teeth. I am amused at the fact that I leave that place with a "dog" toothbrush and a sample package of chicken flavored toothpaste. Yes, I will be brushing her teeth most every day that I remember to do it. Since its chicken flavored, I'm sure she'll let me. It kinda makes my stomach turn to think of brushing my teeth with chicken flavored toothpaste. I did ask the vet if I could use 'human' toothpaste on her and he emphatically said NO NO NO. The fluoride is bad for them. Hmmmmm....what about US, I wonder, but don't say anything. I guess I'd rather have minty fluoride than chicken flavored toothpaste.

I brought her back home and she curled up for a nap. It had been a big day for her little doggie self. Wait til she gets a load of the toothbrushing. In the meantime, I subtracted the $255 from my checkbook and wonder how people with 3 or 4 dogs can afford it.

Don't you close that door.....

I sure wish I knew what the deal is with the bathroom door. If you have kids or a dog you know exactly what I'm talking about. Walk into the bathroom and shut the door behind you and you instantly have either your child or your dog, and sometimes both, scratching, sniffing or banging on it for admittance. I think that they honestly think there is a secret exit leading from the bathroom to either the backyard, or the land of Oz or maybe even Fantasyworld, where all kinds of fun things happen and they can't bear to miss out on it. No matter how quiet you are, they will awaken from a dead sleep to take up a vigil on the other side of the bathroom door as soon as they hear it click shut with you in there. Dogs, scratching and whining like you've left them forever with no food or water. Kids, crying and banging on the door like you've been gone for months when in reality its only been thirty seconds. When you finally open the door, your child will give you a dirty look and then look behind you into the bathroom like they expect to see the entire cast of The Lion King. The look immediately turns to suspicion when they cannot locate anything, not even a stray feather. They are sure you've hidden it all. Your dog, on the other hand, upon seeing you will leap for joy acting as if you've just returned from a six-month vacation. I have to admit, I frequently exit the bathroom with a smile on my face. It drives kids nuts. The dog just thinks I'm nuts.

Bed hogs and clutter.....

I think I can honestly make the statement that for the better part of the last 40 years I have had an animal in bed with me….and no, I’m not talking about some sexy hunk of man either. ~ sigh ~ I’m talking about dogs and occasionally a cat. I grew up on a farm and animals sort of knew their place back then. Our dog slept in the back door stair landing. A lot of farm dogs sleep outside in their dog houses. Today’s pets demand more and we are happy to oblige.

I now have a rat terrier and its beyond me how such a small dog can morph into such a bed hog. I have awakened before, teetering on the edge of the bed, grasping a tiny corner of cover, only to look over and see my beloved pet stretched out as much as doggly possible (doggly ?)…taking up ¾ of the bed. Some dogs are worse bed hogs than others I’ve noticed. Suzie, my terrier is pretty bad. Tommy, my Lhasa Apso, always laid on top of the covers at the foot of the bed but his body had to be touching mine. If I moved over, he would wait about 20 seconds, then he would move so he was touching me. Tommy was the one who would sit in the hallway leading to the bedroom and whine when it got to be around 10 p.m. (bedtime). He wanted to go to bed but wouldn’t go without me.

Many years ago I saw a magazine ad….I can’t remember what they were promoting but I remember the ad. It showed a small dog lying in bed next to this woman. The caption said….”do they do it because they want to or because they know we want them to?”. I’ve often wondered what the answer was to that question but I suspect it’s a little of both. They want to be with us and we want them to be with us. Such devotion and loyalty they have to offer. What a wonderful gift God has given us….the family dog. (or cat if you prefer).

I’m doing Fall cleaning…since I’m backward to most people. The nip is in the air and soon the trees will turn into a gorgeous nature’s quilt of color. This is one of my favorite times of year. I have more energy at this time so that’s why I clean now. In cleaning, I’m finding stuff I had forgotten that I had. I need to start giving away some useful things to the less fortunate. I need to simplify my life. But you know as well as I do, every single time I throw something away or give it away, I invariably will need it. I think that is part of “Murphy’s Law”, isn’t it? Just like most stuff you buy nowadays….they tell you that if you have to return it, you have to return it in its original box with all original packing materials. So I have 1900 boxes in my basement, afraid to throw them out because the minute I do, the item that the box was for will disintegrate before my very eyes. I think I’m going to adapt Oprah’s guidelines….”if you haven’t used it or even thought about it in a year, get rid of it.”