October Chatting

Oh Callie, I'm so sorry.  But it does sound like he was ready.  Bless his heart.

I've posted pics of Dixie on my facebook page.  Can't figure out how to get them on the forum other than the gallery, so will put them there shortly, but in the meantime, feel free to check her out on FB (glenda lee)

Dixie is wonderful!!!!  She has been very well trained by both the gal who runs the rescue in the Carolina's and her foster family.  Someone did a great deal of hard work with her, so now all we have to do is love her!  She is 16 months old, a total Velcro dog and we are all completely in love!

Callie I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your Dad.  When you get to be our age, 91 doesn't sound that old .  I hope the next weeks ahead find you thinking about the happy memories.  

Glenda, I am so excited about looking for Dixie.  When you said she was a Velcro dog I was so happy for you.  There is nothing like a sweet Velcro dog. :)

We had a beautiful weekend did some cleaning on Saturday moved my tropical plants in to the plant room on Sunday.   Garth was looking at me like "Hey Mom why are you putting all those things that I'm not possed to eat in my room ?  :)  

Here is an odd observation;  Ron and I have noticed that Garth does certain things so much like Rocky.  These are quirky little things that Hot does not do so he is not mimicking him and he was born the night before Rocky passed.   They didn't meet, at least not physically however if you believe in a spiritual world they could have had a connection :).  I would like to think that Rocky and Shadow are watching over us and the boys.

Callie, I'm so sorry to hear about your Dad's passing.  I know you've been worried about them in recent years, having the health issues they've had and living on their own in a home where the winters can be brutal.  I'm sure it'll be hard for your Mom since her main focus has been looking after him, but hopefully her own health will remain stable and she'll be comfortable asking for help and receiving it when it's offered (I know that can be tricky for some seniors!).  

Glenda, I hope your Mom's BP is behaving and that she's doing better, along with your poor sister trying to look after her, too.  That would be a lot to handle for anyone, never mind someone who is hardly out of the woods with their own recent medical crisis  like she had!  

On a happier note, I'll have to see if I can find the photo gallery (I don't use FB).  I'm so glad to hear that Dixie seems to have settled in so quickly and easily.  I bet it's not taking her long to realize she's hit the jackpot in your house.  She'll be there to keep you guys warm over the cold winter, and then she'll keep you company  outdoors in the warmer months -- helping in the garden, watching for bunnies and squirrels that appear in your yard.  Speaking of other critters -- any update on that cat who was trying to "move in" with you guys?

We had some major rain yesterday -- several heavy downpours, and at times it was so dark that it felt like it was nearly nighttime.  Today I wore my sunglasses on my drive to work, but rain is predicted again.  Still lots of colorful leaves on the trees, but a few more days of rain like yesterday and they'll be off the trees and in a soggy mess on the sidewalks and roads!

Callie, I am so sorry to hear the news of your Dad's passing. I send you and your Mom many peaceful thoughts.

Glenda, I hope your Mom and sister are doing better. And, congratulations on Dixie--she is gorgeous (found the picture in the Gallery) and I am sure she knows she is home. Welcome, Miss Dixie!

Ginger, I am sure Garth and Rocky had/have some sort of communication--Rocky is likely given Garth the scoop on all sorts of things. And I'm sure Rocky and  Shadow are keeping watch over all of you. (Whenever I see a great blue heron flying overhead, I think it's Frisby checking in--I saw a great blue heron flying right after she died. I had never seen one in flight overhead before. I'm pretty sure there was some sort of connection.) How old is Garth now? I remember a ball of fur, but I imagine he is growing up fast!

I forgot to post what I wanted to say about Garth doing some things just like Rocky did.  It reminded me of something that happened after our friends' dog died several years ago when we had Tonka.  Their dog, LuLu, was Tonka's true love.  When he saw her, he could hardly contain his excitement.  She was too old to play much, and he was so mellow that they made a great pair.  She'd just let him sniff her and drool all over her ears as they hung out in the yard.    

After she died, Tonka started doing something she always did but he had NEVER done before:  kicking his back feet after he did his business.  Not a pleasant way to keep his girlfriend's memory alive, but we all felt sure that LuLu told him to start doing that so a little bit of her personality was still part of our lives.  :-)

Kate, I think the great blue heron flying overhead is a beautiful way to feel that Frisby is watching over you.  I remember one night less than a month after Tonka died I couldn't sleep for all my crying, so I went to lie on the sofa where he always hung out.  As I looked out the window right in front of me, I saw one bright star that was twinkling so brightly -- I thought it was a plane, but it was stationary.  I felt like it was Tonka looking down on me, and ever since then, whenever I see a super bright star that literally twinkles, I feel comforted.  In my head, I realize it's probably a satellite or planet, but my heart thinks otherwise.

Kate, Garth just turned 6 mths last week.   Yes he has grown a lot.  Most of his bad puppy habits are better (thank goodness) but because of his quick growing I am afraid he has developed a couple more we are working on.   Tracy is it you that has a counter surfing pooch?  He is getting things out of the sink and off the counter.  I am having to be very careful  about putting things away.  It is making me more organized in some areas.   Garth seems to be more stubborn than our last 3, Rocky and Shadow probably tried to get up  on the table but a few times of no, they didn't continue.  Hot never tried but he was 3 when we got him and so fearful of everything.  Garth is " well she not looking .....go for it...."

Rocky and Shadow loved to take clothes to the laundry but Garth is not really into that job, still searching for his "job".   Need to call the Vet, it is time for him to be neutered, that will happen in the next couple of weeks I hope.    

I love the stories of Tonka and  Frisby, .

Well gotta get back to work, have a great day all.

My my, have been kept rather busy the last couple days!  Walks walks and yet more walks.

Last night  no one made certain she had gone outside before bed, so naturally, 3AM and she's tearing for the back door.  I VERY reluctantly got up and didn't even have time to put shoes on.  She HAD to go.  Sooooo, 3 in the morning, pitch black and I'm out there in PJ's a robe and socks.  She'd been sniffing around a lot and since we do have all manner of critter roaming around I thot maybe she'd caught a scent.  Went inside, stripped off the soaking wet and very cold socks and tried to go back to sleep.  Dixie wouldn't settle.  Just as I started to doze off she barked at the door, then laid down in front of it and started whining,  Crud.  Up and out again, altho this time I did have a chance to grab shoes.  She has been always pooping at the park on her walks (yes, we do clean up after her, altho no one else does) and we'd just talked yesterday about that being a concern with winter coming.  I'm afraid that my second time out within the hour in the middle of the night in PJ's and a bathrobe, I got stubborn and just planted myself where I knew I'd remember where she pooped so I could find it in the morning.  The bad news is I was out there for the second time, but the good news is she really needed to go, and she did on my terms!   Even better news is that the skunk we encountered in the yard did NOT spray us. Dixie slept like a rock the rest of the night.  Me, no such luck.

She did very well in a crate in the car today with my million and a half errands.  The only oops was when I was in the store and came out to discover that she had eaten one of the back seat shoulder harnesses.  My bad.  I should have taken her a chew toy.

Hope everyone is doing well.  I'm about to fall out of my chair, so I'm off to bed.

*chuckle* Trust me Glenda -- the deaf dog KNOWS what they smell!!  After Muffin had his ears removed THEN he became the family watch dog.  The other two didn't even TRY because Muffin could SMELL something before they could hear it.  

One night he woke out of a dead sleep ... RACED to the bedroom, and gave one WOOOF!!!!!.  David and I are right behind (there's a door from the bedroom out to the driveway).  Here sits Mufferino -- eyes GLUED to the window at just about man-height.  Husband obediently goes out the back around the house to see what's up ... comes back in (Muffin STILL on point looking at the window in the bedroom).  Nope nuffing out there buddy.

"OH YEAH DAD -- there ***IS***!!!"  If his eyes had been laser beams they woulda burned a hole in the drapes.  

Finally after all manner of looking we turned off the lights and just opened the drapes.  RIGHT THERE -- in the exact spot he was looking at ... was a tree frog.  Yep -- a TREE FROG.  

We'd figured it wasn't anything dangerous (there was only ONE woof ... and that one not a "Zombies are coming" bark but a "HERE IT IS" bark).  But a tree frog???

It was on the outside of the window and it woke him out of a sound sleep.  The power of their scent organs is amazing.  And this is a pyr Glenda -- you've lived with herders but a pyr thinks herding like ... wow ... it's how she breathes LOL.    Out of self defense you may need to keep slippers by the door LOL

Rained last night with a lot of wind.  Did you hear my leaves when they hit the ground.  And there are still more left in the trees.  40F today.  Fall may be here.  Street sweeper just went by cleaning the road gutters of leaves.

Wife has an infection-red streak up her arm.  May have been from gardening  Fast trip to urgent care-regular doctors are all booked, so either Urgent or Emergency room.  Apparently that means the homework is all mine.

Oh my Doug, I always heard to be careful with red streaks moving up could be spider.  I hope she is ok.  

Doug -- I've been bitten by a brown spider twice and both times required an antibiotic (it will literally just kill the flesh so you have a crater around the wound and it just keeps getting WORSE until it's treated.  One of the most painful things ever and I didn't even know I'd been bitten (both times I got it from ducking the clothes line and it got me on the neck).  Red streaks are never good (that's spreading infection/inflammation).  A lot of spiders are poisonous.  A client of one of the attorneys I worked for got bitten by a brown and it caused a fatal heart attack within 45 minutes).  

I hear you about the expense but honestly??  It's easier to pay a bill than lose a wife.  After having it happen twice trust me -- I do things different now.  Black widows sound worse than they are -- it's the little unnoticable ones that can be nasty.

I really really hope she's ok!!!  (sorry - my neck started to hurt just reading your post)

Doug - how's your wife doing?

Yes, please let us know.

It looks to be a splinter (rose thorn?) under the skin.  Pills look big enough to choke a horse, football shaped.  I warned her to put them in her mouth pointy end first.  The finger still has some red, but the line up the arm had disappeared.  8 more days of pills.  She is still a little woozy (her word), but I haven't seen the difference.

It snowed last night.  You couldn't see it, but you could feel the crystals hitting your face.  Actually had some white out up north.  I need to dig out some gloves now, and put the winter gear into the truck.  Coveralls, sweater, gloves , warm hat, boots.  We have friend s who bought a winter home in Arizona and we invited for a week.  Dog can come.