 |
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* (Original Message) | Sent: 4/18/2008 8:03 AM |
if you made it through 2007, then WOW!!!! heres 2008 (great for insomniacs  ): my (feeble??) attempt at a replyWed Jan 02, 2008 8:31 pm
[  Mood: Neutral ]
the following was an email i sent to someone, regarding emails they sent me. but i figured there was something in here that would help others relate to why i may seem distant, or aloof, which im often described as, online and off. this email was not to/from anyone at moodgarden, but does show my wonderfully rambling nature 
ive pondered how to reply to your last emails. ive thought about it while caring for my critters, whilst walking around at work watching dogs playing around me, while watching tv, while dosing off to sleep at night. and i guess my biggest concern is always "will i answer the right way?" or "what if this isnt what they want to hear?" or "what if im wrong?" you get the idea. i get easily triggered by those around me when they are angry. with those im in contact with at home, work, etc, i get that feeling as not just words, but energy they let off (and at work, the dogs can read that energy too, so if they avoid someone, i do too). online, i have only words to go by, and the past. and i saw it in the pms but tried to dismiss it. i see it in the emails and i was hoping time would make me see it differentlly, like maybe my mood caused me to read or see something that wasnt there. but everytime i re read these emails, i get that same vibe. and im not saying you meant it to come out that way, but with just the words, it still seems that way.
geeeeze, im really good at draggging through what i want to say, so ill just say it already. i didnt want to get involved. i didnt want to know the history of those involved, what they said or how they posted at other groups. i made the comment about this member because i felt i could relate when i saw their posts. i liked that they had pets, i felt i could relate that way. i never saw negatve posts, but then again, i dont check in often. if i have something i feel i need to write out, i have a blog, or in rarere cases, i post at my group. one thing i learned from what happened at other groups is to stay on the outskirts of any group. just like i learned from growing up never to get too emotionally involved with anyone at work (or school), because you never know how long anyone, or even yourself, is going to last. jobs change, people transfer, people move, companies fire you....
i still wish to stay out of all that happened. i never read what you emailed had happened, because i still feel it wasnt relevant, because i wasnt involved and didnt wish to become so. and to say that shouldnt imply im on one side or the other, because, see, im not involved enough to be on any side. and to have to be on a side isnt something i can handle mentally anyway. i went through far too much of that at so many groups. and i could go on, but ill stop here.
the weirdest things set me off these days. ive currently had to step way back from a favorite group (critter related) because of a post there. and since last march theres a member there who i cant stand (weve had issues), so maybe its just as well. i keep in touch with a member or two via email, but thats it. tonight, while waiting for my dad, there was this flyer that triggered me, just really disturbed me, and i still cant get it out of my head. yet tonight i can read suicide and si related posts at a mood forum, and not bat an eye. in some ways im doing ok, in others not. im taking supplements, for mood, and for illness, and im probably better now then i was last spring/summer/fall, but there are some days i dont want to get up, and some days im off all i wanna do is sleep. i do ok at work, i like the dogs and most of the people most of the time (dogs all the time, but hey, they are easier). but at the same time, im too wimpy to open the results of a final hearing at my old job, that was sent a couple weeks ago. and little things send me into a rage, stupid things. so go figure.
this has turned into a novel, and very little of it pertains to your emails, so maybe i just shouldt send. but i did promise you a reply.
i hope the new year brings the best for all of you. happy 2008.
testing.....video/pictures Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:14 pm
not sure if thisll go through or not. im a bit bored tonight, so thought id try photobuckets remix feature. some of my "artwork", limited choice of music, but it looks ok, i think....
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/sdreamcatcher/?action=view¤t=0e5bc233.pbr another day.... Tue Jan 08, 2008 10:28 am
i was so sore and stiff this morning, i didnt want to leave the security of my bed. but i have work, and the critters, so finally dragged myself out. feeling slightlty better now that im up, warm and moving, but i may need an ibuprofen to get through today at work (dogs demanding playtime and all  ). then i have several days off to figure out what im going to do, since im not scheduled the rest of the week. i really need another job, and am considering other doggie day cares. i really really dont want to go back to retail/customer service, too many issues that eventually ill have to come to terms with, but i dont want to tackle that now.
speaking of tackling, at least some of my time off needs to be spent doing major cleaning, scrubbing, and throwing stuff out. maybe i can work off some energy that way. im feeling a bit stir crazy with this damn cold weather. i need a farm where its warm year round, between the muscle pain and my wanting to be farther from people, etc etc.
my moods are ok, i guess, more stable then theyve been, considering the stress and season. i still have problems with rage. and im a bit disappointed that my drawing, after being sidelined for so long, isnt what id want it to be. now that i have all this free time, i want to get back to it. but i dont seem to have the focus or something. my mom says keep going, itll come back. im not so sure. but i know shes probably right.
Checkers (pigeon)is ringing her bell, must mean breakfast time. its a new trick she taught me . and Kayla is floating around, waiting for me to find a toy shes hidden, im sure  . off days are here Wed Jan 09, 2008 10:14 am
kinda cool to have the time off, though im gonna miss the pay. i may put up a flyer or something for dog walking in my area; God knows theres lots of dogs wasting away in backyards around here  . would improve their lives, at the very least. i want to save up for that dog training school. and i so want to get away from the same old boring retail/customer service type life that always makes me feel like im failing. i have no problems talking to people about dog related stuff, so thats not going to be an issue. i got to meet a few people yesterday as they picked up their dogs from daycare. dog people love to talk about their dogs  . yesterday was a pretty good day. i couldnt wait to get off, but im gonna miss the dogs, silly as that may sound. theres very few im not fond of, but i make an effort to treat every one like id want my own treated. and many i wasnt fond of in the beginning, i really like now. dogs respond and change so much easier and quicker then people . another reason to travel in that direction...... random dog pictures Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:44 pm
from the day care where i work.....
actually, my original idea was posting pictures. but i added pictures and one video and used an obvious song, lol. hope it goes through....
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/sdreamcatcher/dogs/doggie%20daycare/?action=view¤t=Doggies001_0001.flv random winter/night/sky pictures Wed Jan 09, 2008 7:44 pm
another video -- pictures randomly added, but they seemed to tie in with the music well (my opinion, anyway).
enjoy
http://s68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/sdreamcatcher/artwork/?action=view¤t=winter-enya-anywhereis.flv my spam folder messages Wed Jan 09, 2008 9:40 pm
[  Currently: Watching TV ] just bopping about, and reading my spam messages for entertainment purposes. theres something about settling with the irs. some emails thanking me for orders i placed (one is a pharrrmacy order, yes, thats how its spelled), weight loss emails, morgtage information. oh, ive been selected to be a mystery shopper, better check that one out. maybe i can go shop at the store i worked at and give bad grades to the cashiers and supervisors who ratted me out .
different products to try and keep, get rich quick schemes, oops, a starbucks email, i do need to transfer that one out. emails saying i can transfer money to my accounts now, hey!! 
did i mention im just a wee bit bored tonight???? feeling a bit edgy Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:12 am
going to go lay back down for a bit, see if the l-theanine kicks in soon. if not, maybe ill just go ahead and take the dogs for a walk, bring the mp3 player with me. little things are starting to get to me, and i dont wanna go down that path today. Meeces Fri Jan 11, 2008 11:23 am
last night i started combining two cages of mice. Hollie and Kierra, two older girls from a group of ten i lost over a few month period, with a group of five younger girls; Pheobe, Ayesha, Chloe, Annie, and Cloud (this is the group Cheyenne, Zoe, and Zina were in).
to minimmise possible stress to Hollie and Kierra (Hollie is now 2, Kierra is about three months younger), i cleaned their cage, but left their bedding/nest in. I added only Pheobe and Ayesha last night. Hollie kinda went after both (shes always been a bit fiesty), but it was short, and she settled very quickly. a bit ago, i added Chloe, then Annie, and Cloud last (Cloud being the fiestiest of group two). so far, all looks good, no fighting at all. the cage has the older girls familiarity, and im sure that helps. there are currently two wheels, and i may add a third. i need to find something to help Hollie and Kierra with arthritis in their back legs. Hollies is more noticible. im hoping to perk the older girls up, and give them a feeling of the larger group (they were originally part of a group of 21).
i will add pictures sometime soon; they are still on my camera. today Sat Jan 12, 2008 2:50 pm
for some reason, when it comes time for me to title my posts, my mind becomes a blank. so, this is another uncreative title, .
today seems ok so far. doesnt look like we can get a walk in, since its getting colder outside (and im not a an of cold wind, especially). so the dogs will stare at me, unless i can make up to them with a good dinner.
my girl meeces seem to have accepted each other. no squeaking, fighting, chasing or signs of stress. everyone is carrying on in their own way . i love mice; such active social happy creatures. people could learn from mice . Hulagirl, mice can live 2 to 3 years. idealy, although the majority of mine are feeder rescues, and this includes Hollie. i adopted her and Ebony almost two years ago, as little ones. Ebony i lost quite a while back; such a character. Hollie has always been hand shy, and more into other mice then people. shes become friendlier with me, on her own terms, and in her own time. Kierra is the last of Nirvanas babies; Nirvana and Sunflower being two pregnant girls i rescued in april 2006. i also rescued the dad and uncles (all the males whod been in that cage), so they wouldnt end up as snake food either. Kierra and Hollie are the last of a very large group i had going (will post pictures soon, i promise, and also old ones of happier times when i had more). 2 years is a big deal, and Hollie is taking it all in stride. i hope having more buddies will increase her happiness, and therefore her life.
i have plans to combine single male mice. now, the boys can be trickier, and with Ezekiel in particular id not even attempt it. except some time back Michael escaped and ended up in Ezekiels cage. dont ask me how Michael avoided falling into one of two hamster cages to get to Ezekiels bin, but he did. almost as amazing as Michael defying certain death (i thought hed landed on/climbed down to the floor and was lost forever), was the realisation that Ezekiel didnt attack him. better yet, he seemed to enjoy having a buddy around. problem is, Ezekiels bin wasnt high enough, or covered, so Michael would have eventually escaped again. so me being the procrastinator i am promised both a move into a 20 long screened cage weeks ago. its not happened yet. as soon as i find the screen top, i can start the move (the cage is now cleaned and ready). so i must do that today. i will try adding in Sampson (another escape artist, and son of Ayesha), Jason (handsome and sweet, very peple friendly), Isiah (Ezekiels brother, so a bit fiesty as well), in addition to Ezekiel and Michael. everyone in one neutral cage should work, but again, boys have their own ideas  . id guess Ezekiel and Isiah will be the most difficult, but who knows. time mellows them, dynamics change......
my mood is decent, but i have so much to do. and these winter days make me very sleepy/lazy. so im feeling overwhelmed. been sipping teas and wandering online all day, and now i must do something more constructive. Kayla says goodnight Sun Jan 13, 2008 1:41 am
Kayla says its time for mommy to go night night. the last few nights shes acheived this by laying across the mousepad. usually the mouse is also covered. this prevents mommy from scrolling, clicking pages and links, and othet computer wandering features. tonight shes tapping at the keyboard. attacking her arm/hand everytime she tries to keep going is also effective, though sometimes it takes a hiss or growl to "sink in". other kitties reading this, this may work with your people too . they can be trained; it just takes time and lots of patience. why do i always do this? Sun Jan 13, 2008 10:06 pm
[  Mood: Discouraged ]
no matter what job i have (or dont have). my days off always seem to end up unproductive. or at the very least less productive then i plan. 6 days off in a row; youd think id have all the critter cages clean and sparkly, my rooms clean and sparkly, the fish tanks clean and sparkly, right? nope. i kept figuring "hey, ive got a few more days" then "ive got a couple days still, were good", then "two more days". im not even going to think that tomorrow, my last day off in this mini vacation. i got some stuff done, but nothing like i really wanted. and that carries with it so much guilt.
my mornings would start out for the most part pretty well, but by afternoon, no matter how much i thought id done, or how little i actually i did, i was tired, and ready for a nap. id love to just chalk it up to short winter days, but that only goes so far.
ive noticed while the moods are less intense in some ways, im also rapid cycling. so early this afternoon i was bravely ready to face the chill outside to walk the dogs. but then something very minor came up (i couldnt find something, nothing new in my world ), and by the time that was resolved (i found said item), my mood was soured, and the thought of going out in the cold, and possibly encountering peoples, caused me to wimp out. plus, the cold wind didnt help. so i made the dogs their dinner, started mine in a bout of creativity, ate a couple grilled cheese sandwiches my mom made and offered (whos going to pass up that ), and then went to lay down for a "just" few minutes, while i waited for my dinner to finish. just woke up not long ago, found my dinner lukewarm but otherwise quite appetising, and made myself a bowl then popped in here. and so ends yet another "productive" day off . i strongly dislike certain money hungry....Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:14 pm
....internet service companies.
there, i feel all better now. going, going, gone.... Tue Jan 15, 2008 2:40 am
tuesday was a bad day. i woke up to find Tammy - orange cheek waxbill, a species of finch - caught on the side of the flight cage. the other birds alerted me to her. i got her freed, and she seemed stressed, but otherwise ok, and since this had happened before, i wasnt too worried. Tammy had been sick for a bit, but she seemed no worse tuesday morning.
sunday night, Michael (an absolute favorite mouse with a story who deserves his own post) was fine, or seemed that way. id just rehoused him and a number of other wilds in a new cage, complete with a wheel, and he was thrilled. i even got pictures of him, hard to do because he was non stop. monday he seemed a bit quiet; since he had been a bit quiet off and on, i chalked it up to all the activity with the move, and trying to get various domestic boys added to the group. they didnt work out, so im leaving it for now as a wild only group. Ezekiel remembered Michael and didnt bug him (he was actually pretty friendly with Michael), but the stress of Ezekiel fighting with other mice seemed to get to Michael, as well as a couple of the other domestic boys being fiesty. again, i figured all would settle, with them back out. but by monday night Michael was very quiet, very withdrawn, and seemed to have problems moving around. i worried about a possible seizure, since he wasnt reacting much to the other mice (he was very social), or even to me (he always wanted to hop on my hand and climb to my shoulder). so i was stressing about him as i got ready for work. i tried an electrolyte solution with him, even baby cerela mixed in, but he just didnt seem interested in food or water.
i found a couple mice sick, a couple dead, and lost a surprise litter of three babies, the last of who died early tuesday. so i went back to sleep and didnt drag myself back out of bed until 11am. that didnt leave me a whole lot of time to prepare for work, and it didnt help that i was just dragging all morning. so i ended up working myself into a nice frenzy when i realised i was running short on time. right before i left, i found Tammy gone, not at all what i expected, even with her being sick.
work was ok. really, five minutes into my shift, it was hard to stay in a bad mood, getting to see the dogs again. i even met a few dogiie parents and had nice chats with them. i had a bad headache starting up, but it was still pretty manageable. i took an advil migraine when i came home, babied Michael (he was very cold but perked up when i warmed him up). i managed to get him to take some water/electrolyte mix from an eyedropper, set him up with a hot water bottle and put his cage on the top bunk (where its really warm), ate some, fed the dogs, then i took a nap. woke up, checked on Michael again, and he seemed to be a bit better, though he wasnt happy about being alone. i promised him a visit with his buddies in the morning before i went to work, tended to the other critters, and went back to sleep.
link for orange cheek waxbills; i cant get it to add to the main text without having to scroll down for miles
(http://www.finchinfo.com/birds/finches/species/orange_cheeked_waxbill.php) |
|
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 7/13/2008 6:12 AM |
the shots i got from fosters and smith online; price wasnt bad, but shipping was a bit high. i had it overnighted. i gave Tabby her shots one year before she was tamed, that was wild, lol. but the dogs were easier although Sinbad says mommy shouldnt be able to give shots anymore. i dont think i could ever have one dog again. keeping Trixie for so many years as an only dog was really hard on her, now that i look back on it. i believe i described it as torture when i was talking about that to a co worker last week. the reason being, Trixie LOVED other dogs. always had, since she was a pup. we found two dogs the year we got Lady, and she scanned the yard thoroughly when they went back home. so when Lady was a pup, and people would come to see her, Trixie would bark, lol. she wasnt taking any chances with HER pup! that being said, each dog is different. some dogs do very well with a buddy, some dont. Lady and Sinbad are very close. i know some dogs who dont get along and create more friction. years before Lady we took in a cocker spaniel, Sally. Sally was great with people but didnt get along with a border collie, Flower, at her 2nd home. when we were there, they got into a fight right in front of us. and Sally pinned Trixie many times. one july 4th, Trixie was stressed from the holiday and had enough of Sally and went right back after her, which surprised the heck out of Sally, and us! Sally later lunged at Sassy when Sassy was just a little one, so we made the sad choice to let her go. she was rehomed in a great place, as an only dog, and only pet, which she needed. looking back, we probably could have worked with her, one of those "if we knew then what we know now" type deals. those people who had all those dogs over the last couple years moved out. i miss their parrot most of all. no news on the pup i took; no clue as to the whereabouts of the other little girl. i can only hope someone took her in. we keep our dogs in when we are gone, if no one is home. thefts arent all that unheard of in this city. i think it would be a bit tricky to take ours, lol, but it could happen. better safe then sorry. the other risk is poisoning, and really i should be checking the yard daily for that. our immediate neighbors on one side and behind us are ok, but these others next door, who knows. our neighbors on the one side who are ok may have lost their cat to a poisoning; whether that was accidental or intentional is hard to say. im drinking tea and took an advil migraine for headache and throat pain. nothing else has touched the throat pain today; its one of the worst ive ever had. im a bit worried about bronchitis, with all the coughing and hacking, but hopefully not. this tea is supposed to help loosen everything up. i forgot about the dragonfly pictures!! but i think they got downloaded with many other pictures today. i had so many on the camera i have to go folder by folder and make sure they are on the computer before i delete them from the camera. i took some cool videos today of my terrier buddies, who came this morning (on a weekend!). i was sooo happy to see them. i wasnt supposed to work today (the original schedule posted two weeks go had me as off), but someone gave notice, so i think i got her saturday shift. |
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 7/13/2008 6:32 AM |
oh, and on the shot thing. if Sunni had his puppy shots, then his yearly booster, you dont have to worry about every year. maybe go two to three years in between. this is becoming accepted by the veterinary profession; ill have to find that link again. im not sure what the rabies law is there; here they finally changed it a few years ago to three years, instead of every year. the exam should be once a year, but i dont follow that one. blood tests i know i should get on ours this year, maybe in a few more months. bordetella is an extra vaccine (given intranasally) that most dogs are fine without. it would be required if you had to board Sunni or wanted to send him to day care. mine had never had it before, so i was a bit worried about that, but they came through just fine. |
|
Reply
| |
sunni had his first of puppy shots..he didn't have the whole series..he reacted to them so i wasn't in a hurry to take him back and it wasn't till he was 2 years old that he had his booster shots..rabies is yearly here..exams are suppose to be every 6 months but i going every year on that one..he is suppose to be dewormed every 3 months which i have been doing more like every 6 months plus he is suppose to take a preventative medicine (heart worm) which doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me especially if you read all the side effects it can cause..he is currently up to date except for the bordetella (which i will wait and have it done with the rest) but he will be technically due for all of his shots(and i had them all done) in oct/nov..i wonder if i should wait..i don't want him getting unnecessary vaccines but i want him protected.. |
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 7/14/2008 1:13 AM |
rabies is three years now, i think, for florida as of 2005? i think they are requiring a rabies vaccination, then a booster at a year, then subsequent ones at three year intervals. bordetella is not required, so you dont have to worry too much about that one. is he on a heartworm medicine? supposedly its becoming an issue here, but the side effects of many are a risk to both breeds Lady is (shelties and aussies are more susceptible to any reactions). so neither of mine are on them. what im doing with mine is every three years a rabies shot, for example, they are due next year. every three years (unless they are ever allowed at day care), everything else except bordetella, every three years, which means it would be a year rabies isnt required, so 2011. i may give another bordetella in six months, or i may wait a full year. i dont technically need to worry about that one though, since the owner of the daycare went back on allowing employee dogs during boading. another thing to look into, when you have Sunni neutered, get him microchipped if he isnt already. they can easily do it while hes under; one less poke he will feel. the price for this should run around $45, least i think thats about what i paid. if Sunni was my guy, id probably go ahead with this years vaccinations, then relax, get them maybe every other year for a while, then go from there. vets shouldnt push them, even if you go in once a year for exams only. we tried to change vets for Kayla, in light of all that happened with Sassy, Tabby, and Tigger, and the new office was quite adamant about vaccines and especially the rabies, because at the time Kayla was indoor only and still pretty young. practically yelled at my mom over the phone so we went back to the vets we knew, where we knew it wouldnt be pushed. |
|
Reply
| |
ahhh..cause when i went in for the rabies shot there was an option for 3 year which i picked but when all the paper work came back what i had selected was crossed off and it was changed to the one year..they never explained why..i just figured it was cause yearly was the only option..so when he gets his rabies shot this year after that it will be every 3 years..i will look into that..the last vet he went to wasn't big on communication except when it came to giving sunni what cost the most..i still have to find him a new vet..there is one i have my eye on and it isn't too far away.. no he isn't on heartworm medication..they wanted to give it to him but i told him i would have to think about it but never got back to them..it just didn't feel neccessary to me..after reading all the side effects i didn't feel comfortable with it.. that's probably what i will do with sunni's vaccinations though i may wait till jan to start for all of them except the rabies which i will do in nov..i want him to have one shot at a time..they did them all at once before..that doesn't seem right to me.. |
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 10/27/2008 5:42 AM |
I'll Miss the Parrot most of all.... Fri Jul 11, 2008 5:29 pm[  Mood: Concerned ] i had a feeling last night, when i came home from walking the dogs. they had a pickup truck backed up to the front door, and a matress and other items piled in the back. i mentioned it to mom, and she siad it was probably just one person moving out.
i even had the weirdest dream about it, that i waited until everything and everyone was gone and saw their parrot in a smaller cage just inside the back door, broken out screen just hanging there. i figured theyd left him so got him over the fence and in our yard. i managed to have him downstairs right before someone dashed up looking for him. it was odd, in the dream the parrot turned into Sparky, my parakeet, and long after theyd stopped looking for their bird i couldnt figure out how to get the parrot to change back. i have odd dreams, though.....
so i saw them packing more stuff away, and asked the guy if they were moving. he said yeah something about it being too high, etc. and i asked if he was going to be able to take his parrot. he said yeah, and i told him if he couldnt, i could. he said something about hed had the bird 7 years and someone had offered him money but he was keeping him. so i told him if he ever changed his mind, id always wanted a parrot, and he was a nice bird. he smiled, said he wouldnt change his mind. kind of odd, too, because he really doesnt give the parrot the best of anything. my mom had given him fresh water this morning, because he had none. and his food is always being raided by the squirrels and blue jays.
this was the same house the little puppies came from. its very quiet there this evening, although i guess there will still be a couple of guys living there. although im guessing they wont stay long either. the guy and his family took the air conditioner too, and that was originally part of the house (it was installed over 20 years ago). crazy.
i downloaded a video on you tube a while back. i may have other videos as well, taken the same day. i had always meant to get more but figured hed be around all summer. i hope that wherever this parrot is headed, he gets much better care then he did at the house next door. his name is Pepe.
</EMBED>
Parrot video
information about the video: This is the neighbor's Red Lored Amazon. He spends much of his time in the summer outside, unsupervised, and yes, out of his cage. We warned them of the dangers of hawks, cats, squirrels, and stray dogs, but to no avail. I think his name is Pepe, and he makes a variety of very cool sounds. He seems a bit camera shy, though!
time for bed Fri Jul 11, 2008 8:32 pm
i was busily reading a blog, and i guess i yawned because my cough drop fell right out of my mouth and hit the floor. i guess that means i better wrap it up for the night and no, it wasnt the blog that made me sleepy!! even though i dodnt always add my two cents, i do enjoy catching up on others happenings.
have a good weekend, all. its nighty night time for me. i have work tomorrow, kinda unexpected, but i write about that tomorrow. i only have so many cough drops left .
terriers!!!!!! Sat Jul 12, 2008 9:33 pm [  Mood: Happy ]
i wasnt originally scheduled to work today, but in light of T no longer working (she gave notice), i got an extra 6 hours. yay! though i will miss T; she was cool to work with. i wasnt sure about her in the beginning, but i quickly grew to like her. she had a lot of knowledge about dogs in general, and was great with the dogs. the good ones always end up being the ones who leave .
anyway, someone came in around 7:30 am to drop off daycare dogs. i didnt recognise the guy, but when i opened the door, there were my three favorite terrier buddies!! i was ecstatic, and i think i threw the guy off when i said they were my favorites, lol, but i excitedly brought them in to play. they ended up staying just for my shift, going home minutes before i did. all did well; Baxter got drenched at least three times, then dried off in the sun, then repeated, lol. i got cool video of him in the pool all wet, him attacking the hose, him and Bamzu playing tug of war with the hose, and Baxter attacking a sprinkler. all in all, a fun filled day. Bendel is the oldest, so he didnt join in the fun, but he loves nothing more then a cuddle in my lap. Baxter also decided at one point he wanted to snuggle in my lap; naturally, he was all wet! but that was ok by me; these three know i really like them. when their dad came to pick them up (he actually got down, opened his arms, and said "My boys!", lol, it was cute). he quickly straightened up when he saw Baxter all soaked, and i said he insisted on getting so wet, and that they all had a blast. i asked him how they water the yard, and he says Baxter has to go in their moms room, and that theyve gone through a number of sprinklers. next time im at home depot, im getting one of those metal sprinklers to have in my bag, in case they make a weekend appearence again. the plastic sprinkler didnt really stand a chance today. ill post the videos sometime soon.
i gave Charlotte the lab a bath today; what a nice dog! im not a lab type person, but this girl i could definitely go for. shes wonderfully trained, sweet, playful, just the perfect little girl.
im happily exhausted now. what a great day!!
uh oh..... Mon Jul 14, 2008 9:06 pm [  Mood: Troubled ]
[  Currently: Listening to myspace playlist (well, trying to) ] im currently wondering if im going to be in trouble at work, given a short conversation with a rather snappy owner (D).
i think i posted a blog last monday about a dog who went after another, causing injuries. i dont know if i updated to say that dog was NOT booted out, as id hoped he would be (and other co workers agree with me). the injured dog wasnt taken in to a vet, which further baffles me, given one of the injuries was to his eye. im not even sure at this point if either owner was notified. the injured dog was picked up from boarding on saturday, with no mention by the owner, who said he would be back next saturday (poor dog, another stress filled stay).
so i told the morning manager, L, last week, that i was not willing to risk this dog going after yet another, which according to her, is what had to happen before he gets banned. i told her i didnt feel comfortable with that, and i would have him penned, with regular potty breaks. i did take him outside on a leash, and let him loose on his own, with no other dogs. he went potty and id bring him right back in. other co workers today were fine with that. i also let the afternoon girl know. because so many employees are quitting or no shows, D has had to be on the floor in the afternoons. maybe it was this fact, maybe it was because shes behind on paperwork as a result, maybe its the heat, maybe she doesnt feel good, who knows. she was snippty with me as i left, demanding to know how long he was penned. then she demands to know WHY he was in the pen . its in the log book, she knows what happened last week, and she asks me why?? i looked at her unbelievingly, then said simply "because he snaps at the other dogs.". at this point i was literally saved by the bell; her daughter had someone on the phone, and she told me she thought it was the other afternoon person, possibly calling in. so i took off, realising halfway down the block that id left my water bottle there . i didnt want to chance going back and dealing with her, while possibly missing my bus, so ill have to get it wednesday morning.
my concerns are valid; this i know. most dogs who have some aggression issues keep it confined to certain dogs. most DONT PUNCTURE or otherwise leave marks on another dog.. most give some warning they are gong to attack. raised hackles, growling, showing teeth (snarling), freezing or stiff body posture, etc. this dog gives no such signals. one second hes wagging his tail, just standing there, the next hes pinning a dog and biting, or whirling around snapping. some of you may remember Ceili, the blue merle aussie who attacked a pup and so was banned. HIM i never had issues with, because the second i saw him start stalking, id call him, and hed come right to me and stand by my side. hed watch me, and read me, and he knew id handle other dogs getting too rowdy. some dogs dont like other dogs getting too rowdy around them; some have issues with others coming in, others get grouchy in the afternoon and need a nap (no kidding!). so we make adjustments. grumpy pup can have a pen in the afternoon to snooze undisturbed. the territorial types can be penned while dogs are coming in, and let out later in the morning. dogs like Ceili who react to rowdy pups, can be monitered and called over before they get into their chase mode. but this dog who attacked last week attacked an older dog for walking by him, with two of us less then 10 feet away, when every other dog was resting! the only reason Jordy wasnt hurt worse was because we were so close; T grabbed the aggressor, i grabbed Jordy.
sigh........................
in other news.....
i came home today and was on a self induced pepsi high. i managed to get all but three cages clean. 11 cages, multiple small critters carefully removed and powdered for mites (i use freshwater diatom powder), cages disinfected with white vinegar, and rinsed on all sides with the garden hose (the backyard was well watered as a result!), fresh sweet smelling dirt added back in, powdered critters added back. food and water dishes or bottles washed and rinsed and put back in. wheels disinfected and put back in. took me from about 2:30 to about 7:30. then i took the dogs for a walk around 8, and going down the block, realised my feet were really sore. then i realised ive been up on my feet most of the last 14 hours, sitting only on the ride to work, briefly on my break, then on the busses back home! and i still have stuff to do, but i may sweep the mess into the other room for the night and start again early. as nice as my pepsi high was, i got grouchy toward the end of it, shortly after one of the little mice hopped out of the container i was using to transfer her, and slipped past me many times on the way to total floor freedom. i know ill be able to tell if i catch this one while live trapping tonight, she has a distinctive little bend in her tail.
i found three dead meeces while cleaning; two in one cage, and one in another. im still baffle by the unexplained death of one of my scarlet chested parakeets, Taliyah. she was only 4 years old, healthy weight, beak wasnt overgrown or anything like that. i didnt feel any lumps (tumors), so im at a total loss. her sister, Kiah, is heartbroken. i rescued both girls from the evil pet store two years ago. Peekaboo (bourkes parakeet) is also in that cage, and has been sick, so theyve been on antibiotics. its driving me crazy that i must have missed something with her.
my mom and dad went up gambling; my mom had wanted me to call her when i got in (my brother gave me the message), so i did, and she was all excited. the machine she was at had just gone off right before i called, she hit a royal flush for over $700! she won $300 last week on a penny machine, so this makes up for just breaking barely even most trips. sigh, she made more in a few minutes then i make in a month . but im glad for her, she was so thrilled. my dad hadnt won anything as of that time, but im sure he hit something, at least i hope so.
this is another novel, if you made it this far, WOW!!! if not, wake up now, im all done . have a great tuesday, everyone! |
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 10/27/2008 5:42 AM |
reposted for myself Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:29 pm[ Mood: Anxious ] 2many
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Posts: 223
Location: my own little world
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:49 pm Post subject:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
how will this situation or feeling change if i hurt myself?
it will release the anxiety i feel
what will hurting myself bring to the situation? what will it take away from the situation? anxiety
how do i want to feel about this in the long run? is hurting myself likely to get me closer to or farther from feeling that way? neither
if hurting myself seems like my best option right now, how long will the relief it brings last? what will i do then? not sure
what is something i could do now instead of hurting myself? go to bed
how will it change the situation i'm in? how long will that change last, and what will i do then? not sure
what do i really want to do right now? how can i best honor the self-protective instinct that has me wanting to self-injure right now? not sure
how will i feel tomorrow if i hurt myself? how will i feel tomorrow if i do the other thing i came up with? will probably have anxiety either way
what do i really want to do right now? how can i best honor the self-protective instinct that has me wanting to self-injure right now? not sure
Why do I feel I need to hurt myself? What has brought me to this point?
triggered by past experiences, which effects my confidence and brings a fear of the unknown
Have I been here before? What did I do to deal with it? How did I feel then? yes, dealt various ways.
What I have done to ease this discomfort so far? What else can I do that won't hurt me? blogged about it earlier. talked to my mom yesterday.
How do I feel right now? anxious and unsure
How will I feel when I am hurting myself? it will relieve the tension
How will I feel after hurting myself? How will I feel tomorrow morning? honestly, id probably feel better, althou still anxious
Can I avoid this stressor, or deal with it better in the future? not sure
Do I need to hurt myself? not sure
a couple questions didnt really know how to answer
_________________
100mg theanine am (100mg extra as needed)
50mg 5-htp pm
250mg l-phenylalinine am, as needed
250mg l-tyrosine am, as needed
250mg l-glutamine am, as needed
Back to top Topic Originated : Sun Jul 6, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 -- videos included :) Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:57 pm[ Mood: Anxious ][ Currently: Listening to myspace playlist ] myspace is working tonight, maybe i shouldnt say that too loud?
im worried about work tomorrow. i like this job and love the dogs, and im nervous about the future right now. ive had problems at jobs that snowballed and they seemed less serious then this, so all this uncertainty is really triggering me right now.
i havent mentioned my new gerbil lately. hes doing fine, but im drawing a blank on names. i love him, hes too cool, very calm and active and friendly. i love gerbils. he got a paper roll to shred, and hes a happy happy boy right now. i gave him an exercise wheel the other morning, and he figured it out in less then an hour, not bad considering he had no idea how to use one! poor guy. theres only one type of safe wheel for gerbils that they cant shred. they are mesh instead of rung style. i did a quick google search and found this site which shows a picture:
http://www.twinsqueaks.com/tips-archive/tip022303.php
i wouldnt recommend the taped wheel thing though; a gerbil would just shred and possibly ingest that.
found a link for the specific wheel i use:
http://www.petco.com/product/105026/PETCO-Small-Animal-Mesh-Exercise-Wheels.aspx
hey, that price isnt bad! i should pick up a few extra for the other furries.
anyway, gerbil is doing well. i have some pictures, but not good ones. hes so fast they come out blurry, even with the sports mode, lol. i should try getting a video, instead. maybe ill have a name the gerbil contest. winner gets to.... name the gerbil! lmao. im weird tonight.
had a nice walk tonight. my mom came with me. she ended up doing quite well at the casino last night, and offered me some money. if i get any, its going to savings. i really gotta pay bills, at least start with some. sigh, its my own fault, i dont pay them as soon as my check is in, then i end up buying stuff i really probably shouldnt, and i dont budget right.
i added the terriers to youtube, so ill post a couple here:
Baxter and Bamzu playing tug of war with the hose. Charlotte the lab wasnt hurt; Bamzu is just rowdy!
</EMBED>
Baxter vs the sprinkler, part one second time he got drenched
</EMBED>
sorry for the short length, naturally my camera was low on space and i only had a few minutes time due to me not downloading to the computer and deleting the night before . i figured i wouldnt use it too much on saturday .
thats it for now, oh!! i forgot to mention on monday the coolest brittany (spaniel) came in. hes a co workers dog, actually former co workers dog; i didnt know she had given notice too. her last day was last week. anyway, i dont know if ill get to see him again since the owner is getting really weird about former employees even stopping by to visit, let alone their dogs being there . but i love brittanys, very cool dogs. and this one i believe is a three year old rescue. hes very sweet; it was nice to get to meet him.
my mom keeps joking with me that if i ever get my own place, shes gonna get even with me by getting me a jack russell terrier puppy, lol. figures that would keep me busy. then tonight she joked about a jack russell lab mix (labs drive me crazy!), and i pretended to protest.
i better get ready for bed. i took a long nap this afternoon, but im still a bit tired. this bug refuses to go away so i keep losing my voice and my throat and the back of my toungue (i know, sounds strange!) hurt like crazy. advil migraine does take the edge off though. if i drink any more tea, im gonna turn into a fish or something. my mom said her symptoms were exact so eventually itll all go away (for good!). im secretly hoping i passed it on to the owner via her dogs on sunday. i petted her little terrier mix a lot that afternoon. he wanted to snuggle in my lap. hes a wiry haired little mix, very cute. i like her other dog too, a yorkie/chihuahua mix i think. but she had to stay in the offce because the one dog she doesnt get along with, cairn terrier Molly, happened to come to daycare too. so i didnt get to play with her. they are sweet dogs, they cant help who owns them.
Peekaboo is still not feeling well, and im very anxious about her as well. i made her some tea; the antibiotic shes on doesnt seem to be doing anything, although she did seem to perk up briefly a few days ago. i dont know. Kiah still misses her sister, and so do i. her and Taliyah were inseperable, much like Peekaboo and Mikey were.
everyone have a good wednesday.
dodging a bullet? Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:25 pm [  Mood: Confused ]
at least for now, although B didnt help alleviate my fears this morning, going around saying that D was "pissed at us" for leaving Curly in a pen all day (even though we didnt). morning manager L talked to me about it, and i voiced all my concerns, bringing up the fact that Madeline was there, and i could picture her walking by Curly and him reacting and making her nose bleed. Madeline is a special girl, an English cocker spaniel who has an inoperable tumor in her nose. she is susceptible to nosebleeds, which require an emergency vet trip and transfusions. she was here on monday because her mom and D went out to lunch, something they do about once a month i think. i told L we had also decided to put Summit up, because he was bouncing all around Madeline trying to play, and wouldnt let up when i tried to get him to stop. L seemed to understand about the risk to Madeline; i uess no one else had thought of Curly potentially hurting her. L told me that D thinks Curlys snapping is because "thats the way he plays" (B had told me L had told her this too), and i told L no, this is very different from his play mode. i told her that if it were the case of certain things setting him off, for example, the chaos of dogs coming in for the day, that he could just be penned early, and thats what we had tried the week before. but he pinned Max later that day. and the day he attacked Jordy, they were the only two up -- everyone else was laying down. i told her the reason there wasnt more damage done to Jordy was because Tricia and i were both less then six feet from them; she grabbed Curly and i grabbed Jordy. i also reminded L that Curly gives no sign when hes going to attack, which to me is scary, and i also told her there was no way he would have been penned all day, as that wouldnt have been fair to him.
as i was leaving today, D was coming in with her two little dogs. i said hi, and she said hello in a pleasant tone. i said hi to her dogs, then told her Jesse spent much of the morning sunday in my lap. she kind of laughed, and smiled and said "oh did he?", and i said hes definitely a lap dog, and she laughed and agreed. she seemed very pleasant, and didnt say anything about monday. i figured id take a lesson from dogs; live in the moment. dogs dont hold grudges, and they dont worry so much about what happened two days ago. if ive corrected a dog my last time there, and come in a day or so later, that dog will greet me the same as always. i later told my mom this, and she agreed. i told her since i really like this job, ill be nice, but after some thought i said "im still hoping she catches what i had." my mom laughed.
Peekaboo still doesnt feel good, and im at a loss as to whats wrong. shes about 9 years old, i think but still.... i gave her tea this morning, and a sport mix called gleukos this afternoon. i use this mix for many critters to help them when they are sick, and actually have a big size ordered that will arrive tomorrow. it saved me last year when i would be out in the heat pushing carts.
all this work stuff has been making me think about last year at this time, with all the stress i had, and all that went on in the months and weeks before my "separation". that all was kinda running through my mind as i took the bus home this afternoon, triggered in part by the music i was listening to at the time as well.
Friday. July 18, 2008 -- videos added of new dog :) Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:16 pm [ Mood: Calm ]
[  Currently: Eating an ice cream bar and typing at the same time ] it was my full intention to come home after my walk to clean up the back room, at least sweep out the critter and family rooms, and tidy up. and blog before i went to bed. honest!! mom went with me and it was an enjoyable walk, even though she thought i was waiting a bit too late. but closer to 8, the dummy who doesnt control his lunging dog, and all the other big scary dogs are home, or at least not on the path.
we ran into a couple with their little dogs, and my mom was wary at first. but i had my squirt bottle and knew they wouldnt bug us, so we kept going. as we got closer, my mom saw the black and tan dachshund and i instantly remembered who they were. very nice couple, their three dogs i believe are all rescues. as we got closer they asked us if wed ever seen the other dog following them. he was a beautiful pug mix with a collar and tag. on the tag was his name only, no phone number, no address. no other tags. afraid hed get hit, we decided to take him home, and he was very easy to approach and pick up. so we turned around and i carried him home. (the one time i forget to have an extra slip leash in my pocket; i try to always have one with me).
some one will be missing this dog. hes amazing. hes definitely got the pug attitude of easygoing but playful, and last night only fussed a bit when i put him in a crate for the night. hes not neutered, so was a bit pesty with my dogs last night, but this morning he was mellower and wanted to play. he was anxious and whiny this morning outside, pacing from the gate to the back door, and i do think he misses his family. but he settled down quickly and we just hung out for a while. this morning was so nice. i slept well, because he went right to sleep, although Kayla would NOT leave the bed last night, for anything! not only that, she woke me up trying to burrow under the covers. i guess she figured the dog was down there, lurking, waiting for her! he sniffed her nicely through the gate, but later tried to chase her up the stairs. he was on a leash, and i think he only wanted to play, but she hissed and that was it in her mind.
heres a couple videos:
Rocky video one
</EMBED>
Rocky video two
will edit to add videos in a bit; Mister Luckys hutch just came
Mister Lucky's New Hutch :) -- videos included Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:09 pm [  Mood: Excited ]
my mom did well last week at the casino. normally she breaks even or slightly below. but last week she won quite a bit. one of the first things she wanted to do is get Mister Lucky a proper hutch for outside. the feed store we go to has someone who makes them as needed, so this one was made specially for him, and was ready to deliver this afternoon.
this was his first time in the hutch, taken this afternoon.
drumroll.....
Mister Lucky's new digs
</EMBED>
(i tried to upload another video, but youtube is being funky, so one is all ya get; sorry )
i have one of his first meal in the new cage (this was a huge event! everything was video taped ), but im having memory issues with my computer, and must transfer pictures to cds, to free up more disk space. so ill try to get that tomorrow.
good sized cage; i love the 1/2 inch wire mesh; too small for raccoon hands. we do have raccoons around here and years ago i remember talking to someone from the house rabbit society, who told me about a lady who called in tears after a raccoon literally tore her rabbit apart through the hutch bars  . that story has stuck with me, even many many years later. anyway, this one is very well made, not bad for $225.
home made sturdy rabbit hutch that will last for years and years: $225
peace of mind and supreme bunny happiness: priceless
score ONE for the WOLVES!!!! Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:14 am [ Mood: Encouraged ]
http://news.aol.com/article/judge-restores-protection-for-wolves/90045?icid=100214839x1206033317x1200292314
great news for wolves; finally, a worthy judge! this means they have to call off three planned hunts this fall. |
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 10/28/2008 3:55 AM |
good start to the day Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:02 am[ Mood: Encouraged ] i had more money in my account then i usually do before i deposit a check, so i thought id start in on the bills. happily, neither is as high as i feared, and my mom wants me to use her account to pay the phone bill. but i think ill pay at least a portion too. im proud of me for being more careful with money this week. i still need to update my account with mlb though.
been really busy, which is my reason for being mia in blogland. no one has claimed this little dog, which i find baffling. hes doing well, although my cat still isnt too pleased.
Mister Lucky has spent the last two nights outside in his hutch. my mom unfortunately decided to throw out his old cage yesterday, which im a bit perturbed about, since the cage was still a good one i could have used for other critters.
im off today and all i need to do is deposit a check and grab some critter food. im probably going to work with this little guy on some training. he picks up stuff super fast, and i can incorporate play into training to make it even funner for him. weve been walking him with our dogs at night, and he needs it! hes an active fellow.
gotta go; i promised Kayla some outside time, which she hasnt had sincew the new dog arrived. its still cool right now; its been horribly hot lately.
can we say DUH?!?! Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:34 pm [ Mood: Confused ]
[ Currently: Listening to /watching the cubs beating the heck outta arizona ] so i emailed my friend as to why she hasnt emailed lately. just a silly email type thing cause we do that with each other. and she comes back with "didnt you get my email with the cool link?"
uh, yeah, i did. duh .  
so im going to use lack of a nap, and walking in extreme heat after taking the wrong bus. im hoping thats a valid excuse.
much more happened today then just this; im simply too tired to blog it all.
2many signing off, needing to go night night.
stopping by Thu Jul 24, 2008 8:20 pm[ Mood: Calm ] today was a god and busy day; im just so tired right now. took a nap, got up, walked dogs, now im ready for bed again! i blame the heat; its incredibly hot here, even for sun loving me. i do have a fantastic tan now though, lol.
the link my friend gave me was amazing, i just watched it and want to share it with all of you. proof that animals never forget and they are capable of feeling just as we do. i actually got very teary eyed (ok, i cried):
http://www.cyberthing.net/video-play.php?id=105
i will try to blog more about this week tomorrow. id love to get to bed early, but still have critters to feed and water and such.
have a great friday, everyone!
my day so far.... Fri Jul 25, 2008 1:56 pm[  Mood: Devilish ] i posted an ad on craigslist for this lovely little dog we found. i posted last week, with no response, and this week i thought id post an updated one. somehow ive become engaged in an odd argument via email with a person who cant let go, because she doesnt want to be wrong. she wants me to admit im wrong! who cares if lost and found ads are free or not? i tried to drop it last night, but this lady is hellbent that i must change my ways and learn to say im wrong (!!). ive been keeping it civil as far as no bad words, but shes an irritating sort.
now, you all are rolling your eyes and shaking your heads and wondering why i keep replying. my answer? im in a bit of a fiesty mood, and im curious to see how long she will hold out for. ive askd her not to reply, but shes the sort who has to have the last word, so this is a challenge for me, see .
i am in a weird mood. not bad, according to my mom, (who doesnt get the email thing at all, lol). but we went to radioshack to "upgrade" our phone service (THATS a blog in itself!!), and i was brought along to insure my mom got only what she wanted, nothing more, nothing less. she thought i handled it well.
"i didnt seem too grumpy?" i asked.
"No," she said "you were just adamant."
so i been good
the dog has been a bit trying today, making me really work on my patience. i havent been perfect, so must work very hard on that. hes actually a really good little guy. while he looks more pug, with the mellower temperment, he has inherited the jack russell activity level!!
home depot was nearby, so i went and got a couple of metal sprinklers, one i have now in my bag for when the terriers show up again. mom insisted on paying for them, since she needed to break a bill. we may do laundry today. i need to grab something to eat, and feed these guys lunch. supposedly, im receiving the dog food i ordered today. he said it would come before noon (we left around 11:20). it may very well be upstairs; i came in through the back way.
Saturday, July 26, 2008 Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:59 pm[  Mood: Sleepy ] i am sooo tired. today at work went fine, just very busy. D, the owner came in because we had 3 dogs coming in for evaluations. two older dogs and a pup (a LAB pup, a YELLOW LAB pup, akkkkk!  ). the pup was wild but ended up not staying long because it turns out she was on antibiotics for Coccidia. naturally, the owners of the dog tell D that AFTER we have her in a pen with a young heeler pup . so hopefully, Abby the heeler wont get sick
Abby the blue heeler! she is a 4 month old pup, very sweet, water crazy pup. she came in for day care, and her timimg was perfect, as we have a 9 week old pup boarding, and they played quite well together . the pup is Henry, a chesapeake bay retriever/weimereiner mix! he has the chessie coat, but those weimereiner eyes! they are a blue green right now. he is a shelter rescue, one of 6 pups, according to his paperwork. hes got paws too big for his body, and legs too long, poor pup. but hes gonna be an impressive guy very soon.
the older dogs were Willie, a german wirehair pointer, and Rocky, a shepherd mix. Willie never did quite relax, although he did find the pools and lay right down in them, lol. hes very stressed and its very iffy if he can board. hes not aggressive, just very nervous and that stress isnt good for him. Rocky was also stressed; he has separation anxiety. but he actually did start relaxing, so he may end up ok. hes coming monday, so ill have to really watch Curly that day. hopefully itll be a bit quiet this monday, so Rocky doesnt get too overwhelmed.
i will get pictures up one of these days, i promise. its just that my computer doesnt have enough space for me to transfer all the pictures and videos on the camera right now. i still need a dvd writer, and will get one soon. right now im trying for a meat grinder, which is more important right now. three dogs outnumber me, lol.
The new pup is doing well. Lady actally initiated play with him, corrected him when he got too rowdy, then went back and played with him for a few minutes im so proud of her; shes a bit hesitant to correct wild dog play, i think in part because when Sinbad was little i scolded her for correcting him, something i should have never done and still regret. i didnt know any better at the time that pups need older dogs to correct them when necessary, and most dogs (read if theve been properly socialised themselves) wont actually hurt a puppy doing this. Sinbad has no problems correcting and staring the new guy down if he gets too wild, but Lady hasnt done much, although she did snap at him once or twice for chasing and jumping on her when she races around chasing squirrels.. if i holler at him for doing that she gets upset, so tonight i left her to do it all, then praised her wildly. she was so happy she went back and ended up playing with him; even Sinbad joined in. naturally, i didnt have my camera with me to catch videos, but it was nice to see all three racing around the yard playing .
|
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 10/28/2008 3:59 AM |
Sigi's back!!!! No Curly! and a weird twist on our new pup Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:34 am[ Mood: Calm ] Sigi is a miniature schnauzer who has been out since May for surgery. I think i blogged bout him at some point; hes a favorite and ive missed him. hes still a bit subdued (i barely recognised him!) but its good to see him back
Curly missed day care today! yay!!!!! no craziness worrying if hed snap at someone! and Jordy went home saturday so now we can all walk through gates without being bit! yay!!!!!!! he bit someone on friday, drawing blood. im at a loss as to why thats somehow acceptable, but who knows. this is allowed, but i got scolded for letting a nine week old pup in with other dogs to play because it was written in the book not to. evidentally im also supposed to read between the lines that he also has to be by himself when he goes outside? and the one dog he was allowed with i seperated him from because HE was too rowdy for the other dog. i guess this was all because someone else (morning manager, L) messed up on friday when i wasnt there and put him in with a bigger, older dog who ended up hurting him (damn i hope D at least told his owners; poor pup couldnt walk right saturday or sunday). didnt matter that i closely monitored all play, or that i know dogs, and err on the side of caution at work already . sigh.....
but whatever. we walked all three dogs last night, but went earlier. had two little boys who suddenly became very interested in the dogs, and walked up asking to pet them. it was kind of weird, cause my mom saw them and asked what they were fishing for, and they didnt reply, but came up from the creek and came up to us. we introduced the dogs, our two first, then i got ready to tell them the found dogs name, but they knew it already! Turns out they had found him prior to that. They may have had him as long as three weeks, meaning he may have been lost since June. They said they had fliers up for him, but it is unclear if the original owner has been looking for him. They were a bit young, so not very clear as to dates and times. It appears the two boys who cared for him took more time to look for him; they said they've been looking for him since he disappeared from their home, but if he's been gone a while, maybe the original owner has given up. He definitely recognised these boys and was very happy to see them.
I'm a "troubled soul" Tue Jul 29, 2008 12:32 pm[  Mood: Angelic ] apparently, anyway, i wansnt aware of this. turns out the lady whos been bugging me every time i post on craiglist is a PSYCHOLOGIST!!!!!
"I'm a psychologist and have a fair "read" about your personality type."
isnt that amazing! shes known me all of these past few days, weve never met, all she knows is a few emails where i ask her to stop bugging me, but ive been typed! do ya think if i ask real nice shell label me as bp2 rapid cycling too????
im sorry, i just find it funny shes such an "expert" on my "type" after just a few emails, all because i dont want her "help".
i did email craigslist last night. they appologised and recommended i forward her emails to her internet service provider. THEN while doing that i discover shes using two email addys. so i forwarded to both abuse emails. we shall see what, if anything, happens.
i do have her full name; im gonna check and see if she seriously is psychologist. if shes practicing, she should be listed somewheres.
how strange, i dont feel "troubled" today, either. oh!! i did get another email from someone regarding the pup. she wants to know if he isnt claimed, if id consider her family for his new home. she sounds kinda nice, so maybe thats an option.
"It matters to this one"" Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:56 pm someone ive been emailing off and on from craigslist regarding helping animals had this to say:
"I wish we could save them all. I guess one at a time will do."
I sent her this:
While walking along a beach, a man saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean, he came closer, he saw thousands of starfish the tide had thrown onto the beach. Unable to return to the ocean during low tide, the starfish were dying. He observed a young woman picking up the starfish one by one and throwing them back into the water. After watching the seemingly futile effort, the observer said, "There must be thousands of starfish on this beach. It would be impossible for you to get to all of them. There are simply too many. You can't possibly save enough to make a difference." The young woman smiled as she continued to pick up another starfish and toss it back into the ocean. "It made a difference to that one," she replied.
check in Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:00 pm[ Mood: heart-broken ] i meant to updaate this more often. Rocky (new pup who needs a new home) is keeping me busy, as have my resident critters. i lost Fluffernutter a couple weeks ago:
Fluffernutter was a "job warming" gift from my mom when i got my previous job. he lasted longer then the job, and was far less stressful. he was extremely sweet and mellow. i miss him.
then i lost Taliyah suddenly; she wasnt sick, wasnt skinny, im not sure why she died:
she leaves a very confused sister, Kiah:
Mikey i lost some time back, and Peekaboo never quite adapted to life without him. she had been sick, and was on antibiotics which helped for a time, but lately she was starting to go downhill again. she died Tuesday morning.
this is Peekaboo (right) and Mikey (left) in happier times, not long after i adopted them:
i hope they are together again.
a few hours later, i lost Dolly. Dolly had been sick for what seemed like just a few days, but i think she hid it as long as she could. she seemed to be perking up Tuesday morning, so i was briefly hopeful. then she went down really fast.
this is Dolly (right) and Dagwood (left). this pcture was taken when they were first introduced a few years ago; Dagwood was so excited he started singing almost immediately:
this one is recent of Dolly (right) and Dagwood(left):
Dagwood is taking Dollys death VERY hard. he is alternating between singing at the top of his lungs, and screaming at the top of his lungs. he knew she was gone, and went up and tried to sing really loud to wake her up. he screamed when i took her body out. hes so lost without her, i dont know how he will manage. Binny the lovebird was the same when Bunny died, and he still calls for her. its sad when any critter loses their buddy, but birds seem to have even more trouble accepting loss. i feel horrible for putting him through this; i should have known something wasnt right with Dolly (and all the others).
sorry this isnt a happy blog; im just feeling really low and lost losing these pets. this doesnt show all the meeces ive lost the last few weeks either.
today Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:43 pm [ Mood: sad ]
thanks to all for your kind comments. they are most appreciated.
i took pictures of some of the birds i still have, tonight. my camera is acting up, so im not sure how many more pictures i will have of critters in the future. but it held up well to give me these:
some of my finches (i need to find/take better ones, these are too fuzzy and dont do them justice):
best one i have of these two girls; Keanna (left,just named) and Mystique (right):
Kiah (scarlet chested parakeet):
handsome Dagwood; hes really having a hard time:
Binny (pied peachface lovebird):
(this is one with him and his mate, Bunny -- she died several months ago):
 |
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 11/5/2008 10:06 PM |
Saturday, August 16, 2008 Sat Aug 16, 2008 9:35 pm[ Mood: sad ][ Currently: Listening to Dagwood calling for Dolly ] its been raining here most since thursday night. we had a brief respite when the sun came out, so i went out on a bike ride with Rocky, and ran him till he was tired. hopefully thatll hold him till tomorrow afternoon, when i can hopefully get another window of good weather for another ride. mom walked Lady and would have walkde Sinbad, but he was asleep downstairs. poor guy missed out, but he seems to be more ok about it then i am. right after we got home, the thunder and rain started back up. i got some pictures and video of the creek thats full, but its on my moms camera. mine decided to stop working.
this weather is making me sleepy, and not helping with mood. been trying to keep busy and did clean some earlier. im just feeling so tired and drained right now.
thanks to all who commented about the birds. they are truly special little souls, beautiful inside and out. ill go through and get more pictures up in a bit; i have quite a few from past months/years.
bedtime for me, gotta get to bed.
Sunday, August 16, 2008 Sun Aug 17, 2008 8:02 pm [  Mood: Exhausted ]
work was good, dogs were very good, so an easy day. sun felt very nice. when it came out this morning, one of the dogs who was penned with his buddy (by choice; some dogs get nervous and prefer their pens to being out with the others) wanted to come out; hes a real sun dog and loves to lay out there. so we all trundled out and sat on the porch. i read some, petted the dogs, played a bit, brought the little dogs out (seperately), and i sat with them for a bit.
theys say 15 minutes a day, minimum of sun, but i need more then that. it was nice to just sit outside for a bit and watch them play and interact and just relax in the sun. something about being with dogs (or any animals) really , i dont know, its hard to put into words.
came home and exercised my own dogs, Rocky on the bike; he loves his bike rides. then my mom met us with Lady and Sinbad and i took Rocky home and came back and walked with her. my dad had come down to help my mom, cause shes not used to two dogs at once, and it was strange seeing my dad walking Sinbad (my dad isnt a dog person, and i guess Lady wasnt fond of him walking her, so my mom traded with him. Sinbad did quite well). when i came back, my dad went home and mom and i finished walking them. came home to hear Rocky howling, little nut. i had hoped hed have been too tired out to complain about being alone for a few minutes.
took a long nap (4 hours), and just now fed everyone, so now i gets to eat, lol. i hope for more sun.
Dagwood is doing a bit better. screaming a bit less, and singing a bit more. but still, hes sad. Kiah is very quiet, though thats her personality (grass keets tend to be a quiet bunch). still, she used to be a bit more vocal. shes called a bit from time to time, though.
looks like Lucky gets to stay outside tonight. the cold wet weather has kept him in at night, not something he likes at all.
tired now (still), so bedtime (again) i think.
Tuesday, August 18, 2008 Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:41 pm [ Mood: Exhausted ]
tired, very tired, so will make this a quick entry. cleaned my bird cages and some of the room, also Angels (guinea pig) pen. actually took as much as i could outside and power sprayed them.
i moved Kiah into the finch flight. its a 4' x 4' x 2' flight, homemade by someone, so quite nice. it really needed cleaning.
Kiah seems content:
a couple of the finches, this isnt all of them, little buggers wouldnt sit still for an official group picture:
a friend brought over two diamond doves:
Mystique and Keanna ended up with Kiahs old cage:
Keanna (shes getting much better about not freaking at the flash):
Mystique:
meet E.T. Mon Aug 25, 2008 8:18 pm
a critter of a different sort. skip past this blog entry if you are squeamish about bugs.
found outside the doggie daycare where i work saturday morning, sunning herself on the screen. attracted by lights and bugs, i would guess:
tonights pictures:
tried to get one of her looking at me, cool/scary face, but no luck. theres food in with her, but i may need to try some flying bugs tomorrow. crickets dont seem to be enticing her too much. name is courtesy of my mom, who thinks she has an alien face. my mom is fascinated by her; neither of us have seen a real praying mantis, though a few weeks ago my coworker was telling me theyve found three in three different parts of the same city.
live from a laptop computer -- take THREE Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:30 am [ Mood: Agitated ]
[  Currently: Playing outside ] i know i know not that exciting, but in exchange for helping my mom learn computers i get to borrow it once in a while. its kinda nice being able to write an entry outside at the picnic table.
not much going on. woke up to Buttons (dwarf hamster) holding his own, Charlotte the tarantula (my moms spider) munching a cricket (she had a rough day yesterday), and the praying mantis stalking a cricket. the capture wasnt pretty seeing as how they eat said prey while its still moving. and she didnt finish the (still moving) critters, so i had to take the remains out to feed to one of our big fish 
i tried to get you all a picture of a blue jay in our apple tree, i really did. but the jay wasnt cooperative, and my attempts arent very good. so imagine imagine a blue jay in an apple tree.
speaking of attempts, this will be my THIRD try getting this posted. if youve been able to read this its a technological miracle . i wanna figure out how to move my desk top outside. this one keeps eating my pages. im sure im doing something wrong, but its annoying. i was calm when i started out
|
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 11/5/2008 10:08 PM |
talk of doggies and more pictures -- the horror!!!!!! ;) Tue Aug 26, 2008 8:49 pm[ Mood: Calm ] i did get some cleaning done, honest! though it made me agitated so i didnt finish it all. but still, my came down and was happy at my progress, so by "mom standards" i did pretty well
my mom found an article in the paper last monday about a place called doggiespace.com. so i joined, then got my friend to join. and thats where we be most of the free time we had. i created profiles for Lady and Sinbad, and figured what the heck, and added Rocky as well all three have two journal entries each, and over 20 friends a piece! its a fun way to be creative and think like them; what matters to them. im finding it very fun so if im m.i.a., thats where i be now
NOW, pictures!!
this is Kayla, enjoying the outdoors earlier today:
Skippy, hoping thats NOT a camera she sees:
ever so tolerant Bandit trying to sleep:
Rocky, the pug/jack russell terrier mix we are fostering:
Lady and Sinbad taking a nap:
dont know what to say Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:20 am[ Mood: Troubled ] nothing much to mention, actually there is, but my mood isnt right, so ill leave it at that. my sincerest appologies to anyone i upset. its a crappy day out today; i shoulda gone into work when they called me this morning.
ill post a better update later.....
lets change the subject to dogs -- pictures too Mon Sep 08, 2008 4:35 pm
hmmmm, no moody icon, interesting.....
anyway, i read benitos blog, which i happened upon, and saw the picture of the collie. reminds me of a recent picture i took of Lady. she loves just standing like this, maybe because she knows how beautiful she is:
to be fair, heres one of Sinbad (itll be a while before he can wag his tail like this again; he got hurt two days after this picture was taken):
his tail was wagging so fast it ended up being blurry. i find this picture very cute, course im biased. his tail is always wagging, or at least, always was. hes getting better, but hes still got a way to go.
one of the last i have of Rocky; he went to a new home recently. id update on how hes doing, but i cant get anyone to return my calls:
bonus points to anyone who can guess the breeds these three are mixed with . each dog is mixed with only two breeds, so that makes it easier. Lady and Sinbad i know for sure; Rocky is a very educated guess, but id be surprised if i was wrong about the other half.
NO SUBJECT Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:02 pm[ Mood: Discouraged ] my mood was ok earlier, work went fine, dogs are well, critters doing well. got my check in the bank, did some shopping, found out how Rockys doing, and all that good stuff. if id stayed away from messages online, id have been ok till tonight.
my mom and i had an argument a half hour or so ago, so thats a bad way to end the night. then i got an email earlier that i just now read that the daughter of an online friend died yesterday.
speaking of yesterday, i know everone was focused on the big anniversary. at our house we remember three years ago, and the rather sudden death of my uincle (my dads brother, his "best buddy" as he put it shortly after his brothers death. my dad had tests yesterday, further compounding an already anxious day, and is now scheduled for surgery in a couple weeks, after what they found. he had blood work today for other tets, i think unrelated, so his day was spent traveling and waiting. it was awesome that he thought to pick me up on the way home, as i usually take the bus home to give my parents a break.
thers more to write, but i probably shouldnt. suffice to say i take other peoples critter issues too much to heart, and it doesnt always end well for anyone involved. i should stop that, perhaps. I see past critters ive had in theirs, and try to relate too much i guess. i get a flood of memories and feel like im helping, but im mostly fooling myself. bad habits are hard to break. i just hate knowing about other animals suffering; it really hits me hard. then i get to thinking about my past pets, and how they suffered, and now this is making no sense even to me. it seems to have happened at least two or three times just this month (online and off), and its still ongoing in at least one case, next door.
im bummed tonight. my mom and i rarely argue this bad. so now im sad and grumpy and feeling awful and guilty, and my mood has plummetted. all in all i had a decent day considering the clouds and rain and cold. im off for the weekend, but to what i dont know.
best of weekends to all.
|
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 11/5/2008 10:09 PM |
interview at a dog pound Sun Sep 14, 2008 9:42 am I found the following (part one) on doggiespace.com. while googling for the original article, i found part 2. this is quite long, but i wanted to share it to those who are pet lovers. it may upset some.
Interview at a Dog Pound
As a journalist, I decided to go to the dog pound, and interview some of the "inmates". I wanted to know what it was like in there from their perspective. What follows is not for the faint of heart.
I entered the building, and one of the workers accompanied me to the holding area. This is where dogs are kept before they are allowed up for adoption -- IF they are allowed up for adoption. If the dogs are found to be aggressive in any way, euthanasia is employed. Fortunately, if "fortunately" is the word to be used here -- this is a Canadian establishment, and they use lethal injection, not a gas chamber.
The pound worker led me past a big steel door that says "Employees Only". "What is in there?" I asked. From the look he gave me, I knew that this is where dogs go in, and never return.
We moved on to a row of kennels. The dogs were barking loudly, there was the acrid smell of urine and feces, and a feeling of despair seemed to permeate the room.
"Go ahead," the worker said. "They're all yours."
Pete
I looked into the first kennel, and saw only the back of a medium sized dog who was curled up in the corner of his kennel, shivering. He was mostly white, with some black spots. "Hello?" I said. "May I come in?" He lifted his head, as though it weighed more than he could bear. When he looked at me, I could see he was a Pitbull. His eyes were gentle, but filled with grief.
"Enter," was all he said.
I stepped in, closing the gate behind me. He put his head back down, facing away from me. I crouched down a few feet away.
"My name is Pete. Petey my Master called me," he said, still not looking at me.
"Why are you here Pete?" I asked.
"I am here because Master cannot afford to move to another province. I am here because someone with power said I am vicious, and a killer. Someone who never met me. Master took me for a walk one day, and some lady started to scream when she saw me. I got frightened, and barked at her. The dog police came, and they took me away. I have been with Master for 10 years. The last time I saw him, he just held me and cried. He kept telling me he was sorry. I worry for him. Whatever will he do without me?" Pete shivered even more.
A tear slid down my face. I am supposed to remain objective, but this was wrong -- so wrong.
"Thank you Pete." I said. He said nothing as I got up and left his kennel.
Popper
The kennel next to Pete's held a very young looking dog. Pure Border Collie by my guess. He stood on his hind legs, looking at me through the gate.
"Hello. My name's Popper. He tilted his head. "Are you here to take me home?"
"No, I'm sorry," I replied. "But I would like to talk with you."
"Sure. What would you like to talk about?"
"Popper, how did you come to be in this place?" I asked.
Popper dropped down from the gate, with a perplexed look on his face. He walked to the back of the kennel, then back to the front. I noticed he had one blue eye, and one brown. He was quite beautiful. His black and white coat was shiny and thick.
"I am not certain WHY I am here. I think maybe my family will come back for me. They bought me when I was only 6 weeks old. I remember they said how smart Border Collies are, and how it would be so easy to train me. They were very excited at first. The little ones played with me all the time. But the trouble with little Masters is, they refuse to stay in a group. I constantly had to nip their heels to keep them together." He looked confused. "Why won't they stay in a group?" he sighed. "So I did what I thought I should do. I am not quite sure why the little ones screamed when I did my job, but they did, and the Masters got very angry at me. They also got angry when I had to relieve myself, and did so in the house. I am not sure where they expected me to go. All they said was that I was the smartest breed in the world, and I should just KNOW better. Then they left me in the yard for a month or so. I got bored a lot, and I dug holes in the grass. The next thing I knew, the Masters brought me here."
Popper jumped back up on the gate, his white paws protruding through the links. He looked at me with his lovely eyes, and asked "Will you please let them know I want to come home? Please tell them I promise I will be good?"
"I will Popper," I said.
Spartan
My heart was breaking. I was beginning to regret coming here, but their stories had to be told. I moved along. The next dog I saw looked to be easily 100 lbs., a Rottweiler. He was handsome indeed, except for the scars on his face and back. He tilted his head, and looked me right in the eyes.
"Hello. Who are you?" he asked.
"I am a reporter," I replied. "May I speak with you for a little while?"
"Most certainly. My name is Spartan. You can come in, I won't bite," he said.
"Thank you Spartan. I will."
I entered his kennel, reached out and stroked his giant head. He made a loud grumbling noise, and closed his eyes.
"Spartan, why are you here?"
Before he could answer my question, he was suddenly in the grip of a nasty coughing spasm. It sounded painful.
"Please excuse me," he said when it passed. "Kennel cough. It seems all of us who come in here get it. "Why am I here? Well, about two years ago, I was born in the backyard of some person I can't even recall. I had 11 brothers and sisters. I recall a day when a big man came and gave that person some money, and took me away from my mother. They had to chain her up, as she was very angry that he took me. They chained her and beat her. I came to know the man by the name of Jim. I overheard him telling his friends that I would grow up to be big and mean like my mother. But as I grew older, all I wanted to do was play and be friends with everyone. Jim said I needed to be taught how to be mean, so he chained me up in the yard. No more house for me, he said, I was too spoiled. When people came by to visit, I was so happy to see them. I wanted them to come and play. But that made Jim angry, so he beat me with sticks and chains. When he came near, I would roll onto my back so he would know I wasn't a bad dog. That made him beat me more." Spartan's eyes clouded with grief. "Then he brought me here."
I reached out and stroked Spartan's massive gentle head once more. "I am so sorry Spartan. Some people are just plain evil." I gave him a kiss and left his kennel.
As I walked away, Spartan called out, "What will happen to me, nice lady?"
I shook my head. "I can't say Spartan. Maybe someone kind will come and get you. We can only hope."
Patsy
I walked a little further down. I could see a shape moving at the back of the next kennel. "Hello?" I called out. Suddenly the shape lunged at the gate in a fury, barking and gnashing its teeth. I stumbled backwards, and crashed into an adjacent kennel. The other dogs began barking loudly and jumping at their gates.
"Don't go near her," a small female voice came from behind me. "She's mad."
I gathered myself back together, and saw a little Jack Russell Terrier behind me.
"Thanks for the warning," I was still trembling. Across the way, the other dog, apparently a Husky and German Shepherd cross, was glaring at me, lips curled back revealing brown stained teeth. Her ribs and hips showed through her dull, matted grey coat. The little dog invited me into her kennel, and I gladly went in.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Patsy." The little brown and white dog held a paw up to the gate in greeting.
"My owner surrendered me. She said she wanted a cute little dog like the one on the TV show, Frasier. She didn't bother to look into the type of dog I am." Patsy heaved a sigh.
"I suppose she expected me to just lie about and only need a short walk each day, just like Eddie, but my energy was so high that I needed to run and play." She glanced at her surroundings. "Now I am here. I suppose it could be worse. I could be like -- her." Patsy looked towards the still growling dog across the way.
"What happened to make her so vicious?" I asked.
"From what we could gather," she replied. "she was found tied in a back yard. She only had a three foot chain. Some days there was no water. Rarely was there any food. One day a nice neighbour came by and brought her some meat. By then it was too late. She was already mad. She broke off her chain, and bit the poor man badly. We know she will be going behind the steel door. I am sad to say, I think it will be best. Perhaps then she will know some peace."
Just then, the door at the end of the building opened, and a woman stepped inside. All the dogs began to bark wildly, then one by one, they went quiet.
I whispered to Patsy, "Who is that? Why have all the dogs gone quiet?"
Patsy breathed deeply through her little nose, and closed her eyes. "SHE is a Rescuer. Can't you smell it?" she asked.
"Smell what?" I was confused.
"Compassion. Love. Sorrow. It emanates from her pores. She is here for one of us, but nobody knows who just yet." Patsy looked hopeful.
The Rescuer moved from kennel to kennel, looking at each dog. I sat quietly watching. I could see tears in her eyes as she made eye contact with each one. She stopped at Spartan's cage and spoke quietly to him.
"No more beatings my man. No more. You are coming with me. From here on in, it's all going to get better."
The Rescuer produced a leash, opened the kennel door, and took Spartan away. As he walked beside her, his little stubby tail wagged with delight.
Patsy sighed again. I could see the disappointment in her eyes, and it grieved me. They all had the same look, as they watched The Rescuer depart.
"I am so sorry Patsy," I said in a whisper. "But you are a little dog, and everyone loves little dogs. I am convinced you will be rescued soon." Patsy's brown eyes twinkled at me, a little bit of hope returning.
I had heard and seen enough. I needed to tell people how it was for these unfortunate creatures. They were all here through no fault of their own. I stood to leave. I passed by many other dogs I did not interview, looking at each one, wishing I could take them all home with me and give them the love they deserved. I stood by the door taking one last glance back, when it opened, and one of the pound workers came in. His face was drawn and sad. He walked by without a word, and stopped at Pete's kennel. I heard him take a deep breath, then he paused, and opened the kennel door.
The words were muffled, but I am sure I heard him say "I'm sorry old boy."
He came out, with Petey in tow. The old dog's head hung down in resignation, and they both disappeared behind the big steel door.
---
Copyrighted by Sally Hull
[email protected]
July 6th/2006
Hull's Haven Border Collie Rescue
Please consider a small donation:
http://eccentrix.com/members/portinthestorm/
http://chattypet.com/pets/show/74
=====================================================
Interview at the Dog Pound, Part II
It had been two weeks since I visited the local dog pound and its denizen. The story, not surprisingly, had attracted a lot of attention from rescue groups in the area. They were pleased someone from the city paper had taken the time to write a story on why dogs end up in the pound. It was hoped it might raise some awareness.
I found my mind wandering back to that sad place time and again. I wondered how feisty little Patsy was, and if she had been adopted yet. I also worried for Popper, the young Border Collie. I was deeply troubled in my spirit.
As I sat staring blankly at my computer screen, trying to concentrate on another story, I felt the familiar warmth of a little chin resting on my knee.
"Hi Sweetie." I stroked the soft fur of my own dog, Sophie. She always knew when I was upset. They all seem to just know. There was then a gentle nudge of my arm on the opposite side as my other dog, Banner, vied for my affections. Border Collies, both of them.
"I have to go back," I said, looking into Sophie's intelligent eyes. "I have to know."
Return to the Pound
Once again, I found myself in that foul smelling kennel area. No matter how many times you clean a place like this, the stench is always there. It must be hell for dogs, having such a keen sense of smell.
Pete's old kennel had a new tenant, some sort of Labrador mix. She was black with small white markings on her chest and paws. There was a food dish in the corner, the kibble untouched by the look of it. She lay on her side, whining. I could see she had recently had pups by the swollen teats. Poor girl.
I moved past the Lab, to Spartan's old kennel. Empty. Good. I held my breath as I approached Popper's kennel, hoping beyond hope that he had been adopted. I was not prepared for what I saw. This once proud, handsome young Border Collie was now a quivering mass in the corner of his kennel. He glanced up at me briefly, a flicker of recognition in his eyes, then he began to cough violently. His tail was tucked tightly between his shaking legs.
"Oh Popper!" I cried. "What has happened to you?" Popper simply cowered into the corner, shrinking away from my voice.
"It's his breed," a familiar voice spoke from behind. "They're too sensitive. The noise and smells drive them crazy. Intelligent fellows like him can't take the long hours of boredom and lack of companionship." I turned around to see my little friend Patsy, the Jack Russell Terrier. I peered through her kennel gate.
"Ah Patsy," I shook my head. "I had hoped you would have found a nice home."
"I did," Patsy replied. "Well, at least I thought I did. The day you came here, someone came in and chose me. It turned out the same…another person who wanted a cute little dog, but not the work it takes to keep them happy. She brought me back just three days later, tired of my constant playing and running about, bouncing off the furniture." Patsy stood on her hind legs, resting her little paws on the gate. "But guess what? A man and a little girl came here yesterday, they smelled VERY good too! They petted me, and played with me. Then they threw a ball for me. I brought it right back to them like a good dog!" Patsy was becoming very excited. Her stubby little tail wagged rapidly back and forth, making me grin. "They kept talking about something called flyball! The man said they were going to go talk to someone named Mom, and maybe they would come back."
I smiled. Maybe they would come back. In the meantime, I had some questions for Patsy. "What has happened in here since my last visit?" She dropped back down onto her haunches, and became sullen.
"I hate this place," she said. "That Lab down there?" I nodded. "Well, she came in with ten puppies. Someone just dumped them all like garbage at the front door. That was last week. Five days ago, some of her young became very, very ill. I remember smelling the sickness…the smell of blood. The workers came in, they called the sickness Parvo. They were very agitated. Six of her young died, the other four went behind the steel door." Patsy shuddered. "She has been mourning since, and will not eat."
"Lord have mercy," I whispered.
"That's not all," she said. "The disease has run through the kennel, and others have gone behind the steel door. I suppose I was lucky, I was vaccinated. So was Popper, but he has The Cough." As if on cue, Popper once again was seized by a coughing fit behind us.
"I have to get out of here," Patsy wailed. "I am so frightened!" Once again I was questioning the logic of my return to this God forsaken place.
"Oh Patsy," I opened the door to her kennel and picked her up in my arms, cuddling her close. I could feel her trembling.
"You smell different," she said suddenly stopping and sniffing me. "You…smell…like one of…THEM."
"Them?" I asked.
"A Rescuer!" she sniffed me once more, her little tail wagging rapidly. Just then, the door to the kennel room opened, and a pound worker and a man with a little girl came in. The little girl rushed toward Patsy's kennel, but stopped abruptly when she saw me holding her.
"Oh no!" she wailed. "You aren't taking my dog are you?" I quickly put Patsy into her waiting arms, and said "No young lady, she is all yours! But take very good care of her, she is one special little dog."
"Yay! Daddy look!" she squealed as Patsy planted little dog kisses all over her cheeks. "Daddy, is she really mine?"
"Yes Honey, she is really yours," her father beamed. The worker instructed them to be sure to bleach the bottoms of their shoes as they left, and I saw a brilliant sparkle in Patsy's eyes as she looked at me over the shoulder of her new little master. This time, I was certain, it would be okay…at least for this one little dog.
As I left the building, and the many sad and despairing dogs it held, I could not help but wonder how anyone with a heart could abandon their beloved and devoted pet. Ignorance and selfishness are the cause of so much grief. These amazing animals give humans their whole hearts. They serve them, protect them, and give them unconditional love regardless of how they are treated. Their capacity for forgiveness is something I will never comprehend…and yet they are so often treated like trash by the very ones they trust. Their loyalty is repaid with blind indifference.
Opening the door to my car, I wiped a tear from my cheek, and looked down. " Patsy isn't the only dog who will find out what flyball is, right Popper?" Popper looked up at me, a glimmer of hope returning to his glazed eyes, his tail wagging slightly between his legs. I knelt down, cupped his sweet little face in my hands, and looked him in the eyes.
"It's off to the vet with you, and then when you are well, you are going to meet your new brother and sister."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This is a work of fiction, and as such, I have chosen to end it on a happy note.
I truly wish all pound stories ended in such a manner, but sadly, this is not the case. For most animals, the story ends quite differently. According to the Humane Society in the USA, THIRTY EIGHT ANIMALS PER MINUTE are put to death for no other reason than THEY EXIST. Responsibility begins with YOU.
Copyright
Sally Hull
July 6th/2006
[email protected] |
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 11/5/2008 10:14 PM |
WOW Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:35 pm anyone whos a cubs fan, if you saw tonights game. but then again, cub fans knew big Z had it in him. amazing game, just amazing.
and again.... Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:59 pm
well, Ted Lilly went through 6 innings allowing no hits (the astros players looked really ticked off), but still what a game. cubs win again. on to chicago for the brewers.
theres more to my day, but this is all i have energy for right now. works was good, got off early, think B was a bit miffed at that fact that i got first choice. and yeah, i ultimately based my decision on what time the cubs played today, but hey. was still nice to get home early.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008 Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:01 pm [ Mood: Calm ]
pretty decent day though i am tired. work was good, despite the ahem, bratiness of certain dogs. labs, what can ya say, lol. this afternoon Baxter the wire fox terrier did not want to go back in the lounge, something he doesnt normally mind doing. im thinking its cause i was getting ready to leave. i got quite a greeting from him in front of his mom when she was dropping him and his "brother" Bendel off (both are rescued wire fox terriers). and last friday, he went through the gate to try and go home with me (B even commented that he really likes me)! he knows i like him a lot (wow, thats an understatement!), even though hes quite a handful at times. Baxter has quite a story behind him, well, Bendel too. dogs should never have to go through anything close to what they dealt with. they had a welsh terrier "brother", but their mom was forced after over a year and a half to give him up, and i talked to her about that briefly this morning. hes doing well, in a trial basis at a new home with a tibetan terrier, and so far, so good. she tried everything with Bamzu (also a rescue), but in the end, the constant fighting between him and Baxter (and they scuffled at work too, with Bamzu being the instigator) was too much. shes deeply involved in wft rescue, and i know it was heartwrenching for her to have to make that decision. im gonna miss seeing Bamzu; at only about two and a half years old, he is still very much a puppy and even though he could be wild, he is a cool pup. i do hope he settles down now.
cubs won again, and thats it for now. ive got a headache that wont let up and im a bit dizzy. i think im just tired, so after i take care of the critters, its off to bed for me.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 Wed Sep 17, 2008 8:51 pm [ Mood: Exhausted ]
just watched a letdown cubs game. ah well; theres always tommorrow. they just couldnt break through tonight for whatever reason.
work went well. dogs were good. B went home early; she didnt look good. whatever bug or bugs going around, fun fun fun (NOT!). i think i have bronchitis, since i cant shake this on and off cough. the herbal teas do help, just gotta stick with em.
i did find out the reason for the headache and dizziness as well as being tired. the first two went away, but im absolutely exhausted. must get to bed earlier, then hope i can drag my tired self outta bed in the morning. and i soooo need to clean; fish tanks, bird cages, my room, my steps, akkk. just thinking about all that makes me tired.
will keep this blog entry short. will try to add more tomorrow. im a bit anxious about upcoming events of next week.
THE CUBS ARE IN!!!!!!! Sat Sep 20, 2008 5:37 pm [ Mood: Excited ]
[ Currently: Listening to Go Cubs Go, by Steve Goodman ] say what you will, naysayers and fair weather fans. for the true blue cubbie fans, this is what weve been waiting for. regardless of what happens in the post season, its been a hell of a ride this summer!!
my brother has stayed true, saying they will go all the way. didnt matter that they faltered. (hes been predicting itll be boston and the cubs in the world series).
oh and the song playing on myspace when i signed in....
GO CUBS GO!!!!!!
cuteness overload Sun Sep 21, 2008 12:35 pm
this and that Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:52 pm work was good; ill post about that later, either here of myspace. myspace isnt letting me post my usual, so im a bit annoyed by continued attempts. i really need to get offline and get ready for bed anyway.
im a bit worried about my dads surgery tomorrow, even though it seems to be a rather routine happening these days. good thoughts/vivbes/prayers would be most appreciated.
if you like squirrels, these are cute the following text is what i posted on a squirrel site: not the best videos, i know, but i thought you all might like another fox squirrel fix. this is a female, possibly the daughter of the girl with the white tummy, possibly the mommy of the babies lost in the windstorm/cat attack earlier this season. by the way, my mom said she did see a little one around the time those babies should have been out of the nest, so it appears at least one sibling did make it.
this girl is SHY, though she did take a piece of corn from me yesterday. i tried and failed to get really cute still pictures of her before i got the videos, but the dang camera wouldnt snap the pictures. ahh but you would have liked them. oh well, hope thse turn out ok. my camera is still in need of repair, and oh how i miss it.
for those wondering what camera i use, it depends on the picture. im having camera issues these days
second one is continuation of first; the camera im using now doesnt allow for zoom in while the video is running, odd feature, but there ya go.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/sdreamcatcher/squirrels/th_squirrel001.jpg |
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 11/5/2008 10:16 PM |
trying to catch up Sat Oct 11, 2008 7:36 am its been a while. thanks to all for well wishes for my dad; he is doing fine now. things have been rough on the critter front, and between that and me being sick off and on, has kept me offline and away from blogging. ill update more later, time permitting. its cold here, so im wanting to do some cleaning and such since im stuck inside.
hope all is well with everyone else. im way behind on blogs too.
work keeps me sane Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:41 pm odd isnt it, if you think about it... the words work, and sane, in the same sentence like that....
but its true. even though days lately have been bad, and even though there are certain dogs who CAUSE insanity, for the most part, they are great for ones moods. case in point, today. i was feeling off and still reeling from the headache of last night, and the general stress from the past week or so. we have one golden retriever named Cooper who came in today. now, i must admit that im not biased either way about Cooper. i like that hes playful, and get slightly annoyed when the bugger snatches the blankets and races around the playroom with them. there was one time though when he actually put the blanket back when i told him too (not expecting that, it was too funny). but anyway, he knew something was up, kept watching me, kept hanging out by me, even stopped playing with the other dogs. i have to admit even in my grumpiness, he was a great comfort. told D before i left and she thought that was cool. i told her he should be a therapy dog, if he can pick up like that. anyway, not what i expected from him, but that does change my perspectives. ill have to dig through and find a picture of him.
edit to add, here you go; meet Cooper:
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 Wed Oct 22, 2008 8:04 pm[ Mood: Sleepy ] just checking in to say hi. im a bit tired (im blaming the weather, damn cold, i hate cold, but thats another story). other then that, hanging in. i had to play with a beagle puppy today, hard life, isnt it?????
meet Sophie the beagle. three and a half months. pictures and video. for size reference, Lola is a maltese, full grown, and Hanna is the miniature schnauzer:
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/sdreamcatcher/dogs/doggie%20daycare/th_PA220707.jpg
critters are holding their own, for the most part. i worry about the neighbors cats (who im feeding). still cant get why anyone could refuse these cats access to the indoors (where all cats belong):
anyway, meet Mikey:
may be hard to see, but this guy has definite siamese features, his face and eyes especially.
and Misty:
check ou those paws; Misty has an extra toe on each of her front paws, and also her back. too cute!
they have names for them, im sure, but i like the names my mom and i came up with better. wish i could find someone who wanted two indoor cats before winter strikes.
the week iin pictures Sun Oct 26, 2008 1:03 pm i almost posted yesterday, even had the reply page open and was poised to start typing away. but i got sidetracked, and busy, and found an unexpected new arrival while cleaning, so there went that posting.
today im tired, and to type all id like to would take all day, and those who are regular visitors to my blog know how long winded i can be .
a picture is worth a thousand words, and easier to get through , so heres the week in pictures:
new dogs at work this week, besides Sophie. well, not really new new, in the case of Samson and Delilah; those two are infrequent visitors, and i guess will be around more next month. but their new buddy Rocky is new.
Samson (spelled as his people spell it), a maltese:
Delilah, miniature schnauzer; cute but wow, very noisy:
and Rocky, a parti color cocker spaniel. Rocky is a recent rescue, about 6 years old, and reminds me of a parti colored cocker spaniel we had when i was a kid:
this is Rudy, a newfoundland lab mix. nice except he has a really bad habit of stealing whatever youre carrying, towels, peoples lunches, you get the idea....:
the newest member of my group of furry critters, this is Chance (Annie is the grey and white mouse, Chloe is the black and white girl on the wheel, and Chance is the little wild tyke, all brown. yes, theres a story behind this tiny fuzzball, which i will try to write soon. Annie and Chloe are phenomenal with him/her:
and for the halloween spirit, dont look if youre squeamish! Charlotte, my moms spider:
ill add a few more later, gotta go for now. enjoy! |
|
Reply
| | | From: *2many* | Sent: 11/5/2008 10:19 PM |
Goodbye, Chance Tue Oct 28, 2008 3:37 pm[ Mood: heart-broken ] two days isnt much, maybe even two and a half days. but it was enough for you to firmly wedge a space in my heart, as well as Chloe's and Annie's hearts. we will miss you more then you may ever know, or maybe you do, now that you can watch over us all. you have an amazing spirit, and i hope your body is as strong as before. we love you, we miss you; Annie, Chloe, your brothers and sisters, and me. say thank you to Cheyenne, for sending us your way, and sending you our way.
i never got the story of Chance down; ironically for fear of jinxing him (im odd that way). its a short one, but he left a permanent influence on those he came into contact with. i was soo hoping hed be a special needs mouse, who id have to cater to for his whole natural lifetime, because to me having a special needs critter just means they defied the odds and made it. i know God has his reasons, and it was meant to be this way, but i actually broke down and cried for a tiny soul i barely knew two days. "just a mouse" perhaps to most, but what a mouse.
Goodbye, Grandma Wed Oct 29, 2008 9:35 pm[ Mood: numb ] maybe posting it will make it seem more real? my Grandma, my mom's stepmom, died Tuesday morning. funeral friday (funeral of convenience, for my uncle, but another story another time). my mom and dad visited with her the Sunday before last, and shes glad they did. i feel guilty i hadnt seen her for a while. i thought about going last time, but never said anything. she has one biological daughter who lives out of town and couldnt be bothered to visit her mom, which upset her. i doubt shed even bother to come to the funeral, but who knows.
still not real....still not real
still here Wed Nov 05, 2008 2:39 pm
edit to add a song -- this was one played at my grandmas funeral:
("Sunshine on my Shoulder by John Denver" -- sorry, cant get it to play here, these are copied and pasted from my blog at another forum)
so much to say , so much to update on, but the very act of getting thoughts down is a bit much right now. to those who offered words of condolences, thank you so much. your thoughts and words do NOT go unnoticed.
ill be back, honest. even if its just to post pictures or video or music or something. |
|
|
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
First
Return to All Message Boards
