The spotties are coming the spotties are coming

They are probably crossing the state line now! Alert alert-I'm going to get to cuddle Dottie and Prissy (and of course Ms. Dollie) and visit with my parents. Cody will be over the top-he loves Prissy and I am sure Prissy will be glad to see Greta and Cody-she's been cooped up with the old dogs and the old folks.

Anyway-they are on their way!

a moment of sanity

Sue pointed out tha Labs would be too high energy for me, even with a cart and even with a treadmill-so it's back to big hairy giant breeds that will die (sob) in 8 years or so.....

There might be some wisdom in using what has worked for thousands of years.

Rescue, Breed, what to do?

I am looking for my carting dogs and it's sad and interesting all at once.

For instance wouldn't it be great to get people to do chariot racing with pit bulls instead of fighting? Rotties pulling little old ladies to Starbucks for coffee? This whole carting thing is really capturing my imagination.

While I'm looking for draft dogs, I am working with Greta and Cody to train them to pull a miniature cart-training dogs is training dogs, and why not practice while I'm laid up? Because Greta has her bad hip I'm going to find a lightweight child's toy for her to pull-that way she can play along with us with no danger to herself.

My first experience with dog carting was 20 or more years ago when I trained a shepherd mix to pull a car with my daughter in it. I macrame the harness because I was too poor to buy a proper harness, but none of us cared....we carted proudly through the mobile home park where we lived. For some reason there is this negative "white trash" connotation to mobile homes-which I think is silly and I won't support by pretending I've never had any experience with them.

I wonder if you can get sponsors without being a 501(c)? I negotiated a good deal on my cart by telling the people I'd be at Whiterock and would pass out cards when people asked......but the cart is only part of it-I need harnesses, dogs and kennels, crates for the dogs. I'm just not OK with putting dogs unattended in the backyard while I'm at work-no matter how big the dog is.

The thing is, I've found the therapy dog groups to be kind of cliquish-not really encouraging, etc. And why would the tractor store donate crates, cages when they would be at my house and the only thing I could do would be put a sign on the cart saying sponsored by.....It's not always cheaper, but it's usually easier to go it alone.

Did I mention I ran over my good foot?

Swerving to miss Greta, I ran over my good foot with the wheelchair. THEN I did it again in front of my assistant Olivia. No more barefootin.

My just rewards

I slept in and both dogs peed in the floor before I could wheel over to the door to open it. My bad, but cleaning up pee from a wheelchair is an aerobic activity. Note to self: Let dogs out and go BACK to bed if you want to sleep in.

Ooops

Greta and Cody climbed into my lap this afternoon to assist in my teleconference. Unfortunately they both began to snore loudly about 10 minutes into it. It was a stupid and boring and useless meeting and I hope the other participants thought I had a bad case of gas. I love my dogs.

Blustery Day

Kids are out eating grass on this very blustery day. I really do think spring has sprung.

I ordered a dog cart for two-(two dogs, two people). I would like to make a team of dogs out of rescue dogs, but I also want to use those dogs to cart old people around Whiterock Lake.....An unbalanced irate chihuahua is one thing, an unbalanced out of control Borzoi is another. Well DUH, that's why bigger dogs are harder to place.

Since I can't even walk right now, I will have plenty of time to contemplate the ethics of saving dogs vs. endangering elderly people and hopefully the solution will come. Oh, there is no hope about it-the solution is always there.

For one half assed crazy moment, I thought a team of rescued Pit Bulls would be the perfect statement-butI'm just not up for that and I don't really care that much for the breed as a whole anyway. I'm going to contact the Texas Pyranese rescue and maybe a Great Dane rescue....I'm afraid a Newfie in August in Dallas would be a pitiful site.

Of course, then there is the whole mutt thing-THEY deserve rescuing too. Dammit, I want to save them all and I want to have a mile long chain of carts hauling little old people out in the spring sunshine getting some fresh air. But I guess I will just do what I can.

Too good for words

I made a soupy paste out of some of my precious poi, heated it and dumped in a small can of crabmeat and small can of smoked clams....and a shot of rice wine balsamic vinegar (because if it looks like soup at ALL I think it needs a shot of vinegar).

I would like to buy the world a coke and share my lunch with all of you. I'd read on the internet that poi made a good soup base-creamy texture without the fat, but this was a little slice of heaven and I "cooked" it with no explosions or mishaps and I ate the entire bowl all by myself since there was no one here to share it with.

The dogs have deserted me for the sun again so I've opened the front door and the cat is sitting on the porch. Office Depot delivered an order and I got to show off my snakes. And, someone from my office actually said "thanks, we appreciate your efforts". AND AND Amazon.com delivered my horses for dummies book to read after I put in my allotted 8 hours at the grindstone.

Remember that scene in Like Water for Chocolate where the fellow got so happy he died? I almost feel that good-and it's only lunchtime. I usually don't even feel human until after lunchtime!

It's not any one thing-it's the the combo of poi, fun packages in the mail, getting to wear sweatpants all the time and a tie dyed T-shirt and no bra......I'm giddy I tell you.

Soaking up the sun

The kiddos are out in their sunny patch enjoying the sun, I am listening to Hawaiian music on TV and in 10 minutes will have to roll over to the other computer and commence working.

The dogs have a bit of a mess to work on in the kitchen when they come back in-I had a very extreme egg explosion this morning. It's good to have them here and back on the job.

I'm not sure if it's ok to admit on the Internet that I tend to explode food and I let my dogs clean the floor, but I do tend to and I do let, so there you have it. Besides, I'm not eating off the floor, they are. If guests come by and want to eat off the floor, I will warn them that the dogs eat there too.

I'm going to think out my dog classes that are half baked in my mind-maybe visits to elementry schools-get the kids before they are too young to be cool. I just about go nuts when I see "I really want a tiny chihuahua but I don't have money to buy one or a car to come pick it up" on Craigslist. Yes, I actually saw one of those. My other favorite was "chihuahua, hasn't been neutered or had any shots yet. Would like a rehoming fee of 150 to help recover the money I have put into the dog". Well, what did you do, FEED the dog 20 dollar bills?

Elvis is firmly in shed right now-he is camped out in his wide mouth moist soak jar. He pokes his head out every so often to make sure someone notices how miserable he is. His photo is featured on wwww.serroscotty.blogspot.com......

The POIZ are back in town....

What a huge day it's been, and it's only 2:30! I went to Albertson's to pick up Uncle John's birthday cake and get some grub. I got to ride in the electronic cart-whhhhheeeeeeeeee.

Then off to Autumn Leaves where I had lunch with Uncle John and his co-residents, we sang happy birthday and ate pieces of what turned out to be a really huge, really gawdy, red, white and blue birthday cake.

After that it was off to get the kiddos. Vet bill was a bit heart stopping, but we celebrated and are still celebrating our reunion. It's a beautiful day, the backdoor is propped open with a broom so the wee ones can come and go as they please. I need to get back to the other computer and that job thing, but I just had to share my joy with the internet.

I think cake at Autumn Leaves is going to become a regular thing. If anyone has a spare 20 bucks, go get a brightly decorated cake, make up some excuse to celebrate, and go to a nursing home or assisted living center. The feeling you get will last longer than that movie or that T-shirt you really don't need.

Greta has found her sunny spot on the floor, Cody has both his chew sticks on the dog couch. All is well with our world.

Tomorrow is Monday!

Tomorrow is Monday and by hook or by crook my kiddos are coming home. I call Mom daily to hear the exploits of Dottie and Prissy. Such exploits usually run along the lines of "they played outside for awhile and are now lying in the sun chewing on a chewie". Prissy has earned kudos for not waking Mom up at 4:30-at least that much of my training has stuck.

But I miss Cody and Greta terribly. I even felt guilty about it, lying in bed cuddled up with the cat (who knows I adore her) but missing my pack. I'm glad they are together, so they have that bond, but without Dottie or myself they lack a leader. I send them loving thoughts, and yes, I believe they receive them, but they need to be home so that we can all be together again.

Mom and Dad are coming down this coming weekend-this will be the first time that the entire pack, plus Dollie, PLUS my parents, plus me and my broken leg will all be together. What a romp that is going to be. Greta doesn't like men, so maybe having Daddy around will change her mind about them, and Cody won't listen to anyone but me.

I predict chaos will ensue and I can't wait. I may be inspired to charge up the video camera for that one.