Aloha

Today was beginning to look a lot like yesterday, so I have declared it Hawaiian music day and that is all we'll be hearing. Lots of paperwork and a meeting I don't even want to think about-I may need a Hawaiian music coupled with a valium for that. I have some valuim to keep my foot from twitching but the twitching stage is over-I always (well, I've had the surgery once before) end up with almost a full bottle of the stuff. Ah well, no point in dreading it and spoiling an otherwise decent morning with good music and plenty of work to do.

Greta and Cody are parked under the pine tree staring down a very persistant squirrel. I swear the squirrels are so well fed in my neighborhood you could almost saddle up one and ride away. I saw one miss a branch and fall and the darn thing bounced! It actually bounced right in front of Dottie who froze-up close and dangerous, the squirrel was bigger than she was and she was taking no chances.

Monday the 13th?

The world appears to be spinning sideways, not only for me but for lots of folks around me. Thank God I have the dogs here to keep me grounded. I've been up since 7 didn't get breakfast till 2:30 and now I MUST go elevate my leg before real trouble sets in (it's 4:30). But Greta and Cody have kept all the squirrels and stray cats out of the backyard for one more day.

And a good time was had by all

My two "big dogs" are exhausted-they are both young and the arrival of Prissy put the running and playing into high gear. Dottie did a good job of keeping up with them, and as usual, Dollie remained more sedate. But oh, those spotties and their growling-they've gotten really naughty since staying with Mom.

I had to work with them quite a bit, and with Dollie about chasing the poor old cat-but at one point I had Dollie, Greta, Cody and the cat all in the chair with me and all being harmonious. You really can teach an old dog new tricks.

Dogs are cool, because they don't really sit and wonder why sometimes they are in Oklahoma and sometimes in Texas-they just go with the flow. But I really hated to see them go.

My parents brought up the treadmill so I can help Greta with her rehab (and work out the draft dogs when they come),three bails of hay that I am going to use as planters, and some veggie burgers Mom made. I sent back an assortment of vegetable seeds,peat pots, dog treats and a wireless router. We love recycling/giving things.

My Grandma Effie always showed up with a brown grocery sack full of something that she was bringing each time she arrived anywhere. Her tradition lives on, but sometimes we use ziploc bags (gardening stuff) or even fancy paper bags from the dollar store.

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.