Chinook?

I think a Chinook is "the golden retriever of sled dogs" because some idiot crossed a golden and a husky and came up with a Chinook.

I had lunch with my parents today and Mom became worried at my plan to go to a dog pound and pick out a dog that the rescues have passed by. Big dogs are a plentiful, and I will be able to find one that is mature enough to train to pull the cart (arrived yesterday) with out worrying about the hips-I can have them checked before I adopt.

"Big dogs are in the pound because they are vicious," according to my mother. Of course I DO have a long history of bringing home vicious dogs and I would have no problems unleashing the Hound of the Baskervilles amongst my own animals. OH COME ON.

Still, we had a nice visit and I brought home some good,healthy home cooked food which I consumed for dinner. I also went to the Tractor Supply store and got the latches for my four ex pens that I am going to use to construct a modular pen system in the backyard for the little dogs. Dottie, in particular, will eat tomatos, so I must protect my crops.

I comforted Mom by agreeing not to climb up to the top of the trailer until after I got my orthopedic boot off, and I won't be getting a vicious dog until after we get back from Californa mid May.

But I couldn't resist telling them I bought another snake, a dwarf tiger retic to be wed to Bette Davis in a few years. Snakes are really great pets for busy people or people who can't walk. It's time for people to examine their own lifestyles and get pets that are appropriate to those lifestyles.

I had an idea for a pet store where people (supervised) can come in and play with the animals, but the animals are not for sale. I wish I could figure out how to make that work on a commercial basis.

Contentment

Ah, another rainy night (last night, Thursday) spent listening to the thunder and cuddling with the doggies....I’m such a decadent creature. Of course Cody came in from the outside a little wet and proceeded to dry himself on my pillow, but he did it with such good natured exuberance I couldn’t complain.

Greta got down to the serious business of chewing on a new bone. She’s been a great teacher through this whole surgery process. She never wakes up and says “I don’t think I’ll do doggy things today because I have a bad hip”....she just gets up and goes at it, limp and all.

Dogs, as a rule, just don’t DWELL on things. They state their opinions and move on.

Bette Davis finally shed her skin. In fact, I got bit startled when I leaned down to open the crates and was face to face with her. She’s been a bit of a crank during the shedding process, but now she is out and about and ready to be admired once more. Let’s just say Bette is a shedder in the same way Elvis is-they are miserable, they want you to know it and leave them alone, all at once. I actually opened the viv and poked her to make sure she was still alive the other day-and I have done the same thing with Elvis. But, when you are a superstar, I supposed drama is to be expected.

Jealous

I was taking pictures of the new python and Cody put himself in his crate (under the python cage). It was clear he expected to be photographed as well-so here, for all the world to see, is Mr. Cody being a good dog in his crate.

Exhaustion

This recovery thing is slow and tiring. I wish the dogs could give me their energy-oh wait-they SLEEP 20 hours a day-maybe that is the problem, I've turned into a dog. I wonder if that excuse would fly at the office-I think not.

Naughty Naughty

Dogs are showing less inclination to go outside the wetter it gets. Of course that means they go INSIDE. Thank God for my Dr. Leonards reacher, a spray bottle of enzymes and paper towels. Yes, its true. I can scoop poop via remote control while sitting in a wheelchair.

I'm not so pleased with whowever chewed up the snake tongs, although mouse scented wood IS probably alluring to the doggy set. I had to hand feed this time, not my favorite thing to do. My bad for leaving it where they could rearrange the furniture, climb up and get it.

But we did have a nice lie up in the bed listening to the rain last night. Both Cody and Greta are consumate snugglers. What poop? What tongs?

A regular day

Oh my, the doggies have to stay in all day today-I think they've forgotten how it was when mom went to the office. I miss them.

I love Jane Goodall

Just fed the snakes (the new babies ate, YES), played with the dogs and am listening to Jane Goodall's Heroes on Animal Planet. I love Jane Goodall-who wouldn't? But, I wonder, does she have a pet? Probably not, she travels and all the world is her home, but I can't help but mourn the sacrifice she has made.

It's very humid today and we are all a bit lazy. I spoke with Mom, Prissy has another belly ache-my poor little spotty girl.

Greta has a cosmic twin on Craigslist-yes, I looked and the lady is trying to adopt her out unspayed. But there is no room at the inn today-I'm at capacity and I have to make decisions based on what is best for the animals I already have. I think that's where hoarders go off track-they are so focused on the one they need to save rather than the 15 they already have. I've also noticed (at least on the animal rescue shows) the hoarders don't appear to have jobs.

But back to Jane. I think one of the things she can teach us all is not to get so bogged down in the pain and horror of the situation that we back off completely. Do what you can, when you can, turn the pain into passion.

Another tendency I've noticed amongst the do-gooders is a habit of bashing themselves-it's not good enough. Jane doesn't waste her energy beating her head and shouting mea culpa, she just moves forward.

Of course, I realize that I see an idyllic portrait of her-the cameras stop rolling if she gets mad or has pms or gas. But she still is an awesome lady.