Dog Blog

1. a new queen size mattress without a box spring. Yes, QUEEN. No, BOX SPRING. Remember: I live in a 30-ish ft camper...have for twelve years...without running water. What I really want is a cool barn that will house your truly on the second floor (or loft) and the puppy loves can have the whole first floor to themselves. I'd like it to be as "green" and cost effective as possible as a body can be. A body with 40+ dogs.

2. donations than fund dental care for all my old dogs in need, i., e., Cinny, Eddie, Parker, The Maddies 1 & 2, and about six others...contact http://www.edwardsvilleanimalhospital.com/ to contribute to the Save That Dog Sanctuary account. Specifically an of my elders for an exam and
cleaning. You know I would if I had the $$.

3. AVEDA gift certificate. I'm AVEDA all the way back to the "days of Thor". I also have intense but excellent scent motivated memories that include Polo cologne. Olfactory memories of Polo. Clinique Elixir body wash, too, has very pleasant connotations. Aliage by Estee Lauder (I don't know if they even still make it). Cristalle by Chanel. Niki by Niki de Saint Phalle. Gosh. I also like Diorissimo by Christian Dior. I used to love a scent by Germaine Monteil called Germaine. I adored Aramis 900. Opium by YSL, especially on men.
Wow! I think I just had a flash-back!
All those memories...one day they'll be tucked safely in my memoirs.
Anyway, AVEDA has been the mainstay. I'm just sayin'...

4. the following films on dvd: "Doctor Zhivago", "North by Northwest", "Freaks", "Goodfellas", L.A. Confidential", "Dill Scallion", "Rosemary's Baby", "Babette's Feast" (subtitle, no dub), "Lady & The Tramp", "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure".

5. "Drontal" dewormer for dogs. it's expensive but effective. "Rimadyl" or "Deramaxx" NSAID's- all dose size available to dogs. Again, Edwardsville Animal Clinic.

6. Princess Marcella Borghese Montecatini shampoo and conditioner (each has sprigs of thyme in their bottle; smells like heaven, feels like silk). Their body wash, too, is lovely. It's a turquoise colored liquid and it also smells like heaven, feels like silk. Then their is the Montecatini body mud, too, which is dirty but fun. Ultimately rinses clean easily from you--and the shower walls. But then I don't worry about that kind of thing here, do I?

7. 2 cubic ft bags of shaved cedar for dogs (Georgetown Feed and Seed 812.951.2727, ask Beth).
I love the smell of cedar; I used to have cedar lined closets, when I lived in a house. It serves an a source of bedding for 'The Kids".

I can't think of anything else I really want or need.
Wait.

Batteries. AA and AAA.

those of you that care, thank you. just knowing someone out there gets me is a wish fulfilled. let's keep scrappin'.
k.

I just got home thirty minutes ago; my dogs are eating fresh kibble from their food troughs, my bath water is heating on the propane stove top in the camper and in just a minute we're going on our evening constitutional, up the drive to Poo-Poo Land. Unfortunately, upon my arrival home, James greeted me a bit too enthusiastically up at our gate and got his rear left leg caught between one of the Tundra tires and the asphalt. At first he had too much "She's home!!" adrenaline coursing into his central nervous system to notice, save for the "ouch" he shouted out upon impact. It's a weird injury: the skin torn 360 degrees around his knee area is gathered around his ankle like a black fur sock. My evening is about to turn gory.

Thirty minutes later...James is hurting. I triage him, wrapping his foot, shin and knee in sterile gauze. He swallowed a double dose of pain meds and a quadruple dose of sedative, all well
hidden in two boiled eggs. Now he's relaxing inside the Tundra, listening to NPR's "All Things Considered", by himself, recuperating. He should be fairly stoned within the safe confines of the truck by the time the rest of us get back from our aforementioned stroll.

I felt an Dog versus Tundra episode coming on yesterday. Remember in my last post? And no, it wasn't a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can feel it coming on, in the air, like rain storms. The only thing that's nagging me is the inevitability of these things happening in "threes"...makes for a paranoic driving experience.

I've got a nice fire burning outside and a few of the dogs are laying around it as I write: Stokely, Fred, Judge and Chloe. Lexi, Hank and Hartley are wrestling on the porch. Others are still eating while the smart ones are getting in a couple of winks before our walk. It's getting dark.

Earlier today and on a lighter note...John Kemple returned my Troy-Bilt tiller which he
he generously and masterfully refurbished as well my chainsaw--razor sharp and ready for fun. He also brought me the last of his kale and turnips from his garden. I really love him. So much, in fact, that him being eighty years old makes my heart flutter when I think about it. He's honestly one of the top 5 coolest people I've ever known in my life. He's a total atheist and one of the happiest, most well-adjusted, gentle, genuine men you could ever have the luck to meet. I want him to live forever. I bet he will.

It's dark-dark now. The bats are chittering, flying close to the camp fire. Too late for a walk?

Funny puppies: while I was out today, the pack got hold of my suede slippers and annihilated them. They've been throwing them in the air like dead rodents, so happy, so satisfied. What am I going to do about it? Simply enjoy their enjoyment of such a fantastic "toy". That's why I never buy expensive things anymore...I remember when I lost my Orvis shearling slippers to the pack all those years ago. I don't want to care so much about material things anymore. It's exhausting.

So much happened this month!

As reported in the previous post, the dog formerly known as Emily returned to her life as April "LeAnn's Dog", in the beginning of October. Happy ending for all of us. Yes, I miss "Emily" but "April's" family is so thrilled to have found her and have her back home. And come to find out that the dog is actually 12 years old! She's aged well...see post" "Emily Is April", October 19.

$1,000.00 donation from Peru shortly after that. From an intriguing man named Luis. All that way! Saved Save That Dog.

The ten thousand hummingbirds that I fed all summer held on longer than usual (they looked positively obese as they wobbled off into the air toward the south!) while the woolly worms appeared really early and all scattered themselves all over the place. The Canada geese left extra early this year, in September, which leads me to believe that a big time winter is in the works. We shall see...lots of people without money asking me to take their dog(s). Tears. Yet...

...October 14 was the Melting Pot Restaurant (fondue) fundraiser. Lovely, yummy, and they raised $500.00! Barbara and Diana Freeman, mother and daughter team extraordinaire, put it all together and I love them to death for their incredible, impressive and inspiring feats! It was elegant, well planned and the guests were divinely generous. A BIG THANK YOU, too, to our contributors for the ritzy, glitzy and fun silent auction items. What a beautiful time we all had...

My birthday came: a couple of presents, some cards, a cake to myself, and that afternoon my annual fall allergy attack hit. Sick for four days and I'm NEVER sick. It's too hard to be sick here. It makes the dogs anxious, maybe even a little scared. We all slept a lot for those four days but then POW! rising from the ashes of NyQuil, we were all reborn and back in the woods,up and down the ravines, tramping through the creek, returning home exhausted but good. This has been one of the more beautiful years for foliage.

With this cornucopia of good moods, good will, good fund raising and good friends, Save That Dog Sanctuary made it's bankruptcy payment two days early (!); paid the truck insurance for 6 months (!); bought 700 pounds of dog food (!); rescued four new dogs (two of which are 12 years-plus); got two dogs dental care and two dogs spayed. Lots accomplished and lots to be grateful for.

October 2009, you were very, very good. Thank you.

Emily was brought to me two years by a Good Samaritan after being found running the mean streets of Jeffersonville, Indiana. The vet and I guessed her age to be about 5 or 6 years in 2007 and despite being on my adoptable dog list (via petfinder.com), no one ever adopted her.

Three weeks ago I received a phone call on a Friday night, late, asking about Emily. I let the machine take the call since I was already drowsy, at best, and under the covers with my sleep mates.

The next morning the phone rang at 8am and it was the same caller from the night before. A woman. Very anxious to get info on Emily. I took the call and that's when I learned that "Emily" was not "Emily". I gave her that name after rescuing her in 2007. The caller, LeAnn, informed me that she was 99.99% certain that the dog I was calling "Emily" was in fact her dog "April", who had gone missing over two years before!

We agreed to meet a few hours later at the Marathon station I use an a neutral point. LeAnn was waiting, photo album in hand, and with her were two of her small children. As soon as she saw "Emily" in my truck she got tears in her eyes and cried out, "APRIL!". Emily began wiggling and wagging but didn't try to get out. In fact, she looked to me for a cue. I called her "April", too, and when LeAnn came to the truck window, Emily/April was very friendly but still not budging. In her mind, she lived with me now and even though she readily recognized her former family, she didn't quite understand what was happening.

I put a lead on E/A and we got out of the truck. The children came running at her and suddenly it clicked! "April" emerged and squeals of delight rang out. LeAnn was so happy and proceeded to show me photos of "April" from tiny puppyhood. "Emily" was guess-timated by me to be 5-6 years old, remember? Well, "April" was actually 12 years old! Unbelievable! She is a great example of the physiological benefits of muttigrees. Man, she was a cute puppy, too.

After about twenty minutes of reunification, I was satisfied that not only was "Emily" actually "April" but that she had been very loved and missed by her family. LeAnn gave me a lovely card and a small donation as thanks for taking "such loving care of our April". I loaded Emily into their car, the kids buckled up and then "April" settled him with them, trolling for the half eaten McDonald's scraps the kids had gotten before meeting me. All was right in the world.

As they drove off, I felt a little melancholy. I was very happy for LeAnn and her family and I knew that it was the right thing for all concerned. But I'd had "Emily" for over two years and she not only became one of more popular Animal Assisted Therapy dogs but she slept with me every night and went everywhere I did when running errands. She was a companion.
But she was someone else's dog and they love her very much, too. That's the definition of love, anyway. Letting go, even if it hurts, when you know its for the best.

I've talked to LeAnn about four or five times since and everyone has acclimated perfectly.
A happy ending and I love my happy endings.

I worked out in my garden until just a little while ago and worked up quite a sweat. Picked four watermelons and six cantaloupes along with a ton of cucumbers. By 10:30 the Corn Moon is glowing like a big round fluorescent meringue in the sky. After rinsing off, I got into my 3ft. deep x 6ft diameter galvanized steel 'pool' I had filled to capacity this morning which the clear sunny daylight obligingly warmed. I floated on my back, holding onto the rim of the pool and suddenly I felt little licks on my knuckles...it was Hank, Max and Nash, doling out kisses to me. There were a few others but the moonlight seemed to illuminate the "blondes".

Now we're all tucked in; me typing on my laptop, Franklin curled under my arm making his little snoring/'schnorkle' sounds, Norman at my head with his baby gorilla as an ersatz pillow tucked beneath his chin, Emily to my right up against my hip prancing in her sleep, Parker passed out at my knees, Molly at the foot of the bed, legs akimbo and Clapton at my left hip, a small but truly mighty guardian. Everyone else has secured their spots on favorite blankies throughout the camper and even though we have a colossal full moon, all are calm, relaxed and ready to dream. Even the whippoorwills are quiet tonight...I love the serenity of this very moment. I'm going to lay here, quite still, and savor it.

At 6:45 we finally got some needed rain for about 30 minutes. The dogs and I had just returned
from our evening walk and the timing couldn't have been better. I decided to take advantage of the "shower" and I used to downpour to get wet and lather up. I used some of my reservoir water to expedite rinsing and it was actually warmer than the rain. Instead of drying off, I fully slathered baby oil gel all over my bod and weeded around the plethora of sunflowers in the continuing shower for another ten minutes. There wasn't any lightening, just big juicy rain drops.

Some of the dogs followed me around while I was weeding, getting their own "bath" as well. They needed a good rinse because it's been awfully dusty lately. Now I'm preparing to tear through the camper, cleaning out cabinets, closets and cubbies, vacuuming layers of dust from everything. The rain tonight has settled the dust. I really will appreciate having a separate living quarters from the dogs when I have it. I love them, I do, but I've been living with at least twenty dogs for almost twenty years. The Alpha Dog needs her own Dog House.

Things have been going quite well lately. A few adoptions and a lot of support. I love the pure randomness of generosity, being surprised by the kindness and understanding of people. I've met some new people who might be able to help in more profound ways but time will tell. Those of you who know me are well aware of the myriad of disappointments I've received from some "benefactors". Anymore I never count my chickens until the eggs have hatched so when there's news fit to print, I'll do so here.

Paulette K. bought a brand new fridge for us! Now I can make ice for the dogs myself and I can actually buy ice cream and it will remain frozen. Best of all, I don't have to keep an old heavy cobblestone in front of it's door in order to keep it from falling off it's hinge like the former one. Of course it's on the porch, like a good redneck homestead. The tiny built-in fridge inside the camper petered out about two years ago--it's freezer part is now a tool chest and the fridge part is my airtight cereal pantry. My pragmatism knows no bounds: I work with what I am given. Or left with.

FYI: Teddy the Mastiff has become one of the pack, acts as if he's been here forever. A true love addict, he is. Soon I'll put him on my petfinder page. I love him. He was playing with a stuffed toy this morning by himself, tossing it in the air, pouncing on it when it landed, being all floppy, silly puppy and it couldn't have been more precious. I love my dogs, even if I can't keep them but then that's the true definition of love: Letting go when you should.

The weather has become oppressive. The Ohio Valley heat and humidity comes together and makes my garden wilt. Too much rain these past six weeks have made for less-than-great tomatoes but my berries and melons are luscious and prolific. I spent part of my week picking all kinds of blackberries, gallons and gallons, thus providing parts of my body, namely my ankles and arms, as a tasty meal for the chiggers and mosquitoes. Coupled with the blackberry briar scratches all over my hands and running up and down the inside of my forearms (steeped in prickly persperation)and I now suffer in a constant state of itchiness. I take Benadryl capsules and spray Dermoplast on my afflicted parts, vacillating between a diphenhydramine semi-stupor and numb appendages. I'm not complaining, though, since I'm living in blackberry heaven, purple fingers and all. I'm a sight!

Life is good. I'm still in a financial brouhaha but I'm flailing about less because every month I just make my ends meet.

Since August 9 I've been taking care--good care--of my neighbors house and animals. They get back August 16 and I've baked, cooked and cleaned like Martha Stewart. In all honestly I've really enjoyed it. I haven't had a real home to take care of since 1998 and despite my outdoorsy,
tomboy-ish inclinations, I do love a tidy, fresh home filled with the aromas of good food. The potential for such domestic pursuits keeps me in their home for extended periods of time which their animals love. At just a half mile from my place, it's totally feasible for me to zip back and forth with ease. Plus they've got wi-fi, a bitchin' home theatre system with cable and super cold air conditioning so I'm living large, wondering what the "poor" folks are doing tonight...I'll know soon enough for myself when they come home and I go back to my full-time-amenity-free life. Trust me, though, I'm not complaining. They pay me extraordinarily well. And I love my land. I wake up happy, go to bed serene. All in all I really want for nothing, though if I could teach the dogs how to brush my hair, massage my feet & hands and rub my neck, I'd be light as day.