Poleyard Yukon # 4

   While living in the “Poleyard” we had observed mice running around, especially at night. One rather fat one seemed to always take the same track from under the trailer and across a clearing to a small woodpile we had started for the fire.  Sometimes it nearly ran over my foot!  My camping partner decided it was time to start trapping.  Talk about boredom setting in!  So thereafter she set two traps with peanut butter for bait every night before we went to bed.  As I was always first one out of the trailer for a  smoke in the morning, she would ask me how many mice we had caught. Usually we had caught two, but one morning the whole trap was gone!  I wondered if a squirrel or something bigger had gotten in the trap and took a cursory look around for the trap but knew my partner would put in a better search so didn't pursue the matter.  Eventually the trap was found in the bush and we figured our local fox had nabbed it and taken it off while she decided how to get the mouse out.

  The other wildlife we had were some Whiskey Jacks. There were the parents and then four young ones that came into camp and were fed leftovers.  When the corncobs were thrown to them they entertained us with a bit of “log/corncob burling” and were quite good at it. In the beginning one youngster complained bitterly that his parents would no longer feed him and I called him “Squawker”

Because we were feeding the birds I was thrilled to see the fox come in to help herself to the goodies. I got no less then seven shots of her on camera.  Unfortunately she was still not shed out and so was not as lovely as she could have been, but I was glad to have seen her anyway. She grabbed some food and left and then returned until someone started talking, then she left for good.

  Meanwhile back at the trapline, we usually cremated the mice bodies in the fire at night but on one occasion, because it had been windy, we hadn't had a fire.  There were four mice bodies in the firepit and another two from the morning and I got my partner to take a photo of our harvestings.

 Would that mosquitoes would be trapped as easily! They were very plentiful.  I gave “first blood” every morning at the outhouse and then throughout the day and evening as well.  They were more than pesky they were downright viscous!  Using mosquito coils and sprays helped a bit but one night I had a dozen bites on each ankle and the itching was driving me crazy! Luckily the medicine cabinet held some Calamine lotion and I haven't felt anything so soothing in a long while.

Soon boredom would be set aside as we ventured forth to Haines Landing to see my cousin Carl and his wife Joanne.  It would only be  for overnight but it was most healing for me.~~~~

Snores and snoring, Yukon#3

The topic of snoring. Reared it's ugly head the night before we set out for the Yukon. Trailer owner and I slept in one of the daughters back yard and I was informed that I snored. Ah well what could I do about that. Funnily, so did she! I discovered that when I am very cold I tend to be up and down to the biffy all night long! It did not make for a very restful night for sure. As time went on I suppose the snoring continued and at one point I offered earplugs but that suggestion was refused. I couldn't think of anything else to do and living in such close quarters we both had to just put up with some things. After all we were Camping!

In the first week at the Pole yard, I awoke one morning to hear my travel companion complaining to the others that “..it goes on all night and its driving me nuts!” I could only assume it was my snoring?? I don't know what else she could be talking bout but who knows?? I remember a sister-in-law once telling me that to live in confined quarters (like this?) one really had to like the partner. Well perhaps that had been a mistake on both our parts and in fact I did not know this person very well at all.

As time went on things escalated a bit and she even admitted to slamming the bathroom door (situated next to my head) in an attempt to wake me and stop my snoring. Well, that could only go down as another “cheap shot” in my book. One night she must have been particularly peed off and slammed it so hard I came right off the bed and for a second thought I had been shot! When I was next in the bathroom I thought maybe I should slam that sucker so hard it came off the hinges, however the good little angel on my right shoulder said “Well Joyce that would put you the same as her and it really isn't your style now is it?” So I did nothing - Again! Time and again I thought of the Serenity prayer ”God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference” Short of one hell of a confrontation I really could not change much and so tried for the serenity. In any case the lady was most determined to have her way and for the most part did. I did not go to the Yukon to fight about things and I didn't.

I suppose our goals for this trip differed a lot. She was going to have a visit with her son and so she did. She also thought it clever to have me along to pay half the food and fuel. To that end it worked well and she simply had to put up with things I did that annoyed her. However I had come along in hopes of seeing lots of things and was most disappointed to be camped in the said poleyard all day mostly on our own until the son and his partner came around. We did all four of us have suppers together and I enjoyed that and never had a bad meal - they were all delicious!

But I pined for Kaslo and often wished I was home again. The two months seemed very long indeed.

My partner must have been bored also and having had mice in her ceiling once before decided we should trap mice...but that is for the next story.~~~

Yukon #2

Hmm. That first post about the Yukon was received with mixed feelings. My traveling companions' daughters wrote on it “You have a nerve!” Obviously they did not appreciate what I wrote so I pulled it off of fb and went back to just writing about dogs again. However! MY friends and readers, clamored for more. Most people think my adventures were funny and I guess looking back they were. Each day I feel less and less upset about them and as one buddy pointed out they are MY stories! And it is how I lived them and perceive them so what the hell? Everything is true believe me! Only slight exaggerations here and there for the humor of things.My previous post was a lead up for more.

After several warnings about my NOT remembering to turn off the lights, said owner of trailer pulled the bulb out!

I could not believe it! Now I had to more or less “feel” my way around my cupboard looking for things. I was some angry and upset too!  BUT in true Libra fashion I said nothing to trailer owner. Daughter B was right behind me when I exclaimed “She pulled the effin bulb!” Later that night around the fire, sans owner, we talked about it a bit and I thought it would be time for me to try and get home again. I could see the writing on the wall and we would not be moving again (and we didn't). I expressed the thought that I could be home and happy! Sitting there in the dust and dirt of the pole yard was not my idea of a fun holiday. Ah, but how to get home? How much money did I have in the bank? Could I fly?  Bus?   I had only one plastic Walmart bag to carry my belongings in and the thought seemed challenging. I had a lot of clothes and things plus a brand new laptop I had thought to use while away. I had only been away for a couple of weeks by this time.  But to say the least I was not a happy camper!

One saving grace was daughter B's liberal sharing of her phone. I had a cell phone a friend gave me but it wouldn't work in the poleyard, only in Whitehorse. I was able to phone home and also a couple of friends that were worried about me and even talked to my brother in Alberta! He was not sympathetic and actually got several laughs out of my dilemma. At this point I must mention that there is a LOT of daylight in the Yukon in June and July AND there was a more than ample solar thingy on the roof of the trailer. It was explained to me that there is no way we would run out of battery! So why pull the bulb? Was this a female “pissing on posts” thing?? If so, I have no time or interest in such shenanigans and thought it was a cheap shot at best. Bro was all into how you have to conserve everything when living in a trailer but I doubt he lives as roughly as we did. But talking to my friends helped immensely!

Meanwhile back at the poleyard, we got busy erecting a little  shower house(tent thing).  Once up, THE PAIL was ensconced in it. Now I must tell you, THE PAIL, was purchased in Walmart as a porta-potty!

It was exactly that..a five gallon pail! But this one had a minature seat to sit on and even a lid! Whoopdedoo! We now had out own private(??) bathroom. Well not so, as it was just behind the trailer. To my credit I did try it out a few times but I was never able to really manage the wiping part! I mean really! I have a bad back, bad knees and crappy shoulders and none of that helped. Travelling partner said it was too far to the outhouse for her but thereafter I made the little walk whenever necessary. There is not much to “running” an outhouse and I KNOW how to manage that! Of course I “heard” about leaving the lid up and the flies etc.on the porta-potty. Give me a break this was nothing short of gross!

I have camped before and if I had my drutheres I prefer my trips with friend Ann that we did with the horses. There was always water and beautiful scenery and it was so wonderful for the soul! There in the pole-yard I felt my soul die a bit each day. It seemed like a jail sentence and a whole month more seemed endless! The next morning with hat in hand, so to speak, I told partner I would like to go home.She seemed shocked and actually did not say a lot, to me at least. Again, at night apparently she told the family and they pointed out the lightbulb incident. In the end my plea was basically ignored and of course she would have to take me to Whitehorse in order to get out! BUT she did lighten up on me a bit and there were not too many other incidents until nearing the end, by which time I had something to shoot for.

Next post sleeping and snoring! ~~~~~

Yukon #1

My Yukon holiday has been a series of lessons. One is Appreciation. Another is to look carefully at things that seem like “an opportunity of a lifetime”. My brother says I always assume too much. I admit to being an optimist and a bit of a dreamer. When this trip first came up I thought of seeings places and things and a leisurely trip to the Yukon-possibly even seeing friends along the way? Just the name Yukon,seemed exciting.    And of course I have not gone many places. Instead, we tore up the highway stopping at a reasonable hour at mostly decent campsites and were there in six days.
Having been told I would have my own bed, I actually thought I had my own room. “Fine! thought I, “I will be able to escape at times.” Not so, there were two small beds a lane way apart and that was it. My companion laid down the rules quickly. There would be no toilet paper going down the toilet and it was only to be used for number one. Okay, and then what of the “other”? Well that was done in outhouses. Upon arrival in Lumby and getting to the trailer that was to be my home for almost 60 days, all my clothes were stuffed into a series of cupboards above my beds and all bags and the one suitcase were put in partners car and left in Lumby. Lights were not to be left on even though there was ample battery life in the form of a solar panel. 

I assumed her son lived in a normal house and we would hook on to water and power upon our arrival. I assumed he might live in a beautiful spot. Not so. In no time at all we were ensconced in a
pole yard.  Don't know what that is?  Well its an old sawmill site filled with decks of spruce logs that the son cuts into fire wood for campsites.
 I was not impressed. The “view” was of skinny sickly looking spruce trees all around, the road was totally bumpy into camp and the son was no better off than we in fact worse as all the pipes had frozen in his travel trailer and the fridge was buggered. No power to be had unless you fired up the generator or on occasion the welder.

I was told what water we had in the holding tank was all we had until something could be found to fill it.  I assumed this meant rationing and drank no water or very little all the way up to the Yukon. By that time I was getting seriously dehydrated. Luckily daughter B that came with us on a motorbike bought bottled water by the case and shared with me liberally.
Eventually water would be brought in on the back of the flat deck from a subdivision nearby in the biggest bottle you have ever seen!

Stay tuned for next edition of “Joyce in the Yukon”

Putting in Time

Well, Jiggs went home last night and the house immediately seemed super quiet.  I had wondered about his hearing, as he didn’t seem to listen all that well outside, but now think it was just “selective” hearing.  Our morning ritual seemed to be one of small noises coming from him over and over again.  For a time I wondered what it was.   Then when I moved of coughed or turned over in bed this “jack-in-the-box” Spaniel head would pop up from the side of the bed.  He may as well have talked and said ,“YOU AWAKE?” “OH GOOD,FINALLY!” I had to see the humour in it and what a good way to wake up –laughing at a dog.  Then of course it was a dance to the back door and I tell you he just made it to the grass before he was peeing.  But he has been drinking an awful lot of water this time and so I know he has to go in the mornings right away.  Jiggs has exuberance for life and once you accept that you can get along with him very well.  He didn’t get many walks this time due to the fact that I was having problems with my van.  However I took the van to a mechanic and got it fixed that day in a couple of hours. Wonderful, as I really hate being without wheels. Apparently some little bearing thing was losing its balls and it’s a wonder I could go anywhere for this long. Of course who knows when it first started.?  I am just so relieved to have it fixed so quickly.  Even so I got quite a few things done yesterday and got a ride up to the hospital to call Bingo and when I was going to walk home, found my friend Elaine outside in her car and got another ride. Doncha just love small towns???
   Although there always seems to be something to do around the house, the two main projects for the next couple of weeks are dunging out the basement for a yard sale and packing for my trip.  The latter has been on-going for some time, and my bags in the spare room are filling for sure. Only sixteen more days until departure. In some ways it doesn’t seem like enough time and in others it seems like too much time to wait.  I know I will settle down once I get going but getting me to that point could be something else!!
    I  would of course love to stop and see everyone I know, but that isn’t very practical as we will be pulling a trailer not just cruising around in a car.  Yes it’s a holiday but I am not alone and it wouldn’t be prudent nor smart to be looking for places and getting lost pulling a trailer behind us. Well, at least there are no horses in it and that is less worry for me anyway.  Now I have to do a little homework and run down some phone numbers of friends.  Should I make a sign that says “YUKON OR BUST”?
 

Nice May day

Had a busy and productive day yesterday and am off to Nelson today for a hearing test.  The Reddings were up bright and early and in full fettle! Doing the “Romp” over top of me with absolutely no respect for my sleep---so yeah, I got up. They are in the porch now and Teko and I are enjoying some peace and quiet. I do love the mornings here in Miracle House.
Not very long until I depart for the Yukon. Am I ready? Of course not! Am I gonna be in a FLAP? You bet!  I am always being told by friends that I “worry” too much and I guess it is true, just my nature I guess. Kind of like if I put the time in worrying it will all work out?  But those same friends are also the ones reminding me of different things as well.  This trip is a go and if I dip into my overdraft-so be -it! I will deal with that and make money upon my return.  Still, I have never been away from home for two months in my entire life! Ever!  I will certainly miss my life and the Reddings and Teko, but I leave them in good health and in good hands with my house/pet sitter. I am sure they will be fine.

Flying High

 My thoughts are st ill whirling. The lovely thing about visits from friends is that you get to rehash it all over in your mind for days! The hard part is saying goodbye. This is best done quickly and then is less painful. Lucky for me I had to go to town and Jim decided to help with the “Evolution of Miracle House” again. So instead of sitting around missing my buddies, he and I went to work on the porch that we had not finished before their arrival. The biggest part of this was taking out a window to put in my second big kennel as we are going to clean up that corner where it was) outside soon. He said later he was dreading that but it all went well and I had done it before. The kennels are so large they won't fit through a door but one porch window is big enough. BUT, first the wire that prevents cats escaping had to be pulled off and then the window removed and then we could manhandle the cage through and all the way around to the other end of the porch. The kennels are light being fiberglass but very unwieldy and cumbersome to deal with. Luckily skinny Jimmy could get into places my butt will not allow me to go and all went well. At one point we paused for a drink and suddenly Jim realized we had not seen Otis for awhile and now the window was open! Could only find fearful Opus, so I wasted no time grabbing a bag of Temptations and walking around calling for him. He must have heard me inside the house and came out and Jim finally got my attention enough to tell me the cat was found. Well actually he was never lost! Typical of this nutty Animal House that revolves around cats and dogs and only a few people. Of course Jim being Mr. Clean everything had to swept and sorted and organized and you would not believe the difference!!

I must make apologies to Sandi and Dusty for telling everyone about the small altercation Dusty had with Teko. It was no big deal and only mentioned cause I prefer adding animals stuff into my little notes.

I awoke this morning worrying about that(although Sandi tells me I worry too much) and then I started thinking about all S had done to come here. First she had to wind up appointments for her husband and get him all set to batch for a few days and give him instructions on feeding and caring for her other pets(everything from turtles to lovebirds and sometimes a really different frog) Then she had to pack up stuff for her and Dusty and travel all the way from Olds,Alberta. She spent a night in her vehicle in Golden! Then she walks in the door with all sorts of wondrous groceries!! After that she puts up with me running out for a cig every fifteen minutes and pacing in between. She and Ann both brought me presents (which everyone knows I LOVE!) My friends are all important to me and I wanted everything to go well. I had not seen Ann in almost ten years except for when she came with some others and it was such a short visit it hardly counted. S. on the other hand has faithfully come to see me as often as possible but last year had the door come off her trailer so did not stop by.(I was disappointed) As mentioned before, Jim was here when the gals arrived and simply could not handle us. He says I was right “WIRED” and so I was, for days and the party for retirement just heightened that! Oh I am so blessed! Throughout this “holiday” that wasn't, S. was an angel and cooked and did dishes and finally sorted out my china cabinet. I avoid all these things like the plague and she says she likes sorting and organizing. I guess the fates have given me the friends I need? Now if I could just find someone for weeding and stuff. Oh! And to that end I had Pete in and he did a bunch of whipper snipping that looks fantastic now. I guess I need to patient and it will all come together eventually?? Ann was no slouch either and before she set foot in the house had packed an old computer screen downstairs for me and then attended to the lawns and the lawnmower as well as installations of several shower heads and stuff. All was a great benefit for me and in the end S .conributed to the Yukon fund as well. Am I fortunate or what!!! I think I am!p.s. Sharon G. if you are reading this I am coming to see Wildwood in June-will let you know more later!!

A Party and Dogs still.

Never having retired before nor even have I gone to someone elses party, I have little to compare my party with, but I thought it was great. Friends here hatched the idea and it quickly grew. I'm sorry if I missed anyone that wanted to come and please don't feel bad. I was somwhat overwhelmed by a lot of things and if this is retirement I am all for it. I hve been awfully busy and when two good friends decided to attend from Alberta—well the “cake” was doubly iced! Speaking of cake! Teresa May did one up for me that looked just like the little Jack Russell I fell in love with about a year ago- Max-a-Million! Anyway there were abvout twenty people that showed up and I felt somewhat humbled by all the well wishes etc. Although the invitations asked for no gifts-people got me stuff anyway besides bringing finger foods etc. It was all more than enough to simply blow me away and as friend Jim declared ”You only retire once (whereas birthdays come every year. “) All I can say is my only kick at the can was a great one and I thank everyone that worked towards this and all who attended! 
My two alberta buddies arrived within about twenty moments of each other. Sandi came from Olds, Alberta and drove up in her Expedition SUV. Ann followed with her big truck she drives for Bison, having left the trailer in Grande Forks. This all happened on the Wednesday before the party, all three of us were immediately on a high, not having seen each other for at least two years and Jim quickly bowed out and asked for a ride home. I didn't think adult women could giggle and laugh and talk so much all at once, but we certainly did! Small adventures occurred in no time the first being with poor Ann trying for a shower.She specifically asked if there was “anything she should know” about the shower, and I said no. Unfortunately the holder for the hand-held thingy had broken a few weeks ago and I had taken to just hanging the shower head over the curtain bar-in this case facing the wall! You guessed it! Water from hell to breakfast before she discovered the problem and for once the floor had already been washed. Sandi needed the washroom and said when I returned that Ann was certainly having a long shower. In truth she spent more time mopping up the floor than anything else. I was sorry about that but knowing Ann's sometimes ill-fated luck, I laughed every time I went in there after that and still do! We arrived at the Legion in time to greet most guests and proceeded to have a good time and my Alberta friends finally met some of my Kaslo friends and can now put a face to the names I spout stories about. They do however still have a hard time sorting them all out. Ann had been in Kaslo before and worked here for a time so she knew more people than Sandi did, but they are caught up now! Being a working gal Ann had to leave the following day and climbed into her high truck and away she went!! Sandi stayed until this morning and left to return home laden with boxes of videos I wanted to get rid of and and old table of my Moms that she liked-oh yeah and a rusty little antique ttrunk thingy she liked. She is a sorter and would have liked to have stayed and rearranged my kitchen cupboards for me but has appointments to go to and a husband that misses her and other pets as well. She did however do a great job on my china cabinet! Thanks Sandi for so many things and mostly your company! I miss you gals and even the dog Dusty!
Now its back to a normal kind of day, and I have Pete here hacking down some dingleberry bushes.I took some plastic off a kitchen window and can't believe the light that let in! Now maybe it can even be cleaned once the bushes are gone and no fear of breaking ones neck getting there! It would seem Miracle House is going through a transformation in many ways, not just the kitchen!
In between. the pet-sitting business continues as well, with a day visit with Inga and an overnight with Mattie! Both good dogs and repeat guests that know the ropes and were no problem at all. I had wondered how Sand'
's Dusty dog and Teko would get along but wasn't worried about Teko as he is pretty easy going. We enjoyed a couple of times at the park and all seemed hunky dory until Teko got too close to Dusty's food and she took a round out of him. Fair enough and Sandi was right on it and poor Dusty was on the “dirt?” list for awhile. For a dog that cannot see well and can't hear all that good either, he does very well and is around 14 I think. Sandi educated me on having a little dog and informed gentle goes a long ways and managed to get his feet clipped for me and his tail.Whew! That was a Godsend in itself and something I have been wanting to get done for some time. He looks great and we may even bath the little guy one of these days.Thats all for now folks!

Reno's and Retirement

 I have been pretty busy of late and there are many things happening in my life. But through it all the Reddings remain much the same. As it has warmed up they have a reluctance to come into the house until it is dark and not much to see outside. They have enjoyed some wondrous sunny times, working on their tans and actually do look a darker orange. I have finally hit on a program that doesn't make Otis upchuck his meals. I switched to Purina car food and also feed smaller amounts three times a day. That way Opus is assured of getting his rightful share and Otis doesn't pig out to the point of pukedom! I, for one am happier with this method.

Friend Jim has been back working on the kitchen again. The floor is done and now he has progressed to some painting of the doors and framework. It all looks good and I am most pleased. The house and its age have given us more than a few surprises, but sometimes we have just had some very good uh- “outhouse” luck so to speak? I can see this all progressing to a full paint job of the kitchen and may need to get some other help in. I am sorely lacking in knowledge of remodeling or even matching and picking colors, for that matter and although Jim is not a professional either he has a lot of common-sense and has been clever enough to figure out some of the houses' idiosyncrasies and work around them. If nothing else it has been a learning experience. Nothing seems to be straight or square and the floor rolls like the ocean. Knowing what we know now, we never would put laminate flooring down but we did and it has made a vast improvement to the overall look of the kitchen. The laminate flooring is made to “float” and snaps together. Great idea but you really need to have a proper FLAT floor. No matter, we needed to fudge a bit here and there but its all good now.

My back went out at the beginning of the week and so I have been no help whatsoever, but wasn't doing an awful lot anyway. Jim seems to like working on his own and says I am most helpful staying out of his way and doing puzzles on the computer-fine by me!

Teko seems to have come to like Jim an awful lot and Jim pays him a lot of attention. Same old story dogs just want to have someone with them 24-7 if at all possible. The cats are too undisciplined to have in the house when you are trying to do anything and indeed it has only been Otis that has spilt things on the floor at all. First it was a partially filled coffee cup and just the other day he actually managed to get a large beer glass out of the sink and knock it to the floor- without breaking it! I am sure he couldn't hold it in his paws so must have used his teeth. And as I have said before”Its always Otis!” At least when he is getting into trouble like that he is not pounding on Opus, and I am sure Opie appreciates that.

The biggest thing the near future holds is a party some friends are setting up for my retirement. I was looking forward to it and then two friends from Alberta have said they would attend and that was really great to hear. Now I am doubly looking forward to it as my friends here and the ones in Alberta have never gotten together really. If this is the beginning or retirement I am all for it!!

~ ~ ~

Always Otis!

  It's always Otis! Or at least that's how it seems most of the time. It's Otis that knocks down a partial cup of cold coffee on the new floor, its Otis that can open up the dog food bin and help himself. And again it's Otis that needs to play on the Turbo toy in the night and make lots of noise. Sometimes I think he is just plain BAD! But having said that I do love him dearly and sometimes even enjoy his antics. He does keep life interesting. Unfortunately he is still having his upchucking episodes. I really do not enjoy cleaning up these messes but all part and parcel of having animals I guess?? I will take him to the vet when Teko has to go in again to have his eye looked at. Still putting drops in his(Tekos') left eye in an attempt to ward off Glaucoma. Dr. Pat has spoken of possible removal of the eye but I don't know as we will do that. Teko can hardly see anyway with his cataracts and how far is one to go with this old age stuff?? There simply is no cure for Old Age! In the meantime I have put a small bell on Tekos collar and at least I know where the heck he is. I have never had tiny dogs like this and I seem to lose him a lot even in the house! Again our signal is a clapping of the hands and for a dog whose hearing is not good, that does seem to work. I think too, at times, he has selective hearing and hears when he wants to. He always seems to know when I have left the room and comes looking for me. He's quite the little Warden.

Because his days are numbered and he seldom gets a bone, the other day I gave him the ham hock bone after I had made soup. Teko thought that was great but it caused an awful lot of activity when the cats came in! They were not to go near his bone-not to smell it or even look at it! That was Tekos' and no two ways about that! He spent all his time chasing the cats away from it.

Well today is another sunny day and I am grateful for that!! Yesterday Jim and I took Teko and Max to the park and they had a great time. Teko religiously tried to pee on everything and puts on the mileage trying to accomplish that and leave no leaf,piece of grass or tree unannointed! All peed out he came home and ate all his supper like he had not been fed for a week.

Having a beer in the back yard yesterday I noticed a place where Teko may be getting under the fence and going around to the front steps. This is a game he likes to play. If I am not at the back door to let him in after two barks off he goes to the front porch, where it is much warmer these days and barks there or waits until I notice he is not in the house. I try not to forget he is outside but there go, stuff happens right???
Have caught Otis eating holes in blankets-little wonder he gets sick. What a cat he is! An ex ray might shoe all manner of objects in his tummy. Oooh and the cost of major surgery could be something else! Ah just have to think on the positive and hope not. Life goes on. Miracle house is fine and all of us too! Hurrah!!!
 Big news of the day is my friend in Olds is coming for my retirement party on the 18th!!  That is great and now I really am looking forward to it.   It is to beheld at the Legion and volunteer snacks apparently will be appreciated.

 

~~~~

Still got Dogs

 Life goes on, and I am doing okay. Teko has stepped up to the plate as number one dog, but of course it is not the same. I have noticed though that his eyesight is much worse than I thought it was. The other day I put his food dish on the opposite side of the door and he couldn't find it! I wish I could find my clicker to use with him for recall, but have no idea where I put it after lending it out. I know I have it here---Somewhere! “Somewhere” must be really full of all the things I am looking for. Ah well no worries it will turn up. Have two house guests right now. Rocky of course was here for long-term and Jiggs has returned again until Tuesday. Went to Nelson yesterday and returned with a new gate to go across kitchen door. I have decided the dogs don't need to be in there and on the few times when I am cooking or something they tend to be in the way a lot. Also picked up a new runner to go in front of sink, to protect my new floor. But laminate or not, I know “stuff” is going to happen to it, as its all part of “living” in the room. Something like a new car- you are almost relieved when it gets that first scratch and takes a bit of the newness off it. Actually I wouldn't know as have never had a new car or truck in my life. Of course animals are hard to live with and Otis the Bold, had to get up on a counter and knock down my coffee mug from morning and it had some coffee in it still. I really think he just likes the noise it makes when it falls! But I got on it right away and don't think it had time to soak in at all. I can't protect it forever but I can try and enhance its life-the floor I mean. Otis is Otis and I am just glad Opus is different. The other day true to form, Otis started up the vacumn cleaner! Think that surprised him a bit but he will probably do it again, loving noise like he does. He continues to sick up and will be next to go to the vet but this last one was hefty enough to change my budget and I will wait for a bit.

Except for that he seems most healthy, but of course you never know for sure.

Opus on the other hand has been most cuddly of late, and even slept a whole night under the covers with me. I just love it. Otis had taken to sleeping by my feet on top of the covers. Jiggs is quite happy to sleep on Keepers' night bed, and had indeed been after it for some time. Its why I left it there. All other dog beds have been washed and put away, except of course for Teko's THREE baskets. One nine pound dog rates that many? But life is easier with him in a basket and not underfoot. Even Rocky has taken to sleeping in his basket again and that is great and I am not tripping over him in the night. I think he is really missing his owners again and am glad for him that his time here is winding away and he may be going home as early as this week?? Not sure as I was not given a definite date just told four and a half weeks. Which equals what? I am just learning in this business and can see I have to ask more questions and possibly be paid up front when I don't even know the people?? Duh! I could get stung. But most people have been really good and sometimes I even get extras or a gift or something. I love that. And most of my clients are usually quite grateful to have a good place to leave their pets. I enjoy being on the other end of that “stick” so to speak. I look forward to having pet-sitting as my “only” job. I usually like being at home. Now if I would just spend more time cleaning such and organizing all my “stuff”(maybe even throwing some out?)....but I find that very hard to do at this time of my life. We’ll see..maybe some things?? More room for animals huh??

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Stuffies and Teddy Bears

 Stuffies and Teddy Bears. Over the years keeper had many toys. Most of them came from Gramma K. Even this past Christmas there was a teddy bear in the Christmas package for her, although she no longer had interest in them this past year. Yesterday S.J. Dug a hole for keeper and Auntie Jill and I went down after picking up her body from the vet. (She had been in the freezer those few days) Dr. Pat had found a box and then covered all with a plastic bag. It was all done in a very civilized manner. I had brought Zeddy along to go with her. That's not a typo. Gramma found the first Zeddy and I am thinking they are teddy bears put out by Zellers possibly as an advertisement deal. They had “Zeddy” written across their right paw. They came with a little hat and a scarf, but of course I removed those things as knew they would not last. The first Zeddy was a huge hit with Keeper and she spent many hours exercising her teeth on him. She carried him all over, and we were lucky throughout the years to find replacements as they wore out. Keeper knew him by name and we had a lot of fun playing “Wherezit?”. “Where's Zeddy?” would send her off on a search that would not stop until Zeddy was found and proudly brought to me. And so it only seemed right to send her off with her beloved Zeddy.

I am sleeping better these days. I am no longer on duty to “listen for the bell” and let keeper out at 3:00 a.m. Nor to listen to hear if she is pacing again. I believe the pacing of and old dog is the pain from arthritis, much in the same way I know I have to get up and move when I am in bed hurting. She found it very difficult to lie down and get up and sitting was out of the question. As I watched a friends old dog do the same thing and limp with every step yesterday, I was glad I had done my Keeper this last big favour. No more pain for her! Dead is done and I believe that.

Our feeding schedule is very off these days without the old Matriarch to keep me on the ball. Teko finally took over the job this a.m. And I fed them all. Only one cat in the porch and when I came back in found Otis in my Cheerios lapping up the milk. I persuaded him to go out in the porch and eat with his brother and ate the damn Cheerios anyway! What's a few cat germs? (I won't think about the parts they may hve just cleaned.) I am remembering Teko's eye drops pretty well and he is very good abvout it especially when he gets a cookie after! And now with everyone fed and me too I have to get going to call Bingo for the inmates at the hospital. Keep your eye out for Zeddies, they make great dog toys. And don't forget to hug your dog today!

Empty Collars

  As I have mentioned before, once I realized Keeper had lost a good deal of her hearing, I put a bell on her collar. I actually lost her up at the airstrip. She was right behind me and I thought she would go to the van, but she stopped to smell something, and I kept walking. When she was done sniffing she once again put her nose to the ground and started back the way we had already gone! Of course I called and clapped my hands,but to no avail, she was a dog with a purpose and definitely on track(in her mind).In the end there was nothing I could do but jump in the van and get past her and then get her attention. As I drove I worried she would go into the bush and then I would have an awful time finding her. From that day on she wore her collar and bell, along with proper ID tags with my phone number. The bell was larger than a Christmas bell, it was the kind you put on a fishing pole to alert you that you have a fish on line. The bell proved to be a great communicator for me. It told me where she was, except of course if she was lying still. In the night it told me if she was pacing or if she had fallen down and could not get up. Letting her out at night, it told me again, where she was and that she was coming. I would strongly recommend, for people with deaf dogs to do this and also to have your phone number on the back of your dog tag. An elderly dog with poor eyesight and hearing is definitely at risk when lost. We owe it to them to step up our security and to know where they are at all times.

Keeper only had two collars in her life. The first one I bought with a matching leash(in pink would you believe?) I picked it up on my way to Castlegar where she was being shipped from Williams Lake. This collar served her well until I asked a friend in California to send us a prettier one. Thanks Diana,she wore that until Thursday when she was put down. I never realised how much I listened for the bell on that collar, until..it rang no more. I am getting better but, it was the first thing I thought about when I woke in the mornings. In her later years, when she could no longer skip out of the way, Keeper taught me to walk slower in the house and it helped me the other night when I went to the bathroom and didn't turn on the light. Rocky(cocker-spaniel guest) had chosen to sleep right in the way and though I stumbled and went to my knees I didn't hurt myself at all. When my brother was here he said I shuffled instead of walking. I hope it isn't quite that bad and prefer to call it walking carefully?

The Reddings have slowed down a lot and prefer to sleep a lot these days. Still, Otis the Bold gts at it at times. He does delight in making noise when things are too quiet. I went for a quick nap on the couch this morning and he shoved a dictionary off a bench and made enough noise to wake me and then added several meows to the mix. What a guy. He has taken over being the main “sleeper” with me and although Opus no longer likes to sleep too close to Otis, he still has some sleep time with me. I don't blame Opus as he can be slepingn nicely next to Otis and Otis will wake up and attack him.The “rassle matches” include many audible body slams and I think Opus gets the worst of it and soon cries “Uncle” or whatever word cats use. Once he gets serious about though, Otis will leave him alone.

Still not letting the dogs in the kitchen on the new floor as it needs a few adjustments yet. So I have spent days stepping over the ironing board but we should get back at it soon. At the moment Jim has gotten my cold and today we are burying Keeper so do not need to be doing floors. Rocky has taken to wandering so needs to be on a leash when he goes out the front. Teko as stated, hates to be away from me so sticks around well and scoots back up the steps when he is finished. So far I have remembered Teko's eyedrops twice a day except for yesterday morning. I am glad to have the two dogs for company and the two cats as well.

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Goodbye to Keeper

  Oh Man does this hurt!! I feel like I had something amputated at the vets when I had Keeper put down. She was 18 and some months, would have been 19 in July. I am sure she took a big chunk of my heart with her as her little spirit floated away. Can't say how many tears I have cried and they don't seem to help except to tire me out. I am most grateful to Dr. Pat and to Dorothy for making this passing as quiet and easy as possible. The relaxer shot before hand helped a lot and Keeper laid down and went to sleep on the floor and then Pat picked her up and put her on the table as Dorothy and I held her and he injected to final dose of stuff to take my wonderful old dog on her last trip. It was as “easy” as humanly possible but it still was wretchingly hurtful. The blessing is...it doesn't take long. I took much longer to cry myself out and I obviously am not done yet by a long shot as here I go once again. It just effing hurts!! BIG time! I am already looking for her as I have for many years. But dead is done and she will not experience any more pain, won't be staggering into the walls etc. or falling off the steps. She is simply at the Rainbow Bridge waiting for me with Chubby Chicken, and Aussie and Skidder and all the rest. Oh My, how to go one without her??

Teko on the other hand made it through his teeth cleaning and didn't need any removed. Although Dr. Pat is worried about his left eye we only have drops to put in it twice a day for a couple of weeks. He isn't out of the woods yet and may need the eye removed if the drops don't do a small miracle. But with his cataracts he can't see anyway so...not that big a deal. The little toughie walked out to the car on his own steam and has claimed his basket and already chased one of the Reddings away. Talk about a survivor! And in the coming days I imagine I will be glad to have him at least to try and fill a little of the void my Keeper has left in my life. And Rocky is still here and in a week Jiggs is coming back and of course we cannot forget the Reddings! So I am grateful that I did not return to a totally devoid of animals house! Now that would be bloody sad!

On the good side of things, I just finished up my doggin' for the month and can sleep in tomorrow. Although I seldom do the thought is nice. It has a ring of freedom to it. I have taken a chicken poop way out of dealing with the hurt and am on my third rye and gingerale. Now I am going for a nice long nap and will make supper whenever I decide to wake up. Thanks go out to friends that are aware and have offered kind thoughts but really nothing helps. Nice thoughts though and I was glad to take one last walk with Jill and Teddy. For the rest of us life goes on and I salute my brave and loyal Keeper on this fateful day. ###

Ren-o's in the Kitchen!

Yesterday was a good one! Jim got about one third of the floor done and it was a lot of work moving stuff out of the kitchen to do that. Definitely a learning experience but it is going to look really good! We are both pleased with it and the day. The animals were NOT impressed as they were all put in the porch. Poor old keeper could not handle the change and barked the entire day! Rocky and Teko just went to sleep and the cats? Well the porch is their playroom anyway. When I finally let them in they were pretty good and I put the ironing board across the doorway. There was a great deal of moving and shoving done, the fridge, the big cupboard and all the stuff under the counter. Four very long and heavy lag bolts to undo in order to move cupboard. We managed very nicely and it is amazing how tings go so much better with two people. Jim is a clever fellow and very careful—totally opposite to gung-ho Joyce and the combination works well . Also I do know how to take orders and can probably thank my brother and Ed for that. I am a great go-fer too. Now my sawing abilities are a different matter entirely and I am not pleased with the cuts I am making. Also it is very hard on my already screwed shoulders. This morning when I got up I thought I was okay and then I moved! My back obviously is protesting the workout and spasming.(is that a word?) To add to things as I walked through the kitchen I accidentally drove a long screw from one of the pedestal legs we had removed from the counter into my heel. I let it bleed for awhile as its a puncture. Luckily I think my tetanus is still updated from the last dog bite I had from a llaso-asshole dog. But other than when I hit my thumb with a hammer that's the only injury so far. Bit progress should be made today and Jim is very aware of being careful, as Deb said-measure twice cut once! And it really is going to look nice. All dogs have been out this a.m. And are conked out sleeping very hard. Even the Reddings are quiet and didn't get into anything last night. Little does everyone know they are all going into the porch again today!

In the ten years I have been here there has been very few “improvements” made. I simply did not have the money to do anything and although I haven't exactly broken into Fort Knox the improvement in cash flow is most welcome. And so Upward and Onward with the flooring project today!!!

Organising Animals and a New Floor

 I have no idea what has happened to my Wordosauer game but it is not working well this morning. It has become a part of every morning, but not today I guess. Maybe later. In the meantime Miracle house has one less animal. Maddie went home yesterday and was most happy to see her Mom. Lucky me I not only received a tip but a nice Mexican bowl as well, that I just love to bits. Not long ago I broke the last bowl that was a gift and have missed it. I really enjoy the Mexican colors etc. and still have a few things from my own two trips to the Baha.

Anyway, now there are only the three geriatrics ,the cats and me. Pretty quiet this morning as the cats took their time getting up. Yesterday Jim and I brought the new flooring in the house so it can expand for a time before we start laying floor tomorrow. Big project for sure and I am looking forward to it. If nothing else it will be an experience. Of course working with all these animals around is sometimes difficult but with Maddie gone I tried to get some of them into the porch. I managed to get the cats in there and Teko but as soon as I attempted to bring the next stash of flooring into the house, Teko decided he wanted back in in the worst way! With my hands muti-tasking, I attempted to nudge him out of the way with my foot. No Bloody way! He took offense and attacked my shoe with a vengeance. He really made me laugh because although he attacked with gusto, he still lost and no harm done except maybe to his king-sized ego! He really is getting short-tempered in his old age and once again I am glad he is with me and not at Megs' where there are often little children. I have grown fond of the little pain in the butt, but he tests my own temper at times. My plan for tomorrow is to have all animals in the porch. The Reddings will be easiest as that is their playroom anyway but I imagine the dogs may not be too happy about it, as Teko has already shown me. Teko's dining room basket has been moved to make room for the stacks of flooring, and then I covered the flooring with a blanket. Not one to accept change redily he is presently sleeping on the blanket where his basket is supposed to be. We all are creatures of habit I suppose. I think the house will be in chaos for all of tomorrow for sure, but we will just have to manage.

Although Rocky spends much time licking his paws clean, he has a lot of Cocker Spaniel hair on them and tracks in more dirt than the others. I will have to try and wipe his feet before he comes into the kitchen in an attempt to keep the new kitchen floor looking good for a time at least. And so it is, life with animals does not mean clean floors. But I am looking forward to it, an think it will be a big improvement. Rocky doesn't go home for several weeks yet but he is pretty easy to have around. The other day he decided to check out the neighbors yard and I had a hard time finding him, but he eventually made his way back to our front yard.

Otis is presently doing many bad things to attract my attention to him and Keeper is pacing. Its all a ploy to get me to feed them and it is working! There will be no peace for me until I comply so...what the hell---I will. I now know what being a “dogsbody” is!

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A New Toy!

 We had company yesterday and the Redding Brothers have been happy ever since! Aunty Jill brought them a new toy! Its called a turbo scratcher and has a scratchy round piece in the middle you can put catnip on and then around the outside it a ball in a trough. They played with it until I put it away at bedtime. I only shoved it under a piece of furniture and this morning Otis pulled it out again and is playing on it once more! Opus likes it as well but of course Otis bullies him and takes over. Oh yeah and as soon as I said that, they both decided to play nicely together with the new toy. Anyway they seem to think it is a welcome addition to an otherwise at times boring world! I liken it to a similar toy that little kids used to have that made a racket as you pushed it across the floor. I think I could get tired of listening to the ball roll but then I can always put it out in the porch with them on days I don't have a boarder out there. Maddie has been a very good dog and although she would love to be in the house, and I would have her, she just causes too much upset. The three geriatrics have priority and we take Maddie on walks every day. She doesn't much like being in the yard by herself now Jiggs has gone home but enjoyed playing with him when he was here, and blew off a lot of energy. Maddies favorite time of day is feeding time of course and I think that is true of all the dogs and cats. Anyway we had a nice visit with Aunty Jill and Teddy,who can be a terror at times. Yesterday he was on good behavior and did very well for his entire visit. Teko is sure all company comes to see him personally and of course those two got a tad jealous but for the most part it was a great visit and Aunty came with goodies for all –just like Santa! The cats toy and biscuits for the dogs and even cookies and an Aussie magazine for me!!m We all hope she comes to visit again soon!! Maddie is too boisterous for Teddy so we had a plan for the company’s' arrival and I put Maddie on leash and took her around the corner of the porch, while Aunty and Teddy scooted in the door. Man the games you have to play but there is always a way if you think about it.

Well the Reddings have finished playing with the toy and had a “Rassle”match with much body-slamming. Keeper and Teko are pacing and so are the Reddings and I imagine mis-behavior is about to happen as the clock creeps to feeding time!Rocky is best, he is still sleeping but seems to wake when I step into the kitchen. Maddie is being good as well but will kick up a bit of a fuss when she hers me feeding the others. All too soon the house will empty out again as maddie goes home on thursday or Friday. Rocky is staying the longest and will not go home until some time in March. But having the three geriatrics around is easier by far so no big deal. Most important was we made it through the weekend quite well with two cats and five dogs. Once again all is well in Miracle House! Hurrah!

Peeing and Feeding five dogs & two cats!

Good Lord, even peeing the dogs is a challenge with five! Early on I knew that its best to put all out at once, instead of one at a time. However, this is easier said than done with three geriatrics among the mix. Keeper always needs out first and goes willingly enough but sometimes just stands there and forgets why she is out.(Dogzheimers I am sure) At this point in time I think all have been out but can't remember if Teko was on first pee trip or not. I imagine he will let me know and letting dogs in and out seems to occupy most of my day anyway-he can catch up on the next trip. Keeper never ate her supper last night so no “assidents”(poop) to clean up this morning. Solution: don't feed her! But I want her to eat as she is far too thin for my liking. Rocky is a bit of a piglet so can't put it down at this point in time or he will have it gutzed down in record time. The two young dogs are out

in the back yard, for hopefully a good romp!

I was thinking this morning about writing about Teko and calling it “He walks among Giants”. As a twelve pound longhaired chihuahua he does very well. HE doesn't think he is little and scoots about going in or out the back door regardless of the bigger dogs. And to him they are all bigger dogs! He gets along well with all dogs until they are near his food. That's why he is fed in the bathroom. He has taken it one step further and when I put a heavy plate on top of Keepers leftover food(only she seems clever enough to nose the plate away when she wants it again) he will guard that as well. Of course if it isn't covered he will eat it all. But I don't trust the younger dogs not to knock the plate off as they are far more rambunctious.

Oh and now we approach the bewitching hour of BREAKFAST!!!! I am smart not to make a move as the remaining five charges will be immediately at ATTENTION! And very much in ATTENDANCE! I did manage to get Keepers bowl down and she is cleaning up her last nights supper.

There is quite a cycle to feeding all these animals and yes, it is rather like a zoo! First the cats are fed their dry food on the cedar chest in the dining room. Then it is imperative that Jiggs be fed. He takes only a few nano-seconds to eat and by that time Maddie has hear the tinkling of kibble so she is next and takes about the same amount of time to finish. Then its on to mixing up Rocky's food. One thyroid pill and a cup of dry “Medical”dry food and two tablespoons of wet dogfood.(again medi-Cal)Finally, I can feed my own two dogs. Keeper gets smushed up wet “Old Roy” with half a cup of dry kibble and then chicken on top. Teko gets about five of the larger kibble and chicken. I put a bit of water with Rockys' food and Jiggs' and Teko'sT as well. It's inconvenient to do so for Maddie and she doesn't like it that way anyhow. What a bloody rigamarole but not nearly as bad as when I worked at the dog farm and fed 250 dogs! Now that took quite awhile and one always had to be listening for fights starting. So I guess I could say things have improved a lot.

I never thought I would be feeding my dogs chicken and it bothers me when I think of starving children. But I fell into this because Teko has always been fed chicken and rice. I absolutely hate making rice so have started him on dry dogfood(which he really thinks is beneath him, but the truth is –if he is hungry he will so bloody eat it!) Luckily I have been able to find chicken at a reasonable price in our local grocery store and it costs me about five bucks a week to feed them that. And now I am all of six minutes PAST feeding time so had best finish this up and go and do my job! Happy animalling!

Feeding Time

 It is 25 minutes to feeding time and I have become the focus of all animals in Miracle House. I cannot breathe without them taking notice and moving anywhere is dangerous when accompanied by three dogs and two cats. They are wearing me down and I will probably stop everything I am doing to accommodate them. Just as long as they don't start expecting to be fed at 4:00 a.m. or something.

I have been asked about photos and have many of the animals but someone has to come by and teach me how to put them on f.b. That may or may not happen.

I got mixed up on the date Jiggs was to arrive and he is not coming until this afternoon around 1:00 or so. That is a good thing because if a dog arrives when I am working, the owner will have to run me down in town some place. I love Fridays as it means the beginning of three days off. Always a welcome thing with me, for some reason I just want to be at home with my “charges”.

All dogs have been out to pee and whatever. Maddie clomping through the house knocking things down but carefully stepping around the sleeping geriatrics. Now she too is whining in the porch thinking it MUST be breakfast time-she's up isn't she?? Even old Rocky has gotten into the idea of an early breakfast. He is much more animated these days and is doing a bit of “talking” and wagging his stubby tail at me. Quite an easy dog to have around but seemed to feel the cold this morning when he went out and was happy to come in again. Old bones and bodies I guess? Otis at the moment is perched very close to me giving me the big cat “STARE”. Opus is much more mellow and is sleeping on the back of my chair keeping me warm. To my left, on the floor, is Keeper patiently waiting and she probably won't eat anyway. To my right Teko is tucked in his basket and behind me Rocky has placed himself not to miss anything and possibly sleep through breakfast. Maddie seems just too big and busy to be in the house so as stated she is in the porch. Once fed, they will all go back to sleep again-such a hard life being a dog. Uh-oh Otis is losing patience and thinking about walking on the keyboard so OKAY already! They win!! Animals 5, Joyce 0! I guess you could say they run my life. And they do!

One dog lost?

I admit it. Three a.m. Is a nutty hour to be up and about. The time makes things seem to be not what they really are and it is best to just to go to the bathroom and return to bed. But no, I had to check on the dogs. I couldn't find Rocky! How could I lose a boarder dog?? I couldn't possibly hove left him outside, could I have?? Common sense kicked in. 1)Rocky is the fastest pee in the west and wastes little time being out in the back yard to do his business. 2) Rocky will bark when he wants back in. So...where the hell was he? He was not in his usual spot not far from my bedroom door on a carpet by the desk, like he has been for many nights. He was not in his doggy bed across the room or by the door. Oh dear this did not seem good at all. I turned on the light in the dining room and there he was! He had decided to stuff himself in Tekos' basket in the dining room. He overflowed to the point where he certainly did not look comfortable but he was giving sleep a hard go and enjoying it as well. My life seems to be governed by the care and welfare of the dogs(and the Reddings of course, but they are easier at times) In any case it was great to find that all were accounted for. I think I live in fear of losing someone and not being able to find them. At this moment I am once again surrounded by dogs. Teko has reclaimed his basket as Rocky has moved over by the kitchen door behind me. Keeper is on the floor to my left and Maddie is in the porch. A phone call last night informed me that Jiggs will be coming on Friday, not tomorrow. He will definitely add to this mix as he loves to “claim” me as his own but thankfully is not aggressive about it all. Hopefully he and Maddie will play in the yard together.

Loading dogs in the morning, is really something else. Both Maddie and Jiggs know to get into the second back seat of the van, leaving Keeper to stretch out on the first back seat. Teko has taken up the passenger seat. Rocky is left to either share keepers seat or lay on the floor-his choice. All dogs are loaded from the drivers side which makes matters easier for me and my poor back. Teko needs total assistance as his legs are far to short to make the leap and on occasion he has had a bad back as well. Keeper needs back up in case she falls and Rocky needs total assistance as well. Both Jiggs and Maddie are young dogs and just do it! Maddie did a funny the other day when she thought she would come into the front again and as I chastised her for it she spent some moments trying to get her front half back into the second back seat. It should have been on film! But she got it done in the end. I am hoping she and Jiggs will share that seat with no problems and I think I have done it before with them. I leave the back boot with the dog barrier for any strays I may pick up and “it all works out in the end!”I mentioned this maneuver to friend Elaine and she said I should just be glad they aren't children and didn't all need to be strapped into safety seats! Well true enough and I have learned to be grateful about that anyway. No doubt about it, its going to be a busy weekend for me for sure! Stay tuned more to come I am sure!

Dogs and Cats Galore

 The Reddings have become a large part of my life and I enjoy them a lot. They are growing and gaining weight rapidly. They have no idea that dogs chase cats, they greet one and all at the door with a nose touch and a good hoover with their noses. They are changing too. Before this it was usually Opus that was the cuddly one. Now I find Otis is every bit as much of a cuddler. In the night I can't tell who is who and am often surprised to find it is Otis that cuddled all night. Otis still will pig out on food and then upchuck it in the porch-not my favorite job cleaning that up! I think I am afraid to take him to the vet and find out something horrible is wrong with him—other than the once in awhile upchuck he is fine and seems most healthy. Still I will have to look into it-soon.

We have a new guest named Rocky! He is older and on meds and THE easiest dog to have around. All he does is sleep and when he has to go he comes and finds me and of course is always there for meal times. He is a black cocker spaniel. He is here for four and a half weeks so I am glad to find he is low maintenance. He cleans up his food so no worries about the other dogs getting it and sits wherever I put him in the dogmobile. So I have three geriatric dogs in the house at present. But that is about to change. Maddie arrives today for eleven days and then Jiggs is coming for a visit for three days or so. Those two will play together, while the geriatrics sleep in the house. Still, it will be a very busy weekend for me! Once again I am glad to have a van to put them all in while we go to work.

It gets harder and harder to take Keeper with me. She takes forever to come to the van to be loaded and then again when we return for her to come into the house. It tries my patience sorely but in the end is probably good for me?? I am sure she does the best she can with what she has left. Even now she seems to have a certain amount of common sense that I always admired in her. And I have to remember she is like a hundred or so in dog years!

The Redding brothers are very quiet this morning. Only Opus is up and about and lying on my lap as I am on the computer. Otis is sleeping on a chair in the kitchen,saving up energy to raise hell during the day most likely. Once again all is well in Miracle House and I am glad to be able to say that.

Gifts and stuff

  Sleepless in Miracle House. Up wandering around in the night as my sleep schedule is all wonky. The Redding Brothers thought it was great being a tad nocturnal anyway. The never idle Otis, had brought in a soft knitted happy face ball. It had been out in the porch and now he had it inside. He loves to carry things in his mouth and he spent quite a bit of time carrying it from here to there and back again. It made me think of Momma Bea as she was the one that knitted the ball and a variety of animals have played with it over the years. She used to knit smaller ones as well and even tried her hand at a few mice for cat presents at Christmas. I guess that is what “gifting” is all about. We get to keep certain mementos and think of the people they came from at different times in our lives. I am not a sewer of knitter although many years ago I did a bit of both-just not interested unit these days so no one has ever gotten a knitted anything from me. But I did during my Inukshuk phase give almost all of my friends an Inukshuk, which are just stones glued together and I included little cards that I made explaining how the Eskimos(Inuit?) used these stones to point the way to go to fresh water or some place of interest. Some were even made with a little “window” in them, I wonder if that was a way of surveying? But on second thought I doubt it because there would be no reason to survey anything and much more point in trail markers.(No trees of course so could not make a wooden sign for sure) For several years I paid my way to a Women s camp in Alberta by bringing rocks and glue to camp and becoming an “Instructor”. It saved me a lot of money and lets face it no outfall of cash-rocks are free! And really whats to instruct? But it was fun and I enjoyed it a lot. Funnily I have only one Inuckshuk myself and that is a larger one outside. But as I truck around Kaslo and have a coffee with friends I see many of them on display still and will always have an affinity for them I think. During that time in turn, I received “gifts” concerning these little structures. A book, earrings,pins, and a lovely tote bag. And it all began with a friend that came to stay here starting me off when I had never even heard of them! Thanks Barb Authenac! To this day I have bins of rocks beside my house ready for more building but just have not done any more in years and my friends and I no longer attend the camp in Alberta. But maybe one day I will get back to them, who knows??

"Stuff Happens!"

Wow! “Stuff” happens and that's for sure! I have had several hours of quiet in the house with me on the computer and the dogs sleeping and the “Reddings” more or less behaving. Seven a.m. Seems the “witching hour” and it is also breakfast time for the crew. The Reddings began to wrestle and from the sounds of it once again Opus was losing. I think Otis likes to make him sqawk. So out they went in the porch and were fed first. I got Jiggs dry food out on the counter and went back to the computer to sign off a chat, and could hear this unusual noise. I wondered if it was the music on t.v. , but no, it was little sounds Jiggs was making at the delay in his favorite time of the day-eating time! These animals really do run my life.

I remember my vet telling me when I first told him of Keepers' “incontinence” that I would just have to put up with it at her age. And so I have and mostly it is not a big deal(one small bit of info for others-if you continue to feed some dry food the “end” results are much easier to pick up!) I am not sure what happened last night but I was out to a small party and when I returned found Keeper had had an assident and all three dogs had walked in it and there was dog crap all across the front room and the living room right to the kitchen! Oh Joy! I tell you none of this was pickable and after trying to wipe some of it up I got the mop and pail and washed the floors. They needed it anyway but not my favorite time to be doing it anyway.

So yes Jiggs is back for five days. At first I really wondered about him. All dogs like to have their “space” and most dogs respect that. In her day Keeper was always quick to respect another animals “space” but when you add her age to the mix and the fact that she is nearly blind, can't hear and at times staggers(sometimes even falls) this bit of dogdom doesn't work so good. Jiggs growled to let her know she was trespassing but here you go-she can't hear! When she still didn't back off he went for her and if you understand dogs you cannot blame him. But he still got chastised and now seems to understand a bit better. At other times there have been problems with keepers bed in the bedroom. The old girl doesn't settle well at bedtime and will wander around aimlessly and go for a drink etc. This time Jiggs seems to have figured that one out and I suspect he is sleeping on the couch so have put a blanket down and all is well.

Keeper is having a hard time in the frozen snow and now there is also ice right at the door. I put stuff down but will put some sand as well today. I would imagine old dog bones could break as easily as old peoples? We don't need that for sure.Although Jiggs is a great dog he is younger and more exuberant and not one for manners at the door, which also makes it hard for Keeper. Teko being smaller seems to be able to stay out of the way and scoot out the door without any one pushing or shoving him. He really is a little survivor for sure.

Not a lot happening with the Reddings although Otis has been upchuking a lot lately. I had put it down to his greediness and cut back on their food but yesterday found he had eaten a silver ribbon! I can only hope all of it came up and there isn't anything in there causing a problem. Exrays and/or surgery would prove to be costly I am sure! I will see what the next few days bring. I know animals are costly at times and can only hope he grows up and learns not to eat eveything he finds. Otis definitely seems to be the “wild child” of this family anyway. Opus was making the awful hairball noises the other day and I quickly applied the hairball medicine to his paw and he licked it all up so hope that did the trick.

As I said at the beginning I know “STUFF” happens but I am really getting tired of dealing with all these bodily fluids! Of course once spring comes and the first green grass there will all sorts of upchucks as the dogs do their purging so maybe it is all just part of life. Uh oh the old girl who has been sleeping heavily just woke up and will want her brekkie soon so gotta go. Have a great day everyone sans animal body fluids!!

Programmed

 Programmed- we all are to a certain extent and Miracle House is no exception. I was thinking this morning how I have become programmed by my animals- especially the Reddings! The bathroom door was something I often left open as I live alone. Then the Redding Brothers arrived and Otis has a penchant for water. The tub is no longer a big deal as I finally got the leaky faucet fixed. The toilet had remained the same and he is right there whenever it is flushed. I have learned to close the lid and keep the seat dry as his puddlings in there left water everywhere. Finally I have taken to closing the door on all four of them(dogs included). When I am in a hurry it takes far too much time to gather up the animals so I can close the door and leave the house.

Now to some extent they too have become programmed. My getting up from the computer for another coffee anywhere near 6 or 7:00 a.m. could result in a feeding so much attention is bestowed upon me and I usually so give up and feed them. It is just easier and then too if they show signs of initiating the Redding Romp upon my poor house, this also prompts me to feed them. They eat in the porch and may not be back in the house until 11:00 when I come back from work. When I am home I let them in earlier thinking they may be cold but so far they are never in a hurry except Otis who really likes warm water from the house as opposed to the water in the porch. Smart cat!

Then again it is me who is programmed to constantly be letting the dogs out. Neither has been big on letting me know they need to go out so I have devised a method of letting them out whenever I am in the kitchen and they have followed me. Some days it seems all I do is tend animals.

A few things have happened of late. Yesterday, foolish Otis was feeling his feed and lept in the air and came down on poor Keepers back! She of course was startled and trying to reach back and get him and fell over into her feed bowl and all hell seemed to break loose in a matter of seconds. Luckily at her age she doesn't hold a grudge and seems to forget all about in no time at all. Not so with Teko! He has never forgiven the cats for sleeping in his baskets and has no intention of sharing any type of food with them at all! Not even when it is Keepers food.(But then dogs don't seem to differentiate between what belongs to who,unless it is a biscuit or bone right in the other dogs paws.)

I recently read of a cat who became the “eyes” for a totally blind dog. This dog was afraid to be anywhere but on the couch and once the cat came could go places again. For some time I have watched Opus rub against Keeper and walk beside her when she tries to walk away. As stated before the “old Girl” is not all that steady on her paws and can be tipped over pretty easily. Keeper becomes most annoyed and eventually tells Opus off and he leaves her be. Now I notice Otis doing the same thing! It would seem Keeper does not want any “seeing-eye cat” to be helping her and indeed seldom seems to want my help either. The only time she accepts my help is when she jumps in the van, I make sure I am right there for an assist and we are getting rather good at it and it saves my back. I am grateful and more than a little astounded to think she is doing this more or less “blind” and simply trusting that the van has not grown overnight and that I have her back so to speak. What a good ole dog! After emerging with talking to myself about if I am being unfair to her by NOT having her put to sleep, I no longer feel guilty and as long as she is not in pain and it is possible for me to care for her, I will. Hopefully her issues with the Redding cats will just serve as a stimulant in her old age and keep things “happening”?

Although I probably shouldn't tell everyone, but I did an awful thing one night last week. I had let the dogs outside and usually they bark when they want back in. I guess I brought Keeper in and Teko was taking his time or not finished yet. I got ready for bed and thought everyone was in and that Teko had fallen asleep his front room basket, as I could hear no snoring. That should have been my first clue! At any other time he would have barked and I would have heard him especially from the bedroom but I heard nothing and later at 3:00 a.m. When keeper was stirring again I got up to let her go out and in came a very indignant long-haired chihuahua! He held a grudge for most of the morning and I wondered if I would ever get him to go out again but he forgot about and went when he had to. He seemed no worse for wear and just goes to prove these little dogs are tougher than we think? I am now more careful with my nightly head count and last night actually dreamt I heard him bark and got up but he was actually sleeping in his bedroom basket like he is supposed to. So maybe these animals act as a stimulant for me as well? He is such a little dog he still surprises me when I am looking for him and he is right behind me. Actually he is usually quite near me, except for when he is totally asleep or when he is outside. Kind of like a velcro dog? Anyway life would be really drab without the Reddings and the Geriatrics!

Old Dogs and Decisions

  I have just been on a site about living with blind dogs. It was interesting to see that someone has invented a “hoop” that they call a “halo” to help these dogs find their way and not run into things. There are even instructions on how to make your own-how unusual is that?Although it is a good idea I think, I don't think it would help Keeper very much. She has always been such an independent dog that I think wearing this thing would upset her. Although of course ,they adapt more readily to change than we do, I think it might make things more difficult for her. She seems to have figured out how to jump down a small bank in the back yard on her own. Sometimes the “jump” is much more than she needs but still accurate, so what the heck? I wonder what happens if the halo gets caught on something and then of course there are the Reddings, they I am sure would be fascinated with this device and would pester the poor dog even more than they do already. I also think it would impair her comfort when sleeping. Added too, to all the info on living with a blind dog is the fact that this dog also has impaired hearing. Like her sight she still has some and I am grateful for that. However that doesn't change the fact that recently I think she lost some more of her sight as she seems to have more difficulty under certain circumstances. As soon as we got some snow it seemed more difficult for her to see where she wants to go. She goes out willingly but doesn't always seem to remember what she is out there for. Getting her back in has become a chore. Its almost like she can't figure that out and possibly feels lost out there, so she barks. I dislike this as do not want to put my neighbors through listening to it. A few years ago I attached a bell to her collar so I know where she is and a bit of what is happening to her. In the night, often at 3:00 a.m. she seems to need out, so I get up and of course no one in the area wants to hear a dog barking at the hour. My method of getting her in consists of banging an old horse whip on the door and I am afraid that may make as much noise as the dog! Since it snowed this seems to take a great deal of time and before the winter is done I may have to wade out there to physically get her.

I don't want to stick my head in the sand and ignore what is happening to her and am well aware that just possibly she is not living a life of good quality and just possibly it is time for me to make THE DECISION and have her put to sleep. Before Christmas I had decided that I would do this, now I find myself weakening again. So many things to weigh in my mind. It hurts my heart when she has difficulty getting up or walking after she has slept for awhile. This dog has always had a lot of heart and is very stoic about her aging. If there was a lot of moaning and groaning going on I would be quick to take her into the vet for that last trip. But again she seems to take it all in stride and is going on heart I suppose and that is what stays my hand. Other dog owners assure me I will simply “KNOW” when it is “TIME” and I don't know as I feel that way yet. Of course I get tired of cleaning up after her accidents in the night. I know many people would simply not put up with it and that would be reason enough-- but it all cleans up and seems a small price to perform for such a wonderful friend.

How can one not admire a dog that still at 18 attempts to jump in the van even though she cannot see where she is going? I make sure I am right there to assist and damned if it doesn't work! But how brave of her! Her nose tells her where I am and I suppose where the van is but still I think it is commendable given her disabilities that she still attempts to live as she always has and wants to please me. Does she live just because she doesn't know how to die? Is it to please me? How much pain is she in? And most of all “Is it time and I just refuse to see it?” I don't know when or if I will get the answers to these questions so I can only go with my heart. I do my best to see to her comfort and feed her temptingly, and even interfere when the Reddings are bugging her . I cannot turn back time for her or give her a younger body and so we will simply continue on and see if those questions above get answered in the future.