NOW WE CAN PUT DOWN PULLING ON ICE SCATES AS A LEARNED SERVICE TO MOBILITY PATIENTS !!
WELL YET AGAIN SHE IS IMPRESSING ME! SO TODAY IS 10 WEEKS AND 3 DAYS POST SURGERY AND SHE IS UP ON ICE SKATES!!!! SHE CAN'T STAND WITHOUT SUPPORT OR MOVE WITHOUT SOMETHING BUT SHE SURE IS TRYING! SHE PUSHED A BUCKET AROUND FOR A LONG TIME. WHEN TIRED SHE SAT ON HER BUCKET AND KICKED HER FEET TO MOVE AROUND OR HAD SOMEONE PUSH HER. THEN GEORGE NOT ONLY HELPS BELLA WALK ON 2 FEET HE ALSO HELPED HER COAST ON 2 SKATES!! BELLA HELD ONTO HIS JACKET AND HE WALKED EVER SO GINGERLY ON THE ICE AND PULLED HER AROUND. BELLA DIDN'T WANT TO LET GO OF MY HARD SO I COULDN'T GET A VIDEO THIS TIME. I AM SURE THERE WILL BE ANOTHER TIME. BELLA IS ALREADY ASKING WHEN SHE CAN SKATE AGAIN. GEORGE DIDN'T STAY ON THE ICE VERY LONG. EVEN THOUGH HE HAS PROTECTANT CREAM ON HIS PAWS BELLA AND I WERE AFRAID HIS PAWS WOULD GET COLD. HE WAS HAPPY RUNNING ON THE EDGE WATCHING OR EVEN DECIDED TO WATCH BELLA FROM HIS BED IN THE VAN. EITHER WAY THEY WERE BOTH HAPPY.
BOY DO I HATE ICE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR-- I HOPE BELLA AND GEORGE KNOW OF A NICE 6"DEEP PUDDLE TO SKATE ON.... TH E ONLY ICE SKATING PLACE APPROVED BY ME IS THE TOPSFIELD FAIRGROUNDS PARKING LOT WHICH OFTEN HAS A FLOODED AREA FROM THE IPSWICH RIVER - AND AT MOST IS 18 INCHES DEEP...I DID HAVE A DOG GO THRU THE ICE ON OUR POND--- THERE ARE SPRINGS? WHICH MAKE THE ICE THIN IN PLACES... AND A STUD DOG WENT THRU.. I STARTED TO THE ICE YELLING FOR HELP-- THE ONLY ONE HERE WAS..... JANINE.... WHO NEVER QUESTIONS THE CALL FOR HELP-- SHE JUST GOES AND FIGURES OUT TH E
DETAILS LATER.... ALSO I DON;T KNWO WHAT THE PROPER ATTIRE IS FOR AN ICE RESCUE EFFORT, BUT SHE WAS NOT WEARING IT.--LIKE A GOOD MOTHER I PUSHED JANINE OUT ON THE POND WITH A ROPE AROUND HER--- ACTUALLY SHE WAS MORE LIKE THOSE BIG ICEBREAKER SHIPS PLOWING THRI THE FROZEN WATER ---OUR POND IS ONLY ABOUT 3-4 FEET DEEP BUT THE DOG COULD NOT GET BACK UP ON THE ICE. A GREAT DANE STRUGGLING TO GET UP ON THE ICE... WITH THOSE TOENAILS IS A DANGER IN ITSELF... BUT SHE GOT HIM DIRECTED INTO THE PATH TRU THE ICE SHE AHD MADE AND BOTH WERE SHUFFLED INTO TH EFIREPLACE TO BE THAWED.....WHILE JANINE PERFECTED HER LANGUAGE SKILLS --" THAT WOULD MAKE A SAILOR BLUSH" ...
MANY OF THE BETTER JANINE STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH HER ABILITY TO ASSESS AND AID IN DISASTERS WHICH EXPLAIN WHY SHE WAS ONCE SLIDING AROUND THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE IN HER VICTORIA SECRETE BEST, WITHOUT A LADDER WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. BUT THAT IS ANOTHER STORY... OF MANY...
THERE WAS SOME SCOTTISH EXPRESSION ABOUT "WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE CHURN PADDLE STICKS?" THAT MAY APPLY TO A BUTTER. CHURN..... BUT THE EXPRESSION APPLIES TO FARM LIFE IN GENERAL...
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MOVING ON..... WITH 13 NEW RESIDENTS OF CRAZY ACRES... ALL HEALTHY LOOKING-- WITH ROBUST LUNGS THAT IS FOR SURE... PLUS GUSSIE IS ONE OPINIONATED MOTHER WHO HAS NOTHING PLEASENT TO SAY ABOUT HER NEIGHBOR LAINIE... WHO IS JUST LEARNING TO CARE FOR 4 BLACK PUPS..
ACTUALLY THEY ALL LOOK BLACK... BUT TECHNICLLAY 3 MALES ARE THE LOVELY SHINEY BLACK BLACK.. AND THE FEMALE IS DARN NEAR BLACK..
YOU CAN STUDY THAT DIFFERENCE ON MOST OF OUR HARLEQUIN DOGS... ALL HARLS HAVE SOME MERLE SPOT SOMEWHERE- AFTER THAT, THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE BLACK AND WHITE... BUT THERE ARE TONES TO THE BLACK.. WHICH IF THEY WERE SHOW DOGS WOULD NOT ELIMINATE THEM AS LONG AS YOU COVER THE PALE BLACK SPOTS WITH MENS MUSTACHE BLACKENING.
ONE OF THE VERY FIRST DANES I HAD WAS A RESCUE- A BLACK FEMALE WHICH SOMEONE REJECTED AS AN INFERIOR DOG BECASUE SHE HAD A 4" WHITE MARK ON HER CHEST. I WAS NEW AT THE GAME AND BELIEVED TEH CHAMPION SHOW DOG WAS THE APOLLO OF DOG WORLDS- AND THE POOR DOG WITH A FEW WHITE HAIRS WAS REJECTED AND LABELED A "MISMARK" TO BE TOSSED AWAY. IT DIDNT TAKE ME TOO LONG TO SAY LOUDLY "SOMEBODY---- INCLUDING ME---- IS NUTS"
A REPUTATION IS TO BE PRESEARVED AT CONSIDERABLE COST... WHEN I JOINED ADI ( ASSISTANCE DOG INTERNATIONAL) AT THE FIRST CONFRERENCE I HAD BAILEY WITH ME- THE PRESIDENT TOLD ME "YOU GREAT DANE PEOPLE ARE NUTS" . HOPEFULLY I HAVE MAINTAINED THAT REPUTATION. LOTS OF OTHER REPUTATIONS ...COULD BE WORSE.
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WE MIGHT GET A CHANCE TODAY TO START WITH THE GOATS MILK BOTTLES WITH GUSSIE'S GROUP... THEY ARE CERTAINLY ROUND AND HEALTHY-- BUT LOOMING IN THE DISTANC COULD BE MASTITIS-- SHE HAS HAD TI BEFORE - NOT THAT THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE... THE THREAT IS ALWAYS THERE-- AND IF SHE GETS IT, IT IS BEST IF THE PUPS ALREADY KNOW HOW TO DRINK FROM A BOTTLE..-- SO I LIKE TO TEACH THEM WHEN THEY ARE NOT HUNGRY. IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THEM STARTED WHEN THEY ARE VERY HUNGRY-- SO IF WE HAVE ENOUGH HELP HERE TODAY WE MIGHT DO THT... IT INVOLVES STRAININGGOATS MILK BECAUSE THE LUMPS IN THE POWDER CAN PLUG A NIPPLE...AND THERE ARE LUMPS EVEN IF YOU USE A BLENDER TO MIX IT.
EXPERIENCE COMES FROM BAD EXPERIENCES.... SO WE STRAIN... A PIECE OF GAUZE IF WE CAN'T FIND THE FINE STRAINER.
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NOW IT IS ABOUT WHEN DOGS "DO IT YOURSELF" IN THE POO PICKING DEPARTMENT... - THERE IS A LONG POLITICALLY CORRECT NAME FOR IT CORPHXXXXXXXLIA ... BUT IT IS GROSS PERIOD.. AND NEARLY ALL DO AT SOME TIME. AND EVERYBODY HAS A THEORY... INCLUDING ME...
AN OBSERVATION I FIND INTERESTING, IS THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE ONES WITH SOFT STOOL.. ONLY THE HARD ONES... ?HEALTHY ONES?? ESPECIALLY FROZEN ONES.. HENCE THE NAME "POOPCICLE"
I HAVE ALSO OBSEARVED.. IN THE SUMMER FLYS SEEM TO GO FOR ONE PILE AS OPPOSED TO ANOTHER... THERE IS SOME DIFFERENCE.
THERE ARE SOME WHO SAY THINGS LIKE ESTABLISHING-- OR MAINTAINING THE NECESSARY BACTERIA IN THEIR GUT----WHICH SOME OTHER ANIMAL...( LIKE IN THE CASE OF BABY HORSES WHIC ALWAYS SEEM TO EAT MOMMY'S POOP) ------ ONE ONLY HAD TO WATCH OUR DOGS SITTING BEHIND OUR LOVELY DONKEY.. MARY.. WAITING FOR HER TO "GO" LIKE A PIZZA DELIVERY SERVICE.. AND THE CONTENT OF THIER DESIRE WAS MOSTLY CORN.... USED CORN... BUT CORN... AND OATS ETC.....
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I COULD DO AN ENTIRE DD ONTHE TOPIC OF DOG FOOD- IT IS A LIKE RELIGION TO SOME PEOPLE- SEEMS ESPECIALLY GREAT DANAE PEOPLE..THRU THE YEARS I HAVE BEEN BATTERED WITH BELIEFS FROM FEEDING ONLY RAW CHICKEN NECKS TO POWDERED FISH AND SEAWEED.. LONG BEFORE PURINA DONATED OUR FOOD, I BOUGHT IT WITH HARD EARNED CASH.....- ABOUT 30 YEARS OF BUYING MOSTLY PURINA TO MIX WITH ANYTHING ANYONE GAVE ME - I CONSIDERED IT THE STABLE SOURCE OF NURISHMENT TO WHICH I WOULD MIX WITH ANYTHING FREE. PURINA IS A HUGE OUTFIT AND I FIGURED IF THERE WAS A BETTER OR MORE DIVERSE FOOD NEEDED , PURINA WOULD MAKE IT-- AND CHARGE MORE FOR IT OF COURSE... SOOOOOO.... A CP WORKED ON A SPREAD SHEET OF INGREDIENTS OF DOG FOODS AND PRODUCED A LIST OF MANY BRANDS WITH THE FIRST 10 INGREDIENTS LISTED ON THE BAG... IT IS VEY INTERESTING AND I WOULD SEND IT TO ANYONE WHO WANTS IT JUST EMAIL ME...
I CAN PROVE I BOUGHT PURINA-- LONG AGO YOU SAVED TEH WEIGHT CIERCLES FOR " PURINA AWARDS" AND THE TOP "PRIZE" WAS A BOSE RADIO FOR 35,000? POINTS-- AND WE HAD 5 BOSE RADIOS..- I WAS GIVING THEM AWAY...
FOR PURINA TO NOW DONATE OUR FOOD IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THT COULD HAPPEN TO US-- ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAD CHOSEN TO BUY IT FOR SO LONG...
QUIT NOW WHILE I AM AHEAD.