JAN 31 2018

lordy  700 bricks to go--- OUCH !!!  WE HAVE A PAYROLL TO MEET SO WE NEED TO HAVE 2100 BRICKS SOLD...BY SUNDAY....-- I KNOW THERE ARE SOOOOO MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW-- AND I KEEP MEETING PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW ABOTU OUR CHICKEN BRICK SUPPORT OF  SDP.... PLEASE DO SHARE OUR STORY ... AND INCLUDE THE CRITICAL NEED FOR EVERYONE  NWHO CAN AFFORD IT, TO BUY AT LEAST  ONE CHICKEN BRICK.... I DON'T WANT TO PUT ANY PRESSURE ON SOMEONE  ON A SPARSE FINANCIAL DIET, BUT IF YOU CAN.... P  L  E  A  S  E------- AND CERTAINLY EVERYONE CAN PASS THE WORD--- IF EVEN HALF OF YOU CONVINCED ONE FRIEND  TO JOIN   IN  TEH SHATTING -  WE WOULD BE LAUGHING.... AND KEEP IN MIND YOU MIGHT BE TALKING TO SOME MILLIONAIRE WHO  COULD AFFORD A COUPLE BRICKS WITH OUT A PROBLEM.

****

LESSON OF TE DAY.....

 DOGS FOLLOW-- TRYING TO CATCH A TIMID DOG  BY MOVING TOWARD THEM   DOES NOT WORK...  WE JUST HAD A BAD DEAL HERE--- OUR JUST SPAYED FEMALE GOT OUT IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE TO PEE WITH THE OTHERS, BUT WOULD NOT COME BACK IN...OUR OVERNIGHTER WAS OUT THERE WITH A LEASH AND COOKIES- TO NO AVAIL..

***  NOW THIS IS WHY THEY PAY ME TH EBIG BUCKS..... I SENT THE OVERNIGHTER   IN TH E HOUSE.... NOT ANYWHERE NEAR THE OPEN FRONT DOOR.......I WENT OUT MAKING CHEERFUL NOISES AND WALKED AROUND MY GOLF CART -- WHICH WAS NOT IN HER DIRECTION AT ALL-- CONTINUING TO MAKE CHEERFUL NOISES , I TALKED TO THE TREES  AND OTHER INANAIMATE OBJECTS... FINALLY APPROACHING HER AT ABOUT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE.. WHEN SHE TOOK ONE STEP TOWARD ME , I CHEERFULLY TURNED AND WALKED IN TH EDOOR AND SHE FOLLOWED.... I HAD TO GET HER FULLY IN THE DOOR BECAUSE IF I HAD MADE A QUICK MOVE TO "CAPTURE" HER BY SHUTTING THE DOOR, SHE WOULD HAVE BOLTED AND BEEN WORSE OFF THAN TO START---  SO I CHEERFULLY CHIRPED MY WAY  PAST THE FIREPLACE SO I COULD SLOWLY GET BEHIND HER WHEN SHE WAS DISTRACTED AND SHUT THE DOOR...-- I SAT AT MY DESK WITH A COOKIE.. AND WITHIN A MINUTE SHE CAME AND ATE IT.  NO WAY WOULD I HAVE PUT A LEASH ON HER AT THAT POINT...  SHE WAS UNDER CONTROL IN THE HOUSE--- AND TO PUT A LEASH ON HER WOUOLD AFFECT HER BEHAVIOR FOR DAYS... I DEFINITELY WANTED TEH "FOLLOW HER AND GET COOKIES"  NOT  "FOLLOW HER AND SHE DRAGGED ME AROUND WITH A LEASH..."-- SOME POELPLE UST DONT SEE IT HOW THE DOG SEES IT.  THAT "WALKING TOWARD THE DOG AT ABOUT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE"    MAY NOT WORK 100% OF THE TIME....BUT WALKING TOWARD A TIMID DOG WILL FAIL  100% IN MY EXPERIENCE.  JUST A FEW DEGREES "OFF"   IS SO MUCH BETTER.

*****

IT WAS A LIVELY NIGHT... AND THE MARE DID NOT FOAL....THANKFULLY...  ONCE AGAIN WE DO NOT HAVE A CLUE ABOUT HER "CONDITION"   AT ALL-- HER MILK BAG IS FULL-- SHE IS EITHER ABOUT TO FOAL... OR HAD A FOAL OR MISSCARRIAGE IN THE SLAUGHTER PENS.. I HAVE CALLED BRYAN, WHO WILL BE HERE ABOTU 1230 TODAY  BARRING ANY EMERGENCY ELSEWHERE...

 THE POOR THING HAS AN AWFUL LOOKING EYE EVEN FROM A DISTANCE OF MY DESK...

IF I HAVE TO DEAL WITH A HORSE, MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE A QUARTERHORSE.. IT IS THEIR SHPAE OF " A LEG IN EACH CORNER " ON WHICH I HAVE BASED THE CONFORMATION OF A SERVICE DOG ... I.E. BENTLEY FYI... THEY ARE CALLED QUARTERHORSES BECAUSE THEY ARE THE FASTEST HORSE OVER 1/4 A MILE--   THEY ARE OUT OF THE GATE RUNNING  WHILE A THOROBRED IS STILL STANDING THERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF THE GATE IS OPEN OR NOT.  THE "QH"  IS USED TO "WORK" CATTLE ----THEY ARE QUICK ON THEIR FEET VERY LIKE SOME OF THE BORDER COLLIES YOU HAVE SEEN HERDING SHEEP.. THESE QUARTER HORUSES WILL "HERD" LIKE THAT-- AND THE GUY RIDING ONE JUST LETS THEM AND HE HANGS ON TO THE SADDLE-- THE OTHER THING TO NOTICE HERE IS THAT THE TINY BUMP YOU CAN SEE IN FRONT OF HER BACK LEG AT TIMES IS ACTUALLY TEH NIPPLE OF HER MILK BAG.

****

SO --- WE HAVE AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM---AND WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL OFFERS TO DONATE A FEW DOLLARS A MONTH TO KEEP THESE KIDS OFF THE STREET--- TURNS OUT-- THERE ARE 6  OF THE "OLD ONES" AND  A FEW NEW ONES..  . IF WE HIRE THE OLD ONES, OUR CURRENT STAFF COULD LITERALLY  TAKE THE SUMMER OFF... AND WE WOULD DO VERY WELL...  PROBLEM IS WHAT DO WE PAY TO WHOM...-- THESE KIDS ARE GREAT... AND WOULD MAKE THE SUMMER VERY PRODUCTIVE FOR ALL CONCERNED...  BUT DO THE MATH   10 HOUR DAYS   8-7 HAVE BEEN OUR USUAL FOR $100 -

-IF WE HAVE 2 PER DAY, FROM OUR END  $200/DAY  30 DAYS = $6000 FOR 3 MONTHS =$18,000

  ...3 PER DAY=300 X 30 DAYS=$9000 FOR 3 MONTHS=$27,000  UNLESS SOME COMPANY SWOOPS IN WITH SOME CASH I DON'T SEE HOW  WE COJDL DO THE $27,000 KIND OF THING.

GOING  AT IT FROM TH OTHER DIRECTION  2  PER DAY WOULD MEAN 14 "SLOTS"  BETWEEN 6 KIDS/WEEK  ... THAT WOULD WORK...

A-B.... MON TUES

C-D..... WED THURS

E-F ...... FRI-SAT

 AND TANNER... BEING YOUNGER THAN HE LOOKS--  CAN NOT  OFFICIALLY WORK YET - ALTHO WE CAN CERTAINLY GET A DAYS WORK OUT OF HIM... ) 

HAVING THEM DO   ONE OVERNIGHT-- WOULD GIVE US THE CASH TO PAY THEM MORE...  WOULDN'T THAT BE FUN... !!!! 

NOW .. AS FAR AS HAVING THEM LEARN-- AS IN  REAL LIFE EDUCATIONAL-- THEY WOULD DO MUCH BETTER TO DO MORE  DAYS A WEEK.  RATHER THAN HANG SOMEWHERE...

THAT IS MY DILEMMA ----  3 DAYS PLUS  ONE OVERNIGHT....  -. BUT MIGHT BE THE BEST ALL THINGS CONSIDERED...

THE NEW KIDS-- COMING OFF THE INTERNSHOPE PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS HAVE TO DO 25 HOURS  A WEEK.. PROBONO...  SO THEY WOULD BE AROUND TOO...

****

AND I MUST FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP THE INTERSHIP MONEY SEPARATE FROM FUN FUND AND OTHERS...  I AM WORKING ON IT.

jan 30 2018

 hippo birdies 2 ewes----FRAN (sister in pagosa springs colorado..)AND JANINE-- ?preasents??  well... last month i sent the brown necco wafers some cp sent me for her... and janine is somewhere in th e snowstorm in a caravan of 3 horse trailers with 14ish donkeys and horses fromt he slaughter sales somewhere in penna .i had a stall ready for her  overflow  but those plans changed -- which is why  the donkeys are not where they were origionally.. we will get them back today... unless plans change again......

on that topic...i am sensitive to comments like this...

CARLENE, I SURE HOPE HARLEY DOESN'T HAVE THAT BABY DONKEY TONIGHT.  ALL THE TIME THE CPS AND CAM OPS PUT IN WATCHING HER, ALL THOSE HOURS, AND NOW SHE'S NOT ON CAMERA.  THERE MUST BE A BETTER SOLUTION.

well i certainly don't know of one... i have a farm to run... a  i am doing the best i can... i try and go out of my way to keep things in front of the cameras-- but there are times..... and i can not run to the barn to change the donkeys all around just in case those two do foal...  as watchers of crazy acres, you too have to take your chances....  i would be telling something not quite true if i said th cameras are inhibiting our behavior-- we have got used to them and  teh rule is .. what you see is what you get.... sometimes i do not have time to explain everything...

you wanna know ----details??? 

janine thought she had a horse on board whic was about to foal-- i had told her you camera people like to witness that if possible... so she was to drop it off here at 9pm last night..-- the foaling date was based on a vet exam in th e slaughter pens-- probably from a distance of 20 feet-- not an internal by bryan.. so again .. not sure... then storm altered their plans and  i think she sent th ehorse to somewone she knows in virginia... now it may be alot to think of 3 horse trailers wandering around in a snowstorm  with a bunch of donkeys ,horses and mules with running noses... but ... you haven't lived with janine for 50 years either.

i tell you as whacko as it sounds... if you are ever  stuck somewhere--- janine is the one to call on... she will get there if at all possible....... somehow... she has had alot of experience... chris christie is not the only one to gum up traffic on the george washing ton bridge to new yourk....  janine got a flat with our trailer at rush hour....-- i think it was the load  that had mo on board... and somehow between the police and some truck driver she was rolling again in 20 minutes...

so why don't i know what is happening??? becasue i can not keep track of her..... that is why--- it will be easier when that back barn of tanners gets more complete--

*****

now for mythbusting per carlene--

someone - who shall remain nameless-- came and said a friend  who is a nurse said chlorox wipes were proven to cause cancer...and we should use rubber gloves-- welllll,,, on the label it does refer to gloves... but  only in the generic legalese-

first  i asked deb- who works at the center for diesase control... she recognied all  those long words and said "it's normal stuff" -- based pn that i decided i would not worry about gloves- as i decided the comment about gloves was probably promoted by the glove manufacturer.. ADI would not like that  solution... so i wwent and got the msds sheets  10 of them for the exact product---  teh 2 biggest concerns weere  don't get it in your eyes... and  it is quite flamable-- so don't smoke.--i than went to the msds sheets(15 of them) for isoprophyl alcohol  and the  precautions there were the exact wording of the chlorox wipes.so if you are concerned about the wipes, then you should also be conceerned about the isoprxxxxx they wipe on you for every shot at the hospital--  next attack... pam found  an article on line  which sounded like the person had investigated the chemicals  in these wipes and she says the  second ingredient---it is used in nasal sprays and eye drops.   

Another myth that has been circulating about these wipes is that they can cause cancer. However, none of the ingredients in the wipes are on the IARC, NTP, or OSHA carcinogen lists. 

this is the  internet  source of the "rumor"  http://www.vivint.com/neighborhood/green-neighbor/are-we-wiping-up-germs-with-harmful-chemicals/

 everyone can do what they want about gloves... we do have plenty ...  but that is enough to convince me not to bother..

 actulaly ... i believed deb... but we are all 28 sheets of paper to the wise now...25 of them federally supported.  ADI will be thrilled.

personally -- i am of the opinion that so much concnetration on erasing bacteria may be responsible for our bodies-- especially of our children not developing the antibodies necessary to fight off these things... my kids and i ate carrots out in the garden which was  fertalied the  old fashoin way- wipe them off in your armpit... so having wipes in supermarkets to wipe the handles of carts is foreign to me.

i am told by pam our internet comments have gone wierd again --my opinion of the internet??? manupulation of mass opinion without factual control.  we are in trouble..

jan 29 2018

sizzle get in the car......sizzle get in the car......sizzle get in the car......siz--zle--get --in --the-- car...bentley get out and let sizzle get in......sizzle get in the car...sizzzzzzzz... whoops---  chaos get in the car...

the look on chaos face was priceless " you dummy, i really want to get in the car , but,  i am not sizzle" -- the look on tanners face wasn't a lot different-- especially when he said "you all right  to find your way home?"

i seem to remember a very young daughter Gwen saying to me "i am not Janine"- so i have not got any better...

***

lotsa new people here yesterday-- you would think it was spring--i even walked around  outside nearly 30 feet- actually to get some of the meatballs scooter karen had in the t tent...  boy were they good... and the sauce....... ( this is the big fyi of the day)  prego spaghetti sauce right out  of the bottle  -- but in a crock pot overnight...she said that made a big difference... it sure seemed to...

reminded me of .... the meatball sandwiches i had at the home of an italian boyfriend along the way-- which we had in very crusty fresh bread...

****

moving on...

these buckeyes are getting tooo big to be in the house-- they no longer fit on a love seat with an adult --sizzle will tolorate it   bently and chaos do not like bedfellows.

***

lots of discussion among camera people about  who to breed next... boy don't i love pressure to make up my mind which by all past history. i might change anyway... or mother nature might change it for me.-- i did just talk to sunday sandy-- and she says opal is  well exercised... even if she is roundish... apparently they walk 2-3 miles a day...  she is no spring chicken...- 6.5 years is not too old for normal dogs-- and she is healthy

baring the unforseen, she is due in heat  in march- so i am leaning toward  breeding her.  not sure to who...opal and gromet have had some really nice pups...  i don't know yet what watson will throw... and even after he has a litter "on the ground"  by the time we have to breed opal in march, we won't realy know much.  gene wise, i wouod really like to have  a breeder or two not related to walter and scarlott.  opal and watson is harl to harl--  but we do have a couple people who said they wouod love to home  a deaf dane... both are heavily marked with black... so we might be ok... looking back... every time we have bred harl to harl we have had one white--- bailey was one of them -- "shiner... long ago was another perfectly wonderful  white dog..  but it is very hard to listen to all the  people online  who decide i am  a  reckless backyard breeder..

so for those of you keeping score...  not relateed to scarrlott and walter..... we have  opal... lainie..gabby...sealy for females  and bennie.. cole.. ?jasper? neutered?  bumpie in california?and  unknown   watson.. who is very young... but he knows what goes where.

breeding animals is a crap shoot

*****

now it is abotu this new cell phone--turns out ... it may be the simplist voice recorder i  can find...  i just need something to jot ideas until i can develope them-- so far, i can get them on the phone... but can't figure out how to get them off teh  phone onto anything else...  like lindas computer....?email?..

all you experts ... it is a KYOCERA--- i went online to look for a manual.... it is the one that sells for $120... or renting for $5 a month...  does anyone know how to get the sound off and onto amac?   i did find out if i plug in a cord with pointy ends it cuts the sounc off my computer entirely if it just hangs there...

*****

so far  that blue apron food delivery service gets 4 out of 5 stars with all who ate it last saturday.. turns out pam will be coming in on sat noon ( instead of sunday noon) thru tuesday-- last time,      to get 6 meals i had to order 3 kinds... this time i went to "family meal size for 4"  and ordered 2 of them   maybe less confusion in the kitchen during mail call-- I was amazed  ice pack in the bottom of a foil bag with meats  vac packed.. then one sweet potatoe 3 carrots   plastic bag of seasionings. small bag of rice... everything....including minute by minute directiosn.... way to go  i haad no compaints

****

now to fine eh leftovers for breakfast// like meaballs???  i hae been up for 4 hours... doen't that make this --  lunch??

jan 28 2018

honey in  coffee is  not the usual 1/ cup of sugar l like, but it is not bad at all...  2am to 4am is my creative time of day    --so i dug out a voice recorder and started in on  THE BOOK  ---  a chapter on  how to drive a car-- basically... informativ.. educational... from ny vvast experience...  the breif outline..." ***when you own a horse trailer- you will be befrended by people with college bound kids and shortly be in the business of  moving beauros, books and beds across town, between dorm rooms then  from appartment to appartment..-----.the most/heaviest  i ever "hauled" was for dr.paul williamson-- a  young co hort  of my husband's -- he had a moving party one night-- bunch of guys...  mostly MD's  -- we filled my 53' massive horse trailer with his stuff and went across the street and backed up th e driveway of his new home where they all  unloaded it....  i  did not ride in the back of that  trailer-- i had to back it.... but i have in my lifetime had teh occasion ot stand up  in a trailer and hold a big mirror while someone else drove acoss boston,  this was a significant part of my PHD in murphy's law....   It is not all peaceful a dn quiet back there... and i quickly learned alot about being an animal in a vehicle with someone else driving.  emergency stops are sometimes unavoidable... but ---there is no excuse for jack rabbit STARTS.. ZERO TO 60 IN 4.2 SECONDS IS NOT FASCINATIONG IN THE BACK OF A TRAILER...---when you drive you get to do 3 things ---  push the brake, use the gas, or steer.---my advice from the back of the trailer is... you should  not do 2  of those things at once ..because when you do you create one heck of a whipping action  to those  in the back...cloverleafs are deadly to horses ( and dogs) ---  you put the brake on -- this shifts the weight of the horse more to the front legs- once properly slowed , you then steer thru the cloverleaf which shifts teh weight to the  left legs....pull out of the cloverleaf into traffic and the weight shifts to the rear legs.. all nice and organized...HOWEVER...   to brake and steer and then steer and accellerate  is when you need"shipping bandages" on the horse or they will get all  cut up scrambling to stay on their feet. it is not a lot different with dogs.  true story " something is wrong with my dogs hips  he can't jump in the  car any more"-- after thouscands of $$ in hip xrays, pills and  the like, they came to me... and i rode around the block.. the dog certainly could jump in ht ecar...problem was... he wojuldnt't. and the reason was... the driver... and teh space in front of the back seats.....their dog had fallen in that hole once too often...  so we stufed newspapers in the space where the rear passengers legs usually went... covered them with a blanket. and teh dogs hips were all of a sudden not the issue. i remembered my father - teaching me to drive...--- he taped a wineglass to the dash board- so it was level.--- and filled it  to the brim with water..  if i spilled any water, i did not drive for a month.  so this is the lesson i now mention to people getting one of our dogs...  don't come back here and tell me yo you have them on 3 pain and 2 tranquiliers a day -when in fact you need to adjust your driving style... and remember-- you  can not accelerate at the rate with which  you can de-celerate..

jan 27 2018

putting  your cell phone in the washer and dryer can be very educational-- firstly no amt of rice will improve it... heck it had already been thru the dryer...it was dead-- big time... 48 hours on  a charger did nothing.

so...... i went to verizon...-- the BIG  verizion store-- i don't want to imply that i am technology disadvntaged... you all know that--- i had sizzle with me--  first thing in the door i was accosted by a salesperson not unlike a used car salesman who had not sold a car in  a week-- plus she was chewing gum.  i feared this would not go well... between the hearing aid and her  gum, her descriptiopn of the possible "deals" was not clear... so i just started saying yes... just to get a phone and get out of there.  apparently  i needed to pay $59 to get rid of th e dead one (burial rights i assume)  because altho i had ben paying 7$ a month on the old one for insurance, that was by a company she must not get a commission from -because to  "use" that insurance  she could not give me a phone but if i filled out their paperwork- which she did not have--- they would send me one in a week..... or so... i opted to get a new one right there-- well that would be an additional $39 for "the upgrade" -- i think  in the car world, that would be "dealer prep??" 

the new phone would then be $5 a month/24 months  or $120 right now...- which meant i could opt for $5 a month, and if i lost/washed it at 1 month  it would only cost me $5...  no--- because i would still have to pay the $ 115 before tehy would sell me another....

and it got worse...

she did get all my phone numbers on the new phone by connecting with "God Central" where they have them all carefuly

 stored sorted and sold... i am sure... i needed it connected to my car "blue toothed" -- full of confidence she got in my car  reached over and pushed a button on my steering wheel i never knew was there...and started repeating  "pair a phone"

and siri would respond "i doo not understand"  i did not say "take the gum out of your mouth and maybe she would  be alb to figure it out."-----  but i didn't---  she finally decided my  car was at fault nd i better go to the toyota dealer--

i shifted into my old lady routine-- and went to toyota --just down the street...

it ewas busy but a servci man got in the seat and said "let me try"   there's that word....TRY--- well... he decided it was the wrong phone for the car- and i better go back to verizon----so-- off to verion  ---- i stopped  in front of the door.with window down,... and joined  in a   lively--- legnthy  arguement with 2 older men about handicapped parking- with sizle's head hanging out the window...  that makes  3 people, i dog , and a large suv blocking the door-- the manager came out. i said "the phone yu just sold me  needs to work in my car..'  he was adamant -- nothing wrong with teh phone... had to be the car-- go tell toyota to give you a list of phones that would work in this car." i will sell you anything"- he was no fun....

i didn't leave right away since i was enjoying the "discussion " with the 2 men... one of which knew me from topsfield.

*  back to toyota -- by now th ewhole service department  knew me-- or at least sizle- and several men came and diddled and at least my phone had toyota  on teh screen.. siri was still angry... and when i used it to call  home. it told linda i was univ of mass calling- finally teh service manager came over ... and with in 18 seconds siri was happy and the phone worked--   that guy was impressive !!!  i offered him a roll of life savers... we laughed !!

summation   out of 8 people at verizon and  another 6 at toyota, only 1 person knew  how to do what should have been thier job...---now how do you feel abotu parkinson's law...??

 with an awful lot of     "you want an answer.... here ... have an answer !!! "

 p.s... to test my phone his number landed on my phone-- so when i go to toyota  now... i can call the mgr   --

** oh also... to stop my phone from telling caller id's i am  the univ of mass calling i have to pay an additoinal $2.99 a month.. i said no.

******

a quick note on   the book..."mrs.parkinson's law"  -- i have read one chapter.. many one liners in true british fashion...

"in olden days were  women had maids and men had butlers. it tended to dilute marriages" 

  diluted is a perfedct word  for some marriages...

***

bella and georeg  progress report...

 BELLA HAD PT THIS MORNING AND DID SO GOOD. SHE HAS SOME ARM AND LEG EXERCISES SHE IS TO DO EVERY DAY. THE MOST IMPRESSIVE PART WAS SHE TOOK ABOUT 5 STEPS WITH GEORGE. SHE’S DIDN’T WANT ME TO VIDEO IT THOUGH. BUT SHE WOULD TELL GEORGE “ONE STEP” THEN THEY WOULD TAKE 1 STEP AND STOP. THEY DID THAT 5 TIMES UNTIL SHE WAS TO HER WHEELCHAIR. SHE WAS REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT WALKING WITH GEORGE THINKING HE MAY GO TO FAST BUT THE ONE STEP ROUTINE WORKED. 

*****

dogs prayer

 when i die,  please don't say "i won't have another dog" 

go find a dog  unloved in a shelter and let him take my place

***

good one....

jan 26,2018

oh great--- i woke up at 3am... and figured  ..i'd  work on the video, send those poo picker samples to adi, cut a hoel in a bucket and set that u[,lay out the chapters in THE BOOK , find my 2 recordig things.. make the bed for real,   then i got my shoes and sox on and had to rest for 29 minutes....  it sounds so simple until you have to actually move...   i watch all those ads- elderly people cheerfully swallowing a pill and jogging off  onto a beach pain free, except for their handy dandy oxygen hose stuck in their nose...-- i will get those things done....maybe by nap time.... not by 9:00 like i did before...

this book has posibilities-- not because anyone is interested in  the  actual accident....or the pain of my  #$%^&* sore toe... but  because i was on that mission  to train a service dog on the subway...-- and  in training a dog for service, or otherwise.. there is an element of  ... if i am unsure, then the dog will pick it up..- so before i started with an actual puppy/teenage dog.. i wanted to be sure all systems were "go"  with my solid dog ... bentley.    this kind of philosophy in dog training is critical with our danes...  99.4% of all danes are timid..... this is a huge problem for the golden retriever  trainers where "timid"  in a normal dog  can lead to fear biting... and fear biting is a real thing....however with our danes, i have never seen it..  "fear peeing all over your foot" is far more likely....so in starting our danes,   we want them to learn that when the world gets wierd, they will be perfectly safe if they just stay with their partner.    the way we raise our pups from day one.. (well maybe day 21) is to  encourage solid bonding. since our danes "read"  their partners so well,  we have to be very aware of how the partner is thinking and feeling. i am pretty careful that dog destined to become service dogs don't get bonded to anyone here -- sometimes overnights are  good... but never one dog same staff.

evidence that i might be right is that  having been knocked over and screaming  by  electrical shock, once bentley was clear of the shock,,, he stayed with me--most dogs would have run wildly  away...many will rightly suggest loyalty- but i know  part of it is "i  don't know what else to do besides stay with her" 

this can get very complicated when we are dealing with  PTSD  in addition to a balance problem....  if we have an applicant  who is  "timid"  we have to get a dog to a point where the dog is  so secure that it can deal with a bit of role reversal.. classic photo is the one of finn- at the age ot ?10 months, standing without a person or leash   on a corner -.... in times square????? finn has to be figuring   "it can't get any stranger than this" 

and he has gone on now to  work with eve... at cheerleading practice????  then there is george's picture today-- standing rock still while bella tris to stand after spinal surgery.. he has to be thinking  " i must hold very still because she somehow got her head stuck in that metal thing.. i have seen such a thing before... maybe they are trying to get her ears to stand up like my dad bentleys" 

*****

speaking of ptsd and  ADI--- they have passed all kinds of rules abotu dealing with vets with ptsd---including we need to have a mental health person on staff-- who is trained ...and keep records  ..... and do  this and that.----blah  blah  blah.  if we have to do all that , we simply can not train dogs.... i can not imagine the expense of hiring  a mental health person to be here when a veteran is around. and what would that person do in the meantime...  pick poo and fold laundry???   what this means to us is that we could  not take any vet  who puts that Dx  down...  we are specifically a balance dog outfit---.it seems to me that 87.8%   of vets  who have had  body parts altered, including their inner ear  balance parts... also have PTSD --  but we must cross that off all applicants.  so we don't have a psychiatrist folding laundry in the basement.. somehow... we haave ?dozens? of dogs  with people who seem to be ddoing  much better with our dogs-- we will have  to adjust our paperwork to meet ADI rulings.

and then there was scott--- arrived on our doorstep--- to say he was a mess... is to put it mildly--. scott was so bad that the board of directors hd me do a cory check on him -- which i had never heard of before...hhistlry of arrests, suicide,,jail..  drinking----  you  name it-- but he hung arond SDP  bit.. and  one of the dogs  "dash".... liked him.. and he was sober at SDP---- believe me... i know more abotu alcohol than anyone needs to know... however   dash liked him...  so i decided to take a chance-- and keep  track- almost daily of scott..and dash... for quite a while.

 the result is ...  he is doing a good job now...  believe me i was worried... plus he cost us $99 for the cory report--  ( i made him pay me back for that one )-----  his is a well done video   https://mountainlake.org/vch-turning-a-mess-into-a-message

****

now to work on ours....

jan 25 2018

this computer says today's DD   will be in blue-heaven know why

and sometimes black--with fonkey print too... mine is not to question why......... 

****jan 25  is not something one usually celebrates except... it is 2 years since my "electrical  accident" with an elevator knocking both bentley and i ...ass over teakettle???? would be the right expression...????  ... never did i think it would be the last time i could stand  up for 23 seconds as illustrated in that surveilance  video.... -and  more important...it seems to have been the end of fatherhood for bentley... bentley has sired no pups since....and he has such great offspring to his credit... not only goerge... but  clark..seagram..finnegan.. emmett--...just to name a few.... how can anyone put a value on  those dogs...? it has taken a while-- but i am much better-- the first 18 months were lost...- i couldn't even do the #1 star suduko puzzles-- i am now back to the #4- so maybe now i can get going on that book-- janine did so well on her book...the dogs, donkeys, and circus performers that she wrote in about a day and a half...

.maybe i can write one dogs donkeys and electrocution  --- catchy title anyway...

******

this SDp/crazy acres  video we( eric. betsy andi) are making--- i really wanted to impress on the viewers how i alligned my breeding of danes with  the BMW kennel in long island....i had great respect for  the owner laura, not because of teh times she won big NY  dog shows, but because i saw a picture of her, in a small rowboat with 5 of her big, adult  danes--  that ws something no other dog breeder i knew would attempt - yet she did it  regularly to exercise the dogs on fire island...  the picutre ajay found was a very slightly bigger boat with 5 dogs and 3 adults-  which still illustrates the point... laura knew her dogs.... 

it was a sdp community effort to find that picture... and  we will include it in the video... 

By now hopefully you have seen the video and 'snapshots' of the photos that you were trying to find involving the BMW Kennels. 

 But I wanted to take a minute to umm *point out* the effort that your loyal CPs accomplished in the process.......

 First - Ajay (Anne Demuth) tirelessly searched since just after  Maillll  Calllll to find it ... she was able to find a video that included the photo(s) on the wall ... she put it on Explore/Discus asking for someone to "capture" the pictures ... immed. Dogs-R-Best (explore name / do not know real name) ..took on that task ... Then  Kokomyk9 (Dianne Johnson) shared the photos with you (here) and I think that both Ajay & Koko sent the video links ........ Koko also notified Betsy Frost over on Facebook , since she was the original to make the request ..... since the CP world is always trying to do what we can to make yours and SDP's world just a wee bit easier when possible usually in the shadows in silence ... 

Tonight I just felt a need to ..

 'toot the proverbial horn' of this situation .... I know there are many other examples but this for whatever reason I felt I had to share with you ....... 

                                                         <(") Penguin Hugs ....

             Blue Penguin ... aka Lorine Dobbins 

running to argue about video    --- ( now pink?????  crazy)

JAN 24 2018

MY DAY WITH THE SSA????  HOW I GOT CHANGED FROM A   "D" TO AN "A" I DO NOT KNOW... BUT THE NICE MAN....IN WHO'S WAITING ROOM I NAPPED FOR 3 HOURS.... SAID I WOUOLD GET THE  NORMAL CHECK WITHIN A WEEK...

PER USUAL.... I SHOULD HAVE ASKED OUR COLLECTION OF CP'S  WHY THIS HAPPENED INSTEAD OF WAITING ON THE PHONE FOR 35 MINUTES TO BE TOLD THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE...AND I WOULD HAVE TO SPEND 3 HOURS IN  THE NEAREST SSA OFFICE..  HERE IS WHAT OUR CP COMMUNITY PRODUCED---

 I worked for Social Security Administration for almost 37 years. The D after SSN means widow. I myself am a D6 which means divorced widow. The letter B after Social Security number means spouse, B6 is divorced spouse. The letter A after SSN means your own benefit account. That means you are receiving the highest benefits on your own account. Any other letters mean you are receiving benefits on the highest account amount. D would mean you are receiving the highest benefit amount as a widow. When a spouse's husband dies and she is receiving on his account as a B, she converts over to a D. This is called a B to D conversion, she will also receive a $255.00 Lump Sum Death Payment. Their are letters for children, adopted children and parents, they go from A to Z and when there is more than 1, the letters are paired with numbers like B2, B3, C1, C2 and than some are paired with letters like CA, CB etc. Very complicated, but you can call the 800 number or go on the internet site for most questions.

SDP NEEDES THAT MONEY TO GREASE THE SKIDS.... SO I WENT.

IT WAS RAINING..."COMING DOWN THE EASY WAY"-- AND SINCE  SALEM WAS AN OLD MAGAZINE ROUTE, I KNEW MY WAY AROUND  SALEM......- FEDERAL STREET-- WITH ALL THOSE BIG OLD BUILDINGS WITH COLUMNS.. AND SIGNS LIKE "COURT" AND "DEEDS"  -- IF I WANTED #10 FEDERAL STREET IT HAD TO BE AT TH E END CLOSEST TO THE POST OFFICE.. SO I WENT TO THE BEGINNING OF FEDREAL STREET  .. TWICE... IN TRAFFIC---  WHERE  I FINALLY SAW THAT THE  FIRST BUILDING WAS #36 CONTRARY TO EVERYTHING MY EXPERIENCE  EVER TAUGHT ME ABOUT STREEET NUMBERS-- THERE WAS NO STREET DIRECTLY ACROSS -- SO I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT LEFT MY CAR PLUNK IN THE MIDDLE AND WADED THRU PUDDLES OVER MY SKETCHER SHOES TO A LAWYERS OFICE TO ASK WHERE TEH SSA OFFICE WAS...TURNS OUT SOME CREATIVE SOUL DECIDED TO BUILD A NEW BRICK BUILDING  BASICALY IN THAT OLD PARKING LOT AND CALL IT #10 FEDERAL STREET..  THE BIG OLD  GRANITE COURTHOUSES  ILLUSTRATE  THE PERMANACE OF THE COURT SYSTEM... WHILE THIS NEW BRICK- POORLY DESIGNED 4 STORY BUILDING HOUSED THE SSA.****HOW SO POORLY DESIGNED??  MAYBE 200 FEET LONG... IT HAD ONLY 2 DOORS---- AT ONE END - NEAREST MY CAR-- A LAW OFFICE- SO I SCOOTED IN WITH BENTLEY'S HARNESS IN HAND--ONLY TO FIND THAT DOOR DID NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE REST OF THE BUILDING.. I HAD TO GO BACKOUT IN THE RAIN AND GO IN THE ONLY OGTHER DOOR TO THE PLACE-  IT WAS RIGHT UNDER THE BIG SIGN  "OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT"   INSIDE  BARE WALLS .. NO SIGN TO ELEVATORS-- ONLY  A LONG THIN 6' WIDE? CORRIDOR-100 FEETIN EITHER DIRECTION...AND NO CHAIR -- OR ANYTHING..IHAD WALKED MY LIMIT.....SO I SAT DOWN.. WITH BENTLEY.. ON THE FLOOR- AND WAITED FOR SOMEONE TO COME ALONG.

A CRITICAL PART OF THIS IS THAT BENTLEY HAS VERY REGULAR BOWEL MOVEMENTS.. I USUALL SIT IN MY CAR DOWN BY THE G TENT AND HE WILL FIND A SPOT THEN COME QUICKLY TO THE CAR, ALL PLEASED WITH HIMSELF...  IT WAS POURING RAIN- AND HE  JUST WOULD NOT

THINK OF SQUATTING  IN THE RAIN.. SO HE SKIPPED THIS PERFORMNCE...

FLASHING BACK TO ME ON THE FLOOR IN THIS STARK EMPTY BUILDING..... I THOUGHT WELL AT LEAST IT IS GOOD FOR SOMETHING... I HAD MY  TRUSTY POO PICKERS AN DIF HE WAS EVER GOING TO "HAVE AN ACCIDENT"  THIS SSA OFFICE  WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO  DO IT.

FINALLY A WOMAN CAME BY AND SAID THE ELEVATORS WERE TO THE LEFT- SO I DID THAT -- AND GOT TO THE 4TH  FLOOR THE ONLY THING IN SIGHT WAS THE SSA-- WHERE A  UNIFORMED GUY IMMEDIATELY RUSHED AT ME  AND SAID "IS THAT A SERVICE DOG? "  AS I QUICKLY  FELL / SAT  THE NEAREST FLAT- PLACE  A COFFEE TABLE THING.. THEN ... .IT GOT INTERESTNG..."YOU WILL HAVE TO KEEP HIM ON LEASH"  I FELT SORRY FOR THE FACT THAT THIS GUY PROBABLY HAD TO DEAL WITH ALOT OF FAKES--  SO I STARTED  IN "I HAVE TO KEEP HIM UNDER CONTROL-- WHICH HE IS" --  "BUT HE IS NOT ON A LEASH"  "HE DOES HAVE A LEASH HANGING UNDER HIS CHIN... THAT 12" LONG ORANGE THING"---  " WELL HOLD ON TO HIM"

I AM NOW COMFORTABLE SITTING ON THE TABLE-(AND INTO MY "OLD LADY WITH TIME ON HER HANDS... ROUTINE)   "OH COME ON SIR... " DO YOU HONESTLY THINK I COULD HOLD ON TO  HIM IF HE WANTED TO MISBHAVE? HE WEIGHS 168 POUNDS"

"WELL HOW ARE YOU GOING TO CONTOL HIM WITH NO LEASH-- THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THERE

WHO WILL BE AFRAID OF HIM.." "WELL THEY WILL JUST HAVE TO RUN FOR THE BATHROOM, BECAUSE I NEED TO  TALK TO THESE SSA PEOPLE AND I WILL JST HAVE HIM LIE AT MY FEEET ---DOWN BENTLEY"  BLESS HIM... HE TURNED 3 CIRCLES IMMEDIATELY AND LAID DOWN. 

'"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?"   "HE IS A  REAL SERVICE DOG" -- THEN I GOT INTO MY SPEACH ABOUT ... IF HE WAS NOT WELL BEHAVED YOU  COUDL THROW US OUT REGARDLESS OF WHAT VEST HE HAD ON...-- THE WHOLE TIEM I AM THINKING .. WE PUT BREAKFAST IN BENTLEY THIS MORNING , AND NOTHING HAS COME OUT YET..-- HOWEVER WE DID MAKE IT THRU THE 3 HOURS WAIT ONLY TO FIND MY RECORD  HAD LOST MY "D"

MOVING ON....

****

AMY CAME UP WITH THIS CLASSIC COMMENT  ABOTU SEAGRAM   

 SHE ATTRACTS MUCH ATTENTION WHILE I AM JUST SOME NONDESCRIPT PERSON ACCOMPANIED BY A SKILLED, STUNNING DOG ..

********

BELLA PROGRESS

I HAVE ONE HAPPY GIRL WHO HAS GEORGE IN BED TONIGHT. IN THE HOSPITAL THEY DIDN’T SLEEP TOGETHER BECAUSE THE BED JUST WASN’T WORKING AS BELLA SAID. GEORGE CLIMBED IN AND SAID HI BUT THEY DIDN’T SLEEP TOGETHER. THEN TONIGHT GEORGE WAS STANDING STARING AT BELLA WHEN I PUT HER IN BED TONIGHT WAITING FOR THE OK. THE LAST FEW NIGHTS SINCE WE GOT HOME HE HASN’T EVEN ASKED TO SLEEP WITH HER BUT THEY ARE BACK IN BED TOGETHER AND BELLA WAS THRILLED. SHE THOUGHT HE WAS AFRAID OF THE HALO. BELLA WENT 12 HOURS LAST NIGHT WITHOUT MEDS! THAT WAS HUGE AND SHE ONLY HAD ONE DOSE DURING THE DAY. SHE WASN’T ASKING FOR IT BUT SHE TUTOR WAS COMING SO I KNEW SHE WOULD HAVE TO SIT UP FOR A COUPLE HOURS. SHE IS MORE COMFORTABLE LAYING DOWN BUT SHE DID GREAT AND GOT LOTS OF WORK DONE. THEN TONIGHT WE WASHED HER HAIR. IT’S DIFFICULT SINCE HER TORSO CAN’T GET WET. SO WE USE BATHING CLOTHES FOR ARMS, LEGS AND FACE AND THEN HAVE TO LAY HER ON PILLOWS, ON THE TABLE WITH BUCKETS OF WATER TO WASH THE HAIR. IT’S PROJECT FOR SURE BUT MUST BE DONE. SHE STILL ISN’T WALKING WITHOUT A LOT OF SUPPORT. SO WE TRY TO HAVE HER WALK WITH US HELPING TO KEEP HER STRENGTH UP OR CARRY HER AND SHE IS ABOUT 60+ POUNDS AND VERY STIFF. BUT SHE GIVES ME A GOOD ARM AND BACK WORKOUT. TOMORROW SHE HAS HOMEWORK TO DO AND OMA AND OPA ARE GOING TO COME PLAY SO I CAN WORK. I HAVEN’T REALLY WORKED MUCH IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS SINCE HER SURGERY. SHE IS DOING AMAZING FOR 2 WEEKS POST OP I MUST SAY. HOPEFULLY WE CAN WORK ON GETTING HER STRONG ENOUGH TO WALK WITH GEORGE AND VERY SOON. HE WANTS HIS GIRL BACK! THANK YOU FOR CHECKING IN. MUCH LOVE BELLA AND GEORGE 

JAN 23 2018

we need someon to drive to wwoburn today--   i made a fat rope to hang over bella's head so maybe she can shift herself around the bed better

i heard rachael was getting up to roll her over with all that head gear on....   i got all the pieces at home depot yesterday--- hook  to go in a beam/rafter over her head..snap,3' section of chain so she can adjust the height... another hook tehn 3' of that nice 3/4 inch cotton ropewith a bump  spliced at the end. 

**** apparently this is inventive week...  the doggie doors are holding up beautifully--- one slight tooth mark is all teh dogs have managed to do as of last night...  normal attrition would br 4 doggie doors a night gone.--and***** my hair conditioner seems to slide things off my car's windscreen,,

***now to attack the 5 gallon buckets with teh "spickets"  kathy "grover" sent  -- i mean she sent th whold 9 yards... hole driller, the weird piece i have been looking for for years--dope tape--and shut offs..  i am gonna have a ball today !!!  a 5 gal bucket and  a 3'piece of hose  and things are gonna change...

i have discussed with you all how one dog getting a drink from a 5 gallon pail turns the rest to slime that slithers out of the pail when you go to refresh it.  so now-- with this "rig"  i can put one on the table by the t tent and we can dumpa dn fill  the dog water dishes there-- no more lugging  pailfulls that only get dumped..handle wiggling w should work-- also  managing the chicken water  may be redesigned same waay..

*****

othere things are gonna change around here today also....  i write this  bit of nonsense daily... and i can't blame the staff for not reading it mowt of the time--however.... my parkinson's law tirade was dead serious... we have  some real problems sneaking up on sdp.... and  today we will all discuss them...  i asked most everyone to give me a list  of complaints and suggestions..

it will be a long meeting.  and teh 2 books on parkinson's law should be arriving today and will bbe required reading.

*****

blessed be teh time clock.... not only for staff-- but we do get kids who are supposed to do community service--- for liquor type things usually---and per the district attorney's office, i am to sign for whatever is on the time cards... at the moment.... we have a kid-- apparently a good kid- staff like him-- but he very often only punched in... not out  so i have no idea when he left..  and can not ( also will not) sign the paper for more than his punched in times... which unfortunately is 14  instead of the 36 his mother thought he had...  he may have put in the 36--   but the rule is there because of a bunch of kids from the da's office the  punch in and leave then swear they worked 5 hours.  a few ruin it for everybody..   but it also  points out  kids should be constantly aware of what  type  group they are associated with.   i feel badly for this guy... but   it is up to the da's office to rule...

*****

some cnn special told me i was addicted to sugar--- quite rightly i do believe... that refined sugar combined with all the hidden high fructose kind...-- so i have been avoiding it- only  a tiny piece of cake last night... however i had switched to tea with honeey in th morning.. it does not really cut the mustard-- so this morning when pam  started my usual cuppa coffee.. i said " no sugar....lets try the honey in the coffee"- i have to admit ... it is not all that bad...-- alomst normal coffee... which i do like...  tea doesn't seem real... even after a year in brittain-- tea ain't  were it's at. honey is supposed to be a more healthy sweatnere. ...  no???

****

lots students are taking video courses in college today--- and how to interview people -- that was not available when i went to colby.. i had to learn to spell, not talk... however.... yesterday's request was from a harvard student-- wants to film sdp...  so i said  as long as we don't have to do anything but our usual chores...-- sso you might see that happening...

i am expecting eric to somehow transfet the video he has been making  -- maybe today...  we have one more session here-- and then maybe an airport section and it shoold be ready for viewing...

**** 

and i will be going to the SSA office today  in thier great wisdom they reduced my monthly from $3000 to $300--- i do not have a clue why... and the person on the phone doesn't know  either...-- that 3000 was  one of the things greasing the way of SDP--i am not destitute witout it... but i worked alot of years to have that-- and  i have a feeling it is just a typo...  but now i need to go to the official office. ... with bentley....

remember the discussion abotu the car's computer  controlled by tokyo???   -- maybe someone decided to save SSA money by shutting off all 80 year olds and see how many notice.

 ***like  teh details of  the AGI insurance rip off. 200,000 policy-- paid in forever..cash value 100,000  - i began to get many notices abotu how it had zero value-- with difficulty i finally got them to admit on paper that it had a cash value of 100,000 - scared me so that i cashed it in..--they saved 100,000--- if i had died they were to  pay 200,000-- so  they  had a 40 year loan of all my money  interest free...  but that is another story....

***

i better quit/  long day ahead...

JAN 22 2018

FINALLY someone ASKED ME--- to save and send some of those purina  dog food dishes for an artist paints....wow !! -- those are the containers tat  pains me to throw out....they are sooooo perfect for soooo many thing... from diet size snacks to nuts and bolts--- I started insisting feeder  people save these things..  we use 15-20 a day-- plus we run a not quite full dishwasher every day---the project of saving them  started out well, then staff began to  throw them out... hiding the fact from me... becasue we had many garbage bags full of them in the hay loft an dit was getting crowded... so .. un annnounced i tood like 5 big bags full down to th elocal grade school... where at least the office people know me.... and plunked them down --  they said the kindergarden teacher would. be thrilled and dragged them off.- they acted pleased- and at least humored me.

-i have persuaded staff to keep a supply of washed ones on the counter for leftovers... but i know  they are throwing them out again....

i have to admit... if i insist they put them in th e dishwasher and tehn a garbage bag for storage.... it won't be long before the hay loft won't have room for hay..... so ... i have an offer.... if you send me a sticky label  i  will struff the nearest box ( of varying size)  with these wonderful containers

( with lids)  probably we will leave the labels on-- which come off easily... but i know io am gioing to get  "feedback" about having to set them in the dishwasher instead of the trash....  teh bottom0s do make doggie toys, but the tops are destroyabole and therfore eatable.

please....help me prove to these folk that we can get organized. .  it is a struggle....

the only hitch is ...i can not stack them  until totally dry but i will figure that one out somehow... ? this house has some  rafters. left.....:)

as i sit here ... i have one dish full of those  thumb drives-- perfect

*****

i am very excited to hear it will be raining  maybe tomorrow--- because..... i have been using one of the hotel guest hair conditioner tubes... and it iwas nearly empty... ..as i sat in the tub with my rubber ducky,  i wondered if the slipery bit on the hair resembled teh rainx tehy sell on tv... so i gave teh remainder to tanner who dumped it in my windscreen washer resevoiir.  

stay tuned... (and remind me to test it.)

****

tomorrow we are having a staff meeting--- whatever we are doing we are turning out fantastic dogs... i have absolutely no complaint about  the quality of our graduates...  it is the thin ice on which we tread daily... hopefully teh rules around here have some basis in fact and are not just blowing smoke...  perfect example... which i will bring up tomorrow.... i insist thagt all water buckets be next to the door... i am not just blowing smoke... but my phd in murphy's law makes me an expert in what can go wrong--  the heat is now functioning well in the ICE house --( since we insulated)  so we now keep dogs in there.  it is "different"  than the normal barn kennels--- and  i did not put a double ended snap next to the door for the wagter bucket--not having that  "anchor"    some well meaning staff or volunteer figured  the water bucket was in the way by the door so moved it way back out of the way...-- steve went in to tend to theose dogs on sat moring and came out and said the water in teh  buckets looked 3 days old..  when i went in to see what he meant,  theer were the buckets way in the back where no one could see as they walk around.  i will put those brass 4" double ended snaps to hold those where i want them kept so it is not as easy to change...now...... if young pups are put in one of those kennels the buckets must be unsnapped  to tip over...so a pup does not get heads down in a bucket whicch is snaled to the wall.

that is  a critical life set of directions....

*** 

and then ther is the fact that i must get over being annoyed at how someoen sweeps the barn floor.  barn floor sweeping does not rise to the level of lack of water,  so it should be in the suggestion box.... not the compalint box... 

how should one sweep the barn floor???? every time you stroke with one of thse "corn brooms" , you should spin the broom  around... this wears the broom off evenly and not at an angle--- it is one of the things i noticed  when i was a 4h leader doing barn inspectons...  it is stupid... you are right... i shold be happy to get the floor swept at all...  but there is part of me that says  i wish they knew better..

*** 

those are the 2 type things we have to address tomorrow...  life threatening  vs. generalized bltching-- both can have a  disasterous effect on SDP in general.

teri-can is doing a great job reading up on availalbel grants-- gave me 3 to do today... they look like good ones... 2000-3000 eadh if we get them... there are soooo many people asking... it is a "crap shoot'  but we try.

***

WE HAD A LOVELY WEEKEND! STARTING WITH A RELAXING FRIDAY NIGHT! FINN GOT A NICE PACKAGE FROM FROMM FAMILY FOODS! HERE HE IS NAPPING AND SPORTING HIS NEW BANDANA AFTER SOME PLAY AND A COUPLE LAMB CRANBERRY TREATS! 

SATURDAY EVE AND I RAN SOME ERRANDS IN TOWN.  AND HAD DINNNER AT RAINFOREST CAFE. DEFINITELY NOT FINN’S FAVORITE RESTAURANT BUT SO PROUD TO SAY HIS BEHAVIOR WAS PERFECT DESPITE LAYING RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE MECHANICAL APE THAT WAS STARING RIGHT AT HIM AT TIMES. FINN WAS CERTAINLY UNSURE OF IT BUT SETTLED IN ANYWAY! 

EVE DID ALOT OF WALKING YESTERDAY!! VIDEOS IN COMMENTS! WE ALSO GOT AN UNUSUALLY LARGE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION AT THE MALL. WE HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO THE ATTENTION EVE AND FINN RECEIVE EVERYWHERE BUT YESTERDAY WAS FAR FAR BEYOND TYPICAL AT ONE POINT IN ADDITION TO THE EXTRA STARES AND CHATTERS WE ACTUALLY TURNED AROUND AND FOUND WE HAD LITERALLY GATHERED A CROWD OF 25-30 PEOPLE JUST STARING AT US WHILE WE BROWSED A KIOSK. IT WAS STRANGE BUT WE JUST SMILED AND WENT ON OUR WAY. 

TODAY WAS CHURCH AND A POT LUCK LUNCH! THEN MORE RELAXING & WATCHING FOOTBALL

***

good boy finnegannn

JAN 21 2018

THINGS DO HAPPEN IN THREE'S....    AWESOM ANNIE GOT TANGLED UP WITH  10 POUND WANDA  IN THE BAN AND NEARLY WENT DOWN--- THEN GRACE LANDED  ON THE ICE... AND STEVE SLID DOWN AN EMBANKMENTM WHERE HE SAT FOR A FEW MINUTES WHILE I  THOUGHT  " GET UP STEVE, I CAN NEVER GET THE TRACTOR IN THERE TO PULL YOU OUT OF WHERE YOU ARE..." 

******

.STEVE'S PROBLEM HAPPEND BECAUSE PUPPIES ARE SOOOOOO QUICK WHEN PROPERLY INSPIRED...  THEY WERE ON " THE FLAT"  HOT TOP AREA IN FRONT OF TH HOUSE --- THERE ARE 2 GATEES BETWEEN THAT FLAT AND THE "A" FIELD... WOTH THE  4 ACRES  AND STREAM AND ---  THIN ICE AND SWAMP.. NO .. MAKE THAT ...."SOFT FOOTING" -- GE PUT A NICE FENCE AROUND THE "SOFT FOOTING"  BUT A HUGE TREE " 20"DIAMETER FELL ACROSS THE FENCE-- SO ALTHO THE TREE IS STACKED AND SPLIT FOR NEXT YEARS FIREPLACE.... THE FENCE IS DOWN... *** THERE IS A SMALL PENNED AREA ON THE HILL BETWEEN THE FLAT HOT TOP AREA AND "A"---  THE GATE OUT OF THE PEN ONTO A WAS OPEN... SO STEVE THOUGHT RIGHTLY HE BETTER GO SHTU IT...... PUPS WERE PLAYING ON THE FLAT HOT TOP AREA  "THEY'RE ENTERTAINED   AND I CAN GUST GET TO THAT SECOND GATE BEFORE THEY NOTICE...  WRONG...... THEY SPOTTED THE OPENING AND BARRELLED THRU BEFORE STEVE WAS HALF WAY THERE...  BIG AS THEY ARE, THEY LOOKED TINY WAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF "A"--- AND VERY MOBILE RUNNING MUCH FASTER THAN  GRACE OR STEVE EVEN THOUGHNT OF...

THERE IS A LESSON HERE---- SOMEWHERE.....   WE NOW HAD STEVE, GRACE AND SUE IN THE AREA.. ALL SHAKKING  COOKIE BOXES TO NO AVAIL....  PROBLEM BEING...  6 PUPS LOOSE... AND ONE WOULD  APPROACH A COOKIE BOX SHAKER  AND TEH SHAKER WOULD THINK... THAT IS ONLY ONE... I WILL WALK TOWARD THE OTHER 5 WHILE SHAKING...-- SO THE ONE NEARLY CAPTURED TURNS AND REJOINS THE OTHER 5 RUNNING AWAY FURTHER.-- GRANTED 6 LOOSE PUPS IS A PROBLEM... BUT  IF YOU RETHINK..... DOGS ARE FOLLOWERS--- IF THE ONE COMES TO YOU  AND YOU TURN TO GO BACK TO TH E HOUSE, THE OTHERS ARE INCLINED TO JOIN THE ONE FOLLOWING YOU......  THEN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS STAY IN FRONT OF THE PARADE...

LOOSE DOG  LESSON #1  YOU SHOULD BE PRETTY DARN SURE OF YOU R DOG BEFORE YOU LET THEM LOOSE.... BUT-- FACED WITH A LOOSE DOG- I FIND IF I CAN GET THEIR ATTENTION AND THEN WALK AWAY, THEY ARE INCLINED TO FALL IN BESIDE ME AND THEN YOU MIGHT GET HOLD OF A COLLAR OR WHATEVER...  I AM PRETTY SURE I HAVE NEVER CAUGHT A LOOSE DOG BY GOING TOWARD THE DOG.

 I HAVE CHASED ALOT OF ANIMALS IN MY CAREER... WELLLL ... MOSLY JANINE HAS DONE THE RUNNING AFTER PART...... WORST ONE WAS AN AFGAHN HOUND-- THOSE ARE "SIGHT HOUNDS"   CHASE ANYTHING THAT MOVES... UNFORTUNATELY I WS UNLOADING  TO GO INTO A STUDIO IN BOSTON  AND -- IT MUST HAVE BEEN EARLY IN MY CAREER BECAUSE THE DOG SLIPPED HER COLLAR OFF.  AND THEN SAW AN AIRPLANE TAKING OFF FROM LOGAN AIRPORT  AND STARTED TO RUN RIGHT TOWARD THE PLANE AND BOSTON TRAFFIC... I DON'T KNOW HOW I /WE  MANAGED TO CARCH HER... BUT I DID... AND IMMEDIATELY  INVENTED THE ROPE ANED THE RING WHICH WE NOW USE ALL THE TIME.-- ON ALL KINDS OF ANIMNALES.. FROM HORSES TO COW TO  PIGS LAMMAS AND CATS... I CALL IT MY "ANIMAL HANDLER... AND ONE IS SUPPOSED TO HANG ON MY GOLF CART FOR EMERGENCIES..

*** TANNER IS HERE TODAY--- I SPENT YESTERDAY  ON THE FLOOR IN FRONT OF THE FIREPALCE MEASURING AND MARKING 2 SHEETS OF THAT POLYMAX STUFF  (4 X 10... BEAUTIFUL STUFF)  TO REDO TEH  40 ODD DOGGIE DOORS-- OUR 2 SAMPLE DOORS HAVE LASTED LONGER THAN ANY PIECE OF RUG--- THERE IS ONLY ONE TOOTHMARK SO FAR...- MEASURING AND MARKING WAS  A BIT OF A CHALLANGE... BECAUSE I THINK I PUT IN MOST OF THE DOGGIE DOORS MYSELF-- AND MY METHOND WS TO TAKE A CHAIN  SAW AND CUT A HOLE THAT LOOKED ABOUT RIGHT... SO NO TWO ARE THE SAME SIZE.-- MAXIMIZING THE 4 X 10 SHEET WAS AN INTERESTIN PUZZLE. 

***

 SITTING ON THE FLOOR CROSSLEGGED AND WITH NOTHING MORE TO DO... I WONDERED JUST HOW FLEXABLE I WAS.. AND FOUND I COULD TOUCH MY NOSE WITH MY LEFT FOOT---- I SHOWED  THIS TO STEVE AT MAIL CALL-- HE TRIED TI ( ON CAMERA OF COURSE) AND TANNER TRIED-- WHEN WE GOT BACK TOTHE MAIL CALL SCREEN WE FOUND OTHER CAMERA PEOPLE WERE TRYING IT TOO....

IT IS FRIGHTENING TO THINK OF THE NEW PERSON JUST TUNING IN TO EXPLORE ONLY TO HAVE 581 PEOPLE FROM ALL OER TEH STATES ...TRYING TO  TOUCH THIER NOSES WITH THIER FOOT.  

***

 SO---BACK TO TANNER BEING HERE ------- THE REASON I WAS JUST SITTING--- WS MY HAND WAS SORE FROM TEH SCISSORS  CUTTING THIS 1/16TH INCH THICK STUFF...  THEY CUT... BUT BETWEEN BENDING AND MOVING I WAS TIRED... TANNER ARRIVEDD  --- I HANDED HIM TH ESCISORS AND 14 SECONDS LATER HE HAD ALL 40 CUT AND STACKED AND THE FLOOR WAS ONCE AGAIN CLEARED....

**

 I HAVE EXPLAINED TO TANNER, THAT BYT HE TIME I COUOD AFFORD ALL THE  TOOLS THAT I KNEW WERE SUCH FUN, I DIDN'T HAVE TH EPHYSICAL PERSONA TO BE ABLE TO USE THEM AS I WOULD HAVE 40 YEARS AGO... SO I HAVE FUN TEACHING TANNER SOME OF THE THINGS..... YESTERDAY I DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR HIM TO LEARN ABOUT GROMMETS AND RIVETS. I WISH I HAD KNOWN WHEN I WAS YOUNGER....... FOR UNDER $5 YOU CAN GET THE BASID GROMMET SETTER THAT YOU POUND WITHA HAMMER-- WORKS PERFECTLY--- AND FOR ABOTU $20 YOU CAN GET A HAND PLIER THING TO  SET RIVETS--   2 SIMPLE  CURES NOT USUALLY TAUGHT IN HIGH SCHOOL  "HOME EC" CLASSES....

TANNER IS THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO DO THINGS... HE MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET BORED. SO TODAY.... RIVETS...

THER IS METHO D IN MY MADNESS... HE  AND TOM...JUST PUT UP ALOT OF SMOKE DETECTORS.

**************

THIS GIRL IS SO STRONG! LAST NIGHT WE HAD A GREAT NIGHT AT HOME. BELLA TOOK MEDS AND WENT TO BED AT 10. I FIGURED I WOULD LET HER SLEEP UNTIL SHE NEEDED MEDS. SHE SLEPT UNTIL 6 AM! AT 6 SHE ASKED IF I WOULD CHANGE HER POSITION BECAUSE WITH THE HALO SHE CAN’T REALLY ROLL OVER ON HER OWN. SHE CAN SHIFT HER LEGS BUT CAN’T ROLL OVER FROM SIDE TO SIDE. SHE DOES MANAGE TO GET ONTO HER BACK. SO I ASKED IF SHE WANTED MEDS AT 6 AND SHE SAID YES THEN WAS BACK TO SLEEP UNTIL 9! I CALL HER FIRST NIGHT BACK AT HOME A SUCCESS! LET’S HOPE SHE SLEEPS JUST AS GOOD ON DAY 2. TODAY GABI AND BELLA SPENT TIME SNUGGLED UP WATCHING MOVIES TOGETHER. THEY WERE SO CUTE. GABI WANTED TO TAKE BELLA FOR A DRIVE IN HER NEW TRUCK SO WE WENT FOR A QUICK DRIVE AROUND THE BLOCK. BELLA DID GOOD IN THE TRUCK. SHE DOES MUCH BETTER BEING DECLINED SLIGHTLY THAN SITTING STRAIGHT UP. TONIGHT OUR FRIENDS ALY AND BAYLEIGH CAME OVER AND WE PLAYED CATAN WITH THEM. BELLA WON TONIGHT’S GAME! SHE DID REALLY GOOD SITTING AT THE TABLE. SHE DID HAVE TO TURN AND LEAN UP ON ME BECAUSE IT’S HARD FOR HER TO SIT WITHOUT LEANING STILL. BUT HER PAIN AT HOME SO FAR HAS BEEN MANAGED. WE ARE LETTING HER TELL US WHEN SHE NEEDS MEDS INSTEAD OF JUST GIVING THEM TO HER. SO FAR SO GOOD I MUST SAY. BUT IT WAS A NICE RELAXING DAY FOR ALL WHICH WAS NICE TO BE TOGETHER. OFF TO TUCK HER IN. LOVE BELLA AND GEORGE

***

 BELLA MIGHT NEED  ONE OF MY 3/4" ROPES OVER HER BED.... I WILL MAKE ONE. TODAY

jan 20,2018

the 500 word spelling test- was a huge part of my college education. and i have very often told of how it  took over every thing else i was supposed to learn while there.  however there was one thing that i did learn at Colby College...-- the life lesson was.... a specific   tuesday afternoon at 4:00 pm-- happens only once in a lifetime----- i ran across campus one day witha papeer and got there at 4:01- and the professor would' nt accept my paper-  was i mad at that stupid professor....  yet that was perhaps the most valuable thing a 4 year college degree got me.  seems like there could be a cheaper way to teach children that-- however...looking back...when i worked for teh want ad magazine-- i went to the actual office once or twice a year--- and evry time-- i was appalled-- for a 9 to 5  job... staff showed up at 9:10 with coffee in one hand and a breakfast platter from mcdonald in the other..  they woud punc in and go to th elounge and eat breakfast.. getting to their desks maybe by 10am..i used to put forth the opinion that  staff was being paid to  do whatever they were hired to do  betweeen the hours of 9 and 5.  the concept of actually working at 9am  made me not too popular-----  it was noteable that the president of th e company was there at 8:30 for 9:00 opening... interesting...---and  then   to  AE....animal episodes... providing animals for the media... i did have the reputation  of  showing up  1/2 hour early-- mosty because i was driving vehicles with questionable relability...-- i certainly didn't want any photographer to worry about  whethere i was going to get there...-- ther were enough problems to worry about animals on the set--   the options as i saw them were to.... waste time at home - then leave with just enoug time to get there-- and hold up the rest of the production while i got animals settled... -- or i could use that 1/2 hour wasted at home to sit around  in a far more entertaining  place than my office and shoot the reeze with some really strange people...(.i had the added advantage of..  since i was not a movie go-er.... i didn;t know who anyone was- so i got into normal conversaton without the shock of  hanging our with some really big names.)

along the way someone told me... if yo really want the job, get there a few minutes early---  bosses do notice that - and those few mminutes prove your respect for your responsibilities.. the other thing .... the very least  and easiest you can do to be promoted , is to get there on time.

ok... so  for the past few weeks--- i have been studying SDP  time cards... and keeping the results on my trusty spread sheet... teh volunteers are terriffic !!!! not a complaint in the wolrdl-----the  staff winners are...generally .the younger staff...but....... - could be that is my fault  caused by lack of leadership.... ok.... get ready..  here's one solution......

when i had to pick up my grandson at day care ... it was  very clear... $5 per minute-- paid to the staff  that you held up-- cash on the barrel head or don't bring the kid the next day.   parents complained --- but i knew better   i had many thousands of $$$ of a college education... which taught me 5pm  was  5pm...

does anyone want to apply all that to congress....  in their education , they missed the words "homework must be turned in  at xxx"- didn't anyone explain to any of them that one minute late for a train means the train has left the station?????

i guess education is where you find it.

******

big excitement--  judy ( with pilot husband)  has been working on this  and  i just found out that Peter...( of janine's  contingency... you know  mo's  "rider") works for the FAA-- he apparently will still be working today... however.... i have been looking for a place where the security people learn to screen tht public..  -- you know ... the shoes off and walk thru routine... because i would like to film how they should insist any service animal be screened.. remove all harness/vests in the tub... have them stay then you walk thru then ask thme to walk thru the screening alone.  -- we need to film that and have it go round... it would solve 99.4% of all wierd animal stories.  it would define what is not a service animal...  ADA says ( i think) service animals must be under control and unobtrusive.  and one of the public access tests of ADI    is to drop the leash in a parking lot and have th e dog get back with you..  i thought of using wanda as  what coudl happen i the dog was not trained...b tu then i thoght maybe a dane and wantda would demo that a tiny dog could be a hearing ear dog... and should behave.... i am sure  i could get wanda to obey long enough for a film....

*****

DAY 33 INPATIENT AND DAY 11 POST OP

OUR STREAK HAS OFFICIALLY ENDED!!!!!
DECEMBER 18- JAN 19 AND WE ARE HOME. NOW FOR THE HEALING TO BEGIN AT OUR OWN HOUSE. EVERYONE AT THE HOSPITAL WAS AMAZING OVER THE LAST 33 DAYS. BELLA CAME TO LOVE THE NURSES SHE HAD. WELL WE ALL DID. THEY WERE ALL AMAZING AND TOOK SUCH GOOD CARE OF HER. WHEN WE WALKED OUT OF HER ROOM TODAY THEY HAD A BUBBLE PARADE. ALL BLOWING BUBBLES IN THE HALL. THEY ALSO MADE HER A BOOK WITH NOTES FROM ALL THE STAFF. NURSES WHO SHE HAD AND NURSES WHO SHE JUST MET PLAYING IN THE HALLS. WE CAME HOME TO HOT DINNER ON OUR TABLE FROM SOME GREAT FRIENDS. THEY ACTUALLY BROUGHT US DINNER MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO THE NIGHT WE CAME HOME FROM HER FIRST HALO. THEN SOME FRIENDS CAME TO WELCOME HER HOME. THE KIDS ALL PLAYED NINTENDO SWITCH GAMES AND BELLA SAID AS I TUCKED HER IN THAT HER BACK HURT FROM LAUGHING SO MUCH. SHE EVEN SKIPPED A DOSE OF MEDS BECAUSE SHE WASN’T NEEDING THEM. SHE HAD MEDS BEFORE BED AND ASKED ME NOT TO WAKE HER FOR THEM. SHE JUST WANTS TO SLEEP WITHOUT SOMEONE WAKING FOR VITALS OR MEDS IF SHE CAN. WE SHALL SEE HOW LONG SHE LASTS. BUT THERE IS CERTAINLY NO PLACE LIKE HOME, NOTHING LIKE FAMILY AND FRIENDS BY YOUR SIDE. THE SUPPORT FROM EVERYONE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY GENEROUS AND WE CAN’T THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH. THIS HAS BEEN A LONG ROAD THAT WAS MADE MUCH EASIER BY ALL OF YOU. WE CAN’T THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH FOR THE CARDS, GIFTS, DONATIONS, MEALS, LOVING COMMENTS, AND JUST BEING HERE. SO THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS.
LOVE BELLA AND GEORGE
AND ALSO ED RACHEL AND GABI! 

jan 19 2018

cake day----

maybe what i should do today is buy one of those big flat cakes at costco... and cut off a lump for us and give eht rest to georgetown fire.. it wodl be different ...

******

lots warnings about th edoggie flu--- i don't think it is any worse.. i talked with geroge about it  6 months agog...  we are as ready as we can be...

***

i think we had a doggie flu coupld years ago...  an entire litter.... here's the record of one of them////

teh progress was significant... wheezing coughing to  green snot-- gotta love our records..

pup #2	103.8	WHEEZING COUGHING
5/8/AM	103.7	ATE WELL harsh  cough- breathing puffy cheeks
5/8/PM		fine muscle tremors.  START DOXY 100mg/22#
5/9AM	102.1	ate bkfst nutt house
		CONGESTED-PUFFY CHEEK BREATHING
5/10pm	101.4	green snot puffy breqths
bless doxy.... we have been thru the wars !!- and we still have alot of the fluids which were sent to us during our parvo episode years ago...  all carefully dated.

************

i am hoping-- with a little praying.... that the 2 doggie doors tom put up last night did not get eaten.-- rugs function well until they are eaten-- this poly max stuff is fantastic.... extremely slippery on one side-- and nearly so on the other, i don't think it would be as much fun to chew.  my latest is.... with walls in a normal building 16" apart....on center... and the studs 1.5 inches wide one wold expect the distance between to be 14.5 inches...-- except i built some of the deagel house and most o the nutt house.. so each as to be measured-- the barn is worse...  studs there are ont 24" centers- so anything is possible... and a t'square is just not in my usual tool deprtmetn.  tom did test the 2 tht are up to be sure the dogs would push thru... they do.  to plug even 90% of those holes would be a big thing in the heat department

*****

the "stuff" is 4 x 10  slid behid the sofa ( on camera at mail call)   and i am wonderign if 2 or 3 of thse might be our next chicken board--- that piece flooring is getting tired... but still shatable.

 we could have some fun as a huge "white board" and purple duct tape?????  hangign on our gate???***/WHOA???

****

i was doing well with my diet  but this morning i got up with the old  "it's a beautiful morning--  time to think about 3 more meals to have today" 

*****

meanwhile--- the buckeyes are making great progress... wiht more outside nutthouse time  and  in out.. responding to being called... things like that... next is an actual leash... and some car rides.. then maybe we can get one out of here parked with  friends for future breeeding if necessary... to gt ready for the next litter.... i forgetwhen... but i bet all the cp's kept track !!  the family that comes in here during mail call  with the 2 kids is where vance will be going.. ( all things being equal) 

****

it is nice to have sizzle back in the house.... she is definitely "out of heat " now-- she nailed bently pretty good with a "get your cold nose out of there " bite...  i dunno -- there is a human lesson to be learned there....  she did not say "yes"-- and because of that he  now has a few holes in his  nose... and bentley.....if you  keep questioning  her  "no"    you will be minus more than some skin off your nose. 

100 years ago---  somebody wrote a book once "my dog, my teacher"  so i went to amazon to see if they had it... they showed me 15  related books  14 about dogs and the 11th one...a book on  ... What Your Fifth Grader Needs to Know: Fundamentals of a Good Fifth-Grade Education (Core Knowledge Series)-- what is that telling    me???

***

pray for our doggie doors  ---( and bella too)

*****

DAY 32 INPATIENT DAY 10 POST OP

WELL IN CASE YOU DIDN’T FIGURE IT OUT BY IT BEING DAY 32 WE ARE STILL HERE. WE DIDN’T MAKE IT HOME BUT TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY. BELLA IS ONLY WAITING ON HER INFUSION. IT GOT DELAYED BECAUSE OF SNOW IN TENNESSEE THEY TELL US. SO WE WAIT. IF IT ISN’T HERE TOMORROW WE MAY JUST GO HOME AND FIGURE IT OUT. SO HOPEFULLY TONIGHT IS OUR LAST SLEEP OVER AT THE HOSPITAL FOR A WHILE. BELLA DID SOME GOOD WALKING TODAY. SHE MADE IT OUT TO THE COMFY CHAIRS TO CHILL WITH GEORGE. HER TUTOR CAME AGAIN TODAY TO WORK WITH HER. BELLA’S SCHOOL CALLED TODAY AND WE HAVE HER TUTOR SET UP TO COME TO THE HOUSE ON MONDAY AFTERNOON. FOR NOW SHE IS APPROVED FOR 5 HOURS A WEEK. IF THE TUTOR THINKS SHE NEEDS MORE SHE WILL REQUEST IT. WE JUST HAVE TO BE HOME FOR THE PATRIOTS GAME ON SUNDAY! 

OFF TO TUCK BELLA IN HOPEFULLY FOR THE LAST NIGHT AT THE HOSPITAL. THANK YOU MY FRIENDS FOR ALL YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT IN EVERY WAY! LOVE BELLA AND GEORGE

jan 18 2018

head tipping....will be teh topic  of the day-- i have been studying the news- but seeing as the content is sometimes sorely lacking in new material,  it is the head position of the news casters that interests me... mostly .men... only because the  stats for women is colored by the fact that most have hair over one eye.   .if a "news" man is in a discussion situation his head tips into what i consider a thinking position-- sort of like a dog does when they hear a sound they don't understand.... but it snaps to a vertical position when he has to say some pre determined words.. like "commercial break".. once teh norm has been established, and any possible spinal  caus of a tip//like -scoliosis or  kyphosis ----the head tip seems to indicate which combination of words  he has been told are teh buzz words of the day and to use them.

When in a group conversation, a slight head tip seems to indicate a friendiler  participatory attitude.. while the straght up and down is a  more confrontational.. bullying attitude..--sometimes you can tell who wants to talk next in these news groups...and if they are thinking or programmed... 

                

 if you don't notice it... certanily the dogs do-- they study body language much more than we  give them credit for.. especially these 6 pups i sit here with daily...if a strainger comes in and  approches a pup-- - head straight  eyes forward-- teh pup is intimidated and scoots off.   now  approach with head tipped-- eyes somewhere else- and the pup will  wait to assess  the situation  to see if there is a cookie in the vacinity before scooting.

in the animal world---- dogs-- people--  or other animals---just before a fight breaks out, there is a slit second when a dog  stands shock still heead striaght  and  looks eye to eye -before "the action"  starts-- another pequiliar example???  we have to spend time  in the mall with those 25 cent horsey rides... every new pup sees that and figures the beast is about to attack because it is stand ing so still.-- it can take quite a while of even sniffing the butt of the horsey  before the new servicee dog relaxes...  it is also why we have the manequins around-- a manequin in a store window can be freeeeeeky..we used to have a full sized cardboard john kerry in th e training room  but he got bent.

now i have advanced my study to marketing and  advertising... head up or tipped????

*****

while i await  the order from farmtek and address teh doggie door problem... an dit is a big one...  i have to have  an exit door for every aninlam on the place -- i had a house fire which was out of control i n very few minutes--getting locked out in th e cold si just about as bad... so we will have an open door policy..  that is an expensive policy... and   rugs nailed  from teh top have worked for years until we had more dogs who are in their kennels maybe 2 more hours a day than before-- and they chew/tear down  the rugs...  

we have been thry the vinyl strips-- which last slightly longer... but i am waiting for some polymax stuff to see if it is chewable.  yet safe for pups to get in and out...  there is a collection of metal doors magnetically fastened, but   i have seen them "fail"   

******

the parkinsons law discussion  produced many business observstions  - donna who has been in  administration of school systems was very familiar with  teh  peter principle-- where  someone who is good at their job gets promoted to advancing positions  until they are incapable of doing the job.

somewhere in my googling  i saw a list of a bunch of those... however i lost it in the dizy  swirring misery  of google.

most are totally a corredct observation..

****

 HI CARLENE,

JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN FYI THAT THERE'S A NASTY CANINE FLU THAT'S MAKING ITS ROUNDS IN THE U.S. CANADA HAS SEEN ITS FIRST CASES WHEN WE SHIPPED A COUPLE DOGS HERE FROM THE U.S.

IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S HIT MASSACHUSETTS YET, BUT IT'S HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS, SO YOU MAY WANT TO BE ON ALERT FOR SYMPTOMS, WITH AN ACTION PLAN IN PLACE.

HERE'S A GOOD ARTICLE:     https://www.metro.us/lifestyle/dog-flu-signs-symptoms-treatment

*****

we do know it is around.... not too sure what we are to do about it.. except get grace and her "drip' ready.... keeping dogs or people hydrated is the big  deal...