JUNE 30 2018

BIG EXCITEMENT OF TEH DAY--- I BOUGHT A NEW INNERTUBE FOR THE WHEELBARROW....-  DOESN'T SOUND LIKE MUCH,  BUT --- WAS IT SHAKESPERE??--- FOR WANT  OF A NAIL THE SHOE, HORSE,RIDER , BATTLE , WAR, AND NATION   WAS LOST...  WELL IN OUR CASE FOR WANT OF A WHEELBARROW THE POO PILES UP IN THE WRONG PLACE.  WHICH MIGHT ANGER THE NEIGHBORS, ANIMAL CONTROL,  ZONING BOARD , AND MY FAVORITE, THE BUILDING INSPECTOR.

***

ONE MIGHT SAY I AM A STUDENT OF MANURE-- BY NO MEANS A PHD TYPE  STUDENT,  BUT I DO  THINK ABOUT IT.

 EVERY FRIDAY I WATCH THE DODGE GRAIN TRUCK COME  HERE AND LEAVE 20 BALES OF HAY ( @ 45 POUNDS EACH) ,  10 BALES OF SHAVINGS, 300 POUNDS OF HORSE GRAIN AND 100 POUNDS OF CHICKEN FEED---  EVEN WITH JANINE  AND RACHAEL ( BELLA'S MOM) TAKING  A FEW BALES,  MIXED WITH A BIT OF WATER, THAT BECOMES  THE BEST PART OF 3 TONS OF  INPUT MONTHLY   AND THEN WHEELBARROWED  OFF TO THE MANURE PILE-- TO BE THEN LOADED ONTO A DUMP TRAILER- AND DUMPED AT BRICK ENDS FARM-- WHERE  THEY SIFT, SORT, LIME, AND AGE IT  SO  I CAN THEN BUY IT BACK FOR $130 A  TRAILERFULL. 

***

MANURE IS BY NO MEANS "TRASH" ----- BRICK END FARM'S CURRENT MANURE  DUMPING PILE - IS BIGGER THAN OUR WHITE INDOOR ARENA- AND THERE IS NOT ONE PIECE OF HAY STRING  HANGING OUT OF THAT PILE .  I ALSO KNOW ... THAT  THE PLACE IS SO WELL RUN THAT IF I DUMPED A LOAD WHICH CONTAINED 3 STRINGS AND 2 SODA CANS, I WOULD BE INVITED NOT TO DUMP THERE ANYMORE.  THEY KNOW WHO DRIVES PAST THAT OFFICE ON THE WAY IN... AND I AM SURE THEY COULD FIGURE OUT WHO  LEFT THE STRINGS... i know we are  one of the elite who are allowed to dump there... being accepted in that country club is teh kind that really matters.  being  "unliked"  in facebook is not  as devastating as being unliked in the manure dumping club.  SDP HAS COME A LONG WAY IN THE  MANURE APPRECIATION 

DEPARTMENT  - TIME WAS WHEN I SCOOPED THERE WOULD BE A DANGLER--- NOW GRACE AND TOM  ARE THE USUAL HAY STrING MANAGERS... And they are doing very well.... 

***

 TO SHORTCUT THE SYSTEM A BIT,  I HAVE LOCATED SEVERAL PLACES AROUND THE FARM WHICH ARE  "OUTSIDE" THE DOG DOMAIN AND MIGHT JUST MANAGE TO GROW A FEW WILDFLOWEERS  IF THERE WAS SOME ORGANIC MATERIAL TO ENCOURAGE GROWTH..  THERE IS AI SIGNIFICANT DEPRESSION 1/2 WAY DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, OUTSIDE THE GATE, AND IN A SUNNY SPOT   ---  I THINK, IF WE TRUNDLE MANURE THERE FOR THE NEXT 6 MONTHS WE WOULD , NEXT SPRING BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME WILDFLOWERS.  THE TRUNDLING PROCESS CHANGES TEH  "MANURE PILE " INTO "COMPOST HEAP"

WHICH  PUTS IT INTO AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT LEGAL  DEFINITION .. BESIDES... I AM SURE I CAN FIND SOME PERSON WHO HAS ALWASY WANTED TO DRIVE A TRACTOR-- TO DO THE TRUNDLING....  IT IS PRETTY BORING-- TH ONLY EXCITING PART IS AVOIDING 2 MASSIVE POTHOLES IN TEH PART OF THE DRIVEWAY WE DID NOT REPAIR.  IF YOU HIT THOSE  YOU DUMP HALF TEH LOAD WHERE IT IS TOUGH TO PICK UP AGAIN....  

***

WE HAD INTERSHIP EDUCATION YESTERDAY---  THE  6 STITCHING AWLS  WERE SENT BY SAM KEISS-- TEH AWL IS A BIT OF A WIERD THING... SO SIMPLE AND USEFUL MANY TIMES WHERE A TYE WRAP WON'T QUITE DO THE TRICK...  LIKE HOLDING TEH PUPS HARNESS AT  SIZE TIL THEY GROW AND NEED ADJUSTING AGAIN....  BESIDES AWL  IS A GREAT WORD FOR SCRABBLE.

****

I WAS THRILLED TO SEE THE NEW FLOOR IN TH E TRAINING ROOM-- PAM AND DONNA PICKED IT OUT-- LOOKS WONDERFUL--- I TOLD THE COMPANY   "IT WAS THE BEST $3000 I EVER SPENT-- AND THEY COULD QUOTE ME..."

NOW TO GET  A SWIFTER AND FUNNY STEAM THING WE HAVE HERE THAT KEEPS THS PLACE  SMELLING SWEET.

***

SHATTING TOMORROW-- SOLD OUT AND ONTO THE PURPLE DIVISION !!

JUNE 29 2018

so you want to be a dog trainer????  so very many people tell me that.... my 2am stroke of brilliaNCE WAS ---- THERE ARE 2 TYPES OF PEOPLE WHO TRAIN DOGS. ---THE FIRST - THE TYPICAL AKC OBEDIENCE TRAINER WHO SAYS  "SIT"  , TEH DOG PUTS IT'S BACK END ON THE FLOOR- AND TEH PERSON IS VERY PLEASED "SEE WHAT I MADE TEH DOG DO..."   THEN THER IS THE FARM DOG STYLE TRAINER..."SEE WHAT I AM DOING... NOW FIGURE IT OUT.",  MORE BODY LANGUAGE....  "I AM GOING TO BE HERE FOR A WHILE SO SIT /LIE  DOWN OR RELAX SOMEHOW." --- INSTEAD OF BARKING "HEEL",  IT'S UNSPOKEN... "COME ON AROUND SO WE DON'T TRIP OVER EACH OTHER."  AND CONTRARY TO  POPULAR OPINION ... YOU DO  NOT WALK IN CIRCLES TO EDUCATE  A DOG.   A GREEAT DANE SERVICE DOG  TRAINER HAS TO TEACH TEH DOG TO COMUNICATE- AND THINK ON THEIR FEET...  THESE DOGS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THINGS YOU CAN NOT TEACH... OH THERE ARE A FEW   -- I CALL THEM WORDS OF WISDOM-- NOT COMMANDS... LIKE "WAIT" SO WE DON'T  GET STUCK IN THE DOORWAY...--- OR "WHOA" AND "BACK"  JUST TO MANAGE THEIR  SIZE IN TIGHT PLACES... OUR DOGS DO NOT "KNOW" TEH 39 COMMANDS LISTED BY ADI. **** USTABEE - WHEN I WAS PROVIDING DOGS FOR COMMERCIALS ETC... AND TEH CALL WAS FOR AN ATMOSPHERIC DOG  JUST SORT OF NORMAL LOOKING  DOG IN THE BACKGROUND...  THE BEST I HAD WERE FARM DOGS- NOT USUALLY ON A LEASH-- AND THERE WAS A HOMELESS PERSON'S DOG WHO WAS PERFECT AT BEING A HOMELESS PERSON'S DOG IN A MOVIE.... ...-- AN "OBEDIENCE TRAINED " DOG IN THAT SITUATION WOULD LOOK STIFF AND UN NATURAL....  WHEN YOU WATCH A DOG ON TV OR WHATEVER, YOU CAN TELL TEH ROBOTIC TRAINED  "MOVE TOWARD ME AND I WLL TELL YOU WHEN TO STOP" LASSIE TYPE     OR  "UP ON THAT SOFA AND  LIE DOWN"   FABREESE COMES TO MIND.....   =VERY MECHANICAL   THERE IS A PICTURE SOMEWHERE--- OF ME MANAGING 34 DOGS IN TEH CENTER OF NEWBURYPORT FOR A COMMERCIAL--  THERE WERE 3 GOLDENS WHO WERE "OBEDIENCE TRAINED"   BUT THE OTHER 31  WERE "FARM DOGS" USED TO BEHAVING IN GENERAL ( INCLUDING MY 5 DANES)  I HAD THEIR OWNERS THERE WHO JUST TOLD TEHM WHERE TO LIE DOWN AND THE DOGS JUST ALL RELAXED AND STAYED TEHERE AMID TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIANS. *** AS FOR TEH SERVICE DOG WORK.....   THERE IS A BASSIC COMMUNICAQTION  OUR DOGS LEARN WITH THE SPOON FEEDING-- WHICH THESE DOGS FROM GERMANY DO NOT HAVE... AS WITNESSED BY MY MISERABLE ATTEMPT TO GET MAYHEMN TO "GET TEH BASKET" LIKE BAILEY DID..  BAILEY  UNDERSTOOD COMMUNICATION-- AND IT WAS FUN -- SHE    PICKED UP THAT BASKET  AND BROUGHT IT TO ME  WITH VARIOUS COMMENTS.  LIKE FLINGING IT AT ME  WITH  "TAKE YOUR DANM BASKET/'   OR  PICKING IT UP FROM IN FRONT OF ME  RUNNING OFF WITH IT BECUSE HER CONTRACT SAID  CANNED MEAT-- NOT DRIED COOKIES.  OR TAKING IT TO SOMEONE ELSE JUST TO GET THE LAUGHTER  WHILE SHE LOOKED AT ME AND WAGGED HER TAIL.... SHE COMMUNICATED-- AS MANY OF OUR DOGS DO.... I HAVE NOT GOT THERE YET WITH THESE GERMAN DOGS,,,,  I AM STILL WORKING ONN COMMUNICATION..... **** OH TODAY TODAY WAS SUCH A GREAT DAY. WE HAVE LONG AWAITED THIS TRIP TO THE FARM SINCE MARCH. WE PLANNED TO BE UP APRIL BUT LIFE TOOK OTHER TURNS DELAYING US. IT’S ALWAYS BITTER SWEET TO GET THE FARM BUT TODAY WAS A BIT MORE SPECIAL TO ME IN SOME WAYS.  MY YOUNGEST SON MADE A WISH TO RAISE AWARENESS ON SDP AND MS AND HIS WISH GREW. WE HELD A BIG FUNDRAISER IN MARCH IN FLORIDA THAT MY PARENTS PUT TOGETHER AND FLEW MY FAMILY DOWN. IT WAS SUCH A GREAT EVENT AND ALL BECAUSE OF LITTLE BOY WANTING TO RAISE AWARENESS CAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT WE GO THROUGH. TO LEARN MORE ON THIS HE HAS HIS OWN FB PAGE AND LOTS OF PICTURES FROM THE BIG DAY, THEN NEXT YEAR THERE WILL BE MORE INFORMATION WITH OUR NEXT FUNDRAISER. LOGAN’S WISH FOR MS AWARENESS. TODAY WE FINALLY WHEEE ABLE TO MAKE IT IN PERSON AND BRING CARLENE OUR DONATIONS THAT WE HAD MADE FROM THE FUNDRAISER. WE ALWAYS WANTED TO GIVE BACK AND TRY TO FIND WAYS TO SAY THANK YOU. I CAN NEVER REPAY CARLENE, MEGAN, STEVE AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS FOR ALL THEY THEY DO TO HELP PEOPLE LIKE ME. MY LIFE HAS CHANGED SO MUCH SINCE THE DAY I RECEIVED PIXIE. I WAS GIVEN SO MUCH TO MY LIFE BACK THAT I THOUGHT WAS GONE FOREVER. I’M SO GRATEFUL FOR MY SWEET GIFT. IT WAS SUCH A WONDERFUL DAY SEEING CARLENE, LINDA AND MEGAN AND EVERYONE ELSE AT THE FARM. PIXIE WAS SO EXCITED TO MEGAN SHE GAVE HER A GREAT BIG KISS. THE PUPPIES SURE DID LOVE HER. AWW OH I JUST ADORED THE THE PUPPIES. I COULD HAVE TAKEN THEM ALL HOME WITH ME, SUCH LOVE BUGS THEY ARE. BENTLEY HAS US CRACKING UP. HE IS TO SILLY. HE JUST SAT RIGHT ON MY OLDEST SON TYLER. OH WE GIGGLED. I LIKED HOW HE TOLD THE PUPPIES TO BEHAVE THEMSELVES TO. HE SURE IS THE BOSS BUT THE BEST BOSS I’D SAY. WE ALSO HAD TO SEE MO LOGAN LOVES MO. HE HAS A BIG FASCINATION WITH THIS BEAUTY BUT HOW COULDN’T YOU.  MY FAMILY AND I TRULY ENJOYED SITTING AND TALKING WITH CARLENE. SHE TAUGHT ME SO MUCH MORE TODAY THEN I KNEW YESTERDAY BUT WE ALWAYS LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY. I DON’T THINK STOPPED GIGGLING EITHER SHE HAD IS LAUGHING TO. IT WAS SUCH A PERFECT DAY. **** So no news story today 😞 they got called for some breaking news (earlier I posted on Fb that the news may come visit the lemonade stand we had today) but maybe they will come see us in the future! Anyhoo even though Eve still has a bad ankle and a bad ‘wing’ Finn is still really able to help her. In the house she has been pushing her chair with the good arm and uses a foot to help her steer. That’s ok for slow & very short distances, but today in the stores she just held on to Finn and told him where to go! Soooooo amazing that he can still give her this independence with only 1 good working limb.... if that one goes we may really need to get a saddle!!! Ok no not really!

june 28 2018

thanks to asher   i will take the day off......- here is todays dd---

****

ASHER AND I ARE HEADING INTO THE MIDDLE OF OUR WORKWEEK, BUT WE FEEL LIKE WE’RE STILL RECOVERING FROM OUR BUSY WEEKEND! WE TOOK A QUICK TRIP DOWN TO FLORIDA FOR A LONG WEEKEND TO VISIT MY FAMILY AND CELEBRATE FATHER’S DAY IN PERSON, DIDN’T MATTER THAT WE WERE A WEEK LATE! 

I THINK MY FAVORITE THING TO DO WITH ASHER IS TRAVEL, NO MATTER WHERE WE’RE OFF TO. HE’S THE PERFECT DOG NO MATTER WHERE WE GO, BUT HE’S SUCH A ROCKSTAR AND ABSOLUTELY SHINES THROUGH A HECTIC DAY MOVING ALONG THROUGH CROWDED PLACES. LONG BUS RIDES TO THE AIRPORT ARE NO BIG DEAL. GAWKING TRAVELERS WHO CAN’T RESIST CALLING OUT AND MAKING KISSY NOISES? WE IGNORE THOSE. BUMPY TAKEOFF? ASHER THINKS THOSE ARE GREAT FOR NAPPING THROUGH! I’M NO STRANGER TO FLYING BY MYSELF, BUT IT’S SO MUCH EASIER SINCE BEING PAIRED WITH ASHER. HE’S MY ROCK IN EVERY SITUATION, BUT ESPECIALLY THROUGH OUR TRAVELS, AND I KNOW HE’LL NAVIGATE US THROUGH THE CRAZINESS AND GET US WHERE WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE WITH TIME TO SPARE. AND HE ARRIVES COOL AS A CUCUMBER, NOT FAZED IN THE LEAST. WE HAD ANOTHER GREAT EXPERIENCE ON SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, AND WE LANDED IN ORLANDO BEFORE WE KNEW IT. 

WE SQUEEZED IN AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY COULD OVER THE ALMOST-72-HOURS WE HAD DOWN THERE—ASHER IMPRESSED EVERYONE WITH HIS MANNERS AT A GELATO AND BEER PAIRING THAT WE HEADED TO FRESH OFF THE PLANE. BY THE END OF THE NIGHT, I WAS FRUSTRATED BY THE AMOUNT OF COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE ALONG THE LINES OF, “OH, YOU DRUGGED HIM FOR THE FLIGHT, RIGHT? I CAN TELL!” WHY DRUGGING A SERVICE DOG SOUNDS EVEN REMOTELY LIKE A GOOD IDEA IS BEYOND ME, BUT I FOLLOWED EVERY COMMENT WITH A BRIEF EDUCATION ON WHAT, EXACTLY, A LEGITIMATE SERVICE DOG LOOKS LIKE. PEOPLE ARE SO CONDITIONED TO FAKE ONES THAT I GUESS A WELL-TRAINED DOG DOING HIS JOB MUST OBVIOUSLY BE SEDATED! BUT I DIGRESS—ASHER WAS A CHAMP AS ALWAYS, EVEN WITH OUR EXTREMELY LONG THURSDAY. 

I WAS TREATED TO SOME PAMPERING THIS WEEKEND AND SPENT A LOT OF SATURDAY OUT DOING SOME SHOPPING AND GETTING A PEDICURE WITH MY MOM. WHEN WE WALKED INTO THE NAIL SALON, I WAS ASKED SEVERAL TIMES WHAT COLOR ASHER WOULD BE GETTING ON HIS NAILS, EVERYONE WORKING THERE LOVED HIM! WHILE ASHER AND I ALWAYS ADMIRE KRINGLE’S POLISHED NAILS, I FELT LIKE NECK TIES ARE MORE HIS STYLE AND PROBABLY MORE APPROPRIATE THAN A PEDICURE FOR OUR LINE OF WORK. 

WE GOT BACK INTO PROVIDENCE LATE SUNDAY NIGHT, AND I WAS AGAIN BEYOND GRATEFUL FOR ASHER’S CONFIDENT ASSISTANCE (AND HIS LARGE, INTIMIDATING SIZE PROBABLY DIDN’T HURT EITHER) TO GET US WHERE WE NEEDED TO GO. GOODBYES ARE HARD WHEN MY WHOLE FAMILY IS SO FAR AWAY, BUT HAVING A CONSTANT COMPANION MAKES IT MUCH EASIER TO GET THROUGH THE TIME BETWEEN VISITS.

I CAN’T BELIEVE IT HAS ALMOST BEEN A YEAR SINCE ASHER PICKED ME TO BE HIS PARTNER, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL YEAR FULL OF ADVENTURE IT’S BEEN. WE FIRST MET AT THE SERVICE DOG PROJECT ON JULY 9TH OF LAST YEAR. 

THAT REMINDS ME, HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR CHICKEN BRICKS YET? ASHER AND I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL TO ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT SDP IN OUR HONOR THIS NEXT MONTH OF JULY—SHATTING SUNDAY IS JULY 1ST! IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT CHICKEN BRICKS ARE OR THE FUN OF SHATTING SUNDAY, YOU CAN go to the web  www.servicedogproject.org

ASHER HAS ENHANCED EVERY ASPECT OF MY LIFE OVER THIS PAST YEAR TO THE POINT THAT I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW I EVER GOT BY WITHOUT A BEST FRIEND LIKE HIM, AND NOTHING WOULD MAKE US HAPPIER THAN TO HELP SUPPORT SDP IN CONTINUING TO SHARE THE FREEDOM OF A SERVICE DANE WITH OTHERS WHO NEED ONE. CHICKEN BRICKS HELP SDP DO JUST THAT!

WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A BUSY REST OF OUR WEEK, AND THEN I PROMISED ASHER THAT WE COULD ENJOY A LAZY WEEKEND AT HOME COMING UP; HE DOESN’T KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENED TO HIS LAZY SATURDAYS LATELY!

june 27 2018

mayhem almost has teh basket deal  for  5 pm mail call....... i must    must   take tiem today a dn go over the details with her....  =like... you get that basket in my hands and i wilol hand you a "tender strip treat...  it is a contract --- expectations  must be met.. expectations... poor sizzle is confined to hte laundry building because she isi n serious heat     usually every morning  she appears a t my right elbow and rolls her eyes in the direction of the treats-- so i quietly give her two.  she has no idea why she is not in the house... so i must cut this short and delifver the treats to her down there.... also in the laundry building  -- watson and gabby   19 minute tie.. --  that gives us 2 probable litters  by mid september    cute for dog fest.  short doggie... here is a list of explore connections... all commercial free nature kind of thing...  very interesting...   i think  the motto is "never stop learning..." so have at it.-- but do come back to sdp and buy chicken bricks-- it is a short month... Visit the full multicam experience:  http://explore.org  Facebook: http://goo.gl/0M21Q5 - Twitter: https://goo.gl/5hmIej  Be sure to visit and subscribe to all your favorite EXPLORE live-cam channels.   Explore Main Channel https://goo.gl/9L2vjH  Explore Africa https://goo.gl/8GXlAz  Explore Bears & Bison https://goo.gl/bKBhR8  Explore Birds Bats Bees https://goo.gl/chM5Zp  Explore Cats Lions Tigers https://goo.gl/1m3vAd  Explore Farm Life https://goo.gl/KVU98J  Explore Dog Bless You https://goo.gl/F01N6i  Explore Oceans https://goo.gl/6lKaus  Explore Sunsets https://goo.gl/zfG1DI  Explore Zen Dens https://goo.gl/Id1WMF

june 26 2018

THE PP'S ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE SOMETHINGS -- LIVELY BEING ONE OF THEM....

PAULA JUST WALKED OFF WITH MY FLY SWATTER WHICH I H AVE BEEN USEING TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO  "WAIT" BEFORE DIVING INTO THEIR MEALS....  AS SHE PUT IT IN HER MOUTH IT MADE A STRANGE NOISE WHICH ALERTED ME--- SCARED ME REALLY.... BECAUSE....

YESTERDAY ONE OF THEM WAS CHEWING ON "SOMETHING" WHICH JUST DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT-- AND I REACHED DOWN THIER THRROAT TO RETRIEVE A WAD OF SOMETHING  WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A VERY DEAD MOUSE... THE TAIL OF WHICH WAS TEH MOST RECOGNIZABLE PART....- DOESN'T SOUND LIKE MUCH... EXCEPT...... IF THAT WAS A HEALTHY LIVE MOUSE WHICH THE PUP CAUGHT AND KILLED, SO BE IT-- THE WAY OF TEH JUNGLE... HOWEVER.. I NEVER SAW A DANE PUP THAT COULD CATCH A LIVELY  HEALTHY MOUSE/CHIPMONK/ WHATEVER.... SO IT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN LIVELY HEALTHY-- IN WHICH CASE HOW DID IT BECOME NOT  HEALTHY????

  MY BIGGEST FEAR--- BECAUSE IT DID HAPPEN IN TH E BARN ONCE----- IS THAT  A VOLUNTEER SEEING A MOUSE HERE AND THERE IN THE  HOUSE DECIDES TO BE HELPFUL AND GO TO A STORE AND BUY MOUSE POIZON  STUFF TO PUT  BEHIND SOME DRAWER .. SO TEH MOUSE IN THE PROCESS OF WEAKENING AND DYING FROM BLOOD NOT CLOTTING ...   WANDERS INTO  TERRITORY COMMON TO THE DOGS-- AND  TEH DOGS EAT THE DEAD MOUSE--- THUS PUTTIN G THE POIZON INTO THE DOG-  IT IS NOT SOMETHING NORMAL PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO THINK ABOUT-- BUT WE SURE DO. IT WOULD HAPPEN ONLY BECAUSDE SOMEONE HAD ONLY THE  CONCEPT OF RIDDING THE PLACE OF MICE, NOT REALIZING THE DANGER TO THE PUPS AND DOGS. 

 THE RATS AND MICE AROUND HERE ARE TEH CANARY'S IN THE COAL MINE..  WE HAVE THEM-- I DON'T BEGRUDGE THEM A FEW  DOG TREATS OR  HORSE OATS...  I AM NOT THRILLED WITH TEH CHANNELS THEY HAVE DUG UNDER THE ALLEYWAY WHICH ARE ANKLE BUSTERS FOR SURE...  WE ARE IN FAR BETTER SHAPE NOW THAT AT ONE POINT WHEN YOU COULD GO OUT AFTER DARK AND SEE RATS RUNNING ALONG THE  TOP OF FENCES FROM BARN TO LAUNDRY  TO KEEP THIER LITTLE TOOTSIES OFF TEH SNOW.... APPARENTLY THE LAUNDRY WAS WARMER  BUT THE FOOD WAS IN HTE BARN... SO THEY WENT ON NIGHTLY SHOPPING TRIPS.... BY THE DOZENS.... IT IS BETTER NOW BECAUSE OF  "YE OLDE SNAP TRAPS".

 THERE IS NOTHIBNG LIKE A SNAP TRAP.---- TEH LIST IS LONG  FROM TIPPING  INOT A BUCKET,TO HAVAHART, TO THE ELECTRONIC BATTERY  RUN ONES TO ELECTROCUTE-- I THINK I HAVE TRIED All teh gizmos-- and went back to a carton of snap traps-- quick -- dead-- put in plastic baG AND STORE IN THE FREEZER...

WWWWHHHHAAAAAATTTTT?  YES WE HAVE DEAD RATS STORED IN FREEZERS-- USUALLY THE GUEST HOUSE FREEZER... BECAUSE THE OTHER COMA=PANY WE RUN IS THE FROZEN RODENT DELIVERY COMPANY    WHERE WE GIVE TEH "CATCH" TO ANYONE REHABILITATION  RAPTORS-- HAWKS  OWLS  ETC.... 

SO IF YOU ARE STAYING IN OUR GUEST HOUSE- YOU PROBABLY SHOULD N'T LOOK...

****

SPEAKING OF OUR GUEST HOUSE....  TEH COUPLE WHO DROVE THE LAST LOAD OF DONKEYS TO JANINE'S HOUSE SPENT A LONG NIGHT DRIVING AND  THEY DID NOT HAVE A SLEEPER CAB.. SO SHE GAVE TEHM TEH BLUE TRUCK AND TOLD TEHM TO CRASH  IN OUR GUEST HOUSE-LEAVING THIER BIG TRAILER AT JANINE'S - THE LOGISTICS OF  WHAT CAR IS WHERE MEANT I HAD TO DRIVE JANINE AROUND TO give bales of hay to  SEVERAL PLACES SHE HAS DONKEYS "FOSTERED" -- NAMELY  ANN'S-- WHERE ANN IS GETTING READY FOR   GROTON HOUSE HORSE EVENT THE NEXT 2 WEEKENDS..  IT IS JUST AS BIG AS IT EVER WAS...   like ... huge tents 100 x 40' ---- LIKE dozens of  PORTAPOTTIES over the cross country course...  BIG.. THAT'S HOW BIG... there will be horse trailers here from texas and colorado and everywhere in between...   she said they are "running the cross country every 2 minutes" and are full-- that is a horse leaving teh "starting box" every 2 minutes for at  least 8 hours  on saturday... much l;ike   "T" times on a golf course...

i bet  someone will be streaming it live...? on facebook?  

 THE TENTS THIS YEAR ARE MUCH DIFFERENT THQN WHEN I DID THE STABLING 25 YEARS Ago... these tents rise to really pointed shape  thus eliminating teh  tendency of the night watchmen to  climb up on top a dn have a beer party.   there are lots of funny stories of my texas relatives on tents.. 

 ******

venting section            

MIND MANUPPULATION SEEMS TO BE TEH  WAY THINGS ARE DONE NOW- A -DAYS.

I THINK IT ALL STARTED WITH THE SCOTCH ON TH ROCKS  ON THE COVER OF THE BOOK ABOUT MADISON AVENUE TECHNIQUIES--- THE COMBINATION OF ICE AND SCOTCH WAS SUPPOSED TO SPELL S-E-X AND I LOOKED AT IT FOR A LONG TIME AND COULD NEVER SEE IT.  IT SURE WAS SUBLIMINAL IN MY CASE.--

every night i hear.........YOUR SUN SETTER ADJUSTABLE  AWNING COSTS UNDER  SEVEN HUNDRED DOLLARS.

TODAY SPECIAL DEAL $200 OFF FOR ONLY  FIVE NINETY NINE...

MAKES ME ANNOYED... BECAUSE UNDER 700  WOULD BE 699  AND 200 OFF WOULD BE 499

BUT IF THEY ACCENT THE SEVEN AND TEH FIVE-- THEY GET AWAY WITH IT.

I HEAR THIS KIND OF  "MISTAKE" ALL TEH TIME 

THEN... YOU GET INTO  "SAVE UP TO $200"  RIGHT... WELL 2 CENTS IS  IN THAT RANGE TOO.  THOSE BATTERIES LAST UP TO 20 YEARS---AND IF THEY DON'T YOU MAY RETURN THEM WITH THE RECIEPT AND OPRIGIONAL BOX TEHY CAME IN.

LETS JUST DO A MENTAL EXAM OF ALL THE ORIGIONAL BOXES WE WOULD  HAVE TO SAVE/trash  TO AQVAIL OURSELVES OF THAT REFUND POLICY..https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/24/middleeast/lebanon-garbage-crisis-river/index.html

have a look.

june 25 2018

shuttle arrival,,,    new training room floor....    and 12 people coming for community service at 11:00-

shuttle--- it works well  for any arrival to get on the shuttle bus for peabody--- and call us once on the bus....  i then can get  a cuppa coffee, load teh dogs and be there 3 minutes before the bus arrives-- cp's coming here do not  to rent a car--  this works well...

\

training room floor---  carpet is a terrible thing-- i don't know who invented it... you can not keep iot clean-- you can keep it what looks like clean but down amid all those perky fluffy fibers there lurks  an amazing collection.  it is  the  amazon forest of microbiology.  

TT( tom and tanner) did gt it out-- laid it flat oand gave it teh dawn  scrubb treatment, picked it up on th efork lift and rinsed it well  so it can be used for dogs sleeping lofts -- and i think it got fully dry-- rolled and stored  in the giraffe tent before last night's deluge.

then 12 people--- here to work  11-2 --- it is amazing what 12 peopl;e can accomplish in a couple hours-- our problem for them to solve is... for some reason we are innundated with what will become  "burrdocks"   huge tough leaves-  however one slice underground with a seareated steak knife, on that tap root and teh whole plant lifts out---  puppy hill will become unuseable if we don't get them out of there....-- teh rest of teh place is not much better  deagle hill--   i did teh "v" pen on  my hands and knees.  but i need help withthe rest-- i don't think it kills teh plant... but it sure slows up the burr production til maybe next year???

one or two of the  more robust variety  of people might pound in some  posts for a dog run around  teh trees on donkey hill...

i am told therer are donkeys and mules in to pond area--- mysteriously appeared in the m iddle of the n ight....

hmmmmm.

*****

eve and finn

I am soooooo over this fracture cycle! 

At the end of March Eve broke her right femur due to a fall. Just as she started feeling comfortable weight bearing again in May she broke her left femur this time no trauma just reaching. Again just as she began to weight bear she injured her ankle in the beginning of June  (no apparent fracture but we haven’t had the specialist look at it) I was hoping she’d begin to weight bear on it this coming week. Yesterday Eve went to bump a beach ball, volleyball style when she heard a crack - she broke her collarbone! Currently she is not weight bearing AND cannot push her wheelchair AND it’s her right (dominant) arm!

IT’S SUMMER!!!

IT’S NOT FAIR!!! 

Yes I’m throwing a temper tantrum! 

I think she’s handling it better than me but she’s not a happy camper either! I see lots of board games and books for the next few weeks. 

Ok now that that’s out of the way.... the fun stories of our weekend.  Eve passed level 3 of swim lessons on Saturday! Then we went to the library while fearless SD Finn protected us from the ferocious creatures at the public library! Thank goodness because as we were engrossed in looking through the new arrivals Finn had our back with a low growl to make both us and these creatures knew that he was here to keep us safe! That stuffed ape really had him fooled and feeling like he posed as a REAL threat to our well being!! After that we went to a graduation party then a movie! Finn was so exhausted that during the movie he slept so soundly with his Mutt muffs on that he didn’t even stir when we took the mutt muffs off. Dad had to give him a little rub to wake him up!!

Thanks for checking in!

Edited to add - Finn also got to brighten the day of several others waiting in the ER waiting room today we gave them our cards and told them all about SDP too!!

****

way to go !

june 24 2018

I HAVE A DESK FULL OF FLY SWATTERS  WHICH MEANS TEH DONKEYS MUST BE BACK FROM THE JANINE "EPISODE" FOR DONKEYS IN HAMILTON...  TALKING ABOUT TACKLING A  "CULTURAL NORM"   WITH A TOTALLY NEW CONCEPT-   GOTTA HAND IT TO JANINE-- THE WHOLE TOWN  OF HAMILTON MASS IS   THOROBRED...  I.E.   RACE HORSE.. HUNTER JUMPER... DRESSAGE ORIENTED-  I AM TOLD IT IS THE TOWN IN THE US WITH THE MOST HORSE TRAILERS PER ACRE..   THESE ARE REALLLLY FANCY  HORSES  AIMED AT THINGS LIKE  " THE OLYMPICS"    WITH WOMEN  ALL DRESSED UP  WITH FANCY HATS  LIKE ROYAL WEDDINGS OR KENTUCKY DERBY DAY...AND JANINE CERTAINLY CAN HOLD HER HEAD UP  IN THAT CROWD OF  "HORSEMEN" -- EXCEPT--------- AGE OR WHATEVER HAS MADE HER REALIZE  DONKEYS ARE MUCH MORE  JUST PLAIN FUN...  FULL OF PERSONALITY AND  MUCH MORE INTELLIGENT---- LESS  PRONE TO SELF DESTRUCTION... SO SHE NOW CIRCULATES IN  WHAT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A GROUP THAT HAS INVESTED HUGE AMOUNTS  OF TIME, ENERGY, FINANCES, AND REAL ESTATE IN THE SEARCH OF TEH PERFECT THOROBRED-  WARMBLOOD,  WITH A BUNCH OF DONKEYS SHE RESCUED AT 87 CENTS A POUND..  WHICH SHE THEN  FINDS "FOREVER HOMES"   IN FANCY STABLES ONCE USED TO HOUSE ONLY  WHAT WAS RUMORED TO BE  THE FINEST  IMPORTED   IRISH HUNTER. AND POLO PONYS   AND TEH PEOPLE WHO GET INVOLVED  ARE   relaxed,  SMILING AND LAUGHING  LIKE NEVER BEFORE.

APPARENTLY  THERE WAS AN EVENT TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE ESSEX TRAIL ASSOCIATION-   money  TO CLEAr trails in teh state forest - willowdale-- which  abuts our property too.    the reason for the fly swatters--  she apparently had a race set up donkey style..i.e.  carefully maneuvered in slow motion-- being horse people they  are used to whipping horses to make them go so to fulfil that human instinct she gave people  fly swatters- which our donkeys have already been introduced to  and don't react to at all.

you think i am kidding????   

look at   https://www.grotonhousefarm.com/    into that atmosphere insert   http://equinerescuenetwork.com/?page_id=1348  and have a good laugh !!  the donkey racing with a person in front with a bag of carrots is my favorite....

JUNE 23 2018

VENTING TIME>>>>>next to bankers, i have a problem with insurance "people_" 

there ustabe a song about "99 ways to leave your lover"  --welcome to 2018-- it is now " 99 ways for insurance to deny coverage..."

if these details are not exact... they are darn close....i know of an "older"  woman lets call her MM ( for medicaremedex)-- fell -- broke shoulder- spent 18 hours in the emergency room waiting for a bed... then 2 nights  "in the hospital" and quickly  discharged with a "good luck"  a  note around her neck...  no nursing home care....rehab... nothing.  go home... now if she  had stayed 3 nights in the hospital she would be eligible for  some further care... by not including the time in the emeergency room,  teh insurance companies deny further coverage..

-- i have medicare and medex--  and figure i am "covered-- but thinking back.... maybe 5 years ago i was admitted- to a bed i thought was in the hospital- for care..... turns out it was not in the hospital, but  just some kind of room for 24 hour "observation"- which was not covered -  they used the terms with such great authority it was pointless to argue....

ALL THAT ... AND ....  i have to watch anne sitting around smiling and saying "i  just don't understand,---- in Denmark we get the very best care and just don't even have to think about it."  

makes me want to equate emergency services....----  my  house is on fire---i  call the fire dept- and up the drive comes a beautiful shiney red water pumping device manned by 6 efficient  guys in  battle gear... now if fire service was managed by the insurance companies  the "coverage"  would be 5 semi sober guys out of the local pub with  plastic buckets.

two of the bulidings that dominate teh boston skyline "the"  Prudential  and  Handcock....  not chlidrens hospital or mass general...  i have a problem with that concept...

AND  I SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PEOPLE MEDICAL WORLD, NOW HAPPENING TO THE VETERNARY WORLD...

  THEY----- MAKE INSURANCE  SOUND SO GOOD

AND--INSURANCE CO..  ARE TRYING IN THE AUTO WORLD  " NOW THAT YOUR CAR IS  4 YEARS OLD DON'T YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH IT IS GOING TO COST YOU TO REPLACE ALL TEH PARTS THAT ARE DESTINED TO FALL APART?" 

****

then-- remember my disaster panic several years ago.????   true story..... i carried/ paid for $200,000 AGI  life insurance coverage for 30+ years- when i turned 78 i began to get notices the policy had zero value-- and zero cash value-- even tho i had paperwork saying  cash vale was $100,000../ THAT TURNED TO MONTHS OF   "IT HAS NO VALUE, SORRY" 

simple TYP0  mistake???  well-- contacting  the three different addresses and phone numbers from thier letters    i tried.... 2 were in tennasee one chigago 2 were discontinued ande teh third referred me to a place in  Venezuela -  i looked op the officeiaL AGI info on line-- got no where.. finally i contacted the state ins  office--- they gave me a number and said "good luck" -- finally i got a paper that said the cash value was $107,000..  GREAT RELIEF----  i said ...... i will take it-- that maneuver statistically saved the ins company $100,000- and AGI  had the "use of my cash for  30 years with no interest .  I WAS TRAINED TO BE THRILLED  TO GET TEH 107K...

 in my opinion ... sleezy   would best describe it.

****

THERE IS THAT  STORY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A JOKE..... "YOU DON'T NEED A GUN TO ROB A BANK, YOU  JUST NEED A BRIEFCASE TO ROB EVERYONE."

***

DAILY PROJECT-- BUILDING A WOODEN HORSE TO CARRY/ DISPLAY MO'S  WORK HARNESS...-- IT IS AN INTERESTING THIG TO STUDY  ON OR OFF HER....  BESIDES I AM TIRED OF LOOKING AT THAT MESS OF  WHAT IS USUALLY LEATHER, BUT IS NOW A REALLY GOOD LOOKING FAKE LEATHER  WHICH CAN BE DUNKED AND DRIPPED ( AS OPPOSED TO  THAT COACH LEATEHR HARNESS I HAD FOR TEH DONKEYS  WHICH WAS AN 8 HOUR JOB TO CLEAN...) 

***

JUNE 22, 2018

WELL KRINGLE AND I ARE HEALING WELL AND WE HAVE SET A DATE TO WALK A 5K TOGETHER TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE SERVICE DOG PROJECT. MORE INFORMATION WILL FOLLOW BUT WE WILL WALK WITH HEALTH SOUTH. THIS FACILITY HELPED ME LEARN TO WALK, TALK, SWALLOW, AND LIVE AGAIN SO I COULDN'TFIND A MORE APPROPRIATE PLACE. COME JOIN US, BUT WE WILL POST SOON TO RAISE MONEY FOR SDP BECAUSE

 WITHOUT SDP THERE WOULD BE NO SHAUNA AND KRINGLE.

june 22 2018

the dangers  BC  ( before coffee)- i have 2 bags of treats on my desk... one is teh addictive honey/mustard bagel bites- the other is teh "tender strips" with lamb as  teh 1st ingredient.   with both bags open facing me, there was nearly a nasty mistake... fortunately teh tender strips have an alarming shape for human consumption...

these  strips were  A SAMPLE  in the bottom of the box containing chaos special diet food--- purina pro plan savor for  weight management ( whaT I NEED IS HONEY MUSTARD BAGEL BITES FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT)--  CHAOS IS DOING WELL ON TEH REDUCED CALORIES OF  WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE SAME  FLAVOR/BRAND  FOOD  WE FEED EVERYONE ELSE...

THE SAMPLE  OF  "TENDER STRIPS" IS GOOD.   THEY GET MY STAMP OF APPROVAL  BASED ON TEH SHAPE--  THE SHAPE OF THE  TREAT YOU FEED PUPPIES  CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO THEIR TRAINING....  THESE STRIPS ARE 4.25 INCHES...( I MEASURED) THIS MEANS I CAN  HOLD TEH TREAT PERPENDICULAR TO THE PUP'S MOUTH-  THEREBY ENCOURAGING THEM TO CLEARLY SEE THE TREAT AND ALLOW THEM TIME TO CAREFULLY  TAKE JUST THE E TREAT AND NOT MY FINGERS ... DOESNT SOUND LIKE MUCH--- BUT LETS STUDY THE OTHER OPTION-- GIVEN A 1" SQUARE TREAT-- YOU HOLD THAT BETWEEN 2 FINGERS-  AS THE PUP APPROACHES THE TREAT WITH  ENTHUSIASM AND MOUTH WIDE OPEN , YOU INSTINCTLY   MOVE YOUR HAND BACK SLIGHTLY HOPING TO  CLEAR THE CANINE'S CANINES.-- THIS SETS UP THE DOG TO THINK-- I BETTER GRAB QUICKER NEXT TIME.. YOU HAVE SET INTO MOTION A PERSONIFICATION OF TEH VICIOUS  CIRCLE.

YOU HAVE TAUGHT THE DOG TO JUMP AT THE TREAT IN YOUR HAND-- WITH HAPPY PUPPIES, IT CAN BE FRIGHTENING.

BEING ABLE TO HOLD THIS RECTANGULAR SHAPE ACROSS THE LINE OF ATTACK, MEANS YOU CAN EVENTUALLY SLOW THE DOG DOWN TO BEING MORE CIVIL ABOUT  GRABBING TREATS..

TREat grabbing is a concern at the barn too-  i am dead serious about feeing the donkeys with your hands-- i can't tell you how many people stick their hands out at the donkeys with a carrot  and boldly explain to me how they know how to feed a horse.. at which point i explain not around here-- we use frying pans-  they don't hear that and continue to tell me about how to hold thier hand flat - at which point  i explain-- often loudly - that i know all about  flat hands.... but  around here you will use a fry pan  because i want the donekys to expect treats from fry pans- not kids hands-- as parts of kids hands are often the shape of carrots-  ocassionally someone will listen to that logic and  use teh fry pans which  are  hanging  aroudn the donkey pasture.  but the kind of person who is so intent on explaing  to me  how they know it is ok to feed with a flat hand, i guarentee i will see the sneak treats by hand, because they just assume i am nuts. and when i catch  that happening i wil tell them  in no uncertain terms not to go near the donkeys at all-- and in 2 cases asked people  to leave the property.  it is a rare case, but you might see me feed tehm by hand.   it is a rarity-- i carry a fry pan on my cgolf cart.

let me explain where this started......   i started driving the donkeys ---2 of them to a cart--- then 4, then 6, then 8- and by the time i got to 8, i found there was no money in saying "8 like teh budweisers"  -- there was a lot of money in buying antlers and saying "like Santa's reindeer" --  by the time you have 8,  those front 2 are so far away from you that you have very little supervision over  the crowds of kids that will pack in around them-  i always had at least 2 sidewalkers- and one to "head tehm up"   but even so...

now to complete the picture   Santa... means   Christmas... and candy canes. donkeys ( and horses) are addictied to pepermint..

so we worked, not only on stearing those donkeys, but at taking pieces of pepermint and touching them between the eyes and  rubbing quickly down and slipping it into  their mouth ( with a flat hand) -- this was so the donkeys did not expect  every flat hand that came at them to have  a pepermint in it.  this was critical to our succdess at christmas because 66% of all children in december  have hands that smell like pepermint.

to have 438,000 kids pat  those donkeys in harness and have no one get bitten is proof that  my technique worked.

*****

I KNOW IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE OUR LAST UPDATE, UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE NOT BEEN VERY WELL AND HAVE MAINLY JUST BEEN GOING TO HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS!

ON TUESDAY I MET WITH MY GI TEAM. WE DISCUSSED HOW BEST TO MANAGE SOME OF MY SYMPTOMS WHILE WE WAIT ON A DATE FOR SURGERY TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING ON BEFORE DECIDING ON A FOLLOWING SURGERY AS WELL AS HOW BEST TO FIT EVERYTHING AROUND MY LEG SURGERY AT THE END OF JULY! 

WE HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING ON A BETTER FORMULA PLAN TO TRY AND GIVE MY BODY THE BEST CHANCE OF RECEIVING NUTRITION AS I RECEIVE MOST OF MY NUTRITION THROUGH MY TUBE! ELVIS HAS REALLY LOOKED AFTER ME THIS WEEK AS I HAVE BEEN MORE TIRED THEN USUAL AFTER BATTLING A FEVER LAST WEEK AND MY BODY ALREADY REALLY STRUGGLES TO RECEIVE THE NUTRIENTS IT NEEDS! I HAVE HAD TO REMAIN CONNECTED TO MY TUBE FOR LONGER PERIODS OF THE DAY TO RECEIVE MORE MEDICATION AND NUTRITION. ELVIS HAS BEEN AMAZING AT MAKING SURE THAT IF I GET TANGLED IN TUBING, HE STOPS STILL UNTIL I CAN UNTANGLE US!  

TODAY WE SPENT THE MORNING AT SDP WHICH WAS DEFINITELY THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK! DESPITE NOT FEELING THE GREATEST I HAD A LOVELY TIME. SEEING EVERYONE AND SPENDING TIME WITH DOGS ALWAYS BRINGS A SMILE TO MY FACE. I KNOW ELVIS HAS A GREAT TIME AS WELL! AS SOON AS WE GOT BACK IT WAS OFF TO THE HOSPITAL AGAIN FOR ANOTHER APPOINTMENT AND ALSO TO GET BLOOD WORK DONE BECAUSE I HAVE NOT BEEN VERY WELL. ELVIS WAS A CHAMP AND STAYED RIGHT BY MY SIDE. HE ALWAYS LOOKS AT ME WHENEVER DOCTORS/NURSES ARE DOING TESTS OR IV'S UNTIL I SAY ITS OK AND THEN HE PUTS HIS HEAD DOWN AND RELAXES! ALL MY DOCTORS AND NURSES HAVE COMMENTED ON HOW SPECIAL HE IS AND ALWAYS WANTS TO MAKE SURE I AM OK!

TOMORROW IT IS BACK TO THE HOSPITAL FOR A FEW MORE APPOINTMENTS AND THEN HOPEFULLY I WILL BE FEELING BETTER FOR THE WEEKEND SO WE CAN GET UP TO SOME MORE ADVENTURES! THAT IS ALL FOR NOW AND AS ALWAYS THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON OUR JOURNEY!

LOVE FIONA AND ELVIS 

june 21 2018

Snyders  honey mustard and onion flavored bagel pieces say- rightly so - that they are bursting with flavor- they -- however-- are also bursting with calories especially if i sit here and eat one little piece at a time til the whole bag is gone.

***

there is a huge difference between the german raised pups, aND  OURS WHO START THE SPOON FEEDING AT 3 OR 4 WEEKS OF AGE..-PENNY AND PAULA-- AND MAYHEM-- DO NOT HAVE TH E ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE ... YET....I AM WORKING ON IT- BUT IT IS AN UPHILL BATTLE AT THE MOMENT.  MAY IS AS SWEET AS SHE CAN BE- UNLESS DISTRACTED  BY CHEWING ON HER  YOUNGR FRIENDS... PAULA IS MORE PENSIVE THAN PENNY WHO IS MORE TEH ACT AND REACT ALL AT THE SAME TIME... THEN THINK ABOUT IT.  I DID MAKE TEHM LEASHES- AND DYED THE LEASHES PURPLE SO NO ONE WOULD STEAL  MINE..... AND I MUST GET THEM OUTSIDE AND UNDER CONTROL THEY WOULD BE ALOT BETTER IF I JOGGED 1/2 MILE A DAY WITH THEM--

ACTUALLY I'D BE A LOT BETTER IF I JOGGED 1/2 MILE A DAY TOO- BUT THE CHANCES OF THAT HAPPENING ARE SLIM TO NONE.

TEH COMPLICATONS OF TRYING TO TRAIN 3 AT ONCE ARE SIGNIFICANT.  EVEN YUPPY PUPPY TRAINING IS VERY TOUGH ONE DOG AT A TIME- WITH 2 OBSERVERS... THROWING HANDFULLS OF TREATS ACROSS TEH FLOOR FOR THE EXTRA TWO "OBSERVERS" DOES NOT REALLY HELP.  THE TOTAL CONCENTRATION IS GONE...   I AM LOOKING FOR THAT "WATER" MOMENT OF HELEN KELLER IN THE MIRACLE WORKER MOVIE...    WE JEST AINT THERE YET.

-******

the wierd project of th daqay is to rip out the training room carpet and get ready to replace it with sweeepable flooring-  the carpet 20 x 10 will be good for dog's sleeping lofts-- if we can get it cleaned up-- sooooo.... plan is to unroll it in the yard and pick up the middle with the fork lift-- so if you see carpet dangling  from the fork lift... that is why.

******

from "cousin roberta " who wrote teh book- literally- on life in a commune  " huerfano"

in the meantime, if any of you happen to be passing through New Haven this fall, the Beinecke Library at Yale is having a show of the photographers whose work it collects (including me) --- Eye on the West.  Just a thought..  at any rate please give my love to all.     roberta price

******

and then-- finally-------

The Great Dane Club of America along with the 2018 Midwest Division is pleased to announce a unique educational and competitive event to showcase the addition of the Merle to our members as well as the fancy at large. On Thursday October 25th, 2018 one half hour after judging the GDCA will host the first competition for the Merle. Entries will be taken on Thursday from the beginning of judging until the end of judging of the regular classes that day. It is the wish of the GDCA that this showcase competition will serve a great tool to educate its members and prospective judges on our newest recognized color. We invite everyone to participate whether by showing or just observing these beautiful dogs.

Classes will be 6-9 months, 9-12 months, 12-18 months, and Open (18mo and up). All classes will be divided by sex.
Additionally, the GDCA intends to ask that some of the Merles participating in the Meet the Merle Event be utilized for the judges’ education program the following day as we all know education is paramount to the success and understanding of the implementation of the standard changes. Participation in the event is key to the GDCA helping educate both breeder judges and upcoming judges alike.
We look forward to a great celebration of the Merle and invite everyone to participate and learn from this once in a lifetime event!!!!

***

granted breeding merle to merle can produce white deaf - but it is about the same ratio as breeding harl to harl-- so why was the harl worht thousands and the merle worthless?    i dunno-- my first three service dogs were the "merle girls"   bella, annie and maude  all wonderful service dogs. 

i don't know what the problem is withthe font..... it is doing it's own thing today..

june 20 2018

flys---- as related to what smells bad enough to attract them--- personally i don't think horses smell too bad,  so the object is to find something that smells worse-- so flys would think it smells better and would prefer that to horse blood.---  i went this road ?20 years ago- you take milk gallon jug, cut and invert the top put a slurry of chicken liver and specific dog poop-- a little bit of water-- duct tape teh pieces togethere leaving the center  hole... and hang it--  that rig will catch 4" of dead flys pretty quickly...  i put one in the  t tent  and it worked wonders for 2 days in the hot sun...  it continued to work well for a week-  we were not bothered by flys at all -- mostly because we could not get near  tht t tent because of the stench--  a bit of hot sun on that "slurry"  and it  smelled so bad we couldn't enjoy th  t tent either...... it seemed to attract flys from 47 miles away-- beacuse that is how far away the stench drifted.... it wasn't even a "smell"  or  "odor"-- it was a stench.  but we caught flys..

so now   ----cp steve tailspin sent me an ad for rescue fly catchers-- i bet these will work.. -  these are the same concept---- i ordered 2 to try and if they work we can hang some more...--  in the fine print , id does refer to an "odor"  --   i am so proud of the cleanliness of this place ... and often note  even  with 55 dogs, the place does not smell at all.  so now i am going to hang up smell producing devices?  

might be interesting to hang one in front of the donkey camera which is almost outside?  if thease smell as bad as my chicken liver slurry  there is no amount of fabreese that will help...  

*****

now for the intellectual part of my study of dogs..... i mentioned specific dog poop in my fly catching instructions.... it is a fact-- there is some dog poo piles that are more attractive to flys than other piles- i have studied this- for a while i theorized the dog was not fully digesting the protien- and  thaerefore it was more attractive to flys- i tried to relate this to the tendency of dogs to recycle the pile of used food- but i got sidetract 

and forgot the project  til now. 

 as for flys related to other kinds of poo,,  - another fact---- there will be a pile of nhorse manure that is "alive"   with  tiny flys-- these have not been attracted to the pile, but  in my opinion... just hatched when they hit fresh air... because of this-- someone invented something  to feed horses that did something to that cycle-- i tried that stuff once- and maybe it was a  coincidence, but i ended up with birds walking all over the barnyard, so i gave that up...and never dide a "scientific blind study"  to verify that  happening

*****

a new barn fan is due to arrive -- sent by   cp- marjorie-- and the breeze does help in fly/ mosquito  control

 becasue all this  smelly fly control does not deal with mosquitos at all.  there were not many last year, but there have been seasons when i could capture a cup of dead mosquitos in a  net as they got blown thru a fan.

in keeping with the  insect study-- boxford road was closed yesteerday while they cut down a huge  30 inch diameter tree-- and as i watched them load teh carcass, the entire center was hollow/ black-- ants had eaten the tree...  i am sure we have several trees like that here...i have seen sawdust at one by the pond.

one other  million ant story--- when we were building this house, ( 1979)   after we had poured teh concret i saw a 4 inch wide  column of ants coming out of the flat field- across teh drivewaqy  and going into a hole next to the new concrete-  i put a pile of dirt in the column and tehy kept going straight ahead up and over--- i tried chemicals-- and a blowtorch, i killed a few but they kept coming i don't know when they quit, but the next morning  there was no column-  they were small ants-- and i have not seen any extraordinary amt of those ants in the house-- we ahve  a small supply of large black-- but not  teh smaller ones.

for whatever that means..

*****

bless the shoe fairy !!  last night at mail call i recieved a matching pair of shoes- so this morning  my feet match... i wll put the old RWT and LNT in the bottom of my closet bedcause somewhere in it's depth must be a  RNT and LWT for possibel future rescue operations.

****

Hi, Linda!

I just wanted to let you folks know that I dropped off my first "19th of the month" cake today.  I work in the downtown area of Knoxville, TN.  So I ordered the cake from a bakery nearby and took it to our Downtown Fire Station.  I also gave them a flyer explaining the "19th of the month" concept.  Hopefully, they'll enjoy the cake and find the explore.org website!

Thanks!

Jenifer Huey

****

for any new commers-- we decided the 19th of the month was teh day to take a cake to your local fire department-- it is a very strange thing to do  but they sure get a smile and it is so easy to do.  last count we had  cake delivery in 42 states???? 

june 19 2018

cake day!!  i think i survived the month on cookies and pie  , but there is nothing like a good piece of cake... with buttercream icing....

***

i was counting on the report  that we ere supposed to have downpours overnight-- my poor grass project-  there may be only one explination for my lawn problem... and i would settle for green weeds  it doesn't have to be grass........ that huge loader that filled my trailer with  black dirt stuff... must have had some stuff stuck in the bucket from a different load..-- thei marvelous "brick ends recycling composting " place... produces 2 kinds of  lovely looking black dirt stuff...  one is terriffic for grass-- the other is great for gardens because it naturally discourages weed growth--- so i am told...-- because when i got that big load and  picked it up and spread itw ith  my tractor, there are places where  the grass is growing beautifully all around a 3 foot shape of no grass,,, no weeds,,, nothing.-- that is true in the flat field and the guest house-- must be  some of teh"no weed"  product got in my pile of grass growing stuff-- i have suffered... watering and fertalizing, liming and seeding all parts equally-- yet we have bald patches... too large to be dog induced... so i went back and inspected the loader before he scooped-- and i have re seeded alot-- which now needs attention...while some other areas are growing wildly- and needed cutting by the mower which bud got going again.

any green will do--- when i moved in... it was 100% forest-- and if i don't pay attention the forest wants to claim it back again...

***

 you have often seen me say "get 'em  young, train 'em early"   and heaven knows my mother tried  but i did escape part of it-- can you imagine me spending sunday morning looking for spotless white gloves to wear for church??  ... there were 3 of us... and often there were only 5  white gloves-- on a really bad day only  3 or 4 gloves and we would have to wear one and carry one of fathers ironed hankerchiefs  just so we looked "right " .  that worked for a while when i was young-- but when i got to babysitting age- i found people were very happy to have me skip the hour long church service by offering to babysit teh young kids so teh parents didn't have to deal with wiggling kids  for that hour...  i did..  on nice days  i had them hold on to a stick... or a string... and we would walk around teh block...  there were usually 8 to 10 of them- and i considerred them a lump of kids... not individuals- which for my purposes worked well... until one day one got a bloody nose- not a really gushing blood but enough  so   the bright red blood all over her shirt made matters look dreadful...-- she was scared-- i knew i had to find her parents. so i asked her what her mothers name was... all i could get was  MOMMY.

proving that keeping track of even 10 kids was a logistic nightmare.

****

TODAY EVE HAD SWIM LESSONS AND HER INSTRUCTOR COMPLEMENTED HER ON HER VERY IMPROVED FREESTYLE STROKE! SHE ALSO THINKS EVE WILL BE A “BUTTERFLIER” IF SHE STICKS WITH SWIMMING! SO WE WILL SEE! I GUESS IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT EVE LOVES THE DOLPHIN / MERMAID KICK (PART OF THE BUTTERFLY STROKE)!!

I KNOW THE FASHION SHOW IS OLD NEWS BUT WE JUST GOT THE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW TAKEN BY THE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS!

track of even 10 kids was a logistic nightmare.

****

TODAY EVE HAD SWIM LESSONS AND HER INSTRUCTOR COMPLEMENTED HER ON HER VERY IMPROVED FREESTYLE STROKE! SHE ALSO THINKS EVE WILL BE A “BUTTERFLIER” IF SHE STICKS WITH SWIMMING! SO WE WILL SEE! I GUESS IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT EVE LOVES THE DOLPHIN / MERMAID KICK (PART OF THE BUTTERFLY STROKE)!!

I KNOW THE FASHION SHOW IS OLD NEWS BUT WE JUST GOT THE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW TAKEN BY THE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS!

hopefully it copies...

JUNE 18 2018

our nutty donkey feedbag/backpack/tote  things are selling well--my only way of counting is that  a CP  sent us some tiny sewing kits packaged in 100 lumps.. aND I HAD TO GET A SECOND LUMP-- THE IFIRST 100 ARE GONE...  I GAVE AWAY ABOUT 100 TO VARIOUS DONKEY RESCUE GROUPS--( WITHOUT THE  INNER PEN AND ASPRIN USEFUL BAG)  BUT I HAVE NOT GIVEN ANY TO JANINE YET..I CAN ALMOST SEE ANOTHER MR MOON IN MY FUTURE BEFORE DOG FEST... AND CHRISTMAS???...  I NEVER THOUGHT.....

****

RE:   THE WOMAN WITH HER 84 DANES AND RAW CHICKEN DIET IN TEH MANSON  THOSE DOGS ARE AVAILABLE FOR  ADOPTION- I DID DOWN LOAD TEH APPLICATION FOR ADOPTION- AND  I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD GET INVOLVED NOW... 

WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A HELP AT TEH BEGINNING, BUT THIER ADOPTION PROCESS PAPERWORK IS 4 PAGES LONG.  I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD HAVE ANY INTEREST IN OUR BREEDING PROGRAM-  TH E DOGS ARE TOO OLD  FOR TRAINING AS SERVICE DOGS.

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BLOOD.... THE OVERNIGHT PERSON REPORTED THERE ARE A VERY FEW  DRIPS OF BLOOD ON THE  FLOOR.. AND SHE COULD NOT FIND WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM...  WELL.... I KNOW.... YESTERDAY BENTLEY  WAS SHOWING MORE INTEREST THAN NORMAL IN SIZZLE'S REAR END.  GET OUT THE JOCKEY SHORTS-- ACTUALLY, I AM SHORT ON JOCKEY SHORTS...

HERE WE GO... MEGAN RELAX...... WE HAVE ONE PROBABLY BRED  A WEEK AGO... NORMAL TIES -- FEMALE SEEMED NORMAL  -- TEH NEXT IS GUSSIE-- WHO IS IN HEAT NOW  AND COMING HERE TODAY PROBABLY DAY 3 FOR HER..--  IF SHE CONTINUSES TO CYCLE NORMALLY AND GET BRED WITHIN THE NEXT 10 DAYS, -- ? TO WATSON?--- THEN WE CAN SKIP SIZZLE... FOR ANOTHER 6 MONTHS/??   IF EACH MOM HAS 6 PUPS WE ARE FINE FOR A BIT... IF THE TWO OF TEHM HAVE ONLY ONE OR TWO PUPS, WE WILL WISH WE HAD BRED SIZZLE--- BUT IF THEY EACH HAVE 13   WE WILL BE SWAMPED ( BUT IT'LL BE FUN !)

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IT IS SUPPOSEDE TO BE 95 TODAY ... AND I REALLY OUGHT TO GET THE GRASS CUT NOW

 SO .... SHORT DOGGIE....

HERE'S TEH KIDS INTERVIEWING ME

ipswich kids network........

https://t.co/Tt8nLYljwE