july 15 2023

This is going to get me in a whole bunch of trouble......buttttttttt... if you see something going wrong and you do nothing about it.. then you are as wrong as the other wrongers .------forgive me...  but I’ve been watching the  12 pups....  and puppy training is not one isolated detail after another... it is a process... maybe this is not the brilliantly correct thing to do.... but I did have an idea---- to help these well meaning volunteers—who quite rightly love the pups---maybe a few changes would make a few steps forward....

Feeding---- I did not see the actual feeding with the bowls.... I came in when they took the bowls away-  they had fed the pups in the nice clean looking sand area—but the pups then spent 10 minutes eating every last dribble of food mixed with sand-once in a while no big deal but ?daily?

Leash training—I watched someone carefully put the figure 8 on a pup and then give a tug...... with 11 pups jumping around the one ?now on a leash.? .

Keeping in mind--- training is a process....-  to address these two situations  -----

I would ------- feed the pups in the cleaned out area of kennel 9 and 10. – ( on camera so everyone can watch and picking up dribbles  easier.......) no big deal?   No it is the start..... I want the pups to want to come in that room quickly with not a lot of my time and energy to get them there.... and a few feedings- and maybe a time or two of spoon feedings in there would accomplish that.  Because------- when the group of 12 pups are out running on the hill, I want to be able to let one pup in the gate of 10 and have them go in the “room...” all by themselves--  then I can go in with my can and spoon... and leash.... for lessons. while the other 11 wish they were there....( an attitude to be acheived) ...  

 

Now I have one pup’s attention and can continue with my figure 8 leash...—put the pup’s rear end in a corner so you don’t end up with the pup running backwards and you chasing it with your hand in a  threatening position... TEACH THE PUP WHAT A LEASH IS--  takes only a few minutes// check their name off on a list on the wall and do that 11 more times.. then next day or two...walk in a small circle in that room--  maybe get the pup to jump(ramp?)  up on a “grooming table”  ( it is around somewhere—with the bowl for the cookie) in a week you then have a base of a dog walking on a leash and jumping “up” on command.  It is a start...and they are not eating sand.

 

I don’t know what the plans are for that room, but I would consider putting back a cleaner version of stairs and ramps that I had in there......which was messy but effective..... – so the pups can teach that to themselves automatically- not requiring any of my time—I am big on lazy automatic  training.‘if they had a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood as a sleeping loft---- with fencing to keep them from falling...—they would learn ramps and  stairs—always a problem with  danes---with  a window and access to the outside-- even at times access to puppy hill ... you would have “a relaxed puppy to work with”

 

 july 14 2023

computer being hateful this morning--  working at the moment   but there will be a day when it totally refuses. and i worry that 1400 of you will assume the worst....and all it is is this #$%^&*() thing.

our big issue at mailcall ( after a legnthy toilet discussion) is that "mo"-- our retired work mule from th e amish country. is not doing well.. she is the one janine bought thinking she would give her a nice summer in meridith pastures before her health gave out. mo then has "choke". ( a wad of goop stuck in her swallowing department..  brian fixed that and said next time she did that  she probaboly would not live--- and we thought she would not make it thru the winter-- that was ? 4 winters ago.?  she keep rebounding.

this time it is a badly infected leg- twice the size it should be.... we all thought ?? now?? but brian came and thought she still is 

still full of spunk so give her  lots of meds and 48 hours and lets see what happens next.

problem was   they did not keep me updated-- so i had gone on witht he funeral arraingements so that leaves me with some heavy duty equipment parked in the yard..... and the phone number of the man from maine who has  a brand new  beautiful expensive aluminum truck--- because "business is booming".. except maine is closing their places you can dump/transfer 1800 pounds of deceased draft mule.... but  mo aint quit yet.

now for the GOLDIE. part..( our ghost of the lefthand drawer

we got the hay bill paid thru june with 1000 $ left over.... meds to keep mo going?  $959 at the moment

this compter is whacky i quit for the day

 what an exciting daily doggie this will be----toilets...

i wish--- a lot of things.... there are people who need to know more about composting toilets-- and incinerating toilets and things like that  before they blame a toilet for the reason they have not placed these older dogs as service dogs ---     Currently-- there is NO---  as in NO---  toilet in the guest house  at all.----- as we..... as i...    sit here typing .... are upgrading to a newer  composting version.  i am told this newer  model. is completely "portable" and can be  moved-  just what everyone needs is to be able to carry a toilet around with them. (and is approved by the national sanitation something- )

it should work if we ever decide to change the toilet in the RV we just bought... meanwhile Janine -- who is visiting  in the guest house....from her home in  South Carolina--- comes over here for an early cuppa coffee. and the pause that refreshes...... not unlike the creative living accommodations we had when we started building  in 1979.   and she lived in the horse trailer... problems can be solved.

 the HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE PORTAPOTTY. stands in the yard--pretty much unused..

Then the ultimate------to say SDP can not place a  service dog  because of the fact that the laundry building does not  have a bedroom is even more absurd because******** if the  SDP office moved out of what was Janines bedroom , i would have had a perfect first level apartment for any recipient to use by now. *******- and i would have been delighted to donate  that and...whatever it took to make a dog possible... as i have done for over 20 years !!     Get out for   3 or 4 days out of the year????    i can stand it.  i will go to visit Sandy with her spotless home in Tennessee.  not a problem.

now-- to the board-  SDP Board of Directors <servicedogproject.board@gmail.com  

if you get all of the SDP  belongings out of my way, i will develope a perfect place for bonding with a service dog--- sitting--sleeping--cooking--- better than the guest house on the hill...and happily move out for the bonding days.... 

You are the ones holding up the process.  just say the word. "go". ... i have carpenters and plumbers waiting....

 Dd June 12 2023

My thanks for the support of the $10 hay bale buying bunch....—I look on that as a vote of support to see if everyone approves of the plans. .. to rescue and rehome while entertaining and educating.---- we—all volunteers (except Wallace) are all  fired up to get more efficient at booking “jobs”  The need is huge and the requests are all out there for monthly or in some cases weekly visits with the dogs—to which we might add odd things like a chicken or the one legged pigeon...  got to keep the variety going... and like the story of me being the only American to be thrown out of Costco for speeding( in my wheelchair  teaching a dog to pull) —I bet the one legged pigeon would  encourage some conversations...

 

Like judy yesterday... I had a physical so she took Malarkkey to the special needs day care center and he was “patted”  by 88 small children—actually 2 groups of 44 – add that to Mondays 38===126 we made our weekly goal of 100.

Also please let it be noted by the kind soul who has said I am to old and belong in a nursing. home – the doctor saw no reason yet—besides what nursing home would take 4 danes.  And the 3 word test from 6 months ago was---  apple coin and watch... I think????

 

I did have a short term memory gap last night. I knew  Dr.Pol had said something new to me--- and I must remember to tell Janine—I could not remember..but at 2 am it cams to me...  you all will be happy with this FYI of the day... Dr Pol said he had a mare get pregnant by a stud who had been castrated a month. Ago.........i had heard  the “last shot” was good for a week or two.. but a month??????

 

I try to always include some educational fact in the DD. So there you have todays !

 Ok...   we are not totally organized... but a heck of a lot  more so than last Friday.  For just a few words to describe our mission...it is rescue and rehab—then rehome as appropriate...or keep—whatever... basically remove animals from the “unwanted” lists---now when you look at it from the top down..... it is pathetic—mostly because—both with horses and dogs--- it is very often the lack of training that puts them in the dreaded lineup.. be that the concret wall at the horse auctions  or the back cages  at the “dog pound”.  In our case,,,,,Janine is noted for being pretty astute a horse management... and I have been known to succeed  with a dog or two.....so with the help of a big collection of  cheerful and dedicated helpers ... like.... just to mention a few....  Walace, Judy , and Elizabeth...  it would be a shame not to try our hand at improving the  lives of some animals - however long or short it might be.  There will be odd “happenings” like Janine paying $400 for an Amish carriage horse and having it euthanized immediately because it was sooooo bad,  she could not stand the  thought of the horse falling in the trailer to Mexico...—or Elizabeth picking up a one legged pigeon who now sleeps in her daughters bed... you all know

 some of the weird things i have become involved in... these funds will also keep the animals rolling to adult care centers.. mostly dogs...but maybe....

and then there is... always.... the end has to arrive at some point—and we do not need any great discussion as to why...  we give our animals the best life we can- and when it is over... it is over...  sometimes it is a relief for all...

take  Mo--- she bought her with the idea of giving her a “soft landing” after years of pulling a plow.. 4 or 5 months of green pastures at meridith farm before she might go to rainbow bridge...  wellllllll.   That was 4 years ago.. and Mo is not ready yet... although I am told she is getting less  dictatorial about  her pasture mates...

 

now w/r/t our raising funds...  if any of you have a few extra million  please feel free to write those  checks.... for the rest of you who can without too much pain,  donate $10.  Please either go to our. Hay board XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX—or send checks to us  at crazy acres. 37 boxford rd Ipswich  ma. 10938

just to let you all know--- our first  expenditure is for the “hay bill”---  whatever we own ... we must feed before anything else.  Currently we are using about 340 bales of hay a month ---- whatever we own can not survive without it. ---when I say “hay”--- I mean actual hay, but it must also include some grain and dog food in that expense...   any money after that  will go for vet bills, transportation, etc.  “we” are all volunteers—with the exception of Walace—our friendly horse training ex-bull rider  who will ride whatever Janine brings home- (he has not been thrown off yet). . The only other  slight deviation from that. Would be “ the Fun Fund” which is money sent to us ( at crazy acres) for things “not necessary  but might be nice to have or know.”  My perfect example is pregnancy ultra sound  testing  of dogs, donkeys or horses--- if you  wait long enough  you will find out if they are pregnant with out spending money.. but we can argue that out as we go along.

 

I will struggle to keep the basic monthly donations on the welcome  notice when you go buy a  hay bale.... it will be messy but generally correct..

 Like this

 

 welcome message

so if you can buy a bale...please do

may bales --336.    fun fund  $171.   bal to ERN.   $567

june bales    355.    fun fund  $217   bal to ERN.   $1071

july  5.   bales       76.      So far

click to close...then ...click on a bale--then chose how many

 

to be continued.....

 july 10 2023

i got hand it to "goldie" ( our ghost of the lefthand drawer) 

Somebody sometime somewhere said something about..”.if  the Lord shuts the door, he sometimes opens a window”   Yesterday at what used to be a Sunday Stew with a lot of people around... a father and son appeared-- the son went into work in the barn and the father sat down at the donkey cafe to have a nice snooze which was wonderful ----that's exactly what I thought that would be for someday ----but then he woke up and somebody sitting around doing nothing is a little more than I can take at times----- so I asked him to hook me up to the trailer so I could clear that out of the way and though he said he'd never done it before he certainly managed very nicely ---so I invited him to ride with me down to the parking pit to unhook---  it which he also did and we got talking and of all the things in his working life the most prominent seemed to be that he is a comedy writer for big time names that I recognize... and in talking to him I could tell there are things rattling around in his head which are absolutely delightful to discuss.     He had movie making stories to which I could totally relate.   and just in general he's very quick With the comeback..   I am delighted to hear that he has two children who are fascinated with our animals so I'm hoping that he will be around ..  I'm always looking  for  fertile fields of intellectual nonsense....  Already I've forgotten his name but it might be   neil.... from Beverly.  I hope he continues to bring his kids. 

“happy to share with you such as I’ve got

The leaks in the. Roof and the soup in the pot”

I offered his kids their very own donkeys  to get to jog with them  in the pack burro race destined for next September.

That is a real project – and we could use another dozen kids to get these donkeys moving forward.. it is a combination  or carrots, grain, and peppermint candies..  progress will be slow... but  around our little pond is a perfect training place. Parents  can either watch or help push...

We do have ... I think 2... that are willing participants.. but I think you would find the rest just need to be introduced to the”  frying pan- cookie feeding” method of donkey training...

Maybe not all of you  know--- but I once drove 8 donkeys .. like the budweisers... in parades and into several  big boston h otels... with antlers ( and santas) they can be very reliable performers—much more so than horses. I did.. with donkeys  things I would actually never attempt with horses.

Not only driving Santa Claus into ballrooms, but also  elevators, and totally loose in traffic with eight of them chasing Janine from the Westin hotel to the prudential tower where we had a second job that day at the top of the Pru..

There is a sign in our barn... and in most barns.. thanks to George Bush senior...” if you get hurt by an equine it is your own fault so don’t sue anyone” I hate to tempt fate- but I have had an awful lot of donkeys in the most unbelieveable places  swamped in children- sometimes

( actually in Haverhill) I could not even see my lead team 40 feet in front of me. Christmas is the worst time for accidents for the very peculiar reason that all children are given candy canes... which they then slobber all over and that slobber gets on their hands.. so if you have a donkey or a horse that goes berserk over peppermints--- which a lot of them do.. now you've got a kid whose fingers smell and taste like peppermints you've got an accident waiting to happen.. ---- which is why I am a huge promoter of frying pans.   we must get my animals trained to think that peppermint candies are only found in frying pans.  Training is training...

my "hitch" on Good Morning America wiht Ronald Regan on the box with me.

 june 9 2023

My goal was to get my head all straightened out by Monday and I did admit it was going to be a long haul----- well I think I set the goal too high -----I think my goal should have been Just to locate my second slipper by  Monday... I hate to hear the words like cognitive disorder because to even look at this desktop on my computer is a perfect example of that... however there are  glimmers of hope.. I did write a thing for the newspaper which I like. basically it's based on Edgar guests “somebody said that it couldn't be done.”.. sandy working with two dogs-- absolutely ridiculous--- never heard of it --can't do it--But she's doing it and having a good time.. and both she and the dogs are so funny than any place she goes with them is readily acceptable including that crazy nightclub that she took me to----- I'm sure they are thrilled to have both those dogs there---- the entire staff was fascinated with just the one-----    and if one of your purposes in life is to have people around you be cheerful and smiling I would say her having two dogs is accomplishing that..---- And all the people with the. “what if” presenting all the problems that she could have should first go and memorize the entire poem..  and then go and memorize if by Rudyard Kipling--and then just rethink the whole situation.. there are thousands to prophecy failure.. talk about ruining fun??

 

so yesterday with a great deal of difficulty we located #22 Warren St. In Woburn..  having been LED astray by this Siri person who lives in my dashboard..  she got talking to judy's cell phone.. and the two had quite the argument before I happened to notice  we were on the street that said N Warren St... Which was one way.... causing me to drive backwards a good quarter of a mile to get out of it.. with judy praying the whole time that we didn’t get  arrested....    however we did locate 22 Warren St. Which was a Bill  Cummings absolutely beautiful Assisted living place where there was a group oh maybe 30  residence all lined up for some sort of Saturday morning discussion group that Judy somehow stumbled into when the activities director was hard pressed for what to discuss.. then we showed up, ----- had a lot of laughs with all the things that can go not wrong but askew  in the process of making movies.. one of my favorite stories has become. trying to get 12 sheep lying quietly in a row on a hillside in Littleton mass.. at sunrise..  when the real problem was that sunrise was only going to last for 18 minutes. and there wouldn't be another one until tomorrow.. Luckily I had in the car with me A roll of duct tape//I simply  folded their legs double and duct taped the fuzzy legs so that I then had 12 totally portable sheep that you could pick up and put down anywhere ..  sheep are like that they just give up kind of like when you're sharing them and literally set them on their rear they don't move.

 

I dunno why I asked... but  I wondered the age of all these people—turns out, I was the oldest !   --- the last official piece of paper I had to fill out told me I was 85.8  when I put in the 100137 birthday – I wondered just who – and why—that piece of information was critical enough for any programmer to have spent time dealing with the .8. .. but there it was !

  judy --- aside from being  efficient and hysterical very often drives- thankfully--- especially  on return trips.  Judy has zero sense of direction  and  is inclined to believe this siri person’s word as gospel- thanks to my years of delivering magazines. I am known to argue ...loudly and successfully... with siri.

 siri lies often ....

 

I wonder if anyone has done a study on the percentage of truth “spoken” on various forms of communication... like facebook vs ABC news --