Love:

 Love can transcend many boundaries including species.  It would be easy to verify as all you need is a stethoscope and tell your dog you love them. We tell our dogs we love them numerous times each day and I can tell by their reaction they understand. The average dog understands 89 words in English, but it all depends on the dog and their training. It can be from 15 to over 200 words. Our dogs are highly intelligent and we talk to them all the time so I would guess ours know well over 200 words. 

Some people only talk to their dogs rarely and hence the dog only knows a few words. People underestimate the ability of dogs to comprehend words, phrases and sentences and know their meaning. All of our dogs - past and present - understand words  and love can cross all boundaries. It helps if you can follow up telling your dog you love them with action that confirms it.  

Have you told your dog lately that you love them? Might be a good habit to get into.

DIY:

 Another do it yourself job is putting reliable grab bars in the shower. Us older folk need something that will not pull off when we move around in the shower.  The one on the right does just that so I bought the type that are screwed to the shower wall. The shower walls are thin so it is important to find the wall stud and screw them into that. 

To find the wall stud behind the shower wall I also purchased a stud finder - the yellow/black tool in the middle of the photo. It was cheap and will penetrate and locate the center of the stud through 5/8 inches thickness. The shower wall is only a quarter inch thick so screwing it to a stud will provide the strength to keep it from pulling  loose. Now to find the time to get it done.  

Fall Colors:

 This is one of the prettiest times of the year in the mountains.  This is our view from our front deck and what we see looking out the window. Two pretty not to share. 

Bamboo:

 

I just happened to find this information on Facebook and found it very interesting. I have seen locally some bamboo grown and wondered why. This explains a lot about bamboo and I found it interesting to say the least. I have copied it from the article and I think others will find it interesting as well.  

Some facts about bamboo:

1.Fast Growth: Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant in the world. It has been recorded at growing 47.6 inches in 24 hours. Some species can even grow over a meter per day under optimal conditions. A new bamboo shoot reaches its full height in less than a year.

2. Oxygen Release: A grove of bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than any other tree out there.

3. Carbon Dioxide Absorption: Bamboo absorbs carbon dioxide at a rate of 17 tons per hectare every year. It can act as a valuable carbon sink given how fast the plant grows.

4. No Fertilizer Required: Bamboo doesn’t need fertilizer to grow. It can self-mulch by dropping its leaves and use the nutrients to grow.

5. Drought Resistance: Bamboos are drought-tolerant plants. They can grow in the desert.

6. Wood Replacement: Bamboos can be harvested in 3-5 years compared to the 20-30 years of most softwood trees.

7. Building Material: Bamboo is incredibly strong and sturdy. It has been used as support for concrete as well as scaffolding, bridges, and houses.

8. Soil Stability: Bamboo has a wide network of underground roots and rhizomes that prevent soil erosion.

9. Natural Air Conditioner: Bamboo cools the air surrounding it by up to 8 degrees in the summer.

10. Invasiveness: Some species of bamboo, especially ‘running’ bamboos, can be invasive due to their extensive root systems, which allow them to spread rapidly. However, not all species are invasive, and with proper management, the environmental impact can be minimized.

Change:

 The US Air Force was founded in 1947 and I joined up in 1959.  The above photo shows the uniform back then.  Parts of my uniform that was issued was still Army then and fatigues were a crazy blue grey color. Right after I got out of Technical school and was assigned to a base they froze ranks/promotions. It stayed that way for almost a year or so. My first metals were still army and it wasn't until later they were air force. 

As an airman third class I earned a whopping $81.00 a month. It was up from $72.00 as an airman basic. That covered my personal hygiene items, haircuts, laundry, dry cleaning and other necessities. It wasn't until my second four year hitch that I was able to barely support a family.  Then it was only barely and we struggled from week to week. 

It is different today and I'm glad that President Trump is finding ways to keep the military paid during this ridiculous shut down of government by the democrats. It seems that the democrat party has completely gone off the rails and for the life of me I can't understand why our citizens still back the democrat agenda. The news media has been spreading propaganda for years now and that applies to all of the media. 

People need to check things out for themselves. I have good friends whom I know are intelligent and they believe what they hear from the news media. I only believe what I actually see live on television. Back during 'the day' in the military I was witness to what was happening and when I would read the news papers or watch TV it would be misrepresented even then. 

The abuse we military men had to endure during Vietnam from our own citizens was terrible and disrespectful. Now the military is held to a higher standard and at least the men/women are not subject to the abuse we had back then. 

Until people stop believing what they hear and do their research or learn to do their research they will continue to fall for anything. 

Lesson Learned:

We have had a total of 13 dogs over the years and when one passes away I make a headstone for them and put them where we see them every day to remember them. I noticed the color photos on each had faded out to where we couldn't see them very well and the epoxy that covered the stones had darkened. 

I am currently re doing the headstones with black and white photos that should not fade or get dark and a new epoxy that should not yellow or turn dark. The photo below shows the new headstones. Two down, 8 more to go. It may take some time as it is a 4 step process. 

Step 1: wire brush and clean the stone. 

Step 2: stencil names on stone.

Step 3: Glue photo on stone.

Step 4: Mix epoxy and apply to top of stone.

Lesson learned - don't apply epoxy thick and use just one coat that will cover and seal the top and to use black and white photo's and not color photos that will fade in a few years. 

 

Faithfulness:

 

Rescue Dogs:

 We always adopt rescue dogs for many reasons but one of the main reasons is that they are so appreciative. We limit ourselves to no more than four at a time and now that we are older we only adopt senior dogs. I won't go into  why people surrender them to a shelter as that just makes me angry. Dogs have many of the same emotions we do and the photo above shows how they can react to being left in a shelter. 

One minute they are in a home and part of the family and the next they are left in a cage at a shelter and possibly one that will destroy them and they don't understand what they have done to deserve being put there. Our last rescue - Rex - was just hours from being put down. Most know their fate when put in kill shelters. 

Imagine being in a home where you are part of something and believe you are valued and then suddenly you are taken away and put in a shelter where you are to be killed. Maybe you have been in this family for years but have grown older and your sight and hearing has diminished and you can no longer run and play like you used to. You suddenly find yourself in one of these shelters and everything you knew and loved is gone.

If someone like us comes along you are grateful that you will have a family to be part of again. Yes you would be grateful, I know I would be. We adopted Klaus 4 years ago. He was confused and dejected when we adopted him. He had been surrendered with his Mom initially and it took him some time to know he was again with a family. We later found his mother whom had been surrendered to the same shelter two other times. In fact both had been surrendered to the same shelter two times. 

Sadly his mom - April - died a month ago of carcinoma of the pancreas and Klaus grieved just like we did. It was obvious he was depressed and very sad. I remember the pure joy and happiness they both had when they saw each other again having been separated for years. I just hope that he knew how sick she was when we took her to the vet for the last time and she did not come back home. I am pretty sure he did as he could see how emotional we were and she had to be carried out to the car. 

Rescue dogs are the very best and I wish if possible we could rescue more dogs but four is all  we can handle at our age. We spoil our dogs rotten, pamper them, love on them constantly and give them a high priority in our life. We can make a big difference in the ones we can adopt and give them the best life possible. DOG'S ARE FAMILY - DON'T GET THEM IF YOU CAN'T KEEP THEM.  

We talk to them and praise them a lot and they know how they are appreciated and loved. They not only have a large vocabulary but our actions support our words so they know. We never know how long we will have them but regular veterinary care hopefully keeps them with us for a very long time. In return we are blessed in so many ways by them.   

Vietnam:

 When I turn on the news and see our ICE officers attack and abused it brings back the Flower Children and Anti war protestors of the 1960's.  I was in the military then and we were under orders if we lived or went off the base to wear civilian clothes. We were still found out because our windshield sticker for entrance to our military base, our haircut, the way we carried ourselves. our shoes etc. 

We were under strict orders never to reply or fight back when we were spit at, pushed or in other ways assaulted. If we did retaliate in any way we would be court martialed. We were told to walk away but the peaceful "Flower Children" would yell at us, call us names, refer to us as baby killers etc. and we were told to say or do nothing, much like the ICE officers are now. So this is not a new situation and I feel deeply for the ICE officers. 

When we were on our way home if we stopped for infant formula or a loaf of bread or even gas for our vehicles, we were subject to the same abuse that ICE endures today. Maybe not as physical as today where they want to kill the officers but nonetheless ugly abuse. What it does for me now is to bring back all those ugly memories.

Because I was in a special operations unit that was quick strike any where in he world, I did not go to Vietnam but I would have considered it a privilege to actually fight back in the jungles as to be abused by our own citizens here in my home country that my buddies were defending and fighting for. I did not know why we were in Vietnam but my job was to not ask questions just follow orders. That is what we were all doing yet we were abused by our own citizens. 

People ;now want to forget the ugly of the 60's, but for us who had to deal with it we can forgive but not forget. 

Sad:

 

It is sad that when we adopted two of our three dogs that they didn't know how to play with toys. The above photo is of Rex and he will go over to the numerous toys sniff and look at them and walk away. I tried to play with him and a squeaky ball and it was clear he didn't know or care to play with it. He was an outdoor dog before we adopted him and clearly didn't have any toys to play with. 

Klaus is the same way but on occasion we can get him to  play with a ball but he really doesn't know how and shows no interest in it. We will persist and hopefully teach them to play at least a little. It is sad that they don't know how to play with toys.  

Tree Removal:

We had two large pine trees that were dying and we had Chastain's Tree Service take them down for us. The top photo is how it looks now and the middle photo is with the large tree down,  The bottom photo is how it looked before. The crew really worked well together and in an hour and a half the trees were down, mulched, and carried off. A job done well and it is now more open and the trees gone before they were were blown over or fell. 
 

Four Star Generals:

 

I read negative comments about the current generals and the recent meeting of our military leaders. The Secretary of War was critical of some of them and they deserved it. I served under two four star generals, one Air Force and one Army.  Both were great generals and part of the unit I was in. I knew I could count on them and they knew me by name. 

The Air Force general was a good guy and when I flew with him it was on a first name basis. He was just another member of the flight. I was part of his personal elite guard unit. He was fun and just one of the guys. When we would visit a base he was then general and demanded military respect. We knew he always had our back and we had his also.  

The Army general was also one of the troops. I was in a small special operations unit and he was friendly and one of us. Having him right there along side of us enlisted was good. He was never an arm chair quarterback but part of our unit. 

Our current Secretary of War was completely right calling out our military leadership. From what I see they have lost their fighting edge. Back when I was in the military the troops were in peak fighting condition, both physically and mentally. I was fortunate to be in the units I was but after 8 years I got out as it was then getting to be a softer military. 

As an example when I was in the special ops unit we had base police to do security on our headquarters which was isolated  in the back of the base. I went out one night to relieve one of the guards and I found him sound asleep on his post. I woke him up and he got testy advising me that he would kick my ass. I invited him to try and it was over in seconds and to this day I don't know what I did but he was then out for the night. 

When they came to pick him up he was still pretty unsteady on his feet. I had extensive training and reacted without thinking. I was called into the commanders office and asked what happened. I explained and the commander advised I should have reported him and he would have lost his rank. I told the commander that he learned that you don't sleep on duty and I doubted he would ever try to strike a non commissioned officer again. 

My message allowed him to keep his current pay rank and understand the military discipline better. Losing a pay grade didn't send a lasting message . I was told that no longer was the way in the modern military as we were now a kinder and gentler military. That was the moment I decided I would be getting out after this enlistment. I'm glad to see that we are returning to a tougher fighting force and it starts at the top. We don't need generals or soldiers but tough men who are well trained and fight to win. Tough men and women. 

Friday Night Fights:

 

One of my memories when I was a young boy was listening to the Friday Night fights on our big Philco radio. It was especially fun when it was cold outside as  the radio sat right next to the floor vent from our coal stove.  I could sit there in heat that was rare in other places in our home - like my bedroom.  The announcers were really good back then as they would call each punch and I could see the fight in my mind. There were boxers like Firpo, Dempsey, Marciano, Lewis, and Tunney. When I think of how far the media has come it just boggles my mind. 

Rainy Day:

 

It is one of those rainy days where it rains off and on so today was a good day to drive across town and get the vehicle inspected so we could complete the registration process. With that done we are good for another year. 

Next we will go to the local flea market to check it out. I understand that folks have all kinds of things there for sale. I am not really looking for anything but people talk about it all the time and I'd like to see it for the first time just to look around. Just so I can say I have been there.

Besides I saw a sign that they have boiled peanuts. Those are raw peanuts in the shell that are boiled for hours in salt water or until the peanut inside the shell is soft. Pop it in your mouth and crack the shell open and eat the cooked peanut inside. 

It is a southern thing and we shared a $5.00. bag together. Folks from other parts of the country won't even try them but they are really good. Like I say it is a southern thing and they are super good in my opinion. 

Old Man:

 

Many older people just give up when they reach old age. Other people look for things that are within their ability or things they can accomplish. As I posted in my last blog I can still do many of the things I used too do - but I  just do them slower. Being old or retired does not mean give up and turn into a couch potato but do things that keep you interested and keep moving. 

Some seniors try to do what they didn't get to (bucket list) when they were working and manage to accomplish it. Some don't due to inability or nor longer lack of interest. I just prefer to keep doing what I have for the past quarter + century  but as I stated I just do it much slower now.  Then again sometimes I realize I am best off not doing things as the painful result doesn't seem worth it. 

The message if there is one is don't give up on seniors nor deprive them of their function. I know in my case I still have projects that I plan to do and I fully intend to do them.. It is important to remember when we grew up our telephone was on the wall, we listened for our ring sequence as phones were party lines and neighbors listened in on our conversations. Now we have cell phones, wrist phones and mini computers, AI and so many other things we don't understand fully. 

In our neighborhood we all had a fruit tree that was different from our neighbors and we shared with each other. We kids played various games outdoors and had to come in for the night when the street lights came on. We had radio and series like the green phantom and other programs but no TV yet. I was around 10 or so when my dad came walking in carrying this strange looking box. I had no idea what it was and our programs did not start until five in the afternoon and went off at midnight. I sat there watching test pattern for a long time.

In short we came from a different world than exists now. We worked for everything we needed and now we are old we need people to cut us some slack.  

Doing Chores:

 

Being old doesn't mean that you can't do things - it just means it takes you longer and that you have to adjust to the circumstances and type of work. We still manage to handle repairs and improvements around our cabin but we just work slower and hopefully smarter. I use the bucket on the tractor to lift heavy things and move them from place to place. I no longer bend over and lift 60# bags of cement, I flip them end over end to the tractor bucket. 

We just had an electrical go out in the kitchen but the wiring in this cabin is so strange and unusual I had an electrician do the work. I wired our cabin completely from scratch in Colorado and it worked just fine and passed inspection. This cabin is wired so unusual that while I could do it I was scared to do it due to the method it was done. The wiring is safe but done in a confusing way. 

Pure Hearts:

I have been pondering writing a blog about the pureness of heart in dogs. I didn't think it could be expressed sufficiently to do dogs the justice they deserve. None the less, I will do my best to speak of the pure hearts of dogs. I do this from the point of view of having dog/s as complete family members. It is when they are part of the household as full family members that you can realize their full attributes. Not so much when they are tied or chained outdoors. 

During our many years of marriage we have had a total of 13 dogs. Each one has taught us progressively things about them as family members that has brought us to this point. What they have taught us along the way is each one makes me wish I knew that attribute much earlier in our way we interacted with our dogs.  

I am told that dogs understand between 150-200 words and their meanings. Since we talk to our dogs all the time I think they understand more. All dogs understand words like eat, go, squirrel,  walk, etc. I have taught our dogs their left and right, to look at a wall clock and tell time, and to count. They are far smarter and intuitive than most people would expect.

I have found that when a dog is trained to respect certain things like our food, chair, etc. they will respect those areas. They are very trustworthy. Their complete loyalty goes without any amplification from me. They may be the only thing on this earth that loves you more than you could possibly know. They will give their life for you. I have learned to trust them and their instincts, especially when it comes to other people.   

The virtues of dogs are just too many to count. Each time I think I have a good understanding of our dogs I am taught there are more. They love us unconditionally and I often wish I could with the depth they do. I tell our dogs very often that I love them but they know that from our interaction with each other. Dogs have many virtues and it is hard to include them all in one article. One thing I know is the more time we invest in them the more rewards we get from them in return. 

Our dogs know how important they are to us and they do all they can to please us. Our dogs are all rescue dogs and they fill our days and nights with loyalty, love and entertainment.

People frequently tell us how well behaved our dogs are but it is a product in the time we have invested in them. 

Cement Pad:

Before we moved here we arranged for a handyman to pour a cement pad and it didn't hold up very well. After two years the small stones started coming off and it was wearing down. In addition the surface  was uneven and it was difficult to walk on when we let the dogs out in the back yard. Concrete should not wear down due to foot traffic. There were two reasons it failed. 

1) The handyman was in a hurry and failed to make the surface level so rain and snow and ice amplified the uneven surface by eroding the low spots and the lumpy surface became worse.  Because of the lack of uniform thickness there were large gaps under the cement pad leaving it no support. 

2) The handyman apparently did not know how to mix bagged concrete properly and used to much water therefore weakening the cement which facilitated erosion. 

The remedy was to put a nice thick skim coat on the cement using high strength mortar mix. 
 The alternative was to break the pad out in pieces and repour the entire pad with properly mixed cement and making sure the dirt under the pad was level and would support the entire pad. 

It is now repaired and both the dogs and us can walk on it without those sharp small stones injuring our feet. The total cost to repair was $13.00, and a couple hours labor. A reasonable and cheap fix. 

The discolored surface is only part has dried and the darker  area is still wet. It was done over two days. 

My Food:

We have had a total of 13 dogs during our marriage.  All German Shepherds except four. We train them in our way. For example: our home is small so instead of taking up room with a table we eat on trays in the living room. Our dogs could easily help themselves to what is on our trays but they don't. They will come up and look, maybe take a sniff but not touch our food. All our dogs are rescue and when we first adopt them they will try to sneak a bite or lick. We would in a calm voice and by using our hands as a fence between them and our food (back of hands out) tell them this was not allowed. 

They now will look and sniff but not touch or lick. We calmly and gently teach them to be good family members. We don't raise our voice or push them back - just gently show them how far they can go.  To push becomes a game or challenge and hands - palms out - is aggressive or threatening. 

This is how we teach and interact with all our dogs and it only takes a few times. They look, sniff and go lay down. If we set our tray aside they leave it alone. Before they are trained they would help themselves to something but training is essential. Doing it the right way is just as important. 

Once they know the parameters they seek to please us and we live harmoniously together. We reinforce that behavior by not peeking or looking at them to be sure they behave. We trust them and show it by displaying our trust and they respond accordingly.    

 

Do It Yourself:

 

We bought a floor mat for the RAM van but it requires installation. There are tie downs that have to be removed and reinstalled  as well as a couple panels. I calculated the cost for a mechanic to do that would run between $150. - $200,  I tried to get the star screws out with a screw driver but couldn't budge them. Mechanics have the tools to do the job easier so I checked on Amazon to see what an impact wrench and star sockets would cost. Total cost was less than  $75.00. 

We want the van to transport our dogs so we need a rubber non slip mat as on the bare steel floor they can't keep their feet under them when we stop or turn a corner. We don't want them injured so hence the mat. We tested the impact wrench and it works just fine so we will take out 6 tie downs and line up the mat and bold it in place. And we still end up with an impact wrench. 

Carol's Morning Memory

I sometimes wake up thinking of things that have nothing to do with anything...or anything that I can think of! This morning it was the red windbreaker I bought when I was in high school.

Mom and I had gone to the local mall and I saw this red windbreaker in the Lerner's window and HAD TO HAVE IT! However, Mom wouldn't buy it for me...I had to earn money to pay for it myself. We put it on lay away (do stores still have the "lay away" option?) The price: $9.

Nowadays that sounds like a very small amount but back in the day when I was a teen, I was babysitting for 25 cents an hour. It took me quite some time to save up the money to buy that windbreaker but I was so proud to buy something with my own money.

I wonder what it is like for kids these days who have so many material things that are bought FOR them instead of earning the money to buy them themselves.......

The 3-3-3 Rule:

 It is commonly stated that when adopting a new dog that you give them 3 days to decompress, 3 weeks to learn your routine and 3 months to become a member of the family. Rex  had a confusing history where he had been dumped at the same shelter two different times. He had a date and time certain to be put down. He came from Dallas TX. 

We adopted him very close to his deadline and then he had to be cleared at the vet in order to travel across state lines. So he was taken by a stranger to the vet and checked out and then went back to the shelter where he was placed in an isolation cage where he had to wait for three days and then was picked up by strangers. Put into a crate in the back of a SUV and driven over the next day to us. We have no idea what his trip was  like. 

He was then handed off to strangers (us) and had to adapt to two new people, a different environment and three new dogs. He then quickly was taken to a new vet and again checked over and put on a strict regime of no activity due to having heartworm.  He is one intelligent boy who knew this was his new home and was fully settled in within 10 days. Not all dogs comply with the 3-3-3. rule and Rex sure did not. 

He has since lost one of his canine friends to pancreatic carcinoma and grieved right along with the other dogs and us. He obviously is quite flexible and adjusts well. It has been a rough 3 months for him but he has become a solid member of our family. He is an inspiration and both Klaus and Lucy have accepted him 100% into our pack. I don't know many humans that could have done as well. 

Question Everything:

We often look at something familiar and accept it as it is. It pays however to question everything, especially in this country where the media has been established for a long time and people have a tendency to accept the familiar,   I have watched interviews on TV and within minutes the familiar networks are reporting something that I know is wrong. 

To blindly accept statements and reports may not always be in the best interest of the person who hears the report. It is always good to hear the other side because that just may reveal the actual facts and change your mind. But then some people only want to hear what their preconceived thoughts or opinions are.  I like to check out the actual facts.

Doing A Slow Boil:

 The frog story is actually a good example and depicts how not only the frog but people can slowly be transformed or have their attitudes transformed. That is pretty evident in the USA now. One only has to look around and we see hate, division, and social decline. It started slowly and ever so slowly the heat was turned up hotter and hotter and now it is clearly evident and right out in the open. 

Whether our country will survive will depend on how fast the citizens wake up and do something about it. Only time and history will determine the end result but the USA is clearly at a major tipping point.  It is a spiritual battle between good and evil and how it ends will be determined by whether we turn back to God or not. 

Fun In The Snow:

 When we lived remotely in the mountains of Colorado we received on average 265" of snow a year.  When we first moved there we looked for a suitable place to sled and we didn't really find a safe and good place to go sledding. We thought we would try our driveway which was 100 yards long and sure enough it was the perfect sled run. I could also groom it with the tractor and pack it down to make it the perfect run. It went out on the road at an angle and we could then go another distance down the road. 

We had bought plastic bob sleds when we first moved there and having the very best sledding run at our own home was ideal. We would wait until the snow along the driveway and road was banked to 2-3 feet deep so we could use it to to make a turn and then go on down the road. It was a fun time and we did it until we were at an age where most folks wouldn't try it. 

Cowboy Breakfast:

 When we lived in the mountains of S. Colorado  I repurposed an old woodstove that the builder had put into our cabin. It was home made and inefficient. I put it outside and learned to cook on it throughout the years. In winter I would have to shovel snow to get to it but it was great for outdoor cooking. 

My favorite was breakfast. I would cook sliced potato's with a special seasoning that gave them a little bite.  Also a slice of Spam, and over easy eggs. It was a hearty breakfast and many got to share in it. I miss those days.  Cooking that breakfast since is just not the same. That old steel stove just added the element that made it special occasion. 

Tarantula Hawk:

 

This is the last of the blogs that make comparison between insect species and humans.  The antlion compares to the person who lays a careful trap for people and then sucks the life out of them as they spiral down the trap into the clutches of the predator.  The next was not an insect but a bird that is so lazy it doesn't even raise its own young and leaves it to others to do it for them. 

Now we come to another insect called the tarantula hawk. It grows to a length of 4 inches and has one of the most powerful stings known to the world. Its target is the tarantula spider. It inflicts its powerful sting which immobilizes the spider and then takes it to its cave where it inserts a single egg in the abdomen of the spider. Then the larvae feeds on the spider from the inside. 

 It is the same as someone who preys on someone vulnerable and then takes them down the road to their own destruction.    Someone who plants a false seed that takes the person onto a road that can and often does destroy them. The reader can fill in their own situation.

These examples are worth stating as they reveal the true nature of some people too. 

Cowbird:

 Cowbirds are unique in that they don't hatch their own eggs or raise their offspring.  They watch other species and when they aren't paying attention they will lay an egg or two in the other species nest. The other species hatches the cowbirds egg/s along with its own and raise the young cowbird/s. It is the height of laziness. 

It reminds me of a story of two old country boys sitting on the porch. The topic of having a family came up and the one said he would like a family,  He asked his buddy if he knew where he could find a pregnant woman. Like the cowbird that is the height of laziness. 

Antlion:

These unique insects are hunters and they dig holes in the sand and when ants or other unsuspecting insects come along, the sides of the cone collapse and they end up at the bottom where the antlion is waiting and sucks the fluid out of them and then flips the dried carcass out of the cone waiting for its next victim. 

Oddly enough I have known people who have the same traits as the antlion. Fortunately they are only few in number but the pattern is the same. Strange how some people mimic insects. 

For Dog Owners:

 We just lost April to cancer and while we have had other dogs that have passed away this time it was different. It was so sudden that we could hardly comprehend what was happening to her. 

 

The day before April died she was totally normal and we did not detect anything wrong with her.  She would jump up on the sofa and curl up next to me (two times) which was normal. She did her normal bouncing around at her three meals and acted in all ways normal. That night she started panting and we both got up with her until she calmed down and went back to sleep. The next morning she did not want to move and we took her right in as soon as they opened to the vet who decided that she had pancreatic carcinoma after many tests. 

She was totally weak, had a red blood cell count of one and her white cells were high indicating a major infection. She was bleeding internally. When they drew urine from her and brought her back to the room she leaked urine on the tile floor and it was so acidic that it totally bleached the color out of the tile. We had no choice but to let her go as there was no treatment that could save her and she was getting weaker by the minute. 

The point of this blog is that she went from normal in a matter of 11 hours to fatally sick. It was so fast that we could not comprehend what was happening to her and were still hopeful that she could be made normal again when we took her to the vet. She was not in pain but just got weaker and weaker very fast. 

We now have three depressed dogs and we are reeling from her sudden loss. We had no idea what was going on inside of her and she gave no clue. The lesson for us is to treat our dogs like every day is their last because we never know that it could be. 

We had April for just over two years and we feel confident that those were the best two years of her entire life. As painful as it was to lose her like this I would do it all over again and was happy to be a good doggy parent to her for two years. 

Her son Klaus, the one on the right in the photo, is now deeply depressed and we are hoping to pull him out of his funk sooner than later. It is a sad thing to witness. 

It is painful to lose them like April, suddenly but it is heartwarming to know that we gave her over two good years where she was loved and appreciated. 

April:

We lost our girl April today. She had carcinoma of the pancreas and she was doing just fine yesterday but last night she started panting hard and we took her into the vet first thing this morning and she was in bad shape. Our hearts are broken and we take little comfort that she had at least two good years + with us.  

Watchful:

I had driven fertilizer spikes around our one apple tree and either the dogs or squirrels dug one up and our new family member found the spike and before I could get to him he had ate a part of it. 
I did a search on what the ingredients were and fortunately none were toxic but when he passes the pieces he is going to have a challenge. Those spikes have to be driven into the ground and getting one back out isn't easy. It is over eight hours and he has had no ill effects so far but we are watching him closely. 

Little League:

 One of my favorite times of the year when we have the Little League world series. We have watched it from regionals to now the finals. It brings back fond memories from when I managed a LL team from  T-Ball to the regular league teams. We never had a team that was good enough to make regionals mainly because I stressed team play and just having fun over winning.  We wanted to win but having fun playing baseball was more important than winning. Most coaches were win at all costs but I thought that taught young boys the wrong principals. 

My goal was to have boys that learned to have confidence in themselves, learn new skills and gain proficiency's they didn't have before. Also that team play was more important than the individual. Based on those principals we usually won most of our games. Some of the boys didn't have a father in their lives and I hoped to send them forward with those traits to help them have a better chance in life beyond. 

Taking Time:

Some people even if they switch sides would argue they are right. It takes effort to see the other persons perspective and then be willing to admit that they have a valid point of view too. Reversing positions above and still arguing that you are right is myopic and wrong. Always being right is not always the best thing. 

HOA:

 I am learning more and more about what is going on in our small community which is a 17 member HOA. The HOA manages the communities three wells and the roads. 

The homeowner who is threating to sue the HOA apparently jumped to the conclusion that the HOA is responsible for rain water accumulating against his house. I have personally talked to other homeowners that are in lower areas and they have drains that run under their house to siphon off rainwater. They were there when they bought the house. This man's house is one in a low lying area.

The member who is threatening to sue also claims his damage happened when hurricane Helene went through our area. We have a rain gauge and measured 13 inches of rain from Helene. That was 11 months ago and to my knowledge he has not done anything to divert the rainwater since. 

This homeowner immediately claims it is the HOA who is at fault even though there has been no alteration or change to the roads to cause his problem. He has not allowed anyone to see the damage nor has he provided proof of his damage. He never requested a meeting with the board nor has any member seen what he is talking about. 

He hired an attorney about one hour away when the plaintiff, defendant, property, plus witnesses all are in this county within 200 yards of each other. Again only 17 members and going to an attorney before pursuing it first with the HOA, he has isolated and hamstring the HOA. 

There are a lot of HOA's that are not good but this is not one of them. This person is putting a hardship on every member as the dues collected are exclusively for the maintenance of the roads and three shared wells. Not for defending a lawsuit that can run into the thousands of dollars. 

This is a very strange world we live in and I am no longer amazed at what some people will do nowadays. More to follow. I am one of the members who will no doubt be impacted $$$$$

HOAs:

 We live in a small HOA that only has 17 members. When we moved here we were told that it was a neighbor friendly HOA and that each person looked out for one another. 

Well it appears that is not the case. The true colors of a member came forth when the association got a letter from his attorney threatening to sue the association over the roads that the HOA maintains. It is alleged that the roads are causing rain to run into his foundation. 

The board has not been allowed to see what the neighbor is claiming and he went straight to an attorned. The roads have not changed in many years and he claims it started eroding his foundation when hurricane  Helene went through the area. We had some erosion but we fixed it ourselves.  

Instead of taking measures to fix it himself he has let it go and wants his neighbors to do it. Had he come to the board of directors to discuss it people would have likely helped him but instead he went to a lawyer and it is doubtful that anyone would help him now since he has threatened a lawsuit.  

This is a crazy world we live in and so much for a neighborhood that looks out for each other and helps one another.  

Since a lawsuit will impact each of us members I won't say what I think of this guy and his actions. I can't talk to him now as to do so I would have to go through his lawyer about one hour away. The old saying it only takes one bad apple to ruin the entire barrel is pretty much true. 

Echo Dot:

 

As long as I am posting about echo dot I should mention that Carol wonders about many things so she uses it far more than I do. I use it for an occasional song, weather forecast, football game schedule,  scores and  package delivery. I have a somewhat weird sense of  humor, so for laughs I ask it for a joke or to make fluctuance  sounds. 

Amazon Echo Dot:

 I don't know how many folks have an Echo Dot but we can ask it about the weather and other questions and it gives us answers. Recently Amazon has added a feature where you can have a conversation with it. So when you ask it a question now it is more a conversation. That takes some getting used to, especially depending on the question you might ask as it talks back conversation style. 

Especially when

Rain:

 We have had an abundance of rain lately and for the past several months. Folks who have lived here for a long time tell us that this is unusual weather behavior. The forecast calls for rain the next 10 days and probably beyond. We are in a temporal rain forest area but this constant rain is becoming a little challenging. When it dries out some we are going to have a lot of weeds and grass to mow down. 

Funny One:

 

2022 RAM Van:

 With 4 large breed dogs we couldn't carry any more than one at a time so we bought this van so when we take them to the vet we can take all four at the same time.  Also we could only haul small items in the Jeep and now we can haul items like lumber and other supplies.  We bought it from Enterprise car rental as after a certain time they sell their lease vehicles. This is the second vehicle we bought from them and they are customer focused and easy and fair to deal with. 

I highly recommend them for used vehicles. 

New Steps:

 

When we moved here there were rocks that served as steps that lead down to our basement.  The rocks were hazardous as they would end up with debris on them that made them slippery. Also the guy who put in the cement pad left a gap under the pad and it was only a matter of time before the slab broke and it and we would go sliding down the hill. 

I'm putting in cement steps anchored to the ground so it will be safer to go down to the basement. Five steps done and four more to go.  Falling down that hill would not end well and getting those rocks out of there is a chore but will make it much safer. Doing it in 90 degree heat with high humidity is a challenge however. 

It is our plan to put those white decorative rocks on both sides to enhance the looks. 

True Love:

 Lucy likes to sometimes just hold hands/paw. This went on for the longest time and then she would look up and make eye contact with the most loving look.  This is something that lasts a very long time and is very personal.