McElmurray's Mountain Retreat - Life in the mountains
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.
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.......
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 $$$$$
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
When we bought this home it came with a stunted and dying apple tree. With some pruning and fruit tree spikes to provide fertilizer it has come back and this is as far as I know or can find out the first apple off the the neglected tree. There are 8-9 more apples that need a while to mature. We also have two blackberry bushes which we have harvested some blackberries from also. They were pretty sad looking bushes but with a little care they came back and provided us some delicious berries.
It may not be the prettiest apple but from a tree that is on its way back to life it is an apple and for that we are super happy.
We all met at a one of the friend's home and another of the party was in a medical partnership with my good friend. The other doctor, whom I will call Bill, was essentially a stuffed shirt. He always wore his three piece suits to everything and was standing aloof along a wall while the party was waiting for the women to get ready.
The hosts' kids had found a stray dog that day and it was going all around the room to meet us but Bill ignored the dog even when it came and sat at his feet to be acknowledged/petted. Bill would not even look at the dog and when everyone was ready to leave, the dog came over once again to Bill and lifted his leg and peed on Bill's leg. Bill never even acknowledged the dog had peed on him but as we left, when he took a step we could all hear the squish each time that wet foot would take a step. Bill pretended nothing happened but we all had a hard time keeping from breaking out in full blown laughter.
Bill went through the entire night acting like nothing had happened. I can still see that dog in my mind soaking down Bill's leg.
From his first day here Rex has shown a preference for the love seat. He can stand on the arm of the love seat and see everything going on in the house. We bought him a new bed but he hasn't laid in it yet. The longer he is here he will explore the other beds and places to lay or sleep. We are not concerned as we know he will seek other places when he grows more confident. He has only been here three weeks and is a good family member and is still feeling his way along in the family.
We have been seeing these on the ground in our front yard, they are about the size of a potato and when we cut them in half they are brown inside. We don't see any on the tree but they are appearing on the ground under it. The tree appears to be healthy and has leaf's and no signs of dying. Very strange since it looks like a wood decay fungi.
We took April, age 12, in to see the vet several weeks ago. She was unable to make it up the slope in the back yard. She now gets a shot once a month and can bound up on the sofa. We have our active April back again. She will get these shots for the rest of her life but we like her mobility.
Every few years I google my name and check as to what I am doing or have done. Here is a link to an article I wrote years ago. I wrote across a broad spectrum.
https://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/witty-sayings-zbcz2004/
Our home is a small home with 1,100 sf, and when an 83 pound dog burns off energy in the form of zoomies with three other dogs of equal size it is pandemonium. Keep him calm they say...that is a joke. We might as well try to put a hurricane in a mason jar.
This reminds me of a bible study I led at a church in Tallahassee, Fla, many years ago. We were discussing the homeless in the city and one of the members stated with a authoritarian aire that there were no homeless in Tallahassee. I knew where she lived and told her to slow down when she went under a bridge on her way home and look carefully under the bridge.
She was not at the bible study the following week. People tend to deny the heartache of dogs and people like this and pretend it doesn't happen or it is someone else's problem. It does happen way to often and this is the sad reality of life. People who surrender their dogs to a shelter when they get old are the bottom dwellers of humanity in my opinion.
We just adopted Rex from Dallas as he was 8.5 years old and has heartworm. He is an absolute delight and a perfect family member. I just wish more people would see the value in these senior dogs and would not turn them into the shelter when they get old or sick. He has more love, loyalty (something his owner lacked) and compassion to give. He is a real blessing to our family.
I finally figured out what it was and watched this squirrel fall off a scuppernog grape vine that was high up in the trees. He was eating those scuppernog grapes that were fermented and then falling off the vine to the ground which was soft with 5-6" of pine needles. He would lay on the ground until he recovered and then go back for more.
Apparently it is the same with blueberries.
One of the most important parts of Rex's heartworm treatment is to keep him calm so the dying worms don't break off in large chunks and cause blockage in vital organs. If his heartrate goes up the risk is greatly increased. That sounds "easy enough" but in reality it is not as easy as it seems.
Take last night for example. Some of our nearby neighbors were setting off fireworks and firing guns until almost two in the morning. That set two of our dogs into full blown uncontrollable panic. Calming Rx did not faze them and they were totally out of control. While Rex was not directly effected by the loud explosions he was indirectly effected by two full blown out of control dogs.
Under normal circumstances we have been able to keep him calm but then there are inconsiderate people who we can't control that impact our lives. While fireworks are illegal in NC it is not something the local law enforcement is willing to handle. It was not a good night and seeing two of our dogs in full blown, uncontrolled panic and not being able to help them was a nightmare. For five hours they were in full eye bulging panic.
Today in the USA we celebrate our country's 249th birthday. People will go on picnics, to the beach, BBQ out with neighbors and a host of other things to celebrate. Tonight will be fireworks and those will drive our fur family crazy. Those around us will celebrate by shooting off guns/fireworks into the air. That drives our pooches absolutely nuts.
Unfortunately what they shoot up into the air comes down and last January 1st what goes up did come down. We went out the next morning and found a dent in the hood of our vehicle where one of those bullets came down and hit our car. There is so much gun fire in our area that any invaders would be very negligent to ever try to take our area. In fact it would probably be highly dangerous to attempt that anywhere in our country except the gun free zones established by liberals/progressives.
As I look around the area where we live it looks calm and peaceful but on the fourth of July and new years it is anything but calm. Other times of the year I hear people out practicing to stay proficient. I used to have a .22 rifle but I gave it to my son years ago. I learned to shoot by laying a Coke bottle on its side and shooting through the small end you drink from and knocking out the bottom. That helped me maintain my expert status when I was in the military.
Being able to shoot firearms is one of our rights but I sure hate what it does to our dogs.
Then they would discover that while the temperature is cooler and they would be out on hikes with the wild animals; bear, lynx, mountain lion, bobcat, wolves, badger and a host of animals that were dangerous that city life had not prepared them for this. They had no experience with wild animals except where they are well fed and enclosed in zoo's were different. They would slowly realize that they were a possible food choice for many of these animals. Instead of getting along with the animals they would take a more aggressive approach which does not always work out well.
Then would come winter where our average snowfall, according to the HUD report, we received when we bought the property averaged 264" per long winter. Having to deal with that much snow each winter and wild animals in the warmer months suddenly made city people aware that lifestyle wasn't for them.
Here in NC it is the heat, humidity, bugs and abundant rain that brings some people to the realization that they are essentially living the same lifestyle that they were living from where they left. They venture out on nice days and the rest of their time they spend in air conditioning. Some people are unable to adapt to a vastly different environment. Those who adapt best are the ones who are able to afford two homes - one where they came from and one where they can live part time.
Not all people are suited to a different lifestyle as they are unable to adapt. That is okay with me as otherwise our area would be so full of people that it would be uncomfortable for those of us who can and are willing to adapt. They also tend to bring the very things that they didn't like from where they moved from to the new area. People need to research the area they want to move to before they move to it and consider if they are willing to make the changes it will require.
So we have to keep him calm for the next 90 days to avoid that from happening. He can go out two times a day to go potty and Rex can have no activity that will increase his heart rate like guests and such. We have a crate for him but he doesn't have to stay in it as long as he can stay calm. Our vet does not treat heartworm in the summer months because the heat can cause an increase in the heart rate.
We hear and read about these shootings but never expect to have one in our small community. Today a prisoner was taken to the same hospital we use and the correction officer was taken off guard and he and the prisoner scuffled for his gun and the prisoner got it away from him and fatally shot and killed him. Even here in our small tourist community. The prisoner then commandeered a car and went on a one hour pursuit before being captured again.
We would occasionally get together with others but mostly it was our choice and when we encountered people in town we usually couldn't wait to get back home where it was quiet and peaceful. Then when we moved here one of the first places our daughter took us was to an orchard that had a large building full of things they grew. It was also a popular attraction. There were people everywhere and when I went into the building it was chock full of people.
I had never experienced a panic attack before but being surrounded by people so close and on all sides I had a full blown panic attack. Rex and other canines experience many of the same emotions and feelings as we do.
Rex is on his 4th day here and he goes to the door and just stands there to look out. He was an outdoor dog who lacked the type of interaction we have here. He went from largely being alone to coming into our house with three other dogs. He has had a couple of panic attacks, when the other fur pack members sometimes come in close proximity to himself.
When that happens he will curl his lip and snarl at them - unfortunately they don't fully understand what is going on. I however do because I have experienced the same type of panic. By observing his behavior I understand why he reacts like that. When he gets panicky he will go by himself to a door and look out until he calms himself down then he will go off by himself, to rest, away from the other dogs.
It is only by closely observing his behavior that we understand what is going on with him. One of us is usually there to correct the action - but that doesn't stop his panic. First knowing what is going on with him and knowing also that time and patience will eventually resolve it, is the remedy. That observation may not seem like much to others but to us it is vital to know what is going on with him and our other dogs.
To accurately know the problem is to control the problem and make the transition into our family much more smooth and peaceful for him. I would not have been able to identify that situation when I was younger because then I knew it all but really didn't know anything.
Sometimes it is wise and prudent to look at the other persons point of view and conflicts can be eliminated without doing battle..
We would get applicants who were my age now - senior in their 80's - who would want to adopt a young GSD without providing for that dogs future when they would pass away. They did not consider the dog or its future care, they just wanted a GSD. They would get angry when I would not approve them to adopt. In fact I had a friend that did just that and left the GSD to his son when he died. The dog was neglected and had injuries and allowed to run free where there were numerous predators. It was not a good situation for the GSD.
We are elderly and we adopt senior dogs. Most do not want a senior dog as their life span is only a few years, as is the case with Rex; he is 8 years old but that could easily be 8 years 11 months old. Average age of a GSD is 10 years old. Most don't want to go through the heart ache of losing a dog so the older dogs languish in a kennel until they die. I don't blame people as losing a dog is one of the most painful experiences people have in life.
Older dogs like Rex who are turned in at a shelter to be euthanized is one of the lowest forms of human life in my opinion. We will pamper Rex just like our other dogs so he will experience real love and affection. With him being an outside dog I doubt he had much affection but he will have to adjust to being inside and an integral part of our family. It will be new to him and he will be spoiled in no time at all.
He will learn commands which he does not now possess, and we will need great patience but if he learns fast and we endure he will be a good member of our family. It will be exciting to see his personality come out in the next few months. His initial treatment will be costly since he is heartworm positive but it will be worth it. Rex deserves a good rest of his life.
My hope is that those who read this blog will change their attitudes if necessary toward senior dogs.
We thought we were through adopting another dog due to our age but here we are adopting Rex. When I was writing articles for Mother Earth News I wrote several on dogs including one on how to introduce a new dog into your pack.
Normally we would make first introductions at the shelter by taking our family members to meet the new addition there. In this case the shelter is a thousand miles away so that is not possible. We will make the introductions here but at a distance from the house/property on what could best be described as neutral ground.
We will introduce our present pack one at a time based on the order in which they were adopted and then walk them for a short walk, each singular, along with Rex and then return our present pack to the house to wait.
I will then take Rex into the fenced back yard to check it out by himself and relieve himself if necessary. The rest of the pack will be allowed into the back yard one at a time until they are all comfortable with each other. They will all relieve themselves and their excitement and any tensions at this time under our watchful eye. The usual routine is that where ever Rex goes potty the others will mark his spot which will tell him where he is on the pecking order.
Then we will let them all into the house together but with the leash still on Rex. This will tell the pack that he is now a member of the pack and tell him he needs to conform to be a part of the pack. Proper introductions are very important to introduce a new member and it also conveys who are the alpha members(myself and Carol) which avoids conflict later on
This has been our method over the years and it has worked well. A good start usually means a happy pack and less trouble/problems and tension. Rex will then take all his cues from us and the pack.
His first trauma is knowing he is in a kill shelter and his time is limited. The owner had him as an outdoor dog and turned him in when he was a senior of 8 years old - possibly because he tested positive for heart worm. They never trained him in basic commands and he probably got little attention as an outdoor dog.
His second trauma will be when he is taken to the clinic to get a health certificate so he can cross state lines. Then he will be transported by vehicle to us which will also be traumatic. When no one spoke up for him - probably due to his age - we did and hopefully he will be here next week. That look in his eyes is wonder and fear as to what happened to him to be in this place.
Not knowing any commands, having been an outdoor dog who probably did not have much interaction our work will be cut out for us but we have experience so we can handle it. We look forward to the challenge so he can have a long and happy rest of his life.
We will do further blogs as we go further in his acclimation and training.
