Country Livin’ Blog

Yesterday a tornado ripped through a neighboring town.  It was really upsetting to see places that are familiar in total ruin.  Someone I know was in a store not far from the area of devastation.  He said there were two things that happened when the store made the announcement that a tornado was coming.  Half the shoppers kept on shopping; the other half ran to the 30 foot tall plate glass windows to see the storm.  Have there been so many severe storm warnings that we have become complacent or disbelieving?

It seems there should be a way for the weather people to pinpoint these storms so there aren’t so many announcements for storms that are a county away.  Sirens wail for a severe thunderstorm miles away.  I suppose you could carry around a weather radio so you would have more information, but that isn’t really practical.

Please don’t get me wrong.  Considering that I live in the sticks, I’m very glad there are weather sirens I can hear in my house.  Most of the time when I check the weather forecast I find the storm is no where near me.  I just wish there was a way to make it more precise.  Am I asking too much?

Y’all come back,
Fay

Did anyone watch the lively little beagle win the world’s best known dog show the other evening?  I didn’t and I’m about to tell you why.  I have in the past taken AKC obedience classes and I have ring stewarded at AKC obedience and agility trials.  So I’m not necessarily against AKC except when it comes to conformation.  I don’t care for conformation trials because of the very thing the newscaster said last night.  He said, “Numero Ono, a beagle, won the Westminster Dog Show now everyone wants a beagle.”  That is my gripe.  It’s not just AKC dog shows.  Its movies like “Babe” where the wonderful Border Collie herds up sheep and talks to the pig and everyone wants a Border Collie.   It’s the “Air Bud” movie where the golden retriever plays basketball and everyone wants a golden retriever.   It’s TV shows like “Frazer” where the Jack Russell named “Eddie” is a show stopper.

There are unscrupulous breeders just waiting to see what is going to be the “hot” breed of the year and then they produce litters of pups for sale as quickly as possible.  They don’t worry about conformation, temperament, or health issues.  They just want to make their money as quickly as possible before the next “hot ” breed is announced.

What happens when the pup that is so cute turns into a dog that isn’t trained to prance around a show ring, but instead digs holes in the back yard and chews up your shoes?  So many of these dogs end up in shelters or worse, dropped off out in the sticks to fend for their selves.   I fear that many of those dogs are put down by a farmer’s shot gun.

So, I don’t care to see dogs prancing around show rings on national TV, in TV shows and commercials, or movies.  I think people should get dogs that fit their needs not just because they saw that breed of dog win a dog show.  I beg people to only get a dog if they really want one and want to know and care for an animal.  It’s a commitment of more than just a few months.

Y’all come back,

Fay

Even though we live in the sticks, we have all the modern conveniences. When we first looked at this property my husband said we would only buy if the cable company would guarantee high speed internet. The cable company had to run the internet cables just for us, but they did and so we have cable, high speed internet, VOiP telephones and a digital video recorder. Most of that is self operating. I don’t give the telephones much thought and the high speed internet is great. The TV is a whole ‘nother ball of wax!

The problem with the TV is the number of remotes it takes. There is the one that came with the TV, there is one for the cable box, there is one for the DVR, and there is one for the DVD player. Or something like that. At any rate, so many remotes boggle my mind. I like to think I’m relatively intelligent, but I get so confused as to which remote works which particular component. It’s very frustrating! Here is how one of the conversations about the TV went between me and my husband:

Me: “There should be just one remote to do everything.”

Him: “This is the one.”

Me: “What if I want to watch a DVD?”

Him: “Well, then you need this one, but first you need this one, then this one will do the rest.”

Me: “Huh?”

Him: “C’mon Fay! It’s not that hard!”

Me: “I thought you said there was just one.”

Him: “This is the one.”

<Sigh> Is there anyone out there in TV land who understands my confusion?

Y’all come back!

Fay

I’m a star gazer. I’ve never been very good at finding constellations, because I only know how to find three. If someone can tell me how to find others I’m willing to learn. This evening it is beautiful outside. Cool and dark. The stars are very pretty. In order to see them I have to stand on the garage side in the shadow of the house. Why? You may well ask!

Our neighbor is a security freak. He has the biggest brightest security lights on his property I have ever seen. I know he is in business for himself and that he has a lot of equipment in his yard and that people will steal even in the country, but really. Is it that necessary?

I promised myself I wouldn’t let this blog turn into a rant. I’m going to keep my promise. I’m not going to complain anymore. <sigh> I just wanted to live somewhere where the stars were visible from my front room windows.

Y’all come back,

Fay

I wrote yesterday about our rescue dog Chance getting a bath he ended up enjoying. I thought it was a good time to tell you as much of Chance’s story as I know.

One afternoon while I was at work, my husband sent me an e-mail with and attachment to a “Pet Finders” web page. The e-mail said there was a border collie in a Georgia shelter that was scheduled to be destroyed. My husband asked me to call the shelter and find out what I could. I called and asked about the dog on the web page. I was told by the shelter that the dog had been “arrested” because he killed the neighbor’s pet rabbit. I called my husband back and told him the dog in question had killed a rabbit and that was why he was in the shelter. His previous owner would have had to pay a $200.00 fine because their dog had killed another animal. The owner let the dog be taken to the shelter.

My husband told me to call the shelter back and tell them he was on his way to get the dog. He left here at about noon and drove to the shelter in Spalding County Georgia. My husband was appalled by the condition of the shelter. He found Chance in a dirty kennel and in terrible condition. He paid the $25 adoption fee and brought him home.

When I first saw him I wasn’t really sure he was even a border collie mix. He was filthy dirty, he stunk something awful, and he was horribly thin. The first thing I did was wash him. There was no way he was coming in my house the way he smelled! He was absolutely gross. When he was washed and dried we tried to take him in the house. This is when we realized he was probably an outside dog his whole life because he wouldn’t come in on his own. My husband had to carry him in. We gave him some food and water which he didn’t eat or drink and let him get in a crate. He stayed in the crate with his head down looking frightened and completely defeated. It was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen in a border collie. If you know any border collies or BC mixes you know they are very proud of themselves. They are pretty dogs and they know it.

When my husband adopted Chance he agreed to have him neutered and to get his immunizations up to date. We asked a friend who does rescue to take him to her vet to be neutered because she could get it done cheaper than we could. After he was neutered the vet did some tests and was going to give him his immunizations when she discovered Chance was heartworm positive. Our friend called us and gave us the bad news. At this point we were committed to this poor boy so we told them we wanted to treat him. Before he could be treated he had to be healthy. We took him to our vet and he was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, a respiratory infection, and heartworms. After he was on antibiotics for two weeks and he was feeling much better we decided it was time for the heartworm treatment.

Heartworm treatment in border collies is very risky. For some reason they can be sensitive to the ivermectin that is used to kill heartworm. Border collies have been known to die from the treatment that is supposed to cure them. Chance came through with flying colors.

I wish I had taken a picture of the sad dog my husband brought home that day. You wouldn’t know the animal living in my house is the same dog. His fur was hard and brittle with no shine to it. His tail was sparse and was perpetually tucked between his legs. Now he is silky and shiny. In a year and a half he has become a very handsome dog. He carries his tail proudly and wears a border collie smile most of the time. There are still times he isn’t sure what he is supposed to be doing, but he’s come a long way.If you are thinking about getting a dog, visit your local shelter. Change a life for the better.

Y’all come back!

Fay

When we were having the house built I had a dog shower built in the crate room.  Essentially it is a shower stall with the floor elevated to countertop level.  I have since come to realize that countertop level is too high, but there is nothing I can do about it.  If you have lots of dogs and want to put in a dog shower, make sure the floor is high enough that you don’t have to lean over the dog and it is low enough so the water doesn’t run down your arms into your armpits.  I would say about mid thigh would be best so have the builder measure your leg up to mid thigh and that is where the floor should be.

Most of my dogs are pretty accepting when it comes to bath time.  They know as soon as I grab up the first dog that this is taking place and the others either scatter or get in crates and wait their turn.  I’m sure the older dogs tell the younger ones, “There’s nothing you can do about it.  If you escape you just end up getting dragged back in there and washed a second time.  It’s best just to get it over with.”  The rescue dog hasn’t gotten the hang of it yet.  His name is Chance.  Since he has been here he hasn’t had many baths because his coat is in a constant state of shedding.  He was an outdoor dog before and was probably fed some inexpensive food that didn’t enhance his coat.  Now he is eating the expensive food my other dogs eat and he is living indoors.  I’ve never seen a dog shed so much.

I started with the dirtiest and worked my way to the less dirty dogs.  So Casey was the first one in the shower.  Casey actually enjoys a bath.  He is very pretty and he knows it because I’ve told him for years how gorgeous he is.  After he gets a bath he goes to my husband and asks for admiration.  Casey is mostly white which shows the dirt more than the other dogs.  Each in turn got in and had their bath.  Now we come to Chance.  First of all I had a hard time getting him in the shower.  He panicked when I picked him up.  He scrambled his feet and threw himself backwards, knocking me off balance!  Bottles of shampoo and towels went scattering.  Countertop height is a long way for a dog to fall backward.  It scared me so that I screamed.  My husband had to come help me put Chance in the shower stall.  Now that he was up there I started the washing process.  After he was wet and I started suds him up with shampoo he began to relax a little.  After he was in the shower for a few minutes he sat down.  Before we finished he was laying on the floor of the shower enjoying the water being sprayed on his back.   I don’t think it will take long before Chance will wait his turn in the shower as the other dogs do.

Today, Chance is really blowing his coat.  I can tell everywhere he has been by the black globs of fur all over the floor.  In a few days I’m hoping he will stop shedding and be sleek and very border collie looking.  In a few months he’ll be asking my husband to admire his beauty.

My dogs are pampered pups.  They live in the house with us.  Most of them will curl up on the sofa and sleep the day and night away.  They get exercised on a regular basis and they get the best dog food I can find.  I think most people will agree that these aren’t backyard guardians; they are members of the family.

Now when weather blows in there are a few of the dogs who have issues with the fact that things aren’t perfect outside.  One of our dogs, Cookie, is especially anxious when the weather turns nasty.  Just now it thundered out side and Cookie was in my lap.  Cookie is a little big to get in my lap.  Poor Cookie.  I had to put her in her crate because she gets so upset she gets into arguments with other dogs.

The first summer we lived in this house Cookie was in the house one afternoon when a storm came up.  Cookie was the only dog in the house at the time everyone else was in the crate room.  Cookie lost her mind.  She ran into the master bathroom in a panic and jumped into the bathtub.  When she jumped in she turned on the water and must have somehow made the plug fall into place.  The water was going into the tub faster than the overflow could take it out.  The water overflowed the tub and onto the floor.  Cookie had also managed to close the door to the bathroom, but that didn’t stop the water from running into the bedroom, the kitchen, and the laundry room.  It’s amazing how far water can flow.  While Cookie was trapped in the bathroom with the door closed and the water flowing over the side of the tub she did something that proves to me that dogs can do some very impressive thinking.  People have accused me of anthropomorphizing my dogs, but I’m sure this took real thought to be able to accomplish.  Cookie gathered up rugs, towels, clothing and anything else she could reach and piled it in the middle of the floor.  Then she climbed up on it.  When my husband got home he followed the water to the bathroom.  When he opened the door water splashed out on his feet.  There was Cookie sitting on her pile of towels and clothing looking pitiful.

The process we had to go through was a lot of work.  First we had to take the carpet up and throw away the padding underneath.  We then put fans under the carpet to blow the carpeting dry.  When it was dry we contacted the flooring company who originally installed the carpet.  They came in and put down new padding and re-laid the carpet.

All because Cookie is afraid of storms.

Y’all come back,
Fay

Ok, I’ve been tagged by Georgia Farm Woman therefore I must reveal seven things about myself I haven’t bloged about previously.  This should be relatively easy since I’ve only been blogging a short time.

1. I live in Alabama, but I was born and raised in Pennsylvania.
2. I love Italian food.
3. I’m a church secretary.  I’ve worked there for 15 years and I love my job.
4. I’ve lived in five different states.
5. I spent a year in Delaware with my children while my husband spent a year in Italy when we were much younger.
6. I am the youngest of six children.
7. I have an auto-immune disease called psoriasis.

As I thought, that was pretty easy!  I now get to tag seven other bloggers.  This will be a lot harder than coming up with seven things you didn’t know about me.

1. Out With Ari, the Canine Naturalist
2. Surviving Single  Because Julia really needs to post something new!
3. Life’s Curveballs
4. On the way to Critter Farm  Even though I know she is really busy right now!
5. Border Wars: A Border Collie Blog  Sorry Christopher!
6. Gus and Louie  Because dog people love to tell stuff about themselves and their dogs.
7. The Canine Kids Same reason as above.

Now for the rules:

1. Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
2.  Post the rules on your blog.
3. Post 7 random or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
4. Tag 7 people and link to them.
5. Comment on their blog to let them know they have been tagged.

Thanks for playing everyone, or I’m really sorry everyone!

Y’all come back!

Fay

There’s a place in Wetumpka we love to go to for breakfast on a Saturday morning.  When you go to Little Sam’s Café you know you are in a small town.  The breakfast menu has all the best things you would like to eat on a Saturday morning.  Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausage are the staples of the menu.  The food is yummy and there’s plenty of it, but to tell the truth that isn’t the best part.  The best part is when you walk in the door.  The waitress says, “Hey y’all.”  When you order she talks to you.  “How y’all doin’ today?  Would you like coffee?”  They’re polite and it’s as if they are your next door neighbor and you stopped in for breakfast.  When you go to the counter to pay your check the cashier says, “Was everything delicious?”  As you’re leaving someone is sure to say, “Y’all come back!”

Little Sam’s doesn’t serve dinner.  It’s strictly a breakfast and lunch place.  If you ever find yourself in Wetumpka, Alabama I can highly recommend Little Sam’s Café.  You won’t be disappointed.

Y’all come back!

Fay

We decided to go into Montgomery to meet a friend for dinner and then see a movie.  We left home and drove most of the way to the restaurant with little difficulty.  Just when we thought it would be smooth sailing we came to it.  The traffic.  And it was at a stand still.  We’ve lived in the area so my husband made a turn and another on some secondary roads and arrived shortly after our friend.  She, by the way, lives south of the city also in a rural area, but she can get to the east side of town without hitting much traffic.  It wasn’t that much of an inconvenience, but it was an inconvenience.  We used to not give it much thought, now it’s so irritating!  What do people do who don’t know which secondary roads to take to get them to the same location?  Just sit there while their evening ticks away?  How is that enjoyable?  Living where we do we can get to shopping in 10 minutes, we have a few decent restaurants and a Wal-Mart Super Center.  What more can you ask for?  I suppose it would be nice to have a movie theater, but there is a video rental store and I suppose that works just as well.

Y’all come back,

Fay