Dogs


There have been a number of happenings in my family to cause me to want to create this blog. I already blogged one about Kitty. But last night something happened that makes it absolutely imperative.--

It seems that the quest for a good dog (or cat for that matter) is sometimes a long process of hit and miss.--

Kevin and Shirley have had a few pets over the 6 years they've been together. The cats wouldn't litter box train, they had to go. Rowdy, the miniature Pincer had to go, same problem. Then came along poor Kitty. She may have been a winner. She had a fantastic personality. I haven't heard how things are now, they got a new puppy this last Monday, a Chihuahua named Tinkerbell. I'm sure Shirley will do a better job of keeping an eye on her herself. Apparently she was rather tore up over Kitty's demise.--

Denny and Heather have 2 fantastic pets, a beautiful German Shepherd named Gage and a cute pinky-orange tabby cat named Lily. They are both extremely well behaved. But Kev & Shirl's Kitty event caused a strange chain of events to happen.--

Rachyl is looking forward to having her own home soon and decided she wanted a small dog after meeting Kitty. So the hunt began. She's been looking at the pound and other shelters for the right dog. Denny decided to help her, so he and Heather went to the pound.--

3 or so years back when Denny and Heather lived in Pacific they got a companion for Gage, a female black Lab mix named Kira. She had a bad habit of getting out of the yard. It wasn't long before she was hit by a car. Her leg was badly damaged but Denny followed the doctor's directions and she healed up pretty good, regardless of the fact that they wanted to do surgery to repair her. But she was healed and back to the getting out of the yard. She had to go.--

But Heather has wanted her own dog ever since. So when they were at the pound looking for a dog for Rach they found a dog for Heather instead, accidentally. A stunning white Husky named Tasha Ice Princess or something like that. A smaller registered husky with papers. And beautiful blue eyes. And apparently a very bad habit.--

The pound has instituted a scoring method for their adoptees and it covers aptitude, behavior, health, etc. Included is their interaction with children, strangers, other pets, etc. They didn't divulge her true makeup when it came to cats, they said she had no history with cats. Thursday while we were getting ready to go camping she got into the neighbor's yard and killed one of their cats. Maybe the second one she killed. It was obvious she did it because of the noise. So she had to go.--

This was going to be the gist of my blog. The difficulty in finding a good pet and what we sometimes have to endure in our quest. But last night something happened to put a slightly different slant on this blog. Another dog incident.
--

Rick's ex and daughter have a few cats and last year got a cute wire-hair terrior mix puppy and named her Pokey, after the Pokey little puppy, white with brown spots.--

She has always been a little goofy but, overall, a good pet. She also has seemed to have some health issues. She broke a leg when she was quite young by simply jumping back from the fence when another dog barked at her. But she was just a cute quirky dog.--

Rick and I were trying to figure out dinner last night when he got a text from Sarah: "Pokey just had a heart attack and died"--

WHAT!?!?--

"They went for a walk and she had a seizure and never got up"--

She was only a year and a half old. I went online and googled "dog sudden death" and found a website where tons of people have described the very same thing happening to their dogs. But most were much older. It's either heart or brain defects, nothing that can be helped. It's just time to go.--

So there we have it. Try as you may to acquire a good pet, sometimes even when you do it still doesn't work out.

The Forecast is for a Warm Winter


Well, not the official meteorological forecast. Rather,
our forecast here in our home.--


We've been looking on Craigslist for a great deal on a wood stove. Well, we found a "smokin" deal, here's the ad (it may be fuzzy, click on it to see it clearly):--


The stove is small, perfect for our little house, the chimney is prolly just about the right height and there's about 2 cords of wood there, easily enough for our entire winter. It's a Lopi stove, which means that it'll be simple to find replacement parts if need be and it's certified.--

Their asking price was $500 which was a real steal. We both replied to their ad and she called me at about 10 to tell me that we were number 2. She was giving number 1 an hour to call or email and then we could have it. But I didn't want this to slip away so I called and offered another hundred smackers. After doing that she called back in 20 minutes to tell me that number one wouldn't up his offer so we could have it!
--

That totally screwed up my plans for the day! Now, instead of cleaning and unpacking and putting away the camping stuff I was hauling firewood. LOL. It was great. And last night Rick and I started stacking it against the back of the shop.
--

This house is always so cold, it'll be so pleasant to have a warm house now! I just hope it doesn't make Rick decide to shed all his clothes.

Home Again

No, I don't mean in the sense of being home after our camping trip - I mean being at Lily Lake again! After going for 20 years it feels very familiar and like home.--

Once everything was set up at camp everything was, for the most part, back to normal. But getting everything there was quite a feat. The quad aspect worked perfectly. Turns out they've been working on the road and it's nearly ready to reopen. But not yet - not even for quads. There was only one large puddle maybe eight inches deep to drive through.--


The day we left was extremely hectic and we didn't actually get out til almost 4 PM. It's a 2 hour drive and the gate is actually 4 miles from the lake. OK, no sweat. One of the quads ("blue") was having overheating issues so it wasn't able to be used to its full potential. There was a total of 6 quad loads (Kevin and Shirley went with us) including the 9 people, every trip took another person, a time or 2 it included 2 extra people. By the time Rach came and got me and Kevin's cooler, the last trip, daylight was burning. By the time we had everything down to the lake it was dark.--


It took another 30 - 45 minutes to complete ferrying everything across the lake. Then we had to start setting up. Hunter had been neglected for too long and was screaming a blue streak. Keith hadn't eaten enough and was so hungry he was laying down. We all had our priorities that had to be addressed. So we slapped up tents, fed and changed a baby, got a table and stove set up to boil hot dogs and got a small fire started. I'm glad Rick and Heather in particular weren't there, it was beyond what one should have to put up with to get to even the perfect camping spot. We who were there knew what to expect and just take what comes our way. OK, maybe Shirley shouldn't have been there either, but she just rolled with all the chaos, I guess living with her 2 little active boys keeps her tough as well.--

The next evening the rest of the group and only one quad load of stuff came. It was quick and easy to get them melded into the community camp. It was daylight. They didn't have a baby. Or a dog. Piece of cake. Have another beer!--


The weather was perfect, the lake was warm, there were lots of fish to catch (and release) the dog behaved, the kids behaved, all in all a good trip. Good food, barely enough beer, (Kev brought 24, Den brought 24, Rick brought 30, I brought 18 = 96) enough floats to enjoy the lake and get nicely burned. Thursday night there was a silent lightning show in the eastern sky. There was a new log in a very beneficial spot connecting the island to the mainland right where we ferry across. So now you can actually walk to the island from the launch spot. You can also jump off the new log, the water there is about 6 - 8 feet deep.--

Oh yeah, we had an elk barking from shore on Friday night!--

Dane got a little drunk on Saturday night. The kids were doing vodka shots and he accidentally took way too many shots at once. Rick and I had already turned in when the comedy routine started but we heard plenty about it. He sawed wood and talked. And sawed wood and talked. And sawed wood and talked. And slurred - like I do.--


The unloading trip was a little more eventful. As we began to quad our stuff out the rangers were waiting for us. It's not legal to take quads or any motorized vehicles beyond the road closure. We were respectful quad riders, not just out to tear things up with our quads, just to get our stuff in and out. Didn't matter. Kevin and Rach were the drivers that showed up so they got the tickets. A total of $250 in fines. It could have been a lot worse though, the quads aren't legally tabbed, Kevin has a suspended license and Rach was riding with Hunter in front of her. We're splitting the fine up 5 ways - $50 for 3 days camping, that's not too bad!--


While Rach had the rangers' (8 rangers and 4 vehicles) attention she did find out, though, that the road will be open next year. It was supposed to be this year but the funding got used elsewhere due to more flooding this past winter. Like I said, there was only one puddle left where last year there was a small river.--

Well, that's another year under our belt. I hope the garage sale lived up to the big signs we made for it. So did it Rick?

This Weekend

Upcoming is the weekend of the unknown. We're planning on camping at our good old Lily Lake. That's easier said than done.

It must have been 3 years ago now that we had major rainfall and flooding, portions of I-5 were submerged and they were showing flooded communities on the national news. Rivers changed course and wilderness camping and picnic areas were obliterated. Last winter we also had above average rainfall in November, I believe it was.

So summer of '06 or '07 Keith was going to Lily Lake with his dad and found the road closed and the small river going over the road just past the gate. They had to find an alternate camping spot. It may have been that same year that we went to a pretty area near Chelan, Antilon Lake, I blogged that at the time. It was a nice spot and compared somewhat to Lily Lake but is a 4 hour drive, LL is only 2 hours.

Last year Rick and I drove the Harley out to the gate to check things out. Keith and his dad hiked in to the lake. The gate is about 2 miles from the trailhead to LL. The kids were determined to get there so they brainstormed an idea to take Denny's quad to get us from the gate to the trailhead. So it's really only adding one extra leg to the excursion. But it eliminates the possibility of taking the paddle boat. Back to rafts, our original means of lake exploration.

So we're mostly packed, just waiting for a call from the mechanic to go pick up the quad. Then the adventure begins. Rach, Dane, Keith, Hunter, Gage and I will go today and take just about everything. Then tomorrow morning Kevin and his family will bring a second quad and their stuff. Tomorrow evening Denny will bring the rest of his family, his little brother-in-law TJ and Rick.

This should be exciting!

Last Weekend

Well, I just tucked my nearly sick new hubby in bed, he's had a hard week and today finally started showing symptoms of a cold settling in. But he doesn't feel that it'll be a bad one. Good thing, our weekend is upon us.

At least we have no plans for this weekend. We were quite busy last weekend and next weekend we're planning to attempt a camping trip at our old fav camping spot, Lily lake. So he can afford to be sick this weekend, good timing.


Last Friday night we went to the Emerald Queen Casino to see Los Lonely Boys play. It was a good concert. It wasn't very long, no opening act, the seats were all on flat ground, no rise, so seeing wasn't too easy. We had to walk through about 5 smokey casinos to get all the way to the back, where the show was. But it was good nonetheless. These are 3 Hispanic brothers, Jojo, Henry and the drummer is Ringo (yeah, his real name - from birth, he's a junior even!) Garza and they are very good at what they do.


Then on Saturday we attended the annual Renaissance Faire. Well, nearly annual. Last year it was canceled due to no place to have it. They left their old spot in Purdy to move to Belfair. I don't recall the reason for the move but apparently things weren't done correctly because the whole thing had to be canceled.


This year I guess they still don't have everything cleared up at the new location so they opted to have it in a temporary place. And it's a lot closer to home, in Buckley. But the location left a lot to be desired, especially in comparison with the last place. The old place was grassy, meandering, trees, a brook and a bridge with a troll! The combination was magical. This place offered nothing similar. There were gravel roads that were large, 1.5 to 2 inch gravel! Hard to walk on. Where there was no gravel there was lots of dust. But there were lots of vendors and acts. And tons of costumes. I think the day we went there were 2/3 costumed and only 1/3 not in costume, that's a pretty good ratio.


I found someone I could see was part of the regular renfaire circuit and asked about the troll. He said "Karl the Troll? He died a couple years back." I was so distraught, he was a big part of the Faire! I searched around and found a picture erected in his memory, it looks like his old bridge at the Purdy location, he used to hide below the bridge and try to grab people's feet. If he scared someone he gave them a tootsie roll!

Rick's daughter, Sarah, and her boyfriend,
Sopha, got here fairly early. Sopha was particularly concerned about his costume. It consisted of short gold velvet pants and a black ruffled shirt! I'd be concerned too! But I started rummaging through some of Keith's stuff and found him a belt with a dagger attached and a felt hat with feathers. I think he ended up looking the best of all of us.

As soon as we were all ready we headed to Denny's for breakfast - a tradition I started with Dane and Keith. Turns out one of Rick's coworkers (one of my former coworkers) was there and saw us all parade in in our costumery.


The weather was perfect, cloudy, cool, not cold, no rain. Lots of costumes. The horseback acrobatic and juggling act was very good. We stayed for about 3.5 hours and left only because we'd seen all there was to see. We ran into another coworker there, Scott, my former slave-driver.

So nothing going on this weekend, we'll probably just work on the shop some more, a big job.


Oh yeah, when Rick went to get a good shot of a pirate he got spammed - he got handed an invitation to a Portland Pirate Festival next month. Heck yah we're going! It's fun to dress up! And say "Arrhh!" all day.

Kitty Stuck


This is Kitty. Kevin and Shirley's latest pet. An attempt to squelch the urge to add another member to the family. Kitty was a cute puppy, she liked to chase Gage around, Denny's German Shepard.

Poor Kitty only got to be about 4 months old.


This last week apparently Shirley and the boys were in their backyard and Kitty was on a leash as the back yard faces a busy road and Kitty was small enough to easily fit under the fence.


Kitty got tangled in her leash and Joe told his Mommy. "Kitty stuck." He told her again, "Kitty stuck." Mommy told Joe to unstick her.

The 4 year old only knew how to unleash her.
You can figure out the rest. Shirley finally found Kitty at a vet needing to be put down as her hind end was too badly damaged.

Please guys - no more pets.

T M I

Yes folks, that's right - too much information. Sorry, but this blogsite is not just for sharing all the fun and interesting things taking place in my life. It's also a journal, a means for me to document important things in my life, things I want to remember in my life. Things I'll want to go back and look at and say "When was it that I ...?" A diary if you will.


I have had issues with gallbladder attacks and have been treating myself for over 20 years. Well, I just recently had quite a lengthy bout, one actually lasting about ten days, partly while we were out on the peninsula touring excursion. I will not go into details about the symptoms nor the treatment but I'll attach the process as a picture here for anyone interested in trying it for themselves:

I have always had a good outcome and this time is no different, it accomplished what it was supposed to. It is a liver and gallbladder flush and what it flushes out looks very much like capers. I found a number of those, although not as many as in past times. The first time they were quite plentiful and since then they've been limited to only a couple dozen. I've done this about every 10 years, this is my third time.

And for all you nay-sayers, last year I had a colonoscopy which included a complete doctor-prescribed intestinal cleanout. None of these objects appeared during that flush, so they're not in the intestinal tract, they come from the liver and / or gallbladder. And they're not things that appear to be created during this process either.

This time the difference is that I got quite ill in the middle of the night and it ended up wearing me out completely. I was not as diligent to follow the schedule since I'm unemployed and my sleep schedule is messed up. And my daily dose of apple juice fluctuated. But I can't see how that would make me so ill in the middle of the night. I nearly vomited and nearly passed out, it was awful.

So that's it folks, more for my benefit than yours. Sorry, I warned you in the title. But if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

About Me

My photo
After 2 unsuccessful marriages I spent 12 years as a divorcee, only to fall prey to another man's wiles. We had a fun 5 years together and then he decided he wanted more freedom so once again I'm single.

So I'm freshly divorced at 57 and have 5 great kids and now 7 grandkids. My kids are still a major part of my life but I'm busy helping my aging parents on Kauai.

I've lived in California, Hawaii and Oklahoma before finally settling here in Washington. I love Washington and come back to visit family, friends and take care of my garden often but will be temporarily a resident of Kauai.

I've moved 30 times in my life (no, my parents weren't in the service, at least not since I was about 2) and finally planted roots when I got my little house that I've owned since '91.

My family are Jehovah's Witnesses, I've been one since '72.