It All Started With Helga!

This is Helga, a shelter drop-off after being a puppy mill mom. She is believed to be two or three years old.  I had a couple of weeks with no jobs and decided to help Mike Chapman of the local chow rescue and went to the animal control shelter to rescue Helga.  She was the sweetest chow I had ever met, but she had kennel cough and was heartworm positive and needed to go to Briarcliff Animal Hospital for treatment.

Well, weeks later, here is Helga in my courtyard.  I wanted to see if she would fit in with my pack.  She has been here only two days and is going on walks with my others and there have been no fights.  Geisha has already warmed up to her, the Wong being so old doesn't care, and Panda can be a little snippy, so as Mike suggested, I am walking them with a big wiffle bat in my hand!

This was Helga the day I picked her up to take her to Mike.  She's in the back of my car still in shock that she was leaving the shelter.

These two little pups were labeled as chows.  It was the best thing that ever happened to them because Julie of Critter Cavalry in Tennessee asked me to find out more about them when I went to pick up Helga. The next week I was down at the shelter rescuing Yogi & Little Bear!  They don't have a bit of chow in them, but it sure was their lucky day.  They both were very sick with kennel cough and had been there over a month and would have soon been put down.

They started to feel better after days on their meds, good food, and walks in the sun.  They couldn't wait for their next walk. They gained some weight in just the 10 days that I had them.  We gave them a bath so they didn't smell like the shelter.  They were so soft and happy.

Saturday we drove them to Jasper, TN, where a friend of Julie's, Richard picked them up for the second leg of their trip.  Julie sent me photos of Yogi & Little Bear as happy as can be in the laps of Julie's little girls. I told her they liked scrambled eggs for breakfast, and she actually made them eggs for their first morning at her home! We will miss these guys, they were a lot of fun, but a lot of work!  So many walks I was exhausted by nightfall.  Helga is a lot easier and slower paced, and she will be a wonderful addition to our pack.

Spring Ahead!

Bluebirds!

Bluebirds are everywhere right now, so many, that I decided to put up another birdhouse, and within minutes they were checking it out.

Bluebirds have inspired my latest collection, foil etchings.  This one cost me a whopping $5.99 on Ebay

I started adding mealworms to the bird feed, and I believe that is the reason so many of them are here and in the feeders.

One day I'll get a better camera so I can zoom in on these beautiful birds!

Valentine's Night

Valentine's Day seemed more like Christmas this year.  Bob received a crow shirt and a bottle of Zirbenz

Lots of cards, two of which came from my mom, and one had a big 'ole check in it much to my surprise!  Could not resist the cups with owls, mushrooms and glitter, three of my favorite things!  Meant for a kid's Valentine's party, but I just had to have them.

I received a bottle of my favorite Italian wine, Aramone, and Bob cooked dinner, Asian Beef Salad with Srirachia Honey Dressing.  We used baby spinach instead of bibb lettuce, and we ate the whole big bowl full! For dessert I made pumpkin flan with whipped cream and Kahlua, yum!

We ate in front of the fire and downloaded Vanishing of the Bees a documentary that I have been wanting to see, a recommendation from one of the girls at the CSA.  It was a quiet, relaxing V Day, just what we both needed.

Valentine's Day 2012

Happy Valentine's Day!

In Memory of Harold Carton

A tribute to Harold has been set up on Facebook. 
Just search "In Memory of Harold Carton" to read what others have to say in honor of his life.

In Memory of Harold

We lost a dear friend today, a crazy Irishman from Boston who loved rottweilers and lived life to its fullest to the age of 83 with help from his wife Debra, a May-December relationship which lasted over 30 years, who helped change his lifestyle to one of good eating and non-smoking which allowed him to live such a full life. Harold will be missed. It is, indeed, a sad day.