Should or Shouldn't I?

I'm only into my second week without Slate. Last week, I promised myself that I would take my time to heal. I wouldn't rush out and get a "replacement" dog to fill my emptiness; one would find me in good time. Then I received a picture of a tiny dachshund mix named Digger yesterday to post at my newspaper blog. His picture spoke to me and is still speaking today. He's on borrowed time at the county animal control facility. I've e-mailed my friend that works down there with several of questions. Now I have to decide if I should go meet him. What do you guys think? Should or shouldn't I?????

Digger

Something to Make Me Smile

Now THIS puts a BIG smile on my face. A mama chihuahua adopts a litter of baby squirrels click HERE to watch.

Weird

I'm trying so hard to get back to normal. It seems that I have one good day and one bad day. It's been so hard to blog this week. I just hate going back to the house right now. Slate had such a big spirit that the house just feels so empty. Even the rest of the dogs are acting weird. They just know. Even though Slate was a little dog, it has taken us most of the week to get his little grave ready. The drought sure has made the ground hard. We're supposed to pick him up this afternoon, and I'm dreading it. We decided to wait until today, so we'd have his place ready. My good friend, Elaine, bought me a beautiful stone to mark the spot, and I have his little backyard stepping stone, with his name, that I made years ago. My brother has LOTS of marigold seeds that he's going to plant on top, and they will come back every year. Hopefully, afterwards, I can begin to move on a little bit.

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to the most wonderful and the most bestest husband in the whole world!! I love you!!

Goodbye, My Friend

I just wanted you all to know that Slate crossed the bridge on Sunday morning. All last week, his stomach had been swelling. When we dropped him off at Dr. K's on Friday, we asked for a recheck for his stomach. Dr. K had to draw fluid off on both Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. His heart was just giving out. Dr. K called me around 10:00 a.m Sunday morning to give me the news. He said that he'd eaten a good breakfast and gone out to potty. He came back in and just laid down and went to sleep. Dr. K said that he'd planned to meet us Monday afternoon at pickup to let us know that it was time for "the decision", so this was definitely the best way. He said that he didn't suffer, and he wasn't in any pain.

Although I miss him terribly, I'm glad that he did it on his own terms, and didn't suffer at the end. He's at peace now and not sick or suffering. His little spirit was HUGE, and there is a large vacancy at my house right now. I'll always miss his sunny attitude. Hopefully, someday, I'll see him again. Goodbye Slate. You were my faithful friend to end, and you will be missed terribly. I had planned on posting the passage "The Rainbow Bridge", but decided on the following:

The Journey

When you bring a pet into your life, you begin a journey - a journey that will bring you more love and devotion than you have ever known, yet also test your strength and courage.

If you allow, the journey will teach you many things, about life, about yourself, and most of all, about love. You will come away changed forever, for one soul cannot touch another without leaving its mark.

Along the way, you will learn much about savoring life's simple pleasures - jumping in leaves, snoozing in the sun, the joys of puddles, and even the satisfaction of a good scratch behind the ears.

If you spend much time outside, you will be taught how to truly experience every element, for no rock, leaf, or log will go unexamined, no rustling bush will be overlooked, and even the very air will be inhaled, pondered, and noted as being full of valuable information. Your pace may be slower - except when heading home to the food dish - but you will become a better naturalist, having been taught by an expert in the field.

Too many times we hike on automatic pilot, our goal being to complete the trail rather than enjoy the journey. We miss the details - the colorful mushrooms on the rotting log, the honeycomb in the old maple snag, the hawk feather caught on a twig. Once we walk as a dog does, we discover a whole new world. We stop; we browse the landscape, we kick over leaves, peek in tree holes, look up, down, all around. And we learn what any dog knows: that nature has created a marvelously complex world that is full of surprises, that each cycle of the seasons bring ever changing wonders, each day an essence all its own.

Even from indoors you will find yourself more attuned to the world around you. You will find yourself watching summer insects collecting on a screen, (How bizarre they are! How many kinds there are!), or noting the flick and flash of fireflies through the dark. You will stop to observe the swirling dance of windblown leaves, or sniff the air after a rain. It does not matter that there is no objective in this; the point is in the doing, in not letting life's most important details slip by.

You will find yourself doing silly things that your pet-less friends might not understand: spending thirty minutes in the grocery aisle looking for the cat food brand your feline must have, buying dog birthday treats, or driving around the block an extra time because your pet enjoys the ride. You will roll in the snow, wrestle with chewie toys, bounce little rubber balls till your eyes cross, and even run around the house trailing your bathrobe tie - with a cat in hot pursuit, all in the name of love.

Your house will become muddier and hairier. You will wear less dark clothing and buy more lint rollers. You may find dog biscuits in your pocket or purse, and feel the need to explain that an old plastic shopping bag adorns your living room rug because your cat loves the crinkly sound. You will learn the true measure of love - the steadfast, undying kind that says, "It doesn't matter where we are or what we do, or how life treats us as long as we are together." Respect this always. It is the most precious gift any living soul can give another. You will not find it often among the human race.

And you will learn humility. The look in my dog's eyes often made me feel ashamed. Such joy and love at my presence. She saw not some flawed human who could be cross and stubborn, moody or rude, but only her wonderful companion. Or maybe she saw those things and dismissed them as mere human foibles, not worth considering, and so chose to love me anyway.

If you pay attention and learn well, when the journey is done, you will be not just a better person, but the person your pet always knew you to be - the one they were proud to call beloved friend.

I must caution you that this journey is not without pain. Like all paths of true love, the pain is part of loving. For as surely as the sun sets, one day your dear animal companion will follow a trail you cannot yet go down.

And you will have to find the strength and love to let them go. A pet's time on earth is far too short - especially for those that love them. We borrow them, really, just for awhile, and during these brief years they are generous enough to give us all their love, every inch of their spirit and heart, until one day there is nothing left.

The cat that only yesterday was a kitten is all too soon old and frail and sleeping in the sun. The young pup of boundless energy wakes up stiff and lame, the muzzle now gray. Deep down we somehow always knew that this journey would end. We knew that if we gave our hearts they would be broken.

But give them we must for it is all they ask in return. When the time comes, and the road curves ahead to a place we cannot see, we give one final gift and let them run on ahead - young and whole once more. "Godspeed, good friend," we say, until our journey comes full circle and our paths cross again.

~ Written by Crystal Ward Kent ~

Outta Here

Casey and I leave first thing in the morning for Dragon*Con. I'm sure I'll have LOTS of great pictures for you guys. I'll be back on Wednesday. I hope all of you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!

OH SQUEE!!!

I got some good news today!! Thanks to Cindy Sherrill of Sharpei Rescue of Tennessee, Inc.. Celebration Pet Day is now an official Purina Rally to Rescue event!! WOOT! WOOT! I couldn't be happier!

Overwhelmed

I'm sorry that I've neglected to post here the past few days. This past weekend was kind of crazy. All of the pre-DragonCon stuff has started. I'm trying to finish the alterations on the costumes we're taking with us, get the last few props finished up, and get things squared away at the house. All of this, while all the promotions start up full swing for Celebration Pet Day.

Last Saturday started out well. By the end of the day, I was flat on my back on the couch. I've been exercising REALLY hard the past couple of weeks, and I guess it took its toll on my back. I strained it good. So, I just lounged for most of Saturday afternoon and night. I hit the muscle relaxers, so I got over it pretty quickly.

On Sunday afternoon, I met my pet day committee at the Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration grounds. The Celebration has a dog show every year. Their office is so nice. They gave us permission to pass out our Celebration Pet Day and pet show flyers there for advertisement. We gave out nearly 500 flyers. Not bad for an hour and a half of work. It was SO hot there, but I'm sure it was worth it.

Yesterday was the first day of the fall semester on campus. It's always crazy the first day. There's always SO much to do, and everyone's in a hurry. I was exhausted by the time I got home yesterday. I just fell into bed early last night. Today is a lot more settled, and things seem more normal.

Now if I can just finish getting ready for DragonCon, before I go crazy! There's always so much to do that I feel overwhelmed. BUT, I'm always like this before a trip. We leave on Friday, so it's almost over.

Everyone have a great afternoon!

Look What I Did Today!

Members of my Celebration Pet Day Committee are going to the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Dog Show this Sunday to pass out our event flyers. I realized earlier in the week, I hadn't even made flyers yet. So today, I got down to business. I've posted it over the Celebration Pet Day blog too. Let me know what you guys think.

The Habit of Sleeping

On Tuesday night, Casey was scheduled to have a sleep study done. He sleeps enough hours at night, but it's really hard for him to go to sleep. When he gets up, he feels like he hasn't slept at all. What all that equals down to is poor sleep quality. After feeling like crap for the past several years, he finally decided to mention it to our doctor. Our doctor scheduled him for a visit with the pulmonologist/sleep specialist. After Casey's initial visit the specialist felt that he may have some sort of sleep apnea, so he scheduled him for a sleep study. Poor Casey. He never worked so hard to just go to sleep. For some reason, whoever had his Festiva, before him, hard wired the clock straight into the battery. So whenever it's parked for a few days, we have to jump it off. We went to jump it off, and the main fuse box started sparking and smoking. When Casey went to check the wires, he noticed that they had burnt through. So, no going in the Festiva. He took our nice car, which meant I was stuck at home. That was o.k. with me, because it earned me an extra day off!!

Casey finally made it to the sleep study. He said of all nights, he slept like the dead. His results were just plain weird. Instead of like normal people, who start apnea as soon as they are asleep, Casey doesn't start the apnea until he reaches REM sleep and starts dreaming. The doctor said he'd never seen that before and said he was "different". Casey said, "I call it different, but my wife calls it difficult." He also told Casey that he didn't snore much. I BEG TO DIFFER with that statement. I think I need to place a call to that Dr.! Anyway, they scheduled Casey for another sleep study using a CPAP machine. If it helps, they are going to get him one. They also said that he clenches his teeth quite a bit. They suggested that he get himself a mouthgard to help with that problem. Casey made it back home around 1:00 yesterday, and we just lounged for the rest of the afternoon.

Sleep is such a fascinating thing.

Charity Blogger Award

This morning, I received a really sweet comment from Laura over at Dog's Eye View. Laura has awarded me the Charity Blogger Award.

I'm excited and thrilled that she was sweet enough to think of me. The Charity Blogger Award is part of the Writer's Reviews Blogger Awards. There are several categories, i.e. Creative, Charity, Inspirational, Thoughtful, and Coureageous. It's now my pleasure to award five wonderful blogger friends with awards of their own. To learn more about the different awards, go to Writer's Reviews.

I'd like to award the Coureagous Blogger Award to Jennifer at Happy at Home.

Jennifer is a long time friend of mine and is one of the most courageous people I know. Jennifer lost most all of her hearing at age 4. She recently underwent surgery for a cochlear implant, when she lost what hearing she had left. Despite many obstacles with her implant, she has stayed the course and is now reaping the benefits. Soon, she will be undergoing her second cochlear implant.

I'd like to award the Inspirational Blogger Award to Scott at Unashamed.

Scott is a long time friend and professor of faith. He has served as a church pastor and youth minister. Scott is truly inspirational to me. He "walks the walk and talks the talk" everyday. He is truly a shining example.

I'm awarding the Creative Blogger Award to Pennie over at Why Rush.

Pennie is a friend and fellow animal lover and one of the most creative people I know. Whether she is out working in her garden, remodeling a room in her house, or doing some of the most beautiful needlework I've ever seen, she is creative in most every facet of her life. Visit her site to see beautiful gardens and lovely pet pictures.

I'd like to award the Charity Blogger Award to Leigh-Ann over at The Blog Pound.

Leigh-Ann is a fellow animal lover and the director of Wee Paws Animal Sanctuary. She is currently in the process of becoming a Vet Tech. Visit her site for animal stories and information. The last award is Thoughtful Blogger Award. I'd like to give this award to John over at Lake Neuron.

John is a multi-faceted writer. He works for the local newspaper. John blogs about blog issues, his dedication to his church, local events, and many other topics. His blog posts are always interesting and informative. He also includes some great pictures too!

Better Day

Imagine my suprise, when Dr. K's office called early Saturday morning to tell me that Slate was ready to come home. Unbelievable! I figured that he would stay through the weekend at least. I was a little nervous, to say the least. Dr. K had given him some stomach meds, and he'd started feeling better almost immediately. He supposes that his stomach is still really sensitive from the virus, and it's just going to take him a little while to fully bounce back. Dr. K sent us home with a pack of stomach meds to give him for the next week. As soon as Slate was brought into the exam room and saw us, he started going nuts! I knew that he felt better then. On the way home, we stopped by a Hawiian shaved ice shack and grabbed ourselves a cherry shaved ice. Slate and I shared the treat on the way home. I knew then that I wouldn't have a problem getting him to eat. Dr. K also said that it looks like he might be responding well to his new heart meds. He is breathing easier, and we were able to cut his diuertics in half! Slate felt really well the entire weekend. He's been up and around a whole lot more. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that the progress continues.

Thanks SO much to everyone for your kind comments and support. They really mean the world to me!

Horrible Day!

This has been the most horrible day I've had in a while. Mom called late yesterday afternoon for me to come home that Slate wasn't doing well. He had stopped eating and started throwing up again. Casey and I took him into the vet this morning. I've done a LOT of thinking today. I don't want him to suffer, and if Dr. K says it's time, then I'll give him the go ahead. It's selfish of me to keep him here just to suffer. UPDATE: Casey just talked to Dr. K. Slate's bloodwork doesn't look bad at all. His breathing, heart, and lungs are as good as they can be for his condition. Dr. K thinks that we are still just mainly dealing with a stomach issue. He's going to keep him overnight and try some more things. He says that he doesn't think we are to that point yet. Even though I still stand by my original decision, I trust Dr. K implicitly. I'm still worried, and we're not out of the woods yet, but I do feel somewhat relieved.

Something New Everyday

I tell you guys, Celebration Pet Day is going to be great this year. It just keeps getting better everyday! I got a really nice e-mail from Kay Allen this morning. She's the one coming with the minis from Blessed Assurance Farm. Not only is she going to bring her minis, but she is also going to do several demonstrations. She is going to do a donkey cart driving demonstration. She is also going to do a coon jumping demonstration. I had no clue what coon jumping was for donkeys. I found out that it looks a bit like dog agility or steeple chase. Those mini donkeys have spring-a-lators for legs. Kay says, "If you have not seen a donkey show these little guys are pretty amazing. They can jump higher than their own height from a standing start". Well, you DO learn something new everyday!

To see some GREAT pictures of donkey cart driving and coon jumping, click HERE.

Too Cool!

The last week or so I've been so focused on Slate, that I haven't spent a lot of time working on Celebration Pet Day. So, I decided that I would do better this week. CPD is just around the corner, and there's still A LOT of stuff to do. We had an update meeting last week. This week, the whole humane association got together for a meeting on Monday. I gave a short report to the group about CPD and how it was going for this year. We had good attendance and a lot of interest at the meeting Monday, so it got me fired up. I made a couple of calls yesterday and managed to book 2 more special guests. One of the guests is Kay Allen of Blessed Assurance Farm. Blessed Assurance Farm specializes in miniature donkeys, miniature horses, Nigerian Dwarf goats, and standard donkeys. Kay was SUPER nice and agreed to come out and bring some of her animals with her. I can't wait. I just love the minis!! Kay is also the secretary of the Tennessee Donkey Association, so she is brining information on their organization with her.

This year's CPD is going to be the best ever! We are going to have so many different things to do and see. I can't wait to see how it all turns out.

Slate Home Finally!

Casey and I had the craziest weekend. After running around after work until late on Friday, we found out that Slate still needed to stay at the vet's over the weekend. He was having a little trouble breathing. He hadn't absorbed all of his meds properly, while he was battling the stomach virus. The vet wanted him to have a couple extra days to get a little more stable. So right after work yesterday, Casey and I picked him up. Bless his heart. He is SO thin. He's always been a thin dog, but after a week of not eating, he's REALLY thin. He has a VORACIOUS appetite, so I think we'll be able to remedy that problem rather quickly. He's still weak and a little wobbly, but I'm not suprised after feeling so bad and being in a kennel for an entire week. He just seems so proud to be home. Dr. K put him on a brand new heart med just approved out of Canada called VetMed. It's especially for dogs with congestive heart failure. They say that dogs have really responded to it, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If it works, we can scale back some of the doses of lasix, which will help his kidneys out in the long run. We should know within a week or so. Like I said he's happy to be home, and we're happy to have him home. Thanks to everyone for the prayers, thoughts, and well wishes.

On the Mend

Slate's morning report was encouraging today. They said that he had been up and around. He'd also eaten all of his food and gone out and pottied. So, I'm encouraged. They were doing another blood test this afternoon to check his electrolytes, I suppose. They said that he "might" get to come home tomorrow morning. I'm supposed to call them in about an hour for the afternoon update. I'll let you guys know the details, as I get them. UPDATE: Slate's still doing well this afternoon. They said he'd probably get to come home tomorrow, if his progress remains steady. YAY!!

New Update

Sorry that I wasn't around yesterday folks, I was battling a nasty stomach bug. The past couple of days have been like a roller coaster for me. When I checked on Slate Tuesday afternoon, they were waiting for the blood test results, x-rays, and had ordered a new EKG. He wasn't feeling well at all. At yesterday's update, Dr. K said he was some better, but he couldn't figure out what the problem was exactly. He said that the EKG didn't really show any new information, and his x-rays didn't really show anything different than the set from early last month. He did say that he had thrown up several times. When he said that, that's when it hit me. Both Fergie and Bear have suffered from some kind of stomach bug the last week or so. It started with Fergie and the vomiting and diarrhea. It took her 3 or 4 days, but she finally got better. Then last weekend Bear got it, and he's still getting over it. Dr. K said that was REALLY useful information. He seems to think that, indeed, is the problem. He tried a couple of different things last night. When I spoke with him this morning, he said that overall, Slate is feeling better. He is still weak and his electrolytes are out of wack, so he still wants to keep him another night. Hopefully, this afternoon's update will be just as good. Thanks for all of the good thoughts and prayers that have been sent our way. We really appreciate it!

Slate Update

Casey and I had to take Slate back to the vet this morning. I'm not really sure what the problem is exactly. He seemed fine yesterday morning. He was eating good and going about his normal business. When Casey, Mom, and I got back from the Dr.s in Nashville, he was VERY lethargic and refused to eat. He seemed really out of it for a little bit last night. He was still lethargic this morning, but more of his usual self by keeping his routine. Casey and I just decided to take him in and see what's going on, cause we don't have a clue. We're not sure if it's the heart condition or what. He was just acting weird. The other dogs have been passing around some kind of stomach condition, and we were wondering if that may be what's going on, but we're just waiting to hear back from the vet. We didn't hear anything right away, so we've assumed that he's not critical. I'll update, as soon as I know something.

Melting!!!

WOW is it ever hot out there today!! I nearly melted, and I was in the pool doing laps. It doesn't help that the humidity is at nearly 50% either. Just miserable. Since the heat is cranking up, please remember to take extra special care of your furry family members. Let them stay indoors or please make sure they have enough shade and clean water to drink. NEVER EVER leave your pet in a parked car during the summer. It only takes a few minutes for them to get overheated. Once again, here are some hot weather reminders from the ASPCA.

School's out for the summer! It's time to play and have fun in the sun! But sometimes it's not so fun for pets. Do you know how to protect your kitties, pooches, and all other furry little friends when the temperature soars? Here's how to help them beat the heat.

There's no place like home! Bring your dog indoors when it is too hot and let him relax in the coolest part of your home with you. Keep your kitties indoors, and always provide all of your furry friends with plenty of cold, fresh water.

Help, I'm lost! Never leave your animal loose outside. Your animal friend might become lost, injured, or even stolen!

Hot! Hot! Hot! In really hot weather, don't leave your pooch standing outside too long, and keep his walks short. He is closer to the street than you are, and his little paws can burn!

Let's play! Have fun and exercise with your animal in the early morning or at night, when it is cooler. Do not play with your animal after he's eaten or in really hot weather.

If your kitty or doggie is a little pudgy or old, have him stay indoors as much as possible.

Never leave your dog, cat, or any other animal friend alone in a car in hot weather! The inside of a car can heat up very quickly—even with a window a little open—and your animal will suffer. So, if your animal friends go on a trip with you, make sure you and your family take them wherever you go. Carry plenty of fresh, cold water.

Splish! Splash! If you take your pooch to the beach, make sure he has a place to rest that's away from the sun, and give him plenty of fresh water to drink. Remember to rinse him off if he takes a dip in the ocean.

Opportunity

Once again, I was away yesterday. I've really spent my time focusing on the new Times-Gazette blog. This is such a great opportunity for the Shelbyville-Bedford County Humane Association. I finally have a venue to speak to the average citizen of my town about animal issues. I've been getting some really nice feed back about the blog too! That makes me REALLY happy! Earlier this week, I had sent an e-mail to the director of Bedford County Animal Control as well. I asked to work with him to promote his county shelter as well. I had a really nice e-mail back from him yesterday, and I'm happy to say that I will be working with him, as well, on my newspaper blog. This is my chance to really do something good in the community, and I intend to make it count.

If you would like to read along to find out how it's going, click HERE.

Time Gets Away!

I apologize for letting my blog go unattended for the last few days. Just when it seems that I can slow down, I peak the hill and craziness ensues. The new edition of our little hometown newspaper, went online this morning. I spent a while over there making the first posts on my blog there. Just go to the site and click the BLOGS tab to see our group of community bloggers. One of my posts there was about Celebration Pet Day and the Celebration Pet Day blog. I had made a new post for the details of this year's event, but I hadn't updated it this week. Since I mentioned it, I figured I had better give the readers something new to see. So, I raced off to make a good update. Here's the event's information just for my special readers here: The Shelbyville-Bedford County Humane Association is gearing up for it's 3rd Annual Celebration Pet Day. I'm coordinating this event, again this year. This year's CPD is going to be bigger and better than ever!! Here's the information you need to know:

WHEN: Saturday, September 29, 2007 from 10:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. WHERE: Bedford County Agricultural Center

We have LOTS of fun events planned for this year's event including: The Celebration Pet Day Pet Show sponsored by Puppy Palace and George and Kathy Houk.

Appearances by:

Pamela Johnson-Bennett of Cat Behavior Associates . Ms. Bennett is one of only a few cat behaviorists in the country! She has appeared on CNN, Fox News, and the National Geographic Channel, and she is the author of six books. Her session will include an audience question and answer session, as well as a book signing!

Amanda Oliver, Executive Director of the Beesley Animal Humane Foundation will give a short, informational session on Tellington T Touch Therapy for pets.

. The Society of Secret Identities will bring your favorite comic book Super Heroes and Villians to life! Come on out and meet your favorite characters, and don't forget to bring the camera!!

We'll also have vendors, other area pet rescues, dog agility demonstrations, other pet information programs, food, and fun!

For more updates and in depth coverage check out the Celebration Pet Day Blog

Dog Fighting

It's taken me a while to digest all of the information about the Micheal Vick / dog fighting case. The video footage is just horrible, and the parts that I've been able to watch have broken my heart. Dog fighting is a heartless,cruel, torturous sport. It's horrible to think that civilized people could treat an animal that way. I can't believe that he's pled not guilty to the charges. I mean, he's right there ON THE TAPES!!! It's situations like this that prove to me that we need much stricter animal cruelty laws. Not only should Vick be punsihed for running a dog fighting ring, but the spectators of events like these should be charged with felonies too. I'm glad that all of the big animal advocate organizations: American Humane Association, Humane Society of the United States, and the ASPCA are all bringing charges and contributing to his prosecution. It also makes me happy that there are federal, not just state charges against him. I believe that he should spend A LOT of time in prison. It scares me to think about the link between animal cruelty and violent crime. It's there. It's been proven. I feel like they should lock him up and throw away the key. He should be done the exact same way he's done those animals. No mercy should be shown to him.

If you'd like to encourage your legislators to stop dog fighting, click HERE.

To see what the animal cruelty laws are here in Tennessee click HERE.

Hometown Musings

Since it's official, I feel that I'm o.k. posting this. Our local newspaper, The Shelbyville-Times Gazette is currently undergoing a "facelift" of its online edition. With this new revamp, the newspaper has put the call out for local bloggers. Yes, they are dedicating a space on their new frontpage for the voices of local, blogging residents. Since it seems my friend, John, is heading up the project, I've answered the call. I received all of my login information yesterday, and I've ventured over to do my introduction post on the new site. As far as I know, the new version isn't ready yet for readership, but it's coming soon. I plan to make my space there much like it is here; giving a voice to the voiceless, the animals. It's a great way to make the residents of my own hometown aware of the homeless and abandoned animals right in our own city.

When I signed on this morning, I was pleased to see a good group of local bloggers. When John ran an article last summer in the paper about local bloggers, there were only the two of us that came forward. I'm glad to see that others have now come out as well. This should be fun!

Now, I'd like to welcome any and all that havefound my home here on the web from the link over from the paper. Please pull up a seat and stay a while. You're more than welcome here. I hope you find the information helpful. Feel free to vist anytime!

Without A Hitch!

The Bedford County Fair Dog Show went off without a hitch. The weather cleared off just in time to start. It was sunny and cool, and it remained pleasant after dark. We had a really good turnout for the show. We had a lot of entrants (not sure yet, I haven't tallied them up) and LOTS of fans in the stands. Our announcer, George Houk was wonderful. He kept everyone in stitches by interviewing not only the competitors, but also the fans on the sidelines. He also did a great job of running and announcing the classes. His wife, Kathy, was the judge. All of the dogs were just precious, and I had to try and pet them all. There were two dogs there that were named Germs and Measles! Measles ended up taking ribbons in quite a few classes. I can't remember what kind of dog Measles was, but he had a mohawk!! I remember one other dog's name and that was Rusty. Rusty was a fiesty little Schipperke, and an exact replica of my Bear. He even had Bear's personality. He won first place in the Lap Dog class. The best in show went to a little boy. He was so cute and sweet. He and his dog were dressed as pirates. I'll have names to go with the winning classes soon. In the meantime, here are a few pictures from last night.

This is the little boy and his dog that took Best in Show.

I'll post the rest of the few I got tomorrow. Enjoy!!

Meet Me At The Fair

The Bedford County Fair Dog Show, which I'm chairing, is tonight. This past week has been crazy trying to make sure that everything was together and ready to go. Unfortunately it's raining right now, so that might throw a monkey wrench into our plans. If it's raining at show time, we plan to have a make up show on a rain date. We'll determine the date, after we all get there tonight. I'm crossing my fingers that it clears by show time. So if you'd like to see some really cute dogs, and you're looking for something to do and you're close, come on out.

Bedford County Fair Dog Show 7:00 p.m. (Registration starts at 6:30 p.m.) Bedford County Agricultural Center $5.00 per entry

I should have some really great pictures for you guys tomorrow, weather permitting.

Checked Out

Well folks, Kim came by and dropped the new Harry Potter off to me today. WOOT! WOOT! Now the mad reading begins. I'll be back next week, after I've gotten some chapters under my belt. Everyone have a great weekend!

D-Day

How could I let today pass without mentioning Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This is the big day that Harry Potter fans have been eagerly awaiting. Since I'm working today and tomorrow, Kim is going to the midnight release tonight. She is going to pick up my copy there. So hopefully, I'll have my own copy in my hot little hands by tomorrow afternoon. I'm looking forward to a new book this weekend! I've cleared my reading schedule, and I'm ready to go.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

WOW!! What an incredibly busy day I've had today. Work has been crazy. When I've been on my breaks, I've been busy with the Bedford County Fair Dog Show and Celebration Pet Day. I haven't even had time to say my own name. I don't know why I'm suprised. It's always like this, when I start planning for Pet Day, and adding the Fair Dog Show in the mix has made it doubly hectic. Planning for both events is going smoothly, and both events are going to be incredible. If some of you are close enough to come out, please do!! I'd love to have you! Gotta run. I have much to do and miles to go before I rest.

Another Project

Since the beginning of this month, I've been hard at work planning our humane association's 3rd Annual Celebration Pet Day. This project is my baby so from here on out, my days and nights will be filled with phone calls, schedules, and meetings. The event is Saturday, September 29, 2007 from 10:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. We have a LOT of exciting additions to Celebration Pet Day this year which include Super Heroes, a dog show with cash and prizes, new pet information programs which include Ms. Pam Bennett, one of the foremost cat behaviorists in the country, dog agility demonstrations, games, vendors, food, and fun.

BUT this year, I have another project going on at the same time. This year, I'm the chairman of the Bedford County Fair Dog Show. This show is a LOT less work, but still a good project. The show is on Wednesday, July 25th, on the grounds of the Bedford County Agricultural Center at 7:00 p.m. It is a fun dog show with classes for all dogs and owners. I've secured an announcer and a judge. Now I just have to get people to help at the registration tables. I attended a meeting yesterday morning with some of the fair boardmembers, and I think I'm set to go. I also learned at that meeting that I'm the chairman of the fair dog show, until I choose that I no longer want the position. I've been given permission to promote our pet day there, so I think this is going to be a wonderful opportunity to network and meet some great, new people. Everyone wish me luck!

A Good Pit Bull Story

More often than not, Pit Bulls have a bad reputation. I encountered a Pit that made me rethink my idea of the breed. Yesterday as I walked out the back door of my office, I ran into a really nice, sweet Pit that was an assistance dog. He was calmly laying there after leading his master upstairs to do some searching. I didn't speak to or pet him, since he was working. I figure if the dog assistance programs are using some Pits, they can't all be bad. I still go with my gut that a lot of times, the owners cause them to be vicious and disobedient. This Pit was very gentle and loving. He posed no threat to me or anyone else. I guess it's just like people. There are rotten apples in every bunch. Just because we have high jail populations, we don't ban people. When I worked at the kennel, I met my share of nasty dogs of all breeds, large and small. It just goes to show that, "you can't judge a book by its cover."

What I Did This Morning

I got this neat, little thing to do over at Dog's Eye View from Laura. I wish that I could have put a few more animals in the picture. This is kinda what my life is like. I may put this in the sidebar. What do you guys think?

Tense

Sorry for skipping out yesterday. I suffered a bad bout of insomnia over the weekend. I figure that it was brought on by worry. The worry over Slate to be exact. He started having trouble breathing late Sunday afternoon. So Sunday night, I kept waking up any time I heard a noise to check on him. He seemed a little better on Monday morning but by the afternoon, he was having trouble again. I figured that the humid weather was playing a part, but I didn't want him to get to the congestive heart failure state again. So, I called Dr. K on Monday afternoon and told him what was going on. He said to give him an extra Lasix and bring him in Tuesday morning and let them check him out. So, no sleep Monday night either. They had a lot of emergencies at the vet's yesterday, so I really didn't know much, except that he wasn't critical or in danger, until late yesterday. He is pretty much the same as last time. No worse, which is good. His blood work came out perfect, so it is o.k. to up his dose of lasix to help in the hot, humid weather. So, we just keep on keepin' on. I'm definitely glad that it was just the weather!

Sweatin' In the South!

WOW, it's sooo hot out there today! To use an old cliche', "It's not the heat. It's the humidity." Instead of the dark clouds giving us rain, they've settled for humidity! Since I feel like a wilted green today, I figured this was as good a time as any to remind everyone of the hot weather tips for pets. Always make sure they have clean water and plenty of shade is the most important, but there's MANY more. Here are some more hot weather tips from the ASPCA:

THE HEAT IS ON: SUMMER SAFETY TIPS FOR PET OWNERS

It’s summertime, and the living isn’t always easy for our animal companions. Dogs and cats can suffer from the same problems that humans do—overheating, dehydration and even sunburn—when the mercury rises. By taking these simple precautions, you can keep your animal companions happy and healthy in the hot weather:

* Exercise your dog in the cool of the early morning or evening—never when it's extremely hot or humid. Take care not to let your dog stand on hot asphalt, as his sensitive paw pads can easily burn.

* Provide plenty of shade and cool, clean water for animals kept outdoors. And during the hottest part of the day, please bring your cat or dog inside to rest in a cool part of the house.

* Never leave your animal alone in a vehicle. Overheating can be fatal. Even with the doors open, a parked automobile can become a furnace in no time. Parking in the shade offers little protection, as the sun shifts during the day.

* Some animals will need extra special care in hot weather, especially those who are elderly and overweight or have heart or lung disease. Certain breeds of dogs, including pugs, bulldogs, Lhasa apsos and shih tzus, also need extra attention on hot days. If your pet is showing signs of heat stroke or exhaustion, take him to your veterinarian immediately.

Everyone have a terrific weekend, and try to stay cool!

What's Going On Today?

It's one of those lazy Fridays. It's quiet. Lots of people are on vacation, so everything's a little lighter than normal.

Earlier this week while I was trying to hobble around, I got an e-mail from BlogInterviewer.com. They requested that I fill out an interview survey for them, so I took a shot at it. For some reason, my work category has ended up being the same as my blog description. Weird, but other than that, it's a pretty neat little thing. To read the survey results, go HERE. I think it's kind of neat that I'm listed on their site now.

UPDATE: It seems that the doubled blog description for the job description has been corrected. YAY!

I'm Back, Recovery, and 4th of July Breakdown

Well folks, it seems that I'm finally getting back to normal. I'm still limping, and I still have some pain in my foot, but I'm able to get around now. The big, ugly bruise is finally starting to fade too. I spent most of my 4th of July vacation reclining with said foot propped up. I did manage to get the house cleaned and the laundry done on schedule. Today, I get to swim again....YAY!! About Tuesday, things started to look up. On Tuesday night, our good friend, Geoff, and his family invited us to go see the new Transformers movie. He and Casey were BIG into Transformers as kids and had been waiting for the release. Now, I have never even seen one episode of Transformers, so I had to get the whole storyline from Casey. I basically went in with no expectations. All three of us were totally BLOWN AWAY by this film!! We L-O-V-E-D it!! If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for? This movie shoots out the gate at 90 mph from the get go. There was a lot of good humor and good corny parts (but not too corny) too. It was a great film to kick off the holiday with a boom! We are all going to the drive-in this Saturday night to see it again, and I can't wait!

Casey and I slept in yesterday, because of the late movie the night before. We had some hamburgers and hot dogs with my Mom, and then got ready to go to a big 4th cookout/party. Our friend Joe invited us over to his annual Joestravaganza. He didn't disappoint either. We swam, grilled, and had nearly two hours of beautiful fireworks. It was great to see so many good friends. I spent most of the evening laughing and eating great food. Casey and I left around 11:00 p.m., but the party was still in full swing. I think they were getting ready to light the fire pit and have smores. I hate that I missed that part. All in all, I had a fantastic 4th, and I hope you guys did too.

Another Squee Day

Sorry that I've been away folks. I had already planned to take a long weekend with my days off this week. I started a day earlier than I had planned. I took a spill off of the front porch on Friday night, and sprained my ankle pretty badly. I ended up taking Saturday off, because I couldn't even get around. Today is the first day that I've been able to half way walk. I was just over at my brother's checking e-mail when I discovered that I've been bestowed with another blogger award, thanks to Laura from Dog's Eye View.

I'm just pleased as I can be. Now, it's my honor to bestow the honor on five more "Rockin' Girls". Hmmmm. Let's see. Here's my picks. I can only name five, but I'd love to award all of my girls. Christine - Half Geek

Pennie - Why Rush

Yvonne - Forty Plus

Leigh Ann - The Blog Pound

Chrissy - Warm Puppies, Fuzzie Kitties and Life

All of these are excellent reads that involve life with animals. Check them out. They are worth the read. Thanks again to Laura for the award!

Animal Summertime Tips

It's that time again. Time to remember our four footed friends as the temperature rises and summertime fun ensues. Here are some great summertime / 4th of July tips from the ASPCA:

Fourth of July Safety Tips

For many people, nothing beats lounging in the backyard on the Fourth of July with good friends and family—including the four-legged members of the household. While it may seem like a great idea to reward Rover with scraps from the grill and bring him along to watch fireworks, in reality some festive foods and products can be potentially hazardous to your pets. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center offers the following tips:

* Never leave alcoholic drinks unattended where pets can reach them. Alcoholic beverages have the potential to poison pets. If ingested, the animal could become very intoxicated and weak, severely depressed or could go into a coma. Death from respiratory failure is also a possibility in severe cases.

* Do not apply any sunscreen or insect repellent product to your pet that is not labeled specifically for use on animals. Ingestion of sunscreen products can result in drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and lethargy. The misuse of insect repellent that contains DEET can lead to neurological problems.

* Always keep matches and lighter fluid out of your pets’ reach. Certain types of matches contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing—or even kidney disease in severe cases. Lighter fluid can be irritating to skin, and if ingested can produce gastrointestinal irritation and central nervous system depression. If lighter fluid is inhaled, aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems could develop.

* Keep your pets on their normal diet. Any change, even for one meal, can give your pets severe indigestion and diarrhea. This is particularly true for older animals who have more delicate digestive systems and nutritional requirements. And keep in mind that foods such as onions, chocolate, coffee, avocado, grapes & raisins, salt and yeast dough can all be potentially toxic to companion animals.

* Do not put glow jewelry on your pets, or allow them to play with it. While the luminescent substance contained in these products is not highly toxic, excessive drooling and gastrointestinal irritation could still result from ingestions, and intestinal blockage could occur from swallowing large pieces of the plastic containers.

* Keep citronella candles, insect coils and oil products out of reach. Ingestions can produce stomach irritation and possibly even central nervous system depression. If inhaled, the oils could cause aspiration pneumonia in pets.

* Never use fireworks around pets! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious pets, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.

* Loud, crowded fireworks displays are no fun for pets, so please resist the urge to take them to Independence Day festivities. Instead, keep your little guys safe from the noise in a quiet, sheltered and escape-proof area at home.

Summertime

WOW!! It's hot out there today. In my little part of town, we have barely had any rain for nearly 7 weeks! It seems to always rain on the far side of town, but never crosses the bridge for some reason. My front yard actually crunches, when you walk on it. It's dead and brown. I haven't had my yard cut since the week before Memorial Day. My flowers are looking good, thanks to an astronomical water bill. The weather gurus are calling what is taking place in my area an extraordinary drought: extraordinary meaning a drought like we haven't had in 50 years or more. In other parts of the country, they are getting more rain than they can handle. Everyday, I keep thinking that TODAY is the day it will rain at my house. I've learned to deal with disappoinment. Surely the weather has got to give soon. It depresses me to see everything dying. I need some fresh green. Gotta run for now, I hope it's nice wherever you guys are right now.

Sadness

I have a heavy heart today. Geoff, one of my and Casey's very best friends in the world, lost his father yesterday. He passed peacefully, after a long fought battle with cancer. Also, Geoff's maternal grandmother is in the hospital not expected to live throughout the day. My heart goes out to Geoff and his family. Being the child of older parents, I know what the loss of a father and grandmother are like. I just hope that he can find a little bit of peace during this time. Casey and I are headed to the visitation later today. I would like to ask my readers to keep Geoff and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Geoff, you are in our thoughts and prayers. We love you.

Doggie Mail

Purina Petcentric has a cool new Doggie Mail site. You can create doggie cards with graphics and text or with your own voice. It's too cool! So go on over and give a friend a woof today! Click HERE to create your own card.

Working Pooches

Today is National Take Your Dog To Work Day. So if you have a great boss who likes to have pooches around, load 'em up. I really wish we had an office dog. It would make the days SO much nicer.

I guess I missed the date, since I had to load Bear up and bring him in yesterday. Which by the way, all turned out quite nicely. It was all very minor. He got some creams, antibiotics, and a few other things. Dr. K had noticed Bear's Princess and the Pea syndrome and gave him a VERY mild pain medication. He also gave him some VERY mild Valium, when we told him that Bear shows his discomfort by running at full speed around the house and crashing into things. Dr. K had noticed how sleep deprived we were and said this would help not only Bear but us as well. By the time we got Bear checked out and home, it was mid afternoon. Casey and I were both ready to drop in our tracks. We pilled Bear up, ate a quick lunch, and went to take a nap. Casey had to wake me up at 5 p.m. He knew that I wouldn't sleep any last night, if I kept napping. Needless to say, I feel MUCH better today, and I think Bear does too.

Sleep Deprived

I think that my dogs are plotting against me. Yesterday when I got home, Casey mentioned that Bear was acting funny. I said, "Funny how?" He said, "When I took him outside, he just ran around everywhere. He was frantic and hyper." Well, I just wrote it off that he'd just been cooped up inside all day and was happy to get out. When I took him out last night he did the same thing, but I noticed that he was running and sitting down, running and sitting down. He had this same kind of sympton last December, when we had to rush him to the late night clinic with an abcessed anal gland. I checked him out, when we got back in the house and sure enough that was the problem. Luckily, it wasn't to the point of a visit to said and VERY expensive after hours clinic. He was only mildy bothered, but it did make him restless and a little whiney last night. Bear is NOT at all like Slate. Where Slate is bulletbroof (literally) and never complains at all, Bear is the exact opposite. It's usually bad, when I notice that something is not right with Slate. Bear, on the other hand, is like the Princess and the Pea. The minute he feels ANY discomfort, the ENTIRE world is made known of his woes. He was resting pretty good, when I went to bed last night at 10:00. By 11:30 he woke me up whining and running back and forth. The only thing that satified him was for me to pet his head. So, I've been up since 11:30 last night. Needless to say, I feel TERRIFIC this morning. Casey and I dropped Bear off at Dr. K's to have his "needs" attended to. This is their short day, so I'll leave work early today and pick him up. That's such a good thing, because I'll get to take a nap this afternoon!!

Sleeping Habits

John, over at Lake Neuron, has posted a really cool meme and has invited his friends to participate. It's really interesting, so I'm going to give it a go.

“Six weird things I do while getting ready to sleep or while sleeping,”

1. Before I start to get myself ready for bed, I give Bear and Slate their nightly medications. Bear has to take 2 arthritis meds, and Slate has his 5 heart meds.

2. I take my meds and make sure that Casey takes his (he's horrible about remembering to take his own medicine).

3. Let all of the dogs out one last time for the night.

4. Put on my PJs and make my nest on the sofa. I've been having trouble falling asleep lately and the t.v. keeps Casey awake, so I start my night on the sofa relaxing and watching t.v. or reading surrounded (or guarded) by all of the dogs.

5. A lot of nights, I'll wake up with some horrible program blaring. I can't just doze back to sleep. I have to change channels to something I could stand to watch, if I were awake, and NO infomercials, please. (strange, I know). I've found that Animal Planet and A&E are good, because they have station programming 24/7.

6. When I do shuffle off to the bedroom, it's usually a couple hours after Casey has gone to bed. I make one last bathroom trip, grab my pillow and head to bed with all of the dogs following me. Bear is the only dog that wants to sleep on the bed so I pick him up, and he heads for his spot at the foot.

I'm not going to tag people, just play along if you want.

Like Herding Cats?!

One of my favorite websites is PetsTV. They have all kinds of cool pet stories, videos, and links there. It's where I found the video of this really cool cat. She's one smart kitty. Have a look.

Summertime

Do you know one of the things I love most about summertime? Dogs in cars. Yes, that's right. You read it right. I just love driving around on city streets and country highways and seeing all the different dogs in cars. Whether they're perched on the back seat or heads in the breeze with ears flapping, I just love 'em. I particularly loved one late yesterday afternoon. Casey and I were in late afternoon stop and go traffic on the way home. I happened to look at a truck moving ahead of us. The back seat window was cracked about 2 inches. Straining to push out of the crack was the cutest black snout. This dog managed to get his snout out a couple of inches. It was just one of the most hysterical things I've seen in a while. Needless to say, I enjoyed that dog and his or her snout for several miles. Ah, summertime and dogs in cars. Pure fun!

Animal Spammers

I'm sure that many of you have been the target of the famous "Nigeria" spam e-mails. Well, now it seems there is a spam mail going around that targets animal lovers as well. This is basically the content of the e-mail:

Hello,

i was able to came across your advert today concerning the pet adoption you posted for sale and i am much interest in re_ homing your pet at a companion and also a member of my family, because i have passion and care for pet.i spent much of my time taking care of my lost pet and i lost her on my way taking her to vet clinic for neuture, since then live has been unbearable for my family expecially my son who care for pet more that anything he does. I'm a christain and i live in Santa anjelos CA and My house was wood fenced and 8.87fts high, I have enough garden in my premises where the pet can roam about. i will appreciate it if you can assure me 100% that you will sale yours in replacement of my lost one.i dont know how happy my son will be to see another pet in replacement. You dont have to long for how to ship the pet.i will handle that my self with care. so i want you to get back to me with the adoption fees, present health condition, price, and pictures if available for more satisfaction.

P.S: After getting to a better compromise, I will be paying with a money order in us dollars and i'll instruct my TRUSTEE in the state to issue a MO on your behalf which will include the price of the pet. my shipingcompany is:

timi_johnshipingcom pany@yahoo. com

get back asap

kings

Pet/animal lovers BEWARE. If you are a rescue, BEWARE. This is a scam.

Mystery Solved

I just got to the bottom of who nominated my blog over at the Bloggers' Choice Awards. It was none other than my friend, John Carney, who runs Lake Neuron. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, John. I REALLY appreciate the nomination. Lake Neuron is a fantastic site. Why don't ya'll go and pay him a visit and show him some love.

Change of Plans

Yesterday morning, my Mom called me at work and told me she was feeling really sick. She suffers from reflux disease and COPD(a lung disease). She had a really bad bout with reflux and some aspirated into her lungs. This can cause serious lung infection, so I'm headed out early today to take her to the doctor. It's not a really big deal now, but it could be if we don't get it under control. So, I'll be out and about in the big city of Nashville this afternoon. I'll be back to normal tomorrow.

OH SQUEEE!!!

While checking out my hits this morning, I found out that I have been nomitated for a Blogger's Choice Award! I'm just tickled as punch. There are SO many GREAT animal blogs out there, that I really am just honored to be nominated. BUT....BUT I'd be even more greatly honored if you fine folks could find it in your heart to vote for me. To vote go HERE. Thanks bunches!!

Hometown Pride

Well, it seems that Shelbyville has had another 15 minutes of fame to add to the list. A couple years ago, a major motion picture called Our Very Own was shot in town. The story was written by a Shelbyville native. It was so bizarre seeing all of the small town landmarks that I grew up with plastered on the big screen. There have been several music videos shot in Shelbyville over the years. The latest is Miranda Lambert's Famous in A Small Town. It was shot at several different locations in Shelbyville: (one of my personal favorites) Pope's Cafe, the Capri Twin Theatre (where I just recently saw Spiderman 3), Lander's Tire, Shelbyville Central High School, the Bedford County Sheriff's Dept., and several others. The town square that she stands in IS NOT Shelbyville though. Most of the other stuff is in my small hometown. Now, I'm usually not a fan of a lot of country music, but she does a great job with the song. The lyrics really seem to sum up what it's like to live in such a small town your whole life. It seems that Shelbyville is putting itself on the map in more ways than one, after all these years. Even though it's becoming more common, it never ceases to excite me. Click HERE to see the video.

Adopt A Cat Month

With all of the excitement of the past weekend with the con and the wedding, I haven't posted that June is Adopt A Cat month. So if you're looking for a furry, feline friend, now is the time to adopt! So get down to your local shelters!

Goodbye Woody

One of our local dog stars passed away last Thursday. It was Woody, the canine spokesdog from Trickett Honda. It was recently discovered that Woody had liver cancer. The community has shown an outpouring of support for Woody and his human family. It has been requested that anyone who would like to honor Woody make a donation to their local humane association in his honor. Goodbye Woody. I'll miss seeing you every Saturday morning. May all your friends and family meet you at the bridge!

For more on the story, click HERE.

Fun Way To Meet New People

Alexa.com Jennifer tagged me a couple of weeks ago for this train. With my short week last week, I haven't gotten around to it, until today. It's really neat, so give it a try!

“~Start Copying Here~” and copy all the things listed without removing the links (Of course, the train would be no use without those links) Move all the sites labeled "Enjoyable finds" to the list labeled “Oldies”. Add 5 sites that you want to include in the train under Enjoyable Finds and make their “Visit My Site” link like this: http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect? along with this add the url of the blog you are choosing example: (This is my blog that I'm using as the example) http://redirect.alexa.com/redirect?richardsonzoo.blogspot.com then invite them to join the train. Visit all the listed sites using the "Visit My Site" link. I hope the blogs I have chosen will participate. I would appreciate it bunches if you do and please let me know if you have:-). Make sure to go to Alexa and see your blog rankings:-).

Enjoyable finds:

Lake Neuron: Visit my site!

Just Another Pretty Farce: Visit my site!

The Blog Pound: Visit my site!

Theology & Geometry: Visit my site!

Dog's Eye View: Visit my site!

Oldies:

Richardson Zoo: Visit my site!

Cozy Reader: Visit my site!

Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries: Visit my site!

Low Carb Lollygagging: Visit my site!

Sarch's Blog: Visit my site!

Writer's Cramps II ~ visit my site!

Quilly's Quips ~ visit my site!

... a work in progress ~ visit my site!

Lifecruiser ~ visit my site!

Ever After... My Way ~ visit my site!

Insanity Prevails~"Visit my site"

My Romantic Home~"Visit my site"

fairiebees~"Visit my site"

Exceedingly Mundane~"Visit my site"

Smokey Mountain Breakdown~ "Visit my site"

Kaliblue - Visit My Site

Just me shann - Visit My Site

Tigger Bob's- Visit My Site

Star8278- Visit My Site

Asara Dragon- Visit My Site

A Little Piece Of Me - Visit My Site

The Rocky Mountain Retreat - Visit My Site

Scrappin…with life in this New Year of 2007 - Visit My Site

Rhonda's Blog - Visit My Site

Skittles' Place - Visit My Site

Cruftbucket- Visit My Site

Goldercoaster - Visit My Site

A Feel Good Story

Yesterday morning, I got a phone call from my co-worker, Kim. She asked me if I wanted to rescue another dog. Well after mulling it over in my head for a few minutes, I declined. With Slate's ill health and Bear's arthritis treatment, I have a rather full plate. It seems that a lost Airedale Terrier had placed himself outside where Kim's fiancee' works. I quickly put Kim in touch with a friend of mine that does large dog rescue in the area. When Kim got to work, I got the full story. She had spoken with my rescue friend who suggested that they take the lost dog to the county animal control first. Then, if the owners didn't claim him and he wasn't adopted, she would come and take him into her rescue. So, Kim decided that was the way to go and called her fiancee and gave him the scoop. The manager of the place got the dog ready to take him to animal control. On the way out the door, a patron said he'd seen a man trying to catch the dog over in the parking lot of the hotel across the highway. He said the man was calling him Jack. So, the manager then totes the dog, Jack, over to the hotel and starts asking questions. Still no luck. The manager finally decides to take Jack on over to animal control. In the meantime, my rescue friend, Mary, has already arrived at animal control to have a look at the dog. While she's there waiting, a couple comes in looking for a lost Airedale Terrier. Well, Mary figures this can be no coincidence and tells the couple she knows where their dog is. At that moment, the manager walks in with Jack. Jack IS indeed the couple's lost dog!! As it turns out, they had taken Jack to a local boarding kennel, a couple of miles away, and he'd gotten loose. After several attempts to catch him, they had lost him. They were very thankful to see Jack again, and the reunion was a VERY happy one. Isn't that a great happy ending? I just love it when everything works out that way. It was just meant to be.

Pet Food Recall: This Time Salmonella

I received this in my inbox from the National Pet Foundation this morning:

Ol'Roy Complete Nutrition has Salmonella.

The food is believed to have been sent out to Wal-Mart stores. The FDA has tested the food and found Salmonella. The official statement release is "This product has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. People handling this pet food can become exposed to Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with this pet food or any surfaces exposed to this product. Consumers who have the dry dog food bearing the code "04 0735 1" with a "Best By Apr 13 08" should not feed it to their pets."

New Recalls Coming

It has also been reported that acetaminophen was found in pet food samples. Currently the FDA is investigating this and has not released the name of the food. Acetaminophen can kill both dogs and cats at high dosages. We will let you know the name of the pet food products containing acetaminophen as soon as it is announced. The FDA has not announced the Ol'Roy recall on their site yet. Dont wait for the FDA to make their announcements. Get notifications within the hour of new recalls and save your pet's life. Sign your family and friends up for the free pet alerts at:

http://nationalpetfoundation.com/pet-food-recall.html The full list of already recalled food can be found at:

http://nationalpetfoundation.com/list.html

Recovering

I'm still tired from this past weekend's festivities. As soon as I got home from work yesterday, I fell out on the sofa. Casey had to wake me up for dinner. Then as soon as dinner was finished, I was out again. Too much running for me!

While we were gone, we boarded Slate at Dr. K's office. Since the congestive heart failure was so recent, I just wanted him in the best possible place, while we were away. Usually my mom dogsits for us, but this time we felt he needed to be at the vet's in case an emergency arose. We scheduled his one week recheck to coincide with his stay. Even though Slate's heart is still enlarged, his lungs DO look MUCH better. That's a GOOD thing. We're just taking it one day at a time right now. I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

The MOST AWESOME Wedding EVER!!!

Sorry that I was away last week. I forgot to post about our friends', Jon and Rose's, wedding. Casey and I had a short work week and headed for Knoxville early Friday morning. The wedding took place in Knoxville at the Adventure Con Convention under the Sun Sphere. It was a costume preferred wedding, so not only were the bride and groom in costume, but the guests were also!!

The wedding went off without a hitch, well except for the SUPRISE guest who objected. The suprise guest was Jeremy Bulloch, who played Bobba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy! What a HUGE suprise!!

Photo by Derek Deweese

Check this article out in the Knoxville News Sentinel. There is a REALLY cool video on the site that shows the wedding and the suprise guest. Casey and I had "special, secret" costumes made for the event. Presenting:

The Bunny and Hef

After the wedding, we had a fabulous reception and sit down dinner. We partied it up for quite a while. The rest of the weekend, Casey and I spent over at the Adventure Con Convention. I got to meet a couple of other Star Wars stars. I met Irvin Kirshner, who directed The Empire Strikes Back, Never Say Never Again, and RoboCop 2. I also got to meet David Prowse, who was Darth Vader in the original trilogy. I got to talk with Jeremy Bulloch again. I had met him previously last year in Ohio. He is such a really nice guy. He's always happy to talk and mingle with the fans. I'll post more pictures later today. The weekend was absolutely fantastic. It was the most fun wedding I've ever attended. Now, if I just don't fall asleep at work today!

Happy Memorial Day

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day. Everyone have a great long weekend and be safe. I have the next three days off. I have no idea what I'll get into. Casey and I are planning to go see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End tomorrow. I do have a lot to get done. Casey and I are going to Knoxville next weekend. We leave on Friday. A couple of our really good friends are getting married. They are getting married at AdventureCon. The fun thing is, this is a costume preferred wedding. So, Casey and I have had special costumes made to wear, just for the wedding. I'll reveal all the details, when we get back home. So, I need to get the laundry done, all the costumes packed up and ready to load, and an endless to do list made for the rest of the week. We are taking quite a lot of stuff with us, so I need to make sure that we don't forget anything. Because of the long weekend, I won't be around on Tuesday, but I'll be back on Wednesday. Later, peeps!

Happy 30th Anniversary Star Wars

Today's date marks the 30th Anniversary of the Star Wars saga. I was in the first grade, when Star Wars was originally released. A trip to theatre made me a fan forever. As I've explained before, the experience of Star Wars movies at the theatre was a family experience for me. So, it is near and dear to my heart. Today is a bit like a holiday for all of us Star Wars fans. We are all celebrating in our own ways. There is also a HUGE Star Wars convention going on in Los Angeles to celebrate called Celebration IV. I wasn't able to go, but several of my good friends are there. I received a very special call from a friend yesterday informing me that I am getting a piece of artwork from Celebration IV in Los Angeles!!! It's a limited edition piece and looks like this:

Double SQUEE!!! I plan on watching the Star Wars At 30 special on G4 T.V., and then switching to Cinemax to watch the saga in order. I should have a fun evening!!

Daily Update: Friday

After tomorrow, I'm going to stop the everyday updates on Slate. I've decided to do my best to focus on the positive and enjoy the time I have left with him. So after tomorrow, I'll only post an update if it's significant. Slate had a good day yesterday. My mother went over a couple of times to check on him and to bestow treats upon him (I think he appreciated the treat much more than the visit, but don't tell Grandma that!). He did fine all day. When I got home, he was raring to get outside. The sun had already set, and it was cooler, so I let him go out. He really seemed to enjoy it. He's still eating, VORACIOUSLY, anything we put in front of him. Generally, he just seems to be doing better. He looks better and more alert in his face too. I'm just hoping that it's the medication that's starting to work and not false hope. Again, thanks to everyone for the kind comments, e-mails, thoughs, and prayers. Please keep them coming!

Today's Update

I only have a quick minute to update today. Everything is still going well. I've still got my fingers crossed. I'll have a more in depth update tomorrow. Everyone have a good afternoon.

Pet Food Recalls: 5/22/07

I just wanted to make you guys aware of the latest recalls from the National Pet Foundation:

"Nutra Nuggets" is recalling their 40 pound Lamb Meal and Rice Dry Formula for Dogs. The contaminated batch's product code is #NLR0404 and the Best Buy dates are October 9-10, 2008.

Tests on a bag of Nutra Nuggets brand dog food purchased from Costco tested positive for melamine.

The FDA is aware of this but has not announced this on their site yet. Dont wait for the FDA to make thier announcements. Get notifications within the hour of new recalls and save your pet's life. Sign your family and friends up for the free pet alerts at:

http://nationalpetfoundation.com/pet-food-recall.html

The full list of already recalled food can be found at:

http://nationalpetfoundation.com/list.html

Western Family Canada Chunks of Chicken/Gravy canned cat food dated December 11, 2009 to March 7, 2010 (374g)

Western Family Canada Chicken Cuts/Gravy canned dog food dated December 11, 2009 to March 7, 2010 (624g)

Like the last recall, the FDA has not announced this on their site yet. Dont wait for the FDA to make thier announcements. Get notifications within the hour of new recalls and save your pet's life. Sign your family and friends up for the free pet alerts at:

http://nationalpetfoundation.com/pet-food-recall.html

The full list of already recalled food can be found at:

http://nationalpetfoundation.com/list.html

How It's Going Today

Well, Casey and I got Slate home safe and sound. He was really tired after the stay at Dr. K's, and he was also HUNGRY!! After he'd eaten grilled chicken and had a drink of water, he flopped out on the sofa and slept. He had a good night. He slept all the way through, which allowed me to rest too. He was more of his old self this morning. I picked him up, and he proceeded to bathe my face in kisses! He ate good this morning and was resting, when I left for work. Mom went over and checked on him at lunch time and took treats. He was still doing really well. Hopefully, he'll start to respond to all of the new meds. He goes back for a recheck on June 1st.

I just want to thank everyone for all of their sweet e-mails, comments, well wishes, and prayers. They have meant the world to both me and Casey and are MUCH appreciated. We're still not out of the woods, so please keep sending prayers and good thoughts.

I Wish I Weren't Me Right Now....

I've put off posting this for a few days. It's taken me a while to get what I have to say together. The news on Slate is bad. When I got him into the vet Saturday morning, he just crashed. He went into congestive heart failure. They immediately started him on oxygen and double dosed him in IV Lasix to get the fluid out of his lungs. By late Saturday morning, they had stabilized him. Saturday night, he was stable enough to be taken off the oxygen. By Sunday morning, the heavy breathing and coughing had stopped too. Good news for the immediate future, but REALLY bad for the long term. They have put him on three additional medications to hopefully get his heart to respond. So far, it has not. Dr. K warned me that it might be this way...that his heart may just be too damaged, but not to give up hope. It still might respond in the next week or so. We are all just keeping our fingers crossed. That little dog is tough as nails, so I can't give up on him yet. I somehow knew, deep down, that there was some bad juju hanging in the air around the house. I just get these "feelings" you know. Anyway he's still in stable condition, so we get to pick him up and take him home today. We have instructions to only let him go outside during the coolest parts of the day, keep him calm, and keep him cool. No physical exertion in any way. I'm happy that I still have him with me, if only for a short amount of time. He's not in pain or suffering and o.k. for now. My father had congestive heart failure too, so I know the rules of the game. It can happen at any time. I spent most of the weekend with a box of tissues, reading MANY encouraging, supportive e-mails from my wonderful friend Pennie. I'm just going to try to make the most of the time I have left with him. It's going to be hard, I know. Let's just say that he gets ANYTHING he wants to eat from now on, provided it's not salty. It's just one day at a time from this point forward. I know that this could be worse. It could be Casey or another member of my family, but it still doesn't make the hurt go away. Please send any prayers and good thoughts our way.

A Little Antsy

For the past week or so, Slate has acted like he doesn't feel well. His heart has been beating really fast, which has caused his breathing to be affected. I keep thinking that he never had these problems at all, until he started the new heart medication. So on Wednesday, I called Dr. K and asked his opinion. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't making it all up in my own head. Dr. K wants him to increase his heart med, Enalapril, to two tablets a day. My instructions were to watch him until today, and if he wasn't significantly better by today, to bring him in Saturday. It seems to me that the increase in medication has only made the symptoms worse, so I've set up an appointment for tomorrow. I know that Slate is an older dog with heart problems. I'm not trying to kid myself. I just hope that I don't get HORRIBLE news tomorrow. For the past month or so, I've been trying to prepare myself for the very worst. It's just hard, when they're your babies. Slate has been with me the longest, and I know that he'll be the hardest to let go. Everyone please send some good thoughts and prayers our way. I'll update, as soon as I know details.

They're Back: New Petfood Recalls 5/18/07

Here's the latest pet food recall from the National Pet Foundation:

"Lick Your Chops" has recalled their dry cat food.

This includes their Kitten and Cat dry foods in the #4 and #8 bags with best by date of 2/29/08. For more info please visit:

http://healthypetfoodsinc.com/newletter.cfm

The FDA is aware of this but has not announced this on their site yet. The New York Times has stated that more food recalls are coming.

Get notifications within the hour of new recalls and save your pet's life. Sign your family and friends up for the free pet alerts at:

http://nationalpetfoundation.com/pet-food-recall.html

The full list of already recalled food can be found at:

http://nationalpetfoundation.com/list.html

I'm Back!

It seems like I've been away or been busy forever! I'm finally getting back to some sort of normalcy. I had a very productive day on Saturday. I started around 11:00 a.m. I re-dug the big flower bed around the tree in the front yard. I bet it's been four years or more, since I've planted anything in it. I spent a better part of the morning ridding the thing of weeds and small trees. There's a few things that still come back, so I weeded those out as well. I finally got it to the point where I could start turning it. I added several bags of new dirt and then got down to planting. I planted two flats of Impatients in it. One flat was multicolored, striped ones. The second flat was solid, cranberry colored. They look beautiful planted along with my Hostas and pink Bachelor Buttons. On the other side of the yard beside the Dogwood tree, I cleaned out the small bird bath and planted Moss Roses in the cement rabbit planter. I placed my park bench between the bird bath and the planter. I had a nice butterfly fish yard decoration that hangs from a small shepherd's hook that I've never used. It was a gift that I just put away. I remembered it and put it beside the park bench. It's taller than the bird bath, and it just looks lovely. I love my little garden by the tree that I created. I finally finished with the yard around 7:00 p.m. I was completely wiped out from the heat. I took a nice shower and vegged out on the sofa. One of the pay channels was showing all of the Star Wars movies, so I had something good to watch while I relaxed. Saturday was such a nice day!

On Sunday, I invited Mom over to give her her mother's day gift. We all relaxed on Sunday afternoon. On Sunday night, my brother, Casey and I all got together and fixed her a really nice Mother's Day dinner. We all had a great time visiting over at my brother's new apartment. It has a nice, big kitchen, so we all had a place to sit and visit.

Monday I spent the day cleaning. Casey had made quite a bit of progress on operation big pitch Saturday. So, I had to do my part. I also did one metric ton of laundry!! How can we go through that many clothes in one week?!! On Monday afternoon, we met with some friends for dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. It was a nice way to end the weekend. Afterwards, Casey and I came home and promptly crashed.

Yesterday I attended a library conference for work. My co-worker and I rode together. It was a really nice workshop, but lunch was a disaster (not enough of them, and no one got what they ordered). Afterwards, I came home watered the plants. I also did a big feeding.

So, here I am. I'm back to my usual schedule now. Since the ear infection has cleared up, I'm REALLY looking forward to swimming tomorrow. I'm a cranky girl without the pool. I'm off to play raquetball now. Everyone have a great afternoon!

5/11/07: Pet Food Recall

This just in:

Natural Ultramix Food Recalled

Please forward this information to family or friends that have pets. Castor & Pollux Pet Works has issued a recall on four pet food products:

Natural Ultramix Canned Feline Turkey & Vegetables Platter

Natural Ultramix Canned Feline Chicken & Vegetables Casserole

Natural Ultramix Canned Feline Salmon & Vegetables Entrée

Natural Ultramix Canned Indoor Feline Chicken & Vegetables Dinner

It is believed that possible cross-contamination has occurred with these foods.

Get notifications within the hour of new recalls and save your pet's life. Sign your family and friends up for the free pet alerts at:

http://nationalpetfoundation.com/pet-food-recall.html

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day Mama!!

You are the absolute best!! Thanks for all you have done...

...and continue to do for me. You come from a LONG line of fantastic moms! I LOVE YOU!