Animals
Just me and Dixie
June/12/2007 01:41 AM
I dropped my wife and kids off yesterday to go to a
camp for the week. So it's just me and Dixie this
week.
Dixie, if you remember was a surprise to me and apparently only me.
Dixie, if you remember was a surprise to me and apparently only me.
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Finding a Toothpick in a Haystack
May/02/2007 08:06 PM
Karen and I were standing on our patio in the front
of our house. She brought Dixie (the puppy) out so
I followed her. We had just finished eating and I
had a toothpick in my mouth.
When I was done with the toothpick I flicked it into the yard next to us. Which is for sale and the yard is covered in straw. Karen asked why I flicked it in the yard because the puppy could get it.
I said "That's why I flicked it way over there, so she wouldn't find it in our yard and choke on it". About 4 minutes later here comes Dixie with the toothpick in her mouth.
I busted out laughing wondering how in the world she found my toothpick in all that straw? Maybe my scent was on it, regardless I was very surprised.
When I was done with the toothpick I flicked it into the yard next to us. Which is for sale and the yard is covered in straw. Karen asked why I flicked it in the yard because the puppy could get it.
I said "That's why I flicked it way over there, so she wouldn't find it in our yard and choke on it". About 4 minutes later here comes Dixie with the toothpick in her mouth.
I busted out laughing wondering how in the world she found my toothpick in all that straw? Maybe my scent was on it, regardless I was very surprised.
Bowler is no longer with us.
October/03/2004 09:27 PM
I'm surprised by how sad I am.
Bowler was with us since last Friday and showed a huge amount of potential but a flaw began to show itself.
While he learned at a very fast rate and appeared to make himself at home within a few days we had a recurring problem, strangers.
We got him at the age of 6 months from Karen's sister where he lived outside with a bunch of other dogs and he was the pup of the group.
We believe that something in the first 6 months set him up for social failure. He wouldn't let strangers anywhere near him.
My daughter has a best friend who is at our house regularly but Bowler never accepted her. He growled at her several times this week even after she had petted him. But today he lunged at her and began barking at her. Not once but twice, I lost any trust I had in him. I explained this to Karen when she got home and she decided based on this and other incidents through the week to take him back where we got him from.
He never really misbehaved around just us but he had a unhealthy attachment to Karen and no strangers could come near him, that included my sister and niece, the neighbors and guys building the house next to us. I don't believe that he would have hurt Allyson, Karen or myself but once the trust was gone it was hard to justify him being here. We read a lot of info related to aggressive dogs and this one area was the only one he fell in. We believe that he began to recognize our house and yard as his and started to become more confident and protect it from that which did not belong. But he was timid and aggressive towards those people we welcomed in our home. This unfortunately was not the kind of dog Karen wanted.
I'm really surprised at how attached I became to him in such a short period of time, he really was a lot of fun to play with and have around and he was smart. We've looked back at the entire week and read info about dogs and can honestly say that I don't think we did anything wrong. But professional help was going to be required and that was something else Karen was not interested in.
This is really hard for me because once I claim something as mine I don't like others to be responsible for it, which explains the black cat I have (don't ask). So now a dog that I accepted responsibility for is at someone else's house being taken care of by them. I know he won't be mistreated but he will also be in the company of other dogs.
My daughter took it kinda hard at first that we weren't keeping him but she's better now. Karen will probably take the longest to get over it. Me, I don't really know.
Bowler was with us since last Friday and showed a huge amount of potential but a flaw began to show itself.
While he learned at a very fast rate and appeared to make himself at home within a few days we had a recurring problem, strangers.
We got him at the age of 6 months from Karen's sister where he lived outside with a bunch of other dogs and he was the pup of the group.
We believe that something in the first 6 months set him up for social failure. He wouldn't let strangers anywhere near him.
My daughter has a best friend who is at our house regularly but Bowler never accepted her. He growled at her several times this week even after she had petted him. But today he lunged at her and began barking at her. Not once but twice, I lost any trust I had in him. I explained this to Karen when she got home and she decided based on this and other incidents through the week to take him back where we got him from.
He never really misbehaved around just us but he had a unhealthy attachment to Karen and no strangers could come near him, that included my sister and niece, the neighbors and guys building the house next to us. I don't believe that he would have hurt Allyson, Karen or myself but once the trust was gone it was hard to justify him being here. We read a lot of info related to aggressive dogs and this one area was the only one he fell in. We believe that he began to recognize our house and yard as his and started to become more confident and protect it from that which did not belong. But he was timid and aggressive towards those people we welcomed in our home. This unfortunately was not the kind of dog Karen wanted.
I'm really surprised at how attached I became to him in such a short period of time, he really was a lot of fun to play with and have around and he was smart. We've looked back at the entire week and read info about dogs and can honestly say that I don't think we did anything wrong. But professional help was going to be required and that was something else Karen was not interested in.
This is really hard for me because once I claim something as mine I don't like others to be responsible for it, which explains the black cat I have (don't ask). So now a dog that I accepted responsibility for is at someone else's house being taken care of by them. I know he won't be mistreated but he will also be in the company of other dogs.
My daughter took it kinda hard at first that we weren't keeping him but she's better now. Karen will probably take the longest to get over it. Me, I don't really know.
AFTER SAYING NO FOR SO LONG, I FINALLY GAVE IN.
September/26/2004 07:19 PM
We now have a dog (Bowler). But not just any
dog.
My wife and I agreed to getting a smart dog, and since her sister had a mutt pup that was mostly German Shepherd I agreed that we could bring it home.
He's 6 months old, weighs almost 60lbs and has larger feet than his father. From what we have seen so far is that he is extremely intelligent and patient.
I've only heard him bark twice in the 3 days we've had him and he's already house broken. He has an attachment to Karen that will require some training to alter because right now he must be next to her.
I think with his ability to learn and Karen's training he will turn out to be a great dog.
My wife and I agreed to getting a smart dog, and since her sister had a mutt pup that was mostly German Shepherd I agreed that we could bring it home.
He's 6 months old, weighs almost 60lbs and has larger feet than his father. From what we have seen so far is that he is extremely intelligent and patient.
I've only heard him bark twice in the 3 days we've had him and he's already house broken. He has an attachment to Karen that will require some training to alter because right now he must be next to her.
I think with his ability to learn and Karen's training he will turn out to be a great dog.
Cat Bed
June/20/2003 11:48 AM
First I measured the window (34") and then I went
and found an animal cushion close to that size and
would fit properly.
It was a simple matter of using high grade 3/4" plywood, wood molding, molding corners, wood glue, a few nails and some white spray paint.
After it was finished I screwed it into the window sill with 3" wood screws and added the two support brackets.
Pictured below is my cat Brisco and he is a large tomcat.
I have three large cats and two of them fit comfortably in the bed.
The corner post make nice face scratchers.
It was a simple matter of using high grade 3/4" plywood, wood molding, molding corners, wood glue, a few nails and some white spray paint.
After it was finished I screwed it into the window sill with 3" wood screws and added the two support brackets.
Pictured below is my cat Brisco and he is a large tomcat.
I have three large cats and two of them fit comfortably in the bed.
The corner post make nice face scratchers.
9/11/2001, where I was.
September/11/2001 10:56 PM
By Rob Jones
My wife had just dropped me off at work and it was about 8:45. She was on her way to Feeder’s Supply to pick up Toby’s cat Augie, later renamed Freddy.
It was about 8:53 in the morning and I was at work sitting at my desk when Christian Urton and Rankin Mapother leaned into my office and asked me if I knew how to turn on the television in the conference room. I said yes and proceeded to the conference room. The TV was already on so when I turned on the VCR a station tuned in almost immediately. I stood there for moment as I saw building that I did not recognize standing at least twice as tall as any building around it with a huge hole in it smoke and fire like nothing I have ever seen. As I moved to find a seat I asked Rankin and Christian what was I looking at. Rankin said that the World Trade Center was on fire. A news announcer was describing what he was seeing from a helicopter camera saying that this may be a terrorist bombing on the World Trade Center North. My eyes still fixed on the TV looking at the smoke and fire rolling unrelentlessly. The news announcer said that someone just reported that it was a plane that hit the World Trade Center.
Christian asked if it could be a terrorist making reference to the earlier bomb at the trade center. Rankin and I said it had to be an accident due to the size of the plane, based on the hole we were looking at. As we stared dumbfounded at the burning building I saw a commercial air liner in the right hand side of the screen but did not focus on it as it disappeared behind the huge towers.
A moment later (9:02am) the World Trade Center South exploded into flames and smoke from impact of plane that I saw just a moment earlier. I said loudly “Oh My God”. Rankin immediately said it had to be terrorist while Christian and I stared in terror. Within a minute of the south tower being hit the conference room currently occupied with just Christian, Rankin and myself filled with a dozen employees.
All of the new people in the room asking what happened and did the news say if it was terrorist or who did this. I still had not moved from my seat wondering what was going on and why. The news reporter said that there had been a car bomb go off near the UN building, later reported as false. Now about twenty minutes later not moved from my seat I realized that while focusing on the burning building I had not heard anything that the news announcer or anyone in the conference room had said. Then the news announcer said that they had a report that these planes may have been hijacked. Everyone staring in amazement wondering if these were passenger planes.
Overwhelmed by everything I decide to step into my office to call my wife and tell her what had just happened (9:37). As I said the WTC towers were hit by planes and were on fire Nick said from his office that they just mentioned the pentagon (9:38) on the radio. I told my wife I had to go and hung up the phone. I rushed into the same conference room once again empty a news reporter said that a bomb had gone off in the Pentagon and that it was on fire.
Taking the same seat that I was in earlier I sat in amazement wondering what was going on and when it would end.
My wife had just dropped me off at work and it was about 8:45. She was on her way to Feeder’s Supply to pick up Toby’s cat Augie, later renamed Freddy.
It was about 8:53 in the morning and I was at work sitting at my desk when Christian Urton and Rankin Mapother leaned into my office and asked me if I knew how to turn on the television in the conference room. I said yes and proceeded to the conference room. The TV was already on so when I turned on the VCR a station tuned in almost immediately. I stood there for moment as I saw building that I did not recognize standing at least twice as tall as any building around it with a huge hole in it smoke and fire like nothing I have ever seen. As I moved to find a seat I asked Rankin and Christian what was I looking at. Rankin said that the World Trade Center was on fire. A news announcer was describing what he was seeing from a helicopter camera saying that this may be a terrorist bombing on the World Trade Center North. My eyes still fixed on the TV looking at the smoke and fire rolling unrelentlessly. The news announcer said that someone just reported that it was a plane that hit the World Trade Center.
Christian asked if it could be a terrorist making reference to the earlier bomb at the trade center. Rankin and I said it had to be an accident due to the size of the plane, based on the hole we were looking at. As we stared dumbfounded at the burning building I saw a commercial air liner in the right hand side of the screen but did not focus on it as it disappeared behind the huge towers.
A moment later (9:02am) the World Trade Center South exploded into flames and smoke from impact of plane that I saw just a moment earlier. I said loudly “Oh My God”. Rankin immediately said it had to be terrorist while Christian and I stared in terror. Within a minute of the south tower being hit the conference room currently occupied with just Christian, Rankin and myself filled with a dozen employees.
All of the new people in the room asking what happened and did the news say if it was terrorist or who did this. I still had not moved from my seat wondering what was going on and why. The news reporter said that there had been a car bomb go off near the UN building, later reported as false. Now about twenty minutes later not moved from my seat I realized that while focusing on the burning building I had not heard anything that the news announcer or anyone in the conference room had said. Then the news announcer said that they had a report that these planes may have been hijacked. Everyone staring in amazement wondering if these were passenger planes.
Overwhelmed by everything I decide to step into my office to call my wife and tell her what had just happened (9:37). As I said the WTC towers were hit by planes and were on fire Nick said from his office that they just mentioned the pentagon (9:38) on the radio. I told my wife I had to go and hung up the phone. I rushed into the same conference room once again empty a news reporter said that a bomb had gone off in the Pentagon and that it was on fire.
Taking the same seat that I was in earlier I sat in amazement wondering what was going on and when it would end.