Just A Little While Longer...

Little Dreamboat Annie, as I call her, is already mastering the doggie door and knows that "going potty" is done outside--however at just over 6 weeks of age she hasn't mastered "control" yet. Today she got a gentle brushing and offered her tummy so I could get her all evenly groomed. Rugs are coming up off the floor until she's completely potty-trained, and I've stocked up on Swiffers and wet-mops. I treasure this time with her so much--we've never had such a young baby before!

On a totally different subject: why don't dollar stores carry something as basic as string or twine?

Changing of the Guard (Dogs)

Abandoned this little project a while back when I was too busy, yet not going anywhere, but it's time to get back at it. The day before yesterday we bought a puppy.

Our previous puppy, Jerry, lived only until 2 1/2 years old. He had a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, probably since birth, that worsened faster than the vets could treat it and we finally had to make the difficult decision to just let him go. It was a valiant fight, but when it became clear that we were not going to win, we made the decision that we were not going to make him suffer. As long as he maintained a level of devilment and playfulness we'd keep on fighting, but one day he began failing very fast and we took him in to Surrey Vet and had him peacefully released while we held him in our arms. We requested his cremains but we don't know yet how we will memorialize him.

Immediately, people came out of the woodwork offering to give us the dogs they wanted to be rid of! I don't know how many such offers Wild Bill fielded, but I had 7 in one day last weekend!  I am all about "recycling" pets, having adopted my beloved Cooper from a rescue group in western Michigan, but I just wasn't ready. Cooper was really enjoying being an only dog, and I'll confess I was enjoying the "freedom" from life with a problem child. But Bill came to me Wednesday night and told me, "I know what my problem is."

"Which one?" I asked, knowing full well what he meant, but being unable to resist the opening for a jab. "Haven't you noticed how depressed I've been lately?" he persisted. And yes, besides my own bouts of inconsolable weeping and deep pangs of loss, I'd noticed he was even quieter than usual and smiled even less than what was normal for his grouchy self.

But I'm proud of him for admitting to his sadness and weakness, and for being willing to step right up and fill that void with a new dog right away. Happily I skipped off to the Clare County Animal Shelter to see if there were any guests of the county that might interest him. There weren't, but new dogs come in all the time, plus there are several other county shelters in a 50 mile radius.

But there was a breeder in Coleman who had one purebred German Shepherd little girl left, and we drove out to see her. They called her "Pinkie" because she was wearing the pink plaid collar, and she and her litter-mates turned 6 weeks old that day. Normally I don't like to pull a puppy from their mother until 8 weeks or so, but these pups were all fully weaned already; healthy, fluffy, active little darlings! Pinkie attached herself to Wild Bill's legs and feet immediately; she accepted my presence and my holding her but it was clear from the moment she caught Bill's scent that HE was her Daddy, and she was going to be Daddy's Little Girl!

So this is Annie:

The first night was a mess. Bill is temporarily working the overnight shift, and we put Annie in a crate for the ngith with cuddly things, a little chow and a bowl of water. SHE NEVER SHUT UP ALL NIGHT LONG! Poor Cooper's nerves were just shot!  So last night when she fell asleep next to Bill's recliner, I just let her lay there and snuggled up next to Cooper on the spare bed in the office and fell asleep watching some special-effects movie. She did fine! A few piddle spots in the kitchen and a big healthy poop on the chair mat (thank you for not doing that on my floor!)

So as we start another chapter in our lives, I thought it was time to start up my animal-loving, non-productive, no-income, lopsided and crippled diary. Again. Now with (hopefully) less bitch.

Dog Day Afternoon

I've been SO BUSY since joining C.A.R.E. of Clare County, I've neglected my blog, which is no big deal because I have no followers! But I had the greatest experience last Saturday at my first adoption event. Betty Lloyd and her daughter Alyssa Nolan brought two puppies they had been fostering at their house, and both were snapped right up! Both are settled in with their new families--lovely people who totally fell in LOVE with the cuties!

My role with C.A.R.E. is somewhat of a "fringe" role. Because of my physical condition and my reliance on Wild Bill for so much, I am unable to foster dogs myself. In fact, my walker tends to freak out dogs that aren't used to it, so I unfortunately need to keep a greater distance between myself and dogs. Cats, however, are a different story. I am an almost constant big, wide, cushiony lap, and some even like to perch or ride on the seat of my rolling walker! So I am the group secretary, the mom figure, and the one who stands behind the table and takes the money for the sold goods for our fundraising. This allows our president, Betty, free to schmooze and for Alyssa, her teenage daughter, free to walk leashed dogs around the store or hall or wherever the event is. That's okay, but I really miss the schmoozing, and I miss many opportunities to meet other rescue people or adoptive owners. :(

Another new responsibility I've taken on is making a new Facebook page for the Clare County Animal Shelter and use it to improve public relations. This brings me down to the shelter frequently, and I try to get down there once a week or so as long as the ice in the parking area doesn't make it too dangerous. Here again, I'd LOVE to go into the back and visit with all the dogs, but the walker freaks them out. But again, this Gimp embraces the opportunity to network with another fine group of people and to do something worthwhile!

Superstorm Sandy

Normally I abhor the practice of blaming the victims, but tonight I feel I must cross that line. I am so pissed at all the East Coasters jumping in front of TV cameras and demanding Help Now! I am totally behind Governor Chris Christie, who told the people of his state:  you were warned to evacuate. Those of you who ignored that warning and now need help? We're not sending anyone out in the DARK to go rescue you, and you'll just have to wait your turn to get water, blankets, gas, etc.

Honestly, people, Katrina was not that long ago. Did we learn nothing from that?

Boo-boo Foot

My left foot is all black and blue, and so puffy I can't get my custom made orthotic shoe on it. In fact, I have trouble getting my Happy Feet slipper on it. And it hurts! I need to keep it compressed, but I can't get an Ace bandage to stay smoothly on my foot. (I'm very good at strapping and ankle, but how do you wrap the front of the foot, including the toes? I try to keep it elevated but I'm home alone with the two dogs while Wild Bill works 12 hour shifts the next few days.

Yesterday and today actually haven't been too bad, boredom-wise, because it's been raining. Tomorrow, though, it's going to bad. Real bad. Because the temps will be in the low 80's, the sun will be out and the dogs will want to play!

Is an RV for me?

Wild Bill's favorite activity in the whole wide world is lawnmower racing. He belongs to the Michigan chapter of the US Lawn Mower Racing Association, and races all over the lower half of the lower peninsula as well as in nearby states such as Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Minnesota, Wisconsin and even Georgia once. I like to go with him when I can, but being a large, gimpy lady presents an odd, amusing, but nonetheless serious problem for me. Let's call it Potty Access.

Most races are held either in large fields with temporary tracks or else in fairgrounds with many fences. This limits my Potty Access to either porta-johns that are nearly impossible for me to use or to indoor flushies that are a quarter-mile away or more the way the crow flies--not including the zig-zagging one must do to get out of the pit area and past the spectator areas via the small, hard-to-spot gates and going against the flow of body traffic. Difficult for anyone who has trouble walking any distance, not to mention that the ground is usually very uneven at a fairgrounds or event center. Porta-johns?  Forget it. They are rarely placed on level ground and usually any handicapped accessible units are placed only on the spectator side of the fence, not on the pit side. So it's not unusual for me to have to "hold it" for 9-12 hours on an event day. In my case, I not only have trouble walking--I had a kidney transplant 14 years ago, and I need to keep my kidney "flushed," for lack of a better term. I also need to be able to maintain a certain level of cleanliness. Not "bubble-boy" level but definitely higher than porta-john level!

I had hopes when we bought a used, enclosed trailer two years ago that we might get a camping toilet and stash it somewhere in the nose of the trailer, so I could quickly duck behind something, anything, and relieve myself 2-3 times per race day, but although it sounds easy in theory, it's harder to accomplish than one would think. Then we started looking at toy-haulers. Camping trailer in the front, cargo area in the back. Perfect, right?

Until we started looking at them up close and realized that many of them have you stash your "cargo" right in the sleeping area of the camper. Fold up the bed and voila! Room for your dirt bikes! We don't need to actually SLEEP in the trailer--unless Bill wants to save $$ by camping at the track instead of paying to sleep on a bedbug-ridden mattress in a sponsoring motel. To get one large enough to hold two racing mowers, however, would cost more than we can afford to spend and then would require a bigger truck to tow it!

But an RV now...we've looked at a few. We would like a smallish, used Class C that I can climb into fairly easily, and we think we've found one in the Fleetwood Tioga.  Although we would have to construct our own step for me to go in and out of the camper portion, I can easily jump in and out of the passenger door of the cab and swing my legs around to stand up between the seats. The toilet is on a raised platform and is easy for me to use without having to add safety rails. It's a very small size. Behind the driver's seat is a dinette/sleeper, the fridge, some storage and the bathroom (sink, toilet, tub/shower). Behind the passenger seat is a swivel chair, the door, a rannge, kitchen sink, and the main bed. There is also sleeping space above the cab but I've no idea how a person could use it, ha ha!

So, a way to bring the dogs along, a place for me to rest, a way for us to bring food to the track instead of having to buy questionable fair food, and maybe I could rustle up some supper before we hit the road afterward? Shade (I think they all have awnings), and a potty! Plus we can use it at times we are not going to a race, if we care to take off for a weekend! Now all we have to do is educate ourselves on how to buy a used RV.

Fortunately THIS gimp can do a tiny bit of climbing with enough safety rails to pull myself up and in with!

Late Summer Sunday in St Helen

Today was the only day Wild Bill had off from work, and we decided that even though we had no one to go trail riding with, we'd drive over to St Helen and check it out. I'm so glad we did! We haven't been over there in years, and it's so different from what we remember!

St Helen is only an hour's drive away, down M-55 and Old 55. It seems to be a very complete small town, with a sparkling new grocery story emphasizing "fresh" foods, drug store, auto parts store, dollar store, power sports shop, storage yards, builders, eateries, and lots of Mom and Pop-style motels and cottages. The outsides of these places all seemed well mowed, trimmed and painted, suggesting that business is thriving, and why shouldn't it be? Most of their clientele consists of dirt bike and ATV riders, perhaps a few visitors to Kirkland Community College, maybe some hunters in the fall, and snowmobile riders in the winter. A room or cabin need not be fancy, just clean with a comfy bed, a shower, heat and a/c and a convenient location, and I'm sure most, if not all of these places provide it! Also there is a bare-bones place to park your camper or RV right across the road from one of the main trail heads--what could be more convenient?

It was fun seeing all the ATV's, side-by-sides and golf carts toodling down the sides of the streets in town! Although the day was chilly with a few short showers here and there, people were out and about enjoying the day. Most of the businesses were open, as should happen in a town that draws many tourists!  After stopping at the very friendly St Helen Power Sports to buy a map and ask a lot of questions, it was time for lunch. We passed the Hen House and the Peach Pit and chose the Firehouse Bar and Grill. They were hosting a party of some kind on the fireplace side so we ate in the bar side. I suggest you bring a small flashlight to read the menu because it's very dark, especially on such a cloudy day. But the food is great, as is the service. The decor is what I'd call "firehouse chic," as opposed to being so over-the-top that it's distractingly tacky. The waitress station at the bar has a sign that warns patrons to stand back 500 feet and there are a few fire truck touches but no obnoxious flashing red lights, sirens or bells. Drums in a corner and a dance floor indicate life music, Friday night "bonfires" (we guess in the other side, where the fireplace is) and reference to a Saturday night "foam party" indicate lively entertainment. But on a Sunday afternoon, parents with kids filled the booths along the walls and middle-aged men lined the bar watching the Tigers game on the big-screen TV's. There is an old fire truck parked at the north end of the parking lot, looking dusty and retired, and we wondered if they get it running for local parades or the yearly Firemen's Memorial Ceremony in Roscommon, a few miles away.

Other things we noticed about St Helen included the Charlton Heston Academy.  At first I chuckled and said this must be where all the local gun-hunters send their kids to school, but then I remembered that Charlton Heston did frequent this part of Michigan "back in the day." I've seen photos of him, along with some of his Hollywood friends, at a small ski resort in Ogemaw County. A Google search confirmed that he is, indeed, from the St Helen area and inherited a Christmas tree farm near there when his parents passed away. The Academy is slated to open right after Labor Day this September.

Now the parts that make St Helen worthy of praise from the Gimp: in a word, the town is LEVEL. Hardly any steps or stairs to be seen anywhere. If you can get around on an ATV, UTV, golf cart or snowmobile, you can enjoy this town in exactly the same way as everyone else! Sidewalks and parking lots are even, curbs are low. Locals are used to seeing out-of-towners and are friendly and welcoming, unlike some tourist towns that we won't mention today.

Bottom line:  if you love the outdoors and have some mobility issues, there's a good chance St Helen is the answer to your search!