It was sort of a rough weekend

I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July weekend. I wish I could say we did but.....

We had agreed to meet up with some friends to watch the fireworks at Great Meadows at 7:30 p.m. I fed the dogs dinner, made sure they had been out, then crated them with some chew toys - thinking that would be the safest place for them to be. I asked my eldest son to stop by (he was at a friends house) to check on the dogs around 10:30 p.m. (Realizing that the sun doesn't set until around 9:00 p.m.) We then received a phone call asking where had we left Hero when we left the house? "In the crate of course, why?".

Well, what he found was the front of Hero's crate dismantled- the picture above shows it after we had reassembled it- (pictures for the blog actually weren't my first thought when I arrived home- sorry) and Hero upstairs. This meant that Hero not only busted out of his crate but jumped the 3 foot baby gate at the family room door. Hero? My Hero ?, who on an activity scale of 1- 5 is a -1?? He was uninjured except for the top of his nose being rubbed a little raw and his gums being a little bloody. (As I write this it would no longer by visible in a picture.) While we assume it was the fireworks, my son said he did not see or hear anyone blowing off fireworks in our neighborhood by the time he got home. Needless to say ,next year I stay home (though I really hate the idea of leaving Doug responsible for all 4 kids alone- especially in a huge crowd). I guess what I'm saying is the 4th of July is NOT my favorite holiday!

Then Monday we said Vaya Con Dios to Mackey. Also not my favorite thing!!

Who would have thought that we could become so attached to him in only 9 days?

We already have one of the best greyhounds ever, I guess it was God's plan that we let someone else have this one.....

I've been a bad, bad, blogger

We have had a new house guest for a whole week already and I am just now getting around to posting about it. (100 lashes with a wet noodle are definitely in order),

Of course, those of you on Facebook have already seen these videos/ pictures. Somehow a quick post to my Facebook Wall has just seemed easier than trying to put together a coherent Blog post lately, sorry.

So coherent or not, without further ado...

Introducing Kiowa Talk Mystic (aka Mackey).

This is a short, no-fail, type foster, because he already has a family who is excited about adopting him after July 4th.

I guess it is a good thing, since there are an awful lot of people over here, who would be tempted to foster fail with this fellow. In fact, there is still talk of hiding him in the closet when the time comes to deliver him.

He picked up the idea of fetch almost immediately:

And he did wonderfully at the dog park even though it was really busy with dogs of all shapes and sizes. (Yes, that is another greyhound you spy in the mix- our friends Harper and Sara came to the park to play too.)

The one thing he has been less good about is the "no fosters on the furniture" rule. Check out his
very slow "woe is me" walk when he is removed from the sofa.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank all the service men and women who defend our country and this very precious thing called freedom. Happy July 4th, one and all !!!!!!!

More Greyt News

Jillie Ann made her way to her forever home on Saturday. She must have really liked the idea of going for a car ride, because she wagged her tail so hard , she gave herself a case of "happy tail". It AMAZES me that such a teeny, tiny, cut at the very tip of her tail could spray so many droplets of blood so far and so high. The spray was very fine, but it still gave a pretty good impersonation a crime scene (luckily I did not attract the attention of the police ;-) Fortunately, the bleeding was easily stopped, and the cut was barely visible.
Unfortunately, I hear that Michelle (who was holding the adoption at her house) got a repeat performance on her walls and rug (Sorry guys ! I did try to get word to you beforehand).
Yes, I now have a first aid kit in my car as well. I purchased an extra one on Sunday at our monthly VAGA meet and greet at PetCo.




There were familiar faces:

As well as a few new friends:

It was pretty hot, but thank goodness there was a breeze

It seems Genevieve, who played photographer for the day, did not venture indoors to get a picture of the Great Pyrenees Rescue which had appropriated the indoors of the PetCo. I would say next time, but we have been promised that they will choose a different Sunday of the month in the future :-)

Works in Progress (part 1)

We continue to make progress with our current foster hound- Jill E. Ann (Jillie).

She arrived with a few extra friends/stowaways (fleas) who were quickly dispatched.

Next we dealt with a limp, from an apparent pulled muscle of her front right leg (which meant several days of rest- very short leash walks, Rimadyl, and putting off learning the stairs).

Jillie is still a young dog (she will be 3 in August), and unfortunately, as with children, inactivity/boredom can lead to destructive behavior....

We have not seen her limp in a few days, so her walks are getting progressively longer, and we are starting stair training, hopefully that and the bitter apple spray will help focus her on more productive uses of her time and energy.

Speaking of less than productive uses of one's time...

Pepsi spent a LONG time whining at the window, can you see why? (look near the flower pot)

So do you think the cat knew that he was driving her crazy?

And Jillie takes the prize, with her 15 minutes of staring at the television (after it had been turned off)

Communicating with poltergeist?

Trying to turn it back on by the sheer force of her will?

Or just admiring the gorgeous hound reflected in the television screen?
One way or the other, you have to admit that is one impressive "sit".

And the winners are....

I am very greytful to our friends at Life's Little Moments for thinking of us for the Versatile Blogger award.

Below are the rules for this award:

Rule 1) Thank the person who gave you the award-

A Big Thank-Roo to Michelle, Mitch, and the pups .....

Rule 2) Post seven things about yourself :

No earth shattering revelations to share, but here goes anyway:

1) I was born and raised in Yonkers, New York ( pronounced - Yon-kuz ;-P)

2) My DH (Darling Husband) Doug and I will have been married 22 years this July.

3) We have been blessed with 5 healthy, brilliant, gorgeous, children- ranging in age from 4 years old to 21. ( & No, I am not biased, I'm just sharing the facts :-)

4) We adopted our Jack Russell- Beagle mix- Pepsi, on Super Bowl Sunday 2002.

5) 4 weeks after we adopted her, (while on a walk) she was mauled by a neighbor's dog (a large shepherd mix) who had gotten loose. And required immediate surgery.

2 weeks later she was attacked again by the same dog. Those neighbors have since moved away.

6) In July 2008, while researching dogs that might be able to tolerate a 28 pound Diva, with SEVERE large dog fear issues, my daughter Alaina discovered a retired racing greyhound rescue site. By August 2008 we had adopted Hero (racing name Star All Star), our 85 pound couch potato extraordinaire.

7) Adopting Hero has changed my life in so many more ways than simply adding a four legged friend .

Because of Hero we found Stowe and Maria's blog Halfway Home Hounds. (Stowe and Maria were Hero's foster family- for a few hours ;-)

Which led to my starting my own blog- this blog, which in turn led to my meeting Angela and Tracy from Treasure What You Have, which led to our fostering greyhounds for VAGA (and meeting all VAGA's other Greyt volunteers- including Michelle and Mitch). And so on, and so on...

Which brings us to

Rule 3)

Passing the award along.

Fumbled Returns- a bit of nepotism here (this is DH's blog)

Halfway Home Hounds

Needle Noses

Strong Hounds Home

Expressive Papers

AND Gina Robbo (especially for pointing out this site ;-)

If you have already received this award- Well, congratulations again. We like you, we really like you ;-)

I Love Swirlies !

No, really I do ! I love swirly...faces :-) ~Daisy~
We said happy trails to Miss Daisy on April 30th, she has found a wonderful forever home; complete with 3 little boys to love, a greyhound mix brother named Micky, and wall to wall carpeting!
So, we now have a new house guest- Jill E. Ann. At the kennel in Orlando they called her Annie, but my kids insist on calling her Jilly-Bean.
She has only been with us for 24 hours, but we already know the following about her:
She has not had an accident in the house
she walks very politely on a leash
she is cat, small dog, and little kid safe
she closes her eyes in ecstasy when you pet her just right :-)

Amusing, Amazing, April !

Warning:
This is going to be a long, photo intensive, post. Those of you not actually related to me may find it hard to make it to the very end. Don't worry I will not hold it against you (and there will not be a quiz later :)
April has been a wild, wonderful, action packed month for us. (and of course -it's not over yet)
It started with Easter complete with Easter egg hunts:

And Chocolate Bunnies :

Unfortunately Alaina found out the hard way what happens when chocolate bunnies are left in the sun.



Next came Genna's 12th birthday (literally- her birthday was the day after Easter this year). Of course her actual party waited until the following weekend.

The theme was "at the movies". The girls made their own "American Idol " video.

And "cardboard Chris Pine" made a surprise appearance.

Don't you just love siblings?

I promise Mark is not flipping anyone off, though it certainly looks that way.
The VERY next day was the VAGA meet and greet/ book signing with Kevin Brett, author of Jack: The Christmas Collie. (with a guest appearance by Captain Jack Sparrow- the Christmas Collie)

Daisy and Harper (don't you love Harper's expression ?- She was obviously very impressed to be meeting a celebrity ;-)
~

Mother and daughter (Harper and Sara)

VAGA president Debbie Ackley with Maggie.

Genna with Jack Sparrow and Daisy
~

The following Tuesday (yes- Tuesday) was Alaina's confirmation. (with brother Eric as her sponsor).

Small, rural, churches do not get a Saturday visit from the Bishop of the dioceses. So instead we had Tuesday evening with the Bishop from Juneau, Alaska.

BUT PLEASE do not think I am complaining !!!
You see, we actually left our very large church about a year ago, to start attending a small Catholic Mission, which holds mass in the local junior high school's cafeteria. There are many reasons why, but I think the following anecdotes say it all.
The children from our mission joined the children from our "parent" parish -St. Stephen Martyr in Middleburg, Va. at their tiny church for confirmation. I knew I liked this community, when I saw the elderly aunt of one of the younger priests bring her little toy poodle INTO the church for the ceremony. And yes, we were blessed to have her choose to sit down right next to Will and I :) (Dog people unite!)
She explained that the dog was old, and had seizures, and that she refused to leave it home alone. After all she said, it would just sit on her lap and wouldn't bother anyone. Will and I heartily agreed! I told her if Hero would fit on my lap I would be very happy to do the same.
It is generally frowned upon to take pictures in the church- but I am now really kicking myself for not sneaking a picture.

The sermon from the bishop of Juneau went something like this ( I promise this is worth reading to the end :) :

A little girl asked her father, “Daddy, where did human beings come from?”
Her father said, “Well, a long time ago, God created Adam in his image. Then he made Eve from Adam's rib. Adam and Eve had children, and then their children had children, and so on, and so on, and that is how you and I came into being.”

A few days later, the same little girl was helping her mother with chores, and as children often do (play questions and answers off of each parent) asked her mother the same question.

Her mom said, “Well, a long time ago, there were these monkeys, who evolved into other types of primates, who in turn kept evolving, and so on, and so on, until eventually becoming humans as we know them today. And that is how you and I came into being.”

The little girl was truly shocked and amazed by this answer and went running to find her father, very upset.

“Daddy! Remember when I asked you the other day where we came from, and you said people were made by God?”

“Yes”, said her father.
"Well, I just asked Mommy the same question, and she said we came from monkeys! One of you is lying!"
"Oh", her father said calmly. "That is actually very easy to explain- I was talking about MY side of the family and she was speaking about Her side."

Compare this to churches where we have literally had 1/2 hour sermons on how most of the congregation is not dressed appropriately for church, and you can see why I LOVE these people!

This past week the brand new "Piedmont Dogs" off- leash park (at Vint Hill) opened it's gates.

A HUGE thanks to everyone who helped make this park a reality.





Miss Daisy LOVED the little dogs :) But honestly it was more "herding" than chasing down prey.

Hero and Franny (the long and the short of it :)

~

No, those are not deer running across the field, they are some of our good friends from VAGA (Harper and her daughter Sara).

Harper
~Sara

Next weekend .... GIG (Greyhounds in Gettysburg).