ZZZZZZZZ Again

Hard to believe it's been nine days since the last entry. A great deal has happened, mainly in numbers -- ELEVEN (count 'em, 11) Garbo/Monkey puppies, split almost half and half--five blacks, six yellows; three each yellow girls, boys and black boys, two black girls. Born via section yesterday at Dr. Ana's. After the trip to Pittsburgh, arriving on Sat afternoon in Atlanta, Garbo had begun early stages of labor. So into the bedroom she came and she panted, and she panted, and she panted, pausing every now and then for a quiet nap. Each quiet nap I got up, shined a flashlight in to see if she either contracted or had a water break. NOPE....for forty-eight hours we loped along. I don't do well without sleep....who does??? Not even Garbo, although she remained her usual sweet and gentle self, but she just kept PANTING with no accompanying contractions or water breaks or nuttin. She looked like a large hippo and was obviously uncomfortable. By Sunday night, with a temp rise to 101.8F I consulted Dr. Ana via her cell. We decided to wait thru the night and if she hadn't produced by early Mon AM, away we would go to Alpharetta.

Didn't I get up at sixAM, pack the car and was on the way thru the Atlanta traffic at seven. Arrived in time to weigh Garbo in at three pounds lighter than the day of the x-ray....at which time Dr. Pam had declared there were six for sure, probably seven, maybe eight! HAH! Anyway, progesterone test showed they were ready for the outside, so the section was begun just after lunch. Dr. Ana provided a comfortable couch in the back room for me to rest while we await to begin the surgery. Didn't I sleep right thru it??? Yep, and I thought they were joking when they told me the number. All weighed in at a pound each except for one little 14 oz black boy....no wonder Garbs was dragging in the middle. She NEVER would have been able to safely produce all those pups by herself, so the decision to section was right on!

Anyway, they came home before traffic time and were ensconsed in the whelping box without any problem. Big problem with Garbo is that she doesn't have any milk to speak of just yet. SO wetnurse/granny is feeding them via bottle a half and half version of goat's milk and esbilac. Every six hours. ZZZZZZZZ

Anyway, had a blast judging in Pittsburgh. Honestly can say that was one of the best judging experiences I've had, period. What a wonderful club, how well organized, and how well conducted. Everyone could take a lesson from this group about how to have a back to back Specialty. Cudos to Liz and her crew.

Guess I could be considered consistent as I put up on Friday the same black dog I'd given the points to (his first, then) at a Specialty when he was a youngster! That finished him. On Thursday, Winner's Bitch was Linda Bednarski's gorgeous yellow girl and that finished HER Championship as well.....that makes six for me as far as picking a dog whom I like and then giving that dog enough points to finish its AKC Championship. Maybe I might actually know what a Labrador is supposed to look and move like? I saw lots of different heads, but was pleased with the neck and shoulder assemblies on most of the dogs. Some low tail sets, some coats blowing, some weird movement. I kept my eyes on the dogs and not on the other end of the lead and am sure I disappointed a few who were expecting better placements, but I was happy with my decisions. It was a hot time in PA, but fun. PS, the Pittsburgh airport is FABULOUS...if you ever get a chance to go thru there, enjoy what is certainly one of the best airports in existence. Those people know how to make an airport, believe me!

Now it's to the feeding regimen....good thing these tykes take to bottle nipples. I don't like having to tube unless it's an emergency and fortunately these pups are past masters at sucking already. Garbo's milk has begun to descend, but because of the demand, I'll probablyhave to keep up the supplementing until they are ready for weaning. Just a better chance to see what they're like individually. Am keeping a black girl out of this crew and maybe even a black boy unless some yellow critter sneaks in under the radar.

Off for a nap before the next feeding. ZZZZZZ...p.s., Georgia just doesn't know what's happening around here. She's accepted that the master bathroom has been converted into some strange configuration with a big box, but she's just not sure anyone consulted her about those little squealing funny looking things her mom holds and rubs. On the other hand, Buzz, the grey cat, is decidedly UNHAPPY with the latest development. He is insulted that we thought we needed yet some MORE critters to come here and take away his time. The look on his face as he raised his head and stared at me and then at them was just priceless. Buzz is a wonderful companion and I keep forgetting to consult with him, I guess....zzzzzzzp

YIPPEE...some new pups to come

Yesterday was spent on the road driving to an absolutely GORGEOUS place in the middle of Alabama called Jemison. My dear friend of all these years. Joyce Woods, has a fox red Badger daughter whom we co-own and "Dancer" whelped a litter about six weeks ago. I went over to see how they are coming along. There's only one girl and she's coming here eventually. The litter is smaller than the second one born about ten days later than Dancer's, and we'll be co-owning a yellow boy out of that one. So it's two pups coming here in about a month to grow up together. The girl will be called "Rojo" (Spanish for red) and the boy is "Stone." Funny that both Joyce and I had picked red semi-precious jewel names for our pups-- Rojo will be named Carnelian and Stone will be Cinnabar. Neither of these two pups are actually fox reds, but they have that dark yellow color in their pedigrees and will produce it if bred properly. The purpose of this sort of combination is to extend the fox red gene pool so that we can produce gorgeous, healthy and dark yellow Labradors. That color has been in the background for a very long time even though that color was probably the first "yellow" ever born.

Anyway, today is a day to remember our Dad. He's been gone for a while now, but I still can hear his voice and think about all he's done for us as a family. In this time when families are not always very big and don't get together very often to enjoy themselves and their heritages, I'm grateful that ours was brought up to remember how much all the extended family means in keeping the GOOD in this country. He fought in World War II, a kind of battle that we don't see much of these days. He would have been appalled at what we are facing today. But what he stood for in the way of stalwart loyalty to freedom and all it brings to those who can enjoy it is something we must keep on fighting for no matter the style of battle we face. Thanks, Daddy!

Off to do the refrigerator on a day that I know Daddy would be proud of me. I have my mother's genes for housekeeping: NONE. So if he could see my refrigerator, he'd probably throw up and scream. I'm going to try to make it look like one of those in a Sears advertisement. I've tried that before and somehow time always creeps up and the reefer becomes a cold garage sale of green things and liquids that need a chemical analysis to determine what they were when they were first put in there. I HATE REFRIGERATORS. Somebody needs to make one about 8 inches deep and the length of a wall so somebody always knows what's in there. I KNOW, I KNOW....they do areddy, BUT I can't afford it, so I'm stuck with this one for the rest of living on this earth.

Gonna listen to The BRAVES while I'm doing it so as to make things go faster and I won't have to pay complete attention to the task at hand.

Tonight we give Garbo a bath before she goes to see the Vet tomorrow for x-rays to count skulls and spines. If the Dr. Ana saw her now, she'd think Garbo was a fox red hippopotamus. Garbo's favorite pasttime is to wallow in any red mud she can find. And we have plenty of it, apparently, most of it on HER. Wonder if we have enough shampoo to get it all off??

Later and hopefully with a less daunting reefer (REFRIGERATOR) and a cleaner pregnant Garbo, MsP

Flag Day

Forgot sumpin.....got a couple of emails this morning encouraging me to go to THE DENVER POST FRONT PAGE and see something special. After a few computer clicks, there is MAX SMITH, MY GRANDSON....Cub Scout in the middle, right on the front page of Denver's only daily. Seems that their troop (led by Lolly) attended the Denver Flag Day Ceremonies and some photographer from the Post took their picture. What's SO cute is that there are three Cubs saluting....two on left doing so correctly with their right hands configured with fingers over their right eyes. The cutie on the right is saluting with his LEFT hand over his LEFT eye! Sign of a gifted child if there ever was one, methinks, although the other two are definitely gifted. Apparently this whole thing also made the tv evening news although I haven't figured out yet how to tap into that proud moment on video. Max is the tallest bean pole in his class even if he's the same age and 18 months younger than his sister over whom he towers. Reese is PARTIALLY pictured just behind Max, blond hair and squint on her face. What a hoot! It's reached by going to the web page of the DP and clicking on "Front Page" in case you have lots of time and nothing else to do. ME? I've ordered a copy of the photo, of course! :-)p-alsoknownasgeegeebythesecondgeneration

Blue Skies

Not one cloud in these skies. Blue as can be. AND HOT AND HUMID!

Today is a lazy one except for the need to rearrange the dog porch and make it look like something other than a kennel. We've moved the dogs inside b/c I finally had to turn on the a/c out of sheer desperation. Have purchased from QVC a room a/c for Joseph's room upstairs. Should come tomorrow. After some figuring, decided it would be less expensive to just get one room cooled off than to have to run the upstairs a/c all the time for that one room. Don't have the money for either, but at least I can take the portable (HAH) one with when I move to Denver. Not much need for a/c out there, but there are occasions when it might come in handy.

Am going over to AL on Thursday to see the Dancer pups. SO exciting to know she's produced a good litter of dark yellows. Only one girl, who appears to be quite small, but she's dark!

Garbo looks like a muddy tank. The girls have found a way to get wet and then wallow in the red clay in the garden which is no longer a garden b/c they've killed all the daylilies and made themselves a clay spa. Will have to bathe her before going to Dr. Ana's next week....the x-ray to count skulls and spines won't be able to see thru all that mud to do any counting. Also will be taking Rummy for a wart on her eye and Stuff b/c she's acting old and decrepit lately. Seems that being OFA Excellent doesn't make a whole lot of difference when you're passing the twelve year mark.

Okay, I've put it off long enough....out to the hot and messy porch I go. MsP

Good Grief, It's Sunday Already

Awoke this morning to wonder what day it was.....the last week having passed by so fast that it seems as though LAST Sunday just happened.

OKAY, I GAVE UP. Jack finally brought over some new replacement filters and it was so humid/hot that I actually turned on the A/C. First set it on 75 and waited for things to cool down. By the evening, the thermostat was upped to 77 and this morning it went further, to 79. IF the humdiddy is gone, a higher temp is easier to take. Besides, for reasons that are still not clear, the electric bill last month was almost $300. SO I can't afford to be TOO cool and live until the Fall.

Agenda for today: Moving the dogs inside for the nights and Garborella to my bedroom now that we are getting close to "puppy time." It's still about two weeks, but she's so big that I wouldn't be surprised if she popped them out just to make room. Actually I believe her girth is b/c of having had previous litters and muscles not as "springy" as they once were, but....

Anyway, crate moving and dog porch cleaning are what's happening today. Maybe I'll even read some. Finished The Zookeeper's Wife and was SO taken with this true story. This woman was remarkable and so was the author who found her story and documented it. It gives one a heart's eye view of what happened to Warsaw and the Jews when the Nazis invaded Poland in the early 1940's. Such heroics, such pain and suffering, and yet such resilience. Inspiring in these days of terrorism.

Maybe I won't even go outside today AT ALL......maybe the A/C being on will keep me enclosed. MsP

IT'S JUST TOO HOT AND HUMID

SOMEBODY PLEASE get me to Colorado. I HATE THIS HEAT AND MOIST AIR. And the electric bill was up to almost $300 last month and we didn't have the air on and didn't use anything else more than usual. AAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH......

Anyway, had a fab late lunch with my cousin and aunt at a place called ARIZONA....wish we could have been in that state while eating, but at least the a/c was on in the Atlanta version. The food there is ALWAYS delishous. Really took chances and had red meat (hamburger) for a change and it was just as good as I hoped. They make a cream corn with BOURBON and I ordered that for the side. Wish somebody would tell me how they do that recipe, for it's out of this world, and I don't always like or eat corn on purpose!

Garbo is the size of a hippo. Hope she waits until I get back from Pittsburgh to pop these black and yellow things. And hope we have LOTS of them. Can't wait to see what comes out this time.

No calls since Monday on progress on the property dispute. If anybody approaches me with something other than GOOD news on that front, this heat/humidity will guarantee a biting, miserable and very rude response. It was THEIR FAULT and I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR IT, right?????

Tomatoes are appearing by the hundreds, but still green. Peaches are ALL GONE....fur covered rats got 'em all the night before I put out the next in scarey tin foil covered plates to waft in the wind and make them think they better not get up there and purloin any more fruit. Too late for peaches, but still have about 100 pears that IHOPEWILLWAITUNTIL AUGUST....ah well

Off to watch the Braves. They're gonna be a LOT more comfortable in Minneapolis (or however you spell it) than if they were playing in this sauna of an Atlanta metro area.

Did I mention I HATE HEAT AND HUMDIDDY???? Ciao for now...off for a towel, MsP

All Nighters Take It Out on You

After the meeting with my financial advisor about the encroachment yesterday, I was so worked up that my brain just went into overdrive. The new real estate lawyer is a cracker jack woman who has my best interest at heart but is at the same time realistic. During the telephone conversation/meeting, it became apparent that she was not totally aware of the facts of this issue. So to make sure all is clear, I sat up ALL NIGHT writing down everything we had discussed and asking even more questions about what we were doing/going to do/have done/should have done. I just couldn't get to sleep b/c so many things kept popping into my brain that needed to be recorded. I had promised to stay in the background and let my financial advisor take the reins, but after the meeting yesterday I had to make sure everything we discussed was at least recorded.

SO at present I am groggy and not thinking straight at all. This entire process has been an anathema from the moment the buyers called to ask for permission to deed more land b/c they had "mistakenly" placed the septic tank field over the property line. We also knew that they had put the driveway too close to the line. At one point, because THEIR surveyors (two different companies) had mistakenly used the incorrect property pins at the north of this land, it became apparent that I had "sold these folks land I didn't own." Now it looks as though this may indeed have been a ploy on the part of the buyers to obtain land they didn't pay for. They did a number of things that weren't legal before someone called them on it. I have spent A LOT trying to prove all this, and unfortunately the court doesn't appear to care WHO found out the problem. It only wants it fixed and I may not recoup my expenses in the process!!! CHEESCH!

Am reading a FANTASTIC book: THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS NEST by Steig Larrson. This is the third in his trilogy, the first being THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and the second, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE. Characters in all three are the same (including "THE GIRL") and the action continues from the first thru the third. These are translations from Swedish. The author died before the third book was published. I found that the beginning of each is slow, but as endings get closer, things move along so fast that it's difficult to put any of them down. Thank heavens for this distraction. A real tragedy that this man died before he could continue to use his remarkable talents as a writer. Somewhere I have heard they are making a movie about the first one. Hard to see how they can remain faithful to the books, however....too much detail and too many plot turns to include from the true story. Take this recommendation: read them in order. BUT READ THEM.....You won't be sorry!

Off to nap.....zzzzzz once again, MsP

Cucumbers are GOOD

Weekend over. Braves won two of four, lost the other two by one run each.

The cucumber was SO sweet and crispy. Ate the whole thing myself!

Off to see the financial advisor about the property settlement issue. I'm sure he will tell me I'm poor as a churchmouse and getting poorer. Just what I need to know these days.

Weather sunny and hot. Had a delightful and fun time with the two boys and Kristine Hampson yesterday, mid-day. They brought wonderful Spirit who is in such good coat that I hardly can believe she's as old as she is. And Boogie's sister came, too. She's a bit taller than Boogie but looks a great deal like her in the face. The two of them got wet in the pool and so did Georgia. However, Georgia's experience was one of almost complete panic and she ended up recuperating in her crate for most of the day. Guess it's just not meant to be that French Bulldogs are avid swimmers, even when they have pink flowered life-saving jackets to keep their fronts above water.

Got the cutest note from Lolly this morning about their experience at the Denver Sidewalk Chalk Art Show this weekend. Apparently Max felt that he had to acquire as much chalk on himself as he put on the sidewalk in the "try it yourself" section. But both kids (ages eight and nine, for heaven's sake) shrieked "Look, Mommy, it's a Vermeer!!!" when they saw one of the pictures at the exhibit. Pretty savvy for two young ones at that age, huh?

Would you believe that the singular (literally) watermelon plant growing in a pretty large container actually has some blossoms coming??? I'm holding my breath. Sorta.....But the tomatoes and cukes and all the herbs seem to be bursting out all over like the proverbial month of June. Summer brings the BEST eats there are.

Off to the financial meeting about the property settlement. Will treat myself to a REAL Starbucks on the way home, to either celebrate good news or cheer myself up if not.

The really good news is that Garbo spent most of the day yesterday retrieving bumpers from the pool and having a terrific time in spite of her girth. She really looks like a hippo and we hope that means at least as many pups this time as last....maybe more. I can hardly wait.

Ciao for now, MsP

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Okay, I WILL make this one short. Blogs aren't meant to be the length of short stories or even novels!

Last night ended at the Emergency Room at Emory. It had rained all afternoon and evening and Joseph's pain in his back got so bad that there was nothing for it but to make him go get some help. He did. Jack checked on his progress via telephone twice and was told they would probably keep him less than 24 hours, but he wasn't coming home until morning. NOPE...at about ten PM, Joseph called and said they were so overcrowded that he needed to be dismissed. So out into the deluge I drove....once almost forced off the road by a car in the right lane spewing so much water on my windshield that I couldn't see for several seconds. Anyway, they gave him some scripts for pain meds and blood thinners but didn't GIVE him anything while he was there all that time. SO out we drove to find an all-night pharmacy. First place didn't have the pain med. Couldn't get correct directions to the second, and after about an hour driving about in the dark and rain, we found it, waited a half hour and then HOME. It took me about two hours to settle down, so to sleep at 2:30AM.

As I was trying to drift off to sleep, BY ACCIDENT part of a program called Toddlers and Tiaras on which a little tyrant called Mackinzie rode herd on her parents and participants with absolutely unbelievable bad behavior. I don't watch that piece of junk as a regular habit but this one was so unbelievable that I turned it off actually thinking that they had hired some little person to act like a four year old. HOW awful. Where do these parents get their nerve to dress little ones up like prostitutes and send them out gyrating like pole dancers for prizes that are real JUNK and they actually pay money for the privilege????? What has this world coming to???? No wonder I couldn't get to sleep easily.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ, MsP

What To Do, What To Do

Hot as hades here, but wouldn't be so bad if the humidity wasn't so high. Presently watching the Braves play the Phillies for the third game of this Atlanta outing, and we're tied in the eighth inning on this sunny hot day.

Joseph has run out of pain meds and isn't worth talking to in this state. He is really a pleasure when he gets proper meds for the back pain, but when he runs out, he turns grey and becomes sullen and difficult. We have heard from Florida, and Joseph now has an appt with the judge on June 28 at 8 AM in Jacksonville. Given what they know of his situation, we wonder how in the world they expect he should make his way down there???? The man is crippled and destitute. What are they thinking? If it weren't for Jack and his taking Joseph down there, and Susan and Randy offering to let them stay there for a night or two, where would Joseph be??????

I'm exhausted and exasperated with the entire situation and even jumped on Joseph last night when we asked how he was doing and he replied, "I'm fine, don't worry about me." RIGHT....what does HE think? Problem with this man is that he doesn't and in this state, probablyl can't! If we could get a way out of this mess and he could get on a pain management course where his meds would be appropriate for his depth of pain, things would be a zillion percent better. However, at present he gets a prescription from a local family practitioner (script is free as long as he doesn't have to be seen in person) and then we pay over $175 for 90 pills of a narcotic. That's as much as she's legally allowed to prescribe each month. In the past he had gotten along well on TWICE that much, so now Joseph trots along with arthritis strength tylenol interspersed with the prescription, and often he doubles up on the latter due to pain and RUNS OUT well before the next script is due. For that reason, we do well for about two and a half weeks and then the next days, are hell on wheels. That's not to say we don't feel for Joseph, but we've squeezed all we can out of other sources for meds, and at this point, Joseph is just having to hold his own in pain that makes him look like death warmed over.

We are trying to convince the State of Florida (with a file of paperwork that's three inches thick documenting his heart valve replacement and ablation as well as all the other stuff) that he is indeed unable to work and hasn't been able to for years. Then maybe they will forgive what he owes in child support and let him get a driver's license and apply for Medicaid and Public Assistance. Interestingly enough, neither the State nor Joseph even knows where this child is, so no one would know where to send any money anyway b/c her caretaker has disappeared.

Without a picture ID, the man can't even get a bank account, assuming he had any money to begin with. Because he's on the derelict dad's list nationally, he's stumped and unable to get ANY form of identification, therefore not able to get whatever aid for which he's actually eligible. Unfortunately the State of Florida has ignored our and his pleas that he's unable to work and earn any money, period--that is up until Jack made so much noise on his behalf that they finally have given Joseph a court date. Been over a year in coming.

This has been a rock and a hard place and a Chinese puzzle from the get go, and I fervently hope we are closer to solving things than we've ever been before, but who knows???

Also, of course, Garbo's pups are due on the day they have to go to court in FL...wouldn't you know??? I looked at her this morning and it appears she's definitely with pup, THANK GOODNESS....YAY!!!! That means I can ready the master bath with the whelping box and start taking showers by stepping o'er it from June 29th on. I can't wait to see the outcome of this litter, blacks and yellows emerging! She's had nine each time so far, so I wonder if one will come out half and half??? HAH....that's what passes for humor here these days.

The legal wrangle about property encroachment seems to be falling into my lap with less and less chance of my recouping much if anything. The issue appears to be that since I signed the sales agreement that listed a survey set of numbers that actually included some of my neighbor's land, I am at fault and they will restructure the survey planes/plat and I don't get anything back. Think MERDE (French for something that comes out the back end). How did I come to be responsible for someone else's mistake? The survey company that did the original survey (now out of business) made an awful mistake by siting the wrong pins at the back of the property, the people who bought the land made some other awful mistakes, and now to straighten this all out, it appears I am the one who is going to pay for it....upwards of $20K when you add in my own survey costs, lawyers fees, etc. I lose sleep over this mess....anybody wonder why? Of course, I always keep $20K in my back pocket for emergencies like this. Doesn't everybody? It has come out of the money I have to live on for the rest of my life, of course, and there was plenty of THAT, don't you know.

Anyway, troubles with Major keep accumulating. I've tried all suggestions for finding a new home for him, all having refused him. Yesterday a call at 8:30AM from the Cannons allowed that Major had made his way to their house....every bit of 1/2 mile away, and he's never done that before. That means he climbs over any fence like a monkey and now has access to the entire neighborhood, which we cannot allow. Today we've tethered him to a tree in the back pool yard and he's spent the whole day screaming his head off b/c he doesn't like it at all. Who would? I loathe the thought of taking him to the shelter, where I'm sure he'll be put down eventually. The other alternative which appears to me to be a better alternative, although not by much, is to take him out to the country somewhere and let him out. He just can't stay here. We have enough to do without a stray and we've done what we can to make him attractive to a family who would be his main loving focus....neutered, brought up to date on immunizations, crate, obedience and leash trained, etc., etc. We (Cannon's and us) are at the end of what we can do and now we're desperate. ARRRGGGHHH.....

Have been working slowly on the elimination of furniture and making a spacious look out of this house. Most of the extra stuff is now in the garage. I was going to put it on Craig's list, but have been warned that might be dangerous b/c some folks look things up on C/L and then go rob the sellers blind. I got enough problems without THAT to worry about! So what to do? Anybody had any experience with either Craig's list or a company that does estate sales, please let me know. I need to get rid of this stuff and it's really nice and probably worth a lot more than I'm willing to get for it....antiques and solid wood furniture, not stuff like one buys today that is put together with screws and falls apart in a few years.

Okay, off to do some more errands as soon as the Braves come to the end of their Phillies third game (We swept 'em, today 2 - 1 thanks to Omar Infante's RBI). One of the things I need to get is a pack of balloons b/c somebody told me that stringing them in the fruit trees would keep the squirrels away. This year I hope fervently to be able to eat at least one peach and one pear from the trees I've so carefully nursed for years. So far, NO fruit has gone down any gullet except those of the fur covered rats that think those trees were put there for them...NOT.

I'm exhausted and it occurs that all that's been related in this message is complaints. Here's one good thing: cucumber is about ready to be picked! Can't wait to crunch into it! AND Georgia continues to entertain everyone....can't help but grin when those ears perk up and she gives me a facial while murmuring and snaffling and rolling over on her back for a belly rub.
Ciao for now, MsPatty