So, I just got a laptop computer on Monday night and am piddling around with it. Me and laptops don't really get along very well, but we're making it work. I found out that I have to learn the American keyboard all over again...uuufff... I'm back in my little House of Rogue Tufts, and the tufts of grass are really such rogues! I need a weed wacker in the worst way...the lawn mower doesn't seem to be able to do as good of a job as I remember.

I remember why I abandoned the automatic sprinkler system years ago and just used a hose and a big sprinkler to water with. It's a great idea to have your lawn watered automatically, especially when you're at work more than you're home, but it's such a false sense of security. This sprinkler system is so high maintenance that I've been collecting short hoses and sprinklers to augment or replace the whole thing - above ground. I'm short a timer, but after I get that, I'll be set.

I've lost about 15 pounds in the last little while, so none of my clothes fit me any more. I just got my first paycheck from the ranch, and WOOHOOO, it's a check! Not a giant one, though, so I've been doing my clothes shopping in the local thrift stores. Who needs Ross or Target when there are flea markets and thrift shops? I now own 6 pairs of shoes, which are new for me but already soft and broken-in. Oh yeah, I know it can be a little gucky to think about putting your feet into someone else's shoes, which is why I carry a can of antiseptic spray in my bag. And I also found a cute little bench, of real wood, which became my coffee table. I'm currently looking for a larger one for a TV stand.

Yup, you guessed it - I have become a thrift shop junkie; a flea market addict.

And Porter. I continue to learn things about little Porter. He is afraid of the sound of plastic bags being shaken or opened, although not, apparently, afraid of the bag itself. He's also afraid of the moving cars, but loves to go for car rides. He hides or runs for the door whenever a car pulls into the driveway or passes by the house. I wonder where he came from and when went on in his life before arriving at the pound. Celeste had no fear of anything that I'm aware of. She was totally confident in everything she did and every where she went, it seemed. Maybe that was just because we went with her wherever she had to go. Porter is pretty much an awesome pup in every other way, aside from the plastic bags and cars, though. He's 3 years old and a speed racer when he's outside. Running is his thing....he does laps around the house when we're at work! And he loves sleeping on the bed at home and being invited to sleep on the sofa with me when we're at work. The novelty of being around animals is wearing off, so the goats and alpacas don't spend so much time confronting him at the fence these days.

So, I'm off to get ready for work. But armed with my laptop now, I can updated and finally post some pictures, and keep up with what you are all doing. Yeay! I think I'm back!!!

Work and The Dog

I'm here at the ranch, and the director graciously lent me a computer to use while I'm here tonight. There is a girl here for respite who has Prader-Wili syndrome, and needs one on one supervision, so I'll be here for a couple of weeks, mostly full time I think. The shifts run in 24 hour periods, so no matter when I'm working, it's going to be at least an over night.

Porter is turning out to be a great guy! He is very gentle with the residents and has so far stayed calm through both tantrum and seizure. He tells me when he's has enough for the moment and goes to the door. Sometimes I'll see him looking in the screen door, but when I open it for him, he just stays on the step and declines to come in. He just watches from the door for a bit, and when he's ready to join the group again, he lets me know. The residents love him and he seems to understand that this is our work now. He's always ready to go home to his own house and yard, though. For me, as well as Porter, this job is a challenge and a learning opportunity that seems to have come along at just the right time.

I now have cable TV, telephone, an internet service, but unfortunately no computer yet. I've gone shopping for one, and was amazed at the desktop computers that are available now. Monitor and CPU all in one unit! Touch screen. ...and everything sold separately. No more of everything in one box. It was a little daunting for me. I didn't have the money to buy one (luckily), so I have more time to figure out what I want and what I need.

Thanks again for thinking of me and for leaving me the great comments! And to the people who leave me comments in Japanese: I'd be happy to publish your comments if they were in English, and of course not spam, but I can't read Japanese. Please leave your comments in English so my friends and I may enjoy them.

Life goes on

Thank you all for leaving me such wonderful comments! It's hot here now and I'm feeling it. O went back to Lima last week, and I spent a couple of days bummed out, went to the shelter and found a buddy. His name is now Porter and I've taken a few pictures of him, but of course I'm posting from the local library and, as fabulous as it is, I can't put up my own photos from here. So I'll just snap away and save them up till I can show them off.

My other news is that I have found a job in Colorado, about 45 miles from where I live in Cheyenne. It's on the Triangle Cross Ranch, which is not really a ranch, but a farm where mentally challenged people live in a supervised environment. It will be a new challenge for me, and hopefully I'll be up to it. Porter can come too, and spend the days that I'm there with me and the residents, as long as he behaves himself. I really hope that works out, but if he takes time to adjust, then there's a dog run he can stay in.

Gotta go - that's all the time I have in this session. More in a couple of days!

An Update on Kaiser!

Just a short update from Donna on Kaiser Remember him? He's the Husky dog in Central America who was suffering from a terrible skin malady...check him out now!

mayo de 2010
Godspeed, Kaiser!


If all goes according to plan (and we're always ready for a "detour" here), Kaiser will be winging it to Winnipeg, Manitoba, in cool Canada. He's scheduled for a Tuesday morning flight (May 18) that will lead to a wonderful, caring beautiful couple. His first home there will be with Dr. Chris and Marny Hohl. THey seem to have a line-up of frriends who would like to adopt our Kaiser. But once the Hohls meet him.....well....there may be a different ending to this story,,,,,.

For those of us who watched Kaiser suffer through an unnamed disease for many months, this is the best news of the year. When he was finally diagnosed with scarcoptic mamge, we then were able to treat him successfully. Thanks to the vets at Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine for helping with the diagnosis.

For newcomers to the Kaiser story, I will again post his foto in his "bad days" when we first rescued him from an uncaring owner and brought him to Casa Lupita. Dr. Jasson Figueroa took over his medical care, and he had the loving attention of many of us, most of all Lucy Bartlett and Diane M. who cared for him in their homes.




The foto below was taken just days ago when Dr. Jasson and I took Kaiser to the vet for his health check and vaccinations.




Kaiser's two flights on Tuesday will cost a bundle. He must travel in a large kennel on a Continental cargo flight as well as a Westjet flight from Toronto to Winnipeg. We are asking...no, we are BEGGING!...for donations to help defray the high cost of getting Kaiser to Canada. We are estimating a a bill of at least $1,000 dollars for the combined flights. If you can help with any amount, please send to Building New Hope through PayPal or by check. We do need your help.

Thanks to all who had a part in helping Kaiser to recover. Thanks for being part of the massive effort to send him off to a new, wonderful life. And thanks to the many Kaiser fans who kept in touch from afar, asking about him and wishing him a speedy recovery. You got your wish!

Lion Brand's Knitted Menagerie

You've heard of "The Glass Menagerie", right? Well...


Lion Brand made a wonderful display of large knitted and crocheted animals at the Craft and Hobby Association convention in Anaheim, California last week. Pictures of some of them can be seen here. They even had knitted plants!

I can't imagine the amount of work that went into this project, but I love the results, especially the peacock.

A picture of Kaiser

Here is Kaiser, with his hair growing back, although still quite short. Here's the link to Donna's blog post about him.

Update on Kaiser

Today, Donna sent me an e-mail about Kaiser:

Asunto: RE: Kaiser
Enviados: 20 enero 12:53

Hi Kathleen, kaiser is actually beautiful! I was starting to think I would never see him as a well dog again. He loves to take walks with his team of "walkers" who cater to his his whims. First walk of the day is at 6 30 a.m. to the lake and back! Will be posting fotos on my blog soon!

D.

This makes me soooo happy! Thanks to everyone who donated on Kaiser's behalf! When I see the pictures of Kaiser, I'll post a link so you can go see them!

One Sly Fox

One Sly Fox

Merry Christmas!

I wish I knew Bailey! I have visions of Celeste in the same snowy bliss next winter!

About Kaiser...

I wrote to Donna, the project manager of Building New Hope in Nicaragua, About Kaiser's funds, and what to do to specify that a donation is only for Kaiser,and she wrote me back:

“To answer your question about donating to Kaiser, Kathleen, this can be done by going to our website....www.buildingnewhope.org...and using PayPal or by sending a check to Building New hHope. Either way, just write in that it's for Kaiser. And ony Kaiser will get it. We are very good about this...donations go where they are intended. Always.

Thanks so much for your moral support and excellent info about your Husky!

Donna”

And then I asked for an update on Kaiser. And here it is:

“Sadly, the govt agency that must sign off on allowing animals to leave the country will not do this for Kaiser. He's too sick. He's condemned to this place...to the limited knowledge and resources to make him the beautiful dog that he was just months ago.

But today we may have made a little breakthrough. We shaved off all of his thick fur (he lost much of it to his disase, whatever it is) and we soaked him in chlorohexine, an antiseptic shampoo that is also soothing. We're hoping that this will stop whatever is eating his skin, and if we're lucky, cure it. We have plied this poor dog with all kinds of drug combos and applied all kinds of lotions and creams. We are working without a net. There is no lab available that could exam a biopsy....even a skin scraping. It is not a good situation.

But Kaiser has people here who love him and will not give up on him. Thank you for your concern. We'll keep you posted, Kathleen.

Donna

Please Help Kaiser

This is Kaiser, a Siberian Husky in Nicaragua, Central America, where Donna Incitti Tabor is trying to treat him for an inexplicable skin disease. Whatever it is, it's taking him down little by little every day. The thought of euthanisizing this sweet and beautiful animal is painful, but the people at the kennel in Casa Lupita realize that it soon could be their only humane option for a dog that they all have come to love..

Kaiser arrived through less than pleasant circumstances. Apparently he was purchased by a young man who wanted a tough-looking dog, and Kaiser fit the bill. But things changed when the thick fur on his legs and underside of Kaiser's body fell out. Then as his bare skin became infected and inflamed, he stopped being a pet and became a liability, and no medical care or attention was given to him.

If there's a positive aspect to this pathetic situation, Kaiser's owner is a neighbor of Jasson Fuguera, a newly-graduated veterinarian who volunteers at the Casa Lupita animal clinic.

When one of Kaiser's family members threatened to kill him if he couldn't be cured, Jasson brought him to Casa Lupita to care for him every day and to keep him safe from a disappointed family. Different treatments and remedies are tested on Kaiser, But it's all second-guessing since no one can say exactly what the dog's illness is.

They are about to include a more experienced veterinarian in Managua in a treament plan. Dr. Diaz Fonseca feels this may be the same skin affliction present in another dog that he once treated successfully. He is willing to try to save Kaiser.

Though Dr. Diaz is giving a most generous discount for treatment, it will be a long process.... not days or weeks, but months. It will include a skin biopsy, lab work, expensive medication, and daily bathing. And it will eventually mean daily trips from Granada to Managua with Kaiser.

They are now putting out the word to all of you fantastic readers and animal lovers, who may be able to help save Kaiser. He is already fortunate to have reached the heart of Valarie Findlay, a Canadian who has made a start-up donation that will allow treatment to begin. She also intends to adopt Kaiser and have him flown to Canada to join her and her family of four rescue dogs. But first, he must be substantially cured to pass the muster at customs. The full treatment will require the help of many...not just Valarie.

The following is a photo of Kaiser as he was a few days ago. Please help change this to a happy, healthy dog who can one day romp freely in a Canadian snowfall. If at all possible, please donate to Building New Hope through PayPal or by mailing a check to our Pittsburgh office at:
BUILDING NEW HOPE
106 Overton Lane
Pittsburgh, PA 15217

This face

This is the face of a schemer.

This is the face of a manipulator.

And this is the face of a blackmailer.

I think Celeste lays awake at night, laying her plans, scheming how she will control us through the day. This may be the beginning of the Dog Mafioso is our apartment building. All the dogs in this building bark their plans and accomplishments to one another as they leave or return to their apartments. I think they are planning something big. Maybe a blackmailing scheme for bones. I can't be sure, but I see Celeste looking at the other dogs with THAT LOOK in her eyes...hmmmm...

The Painted Pigs

Well, okay piggy banks...

still tired...

Gads, I'm tired

I don't know who this little guy is, but I've felt almost the same recently!

Limitations on dog ownership

This week the city of Jesus Maria announced a limit of one dog per apartment and 2 dogs per house. People are outraged.

It's easy to understand the outrage of the people, and it's also easy (for me) to understand the city's position on limiting the number of dogs per household. There is a $250 fine for those discovered to have more than the allowed number of dogs.

I know most people here love their dogs. Many depend on their dogs for company. But they also have a terrible habit of putting the dogs out when they go to work, to the store, or go visiting for the day. I understand that, too. When I lived in the US, I always put my dogs outside when I went to work. An unsupervised dog in the house can become bored and develop irritating, destructive, and disruptive habits if left alone for hours. But the difference is that I had a fenced back yard for my dogs to play in while I was working. (For the record, Celeste has a comfy crate that she spends her unsupervised time in, with chew toys and her favorite fuzzy sleeping toys.) Few people here have a yard or garden that the dog can spend time in, so they turn the dog out into the street for the day. The consequence is that dogs are often lost, hit by cars, or taken in by other people. This leads to loud and long complaints by the owner who feels that he has been wronged. It also leads to huge mobs of dogs roaming the streets, getting into fights, and causing mischief, and loads of unwanted puppies (neutering is not a common practice here in Peru.) People all over the city complain that they can't live in peace because of the noise of barking dogs in the street.

Now there are long and loud complaints about the limitations being set by the city.

I sympathize with both sides. I know it will be heart wrenching to have to choose which dog to keep and which dog or dogs to get rid of. Some people have an amazing number of dogs...8, 10, or 12 dogs in their homes. I also know that the courts are filled with disgruntled dog owners who have turned their dogs out into the street for the day and discovered that the neighbors have "stolen" them and won't give them back. However, it is not uncommon to see sick and dying dogs in the streets, and I often think that if their owners cared one iota, the poor things would be home, at least in a familiar place instead of lying alone on the sidewalk.

Most of all, I sympathize with the dogs. I suspect many people will simply solve their problem of too many dogs by turning the excess dogs into the street. I imagine there will be a dog pound in Jesus Maria's not too distant future.

Wallace TV

Check out Wallace the pit bull, high-flying Frisbee-catching dog extraordinaire! Check out all his frisbee buddies, too!

The honeymoon's over

There are a lot of homeless people here (and also a lot of drunks) who sleep in the park or in the median between streets or on the sidewalk. Those places serve as beds and bathrooms to these people.

This morning O took Celeste to the park to run. They left happy! They returned angry, disgusted, and disenchanted with each other.

Apparently Celeste discovered that the trees in the park serve as commodes for the homeless. She went wild. One moment, she was O's darling gal, running free and beautiful...and the next she was this ghastly canine creature, eating a pile of YUCK at the base of a tree. The toilet paper had been left over the pile, but Celeste brushed that aside with a deft flick of the snout. O gagged, then screamed, Celeste took one more big gulp and ran off to fight over another pile with two or three other dogs. By the time O snapped the leash back on Celeste's collar, he was sick to his stomach and outraged that she would lower herself to such an act, and Celeste was outraged that he would have interrupted her at such a lavish meal. They returned to the apartment and without mincing words, O told me that he couldn't look at Celeste today, and why, and went back outside to wax the car - for hours.

Celeste waited for O at the front door, but he didn't come in very soon. When he did, he simply stepped over her and went into the bedroom to change his clothes. She followed him, but he shut her out of the room. Later, after we'd eaten at the table and Celeste had eaten in her crate, he lay down in for a nap and Celeste crept in to find out what his big problem was. Shortly thereafter, I heard Celeste barking at O, O yelling back at her, then he ran out of the bedroom with Celeste close on his heels. He snapped her leash on her again and out they went to the bike path.

Apparently they worked out their differences, because at the moment, they are both in the bedroom, both on the bed.

We had a short discussion about dog habits and those little disgusting things that endear the mutts to us and that completely turn our stomachs. Celeste is the first dog that O has shared his living space with. She has taught him a lot, and obviously opened his eyes to dog life, but I know this morning, she went too far. By the time they arrived back at the apartment, she knew it, too. I think he has forgiven her now, but there are no kisses being given there.

The honeymoon is over and reality has set in.

A Letter From Daisy

I recently received a letter from my "Adopt-a-Goat" goat, Daisy:

Well hi!

This is Daisy, your perfectly perfect little goat! I'm starting to look curly again, thank goodness! I just hate the "shaved to the skin" look, don't you? All the big girls are out on the pasture, but I'm living in a little pen with Lilly, Phoebe and Charlie. They told us that we had to stay in the pen because we wouldn't stay in the pasture. It just doesn't seem fair, does it? All that perfectly gorgeous green stuff to eat--peach leaves, flowers, green alfalfa--and I'm shut up in this little pen. Darn! Well, I guess I'll have to just learn my lesson and stay in the fence. I've learned it. I really have. So would you please tell them to let me out now?

The people have started putting some white powdery stuff in my feed and they even dusted me all over with it. I like the way it feels on my nose. It tickles. They tell me that this stuff will make the itchy bugs go away. I'll be happy for that. The only thing is, it makes my grain look different. It's just not the same and I really like things to be the same.

The nice thing about my pen is that I have a very nice house to hide in when there's a storm. I haven't been wet once this summer and that suits me just fine.

That's all for now. My life just isn't very exciting, I guess, but if you'll tell the people to let me out of this little pen, things could get really exciting pretty fast!

Thanks for being my sponsor,
Daisy

Daisy

As most of you know by now, Last month I adopted Sombra, a gorgeous black ewe lamb from Maggie. This month, I have taken the plunge and adopted a white yearling Angora goat from Woolyworks. This morning, I received a letter from my sponsored child! How well educated this young lady is! I didn't even know goats could write! And she sent me photos of herself - one as a baby and the other as a yearling after her first haircut. Look at her gorgeous horns!

I must say that receiving this letter from my second sponsored child is a bit like getting a letter from a foreign correspondent. So exciting!


(Daisy as a baby)

Here is an exerpt from her letter:

Hello,

My name is Daisy. I'm almost a year old now and I'm very pretty. People have trouble telling me apart from my sister Lily, but I'm the prettier one, of course. I have black spots on my nose and Lily's nose is pink. Silly people! I'm sending my baby picture so you can see how very pretty I was and how much prettier I am now.

Last week I got my beautiful long coat forcibly stolen from me by these people that take care of me. You can imagine how outraged I was. I let them know all about my feelings, you can be sure. Afterwards they poked me twice with a needle and forced some white stuff down my throat. They told me it was for my own good, but I still hated it. It was a nice day so when they let me go, I ran around the pen, jumped against the shelter, and did about a dozen vertical leaps just to try out my new haircut. I suppose it will do for now.

It got cold a few days later and I huddled in the shelter, feeling very sorry for myself. Today, the wind isn't blowing anymore and I'm really hungry. I wish they would let me out of the pen so I can feed myself, as I surely deserve, being the prettiest on and all.

That's all for now.

Very sincerely and with thanks for adopting me,
Daisy


(Daisy as a yearling, just after shearing.)

I enjoy so much being able to contribute to the raising of these animals in some way. I know that $100 a year is just a drop in the bucket compared to what it really costs to maintain an animal for a year.

For my $100 yearly fee, I will receive:

1. A framed picture of my goat.

2. Monthly reports and picture updates detailing the progress and activities of my special friend (or in my case, my foreign correspondent).

3. Farm privileges to visit the farm and interact with my animal and his/her herd one on one.

4. Fiber workers take notice! Two raw fleeces per year, one in the spring (April-May) and one in the fall(Sept.-Oct.). If for some reason they deem a fleece to be unacceptable, I will be given a similar fleece as a replacement.

5. Satisfaction of knowing I'm helping prevent the disappearance of the small family farm and providing excellent board and care for a friendly, personable and productive animal.

6. Invitations to shearing days and farm events, including notification of kiddings.

7. If I choose to purchase livestock from them in the future, I will receive 20% off the price of any animal on the farm or 25% off of the price of my adopted animal.

8. Naming privileges for any and all offspring produced by my goatie friend. Choose the name and it will stick!

9. And the greatest part is right here: 50% off the purchase of full mohair fleeces--for fiber freaks!

Two raw fleeces may seem intimidating, but I know that Woolyworks also processes fiber. They're in the process of shearing animals now! Contact them for your mohair or alpaca fiber!