Texas surprise

I arrived in Texas yesterday afternoon for a surprise visit with my #2 son who will soon have his 50th birthday. Pretty handsome for a guy over the hill, don't you think.


My DIL wanted to REALLY surprise him, and surely we did.

He had called me yesterday afternoon - aren't cell phones wonderful! I sat on HIS front porch and talked to him and he had no idea I wasn't in Alabama.

When he got home from work I was sitting on the sofa and when he finally looked around and saw me, he was really surprised... "What are you doing here? I just talked to you on the phone"!!

So, we'll have a great week. It's kind of a treat to be someone's birthday gift :)

Frosty is a cutie

I promised to post a photo after Frosty finally got groomer and then life got in the way and I didn't get it done. So here you are. Isn't he a cutie?

We're fighting the flea problem though. Of course, I have so many animals at home how that it's a definite challenge, but I'm determined.

Goat herding kittens

Who would have thought.

Well, at least now, the two resident front porch kittens are earning their keep.

First, Boots is a great mouser - though he refuses to share with his lazy brother, Firestar.

Or, we thought he was lazy till late yesterday afternoon. Here's the story....

Everyone was gone to various places except grandson Nathan who went to the kitchen for food (an activity he does a lot - he's a big growing football player). He heard a goat crying. You know, the 'help me I don't know what to do' cry. Sounded like it was coming from the front (shouldn't be coming from the front). Looked out and sure enough, "Darth Vader" (little black billy) was OUT of the pasture and near the road in front.

So, Nathan goes rushing out (barefoot) to try and get Darth Vader back in the pasture before the dumb little thing gets out in the road and gets run over. Opens the big gate and tries to herd the Darth Vader towards it. Darth Vader does not cooperate, runs into the woods beside the cemetery (at the edge of my front yard).

This chasing/herding goes on for a little while with no positive effects.

Suddenly - here comes Firestar flying off the porch, into the wooded area and part way up a pine tree. Darth Vader runs past and Firestar leaps out of the pine tree onto his back. Darth Vader goes tearing out of the wooded area towards the front porch. Boots comes flying off the front porch hissing and spitting. Darth Vader takes the path of least resistence and runs through the gate back into the pasture.

The goat herding kittens retire to the front porch to bask in their success.


Wish I had a video.

Traumatic day on Friday for Frosty

...but he did great. No grooming pics yet though. This is a long story, so either bear with me, or click away...

Frosty is 9 years old, a teacup toy poodle who is MY BABY, weighs 3-1/2 pounds and apparently has really "loose skin" (I didn't realize that).

Anyway, he'd gone to the same groomer since he was a teeny tiny puppy until a few months ago. She'd never had a really great personality, and Frosty had come home with shaver burns several times. I mentioned it to her (and mentioned a friend who'd taken a dog to her and had a really bad shaver burn) the last time he went there and she got really defensive and huffy and was just downright rude - AND Frosty didn't come home with a very good cut. So, I decided.... I don't need to pay someone money to be rude to me!!!

Looked around for another groomer - not too many in a small town - found a new one and thought I'd try her - can you say DISASTER!!!! Frosty came home with fleas and a bad shoulder which is still bothering him.

Soooo, still need a groomer. A new one opened up in Guntersville and I went by one day early last week and talked to her. Nice lady, very pleasant and cheery - nice clean place. Cute happy dogs there and she didn't want to keep him ALL day like the original one. Take him in at the appointment time, pick him up a couple of hours later.

His first appointment there was Friday, so I dropped him off on my way to work (10ish). She called a bit after 12noon for me to pick him up. Her voice sounded a bit strained on the phone, but I haven't talked to this lady on the phone, so....

When I got there about 10 minutes later, she was holding Frosty and when I walked in she burst into tears. Took me 5 minutes to calm her down enough to tell me what was wrong - I thought someone had died.

It seems when she was clipping Frosty, she nicked him on the right front elbow. She said he didn't cry and was really good, he had just flinched a bit. She double checked and could see the bone - she freaked. She immediately closed her shop and rushed him to the vet. My vet (she uses the same one) was closed on Friday for a long weekend, but fortunately there's another one in town, so she went there. They took them right in (emergency you know) and really thought it would be a good idea to put stitches in - but since they would have to put him to sleep to do that she declined. They did put in two staples (no idea why they could do that and not stitches, but what do I know). He was really good at the vet's too.

She's alternately telling me all this and sobbing and apologizing. She said because his skin was so loose, and he's so little it made it more difficult to cut him super short (which I'd requested).

Now, the reason I have him groomed so short is because he hates for me to brush him and he mats really easily. She didn't get to finish grooming him - no bath as the vet said not to get the staples wet.

The gist of this whole story is, he goes back next Friday to have the staples removed, then I'll take him back to her and she'll finish grooming him - AND she wants me to bring him in twice a week so SHE can comb him out and that way his fur can get longer.

Frosty doesn't seem any the worse for wear at all - he's bouncing around as usual (except for the right shoulder that's been giving him trouble from the previous groomer). I handled it okay - I wasn't mad and was really more concerned with her. IF she had been blase and defensive about it like the other groomer I would have been mad, but I've never seen anyone as upset over a mistake. Of course she paid the vet bill, and she's not charging me for the grooming or the weekly combing.

Think I've found my new groomer!!

btw - I'll post pictures after he's done next Friday :)

The cat at Shepherd's Cove

Visited a friend at Shepherd's Cove today.

And in case you're wondering, Shepherd's Cove is a local Hospice facility. All of their offices are housed there and they have ten rooms for patients. Patients who can't be cared for at home, or for respite care for the caregivers. It's an absolutely gorgeous place.

Today was my first visit - it's been built since my dh died, but this is the same Hospice group that took care of him and they are WONDERFUL. I have no idea how I'd have made it without them.

Anyway, back to the facility. The patient rooms are huge and more like a room in your home than a patient room. Armoir with TV, sofa, comfy chair and double french doors that open to a private patio. There's also a 'family living room' complete with all the amenities, a small kitchen, dining area, etc. They even have a kids play room.

You can see some photos of the place here.

I was walking down the hall on my way to visit and looked over in one of the little sitting areas and what was laying on the coffee table but a HUGE cat. Now, I have cats at home, but it would take three of my cats to make this one - and on top of that he has lots of really long fur. He's gorgeous, super laid back, and refused to stand for a photo.

My picture isn't very clear, but you can get an idea of his size, those are normal size magazines on the table he's on.



Apparently he wanders the halls at will. And what a wonderful idea for patients and families to have a soft furry creature to pet.