D-Day. Snakebite. More Cleaning.

My gosh, it is D-Day again: http://www.worldwar2history.info/D-Day/ 
I remember that day in 1944.  The only day my girlfriend and I had played hooky, and there hundreds of planes going south over London. We didn't know what to make of it.  We were used to planes going over us, and the Germans dropping bombs on us, but we had never seen so many planes at once.  We went around a corner, and ran straight into my grandma, so that ended that day of hooky!
We didn't know how important that day was, as we didn't realize what war was all about. All we knew was that we were "at war", but it was all we had known, so we didn't know what "peace" was.
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"I was astounded to find that the once-traditional methods of dealing with the injury have nothing to do with the current and correct treatment of a venomous snakebite.
Sucking or cutting the wound site, using a tourniquet, holding the afflicted area above the heart or icing down the wound are now considered absolute NO-NO's and can actually cause disfigurement, infection and even death if used for treatment."
"A severely swollen hand was only one of the many effects from the rattlesnake bite."
See the new commended methods for treating snakebite: http://www.bakersfield.com/news/columnist/merlo/x735122679/Steve-Merlo-A-snakebite-story-that-will-rattle-your-nerves

Make sure you have a snakebite kit in your RV.
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Today:

When I drove the van yesterday, I discovered that we had glued the little 'fish-eye' mirror in the wrong place.  We got it off with some Goof-Off and a razor blade, and glued it to a different corner of my driver's side mirror, with Marine Goop. While they are rebuilding the freeways in Conroe, there are some pretty dangerous exits, and I want to be able to see who's a-comin', when I am on the feeder road.

Ray and I took down the living room Old Rose drapes, and cornices, which match my couch, so I could wash them, but I decided to put the off white ones back up. 
That meant Ray getting on a step ladder and handing them down from the top of my closet.  Some of the things there hadn't been washed for a while, so that caused two loads of laundry.  And some painting.  That part of the rack along the top of the closet, looked like it was almond, not white like the rest. So we washed it and spray painted it with white plastic paint.  It's dry, so now I can put everything back.

We got the all the drapes back up in the Hall.

 


 











Front door on the left.   Middle Room door across from it.

The round thing in the window is a clock facing out into the RVport.  This retiree needs to know the time.



More of the Hall


Cedar coat closet,
with Paco's leash hanging off knob



Door to Middle Room.




Now, that Hall was never supposed to have been there, but I am glad it is, now though.

On the plans, it was supposed to be a covered entry porch for my plants, but the contractors read it wrong, so enclosed, and sheet rocked it. 

That is why there is a double glazed patio door going from the side of my living room into the Hall!!

Another patio door is on the front of the living room, and goes into the screen porch.

So we built in another glass door, and window, going into the Middle Room, which goes to the Grooming Room. And trimmed it in cedar, to match the coat closet.

You can just see the cat's cages through that window.

The door on the left side of the Middle Room, is a small narrow full bathroom, where I wash the dogs.

It has a 46" tub in it, just right for washing dogs.

It was made out of a 10 ft. long space, 46" wide at one end, 24" at the other.

This is the restroom outsiders use, so they don't have to go through my bedroom to the Master Bath.

















Now, remember this just started out as a 14ft x 34ft winter casita, but it grew!

Our temperatures are record highs, and it is another hot, humid one today.

Your Special K-9 Partner. Adoption Day

Now, your clever dog can now show off it's talents shoulder to shoulder with the AKC registered 'big boys'. 
Agility, Obedience and Rally events are now open to all dogs.   This is great step for K-9dom.

I don't believe in deliberately mixing breeds, (like 'labradoodles, and such), but there are so many wonderful mutts out there, and they all deserve our love and the best recognition of their achievements.

"Dear Dog Lover,
We are pleased to inform you of a decision made by the AKC Board which will enhance the AKC Canine Partners program. This exciting new program allows mixed breed dog owners to list their dogs and participate in AKC Agility, Obedience and Rally events starting April 1, 2010.
While each club’s participation in the AKC Canine Partners program will remain voluntary, clubs may now choose to allow mixed breed participation at any AKC Agility, Obedience or Rally event. Mixed breeds will compete in the same classes and earn the same titles as their purebred counterparts." 
More at: http://www.akc.org/pdfs/mixedBreed/CPLetter.pdf

If you wish to enter your agility, or obedience trained dog, look for a place here:
http://www.akc.org/events/search/index.cfm?action=refresh_index&active_tab_row=2&active_tab_col=3&fixed_tab=8
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Here is a mutt who entered and won third prize: http://www.theawl.com/2010/05/mutts-break-125-year-old-fur-barrier
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Today:

Ray and I finished getting the 'for sale stuff' out of the Hall this morning.  Most of it was taken over to the storeroom, except for the computers and electronics.  Those are now on, or in, the shelves of the Hall bookcase, away from pet hair.

We cleaned the floor, vacuumed all the books, shelves, top of the ancient cedar coat closet, polished the furniture, cleaned the windows, and re-hung the mini-blinds.  I grabbed a quick cheese and apple butter sandwich, and changed my clothes.  I was already worn out when it came time for Ray to help me load up the cat cages at 12.30pm ready for Adoption Day.

Of course, scaredy-cat Patches didn't want to go, but I insisted, as lot of people have been looking at her webpage, and she needs to get used to being out and about. 
Easy going Prime, as usual, goes along with whatever is going on. 
Paco traveled in a small carrier, seat belted in the passenger seat, but I lead him into the store on a leash.  He was very good while in one of the display cages, and had a lot of admirers.  He had pictures taken for his own http://www.petfinder.com/ webpage.
But Patches and Prime jammed themselves in the bottom storey of a two storey kitty condo, and I had to extricate them, as they were getting too hot. 
I put Prime on the top shelf, and told her to stay there, and she did.

We had several couples who said they were going to do their applications online. Even if they haven't got an animal picked out, it speeds up the process if their applications have already been checked out and approved. 
We think that "Foots" the Boxer, and "Hope" the Dachshund will have new homes, if the apps. are approved.  All our animals are raised in foster homes, as we (SPCA) don't have a shelter in our county, so they are treated like pets, and are all very sweet, but those two dogs are extra sweet.

While the animals were there, I really should have gone to Krogers, Lowes and Wal-Mart, but I just stayed in the Adoption Room.  We take each of the dogs out at least once during their hours at Adoption Day, so I helped with that, and talked to prospective parents.  We have a two loose leaf books there, 1 for dogs, and 1 for cats, and each animal has it's own page, with pictures, and a description of it's personality, so we can answer questions about each other's fosters.

Kenya helped me load them back in the van, and Ray helped me unload them at home, but it has been a sore, tiring (Aleve) day.

Texas! Soup. More Painting and Sorting.

Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about folks from Texas ...

"If someone in a Lowe's store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Texas ;
If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Texas ;
If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Texas ;
If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of Dallas for the weekend, you may live in Texas ;
If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Texas ;
If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Texas ;
If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Texas ;
If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Texas
If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph --you're going 80 and everybody's passing you, you may live in Texas ;
If you find 60 degrees 'a little chilly,' you may live in Texas ;
If you actually understand these jokes, and share them with all your Texas friends, you definitely live in Texas .. "

To embellish Jeff Foxworthy's byline a bit, "there are rednecks and other senseless people everywhere, even in campgrounds".

Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas .

1.  Beaumont to El Paso : 837 miles  (Acutally it is more from LA border to NM border).

2..Beaumont to Chicago : 770 miles

          3... El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas

4... World's first rodeo was in Pecos , July 4, 1883.

5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water. Destroyed by Hurricane Ike -2008!

6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston .

7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America

8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

10. The worst natural disaster in U.S.... history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane, in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island .

11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20,1969, was " Houston ," but the space center was actually in Clear Lake City at the time.

12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island ..

13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43' in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979...

14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. Flag, and may divide into 5 states.

15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.

16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper..

          18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington -on- the Brazos, Harrisburg , Galveston ,Velasco,     West Columbia and Austin ...

19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).

20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free standing monument in the world and it is taller than the Washington monument.

21. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas ..

22. The State Mascot is the Armadillo (an interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.).

23. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston

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Cowboy's Ten Commandments
(Posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Fairlie , Texas)
1) Just one God.

(2) Honor yer Ma & Pa.
(3) No telling tales or gossipin'.
(4) Git yourself to Sunday meeting.
(5) Put nothin' before God.
(6) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal.
(7) No killin'.
(8) Watch yer mouth.
(9) Don't take what ain't yers.
(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff.
Y'all git all that?

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Today:

Ray knew he was going to be tackling the trim and door in the kitchen, so I left him here, while Paco the little Chihuahua, and I went to get Jay in the Puddle Jumper.  I just use it in this big subdivision. (I use it like a golf cart, but it will haul more, and has sides for when it is raining!)

On their fenced porch, Paco played with little Maddie, their Yorkie.  If I had known, I would have taken my camera.  Very different from stand-offish Sparky, (the Long Coat Chihuahua that I took care of for two weeks).

Paco just sat still in the car, and behaved, even when we stopped at the community mailboxes to get our mail.  Sparky would have been up in the front seat and would have tried to jump out, when the doors opened.  When we got back he just got in his bed and watched Ray sand and paint.

Jay and his mother, Claudia had had enough of one of those Sam's Club pre-cooked chickens, so gave it to me.  I took the one remaining breast half off, and stored it, as that is only part I will eat.  I even had some for lunch.  Of course, I had cats and a dog at my feet, begging, while I was dismantling it, so they each got a little, too.  Spoiled bratkins!

Then I put the rest of it in my electric pressure cooker with some low sodium chicken bouillon, and let it simmer under pressure for an hour, until the bones were SOFT.  That is very important, as bones can surely hurt an animal's innards.  This will then be strained, and the broth put in something to let the fat settle to the top, solidify and be thrown away.  Or the fat might be frozen to make suet for the birds next winter, I will have to research whether birds should eat poultry fat, sounds like cannibalism to me!  
The broth should be great for making a good soup base for whatever, and the rest will make a good addition to their pet food. So nothing is wasted.

Jay and I were attacking the stuff for sale in my Hall.  It is the only place in the house where no animals live, a precaution for buyers who have allergies.  So that is where it get shoved.  We boxed up the things can be offered in a yard sale and took them up to the storeroom attic.  I don't go up and down stairs when I am on my own, so that is why the 'stuff' had built up a bit.

I am trying to make that Hall area, on top of the low bookcase, just for computers, monitors, keyboards, etc. for sale. They can't be in the non climate controlled storeroom, and I am tired of them taking up space in the bottom of closets.
We took the mini blinds down and washed them.  We lay them out on an outside table, spray them with diluted 4-1 SuperClean from WM Auto Dept., lightly brush with soft brush, then hose them down.   We stand them up against something, on the ends of their fins, to dry, so it doesn't take very long.  I had already washed the drapes the other day.

Ray had done a little touch up paint in the Hall, so we didn't vacuum the windows sills, etc, but tomorrow is another day.