Here is Jan's pup story:
Our dog's name is Lobie. We met her when we were living in NW Arkansas - just east of the Okla border. In fact Okla was on the other side of our back yard. Our house was just outside of the city limits and we had woods on 2 sides of our house. We had just moved to this house and Lobie came out of the woods. She was so skinny you could see her ribs. The hair on her back was stiff and prickly and she looked pretty scared. She came up to my husband, John and me with her head down and her tail between her legs.
There was not a leash ordinance in our area so the neighbor's dogs ran free and their owners kept their food bowls outside. Well, the chidren were all afraid of Lobie because they thought she was a coyote. The neighbors didn't like her because she was eating their dog's food. So the sheriff was looking for Lobie. We noticed that every time the sheriff came around, Lobie disappeared into the woods. We thought she was a pretty smart dog.
Well, every time she came out of the woods she would come visit us. We felt really sorry for her but we were not looking for a dog, although we didn't have one. We were getting ready to go on vacation for about 2 weeks and thought this was not the best time to adopt her, but we were growing kind of attached to her. We bought a big bag of dog food and asked our neighbor down the road to feed her while we were gone and if she was still there when we got back we were going to adopt her. Oh yes, she was going to have puppies.
Well, the sheriff decided to leave her alone until her puppies came. When we got back from vacation, she came out from under the neighbor's deck (the one who was feeding her) she herded her 5 puppies to our house and under our back porch. So we named her Lobie-short for lobo (because she looks like a coyote or wolf) except for her round eyes. She has been with us now for 10 years. She is the sweetest dog I have ever known. We gave the puppies away. We think she understands what we say and sometimes it seems she understands what we think.
Posted by Carol, from Jan
89 comments:
Jan, That's a mug you can love! If anyone could say no to those eyes..... They are looking right into your soul.
And those eyes are saying, love, love, love. That's why I like dogs so much. I have this thing for unconditional love. People can't give it to you. We're just too flawed but dog's can. That's why I don't think it is any coinidence that when you spell d o g backwards you spell G o d. Maybe God is right here with us and he/she is fuzzy and cuddly.
And they do know what you are thinking. Maggie knows what I'm thinking and what I'm fixing to do. When I'm thinking about taking her for a walk, her eyes light up. When I put on my belt to go somewhere, she knows I'm leaving because I never wear a belt when I'm at home. She gets sad then.
Jan,
What a beautiful animal and a great story. I can't understand how people can abandon (and therefore, abuse) animals, the way they do. That beautiful dog is a perfect example of built in rewards for good deeds. Some things are just meant to be.
Carol, I agree that dogs are very intuitive, and some are much smarter than others. I have one dog, that I swear is a genius. She looks like one of those Alaskan sleigh dogs with a very thick, heavy coat, and is extremely hyper, so has to live outside. She overheats easily, because of her fur and her hyperness, so we keep one of those little kids pools full for her to cool off throughout the day. Dogs don't sweat, and I read they cool off through their feet. And she does stand in that pool a lot when it's hot. We keep her in a spot where it's always shaded. Now, in the winter, she loves it. She's 'never' cold. Like I said, I'm sure she was the pup of someone that brought her mother from Alaska. She was a stray also, like all my animals.
Chloe, some just pretend to be dumb so you'll feel sorry for them or so they won't show you up. Their crafty too.
I've been outside playing. It's already hot and humid.
I can't wait for Jan to wake up and check in and see her sweetheart looking at her. Her's sooo coot.
I been catching fish lately but everyone else is taking them home with them. If I get a hankering for some fish, I'm out of luck. Of course I didn't have any room in my freezer so yesterday I went to Wally World and bought a baby freezer.
It was the last one they had and the box was damaged. I brought my little garden cart and a little what ya ma call it, that you roll heavy stuff on.
I got it home, pulled off the box and it was all smashed in down one corner. I wasn't going to try and bring it back but I called the store manager to see if I could get a discount for it being smashed up. I told him I would bring my receipt and a pic. He said no just bring it back. Well I'm not going to go through all that again. It seems to be working so far.
HEY WALLY WORLD, I'M ONE OF YOUR BEST CUSTOMERS. IT'S NOT NICE TO SCREW WITH ME!
Carol, Take the receipt and the picture back to WM customer service. Ask to see 'the' store manager (not some underling) and tell him the whole story. Tell him if they need you to bring the whole thing back, then they'll have to send someone out to load it. Don't take no for an answer. Tell them to check their sales computer, to see how much you spend there 'every' week. What's fair is fair.
... and you don't sell damaged merchandise to a good customer without a discount.
Carol, Did you notice that we all have a little trash can by our posts, except for you? They must do that so the blog owner can delete abusive posts. It's nice that we can delete our mistakes, but then it tells everyone that we deleted something. Don't want too many of those on a thread. Makes people curious.
Chloe, I have a little trash can by my posts too. It wouldn't be fair if I couldn't empty my trash. I put out a lot of it.
Oh. I guess we can only see our own little trash can. Since it was just you and me so far today, I had no others to compare.
Flatus had a very touching story this morning about his bipolar daughter over on TM. It must be a difficult disease to deal with, in its extreme.
Oh, and funny little twist on words Carol, about putting out a lot of trash. No one puts out more trash than I do. Believe me.
Chloe, so many of our inmates are Bipolar. There was this woman we had in last year. She came from a very well off family here. I knew some of her inlaws. She was very intelligent.
She was diagnosed as Bipolar. She was divorced, started running around the country, picking up crazy guys, spending money, doing drugs. You name it and she was doing it.
She was arrested so many times here and in many other places. She finally ended, up for a good while, in our jail. She even had to be in solitary since the other women were threatening to beat her ass. It was so sad.
We finally got her on the right meds and she was a new woman. She is out but living in a type of assisted living facility.
Mental illness is a very sad thing. I just ponder how people can be normal and then...bam they aren't anymore. Well they may have had a touch of nuts but not enough to disrupt their lives. Some control it with alcohol or drug abuse. It's called self medicating.
I agree with you that a lot of alcoholism and drug use is self medicating. At the same time, I'm sure the alcohol and drugs end up making it even worse.
Bipolar disease has to be one of the hardest to control. From what I hear, they don't want to take their medication, because they enjoy their highs so much. But the lows can be devastating. It sounds like the lady you were talking about has a lot more problems than just beng bipolar too. There seems to be no shortage of women around that go for the 'crazy' guys and that invite others to take advantage of them.
I'm going to go start my spaghetti sauce. We eat early, and I should have started an hour ago, but of course I'm goofing off, as usual.
I am up and around. I have not slept well this weekend. My son was on the road on his new motorcycle for 2 days and I had a hard time sleeping at night. I have turned into a real worry wart in my older adult years (I prefer this term to elderly). I feel a ponder coming on about aging - for another day. Anyway, my son got home about 1:15 this morning. He rode that bike 1700 miles from Detroit, Michigan to Albuq - bought it on e-bay. He called me a while ago -said he had a great time-stayed on back roads and met some other bikers. He is my middle-child and was always the more adventurous one - a risk taker. I have read that middle kids are the risk takers - and most fighter pilots have been middle-kids. I enjoy reading about birth order. Carol, I have not read much about twins and birth order, have you?
Carol, thanks for putting up my story about Lobie and her pictures. The little dog she is nosing is Willie who lives down the street. Willie is also a rescue and has only one eye- you can see his one eye. He was born with only the one. He is a really sweet dog too. My hubs and I think dogs are spiritual too. We were having a tough time in our marriage when Lobie came along and I think Lobie has helped our communication. At least, since we have had her we seem to communicate better.
Wouldn't it be great if rescue dogs could be paired with prison inmates? They could do a lot to rescue one another...
Carol & Chloe, I too think bipolar is a terrible disorder. I used to teach psych nursing and read several books by people with bipolar. One autobiog from a woman psychiatrist with bipolar. Chloe, she talks in her book about loving her highs so she would go off her meds. Interesting lady you talk about Carol who was incarcerated - drugs do make such a difference.
Wow Ivy, what a great idea. They have paired dogs with terminally ill children.
Carol, I just read what you said about dog spells God backwards, and maybe God is with us and is fuzzy and cuddly. That is profound. I read it to my hubs, John, we both love that.
Chloe, I love the story of your dog. What is her name? She sounds like a sweetie too. Lobie hates water except to drink.
Well, I have heard about people with Bipolar disorder loving their highs also but it is those highs that get them in so much trouble with the law.
We have lots of inmates now who come in saying they are Bipolar wanting their Seroquel. Seroquel is called, in prison, the jailhouse heroin. Some jails have stopped prescribing it because it is abused by the inmates. We try to be careful because it is such a good drug to treat the disorder.
And Ivy, there is some women's prison where they train or do something with dogs. I saw it on MSNBC, I think. MSNBC does a lot of programs on prisons/jails. Actually it might have been on The Dog Whisperer.
Carol,
That's good to hear. Does the program work? If so, why wouldn't they try it with the male inmates?
Those "lock-up" shows are about the only shows on MSNBC that I won't watch because it's usually so depressing.
Ivy, I don't know if I would want some of those guys messing with dogs.
Ivy, I just googled it and lots came up about inmates training dogs.
That's good to hear. I was just thinking in some cases it would be good for the inmates and good for the dogs. The essential core of being a human is to be bonded with something emotionally and spiritually, and to receive unconditional love. Who does that better than a dog?
"My goal is to be as wonderful as my dog thinks I am."
Another variation:
"Lord, help me become the person my dog thinks I am."
What is that thing when dogs whimper and shake while napping? My puppy is lying by the door doing that now? Seems like she's having a nightmare. Are we supposed to wake them?
"My puppy is lying by the door doing that now?"
That was supposed to be a statement, not a question. In the meantime, she woke up on her own and shook it off.
It's just dreaming. We probably do that also but don't see it because we are sleeping. My dogs have always done that.
Since fishing high period is at about 1p today and it's too hot to fish, and too much boat boat traffic on Sunday afternoon, I decided to bait an old crab trap I have and throw it off the wharf.
I got the trap when a friend had a camp out on a big salt water lake down south of here. Used it to catch crabs. Can't do that here because it is fresh water but I kept my trap thinking there is always something I can use it for. Story of my life.
Well I baited it with some weinnies. So far I caught a big crab, not suppose to be in there, 4 blue gill, two were too small to keep, and a turtle, I threw him back. I go check it every 30 minutes. It's so much fun. Always a surprise what I'm going to find in it.
Makes you ponder, What Do Dogs Dream About? If only they could say.
What kind of turtle was it, Carol? I have a special attachment to turtles which I have three of them as pets. They are wonderful creatures.
He wouldn't tell me Ivy. I have to make sure I get the turtles out fast because I think they would drown in there. I don't know how long they can hold their breaths. I might try to look that up.
Carol, will you share your recipe for lemon basted chicken wings? I have a hankerin for them.
That's an easy one Jan. You get yourself some wings. You can cut them up, removing the little wingy thing. Line then up in a cake pan or something similar. Cut pats of butter or margerine, put on top. Drown then in lemon juice, not that fake stuff, the real McCoy. Then powder them down with some Tony's seasoning. That's a spicy good!
Maggie will be sitting next to me waiting for her samples. She's a little Cajun dog. I try to give her the little center part, not so full of the seasoning.
I cook them at about 400 degrees until they are golden brown. I haven't found anyone who doesn't like them Jan unless they don't like lemon. I go through a bag of lemons a week. I like a little food with my lemon juice.
Now Ivy, if I was a real Cajun, I'd be cooking up that turtle. Cajuns eat anything that moves and some things that don't if it hasn't been too long since they once did.
My friend Linda, hi Linda, wonders how I can spend so much time sitting in front of my computer. I told her I don't. I run up and pop something on, and off I go. Right now, I'm smothering a chuck roast, crab fishing, piddling around downstairs.
I do a lot of running up and down the stairs, it's my aerobic exercise program. I don't and can't sit still. I don't even sleep still.
Well, Carol, now you've prompted my "turtle revival story." Two of the turtles (they are red-eared sliders) were bought by me and my daughter as unsuspecting pet-store shoppers while on vacation at the beach. Same deal as they used to sell when we were kids in a little plastic-tray-with-a-plastic-palm-tree (another story for later.)
Anyway, one of them ("Josephine") got sucked up against the filter in their tank and "drowned." I was both heart-broken and guilt-ridden. I decided to give her the old "indecent burial at sea" (i.e., the big flusheroo) but I had to wait until my daughter got home from school because she wouldn't have forgiven me if we hadn't made a proper funeral out of it. I removed Josephine from the water and covered her corpse with a paper towel. Upon my daughter's arrival, I sadly explained the incident. Upon lifting off the towel, there was Josephine staring at us wide-eyed as if to say, what the hell are you looking at?
Josephine is now the biggest of the three. Hubs says we are going to have to put them in our will, they will outlive all of us.
Another occasion, the same Josephine escaped from their aquarium. Fours days later, I discovered she had been living all the while under my dryer...with the dryer running most of that time!
Those are some funny stories Ivy. Next time, use a stethescope to check for a heart beat. Good thing you waited for the burial or Josephine would have woke up to a white water adventure to the sewage treatment plant. Maybe that would be brown water adventure.
That reminds me of a story involving Jan and her kids. Her youngest had this bird that died. She was very distressed about it and how she was going to have to tell her son that his bird was dead.
To lend my moral support, I went with her to pick him up from school . We were both anxious about how we were going to break the news. Got to school and she sits him in the car and sweetly tells him about the demise of his bird, waiting for an emotional reaction.
As soon as she finished telling him, expecting to have to start some grief counseling, he opens the car window and yells at one of his friends, hey Mikie, my bird died. We just looked at each other. Kids are totally unpredictable.
Jan, The dog I was talking about is Misha (pronounced Meesha). I also have an Chewey (the only male), Cassy (who is now blind, old age), Ladybug and Apache running around the property. They all come in at night, except Misha. The little ones spend most of the day inside also (keeps them out of trouble), and of course Cassy is always under our wing.
(Any thoughts about why middle kids are the risk takers, Jan?)
And, by the way, Willie is adorable too.
Ivy,
I wouldn't trust some of the convicts around animals. I don't think they'd be able to house the dogs in the general population of convicts, from what I've seen of some of those maniacs. Of course, I understand that the majority are probably not violent, but after spending too much time in there, I'm sure most end up that way in order to survive. Of course, Carol knows a lot more about it, than I do.
Carol, I had no idea just how hyper you are. I bet no one can keep up with you.
You have a whole pack of dogs Chloe. What other animals do you have? I bet dinner time is a big event.
My opinion would be that you would have to be very careful which inmates could be around the animals. They would have to be housed in a separate unit.
Carol,
You should have seen how pitiful Josephine looked when she was "dead." Her head hanging limp with her little eyes shut, and limbs and tail dangling limply. You would have thought she was a goner for sure. Then to see her a few hours later, it was truly a "miracle."
Carol, Four horses (Cheyenne, America, Misty and Peach). And a bunch of cats running around the property too. All our animals are neutered and spayed, so glad to say we're not multiplying. And yes, dinner time is a lot of work.
Sounds like she was in a type of coma Ivy.
... that coma is probably what kept her alive.
Chloe & Carol,
It truly saddens me to think there are people so disconnected from their own humanity that they could not be entrusted with even the care of a dog. What got them to such a disconnection, and can anything be done to help them learn to reconnect? The answer has to be in kindness and love, not in revenge and retribution.
I just put the ponder out there for the sake of pondering...now I will need to turn my thoughts to happier topics...
Ivy, I think anyone that disconnected and mean has a serious mental illness. And I don't think kindness and love alone will ever make them normal. Remember that abuse of animals is one of the first signs of showing how dangerous a deranged person is. I can hardly stand to think about it either.
For now, I want to focus on what you said: turning my thoughts to happier topics.
I have seen some mean dogs too. They are mean not by nature, but by conditioning. I had a dog trainer who worked with rehabbing the meanest. He used kindness and love to get them to trust again. We can learn how to treat people from how the "Dog Whisperers" treat dogs.
Yes, Carol, happy thoughts for a happy holiday...Jan's dog story has a happy ending. So did my Josephine's.
I have considered returning my turtles to the wild. Even though two of them were born in captivity and have never known "the wild." I wonder, if released, would they know what to do, how to hunt, when to hibernate, how to mate? They are so domesticated, they will only eat if I am hand-feeding them. Sometimes, it's my hand they are trying to eat!
Red-eared sliders are a southern U.S. native species. There is a reasonable chance that's the one you captured and released, Carol.
Ivy, Since you've hand fed them and protected them, I think they may have lost their ability to live in the wild. I wouldn't do it, unless they've become a hardship for you.
I agree with what you said about giving the dogs kindness and love, and they are totally different and more trustworthy than those that have been abused..
Although, I never trust any animal 100%. I always keep a close watch on Emma when any animals are around and a close watch on my cats around the dogs. They do have that prey instinct deeply embedded in their brain, and can lose control if the conditions are right. Even though they are loving and trustworthy most of the time, they are still animals.
Ivy, they may not know they are turtles. You'll have to stay outside with them for a few months to teach them about turtling.
having pc problems, so will be a litte scarce ...unless I jump off a tall building, Im building a pc, from scratch, and it will be a first for me......
Afternoon papason
I vote for building the pc, not jumping off the bridge.
I have a feeling if my turtles were to get a glimpse of the lake out there, they would cut-and-run faster than I could blink. People think turtles are slow, but they are speed-demons when they're ready to roll.
I will heed what you say, Chloe. If ever I had to let them go, I would see if someone would be willing to take and care for them. Barring that, I would release them in the spring season, so they would have all summer to learn the ways of the wild. "Bubba" came out of that lake, maybe he would show the girls the way...
The idea for prisoners may be to get them to "attach" to something in a positive way. They probably were deprived of "healthy attachments" in their formative years.
I read a book by a woman who fosters children diagnosed with so-called Attachment Disorder. She advocated Pet Therapy as a healing mechanism, but starts off having them care for a spider plant. If they can handle that, they are allowed to move on to an animal.
So, maybe the perfect starter-pet for those incorrigible inmates would be a potted plant... but NOT a pot plant!
Damn, I'm not having any luck with moving on to happier topics. Maybe it's time for a "Happy Thread?" Carol...what cute thing did Maggie do today?
Nothing particularly cute today Ivy except just be. Her Aunt Mary, my sister, came over. Maggie loves her some Aunt Mary. If I tell her Mary's coming over she runs to the window and waits. She is a very social dog, much more social than I am.
Maggie loves both of my sisters almost than me. When my older sister comes to visit, Maggie deerts me. Even sleeps with her. I went into the guest room where my sister was staying to tell her bye one morning before I left for work and Maggie growled at me. I think she thought I was going to make her leave the room. I think Maggie is a little Bipolar.
This was a happy thread Ivy.
How's Charlotte?
Ivy, I love your turtle story. Don't turtles live for a very long time. The sad thing about dogs is they are with us for such a short time -in human years.
Carol, thanks for the chicken wing recipe. Can't wait to make em.
Carol, I remember the bird event. I was so sure Steve was going to be upset.
Chloe, you are a true dog lover. I like your dogs' names. Hmmm, why are middle children risk takers? Well, I am an oldest and I have a sister, a son and a husband who are middle-kids. All 3 are witty and very social. All 3 say they had to fight for attention in the family. All 3 are risk takers. But, I don't know why middle kids are risk takers.
Yes, Jan, the turtles are going to live for 50 or more years, as long as they stay healthy. I do everything I can to help them with that and, if some day, that means "let them go," I will summon the courage to do that too.
There are some people I know who won't get a dog, or replace one that died, because they can't bear the thought of losing it. I have learned that loss and accepting it is part of life. That doesn't mean you don't grieve.
What you get from them in the meantime in love, loyalty, and a link to something outside of The Self, is what really matters. I think we are the only species with the possible exception of elephants that retain the memory of lost loved ones (my hair stylist told me that last week.)
As to Charlotte, she took last night off. It was rainy and windy - the wind took her web down - so she did not make an appearance. I will be looking out for her tonight. I'll keep you posted.
I have a real-life elephant story that one of hubs' British colleagues told from going on safari that I will queue up in a bit if you're interested.
We're all ears Ivy.
"Carol said...
This was a happy thread Ivy."
You are right, Carol. It's all about what we each do with it...being happy is a choice. Have we ever had times when our sense of joy was so complete that no bad news in the world could touch it?
Let's hear the elephant story.
Uh, that might be called Nirvana Ivy. And Ivy you have to have some shit around to find that pony.
No, I meant without "help."
Elephant story on the way...want a thread and a photo to go with it, or just the straight facts...?
Why don't you try your hands at a thread?
Ivy! A thread!!
I'll give it a try...I just wanted to see if everyone was ready to "move on." Jan's dog pictures are so sweet, it's hard to leave them. It'll take me a little time, so keep commenting here in the meantime. I'll give you a heads up when it's ready.
Great, Chloe, call's me an elephant, over at tm: Now there is going to be a thread about elephants....
Jan's dog pics and story will be here. A new thread doesn't take it away.
Now why is Solar an elephant?
Carol, Solar is fibbing again. I didn't call him an elephant, I said he had a memory like an elephant.
If I ever to a post here, that's what I'll do it on, elephants. It's one of the only animals I don't have on the property here.
I know, Carol, but it does signal "change." Just want to make sure it's not too abrupt. I am a guest here, it's your place, and you are generous to open it to us.
Charlotte is back on the job. She's a fast worker...that web is up and running. Faster than I can post a new thread!
Im exhausted, building a pc, is a lot more tiring, than pouring concrete ....the one that I'm on now is not mine, so I will be in and out for a while....
Solar,
Building a computer will probably take quite a while. Do you have a copy of windows? I know that alone is pretty expensive.
Good luck!
Charlotte's had a lot more experience web building than we've had on these computers Ivy. Besides that, they keep changing things on us. Progress. It requires a lot of learning.
I think of this as our place. It isn't a home without a family.
Had to run to the house to go feed the cat I haven't named Ms Cat yet. Anyone have any suggestions?
Chlo,
Yes, I do, and it requires a lot of patience, and a steady hand. But it is not a complicated as I thought. I don't know any of the names to parts: This is what taking me longer to find instructions for; but I belong to a cpl of satellite sites, that have a lot of pc geeks in them..they will give me the help as I go along...
Send us the kitty-cat's picture and we will be inspired.
Elephant post is done, ready or not...here it is!
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