bye to Bella

It is with sad news, that we say good bye to Guinea Pig, Bella. Sadie bought her a year and a half ago, as an 18th birthday present to herself.

Bella was a sweet little "piggie" and we will certainly miss her whistles and squeaks!!! And watching her "swim" in the bathtub with Pete and Applejack.

don't ask....

I have it as "policy" never to ask ... "what next?" because somehow if you do, something always comes about, and the fact that I know the Good Lord would never send more than you can handle, and that faith and prayer will get you thru anything... it's just best not to say the words. BUT, when I woke up last Thursday morning and found that Moxie was having a great amount of trouble walking, I made two panicked phone calls... one to Laura to say Tonka's lesson was off and the other to the vet, warning them that I was on the way in!!! (mind you I said to warn them.. not ask them!!!)
Well, something is up with Moxie, though it's still a bit of a mystery and we're taking it day by day. The lameness is probably due to lyme's disease and she is on meds for that, but in all the tests that they ran, it has been discovered that she has the beginnings of kidney disease. She is on meds for that too, will be for the rest of her life, and I am still learning about the whole thing and what impact this has on her life. For the moment she is very quiet and still limping about, so I have been at her beck and call, and doing whatever she needs to have done.

Aside for all of that, my life, such as it is, continues to go it's pace. I had made a promise to the daycare where Kassy works, that Mocha would pay them a visit and give little pony rides to the children. (she needs to earn her keep you know). so Thursday afternoon, after we sort of knew what was going on with Moxie, I packed Mocha up in the trailer and went over to the daycare. The children were so cute and very excited to see her (don't you love this picture? Notice "who" is "penned in"!!!) I didn't have too many takers on the pony rides, some of these kids have a hard time being around dogs, let alone a horse that can look them in the eye!!! Mocha was a very good girl and was very gentle and careful around the little ones!!! She got lots of apples and carrots as a paycheck and was pretty pleased with herself.
Then it was off to camp. They had predicted very hot and humid weather, and when that happens there is only one place for me. Moxie still wasn't feeling great, but I knew I could watch her at camp just as easy as at home, and she likes it there. The weather turned off just as predicted, and I spent some time in the lake. And look who's turned out to be another swimmer dog.... Cole!!!! He loves the water, and though he doesn't swim too far, he certainly enjoys paddling around the water's edge. In fact, all the dogs went in, which only proves just how hot it was..... Moxie didn't swim.. which proves just how yucky she felt.


It was also Acton Fair weekend. I usually have a piece or two to enter in the fair, but I didn't have anything ready this year, and just as well, the way things went last week, I wouldn't have had the time to get them up to be entered. I did, however, enter a square in the Acton Fair Quilt. Each year, they have a contest... they give you a theme and a little patch of material, and you need to come up with a square and mail in it by a certain date. When all the squares arrive, they are made into one quilt ..the fair quilt... and are displayed. They also judge each square, so, if it's good enough, you can earn a ribbon!!! At the end of the fair, the quilt is given to one of the contestants, chosen by a drawing. Well, my square didn't pin and I haven't heard from the fair committee, so I am guessing I didn't win the drawing, but it was fun to see the quilt. The theme was "stars" and my square is the lower left hand corner one... its name is "seven sisters"..... We actually stayed at the fair for about an hour, it was BEASTLY hot and when the first steaks of lightening lit the sky followed by a rumble of thunder, we were out of there!!! All the animals were back at the camp, and I just didn't want to leave them alone during the storm!!!

We mostly spent the weekend, Ed and I, just trying to rest and sort out all the happenings of last week... the selling of the business, passing of his Mom, our 26th wedding anniversary, sick doggie... and the fact that Sadie is off to college next week. I said to Ed one day way last spring..."you know, it will probably all hit at once"... guess what... I'm not going to say that statement again, either!!!!!

catching our breaths.....

It's been quite a week, for sure. Having to say good bye to "Mommy Kay" has certainly been a hard thing to handle, but life does go on, and she would have told us to stay with it. So, in that spirit, we take a deep breath, and focus on the good.

On Saturday, between visits to Mommy Kay, we attended the 91st York Fireman's Muster, with none other than our own Sadie, taking the role of "Miss Flame" the mascot of the day!!! It was her duty to oversee the parade... here she rides in my little beetle bug, with her Daddy driving and Fire Chief, Chris at the helm!!! She waved to all the folks, and looked so cute going along.

After the parade, the firemen all met at a little park in York Harbor to show off their skills in a number of competitions!!! Everything from how quickly you can get a line of hose put together, to how quickly (and securely) you can hook that hose and shoot a stream of water!!! The teams did a good job this year, and earned a number of trophies, Miss Flame handed out the trophies to the teams!!!

My little niece, Naomi, got her first ride in a firetruck with my folks. She loved it, and waved to all the folks watching the parade. We thought that maybe all the noise would bother her, but it really didn't seem to!!! Funny, we have pictures like this one of me... and of Kassy and Sadie!!! Guess the tradition continues on.....

After the parade and field events, the firemen get together for a lobster bake and dance. Ed and I attended the bake,( but not the dance as we wanted to get back to Kay)... it was as good as always, I certainly enjoyed my lobster. And Kas had the musican sing "Happy Anniversary" to Ed and I, because the 22nd we celebrate our 26th wedding anniversary......

heaven bound....

It is with a heavy heart, that we bid goodbye to "Mommy Kay" and send her home to be with God and her loved ones that have gone ahead.

She was born in Canada, on March 17, 1915 (St. Patrick's Day). These pictures were taken this past March, on her 92nd birthday, when we had a little party for her with a number of family members. This was a great day, and as you can see from the smile on her face, a very happy day indeed!!

She was an amazing lady, a nurse by trade, until she married Ed Walsh (whom we called "Papa Ted") and the two of them ran the moving company, Wood Bros. Moving and Storage. After Papa Ted passed, Ed and Bill took over the operations of the company and ran that until this past Friday (August 17) the company has now been sold to another person. (more on this story later.. but let's just say, its been a rather long weekend!!!)

Mommy Kay was very elegant!! I think I saw her ONCE in her pj's after 8:00 in the morning. She always believed that you got up in the morning, got dressed (including your jewelry and shoes!!!) and got your day started. You never went out without being totally "put together"!!! You also exercise everyday (walking and climbing stairs were her two favorites!!!)say your prayers, sing (she was in the church choir for many, many years) and you live life to it's fullest.... which is probably why she lived so long!!!

She was, no doubt, blessed... with good health and a close family, which when it comes down to it... is what really matters in life. She loved her children, grandchildren... and all my silly spaniels!!!!! (Moxie attended her birthday party!!!) To say that we are going to miss her, is almost a waste of space... because you know that we will. But to go home to heaven, in peace and love has to be one of the most amazing things in life and I can only imagine all the hugs and kisses she received at the gates!!! So, until the day we are all together again........ "say hello to everyone there, Mommy Kay".

the start......

Even though the past few Fireman's Musters have been on the quiet side, I still get that "excited feeling" when the third weekend in August rolls around. Afterall, its been a big thing for me...my entire life.... I attended my first muster in 1960... at the ripe old age of 5 months!!! My Dad was (is) a firefighter, and has held several offices as such... including Chief... so, I grew up with the fire department.

I never really planned on marring a fireman, in fact, Mom said not to, because they were always leaving you for fire calls, but with all those handsome young men in my Dad's fire company, how could you not date a few, and yes, fall in love and marry one!!!! So, being Ed's wife... my "life with the department" continued .. as it should.

Ed is the "keeper" of an old "handtub" fondly called "Protection 2".. this is a piece owned by an association named the "Red Shirts",( there's a whole story on them, that I will need to tell at another time. ) And for me, the muster all begins when Ed brings "Protection 2" home for the parade. In a couple of hours, a group of red shirts will appear, bring Protection 2 out of her house, and polish all her brass and get her looking good for the parade. It one of those silly things that has a special time about it, and I look forward to seeing them come every year.

Now, you have to know that where there is a muster and a parade, you have to have a "queen".. in the past years "Miss Flame" has been a high school senior, and picked in a number of different ways. In 2004... Miss Flame was our own Kassy!!!! (so was her best friend Diana.. they shared the fame) The girls had their picture in the paper, received a savings bond for their efforts, rode in the parade in an antique car and tossed Goldenrod kisses to the crowd... then handed out the trophies after the running events .. and oversaw the banquet and dance afterwards. To this day, Kas likes to pop out the line " Miss Flame, 2004, thank you for coming!!!" And Nate can proudly say, that he married a beauty queen!!!!!

So, I guess that none of you will be surprised to learn that this year's Miss Flame is Sadie. Tomorrow will be the parade, the muster events, banquet and dance.... the third Saturday in August..... always the same!!!!!!

cleanin' tack

it's too hot to ride, the horses have had their baths... what else is there to do.... well.... there's ALWAYS tack!!! (with horses.. there is always something!!!!) Cleaning tack has to be another one of those " really owning a horse" experiences. I don't mind cleaning so much, as finding (no.... taking) the time to get the job done!!

It's important to keep tack in clean condition... afterall, you depend on it when you are riding... so, if it's weak or in bad repair, you could really find yourself in a mess. It's also important that it stays comfortable for your horse, I should imagine that stiff, dry tack would be alot like wearing shoes that don't fit you right. You might be able to walk in them, but in the end, was it worth it. And nothing looks nicer than clean leather!!!! Besides, my riding instructor is a great one for commenting on the condition of your tack, so I sort of feel "inspired" to do it :-) .

Tack cleaning is really a job to do at the barn, but for now, I find it easier to lug it all home and do it there. Ed's sawhorse is a perfect "step in" for my saddle, and that pile of leather pieces on the ground, does make into my bridle (and yes, I can get that all put back together again!!!!) So, tomorrow there will be nice clean tack to put on Tonka (just so he can "mess it up again").

Speaking of Tonka.... Ed and I recently joined the Maine Draft Horse and Mule Assoc. I posted a note that I was looking for some help with regards to Tonka's driving... and I got a few responses back. This Sunday, a member of the club is doing an event over in Eliot and has invited Ed and I to come and look them up and talk about Tonka... so MAYBE, I can get a handle on this driving thing..... .that would be cool.............

Mocha.... goes to camp

So, on Friday afternoon, my house guest, Rachael and I load the truck and head to camp. Among the items that were taken...were, our personal things, food, 7 cocker spaniels, and one horse trailer containing one miniature horse!!!! I have been wanting to take Mocha to camp... just "because", but this weekend was the perfect one to do it. Teresa and Dave were away as well, so, to make the work a little easier for the folks that were doing "barn chores" for us, I decided it was better to bring Mocha along with me.

Ed picked up some fencing and a box so we could "electrify"it (mainly to keep any loose dogs out of Mocha's area) and we used the horse trailer as her little barn at night. It worked perfectly, and she soon became a real favorite on the camp road. Everyone that walked by, stopped to talk to her, and being the social gal that she is.... she loved all the attention!!!!

Then Saturday afternoon, Linda arrived to get Rachael!!! Because of the long trip back and forth, I invited her to spend the night. We had a grand time together!!!! Had a little cookout, went and showed them where the new house will be, and sat by the "cooker" and ate marshmellows for the better part of the evening. Sunday morning, she and Rachael packed up and headed home!!! I still can't believe how quickly the week went, Rachael is a great little gal, and we had such fun together!!!! (didn't we Rach!!!!)

Sunday afternoon turned out to be a family reunion of sorts!!! My cousin Kevin and family, have rented the two camps for the week. They had invited my Uncle and Aunt (my Mom's brother) and all the cousins up for a cookout, so I got on the phone and did the same with my family!!! We haven't all been together like that in ages, and it was great fun!!!! Mocha did some "pony rides" for the little ones (this is Naomi having her first pony ride)... I must get a little saddle for her!!!

It was hard on Monday morning to pack up and head home... back to "real life".... but Dean was waiting at the barn to trim Tonka and Silver's feet, and I had been missing them, so it was a good reason to get back. Since Mocha did so well at camp, and everything went so well, I already have plans to take her back....... as if 7 little spaniels weren't enough!!!!!!

dogs

I have seen in my day, a number of dogs who love the water.... but Charlie... is "crazy"!!! Anytime there is water around, you can pretty much find Charlie in it. At camp, he spends hours in the lake, chasing sticks, swimming after the ducks, or just "fishing" along the shore line. He also likes to watch things related to water. Kas and Nate actually bought him two gold fish... and yes, he will sit near the tank and just watch them float about.
He is equally fascinated with Titus's pool (Iooks a little like my fountain dog in this shot!!!) he would be in that pool if we didn't keep an eye on him!!! I can't believe how long he is able to balance like this!!!! And when Titus is in his pool, I can almost hear Charlie thinking... "he's so lucky!!"

And look at this handsome bunch!!! I'll tell you for someone who isn't that excited about "black cockers" funny how I ended up with three of them in the house!!! Maybe I should explain myself... it's just with all the colors that are in the cocker breed, I don't find the solid blacks that exciting (guess I am more of a parti gal!!!) but these boys are pretty great, and I do love them dearly. Obviously Cole is fitting in just fine, almost like he never left us in the first place!!!! (Trevor is the in front wearing the red collar, that's Cole in the back with the white muzzle, and Hunter is on the other side!!!!)

I can't believe the week is at the end, it's been a busy one, and has flown by. It's been a great treat to have Rachael here with us, and I have spent my days "playing" at the barn... nothing's been done around the house, but I have a feeling it will all be waiting for me next week!!!!

it's a girl!!!!

Miss Rachael Joy arrived on Friday, August 3rd at about 11:00 am... all 12 years old of her!!! She is here to spend the week with us, to get a good dose of "horses, dogs, camp and being a little sister!!!"

Right away, it was up to the barn to see the horses, Silver is definitely Rachael's favorite boy, and she took him right out to get a good bite of green grass (he certainly appreciated that!!!)
Then she got little Mocha out, and gave her a good grooming... nothing like going from one size to another!!!!!!

We went to the camp over the weekend, but once we were "home" again on Monday, it was back to horse business.

Rachael finally got a chance to ride ol'Silver horse.... he's nearly 30 and a bit on the "creeky" side, and hasn't been ridden since January when we took him to the beach.... but he seemed happy to be back under saddle again. Since Sadie came out to see what was going on, it was a good chance to take some pictures of Mocha and Silver together. (still want to get that shot of Tonka and Mocha, maybe we'll get that chance one day this week)

Either way, I think Rachael is having a pretty good time here... we are certainly trying to spoil her a little!!!!! it's nice to have a "youngster" around the house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

York Days......

For the past 20 years (as near as I can figure) Piscataqua Obedience Club ... my dog club...has been invited to do an obedience demonstration for the York Days Celebration. York Days is a week long event celebrating the town of York, with all sorts of entertainments. Some nights its music in the gazebo, puppet shows, sand castle makings on the beach... a wonderful firework display... and the dogs!!!! Actually, the dog show is one of the most popular events, and if you check out the crowd in some of these pictures, you can see that its true. This year the weather was just perfect!!!and the crowd was as big as ever.

I am the MC at this event, mostly because its the town I live in, and it sort of fell into my lap a number of years ago. I always get so nervous before this event, and I really don't know why. I don't mind speaking in public, I know what I want to tell folks, and I can always count on a big number of other POC members there to support me.... but I still get the "jitters".... I try and change it up each year, because I know we have people that come to watch year after year, and I try and keep it fresh and fun. For the most part, it always goes off without a hitch, but this year, we did have some trouble with the music, and a couple of the dogs... mainly my Moxie... had their own idea of how the "show would go"...... (ie: barking at me, jumping over the jumps that she wanted to, taking her old sweet time on her come... and the more the crowd giggled, the "worst" she got!!!) But I think that the crowd likes to see that sort of thing, and one other thing... it goes to prove that our dogs are "just dogs" and that anyone can and should owe a well behaved pet.

We do all sorts of things, try and show all the different levels of obedience, work a whole crowd of dogs together (the people are really impressed with that!!!) and of course, our flyball team is always a huge success!!!! After we do a couple of runs with the teams, we pull kids out of the crowd and have them race the dogs!!! THAT is a huge crowd pleaser!!!!

And then, after the show, we invite the crowd to come and talk, meet the dogs, ask questions about obedience and all that sort of things. I think that's the part the dogs like best, because they certainly get a ton of attention. This is when I breath a sigh of relief and consider doing next year's show (though I always think ... this is the last one!!!) and think of what I might do different the next time around. So, I guess that means, I'm not ready to retire... quite yet.....

day 100

And "HAPPY BIRTHDAY,NATE!!!"

August... another month down, and beginning tomorrow, 99 days until the expected arrival home of "our" Nate... today he is 22.....

Wednesday nights are known as "steak night", I don't get to go too often because I am usually teaching, but this evening I had off, so I got to join the "steak night crew". When everyone heard it is Nate's birthday, glasses were raised in his honor!!!!

Mini Nate was pressed into service yet again... what's a birthday unless you have your picture taken under the birthday banner!!!!

Acutally, this banner was put up by Kas and Nate for the Mom's birthdays back in April... I just haven't had the heart to take it down...so, here it was, all ready for mini Nate and Kas to have their picture taken together!!!!!

So, even though Nate is on the other side of the world at the moment, he is very much here at home!!!!

"We love you, Nate..... happy, happy birthday!!!!"

killin' time

So, I am at a stand still for the moment...... you see, tonite is the dog club's obedience demo at Short sands beach. We do this every year as part of the York Days celebration, and every year it's just the same..... a wonderful performance, we draw a huge crowd, everyone loves the dogs and is sad when its all done.... except for me!!!!! every year, I have several sleepless nights before the performance and worry about the routines and is the music good enough, and did I get all the equipment we are going to need, etc. etc. Which is where I am at the moment,......everything is all together, I think I have the routine in my head, and now it's sit and wait until it's time to go.......... nice that I have a blog to play with, because I can't think about doing much until the demo is behind me.


Thought you might like to see the "peepers", we moved them to the outdoor pen over the weekend... and they are growing fast!!! Sadly, we lost three of them... we didn't loose any last year, but three didn't make it this year. I asked at the feed store if something was "a muck", and we were told that it sometimes happens. They were willing to get us three more chicks, but, I said no... I will be happy to get these three into the freezer!! We still have one left from last year, which I will probably cook sometime in September.


And look at this.... Titus's outdoor pool, complete and up and running!!!! We went over to Home Depot on Sunday to get some wire (Ed is making a new bunny hutch so Sadie's bunny can be outside in good weather) and as we went into the store, I saw that they had set up a pool and just supported it with pavers.... well, we have plenty of pavers (remember our new walkway) so, when we got home, I got to work!!!! Ed got the pump working for me, and I don't know if you noticed, but the "fountain" is a little cocker spaniel holding a hose. I bought this a long time ago (wanting a pond to be set up) and now it's finally able to do its job!!!!

And here is Titus, enjoying all his swimming room!!! He got to spend the better part of the afternoon out in his new pond!!!! I will only put him out there when I am around to watch him. I don't think he can get out of it, but who knows... I never thought he would get out of his tank either!!!! I need to make a resting spot for him, and might look into getting a few plants for it, but, its being used and that's another project we can check off the list!!!

So, the clock struck three...... three hours to go... five hours and it will be done until next year...........yup, just killin time.........

hot summer days

The weather lately has NOT been my favorite!!! Hot, humid... yucky!!! But, one must always take advantage of whatever comes, so when the days are like this... it's perfect bath weather!!!! I do believe the horses appreciate it as well, and they always look so good when they are done!!!

The trick is, keeping them that way!!! Unlike the cockers that you can keep inside for awhile, unless you lock the horses in, I can guarantee that a good roll in the dirt will follow any bath. Because the barn was a bit cooler than outside, we did lock them in for a bit and they actually remained clean for the better part of the day!!!!

Bit of a difference between bathing Tonka and then little Mocha!!!!Both were excellent and enjoyed a nice bite of green grass while being rinsed off!!!
Is this what one means when they say "bad hair day?"..... Oh well, Mocha can look cute in almost any situation!!!!

Next week, we have a very special guest coming to stay with us..... Miss Rachael...... she is the daughter of a friend of mine, and is as crazy about horses as I am!!! So, we are planning a week of "horse stuff" and if the weather holds hot, there might be baths again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!---- "poor horses"

escapee

Early yesterday morning, there is a little tap on the bedroom door, it's Kassy. "Are you awake?" she asks...."yes" (bearly). "Well, I thought you should know that Titus got out of his tank". My eyes snap open!!! "What?" she goes on "Titus got out of his tank, I found him in the bathroom. He seems to be OK, but I just wanted you to know". As soon as I am up and dressed, I go to check on Titus, he doesn't appear any worse for the wear, but I do find a little chunk taken out of his shell. I have no idea how he got out, I am assuming he pushed past the filter tubes, which means he had a pretty good drop to the floor!!!! Silly turtle!! But it also makes me realize just how much I like him, because when I think of all the places he could have hidden in the house, I could have really lost him. I guess he is thinking his tank is too small, we haven't had time to get his outdoor pool ready (we have all the parts and pieces...just not enough time to get it together)... so, I promised him that we will get onto as soon as possible. I know he would like more swimming area..... the things we do for our pets.

It's been a busy week. On Tuesday, after Tonka and I had our lesson, I went out to Deb and Dave's to collect Mocha. Teresa and I came up with a way that Mocha can live at the barn with Tonka and Silver. NOT that she didn't have a perfect home with Deb and Dave (and Alice and Buddy) but I was finding that I just wasn't getting out to spend time with her. I really want to find out how much driving she can do, and just get to know her, and that sort of thing requires time.

I was worried that the move would be very hard on her. We sort of figured out that she and Alice have never been separated, and both the minis loved being with big Buddy horse. She loaded perfectly on the trailer, and aside for one big whinny as we pulled out of the drive, she rode along and wasn't at all afraid when we got to Teresa's. We put her in her "pen" and gave her some time to settle down. Then I introduced her to the other horses, and everyone was great.

It's been a real treat to go and see her everyday. She seems perfectly happy and is always looking for company (that's where Deb and Dave spoiled her!!!!) But she goes out into her little area and spends the time grazing and talking with the others over the fence.( Dave reports that Alice is doing just fine without her mom, so I feel much better about all that.) I do think that Tonka's a little "jealous"... Mocha's stall is the first one in the barn, so naturally she gets spoken to first when you enter, and Tonka always makes a little noise about that!!!! Silver doesn't seem to care one way or another, but then, he's had to put up with Tonka for the past three years!!!!

So, now our "babies" are under one roof.... course I can't wait until the time when they are all together under OUR roof!!!!

PS... Cole has settled right into the house, almost like he never left.... I'll get some new pics of him for the blog soon!!!!!

SWcon't

****before you read this one ..scrolled down to get the first half of the story*****
This is the view we had at dinner!! MaryEllen, Jack and daughter Jenny, Thom and Karen, and Ed and I all went to this little great seafood restaurant. We sat out on the deck and watched the fog as it rolled in. This is a ferry landing, and it was also a scene in a movie!!! For those of you who may not know.. the Stephen King movie "Storm of the Century" was filmed mostly in Southwest Harbor. On top of that,Thom went to college and studied in film and has worked on many, many films as a camera man!!! Storm of the Century being one of those films (and no wonder that he owns and operates the only video shop in town!!!)... if you are looking for a scary movie that has very little in the way of blood and gore... check it out. But, back to the story. I had lobster for supper (first one of the summer) and everyone had a variety of things, but more importantly was the company and catching up with friends. It was pretty late when we got back to the motel. Moxie and Cammie were great guests, you would never know that we had two dogs with us.

Saturday morning we met up with everyone for breakfast, here we all are.. that's me with Thom, Karen, David, Tracey, and son Dillon. We ate at the restaurant that Pam (cole's owner) owns and operates. Got a huge breakfast, and just more in the catching up with old friends.

Then we went back over to the fire station, because Ed had been promised that he could take a little drive in the new firetruck. As I said earlier, this was Thom's baby, he was the planner behind this truck. That's pretty special to any firefighter, Ed has been the master mind behind some of York's pieces and its a great thing to see all your work and planning come "to life". This new SW truck is number 113... in honor of Thom... he was born on the 13th and the number has followed him on many occasions, Thom might be one of the few people that 13 is a lucky number for!!!

Here is MaryEllen and Jack, they had plans for the morning, so didn't have breakfast with us, but caught up with us before we headed out.

After all this visiting and "fire stuff" it was off to get Cole, which was our main reason for the trip. We went back to the restaurant and met up with Pam. I felt so bad, because it was easy to see how she had wrestled with this decision about Cole. But, I too feel she made a brave decision on his behalf. He looks wonderful!!! For a 13 year old dog, he is in great shape, excellent, weight, shiny coat, and certainly well loved. He was a little confused and sad when we loaded him into the truck and headed out of town. It's going to take him a few days to get settled in here again, but I think he knows that he is safe and I think he does remember being here.

So, that is pretty much the story of Southwest Harbor, and I certainly hope it won't be another two years before we get back there again, and spend some time with all our friends.

Southwest Harbor

So, what's the deal with Southwest Harbor, well, next to Williamsburg, VA and Acton, ME... it is our most favorite place to be!!! Ed and I have been going there (off and on) since 1980. It all began when we were much younger and used to attend all the firemen's musters down in Mass. There was a whole "herd" of us youngester that weekend after weekend went to the musters. This is where we met up with Sam Chisholm who lived in Littleton, MA . When Sam joined the coast guard, he was stationed to this wonderful little town, Southwest Harbor. Sam joined the fire company up there, and told them all about the musters that we had here in the southern part of the state. So, the SW fire company thought they would like to try and have their first muster, and once all their plans were made, Sam called all of us and asked if we would come and support their first muster!!! We were thrilled to do so and for many years after that, we would go to SW and then they would come here. We made many good friends, and over the years (as it goes in life) kids that came as Jr. firefighters, grew up, brought girlfriends, that became wives, and babies that grew to be teens.... etc. etc. etc. We also made other trips to SW other than fire musters, and just enjoyed watching our children grow up "together".



It's been a number of years since we've done the fire muster thing, but we still stay in touch and our SW friends are as near and dear to us as they have always been. SO... when Cole was adopted out two years back, (and completely by luck that it was a couple who lived in SW!!!!) it was a good excuse to drive him to SW and get the chance to visit, and now when Cole needed to return to us.... it was again... a good excuse to drive to SW and see everyone though I can't believe TWO years has gone by since we were there last!!!!

We arrived mid afternoon on Friday, our first stop was at Thom's video shop. We knew he was working and we could catch him there for sure. We hadn't been there more than a few minutes when Burton arrived (Thom's uncle) and wanted to show off the new SW fire station. Course, Thom wasn't about to miss out on that, so he closed his shop for a few minutes and we all went to see this beautiful new station!!! They have been in dire need of a new building and this one is grand!!! Very modern with lots of room and you can easily see the care and planning that went into it. Just as we were starting our "tour" Sam showed up (he is now the chief of the department - having never left SW) and so did Shirley (Thom's Dad). I told Ed I felt like we were celebraties!!! He are all the guys, talking things over and showing Ed all around!!! The truck they are standing in front of is the newest piece, this is"Thom's baby"... (more on that later!!!)


While the men folk chatted for a bit, I took the "girls" up behind the station for a little run. They certainly enjoyed their freedom after being in the truck for such a long ride. As you might see, the weather was a bit on the grey side, but just being back in SW, I could care less what the weather was like.

The "crowd" to see us continued to grow.. David dropped in, and then came Alberta (Thom's Mom) and after we chatted with them, we went to our motel. Pam (the lady that was sending Cole back) had made (and paid for) reservations for us. I thought this was very nice of her to do this for us... giving Cole up was a very difficult decision for her to make, and to think of us on top of that, just shows the kind of gal she is. After we got checked in, it was off to find MaryEllen (who was still at her work) and we made plans for dinner.

this is Cole

Where do I even begin with this story? Because it's going to cover the past, present and future. Guess it's best to start with the past.

Meet Cole.... he was a foster dog that we had two years ago, in fact, he was the dog we had before Charlie (Kas and Nate's dog) came into our lives. His story went something like this... Cole was turned into cocker rescue when he was two years old, I don't know why, but he was soon adopted by a lady, who lived alone and wanted a dog. For nine years the two of them lived together and from what I know, had a very happy life. Then the lady got married, and bottom line, her new husband did not like Cole for some odd reason. When they moved into their new home and re-did everything, it was decided that Cole was not welcomed into the house, so he lived in the basement and/or on unheated porch. After a bit, the lady couldn't stand having him like that, so she called rescue and said (mind you after nine years) that she needed to return him. Because he wasn't far away from me, rescue asked if we would foster him, and I said yes.

I remember the day I went to pick him up.... the lady was at work, so I "dealt" with the husband, who can I say.... did not strike a good note with me. There were a number of things, but the one that I best remember was when he saw my truck, he said that Cole would be fine riding in the back of it (he meant the bed of the truck!!!) Well, not only is that illegal in the state of Maine, but never would I put any dog... much less a cocker...loose in the back of a truck. I told him.. I would handle it. I noticed too, that he didn't have a collar and asked about that, the guy didn't have much to say, so I quickly popped this wonderful old dog (because at this time he was 11) into a nice warm truck and headed for home.... (it was February!!).

From the moment he came into the house, he was perfect!!! Got along well with everyone... even Trevor!!!and was just this delightful old dog. The one thing he wasn't great about was going outside.. not that he "did" anything in the house, just that he would run out and get back in as fast as possible. I think he really feared being left out in the cold and just wanted to be in a cozy house. I sort of began to think that I might just keep him (can you imagine that???) but, about that same time, rescue called and said they had just the home for him. A couple without children who lived up in Southwest Harbor and wanted an older dog.... (wait til you hear about Southwest Harbor in a future blog!!!) Now, I didn't' need five dogs, so I thought it was probably best to let him go on his way. Ed and I took a drive to Southwest.

Cole's new people were very nice, and I couldn't find one fault with them, except that I really did not want to let him go. I cried the whole way there, and Cole, sitting between Ed and I, kept licking the tears off my cheeks!!!! I came very close to changing my mind, even after we had driven the four hours up there. But, we left him and headed for home. For weeks, I emailed the new owners and after a bit, knew I was just being a pain in their lives, so I finally quit.... then Charlie came into our life and Cole moved to the back of my mind.

Until....... this past April, when I got a call from the lady in Southwest Harbor, telling me that shortly after she took Cole, she got divorced. And then re-married, and had (unexpectedly) a new baby!!!! She said that Cole (now 13) wasn't adjusting very well to the baby and she was worried that she might have to give him up. She wanted to know if I would take him back... but mind you, we currently have seven spaniels in the house, and this just seemed impossible. So, I went into my "instructor's mode" and gave her all kinds of ideas of how this might be handled, and told her to call anytime and I would be more than happy to "work" with her. WELL...... three weeks ago, she called rescue and said that Cole has to go, it's not working for him, her or the baby and she wants him to be happy. Who did rescue call???? US!!!! you got, (probably had it from the start) Ed and I are heading to Southwest Harbor to retrieve Cole!!!! and as far as we are concerned right now.... this will be Cole's last home. At 13, I just can't ask him to do this again.

I wonder if he will remember us, guess I will know soon enough, I hope he comes in and does as well as he did the first time, again time will tell..... but one thing will be MORE than certain... that new house in Acton... will certainly be built with "dogs" in mind... because one way or another, I seem to draw them in.......

a happy couple

A few weeks back, I talked about my friend, Julie, who raises German Shorthair Pointers, and whom I often play "puppy mid-wife" for.... but alas, due to a surprise trip to the ER with Hunter, I missed out on the delivery of her last litter..... "interesting" news, but not exactly where I am going with this blog!!!

Julie called a few weeks ago, to tell us that she was being married to her life long friend Gordon... they decided to have just a quiet little ceremony, and then celebrate their marriage with a big cookout for all their friends and family. Today was the cookout!!!! It was a grand time.. though the weather for them was about as "wonderful" has it has been for me with regards to cookouts (more on that later!!!) and I got to see lots of dear friends, and just have a great time talking and eating and seeing Julie and Gordon so happy together. We did manage to have them do a "traditional" cake cutting ceremony!!! and just wish them many, many happy years together.

Now, of course, I couldn't miss out on the puppies again.... Allie had 12 of them, and talk about cute!!! I just love this little pig pile of pointers!!!! They are all doing very well, and Julie has even begun their obedience training.... mainly working on coming when called... which turned out to be a real help this afternoon.... (remember the weather!!!) I am pretty pleased this photo came out, because when it was taken, there was no electricity in the house!! and it was as dark as night!!!!!

And I wished this picture showed more... yes, its a very wet motorcycle.... Ed's motorcycle in fact... the one that we decided to ride up to Julie and Gordon's. OK... so the sky looked a little threatening as we left York, and yes, we did for a moment, think about going back for the truck.... but the sun was out, and we don't get out on the bike much.... so we pushed on.

The closer we got to Julie's, the blacker the sky got. You all know how much I "love" thunderstorms... NOT!!!!.. and I was getting pretty nervous on the back of that bike... just as we turned up Julie's road, a HUGE blot of lightening lit the sky and a rumble of thunder that I could hear over the bike and from under my helmet..... we just pulled into the driveway and I was off that bike in no time... I didn't even stop to knock on the door, and bolted into the house!!!! Ed was right on my heels and I bearly had the helmet off, when the heavens opened and the rain poured!!! and HUGE hail stones fell from the sky!!!! Two more bolts of lightening lit the sky and hit very close to the house... and off went the power!!!!

Julie and Gordon came up from the cellar where they had been getting the dogs in.... 12 puppies plus adults... and had a rather close call with one of the lightening bolts!!! Gordon said he could feel a tingle as he opened up the puppies pen!!!! and Julie was so proud that they all ran right into the house as she was calling for them!!!!Where ever that lightening hit, it was very close to the house, and lucky for Gordon that all he felt was a slight tingle!!!!! but, there wasn't any time to be afraid, because guests were arriving and the party was beginning ! I said to Julie, it will certainly be a day to remember!!!!

Best wishes to the happy couple.... even if it started in a "shocking" manner!!!!!!!!!!

AND, about the bike... well it will spend the night at Julie's... Kassy had to drive up and rescue her parents!!!!!

more summer weekend

On Sunday, the 8th, we had a "belated 4th of July" cookout at the camp, and a "happy graduation party -Sadie". It was a fun time and we had a pretty good gang show up!!! One of our "most favorite people" is our friend Cozy. He is more like a brother/uncle than a friend, and has watched the girls grow and has played a huge part in their lives. Cozy loves the kids, he always spoils them and just enjoys being around them.

I love this picture I got of him with Naomi..... course, when I saw it, my first thought was....."who has more hair?" Naomi was quite taken with him... so I have a feeling, Coz has just added another niece to his already long list!!!!

Ed is pretty much in charge of the grill at our cookouts. Course, he likes to work with "fire".... sometimes a little too much (wonder where that comes from!!!) and I am "always" fussing at him....."don't over cook it!!" But, he really does a nice job......

Just a picture showing off some of our guests.... nothing beats a cookout with a lot of friends and family.... especially at camp.... its just the best!!!!!

Now, I can be "in charge" of the food, and make sure that everything is in its place, etc. etc... but one thing I have no control over.... the weather!!!! I guess I should have known what was coming, the way that the loons were talking..... so, even though the cookout was great fun, and lots of great food and company... there wasn't any swimming!!! and I was pretty happy to have our "tent" that fits almost perfectly over the deck. The "cooker" (as I call it) looks kind of sad without a fire in it.... course, no fire.. no s'mores..... but, I guess that means we'll just have to have another cookout at camp before the summer ends!!!! got have those s'mores you know...........

And, for the record, Joe got all the hay off the field before the rain came.... just in time, because one thing you can't bale... is wet hay!!!!