Tales From The Bark Side: A Dog MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

I think he won. :slight_smile:

I have many, many dog stories, but today I will talk about Kubla. He was an American Akita, and a big boy. He loved us, and most visitors. He liked some dogs, but wanted to murderize others, so we had to keep a close eye on walks. At the time we lived in the country. We had a large lot, with about an acre fenced. The lane that ran down the long side of the fence was popular with bikers and hikers. Our 3 dogs would follow the bikers down the length of the fence declaring their outrage at the intrusion. I’m sure the bikers loved coming by our place.

Kubla hated skunks. Every year, once the young ones started off on their own, some would find a way to come into the yard. Kubla killed them. Of course, they sprayed him, and he hated them even more. I could smell the carnage from a mile or more down the road and became an expert at cleaning skunked dogs. Kubla ended up with red fur around his face, instead of black, because the hydrogen peroxide lightened it. Despite that, I adored that dog and miss him still.

Today continues the saga of getting my dad’s garage ready for his train layout. His brother will be here tomorrow to help (he’s a woodworker) and we’re trying to get things cleared out. My role, due to back procedure recovery, is rounding up the labor and possibly managing dinner. This back procedure is turning out well. :crazy_face:

Happy Moanday everyone!

22

Morning all, it is indeed scorchio by UK standards here. I’m planning on meeting up with a friend to go swimming in the sea later though, so that should cool things down a bit. I’m off today due to swapping shifts with someone last week- not so much fun doing an extra day, but it means I get a 3 day week this week.

The bees were never prone to bringing in stuff except pollen and nectar- more welcome than half frogs. The kitties I used to live with (were a housemate’s) were ferocious hunters of leaves for the most part, but the dippy floofy one once managed to catch a bird in midair, with an audience, to everyone’s utter confusion, including hers (sadly not to the bird’s for long).

(Og dammit- I wrote this this morning and thought I’d posted it- apparently not, but I’ve written it so I’m posting it. Please adjust times and tenses as required.)

23

I’ll take a couple of big ones, thanks!

24

Thanks for the doggies you have loved stories. {{{{ hope you feel better soon }}}}.

25

Last night I dreamed I was at a friend’s house, and it was FILLED with pets. I counted 18 swarming, affectionate puppies, one turtle, a dozen rats (I thought of Shoe.), two cats, a koala, a tapir, and several animals I think my subconscious invented.

I made a note last night to clean the fridge today. Yuck. I’m putting it off as long as I can because I loathe it. I’ll scrub down the shelves and feel virtuous afterward. I’ll also promise myself I’ll pitch stuff in a timely manner. I won’t, though. It’ll be just like every school year when I vowed to keep my school desk tidy. That one never lasted past the third week.

sunny, oh the skunk stories! Did you know if you try to eliminate the skunk smell by pouring tomato juice on a white dog, you end up with a stinky pink dog? Ask me how I know. :slight_smile:

Taters, hope you feel better.

Dark_Sponge, I got a kick out of imagining the spinning, circling dog duet. :slight_smile:

26

FCD will get his first new knee around mid-August, and the second 3 months later (so about the time the new babby is due.) I’m guessing the delay is because of surgeries that were put off due to plague. I asked if he wanted to find another orthopedist and try to get an earlier surgery, but he likes this guy, and it’s local. Plus this doc has an arrangement with a physical therapist, so once surgery is scheduled, PT is arranged to start immediately. Unfortunately, it means 2 more months of hobbling around.

I think tomorrow I’ll work outside for a while. The back yards needs to be mowed… again… and I should do the ditches also. There are a lot of branches down from the storm this past weekend - I want to gather them all and cut or break them up and start filling the wood rack for winter. It’s supposed to be in the 70s tomorrow, so nice for work outdoors.

We’ve supped early - salad and chickie - I cooked the chickie in the air fryer. We’s both stuffded, dishes are done, and I’m about to assume the recline position. It’s been a mostly productive and relaxing day. So yay!

27

I’d like to see pics of his layout once it gets up and going. Might that be possible?

Mom, anything FCD can do between now and the knee surgery to strengthen his leg muscles will make it go better afterwards. You prolly already knew that.

Can’t think of anything else at the moment. Gotta go buy dog food now anyway.

28

Yes, absolutely. I’m excited it’s finally happening. He had a layout when I was younger, but it’s been decades. He has built hundreds of cars (I built at least a few of them). It’s lovely that he’s going to see at least some of them in action. :slight_smile:

For that matter, if you (or anyone else) has layouts to share, I’d love to see them.

29

Nelson is a hunter all right, but the squirrels and the bunny in the complex have all figured out that he has a fat old woman on the other end of the leash and just laugh at him in their squirrelly way.

When he was still a puppy, we were up north for Thanksgiving, along with Sis, his mother and little brother. A mouse got in (old house, cold weather) behind the washer / dryer. He and his mother got into the hunt and Fifi, his mother, finally got the mouse.

Before him, it had been 25 years since I’d had a dog and they were both big, indoor / outdoor dogs (a golden retriever named Chamois and a basset hound named Fred). I didn’t realize just how much I missed them.

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

30

Evening all. Watched soccer (3 games), bathed and napped, shopped for sustenance and then this evening ate out and then went to Barnes and Noble, where I purchased 3 books (two in the Ring of Fire series and a new one from Andy Weir, author of one of my all-time favorites, The Martian). Also got my on-line accounts sorted out and I can check them now (at least for the time being; one of them tosses me out if I don’t use it at least once a month…). So for me a fairly active day.

Also, Wizard has posted a new thread, as he, red, and I are planning to meet up on the 26th. Don’t know if anyone else is close to Mid-Tenn, but if you’re interested–Middle Tennessee Dopefest

Love all the stories about dogs, I haven’t owned one since I was young (mainly since I live alone and had to travel a lot for work, didn’t feel fair to the dog, and now I’m old and perhaps too set in my ways to take proper care of a pet…).

Add another vote for seeing the train set, Sunny.

FCM, hope the knee replacements go well.

OK, need to be about things for the evening (like internettin’ and readin’). All y’all take care.

31

Aww, y’all are making me nostalgic for Tina my childhood dog.
A miniature poodle, beige-grey, and she could take on any of your dogs for Goodest Dog Ever title, any day.

We got her when I was a very young child, and I got to pick her name. My mother was firm that it had to be a 2-syllable, and I was weirdly obsessed with Tina Turner (I was four? five? kids fixate on random ppl at that age) so it worked out.
I think my mom has a fond memory of me falling asleep with our new little puppy in the back of the car on the way home.

My mother would command her in Polish, and occasionally just talk to her, still in Polish. My father would command her in Portuguese, or occasionally in German. I did my best in English, but really, she was my puppy, so I didn’t usually command her. I just talked to her.

Tina … knew exactly what everyone wanted. Such an intuitive animal.

My favorite memory is about the yogurt. See, my mother thought that yogurt was good for women, in a general sense (something about yeast infections, she got a bit muddled, etc.) and Tina was female - never mind about being prone to yeast infections, Tina was a GIRL, and therefore YOGURT.
She’d never be caught dead sharing food with a dog, of course, but there was the matter of my mother’s morning yogurt. And my mother did like to scrape every. last. bit. out. of. every. container. Can’t waste a scrap, you know.

Tina quickly became the benefactor of the last scraping of my mother’s yogurt cup. Those last scraps, she’d lick, ever so daintily, right off her spoon - I think Tina would have been even more mortified than my mother, should she let a drop fall on the floor.

This became a morning routine for them. Bit of yogurt, right off the spoon. (Spoon went promptly into the sink like it was contaminated.)

After long years, Tina became elderly.

She couldn’t see so well. Cataracts.

She couldn’t hear us call her … but she would still wake, out of a sound sleep, from across the house, when the scrape, scrape of a spoon on a yogurt cup sounded.

We eventually figured, she could probably hear just fine. She was ignoring us, after many years of “Tina, do this,” and “Tina, go there!” and she’d decided on her own retirement.

But the yogurt. She always came for the sound of a spoon against a cup of yogurt. She always got the last bits, and she always came to collect her due.

32

Just an idea for your mom’s upcoming visit: reminisce a lot about you and Tina, steering away from the minefields of today and then, of course, head right back here and tell us the stories too. Have the ‘icebox’ preloaded with her favorite flavors of yogurt, etc, etc.

Awww, great stories.

33

I can’t find it offhand, but I think before her visit last year I started a thread asking for neutral fun non-judgmental things to talk about, just to throw it out to the Doper hivemind.

Matter of fact, I’d better look harder.

34

I’m loving the dog stories. I love dogs. I love stories. It’s a no-brainer.

I had a long workout at the gym. My small pet peeve: people who plunk themselves down at a machine and spend 10 minutes staring at their phones, one minute using the machine,10 minutes on their phones. If you say, “Excuse me, are you almost done?” they’ll reply, “No.” and go back to texting or playing games. [sigh]

I made the mistake of reading the replies to Cecil’s post in ATMB, and now I’m upset. Holy frick, some people are mean, and to Cecil, without whom there’d BE no SDMB. How mean? Cecil closed the thread. And once again, it looks like the SDMB is in trouble financially. I’d better go back to reading dog stories. Dogs are generally kinder than most people. And everyone’s beloved dog is the Best Dog Ever.

35

Another Bernie tail, kind of a minor one but I thought it was cute. I used to own a minivan and Bernie loved riding in the back, with some of the seats removed. Eventually it got old enough that it wasn’t worth keeping any more, and I bought a new one, which was actually larger and roomier. The old one was destined for the wrecker but at that point was still parked in the driveway.

I was delighted with my new car and took Bernie out on a leash to have a look at it, then opened the side door and invited him to hop in and go for a ride. He sat there for the longest time looking around and sniffing and looking some more. Then he turned his head and took the leash in his mouth. This is always a signal that I’m no longer leading him, he’s leading me. And having thus asserted control, he proceeded to do just that. He led me along the driveway, over to the old minivan, over to the side door, and sat down.

Things like this make it irrelevant that dogs can’t actually talk, when they can express themselves so well. It’s annoying when dogs are smart enough to insist on their vehicle preferences, yet not smart enough to understand when you try to explain to them that their favourite vehicle is no longer insured.

36

Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off to heave.

37

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 76 Amurrkin out and N.O.S. with a predicted high of 99 and mostly N.O.S. for the day. A definite Summer day here in south Jawja! Today is laundry day. Already started as a matter of fact. I also foresee some quality cee-mint pond time later this mornin’ into the early afternoon. After dealin’ with a doc appointment and a marathon Vestry meetin’ last night, I am so lookin’ forward to a day of sloth here at da cave. Sup shall be tacos 'n fixin’s. OLÈ!

Taters hope you’re feelin’ better today.

MOOOOOOM yay for FCD’s upcomin’ knee replacement. It’ll be a long haul but worth it in the end. A friend had a knee replacement recently and is doin’ so much better. Good to see him feelin’ so much better after years of knee pain. I met Bernie once. I remember she loved butt skritches.

Thanks to all for the doggie stories. Love each and every one of 'em!

Wizard cute bunny!

Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then onward into the day! Rah.

Happy Tuesday Y’all!

38

Ah, yes, Bernie loved her butt skritches - any kind of skritches, really, but definitely preferred right at the base of her tail. And her coat was sooooo soft when she was clean.

Short night last night, interrupted by a t-boomer around 2. I managed to drag myself out of bed around 7. I’ve got a 9AM phone appointment to learn about medicare supplements. I didn’t bother much with it when I became eligible, since I had to keep my insurance so FCD would be covered. But he’ll turn 65 in Nov and I need to see what supplemental plans will cost/cover as compared to what we have now. I’ve tried reading booklets from AARP and some place else that sent me something, but it all just confuzzled me. I’m hoping a conversation in plain English with a real person will help. Fortunately, we don’t have to make the decision for some months yet.

I was going to mow today, but it’s way too wet - I’ll put it off till tomorrow. But I will go out and collect fallen branches and see what I can do about the wood rack. There’s also a barrel of wood scraps that needs to be dumped - I expect most of the wood will go to the dump or to the back of our lot to rot.

Not sure what supper will be - I’d like some sort of fish-like substance and I bought some broccoli yesterday. There’s still time to decide. For now, I’ll continue reading till my phone call comes in.

Happy Tuesday!!

39

Afternoon, mumpers! It’s another day of scorchio here, last night was quite uncomfortable and sticky too so not a lot of sleep was had. I was up at 5.30am, decided I wasn’t getting any more sleep so I got up and am in the campus office for the day. So far I’ve waved to the cleaner who was on the second floor when I came in, and I’ve seen one of our academics who has come in to start clearing 30 years worth of “stuff” out of his office as he’s retiring next month.

Taters sorry to hear you’re feeling icky, hope today is better for you.

Moooom good news on FCD’s surgery, he must be pleased to have a date for it and know that it’s with a surgeon he trusts.

(((((shoe))))) just 'cos. Impending parental visits can have that effect on you, my mum never grasped the fact that I was an adult and capable of making my own decisions :slight_smile:

nellie one of my pet gym peeves too! I used to go to a gym where one of the guys would plonk himself down on a machine, load it with as much weight as it would take (it was a cable machine, not free weights), pull/push it once with an accompanying level of grunting just for effect…then walk up and down the gym for 10 minutes, admiring himself in the mirrors. Not quite sure why he bothered with the last bit, he was probably the only one who cared to look.

Busy irk day today, and I have to go grocery shopping tonight when I get back home. But before then, I need to go over to the lady who runs the cat rescue as she’s located Whisper’s vaccination certificate. Once I’ve got that from her, I can book him in at my vet for his boosters, apparently they were due in May but we should be in time to get it sorted out before he’s “out of date”!

40

Mornin’ everyone. I’m feeling better today, thanks.

I’m glad that at least one of FCD’s knee replacements is relatively soon. I’m sure it doesn’t feel soon enough, though.

A couple more Cap’n stories. Cap’n HATED crows and would chase them all out of the yard. The crows would fly onto the roof or the tree branches of the yard adjoining ours and would scream at Cap’n and he’d bark back at them. He also really disliked squirrels. We could just say the word “squirrel” and he’d run straight to the door to be let out to go get them. I don’t think he ever caught one; he came close a few times. The squirrels would sit upon the fence or in the big fir tree behind us and just chatter at him. He’d run up and down the fence line doing his damndest to get at them.
He slowed down in later years but still would give a half-hearted go after squirrels and crows.

Today we might get a few thunder boomers, but I don’t think much rain will fall. That’s okay, Sunday’s atmospheric river was quite enough, thank you very much. Some of my flowers looked positively drowned at one point.

I’m not looking forward to going through my email today. I saw enough yesterday morning to know that today will be a bear. Sigh. Still less than 60 days to vacation, though. That’s a good thing.