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Sookie Stackhouse instead of shuffle dog please
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I spent most of this evening immersed in Charlaine Harris’s world of Sookie Stackhouse. I needed a break from reality and some well earned pleasure. I find all of her books a pleasure to read and her Sookie books top my list. (Gee, I hope someone says that of me one day.)
We had a busy day topped by taking both dogs to the vet’s office. We play shuffle dog. One in the van with DH while one is in the office and then we switch them. Or rather I do. It is a great deal of exercise moving the dogs around when one is not happy to be there. (Read the September 1 post.)
Gavin still needed his shots and blood test, and we had Patty scheduled for hers. After three vet visits this week alone the total bill came to $400.00. Can you say OUCH? Had Gavin not become ill the day before his appointment our bill would’ve been about $180.00 because he wouldn’t have needed to go a second time.
We were out of heartworm pills too, they take them the fifth of each month, and that ran us $85.00 for 12 doses or six months worth. That ran up the bill. At least the pups are now up to date on all their shots. Lucky Gavin got one more than Patty. He was due for his rabies shot.
Neither dog seems to mind the shots they go quickly. The drawing of blood…well, Gavin hates that and if not held tight will pull away from the needle. Patty is stoic and stands like a statue to have her blood drawn.
Posted in Dog related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Charlaine Harris, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog, Doggoned, Dogs, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pets, Recreation, Sookie Stackhouse, True Blood, Writer, Writing
Death by Cuddles
Posted by doggonedmysteries
“Henry went to the garden to chop down that old grape vine. That was two hours ago.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Detective Hayes wrote in his notepad. “Then what happened?”
“I heard a commotion. I came outside. Cuddles had that bloody board in his mouth. He was knocking over the potted plants.”
“You mean that two-by-four the Bull Terrier is playing with? You say it has blood on it?”
“Yes. I couldn’t get Cuddles to drop it. He ran by and cracked me in the shins. I went down hard. He ran past again and hit my head.” Victoria showed him the purple bruises on her shins and the knot on her forehead.
“That must’ve been quite a shot.”
“Oh, it was.”
“Tell me about Henry.”
“I was getting to that. Once I could walk, I went to look for him. I’m sure he killed Henry.”
“The dog?”
“Yes, Cuddles killed Henry.”
“Where was the dog?”
“I found him with Henry. He was licking Henry’s face. I ran back to the house to call for the ambulance. When they got here they said Henry was dead and called you.”
“I’m placing you under arrest.”
“But Cuddles did it.”
“Sure, lady”
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Short Stories, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Breeds, Bull Terrier, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog, Dog humor, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Rescues and Shelters, Short stories, Terrier Group, Writer, Writing
Gavin doesn’t fit under a potted palm but you try to tell him that…
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Yesterday Gavin entertained me by trying to hide under the potted palm in the waiting room. The receptionists and I were in the giggles. He crawled under a chair in the exam room, closed his eyes, and ducked his head in the old ‘if I can’t see you, you can’t see me’ routine. Didn’t work, the vet tech cracked up and took his temperature anyway.
When Dr O came in, Gavin tried to ooze under the door. That didn’t work either. Dr. O laughed at him and did a complete examination. He even snuck in a quick peek down Gavin’s mouth as far as Gavin would open it.
Gavin didn’t get his shots. No, he managed to come down with a case of the squirts. All night long and for most of the day before his scheduled 2:30 appointment, I took him out every two hours…or less. He came home with two bottles of medications and he is back on the old hamburger and rice diet.
I didn’t want to take both dogs in together. I tried that last time and Chicken Dog had Patty all apprehensive. She usually enjoys her vet visits. That’s why I made two separate appointments. However, now Gavin is tagging along to Patty’s appointment on the second to get his shots. DH can come along and enjoy Chicken Dog’s entertaining antics and then he can take him to the car while Patty gets her check up.
This should be interesting…
Posted in Dog related, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
There’s nothing like clean, sweet smelling dogs
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Gavin has a vet appointment today so yesterday was bath day. There’s no way I was taking Mr. Stinky in without a bath first. Patty’s appointment is the second so she’s clean too. I don’t bathe them as often as I should because they don’t make it easy.
DH was taking a nap when I hauled Patty up the stairs first. She wasn’t happy about going up there because she’d seen me take the dog towels up earlier. She knew what I had on my mind. A little coaxing and a cookie tossed in the tub soothed her for a bit. Then I turned on the water. Patty froze. Actually, I’m glad she did, bathing the brindle statue was easy. A soap and rinse later she was out of the tub and covered in towels loving the rubbing. She bounded down the stairs never once thinking of anything but another cookie and some drying time in her crate.
I took a short break.
Oh, boy it was Gavin’s turn. Getting him upstairs and into the tub, no problem, he jumped in right after the cookie I tossed onto the mat. Water on.
“Oh, no you don’t, Mom.” He backed into the far corner.
The tub is six feet long, the doors, the way I had them set, block four feet, and I was straining to reach him. I got him wet, soaped, rinsed. He kept shaking and got me wet, soaped, wet, and a ring on his bath collar hit me in the knuckle breaking a vein. Out of the tub, covered in towels, he managed to shake once more, soaking the entire bathroom and me again.
I took a long break before I went back up and cleaned the bathroom.
Nope, there’s never a dull moment around here.
Posted in Dog related, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Description, when is enough, enough?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I admit it I under-describe things and have to go back later to pump it up. However, I’d rather do that than do what the author (who will remain anonymous) of the mystery, (the title too shall remain anonymous) that I’m reading has done.
He has bored me with paragraph after paragraph of tedious description. Admittedly, the book was published in 1978. Had I read it then I would have said the same thing. The book is a trudge.
Nothing gets past him without a description. He describes minor characters in minute detail. He hands to you, in microscopic illustration, every location in the book. He’s boring me to tears. What bothers the crap out of me is that according to the book jacket, from 1978, he wrote sixteen novels. Geez, I wonder how many he’s had published since then. I’ll have to look for his books when I go to the bookstore again. Then I’ll ignore them.
I think I’ll hang on to the book as an example of what not to write. No, I didn’t buy the book.
G lent me a stack of new books I hadn’t read and I spotted this old one in a pile of books she was taking to a used bookstore. The title intrigued me. Sigh, I should’ve left it in the reject pile.
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Writer, Writing
I don’t need to go far to enjoy nature’s beauty
Posted by doggonedmysteries
About and hour before cooking dinner was a perfect time to take a break from writing and chores. I went out to relax on the hammock. The temperature was perfect and there was a gentle breeze blowing. Pure heaven.
The yard hummed with activity. I watched several monarch and swallowtail butterflies visit the flowers. Wouldn’t you know that as soon as I thought ‘camera,’ they disappeared. The cardinal family fluttered about in the tree above me and then bravely came down to the feeders. House sparrows and purple finches hopped around under the feeders cleaning up what the cardinals dropped to them. Then Momma Downy woodpecker hung upside down on the suet feeder directly above me, I almost held my breath so as not to frighten her.
I always allow my Echinacea to go to seed for the small flock of American goldfinches that we have around here. They came to nibble them and again I wished I’d brought my camera out with me. They made a colorful picture among the purple flowers.
The best of all was when I spied two ruby throated hummingbirds darting around the Cannas. I do wish they’d find the feeder.
Posted in Misc, My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bird, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Downy Woodpecker, Echinacea, Family, Fiction, Flower, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Hummingbird, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Writer, Writing
We live in a funhouse
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Old houses have oddities like crooked walls and strangely sized doors. I’ve been sort of shopping around for four interior doors. Of course, all four are different widths and they are all taller by more than an inch or two than any I can find. We’re so blessed to have an old house…. Sometimes it’s like living in a carnival funhouse.
Most of our doorways are out of square, which makes for more interesting problems. Floors tilt and bow. The stairs are all narrow and steep. The attic stairs do a lovely eighty degree turn, twice.
The cellar steps are another test of balance and agility. Although they don’t have turns they aren’t level and the bottom step is only an inch high, just enough to sprain an ankle if you hit it right. Or rather, if I hit it right I’ll sprain an ankle, which I’ve done many times over the years.
The entire house, except the attic and back porch, is heated by radiators. This makes the placement of furniture a challenge. There are two radiators in the living room under the master bedroom and one in the master bedroom. The room is very hot in the winter. I have to sleep with the window opened even when it’s below freezing outside or I’ll die of heat stroke.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bedroom, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Funhouse, Home, Home and Garden, Humor, Life, Living room, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Stairway, Writer, Writing
On leaky pond
Posted by doggonedmysteries
How does one find a leak in a pond? I know we are losing water somewhere but I have no idea where. It could be around the hose connected to the waterfall, the waterfall itself, or maybe in the liner. Yikes!
We need to find it before winter. This is going to be one of those (not) fun projects. What I wouldn’t give to have a strong-backed weak-minded helper. Nope, don’t have one of those—DH doesn’t count. His back is weak, his balance sucks, and he’s sharp as a tack.
It wouldn’t be so bad if the pond were spring fed but mine is hose fed and I have to pay the water bill. Yikes! Therefore, while we sit beside our lovely pond and enjoy its serene atmosphere I wonder how much water I’ll have to add by the end of each week.
We have a month or two left to locate and fix the leak. This means muscling big rocks and lifting a heavy pond liner always mindful of the fish, moving a cement and fiberglass waterfall to look beneath it, checking hoses…any volunteers? I didn’t think so.
Posted in My blog, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Home and Garden, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pond, Ponds, Water, Water garden, Waterfall, Writer, Writing
Dog days don’t mean hot days around here
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Today Both Gavin and Patty were acting as though they’d regressed to their childhoods. Bully runs and wrestling matches dominated the day, all day. Insanity was the word of the day. When they weren’t busy being silly dogs they zonked out on the furniture.
Due to cooler weather and low humidity, they were feeling good. I can relate to it too because I certainly enjoyed not having the house closed up and the AC on.
Knowing the two of them tomorrow will be more of the same. At least they tire themselves out and sleep well. The cooler weather has also had an effect on their appetites. They can’t wait for us to feed them.
When we get their food ready, Gavin wags his tail and scolds while Patty prances about. DH said that in the morning they almost ran him over to get to their dishes.
Posted in Dog related
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Sudden stink sends rat terrier scurrying
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I’d smelled a skunk a few hours ago. I had to close up the house the odor was so strong so the skunk had to have been nearby. After the stink dissipated, I reopened the windows and inside doors. The breeze from front to back was glorious. It’s so nice to have seasonal weather back.
It was about then when I heard my next-door neighbor come home. I hailed her from my door and we talked for a few minutes.
As she went inside, I warned her not to let her dog out without looking in the yard first but… The next thing I knew I heard the dog bark, bark, YIPE! I closed my windows and doors again.
The skunk didn’t get the little dog. She is quite fast, but from what I understand it was a narrow escape. I am surprised she had the good sense to retreat. Had it been either one of mine they wouldn’t have backed off or I’d be bathing them about now…
Posted in Dog related, Misc
Tags: Author, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Home, Home and Garden, Hydrogen peroxide, Life, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Odor, Pets, Rat Terrier, Rescue Dogs, Skunk, Writer, Writing
Dryers, the inter-dimensional sock gateway?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Sorting socks on laundry day is a dull, life-sucking task. I hate sorting socks and would love it if they did it all by themselves. However, there are some days where you feel as though you’ve stepped into the ‘inter-dimensional sock gateway zone’ when you find strange socks and miss some you swore you’d put in the wash.
Does anyone else have a dryer that is an inter-dimensional sock gateway? A few E-mails back and forth with Elena made me realize that I am not the only person who has one of these. She told me that she had a pair of socks come out of her dryer that she didn’t recognize. I often have that problem, as well as having socks periodically disappear into the IDSG void. Most of them are DH’s since during the warm weather I seldom wear socks.
Some people ask why it is that only socks do this. The easy answer is because a dryer is an inter-dimensional sock gateway not an inter-dimensional clothes gateway. Has anyone seen a super soft sage green sock? I can’t find one of mine. Check your dryer it might have beamed over there.
Once beamed into the IDSG do the socks turn into evil sock puppets that return here bent on taking over the earth?
Beware of strange sock puppets.
Posted in Misc, My blog, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, comedy, Craft of writing, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, Footwear, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Socks and Hosiery, Writer, Writing
Do you back up everything?
Posted by doggonedmysteries
After losing several precious to me pictures and some book chapters a few years back when my computer crashed I’ve become rather anal retentive about saving things to CDs and memory drives.
I have a 2.0G SanDisk that I’ve been using for a few years and it drives me crazy because it has some junk programs that came installed on it. Thanks but no thanks I only wanted storage for my books.
With it now back to school season, I found an on-sale-super-cheap 4.0G USB memory drive put out by Dane-Elec. I’m in love with it. It is all storage and no junk programs. At the price I paid for it I’m going back to buy more, many more.
I’ll use some strictly for pictures and keep others for my writing. I might even back up my entire computer again although there are a few programs I won’t bother with since I have them on disk. Heck, if get a couple of the 8G ones I can back up things to my heart’s content.
Posted in Misc, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Craft of writing, Dane-Elec, Dead, Disability, Doggoned, Family, Fiction, hard drive, Hardware, Home, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, SanDisk, Storage, USB flash drive, Writer, Writing
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