Happy Tails Rescue

Crisis Averted

2010-12-09T12:40:00.001-08:00

There's just something better about any disaster or “challenge” when it's written about after the fact, rather than in the middle of the crisis. At least that's the way I feel about it. While I'm given the “opportunity” to stretch myself, discover how my character has a chance to further develop under adversity, I just don't feel much like sharing the news. I'm too taught, wound up and ultra focused on getting myself out of the particular mess that I'm in.

Messes come in all shapes and forms, some are minor but seem horrif at the time, others are life threatening and many are damaging on other levels. This time, I'm just talking about common crises that pop up in most lives, although they may be different colored for different people, depending on their circumstances.

Now that this crisis is over, I can talk about it. Living off the grid, east of the Cascades means that our winters are somewhat colder than those in the Sponge, ie Portland, Seattle and significantly colder than Florida, California etc. Don't like hot buildings, it's much healthier living in European style room temperatures. I like indoor temps around 62 degrees, maybe 65, but any warmer than that and it feels too hot. Besides viruses survive in warmer temperatures.

Living in a log cabin, with radiant floor heating sounds plenty cozy, and it normally is. Except when something goes wrong as it recently did. No noisy furnaces blasting uneven heat everywhere...just a gentle warmth that is everywhere.

The other night, why do emergencies always happen at night? We ran out of water. Nothing new there, we pump from a private well into a 1,000 gallon holding tank. While that system could be automated in a perfect world, there's just something about 40 dogs, horses, cats, chickens etc that keep us from enjoying any type of perfection. Back to the story. When we forget to pump into the holding tank and use all of the water we run out. Sometimes we forget when we pump, since summer brings more water usage than does winter.

I knew that we shouldn't be out of water yet, I remembered this time, because during winter I have the thrill of hauling 300 feet of water hoses around to water animals and then draining that same 300 feet so it will be ready for the next water. About every other day during the winter is what it takes to keep water troughs and buckets full. So running out before that was a clue that something was wrong.

Well trouble shooting what that something is can take awhile. We put on the thinking caps first, checking the most obvious, ruling them out one by one, until we're left scratching our heads. Maybe we better check the radiant floor heating since we noticed our indoor temps starting to drop. OH NO, there was a minor flood. Not a big deal, it's in an unfinished part of the house. Well, ALL of the house is unfinished, but this is in an unfinished AND uninsulated part. Not a bit deal after all, a hose clamp had come loose and pumped out all of our water and drained our holding tank dry. Refilled and watched and waited, but the temps wouldn't start to regain.

When we're already at 62 degrees inside, it doesn't take long before it starts to get a little chilly. The indoor pooches look at us and prefer laying on couches instead of the cooling floor. I put on another layer of clothes, then the hoodies. We just can keep the water temps up going into the heating system, and they're dropping on the out flowing line. Not good.

Bingo, after 2 days, we figured it out. Bleed the lines to get the air out. So we drained the lines, refilled and then slowly watched the temps start to raise. So once again we're smiling.

Yeah, it wasn't a death sentence, temps outside were in the teens and 20's, but what if the temps dropped before we could get things figured out, then we'd be looking at a real potential-pipe-breaking-mess. But then I remembered that old saying:

“bridges you cross before you get to them are over rivers that aren't there”

Through Rain Or Snow

2010-11-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

There are few things more tranquil than sitting inside snuggled next to a roaring, crackling fire, sipping something warm while watching the beautiful white snow flakes cascade softly to the earth. Or remembering my thrill at hitting the slopes at the crack of down, skiing all day and partying all night, a very long time ago, or even ice skating was great fun....I imagine everyone “loves the snow” when they see it from those perspectives, but what about from a different perspective? What if you have to actually be outside working in it?

Today's Thanksgiving animal count at Happy Tails is:

4 horses in 2 pastures that are several hundred feet apart
8 Oberhasli goats in 2 different pastures
2 llamas with a horse
chickens everywhere, some in their hoop house, some with goats, others roosting where they will
cats, hard to tell how many new ones were deposited by transient moms, maybe a half dozen or so
39 Rotts with straw stuffed Igloos and partial roofs

Imagine that 18” of fresh snow fell on all of us with temperatures hovering around -5 degrees. To survive, everyone now requires extraordinary winter care, such as:

plentiful dry straw must be stuffed into Igloos for warmth & scattered in front for lounging.

18” of snow must first be removed from the tarps covering the snow

18” of snow must be removed from the front of each kennel, from the front of the barn, from our paths

all drinking water must be broken once daily, it still will refreeze quicker than we like

hoses must be manually drained, holding overhead and draining 3 times and then carefully laid flat

hoses must be dragged up to 300'+ to reach farthest pastures

kennel gates freeze and require human intervention to get them open

snow accumulates in front of gates and freezes and must be hacked away for access

snow must be shoveled off the partial roofs or they will collapse

many of our chain link kennels have been squished down a foot or so due to past heavy snow

wooden 2 x 6 supports must be built and installed to add support so roofs won't collapse

paths in snow must be made for chickens that stay out so food can be scattered in those paths

food for our cats & guest cats is in barn and under parked trucks trailers

1 of our cats insists on special accommodations on our covered porch, w shelter, food & water

hay must be delivered to horses/goats, after removing all snow from the tarps

dogs eat from 5 gallon buckets

dog food is stored in one of our 45' trailers, those doors always freeze shut & require attention

dog food must be loaded into something to carry to the runs

With this number of dogs and these temps we're looking at 4,000 to 5,850 lbs of dog food monthly

We still have to get dog food from Portland, Vancouver, Yakima during the winter

We are off grid, meaning solar when there's sun, but in the winter and these low temps we need full time diesel generator operation. Equipment fails, as it did day before yesterday, meaning we're all without basics of electricity, heat or water until we humans can trouble shoot, find & resolve any problems, irrespective of the weather, inclination or energy.

Our tractor doesn't “do” winters, our ATV needs repair. We hand carry food in 5 gallon buckets, we sometimes hand carry water when an outdoor frost free hydrant freezes. What normally takes 2 humans a couple of hours in good weather can take 6-8 hours leaving us drained, freezing yet sweating from the exertion.

The little Suzuki Sidekick is small enough to help deliver the hay to the pastures and as winter progresses, we will give up trudging things by hand, dig open the fence panels so we can drive into the dog area.

Our blessings are not only saving the lives & serving those that need help, but also in seeing the numerous birds that share our chicken food & hay, they land by the dozens and belly right up with horses, goats & chickens. We left hundreds of apples on the trees. Their bright red color contrasts nicely against the snow, and it's particularly rewarding to see visiting birds land to dine. I doubt there will be any left by spring. There's also some herbs, seeds & veggies in the garden that birds seem to find enjoyable. We also have dozens and dozens of smaller birds who have decided that they live with the dogs, they build nests under their roofs and swoop down to share their kibble & water.

We are thankful today, but grateful all year!

This is the view from Happy Tails humans.

Be thankful that you're inside or outside by choice.

Happy Tails could use:

building materials for repairs
building materials for a permanent arena style roof over the dogs 90 x 120
an operational ATV
a 4 x 4 tractor that does winter
a lower mileage 4 x 4 truck, our rigs are 250k plus and taped together
an operational 15K + generator

Contributions are tax deductible.

Safe Journey!

Don't Touch My Junk ~ TSA Rap Video

2010-11-19T11:54:00.001-08:00

This video is rated not suitable for children, but rather than shield them from the reality of the potential sexual molestation they face if they try to board an airplane in the US, you might consider showing them the video.

Don't fly and be molested, the airlines can stop this. We can stop this. The original program initiated in 2001 has a 2 year contract. Vote with your dollars, do not fly until sexual molestation stops.

Check the creative video by clicking on the Title.

"With people getting partially molested at checkpoints, all that is going to be a real shock for them," said Greg Wells, senior vice president of operations at Southwest Airlines.

Xena The Adorable

2010-11-03T12:24:00.000-07:00

Xena was adorable as Rotties get. Like Seabiscuit, though she was small she was mighty. I have been blessed to know 5 Rottie females. The first 2 were purebreds from champion lines. One of which was the sweetest pup I have ever known, until Xena. Xena was not outdone and fairly matched by my sweet Maggie.

Xena is missed greatly by her two brothers, Taj (a chow/dobie mix) and Strider (a Gordon Setter/Border Collie mix). The only thing that these two boys ever agreed on was their love of Xena. She kept the both in line and happy as all get-out.

Although she was generally accepting and friendly, she was super protective while riding around in public. To both dogs and people she was vehement should any approach her beloved car and family. Car riding, walking, playing with her brothers, belly rubs were all her favorite things. My wife and I dearly love and deeply miss our short-legged, barrel-bodied, nub-wagging friend and sister.

We only hope our next female Rottie will be half as sweet and loving as our Xena. My God, how they grow right into our hearts. Bless you sweet sister. I hope you are enjoying the Kingdom of Bliss. Bob & Jacque.

STOP US Army From Cruel Animal Mutilations

2010-10-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

This article is from PETA:

The U.S. Army is once again applying for a permit to cut apart and kill animals in cruel and crude trauma training exercises in the district of Oberpfalz (Bavaria, Germany), even though the Army's first application was withdrawn because of overwhelming public opposition to the plan. Its second application was also recently denied because officials said that the animal laboratories would violate Germany's animal protection law, since effective non-animal methods are available for use in the training instead.

Germany's own Armed Forces has written to PETA, stating: "[T]he armed forces do no animal tests for training purposes. For training exercises the soldiers learn with really good models and the doctors don't need animal experiments." The U.S. Army's own Alfred V. Rascon School of Combat Medicine at Fort Campbell does not use animals in its trauma program, stating that "[t]raining on [simulators] is more realistic to providing care for a person than training on animals."
Please help spare animals from these cruel and deadly trauma training exercises right now by sending polite e-mails to German government officials urging them to stop the U.S. Army from pursuing permits for trauma training in Germany.

Happy Tails statement: The German Army has done the right thing so far by refusing to allow a permit for these mutilations which do not simulate human trauma injuries. There are models and superior simulations that are far more effective. There is an online petition.

Time Acceleration

2010-10-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

It just always seems that once the Calendar says Sept 1, the acceleration of time is most rapid. The daylight grows noticeably shorter with each passing day, but the list of important chores continues to grow.

This is the time of the year when I really crank up getting dog food in for the winter haul. Dog appetites increase and who knows what the roads could be like during the winter or if the cars & trucks will cooperate or break down. After all, we measure the age of our vehicles in decades, and they do show some wear and tear. The Suburban has over 250k miles and the engine is doing great, the body tends to be showing age related signs of decay, oh well.

This time of year it becomes a bit of a frenzy. The dogs notice the shortening days and want to come inside earlier, and wonder why they are still outside after dark. The cooler nights make them peppy and it seems that the full moon lasts forever.

Of course juggling 6 indoor pooches that don't get along makes it more interesting, so when the 3 outside come in and stay until morning, so we keep their schedule by the clock rather than the daylight or darkness.

About 15 tons of hay has to be picked up, unloaded, covered and secured. The round trip drive to and from the hay is about 2 hours and it's within our same zip code! The roads are not paved and traveling is rather slow. Still, it's a great time of the year. Our hay guy's wife is running for the county prosecuting attorney position, so that adds to the mix of excitement in the air.

Besides hay, we needs straw for the dogs, so that means more trips in different directions and no, nobody delivers, we must pick up.

We have 3 dog food trips scheduled for the next week or so, Once to Vancouver, once to Portland, another time to Yakima and another in a couple of weeks to the Ellensburg area. Gosh, that's 4 trips! Lots of driving, but we'll combine it with other chores and with each trip will be a little more thankful for the donated food.

There is just a certain amount of urgency, chaos, and ramping up of everything at this time of the year. At least it's that way here. I start looking around and mentally ticking off the needed repairs that have to be done before winter. Make sure that all hoses are in place to get stored for when we start hauling hoses for winter watering. Making sure things are tarped, Screwing down our pathetic dog roofs and hoping that our sagging kennels make it through another winter of snow load.

This year is going to be a La Nina, so it will bring more moisture of some sort. Warmer we'll be drowning in mud, colder we'll be buried in snow and all of the work that involves.

Oh well, at least we took the time to fix the leaking propane line. It was like dollars vaporizing into the air. As winter kicks in and we have to think about turning on the radiant floor heat, every dollar not wasted is a bonus. I always think that we'll tough it out and not need so much heat this year. We keep it around 62 degrees inside and sweat like demons when we go anywhere that it's warmer inside. Today at least the heat is off, the sun is out, the tomatoes are still mostly green.

The immediate tasks involve finishing several hundred feet of horse fencing and whacking down the weeds that invaded the garlic. Getting the rest of the Russian Sage and Lavender plants in the ground and mulched. Oh yeah, picking up several truck loads of goat compost, another 1 hour trip away in the same zip code.

We did manage to install a new window and a French door, so that has us fully enclosed for the first time ever. Of course, that part of the house is still unfinished.....but it was some progress.

I guess everyone has lists, can't live without them.

New Voice?

2010-09-18T08:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes those old sayings just don't hold water. Proof is always in the pudding and that sort of thing. Every morning and sometimes at night, or the middle of the day, depending on how the planets are aligned and the moon phase we have had night or day songs. Beautiful melodies, dog voices raised from the depths of their ancestral memories.

New dog arrives, the melody changes, another dog leaves music changes again. What has always amazed me is that there is always a dog tune leader outside or inside that leads off and then others join in. Noses pointed skyward, eyes closed, lips circled.

Sounds vary from high pitched, to low baritones, slow and melodious or a quick tempo. Dogs do not sound the same and each has their style. Once the song leader calls out the choir they all join in for 10 seconds or so and then some maestro mentally signals stop and all howling ceases in an instant. There are no lingering voices. They all stop at once.

Our morning song leader has always been Spencer, at least for the last 8 years. Spencer is a Border Collie/Rott, sporting a white tuxedo shirt and has always yipped others into a song frenzy. He's never howled. Not horribly unusual. Many newcomers don't know how to howl, but with observation and desire they all quickly learn. Spencer has always yipped. Didn't really matter, the others all knew it was the intention and spirit of the yip that mattered and not the tune.

This morning a new voice emerged. Following a few warm up yips, Spencer howled!

What does it mean? Mere humans are pathetically lacking insight to know these matters. One thing is certain, it's an unusual change after almost 9 years, we'll be watching things closely for subtle changes everywhere.

I Was Loving It!

2010-09-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

McDonald's targeted in US health ad: This article and video was published in the UK.

Unhappy meals: American doctors' TV ad features a corpse holding a hamburger and the line 'I was lovin' it'. McDonald's, which has thrived in the recession, isn't laughing

Check out the You Tube Video below!

NOT fit for dogs either!

Poop Power?

2010-09-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

According to the
San Francisco Chronicle, "American dogs and cats create 10 million tons of waste a year, and no one knows where it's going."

Will Brinton, a scientist in Mount Vernon, Maine, and one of the world's leading authorities on waste reduction and composting, was quoted as saying. "Most of our pets' poop either winds up in a landfill purgatory, where it's embalmed practically forever in plastic bags, or sits on the ground until the next rainstorm washes it into the sewer where it can drift on down to rivers and beaches."

And so San Francisco has become the first city in the country to consider turning Fido's droppings into methane, which can heat homes, cook meals and generate electricity. "Poop power? Yes, it's possible to produce electricity, natural gas and even fuel from Rover's poop and other waste material,"

By the way Happy Tails composts and considers it a valuable resource for pastures. Our compost temps far exceed 150 degrees which kills all pathogens.

Green Dog Cleaning Company of Portland, Oregon is an innovative, energetic new Pet Waste Professionals company that offers a variety of services at very reasonable prices that include scooping your poop and turning it into compost!

They were even the focus of an article in Oregon Live With dogs in the city, doesn't it make more sense to compost rather than to enshrine poop in plastic bags that are not biodegradable? Don't we need to become more creative with our disposal methods? We always wonder where "away" is when we talk about throwing "away.."

United States Dept of agricultural

National Resources Conservation Services releases Dog Waste Composting Guide The average dog can produce 274 pounds of waste each year. Composting dog waste is a simple and inexpensive method for disposing of dog waste that can enhance the environment. This guide will show you how. USDA Alaska Dog waste is a safe soil additive for revegetation and landscaping when composted properly.

What is Composting?

"Composting is the controlled breakdown or degradation of organic material into a product known as humus. Dog waste composting is a natural process that requires air, water, organic matter, microbes and a little human intervention."

"REMEMBER: It takes at least 10 dogs, preferably 20, to generate enough waste to maintain a bin.

A large pile (3 to 5 foot cube) is needed to provide insulation and keep temperatures high in the piles' center. For fewer dogs you can keep a separate compost bin for dog waste and add grass clippings or other nitrogen sources to increase the volume. Treat the finished compost as you would other composted dog manure."

Happy Tails uses 4 pallets to contain the material, we rarely have to cover it because it gets hot enough without a cover. No odor, no flies, no mice etc.

Best way to collect is to add a carbon source (sawdust, chopped straw, bedding) to the dog waste as you collect it and mix it after being placed into your bin. There won't be any composting until water is added. Choose your location and bin, gather your materials and never use those non disposable plastic bags again!

Recipe

For every two shovels full of dog waste, add one shovel full of sawdust or other carbon source and mix thoroughly after each addition.

Add water in small amounts until the compost mixture is as moist as a wrung out sponge. Continue adding ingredients until the compost is two to three feet deep.

Once a bin is full, do not continue adding fresh materials. You may be surprised how quickly the contents seems to shrink, we rarely fill our 4 x 4 area.

Place a cover on the compost mixture. Microbes will begin breaking down the organic materials. As the microbes go to work, they release heat and increase the temperature of the compost pile.

Mature compost has a dark rich earthy color, it's moist, crumbly, and truly has a pleasant earthy odor. Dig in and use this valuable natural resource!

Don't Forget The Veggies!

2010-09-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

We've all seen that sad dog, round face look. The look that accuses, that stabs our hearts and immediately instills guilt, massive amounts of guilt. Dogs are masters at it, and I believe Rotts truly known how to hang their heads and make their humans feel shame, when required.

It all started innocently enough. In order not to pack on extra girth and body weight, we would turn to natural foods as treats. Slices of carrots or apple, frozen organic string beans, good healthy things that would still be tasty and crisp to give a dog some pleasure from his treat without eating soy, corn or other things that harm them. These are perfectly healthy and dogs learn to enjoy them, some don't have any learning curve at all!

We eat raw in the morning, raw veggies, raw fruits & raw goat milk with lots of herbs. The dogs would eagerly drink our smoothies, but instead they get their own raw goat milk that turns those black Rotti lips white. They love it and it's wonderful for them.

At night we eat cooked veggies with some type of protein such as grass fed bison, beef or free range chicken. The inside permanent Rotts fully anticipate having their own portion along with their Solid Gold kibble or Honest Kitchen stew.

Again, it was innocent enough in the beginning. We like it healthy, quick, tasty and easy. So veggies have an organic hemp seed oil, organic coconut oil, garlic & lemon sauce. Takes only a few seconds and is zingy and healthy. Started giving the pooches a string bean or two dipped in the sauce. That didn't last long. So, now every night they fully anticipate and expect to have the veggies with THE SAUCE.

Sometimes I don't have the veggies prepared, the garden hasn't cooperated, or it's winter and I have to buy them from 40 miles away. We still give Organic Dog Treats which are very much appreciated, but that's in addition to their dinner vegetables. The treats are considered their dessert!

It's become clear that there is no acceptable excuse for me to forget them, to be tired, to be lazy, to not have an ingredient etc. If there aren't veggies on their nightly menu, they are upset and will show it with that look. It's a look I don't like to see, so I do my best to ensure a steady supply of fresh veggies.

Try it, your pooches will appreciate you and will never give you THAT look, that is unless you run OUT of something or don't feel like preparing it for them. Don't start if you don't want to continue, or you'll have some sad puppy dogs!

Bouncy Boys

2010-09-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

The two new boys are adjusting to their new surroundings very nicely. We ask nothing of them until they are relaxed, comfortable with us and are used to everything. These youngsters seem like they will be very good at learning their new routine. After all, they only have to watch the reactions of every other pooch to see what is normal and expected of them, then they imitate.

It was amazingly quiet yesterday. Not that Rotts are barkers like some other breeds, but they don't hesitate to voice their opinion when required and of course, there are the nightly songs! Yesterday, it was as though everyone appreciated that the new guys were nervous, stressed and lacked confidence. So there was utter silence until about 7pm. Then things went back to normal.

We were first greeted with wiggling bodies by the two new guys when I went to say "hi" to everyone late afternoon. I thought it might be a fluke, but nevertheless, there were 2 skinny bodies, shaking, wiggling and wagging all over the place and very happy at my arrival.

This morning during treat deliveries, it was clear that it wasn't a fluke. The skinny boys were quite happy in their new environment and could shimmy and shake with the best of them! Uncle Sebastian was on one side and Aunt Unique on the other, both very stabilizing influences for the youngsters.

These gentle treat takers are adjusting well. Their appetites are quite good, so maybe it was just a lack of food, rather than a lack of interest. It's good to see them eat!

Today is their first full day, looks like it will be a good one!

Two New Faces

2010-09-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Buddy & Chevy joined Happy Tails Rescue yesterday, both came as owner surrenders from the shelter system in Portland, Oregon. What that means to these 16 month old brothers is that a lot has been thrown at them in the last several weeks.

Being scooped up from their multiple dog home including Mama Rotti, adult humans, kid humans and some type of established routine. They next find themselves jailed in tiny, concrete quarters being jabbed, poked, examined and deemed inappropriate for adoption.

Once we agreed to take them, even more is thrown at them, more jabs, more pokes and then neuter surgery, transportation to meet us mid way between Goldendale & Portland. By the time we met them, they were tired, suspicious and not overly thrilled about getting into another vehicle. Why should they, the tiny park over looking the Columbia River had everything a youngster could want. Great other dog smells, a nice view, breezes that kicked up other interesting aromas, lots of shade and we were plying them with plenty of tasty treats to help gain their trust.

Buddy went into the crate nicely probably because he had no idea what it was and he behaved well once inside. Chevy on the other paw, was not overly receptive to much of anything except treats. Whenever possible we prefer the pooch to load up without human assistance. After an hour or so, it became clear that his intentions were different than ours and so he was lifted, while flailing, into the back of the Suburban. Chevy forgave quickly and rested his chin on the back of the seat while he observed everything that was happening.

Numerous errand stops before heading home gave ample time to chat and supply more treats. This was the time to swing open both gates to our kennel area so we could back the Suburban right up to the run these brothers would share. Buddy, again was fine with our requests. Chevy, again wasn't too keen on anything other than observing all the other encouraging Rotti faces and sound effects. After about 1.5 hours of sitting on the back bumper and encouraging, we could see that Chevy was getting exhausted with all of his new experiences and so we gently extracted him. Once out he was more than eager to get in with Buddy.

Both youngsters don't have much life experience and can't even spell manners, but are good dogs. They are handsome, too thin and need to learn about life. This morning for cookie rounds they observed everyone else walk to the kennel gate to accept a nice treat and they imitated their Rotti friends.

Today's Labor day and we are recovering from yesterday's labor. Not to mention the 250 mile round trip the day before to pick up 1,500 lbs of dog food, a most welcome donation. Happy Tails Rotts eat 100-150 lbs daily.

These boys will be looking for permanent homes soon.

Dog Bite Stories?

2010-09-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Tails will soon launch an Ebook to help train people to better read, understand and even speak dog language, so they will minimize their chances of EVER being bitten by ANY dog. In dealing with hundreds of Rottweilers since 1987 we have never been bitten and have handled severely traumatized, highly stressed, starved animals & “bite dogs” considered “dangerous” in their current condition.

We enjoy this excellent record not because of any genetic brilliance but due to education related to Bite Prevention and being sensitive and aware of the ample warnings a dog gives prior to biting.

Dogs NEVER bite for "no reason" and they never bite when a "growl" or "nip" will do. We humans may not agree with the reason or even recognize it as such, but there is ALWAYS a "reason"

As a society it's our responsibility to learn to read our dogs better and teach our more vulnerable members how to be Bite Proof. Human intelligence is not an option, but a requirement in handling powerful animals of any specie or breed.

By learning the facts why dogs bite, you can prevent it from happening to you or someone you love. It's also an opportunity to bite protect your entire family for interactions with other strange dogs that you may encounter in life, and a great chance to teach your child to never again be nipped or bitten by any dog. This could be a lifesaver for small children.

Dogs give ample warning, often very subtle to the untrained eye before they bite. We're looking for real stories about folks who have been bitten by a family dog who they never-thought-would-bite. If your story is published, we'll send you a free Ebook!

Hot August Nights?

2010-09-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

The birth of this Blog happened on what should have been a hot August day. The calendar said it was August, but the rain outside said it was more like late October. The second August rain, not bad considering I hadn't seen August rains in these parts since moving here 14 years ago. The first rain was more of a storm with all of the light and sound effects.

In some ways, I'm looking forward to a couple decades of global cooling. Augusts were way too hot here, with about a weeks worth of 100 degree plus days. Come to think of it, I haven't seen 100 degree temps in quite a few years, fewer 90 degree days too. This August temps were mostly in the 70's. Nights have already been as low as 39 degrees. August? My tomatoes don't think so either. Sure, we've had some red tomatoes, as I hover over them giving them verbal encouragement to turn red or even orange.

The only contrary opinions are the horses coats, but then they're like that. They have not sported their winter coats yet, which could be a bad sign. On our coldest winter in 5 years they didn't don their winter fur until last in the year, but the winter with the record breaking snow depths, they had thick coats by October. Squirrels are busier than ever and not chattering, could mean a cold winter or perhaps just a long one. I'm hoping for a long fall and short winter.

Click on the Hot August Nights for a link to Ice Age Now, to see record cold temps & harsh weather world wide.

Angel Sponsor is back! Please Help Fill Our Bucket!

2010-08-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Tails Rescue just received a pledge from our Angel sponsor who, remaining anonymous, will match donations to Happy Tails Rescue ( up to $1,500) made between now & November 30, 2010!

We know it's getting harder and harder to make ends meet, but even small donations make a meaningful difference to our rescue efforts and this opportunity essentially doubles the giving power, thanks to this anonymous donor!

Contributions will be reserved exclusively for dog food, we're entering into fall and winter without any reserve and insufficient food donations. These Big Black Pooches go through about 100-150 lbs daily, 365 days a year!

If you stumble across any generous souls needing a year's end write off we would be most grateful if you would please send them our way. We accept checks or credit cards.

Safe Journey & Happy Tails!

Vaccine Zombie Video

2010-08-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

Watch Mike Adams turn his creative skill into a great little video that will help spread the word about not taking the jab!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYI-dC9G0us

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!