Category Archives: Pet

Four Girls Four

Posted on March 27, 2010 by tdl1501| 3 Comments

This girl group (I should say ladies’ group) was composed of Rosemary Clooney, Rose Marie, Helen O’Connell and Margaret Whiting.

They were fantastic singing classic big band and other songs, and I was lucky to see them in the early 1980′s at Chautauqua. Tonight I’m surrounded by Two Guys Two, my husband and a work pal are here, for the weekend for skiing (not my Jim). I’m working on dishes and while they set up a movie, they start into total work mode and start talking tech.

In the midst of the work conversation and had settled on a movie, I broke in and told them I’d been to a seminar this past week. We learned that while the Greater Sandhill Cranes mated for life, one guy asked why the male bird had to show his feathers for the gal every year. I said it was like dinner and a movie. Most people laughed.

While we’ve been together over eight years (seven married) it’s always interesting to meet fellow colleagues. Yes. it is always better to have other guys, gals/wives around for a social event. At home, taking care of weekend guests, it’s different.

It’s always a treat to have guests here, we wouldn’t have had an extra bedroom except to have people visit us in this gorgeous location. Several folks have and it’s always good to see them, cook for them, and see them off.

Now there are folks who want to kick us off this place and we don’t want to leave. What I hate more is that someone who sees me regularly on a public route with my dog on a leash (when his is not) goes home and has wife send a letter saying we’re not allowed to have a dog.

This morning I picked up a beer can that had been buried in the snow and put it in the trash, my dear husband shoveled the trail himself after he got home from work yesterday, and now I’m wondering why we’re such bad neighbors. After all, our dog is six now and we’ve had her six years so why are we supposed to get rid of her to pay a fortune for a lovely home that we care for diligently, and are recognized as great neighbors.

It would be nice to just have a break, to be recognized for being good neighbors and not be ostracized by one couple for having a friendly, special needs dog who does nothing to hurt anyone. Hope y’all are having a good weekend. We enjoyed our long drive today! Cheers, Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Pet, Utah

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Childhood

Posted on March 25, 2010 by tdl1501| Leave a comment

At age eight we moved to a large home on a mountain overlooking a lake. You should have seen me lugging rocks to build a retaining wall, using a miter to cut window moldings, or grabbing the automatic stapler with both hands to put up ceiling tiles in the basement.

When I talk about the Job Jar now it’s a good thing! Whether it was folding diapers, dusting, vacuuming or weeding we each had our things to do. The only thing is that it was never passed down to the younger ones, who got away with anything. But I digress.

Childhood is different these days. When a toddler waves at me from a supermarket cart I can’t say hello. Two tween girls wanted to come over here to play my keyboard last year, with an OK from Mom but Dad would get home from work and retrieve them post haste.

We didn’t have to lock our front door or our car. Yes, in high school several people I knew took drugs but I didn’t. I can’t imagine life as a twelve-year old girl today with Internet access and so many dangers. I wonder if parents are being too protective and creating monsters of their children who crave independence or will remain dependent forever.

Wouldn’t it be nice to go back to the time where we built sand structures or snow forts or sledded down the hill? While I’m past my child-bearing years my husband and I love children, especially our young relatives on which we dote. Some have the luxury of living a country existence and some don’t have that pleasure except on vacation.

We missed Thanksgiving at Nanny’s last year, first time in eight years. I missed the after-supper activities: pushing the little ones on the swings and looking at the horses. It’s a different world out there now, and parents should be extra-vigilant about their child’s safety but also let them learn and grow.

Yeah, I check all the locks every night. It was creepy when our garage door kept opening on its’ own, over the holidays. Husband Jim had to change the frequency to stop other garage door openers from opening ours and having full use of our home! Stay safe, Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Education, Pet, Recipe Ideas

The Perfect Mouse

Posted on February 19, 2010 by tdl1501| Leave a comment

Yes, our dog Zoe caught a live mouse last week and Jim snapped the leash and she relinquished it. Normally our family adopts cats and dogs that have no hunting instinct, except for cat Hobbes (RIP) and our Zoe. The mouse scurried away but probably not without injury.

Many years ago I went to visit my sister in CA and she wondered why all these cats were gathered around her small home. Mija, her cat, was in heat, I explained. Shortly thereafter my brother flew across country with a five week-old kitten in his pocket. Surprise! My sister had offered me a kitten and I declined, I’d just moved to NYC to a new job. She didn’t send me the one she offered in the first place, but a runt who fell off the 7′ shelf in the garage and Mija stopped feeding him at two weeks of age so my sister put him on solids.

I was an inveterate “dog person” at the time and knew nothing about cats. I knew nothing about food, litter or milk replacement formula. I bought one book that said to only give cats frozen raw kidneys, frozen four days to eliminate bacteria. I threw that away. Then I got a book that told me to make a mouse.

One-sixth of an animal is internal organs so we need some liver and kidney and heart et al. The fur provides fiber. So I bought a chicken and roasted it and saved the breasts for me and the rest for Nathan (Nathan’s hot dogs, or Kevin Kline’s character in Sophie’s Choice). I added kelp, brewers’ yeast and a ton of things to make a week’s worth of food for him in ice cube trays. He wouldn’t eat it.

Over the years I still tried to give him quality food, and ended up with Innova, which has no meat by-products or corn. Do you know what he liked? Fancy Feast. So on his birthday and Christmas I got him a can of Fancy Feast as an illicit treat. He was with me for 13 years and I never got the last word in a discussion. He was part Burmese, a gorgeous cat with a beautiful coat.

He got out of the house one day and went to visit a neighbor, came back and got a cough that became pneumonia. Coupled with congestive heart failure I had to do the right thing so held him for a while even after he was sedated and euthanized.

Sometimes a cat doesn’t appreciate the whole mouse as a human sees it. Luckily our dog, after multiple tries at food she would eat, relishes her raw lamb with carrots and blueberries and squash. It’s frozen solid and she’s a happy camper! Cheers, Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Pet

For the Dog Who Has Everything…

Posted on November 16, 2009 by tdl1501| Leave a comment

Do you remember your grandmother’s ice cream machine? A big wooden tub that encased a small can, which was hand-cranked (the kids lined up for that one) or electric. She placed ice and rock salt around the metal can inside the wooden enclosure. Why salt? To make the ice colder and freeze the delicious blueberry (or whatever) ice cream was inside.

As we settle into our first long winter of deep snows, one ski resort is already open. We anticipate much plowing will be done and also, the HOA here is salt-happy. What happens when your dog goes out on ice and snow saturated with rock salt? Her paws freeze and she limps until the hurt is gone, then when she arrives home, even after toweling off she licks her paws.

There are two solutions: booties, which most dogs hate and I can’t imagine doing that first thing in the morning; and a new trick we’ve found out from neighbors, paw wax. We can’t find it at the local pet stores so had to get it online, it should arrive later this week. Looks like it’s going to be a very cold but sunny, snow-free week so if we stick to the trails instead of driveways and roads, she should be OK.

So, what do you get for the pup in northern climes? Try paw wax. We ordered a brand called Mushers and will let you know how it works. Zoe didn’t understand why it took me so long to get ready this morning in 13 degree Farenheit weather. It was the boots! Coat, hat, gloves, but my feet were protected by socks and boots and hers aren’t, at least until later this week. Oh, I gave away her grosgrain ribbon jingle bell collar to a pup last year, so we got her a green velvet one with golden bells. She has to be bathed and groomed before we take her photo with that collar!

I’m still trying to find a capon. There’s a new farmers’ market in walking distance, indoors. I bought a “culotte” of lamb, that is frozen. I’m going to thaw it out later in the week, marinate it in good olive oil, garlic, rosemary and perhaps some balsamic vinegar and we’ll grill it. It’s local lamb. I also bought a fresh loaf of artisan cranberry-orange bread that I immediately wrapped and froze for either cranberry trifle or bread pudding. It may become the base of a Thanksgiving dessert.

I made pizza last night, from scratch of course. It was very good and we still have an entire pizza left over to heat up another night. I wanted to make roasted winter squash soup today but may run out of time as I’ve been cleaning and doing loads and loads of laundry, winter jackets and all. Fabric softener in the wash seems to make a difference. Right now inside is 23% humidity, a desert-like environment in which skin dries and cracks and electricity crackles every time I touch something or take off a sweater. Let’s hope this helps.

Thanks for tuning in to the early winter edition of Dee’s mountain cooking blog! Cheers, Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Pet, Utah

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Adoption Pact

Posted on October 12, 2009 by tdl1501| 1 Comment

Dear Maddie’s Fund Employees and Board Members,

Thank you for thinking of my old home town. Rural areas are problematic, not that Buffalo is rural but I grew up in Erie and Chautauqua counties and both could use assistance. Education is always the key, and this comes from a shelter volunteer and long-term volunteer at San Diego’s Feral Cat Coalition clinics (I ran volunteers at Recovery for years).

I wanted to thank you and HSUS and the Ad Council for the Shelter program. Some of the greatest joys of my life have come from rescues or shelters. My first cat, Nathan, was a “gift” from my sister, transported across the country. He was a Burmese mix and a talker (I never got in the last word in an argument) and was with me 13 years. When my parents’ dog died I started volunteering at a shelter and met my first dog there, abused her first year by a law enforcement official and in the shelter her entire second year where I visited her every week even when I was in a neck brace and couldn’t walk dogs. I heard from a staffer/former volunteer that there was a meeting about euthanizing her and the decision was put off for a week. I had her home the next day. I challenged her to trust me and gave her unconditional love and she was with me for ten years before I held her as she bled out and was humanely put down.

My kitten, adopted at nine weeks from the same shelter, was named Mick Dundee because he was fearless. He lived with me seven years before I gave him to neighbors whose dog he loved (all dogs came to visit us and they played on the lawn) as my husband is allergic and now Mickey is gone.

We adopted an Aussie/Border Collie pup over five years ago from another shelter. Zoe (Greek for “life”) is with us today in Utah. We’re really glad we got her because she would have been euthanized if the shelter or most owners learned at five months of age she had the worst hip dysplasia her surgeon has ever seen. Two FHNO’s later, she’s grown her own hips and is a bit clumsy but the happiest animal I’ve ever met. We tell people they can spend $1,200 on a purebred or $75 on a mutt and the rest on surgery! We love her dearly.

DSCF0001

So, will we get a shelter pet next time? You bet. Kudos to the Duffields, Mr. Avanzino and staff for a great and noble venture. I interviewed your legal staff when you were at SFSPCA and was so impressed…..

* * *

I changed the photo due to a technical glitch. Maddie’s Fund is in partnership with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS.org) and the Ad Council to encourage folks to adopt their next pet from a shelter. I’m signing it and hope you’ll consider doing so as well. Too many adoptable and treatable animals are euthanized each year simply for lack of a good home and because owners didn’t spay/neuter their pets. Let’s try to do our best to end this cycle. Thanks much, Dee

Cheers! Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Pet

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Farewell, Molly

Posted on August 16, 2009 by tdl1501| 2 Comments

Ms. Molly said goodbye to the world she’s had with Val and family for 32 years, today. The horse that was bought by Jim’s grandfather, who died many years ago. The trouble is, our cousin and vet and Zoe’s hip surgeon had to do it herself. I’ve helped several of my pets go to the beyond when they were unable to lead anything resembling a normal life, but this is too much to bear. I had to watch a vet, she is one.

Most people kick children out of the nest at 18 or 21. This horse was hers for 32 years. Val is a strong woman, as a vet she works on small and large animals all the time, but Molly was always there.

We thank Val the Vet and our same cousin for taking such good care of our Zoe, who has no hips but made her own. We wish Val and her family well overcoming this loss while we are assuaged by knowing that several of Molly’s offspring are moving up in endurance racing and there’s a “grandson” who also shows promise in that regard.

My husband won’t miss Molly much because when she was pregnant the first time and the foal started kicking, she thought it was Jim, and it wasn’t but she kicked him nonetheless. Every time he visited the farm she hated him. That’s his story. I still don’t think he’s glad that she’s gone. I will tell you in no uncertain terms that this horse is not going to dog meat. I hope she’ll be buried near Pork Chop. In memoriam, Dee

RIP Molly, Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Pet

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Hiding in a Safe Place

Posted on May 25, 2009 by tdl1501| Leave a comment

When she was a pup, we’d get Zoe one of those rawhide bones and she’d sit there for six hours and finish it, drink water like crazy and probably be sick afterward.  So I started getting her tiny ones that might take ten minutes to demolish.  Now she has three 6″, thick rawhides tied in a knot on both ends.  She’s five years old and no longer eats them.  She guards them from us then hides them in plain sight.

Right now I’m in the living room.  One is behind me, behind my guitar.  Another is between the sofa and end table, easily visible.  The third is either down here between the fireplace and bookcase (nope) or upstairs I’ll guess under the bed on my side or in the guest room somewhere.

We thought it strange behavior (and saw a magnet today in a gift shop stating “Warning: Strange Dog” which is apt) but she may get it from me.  For our day trip I wanted both the camera, to capture the beauty of our brief journey, and the binoculars to view wildlife.  Before we left I put new batteries in the camera and looked in vain to charge the batteries that were in it.  I knew exactly where the camera case was, on a shelf above the laptop cases.  But I looked everywhere, more than once for the binocular case.  Moments before we left I found it in a drawer, a “safe place” hiding nearly in plain sight.

Whenever I put something in a safe place, I tell Jim where it is then we both forget!  So let’s allow Zoe to do  her thing and hide her rawhides out in the open.  If we touch one, even with a shoe to get it out of the way of the vacuum cleaner, she picks it up carefully and walks around with it in her mouth for 20 minutes or so before depositing it in a new location visible to humans.  No, she’s not blind, to which the chipmunks and marmots and dogs can attest.  Just clueless, like her “mom.”  Cheers, Dee

p.s. Now the binocs case is next to the camera case, which is next to Zoe’s thick health file and others.  Safe at last.

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Posted in Editorial, Pet

Working at the Car Wash, Yeah

Posted on April 17, 2009 by tdl1501| 1 Comment

It is highly important with the salt solution on the roads and highways here to keep one’s car clean between rain and snow storms, and to keep the undercarriage free of salt.

On Sunday we took my car to the fancy car wash across the street with brushes et al and paid for the $12 wash if it snowed or rained again by Tuesday. Today I took it to the less expensive one where you park and the apparatus (no brushes) moves back and forth and gives me a distinct feeling of seasickness.

We brought Zoe with us both times. She was calm the first time, even with soap obscuring the windows and brushes everywhere. Today, she’s in the back on her 4″ orthopedic bed on a 3.5′ tie-down behind a cargo net. As I’m trying to keep the car from moving and trying to keep down my lunch, I hear a crash. Zoe’s gone around the cargo net, scrambled into the back seat (leather), scattered mail everywhere and is choking to death.

I put on the parking brake, sat on the console and did anything I could to free her from her collar. Needless to say, it freaked both of us out. I finally rushed through the drying phase, parked and re-installed her in back.

It’s probably not a scary moment for most people but it’s my first time doing that kind of car wash alone with the dog and with the feeling that the car is in motion the entire time it was very strange. Let’s hope they don’t have cameras in there or we’ll end up on YouTube.

Lasagne for dinner. I still can’t get used to the grocery stores but I brought enough pantry items and herbs/spices that I haven’t yet needed to do a full shopping trip.

Hopefully we’ll be able to leave Zoe and see a movie and get a bite to eat for lunch tomorrow, and get Jim a new pair of casual shoes for work. His current rubber-soled leather ones lasted at least a couple of years and this week the sole developed a crack so water gets in it every time he goes outside. So that’s a “must do” this weekend, OK because the outlet stores are right across the way. I’d just rather get there early ahead of the crowds.

Have a great weekend! Hope you cook up some Springtime dishes as I’m unable or unwilling to do as yet. I just did see a pair of ducks float by, though. No, they’re in a nature preserve!!! Please believe I’d rather look at them then eat them. Cheers, Dee

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Posted in Pet, Utah

Mud Season

Posted on April 16, 2009 by tdl1501| Leave a comment

Someone on my travels the other day slipped and mentioned what the Chamber of Commerce conveniently left out of the description. Snow melts. Much of it goes down storm drains et al but some of it turns to mud, and for a “season.” Now I’ve seen late Spring and Summer photos and it’s gorgeous here, we just have to get there.

Now, in Texas, where we moved in 2003, the Chamber of Commerce AND my loving husband forgot to mention 5-6 months annually which I termed “Hotter Than Hades” season. These are the continuous days and nights of extreme heat and humidity, so that even if one takes out the dog at 6:00 in the morning, sweat and curly hair ensue along with sky-high A/C bills.

I took Zoe to the vet this morning and liked him. I was advised by her hip surgeon to “go for the Aggie.” We liked him. And she was fine, just a bit of a tummy ache the past two days. I skipped her dinner last night and she was fine this morning. And I learned of the diseases prevalent in TX that don’t really exist in the Western states, as well as the fact that elk (and probably moose) hate dogs and will stomp them to death. Not that I was going to go walking in the nature preserved calling for elk, but it’s good information to have. We haven’t seen one yet and spend time watching the birds on weekends. Jim’s thinking of getting a pair of inexpensive binoculars.

Tomorrow is Friday and I hope Zoe’s cool enough, well enough, with being left in her new crate for a couple of hours so we can get lunch on Saturday and see a movie. The new Russell Crowe flick got good reviews. Well, cheerio and wish us luck for “mud season.” Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Pet, Utah

Spring in Utah

Posted on April 15, 2009 by tdl1501| Leave a comment
This is Spring?

This is Spring?

Yep, that’s it. I’m staying off the roads and Zoe’s got herself a sore tummy. If it doesn’t clear up by tomorrow I’ll arrange to take her in. She needs the rest of her shots next month and I wouldn’t dream of adding that to her current burdens. Just hope it’s the move and change that are bothering her.

Best, Dee

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Posted in Editorial, Pet, Utah