Puppy Mill Bust Update

Just wanted to let you all know that the last dog from the Sac County puppy mill that was busted back in January and being cared for by the Animal Rescue League of Iowa has been adopted. His name was Fonzie. Here is a picture of Fonzie, taken at the ARL (I assume).

Isn't he a sweetheart? 

Reminds me of the black Cocker Spaniels we had when I was a kid.

The website for Animal Rescue League is arl-iowa.org . Check them out. They also have a Facebook page.

Those in Sandy's Path

For those in Sandy's path, please stay safe, keep your pets safe and heed all the warnings. This is a dangerous storm. She is definitely being one wicked witch.

Boy, Am I Glad I Didn't Wait

Ever stop to think that you were glad that you decided not to wait to do something but went and did it anyway, even though you really would have rather waited?

I'm sitting here looking out of the window watching the wind whipping my "I love you black and gold" flag on its pole and thinking of how glad I was that I decided to go to the gym and get gas yesterday after all.

Especially the gas part. I knew I needed gas in the van and if I had been smart, I would have gotten it on the way home from the hospital, David had to go in for some tests, but nature was screaming and I was hungry since I hadn't eaten breakfast, so I said that I would get it later when we went to the gym.

Later came and after I took a nap because I didn't sleep well the night before, very seldom do if I know I have to get up early and was up around 5:30am, I really wasn't in the mood to go to the gym being that it was getting late. I thought that maybe we would just go to the gym today and I would get gas then. But then I started feeling guilty about putting it off; I did kept putting it off last week and we ended up only going twice. I also remembered that it was supposed to rain today, the temperature was going to drop and it was going to be windy. Three conditions I hate standing out there pumping gas in. My gas tank also spits back at me which makes it even worse. So, I sucked it up, put on my big girl panties and decided that although it was later than the time we usually go to the gym, later was better than not at all. Plus the sun was out, so that made getting gas not so bad. As it turned out, my gas tank even cooperated somewhat and although it threatened, the gas stayed in the tank. It also was nice that the price came down another six cents.

So today, I have a full tank of gas, a rare thing with my van because of the tank issue, but we also made it to the gym and I felt so much better after having a good workout.

So the moral of the story is this, don't put off putting gas in your car today because tomorrow the weather may be worse and you'll be stuck doing it then. And if the gym is part of the package, you'll be glad that you didn't put that off either.

Another Dog Treat Recall

Again, I read this at Dogster.com

Boots & Barkley Expands Recall Over Salmonella Fears

The recall now includes pig ears and dog treats. Also recalled is Yoghund peanut-butter frozen yogurt for dogs.

Michael Leaverton  |  Oct 22nd 2012 

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At the end of September, we told you about Kasel Associated Industries' recall of Boots & Barkley Bully Sticks over Salmonella fears.
Last week, the company recalled Boots & Barkley Roasted American Pig Ears and Boots & Barkley American Variety Pack Dog Treats, also over Salmonella fears. The products were distributed nationwide through Target retail stores in August.
The company is recalling lot number BESTBY 13SEP2014DEN for both products. This lot code tested positive for the Salmonella bacteria by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Roasted Pig Ears product comes in a clear plastic bag containing 12 pig ears, and it is marked with UPC bar code 647263899158.

The Variety Pack product comes in a clear plastic bag weighing 32 ounces, and it is marked with UPC bar code 490830400086.

If you have questions, contact Kasel Associated Industries at (800) 218-4417.
In other recalls news, the nationwide peanut butter recall over Salmonella fears is now affecting dog products, as TBD Brands LLC is recalling Yoghund Organic Banana & Peanut Butter frozen yogurt dog treats, according to the FDA.

The recall includes Lot Code 268 12 and earlier, and all cup and four-pack Best By dates of 9/24/14 or earlier.

The company stresses that this recall does not involve All Natural Banana & Peanut Butter products, just Organic Banana & Peanut Butter flavor Yoghund.
According to the FDA:
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has any of these signs, please contact your veterinarian. 
If you have questions, contact TBD Brands at (603) 775-7772 x1007.

Meteor Shower

Did anyone watch the meteor shower the other night? Dave and I got up about 5:30am to see if we could catch any of it. We saw a few but now I wish we had gotten up around 1:00. We probably would have seen more.

What we saw was still cool. It was the first time I had seen one. Usually the sky was too cloudy or there's other reasons, mainly the fact that we just didn't get up. This time I had a bad dream that woke me and I had to get up for a nature call and then remembered about the meteor shower so got up and went outside. I took my camera and pointed it to the sky. When I looked at the screen, I didn't see anything, but when I put the pictures on my computer, I noticed that I did in fact catch two, maybe three. Here are the pictures of the first two. Note that they were taken with my little Kodak Easy Share camera and even though it has 12 pixels, it is far from a professional camera.

This is the third one, well to tell the truth, it was the first which makes me think I was really shaky or bringing down the camera when I happened to catch it.

At first I thought it might have been a piece of hair or lint, but I found it only after I enlarged the picture quite a bit. I'm sorry now that I didn't take more pictures, I probably could have caught more than I saw by just staring at the sky. Next time I'll know better.

I'm hoping there will be a next time and that conditions are as good as they were this time. By the way, after we came back in, Dave joined me, I went back to bed and slept until 10:00.

Another Dog Treat Recall

Read this article at Dogster.com

Nature's Recipe Dog Biscuits Recalled Over Salmonella Fears

Nationwide recall affects bags of Oven Baked Biscuits with Real Chicken.

Michael Leaverton  |  Oct 15th 2012  |  

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Check your pantry: On the heel's of last months recall of Boots & Barkley Bully Sticks, we've got another recall for dog treats based on Salmonella fears.
On Saturday, Nature's Recipe announced it was voluntarily recalling a limited supply of dog treats that could be contaminated with Salmonella. The products came from the company's Topeka, KS, plant and were sent nationwide, primarily to pet specialty retailers. No pet illness have been reported to date.

The product is called Nature’s Recipe Oven Baked Biscuits with Real Chicken, sold in 19-ounce, stand-up, resealable pouches. The affected bags are marked with Lot Codes 2199TP or 2200TP and a UPC Code of 30521 51549. The pouches also have a “Best If Used By Date” stamp of “10 11 13” and “10 12 13.”

For more information, or to receive a replacement package, you can use the Contact Us form at www.naturesrecipe.com or call the Consumer Hotline at (800) 237-3856, 24 hours a day.

If you've fed your dog the snack, be aware of the signs of illness. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration:
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
Also, as there is a risk to humans handling infected products, look after yourself as well:
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some, or all, of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their health care providers.

The Joy of Dogs

Yep, I changed the background again. I wanted something to take me into Thanksgiving. Anyway, so that's why you see a different background.

This morning it was so funny. You see, Angel likes sleeping on our bed during the day, especially on my side since it's closest to the windows. This morning while the pups were outside, I went in to make the bed since I had just changed it yesterday. Angel came into the room, stopped and looked disappointed because she couldn't jump on the bed right then and there, so she went to lay on her doggy bed, which is also on my side on the floor, waiting for me to finish. I guess it just wasn't good enough or I wasn't going fast enough for her because she went into the living room and got up on the couch, where she still is. Patches and Oreo are probably on the bed, which Angel doesn't like either. If Patches jumps on the bed when Angel is there, Angel gives her dirty looks and Patches jumps down again. This was her a short while ago. I love that, "What are you going to do now?" look on her face. That's one of those memory foam pillows she's on top of. I got a new one so put that one there for in case I decide to take a nap sometime. Angel loves it. She's not too spoiled, is she? :)

I gotta tell you, this house would feel so empty without the pups. We are so blessed that they ended up here. They bring such joy and laughter everyday. We've always had dogs when I was growing up and I am so glad that we can have them now.

Back to the Vet

This time it was for Max. He hurt his neck at either the second or third vertebra. Poor baby, I could tell he was in a lot of pain. He's doing a lot better today, thanks to a pain pill and as of this morning, a steroid to help with the swelling. He still doesn't want to jump off the landing though, so he may be afraid of it hurting again if he does.

That may have been the way he hurt it the other night. The way he usually goes dashing out the door, others in his way be damned, he pushes right past them and then leaps off the landing to chase after that chipmunk he thought he saw in the backyard. We don't have squirrels anymore, now we have chipmunks. Anyway, he loves chasing after them, so that may be how he hurt his neck because it was yesterday morning as soon as I got up that I noticed something was wrong.

Terriers have thick necks anyway, but Max's was so swollen that he looked like a linebacker for the Steelers. He's doing his "butt scratch boogie" right now with my slipper, so I know he's feeling better. For this who don't know what the "butt scratch boogie" is, this is it.

 

Max likes the new vet too. Of course he likes anyone who gives him attention, but I think he liked her because she was very gentle with him during the exam and afterwards gave him lots of attention. Two pluses as far as he and I both are concerned.

We're supposed to alternate hot and cold on his neck, but it's hard when he won't sit still for very long. The little guy has been moving constantly this morning, only staying in one place for a few minutes. But I did notice that the swelling in his neck has gone down some, so at least he doesn't look so much like a linebacker anymore. And he isn't walking stiff like he was yesterday, so both are good signs that he's on the mend. Since the vet said that this may be a recurring problem, I guess we'll just have to keep an eye out for it happening again and get him treatment when it does. In the meantime, The Max, aka Zoomer is back, almost.

Jake Meets New Vet

Jake met the new vet yesterday. I think he likes her. She is really nice and is really good with the dogs, well Angel and Jake so far.

Jake was really good, but of course he was given a sedative before I took him in. He didn't even flinch when she had to poke around when she was trying to draw blood from his left leg for his thyroid test. That's why I had to take him in. He has to go in every 60 days.

At one point it was so funny, Jake was laying there with that sad puppy dog look he perfected years ago. He has those big round brown eyes that just melt your heart. Rolli does too, but Jake will lay down on the floor with his head between his stretched out front legs and just lay there and stare at you. The vet started laughing and made the comment that Jake had the saddest look in his eyes. I chuckled and said, "Don't let the look fool you." He gives me that look when he wants something, like going wherever we're going in the car, or if Max is being an extra pesky little brother. Unfortunately Max is extra pesky a lot.

ETA: Jake has now lost about 10 pounds since he's been on the medication. I can tell that he's feeling a lot better too. I just wish his tail hair would grow back.

Can't believe it's October Already Ramblings

As you can see, I've changed my background to reflect the coming of Halloween even though I cannot stand Halloween, but it's fun to do. If you notice, I change my background a lot.

Good news, my finger is healed. The glue really did the trick. I'm happy that I didn't have to go and get stitches taken out.

More good news, David and I are still going to the gym and I'm trying to watch what I eat, sure I am. I told myself that I was seriously going to try to though. I want to make going to the gym more fun by seeing more results than I already have.

Dave and I went to our favorite store, the Habitat for Humanity ReStore on Saturday. I had been wanting a fireplace, but since I couldn't have that, I at least wanted a mantle, I finally got one at the ReStore. This wasn't the first one they've ever had there, but it was the cheapest so far and in good shape. It's not real fancy, but it's goes with the decor perfectly. It's also nice to have an actual mantle to put the mantle clock that my mom gave Dave on. We put it in on Sunday and does it look nice! It actually feels like we have a fireplace in here. I have some ideas on how to get the blank spot on the inside, where the fireplace goes, to actually look like a fireplace. But even without an actual fireplace, it still looks really nice. I can't wait to decorate it for Christmas. Here's a picture I just took of it. I was kneeling so that my reflection wouldn't be in the mirror. That was another steal we found at a thrift shop a few years back for just $10. I don't know if you can notice, but it's beveled.

Now I really need to repaint. I have the paint, I just need to get to it.

I have decided to take up knitting. I bought a book for beginners and some needles and yarn, so we'll see how it goes. Even if I learn only the basic stitches, that's fine. I do wish that I had taken my mom  up on her offer to teach me years ago when I was still in high school, but then I was concentrating on learning how to sew and boys and didn't want to learn, now I regret it; my loss.

When we were leaving the ReStore, there was a guy parked next to us who had a Steeler hat on and before I could ask if he was from Pittsburgh, he noticed the Steeler fleece on the back of the seat and started talking to us, or rather Dave, even after Dave told him that I was the Steeler fan. I never did find out if he was from Pittsburgh or not, but that's okay, the Steeler Nation is alive and well in Iowa.

Poor Max's skin is so dry that he's itching like crazy, even his allergy medication doesn't stop it. He was using my foot as a back scratcher earlier and my ankle was getting tired, so I flipped up the bottom of my chair which is the perfect height for him to stick his butt under to scratch it. It's been so dry though that all of us are scratching from lack of moisture in the air.

Yesterday Dave and I went to the Farmer's Market in Creston. It's not big by any means, but we bought some homegrown veggies and a plate of oatmeal cookies, I know, I shouldn't have, but I was helping the local economy. We also bought a couple jars of fruit jam with jalapenos, Dave's was with peaches and mine with rhubarb. He also gave me a jar of the same flavor sauce for free because it was the last one. It should be good over vanilla ice cream. All I need to do now is buy some to go with it. I forgot when we stopped off at the store after.

On the way home, I took some pictures of the sun setting behind us, that's the reason they were taken with me holding the camera backwards out the window or looking through the side view mirror.

This is one looking taken looking through the mirror and the next is with the camera facing backwards. I would not recommend trying this particular way since you can very easily lose your camera, especially if the wind is blowing extra hard.

Anyway, that's enough rambling for a day and maybe for the whole month. We'll see. In the meantime take care and take time for yourself, because you're worth it.