Backyard to the Universe: Dawgs

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Dawgs - 2008

April 2008

MAHLER

Wow! It has been a year since we have written any notes. Let me give you a quick update.

Last June Tess went home. Her family is in a trailer now and she is able to be with them. Don and I really do miss her. It is quiet without her. Helen has seen her a few times and says that she is doing well.

Last summer Krista move home. Don, Maggie and Morgan are really glad to have her here. Between Helen and Krista, we get lots of walks, so we are keeping our weight down.

When Patches had her visit to the vet last fall, they were concerned that she had lost weight. They took her in again in February and found that she had lost even more weight and was showing some kidney problems. You see, monitoring how the catz eat is really hard. Their food and bathroom are in the room that was Erik’s. In fact, Dick put a chain hook on the door so the catz can go in and out but Don and I can’t. So no one actually sees the cats eat. People have been trying to keep Maggie from eating, but, big as she is, she can actually squeeze through the hole the same size as for the other catz.

But there were other things going on with the catz. Morgan and Patches were the ones who were always competing. The vet put Patches on a special diet, gave her some medicine in case she had an infection, and Helen took her down to Ocean Park to live with Erik. When she went to the vet about three weeks later, her blood work was much closer to normal and she had gained over a pound. Dick says that he found articles on the internet about catz becoming anorexic due to stress. Erik says that Patches is just loving having the whole house to herself. And Morgan now tries to hassle Bear, but Bear just ignores her, chases her, or swats her back. Hope Morgan can be comfortable with her place in the family. Well, she is working in that. She now waits for Helen to finish her breakfast then licks the milk from the cereal.

DONOVAN

One more thing. Last fall Helen started going to the Kennebec Valley Humane Shelter to walk dawgs that were there waiting for new homes. So when she comes home, there are new smells on her clothes. She would tell us about the dawgs. Some of them did not seem to have a home and had been brought to the shelter, and sometimes their families had given them up for adoption. And she comes home excited when they find new homes. There are other animals there, also. Plenty of catz, and Krista sometimes goes in to clean them, but does not bring home the same smells as Helen does with the dawgs. I guess that that there are also rabbits and guinea pigs – we cannot envision those, as we have never seen any. Sometimes Mahler and I do get a bit jealous with Helen spending time with the shelter dawgs, but between Dick and Kris and Helen, we do get plenty of attention and exercise, so have decided that we can share. As long as she leaves them there.

I think that that brings you up to date on how things are here.

June 8, 2008

MAHLER

This has been a really bad year for turtles.

A week or so ago, Helen came home and said that she had moved a turtle from the middle of the road. We hear these stories every spring, but do not get to see the turtles. Helen talked about painted turtles, and snapping turtles. She says that the snappers have strong shoulders and necks, and can really bite.

Anyway, in the spring, they come up from the water to the gravel by the road to lay eggs. A few days ago we went for a walk by the bridge. Helen was really sad to see several – I think that she counted 5 – places where eggs had been dug up and eaten. She thought that it might have been dawgs or raccoons or maybe even kids. But she figured that about a hundred eggs had been destroyed, and we have not seen her that sad in a long time.

Then early this morning we were walking toward the bridge and she saw a snapping turtle at the edge. It had been hit by a car and a back leg had been almost torn off. She tied us to the guard rail and went to put the turtle back into the water. I got loose and went to help her – mainly just watched as she edged it to the water. It slid down the side and got caught on rocks, so we went down the edge to turn it back over and ease it toward the water again. When it swam away, she gave me a big hug. We went to untie Don, and had a very quiet walk home. The turtle did not look very frightening, just a big blob, but I had not gotten in front of it….

Hope the turtles survive.

September 1, 2008

Labor Day, so it is a holiday

DONOVAN

Helen really went and did it! Friday all of us – Dick, Krista, Helen, Mahler and I – went to the shelter to meet Chow and Mein. They are two small hounds, one is the mother and the other the daughter. They have been at the shelter for a long time, and Helen wanted to have them visit us for a week or so – foster care, she called it. They seemed docile enough. Helen brought them home Friday afternoon. Things are going OK. Mahler says it is easier having them around than it was with Tess. But I know that he was upset the first night and took a tennis ball and went under Helen’s computer desk. And sometimes one of them will take over his bed. We are trying to be good sports about it. And we are also getting some added attention and certainly lots of walks.

And it’s only for a week.

September 15, 2008

MAHLER
It has been two weeks, and Chow and Mein are still with us. Not that they haven’t tried to find homes. Sunday Helen took them to PetSmart Adoption Weekend. Chow and Mein were exhausted when they got home, had been gone for hours. I said that they could tell you about it themselves.

MEIN
We first went to the Shelter (Kennebec Valley Humane Society) to get things ready for the PetSmart trip. Helen went in early to walk some of the dogs that are still there. We had a front seat (of the car) view. She walked some of our friends and others we did not know. We felt jealous of her taking time to do that, but Chow reminded me that that is how she met us, so we had to be patient. We finally got going to PetSmart. We had signs that said “Adopt Me” and just tried to get everyone’s attention—our table was right inside the front door. There were lots of people, including children, and lots of other dogs, large and small, mostly young and going to Obedience Training, whatever that is. There was a Great Dane that I almost got into a fight with, and I really did not want to see any other dogs or people by the end – the extra activity and number of contacts was tiring. We were glad to be able to get people’s attention on behalf of the Shelter and how PetSmart helps find families for dogs and cats – and 2 cats from the Shelter were adopted yesterday at PetSmart. We will see if anyone calls the Shelter about us. I hope so, yet I hope not, ‘cause we like it here.

CHOW
I want to thank the PetSmart employee for some delicious bones (not real bones, but made up of things that were good for us). He gave Helen one for each of us. And we did not fight over them. And I want to thank Mahler and Donovan for letting us share their house. I know that Mein follows Helen everywhere. She really needs a constant person, and thanks, Mahler, for being so patient with her. She can be a bother. And Donovan, I know that you are allowed on the chairs and stuff, and I like to do that, also. I will try to keep out of your way. I enjoy walking with you, as you walk closer to my speed. And, of course, thanks to Helen and Dick and Krista for taking us in even on a temporary arrangement.

DONOVAN
We have had a few confrontations. Especially Mein and Morgan, probably because they both want to be dominant. That’s OK unless they demand too much attention form our people. Everyone seems to managing overall. But it is still longer than ‘a week’………

October 3, 2008

MAHLER
A day of change! Yesterday Helen took Mein back to Kennebec Valley Humane Society. She was just getting a bit nasty here toward Chow, like wetting in the crate where Chow had been sleeping. Within an hour of Mein’s return to the shelter, she was adopted – by a friend of Helen’s who happened to come to the shelter. Wish her the very best in her new home. She needs a human and place of her own. And her new name is Dixie. Then …..well, I’ll let Chow tell you the rest……

CHOW
It really was nice to have Mein gone. We have been together just too long. Helen kept talking about mother-daughter relationships, and the need for us to have identity separate from each other. Helen came home today with a whole packet of papers – my medical record and adoption papers. I’m staying! And my name is being changed to Lady. Helen says that name fits because of my genteel personality and elegance of spirit. I do not know that that means, but am taking it as a compliment. Thanks, Mahler and Don, for making me feel welcome and for showing me the ways of this household. I will do my best to be a good friend and to respect your places in the family.

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	Backyard to the Universe Dawgs - 2008
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Introduction Dawgs 2002 Dawgs 2003 Dawgs 2004 Dawgs 2005 Dawgs 2006 Dawgs 2007 Dawgs 2008 Dawgs 2009 Dawgs 2010			April 2008 MAHLER Wow! It has been a year since we have written any notes. Let me give you a quick update. Last June Tess went home. Her family is in a trailer now and she is able to be with them. Don and I really do miss her. It is quiet without her. Helen has seen her a few times and says that she is doing well. Last summer Krista move home. Don, Maggie and Morgan are really glad to have her here. Between Helen and Krista, we get lots of walks, so we are keeping our weight down. When Patches had her visit to the vet last fall, they were concerned that she had lost weight. They took her in again in February and found that she had lost even more weight and was showing some kidney problems. You see, monitoring how the catz eat is really hard. Their food and bathroom are in the room that was Erik’s. In fact, Dick put a chain hook on the door so the catz can go in and out but Don and I can’t. So no one actually sees the cats eat. People have been trying to keep Maggie from eating, but, big as she is, she can actually squeeze through the hole the same size as for the other catz. But there were other things going on with the catz. Morgan and Patches were the ones who were always competing. The vet put Patches on a special diet, gave her some medicine in case she had an infection, and Helen took her down to Ocean Park to live with Erik. When she went to the vet about three weeks later, her blood work was much closer to normal and she had gained over a pound. Dick says that he found articles on the internet about catz becoming anorexic due to stress. Erik says that Patches is just loving having the whole house to herself. And Morgan now tries to hassle Bear, but Bear just ignores her, chases her, or swats her back. Hope Morgan can be comfortable with her place in the family. Well, she is working in that. She now waits for Helen to finish her breakfast then licks the milk from the cereal. DONOVAN One more thing. Last fall Helen started going to the Kennebec Valley Humane Shelter to walk dawgs that were there waiting for new homes. So when she comes home, there are new smells on her clothes. She would tell us about the dawgs. Some of them did not seem to have a home and had been brought to the shelter, and sometimes their families had given them up for adoption. And she comes home excited when they find new homes. There are other animals there, also. Plenty of catz, and Krista sometimes goes in to clean them, but does not bring home the same smells as Helen does with the dawgs. I guess that that there are also rabbits and guinea pigs – we cannot envision those, as we have never seen any. Sometimes Mahler and I do get a bit jealous with Helen spending time with the shelter dawgs, but between Dick and Kris and Helen, we do get plenty of attention and exercise, so have decided that we can share. As long as she leaves them there. I think that that brings you up to date on how things are here. June 8, 2008 MAHLER This has been a really bad year for turtles. A week or so ago, Helen came home and said that she had moved a turtle from the middle of the road. We hear these stories every spring, but do not get to see the turtles. Helen talked about painted turtles, and snapping turtles. She says that the snappers have strong shoulders and necks, and can really bite. Anyway, in the spring, they come up from the water to the gravel by the road to lay eggs. A few days ago we went for a walk by the bridge. Helen was really sad to see several – I think that she counted 5 – places where eggs had been dug up and eaten. She thought that it might have been dawgs or raccoons or maybe even kids. But she figured that about a hundred eggs had been destroyed, and we have not seen her that sad in a long time. Then early this morning we were walking toward the bridge and she saw a snapping turtle at the edge. It had been hit by a car and a back leg had been almost torn off. She tied us to the guard rail and went to put the turtle back into the water. I got loose and went to help her – mainly just watched as she edged it to the water. It slid down the side and got caught on rocks, so we went down the edge to turn it back over and ease it toward the water again. When it swam away, she gave me a big hug. We went to untie Don, and had a very quiet walk home. The turtle did not look very frightening, just a big blob, but I had not gotten in front of it…. Hope the turtles survive. September 1, 2008 Labor Day, so it is a holiday DONOVAN Helen really went and did it! Friday all of us – Dick, Krista, Helen, Mahler and I – went to the shelter to meet Chow and Mein. They are two small hounds, one is the mother and the other the daughter. They have been at the shelter for a long time, and Helen wanted to have them visit us for a week or so – foster care, she called it. They seemed docile enough. Helen brought them home Friday afternoon. Things are going OK. Mahler says it is easier having them around than it was with Tess. But I know that he was upset the first night and took a tennis ball and went under Helen’s computer desk. And sometimes one of them will take over his bed. We are trying to be good sports about it. And we are also getting some added attention and certainly lots of walks. And it’s only for a week. September 15, 2008 MAHLER It has been two weeks, and Chow and Mein are still with us. Not that they haven’t tried to find homes. Sunday Helen took them to PetSmart Adoption Weekend. Chow and Mein were exhausted when they got home, had been gone for hours. I said that they could tell you about it themselves. MEIN We first went to the Shelter (Kennebec Valley Humane Society) to get things ready for the PetSmart trip. Helen went in early to walk some of the dogs that are still there. We had a front seat (of the car) view. She walked some of our friends and others we did not know. We felt jealous of her taking time to do that, but Chow reminded me that that is how she met us, so we had to be patient. We finally got going to PetSmart. We had signs that said “Adopt Me” and just tried to get everyone’s attention—our table was right inside the front door. There were lots of people, including children, and lots of other dogs, large and small, mostly young and going to Obedience Training, whatever that is. There was a Great Dane that I almost got into a fight with, and I really did not want to see any other dogs or people by the end – the extra activity and number of contacts was tiring. We were glad to be able to get people’s attention on behalf of the Shelter and how PetSmart helps find families for dogs and cats – and 2 cats from the Shelter were adopted yesterday at PetSmart. We will see if anyone calls the Shelter about us. I hope so, yet I hope not, ‘cause we like it here. CHOW I want to thank the PetSmart employee for some delicious bones (not real bones, but made up of things that were good for us). He gave Helen one for each of us. And we did not fight over them. And I want to thank Mahler and Donovan for letting us share their house. I know that Mein follows Helen everywhere. She really needs a constant person, and thanks, Mahler, for being so patient with her. She can be a bother. And Donovan, I know that you are allowed on the chairs and stuff, and I like to do that, also. I will try to keep out of your way. I enjoy walking with you, as you walk closer to my speed. And, of course, thanks to Helen and Dick and Krista for taking us in even on a temporary arrangement. DONOVAN We have had a few confrontations. Especially Mein and Morgan, probably because they both want to be dominant. That’s OK unless they demand too much attention form our people. Everyone seems to managing overall. But it is still longer than ‘a week’……… October 3, 2008 MAHLER A day of change! Yesterday Helen took Mein back to Kennebec Valley Humane Society. She was just getting a bit nasty here toward Chow, like wetting in the crate where Chow had been sleeping. Within an hour of Mein’s return to the shelter, she was adopted – by a friend of Helen’s who happened to come to the shelter. Wish her the very best in her new home. She needs a human and place of her own. And her new name is Dixie. Then …..well, I’ll let Chow tell you the rest…… CHOW It really was nice to have Mein gone. We have been together just too long. Helen kept talking about mother-daughter relationships, and the need for us to have identity separate from each other. Helen came home today with a whole packet of papers – my medical record and adoption papers. I’m staying! And my name is being changed to Lady. Helen says that name fits because of my genteel personality and elegance of spirit. I do not know that that means, but am taking it as a compliment. Thanks, Mahler and Don, for making me feel welcome and for showing me the ways of this household. I will do my best to be a good friend and to respect your places in the family.
	All materials copyright © 2008-2024 by Helen Zidowecki unless otherwise noted. - hzmre@hzmre.com - http://www.hzmre.com
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