March 2 (Monday) 6:50 am
Last year about this time of year we had a snow, which disappeared the following day. It happened again. Snow on
Friday night; awake to a sea of white on Saturday morning; and by the time I returned to work on Monday (today) the
snow is mostly gone. Nonetheless, the dogs had a grand time in the snow while it lasted.
| March 2009 Daniel Taylor |
| Cathy straddles Taz, who pretends to be under attack. Scamp looks on. |
| Scamp and Taz had a grand time frollicking in the snow! |
| Grace found her a spot from which to watch all the activity. |
| Fred, Sam, and Grace (l. to r.) The dogs were moving fast; the weather was cold and wet; and my hands were freezing |
March 3 (Tuesday) 2:40 pm
While I have a few moments, I had my annual physical exam today. A-OK so far.
Poor Cleo got caught up with the dogs yesterday. Among my cats she is perhaps the only one that cannot take care of
herself. The dogs roughed her up pretty good, but she was able to walk a little afterwards. Poor thing! It grieves me so
much to see her in that shape. She will be sore for a few days, and I am on pins and needles until I arrive home today to
see how she is doing.
I put Taz in with Grace, and sure as shooting he chewed his way through the chain link kennel. He was still trapped
inside the bigger kennel when I arrived home and had not yet escaped that one, or else all of the dogs would have been
loose. This is why I have to confine him a little tighter than the others -- he is so persistent in chewing through those
metal fences.
I put him back with Grace for today and put up a few barricades inside their kennel. I have my fingers crossed that the
dogs will all be in place when I arrive home today. Otherwise, it is back to the smaller kennel for Taz.
And I am on pins and needles until I arrive home to see if Cleo is still okay.
And, oh yeah! A friend reminded me that the snow occurred on Saturday night, instead of Friday like I said above.
Sorry about that.
March 5 (Thursday) 6:40 am
It has happened again. While driving through the Tuscumbia bottoms on my way home from work yesterday I found an
abandoned pup. This one is between four and six months old. He is clear of mange, but apparently only recently
abandoned. A pup does not appear in the bottoms unless it has been dumped. Naturally I did not have time to take a
picture of him yesterday. He added to my already list of long chores I have when I arrive home, but he was easy to deal
with. He is a mix of beagle and lab at least, but he looks to have some sort of retriever in him. He definitely has the
beagle bark. And he is not house-trained. Now begins the agonizing part: deciding whether to deliver him to the
shelter or keep him.
He is a smart pup. Before I got him home I was telling him that if I do keep him I shall call him "Grainger." Sure enough,
after I got him home anytime I called out to him using the name "Grainger," he came running. Such a smart pup!
Cleo is much better. She is still sore and rather lethargic, but thankfully I rescued her before any major damage was
done. Sometimes I think I wish some nice person would ask to adopt her. Cleopatra is a gorgeous, long-haired
Himalayan, and she is oh so sweet! She would make someone a wonderful indoor sweetheart. I have to admit that
giving her up would be very difficult for me, but if someone would consider adopting her I would consider letting her go.
This is the second time I have had to rescue her from my own dogs. My dogs are not vicious, they are just dogs; and as
I have written many times, accidents can and will happen. Several of my cats get along with the dogs quite well, but
even then I would never leave them alone together.
| Please take a moment to read or leave a comment in my Guestbook, or read more about daily life at Willow Oak in my journal, or email me one of your own stories. |
| Cleo is such a sweetheart! |
| Cleo has a bit of a problem with her right eye, which must be treated from time to time. |
| How can you say "No" to a face like that? |
| The picture is of poor quality, but this was taken within minutes after rescuing Cleo from the first attack, which occured more than a year ago. Poor baby! |
I forgot to mention that where Cleo goes, Pinky will probably have to go also. Pinky is one of Cleo's only litter, and she
has always been with her mother. The two of them "hang" together, and where you see one you always see the other.
Perhaps they would adjust well enough being apart, but I would prefer that they stay together.
has always been with her mother. The two of them "hang" together, and where you see one you always see the other.
Perhaps they would adjust well enough being apart, but I would prefer that they stay together.
| Pinky is a sweetheart in her own right, but be ye warned! She does not like other cats or animals. She does love her mommy, and she does love her daddy. |
March 5 (Thursday) 6:40 am
Cleo is much better this morning. She was in her usual perch when I awoke, and she appears to be well on her way to
recovery.
Grainger is still with me. I worried all day yesterday that somehow he would escape his cage, and the other dogs would
rough him up. The dogs always try to rough up any newcomers, but when I arrived home he was safe and sound. He
still needs to learn about "going" outside.
I know myself well enough by now to figure that there is a better than 50-50 chance that instead of being delivered to the
shelter Grainger will be remaining at Willow Oak. That being the case I shall then have 12 dogs and 13 cats -- 25 in all,
officially becoming a "hoarder" of animals.
I need help.
I took the picture below at work, just outside my office building. The geese have returned, and spring is almost here!
March 9 (Monday) 6:20 am
Daylight Savings Time is back, and that's a good thing. Now when I arrive home I shall have extra sunlight in which to
complete my chores. The temperature is warmer, but I've been in this part of the country long enough to know right well
that we are susceptible to experiencing another freeze or two before spring sets in.
I am not in good spirits this morning. This morning on my way to work I passed a poor creature trying to drag his
buddy's carcass out of the middle of the road. I was within just a few minutes of the office, but I pulled over and gave
some assistance. The dog, a lab mix, was tugging on his buddy, a beagle, trying to remove him from the middle of the
busy highway. Together we were able to remove the poor dead creature to the shoulder of the highway. When I
returned to the seat of my car, I peered over the dash board, and the other dog was giving me that look: "Can you help
me mister? There is something wrong with my buddy."
Well, what could I do? I had to leave him. You cannot save them all. If I had been headed in the other direction (home)
I may have scooped him and his buddy up and taken them home. I would have given his friend a decent burial and him
a good home, but ...
I have a few pictures I took over the weekend.
| He just won't be still. Nonetheless, I managed to get a couple of shots of Grainger, who, I am afraid, has managed to ingratiate himself into the hearts and minds of those who manage Willow Oak. |
| Gracie girl: Isn't she so pretty? |
| I stepped outside the fence. Grainger didn't recognize me from there, so he gave me what for. Inside the fence, however, he demonstrated what a silly puppy he can be. |
| We cannot forget the cats. Cougar preferred to observe the new puppy from the safety of the bird feeder. Thumper, on the other hand, couldn't care less about any of them, preferring to lounge around on the cool bricks. |
March 10 (Tuesday) 6:20 am
Regarding the story I told yesterday about helping the dog in the middle of the road, I did not see him on my way home
yesterday. His buddy's body had been removed, presumably by animal control, and the good guy was no where to be
seen. I would love to have been able to help him further, but as it is, I shall always recall the precious act of this one fine
fellow and his heroic attempt to move his buddy from off the road. I feel very fortunate to have been able to assist him in
his effort.
March 11 (Wednesday) 6:40 am
Ah, Cougar!
Poor little guy had to have all of his teeth extracted some time back, but that did not dampen his spirits. He is a fine boy,
and never a more loyal friend is there! Cougar loves to play, and sometimes I get involved. Like last night -- Cougar
was in one of his playful moods; I was jabbing him with a finger, and he was giving that broad, toothless grin, when all of
a sudden he stuck out that arm of his, and ..., well, he may be toothless, but clawless he isn't! I thought I would never
stop bleeding. But I did, and this morning I am typing with one hand.
Ah, Cougar!
What I am going to do when that day comes? How am I going to go on living without him?
March 13 (Friday) 6:35 am
Cleo is doing much, much better. She appears to be pretty much her old self -- very sweet and very much craving
attention.
All of the animals crave attention. The newest one, Grainger, is starting to ingratiate himself with the others. He will go
outside and run around with them, and is not as much dependent upon me as he was when he first arrived. Grace was
like that, as all of them were. Grace wouldn't leave my side for the first few days she was at Willow Oak. Whenever I
was not around, Taz would scream and cry like crazy the first few days he was at Willow Oak.
I feel bad for the outside cats: they don't get as much attention as they crave -- especially during the winter. Cougar
and Princess manage to dominate my lap, but Bonnie, Clyde, and Willie get their time in my lap also. Cathy fights for
her space, and Fred, Sam, and Scamp all tussle for some face time with yours' truly.
All-in-all, I would say that the bunch that live at Willow Oak have it pretty good. I wouldn't have it any other way.
March 16 (Monday) 6:45 am
The weekend was too wet to get any yard work done. I need to get started on mowing the grass -- it is already nearly
out of control. And I would like to cut some more firewood, leading into next winter. This is the time of year to cut wood
-- not too hot and not too cold. But when it is wet ...
The animals are all okay. Cleo has mad a full recovery from her ordeal, and I am very happy about that. My finger is
still sore, and there is an ugly scar already from where Cougar laid me open. Grainger gets along very well with the
other dogs, and it appears that he has become a permanent resident at Willow Oak.
There has been another turnover in directorship at the Corinth Alcorn County Humane Society animal shelter. I am very
sad about the state of affairs over there, but some counties do not even have a shelter.
Well today is Monday. Time to get back to work.
March 17 (Tuesday) 6:35 am
Life goes on. The weather appears to be getting warmer, the days longer, and I am enjoying more sunlight when I arrive
home from work. The dogs certainly enjoy having longer time to run and play after I arrive home.
I am still using the fireplace, but hopefully I can give that up soon. I do love the fireplace so, but it requires so much
work. I need a break from that.
Now I must begin to turn my attention toward yard work. The yard needs to be mowed, and I hope to find the time to get
started on that this weekend.
A coworker has a puppy that she cannot keep. She has asked me if I will take it. Her alternative is to deliver the pup to
the Memphis animal shelter. I may let her do that since to my knowledge the shelter is a "no kill." But the dog sure is
cute. Here, have a look (her name is "Fluffy"):
| Fluffy is a chow mix -- a female version of my Fred. |
March 20 (Friday) 6:25 am
Yesterday when I was within just a few miles from home, and as I was passing through the Tuscumbia swamp I saw a
momma dog and her lone pup trotting down the road. I stopped to observe and see if I might could help, but she
tramped off across an open field and disappeared into the distance, the very small pup struggling to keep up. They
appeared to be well-worn, but otherwise fit. Of course, I have no idea as to their ultimate fate or from whence they
came. Ah, such is the situation with many abandoned dogs and cats. Who knows how many are out there?
But ..., you can't save them all. I arrived home to my crew who were all safe and sound and very happy to see me, as I
was to see them!
March 23 (Monday) 6:40 am
What a pleasant spring weekend we had! I spent a little time in the woods cutting firewood, and even though the
temperature is warmer, it is cool enough at night to require some heat. So I am still using the fireplace. But I cut some
really nice white oak. One of my really large white oak trees had died last year, and sometime during this past winter it
fell over on its own. It is sad to see the demise and ultimate death of such a giant, but God gives us what we need, and I
needed some firewood. I do not cut down live trees -- only dead ones, but if I had had to cut down this tree I would have
been in for some work and possible great risk. A large tree like that could easily crush a man. The tree should provide
enough wood to last a few months at least, meaning that the tree should last into next winter.
The dogs certainly enjoyed the warmer temps and drier weather. Last weekend was miserably wet, and the dogs didn't
get as much outside time. This weekend they made up for that with all the running and jumping and chasing and
fighting they did. The cats also got in on the fun. As long as that crowd of worthless vagabonds is happy, I am happy.
March 25 (Wednesday) 6:30 am
Time moves inexorably along. March is nearly over; spring is here; summer is coming. The days are getting longer
(more daylight, that is), and the grass is growing. I mowed some this past weekend, and apparently the rain is coming
this next weekend, meaning that I might not get to mow. I have a lot to mow; so rain really hinders me -- especially if the
rain comes on the weekend.
All of the animals are okay, so there is not much to report. We are in the middle of a work week, and I am in the middle
of a new project, which I hope to have finished soon.
March 26 (Thursday) 6:50 am
I used the fireplace last night. The temperature was cool enough yesterday evening to fire things up, and as usual I got
things going right nicely. I burned some of the new white oak I cut on this past weekend. I got the fire started with some
nice cedar pieces, and cedar does smell some kind of good when it burns. There is still a bit of cedar to be burned yet,
and I love it when I have big pieces to burn.
The dogs deprived me of some sleep last night. For some reason the dogs woke me earlier than usual -- around 3:15
am. Those dogs!
March 30 (Monday) 6:35 am
I used the fireplace again over the weekend. The weather vacillated between wet and dry, and between warm and cool.
There was enough sun and dry that I was able to get some yard work done. The dogs also enjoyed extended outside
time. I stayed home all weekend, so that from the time I arrived home form work on Friday until I left to return to work
this morning, the dogs were loose.
All cats and dogs are healthy and happy from what I can see. And as long as that is the case, so am I.