After Maine

Well, it was a wonderful visit to Maine.  As always, the drive up was lovely.  Much of the way you are driving through unpopulated woodland.  It’s beautiful to me, and I love seeing nature.  It was also great fun to watch the changing of the colors on the trees.  In northeast Connecticut, the trees were really close to peak colors, Massachusetts was greener, southern Maine was a little more colorful, but north of Augusta was truly colorful. 

With the two pups we stopped three times.  If they didn’t need to go but since I did, they went out, too.  Plus I needed to eat. 

Gas was more expensive, but at least I didn’t need to fill up again. 

We reached the Paul Bunyan campground around 6:30. The site was very nice, wooded and next to the pond.  Since we’re past mosquito season, being near the pond was nice.  Jerry met me there and helped me disconnect the little trailer, and I backed in.  We were set for our temporary home.

I set up the dog pen and it took me three days to Tyson-proof it.  He’s a little Houdini sometimes.  I need to get more metal stakes to drive into the ground and keep it upright. 

So, I spent at least part of every day with Jerry and then Jerry and Grace, and Paula (and her family) and Todd (and his girlfriend) and it was wonderful.  Todd came over and checked out Rigbee with me then came by again and dropped of a TON of wonderful camper items, including polish, toilet paper, cutting board for over the stove, etcetera!! 

The gps I bought from Shopgoodwill.com doesn’t work.  Very frustrating.  Luckily, while I ran out of data after watching most of the Uconn Football game Saturday, I already knew the way home, once I found I95 South in Bangor. 

Grace looks very good.  I was relieved to see her looking so well.  We almost lost her last spring, and her hands will never be what they once were.  Still, we have her and she still has her wonderful sense of humor.  If I didn’t know, and didn’t see her hands, I wouldn’t know.  She and Jerry are Very Important to me. 

So, we had a wonderful week in beautiful Maine.  So good to go, so good to come home.

A small park, next to the Penobscot River. 

Tripp pillows his head on Tyson's rump, on the camper sofa.

Maine...

Sending Crazy Cousin Louise Away       

 

CCL was going to Maine to visit cousins.  It’s good for her to get away for a while.  It has been a tough year.  So, I started to prep the camper.  Still no oven/microwave, the generator door is still damaged, and I’m really pissed off about that.  But, Rigbee is going to Maine.  I put the old toaster oven in where the micro/oven was and picked up some dinners at October Kitchen.  It’s good to go.  I hope.

I’ve noticed that the hitch ball is a tad high for the teeny tiny trailer, so I picked up another receiver with a 6” drop.  The new one is fits a 2 inch receiver, which is the proper size for Rigbee.  The current one belongs to Figure, the Rogue and it’s 1 inch whatever, so I had a converter to reduce the size of the hitch receiver from 2 inches to 1 and whatever.  Well, that little piece has been in there a while and had no intention of coming out.  I used WD40 and my little sledge hammer, and still no dice.  So, where do you go for info?  The Internet!!!

I watched a couple of videos, and laughed as people used acetylene torches and melted the metal (and usually part of the attached vehicle) to remove stuck hitches.  First of all, I don’t have an acetylene torch and secondly, I don’t want to melt Rigbee, thirdly, I’d like to have that converter in case I need it again.  But heat is the way to go.  Nope, not a blow dryer, I used a propane torch.  It’s what I have, know how to use, and after about 15 minutes of heating the darned thing came out.  YAY!!! 

I’m so proud of myself.

Funny how such a small thing could make me so happy.  So today when I connected up the little trailer, I was delighted to see that the drop was much more appropriate.  It actually rides level instead of canted.  But the drama was not done.  I knew I had another 1 7/8 inch ball, but had no idea where I put it when I cleaned off the kitchen counter top where it was hanging out for months.  It only took me a half-hour or so to remember where I put it and the hitch pins.  

Hitch receivers and hitch balls are heavy.  It’s a royal pain to put them together.  I just hope I got it all tight enough.

It’s almost packed, now.  A couple of last minute items left including egg salad and bacon!

This morning I couldn’t find the keys.  They were missing.  I searched everywhere. They are always in the basket on the back of the kitchen door.  Since I’d just used them YESTERDAY and the day before they should have been right on the top with the jumble of lock keys.  But not there.  Not in the pocket of my pants, no where to be found.

Because they were in the bottom of the basket on the back of the kitchen door. 

Oh, well.  They’re off to Maine.

 

Ronnie with the Dalmatians

 

9-26-2022

One of the great parts about going to dog training classes is meeting wonderful people.   I’ve come to call several of them friends as well.  We come from all walks of life, with all kinds of dogs, but we all want what’s best for our pets.

One of the first people I became friends with had and bred Dalmatians.  She came to two agility classes with the mom, Dalia and her daughter, Daphne.  Over the years, I came to treasure her as a sweet and precious lady.  Not only was she great with her dogs, but she was a gardening whiz.  Occasionally, she brought “extra” produce to share with her classmates.  She was also known to judge flower shows. 

This summer she had pain in her hip and asked another of our cadre of students to run her dogs for her.  Then she had pneumonia.  Every week I looked for her car, a red mini-van with the license plate “SPOTS” and stickers all over the rear with her “dals” titles.  Weeks went by and we got word that a “mass” was found in her lungs.  I sent her emails and a card, and one of our group made a beautiful quilt for her.

Last week Ronnie died. 

Seven weeks from diagnosis to deceased.  That pain in her hip was cancer.  She had an issue with her finger and her neck.  Cancer.  It had metastasized everywhere. 

She was an amazing lady.  I was proud to know her.  I miss her, especially when I pull into the parking lot at Tails and she’s not there.  No red mini-van “SPOTS”, no dalmatians walking daintily on their leads. 

She was a very young 78.  Acted and looked at least 10 years younger. 

Heaven has gained a beautiful flower, a genteel lady, and we here are better for having known her. 

Rest in peace, Bronwyn (Ronnie) Schoelzen.  

 I stole this picture off the internet.

I took this at an ACT trial in October of 2020.

I took this at the October 2021 trial.  The girls were too tired after their long day to set up nicely for a picture.  Ronnie had more energy than they did!

Dancing with Dogs

Tyson and I have been going to a class called "family dog 3" for a couple of years now.  We started with Family Dog 1 and 2 a while ago.  It only took us three whole months to learn to lie down on command, so I had low expectations.  Well, in every way possible, he has exceeded all expectations!  First off, he's the perfect therapy dog, and very sensitive to people's moods.  Secondly, he still won't come when he's called unless he wants to, but always in class he's very good.

Anyway, the last several weeks in class we've been learning about "freestyle."  In England they call it "Heeling to music."  First we were tasked with determining which/what skills our dogs have, then what music fit their movements and finally, put our own routines together.

Many Many Many long years ago, when I was a small child, I thought of being a choreographer, as I knew I'd never be a dancer.  But I could create the dance and my sister could perform it.  Oh, well, the dreams of a five-year-old...

I spent an entire Sunday afternoon picking out the music, after the first piece I picked just didn't suit the boy.  It was Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Down at the Twist and Shout" which I thought would be a great song.   But it just didn't fit Tyson's steps, a tad too quick.  

Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" fit him perfectly.  And I have a miniature baseball bat.  So, without further ado, may I present a production of Tyson and Raelene, Freestyle:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xJTiPEXJudrPsw9K9

 

click on the link, then click again on it in the new page...  I hope it works!

it takes a while to load, sorry!