No, Winston, NO!!!!!

I am guessing that Winston is beginning to feel right at home here.  I have been very busy today with a to-do list that I need to stick to.  I am doing fine, but Winston has decided that today he is going to push the limits of my tolerance for cute!

I have mentioned before, and those of you who knew Molly, know that I let my dogs outside on a 25 foot lead that is attached to the foot of one of the stairs on my deck.  It gives them quite the radius to wander and walk.  On the left side, as you go out of the door I have the outside entrance to the basement, my lawn tractor and a leftover garbage can from a company I no longer use but who failed to come pick up the can.  There is also a red dump trailer that gets pulled behind the tractor for yard jobs.  If Winston goes over there, he gets all wrapped around one or more of them and sometimes gets himself unwrapped.  Sometimes, not so much.

I am working on stuff so I can be a better secretary for the Lions Club this coming year.  So, when Winston has done his begging thing today, I have trotted his little furry butt out on the lead and left him there.  A couple of times I found him sprawled out on the deck, enjoying the view.  The last time, I found this:

This is the corner by the steps to the deck, the entrance to the basement and where the wagon is parked.  He got wrapped around the post and the garbage can and this is as far as he could reach.  I have no idea how long he was digging, but the hole is actually fairly good sized and deep, for a small dog.

But how can you be angry at this face????

So, we come in from this event and I brought in a package from UPS.  I had ordered bungee cords for attaching a tarp to a canopy.  There were two packages each with a different length.  I may need them on Saturday.  I brought the small, plastic packages in and tossed them on the couch... Winston's couch ... and headed to the office to try to find a USB Hub as I needed to add some things to the living room computer.  While I am sorting through cords and plastic bags to find the parts and pieces I need, I hear sounds of digging and tearing in the living room.  I came out to see what was going on and found this:

Yes, that is Winston.  He has taken one of the packages, ripped it to shreds, spreading the bungees around and tearing at the plastic until it is in tiny shreds.  I am grateful, however, as he dumped one package on the floor, so at least one bag is intact.

This is the view I am getting now....... he wants something!!

What in the World Does Winston Want??

The previous posts have been dealing with the everyday more fun of getting to know Winston after having rescued him from a group called Diamonds In The Ruff in Pikeville, KY.  His foster dad, JJ, said he was adorable, but Winston is more than a pretty face.  He has a way of melting your heart with his actions.

He gets your attention by sitting up on his haunches and pawing at the air.  He uses this to go out, to get treats, to get up in my lap and the get food or water.  I am sure that he really is only asking for one thing, but I still do not know what exactly it is that this action is asking for.

Please look at the video below.  If you have any idea what he is asking for, please let me know by emailing MrWinston@verizon.net and share your ideas or send messages to Winston.  I promise to read them all to him.

Winston, sounding off....

He must be getting more protective..... the yard guys were outside mowing the lawn.

Disappointment

It never ceases to amaze me how the people we are closest to always seem to be the ones who will disappoint.  Perhaps it is because we expect too much from the people we let get really close to us.  Perhaps it is because they think we will understand and forgive them regardless of how we are treated.

Disappointed....... and hurt!

Bringing Winston Home....

JJ and I met in the same parking garage at 11:00 AM on Sunday morning.  Winston was excited to have all of the attention.  JJ brought some of the food he had been eating, a gallon of the water he had been drinking, a towel that had been park of his home and a couple of toys he had been playing with.  I had brought a new halter and leash, so we removed the collar and leash that JJ had and replaced them with mine.  We chatted a bit with me on the leash so Winston could get used to my being in control and we finally said our goodbyes and JJ headed home and I headed out of the Kentucky mountains for the two day drive back to Parkesburg.

Winston was the perfect traveler.  He just curled up on the front seat.  I had a doggie seatbelt that attached to the human one, but Winston is the kind of dog that likes to make a couple of circles before laying down, so he was constantly getting tangled up in the belts and I was constantly untangling him, so I finally just unhooked him.

We over-nighted at the same Red Roof Inn in West Virginia that I had stayed in on the way down.  He seemed happy to be with me and yet spent a great deal of time curled up by the door like he wanted to go home... and I am sure that is probably what he wanted.  He ate well and we only had a couple of minor accidents.  I am sure he was very nervous and felt the need to mark territory to feel more comfortable.  We walked all around the motel grounds so he could get some exercise and pee outside and not in the room.  The place was full, there were lots of dogs, including one that the couple just let wander unleashed while they sat outside their room, drinking beer.  So every time we went out was an adventure in what we might encounter.  It was particularly hard since I had no idea how Winston was going to react to anything.  But we survived nicely and hit the road the next morning for the trip home.

Winston spending time at the door in the motel.

One we arrived at home, Winston walked all over the house, sniffing and ... yes... trying to mark his new home.  He had already been outside, so there was never more than a drop or two.  Then I started getting the air conditioner back to it's normal setting when I heard thump, thump, thump down the basement steps.  I thought I had blocked off the stairs with 'stuff' as I had not had time to set up the baby gate I had purchased just before I left but I was wrong.  Curious Winston had managed to get in the middle of the stuff and then must have taken a wrong turn and did a fast trip to the basement.  As quickly as my old and replaced legs would carry me I headed to the basement,  He never once yelped or cried out.  And as I got to the steps, I could see him walking away from the bottom of the steps to investigate that area of his new home.  So he must have been a good bouncer.  I picked him up, brushed off the cobwebs and brought him back upstairs.  I blocked the opening better and eventually got the gate installed so that has not been repeated.

It took some time, just letting him wander around, before he would come to me to try to communicate his needs.  But he did and we are still trying to figure out what he is trying to tell me.  He does the cutest thing... he sits on his haunches and moves his front legs up and down.  He is begging, but he seems to do it  for wanting up in my lap, eating, empty water bowl or going out.  So I have to figure out exactly what he is asking for.  Sometimes I get it.  Sometimes I do not.  Here is a video from the first day at home that sorta shows what he does.  It is adorable.

I arranged to have him groomed a couple of days after we got home.  He had been so matted when he was surrendered to the shelter that they had just shaved him down to his skin, but his lovely black fur had grown out nicely and he needed to be groomed.  He looked very nice when I got him back and he seemed happier to not have all of that shaggy fur all over.

The harness on him in this picture is one I had found in Alaska.  It was nice, but I could never get it adjusted to fit him well, so he now has a basic black one that fits better.  He has had his first vet visit, too and pronounced healthy though he needs some dental work, so that will happen on the 6th of August.

I have brought the crate that Molly used from time to time in the house.  I kennel him when I have to leave the house.  I am not sure what he might do in the house on his own.  He is a digger.  Any bare ground in my back yard is now riddled with holes that Winston has dug when he has been outside.  He also does a digging-type thing on the couch when he gets his tiny treats.  I have covered the couch with a rubber sheet and then a regular sheet, so he is not doing any damage to the furniture.  It has been a good thing as he did have a little trouble adjusting to new food and water, so it was easy to clean up the messes from the couch with protective coverings.

Some nights he sleeps with me in my bed, but most nights he is happy to sleep in the living room on 'his' couch.  I do not think he likes my amusement park bed that has movable parts and vibrates.  I think he actually sleeps better alone.  I do, too, so it works.  But I also enjoy having him curl up next to me.

He is not as needy about laps as Molly was.  Good for my knees.  Usually a couple of times a day he does his begging thing and then jumps up in my recliner for about 15 to 30 minutes of petting and snuggling.  Then he moves back to the couch or his kennel and he is fine.  He greets all guests with wild tail wagging and excitement.  He shows off and wins their hearts very quickly... just like he did with me.  We still have a long way to go, but it has been close to a month and we are binding nicely.  I will share pictures and stories as we go along.

Getting Winston...

So, after a day and a half of rest from the Alaska trip, plus a presentation to the Lions Club on my trip to Alaska, I hopped into my Elantra with a suitcase for me, a suitcase for Winston and a plastic tub with dog food, bowls, treats and toys.

I knew I was going to be more tired than I should be for a long trip and since Pikeville, KY was a good nine hours without any stops, so I made reservations in West Virginia for Friday night and then Sunday night at a Red Roof Inn, my motel of choice when I travel with a dog.  They are plentiful around the country, they are relatively inexpensive (although they are revamping all of their facilities, so I am seeing prices going up) and they do not charge anything extra to have your dog in the room.

So I drove to the Red Roof Inn on Friday night.  I got into the room and crashed.  I was, indeed, tired.  The next morning I got up and hit the local Walmart.  I got some food stuff for me so that on the trip home I would not have to go out and find some fast food to bring back to the room.  I also found some interesting alcoholic beverages that I cannot find in Pennslyvania as alcohol can only be sold in beer distributors or State Liquor stores.  Then I took a leisurely drive to Pikeville.  I could not check in until after 3:00 PM and JJ, Winston's foster dad was at a couple of events and would not be available to meet with me so I could see Winston and he could determine if I was a suitable adoptive Mom in person.

I was raised in Kentucky.  This might surprise many people.  I had never been in the area of Pikeville.  It is deep in the Appalachian Mountains.  Back in the day, their main industry was coal mining.  While mines are closing with the nation using less and less plus the government gets involved in the operations of mine more and more, there is still a fair amount of mining in various areas.  JJ actually works doing coal mine design, so it must not be a completely dead industry.  But the mountains are beautiful and the little towns quaint.

JJ called and we arranged to meet in the early evening, so I had dinner at a wonderful Mexican Restaurant just a few stores up from the motel.  Then I headed over to the city park to meet JJ and Winston.

It started out as a lovely evening, but by the time JJ was to arrive, a thunderstorm had begun, so we ended up taking refuse in a parking structure across from the park where we could stay dry but give me a chance to met Winston.  I am sure that most people would be shacked that I would meet a man that I did not know in a parking garage, but JJ and I had been on the phone for several hours before I ever began the drive, so I had no worries, myself.

JJ was a very nice gentleman.  He, obviously, is kind since her cares enough to rescue dogs from high-kill shelters and foster them and then find new homes.  But on top of that, he has just started quilting and loves it.  So we also had our love of fabric and quilting/crafting to talk about.

Winston was adorable.  He was confused, but who would blame him.  He had no idea who I was or why I was there.  He did sit at my feet and let me pet him, but if JJ walked away, Winston's eyes would follow wherever JJ was.  But his face was every bit as cute as the picture.  His silky, poodle-like fur was jet black and very shiny.  His black eyes sparkle and he is bouncy and yet very laid back.  He is about 5 to 6 years old, so he is outgrowing the puppy stage..... he is perfect.  So after several hours in the garage, we agreed to meet the next morning in the garage and make the transfer.  Poor Winston was once again going to have his world turned upside down.

Moving on with Catching Up....

As many of you know, I have been missing my little companion after having to put Molly down in late fall.  It actually worked out well for me as I had knee surgery in early December and found it much easier to deal with all of that stuff without having to deal with a dog.

But I found there was such a much larger hole in my life.  It has been hard enough to have to face my life without Rudy.  But it made it a little easier to deal with that as long as I had a warm, furry friend to cuddle up and who needed me and was happy to see me when I got home.

So, I started looking at rescue web sites as I was still recovering from the surgery.  I had planned to go to Fancy Gap in the spring and then to Alaska in June and, while I could have taken a dog to Fancy Gap, I would have had to find some sort of way to get a dog cared for while I was in Alaska.  And besides, I had not found the perfect dog yet.  One of the problems with rescues, is that they can come from abusive homes or puppy mills and would need a great deal of special care and I preferred to not have a neurotic dog as I am neurotic enough on my own.

I decided, in my mind, that I wanted to have a really small dog this time.  So something like a Yorkie or a Pomeranian or a Maltese.  It also had to be a female and at least 5 or 6 years old.

A few weeks before my Alaska trip I came across this picture that was posted from a rescue group that were listed out of Pottstown which is not too far from here.

This is Winston.  Winston is a Schnoodle.... part Schnauzer and part poodle.  The write-up was adorable and the face... well who could resist that face.  But he weighed around 20 pounds (not my idea of small, was a male and was between 5 or 6.  (One out of three was not bad, right?)  I kept closing his page because he was in no way, shape or form the ideal dog I had in my mind.  But everyday, sometimes more than once, I would go back to his page.

While the posting I found was from Pottstown, Diamonds in the Ruff is a larger group of msaller rescues from several different places.  And Winston was not in Pottstown, Winston was not even in Pennsylvania.  Winston was in a foster home in Pikeville, KY.  So I finally broke down and emailed the contact information.  I got an email back asking for my number.  The next hing I knew I was talking to Winston's foster father, JJ Walker.

JJ filled me in on the story that he knew.  Winston had been owned by a family who were unable to care for him.  JJ actually thinks that Winston was owned by an older person and suspects that that person may have become ill or passed away and that family that took him in was not up to taking care of a dog and had turned the poor, neglected and matted dog into a shelter.  JJ had come in and taken him from the place and worked with him for three months, nursing him back to wellness from having kennel cough, getting him neutered and making sure he was groomed and up-to-date on all of his vaccines.  JJ told me all of the fun things that Winston had done and how social he was.  So I told him I was interested but needed to think.  Then I called JJ and told him about my trip to Alaska and asked if he would mind taking care of him until I got back and JJ said he would gladly do that, so I took a BIG chance, sent in the adoption fee and made plans to get back from Alaska, rest for a day or so and then drive to Pikeville to pick up a new member of my family.

JJ sent me a video of how Winston reacted when JJ told him he had been adopted.

Now who could resist that??

It was a great journey, so tune in tomorrow for the Winston Trip...!

A Time of Catching Up....

I know... I am being told that I have not blogged much lately, and all of you who have mentioned it are correct... I have been neglecting the blog.  But when I looked to see when I last blogged, I was shocked.  It had been a looooooonnnnnngggggggggg time since I put words to my life, so I will play a little catch up.

I spent a week in Alaska visiting my son, Rob Cermak, and his wife, Kate Hedstrom.  It was a delightful visit.  Kate seems to be doing really well after her battle using chemo and radiation to kill the Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma that was discovered last fall.  Her hair is  coming back but it is extremely short.  It looks really good on her but after years of long hair, I am sure she will be letting it grow.  Both of them had taken the week off while I was visiting.  We went up to Murphy's Dome and walked around the facility.  We did some shopping, played Empire Builder with neighbors until way past midnight... but the sun was still shining on the mountain top....., had a covered dish dinner with the knitting group and I even did the beginners class of Tai Chi one night, much to my knee's lament.  It rained a great deal, so we spent time dodging raindrops.  We went to the Alaska Bowl Company, the museum at the University which was fascinating.  There was lots to see there, but it was the day after Tai Chi, so I found the standing and walking a bit difficult after a while, but I am hoping that we can go back on my next visit as I know I glossed over some really interesting things.  We went out to eat on my birthday at a wonderful restaurant whose specialty was prime rib.  And it was good, good, good!

The hardest thing I had to get used to and never really did was the 24 hours of daylight.  It was most apparent on the night we played games until the wee hours of the morning.  I can remember sitting there playing this fun game and wondering why I was feeling so tired.  I kept blaming it on the fact that it was well past 4:00 AM EASTERN time when I was feeling tired, but it was also my body fighting to understand why, at a time that is always dark here at home, it looked more like early evening in the summer.  Even when we left sometime after 1:00 AM ALASKA time, there was bright sunshine glistening on the mountainside on the drive home.  It was unnerving.

I did enjoy living off grid while I was there.  Rob and Kate built a lovely two story house about 45 minutes outside of Fairbanks.  They are outside of the area where electric lines run.  They have a very complex system for supplying power to their house.  A bank of 24 batteries store power that they generate either using the power of the wind with a wind turbine, the power of the sun with a solar panel (not so good while I was there with all of the clouds and rain) and finally a diesel powered generator that they use when all else fails.  They also have several smaller backup gasoline generators that they use when there are issues with all of the major generating plants fail.  They have to have water brought out to them and stored in an underground tank.  They cannot drill a well without chancing wasting a lot of money.  There are gold deposits in most of the ground where they are.  Perhaps not enough to mine, but enough that would likely make any ground water poisonous as naturally occurring from gold in the ground is arsenic.  They have very thick walls and special windows that seal very tightly against -40 degrees temps in the winter.  The house is so tight that they actually had to install an air exchanger to bring fresh air into the house when it is all closed off.  I was really reminded about how frugal they must be when Rob got really excited to have some significant wind forecasted for the next morning because we could use the toaster (an energy hog of an appliance) for toasted muffins, a special treat for them.  I applaud their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, but I also like making toast whenever I want some.  They are young enough to realize quite a savings from their effort.  I am old enough that should I  install a turbine or a solar panel, I would not get enough of a savings to make it a value to me.  Different stages of life, I guess.  It changes as move from child to youth to young adult to adult to older adult to senior with a closer proximity to death.

My next adventure was picking up Winston...