Duty....

OH man, I have to report for jury duty in the morning. I am not a morning person! I am going to have to get up at 6am and be to the courthouse at 8:10am, yuck. It is about 25-30 min downtown, if I  can miss traffic, longer if I take the northern route that lets me avoid the bad Portland bound traffic! Jeez
Will let you know how it goes. I am an opinionated girl, pro gun, pro choice and throw the book at drunk drivers and child molesters and rapists, should be interesting! Or a long boring day! I am taking a book!

Dublins recall...

Well I recieved an E-Mail from our Guide Dogs club leader. It seems we will have Dublin for another month! His recall has been pushed back untill November! My little Rock Star will be with us for awhile longer!

More Dahlias!(Finally)....

Ah! finally figured out how to post again, they have forced me to use the picassa web publishing program. But at least I can get photos again!!! Now I have to find out about the google memory I bought too. Why cant it just be easy? now there are more steps to getting the photos on here.

Well here is the rest of my Dahlias post!!!

Dublin wasnt to impressed by all the flowers, he watched a couple of bees and generally just followed me around very nicely! I just looped his leash over my arm and I hardly felt a pull form him, he is so good! The bushes were to tall to get him to sit in front of some flowers LOL, each bush was 4-6 feet tall!

This is an anemone type! so cool looking. There was also a really dark purple one with white tips.

This would be a dinnerplate size Dahlia! It is huge! I would guess 8-10 inches across!

More of the top field.

Love this lavender one!

I really dont care to much for the pom pom ones, but this one is so vibrant in color! Wow!

There are deep deep dark reds too, love these.

Hmmm I think I love them all! LOL They are gorgeous flowers!

This one is pretty unique! Orange with white tipped petals.

This color is still my favorite! I think....

Look at the color here! I said WoW right?

I also like the bi and tri colored ones!

Some of them are so unique and beautiful beyond words!

I hope you enjoyed more Dahlias! I sure did! I cant wait to get the ones I ordered in April!

Blogger problems

Is anyone else getting a server rejected, message when uploading pictures? I cant seem to do any uploads.
Help!

A trip to Linda's Dalhias....

Dublina and I made a trip to Linda's Dalhias this afternoon. Dalhias are one of my favorite flowers!
I took the camera and played with the settings some.
My camera has a sunset, setting and it works the best to get the color out of the flowers.
The first picture is taken with the sunset setting.

 This second one is taken just on a scenery setting, and is all washed out! Same flower.

The colors are so vivid! So many types and colors to choose from! Dinnerplate size, pom poms, anemones.....etc.

I believe this is one I ordered, so many its hard to remember LOL LOL

Or it might have been this one too....hmmmm LOL

I love the variegated colors!

This one is soft and pastel.

Part of the field we were in. Dublin went with me and followed me like a trooper! He is such a good boy! I was going to post a few more pics, but blogger wont let me post any more, so more to come tomorrow!

Wow!!! I have 100 followers!! I cant believe you all want to read about lil ol me!!!! Thank you!!!

The new puppy, he is doing great! Havnt had any potty accidents! Even when I have had to leave him home alone!

This is what I have behind me when I am working in the kitchen now! LOL

Dang it! Aint he cuuute! LOL LOL He was 7 mo. old yesturday, and for his birthday he is getting a trip to the vet! He has one more thing to "fix" him up! LOL LOL

The goofs, they play so well together! Dublin is so good with such a small dog.

And we have recieved Dublins recall papers. Dublin will be going to fullfill his destiny on Oct. 16th 2010.

Our little boy has grown up! He is ready, even it we arent :0)

Spam!!

Had to turn on the comment verification.
I am getting a lot of Spam! Grrrrr.

Let me know if there is any problems!

CamoChaweenie....

LOL I had to laugh at this picture of Meghan holding Max, and how he disappears in the Camo!

Would that be Camo-Weenie? LOL LOL

Outing to Guide Dogs campus in Boring, Or.

Saturday Dublin and I met our Puppy club at the Guide Dogs campus in Boring, Or. The campus is a little less than 40 miles from where we live. We are lucky to live so close.

Handsome Dublin, he was my Rockstar again, he was so good.

I started him out in the Halti, because I didnt know how he was going to be after playing with the new puppy for two weeks. He was perfect, and even a little less dog distracted than he had been! Thats good!

Some of the group. It started lightly raining shortly after this pic.

The club met at the visitors center, then we walked down to a room where the trainers observe the dogs. In this room they are left alone with a couch, a kitchen counter and a garbage can. The room is only about 10x14, if that. Thats me and Dublin in the front, and our CFR on the right.

Dublin was the first pup to go into the room. Us humans squeezed into a small observation room that is only about 6 foot wide and the length of the observation room. Dublin is looking up at the mirrored window, but he cant see us, I sure he could hear us though, LOL.

He checked out this blue box a few times, there are toys inside it. He also had two chew toys on the floor that he played with and chewed on a little too. He is such a good boy.

After we observed three of the older pups in the observation room, we walked back up to the visitors center. Our CFR answered questions and worked with some the the pairs to help them through any problems or questions they may have.

Our CFR brought her two personal dogs, as a distraction. The distraction worked for some of the dogs, both of her dogs are Standard Poodles, a male and a young female. In front of the black male Poodle here you can see some of the training dummys they use when they are working with the blind folks.
Along the wall here are tie downs, specifically for tying the dogs in the room while other things go on.

I didnt get a good picture of the female Poodle, but I had to show you her neat coloration! I dont think I have seen a Standard Poodle this color.

Mike, our club leader, borrowed Dublin to show some proper greetings of other dogs. The dog on the left is Josh, he and Dublin came together on the puppy truck the day we picked up Dublin. They will go back into training at the same time. Josh was really distracted by the Poodles for some reason, he was fixating on them, they worked with him to get him through it.  Dublin could have cared less, the Poodles didnt faze him at all.  Goes to show you that just like horses every dog is an individual, with their own problems, good and bad.

Dublin worked perfectly for Mike. I worked him a little with recall, getting him to come to me with his head between my knees, food is involved. He was so good. I kept saying to the CFR, he is ready, and after seeing him, and how he is responding, she said it to, "yes, he is ready" I am both sad and proud. He is going to make someone a very good guide, but we will miss him.

Guide Dogs is a fun way to do volunteer work, we do pay for all of the food, and toys, but Guide Dogs pays for all of the vet care.  Doing this keeps me active and getting out, and it serves a good purpose too. My volunteerism I have done in the past, was 4-H. I was a 4-H leader for 11 of the 13 years my girls did 4-H.

A letter from Dad....

Today is the Anniversary of the day I almost died.



Eight years ago tonight, and around 7PM, I was hit head on by a drunk driver. Someone I knew. Someone who was friends with my parents, someone who also grew up in this community. Someone who in his drink and drug induced stupor, was stupid enough to pass slow traffic on the River Rd. on a blind corner at 6o mph.

My folks were on a trip to visit a sick friend when they got the news, that I had been in a serious car wreck. This day is also their Wedding Anniversary, they were married Sept 12, 1964. (Happy Anniversary!!!

This is a letter that my Dad wrote to a good Samaritan that helped them out that night.


Friends Have NO Boundaries

Mr. Willy Frisse,
Langley B.C. Canada


Dear Willy

I The only way I know of thanking you again is to write you this short story of Sept 12th 2001. and hope you are doing well.

On Sept 11th 2001 we awoke with our two dogs, Nancy and I excited about going to the coast to celebrate our birthdays and on the 12th, our Anniversary. (our birthdays are both in Sept.)

Excited about getting away we awoke and turned on the television and set to ABC just in time to catch he second airliner strike the tower, we were like all Americans, devastated, so instead of packing the motorhome for our 37th Anniversary amongst tears and awe that this could happen we looked at each other and set off our trip for another time.

Story unfolding, much like everyone in the world we wen on with life for another year  until the morning of the 12th of Sept. or 38th anniversary, we packed up the motorhome and left home for the 3 1/2 hour trip to the Quinalt Indian reservation Casino just north a Aberdeen Wa, on hwy 101.

Our plan was to stay in the lot at the casino and gamble and have dinner and enjoy ourselves. The next morning go north up 101 and visit my friend Bud, who had liver cancer. We were there probably 7 o'clock PM set down to our Anniversary dinner about 8 o'clock. then hand and hand we walked back to the casino, I started playing and h=we heard a lady on the microphone say would Cliff and Nacny P*&^%$# please come to the cashiers desk. Nancy was beside me watching so she went, when she returned my hear dropped, my youngest daughter knew we were going to see Bud do she went thru our home, found a key to our store, she checked my daily calender, found Bud's phone number. Bud was on the other end, said she had called and if he knew where we were would he please get ahold of us. Our older daughter Pam was hit head on, on a notorious river rd here in Washougal is just 20 miles east in the columbia gorge from Portland on the Wa. side of the river. He said she was still in the vehicle and would take a couple of hrs to get her out. Quoting my grandson John "Grandpa we had maybe 2 seconds, no only 1 and mom turned the bronco into the guard rail this truck hit us head on and I saw it fly right over us" John was fortunate, minor bruises and small laceration, but his mother was not so lucky. John stayed in that truck with his mother unconscious and did not leave until the life flight crew came to do their job. They are wonderful. as it turned out it took 1:45 min to cut her from the bronco driver side was squashed flat pinning her in.

Bud expressed his condolences and told us head straight for the hospital in Portland, so away we went. It was dark getting late about 10:00pm and hardly no one on the road dropping south thru Aberdeen we went as quickly as possible on the east side of Aberdeen Nancys cell phone rang and it was Rick, Pamelas husband, he had just left Washougal and was on the way to the hospital, so we knew nothing more. We rode along in silance east to I-5 where we would turn south to Portland Or.

We hardly spoke, my dog Ginger came up beside me knowing something wasnt right placing her head on my leg, she was warm. In troubled times I feel comfort in saying the Lords prayer so I spoke silently to myself not being too out spoken with prayer but I repeated it twice just to hear the words meanings.

We were about 12 miles from the I-5 freeway south to Portland and our fan belt broke! Knowing I could drive just on the battery, but not long with lights on, we reached I-5 pulled into a service station and asked about finding a fan belt, the attendant said either 30 miles north to Olympia or South to Chehalis WalMart, they are open 24 hrs.

So away we went it was about 11 miles and reaching their the lights were getting dim, we pulled into the lot and saw about a dozen cars and at the end of the lot were 3-4 motorhomes. I pulled down toward them just for security purposes and told Nancy stay by the phone and I will hook up the battery charger to the motorhome and start the generator before I go in. I didnt think they would have one or ever sell them. I was under the hood of the coach and I heard this voice "looks like you are having problems, can I help your?" this gentleman small in stature introduced himself as Willy with a combo English and Canadian accent, which I believe he said he was. I told Willy of our dilemma and putting the charger on, for I may have to drive to Portland like that. Away we strolled side by side into WalMart letting me know he had tools if I needed them. I thanked him and away I went and was right about no belts, talked to the locals and they all said Portland or Long View, Wa.

A bit depressed and tired I went back to the motorhome and looking past my coach I saw an older dodge motorhome and coming across the lot came Willy walking with him was his wife, Willy was carrying a tool box in one hand and a flashlight and fan belt in the other. Seeing he drove a dodge and mine a gmc and what I know about belts I had my doubts. Said he always carrys a spare fan belt, but didnt know if it would fit. I retrieved the broken one which I had the forthought to keep,, hand in hand we measured them side by side exactly and it was perfect!(Divine intervention?) or not it fit, with Willys help we were all set to go and by this time 12:00 midnight having heard nothing about Pamela were really worried. We said goodbye and Willy would not take a thing for the belt or help. he said "you just help someone else down the road as I have you"  I assured him I would. He handed me this funny folding business card about retired no work no money to home no phone etc. I chuckled and left.

 It was 2:20 AM when we pulled into Emanuel Legacy, found the emergency and first saw Pamela. She was severely injured, broken, bruised and some bleeding from bruising of the brain in three spots. they kept her sedated for 3 days due to the severity of some of the bones it was easier to just keep her out to avoid lots of pain. 7 more days in the trauma unit and she could go home, luckily she has three great kids and a good husband. and the outpouring of love and help from so many people that know her was unbelievable doing well now and back to work, Pamela is a jolly personality and is very well respected where she works in Washougal, and will always great you with a smile!

I am writing this long overdue letter to a Friend, Willy Frisse of Langly B.C. Canada who took time that dramatic night on our 38th Anniversary.

There is so much more to this story but not for the help of Mr. Willy Frisse I knew it would have been much more dramatic, to help out a complete stranger on surely is a FRIEND in deed.

Cliff and Nancy P.
Washougal Wa

P.S. No one knows where or when you will meet a friend, or how long it takes to become a friend? I say it could be one kind deed, and again after watching how the Canadians helped us with the air traffic on 9-11 rallying to the planes of people that couldnt land in the United States. Helping to feed and house them and in some instances even drive them home!  I was pleased one took the time and effort to help us. Too many times people just dont want to get involved. The only thing Willy asked was that I help someone else, and that would be payment enough for him.

My friend Bud passed away three weeks later without seeing him again, I did call and let him know Pam would be ok and he was very pleased. Bud was a very well respected alcohol and drug abuse councilor, in Aberdeen Wa. and was a very kind friend.

Willy thank you again from the bottom of our hearts, and hope its all right to call you our friend.


This is in my Dads words, I have a copy of this letter put away.

On this day after the Anniversary of 9-11 and 8 years after my auto wreck, I dont call it an accident.
Take care to always appreciate what is around you, and that stranger who can become a friend so quickly in time of need. Tolerance of each other would go a long way in solving the worlds problems.

Love and Peace to all.

Thanks Dad, I love you.

(Unfortunately, my folks learned that Willy passed away a few years ago.)

I rode the old mare today....

Well I finally got out there and rode today!!! (this pic is of Easy with Meg riding)
It felt really good! I love this old mare, she is so good, I played with her on the ground a little before I saddled her, just to see how she felt. I also trimmed her toes a little, she was starting to get long. Some thrush starting from this recent rain, already, put some Thrush Buster in the grooves next to the frog.

Last year when I rode I felt a lot more disorientation while mounting and going around in a circle, it felt a lot better today! I had virtually no vertigo when I stepped up on her and none while riding! Did I say that it felt really good! I had forgotten how nice it is to ride a push button horse that will move just from a thigh clinch or press of your calf, she is still an amazing horse. Emma it seems fights you all the time, you have to really cue her hard to get her to move, constantly keeping her going with your body. Easy on the other hand is like riding a feather, so nice. In another life I would love to clone this mare, and get ahold of her before she learned a lot of her issues she came with as a 4 year old. She is a very very sensitive horse. She is now 25 1/2!!! She is stiffer than she used to be, especially holding a foot up long enough to trim, sometimes it takes her a minute or so to relax the muscles, and put a hind foot down. But she is so good and lets me know when she needs to put it down, she never pulls away.

It felt good to feel almost normal today, almost the old me. It was good.

                                                      Did I say that I love this old mare.

The dogs....

OK this little guy is turning out to be a pretty fun little dog LOL he is hilarious! Meghan loves him too. Dublin and him still are playing really well together.

I cant get over how little he is! LOL

Meghan put her sunglasses on Dublin LOL LOL He is such a tolerant dog.

And Max he is my new chair/computer buddy LOL

OK is he cute or what LOL he is sporting his new collar, and also got a matching leash and harness.

Silly little bugger LOL LOL He loves to play, and sleep, he has two speeds!

We will be dealing with some separation anxiety issues, he barks and barks when I put him in a kennel. Hubby said he whined and whined when he held him while I went out to tend the horses, but the next time he was better, when he just let him loose and he would jump up in my chair and watch for the door.

He has never been crated or kenneled before, and it may take some time to get him to relax when he is. Just have to keep doing it and not feel sorry for him because he is so cute LOL LOL.

He will be a happier dog in the long run if he knows his boundaries. He knows what NO means and he is starting to come to his name. He hasnt had an accident in the house, except for the first day, he peed a little, marking I think, I am watching him close and he will get fixed soon! He is figuring out the "do your business" and the spot to go. He does growl at men and at someone who comes in the door, until he figures out who it is. I dont know if his growling is fear or possessive issues, he doesnt ever offer to bite, so that is good. We have a little work to do, but he will come along, it has only been 5 days!

Here is a short video of Max and Dublin playing, they dont growl at all while they play. LOL but we have to make sure Dublin does not squash him! LOL LOL