Time flies

Reading a friends blog, I remembered I also had one. How time flies!  It is now August 29, 2014 and have had a lot of things happen, all too much to list or remember all at once.  Two new great-grandbabies, my dad passing away, and than some things remain the same.  As our bodies get older, it does seem like time is flying by.  Suddenly, summer is over and it doesn't feel like we had one.  Could it be because it was a cooler than normal, more rain than normal?  I guess what matters is that September and October are my favorite months, not to cold (hopefully), and can be outdoors more, without the bugs of summer.  This is one of my favorite pictures and was taken across the street last fall.

Sara turned 8 years old this week. Time has flown by.  She is now at the age where we had limited time left with our goldens. Each one before her as had cancer end their life. Perhaps Sara will be the one that will be blessed with a long life. She has made it a point to take care of us and any company we may have.

She enjoys spending her days hanging out inside versus outdoors like Buddy. The one constant everyday event is that Sara and Buddy play. Instead of picking up after a 2 year old, I pick up after 2 dogs who enjoy going into their play box and leaving them lay on the floor. Outside is the same thing, they run and chase each other. Sara still enjoys going through the woods. This past month she has brought home 2 deer legs, and a turkey breast, that other critters or humans have left the remains. She still would make a great search and rescue dog as her lips and cheeks chatter when she gets a scent, especially blood.  For now she's our pet and we enjoy each and every day we have with our companion.

Sara and her Buddy

Where has the time gone?

I didn't think it was possible.  Sara has turned 7 years old. Where is the Puppy from Hell?  Well, she hasn't gone away. She's still a puppy at heart, older, heavier, but just as obstinate and stubborn as she once was.  Taking both dogs for a walk today, I knew what was going to happen.  Our first hesitation begans at the neighbor's driveway.  Sara prefer's to run free rather than being leashed. If we turn, into the drive, she knows she's free.  Nope, I pull and tug her and say "NO" firmly!! Ok, she follows... this time. Next her hesitation and stubborn move, put her paw over the leash at the corner. She'd rather turn, than down the road is a field, a nice run would be nicer, than having this leash around me. Again, I try, the "NO" firmly, and pull. This requires more than a pull since she weigh's a 100 lbs.  Now, she's down for the count. Ok, now she's on her back.  I pull her up by the collar, take the leash and wrap it around her, and we tug back and forth. OK, she knows the battle was lost. Just another 1/2 mile and freedom awaits.  So, again I think of all the dogs we have had. Most of them agreeable, and eager to run. Not so much for Sara. She prefer's to stay home, lie on the bed and wait for a trip to the Sanctuary.  Buddy, is the opposite.  When I put my shoes on he is eager to go. Don't worry about waiting, he'll go anywhere, any time.  So, amazing, that the dog we called Nasty Nelda or the puppy from hell has aged so fast. She is now turning a corner, she's becoming mature. One of the things that Sara loves to do, is to get the mail, and also bring groceries into the house. She seems to want to work in different ways to make us love her.

                                               " Happy Birthday Sara!!!

5 Generations- From 1961 to 2010

This picture taken was of my great-grandmother Olive, holding my daughter Brenda, my grandfather Clint, my mother Jean and myself.

This picture has my Dad, Paul in the back, on the left is Brenda, than my grandmother Dora (Little Ma), myself holding Jayme.

The most recent 5th Generation: Great-Great-Grandfather Paul, holding baby Grace, mother Hannah, than on the left is Grandmother Rhonda, and myself, Great-Grandmother. Wow, looking back I wonder where has the time gone.

Northwoods

Driving into our new property for the very first time, my reaction was shock. This cannot be.  I hadn’t seen the property when it was purchased and the pictures I saw were nothing like this.  Ah, where is the hill you were talking about? “ I asked”. There wasn’t even an incline. No driveway. Just deep ruts, puddles, ice and snow.  Our truck which is 4 wheel drive, had to stop just short of the roadway. I burst out crying. What a disaster.  We had nothing inside, it was all in the truck. Once he had carried Sara into the house we tried Driving to start the heat. No heat. We did have a few lights.  No running water, no septic Not even a 1 * hotel had so little. This is a true test of a marriage. I hated him immediately. How could we live like this? Finally figured the heat out.  We had beds, and nothing else. I guess having a roof over my head I should have been thankful, and now heat.  

We had a friends house down the road, where we could shower and do other necessities. What to do about Sara?  She had no grass around to potty on, and  twice a day we’d drive to the BP so she could do her pooping. The ticks loved her because she was warm blooded . I had nothing else to do besides pick the ticks off her, and guess what, at night there was little sleep as they liked to crawl out from her onto me. 

We had a gas stove, but with no water, except what we got from the park, to mostly drink, I did very little cooking. So we had sandwiches and soup. First lesson in a small town, don’t plan on getting any food after 2:30 on a Sunday. Everything closes down.  

The next week, we were hooked up to phone, satellite tav and internet. It would be a few months before we had sewer and water. One would think for someone that having grown up with outhouses, and lived on farms it wouldn’t be a hardship. But still to go back in time?   Next purchase was a porta potty.  But, no way am I taking care of it.

 Still, massive ticks were crawling on Sara and than onto me. It was my nightmare. I couldn’t sleep.  Once I’d fall asleep, I’d wake up to something nibbling on me. 

Oh how I hate this place- I now call it the Hell Hole.  

We had boards placed over some of the ruts so he could get the truck near the house.  We now had one room with a sofa and 2 chairs, TV and computer. A real luxury.

Daily I sobbed, there is nothing here, why didn’t I stay in Texas?  Why did we sell our beautiful home in BD?  To say it was for love was now a ridiculous thought. If ever.....

Sara was a puppy who loved attention and people. Suddenly there were no people and she knew, if she drank, she pottied, and even a dog was smart enough to know that those bug things like to jump on you when you squatted to pee. No thank you. I’ll stay in bed. So we started calling her a bed dog.  What else could she do. Boredom!! I could look into her eyes and know what she was thinking.  She was thinking of leaving. 

Again, why?  Where are my friends?  Where are people?  This couldn’t get any worse. Could it?

Something from the past

Uncle Al passed away, leaving my dad  the only living sibling from that family. Dad is a young 88, and while spending time with him is harder to do from a distance, I try to talk to him often. His health is good, and his hearing, while not perfect is good and memory- well let's say that is perfect.  I had made several pictures of his family, one when he was a youngster of 2 or 3, the one above. The location is Denver. His dad, my grandpa John was a cigar maker. Dad is the 2nd from the right, than his brother Al, than John and Rudy. The other's are relatives.

This picture was taken on the Smith farm located near Randolph WI. Grandpa John standing by Fanny the horse, Rudy on the horse, Johnny underneath, Edward, Dad holding Anna's hand, and Al with the hat on.