Opinionated Dogs and Politics

What can I say......My dogs and I have been watching the presidential campaigns on television, and wow, are they opinionated!  Perhaps they are recalling Governor Romney's road trip with his dog on the top of the family car.  Who says dogs don't have a good memory!  As I listened to their interesting take on the upcoming elections and the potential impact of superstorm Sandy on both parties, I found myself in agreement with their belief that the superstorm was a wake up call for our country.

Romney's plan to shut down FEMA and leave all disaster relief to the individual states was definitely in question.  As Miss Baley pointed out, "So Mom, wouldn't the affected states be in terrible shape without Federal support now that Sandy has had her way?"  I agreed that FEMA was extremely important and necessary for relief in the Eastern States.  My dogs observed that the excellent progress of President Obama and FEMA might be just what our incumbent needs to win.  Even Governor Christie of New Jersey, a keynote speaker at the Republican convention, has referred to Obama as his new best friend. A Republican and a Democrat as BFF's? OMG!!

Bodhi, my very large mixed breed, added that while the Red Cross had asked for cash rather than canned goods for hurricane relief, that Romney had instead done a pseudo fundraiser/campaign rally in Ohio requesting canned foods be donated.  Was this about helping hurricane victims, or winning votes in an important state?

Will superstorm Sandy affect Presidential election results?  Is this a wake up call for our country?  November 6 is right around the corner, so we are soon to find out. 

Written July 12, 2012, posted July 25,2012

Easier and more fun than you think!!!

It has been a while since I have posted a blog about my garden, but not due to inactivity here at Paradise Ranch.  Lots of friends visiting and consistent comings and goings.  I think the last time I posted I was beginning a vegetable garden that was promptly eaten by rabbits.  They had quite the salad bar, and undoubtedly invited over neighborhood friends to finish off the lettuces.  The snails also feasted on leaves from other veggies.  But ah ha.... I credited a solution by putting up a rabbit fence and sprinkling on some "slug-o" around the seedlings. I replanted everything with the help of a dear friend visiting me from San Miguel, Mexico. Together we created a wonderful new garden with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, squash, beets, broccoli, beans, peppers and lots of herbs. We also added lots of animals statues to guard the garden and add their wisdom.  Colored solar lights that shine all night add a feeling of magic and a finishing touch.

I then put up a snake fence around most of the perimeter of my property, which became mission critical after my Welsh Terrier went after a baby rattlesnake.  The baby rattlesnakes are the most dangerous because they strike randomly.  Thank God another good friend was here at the time.  After several unsuccessful attempts at my screaming at my dog, my friend threw his glass of wine on her, and she jumped back and the snake scurried away to hide. Since my Welsh Terrier Baley is a ratter by breed, she has an instinct to capture and kill anything that moves.

That was it for me.  I immediately decided that it was time to get the snakes out and protect my sweet animals.  So after many trips to Home Depot, I bought snake wire fencing and hired a wonderful man named Angel to install it.  Seemed rather fitting and just the man I needed. 

To date I have harvested lettuce, onions, beets, beans, and herbs.  Here are some pictures of the garden during the day. It is so satisfying to be able to go out and pick my own vegetables for meals.  I also harvested peaches from my tree and made a delicious peach pie, my first.  Everything  you hear about home-grown fruits and vegetables tasting better is indeed true.  Plant them with loving care and taste the difference! 

If I can do a raised bed garden, anyone can! 

Healing opportunities where you least expect them

A few weeks ago I was on an early morning walk with my neighbor, an animal lover like myself.  Perhaps that is why when we walk together, we frequently come across lost animals.  

This particular day as we were walking home through a not-so-great neighborhood, an older red haired dog wandered into the street. He looked lost, and was not at all street smart as cars approached. He followed us for several blocks, and I became convinced of his need for help. 

I phoned my handyman, who picked us up to take us to the local veterinarian's office.  They found a microchip in the dog, and left a message with the person to whom the dog was registered. I brought the dog home with me and waited for a return call.  I also decided to keep the dog separate from my own three dogs, wary that their comfortable family "pack" might be a bit scary or intimidating for the lone dog.

Mid-afternoon I received a message from the dog owner's sister, who said the owner was in Alaska and she was taking care of the dog.  She said that the dog's name was Reggie and that although she greatly wanted him back, she was babysitting for her grandkids and couldn't pick up Reggie until late that evening.  I agreed to keep Reggie until then.  I hung up feeling relieved, but also a little weepy and overly affectionate toward this dog.  

In the early 90's, I had a wonderful Airedale named Reggie who I deeply loved, but tragically lost.  My live-in boyfriend ran over and killed my Reggie in my driveway.  I never had a chance to say goodbye to Reggie.  He was only six years old at the time and so full of life.  This stray dog Reggie was older, very sweet and loving, and definitely a reminder of my deceased dog Reggie.  And this new Reggie and I had the same color hair!  For the next several hours I spent precious time with this Reggie, and somehow in the process, healed my broken heart.  Reggie savored all the love and attention during these hours together. It seemed that his need for love from me was also just what he needed.  

Around 10 pm, the owner's sister and her teenage niece arrived at my home.  It was apparent that Reggie dearly loved this teenage girl.  As the young girl and Reggie reunited, the woman explained that her brother's wife (this teenage girl's mother) had recently passed away and that the same week, their family cat had passed away as well.   OMG.... Reggie had probably been looking for his owner or his feline friend, and thank God I had found him and returned him to his family.  This young girl had already experienced two losses in one week, and she needed Reggie.  And Reggie clearly needed her.  I felt truly blessed to have been able to reunite them.  And for me, the gift of this Reggie was truly heaven sent.

Cats and Dogs and Politics

I just never know what my animals might be discussing in their inter-species talks in our home.  I do know that the cats devoured a lot of catnip and the dogs ate plenty of dognip before they decided to have a mixed breed discussion about the political situation in our country.

Although I wasn't privy to the entire talk, I was given a few amusing "what if's" from my cats and dogs.  Neither my pooches nor my kitties are too fond of Romney, apparently because of his dog on the roof to Canada experience.  "Totally outrageous!" they all observed. "What if we tied him to the roof of his car on the way to the Republican nomination ceremony?"  

My pets agreed that they would love to see Romney choose a female Mexican Chihuahua as a running mate.  This was an idea shared by their uncle Richard from Washington state, and all of my animals agreed that it was a great plan.

How perfect for Presidential hopeful Romney!  A female Chihuahua could teach him how strong and steady a female can be.  She could also give him greater perspective about those less fortunate, and convince Romney that they are not taken care of. 

It was decided that Rosalita (the name we will call her) should have a pedigreed boyfriend, an obnoxious 25-generation pure bred Irish Setter who has no idea what abandoned and rescue dogs go through.  Rosalita's boyfriend dog of course takes a liking to Romney.  He totally agrees with Romney's desire to help the wealthy;  it fits right into his own belief system as a spoiled and entitled dog.

I disappointed the animals when I told them that the running mates must be human. "Why, we thought the planet was evolving!" they exclaimed.  I explained that sometimes with progress, it appears that we are taking temporary steps backward until we get every human out of their previous belief systems.  I explained that it may appear that we are not marching forward, but that I believe we will eventually make it happen.

My animals expressed great interest in Bo, the President's dog.  They noted that he seemed like a very happy dog who got plenty of love and good care.  My white as snow American Eskimo and Corgi mix, Little Bit, had more to say about Bo.  "He is so cute and just my type!  We would make a fantastic black and white couple!"

One of my older female Balinese cats said, "We like Obama, but wish he would be more outspoken and definitive about what he knows is right for our country."  My oldest (a sixteen year-old yellow Tabby nicknamed BB, short for Big Balls) spoke up.  "Where are Obama's balls?  Who throws his balls? Why doesn't he speak up?  He needs to tell it like it is and fight for what he believes is right!"  

I explained to BB that the President's balls are thrown by the big corporations, and that decisions are often tied up in Congress.  I also told them that although all presidents make deals with corporations and special interest groups in order to get elected, once elected and in power, we share the hope that they are able to instigate bigger changes when elected.

"How come you keep those old fogies in Congress for so long?" BB asked.  "Is it because they are effective, or do people forget they can vote them out?   It would be great to get animal lovers in office.  Animal lovers are heartfelt people who support humanitarianism and can help America prosper!"

Once again, my animals had some great questions and insightful observations.  I think I will go have some coffee-nip and ponder.

Do our animals understand change better than we do?

What is most on my mind today is the thought that as a nation, we are up for some changes.  Or perhaps I should say as a global society, change is upon us whether we like it or not.   

I wonder why we resist it so much.  Our animals don't seem to mind change as long as they feel safe and loved.  They certainly don't fret over making "correct" decisions.  If we take the time to help them feel protected and nurtured, animals seem to adjust to change very well.  We humans are a bit more complicated.  We don't always feel safe and loved mentally, physically or emotionally before and during our changes.  We tend to hang onto the past, because it is familiar and easy.  Sometimes as soon as we get comfortable, our life changes, and we resist.  We forget that that change is inevitable from the minute we are born until the minute we die....change , change change.

So many things around us seem as if they are positioned for change in 2012.  We have become a consumer nation, and as our need and desire for more things increases, our need for simplifying decreases.  We may not feel safe and question whether we have enough.  If we really ponder that question, we might be quite surprised to find that we have more than we really need!

Change is something that is happening everywhere, all the time.  Yet as humans, we seem to resist this notion.  Change somehow equates to letting go and giving up what we already know.  Scary, but also exciting at the same time.

As our economy and our world seem to reflect what we hear in the media and online, I find myself needing to take long breaks from the propaganda, especially around election time.  It helps to listen to John Stewart or other comedians for a quick dose of humor.  Fear seems to be a subtle, but an underlying backdrop in our world right now. Or least that is what we read and hear in the news.

Sometimes I find it difficult to commit to a firm decision. Feeling uncertain about what to do sometimes means that I have a fear of failing by making the wrong choice. Then I find the need to tell myself to imagine things working out.  When I remind myself that any decision I make can lead to greater insights about me and about my life, the decision making process feels easier. 

Sometimes I consider what my life would be like if I didn't act on any difficult choices and always played it safe. Hmmm. Today I have decided to create a community organic garden in my yard to share with friends.  I have raised beds in my garden that I haven't fully utilized in years, so why not enlarge and use this space and share it with others? I know very little about vegetable gardening, but "If not now, when?"  Raised beds with organic vegetables of all kinds, planted and harvested by my circle of friends, I'm going to go for it. I have imagined what I want and how it will turn out, and the answer is Yes!

As I celebrate my decision, I enjoy some time with my dogs and cats. They are always in the moment, and they never play it safe when it comes to the possibility of joy, adventure and love.  They often give me a look that says, "Is there any reason we should not be relaxed and enjoy life?"  I think they are on to something.