Pets sure make the world go round!

When I first brought Simon home,

nothing was out of the ordinary.

 He was the cutest little thing.

He looked at us kind of funny sometimes.

Never quite got along with his friends.

(He is an odd little cat)

 As he grew older

He started to wander the streets.

He started hanging out with a rough crowd.

Then he started to dress kinda funny.

I never could get him to do much work,
as this was his favorite past time.

He bonded with the girls.

He is species confused.
Feline? Canine? Equine? Bovine?
(They all are nines.)

Simon wakes up in a different world every day.

He is so cross eyed that he sees multiples of everything!

Hides in the foliage a lot.

Then the catnip got to be to much.....

Because when I brought Sam home,
(the rescue dog)
Simon walked into the house
right up to Sam
and rubbed on him like he was his long lost buddy!

For a moment I thought "I" was the one on catnip!
As Simon walked away, he turned back to look,
Things must of come into focus then,
as all of a sudden,
He arched his back
and hissed and ran!
"OMG!
What just happened!"

Once is a mistake!
Twice is unbearable!

Sunday night as I sat outside on the porch,
I watched as Simon walked down the driveway.
This walk was a little different than usual, and he was going in the
opposite direction than he normally does.

My head told me something was not right,
He knew in my heart he was on a mission!
But I did not want to believe it.

Well it has been 4 days now, and Simon still has not come home.

I thought at first he just needed a vacation.
Just to get away.
Go smoke some catnip with his friends,
and forget that
He had totally embarrassed the feline world!

My feelings are hurt cause he did not ask me to help him pack his bags.
I would of understood, honestly I would of.
He just disappeared into the night.

NOTE:
As I finished writing this blog:
1/20/11 (7:45 PM)
Screech dashed through the doggy door and
right behind him was
none other than, 
S.I.M.O.N!
Yes,
vacation is over!


I forgave him and loved on him and told him how much I missed him!

Sam continues his Journey!

 Sam's Journey in life continues.
I will miss him forever,
but I rest knowing he will have a wonderful life.

This is Sam and his new person.
(Don't they both look so happy together?)
She has wanted a dog for a very long time.
Checking out shelters and all kinds of puppies.

I think she was waiting for Sam to come along.
It will be perfect and Sam will want for nothing.
He will have many adventures.

I think Sam will love his new life!

He sure has a comfy bed, and some good food!

Oh, I get to baby sit him this weekend!

YEAH!

On a bit of a sad note,
The last time I saw Simon, my siamese cat,
he was walking down the driveway to the neighbors.
I think he was on a mission
to find a less dog filled home!

I think when he mistakenly rubbed up against Sam
thinking it was Sydney,
(because he can't see to well)
really embarrassed him!
I hope he comes home soon!

Sam Update:

Isn't he a pretty boy?

 The girls have to sit on the "RUG" and wait for dinner.

Otherwise they are under foot.

 Notice Sam!

This is his FIRST TIME of waiting for dinner.

He did so good!
Did not get up until he was invited to eat!

This bottom pic is TONIGHT at dinner.
Which is the third time of sitting and waiting for food.
(This mornings breakfast was the second time.)

This is today at work.
He works very hard over seeing all the paperwork.
He even goes on deliveries.

I can not get over how photogenic he is!

See what I mean!
Just a cutie!

Sam, is a very smart boy!
Very calm!
Does not bark unless the neighbor dogs threaten to invade his space.

I sit and I study my dogs alot.
Now this study includes Sam.

This is my perspective on the whole situation when I brought Sam home:
My Perspective:
Taumee: I am the top dog! My position is secure.
Sydney: I am the motherly figure, I am pretty sure I am secure.
Sassy: I am the baby and bottom of the totem Pole, not to sure.
Sam: I am the male protector! The parameter is safe secure!

Hubby's Perspective:
Taumee: I am cute, I will get my way, and forever stay.
Sydney: Just goes with the flow of life.
Sassy: If I stay quiet and sneaky I will get by.
Sam: My dream come true! 3 bitches and their all fixed!

 

 Yep, just love my Girls,

and 

BOY!

Next post:
Sam gets a new home........

Mother Natures Wrath!

Our local River, 

THE UMATILLA RIVER

is just full of water!

I decided on my way home to drive down the river road

and take a peek.

There is really only one spot to pull off the road,

to take pictures.

 In this particular area there is no danger of

flooding any home.

 Further Up River towards Hermiston

and especially in Stanfield and Pendleton/Pilot Rock

there are homes that the flooding 

danger is very real.

 I am just glad we live on a hill side.

 If the Dam on the Columbia River ever

breaks, we WILL be trouble though!

Turn your sound down on the video

because the wind was blowing and

it will kill your speakers.

But it is quite awesome.

Oh the wrath and beauty of Mother Nature!

I'm an Ole Softy!

Defenseless Animals!

(People really piss me off!)

 On my way home from work today,

I had to make a stop at the post office.

As I pulled in, there were two women and two dogs...

I of course stopped and asked if they were their dogs.

NOPE!

(They were working very hard to gather the dogs.)

One was working and the other one was from out of town.

Both kind Samaritans.

The dogs had almost got hit by the traffic.

(Busy Intersection.)

Sooooooo.....

I got this one in my car.

The other one, a smaller Border Collie,

we could not catch.

So now he is out there all alone!

But this guy, is a sweetheart!

He knows the command sit.

He has manners.

He gets along with all three of my girls.

AND 

SIMON

my Siamese cat that is so cross eyed he can't see straight...

He comes in from outside...

See's 'blondy'

and walks right up to him, and 

starts loving on him!

He is just sniffing Simon, like totally confused,

Simon walks away and things must of become clear for a moment

because he all of a sudden realized, it was not Sydney,

and he hunched his back, and ran behind a chair!

I was laughing so hard, 

and trying to keep things from getting out of hand,

and so I did not get any pictures

because I was in disbelief!

Anyway, 

This guy needs a home!

I am sure he was abandoned and no owner will come forward.

It is going to cost me 50 bucks to take him to the local rescue.

I would rather find him a wonderful home.

He is very mild, and is laying beside me as I write this.

He is very huggable.

If you do not live near me, and want him, 

Lets get a transportation line going!

We can make this happen!

.........PLEASE.........

I can't Keep him!

Or

I 

Will

Be 

Looking

For 

A 

New 

Home!

A different kind of Resolution!

Another year has rolled around.

I never make New Year Resolutions 

because I know I probably won't keep them.

But last year.....

I did make one:

TO RIDE MY HORSE BY FALL.

Since it was a pretty mild winter last year,

My neighbor coaxed me into getting Sissy out and

riding her.

Sissy did ok.

I did horrible!

I was a nervous wreck,

although I was confident in that I did not believe 

she would buck me off.

She just did not listen to me, and I did not know how to get her to.

So I took Lessons:

After 3 months of lessons,

I came to the heart breaking decision 

that if I wanted to meet my goal,

(which was to be able to ride my horse by fall,

 along the Columbia River Trails,)

that Sissy was not going to be that horse.

I had been through a lot with Sissy.
The 3-1/2 years that she was a part of my life,
we did a lot.
Trainers.
Lessons.
Halter shows.
You name it, we did it.
I just was not comfortable riding her.

After many tears and feeling like I failed Sissy,

I put her up for sale.

My instructor purchased her.

That I am very grateful for.

Like she told me, 

"Sissy is Broke but not Trained."

Everything fell into place when she said that.

I realized though, that Sissy was a stepping stone in my life.

She was my first-ever horse that I owned.

I picked her out by myself, (mistake).

And I loved her!

So Very Much!

I would sit by the hour and just watch her in the pasture!

She had fluid beauty when she moved.

She taught me a lot though,

and I would like to think that I taught her things too.

I could go out and just love on her, bury my head in her mane/neck

and sniff deep. She smelled so good!

I could do just about anything with her.

She was desensitized to just about everything.

 We, or I should say, "I" had fun with her.

I could not ride her, so I looked for other ways to spend time with her.

Sissy has a wonderful home now.

She now lives at the Ritz Carlton Suites.

(That is what my instructors place is called by the horses that live there.)

Sissy has been getting the "training" that she needs.

I miss her every single day.

But I know she is in good hands.
AND...I know Sissy is HAPPY!

A friend wanted to practice taking pictures of horses, and I invited her

to come use Sissy.

I did not expect to get the pictures of me

with Sissy,

and for that, I am very grateful.

Her and her husband are wonderful photographers!
Visit their website:
2hippos Photography

I never got many pictures of me with her.

This is one of my favorites:

Right after I sold Sissy

a friend of mine, of whom, had been looking for a horse for me,

found one.

(She is very good at matching horses with people.)

She saw this picture on Dreamhorse and 

immediately called the owner. 

She then sent me an email saying she was going to 

go pick her up.

I went...ummmm...OK.

It was on a trial basis.

The next day I went to meet this Libby.

She certainly was not the color I had anticipated

my next horse to be.

(Of course I wanted something more that resembled Sissy)

She certainly did not 'smell' like a horse,

she actually stunk!

(To me grey horses smell icky)

Anyway, I went over everyday, and rode her and got to know her.

I took Libby to my lessons,

and my instructor checked her over,

studied her movements and

decided she would be a good purchase.

Three weeks later the decision was made.

Libby and I would begin a life together.

Here she is the first day in her new digs at my house.

My second resolution in 2010 which did not come till later,

after I was looking at pictures of me riding Sissy.

What I saw was that my butt was as wide as my horse!

Yes, I was FAT!

I never liked to admit it.

Never owned a scale!

Now I live BY THAT SCALE!

I had a hard time getting on my horse,

and with Libby being a lot smaller, 

It was not a pretty sight when I would go to 

mount and my steed would wobble and do everything

to stay standing while I hoisted my big butt up in the saddle.

The final straw was when my horse grunted with my weight after

I settled in for a ride.

Yes I went on a program!

I have lost 48 pounds and still working on the last 5.

I still have not concord the gracefulness of getting in a saddle

but at least I don't pull my horse over and she does not moan at the 

heavy person riding her.

AND:

I met my goal!

My neighbor and I went on a ride down by the Columbia River this past fall.

On the sand trails, and it was AWESOME!

I did not take my camera because once again,

I was a nervous wreck, but I had nothing to fear!

Libby was there.

Sometimes our goal stays the same,

how we arrive at it may change!

I have come to love Libby as much as I do Sissy,

only for different reasons.

I loved Sissy, because I could get her to do just about anything from the ground.

Our "tippy-toe" trick was the best.

She was courious, and she always had a presence.

She made sure everyone noticed her.

Libby is quiet, I never know she is around. 

But Libby nickers at me too.

(I just love that)

Sissy never did.

Yes Libby has earned her place in my heart!

I got her to go trail riding with,

but I think this summer might be tough to do.

WHY?

Well....

 Do you get the picture?

Libby is ever so gentle with not only me but the kids too!

So I sneak in a ride when I can:

Even bareback!

Never in my life did I think I would ever ride bareback!

Because two rounds do not make a flat!

 AND:

Look at this!

I got Libby to side pass Both Directions!

Thank you to my Daughter-in-law who was taking pictures!

Yes, I did have goals for 2010 and I accomplished them!

Now, my goal for 2011?

I am going to start a muscle strengthening program!

(I hate exercising-so will see how it goes.)

so that by fall I can buck bales with my sons!

AND gracefully get into the saddle!