Lucky to know him

Lucky was born on April 26, 2002, and after some pretty intensive care, he grew up to be a beautiful, big boy. However as you can see from a few of these pictures, he was puny as a baby. We fed him every hour, foal lac in a bowl. He went everywhere with Bud because he had to be fed so often. He is living in Turon with Donna and Drew for the summer. It's a little like sending a family member to camp, I miss him but I think it's good for him and he's with people who love him. Enjoy.




Above are pictures of Lucky when he was at the vet clinic for his first five days of life. The picture of Lucky with Bud was taken on his five day birthday as we left the clinic to take him home.

This is Lucky's play pen, where he stayed while Bud worked on our house. It's a lonely boy who only has a tarp to play with...

This is Lucky at 6 weeks old (above).

Lucky loves water as you can see, he's certainly not afraid of a hose.

Lucky practicing.

Lucky loves to have his picture taken.

Lucky, all grown up.

How much is the doggie...?

Hello Reader (s),

On Saturday, July 18, Bud and I took a road trip to Medicine Lodge to look at a litter of pups. We gave Don and Carol the mom, so they offered us a pup. On the way, we stopped at the Kansas Heart Hospital in Wichita to visit a neighbor, Lenny Harvey, recovering from open heart surgery, a subject close to our hearts, as Bud is now 7 weeks into his own recovery, which is going very well. Of course, we brought home the cutest little English pointer pup, Joleen... On the way home, we stopped and visited Fancy (our older pup) who is spending the summer with Donna and Drew near Turon on their farm. Had a lovely afternoon sitting in the shade, sipping iced tea and watching Joleen play.

She is 8 weeks old...

and can point flowers (some might call them weeds) ...

she can point with her little foot held high.... we just love her... But then again, some would say that Patty has never met a pup she didn't like... say it isn't so!

But, tell me true, how could you not love this face. Gotta let the dogs out. :)

My Miata, May 2006

This is my car story: I got the call from Frank (the minister) that all the paperwork was in order and I could come pick up my miata (love the sound of that!) So I ask Mimi to drive me to the Bank of Commerce (think wild animals here!) where he wanted to meet, 'cause he thought he needed a notary to witness his signature. He makes sure I sign my name and fill in my stuff correctly, I give him money, he hands me keys. Mimi drives me over to pick it up. It starts! Good sign.

I forget to see where 5th gear is... so I drive to the farm in 4th... just as well, 'cause after a truck, it seems really little, like I'm going way fast... so I motor out to Mimi's. As I'm driving along, I realize that I have no tag, no temp sticker, no nothing on the back of my miata (I love to say that!). So I call Woodson County and see what I can do about getting to YC to get a tag. Fortunately, I had already talked with the insurance company and they had written a policy for it. This becomes important later.

The folks at the Treasurer's office say it is illegal to drive a car without a license tag and I could be stopped, fined and have to pay court costs... they didn't mention jail time so that was good. This is problematic. I call the Woodson County Sheriff's Office, a deputy tells me that while she can't tell me to do it, that some people put the tag from their old car on the new one to drive to the tag place. This is what I do. By now, I've read the book and know where 5th gear is... and off I go to YC. I got up to 60, everyone passed me! I'm going 60, both hands on the wheel, senses in high alert, sure I'll be blown off the road by the gusty winds. Doesn't happen. That little car (my miata) stays steady as can be. Even when the semis went by me, it didn't get blown aside. Thank goodness. But I digress.

I finally get up to 65, make it to YC well before 5 pm and head to the Sheriff's office, because I think that I have to have the vehicle inspected. No, not if you have a Kansas title... they send me to the Treasurer's office, they want proof of insurance. No, I don't have that. Off I go to the State Farm office. I paid for 3 months insurance, my card says 1 month... I'll have to check that out.

Anyway, back to the Treasurer's office. Hand her my newly printed insurance card, my title and the Power Of Attorney paper Frank needed to be able to sign the title for his daughter and her husband who owned the car, now reside in England... he's an actual JAG officer...The woman, inexplicably, says "You have a problem!" Yikes, there must be a warrant for my arrest for having driven illegally??? No. it's worse. Frank signed the title using his daughter's name instead of his son in law's name. Frank is Stacy's dad, this car was Stacy's, so that's the way he handled it... the car actually is in both of their names and had he just written in the son-in-law's name, I'd have a tag, and be legal.

Now, Frank has to get his daughter to send a power of attorney from England. I have to get that piece of paper to the Treasurer's office and then I can pay them to sell me a license tag...Now my problem is that I've told way too many government agencies including the Sheriff that I have a license tag issue...

Soooo I got home without getting stopped for driving too slow in "my miata", discovered that our road had car swallowing pot holes, know that Frank and his wife were not home last night, had to ask Dad if he would drive over and take me back to the farm to get my truck. So sometime next week, I hope to have a tag... it's the world's longest buying a car story. Good lesson, always require the seller to put a temp tag on the old used car I'm buying. It's the cutest car. Even Poppi agreed! Well, more than you wanted to know.

Good news, the JAG lawyer and his wife emailed the required documents, Woodson county accepted them, got my tag, am ready to drive... by the by, there is an equally cute car in YC... it is a pale aqua with black top BMW convertible... woo woo.

Well, there you go, this week’s episode of adventures in patty land …

Wild Living

Dear Reader (s),

Mid morning Toby sounded the alarm, fierce "I'll catch you and eat you" barking and leaping at the glass door out to the downstairs patio. I reacted with a visible start and gasp thinking "could it be murderers?" Gentle reader, you will be glad to know my worries were unfounded. Look what Toby saw:


Just meandering across the yard was this mama turkey and her brood of maybe seven chicks. Aren't they lovely? She seemed oblivious of Toby's furious barking but when I finally got my camera turned on and aimed, she stepped up the pace. Fortunately for me, she paused long enough for me to snap her family portrait.


So here they are heading east towards the lake. We used to see many many turkeys when we first moved to the Lake Fegan area, however, now we feel blessed when they cross our view. I occasionally see their footprints after a rain or near the edge of the ponds, but they used to regularly come up in the evening and clean up after the horses ate their grain, now that chore is relegated to the sparrows.


Can you see the babies? They are pretty well camouflaged as most turkeys are most of the time. Really, when you think about it, this is "big" bird watching.

ap/p

July 4, 2009

Dear Reader (s),
Sometimes one finds oneself in the right place at the right time. For those of you familiar with Kansas weather, a balmy evening with no mosquitoes and a full moon might seem like more than you would expect... nearly perfect... even more perfect when a spectacular "lightning" display is added to the flicker of the fireflies, the stars and a plethora of fire works visible on the skyline from the deck overlooking Lake Fegan. Very much enjoyed by Bud, Toby and me...
ap

Memories from April 10, 2006

Hello Reader (s),
This is an excerpt from an email I sent Colin when he first left home for the Navy. I thought you might enjoy some of these memories.

April 10, 2006

... Many years ago when I was in 4-H I had a collie named Rocky for my project… I also was taking the cooking project. The sad truth is that the morning of the “brownie” competition… my furry project ate my chocolate project… I can laugh about it now but at the time it seemed a major tragedy.

Did I tell you that I got a standard poodle pup? He’s 10 months old, black and must be pretty smart, ‘cause he about has me trained! To lift him up into my truck, even though last night I turned around and he was standing in the middle of the table! To let him sit in my lap for a nap even though he’s too big… We haven’t come to an agreement yet about the word “sit” and how quickly I might want that to happen… however, he comes running when I call his name (which is Toby).


This is the story I wrote about how I came to find Toby. I hope you enjoy it.

Mimi and I drove down to Inola, OK yesterday and picked up my new best friend. His name is Toby. It's an amazing story. Years ago, maybe 20 years ago, Mimi's poodle and Sam (the black standard we got when I was still in Cleveland) had a litter of pups. When I moved back to Kansas, I showed Roxie (do you remember my white standard poodle?) and this black Standard puppy we called Toby. I was in Muskogee, OK one weekend, at a show, the pup placed in his class, no one was friendly, I think one person talked with me the whole weekend. And I was just tired, to make a long story much shorter. I met a woman who had had poodles, but didn't then. So I gave Toby to her and she took him home to live in her house as her companion. Toby was under a year old because he was still in puppy class.

Friday, Feb 3, 2006 after a frantic bout of puppy lonesomeness I have been trying to slow down my attraction to the puppy ads... Friday morning, I sat down at my computer to begin my work and thought I'll just look at one. The first ad that came up was to a standard poodle show kennel in OK, I had looked at her gorgeous pups before but way too expensive. The ad said " we will give two 9 month old Champion sired standard poodle males to perfect homes." I sat there in shock, my heart pounding." Could I be the perfect home??? How could I sneak him in without Bud noticing??? Two very good questions. Then I thought "it's meant to be" and throwing all caution to the wind emailed my "qualifications" including Dr. LaRue's phone number, my ace in the hole.



The woman emails me back, she gave the social one to an older guy, but if I wanted the one that needed socializing I could have him. Helen and I conferred. We decided if Ginger could be socialized successfully then we could bring anyone around. So emailed OK back. Then I have my phone interview... it was touch and go... then I emailed her my references. I jumped through several hoops on Friday... then using my "I want that job" interview strategies, I sent her a picture of Roxie and Sam and reminded her that I was able to groom a dog... then I talked to Mimi and Poppi and they (my dearest enablers) said they would keep him while Bud and I are in TN...

So Friday late afternoon, I emailed her with this last bit of information... then checked my email hourly... nothing. I am heartbroken... I got up early on Saturday am, fiddled around, petted the cat, finally wandered down to check email having steeled myself that I had been rejected as perfect pet owner! But lo and behold, there it was... sent at 1:30 am Saturday... very early... or very late..... a note that said "OK. if you can get him on Saturday." A quick phone call to Helen, and we're off... We leave still thinking we're picking up a poodle who has social retardation, but I figure that is right up my line of work...

We get there and in the midst of an unbelieveable soap opera (ask Helen about these details), meet this gorgeous, socially adept, pleased with himself black poodle boy. The deal with the older guy fell through and we took home what I consider to be as good a poodle as I have ever known. 



He's wonderful and I look forward to the chance for you to meet him. Needless to say, his name is Toby, an 8 month old, black standard poodle, 20+ years later. In my mind I will always believe he was meant to come home with me. Timing is not perfect, but then when is it ever? 

My dog is sleeping at my feet. So that’s my story… pretty cool.

Poppi and I are busy studying horse training. Our goal is to be able to direct the horse’s behavior with hand/body signals… no halter, no lead rope… We’re not there yet. Then there’s the part about riding bareback. Haven’t done that yet either. However, Poppi was able to hold Sprite’s tongue last week. Sounds weird, but actually is a way to measure how comfortable the horse is and how much she trusts. Kate’s not having any of this tongue holding yet… maybe next week.

Mimi got a book on painting from Robin. So next time you’re home, maybe she’ll have a picture to show you. It’s a kit, with paper, brushes, watercolors and a book. Will let you know how this goes.

Bud and I went to Lindsborg yesterday (Palm Sunday, April 9) to hear Duane and Robin sing in the Messiah performance. Amanda and Rachel came with them so we all went to the Lutheran Church for a Swedish lunch. It was very good, although I have to admit to eating “mystery” meat (it looked like hamburger but Bud said maybe it was a soy burger). We also had potatoes, lingonberry (kind of like cranberries) cole slaw, bread and butter (very good) and for dessert more bread (Swedish tea bread, kind of like a cinnamon roll) and rice pudding with mandarin oranges… So different enough to be interesting but ok to eat.

There was entertainment, a group of high school students played violins and other string instruments (very nice) and then they also did Swedish folk dancing… which is a lot more energetic and fun than I thought it would be.

Then the Messiah performance complete with professional singers from Sweden and about 200 Kansans. It was quite spectacular and when they sang the Hallelujah chorus along with the pipe organ, it was quite inspirational.

We got home about 9 pm… could see the prairie fires on both sides of the rode but a long way away even though we could see the orange glow. The air is heavy with smoke. I’m guessing that it will be like this for another week or so.

Bud’s been a successful fisherman recently. He likes to fish the farm ponds and the river… brought home about 25 small fish for our pond stocking project and then some large catfish, that he filleted, cooked and we ate. When you’re home, we’ll get Bud to cook… he can fry up a catfish with the best of chefs.

Amanda wrote this about what she’s doing now: She said “We started ruminant dissection on Monday, and somehow my group got
stuck with a GIANT "calf." It is at least 3 times the size of the other
ones and very gross. Also, there's something really disturbing about
dissecting an animal you would normally eat.......way too familiar lol.
I learned yesterday exactly where the brisket comes from (probably
should have already known) yum.”

Rachel is doing fine. I think she likes what she is doing and the people she’s around. She is still riding horses and is now getting ready for the summer show season.

more tomorrow I hope, ap