Anecdotes, Antidotes, and Anodes

Boxer Mania

A typical day in the lives of June Bug, Lola, and Ginger.  Feel free to caption any or all:

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"In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog."

An Easy Way to Frost Your Windows

If anyone needs their windows decorated for the holidays, GingerBoo is taking orders:

OK, you creative people out there. Please provide some captions for this photo.
 

Because so many "lurkers" never take the time to read the comments associated with what's posted here, it is necessary today to share them. Most All of the time the comments are much better than the post itself !

Why you look at me like that? This is ART!
wendishness

Next time I think I'll use my tongue.
willowtree

I think this one is sellable, Mom.... see, I signed it.
 Di

Sotheby's called?
Stephanie, Mama Dramatist

"Gray Window" ---Ginger Pollack
min

"Bubba Angels"
Equoni

It snot what you think, mom.
Doggy Photoshlopp.
Lick Observatory
SQUIRREL!
Pamela

"Waddaya mean I won't be famous till I'm dead?"
 Karisma

Hey people, how do you like my window art?
Church Lady

I have windows that look just like that.
Smart Mouth Broad 

Designs by Ginger Boo!

Janis

Jackson Pollack is back, art always shines through
Runningwiththepack

"Done! What do you want me to clean next?"
Snowcatcher

Poochccaso.
hulagirlatheart

My fellow Americans...
I hope this illustration easily explains the health care reform bill I am proposing.
NLL

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Please feel free to add more captions !

 

How to Carve a Jack-o-Lantern

Actually, the title should read, "How to Carve a Bub-a-Lantern."

Bub-a-Lantern !

Bub-a-Lantern's reflection.

Bub-a-Lantern in the daylight.

Lola was mesmerized with the Bub-a-Lantern.  No matter where I placed it in the house, she was there to sniff at it.

Now, I know you're thinking, "Wow ! That Swampy is a talented gal ?!?" And, I would like to think that I am, but I know better.

If you're interested in spending an entire afternoon carving your favorite puppy dog's face into a pumpkin, check out this Better Homes and Gardens web-site. 
 
There are almost 30 stencils to choose from !

Unfortunately, there is not a Boxer with cropped ears. And, I just have to create a Junior Jack-o-Lantern.  (June-yur-Lantern)  So, guess what I'll be doing this afternoon ? 

Also, I could not let those seeds and pulp go to waste. So, as most everyone else on the face of the Earth refer to, I'm using this idea for Pepitas and this idea for Pumpkin Puree. 

Happy Carving !

 
 

Stink Bug

Answers to the questions posed in the post below:

1) Lola has her appointment to be spayed in two weeks. (I won that "argument.") We are still "discussing" having Ginger spayed. Stay tuned for that decision.  June Bug was spayed when she was young.  So, there is still a chance there will be baby Boxers here next year...

2) Identification:
Top Photo. L-R:
BooBoo (neighbor who escaped from across the street)
June Bug
BJ (neighbor who escaped from across the street)
Lola Cherry Cola
Ginger  aka: GingaBoo

Bottom Photo L-R:
GingaBoo
Lola
June Bug
BJ
Boo Boo

3) And now for today's post...with a bit of a preface.  You may remember when Pepe Le Pew hijacked my blog.   Because this happened. Here's a visual aid for you.

There was "discussion" about replacing the lattice work around the deck so that no animals could get under the deck. That's all there was...discussion.  No actual installation.

Let it be known that every close encounter of the third skunk kind happened when AnodeMan was away from home.

Then there was the time we came home from a trip, and our house/dog sitter met us at the driveway very distraught.  The conversation went something like this:

Sitter:  There's good news and bad news.

Us: What's the good news?

Sitter: The dogs (Bubba & Bug) didn't get sprayed by the skunk. (That had been under the deck because the lattice work had not been replaced.)

Us: What's the bad news?

Sitter: They killed the skunk.

Us: What' the good news?

Sitter: There's no more good news...the bad news is that they dragged the skunk into the house...the bad news is that they dragged it upstairs...the bad news is they dragged it back downstairs and it's by the refrigerator...

Us Me to AnodeMan: I told you to replace the lattice work.

AnodeMan: You know that I have to leave early in the morning on a job?

Me: (Can't repeat that here. )

Fast forward to Tuesday.

It was 5:00 in the morning and I was dreaming that someone was cooking skunk cabbage in my house. When I awoke, I came to the realization that there could possibly be a skunk in my house ! I found AnodeMan outside hosing down June Bug who was slobbering and sneezing.  He had already used a gallon of Clamato on her. (Clamato, tomato juice, etc. does NOT work.)  He then informed me that he was late and needed to leave. So, he did. 

Little did I know that the skunk was still under the deck. The same deck that still had no lattice work around it.

The skunk continued to spray all day as regularly as Old Faithful spews. 

June Bug received baths in Dawn, hydrogen peroxide, and soda.  She would dry and then was drenched in Scope mouthwash.  She would dry and then had Young Living Essential Purification Oil rubbed on her. Repeat.

In less than 2 hours after the spraying, lattice work had been installed around the deck except for a small space for Mr. Skunk to escape. Funny how things like that get done when someone else has to deal with skunk perfume.

AnodeMan 's job required an overnight stay. How convenient !

Mr. Skunk left sometime during the night, but not before he had thoroughly perfumed everything within reach. It was so strong, the neighbor's across the street could smell what was going on here. The last piece of lattice work was installed.

If only you could scratch-and-sniff your computer screen.

June Stink Bug. Look at the camera.
(Just for your information, that product pictured there does NOT work.)

 

June Stink Bug. Open your eyes.

If you concentrate hard enough, I'm sure you can smell her.

Boxer Rescue

Yes !  It's a new post !  Thanks for all the e-mails inquiring about my whereabouts !  No, we don't need a HazMat Unit to come fumigate the house, although at one time, that was a consideration.

Future posts will explain my absence from the Blogging World, but for now, just meet Ginger.

She is the latest in our mission to rescue all the Boxers in the World. 

Actually, we know Ginger...aka: Sissy Boo. 

For those of you who have been visiting here for awhile or who personally know our Boxer Family, she is one of Bubba's babies.  Ginger (Sissy Boo was named after her daddy, Bubba Boo Boo) went to live in Texas when she was a puppy.  She is the sister of B.J. and Boo Boo who are pictured under Swamp Pets.

Ginger's family decided it would be best that she come "home."  They have since built a home at Possum Kingdom Lake and cannot build a fence there. Because Ginger is a "runner," and because there are many coyotes at the lake, her family was concerned for her safety.  It wasn't fair to leave her locked in a kennel at home, so she has come back to live with us.

You may have read that's it's not a good idea to have THREE female Boxers living under the same roof, but June Bug and Lola Cherry Cola welcomed her with open arms lots of slobbery kisses.

Ginger is camera shy because of the little beeping noise my camera makes when it focuses.  It's the same sound that her collar makes when she wanders too close to the boundary, so that sound frightens her.  More photos will be posted later. 

For now, this is the best I can do.

Good-Bye Bubba

We told our sweet, precious Bubba good-bye last night at 11:15.

Because I am traveling until June 22, I do not have access to my 1,000's of pictures of him.  When I return home, there will be a tribute for him here at my place.

Bubba became a popular Youtube celebrity with this video.  You can leave him a comment by going to Youtube and typing in "Bubba Snores."

Of course, your comments are always welcome here.

Buster the Boxer

Buster is his name.
Running away with his buddy was his game...
Running almost TWENTY miles away from a loving family with three children.

Anyone who has ever had a dog gone missing knows the pain and suffering and wondering and worrying that consumes your every thought.

Our dogs, Junior and Bubba would escape regularly no matter how hard we tried to keep them home. We built fences, put up chicken wire, installed TWO, yes TWO "electric dog safety" fences...and they could still figure out ways to run amuck in the neighborhood.  We would spend hours looking for them and many times to no avail. Sometimes they would find their way back home. Sometimes total strangers would call and ask if we had lost a Boxer...or two.

This case is no different. Boxers just run and no matter how hard you try, they will find a way to escape if they set their minds to it.

Those children mentioned earlier are 4 years old, 6 years old, and 7 years old and they missed their pet. After Buster had been gone for over two weeks, their hopes begin to dwindle that he would ever come home again. They made many calls to the animal shelter, but Buster was never there. No one ever responded to the lost pet ads they ran in the newspaper.

Buster's mommy's stomach turned over and over, again and again with that sick feeling when you are visualizing where your pet might be.

Enter AnodeMan...

One Friday, he spotted a run-away, skin-and-bones Boxer, while driving his rental car in Turlock, California.  Had it not been for a cold waffle left over from his breakfast at La Quinta Inn, Buster may never have been lured into ultimately being saved by him and the animal control officer in that county.  

"Buster the Boxer" was hauled away in the paddy wagon to the shelter and checked in on Friday, February 6.  Lucky for him, his owners had invested in having a microchip "installed" into his back. Buster was fed his first real meal in several weeks and given any number of vitamins and lots of clean fresh water. 

On Sunday, the information retrieved from the microchip was used to contact Buster's family. Buster's daddy immediately went to the shelter to claim him.

Buster was fed ample amounts of fresh liver because the owners knew it contained lots of vitamins, mineral, and nutrients for dogs that had been without food for an extended period of time.

So, just to prove that Buster has been reunited with a loving, caring, and VERY happy family, here are photos to show how much weight he had gained in just over a week...

 

 

 

Boxer Rescue

Message from the Emergency Swampcast System !

Update on the lost Boxer:  Several of you are familiar with the following story about AnodeMan and the lost "Boxer."  So, that you don't have to read the whole thing again, I'll refresh your memory. Or if you don't know the story and don't have time to read all of it, here's the Cliff's Notes version...

AnodeMan was in California, Friday, February 6, on a job, driving a rental car in the vicinity of Turlock when he noticed a skinny Boxer running loose with that "lost" look about him. He pulled over, parked the car and tried to coax the dog to come to him.  To AnodeMan's dismay, the dog ran in the opposite direction and out of sight. At that point he called to tell me about the dog and that he was walking back to the car to leave. As he started to drive away, he spotted the dog and said, "Gotta go. There he is."

I don't remember exactly how long it was before he called back again, maybe 30 minutes, but he had grabbed a cold waffle left over from his motel's lovely continental breakfast and was trying to convince the dog he could be trusted. The wind was cooperating and was blowing toward AnodeMan, so the dog stopped several yards away. AnodeMan broke off some of the waffle and tossed it to "Boxer."  He very slowly and suspisciously walked to the morsel and ate it.  AnodeMan began to talk to "Boxer" and tossed him another small bite. Once again, "Boxer" ate it, coming a bit closer this time.  All the while, AnodeMan is trying to get closer to him. This goes on for quite some time and finally, AnodeMan has now been able to touch the dog.  He saves one little piece of the waffle just in case he needs it later.

I'm using our land line phone and my cell phone to communicate with AnodeMan and the various dog shelters. If you want to get all the details of my dealing with the automated phone message systems at two different police stations, scroll down. There were several  problems...AnodeMan didn't know EXACTLY where he was, he could not be seen from the street, and he was too far from the car to carry the dog, even if "Boxer" would let him.

While I was on the phone, with the dispatcher, it was difficult explaining what was needed..."My husband has found a dog...he doesn't know where he is...I'm calling from Colorado"..."You won't be able to see him from the street even if you locate his car"...  (I'm sure the dispatcher was thinking he had another wacko and the other end of the line.)  (Maybe he did.)

The animal control officer did locate AnodeMan and "Boxer."  Kudos to the Turlock Police Department and Animal Control !  It was determined that "Boxer" had been micro-chipped.  AnodeMan took one photo of "Boxer" as he was about to leave in the paddy wagon. (See below)

It was our hope that "Boxer" would be reunited with his owner(s). We spent the entire weekend and all of Monday (9th) trying to connect with the animal shelter but to no avail. Finally, on Tuesday, AnodeMan was able to speak to a lady there, and all she could tell him was that "Boxer" had been claimed by the owner and was no longer there.

Instead of being over joyed our feelings became ambivalent...would "Boxer" return to a loving, caring home ? We assured ourselves that since he had a microchip and that because he was claimed so quickly, surely the owners would take good care of him.  

Had "Boxer" not been claimed, we had already decided to see if the animal shelter would let us adopt him and bring him back to Colorado to live with Bubba and June Bug.

Well, AnodeMan is back in California...stay tuned for the rest of the story as it unfolds.

 **************************************************************************

Well, it's time for a new post and there are many, many, many stories about our Road Trip. But, instead of sharing one of those today, there is a story that must be documented now. The reason it must be documented NOW is because I may not remember all the details tomorrow. 

If anyone who has read here for a while has any doubt about the good-natured spirit of AnodeMan, this should make you KNOW FOR SURE !

AnodeMan is in California working on several jobs and called to tell me he had finished three and had scheduled three more for this afternoon. Quite ambitious, but those who know him realize that he flies with his hair on fire. Could be the explanation for his baldness.

About thirty minutes after that call, he called back to tell me he had spotted a skinny, stray Boxer-looking dog running alongside the highway, and that he was now out of his car trying to find the dog. (For those of you who don't know it, we are Boxer lovers !)

AnodeMan parked his rental car just off an access ramp and with a cold waffle in hand (you know the kind you get for breakfast at La Quinta), and was searching for this dog that had disappeared into the woods. We visited for a few minutes until he spotted the dog again so he abruptly ended our conversation.

About twenty minutes later, my caller ID informs me that AnodeMan is calling back. The conversation sounded something like this:

OK. I found the dog. He is a beautiful Boxer but too skiddish to let me get too close. I have fed him most of the waffle, so he's not running away.  I've walked too far from the car for him to follow me to it, and I'm afraid of losing him. He is starving to death. I need you to call animal rescue and have them come help me with him.

Where are you?

Turlock, California.

Maybe you could narrow down your exact location just a bit more.

OK. I'm off Highway 99 somewhere close to Taylor Road. Actually, I may be the next road north of Taylor Road. I've walked a long way.

Well, that does narrow it down a little. I'll call you back.

**********************************************************

I dial 411 for Turlock, California, and ask for animal rescue. The operator gives me the number and I dial it.

Turlock Police Department.

If this is an emergency dial 911.
If it concerns ___________ dial 1.
If it concerns ___________ dial 2.
If it concerns ___________ dial 3.
Finally...
If you are trying to reach animal control, dial 7.

**************************************************************

Conversation:

Turlock Animal Control. This is Brenda. How may I help you?

Brenda, this is Kathy calling for my husband who has found a stray Boxer and needs help getting it to an animal shelter.

What is his location?

I'm not exactly sure because he is not exactly sure. The best he can tell me is that he's off Highway 99 somewhere close to Taylor Road.

Well, that's not in our jurisdiction.

Can you give me the number of who I need to call?

Just a minute. I'll see if I can connect you.

Thank you.

*******************************************************

Next Conversation:

Modesto Police Department.

May I speak to someone in animal control, please ?

*********************************************************

Next converstaion:

Modesto Animal Control. This is Steve.

Steve, this is Kathy. I'm calling for my husband who has found a stray Boxer and needs help getting it to an animal shelter.

What is his location?

Somewhere off Highway 99 north of Taylor Road.

Well, we only have one officer on duty today, and he's out on a call. His location is quite some distance from your husband.

Is there not a police officer in the area who might help him?

Well, unless it's an emergency or a traffic issue, probably not.

My husband parked his rental car on an off ramp, on an access road, and I think it might be tying up traffic, Steve.

I'll see what I can do.

Steve, what is your phone number ?

209-558...

Thank you.

************************************************************

Next conversation.  It's AnodeMan again:

Hey. I used my iPhone to pinpoint my exact location and can tell you that I'm close to Mountain View, North Golden State, and Warner.  I can see a Peterbilt sign. There is an intersection, but I can't read the name of the street.

Well, I'm not sure anyone is going to show up because the one animal control officer on duty is a long way from where you are.  Do you still have the dog?

Yes, he's here but won't come any closer. Even if I could pick him up, it's too far to the car to carry him.

I'll call Steve back and give him this information. Let me give you his number.

No, I probably don't have enough "juice" left in my phone to make any calls. The battery is almost dead.

What about your other phone?

It's already dead.

How can that be?  You took MY charger. Plug those things in every once in a while.

I can't hear you !

*******************************************************************

I dialed Steve's number and get this recorded message:

You have reached Stanislaus County Animal Services. 

For English, press 1
Para Espanol, press dos...

If you know your party's extension, press it now.
To report an animal emergency, animal nuisance, to fax a bite report...press 1
For the shelter location, press 2
For licensing and vaccination information, press 3
For information about spaying and neutering, press 4
To report a lost pet, press 5

To report that your husband is lost somewhere in Stanilaus county with a homeless, helpless, starving Boxer...

Short story long:  I reach Steve. Probably much to his dismay that a lady in Colorado keeps calling about her husband who is lost somewhere in Stanislaus County with a stray dog and wants the S.W.A.T. team to go find him...

********************************************************************

Conversation:

Stanislaus County Animal Services.

Steve?

Yes.

This is Kathy in Colorado, again.

(Silence)

(I can just picture him beating his head against his desk.)

Yes Ma'am.

I have more information about where my husband is.

(At this point I hear a message coming over his radio...something like this: OK, what's the 99 on that man with the dog...?)

(I'm  thinking: YES ! Steve really did report this and he really does have an officer responding to the call.)

Yes, Ma'am. And what is that information?

He's somewhere in the vicinity of Mountain View, North Golden State, Warner...and he can see a Peterbilt sign.  He's off the road, down a hill, in a grove of trees. No one on the street can see him...

Thank you, Ma'am.  We'll do what we can.

***********************************************************

I can't imagine that you might still be reading, but if you are...

An officer did find AnodeMan and the Boxer. The officer determined that the Boxer has been micro-chipped and he took it to an animal shelter where he's being fed and taken care of. The information on the micro-chip will be used to try to locate the owners. The animal shelter  will allow a week for the owners to respond.

If the owners do not respond...

(to be continued)

Oh, and by the way, AnodeMan didn't do  much work on those jobs this afternoon.

**********************************************************************

UPDATE...Message from the Emergency Swampcast System !

AnodeMan just sent this photo of Boxer:

Happy Valentine's Day from Bubba and Bug

 

     An itty-bitty
Happy Valentine's Day
    Wish for you
         from
   Bubba and Bug

Boxer Rescue Update

As promised on a previous post, here is the rest of the story about the lost Boxer that AnodeMan rescued in California. If you are not familiar with the story and interested in what's going on, just scroll down.

My hope was that the owner would be located and reunited with this precious dog. And that's exactly what happened yesterday.

But now, instead of being over-joyed, my feelings are ambivalent. There are questions in my mind:

Will the dog be taken care of ? Why was the dog missing in the first place ? How long had the dog been missing ? And, had the owner called the shelter to check to see if he was there ?

Of course, the shelter is not allowed to give us the owner's name so that we can let him/her know how much we bonded with his/her dog in those few short hours.

We are hoping that the animal control officer who helped AnodeMan the other day, will take our contact information and give it to the owner and maybe we will hear from him/her.

All we can do is hope that "Boxer" is home, safe and warm and dry, and has a full tummy, and is being petted, and loved.

For those of you who surmised that if "Boxer's" owner had not been found, we were going to try to adopt him, you are correct. We weren't sure what the shelter's policy was about someone from out-of-state adopting him, but we certainly were going to try.

For now, we just hope that "Boxer" is happy.