Summer Dew Point

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Good News

Little “Boy” has a new home. After a week of searching for owners that would not be found, and calling rescues and shelters that had no room, we have found someone willing to take in a homeless Pointer. With help from a local English Pointer kennel, a hunter with 2 other pointers took Boy, promising to find him a good hunting home. Shane took him yesterday afternoon and he called this morning. He has already found Boy a home. Boy will be living with a family that has another Pointer and will be out there hunting like he was bred to be. So my faith in the goodness of people was partially restored.

Pointer on point
An adult English Pointer on point.

We are sad and happy. We really fell in love with the little guy and wanted to keep him. But we knew that was not feasible. And like Shane said, “Why do people buy a hunting dog if they aren’t going to hunt. Just go to the pound and get a poor dog that needs a home.” Now Boy will get to do what his genes are telling him to do. Life will be good for him.

I had gotten so discouraged, first because someone dumped an 8 week old puppy out in the country with no homes for miles around, not caring if he lived or died. Then, there are so many abandoned animals out there that the shelters are full and no one would take him. So even if some sap like me picks up a dumped dog or cat, they are going to be responsible to take care of it, or humanely end its life. All this trouble because of the greedy, selfish, cowardly, despicable jerks out in the big wide world that are too lazy to care for the animals they have.

Now to top it off, Hubby has asked that I quit rescuing these poor animals. Rescuing is too costly, too exhausting and too heartbreaking to go through again and again. So when I see a starving animal, or a hurt animal or an abandoned animal left on the side of the road, I am supposed to pass it by.


If you think my heart breaks now, wait until I have to ignore a helpless dog or cat.....So now what do I do?

Friday, July 16, 2010

Our Guest

Well it happened again: another probable drop off. This one was found by a nurse on her way to work. I just happened to be going to the lab for blood work and ended up bringing “Boy” home. They couldn’t keep him in a medical lab and didn’t know what to do with him. He was very hungry, skinny and VERY young.

Found
Meet “Boy” who is looking for his owners or a new home.

We think he is a purebred English Pointer. He is about 8 weeks old, very affectionate, very smart and VERY hungry. Hubby already has him sitting on command and sitting when he comes. Of course he is food driven so treats work well. But still, being so young, that’s impressive.


Skinny
Skinny, but beautiful.

We don’t know a thing about him. I have called all the law enforcement, vets and animal shelters in a 100 mile radius. No one has reported him missing. Today I will take him to town to see if he has a chip. I am also in contact with a breeder in the area, and he is helping to look for the owner too.


But if we can’t find the owner, are we keeping him? The answer right now is “NO”. Hubby is very impressed, and would like to keep him. But we are not hunters. We live right “next door” to prime CRP hunting land and have always had trouble keeping our lap and herding dogs away from there. Can you image trying to keep a born and bred bird dog out of the neighbors land? We think it would be next to impossible. And being older, retired and partially disabled, it would be a nightmare. A nightmare that we are not, at this time, willing to live through.

comfortable
It didn't take him long to get comfortable.

Then you look at that face, and feel the soft muzzle nuzzling you….. it’s hard to say no. But we are trying. I’ll keep you posted.


Look at that Face
Who wouldn’t love this face?



Saturday, July 3, 2010

Tour de Fleece

Tour de Fleece starts today. This is a spin-a-long from Ravelry and each spinner tries to spin a little every day. There are teams to join and prizes at the end. As of this morning there are 2608 spinners that have joined up.
Tour de Fleece

I joined three teams this year. Since it is my first year with the Tour de Fleece I joined the Team Rookie. I, of course, also joined Team Majacraft (Belle is a Majacraft Suzie). Then, because I will be leaving tomorrow to go west for Friend Nancy’s surgery, I joined Team Lantern Rouge for people who want to join the Tour, but won’t be able to spin every day. I am taking Belle, and hoping to do some spinning while there, but one never knows.

I will start the Tour spinning my brown Finn and Corriedale X wool. I dyed the Corriedale several different values of mauve and sent it to Kelly at Dakota Carding and Wool Company. She sent me back a bag of beautiful “Spinners Web” that I call Raspberry Patch. I hope to get most of the bag spun.
Raspberry Patch spinners web
Raspberry Patch with red sparkle.

Then when I get back home, I will be washing and combing the new black Finn lamb fleece and try to spin up some of that with silk; something new and different for me.

Lofty goals, but then if I don’t push myself, I’ll never get anything done. It’s much too easy to sit out here and watch the grass grow.