Stanley Cup - Detroit VS Pittsburgh

As I watch the third game of the Stanley cup finals, I get a little giggle when I imagine what this house would be like if Pete were still alive. While we were united in our 1st choice team, the Lightning, of course, his second team was Pittsburgh and mine and Peters is Detroit. I can only imagine all the rivalry, teasing, hootin' and hollering that would be goin on right now. The entire finals would be C-R-A-Z-Y around here. I wonder what bets we would have going on and just how close I would be to winning it. :) Oh and how much fun would Wing House be tonight with both of us at the same table and rootin for different teams............

In Retrospect.... an Anchor Around His Neck

How often do you look at your past relationships and wonder why it didn’t work out?

Every now and then I look back, not out of sadness or regrets, but for future reference.

Lately I see more than just “You got another ferret?!!”as being the reason for the last break up. Yes I still talk to the ex BF on occasion…………why you ask? I can’t say I really have an answer…. Are we really friends? ….. Is it a last string that can’t be let go of? …. Do I see being invited to do anything, go somewhere? ….. Probably not… But that would be another topic to delve into in the future. What I do see is that I was probably a leash…. A chain around his neck…. A weight, an anchor. His motorcycle was the road to freedom……. A road to be with the guys. It would seem, that with me around he couldn’t do those things guys like to do when they have a bike. Weekends riding a bike with the guys….. Bar hopping….. Road trips….. Adventure on the highway……. Kinda hard to do with a chic around. What probably made is worse was that we were an hour away from each other so weekends were our only time together. I see it now…….. decision…..make GF mad- go with the guys vs see GF-she won’t be mad-but not as much fun. I guess the GF can only win out for so long before it turns into some resentment. What could ever give me this impression? Well if he isn’t telling me about the place work sent him, then it’s a story of where he went with the guys…… On their bikes………. And what band they saw …..Or what scenery there was. Whats the future plans…… Trips up north….More of the guys…. More concerts. Am I bitter about this??? No……..not really. He deserves some fun in the sun. He doted on a special needs son for 16 years and I would say he is due the playtime…..but one day he will realize that the chrome and metal of the Harley doesn’t keep him warm at night ;)

A Message to the Heavens

Happy Birthday Pete!

Florida Ferret Forum

Driving home today I was in such an incredible mood. I had such a great time, met wonderful people, listened to wise people speak and made a haul. I drove up Friday night so that I could join in the “Meet and Greet” There were about 15 people that had made it and we all made our introductions in the rooms where the forum was to be held and eventually moved to the bar for some adult beverages, I met Julie Fossa finally… a ferret enthusiast that I have conversed with many time through e-mails and brought my girl Liberty down from Ohio. I met several other folks that ran rescues or knew by name only through the FML. We all sat and chatted with each other until about 11PM. It was so cool hanging out with people who WANTED to talk ferrets and didn’t roll their eyes when you mentioned your furkids. Today (Saturday) was filled with medical lectures by Dr Vargas, Dr Cottrell and Dr Ernest, Vicki Caldwell spoke on animal abuse, hoarding and how to stop and report it…..how to get action when it seems none of the agencies care. Lastly was Shelly Trulock on life with ferrets…..full of antidotes…… all stories we could relate to and laugh about. Our surprise speaker was Travis Livieri (I think I have that right) from the Black Footed Ferrets…Prairie Restoration.. So awesome! He auctioned off a BFF package that had one of his photographs…autographed of course…… a poster, a book, a t-shirt and a BFF stuffie. He ended up getting $200.00 for it!! In total there was maybe 40 people. Julie said she was happy with the turnout. There were raffles galore and the vendors had some awesome stuff…..ferret bedding, ferret jewelry, ferret towels, ferret purses and bags…. Treats….meds…… first aid kits….., tons of stuff.. The goodie bags had great stuff………… Here is what was in it, along with coupons to ferret supply companies.





I spent 40 bucks on raffle tickets….. I figured even if I only got one thing I would be happy and I knew the money was going to a good cause.










Is that like the MOST AWESOME coffee mug ever!!


And yes!!, I won that cage...... not a Feret Nations, but Prevue's version....a few changes to make it safer will be needed, but when I get my ferret room back I don't have to go and buy my second cage now. As you can see, I made a haul…..spent $40.00 but got back at least $175.00 in goods. There was another 3 or 4 bags of food I also won, but I gave those to Patti, who is a volunteer with DookNook Ferret Shelter and Rescue in Jacksonville….run by a good friend, Jackie. I figured Jackie could use the food more than me and thought why not spread some of the wealth. One of the prizes was 2 meletonin implants, which I could have used for Lielah, and another was the syringe and needles used to insert the meletonin….lol, I won the syringe but not the meletonin….. I asked Patti if Jackie could use them but she said Jackie was too afraid to do it herself……it is a BIG needle and requires local anesthesia. Maybe my vet will give a discount or I can find another shelter that could use them. I tried to find the person who won the meletonin, but they had already left it seemed. In all it was a great time only saddened by the news of Renee Downs and the loss of Gandalf. Renee was on her way to the forum when the accident happened. I was so hoping to meet her and the news brought tears to my eyes and reminded us all once again that life is precious. It was strange not getting up Saturday morning to the chores of cleaning 7 litterboxes, cleaning and disinfecting the cages, doing the ferret laundry and administering meds…..even stranger was not waking up to give morning kisses to the fuzzbutts. I was gone a little over 24 hours and missed my babies like you wouldn’t believe. When I got home…..I found my kids missed me as much as I missed them. My kids were all over me when I sat on the floor in their play areas. I was showered with kisses, groomed and Liberty did he war dance for me…… coming up and placing a paw on my knew and off dancing again…… just like she did when we first met. And of course I bought some toys for them!

Kitty Humor

Quick Quuips

I have learned to care for one of my ferrets in a way I thought I never would. Sir Woozle has had one of his kidneys fail and in order to keep his other one healthy he needs sub Q fluids. I have learned give him his daily fluids. I was apprehensive at first even though I have been giving Angel monthly shots for a while now. Somehow the thought of daily sticking my ferret was a bit nerve racking, however after nearly 2 weeks its not so bad. I bribe him with treats and he really doesn't even notice what I am doing. Once finished he goes on his merry way like nothing even happened. I have noticed a huge difference in his behavior. He has become playful once again and his coat is no longer yellow but a very nice white. Its amazing what we learn to do when we really love our pets.

I feel like I am in a rut and I can't get out. Day in and day out its always the same thing. Its kind of gotten me depressed and I wish something would happen to make life in general terms...worth the hassle. *sigh*

The electricity went out last weekend and its amazing how quiet it gets. Things can be quiet, but once the electronics are no longer whirring, lights aren't humming, and there is no whish from the AC unit......quiet takes on a whole different meaning. It also occurred to me that I hear more children's voices and chatter outside when the electric is out. Its a shame that it takes an outage to get kids outside nowadays.

Why is it when people do something that is good, and a kind act, there are always those that have to criticize, belittle and degrade the act or the person who performed the act? As an example, the large ferret rescue that I got Liberty from..........the gal that headed it up gave completely of herself and went into personal debt to rescue and disperse over 700 ferrets. Yes she got a lot in donations, but not enough. Now people are simply tearing her apart because they felt she did it wrong, they don't like her accounting of the funds and how they were dispersed, she didn't do this and she didn't do that.......... I don't get it at all............... if you have questions or suggestions then why not approach the person? Why do people attack someones character and integrity? God bless the people that commit random acts of kindness and tackle huge projects to better the lives of human and animals.

Quick Quips

Peter is not moving out. He decided it was more important to get a car that runs, versus the dead one that was sitting on the side yard. He sold the old, bought a new (to him) and now has a running car. Now he has something to get him around when it rains. Poor bike will start to feel neglected.

Was invited to a progressive dinner at Lowery Park Zoo this past weekend. It was pretty cool. Being Valentines that week, the lectures were on the animals, amore and sexual abilities and prowess. Very fascinating talks........dinner was pretty good too. Apps in Africa, salad with the Manatees, dinner in the Love hall and dessert in Australia. Got to check out some cool critters that were being carried around by caretakers. I had a lot of fun................

Work is still ok......... I get treated quite well

I took Angel to a Holistic vet...... traditional Western meds just were not helping her get better. Maybe natural meds will. So far she has not deteriorated...... skin is about the same, but her snotty nose seems to be clearing up. She also seems to me up and moving around a bit more. Her next appointment is not until the beginning of April so we shall see how she is by then with the meds she is on now.

My, my........... Feb has been a rainy month and with that thought, I can't believe that Feb is already soon to be over.

Been busy busy with little projects...... set to sewing hammies for Jackie’s shelter...she had taken in 11 rescues (ferrets) from one location and a few more from another home.
Hope to be starting some landscaping projects soon....make the house have some curb appeal before weather gets hot............. summer project, hopefully my bedroom, but no new carpet until the ferrets have their room back.....so making my bedroom nice will prolly have to wait until Peter moves out. *sigh*

Howling of a Cold, Windy Night

I lay in bed the other night, when the cold spell came through, and as I was snuggled into the blanket, I listened to the wind outside. It whined as it rounded the corner of the house. As I drifted off listening to the wind, I was taken back to my days of living in Ohio. We had lived just off Lake Erie for 6 years. Winters could be quite blustery. I remembered the way the winds would come off the lake, up the road and howl around my bedroom, which was a corner room. It could be loud, but I always found the sound comforting. Maybe it was the mixed sound of the wind with the clicking and tapping of the heaters. But the wind always meant really cold air that was crisp and clean. The morning would bring air that would nip at my cheeks and make the day smell clean and fresh. The wind would blow over the snow and make a lot of it smooth again, softening the edges of where footprints use to be. More than likely there would be a crunchy layer of ice that would sparkle and glitter in the morning sunlight. I loved those winter days. It seemed the winds of the night had blown away the dirt and troubles of life and brought a new day that was clean and fresh….. hope……. for a day that would be full of friends and laughter at school……………… Maybe the sound was comforting because I knew I lay in a cozy bed inside a very warm house. To this day I love the sound and often find myself playing that same sound on my sleep machine. When nights are chilly and a blanket required I switch from the ocean waves rain or babbling brook to the howling wind…………. a northern girl stuck in Florida

A Day of Hockey

I was having a lazy day and had just gotten to rolling out of bed when the phone rang. It was George asking me if Peter and I wanted to go to a Lightning game. Peter had to work, but I was up for it. Afterward he had an extra ticket to the Lightning College Classic Tournament. WOW a whole day of hockey! George Fred and i met up at Tucsons at 11:30, had a few beers and headed off to the game. Tickets were at will call and the game started at 1.
We got there and found that 2 tickets were for the lower level and 2 were for the AFS Club (formerly the XO Club) Since there were only three of us we asked if we could trade in the 2 lower levels for 1 Club ticket. They happily accommodated us. So off to the AFS Club we went. Complimentary beer, wine and soda and all the food we could eat. OK I am in heaven! My motto, "If its free its for me". Everywhere I looked....... hot dogs, meatballs, quesadillas, pretzels, popcorn, waffles, french toast, sausage, roasted potatoes, cakes and cookies, all for the taking. And beer, soda and wine sweet wine.................
The game itself was good until the third period. Then the Lightning just threw it away like the do so often.....that's ok...the wine was making me feel quite alright with losing......The first of 2 college games started and hour afterward. We hung out in the AFS Club for that game and sucked up more booze. Notre Dame was playing UMass. A very good game with UMass winning. The second game was RPI vs Colorado. We decided to move down to the lower level and watch the game from 3 rows back. What a great game that was. RPI was up 2 to nothing by the end of the second. Colorado came back to tie the game late in the third and then win the game with 7 seconds to go. AWESOME BABY!
The whole day was great. It meant so much to me that George and Fred remembered me and asked me to go. I hadn't seen or spoken to either in quite some time and often felt I had neglected them over the past year or so. Being with them was great and all the reasons they are two of my dearest friends smacked me over the head and reminded me not to neglect them like that again. I had great conversation, laughed joked and had time just fly by. Watching the college games brought back a lot of memories of Peters high school days of hockey. The sound of blades gliding and sliding across ice was a well missed sound. The camaraderie and chatter among the team mates was enjoyable to hear and even the once hated smell of hockey gear was a welcomed odor. I remembered how I loved to watch him play......the ease with which he moved over the ice, the grace, yes grace, he had........ the ringing of the slap shots he took that at the right distance could dent the goalies cage.........Peter had speed and power on the ice and the team could be losing but watching him move and play was what truly made me happy. Today brought all that back and made me realize how much I miss the game and watching my son play.
Two more games tomorrow and more happy memories. Thanks guys for bringing me along. :)

Baggage

Oh yes we all have it............................

Having more free time on my hands now I thought a lot about the baggage we bring into a relationship.

When I entered my last relationship, I knew what I was taking into it. BC was the first person I dated since Pete died. He knew it as well. I never compared the relationships and I never compared the people involved.

When I started to notice the relationship falling apart, I wondered if maybe I hadn't gotten over Pete, had I sabotaged the relationship with memories of him? When BC turned and walked away, I wondered this even more. What I realized, was I miss Pete, that will never change. He helped raise my son, he lived with me, he was my best friend. I always referred to Pete and Peter as my heart and soul, because each held half my heart and half my soul. And while my heart and soul still grieve his loss, it has not been wishing he were here to carry on where we left off. I do know, and have known that I must continue without him. I accepted this long ago.
What I can look back and see is that when the relationship with BC started going south, I longed for someone to be in my life who wanted to share my every moment. How could I not think back and think of Pete....but..... I also thought about Mel.... that first love..... you know the first person you ever fall in love with....... it dawned on me that when relationships start to fail we always look back at the ones that seemed the most perfect. So it would seem that sometimes our fond and heart felt memories can also be baggage. I don't necessarily see this as bad.... past relationships teach us lessons...... how to trust....... how to cooperate and compromise .......how to love.
When BC left, I did not immediately wish that Pete was back. (This truly told me I had moved on with life in the living world.) What I wished, was that if only BC could have gotten past his baggage and allowed me to be something important in his life. He was fun, he made me laugh, he brought me back from the depths of darkness that I had gotten lost in.

In the words of one so dear to me....... "And so it goes...................."

The Wild Ride Called Life

Wow...where to begin this blog..........I guess with the ferret.

I have ferret #7. Her name is Liberty. She was not planned......... but by fate she is here. I had started working at getting DMK ferrets homes in Florida. I spent weeks soliciting ferret shelters. Some responded, some did not. In all 25 of the DMK ferrets came to Florida. Some were to come locally in St Pete or nearby Orlando. I said no to taking a ferret for quite a while. 10 went to Jacksonville and some of those I was to pick up and transport to Orlando and St Pete. When they arrived in Jacksonville I was still saying no...and then a friend in Gainesville who was also helping to transport and taking in 4 kept bugging me...oh you should have one after all the work you did...take one... come get her and if it doesn't work out I will take her back and keep her. I started to waver....................... but things with Jacksonville went back and forth for a few weeks and so I figured it was settled that I would not take a ferret........then pictures got posted........ I fell in love with one in particular...oh what a sweet face............ eventually Jacksonville would release the fuzzbutts and I told Toni to get one for me under the condition she would still keep it if I decided I couldn't..... she said she found a spunky little girl that would keep Parker busy and wear him down ( he is boundless energy) I went to Toni's in Gainesville and met the girls she had already brought to her house...including the one she picked out for me. We sat on the floor and damn if the baby she picked out for me wasn't the one in the picture. This ferret, with the temp name Gucci, ran up to me like she had known me all along. I was told to watch her because she had been nippy.... it was not a nip I received, it was kisses........... kisses!!! She placed her paw on my knee and dooked and danced for me.... she did this several times....... this was fate and there was no way I could not bring her home..... Quizzy and Parker had to accept her...they had to. After an hour and a half of playing with the ferrets we took off for Jacksonville to pick up 4 more ferrets. Toni was taking in 3 more and one was coming back to St Pete with me to live with someone else. I found out the gal in Orlando had made arrangements to pick up her ferrets another day........
So now I have ferret number 7 and fate followed to play out and Quizzy accepted her and Parker is warming up to her. (he is a sensitive boy and is a bit overwhelmed by her bouncy personality) So all ends well................................

Not necessarily

BC is pissed to the max. So much so a week later and he is still pissed. Feels deceived because I didn't tell him....thinks it was planned from the beginning..... he's never really liked the ferrets...... but this is my house and why should it effect him? His time here has been less and less and he has been spending more time with his first love..... work. Truth is...most of the time if a conversation turned to ferrets....he got this glassy look in his eyes and would yawn.... got to be I almost quit talking about the subject because ... well.... what was the point.... blanks stares... I might as well talk to the wall. Ferrets are an important part of my life. Something I know only another ferret owner understands. If you want proof go to FerretUniverse.com and go to the message board. Passion. It is what it is, a passion. These guys bring a lot of joy to my life. They love me unconditionally. They make me laugh and know when I am feeling gloomy. They are my kids..... I would never leave them, or my cats, if I had to evacuate for a hurricane. They WOULD come with me. They have been promised a forever home and I will not break that promise. Some of these fuzzies have been abused or thrown out on the street. #7, now named Liberty came from horrendous conditions (view my video a few posts back) I won't let them know anything but kindness and love.

So where does that leave me...... I am guessing on my own again......
I think ,while not the whole issue, but a big part of it, is the ferrets. He doesn't like them, but as I stated they are a big part of my life. He loves his work..... and I was complacent and didn't gripe and bitch when he spent more time working and less time with me. I did it once and was told it (work) will slow down soon. I, like a fool, believed. He said he would be here at 12, he showed up at 3, he would be here at 10 he showed up at 1. 2 and a half day weekends turned to 2, then 1 and a half and then to one. He wonders why I did not cheerily greet him. Why I didn't say something, I don't know. Maybe I was trying to be the understanding GF, maybe I didn't want to start a fight, maybe I just knew he was losing interest. He still wants to cool down.... and then talk. Question is, shouldn't your significant other have at least an interest or understanding in things you are passionate about? Shouldn't you feel free to talk about anything and everything? Shouldn't you be able to look past anger and see the truth? I do want my significant other to be my best friend but if I can't answer yes to all of the above questions, then maybe friends is all we can be....................................

My Son Is Growing Up

I read my sons My Space today.... He made me cry... I saw something new in him.... maturity, growth and the young man that Pete and I worked so hard to shape.

From Peters Blog:
..............................another thing i feel i should share...
something that has been a pretty touchy subject to me...
Pete's death...
for those of you who dont know...ill brush ya up...
Pete was my moms b/f for the longest time...he was pretty much the one who took over as my father...yet i was too young and rotten to realise he was only there to care...and help guide and mold me into on day becoming a productive member of society....some of the things i said i wish to this day i had not ever said...things i should have told him before he passed that i wish i could have said:
i love you.
your pretty much the one who cared.
i see your trying to care
you acted as if you were my father
you helped me grow
you molded me
and most of all...you made my mom happy.

i could never ever see any of those things till after he passed
for the longest of times i felt that me being so rotten...such a little dick to him, that drove him out of our house....and out of our lives.he moved out...and passed due to negligence of his own...i felt i was the reason he moved...
to see my mom in the shape she was in...it hit home hard...
and i never told anyone that i pretty much held myself accountable for what had happened.
it was just the other day of talking to my mom that i finally came to the conclusion that this was at no point my fault....and its a burden released...countless night id cry myself to sleep hating myself for what i had done...and its done with now.

Im setting my life straight as he had done...im doing the things he would have done...finishing where his life had left off...
he wanted a sportbike for the longest of times...
now i have one...
he had finished up all his schooling and was on his way to a career of being a fire/paramedic
im now on that path working at sunstar and getting ready for school.
i know he is looking down on me with a big smile finally seeing his mold come into play...the young child that he started off with to a man who is becoming his own now.
if he could read this...up and down i would apologise and tell him i love him and that im thankful for what he has done...

Raising Peter was never easy. He had so many emotional issues to deal with, his dads abuse on me, promises never kept by his dad, alcoholism, and being abandoned by his father. There were times I wanted to give up.... but by giving up I was being defeated by his father and I was letting Peter down. I would do neither. Even in recent years I worried he would not make anything of himself, that he would wait for things to come to him and they never would. He has searched out a new job, been persistent and gotten it. He will be starting with Sunstar and is starting to show determination about school. Seeing this turn around is like watching a caterpillar emerge from its cocoon as a butterfly.

I know Pete is smiling............................

DMK Ferret Rescue

For any animal lovers out there this post is sad and at the same time it amazes me to see people who don't know each other come together. There is a ferret breeder in Ohio that organizations having been trying to close down for years. Due to whatever circumstance, this is finally happening. The ferrets are breeders and have been caged out doors in the elements in cramped filthy quarters. Often the water would freeze during the winter and the ferrets would have to lick ice to get their water intake. Food was just tossed into the cages. These ferrets pose special problems, they are unsocialized, underweight, have never slept in a warm cozy bed, need health shots , are not desexed or demusked and jills(females) taken in could very well be pregnant. I have put out a call to Florida shelters and have made contact with people setting up transport lines. There are 850 ferrets in need of care and I can only hope that we as a Florida ferret community can take in some of these babies What has me awed is the way people have come together to donate time and money. Transport volunteers are being set up from north to south and east to west. Shelters and individuals are trying to spread these ferrets out across the country so there is no heavy burden in one place. It seems to be coming together. Truck loads of goods have been shipped to the main rescue and donations are coming in....more are needed. Supposedly Walmart and several ferret stores are giving discounts if you ship to Lori Sies of Ferrets Dream Shelter. Can you imagine finding 850 ferrets homes and not one having to be put down for lack of space to stay. .

Random Act of Kindness

Have you ever done anything out of kidness, thought it was a very small and uniportant act, only to find out the receiver of the act was so moved and blown away that they cried and gushed thank yous to no end and told everyone else what you did, and they in turn were blown away?

I just did.
I never expected such a reaction. I didn't think it was any big deal.
But she did.
Wow, I have been left with my mouth agape.

Quick Quips

Why is it that when you tell friends / family that money is tight, they don't really listen and want you to go all over the place spending money?

Peter is back living in my home and under the impression that my truck is community property (I put an end to that) and thinks he doesn't have to help out around the house. If he gets that job at Sunstar, he can start paying rent if he doesn't want to help. If he doesn't get that job he can either help out or go live with nana.

I am so ready for this hot weather to go away. I want the cool weather so I can open up the windows and have cook outs with friends over.

Is anybody else tired of seeing commercials for feminine products, natural male enhancement products and ED meds as much as me. I wish they would just take them off the air.

Why don't parents teach their kids how to dress....oh wait I guess they would have to know how to dress as well.... I hate seeing chubby girls is teeny weeny tops that shows belly. I also don't understand why parents let their daughters dress like sluts. What is with words being printed across your ass? Juicy..... hot..... sweet....etc...... all that makes me think is easy and trashy.

Will sports franchises ever put moral clauses in their contracts and uphold them? I am so sick of thugs, rapists, thieves, druggies, and wife abuser getting paid huge salaries to play sports and the law and team owners just looking the other way. Guess that's why I don't support professional sports much any more.

3 Years Ago..........

Three years ago you left me.
It was three years ago my life took a dramatic change
I had always envisioned us growing old and sitting in our rockers on the front porch.

I spent the better part of today drifting away from reality and thinking about you.
Remembering things you did and things you said
The way you always stroked my hair.............
The way you cheered Peter on at hockey games...........
Hockey playoffs the year the Lightning won the Stanley Cup. Away games outside the Ice Palace and home games at Wing House..........
Your laugh...........
Christmas and your Santa Hat..............
How easily you got buzzed............
That old Saturn car of yours..........
How excited you got after a major fire....... calling me at 3AM to tell me about it.........
That damn checkbook.........
How Teeki would curl up in your arms and fall asleep...........
The day you were huggin on George and thought it was me....... what a laugh that was
How we talked for hours about everything............
You teaching Peter to skate..........
Skating at the Sports Forum on Tuesday nights.........
Road trips to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.....
Sunsets on the beach............ I don't think I have seen any magnificent ones since you left.
How you got me to watch Stargate........
Always coming home to Warner Brothers cartoons on the TV.........
How proud I was the day you became a fireman.........
Never seeing you without a camera..........
How you faithfully called your parents once a week.........
Hearing that same damn story over and over again about how drunk you got one night and you and your friends were all doing cartwheels down the middle of the road.................
The days of hockey 101..........

There are so many more things I thought about today................... mostly how much I miss my best friend

I know you have been there at times. I have felt you. These moments have given me comfort and saved me. Its nice to know your watching over me.............................

Lost.... in the world of humans

I had blogged a while back about a kitty that has come around and made my home a place to get food when he was unable to catch his own. He has seen some harsh times and some cruelty. He showed up at my house once with a huge gash on the top of his head that ran down the side of his face. This was not made by a fight with another cat. It was huge and exposed a large area of his head. When he ate I would dribble peroxide over his head to clean it out. He would of course run away, but hunger always won out and he would come back to eat. It took a long time for that mess to heal up. He often showed up with some severe injuries. I could only think that they were the result of humans. My cats never come home looking the way he did. I have always been saddened by the fact that he would never let anyone near him and that he would not know the touch of a kind hand. The other day he was sitting on the front porch and I went to feed him. I slowly reached for him and got close enough to lay a hand on his neck. He flinched. I held my breath as I was able to slide my hand down his back. I stopped with that one stroke and let him eat the food. Two days later he was on my door step again looking for a meal. I sat down on the step and as I poured the food I swear I heard a soft, almost non audible meow. It was the first time I ever heard a sound from that cat. I didn't want to push my luck so I simply basked in the warm a fuzzy feeling I had at that moment. Another week passed, and at each meal I was greeted with a soft but very real meow. Finally I decided to make another try at petting him. I sat down next to him and as I poured the food, I reached out and once again touched the top of his neck and slowly took may hand down his back. He continued to eat. Three more strokes. I softly spoke to him. Another 2 strokes. This is where I left it. I now knew that he had, however fragile, some trust in me........ and I knew that at last he would know that kind people exist and that the human hand could also provide pleasure. The old kitty will now know kindness, and that makes me happy................ I hope it does him as well.

A Week in Virginia

Ah a week escape from reality..........................beautiful weather, low (and I mean low) humidity, no thought of time, and total hakuna matata. The place is tranquil with a quiet that is serene. The local train for the coal mill goes by every 30 minutes to an hour and its just such a wonderful sound.

A light work load awaited us this year, demo a peacock pen, put up a few deck supports and build a step. Easy peasy. The rest of the time was spent boating, swimming, fishing and my favorite ....... conversation with family over food..... and peanuts. This year was different from most. Usually only Dwain makes the trek to see Peter and me when we are at dads, but this year the entire clan made it and then some. Dwain brought his girl friend Marie, Doug and Tripp showed up, and Natalie came with daughter (Fressia) and hubby(Andy) tagging along. I can't recall the last time all four siblings were together along with all the cousins....... hmmmmmm ................ 1st time I think. Cousin Cathy and her byfriend John showed up for the 4th, bearing fireworks and yummy key lime pies.

Patsy was the Queen of Hostesses with the 4th of July having 14 people to cook for and several days of 12. Nair a grumble or a gripe of having so many mouths to feed and cook for.

So with no further waiting for the impatient........ pictures galore to tell the story......

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The call to dinner

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Most afternoons were spent talking over beer and peanuts...... or gatorade

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Lots of fishing time....just for little fish but we had fun catching and releasing

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Out and about Lynchburg

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Dinner the night before the 4th with the whole family

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Fourth of July eatins

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Family Photos from the 4th

The Whole clan

Granpa with all the grandkids

Dad with all the siblings

Sitting,(left) my cousin Cathy and her BF John, Patsy (right)

my dad's wife and standing, my dad.

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The boat got water in the engine so Peter steppedm up to the plate and got it running again.

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This is one of their cats, Midnight, check out her eyes.

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Peter's and Jens Hillbilly pictures

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Some Pictures from our last evening there