Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Sadly, The Disaster That Made Me Stop and Think

The night before Irene came to town. Makes
you wonder how safe that spider felt!

This is a different type of story than what you might be used to reading on this blog and although I am somewhat stressing the importance of being prepared for a disaster not only for yourself but for your companion animals, it is also a story of awakening, for me, somewhat of a sad awakening really.  



Friday Aug 26, 2011, I was getting ready for the moving sale we would be having on Saturday. I was also preparing for hurricane Irene by stocking up on dog food, barrels of water, and getting copies of shot records for all of my dogs in case they had to go to a shelter. We had never needed to be evacuated from Riverside before but the way Irene was being described on the news made me feel like I was in the Stephen King movie, ‘Storm of the Century’ only it was not snow. Given the recent earthquake felt in PA just days prior to Irene made me think that for sure anything was possible! Better to be prepared to move out with the family pets. Oh, and mother of course! I got candles, batteries, and flashlights out as well as made a list of medications that my hubby, mom, and I take on a daily basis in case we were knocked unconscious suddenly during the storm. Hey, ya never know! It’s not like a tree never fell in this yard before! 



By Saturday, feeling prepared for Irene I set out to get my sale started. Oh sure people coming to the garage sale had to walk around the two huge tubs of water I put aside for dogs, but I was secure in the knowledge that I was prepared for disaster.   



Saturday night the rain started, the wind was blowing but it was not a treacherous wind that you would normally associate with a hurricane, more like a bad thunderstorm wind.



Sunday morning, 5 AM:  I am awakened to sweat rolling off of me in buckets and this was more than the normal nighttime hot flashes!



What? No fan? No Air-conditioning?  But there is a soft light in the bedroom that I would associate with the night light I leave on for the stepping over of dogs during my night sprints to the bathroom. As the fog slowly lifted from my brain I opened my eyes to scour the room. Hmm, the light is coming from a candle! 



Slowly I rise and head for the kitchen to grab that first cup of “slap me silly and wake me up Cup O~Joe.” 



“No power.” I hear hubby say as he lies on the couch looking at the TV that is not working. “It went off at 4:20.”



Hmm, 4:20? How precise!  No power means no Joe!  I stumble back to bed to lie down until my head fully sweeps away the cobwebs.



It’s HOT! My mind screams at me. I am not a person who enjoys the heat, nor do I like the cold, but when you’re cold you can always add more clothes, when you’re hot, well, there’s a limit to what you can take off and not be arrested for! 



 The sun which is hiding beneath the clouds of Irene, is bringing some light to the day’s break and with it a semi cool breeze.



OMG! Open the windows and get some cool air in this house! My mind screams with delight as if it’s a new idea worthy of a Pulitzer Prize!



Whish, whish, whish, whish! Every window shouts as they are sprung upward  as far as they can stretch. Outside, the only sound came from the wind and the rain. Everyone is hunkered down and awaiting the ride that might befall us.



The day is long and illness is making it even longer and more boring. Hubby has already called the electric company about twenty times and cannot get through. Finally we call our neighbor to make sure the power is actually out in the neighborhood and not just at our house. Wally’s World as we used to call our home, has been known to have strange happenings but usually these happenings were after hubby decided to try fixing something or improve things in the home. Like the time he cut all those pesky wires hanging down from the basement rafters. He made it look very neat I must say. He has a knack for organizing things for sure. Too bad those wires were our link to the outside world also known as a telephone line! Yes, it did take a week of no calls before we figured it out!



Sunday was a restful day. The rain had stopped by late afternoon, but my illness lingered and kept me sleeping most of the day. By bedtime, which is about 8 pm for me, through my opened windows I could hear people chatting and laughing in the street. I could hear children giggling and dogs barking! Every now and then my own dogs would chime in and give a bark or two. They too must have noticed the voices coming from outside.





Sadly it was amazing to me. A sound I had not heard in a long, long time! Normally the windows are closed leaving only the hum of the air conditioner and the panting of dogs.   It was nice actually, those sounds, they brought me back to my youth in my hometown where kids stayed out late on summer nights and played on  tree lined streets with  little traffic to worry about. Balls being thrown, bikes doing wheelies, and jump ropes going round and round.



Monday morning came quickly and again I heard awesome sounds coming through my bedroom window. Birds of all kinds were chirping and cooing. Serious things were already happening in the critter’s world while I was just opening my eyes.

Still no power to the house, and it was nice to hear the hustle and bustle of the goings on outside through my bedroom window.



Nature.  So much of it I have missed over the years, but I had to wonder was it only me?  Was everyone else around me up and moving outside while I wedged myself in my home shut in like I was in some airtight cocoon?  



By Monday afternoon, with hurricane Irene having left us no worse for the wear, the power was once again restored. The windows were closed and the hum of the air conditioner again became the familiar sound. I snuggled into my bed turned on the electric blanket to take away my chills as Bentley lay beside me in all his glory that he had been allowed on the bed. He was warm after all, and warmth is what I needed.



At 8 PM, I let the pups out for one last time before bed and as I walked out onto the deck with them, I stood there and listened. I listened for the chatter, the laughter, the kids, the dogs that I had heard so clearly just the night before. I looked around at the houses nearby. All the windows were aglow, and I am sure the hustle and bustle was still going on, only each of us was doing it alone, and to me that is not only very sad but also a sign of the times.



Without power there are no electronic games, computers, televisions, DVDs, or movie streaming. Without power eventually we are forced as a species to come together, just like the birds, the squirrels and the chipmunks that gather in the morning. Without power we become united again as humans, as family, and as neighbors. 



I hope this experience gives many of us pause for thought, brings us together  even if it’s only once a month, a neighborhood meeting, a barbeque, a covered dish, or end of Summer party.   


I wonder how much this experience will change me and those around me. Only time will tell I guess.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Hurricane Season has begun!


copy and paste the pic of the wallet card, keep in you
car or on your person . write meds your pet is taking
on back  of card as well as aggression issues
 Keep a copy of your pet's shot records with card. Put
in a zip lock bag


It’s the start of hurricane season as we watch Hurricane Irene barrel down the coast line. Obviously this can mean much damage for many. The loss of power, housing, or closed bridges and roads can all hinder your needs for the basics. Be prepared and stock up for yourself and your pets.



While Red Cross will care for humans they cannot take your pets. However if you live in Pennsylvania all counties have a State Animal Response Team to house and care for your pets for you through a disaster.   



If you have pets and are expecting Irene, loss of power can mean no water. You will need to have a 3 day supply of food and water on hand.



For dogs, water needed is 1 ounce per pound of the dog's body weight. Cats: 1 to 6 ounces a day. Feeding moist food helps to get some liquid in a cat but is not enough.



Rather than rewrite what I have written previous to Irene I will direct you to sites that will help you know what to pack for yourself and your pets.



Keep in mind that any large tubs can be filled with water to flush down toilets (as can pool water) if the electric goes off. Filled tubs when kept clean can be used to fill water bowls for pets and any filled jug of clean water can be used for humans when it comes to basic grooming. Fill spray bottles of water for your hair as well. Powder can be used to absorb oil from the hair if you are unable to wash it for a few days. Keep carafes that you would use for coffee filled and on bathroom sinks for teeth brushing and washing and double up on deodorant!!   Put all your meds in one ziplock bag so you can grab them on the way out if needed also write down a list of your meds and your allergies should you not be home at the time. Keep the list on your person or in your car in a zip lock baggie.



Also be mindful of what your pet is drinking from. Wild animals can carry parasites and protozoa which can be transmitted though drinking sources such as puddles, streams, and ponds so do not let your pet drink from any source other than what you have filled for them.



If possible when it comes to food try to pick up a bag of what the dog normally eats. If you can’t find that food available then know to possibly expect diarrhea for a couple of days while the dog adjusts to new food. If possible mix old and new together.



Any other helpful advice can be posted in the comments section below. Thanks!






For humans


For SART TEAMS ACROSS THE US explore the map of the US to see if there is one in your area.


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Dog Drool & Wallpaper Removal,


Job started: Tuesday August 16, 2011

You’re probably wondering why I am writing about such a topic, after all this is a dog blog isn’t it?  Well as Lucy would say to Ricky, “Let me splain.”

Living room wallpaper~ which is staying!

When I bought my home many years ago it was apparent that I would always have dogs, and probably many at once.  Back then I was a bit more of a stickler when it came to the clean appearance of my home. Oh sure, on occasion stray dog hair would escape me under the fridge or stove, you know, the normal places you would only clean about five times a year, however upon entering my home I wanted that first glance  to give the appearance that I did not own as many ‘in house’ dogs as I do. This has worked for me over the years because I buy my home products specifically with dogs in mind, from furniture to flooring. Strange? Maybe to some, but if you keep in mind that some people do this very same thing when they have small children with dirty fingers, it will make sense!
Tools: DIF wallpaper remover at $15.00
a bottle or
Vinegar and warm water?  The Aspirin is
for later, goes without saying!   


In my efforts to accomplish this first glance semi clean look, I put washable wall paper up in many rooms so that hopefully that clean look would last a long time. Thus connects the wallpaper with the dog blog! (you might remember my blog, Cleaning for company! That article will tell you just how nutty I was!)

Recently I’ve had to put my home up for sale due to a job change and since houses are easier to find than jobs, the decision was clear. Yes it is very bittersweet as I have spent almost 20 years of my life here and made many good, no great, friends which I am very thankful for and who I will never forget. 

With the housing market being what it is and every third house up for sale on the block the need to take down much of my style and taste came to a reality, so it was time to take down pictures and knick knacks as well as some of the wallpaper.
 
I’ve heard that when people come to look at a house they want to imagine their own stuff on the wall not look at your stuff.  I am still trying to figure out how to turn that Jesus picture around in my mother’s kitchen without offending her ‘cuz even for me it’s a little creepy!

I am 20 years older than I was when Peter and I put the wallpaper up and just the thought of  scraping it off the walls was overwhelming, so I put the word out on Face Book that I needed this job done. Any takers?
  A friend replied to this request and came over with all the supplies needed to do the job. Shortly after starting, he realized that it was going to be a long and tedious job and that he would feel like he was robbing me with the amount I had offered to pay. He was indeed, right. Upon taking off the first layer of wallpaper we both realized just how long this job could take and  since it is easier for me to take time off work than he, I decided that I would finish what he had started.  After all, he had already done his time in this dog house just hauling tons of garbage to the dump for us!  His efforts were greatly appreciated and we had great conversations in that time which I will miss while doing such a long tedious job on my own!

The commercial supplies pictured above, which my friend had initially purchased, proved to be time consuming. The wallpaper stripper had to be left on the walls for up to a half hour before scraping and I am a bit too impatient for that nonsense. Once I get going on such a project it must be finished before I lay me down to sleep as I will not be able to move so easily when I awake!
 
That’s when I reached out to the internet to find the easiest and fastest way to remove wallpaper which I should have done 20 years earlier as I might not have put this particular type of paper up! In my search I found that there are different types of wall paper some are pretty thick and peel right off the wall little hassle which is the paper we came across when we bought the house, but unfortunately we got the washable wallpaper. With this paper you have to scrape off the top vinyl layer and then you have to go back and scrape off the paper backing thus making the job even more tedious. Something to think about if you want to put up wallpaper for that first ‘no dogs live here’ impression!
In my internet search I found that more natural products which I already had in my home might also do the job.  The expense of the commercial wallpaper remover purchased at the hardware store alone made trying this home remedy worth it.  
 The home remedy was warm water and vinegar and I knew I had plenty of both!  Peter had recently bought a gallon of vinegar to be used as a safe alternative to commercial grass killer which could be harmful to dogs roaming the yard! VoilĂ ! I was set!
Friday August 19, 2011, 
Conclusion:
 
 
 
 Well three days later, a few blisters and some more gray hair just from the overall task itself, I have to say that the vinegar and warm water worked very well and saved me lots~O~ Moola! In fact I was able to scrape the wallpaper off quicker after I had scored and sprayed it then I would have if I used the commercial spray.
 There were a couple of things I did which may or may not go against the rules of proper wallpaper removal etiquette according to the professionals.
 
 
 
 My walls are made of plaster not drywall, so I am not sure if that made a difference or not. But I used hot water and vinegar, not warm water as specified online and I did this because I found that when using warm water it became cold water fairly quickly, so to keep it warm I started out with hot water and vinegar. The spray bottle I used was a small to medium size not a large one, this is because I felt the mixture would not stay warm enough in an large bottle while scraping one or two sheets at a time and putting the bottle aside. So I suggest a smaller bottle, but you will need to refill it often.  I did not really measure the amount of white vinegar I more or less just made a mixture of ¾ water to ¼ vinegar. (Really who has time to actually measure out an amount? That would be too much like cooking!)   I strongly suggest a plastic scraper especially if your walls are not smooth to begin with like my old plaster type walls. Plaster walls have dips and grooves and a plastic scraper gives way to them unlike a metal scraper which may gouge the walls.  Definitely use a Paper Tiger to score the paper before you start, this helps the mixture get under the first layer of vinyl and then again under the paper left behind.  The wetter the paper was the easier it was to scrape off so do not give it too much of a chance to dry as you move along the wall and in some spots you may have to spray a bit more. 
So in closing, you now know what wallpaper has to do with a dog blog. I would still use washable wallpaper in my next home but might look specifically for one that peels off easily in one piece!  Next step, I need to get someone to do the sanding before I repaint the walls!  
 Dog Drool, yeah, it’s worth the extra effort!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Pet treat recall





Merrick Pet care is recalling 'Doggie Wishbone pet treats' because of a possible salmonella health risk.

  Item # 29050   Lot  11031 Best used by Jan 30 2013  UPC # 2280829050

You can call the company at 1-800-664-7387 Monday -Friday 8-5 Central time.

The company is recalling them for possible health risk of salmonella . being on the cautious side. At this time only one lot is being recalled. Shipped were 248 cases to ten states.

In pets salmonella causes vomiting, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea , stomach cramping, loss of appetite, fever.  If you see these symptoms in your pet contact your veterinarian.

Keep in mind that people can also be contaminated if they touch the produce and do not wash their hands.  Having had this once already know that it seems like you have the flu, but worse! So contact your doctor if you are feeling ill.