I write this with tears in my eyes and a very heavy heart.

Rudy was put to sleep this morning.

If you all remember I got him April 28,2006. He came to me severely underweight, with a tumor, open frontanel, and retained testicle.

After talking to his breeder , and having some major misunderstandings, I now understand that the vet that seen Rudy in GA. did him a injustice. She missed all the things above. Had these been pointed out to the breeder Rudy would have never been sent. Rudy was put to sleep because of Hydrcephalus. This condition usually affects pups way younger then Rudy.

After he had the surgery for his tumor he seemed to be doing good. Gained almost a pound. He was a little wobbly and I passed it off as him being so underweight and weak. My vet now thinks his thinness could have been partly caused by his condition, as dogs with Hydrcephalus will commonalty stop eating. Hind sight. Now that he is gone and we know why. We can see allot of things differently.

Yesterday he was walking like he was drunk so I call the vet and away we go. She says there where fluids building on his brain (Hydrcephalus). Gives me predisone (spelling?) and tells me we can try this to see if it helps. Last night was awful. He cried out in pain most of the night, he kept trying to put his head over his back. When I say this I mean, lay his forehead on his back, by putting his head straight up and over. My vet told me they do this to relieve the pressure of the swelling, and fluid. I stayed up with him all night trying to comfort him. This morning he wasn't much better, I call the vet she has a couple other meds she says we can try. I go and get them. When I got back home Rudy was having seizures. He was so stiff and shaking and trembling. So back to the vet we go. When we got there it was bad. He couldn't stand his little neck was so stiff. If you touched him or tried to move him he screamed in pain. My vet told me his chances for recovery where very slim. So I made the heart wrenching decision to do what I thought was best and stop his pain. I am a mess. This whole thing has been horrible.

Rudy was only with me for a few weeks, as he was put to sleep on June 19th, 2006.

I know he was only with me a short time, but boy do these little guys have a way of wiggling into your heart.

Especially when you have to doctor and care for them.

My only saving grace is, I now know he is not in pain anymore.

Rest in peace my little man. Be whole, be happy,

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BJ she was my baby. BJ was my very first big bird. She was wild caught and came from an import station in California. She is bonded to me in an unbelievable way. Most people do not believe she was wild caught. Well they were not there in the beginning, I was and have a few scars to prove it {smile } I have had BJ for around 14 years now. She is great, the perfect friend, not to clingy and always good for a chuckle, full out belly laugh, or just quiet time.

 

 

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Here is Petunia

 

This is Petunia, the Pot Bellied Pig.

She was given to a friend of mine, who gave her to me. There was just something about her look and personality that I really liked. Elmer-Fud took a liking to her right off also.

Today Petunia passed over the bridge 2/14/2006

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Today my long time companion passed over the bridge , She was 15 years old  and  was there for me  though allot of bad times as well as good. In her lifetime  she changed allot of peoples minds about the Rot breed . 

She will be missed more then  words can say , my only comfort is in knowing she is no longer in pain , as age had taken its toll on her body. She was willing and  ready to do her job right up to the last  day. 

Know you are missed an will be in my heart forever , run and  be whole again ,my friend . 

           Gretta  Dec.26 1991  to  July 31,2007

Gretta   She takes her job very seriously....Guarding her momma and the flock.

Gretta's mom was used for back alley fighting, her and her siblings where taken by the animal control in the area after a raid. Her mom had to be put to sleep and the pups where adopted out to good homes. Here is a photo of her as a wee pup.This photo was taken Jan 1992. What a face. The photos below are of Gretta and some of her friends. She is a great baby-sitter. So this is where we part, My Friend,       And you'll run on around the bend, Gone from sight but not from mind,       New pleasures there you'll surely find. I will go on, I'll find the strength,       Life measures quality, not its length. One long embrace before you leave,       Share one last look, before I grieve. There are others, that much is true,       But they be they and they aren't you. And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought       Will remember well all you've taught. Your place I'll hold, you will be missed,       The fur I stroked, the nose I kissed. And as you go to your final rest,       Take with you this -- I loved you best. author unknown

 

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Reily passed this morning  Aug. 7th ,2007

Your time with me was way to short .I know you are whole an healthy now . Reily loved to just be free and run . IT was great to watch her run , her look was transformed .  You could see the dog she was suppose to be . I know  we are not suppose to wish bad upon any one . But I hope the person that did the nasty things to Reily  has to pay at some point . This beautiful girl had her days shortened because of the treatment she  endured. You are now free of your earthy problems and can run free and play with  the others waiting at the bridge . I will miss your gentle soul more then words can say . Be at peace my dear friend . 

Reily:

Let me introduce you to Reily. She is another throw away pet. Why anyone would throw away such a beautiful dog I have no clue. I was told she is 8 months old or so, (this turned out to be a lie, she is 3 to 4 years old according to the vet and her teeth). She is way under weight and has a few issues and problems we are working on. I have to say she is a fast learner. Shak is helping with her training and she is learning fast what her duties will be as she get older and stronger.

Although these photos don't show it, she is about 30 pounds or so underweight at this time.

              

Check back often to see how Reily changes as she grows.

Here is the latest photo of Reily. She has gained some weight but, we know now she will never be a heavy dog. Her abuse in the beginning of her life has made it so she cant gain and retain a lot of weight. She looks better then before, but will never put on the weight the way we think she should. At this time I can only hope she will get to a point where she doesn't look so thin all the time. At this time she is dropping her old dead coat and getting in a new one, will post new photos once the new coat is in. So check back to see her in her new duds.

 

 

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Stumpy, Oh my little Stump. He was one of the first whiteface chicks I ever hatched. Due to a slip up he escaped his cage as a weanling and was crawling up the side of another cage, when the birds in that cage attacked and bit his toes off. So stump stayed and has become my little buddy. He has a very large vocabulary {speaks more words then BJ} He is so cute, when I am feeding babies he loves to help. He sits on my shoulder and yells FEED UMMM...FEED UMM. He is such a hoot. Or if he hears them start to stir when its close to the time they are to be fed, he will hunt me down and let me know they need fed. He is allot of bird in a small package.

                              

                                In this photo Stumpy has just finished eating Spaghetti

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February 2 , 2008

Today is a sad day for me , Zeke passed over the bridge . I know he  is now with his Gretta . But  I will miss him more then words can  say. He was my friend and my helper . His  death was needless as he was poisoned . We tried in vain to save him  , but  couldn't  . The people that did this will have to answer for it in the  end , as no bad deed goes unpunished .So rest in peace my friend  .

 

Zeke:
             Let me introduce you to the newest member of the pack.

Zeke,     This is Zeke & his sister

Zeke and his sister come from the Von Yaminae Kennel in Sioux City, Iowa.

They breed beautiful dogs of direct German decent.

Zeke & Heidi's Parents are:

Samson Von Der Eichentals is their father.

Patience Von Yaminae is their mother.

I went looking for a pup after learning my old Shepard Shaq had cancer, you can read more about that on my Gone But Not Forgotten page. I had thought I had a pup, but due to unforeseen circumstances he was taken from me. As fate would have it I looked in the local paper to see a ad for German Shepard pups. I made a appointment to go see them. There was 3 litters to choose from. I spotted Zeke right off. I looked at all the other pups, but kept going back to him. There was just something about that look in his eye. It said I am the one.

I brought Zeke home on the 2nd of September. 4 days after bringing him home, my old Shepard passed away. I was hoping he would be around longer to help me teach the new guy the ropes. But it wasn't to be. Before he passed Shaq laid in the yard with Zeke. I do believe he had a long talk with him, as Zeke does things that are so like Shaq it's about scary. I hope if what they say about the spirits are true, that Shaqs hangs around awhile to give me a helping hand with Zeke.

Come back often and watch as Zeke grows.

This next photo was taken on Christmas day 2004. After everyone had left I took the dogs for a run to unwind. We have a bottom that has a stream that runs through it in the summer. It was frozen over at this time of year. I was feeling nostalgic as a friend had given me a framed photo of Shaq, my beloved fuzzy dog, as a gift for Christmas. I was snapping photos as I always do while running the dogs in the hopes of getting a few good ones. When I got home and unloaded them I found this next photo. I am a believer in the spirits, and that I am having help with Zeke's training. What would you think. If you look to the left of Zeke's face you can see the image of a dog head. This is in the frozen ice. The face looks allot like my Shaq before he passed as he had grayed. I truly believe it was him letting me know he is still there and watching over me, helping me with Zeke.

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Well its been a while since I have updated Zeke. He has been growing and learning allot. Helped killed his first coon the other night. I was so proud of him. He can be as gentle as a lamb with the baby goats, but a very ferocious opponent for any critters that are not wanted or allowed.

                     

Here you see him with his sister whom he still goes on outings with. Also him just watching. He is very alert and protective of what he perceives as his. He is turning out to be a great dog that is as versatile as I hoped. He has many jobs and does them all well. Even though he is still in the training phase. He is more then willing and eager to please.

                                

I can not believe the changes he has went through. Even his looks have changed since first coming home.

 

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Shasha was taken from this world before her time . There is one great  coon hound over the bridge now , entertaining the others with her  goofy personality .

Sasha:

                                   

This is Sasha. She is what I call a wondered in. When she first arrived she was thin and fearful of everything. She had been shot clear through in two areas and didn't trust any humans. As you can see she has adapted well to the love and food she has received here. She has repaid me by doing a great job of keeping the coons and such away from the chickens and ducks. Her job is very tiring as you can see.

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Cuda was  lost to me as she was accused of something she did not do . It was later proven she was not the one to  do the  bad things she was  accused of , by then it was to late an she had already paid the ultimate price . It is sad that in most cases you are  guilty until proven innocent . Rest in peace my  friend and know I miss you every day . 

Cuda

 

Cuda's story starts with her mom. Her mom was brought to me to be bred. Her owners had decided to breed her and keep a puppy. As her mom had some issues that made it impossible to keep her. It is a long story , but  they bought the mom as a young adult and she came with some dangerous habits that they could not deal with. When the pups were born there were 6. The mom dog refused to take care of any of the male pups but one. Later he had to be put to sleep due to genetic issues. That left the 3 little girls. The owner of the mom took two of the pups. This left Cuda. 3 days after her 1st vet visit she developed a hernia. A little pouch on her tummy. She will have surgery in a couple more months to correct it and get spayed.

This is how Cuda came to live with us. She is a joy and so smart. She is also Gretchen's best friend. I tell you them two are always together. They have a great time on their little adventures and look out for one another. If you are wondering about her name, it came to me in a dream. I don't know if it has any meaning, just that it stuck.

               
                       Cuda on a run                                                                 Just being adorable

                      
I ask how do you scold a face like that?                                  Cuda at 1 year old . 

Cuda  is turning out to be  a big girl,  she is a perfect combination of her dam and sire . She is also my right hand man. She knows the difference between the  goats, alpaca , bull , cows , or a hog . This comes in so handy ,,as  allot of my stock all run together . I can tell her to get the bull and she knows who I want her to  get . She is with me all the time and is  a very good girl . I will keep training and  teaching her things as she  matures . I look forward to many years with my  farm hand at my side . 

                                  

                                         You can sure see her daddy in her,  in this picture . She has his intense stare .

 

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We  lost Elmer this winter . He was  20 years old . We miss him something fierce . I  miss him helping  me with  all the  projects . 

He was  a  crazy soul that had to be in the middle of every thing  , greet anyone who  came to visit and over  see it all . I find myself  looking  behind myself all the time , looking for him ,and what  tool of mine he might have . Only to remember he is no longer here .

Rest in peace my feathered friend .

 

Then there is Elmer Fud-Pucker

My son decided he wanted a Emu while we where at the Allen Swap meet  years ago. So with money he got from selling chickens, he bought Elmer. At that time Elmer was about 6 inches tall and a ball of fluff.

                 

Elmer is a great pet. Here he meets my nephews little boy. Elmer being the helper he is, is more then willing to help fix the tractor. Elmer prides himself on his mechanical skill and is always willing to help. He is also a great help in guarding my chickens, he knows how many and what kind they all are. So when I get a new one it has to be caged where he can see it for a few days before it can be released. Otherwise Elmer will kill it.

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June 29th 2010 , Miss Mouse as she was known passed over Rainbow bridge . Rest in peace my little friend .

 

Mitzy:           

Let me introduce Mitzy. Here is her story.

I had lost Bunny that morning. It was a hard day. My hubby and me are having dinner when the phone rings. There is a guy on the other end says he has been trying to get a hold of me. He has 2 chi's he wants to place. The story was him and his girlfriend bought them while together. They had broken up 8 or 9 months ago and she couldn't keep them. He had been passing them around from place to place. He said where they were at that time, there was a large dog that was being allowed to play with them. So I tell him I will take them and we jump in my car and head to the meeting place.

A truck shows up and the young woman gets out and grabs the carrier out of the back. Now mind you I live in Iowa and its December, its cold here. She then opens the door on the carrier and puts it into the front of the truck and tells the children to kiss the dogs goodbye.

My husband is livid as she hands over the carrier. There is no blanket or anything in with these two tiny dogs. I try and stay calm and ask questions like names, have they had any shots, are they spayed. I was told they hadn't had any shots in about 2 years, their names and that they were not fixed. I asked what food they where used to and was told as she got into the truck that they would eat anything small. That was all we were told. My husband in the meantime has removed them from the carrier and handed me the smaller of the two to put in my coat as they are cold. The one I had warmed up and fell into a deep sleep. The one he had warmed up and crawled out enough to give him kisses. We tried to contact the guy that called, via caller ID, but the number had been disconnected. I would have liked a few more questions answered.

I have since rehomed the bigger of the 2 (at a whopping 4 pounds). She is happy and living with a family who treat her like the gem she is. She has been spayed and had all her shots brought up to date, and her teeth cleaned. They have renamed her.

The smaller one has stole my heart. She reminds me so much of my Cassie that was stolen from me. She was one sick little girl. At little under 2 pounds, she had a mouth full of the nastiest teeth I had ever seen. They were encrusted in a brown and green stuff, and her breath could peel paint off the walls. So first she was put on meds to get the infection in her mouth under control. Because when I lifted her lip to look at her teeth, pus oozed out of her gums. She wouldn't eat, I had to puree things and feed them to her with a syringe. My husband thought more then once I was wasting my time. I had a couple friends voice the same thought. But I could not stop trying. Once the infection was under control she went in to get some of her teeth removed, spay and her toenails done. Well almost 2 hours on the table and my vet came out to tell me the good and bad.

Riddle for you......the vet removed 10 teeth but Mitzy still has all her teeth???

Answer:
Well My vet tells me once they started to break through the tarter and crud, they found she still had her baby teeth. Mind you she is 3 years old or older. So they removed them. The vet then told me the adult teeth didn't look that bad. She then said that they didn't get the spay done as Mitzy had been under long enough and we would have to schedule that for another time once she had put on more weight. So that is where we are now. Mitzy is up to 2 pounds 8 oz. She has started to come out of her shell and show us what a little spitfire she can be. My hubby still cant believe she made it this far, and laughs at her attempts to be a tough scary guard dog. Come back often to see updates as she gains weight, and come back this spring when she gets to go outside for the first time.

The picture below is of Mitzy Mouse now May 2006. She has come along way and is quite the little imp. Her zest for life is amazing. She is now at 3 pounds, she has come along way from the sad little dog I meet that cold night. She is my little buddy and loves to be with me no matter what I am doing. Mitzy still has allot of fears but she is conquering them one at a time.

    

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You taught me so much . You where there when no one else was  to catch my tears and make me believe things would be ok.

Your mane absorbed allot of my tears , your ears heard my laughter , my vents, my worries . I could count on you to be there and to listen , to take me away.  A hard gallop always seemed to  make things not seem so bad and  made   problems  seem smaller then before . For that I thank you . 

You are missed more then words can say , I think of you often and every time I look at Spirit . Thanks for all you have taught me , till we meet again Know there was never a day I wasn't proud to say  You where mine. My little red mare with the huge heart who gave more then she should have  to make her momma proud . 

Sissy , rest in peace my dear friend . 

spring of 1981 to July 29th 2010 

 

 

 I purchased her at a auction, she was green, I was greener. She has given me allot of lessons in how to ask, and not demand.

                                         

                                                                                     photo taken May of 2010  She was 29 years old