Next Project-Porch

     With the deck done, we move on.  Lou is now working on the seatbelts in the Galaxie.  I will repaint the porch floor.  Five years ago after pressure-washing the porch floor a great deal of old paint came off.  I decided to paint the porch floor like faux marble tile.  It was after this that came the self-imposed ban on watching HGTV.  After sealing the concrete, I painted the entire floor black.  The next day when the paint was entirely dry I meticulously using painters tape, taped off 18" squares.  Then with 1 can of dark brown paint and another of beige, I painted each square dark brown and the swirled in the beige while the brown was still wet much like making a marble cake. When that all dried I removed all the tape and I had marble tile with black grout lines.  It looked so nice but my back and knees were really sore.  My neighbor dropped in and when I showed her the porch, she really thought I had tiled it with marble!  I had to laugh to myself because I couldn't afford marble anything much less porch tile!
     Now five years ago I was a cat owner.  Since then the cats have passed on to Catnip Heaven and I replaced them with 5 dogs.  This was a gradual process.  First came Petey.  I went to our community's Chili Fest and saw a woman with a little puppy sticking out of a sweatshirt pocket.  It was a Lhasa Apso and I had been so wanting one.  The next day he was mine.  About six months after that my neighbors new girlfriend would spend the weekends next door and she brought with her a small dog named Pup E. Dawg.  Petey and Pup E. Dawg made fast friends through the chain link fence and soon they were allowed to visit one another in each others yard.  Then came the puppy pajama parties and before long Pup E. Dawg spent the whole weekend.  But then Monday through Friday, Petey would sit on the couch looking out the window and whining until Pup E. came back.  Then began my search of the City Dog Pound for a companion for Petey which would not leave every Sunday.
      I finally found Buddy, a small chihuahua.  He looked so pitiful in that large cage surrounded by Pitbulls and other assorted large dogs.  He looked at me with those bulging brown eyes that said, "Senora, por favor, please save me!"  I never cared much for chihuahuas but he was small.....and pitiful.  Within 1 hour of bringing Buddy home, Petey came running in from the backyard barking.  It was like Lassie reporting that Timmy was in the well.  When I went out to the backyard, Buddy was nowhere to be found.  Petey ran to the neighbors fence and there was Buddy.  But how did he get there?  I checked the fence line, there were no openings.  Can chihuahuas climb chain link fences?  I went back in the house, out the front door, over to the neighbors, who were not home, into their back yard and retrieved Buddy which was not all that easy as chihuahuas can run pretty fast.  Shortly later Petey and Buddy went out the Doggie Door to the back yard and within 15 minutes in came Petey barking, "Mommy  Buddy is being a bad boy again!" And sure enough Buddy was again next door.  This time after bringing Buddy back, I again went to the backyard and rechecked the fence line.  Nothing.  I went in and phoned Animal Control.  They assured me that they had never heard of a chihuahua scaling a chain link fence.  The privacy fence which is between ours and neighbors home is six feet high and wood but no breaks there and no holes dug beneath, so how is Buddy doing this and not Petey? I am beginning to understand how Buddy ended up in the pound.  His family probably gave up paying his "Get out of Puppy Prison" fines! I took a seat on the porch and watched and waited.  And little Houdini watched and waited,  but he did not have my staying power, so he furtively moved toward the privacy fence.  He nosed a board aside and scurried through. After he was through, the fence board  went back to vertical as if it were never loose.  AHA!!  I ran for hammer and nail and made a quick repair, then in the house, out the front door, into neighbors backyard, cornered this newly adopted escape artist and brought him back home.  Again I sat on the porch and waited and this time Buddy made straight for the getaway. I guess he was pretty surprised when his little nose trick suddenly did not work.  The little bugger tried every board though until failing each he finally gave up.
     The next year I got Petey a wife because he and Pup E Dawg never took to Buddy who went to a new home.  Pup E. never took much to Precious either.  I guess he resented her breaking up the Boys Club, but Petey liked her fine and the following year Petey & Precious had 7 babies, five of which went to loving homes. By then Pup E Dawg lost total interest in Petey and Petey didn't seem to mind and then Blondie moved in and Petey did mind.  Blondie is a Lab/Shepherd mix and weighed 55 pounds.  Right away  Precious, 16 pounds, thought Blondie was her new puppy. Bear and Marshmallow the last two puppies were left and they were terrified of the new "litter mate" and by the time people showed interest in them we were so attached, but thought five dogs were too much.  When the new potential family came to see them Marshmallow went wee wee all over the prospective new Mommy who promptly handed her back and said she was looking for something smaller.  We were relieved and so five was not too many afterall.
     However, five dogs with 4 feet each and 4 nails/foot took its toll on the porch floor.  This time I will just do touch up, but painting all those grouts lines is tedious and all the painting is done in piece meal  because I must accommodate the comings and goings of 5 dogs.  It takes me two days and the seatbelts are not yet finished.  And I come to find out hubby did a little catnapping under that Galaxie!  And more news...Tucker's family is moving this week.  Without Tucker to chase up and down the fence line 4 times a day we are afraid our dogs will become canine couch potatoes.  Thanksgiving in three days.  Best wishes to friends and family.
     Next project...Decorating for Christmas..I had another brainstorm!

It is finished!

     With a warm up  we finally finished staining the last dock.  We also added added a palm tree!  We now have the only palm-treed dock on the lake!  We took the canoe out to take pictures of the completed project as well as the supervisors, Blondie, Petey, Precious, Marshmallow and Bear.  We still have the lighthouse to build but are in no hurry.  It is time to catch up on other things.  Hope you enjoyed.  It was hard work but worth it and an accomplishment of which we are very proud.

Fleas!

     Five dogs, five baths!  Dawn Dish detergent kills fleas on contact.  While hubby is treating yard for fleas with whatever flavor of the month flea killer.  I  put dog bedding and whatever rags they use for tug of war in the washer to soak in bleach and vacuum the kitchen, computer room and porch (the only areas dogs are allowed. I empty vacuum of whatever creatures were lurking in crevices and put vacuum away.  I am already tired.
     I get out the doggie towels , close all avenues of escape and take a break.  I have 10 soulful eyes watching my every move.  The  four Lhasa apsos get baths in the kitchen sink.  Blondie at 65 pounds gets the shower in master bedroom.
     Petey, the alpha male in spite of his diminutive size gets to go first.  He hates baths the most and is a handful I rather face before I am exhausted.  Now Petey loves water.  He went into the lake after ducks at age eight weeks and about gave me a heart attack.  On the trip to Connecticut he took a dip at Kent Falls, amusing tourists as his fluffy coat spread out around his six month old body like a halo.  On the way home he swam in the Atlantic Ocean in New Jersey but did not like the taste much.  He also swam in the Tarheels Creek in North Carolina.  He is forever taking surreptitious dips in the garden pond.  But he hates baths!  Go figure. He only ceases wiggling to be towel dried.
     Marshmallow or Happy Tail as she is better known because her little tail is always going is next.  I originally named her Marshmallow because she is all white.  But she rarely is all white as she loves to play in dirt. Now she is not happy.  She too hates the bath, she hates water period!  She insists on sharing her bath with me!  She splashes, squirms, tries to climb up onto counters, faucets, me!  After she is towel dried I need a break.
     Now for Bear.  He was originally Buttons because in his white face, his black eyes and nose looked like buttons.  But Lou did not find that masculine enough so because of his unruly mop, he became Bear.  He is not particularly happy about baths but does not want to disrespect his manly name so at least he stoically stands still.  Everyone got clipped yesterday except Blondie who has short hair.  The like being clipped about as much as they like baths except for Precious.
     Precious April Love has become Mama Dog. Not so much because she is Mama to Happy Tail & Bear or that she adopted Blondie who out weighs her by 50 pounds as her newest pup.But because Lou cannot remember her name.  But she is precious. By now Lou has finished spraying yard and porch so he gets to bathe Precious while I do Blondie.  Precious loves baths and haircuts.  She stands perfectly still and will even lie down in the bath.  She is easy for Lou to manage and easier on his back then bending over Blondie in the shower.  We both finish at the same time and since all is dry outside, the last two dogs do not need toweling and are allowed to just run out with the other three.  We all go down to sit on the dock while the last two dogs air dry in the sun.  Everyone of them falls asleep quickly. Surprisingly none of the dogs sported many fleas.  Hopefully we have gotten them under control after a two year struggle.
     It was hard work but both Lou and I are glad to have some time off from painting.  His back ( several herniated discs) and my artificial knee are acting up.  It is true when they  say 'Old age ain't for sissies.'