It ain't over just because it's over...

 Make EVERY day 

"Memorial Day"

To me, Memorial Day is not just about honoring the military men and women who lost their lives serving their country.  Those who made the 'ultimate sacrifice' are remembered with gratitude for what they have done, in the past.  But Memorial Day is ~ or should also be ~ about all of the men and women who are currently making great sacrifices in order to keep us safe and protect our way of life TODAY!

Not only do the men and women of today's military forces risk their lives to protect our country, they give up their own personal freedom in order to ensure ours!

These photos are of my "Beautiful Baby Girl" (youngest daughter, Katie) as she greets her husband upon his return from deployment.  

You can see the joy and relief that they feel in knowing that Carter is safely back on US ground!

And yet, their sacrifice continues.  The Navy determines where they live and where & when they can travel.  They are not free to live together at this time because their various specialties within the Navy require that they be stationed on different bases, in different states. 

Yet, they are happy and proud to serve their country.  Even if it means having a long-distance marriage.  

As the Mom and Mother-in-Law, in spite of the incredible PRIDE that I feel, I for one will be ecstatic when they are out of the military.  I do know however, that they will never lose that sense of duty to their country that makes them both the very best at what they do.  

That is why, 

for me, 

EVERY day is Memorial Day.

I am beyond grateful to every man and woman who chooses to give up their personal freedom to protect that of the United States.  They are the best of the best.  They and their families are in my prayers each and every day.  And whenever I see a young man or woman in uniform, I always ~ and very sincerely ~ thank them for their service and their sacrifice. 

 I hope that you do too...

Tears of Joy....

I don't even know these people but I am sitting here at my computer with tears streaming down my face.  This has to be one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen...

A Love Story...

Boy, did this put a smile on my face!

  

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Have a Safe and Happy Weekend!

OMG! You won't believe your EYES...

As much as I wish I could take the credit for this, I stole it off a fellow blogging friend, John, at Going Gently.  I almost didn't even see the movement at first!  It was when I started to scroll down that it moved and it quite startled me!  I wish I could find one with a DOG's face!!!  Thanks for the post, John!  ;-)

She made my Heart rock!

I was oh-so pleasantly surprised when the mail arrived on Monday.  A wonderful friend, that I met when we shared a room at a Breast Cancer Retreat last year, sent me a VERY special gift. 

Inside the lovely little pink satin bag there was:

A beautiful, polished, HEART ROCK!  Along with a touching note that said it made her think of me when she saw it, and that she just had to buy it for me.

What an incredibly thoughtful surprise!

It would be difficult for me to explain just how much this little surprise meant to me. 

To say that it touched me deeply and made my heart smile would not be an exaggeration.

Sometimes, the littlest of gifts can make the biggest impression.

Thank you Joy!

I love you.

Life without a Camera...

I know, it's been a LONG time since I last posted.  There's a real long story that explains all the ins-and-outs of 'Why' but I won't bore you with that.  Suffice it to say that I once again have a CAMERA and I'm happily snapping photographs by the hundreds!  ;-)

I'm not quite sure why it is that I seem unable to post if I don't have pictures to inspire me but I am just going to accept that as a fact and keep my camera close at hand.  There's been some excitement happening in the Bluff Country since my last post.

Meet "GYPSY"

Gypsy came to us all the way from North Carolina where she found herself in a 'high-kill shelter' with a very grim future.  Fortunately, a kind woman named Sylvia, recognized what a sweet little dog Gypsy is and she pulled Gypsy from the shelter and put her in boarding at a nearby Veterinary Clinic.  Sylvia paid the daily board, out of her own pocket, so that Gypsy could live long enough to be rescued and find a forever home.  You'd be amazed by how many wonderful people there are all across the country who give of their time, their money, their skills and so much more, to save homeless dogs from being killed because there's no place to keep them.

Just look at our beautiful little "Tiger Puppy"!

I just love her beautiful, brindle markings.

 

The folks at the NC shelter had Gypsy (they called her 'Girlie') listed as a "Shepherd mix" but I'm not so sure about that.  She's clearly young ~ my guess would be about nine months.  She's awfully small (about 40 lbs) for a Shepherd mix and of course, Shepherds don't come in brindle.  I see more lab in her and someone mentioned that the cross could be 'Plott Hound"  I just Googled Plott Hound and it sure does seem likely that our beautiful Gypsy is a Plott Hound/Lab cross!  YIPPEE!!!  JD has kind of made us all into BIG hound fans!

Gypsy has totally won us ALL over.

Even Sable and Cricket ~ who are notorious for NOT liking other female dogs!

Gypsy is just so obnoxiously sweet that they let her get away with murder.  She can even grab a toy out of Cricket's mouth and NO ONE else dares even get close to Cricket when she's got a toy!

Hero, of course, LOVES Gypsy.

That is, he loves to MAUL her!

Don't worry,

our little Tiger Pup is FEARLESS and she gives as good as she gets!

Please join us in welcoming Gypsy to the BCCR family.

She will be available for adoption after vetting and is going to make a GREAT family dog!  Believe it or not, under that rough, tough, Tiger-dog lies the heart of a puppy...

SOON...

It's been a while since I've blogged. There's a good reason for that: I lost my camera!  Unfortunately, I seem to be incapable of doing a blog post without photos to accompany it!  Those of you who have followed this blog for a while know that I am not in the financial position to run out and buy a new camera, so I wasn't sure if/when I'd ever be blogging again.

Fortunately, my dear friend, 'Doc', took pity on my and gave me $100 to go out and buy a new camera!  I'm heading for Best Buy right after I take a shower!  I think I can get a fairly decent camera for that much money...

I'll be back SOON!

Have a wonderful Saturday!!!

A "MAKE ME SMILE" Video...

These are three, LUCKY kids!

What an awesome way to start the school day.

I think about all the kids who drag their tired, crabby bodies into school everyday and can just imagine these guys bouncing in with smiles on their faces.

He gets my vote for Dad of the Year!

P.S.  the little guy in the back seat just kills me!!!

;-)

In case there was EVER any doubt...

I am, quite obviously, LOSING IT!!!

It's too late for me.

 SAVE YOURSELF!

Kahlua says...

I think Mom needs to get out more!

UPDATE on today's post

Ah-hummmmm.

*blush*

The er, ah, VIDEO is now actually IN the post about the VIDEO.

no comments necessary...

I can't believe I did that TWICE in one week!

New VIDEO Cricket + Kids + Bubbles = FUN!

On Sunday, I took Cricket into La Crosse, to meet a family that might be interested in adopting her.  Because Cricket is a dog that I rescued from 'the Pound', I don't know her history or if she's had any experiences with children, so I wanted to proceed with caution.

As it turned out, I think she did quite well.

;-)

This video shows Cricket playing in the back yard with Savannah (4) and her brother, Zander (2).  They had a BLAST!

Even though they were having a good time, we didn't let the bubble play go of for too long as we didn't want Cricket to get sick from eating Bubbles!
 It is a relief to know that she's good with kids.

In the NEWS...

I want to share a write up that appeared in our local newspaper last week.  I am so happy with the nice job that Audrey (the reporter) did in reporting on the Rescue.  We've gotten some wonderful feedback and offers of help as a result of the story as well.  In fact, I will be taking "Cricket", the beautiful black lab/mix to La Crosse today to meet a family that is interested in adopting her! 

I always do a 'home visit' prior to approving any adoption to verify the conditions the dog would be living in and t assess the interactions between the dog and the potential adopters.  Gotta make sure these babies to to the right homes!

Nancy Krohn works to find loving homes for homeless dogs

03 May 2012

 By Audrey Alfson

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Nancy Krohn is shown with JD, a redtick coonhound who is ready to be adopted, and several other dogs vying for her attention. Photo by Audrey Alfson 

Special for the Argus

When she was 16 years old, Nancy Krohn was grooming dogs, raising toy poodles and learning how to handle dogs for show. In time, she became one of the top dog handlers in the Midwest.
She was so good with dogs that a local paper called her the “Animal Thumb Girl.” Not surprisingly, 40 years later, Nancy’s love for dogs continues through the Bluff Country Canine Rescue, which she operates from her home in the Yucatan Valley of rural Houston.
Bluff Country Canine Rescue (BCCR) is a dog rescue, rehabilitation and re-homing facility dedicated to helping homeless dogs get out of shelters (where they face euthanasia) and into homes where they will be loved and appreciated.
BCCR was formed in November 2011 when the La Crescent Animal Shelter (the only animal shelter in Houston County) no longer accepted animals from outside the city limits. Krohn, who had been volunteering at the shelter, became concerned about the welfare of the animals no longer served and decided she had to do something.
“To think that dogs are dying because nobody will take them breaks my heart,” she said.  In the past five months, Krohn has rehabilitated and found homes for six dogs.
Krohn’s home is a haven for the big dogs she loves so much. With three fenced acres, the dogs find a freedom they would never have in a shelter. She does not keep them in kennels and instead socializes them to be “house” dogs. Focusing on their natural instinct to love and be loved, Nancy’s strength is taking in dogs “not easily adoptable” and transforming them into suitable pets for others. Her work is inspiring and full of love, but care and concern can’t pay for food and vet bills.
Run entirely by her volunteer labor and donations from others, Krohn, who lives on disability herself, works hard each month to find the resources to continue.
Each dog is spayed or neutered, microchipped, de-wormed, vaccinated and treated with flea and tick medication. And then there’s always food. Considering all the time and money put into each dog, the adoption cost of $200 to $250 becomes quite a reasonable fee.
As much as Krohn needs cash or in-kind donations of food, she needs volunteers even more.  A dog trainer in Lanesboro has offered obedience training for rescue dogs free of charge, but Krohn needs someone to help transport and handle the dogs.
Because socialization is so important for rescue dogs, Nancy also needs people willing to be foster homes for dogs, or even take them for walks. She is hopeful that maybe a 4-H or school group would be willing to work with the dogs for a project.  In addition, she continues to look for people who love dogs and would be interested in being a board member for the organization as she plans for incorporation as a non-profit.
Currently Krohn has two dogs eligible for adoption: Cricket, an energetic black lab mix, and JD, a beautiful redtick coonhound.  Full details of both dogs, in addition to complete information on the organization, as well as a link to donate, can be seen on her blog http://bluffcountrycaninerescue.blogspot.com.

Nancy can also be followed on Facebook as Bluff Country Canine Rescue.

Nancy Krohn enjoys spending a warm spring day with the four-legged creatures she tends. Photo by Audrey Alfson

Author 

Charlie Warner - who has written 836 posts on The Caledonia Argus.

For Daughters on Mother's Day...

(shamelessly lifted from Facebook!)

Letter from a Mother to a Daughter: 

 

"My dear girl, the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If when we talk, I repeat the same thing a thousand times, don’t interrupt to say: “You said the same thing a minute ago”... Just listen, please. Try to remember the times when you were little and I would read the same story night after night until you would fall asleep. When I don’t want to take a bath, don’t be mad and don’t embarrass me. Remember when I had to run after you making excuses and trying to get you to take a shower when you were just a girl? When you see how ignorant I am when it comes to new technology, give me the time to learn and don’t look at me that way... remember, honey, I patiently taught you how to do many things like eating appropriately, getting dressed, combing your hair and dealing with life’s issues every day... the day you see I’m getting old, I ask you to please be patient, but most of all, try to understand what I’m going through. If I occasionaly lose track of what we’re talking about, give me the time to remember, and if I can’t, don’t be nervous, impatient or arrogant. Just know in your heart that the most important thing for me is to be with you. And when my old, tired legs don’t let me move as quickly as before, give me your hand the same way that I offered mine to you when you first walked. When those days come, don’t feel sad... just be with me, and understand me while I get to the end of my life with love. I’ll cherish and thank you for the gift of time and joy we shared. With a big smile and the huge love I’ve always had for you, I just want to say, I love you... my darling daughter. "

Thunderstorm Thursday!

The dogs and I woke up to a very enthusiastic thunderstorm this morning.  It was raining so hard that it sounded like a freight train!  I know that is frequently said about what it's like before a tornado strikes but I wasn't particularly worried as it wasn't that windy out and the sky looked cloudy but "normal".  It was just the rain, pouring down so heavily that it was like a waterfall!

Needless to say, none of the dogs wanted to go outside to 'do their business' so we stood in the garage, with the door to the backyard open, and watched it rain.  It was actually quite beautiful!  My valley looks somewhat like a tropical rain forest in late Spring!

Once the rain stopped and the dogs were fed & exercised, I decided to shoot a video ~ primarily to record the incredible sounds the birds and insects make.  I know.  I'm always trying to get a video that captures that magic.  You're right.  And I will probably keep on trying!  Because I love the sound so and it's not something I'm ever likely to hear again, if/when I move back into the city...

Without further ado,

I present you with :

SHEEP and Silence after the Storm

OK 

Lesson learned.

Quit fooling around with the zoom and stand still!

I'll get it one of these days!

Happy Thursday...

Wordless Wednesday...