Blog Day Afternoon

Coast Guard Auxiliary

2008-10-08T15:06:00Z

On Saturday my husband and I attended the local Coast Guard Auxiliary meeting as guests. The story really starts about ten days ago when we were walking the dogs near the boat ramp. We saw some Coast Guard Auxiliary people doing courtesy vessel examinations and my husband approached the officers and asked them many questions. He said it was good timing that we happened on to this situation because he always wanted to join. He has a desire to help people and, since we intend to spend some time on the water, joining this group of people seems like a good idea.

The officer was very helpful in giving us information on the VE’s (vessel examinations) and he also gave us literature on boating safety. At my husband’s request, he also gave us an invitation to attend a meeting to see if we would be interested in joining. He mentioned that there is a lot of information to learn and a lot of time to invest. The whole venture is voluntary; no one gets paid.

The meeting was last Saturday and we rode our scooters to meet with them. There were about eleven people in uniform and they had a well-organized meeting replete with a pledge of allegiance (I was happy to find that I still remembered all the words), awards for outstanding service, and food. All the people were very nice, friendly, and they made us feel welcome. My husband asked them before the meeting if they were going to require us to eat a live chicken; the commander replied that live chicken eating was only done at the New Year’s meeting.

Fresh New Litter

2008-10-06T15:07:00Z

Whew! I just got home after having done some shopping. I brought home two new buckets of kitty litter and some new litter boxes. The kittens are seven weeks old today and we are actively looking for good homes for them. We like to take good care of them so that anyone who adopts them will see them at their best. So far we have taken them to the Vet for a checkup and worming and we put revolution on them so they won’t suffer with fleas and other pests. We have learned from previous litters that sometimes all the cats can get a condition that causes them to get diarrhea. They can get this by using dirty litter boxes; if one cat has it, they can all get it. The condition is not serious and it is easily treatable. But the poopies smell horribly and the poor kitten may have a dirty bottom. We certainly would not want a person to pick up a kitten in this condition.

One way to treat the condition is to get the medication from the Vet and to administer it for up to fifteen days. It is given orally with a syringe. A better way is to catch the condition when you first notice it and clean everything that the cats touch. So today we threw out all the litter boxes – and the litter – and we replaced everything with new litter and new boxes. If we can catch the condition when we first notice a loose stool, cleaning everything works quite well. Even with the medication, we would still have to clean everything meticulously anyway.

For the environmentally conscious, I'd like to point out that the litter boxes I threw away were not the plastic kind. They make boxes now that are pressed paper and meant to be disposable. Supposedly the paper box allows more air to flow through to keep the litter smelling better and getting a new box every month is healthier for the cat.

Mom’s New Room

2008-10-05T15:18:00Z

My mother’s 70th birthday was a few days ago and so we went over to my parent’s house to take them to dinner. We went to Ruby Tuesday’s and we had a very good meal. The salad bar at Ruby Tuesday is so complete that you get a great meal without ordering anything else. My husband also took a salad bar, but not realizing the enormous amount of food available, he also ordered a bowl of rice and some chicken. Everything was okay until he ordered a dessert. He ordered a small portion, and I helped him eat a little of it, but two bites of cake were all he could consume. I guess the good tasting food tends to make everybody eat more than they should.

My parents’ house is having some renovations so we wanted to see how things were coming along. Since their roof was in need of replacement, they had a new style of shingle and a fresh new color installed. They also had an extension put on the back of their house. It made sense to do all the work at one time. There is a lot of work still left to do but the workmen appear to be doing a nice neat job. My mother’s cats (yes, they got them from us) are enjoying the partially finished room. There are four cats (one is the mother of the other three) and they are all full grown now. I can imagine that they are all looking at the new room as a potential playground.

The Onion Rings

2008-10-01T13:30:00Z

When we got to the restaurant with our friends we found that we were the first dinner guests. We arrived at five minutes passed the opening time of four in the afternoon. All four of us parked in the same parking space with our scooters; talk about efficiency. We entered and took a table that allowed us to keep an eye on the scooters. Our waitress was with us immediately and asked for our order. Drink orders always come first, as is the custom in most places and we told her what we desired. Then, my husband asked her about the freshest fish that they had that day. She said she would ask for us and then she disappeared to ask the cook what was available. When she returned she told us that the cook said that everything is available except the onion rings. We never asked about the onion rings. Okay, so we all had a good laugh and then the waitress said that she was going to write up an order for four orders of onion rings and then give it to the cook. We heartily agreed. A few minutes later, the cook appeared at our table and gave us a freshly cooked batch of onion rings. The whole meal was great and cooked to order, no complaints. This is really saying something because my husband is not shy about telling the server, or the cook, if something is not prepared well. So, for him to say that the meal was great is quite a compliment to the restaurant.

A Nice Meal With Friends

2008-09-30T13:28:00Z

On Saturday we had dinner with our closest friends. Since we are established in our new residence, it was time that we invited them to dine with us at one of our favorite restaurants. Also, we wanted them to pick out the kittens that they will take from our latest litter. So far, they have taken two kittens from two previous litters. We feel good about giving our kittens to our friends since they have always treated the animals well; they provide a good home and good care. Finding good homes for kittens is always a chore because there are always more kittens than there are good homes. This particular litter seems to us to be sweeter and smarter than previous litters, but that could be because we are going to try to not produce any more litters. There are too many animals in this neighborhood and we wouldn’t want to add to the number. In addition, we would worry that the little ones would get injured or killed.

Anyway, our friends arrived on their scooters and we took out our scooters, and all of us “scootered” to the restaurant. It only took about five minutes to get there. Actually, we could have walked; it is that close by. But, anyone who has ever ridden a scooter or motorcycle knows that it is a lot of fun riding in nice weather. Our friends and I are new to scooters, so it is still a novelty. My husband has many years of experience on a Harley (when he was younger) so to him there is no novelty, just great gas mileage.

Other Vets That We Won't Recommend

2008-09-25T13:39:00Z

First let me mention our regular Vet, he is our choice every time. He is located in Monticello, just up the road from the town circle. He has been caring for our animals since before I met my husband. Our three dogs lived at my husband’s house before we were married, and our many litters of cats stretch back twelve years. This Vet, Mike Purvis, is a friend of my husband as well. He probably could stay in business just caring for all of our animals. We highly recommend Mike Purvis as an outstanding friend and great Veterinarian.

There are others, however, that never seem to be available when you need them. One such place was only one mile from our previous house. You would think this to be a good thing. But, whenever my husband would take one of our emergency situations to him, he was never there; we had to drive across town to have Northwood save the dog’s life. If this happened only once, we would say, “well, it is just bad luck”, but this happened three times. We stopped going there even though he was the most convenient. What good is a Vet if he isn’t there to care for your animals? This guy also has super high prices. No matter what you bring in the animal for, he somehow manages to get the price over a hundred dollars. We understand that things are expensive these days, but a simple exam, no shots or other invasive procedures, and the price is still over a hundred dollars? No thanks, I see it as a blessing that he was not there when my husband took our dog in for emergency treatment.

We have to drive about fifty miles to our favorite Vet, but he’s worth the trip.

The Other Great Vets

2008-09-23T13:39:00Z

Anytime an animal gets hurt you know it will be on a weekend or after hours. I wonder what the Vets do during regular hours since they do all of their work in the middle of the night and on weekends. Of course, when you take an animal into the Vet during these odd times, you pay through the nose (or is it snout?) But, what are you going to do? The animal is injured, he needs medical care right now, and there is no way you can wait until regular hours are available. So, off you go with checkbook in hand, praying that the procedures won’t be too expensive. We have been to the Northwood Animal Hospital several times. They are wonderful people, expensive, but wonderful. They have always been considerate of us and they have taken great care of our animals. Most of the time we end up going there at night, or after hours. Our dog, Brownie, seems to go after poisonous snakes late in the afternoon. He has been bitten three times and, you guessed it, by the time we have killed the snake (unless he kills it first) and checked him over for bite marks, it is after hours. My husband has tried to explain to Brownie that, if he is going to get injured, he should do it earlier so it won’t cost us so much.

The other great Vet that we recently found is in Wakulla. They too, are very caring people and they take good care of our dogs. Just recently, our Chow had to have a major operation to remove bladder stones. We would not have known about this emergency procedure without the good service of the Wakulla Vet.

There's Only Five Left!

2008-09-22T13:36:00Z

Last Saturday we took our new litter of kittens to the Vet to get them wormed and looked at. The Vet techs took the kittens in the back room almost immediately and they started to give them the worming medicine. No waiting; that was great. All seven kittens were wonderful as they were handled. It only took about five minutes to get all of them wormed. My husband asked the techs if any of them would like a kitten (he’s always doing that everywhere we go) and one of the young ladies said. “Sure.” She chose one of the black kittens, Hanna. She put the little one in her smock pocket and the kitten stuck her head and one paw out and gave her the sweetest look you have ever seen. I pointed out that she still had one empty pocket. To my surprise; the tech said she would take the other black kitten, Fay, to help keep Hanna company. One trip to the Vet and we found a good home for two kittens. We know that the little ones will be in good hands because their new owner works in the Vet’s office. Free medical care; you can’t beat that. Lately, we have had the good luck to find several good Vets. Our regular guy, where we took the kittens, is wonderful. He really cares about the animals and he always gives us great service.

Porch of the Rising Sun

2008-09-18T22:07:00Z

We moved into the new house about two weeks ago and the settling in process is still going on. We are excited about being in the St. Marks area but some of the old house charm still lingers. I asked my husband the other day if he missed anything about the house that we used to live in and, if so, what was it. He said that the old house was comfortable, that the yard was much bigger, and that we had plenty of room and accommodations for our twenty plus cats and kittens. I have to agree with these observations even though I love living in our new home. There was never a problem with our cats giving birth to their litters because there was always plenty of space in our yard and in the adjoining vacant property. The huge back yard was great for the dogs to run and play. Then, my husband asked me if I missed anything about the old house. I replied that I missed the “porch of the rising sun”. You see, in the old house, the back of the house, which had a huge covered porch, faced East, where the sun rises in the morning. It has become our habit to sit outside on the back porch after breakfast for “coffee time”. I don’t drink the nasty stuff but my husband does. We sit on the porch and talk while the dogs run and play and poop. All the while the sun is rising and giving the lawn a beautiful pattern of colors; it is very peaceful and quiet.

More Kittens

2008-09-16T22:04:00Z

It is that time again. We have more kittens and they are the cutest bunch ever. They were four weeks old on Monday, the fifteenth of September. Click here to see pictures. There are seven in the litter and they are all wonderful. They have great personalities and all of them are really smart. Most of you probably remember Tastee Wheat, our pretty gray cat who produced seven kittens in her first litter. Well, this is her second litter of seven kittens. My husband says that this will be her last litter; we will have her spayed. She is a wonderful cat and she has become a member of the family, but she has produced fourteen kittens in the past year. There are too many kittens and we can’t find homes for all of them. At the rate that she is producing there will be several hundred cats in no time at all. In the present litter there are three girls and four boys. Just imagine if they all produce like their mother produces. Those are scary numbers. We really love the cats and we would like to keep them all but it just is not practical. There are so many animals in this neighborhood that we are afraid that adding too many more will cause problems.All of the kittens will go to the Vet in about a week to get wormed and a general examination. At that point we will be actively looking for good homes for all of them.

Gas Availability

2008-09-15T22:01:00Z

Gas prices going up all the time has been a terrible problem. I didn’t think it could get worse, until this past weekend. The only thing worse than high-priced gas is no gas. It was amazing to see all the people scurrying around on Friday trying to get the last drop of gas before Hurricane Ike hit Texas and ended the world as we knew it. I bet that if the gas stations charged $10.00 per gallon, it would not deter most people. When you think about it, gasoline is so important to us that we could not survive if there was a permanent shut down of the gas industry. We could not go to work, or to the doctor’s office, or to Walmart.

I was lucky to find a gas station on Sunday that had some gas. Most stations in Tallahassee were completely out of fuel. In Wakulla County, most stations were out too but some had only high test. It seems that the people who panicked only purchased the regular and mid-grade and they left the high test. It is sort of “eerie” to drive down all the roads looking for gas and seeing only those plastic shopping bags draped over the gas pumps. Some of the gas stations simply took the prices off their signs to indicate that they were out of gas. I think that this is a better way to tell people that they are out of gas. Sometimes it is hard to see if the pump handles are covered with the plastic bags and you might get your hopes up for naught. I hope they get more gas by the end of the week because I'll have to fill up again if I want to keep going to work.

I Scream, You Scream

2008-09-10T16:16:00Z

As nice as the day was for riding scooters, it was still very hot. My husband pulled in to a store that we know sells ice cream. Since most people enjoy ice cream it was a safe bet that all of us would like to get a cone and sit in the shade while eating it. Unfortunately, the store was closed. This was not a holiday or any other day that most stores would be closed. We were very disappointed. In point of fact, most stores in these parts are open only a very short amount of time. Limited hours and limited days on most restaurants are very annoying when you are hungry. Now we really wanted something to eat. Our lips were set for ice cream, but we opted for lunch instead. One of our favorite places to eat is the Saint Marks River Cantina. We have enjoyed going there for a long time. They are open at reasonable times, the food is great, and the people are very friendly. We have become “regulars” there and the servers know us very well and they know generally what we are going to order and where we are going to sit (at the bar). Usually, as we are parking our bikes outside, the server is already getting our drinks ready. Now that’s service! The place and people are always warm, a great atmosphere. So, we stopped at the Cantina for lunch because we couldn’t get any ice cream. It was a good trade off because we ate better food than just a dessert and the malt beverage that we like really quenched our thirst.

Scootering Around Town

2008-09-09T16:15:00Z

I decided to teach my niece how to ride my scooter. The scooter is a lot of fun to ride and it is easy to learn. The weather was just perfect for riding around the town and I wanted to take advantage of it. Since we have two scooters (one for me and one for my husband) and there were three of us, I let my niece ride my scooter and I rode with my husband. We gave her a quick lesson on the operation of the scooter and then we let her ride up and down the street to practice before we set off to see every small street in our neighborhood. She learned very fast and the scooter is simple to learn anyway, so only a single lesson is required. Usually we ride bicycles but the scooters are really great on a nice day.

My husband and I took the lead and my niece followed close behind. We traveled slowly so as not to get too far ahead of her. She only had about ten minutes experience before we took her around the town. Luckily there were no mishaps. Sometimes riding a bike that you are not familiar with can cause problems. I think that we covered every little street in St. Marks. Then we went down to the boat landing to enjoy looking at the rivers and marvel at the beautiful day. We were lucky to have bright sunshine, calm waters, and a gentle breeze, a truly gorgeous day.

Another Interesting Weekend

2008-09-08T16:11:00Z

Last weekend I had to help out my parents with their church function. I didn’t actually have to go there or participate; I just took care of my niece for a couple days. She is the oldest daughter of my brother who resides in Missouri. His daughter took a vacation from her job for a couple weeks and she usually spends it with her grandparents here in Florida. Coincidentally, this vacation occurred at the same time as my parents church function; my mother was so busy that she asked me to entertain my niece for the first two days of her visit. I was happy to do this since I’ve never had the opportunity to have any of my brother’s children come to stay with me overnight.

She arrived at the airport on Saturday evening. It was pouring rain here in Tallahassee. I was glad that the plane was on time, a rare occurrence for the airlines in general. We retrieved her single suitcase without a hassle, another rare occurrence. Since it was about eight o’clock in the evening and she was weary from the trip, we went right to the house instead of stopping to eat. After much conversation to catch up on the local family matters, everyone settled in for the night.

Next morning I took her to the local restaurant for breakfast. It’s nice to take people to restaurants that you have found to be good. Here in St. Marks there are several nice places to eat. The people are friendly; the food is good; and we don’t have to wait too long to be served.

A Dear Deer Does Drop By

2008-09-06T13:32:00Z

Last Friday morning was very interesting. I had just finished breakfast and we let the dogs out to run in the backyard. This is usual in the morning and we watch them chase squirrels or other small creatures while my husband drinks his coffee. We don’t want the dogs to get too excited because sometimes they start to fight and that is something we don’t want to deal with in the morning. This particular morning was going to be different. As the dogs ran around the yard they started to center on one side of the fence. They were very interested in whatever was on the other side. We heard some rustling in our neighbor’s yard but it sounded like it might be some little creatures running around, having a great time. Then the activity stopped and the dogs started to sniff the air as they continued to run around. Something was different. A few minutes later my husband saw one of the neighbors walking up and down the street pointing here and there as he went. This was strange behavior and we went out front to see what was happening. Two deer, each sporting eight point racks, were running through the front yards trying to get back to the woods. One made it okay but the other could not find his way between the houses. He tried to get through two neighboring houses but there was an eight-foot fence from house to house. He ran back and forth seeking some way to get over the fence. Each time he tried he hit the corner of the house and fence and injured himself. He left blood on the side of the house and he kicked at the fence, knocking one of the slats completely out. My husband and two other neighbors stood to one side of the house and made noise so that the deer would run the other way. This worked and the deer ran down the front lawns of five houses to eventually get back to his home. It was an interesting morning!