A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....05-25-05....Doggie Tails ~ River Rendezvous

DollyCali | 5-25-05 | dollyCali

[DollyCali]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dutchess, Aquamarine, DollyCali ~

How much is that doggie in the window?
The one with the waggley tail?
How much is that doggie in the window?
I do hope that doggie’s for sale.

Pet shops & breeders are possibly still the biggest platform in securing your new fuzzy friend in a PLANNED addition. You know the breed, disposition, size & “look” you want. You begin the search.

Personal dog rescues(as compared with rescue “groups”), have become a pretty common UNPLANNED way for the new little or BIG guys for finding their way into your home & hearts. Some just show up on your porch or in your yard. Some you find along the highway wandering & obviously dumped… you just need to get him off the street to “another” place. Problem is by the time you get home, you are already in love.

Then there is that email from Susie at church. -Either she or someone she knows has a little “whatever” that needs a home… could you keep him “just for the weekend”? Of course they know in 2 days you will be hooked & more readily part with your left arm than Mr. Fuzzy.

The ways to get them is legion

So here is my story of how my “son” found his way into my Catty life.

A dog? Ha. No, double Ha. Ridiculous. Just had cats all of my MANY years – no way could I have a dog. My yard wasn’t fenced, I didn’t know how to take care of a dog, and I could go on & on why I wouldn’t consider a dog when friends would call or email me with a little fella in need of a home.

Cats were easy.. Travel? Just leave a big bowl of water, ditto on dry food & lots of litter in their box (which they will ignore anyway) Sure cats are often a nuisance, tear up your furniture & make your friends think cat urine is your perfume fragrance of choice, but most often added much more joy than problems.

No, no dog for me. I am “cat people”.

Most know I am an “outdoor” type. One weekend afternoon a couple weeks after 911 my friend John, 2 of his children & I were kayaking on the Cuyahoga River just north of the Akron area. Beautiful day to be out on the winding, interesting & varied river which finally passes through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. before winding its way to Lake Erie in Cleveland.

Bathing suit weather it was… HOT & a wonderful day to be outdoors and around/in water. It would be about a 6 hour outing with a few stops to beach comb, collect golf balls & check out the treasures along the way. John normally brings his golden retriever but Chance is not as smart as he is pretty & often just takes off after something or other & forgets where his Daddy is. Phone calls from MILES away and hours later are then the relief that Chance has not become road kill or adopted by someone who chooses to ignore the ID tags.. So no hassle about worrying about a dog today! None at all. Zippo.

Down river kayaking is a wonderful & quiet experience.. You often come upon any variety of wildlife in water and on shore. But the tranquility was broken as about half way into the trip we go around a large bend & hear woowoowowowowo & there iN a drain pipe on the bank is a dog. Head up & howling at us. John is already shooting pictures by the time I get nearby. WOW, Scrawny looking dog & barking pretty fiercely. Probably will bite if try to go nearby. He is giving us the once over with his gaze.

Gee, I am thinking, I hope this dog is okay when we leave…

But what is now happening???. We are discussing taking the dog with us? He will die if we leave him in this unpopulated area. .hmm ~ well, I tell John we can find his owners maybe.

There is a collar not a tag. Not a good sign I later learn.

So we manage to convince the pooch to get into Johns kayak & the agressive demeanor turns into a love fest. The rest of ride pooch is licking, loving & buttering up his rescuer. John of course is reveling in it.

I tell John that if he can’t find the owner, he might be a nice addition to their household. He tells me he will be a nice addition to MY household & I laugh saying no way Jose. What a funny thought. John was NOT joking & when I eventually returned home the dog was IN MY VAN HEADING TOWARD MY HOME.

At John’s home it was decided that Oliver needed a bath. Whew did he stink. IF WE COULD GET HIM AWAY FROM CHANCE. The two dogs played well but their favorite game seemed to be HUMPY DUMPTY WHO IS ALPHA?. This NEW dog had so much energy.. just bounced & jumped & was a good match for High energy dolly - me. He was ALL OVER…. John started calling him ALL OVER.. not too many hours until that changed into Oliver.. Mistake. Naming him.

Giving a large rambunctious dog a bath is a LOT harder than giving a bath to a cat. I couldn’t do it with him in water & me out.. so I just got in the tub with him. Still no easy chore but oh my, he was much better (IMHO) with the earthy smells & gook on his fur replaced with lemon, rosemary & strawberry scents.

Was that first night at the DollyCali home going to be a problem? Where would “new dog” - .. no Oliver – sleep? He might hurt the cats. Better just leave him in van overnight & in morning see what we can work out. The test was the cats. If he hurt them, he was outtahere. Period.

Not having dogs before, had NOT yet learned you need to run off energy. (and wow this dog did & still does have never ending drive to run, run ,run). So since he hadn’t run & didn’t have a chewy, he just found his own chewy(s). Couldn’t he have just chewed apart ONE seat belt? Was it necessary to chew up every seat belt in the entire van????

Well at least he smelled good & passed the cat test but rubbing & licking gently the kittens that approached him the next morning. Next night he was permitted in house to sleep, He knew which bed to go to & leaned against my sore back adding support & warmth. What a sales pitch. But the sale had already been closed. I almost didn’t put the ads in. and decided if someone answered I would be very discerning if they would get him back.

But isn’t that all silly. Someone dumped him, no doubt because he drove them crazy with his endless stamina. He was meant to be here & so it was.

He goes with me most of the time. He runs while I ski, he runs while I bike, he runs the banks & swims in lakes & rivers when I kayak. He loves our long arduous hikes up & down hills & thru streams. A short walk on a leash does not cut it for either of us. He waits in van while I shop or am at church. He has been to FReeps, Ronald Regan’s funeral; Niagara Falls, Hilton Head, Tailgates, etc.

He is gentle around all animals. He will catch up with a wounded goose & lick & “mother” it. You can imagine how well that goes over with the goose! Last summer while Kayaking he found a little fawn.. smaller than he is. He swam with it in the river & wanted to play. The fawn was terrified & so was the mother on the shore (pix are at bottom of my profile page of Oliver & fawn).

Well, could make this a book but let it be said, no one placed ads for this lost dog, and no one responded to my “found” dog ads. Shots, neutering, dog food/stuff purchases (of course including his ID tag so I would get him back) began our journey. I was told he is half German shepherd from where he gets his “brains” and half golden retriever from which he gets his loving disposition & drive to run, chase and draw to water.

He was truly a gift from God although I had my doubts initially. My back over the years has become more problematic. Biking was good & so was kayaking. But walking, standing & even sitting was a torture for me. Now that I had A DOG, I needed to walk & be out with him. I was forced in pain to begin regular 3X day big outings. That is exactly what I needed. My back problems of years improved and to this day are much better than they would have been had I fallen into the predictable pattern of a more sedate life….computers, TV & movies were becoming more & more a pattern BD (before dog).

Oh about that bath.. Sweet smelling Oliver lasted 2 days. Of course they love to roll in dead animals/fish, excrement etc but on day two he beat the band by finding a skunk in the yard to “play with”… before I knew what happened he was in the house, rolling on the sofa, my bed – oh my - BUT the silver lining was the house no longer smelled like cats..

And now the final question to answer.. Of course he isn’t spoiled!

Now you have heard a little of my story.. Please share yours (and of course pix) here on this thread if you would like.. Doggie Tails will be an occasional offering from me. If you have a story FReepmail me & we can check into the possibilities of putting it on the forum.. If anyone works with a rescue group.. great. Do you have your own “Oliver story”? Did you save the life of a pet that then became your best friend?

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 5-23-05 Military Monday by The Mayor 5-24-05 Still Fontastic by Billie

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

03-29-05 ~ Hall of Fame #11

[DollyCali]

Dutchess, if your thread is ready & you need to get to sleep, please feel free to post & folks can continue chatting at either thread. Thanks to everyone for participating & letting me tell you about my special buddy.

Good night everyone. I think we are going to call it a day. Stay up & chat & post those gorgeous pooch pix - of course cat pix are okay - Thanks for all the fun pix & comments today.

closing thought for night (my email signature for those getting my emails)

Don't tell GOD how big your storm is.
Tell the storm how big your GOD is!

[dutchess]

Dolly. I think I found the finest in 2002...became a hostess in 2003 (BUT was a slow learner...not like you who took on doing a thread right away (and a great one at that!) It's interesting to look back isn't it? LOTS has happened...but especially politics interally as well as what is going on outside the FR world. I still view the Finest AND the Day in the Life as Safe Havens (although haven't had a chance to visit the Dose in a long time either) :o(

You can check all the past threads from the Hall of Fame links but sometimes that's time consuming (BUT it is very enlightening especially in the early days when we featured a Freeper almost every day!)

[The Mayor]

Those were great old days.. I just posted the cup of coffee and gradually added more and more features..

[Billie]

Goodnight, Dolly, Oliver and friends - that picture is too cute. All the posts have been such fun to read and to see the sweet pictures of our little furry friends.

[The Mayor]

This was fun..I still love the pic Billie made.

I just made this for my website.

[dutchess]

Wow Rus. Never saw this. How cool!!!! Hey...you have MY vote!!!!! :o)

P.S. Don't know your area...but where we live...it's door to door all the time...every voting precint about 3 times. I lost about 15 lbs. the first time Mr. D. ran (and won) public office!!!!

[dutchess]

Thanks so much for putting that great graphic together for tomorrow billie. You're the best!

[Billie]

We make a pretty good team - you come up with the neatest ideas! I'm happy to implement them! :)

Mail call. :)

Nite-nite.

BB

[DollyCali]

I had meant to respond to you sooner.. I appreciate your sharing about your Sam ... I know how hard it is to say goodbye. The little furry "kids" just can't tell us what is wrong but seem to intuitively know what we need. Doesn't seem fair to them.

And you now have a tripod!!! God seems to give us what we need.. goodnight now. I am really going to try to unwind. Shows how busy I have been, only been to Amy's once & not even to Dose!

Sweet dreams Lakeside.

((( super huggeroos }}}

[The Mayor]

It's one heck of mess up here in Buffalo and Erie county.

Absolute fiscal mess, they are calling for the resignation of the county executive.
Tax revolt we started in December has just gone thru the roof.
What fun!
http://www.RusThompson.com

[lonestar]

I love Lucy. Lucky Lucy!

Weinie

[MeekOneGOP]

Mornin'. :)

[OneLoyalAmerican]

Nice work DolliCali, thanks for the ping.
OLA

[DollyCali]

Love the graphics Rus.. just getting going from last night.. ugh.. The one Billie did is awesome.. she does wonderful work.
need to get over to tomorrow's (er/today's) thread..

[DollyCali]

thanks for your note & FReepmail.. are you & your honey or some of the "guys" from the coast guard station able to join us Sunday morning & early PM??? love to have you if you can make it. If you don't have other plans, it will a nice option for you/them. do you still have son's car?

[DollyCali]

4:44 (ohio time) 3:44 (Texas time).. up late? or up early?

I have frequent all nighters. think there will be one tongight.. see you on tomorrow (well, actually today's ) thread

[dutchess]

It's a new day. Join us for another biting JohnHuang2 essay HERE

[DollyCali]

Many of you posted to this thread about rescuing /adopting my very dear dog Oliver. He died suddenly Monday morning and wanted to let you know & give you two links to threads regarding it.

This will also tie up lose ends with "the rest of the story" to those who might trip on this thread in years ahead.

Our furry friends are without match in giving unmatchable love, aren't they?

Post on his death
(post 41 - at Finest))

(and here is the post)

posting to all here - hoping I have included all in this ping, but cant bank on it!

..not sure I can even get thru one post... so forgive not the individual responses to your comments FRiends..they are appreciated.

Oliver at 5 years old died within 1.5 hrs of first symptom. There was collapse of the lung & the air was filling his subcutaneous tissue & he was puffy all over.. He was not getting oxygen to his heart & the heart was beating like crazy, he was gasping for air & foaming at mouth. guess these are all symptoms are very typical of this condition.

not sure cause but one troubling possibility is gunshot.It is normally a condition according to vet brought on by trauma .. there was no injury to his body

My friend John, who was the kayaker when I found Oliver (he is also on my profile page w/ oliver &his two dogs walking).. was with me last night. I called when all the symptoms started & I panicked & had no clue of ER docs etc.

I met him about 20 minutes south of my home & He drove the rest of way.

We were looking at up to 5K for surgery which might not help. He died within a half hour of us getting there. They were in the process of intubating him. He was conscious the entire time & kept his gaze on me. I tell, you dear friends, there is not a more helpless situation in the world than this

The doc said he lived as long as he did because he was in superb physical condition. Normally this is a half hour death from onset.

I brought oliver in last night & put him on living room floor. I didn't sleep,but held him close all night. several cats joined us .. and Toby was nearby watching. Toby is having a very difficult time also.

today I took O back to my van. the ground is frozen & we have quite a bit of snow. I want to bury him in back yard overlooking the national park & will have "services" .. possibly with those attending, helping with the grave digging. right now I am still pretty much in a daze.

John wanted his two dogs to see Oliver so I took Toby & O to the Brandywine falls area that Oliver simply loved to romp in. chance & Tippy investigated Oliver & friend John took some pix. Including a few for you to see (last one is kiss.. which he has ALWAYS gotten a lot of & a lot of since his death..) O is still very swollen. He is a slick, conditioned dog.. now due to air throughout his body he is swollen

I am not doing well friends.. I feel like my heart has been torn out.. my best friend ever is gone.. thank you for your notes & your prayers..just wanted to give you an update & sorry if I missed someone who wrote...

Post on MY state of affairs 24 hours later
( post 54 at finest)

and here is the post

I hated to start keying in screenenames as I am sure I missed someone. thank you for your notes of encouragement & suggestions on many things.

Interesting that being a grief counselor surely doesn't help one much when in the grief soup. What one knows intellectually is different from what one experiences in spirit & soul

rather than write the same things via FReepmail or posts, I am doing a mass response to ideas etc.& letting you know how things go. Will be posting no doubt the same item at Finest(because I am lazy)

Oliver is still in my van. I am sure to some of you this sounds weird but I still feels good to be able to go out & hold him & kiss him

. After talking with law enforcement, vets, friends have about decided against an autopsy. Nothing is totally firm

I will be having burial, services - if you will - in a few days. The ground is cold & semi frozen & all who come will help dig the grave. A friend will be making a simple wooden casket. Another friend will be doing the grave marker.

His resting place will be in the rear of the property overlooking the national park that he so dearly loved to run in & where I initially found him 4+ years ago.

Oliver was "claimed" by many friends who did not have pets but called O "their boy" and went with me frequently on excursions of hiking, skiing & biking with him.

I slept a few hours last night & was dragged out & almost force fed by caring friend. Those of you who have lost pets suddenly know the difficulty & it almost seems sacrilegious to be even posting THIS as I know there are FR family now morning the loss of parents, children, siblings etc.. But loss is loss

Oliver's dog, Toby is really missing him. Oliver never let Toby get close to me.. emotionally or physically. If T came close, Oliver let him know quickly, what the pecking order was. Oliver was NEVER Alpha to ANYTHING until Toby. Toby is sitting most of the time on the place where I had Oliver the night I brought his body in when he died. He is resting his head (like a pillow) on Oliver's baby(stuffed teddy) which he was never permitted to touch/play with.

He is afraid to get on the bed (Oliver growled him off) etc. Because of his severely injured paw from about a week ago, Toby cannot run for now but when I take him out on leash he goes to the van and cries gently.

Thank you for indulging me as I share some pix. those who know me well, know I take pictures continually. I have hundreds of Oliver in the archives Various pix of O.. One is a pix of Oliver (head ) and Toby in the golf course where I walk them each Sunday after church. There are hundreds of acres of metro park / wild forest surrounding the golf course & that is where they romp. the other Link is a video of O & T. on the 23rdNov... they had been wildly running & playing. When I decided to do a video to capture it, they became calmer.. oh, well.

thank you again for your thoughts, notes etc. if I missed someone please know, I am pretty brain fried still and without that excuse am not the best detail person..

I am thinking now of I Corinthians 13.. and the greatest of these is love..

yes, thank you for YOUR expressions of concern & love..AND I thank God for the love of one of his creation that He permitted me to experience for 4 wonderful years. I know that my redeemer lives and I will be with Him AND my dear Oliver someday.

Oliver/Toby video

(avove)FReeping at a Brown's game last fall

(above) the back yard area overlooking where he will be buried

The Day I found him (above) abandoned in the river in a sewer pipe

Here is the Thread on his Rescue

[pookie18]

Sorry, Dolly. My deepest condolences.

(Screen name in honor of my cat who lived to the age of 18)

[jmc813]

I am so sorry for your loss. My eyes are tearing reading about it. Hang in there.