Life and Stuff

I woke up this morning to the news that in addition to Tropical Storms Ana and Bill that we now also had Tropical Storm Claudette moving very close to the shores of Florida and Alabama in the Gulf Coast.  This meant that I had to go outside and get ready.  Since we never know exactly where the storms will come on land we have to be prepared.  I spent my day checking the generator and getting cans have gas.  I also had to bring in all items in the yard that might fly around in high winds (wind chimes, hanging baskets, bird feeders, etc).  Claudette was not predicted to be a big storm but since Bill is looking like it will be a hurricane and the season is perking up I had to go ahead and get prepared.  This also meant a trip to the store to stock up on batteries, water and canned foods and propane gas for the grill.

Once I had completed these tasks I mowed the yard, did some weed eating, did 2 loads of laundry and cooked supper.  I then called my mother in Washington State to tell her a storm had her name (she is a Claudette).  I found it quite humorous when she asked what they were predicting.  I said small in size, lots of wind and rain.  She laughed and said that sounded just like her.  Pint sized with a wallop!  After that a nice hot shower to clean up after a long day of getting storm ready here at the coast!

All in all it was a busy day but productive which is always good.

I have a six year old Golden Retriever.  Her name is Bridgette.  I got her for Valentine’s Day from my parents in 2004.  I chose her because she was somewhat of a runt.  She is an extremely hyper dog.  She loves to lick.  She also loves playing with soft, squeaky toys, like the Loofah Dogs; those are her personal favorite.    My father also has a golden retriever named Annie.  Bridgette did not like Annie at first.  My dad likes to tell the story of when Bridgette took Annie at the end of our street, and then Bridgette came running back to our house.  Despite that incident, now Annie and Bridgette are very close to one another.   While some people dress up their dogs, I have never been able to find any dog cologne spray that fit Bridgette.  Not that I would ever get them on her.  It’s hard enough to put a collar on her.  She also hates wearing things on her head, like Halloween hats and Santa hats.  Although she was a bit wild as a puppy, she is now one of the best behaved dogs I know.

I honestly think I have the most awesome dog ever! His name is Chico and he’s a mut. I think He’s some kind of mix between a Pekingese and a Poodle. My mom is a doctor and during my senior year in high school one of her patients brought him in to her office, placed him on her desk and left. From that moment on he was my dog. He’s the most loyal, friendly, energetic dog a pet owner could have. I love how excited he is to see me everyday when I get home from work, so I can take him for a walk and he can wear his winter dog jacket. My favorite thing for him to do is snuggle up against my feet and fall asleep when I’m reading in front of the fireplace.  I’m so glad the lady abandoned him years ago. I can’t imagine my life without him.

How can we escape against dogs bitten?   What are the main reasons for dog bitten?  Mostly children or below fourteen are affected by the dogs bitten.  According to the recent surveys, the most frequently bitten people are children.  Any type of dog can bite if your behaviors are something different and courageous. If any children keep on doing something what makes the dog getting irritation or anger, it might bite you.  Perhaps if dog’s ears are laid back and if dog’s tail settled in between the legs, you can understand it is scared.  When you approach such dogs, it might run away or it might bite immediately.  So you should not go closer to that if it looks like that.   On the other hand, usually shy dogs will behave very gentle, loving and obedient.  But when they have frightened they may try to bite.  If you reach into their dog Christmas stockings then they will probably bite. One thing you have to remember that if a dog’s tail may even be wagging, but a wagging tail does not always mean a friendly dog. We should advice our children never try to touch a dog when it is feeding.  Try to avoid teasing your dogs playfully.  You should not disturb any dog while sleeping.   You can pat a dog on the side of the face, under the chin or on the chest when you meet a new dog and you should not place your head above a dog’s head.  Do not approach a new dog when it is chained up.  Finally if any strange dog comes up to you, stand still like a pillar.