In a worrisome, troubled world, people took comfort when President Hinckley said, in his fatherly, assuring way, "It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out."

Thursday, August 28, 2008

















Remembering Chloe


When Dana was in high school she insisted that she needed a dog of her own. We had a dog and a cat, but she wanted a pet that was "hers". There was an ad in the paper for a beagle, which of course Dana decided would be perfect. We went to "just look" at the beagle. Never go to "just look" at an animal. You will immediately fall in love. Now most beagles are brown, black and white, but remember that the most famous beagle "Snoopy" is black and white. Our Chloe is the only other beagle I have ever seen that is black and white. When Dana went away to college, Chloe became mine.

Chloe never was the smartest dog we have owned, but she was always one of the sweetest.
She barked at every piece of papper that blew across the yard.
She sometimes would bark at the setting sun until it was out of sight.
Chloe never met a child that she didn't love and every child who met Chloe loved her. Our grandchildren and the neighbor children like Chloe better than our other dogs. Chloe was always very patient with their hugs and pats.

Chloe was with us for 15 years. He hearing and sight were failing. She had arthritis and spent her days lying in the sun.
Chloe died on Monday, August 25, 2008
Her doggie companion of more than 6 years, Toby mourns for her.
We all miss Chloe very much.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Rats, Cats and BATS, Oh My!!!


Ok, so I don't actually have bats, but they sure look like them. What I have are birds in my chimney.
Not to be confused with "bats in the belfry"

Last summer I heard a strange sound in the fireplace which was also driving my cat completely "batty" (pun completely intended) It sounded like .... well it didn't really sound like anything I had ever heard before. Kind of a scratchy, squeeky, flapping noise. So being the brave, independent, modern woman that I am. Yeah right. I opened the fireplace door just a tiny crack, but I couldn't see anything. I opened it a little more and I saw IT. There clinging to the side wall of the wood stove was "A BAT".

Well I thought it was. I let out my best late night horror movie scream and slammed the door shut. My heroic cat jumped to my aid. Actually all I saw of her was a yellow streak as she dashed under the couch.

A few hours later my knight in shinning armor, dh, came home and assured me that there was no way that a flock of bats were partying in our chimney. As I stood on the couch armed with a broom, he carefully opened the fireplace door. Of course there was nothing there. He gave me "the look". Then I saw It clinging to the door. I screamed, he jumped, It made it's hideous noise. Hubby bravely got a plastic bag, picked the creature off the door and carried it outside. My country boy hubby patiently informed me, city girl that I am, that it was only a bird called a chimney swift. They nest in unused chimneys and eat insects. Sure sounds like a BAT to me. Well apparently they liked our chimney because all summer we had a family of them in our chimney. It was hard to explain to guests what the weird sound was coming from our fireplace. Hubby never did get the chimney capped so once again this summer we have "batbirds" in our chimney. I don't have the heart to call an exterminator even for "batbirds" so after the babies have flown the nest I will call someone to cap the chimney and just hand hubby the bill.
BATBIRDS ARE CREEPY !!!