Schmedly

No.

I'm not going to talk about that.

My cardiologist won't allow me.

Ok, one sentence.

YHGTBFSM!

So, juvat now that you got that off your chest, what will you actually be talking about?

I'll be talking about our menagerie, my good friend and WEB Griffin-esque author.  A little background on its
general nature and a bit more specific on a subset.

Corky

 

Once Corky went to the big dog house in the sky, we realized all our remaining animals were "rescues" of some level or another.   

Oscar's Naptime at Nuevo Rancho Juvat. The cosco stepstool helps them get up to their window bed

Oscar, our oldest, is the result of a modern day range "War" between our two nearest neighbors.  The neighbor we share a fence with raises "Pure bred, Black Angus" cattle and has  a small chihuahua Rat Terrier (updated per Mrs J) as his dog. (We'll call him Jim)   The other neighbor who shares a fence with Jim raises cattle and "Pure bred Dachshunds". (We'll call him John)  One dark and stormy night, John's bull broke down the fence between his and Jim's ranch.  He then proceeded to "have his way" with the purebred Black Angus Heifers.  Shortly thereafter, Jim's chihuahua Rat Terrier  managed to pick the lock on John's kennel and "have his way" with the Dachshund ladies.  It's Mother's day and we're coming home from Church and we see John on the county road between our three properties.  Being polite, we stopped to say hello.  He walks up carrying a puppy and hands it to Mrs J.  Oscar, as in Oscar Meyer Wiener. has been with us for about 14 years now.

Cooper prefers napping in her crate

 

Cooper, is a Transylvanian Wolf Hound.  MBD, while in College, thought a dog would be a good thing to have.  Which worked just fine, until she had to fulfill the last requirement for her degree in International Business.  Spend a semester abroad in a country that speaks the language you took in college.  She took French.  I though "Cool, a semester in Paris, or maybe Switzerland".  No, she went to Senegal.  We took care of Cooper "while she's gone".  Coopers been with us for about 10 years now.

Annie prefers napping at Mrs J's feet under her desk

 

It's Christmas Eve,  Mrs J has the duty at the local AT&T store in town.  After closing and locking up, she's dropping the trash off at the dumpster before driving home.  She notices a small black animal at the dumpster.  Annie, as in Little Orphan Annie, has some chihuahua in her, but is primarily dachshund.  She's been with us about 7 years now.

When we retired from the Air Force, our "plan" was to plant grapes and make wine.  Yeah...right.  In the process of getting ready to implement this "plan", we became friends with the Winemakers at Texas Hills Vineyard.  Part of that friendship is "Free Wine", after you plant or pick in the vineyard.  In short, the technical term for growing grapes is "Farming".  The Lord gets a big vote on the success or failure of a farmer.  So, we changed paths and plans for the future.  But, one night, we're reading in the living room after dinner. Mrs J looks over at me and asks if we're going to plant grapes.  I tell her "No, Honey, we're not." She looks back at me and says "Well...I want Cabernet and Merlot on the property!"  I think to my self "What part of No does she have an issue with?"

She then hands me a magazine.  On the cover are two horses.  This was in 2014, Central Texas was undergoing a severe drought.  A paint horse breeding farm had gone broke and couldn't feed the horses.  The local Sheriff had seized the horses and given them to an animal rescue group.  The magazine was advertising looking for someone to take them off the group's hands.  Their names are Cabernet and Merlot.  After passing a relatively comprehensive exam of our ability to provide for the horses, they arrived and have been here since.

Cab's on the left, Merlot on the Right

 

Our most recent additions to the menagerie, are MouseKa and MooshKa. It was another Dark and Stormy night when we heard the tiniest of meows on the front porch.  Sticking my head out the door, I see three kittens, looking very drenched and very hungry.  Managed to dry them off and feed them, but left them on the front porch until the next morning.  They were still there when we woke up.  Fed them again, but had no intention of bringing them inside.  (At the time, we still had reminants of our original cat family that lived outside, I think we were down to two.)  Anyhow, that arrangement worked for a while, until one morning, I wake up to some hissing and howling.  Sticking my head out the front door, I see a raccoon with one of the kittens in his mouth running off.  MouseKa and MooshKa are inside cats now.

The only way to tell which is which is to feel the end of their tail.  If it's got a little knot in it, that's MooshKa.  No idea which is which in this pic.

 

Schmedly is our tabby.   She was delivered to us from a moving vehicle.  Found her on the side of our road all skidded up.  Nursed her back to health and she's been with us for 5 or 6 years.  In the old house, we had a doggie door, so she'd go out and cat around.  One of her favorite things to do is catch a mouse or lizard and bring her trophy in the house with her when she returns.  Unfortunately, the new house does not have a doggie door as of yet.  (I'm waiting on the contractor to give me a bid to build the "Petio".)  So she has been howling at the door when she wants to go out.  I swear she says "Hello", "Where are You" and "Go Out" in recognizable English. In any case, We'll let her out and she goes around the yard "hunting".  Around Sunset, Mrs J will step out back and call there names and all three cats will come running.  Food is a powerful motivator.

What're ya bothering me for? Can't you see I'm gonna take a nap?

 

In any case, a few nights ago, Mrs J called and MousKa and MooshKa came, but no Schmedly.  No worries, she'll come back soon.  Wasn't there when we went to bed, nor when we woke up, nor the next evening, nor the following morning, nor that evening.  We're saying Grace at dinner that evening and I usually follow up with a few "requests".  You know, "Keep Little J and DIL safe in the Middle East" and "Keep MBD and SIL safe in Houston."  Things like that.  At this point, Mrs J is a little anxious about Schmedly.  So am I frankly.  

So I tuck in a quick "Please help Schmedly find her way home."

Not fifteen minutes later, I hear a meow at the door.  Yep.  Sometimes it's the little things that help you to believe.

Peace out, y'all!