Monday, November 9, 2020

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!


39 comments:

  1. You have quite the collection of non-human companions down there.

    You and Mrs. J have given them a loving and warm home, God Bless You both for that. (I'm sure there are other reasons for you two to be blessed, but those spring to mind right off the bat.)

    As for the other thing...

    That's best left unsaid.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sarge.

      Yeah, the next few weeks are going to be....interesting.

      Delete
  2. I came bouncing off the bus one day, and there was a "horse??" in the barn lot. Dad explained about the "dead head" standing in the corner of our lot. He'd been called to assist in an animal abuse investigation. The horse had wintered with no feed and little water. Not one horse biscuit in an acre lot. Just bear grass and bare dirt. The local APCA didn't have a place to put her and we did. "Save your receipts and document with pictures." That first day, her ears didn't even move when we blew out the back door to see the new arrival. In 6 weeks she went from a dead head, to nickering when we got home from school, trotting to the corner of the lot to greet us, and all the old coarse wool fell off and a beautiful golden Palomino mare was underneath.

    When the judge saw the pictures he didn't believe it was the same horse. Dad asked to buy her from the girl that starved her. The girl was furious and said she'd as soon give it away to anyone but dad. The judge said if she wanted to avoid jail time, she'd sell it right then for what dad spent to care for her. So, Honey Tamet, registered quarter horse, trained cutting horse and the smoothest foxtrot you ever encountered got to live with us. She was one fine animal.

    Horses make fine company if you are working together.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I didn't mention our other rescue, Grace, a purebred Golden Palomino that we got when we sent Cab and Merlot of to school. (We didn't have a clue how to give them basic training, so we hired someone to do it.) While they were there, we saw an add for a Golden Palomino free to a good home. Didn't have anything better to do, so we stopped by to see what was what. Turns out she was owned by two doctors who were on a mission trip to Africa. They had decided it didn't make sense to pay for boarding a horse given that situation. We said we'd take her, but the lady there said she wanted to make sure Grace (the horse's name) would accept us. So we walked out to the barn. Grace came strolling up looked at me with her golden eyes put he head on my shoulder and gave a sigh. She was 27 at the time. She imparted a lot of wisdom on the two paints and their "owner". She passed on at 32 and is buried under her favorite tree on the property.
      Fine company indeed! I miss her.

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  3. Those are some lucky critters to have ended up in your home juvat.........gonna guess they've paid off those rescue debts too eh? Yrrcch.....not a fan of trash pandas. They're in force hereabouts.

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  4. Schmedly was prolly just meowing at the old door wondering where YOU'D gotten to.

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    Replies
    1. We have seen her as well as some of the others who've managed to go walkabout down at the old house. We did investigate, but never saw her there on this recent excursion. I gotta figure out how to fix the gate. Oscar manages to shimmy under a corner, so we can't just leave him in the back yard unsupervised. One more thing on my honey-do list. The cat's just jump the fence.

      Delete
  5. Senegal? What the heck? Musta shocked your senses to hear that. France-france, Switzerland, Belgium (the frog part) but Senagal?

    Oy vey!

    Other than that, sounds like the World has figured out you are nice people.

    My wife's first dog was a result of the Pure Bred Newfoundland jumping the fence to get to the purebred German Shepard (dog).

    Our current dog is from a nice lady in Alabama who happens to live a convenient distance in the country away from a city. Convenient meaning "Hey, look, Ima take that damned dog and dump it" distance...

    We've had a host of cats dumped on us by 'friends' who just needed to have us watch the cats 'while they're moving or looking for new apartments' etc. Greatest way to get a new cat and drop a friend.

    Mrs. Juvat and you are just nice people.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Beans. Yeah, Senegal wasn't her first choice. Her first choice was Rawanda. I used the Dad Veto on that one. "You'll not go to anywhere that has committed genocide in your lifetime!" She went and did a little research, said OK then came back with Senegal. I still had some friends in the Intel business so I gave them a call and asked about it. They said the biggest problem would be petty theft (it was and did) but they should be ok. I'll tell you what, though, Beans. The person I saw walking out of security at the airport on the return trip was not the little girl I saw leaving. I'm very proud of her.

      Delete
  6. Oh, I just love this story!!
    I'm an animal lover for sure too. I have 4 cats and have had 2 black Labbies who I adored.
    BTW, Juvat..."Mrs J. will step out back and call there names and..." There should be their names...

    So glad Schmedly came home and is ok. I take it hard when they just never come back...too many times.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, missed that one. When I proof read, my mind tells my eyes to see what I meant to say, not what I said.

      Thanks, BBC.

      Delete
  7. Young lady got a lab mix puppy. Seven years later she had a husband, two children, and two more dogs. The other two started fighting with the lab. Thanks to Craigslist, I ended up with Banner (as in the Incredible Hulk). Kept the name although he is the biggest 80 lb wimp you will ever meet. Hates water and won't fetch. We live in a 90 unit Senior Housing building where he is adored and spoiled by some of the residents. He puts a lot of smiles on a lot of faces. In the year I've had him, he has enriched my life.

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    Replies
    1. Animals have a way of doing that, don't they WSF? We had a dog when I was growing up. Technically, it was my sister's, but Mom and Dad kept him when we all moved out. Didn't have one of our own, until Okinawa. One Saturday, Mrs J and Little J went to the commissary and I took the opportunity to take a nap. Woke up to a wet tongue licking my face. Princess was a Shiba Inu and we had her until we moved here in retirement. Her ashes are in Mrs J's office, along with Corky's and Bella's our one day friend.

      Delete
    2. My wife's two service dogs are waiting to co-mingle with her when she goes. Assuming that she passes before me, they'll all be scattered in the Smokies.

      Delete
    3. Mrs J is adamant on Waimea Canyon in Hawaii. One of the only times I surprised her was waking her up at 5AM, shuffling her and the kids to the airport to catch an Aloha flight to Kaua'i, renting a car and driving to the canyon. Kids had cereal in those little boxes while Mrs J and I had coffee and danish watching the sun come up over the canyon. Ever once in a while, I get something right. They all still talk about it.

      Delete
  8. I'm thinking that if a white horse takes up living at El Rancho Juvat, then maybe Chardoneigh for a name?

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    Replies
    1. Sometimes they pretty near write themselves.

      My parents accepted a small poodle that had wandered into a friend's garage on Christmas Eve. We enjoyed Tiny Tim's company for several years.

      Delete
    2. I've set the name for all except the horses and Cooper. You're right, they do just write themselves.

      Delete
  9. Always seems like a good idea at the start.

    Sorta like taking that reenlistment bonus...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My bonus extended my active duty service commitment by 2 months. It was pretty much a no brainer.

      Delete
  10. I love this post! I got a little weepy a few times. So glad you and Mrs. J have such loving hearts! And the pictures are so sweet!

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  11. I must admit that I felt obliged to do the mandatory “fighter pilot retires to a cat house” but with that many dogs having voted in your favor, and all vouching for your good character I am convinced that you are indeed a gentleman of the highest order. It is said that a man who loves dogs is worth having as a friend, and a man who is loved by all dogs is a friend to value for life.

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    1. Thanks Dave. I hadn't heard that last one before, but that seems to be the case with everyone I've met who fits the description.

      Delete
  12. I had a calico tabby, Thomasina, who would stand by the door, and go, " Oooout! ", when she wanted to go out. When she wanted back in, she would jump into the screen of the screen door, and throw her weight back, so the door would bang. Sina was such a grumpy cat, that she was known in the n neighborhood as The Bear. So I would be minding my own business, and BANG BANG BANG!, I knew it was time to let in the Bear.

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    1. I'm pretty sure if we'd not had the doggie door, that would be Schmedley's way of requesting entry. We don't have screens on the new house, but screening in the porch is part of the Petio project. (Whenever we can find someone who thinks they'll be able to start in THIS millenia.)

      Thanks for the perfect word picture and the resulting chuckle.

      Delete
  13. YHGTBSM WBAGNFASB
    Just sayin'

    I have been hanging on to that thought all day until I could access a device I could use to comment.
    It seems kinda lame now.

    Posts about pets are almost always worth the time to write and to read.
    Thanks!

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  14. Juvat, most of our animals have been rescues or adoptions of one sort or another. I will say that they always seem very grateful.

    I volunteer at a rabbit shelter. I can say, on behalf of all shelter volunteers for all time, thanks for caring.

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  15. Why would Schmedly run off? She went from the worst humans to some of the best. Can't tell you how many selfish people would lecture me on the evils of neutering my dog - then when I used to help this woman in dog rescue see al; of the dogs these same people would five to the pound as cast-offs.

    My late aunt and uncle used to have a family farm and they would take in what my aunt called "walk-ons" - dogs and cats people would just dump at the gate.

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    1. I don't think she ran off per se. I think she wandered a bit further than she was used to, or maybe got chased by something, and got disoriented. Aside from the three houses at the end of the county road, there isn't much population within a couple of miles of us. That's by design, of course, so it's very likely that she got disoriented and took a while to reoriented. Being a fighter pilot's cat, I don't think she got LOST. Fighter Pilots NEVER get lost, just disoriented.

      Walk-ons, I like that term.

      Delete
  16. No doggie/kitty door yet? I thought you put one in on some short wall or something. I couldn't have sworn you wrote about that, but I could be thinking about something completely different in an entirely other blog for all I know. I haven't been sleeping so great recently and my memory is acting up.

    ReplyDelete

Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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