Sunday, October 09, 2011

THE CAT IN THE TUB, THE DOG IN THE HOUSE, TREE STUMPS AND 20TH CENTURY SHOES TO FILL

First the bad: I kept smelling this really acrid smell and finally found it - in the bathtub, under the nonskid mat I always rinse off. It was yellow and smelled to high heaven - I first noticed the odor a couple days ago but couldn't find the source. I think Tom-Tom peed in the tub. At least it was in the tub. Out went the bathmat, in went the Lysol. I'll have to see if TT follows up on his shenanigans. Wonder why he did that?  

The good: a wonderful weekend. This has been a wonderful fall! Mike came yesterday, brought his 1961 Massey-Ferguson tractor and plow and tried to get stumps up where they had cut trees last week. He got a lot of roots dug up, but the trunk held firm. (Picture on Facebook; didn't have my big camera outside just then.) And he's been fighting a cold this week, too. We had hamburgers for lunch - in fact, same thing we had last week when he came! Maybe I should try for soup or chili.

Friday night Oscar kept us up half the night harumphing at dogs barking outside, or just outright barking. We could hear the dogs way off in the woods. Do guys still fox hunt or are these just werewolves? Yesterday morning we had acquired one of the dogs, or A Dog. We could not run it off. She persisted in being sweet-faced and had that little high-pitched "won't somebody love me" whine. Beautiful dog, fairly young, I'd say. I think a mix between German Shepherd and lab. Of course, Oscar had a meltdown. He had been feeling his oats by not coming when I called him anyway, so he was in the (dog) house most of the day yesterday. When we did got out (leashed) we saw very quickly these two would take some time establishing pack leader. (But I thought I  was the pack leader...) Picture this: They start gnashing at each other, I start reeling Oscar in on his leash, lifting him airborn out of New Dog's way, at one point even swinging him in a semi-circle out of her readh. BUT she had on a halter, so he wasn't choked by his collar! Poor dog. But good grief, please get along! Although the stray is shy and sweet, she will definitely take up for herself and Oscar isn't having being #2. We didn't feed her but gave her water. I put a APB on FB, but no response. Our house is the nearest one to a crossroads, and this dog had no collar, so we're pretty sure she was abandoned. But she appears very healthy, well-fed with a good coat and skin. This morning Paul said, "Feed that dog." She had about a cup of O's dog food that he had refused to eat some time ago licked up in about 30 seconds. So, with that, it appears we have an outside dog. Paul calls her Sally, in memory of his dad's horse. We went to church and when we returned she was still there.

This afternoon I went to a reception one of the volunteer organizations had at the library (75th anniversary of the 20th Century Club) and on the way home went to Walmart for a dog collar. Sally let me put it on her; Paul leashed her and she bit at it once or twice, but submitted to it, while I took Oscar for a walk. I hate that he's not getting to run right now - he loves to so much. But he had to be reigned in anyway and who knows? Sally may be his guardian angel. He just doesn't know it.

The 20th Century Club has a long and distinguished history of vulunteer work in Iuka. My knowledge of it is sketchy at this point, but I think it is one of several organizations belonging to Mississippi Federation of Women's Clubs. I am honored to have been nominated for membership in Iuka's organization. It's a small group and some of its activities include food pantry, birthday parties at nursing homes, scholarships. It has some great scrapbooks from years past and looking through them briefly I saw pictures of one of my classmates who died young (Edna Earl), my business/typing teacher in high school (Mrs. Vickers), some members still active many years later, including another classmate (Fredda), who has been a member 20+ years. To me, this is another sort of wow moment. All these years I've seen their articles in the paper we got in Wynne, and this connects the past to the present; now I've been invited to follow in some of these - to me - giants' footsteps.  This is like something out of Ya-Ya Sisterhood, or Steel Magnolias. A who'da thunk it moment...

Our revival is this weekend and 4 nights next week. It's different in that it is staged like a drama, with tours leading people through different scenes - to a Final Destination. We plan to go one night this week; the sanctuary is Heaven (all the pews were moved to the youth building), and the basement (which I didn't even know existed) is Hell. One day this week I took sandwich food, chips and bread to help feed the workers and cast. I am going to try to help in the kitchen at least one night this week.

I told my Sunday School class this morning I would be out for about four weeks, but I would be back. Sher will be here next Saturday through about Wednesday and I'm going home with her.

So here are a few pictures I made this week and weekend. The sunlight has been beautiful through the trees, grasses and wild flowers.

Lucy and Tommy, bookends.

Shades of Fall
Sally


Fallen pine cones
Pine Cathedral
County Road sign.
One of a gazillion vines that grows in the woods around the house.
Sally's house.

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