May I Help?

I was dutifully working on the glass cabinet doors for the kitchen remodel this afternoon, when I was approached by the lady next door with an entreaty to help her get her lawn mower started. Figuring she had simply forgotten to apply the choke, I said sure. No luck...the mower was dead, she was already sweating profusely, and as mentioned in an earlier post, her husband had recently parted ways with one of his legs.

I offered to mow her horribly overgrown back yard with my mower. She accepted very gratefully, and I began. On average, the weeds and grass were about 2' tall, with gopher mounds, wood and bricks mixed in sporadically. I mowed it once on the highest setting, and went back over it two settings lower.

I was interrupted once by rain and hail, causing me to run home in panic to put the Tundra in the garage. After two hours and another rain shower, I was able to finish the job, and return to the garage to finish the four doors I had vowed to build today.

Some days, it just doesn't pay to work with the garage doors open. Tomorrow, I attack my own yard.

A Fond, but Painful, Farewell

I awoke this morning, but the last thing I wanted to do was get up. I knew the task that awaited me. It was a task I had known was coming for a while, but I was still not ready for it. This morning, I had to escort my dear Katie to the clearing at the end of the path.

Katie began her journey 14 years ago in Amarillo. The wife and I were heading to Colorado for vacation, and she mentioned some strange creature called a Pembroke Welsh Corgi was available if we wanted to take a look. I said sure, why not. I had no idea how taken I was going to be with this dog. Little short legs offset by ears that more than made up for her stature, and a doggie smile no one could resist. We made arrangements to pick her up on the way back to Texas, and thus began our life with Corgi's.


Katie had hip problems forever, but that did not keep her from running around the yard, keeping the other dogs in line.



She adapted to this problem amazingly, and was even able to compete for a short while in agility and obedience. It was the progression of this condition, along with other age related issues that finally brought me to the painful decision I had to make.

Katie has been a treasure in my life, and I will always be grateful for the joy she brought me and the wife. Travel well, Scooter...I will see you down the road.