OK. After losing JD this morning, I was piddling around the house and listening to the rain and wind that have been feasting on north Kohala for a couple of weeks, so much so that we had been in a flash flood warning for days and days. I decided to go to the Post Office and so had to get the dogs into the house for while I was gone.
I started with the three dogs in the front yard. Reese, Chip and Mermaid came in right away and were happy to be out of the rain. I then went out to the back yard to bring in Myshka and Henry. Henry came right in and loved his treat that took him into his crate. Myshka didn't come in, not even with lots of calling. I examined the yard, the fence, under the house, in the house, under the house, in the house, in her crate, under the house, etc. I was just sure that someone had stolen Myshka or that she had caught a bufo toad and was dead somewhere in the horrendously thick foliage that kept me from seeing her. I HAD to go to the PO, so went quickly and came back. It was still raining, but I took out the lopper and took it out into the backyard and started pruning out a bunch of heliconia so that I could see if she was in there amongst the packed in plants. I found Myshka under the lychee tree huddled around four fat babies, three girls and one boy. I am STILL shaking from all of the adrenaline that released when I thought Myshka was GONE!!!! I brought the puppies in and Myshka followed. No more puppies have come out. Does the boy need to be named JD? When will the shaking go away?!!
So, that is today. Myshka "took" me, but she is forgiven. She is a good mama and is happy and proud. I didn't think that she was ready to have her babies yet, but she had a different take on it. There had been no panting, no nothing and no milk in her tits. Hmmmmm. She was being quite sneaky today. Fooled me.
All the puppies are fine and dandy. The heaviest, a girl, weighs 9.3 ounces and the lightest weighs 8.2 ounces. The boy weighs 9 ounces. They are all so wet that they all look like blues. We'll see what they are when they dry off a bit.
So there, a non-typical day in Kohala....
Take care, from the shaky Curmudgeon
Monday, April 16, 2018
Sad Day
Elwha's JD Jye, 2/14/2004 -4/16/2018
JD, the son of Lil and Harley, went to live with Jean Rassbach. He had a wonderful life with Jean until Jean got cancer and died. Jean had asked that JD stay with his daughter, and he did until she too had medical problems that caused her to return JD to the Elwha pack. JD went to live with Kathleen, my daughter, in Bellingham, WA as I had already moved to Hawaii. We found a number of homes for him, but he stayed with Kathleen. In getting him ready to go to one of those homes, lab tests showed abnormal calcium levels. Working that up was not showing anything until one day when a bump showed up on his side. It was lymphoma, and the vet gave JD two months to live. That was well over a year ago. Kathleen moved in with me in September, 2017, and thinking that JD might go any day, he stayed in Bellingham. Kathleen's husband, Gilbert, had never much liked the Border Terriers as he is a "big" dog person, but he fell in love with JD and when he called Kathleen this morning, he was bawling as hard as Kathleen was when she called me. She was on her way to work. JD was amazing and kept on going, long past his supposed overdue date. He loved Kathleen most, but loved Kate and Gil too. We know he loved Jean. Now he is reunited with his best friend.
Jean and JD had lots of fun together and JD and Jean earned him MANY titles, CH, agility, obedience, rally, earthdog, tracking and who knows what else? He was a remarkable dog, thanks to Jean Rassbach.
We will always remember JD and remember what a tough little terrier he was. He has a brother, Harta Gold who has had a ton of fun in his life with Heather Somers and is now getting blind and deaf but still has lots of fun, a brother PepperJack, who lost his best friend, Dennis, a bit over a year ago, but who now has fun with a new friend. Sisters who live in Arlington, WA, Oregon and Florida and who are loved to heaven knows. That was an amazing litter and JD was certainly a shining light in it.
We will miss JD and his legacy, but know he is now beyond hurting.
Signing off,
The Sad Curmudgeon
JD, the son of Lil and Harley, went to live with Jean Rassbach. He had a wonderful life with Jean until Jean got cancer and died. Jean had asked that JD stay with his daughter, and he did until she too had medical problems that caused her to return JD to the Elwha pack. JD went to live with Kathleen, my daughter, in Bellingham, WA as I had already moved to Hawaii. We found a number of homes for him, but he stayed with Kathleen. In getting him ready to go to one of those homes, lab tests showed abnormal calcium levels. Working that up was not showing anything until one day when a bump showed up on his side. It was lymphoma, and the vet gave JD two months to live. That was well over a year ago. Kathleen moved in with me in September, 2017, and thinking that JD might go any day, he stayed in Bellingham. Kathleen's husband, Gilbert, had never much liked the Border Terriers as he is a "big" dog person, but he fell in love with JD and when he called Kathleen this morning, he was bawling as hard as Kathleen was when she called me. She was on her way to work. JD was amazing and kept on going, long past his supposed overdue date. He loved Kathleen most, but loved Kate and Gil too. We know he loved Jean. Now he is reunited with his best friend.
Jean and JD had lots of fun together and JD and Jean earned him MANY titles, CH, agility, obedience, rally, earthdog, tracking and who knows what else? He was a remarkable dog, thanks to Jean Rassbach.
We will always remember JD and remember what a tough little terrier he was. He has a brother, Harta Gold who has had a ton of fun in his life with Heather Somers and is now getting blind and deaf but still has lots of fun, a brother PepperJack, who lost his best friend, Dennis, a bit over a year ago, but who now has fun with a new friend. Sisters who live in Arlington, WA, Oregon and Florida and who are loved to heaven knows. That was an amazing litter and JD was certainly a shining light in it.
We will miss JD and his legacy, but know he is now beyond hurting.
Signing off,
The Sad Curmudgeon
Friday, April 6, 2018
Lehua Island
Those scenting dogs, those are Akenside Cumin, Henry, from the UK and bred by Lesley Gosling, and Reese, Elwha's Sweetness Personified (except when it comes to rats.)
This is coming up soon. Gotta go in April, before the birds start nesting.
This is what came out this morning in Kauai's Garden Island Newspaper:
Excited Curmudgeon
This is coming up soon. Gotta go in April, before the birds start nesting.
This is what came out this morning in Kauai's Garden Island Newspaper:
DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCESDAVID Y. IGE
GOVERNORSUZANNE D. CASE
CHAIRPERSONFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 4, 2018RAT-DETECTING DOGS JOIN LEHUA ISLAND RESTORATION PROJECT PARTNERSHIPLocalized Treatments Continue after a few rats caught on camera(LIHUE, KAUA’I) – Monitoring teams are observing more albatross on Lehua Island than they have in a long time. There’s also no sign of rats consuming plants or seabird eggs, something that was commonplace a year ago. These are exactly the kind of early indicators project partners might hope to see – signs of a recovering island ecosystem, due to the removal of introduced, damaging (invasive) rats. But there is still work to do!The Lehua Island Restoration Project Partnership is working hard to finish the ambitious operation initiated in 2017 to rid the island of predatory rats. Recently, remote, motion-activated monitoring camera ‘traps’ picked up three images of what are believed to be two or three rats on the steep and rocky cliff areas on the West and East sides of the island. Analysis of images show definitive proof of one rat; the other two are partial images that experts confidently believe to be rats.For decades, invasive rats were having an ecosystem-wide impact on Lehua by consuming native plant seeds and preying on seabird chicks, eggs, and adults. In fall 2017, project partners applied a conservation bait to the island containing the rodenticide diphacinone to protect native species that depend on Lehua Island by removing invasive rats.The project partners’ operational plans identified and explained that aerial application of rodenticide should result in complete eradication, and that on-the-ground spot treatments may be needed if rats are detected post aerial application. Spot treatments consist of hand placed traps and/or bait stations deployed in the areas with recent sightings. The bait stations are enclosed containers that permit rat access but prevent the low risk of exposure to non-target species like the islands nesting seabirds.In their latest move to assist in removing the remaining rats, the Project Partners have recruited rat-detection dogs to join the team. The dogs will be deployed over the next two months. Similar, specially trained dogs have proven to be extremely successful in finding their targets as evidenced by their recent use to detect avian botulism at the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge. Once the scent is identified, the handlers then help the dogs pinpoint the precise areas where rats are located. The dogs are trained and handled to minimize their interactions with native birds.Since Lehua Island is relatively easy to access, the project team has been deploying an unprecedentedly high level of post-project monitoring. Every month since the rodenticide application last fall, a team from Island Conservation and DLNR’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) and other partner organizations return to Lehua to monitor progress, retrieve photos from dozens of camera traps to search for rats, and to apply spot treatments and trapping aimed at eliminating any remaining rats. More remote projects often must wait a full year or two before more cost-prohibitive monitoring begins. Dr. Patty Baiao of Island Conversation explained, “Perhaps those hundreds of successful but more remote projects too had a few lingering rodents that, due to their inability to find each other and breed, naturally expired. Regardless, the project team is not taking any chances. We want nothing more than to document with scientific rigor the anecdotal seabird increases and benefits we have already begun to observe.”Sheri S. Mann, Kaua‘i branch manager for the DOFAW commented, “A few rats remain. Of that we are certain, and the partnership is investigating why? In the meantime, we are implementing strategies designed for this scenario. We are committed to protect and enhance the seabird colonies on Lehua Island and will not rest until we have. As we double down our efforts using the best science, methods, and now specially trained dogs to achieve a complete eradication, our hope is only rivaled by our shared commitment.”RESOURCES(All video and images courtesy: DLNR)HD video: Lehua Island Rapid Assessment Team (1-2-18)
Excited Curmudgeon
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
The Rest of the Story
Turns out that United also will not let animals such as dogs be sent in the cabins of their airlines. They, unlike American Airlines, detail that very clearly on their internet site.
Marilyn and Brit made it this AM to Arizona. Now Brit will become inured in her new home, getting used to another puppy they have, a BT rescue of which I had no knowledge. Brit went home in a canvas/cloth bag in the cabin as Marilyn got a letter from her doc at home that she now has a new emotional support dog. Brit will do well at that job as she is a loving sweetie. Sounds like Clark, the rescue pup, is afraid of her, but I'm sure that they will soon be best buds.
Marilyn was happy to finally make it to Costco yesterday to pick up some island coffee and a couple of Aloha shirts for her husband, Hector.
Today, I again go to Kona to pick up Watson's person. We will have a blast, I'm sure. She is about as eager to see Watson as she can be, of course
This is a picture of Mermaid with Tutu.Somehow there are two of the same picture, but so what?!!!
. Watson is doing well on housebreaking and the pups are sleeping through the nights most nights, now which makes both Kathleen and myself quite happy. 
Watson is in the left picture above, Watson and his friend Chip in the right picture above and Brit is asleep on her mom's pillow to the right.
So much for today. Gotta pay bills! Very distressing to a curmudgeon.
Marilyn and Brit made it this AM to Arizona. Now Brit will become inured in her new home, getting used to another puppy they have, a BT rescue of which I had no knowledge. Brit went home in a canvas/cloth bag in the cabin as Marilyn got a letter from her doc at home that she now has a new emotional support dog. Brit will do well at that job as she is a loving sweetie. Sounds like Clark, the rescue pup, is afraid of her, but I'm sure that they will soon be best buds.
Marilyn was happy to finally make it to Costco yesterday to pick up some island coffee and a couple of Aloha shirts for her husband, Hector.
Today, I again go to Kona to pick up Watson's person. We will have a blast, I'm sure. She is about as eager to see Watson as she can be, of course
This is a picture of Mermaid with Tutu.Somehow there are two of the same picture, but so what?!!!
. Watson is doing well on housebreaking and the pups are sleeping through the nights most nights, now which makes both Kathleen and myself quite happy. 
Watson is in the left picture above, Watson and his friend Chip in the right picture above and Brit is asleep on her mom's pillow to the right.
So much for today. Gotta pay bills! Very distressing to a curmudgeon.
Monday, March 12, 2018
SHELL SHOCKED
The Curmudgeon is NOT happy! Flabbergasted, yes, but happy, NO!!!!
Yesterday was an eyeopener! Poor Marilyn, here in Hawaii for a week, seeing the sights while waiting for her American Airlines jet to take her and her new Border Terrier puppy, Brit, back to Phoenix, AZ, that other state that did not go onto daylight savings time this past weekend. Marilyn had discussed taking her puppy back with her in the cabin when she purchased her tickets, again when she flew to Hawaii and then online was told that the dog had been reserved a place with her. When she checked in online yesterday morning, it seemed that something was amiss. It took hours for her, Marilyn, to be able to talk to an American Airlines real person. I should know. She was with me, hiking down and up Pololu Valley, waiting for American Airlines people to call her back because the wait time was so long. It took her all morning to be able to speak to a real person and then she was assured that her puppy would be on the plane with her, in the cabin, under the seat in front of her, snuggled up to her toes. The flight was a redeye to Phoenix. American Airlines personnel in Kona do not know how to interpret what they "learned" in their training and do not know how to read!!!! Beware, if you are a gambler and dare to try to fly American Airlines with a puppy in cabin with you. The American Airlines people read that flying to Hawaii, Haiti, the UK, and other destinations such as those, forbade in-cabin pets. Last night's staff swore that the only way one could have an in-cabin pet is to have a doctor's note guaranteeing that this was a service animal. All Marilyn had was a health certificate, and even that was not needed. A health certificate is only needed to put an animal into a crate and in the hold for cargo!!! What the poor illiterates at the American Airlines desk last night didn't understand was that what they were reading did NOT include flying FROM Hawaii TO Phoenix. They would not let poor Brit inside the plane in-cabin, but only in a crate. Poor Kathleen got off work in the middle of this, and, instead of coming home to her wonderful canine, Reese, and her grouchy mother, the Curmudgeon, she had to go to Kona and pick up Marilyn and Brit to come back for yet another night in Hawi. Meanwhile, the Curmudgeon TRIED to call American Airlines and talk to a live person who MIGHT be able to read. The wait time was two hours, so I hit one, the number that was to keep me in line for a phone call back. That phone call NEVER occurred, or at least hasn't yet occurred, eight hours later. The phone is charged up and next to me. It hasn't rung. Is American Airlines having trouble? Are they about to commit hari kari? Go bankrupt? Do they need to hire new people who can understand what they read?
It is a bit after 0400 here and I can't go back to sleep after taking the puppies out at 0330 or so. I figured this was as good a time to blog this distressing story warning people about American Airlines as any. Maybe now I will be able to go back to sleep. It has been a VERY long night. I HATE stupidity. That puppy was not flying TO Hawaii, but FROM Hawaii. The desk people at American Airlines Kona may have understood their mistake after Kathleen explained their mistake to them , but they certainly did not want to admit it. BEWARE American Airlines if you ever decide to fly from Kona to the mainland.
I will spend tomorrow again trying to talk to a live, breathing person at AA, hoping to get them to better educate their staff in Kona. The state makes it hard enough getting animals into the state, but the state does NOT make it difficult letting them go, American Airlines does that for them!!! Poor Marilyn, Brit, Kathleen, and even Hector, who was waiting in Arizona to meet his new, sweet puppy. Poor American Airlines, who will have to listen today to a curmudgeon who will demand to speak to a higher-up breathing, alive AA employee.
What a mess! Don't fly American Airlines from Kona!!! Beware if you are at all tempted!!! Warning, WARNING, WARNING!!!!
Yesterday was an eyeopener! Poor Marilyn, here in Hawaii for a week, seeing the sights while waiting for her American Airlines jet to take her and her new Border Terrier puppy, Brit, back to Phoenix, AZ, that other state that did not go onto daylight savings time this past weekend. Marilyn had discussed taking her puppy back with her in the cabin when she purchased her tickets, again when she flew to Hawaii and then online was told that the dog had been reserved a place with her. When she checked in online yesterday morning, it seemed that something was amiss. It took hours for her, Marilyn, to be able to talk to an American Airlines real person. I should know. She was with me, hiking down and up Pololu Valley, waiting for American Airlines people to call her back because the wait time was so long. It took her all morning to be able to speak to a real person and then she was assured that her puppy would be on the plane with her, in the cabin, under the seat in front of her, snuggled up to her toes. The flight was a redeye to Phoenix. American Airlines personnel in Kona do not know how to interpret what they "learned" in their training and do not know how to read!!!! Beware, if you are a gambler and dare to try to fly American Airlines with a puppy in cabin with you. The American Airlines people read that flying to Hawaii, Haiti, the UK, and other destinations such as those, forbade in-cabin pets. Last night's staff swore that the only way one could have an in-cabin pet is to have a doctor's note guaranteeing that this was a service animal. All Marilyn had was a health certificate, and even that was not needed. A health certificate is only needed to put an animal into a crate and in the hold for cargo!!! What the poor illiterates at the American Airlines desk last night didn't understand was that what they were reading did NOT include flying FROM Hawaii TO Phoenix. They would not let poor Brit inside the plane in-cabin, but only in a crate. Poor Kathleen got off work in the middle of this, and, instead of coming home to her wonderful canine, Reese, and her grouchy mother, the Curmudgeon, she had to go to Kona and pick up Marilyn and Brit to come back for yet another night in Hawi. Meanwhile, the Curmudgeon TRIED to call American Airlines and talk to a live person who MIGHT be able to read. The wait time was two hours, so I hit one, the number that was to keep me in line for a phone call back. That phone call NEVER occurred, or at least hasn't yet occurred, eight hours later. The phone is charged up and next to me. It hasn't rung. Is American Airlines having trouble? Are they about to commit hari kari? Go bankrupt? Do they need to hire new people who can understand what they read?
It is a bit after 0400 here and I can't go back to sleep after taking the puppies out at 0330 or so. I figured this was as good a time to blog this distressing story warning people about American Airlines as any. Maybe now I will be able to go back to sleep. It has been a VERY long night. I HATE stupidity. That puppy was not flying TO Hawaii, but FROM Hawaii. The desk people at American Airlines Kona may have understood their mistake after Kathleen explained their mistake to them , but they certainly did not want to admit it. BEWARE American Airlines if you ever decide to fly from Kona to the mainland.
I will spend tomorrow again trying to talk to a live, breathing person at AA, hoping to get them to better educate their staff in Kona. The state makes it hard enough getting animals into the state, but the state does NOT make it difficult letting them go, American Airlines does that for them!!! Poor Marilyn, Brit, Kathleen, and even Hector, who was waiting in Arizona to meet his new, sweet puppy. Poor American Airlines, who will have to listen today to a curmudgeon who will demand to speak to a higher-up breathing, alive AA employee.
What a mess! Don't fly American Airlines from Kona!!! Beware if you are at all tempted!!! Warning, WARNING, WARNING!!!!
Saturday, February 24, 2018
Puppies had first vaccination
That was on the 19th. They did well. I ONLY allow them to get Merial DAP. It is the best and safest vaccine for Distemper, Parvovirus and dog hepatitis, Adenovirus. The other vaccines have adjuvants in them, chemicals that jazz up the immune system so much that many more dogs now are developing autoimmune diseases. I try to get my puppy people to only use vets who will use Merial DAP on their babies. We had also inserted a microchip into each one about ten days or so ago. Now they are ready to travel. I use the ISO microchips, that is, the ones that foreign countries honor. They are set!
The vet found no heart murmurs or anything else bad in the babies, thank goodness. The heaviest one, Pretty Boy Floyd, weighed a pound more than the smallest one, Tootsie Roll Pop.
They were wormed once, now the process is starting over again.
We took them to the Farmers' Market today and walked around with them in bags. We also had a family with a dog visit this AM. The puppies were terrified of Cooper. Bad. This is a fear period. I need to get them out even more. I will start taking them downtown and walking around with them and to the bank, etc. Harder in a TINY town.
Henry is getting over having his teeth cleaned. Poor guy. He had some bits of inflammation in there and is doing well now on antibiotics for a bit. Mouths are more delicate than we give them credit. The vet suggested something called 1-TDC. (ONE-TDC). I'm going to try it on all of them daily. She said it seems even better than brushing their teeth daily!!!
Henry had a good week the week before his teeth cleaning. He was allowed to make puppies one more time. He again was bred to Myshka. I want a Myshka X Henry girl puppy. Chip has stayed here so that he can go to the UK in September. When we breed, we are actually breeding for ourselves. I want one to keep for us! I would have kept a girl last time Myshka and Henry mated, but I also know how hard it is to have two puppies at once. They bond to each other and not to us and they are MUCH harder to train if there are two. I'm too old and tired for that.
Rainy, windy day today. The pups were out for quite some time, but it seemed to me that the deluge would soon start, so they are inside now. Seems they needed a nap! They are all asleep.
OK for now. Pictures soon.
Curmudgeonly a Rat!
The vet found no heart murmurs or anything else bad in the babies, thank goodness. The heaviest one, Pretty Boy Floyd, weighed a pound more than the smallest one, Tootsie Roll Pop.
 |
| Getting ready! |
We took them to the Farmers' Market today and walked around with them in bags. We also had a family with a dog visit this AM. The puppies were terrified of Cooper. Bad. This is a fear period. I need to get them out even more. I will start taking them downtown and walking around with them and to the bank, etc. Harder in a TINY town.
Henry is getting over having his teeth cleaned. Poor guy. He had some bits of inflammation in there and is doing well now on antibiotics for a bit. Mouths are more delicate than we give them credit. The vet suggested something called 1-TDC. (ONE-TDC). I'm going to try it on all of them daily. She said it seems even better than brushing their teeth daily!!!
Henry had a good week the week before his teeth cleaning. He was allowed to make puppies one more time. He again was bred to Myshka. I want a Myshka X Henry girl puppy. Chip has stayed here so that he can go to the UK in September. When we breed, we are actually breeding for ourselves. I want one to keep for us! I would have kept a girl last time Myshka and Henry mated, but I also know how hard it is to have two puppies at once. They bond to each other and not to us and they are MUCH harder to train if there are two. I'm too old and tired for that.
Rainy, windy day today. The pups were out for quite some time, but it seemed to me that the deluge would soon start, so they are inside now. Seems they needed a nap! They are all asleep.
OK for now. Pictures soon.
Curmudgeonly a Rat!
Hiking Pololu
Once a day, one of the dogs and I are going down to the bottom of Pololu and back up. I am energized to do this crazy and wonderful thing because we might have the chance in April to go to Lehua Island to try to finally obliterate the rats there who eat the eggs, adult endangered birds and their foods, the seeds that help sustain them. The agency that takes care of the birds had dropped rat poison on the island and that took care of most of the rats, but surveillance cameras revealed two, at least, left and there was a worry that the poison may have killed some fish around the island. So, the terriers may have to clean up the last of the Mohicans, er, rats. Keep your fingers crossed. If we get to do that and succeed, we may get to go to other islands that have problems such as that. The curmudgeon might accidentally get happy and ecstatic!!!! Aren't we glad that we have working dogs?!!! I certainly am. These rascals have been killing rats since we moved in. I don't know if it helps. The rats seem to be able to keep up with the loss of their cousins. The ones I see are quite fat and healthy looking. They go after the macadamia nuts and the avocados at night when the dogs are inside. No, I can't let the dogs stay out at night. That is when the Bufo toads run amuck. If dogs bite them or just get them in their mouths, they usually die, the dogs, that is. The toads give off some horrid poison from their skin. Few dogs survive something like that.
The hiking is because the island is a mountain or cliff sticking up out of the water and the other person going is much younger than the old curmudgeon. How could I let her beat me up and down those cliffs?!!!! Not.
So, where are the pictures? I'll get some, soon. I still don't know how to get them onto the computer in a way that makes it even kind of easy to put them on the blog. I guess that I am just lazy. I want it to be EASY, darn it!
Kathleen took some picots a few days ago.
Pretty cute, no?!!!
Pip thinks this Barn hunt stuff is just the cat's meow!!!
Reese is teaching Chip how to climb a tree to get a mouse. Here she is after her ball, but that night, she DID climb a tree to get a mouse. We watched her!!! She had a ton of fun.
So much for us. Latersville,,,,,
The hiking is because the island is a mountain or cliff sticking up out of the water and the other person going is much younger than the old curmudgeon. How could I let her beat me up and down those cliffs?!!!! Not.
So, where are the pictures? I'll get some, soon. I still don't know how to get them onto the computer in a way that makes it even kind of easy to put them on the blog. I guess that I am just lazy. I want it to be EASY, darn it!
Kathleen took some picots a few days ago.
Pretty cute, no?!!!
Pip thinks this Barn hunt stuff is just the cat's meow!!!
Reese is teaching Chip how to climb a tree to get a mouse. Here she is after her ball, but that night, she DID climb a tree to get a mouse. We watched her!!! She had a ton of fun. So much for us. Latersville,,,,,
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