“Beware of a man that does not talk and a dog that does not bark”---Portuguese Proverb

I just went outside to put something in my neighbor’s mailbox.  I didn’t turn the outside light on since I could see okay from the street light.  I saw something at the end of our driveway and really didn’t know what it was.  Then it turned and moved on down toward the neighbor’s house.  I still didn’t get a good look at it.  As I started out to the street, I saw a large raccoon on the sidewalk by my car.  It moved up towards the other neighbor’s house.  There were two raccoons. 

I guess that was why the dog in the yard behind us was barking for the past hour non-stop.  Of course, he barks quite a bit anyway.  We see a opossums in our yard sometimes and the raccoons have been on our patio before.

One night I saw an opossum walking along the fence.  Something looked weird.  When I looked closer, there were several baby possums hanging onto her fur.  I don't know how many survived, but I'm sure they are around somewhere.

What an improvement!

Today a “shelf genie” came to our house and put sliding shelves in our kitchen pantry and in the cupboard where I keep the pans.  It makes all the difference in the world.  Now I can slide the shelves out and get to everything that is stuck in the back.  The pans are easy to get to also.  Now if I can get new countertops and a new sink!

We have been letting Jonesie outside on nice days when I have the time to go out and keep an eye on him.  He’s discovered he can climb the tree at the front window and get on top of the house.  He walks around the roof and then comes back and meows because he can’t figure out how to get back down by himself. 

One day I was working in the yard and I didn’t know he was on top of the house.  Charlie came out with the ladder.  He said he heard Jonesie meowing and when he looked out, Jonesie was on top of the patio at the side of the house in the backyard.  He rescued Jonesie.

The other day I was sitting on the bench and I heard Jonesie meowing.  He was on the house again.  He walked out on the beams near the front door.  That’s about 10 feet high.  Before I could go and get Charlie to help him, he jumped down to the concrete walk.  I don’t want him doing that again since I know that he could sprain his leg.  Mr. Creme did that once just jumping down from our 6 foot fence. 

Mr. Creme is still doing well.  His walk is close to normal now.  We’re still giving him the B12 pills.  He’s also still on 2 units of insulin a day.  Charlie took him in for his fructosamine test and blood glucose test today.  The blood glucose test was very good (128) and he weighs 14.9 pounds.  We will hear the results of the fructosamine test tomorrow.  We’re hoping he’s on his way to remission.

Sheila’s usual spot is at the top of the stairs.  From there she can see anyone who walks or drives by the front of the house.  The front door has windows at the top and she can see anyone who comes to the door.  We have really tried to curb her barking because since she sees everything and we don’t, she will all of a sudden let out a bellow.  It’s so throaty and loud.  If you’re not expecting it, it startles you.  The cats all run in different directions. 

She still hasn’t been able to differentiate between the real doorbell and a doorbell on the TV program or commercial.  It’s just so disruptive when we’re sitting there watching something.  We always try to stop her by saying, “It’s on TV”.  That works most of the time.  But, I have to say that when she barks, there’s usually someone there.  It may be someone hanging a flyer on the front door that we don’t even hear.

She knows the sound of the UPS trucks, the Sparkletts water delivery truck, and the mail carrier.  They are her favorite things to watch for.  Recently Charlie brought home a little device called a “bark buster”.  It was inexpensive and for awhile it stopped her outbursts.  Supposedly it emitted a high pitched sound that only she could hear and it was uncomfortable.

Either it isn’t working any more or she has decided that she can stand the noise and would rather bark.  I still think of the dog that Charlie had years ago.  She was barking one night.  They opened the window and told her to be quiet.  The next morning their cars had been broken into.

More later......

for TazzyD..... _^..^_