Jan 19, 2011 Monte Sano State Park ----Saving Sparky

The story about this statement later in the blog.

 Well, the weather forecast called for a clear up today but again we woke to overcast skies and pea soup fog. So, we decided to tour the historic downtown sections.  But let me back up just a little here. Let me tell you about our morning. To understand our morning I must tell you that it all started yesterday.

While living in Warsaw I made certain that Tanner and Sydney were groomed like clockwork.  Every 6 weeks.  Not that I don't think Shih Tzu's aren't pretty when they are longer because I do.  Tanner especially.  But since they insist on sleeping with us I want them groomed short and clean.  We, Jack and I, decided though that while traveling we would take the dogs to a PetCo or Pet Smart to get them groomed. Why in the world did I believe that plan would ever work out is beyond me.  #1 Jack always, always wanted to keep the dogs longer; he thought they looked better: and #2 he only guessed that the grooming was expensive; he never asked and I never told him.  I really don't think he wanted to know. Well, well, well.  He found out yesterday and as God is my witness I knew exactly what was going to come of his mouth as soon as he heard how much it would cost us. "Janet," he whispered, "I think this is something I can do."  Bingo!!! And there it was.  We'd played this rodeo before and trust me it wasn't pretty.  And I'm like, "By you doing it means we are doing it, right?"  "I will need your help to hold them still," he said, "that's all." .  I would rather cut off my right arm off with a butter knife, I thought to myself.  I put my foot down and said  "No. I want  them groomed professionally.  We can't do this. I don't want to do this."   So, off we went to the grooming section of PetCo.  We purchased their best pair of clippers they had, a comb, a brush, etc, etc.  "But," they will pay for themselves if we groom them twice!" "Yep," I muttered under my breath, "and if I quit eating I'd be skinny.  But  neither one is ever going to happen."

To make a longer story shorter Jack got the table,clippers, combs, table cover all set up outside. I was holding Tanner.....we decided to do him first.  We purchased 8 different size clips so that we made sure they were cut the right length.   Holding Tanner was to be my job; my only job.  I have tried to cut him before, took perhaps 2 stripes down his back, and he cried out like I was stripping off his hide.  His whimpering broke my heart, I quit and swore I'd never do it again.  The two stripes finally grew out.  But today, well, today I'm not quite sure what took over me.  Jack walked over to the RV basement to get a blanket and I picked up the clippers. It was like something came over me.  I looked at the clippers and looked at Tanner.  "Yea," I thought to myself, " I can do this."  Poor Tanner now looks like he's been prepped for some kind of  surgery on his side.  Jack "tried to fix his other side to match his prepped for surgery side. His belly and part of his sides are butt bear now.  We have to finish up the task tomorrow.  Poor Tanner went in to shock.

I felt so bad then I put a sweater on him so he wouldn't freeze and Jack and I took them for a nice walk.  We walked around the campground and had just rounded the corner of our street when an SUV pulled up to us and rolled down the window.  He frantically  asked us if we had seen his little Terrier.  No, we told him, but we would certainly help him look.  "What's his name?" Jack asked, "in case we do see him?"   "Sparky," the man replied, "his name is Sparky and he's a good dog and won't bite."  First of all I would be a total nut job if anything happened to Tanner or Sydney and secondly, my sister's dog, her best friend, his name is Sparky and I love him to pieces too. We knew we had to help this stranger find Sparky.    We continued walking towards our RV when lo and behold there stood Sparky at our campsite.  He had evidently smelled our dogs' scent and just wondering around like he belonged there.  Jack called his name and Sparky came running.  He took Sydney's leash off and put it on Sparky.....cause Sparky was just a tad bit too much like the Tasmanian devil.

So the morning was looking up....we found Sparky, and Tanner was prepped for surgery.  What more could we want?

We decided to go in to tour the historic sections of Huntsville, Alabama.


 

This house was unbelievable.  The stone part you see to the rear is part of this house.  The iron gate you see in the foreground is one of two and they are electronic.  We were walking down the alley as someone was leaving. 

 

 

We walked around for a bit and enjoyed looking at the different houses, wondering how much one would cost.  But knowing that not a house does a home make went on to the next pre Civil War house.  Most of the houses above are antebellum houses which we learned is not an architectural style of a house but describes the period in which they were built.  Antebellum houses were built the 30 years before the American civil war or from roughly 1831 to 1861.  Huntsville has more antebellum houses than any other city in Alabama. We also "read" that Lady Antebellum got the name of their band from going through a magazine when they saw an ad for an Antebellum house.

Okay.  Now to my new favorite saying that started this post.

Posted on the ladies room wall at Furniture Factory Bar & Grill.

When Jack and I travel we generally go on bike and bar runs.  BUT since it was again too cold to ride our bikes we drove in to town. Well, actually we would have killed ourselves going in to town on our bikes down the mountain anyway but you get what I'm trying to say.  Weather permitting we started a tradition several years ago.  When we visit a new city we generally try to find the local pub and diner.  We don't usually go to the big chain pubs but to pubs that have been around for years and well, where everyone knows your name.  And trust me; they don't know our name when we go in but they certainly know us when we leave. We love, love, love talking to the locals.  You always learn the best stuff from the locals. So today at  Furniture Factory Bar and Grill we went in for a cold beer. This place was very nice and the beer was cold but it held a higher ambiance that we are use to in these neighborhood pubs.  Of the 8 or so people in there one was
who had his nose in an IPAD and another with his laptop in front of him.  Does anyone talk anymore?  Anyhow this whole place is covered with people's names, dates, love notes and notes like the one above. Lots of places do this "graphic walling" but I had never, ever read or heard this one before.  And it makes so much sense to me.

Soon we were tired and ready to head back to camp.  I walked Tanner the bald-bellied, shaved sided Shih Tzu and Sydney came along for laughs while Jack stayed back and made delicious steak and chicken fajitas.

It is now a little after one a.m. and I'm heading for bed.  The other 3 have been conked out for a few hours now.  Until tomorrow.