News

OK, we’ve been without reliable connectivity for the better part of a week now, and so a lot of the things we’ve been meening to put up on the Blog have not happened. In fact, I’m out at Bread Co. with Laurell, so that we can both have some kind of reliable connectivity to put things up. I’m going to paste in a blog Herself wrote the other day but never got posted.
Jonathon

Five times I tried yesterday to put up a blog. Five times. I had a nice big blog and the computer ate it. All blogger says, is that it?s not their fault that our connectivity isn?t stable. All I know is that unless the connection is perfect it will not let me save to draft, or post, or even try to cut and paste it out ot a word format. All these methods have ended badly. A very frustrating day for a technophobe like me. We had tons of rain yesterday, and everytime it rains the connectivity is up and down. We need a business cable run not a home cable. We have a business account, but not the hardware we should have, some technicality about the people who do the installation don?t have access to the right kind of cables. How stupid is that? But wait, it?s so they can charge you more to get a specilist in. Method to their maddness, but very irritating for me, and everyone at the house that tries to use the internet. Which is, all of us. Internet businesses need a stable internet connection. But I still think there must be some software change that blogger could make so that things automatically save in some way, so that I don?t keep putting up on the title of a blog, and nothing else. That?s why you guys got some line about, not light or pithy. I guess this one isn?t either. I?m writing this one in word format, so Jon can just keep trying until it loads.
Our friend Greg flew home yesterday. The visit went very fast. Jon and I spent Saturday night at the vet?s, with Jimmy. He?s okay, though not happy. He?s whining near me right now, because he hasn?t been fed. He won?t be allowed food until this evening, and if the symptoms return then we?ll be taking him back in to the vet. He?s on a very strick diet, not for weight loss, though he does need it for health, but for what amounts to gout of the pancreas. Too much rich food, too much weight, not enough exerscise, and being old. We?d been told no people food which we had adhered to, but the vet hadn?t explained how much richer different dog foods are, from what he?s on. Jon and I felt stupid for not realizing, that even a little bit of something else might hurt him. So no more getting treats from Sasquatch?s and Pippin?s food bowl. It was so quiet and calm while he was gone. There wasn?t a single dog fight. We never even had to use the squirt bottle a single time. Which let us know that Jimmy is starting most of the fights. The younger dogs will be playing and he esculates it to a real fight. He?s also got arthritis, and various other aches and pains. He?s just a grumpy old man, and he wants to be left the hell alone. Pip is still under two, so still a puppy, especially the larger dogs mature later. Pip maybe this happy and bouncy for years to come. Jimmy really hates all that bouncy energy. I used to think if Jimmy were younger he?d have put Pip in his place early and it would be settled by now. Now I believe that if Jimmy were younger the fights would have esculated to true violence by now. Jimmy won?t back down, and after he pushes so far, neither will Pip. And Pip is double his height, and nearly twenty pounds heavier, all of it lean muscle. We?ve planned to give Jim more alone time without the younger dogs bothering him so much. He gets mornings in my office just him and me usually, but we?ll try and give him some more alone time. Though the three younger dogs went to the groomers today, and when they all left without him, he howled so loud I heard it upstairs. So riddle me this Batman; why does he growl at them constantly, start fights, hoarde toys, not want to share anything anymore, but yet, howls like his heart is breaking when they leave? I don?t get it. The three younger dogs did not react badly to him being gone. They did not do what they do for eachother. They did not search the house for their missing pack member. They did not stare forlornly out the window. They did not whine, or howl, or otherwise act like they wondered what we?d done with him. They do this if any of the three of them is missing. Which let?s me know that they?ve about had it with the grumpy old man. Sigh.

OK, lets hope that this makes it to you guys.
I also hope to add some pictures of the dogs to their pages, and some of the construction as it progresses. but for now, this is the primary update.
Jonathon again