What I Have Been Up To

[Wetdog]

Hi everyone. It has been quite awhile since I've posted anything much, so I thought maybe I'd tell a little about what is going on.

I went through some pretty hard times. I was unemployed and broke for awhile, and Dixie, Riga and I were living out of the van. I finally got back on with the VA. It was a position in housekeeping and in order to get on, I had to stay in that position for one year before I could transfer. That year is up now, and I'm just waiting for a different position to open up to move into. LOL, housekeeping is not too bad, at least it pays the bills, and the work is not bad. The people I work with are a nice bunch of people. I especially like working with Stevo who shares the shift I work. We get along great~he makes going into work something to look forward to.(which has made me somewhat less than diligent about changing positions) Stevo is an Iraq vet who has a problem with PTSD. That doesn't make the least difference to me. I'm happy to do anything I can to help him get over the rough spots----he's sure gotten me over some rough spots.

The transmission on the Astro conked out. It can go forward, but won't go into reverse. I ended up getting a 2003 Venture. The girls and I are getting along very well with it. It's a nice van with just about everything you can get on them. Even doors on both sides(the one on the right is a power door). Dixie claimed the middle seats, and Riga claimed the rear bench. I still have the Astro. I'll get the transmission fixed later when I have some $$$. I still like the 4X4 on it----it would go anywhere.

I'm really excited. I'm going to be a homeowner again. We've been living in Motel 6 for the last year because they don't hassle me about Dixie and Riga----and we have big fields on three sides around us----just walk out the door and they have acres and acres to run in. But it is sort of expensive. So, apartments are out---with two GSDs, and most of them are the pits in our price range. So, I went and looked at RV dealers to get some idea of what's available and price etc. etc. Long story short---one dealer showed me something he had that he was having trouble moving because it was older, a '92 Rambler. Most people wouldn't even look at it, but I did. This was a completely top of the line rig when it was built. 460 Ford engine with banks power pack, on a 6X8 truck chassis(I'm surrounded by mountains here---we are about 20 miles from Mt. Hood) completely self-contained(7.5 kilowatt generator, 34 gallon LPG tank, large H2O tanks). The manager wanted to run it and see what could be done. So we did, and my tax refund is the down payment. I did all the paperwork and he put it in and got verbal approval----I paid a deposit, and we are just waiting 1-2 weeks for the direct deposit to get put into my account to close.

The park spaces to put it on were a little expensive, but there is a guy at work who I was helping with training. He has a pad he is going to rent me for less than the park rentals and I'll help him train a puppy he wants to get. I'll get a brand new Remington 870 Express 12 guage he's had for 7-8 years and has never even taken out of the box. He doesn't have to drive to Olympia twice a month, I will have a place to put the RV at a good price and a new shotgun, a lot more room than in the motel, I'll be a homeowner(so I'll be able to itemize deductions on my taxes again, and the insurance on the RV will be just about the same as it is on just the van right now).

I'm pretty happy with it all. I'll be moving over to the Washington side of the river, to Vancouver, at least for awhile. Once I get things stabilized with the job, van payment, Astro fixed, etc.----I'll be looking for some property to put it on. Or maybe two, one in the mountains, and one on the ocean. I estimate I'll end up paying about $200 a month less living in the RV than what I'm paying now---or maybe more depending on what I can find for property to put it on later.

Wish me luck---I'm hoping nothing goes wrong, everything is done and they tell me it is all ready to go when the refund comes.

www.johnsonrvsales.com/UsedMotorhomes/1992-Holiday-Rambler-IMPERIAL-1212.html

For those who don't know, Dixie and Riga are my German Shepherds----and once we get settled in with the RV, I'll be looking around for a Weim puppy. ;D

The only thing I'll probably do to it is add a fireplace. No kidding, they REALLY do make fireplaces for them. They run on LPG and look very realistic, but no wood or ashes.

I'm also checking around to have the dealer install a CNG(compressed natural gas) conversion on the engine for me, so it will be able to run on either gasoline or methane at the flip of a switch. There is a TON of cargo space in the basement---plenty of room for extra natural gas tanks.

[Cheryl]

How is it going now, Fred? I now know how it can be, dropping out for a couple years;)

I would have liked to meet up last July when I was down there visiting family. I needed that to become semi normal again after losing my daughter. Life is easier now, than the first two years.

I am going to highjack your thread and ask what everyone's been doing and where they've been since I've been learning to survive and then live again since 2010-

Boris and I took a trip to Anchorage the end of November, me for training and I had Boris' hips and elbows xray'd and his thyroid done, the OFA thyroid came back already and he's "NORMAL" Still waiting for the OFA Hips/Elbows result on paper but they did call me immediately to tell me that is "NORMAL" too! I was conceitedly waiting for Excellent LOL because that's how I think my boy is...in every way possible;)

in July, I left Boris at home with my 3rd son because the heat is between 80's and a bit over the 100 degrees in WA and OR then, we were to the, is it five hospitals there, where the VA and Childrens and etc., are on the hill? Waiting for our third grandson to be born July 17th, he needed heart surgery after birth. My exhubbins and his younger wife and I felt like children ourselves, we rode the sky tram down and I wanted to walk back up but they said no way! So we rode back up...all turned out well for 3rd grandson and his first time parents.

Returning home, Boris and I collected a lot of qiviut during many enjoyable hikes, he has learned to find the mats of qiviut the muskox shed and bring them to me:) This raw qiviut I dehair and spin into yarn, qiviut sells anywhere from $60 an ounce and more but I am knitting it for an item for each of my adult kids and their loved ones since losing my youngest.

The muskox were in our town this year, literally. The brown/grizzly bear(s) were after them without so much salmon to eat so the muskox determined the safest place was in town and I had no problem with that at all, its nice to see wildlife where we live at the far end of civilization.
But others did have trouble, some parents of young children tried driving the animals with their vehicles, especially bulls and/or herds so the children could play out instead of driving their children to the beach or some playground. Some ppl leave their dogs outside on chains and no fencing so at least two dogs were gored to death and other dogs needed surgery to survive when all that was needed was a bit of smoke from a small fire to keep the muskox from doing harm to the unprotected dogs. I will try to post a pic of a bull walking by me while I was out on the deck drinking coffee one morning- I asked him, "What are you doing, walking on the road?" He only looked at me and saw no threat so kept going.
While in Anchorage (end of Nov) Boris and I stayed w/my best friend from 5-7 years old, we are now 57 yrs young;) We walked the dogs down the "flats" where in summer its water from the inlet and now is frozen so we ran into many moose on our walks:) Again, Boris is very well mannered and told us the moose were there (quietly) but on command, he did as told, to "leave it" (alone- it was not hunting season). He was also very helpful while hiking in Nome for qiviut when we were very close to the muskox herds who had calves to protect.

Boris and the B litter siblings turned six years on the 21st, I am going to do a few more things with him so he can be bred, now that I am getting back to life. My two hypothyroid weims, Misty and Slade are now 10 and 9 yrs old so I'd like a pup of Boris' in the future and I have to hold up my end of the deal, Marjolein and the de Snoo's have done a lot of hard work to produce such a wonderful dog and I must step up now. Only the loss of my daughter slowed me down.

I have not been staying at my cabin, too many memories and childhood things there of Dana's. But there, too, I must begin again, possibly this Spring... I hope everyone has been well and happy, please give an update:)

[Cheryl]

Riding in the argo down west beach to fish (pay no attention to date on photo, did not know how to date pics)

2nd grandson and Boris fishing

I did forget to mention that recently, Bub/Slade skinned and destroyed a tennis ball to get the squeeky out, then for two days was throwing up and the veterinarian and I did not know what was wrong...he ate the tennis ball...then it did come out the other end, thankfully no surgery for blockage

[marjolein]

Good to hear a little bit again from you and Boris!!!! Hope life gets easier for you!! xM