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Greetings humans and most others,

Well, at least it is almost cool this morning. That is good for a little while at least. I am hoping that Missy Linda will take Nelson for a longer walk this morning so that I can get some computer time - - - alone.

Are you all on Facebook? Well, yesterday, Tio Kane received a letter through Facebook from his first grade teacher. We knew she was still living here because Missy Linda had a classmate last year whose child was in her class at that time. Anyway, she sent Tio Kane a picture of him and four or five other students that was taken at a birthday party when the kids were first graders. She said that she still has the picture framed and on the shelf at her home. She has always been particularly fond of that class. Missy Linda enjoyed the picture very much, of course.

Missy Linda finally got some good news. She got all but $500 of her bill paid at school by the tuition waiver that she has been waiting to hear about. That is a lot better than having to pay the whole amount. The waiver did not cover fees, parking sticker, or things like that. That's all right. She is glad to get any help she can get. She has had problems getting any aid because she doesn't always go to school full time, and that is a rule for a lot of the scholarships, waivers, and loans. Anyway, she is happy about it. Maybe I will get some peace today!

"Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain. Beautiful Rain"

Greetings humans and most others,

Are you as happy as Missy Linda to get this cooling (?) rain here in central Oklahoma? She is borderline ecstatic! She had been forced to resort to watering some of the lawn just to keep it sort of alive. She doesn't take watering lightly since she has to pay for the water. She doesn't mind doing it when she can afford it, but that is not right now. As you all know, she is still looking for a job. (I am beginning to wonder what is wrong with her that no one wants to hire her, aren't you?)

The weather dudes (even female meteorologists are called dudes by Missy Linda - - -she doesn't mean it in a derogatory way, she says) say it will be only 85 to 90 degrees today. Well, that is not great, but it is better than anything over that, I suppose. I probably would not melt just sitting outside at that temperature, but I will probably not test that.

In case you are wondering, the title today is the title of a song that Missy Linda likes. It is sung by Ladysmith Black Mambazo who are from South Africa. Missy Linda loves the smooth harmony of the way that this group sings. In the song and in the country of origin, they go without rain for months at a time so they are even more happy to get rain than we are here in Oklahoma today. I don't know much about it except that when I get to ride in the car with Missy Linda she plays their CDs. I would say that it is better to listen to than some of the rock stuff she plays - - -very loudly! She says she likes to feel the music. I think she is a little old for that, don't you?

Have You Melted Yet?

Hello humans and most others,

I was just wondering if any of you have melted yet? I believe I have come close a couple of times in the last few days! Wow! I am wondering why I had to end up in Oklahoma with these extremes of weather! I surely had a nice life in Southern California before I got sent here. At least, I don't remember the weather being so record-setting in so many different ways! I am actually thankful that Missy Linda has not taken me out the last few days because she could have easily left me in the car too long (remember when she left me for three days in the car?) and the consequences could have been catastrophic! She forgets me all the time these days - - - it's just not been life-threatening yet.

Speaking of forgetting - - - do any of you all know to whom I should report her if she gets dangerous in her wandering off while doing things like cooking? Yesterday, while her breakfast concoction was cooking on the griddle, she meandered outside and starting digging up monkey grass to move it someplace else in the yard. Luckily she remembered what she had been doing in time to keep them from burning, but we were just fortunate that time! She is going to burn down the house and melt us all! And now I have to worry about Mr. Nelson, too, because he is just a kid, and someone has to take care of him if she goes to la-la land. You people don't know what it is like living with someone like her. I may need to enlist your help, ok?

Progress

Hello humans and most others,

Well, our little Mr. Nelson is making progress. He went for his second "walk/drag" this morning. He has to be forced at the beginning (like the whole first half of the walk), but then he will walk by Missy Linda just the way he is supposed to do on the way back to the house. I am thinking that when he gets a little more accustomed to walking that I could put a saddle fit for a lovely Tortilla Keeper Person on him, and I would be able to go along with them. Sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? Perhaps I would be able to make some new friends so that I would not have to depend on Missy Linda for my social life.

We finally got around to checking Mr. Nelson's weight yesterday. He weighs in at a whopping 12.5 pounds. He looks bigger than that, but he is kind of slim. He didn't eat a lot when he first got here, but he is doing fine now. He is getting less shy, too. This morning when Missy Linda got up, he started darting around and making a funny noise and sliding (not on purpose) on the tile floor! Missy Linda didn't know if he was hungry, needed to potty, or was glad to see her, but she was glad to see him feeling better about living here. Me, too. When he gets to be one of us completely, I am hoping that Missy Linda will quit spending so much attention on him and will put it back on me where it belongs. Doesn't that seem like the right thing to do?

Nest

Greetings humans and most others,

Well, here is the new member of our family, Nelson. This is the place behind the sofa and under the table in the living room that he has chosen to build his little playhouse. He gathered up these toys and brought them here to make it feel homey, I suppose. I don't know much about how dogs think.

He is getting less shy - - - a little. He seems to like me, but in an odd way. He got me down from the couch in the family room (I guess he wanted me to play with him), but then he just ran away and left me there on the floor after ruining some of the flowers on my dress. I am hoping that Missy Linda can fix them. She says she can, but I guess we shall see, right?

Well, Nelson and I have not had our "photo shoot" yet, but I thought that you all would want to see a snapshot of him. One day later this week, Missy Ryley and Missy Emma might come over to play so maybe we can all take some pictures together.

Dads

Greetings humans and most others,

Well, as all you humans probably know, today is Father's Day. I don't have much of a concept of that since I have no idea if I ever even had a father. However, I do see the commercials on tv, and I believe that after being bombarded with those, it must be important.

Missy Linda's dad was kind of the strong, silent type, she says. He did things that made her know that he cared about her though. Missy Linda told me that when she was about three, she got her first Sheltie-like dog. She doesn't know if he actually was a Sheltie, but he looked like one except his tail went up in a curl rather than going down. His name was Tippy because he had a white-tipped tail.

When Missy Linda was in elementary school, Tippy was hit by a car. He must have had a brain injury because he was suddenly extremely vicious to all people. Missy Linda's dad didn't do what most people probably would have done back then where they lived when something like that happened (euthanise with some kind of firearm). Instead, he put Tippy in a pen behind an old barn where Missy Linda couldn't see him and where he couldn't frighten or hurt her. He probably didn't want Missy Linda to see Tippy acting like that.

Missy Linda told me that she did not really believe that Tippy was back there so she sneaked around to take a look for herself. Well, he was there. When she went around the corner he lunged at her through the chicken wire of the pen and would have really mauled her had he not been contained! She was a little traumatized, but at least she knew her dad was actually trying to help her dog. Tippy really did get back to his normal friendly self, and he lived until Missy Linda was all grown up and married. The dog did have to live with Missy Linda's grandpa when her family moved when she was fourteen years old. He was still where she could visit him, and he probably would not have liked living in the larger town they where they had moved.

Of course, Missy Linda did not realize what a big deal it was for her dad to save her dog like that until she got older, but now she appreciates him for doing something so nice. That's what dads are for, she tells me, to take care of things that mean a lot to their little girls.

I am having trouble getting Missy Linda and Tio Kane in gear to take pictures of me with Nelson. I am working on it, though.

Finally!

Hello humans and most others,

Well, it's about time! Something exciting has finally happened at our house! We have a new member in our family. He is a Sheltie named Nelson. He is still a kid, but he is very well behaved. He has not barked even one time, and he has been here since yesterday afternoon. He is still very shy, but friendly. He already knows his name, and he has not had an accident in the house even though he is only five and a half months old. He is mostly black and white, which is usually the color of Sheltie that Missy Linda doesn't care for as much. Tio Kane told her that she doesn't discriminate against people because of color so she can surely extend that to dogs. Tio Kane was right, of course.

The minute Missy Linda held Nelson, she knew he was the kind of Sheltie she would really love. He does have a very pointy nose and very big ears right now, but maybe he will grow into them. Missy Linda likes the sticky-up ears. I am hoping to have a picture of Nelson and me for you to see tomorrow.

If any of you like pet stories that seem really sad but have a happy ending, you might like the blog of Chase the kitty. The web address is chasenoface.blogspot.com. I want to warn you that Chase is a very unusual kitty, but he is loved very much, is in no pain, and is living a good life now. (Notice that the name of the blog is "chase no face" to give you a clue as to what the problem is so you will be forewarned.) I feel that it is a very uplifting story.

Still Annoying After All These Years

Dear humans and most others,

Well, I am not sure why I haven't been allowed near the computer lately, but I am hopping mad about it anyway. (I suppose since I don't have legs, "hopping" is definitely the kind of mad I would be, huh?) I have not been able to understand, with my empty little plastic-ish head, why I have to suffer if Missy Linda is upset or cranky or mad or vindictive or whatever her problem is that day. I guess I am just not in the "human" frame of mind yet.

She has been driving us crazy (along with a couple of people up at UCO) about whether or not she is receiving the tuition waver for this past semester. She was fit to be tied when she discovered that her application was still sitting right where it was put when she turned it in to them! That had been over a month ago. They are not even sure if there is any money left for her to receive! She has been calling and leaving messages all this time, and someone finally said that they would know today if there is any money left. She doesn't really believe that she will get an answer today so that is a good enough reason for her to make my life miserable. I'll keep you advised, OK?

Missy Linda wanted me to mention that the bobcat in the picture in icanhascheezburger.com recently (the one about the missing lynx) is about a third or fourth as large as our bobcat. Our bobcat could eat that one in one huge chomp! Still trying to get pics.

Cockeyed Pessimist

Good morning humans and most others,

Pray for those of us who have to be around Missy Linda the next couple of days, ok? She sat on her favorite reading glasses, and she is driving us crazy because of it! They are all whee-whaaed, and she is fit to be tied. You know the pair I mean - - - that pair that all those old people have that fit the best and are the strength they need at that time that they got at WalMart. This pair is really from WalMart, but they are actually her most expensive pair. (How sad is that?) She has some really cute ones that she got at Dustee's that were cheaper but cuter that she wears at school, but this is that pair that she uses for everything at home - - -like real reading, looking not cute, sewing, reading labels. She is going to be cranky until she gets them bent back like they were.

The thing is that she will bend on them and mess with them until she snaps something in two. Then she is really going to be cranky. It will not be a pretty sight, but it will be a funny sight. However, if I can snap a photo when it does happen, I'll get it right out to you, ok?

It's That Time of Year

Greetings humans and most others,

It is that most distressing time of year for Missy Linda - - - time for reunions. Oh, my! You can't imagine how much she hates those things. I am not sure what her problem is, although I assume it has more to do with her than with things or people from the past. You know how she is sometimes!

She got an invitation for a reunion of her high school graduating class. Holy crap! My ears are still ringing from her carrying on! I am guessing that she is not very friendly with her former classmates. I'm a little afraid to attempt to find out what happened back then (but if I discover anything, you'll be the first to know,) but it must have been something! From the way she acted, I'm considering going to the hometown newspaper archives to see if there was something on the front page that was something humiliating for her. Surely there are some skeletons in her closet - - - some very, very big ,scary skeletons!

I must say that Pseudo Uncle, who is Missy Linda's brother, seems to enjoy reunions (except family ones). Almost every year he attends a reunion that involves the whole town where he grew up. He likes to catch up with all the people from his childhood. Missy Linda has made it clear that she is not interested in accompanying him even though she lived in the same town until she was fourteen years old. Go figure!

In case you didn't get it, she will respectfully decline the invitation to reminisce with her old school mates.

Not Much Wildlife Action

Hello humans and most others,

Not much has been happening since yesterday--- unless you count the horrible growly, howly sounds that emanated from the woods last night. It definitely was not the howls of coyotes, and Missy Linda doesn't know what kinds of noises bobcats make. It was a pretty penetrating, scary animal noise, though. Tio Kane and Missy Linda went out and dragged Mushu into the house just in case.
The ground turkey was mostly gone this morning, but not early; however, no one saw what came to eat it.

There was a pretty large cottontail hopping across the yard this morning which Missy Linda says she hasn't seen for a long time. She said that she has heard that bobcats think rabbits are pretty yummy fare, but she thought they were all gone from here quite some time ago.

Missy Linda always drives us crazy when there is talk of predators and prey around here. She starts this thing that Darrell Hammond does that goes, "Sadly, there can be but one outcome once the wildebeast has been separated from the herd." She does it in a real Southern drawl like he does since he is from Mississippi. She wears us slick!

Recession Hits Everywhere!

Hello humans and most others,

Oh, my! This morning Missy Linda was put to the test to save Mushu's life! For the third time in a week, the bobcat appeared in the back yard. He just walked across the back of the yard next to the fence almost all the way across. Then he just sat there looking around. He was a little too far away to get a good picture, but all of a sudden, there was Mushu walking toward the fence from the house, unsuspectingly! The bobcat noticed him. Missy Linda didn't trust the bobcat after last Sunday (story later) so she ran out to grab Mushu. The bobcat just watched her, and then hopped over the fence. Mushu never realized what was going on at all. He was just annoyed with Missy Linda.

Now to Sunday - - - the bobcat hopped the fence, grabbed a squirrel who was eating at the bird feeders, stood looking at Tio Kane with a look of "So what?" and leisurely jumped the fence with the squirrel wiggling furiously!

I think that the recession must be hitting the wildlife population, don't you? Missy Linda is desperate to get a picture of the bobcat, so since there were no squirrels out there when he came by, she has put some ground turkey in the yard to try to lure him close to the window. I will keep you posted about how that works out, ok?

Oops! I Dropped the Ball!

Greetings humans and most others,

Wow! Did you guys forget about me! I just sort of zoned out, I guess, and totally forgot my purpose in life---which is keeping in touch with you guys. You're my main friends. I guess I was being punished because Missy Linda did not take me to either of her birthday parties! She did not even have me sitting by the door like I might get to go. I don't know what she could be annoyed with me about. I haven't been particularly annoying lately, that I know about. I haven't even shopped on the internet lately!

I just had an epiphany while listening to "The View" while writing this! (I'm a good multi-tasker.)I think I need a reality show! I think that is my answer to all my problems, don't you? I would earn lots of money. I would be seen by many, many people. My mother or other family members might see me and get it touch. This is great! If any of you all know who I should contact, please let me know. OK?