Saturday, November 9, 2019

October was a Hard Month and Better Futures

      We have recently had dogs come up on our property again. This time was more than devastating because they had found their way into our hog pen. We had our  two goats in with the hogs. The dogs or dog that was caught in the pen had killed our female goat Cloe,  and maimed our male goat Jacob on his back leg. My husband did manage to put the dog down as there is no law or department for removing strays in our county and the sheriff's department gave us the go ahead.

     We tried to save Jacobs leg but it was too mangled and we did not see it was a humane thing to keep him alive in pain and crippled as he was. Our son in law helped to take care of putting him down and burying him. I hated to have to make such an awful decision but we had no choice. Both goats were pets.

    I hate that so many people feel like the country is the place to dump off their stray dogs. We always seem to find them on our property and ending up killing our animals. On a happier note we did rescue a Chihuahua on the way home from my students house. Someone had dumped two off but one did not make it so fortunately.  We asked the neighbors there if it was someones in the neighborhood and that was when we found out there had been two. He is a chocolate and tan older guy. When we picked him up and he was disoriented and very dehydrated. We got him home and fed and watered him, gave him some silver water and walked him. Later he was sitting with my husband and started to have seizures.
He has two as far as we could tell. After a good night of rest he still survived and after a few days he was acting much more like a well dog again. We named him Coco Loco. Now he is a spoiled rotten baby that gets covered up in the chair beside me and acts like a young man now. He loves the attention and the g kids love him too. We also have two new kittens.



    We have begun to cull out the hogs and have food for the winter. I actually helped to dress my first hog. What a job I have still got to grind up the extras for sausage. I might do that tomorrow. At least  I know we will be eating good for a while. We have two more left to dress and one will go to my student's family. In the mean time I made up a few pies, pumpkin and caramel and an apple one. Today my g kids made chocolate cookies and oatmeal ones too. We love to bake here.
   
       I have finished up at the Marcus Center this week and am back at my school. It was a sad to have to leave, but I learned so much and have a whole new perspective on how to teach and deal with Autism. When I got back to my school I was asked to join the Special Education Behavioral team.  This entails getting certified as a registered behavior technician. This will be something I will have to study hard for the exam. I feel very honored and blessed to be asked to join this team.I feel like the blessing will be continued on for many other students and will help other teachers who have students that are dealing with Autism in their class rooms. I never expected to have this position to serve my children in such a way to help teachers also and I feel extreme happiness for this opportunity.  I have to say that Jehovah is and has been at my side through all of this.  I will miss my new found family at the Marcus  Center , but will go to visit when I get a chance.

     We have been blessed with a beautiful new  baby g daughter Willow, Oct 23, and we couldn't be prouder of our daughter Kelly. Despite losses of the month we had more blessing to be thankful for. Here's to new beginnings, and a new month.