I Had a Dream Last Night...

I dreamed Chico the Wonder Dog went to Heaven to help God protect the dog section of Heaven that has the six by ten foot 'Short Dogs Only' lawn.

I dreamed I awoke in the morning after a fitful night of trying to sleep with a strange feeling that something was amiss. I felt anxious and sad and couldn't figure why at first. As usual, I watched for Chico the Wonder Dog to come to me and flop his ears back and forth to make a machine-gun sounding noise. He does that to get me fully awake and alert. When he didn't come, I arose and began looking around the house for him. I checked the back door, thinking he might have figured out a way to open it so he could go out without bothering anyone to let him out. (He's so thoughtful about things like that)

I remembered how he had figured out how to scrub up his own mess when he couldn't hold it any longer and peed on the floor.

I remembered how he figured out how to get the spot cleaner from under the sink and hold it just right and spray the spot he made then use a brush he got from under the sink to scrub it. Then drag a footstool over to the dirty clothes basket on the washing machine and get a dirty towel to blot out the spot. Then put everything back just as it was so I wouldn't notice anything had happened.

I thought about all the good advice he 'looked at' me. (Dogs have to 'look at' you because, as we all know, dogs can't talk)

I thought about all the times he came over to me when I was sitting down and raised up on his back legs and put his hands on my leg so I could scratch his back and rub his ears. It seemed like he did that about the same time I began to brood over some worry or imagined sleight from someone. It always made us both feel better. He was a very clever and thoughtful dog.

I thought about how he was always waiting in the door whenever Donna or I (or both of us) came home from somewhere. Even if we had been gone only a short time, he raced around the house with exuberance to show how happy he was to see us.

I remembered how Chico the Wonder Dog cried and softly howled when Donna left to go on a visit that would last a few days, like when she went to San Francisco to visit her sister. He seemed to know when she would be gone for more than a few hours.

I remember how he used to 'look at' me when I raised my voice at Donna during an argument. He always made sure I was watching him when he did that. He loved his adopted Mother deeply. (and he put up with me)

I began to feel panic when Chico the Wonder Dog didn't come to meet me as I came out of my dream.

Then I felt my throat start to choke up. My heart felt heavy and a dread came over me as a cloud began to mist my eyes. A deep sense of loss engulfed me and I swayed dizzily as a realization chiseled it's way into my consciousness. What??

It wasn't a dream. It's true. Our little boy has gone to Doggie Heaven to help God protect the six by ten foot patch of lawn that He planted there for Chico the Wonder Dog and all of his short friends. Chico the Wonder Dogs' spirit has gone to Heaven but he left his heart and love here with us.
Just as I came fully awake, I thought I saw an image of Chico the wonder Dog. He 'looked at me', "Don't be sad, we'll be back together someday," and he loudly flopped his ears and smiled.
Then, Chico the Wonder Dog was gone.

Later...

A Time and a Place...

A Time and a Place...

OK! Time is up! No more political, etc, posts, comments (etc again) on this blog.

I started 'em; I'm stoppin' 'em! They'll get dumped. No exceptions! None!

For politicos go to: http://fourplex.blogspot.com/

Later...

In Memoriam to a Friend...

A friend of mine (ours) went to the Great Jam Session in the Sky a few days ago. His name is Bob Puckett and he was a guitar picker.

Bob didn't attend many of the regular jam sessions that I go to during the time I knew him. He lived in a mobile home a few up from me. He was sick with cancer for quite a while and walked a lot. I didn't know him for the first few years my wife and I lived here at the park. I met him when he and his wife hosted a jam session at our park center.

We became pretty good friends. He invited me into his house to see his music and recording room. His recording setup was pretty impressive.
He had a nice Dell computer in his rec room but he wasn't very computer literate and sometimes he called me to explain something or other about his computer. Once I went to his house and showed him how to extract pictures from his camera to a folder in his pc and print them off. Luckily, he had a Kodak digital, same as me, so it was pretty easy for me to show him.

Sometimes he had me look up old songs for him on my pc. He didn't mind asking after I explained to him that I enjoyed fooling around with my computer.

Bob was a somewhat quiet guy but very expressive when he did say something. I played a song or two for him from my musical application on the pc called, "Band In a Box." He was so impressed with it that I installed it on his computer.
Sadly, though, he never mastered it enough to use it much.

A formal memorial was given for Bob. Donna and I planned to go and we wrote and practiced a song to sing in his memory. It was, "I've Got a Mansion Just Over the Hilltop." We worked it up on the Band In a Box on my lap top computer and considered doing another old song called, "Somebody Stole My Gal," and were looking forward to honoring Bob's memory with those songs. Bob had watched an old Lawrence Welk program on TV and had heard, "Somebody Stole My Gal," sung by a man with a very low voice and he really liked it.

Sadly, though, we were told we couldn't use the Band In a Box music for our songs, there were people who wouldn't like the musical application being used, so, rather than cause friction at the service, we stayed home and sang the songs to his memory.

Bob was a really nice fellow. He told me once that he hated Merle Travis, a guitar picker of great skill from years back. I was puzzled by his remark and asked him why. He told me that from the first time he heard Merle play, he had tried to play like that but always came up a little short. He said he was obsessed with Merles' style and it had ruined him for anything else. It had hindered his learning. Then I realized his comment was tongue in cheek and we had a laugh about it.

Bob was a good picker in his own right and a pretty good country singer. And a genuinely nice guy. We remember Bob fondly. His passing is a loss to us and to the community and, I'm sure, to his family and he is missed.

Later...

Cute Enough To Pass Along...

I think this is cute enough to pass along.

Here's one for you !!

Well, it appears our African American friends have found something else to complain about.

A black congresswoman complained that the names of hurricanes are all Caucasian names.

She would prefer some names that reflect African-American culture such as Chamiqua, Tanisha, Woeisha, Shaqueal, and Jamal.

She would also like the weather reports to be broadcast in language that streetpeople can understand.

I can hear it now: A Weatherman in Houston says,...

Wordup, Muthas! Hehr-i-cane Chamiqua be headin' fo' yo ass like Leroy ona crotch rocket!

Bitch be a category fo'! So, turn off dem chitlins, grab yo' chirren, leave yo crib, and head fo' de nearest government office fo yo free shit.
'chuckle'

Later...

In Islams' War Against All Christians and Jews...Where Is the United States?...

Iran Is Racing To Resupply Hezbollah

Hundreds of thousands Iraqi Shiites Chant 'Death to Israel'...

Police Warn Israelis to Stay in Shelters...

Lebanon Rejects Cease-Fire Resolution

Syrian Minister Rejects Cease-Fire Plan

Iran's plot to mine uranium in Africa

Iraqi Shiites Chant 'Death to Israel'

Iran: We supplied Zelzal-2 to Hizbullah

Where is the mighty United States of American; the Christian nation that is a light of freedom to the world?

Where is anything from President bush besides a grin and a shrug?

It's time for all Christians to understand we are in danger of extinction. Islam will never stop until it is the only way to live or until all Muslims are dead.

Your choice; life or death. Ask God for guidance then let Bush and your reps and senators know how you feel. It's time to stand up and fight for our lives!

Later...

The Price of Sweltering...

I paid the bill for last months' space rent and utilities and found it was a hundred and fifty bucks higher this month than last because of the price of keeping our home cool enough to bear due to the extreme heat.

I ranted once and raved once, temporarily not remembering how great it felt to Mi Espousa (my wife- a little Mex lingo there) and me to be 78 degrees inside our house instead of 113 degrees outside our house, thanks to our out-dated air conditioner that cools wonderfully but is very energy inefficient. (It's a 6 rated compared to the modern 18 or more rated)

I ranted and raved only once because Chico the Wonder Dog brought me to my senses quickly.(He's so smart!)

He looked at me, (he has to 'look at me' because, as we all know, dogs can't talk) "Why are you ranting and raving?"

I answered it was because I had to pay a hundred and fifty bucks more this month for electricity because of the extremely hot weather!

He looked at me, "And just what other plans did you have for that hundred and fifty bucks?"

...uuuumm...OK. He got me there!

"Out of the mouths of dogs..etc..."

Later...

Time For A Walk...

Mi Espousa (my wife- a little Mex lingo there) and I decided to go for a walk this evening. We have put on a lb or 2 (apiece) and are attempting to eat a few pounds less of food per person, per day and get a little more exercise in the hopes we might shed a lb or 2. (each)

Well, they (whoever 'they' are) say that if we exercise moderatly we might be a bit more successful in losing the weight we wish to lose.

When I first heard of this (exercising) I must say I wasn't too excited about it. I questioned as to whether or not exercise would be of any help. All it has ever done for me in the past is make me tired and sore.

As a matter of a fact, I seem to recall the doctor who replaced my left hip and my left shoulder saying too much exercise might make my new joints wear out sooner. I don't mind saying, I have been very careful to not wear out my new joints sooner than is expected (thirty or forty years)by exerting myself too much.

When Donna axed me what I thought about exercising to help lose some weight, I axed her "Will I have to actually stand up?" She opined as to how I would and I quickly lost any desire I might have had to do that thing.

Anyhow, we (she) decided we would go for a walk. I expressed a reservation against walking around in the mobile park where we live (not wanting to look like some old person out for a walk) so Donna suggested driving to the river park and trying to appear to be actual hikers, out for a hike instead of a cardiac enhancing old person stroll.

I finally agreed and we started out the door.

All at once a ghostly form blocked the door. It startled us at first until we heard the low (as low as 6 inches tall can be) throaty growl and realized it was Chico the Wonder Dog.

He looked at me, "And where the hell do you think you're going without me?" (He has to 'look at' me because, as we all know, dogs can't talk)

I looked at him, "Out for a walk." Then quickly added, "Would you like to come?"

"Does a bear do it in the forest?" he looked at me and I agreed a bear does 'do it' in the forest so I told him to come on.

"Do you still have that heavy headed walking cane?" I admitted as to how I did and he indicated I needed to take it for self defense in case there might be someone there bigger and meaner than either Donna or me. (I have an idea he might have been a tad nervous about there maybe being a big ten pound dog there, too)

Well, I grabbed the cane, took Donna by the arm and leashed Chico the Wonder Dog (to protect the public from him-just in case he went berserk) and we went to the river and had our walk.

I lost a 13th of an ounce.

Just think, in only 208 days I will have lost a pound! Wonderful!!

Donna says she lost two ounces. (?)

Chico lost an ounce. We left it on the trail to mark his territory.

Later...

Jam Session Sunday..

XVI

The Worldly Hope men set their Hearts upon
Turns Ashes--or it prospers; and anon,
Like Snow upon the Desert's dusty Face
Lighting a little Hour or two---is gone.

XVII

Think, in this batter'd Caravanserai
Whose Portals are alternate Night and Day,
How Sultán after Sultán with his Pomp
Abode his destin'd Hour, and went his way.


Ernie, Arlene, Donna and I went to a jam session Sunday. We did some usual jamming but did a Band-in-a-Box concert first. We had planned to do it in the middle of the session but someone (no one knows who) decided we should do our thing first instead of waiting for lunch time. So we had lunch early and then jammed.

I know most enjoyed it but only a few applauded spontaneously. I don't think I want to do it again.

Now it's shopping time! Heigh-ho,-heigh-ho,-it's off to Costco we go!

Later...