Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Chainfree Bristol

I forgot to tell you something important in my earlier post! On Friday September 10 I participated in the National Day of Service by spending some time with a great organization in my hometown called Chainfree Bristol. This terrific grassroots organization supplies the necessary materials and organizes volunteers to build fenced areas for doggies to live in.

The highly dedicated Liza Conway was moved to action when she saw sweet doggies in our fair city who were living their lives restrained by chains.Her quest was not easy. She was faced with slammed doors, name calling, and was even chased down the street. When she approached owners of chained dogs, she offered to pay for fencing materials and gather volunteers to build a safe fenced area for the pet. All she asked in return was that the pet owner either be the owner of the property on which the fence would be built (or have the permission of the property owner), have their pet spayed or neutered, and agree that the pet would never again be chained. Sounds simple, right?

Unbelievably, some owners stuck on the requirement that the pet be spayed or neutered. These people would rather that their dog live out their life inhumanely chained. Weird.

Anyway, Liza finally found an appreciative pet owner who happily agreed to her requirements. She bought the necessary materials, rounded up some volunteers (some of which were from my place of employment, including me), and we spent that Friday afternoon building a safe fenced enclosure big enough for two adorable doggies, CiCi and Tippy. When we'd finished the fencing and moved their doghouses into the area, they romped happily, free from their chains, rolling in the grass and having a grand time.

I have to tell you, it was a wonderful feeling watching them enjoy their newfound freedom. If you have some free time to help or a few dollars you could donate for fencing materials, contact Liza at liza@chainfreebristol.org. It's a very worthy cause.

I'm Baaaaaaaack

I can't believe it's been a MONTH since I posted! It's been a pretty busy month, but that's no excuse. So, what have I been up to for the past month?

Well, I took my last camping trip of the season September 13 - 17 at ... you guessed it! ... Grindstone. *LOL* I love Grindstone, what can I say? Mom and Dad also camped that week, and it was a lovely, cool, restful week. I went up early on Monday morning in shorts and a t-shirt, expecting to get all hot and sweaty as I usually do when setting up camp. I was WRONG! It was crisp and cool and wonderful!

Mom and Dad arrived soon after I'd set up the tent and set up their trailer in short order. We spent most of the week around a campfire, which Daddy kept going all the way up until Thursday night. There were zillions of chipmunks playing all around the campsites, and we kept hearing turkey hens in the brush nearby. One afternoon I managed to get pretty close to one of them (from the sound of it), but a hiker's dog spotted me and began barking, sending the turkey into stealth mode. I really would have loved to had a look at the turkey, but no such luck.

I've really enjoyed camping season this year, and was sorry to see it end. By the time Friday rolled around, though, I have to admit that I was happy to be going home. We'd had very few camping neighbors during the week, but they were beginning to roll in on Thursday evening. I'm glad we were camping during the week when it was lovely and quiet.

Other than the camping trip, my time has been filled with working and knitting...and watching movies and a bit of Doctor Who. (Thanks to Kris, who has given me yet another addiction. *LOL*)

I'd been neglecting my Wii Fit, so last night I started back up again. I couldn't believe how much my stamina had dropped in that short a period. *kicks self* At least I hadn't gained any weight back, thank goodness.

I've got a lot of my Christmas knitting finished. Still a few little items and one pretty big one to finish, but I think I'll get it all done in time. I can't believe it's already time to be thinking about such things.

So, I guess that's about it...I'll try to be better about posting, honest. :-)