Safe Behind a Shining Star

Feeling Okay, Hooman?

our walkway to the driveway

It’s been a cold and snowy winter with lots of barometric changes, which of course affect my health. The most I've been able to manage is some laundry, occasional meals, and taking Heath out in the dark and ice at 9 pm every night to put the sheep inside, as the Maremmas are now spending nights in the house as the boss complained he heard barking. Thank God for Heath's help, even with his untrained herding skills he gets the job done for me quickly. We inherited because TheMan blew a gasket one night, unable to get them to cooperate.

We undertook the 4 hour drive to town yesterday to see a shoulder specialist to find out why injuring my bicep by simply lifting my saddle a few months ago should have gotten increasingly worse until I could no longer use my right arm and having so much pain setting in my shoulder. It looks good so far, it’s soft tissue damage that is in the bicep tendon and created a lot of inflammation all the way up under the ball joint and down my arm, so a shot of cortisone in the joint may solve the problem. If not, a second might. and if that doesn’t do it, then we will look at surgical options but i am banking on the cortisone injections.

I had been able to pay off our credit card and Dr bills early so we went to a dealer and bought me a new car. It’s a little new, blue, Subaru and is just what I was looking for. Great gas mileage, 4 wheel or all wheel drive, a back-seat for the Heathen and room for his crate, my suitcase, and sundry other things so I can go on road trips and get away from the ranch I loved so dearly, but has been holding me prisoner because of my limitations. The incredible man I married isn’t thrilled about staying here alone and working for long periods of time, but he understands how this has affected me both physically, emotionally and spiritually. He could hardly miss the tears that leak out now and then. So now I have a few things to get done, like get my license plates, find my new drivers license, and purchase a few things to keep the Heathen in the back, as stuff coming up and hitting the undercarriage still frightens him badly and he jumps into the front, getting twisted and choked in his harness. Not a good scenerio.

We were talking about this yesterday, what an enormous change he has made in my life. I have always been shy, and always been a ‘loner’. Even when I was younger and in shape, I tended to avoid people, when possible. While showing horses for clients I was found either ringside coaching my kids, or at the barn grooming and warming up, but not socializing and having ‘fun’ like so many others. Perhaps that is why it seemed like such a chore. But hey, that’s me. Since getting sick, I have put on so much weight and aged so badly, that I have been ashamed to be seen, so I retreat to my shell and try not to even go out in front of the house unless I absolutely have to. The woman in the mirror is a stranger to me, and I’d rather keep her under wraps. But when going somewhere with Heath, people notice him instead, and talk about him, and my anxiety tends to melt away. And he does garner a huge amount of attention. I could never even consider doing these things without him.

Just in the 2 days we spent in town, all the folk at the dealership spoke to him, and even let him come on my test drive, in spite of the snow and his somewhat raggedy looking undercoat where dirty snow or water had splashed on his leg and belly feathers. He was of course, perfectly behaved and the salesman was impressed with how he jumped into the cargo hold when I asked and quietly laid there for the trip. After purchasing a different car and agreeing to pick it up the next day, we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. The smell of steaks and lots of distractions always make me worry, but I shouldn’t have. Other than wanting to forge ahead of me a little bit to try and meet a youngster passing us (he is absolutely wild about kids) we were seated at a booth across from an elderly couple. I was hoping he would behave like usual, as I was afraid that they might take offense to a dog in the restaurant. Instead, as they got up to leave, the lady tapped me on the shoulder to tell me that he is the best behaved dog she’s ever seen, and they appreciated how he went right under the table and laid quietly when I asked, in spite of all that was going on around us. I really appreciated the compliment to us both.

Heath lays under the table at Texas Roadhouse. His good behavior didn't go unnotced

Celebrating with steak, mmmm

We stayed at Holiday Inn Express in Boise, which I highly recommend. The staff is always super friendly and its always clean and nice. I was out front grabbing stuff out of the truck while Randy got us a room. I had Heath wipe his feet on the mat when entering, which is NOT his favorite thing to do. The man behind the desk said “Well, I guess I will have to take your word that he really is a service dog since his vest says so, even if you have no certification papers”. I asked if they’d been having dog problems and he said yes. I gave him an ADA card that explained there are NO papers on a service dog, they aren’t required to wear a vest, etc. and the easiest way to tell if they are for real is their behavior. It also informed him how to protect their business from an acclaimed service dog that is causing problems. He was really appreciative and said he was going to post the card in the meeting room so he could inform the rest of the staff. I felt good because there are a lot of people taking advantage which causes not only bad feelings toward real teams but increases problems for real teams as well as it can seriously unsettle and damage the confidence of a service dog, which is not allowed to defend himself, to be faced with a poorly trained, barky, aggressive, rude dog of any size or breed, especially when working.

Once in the room, my calm, reserved, well behaved sheppie turned into a whirling dervish, pleased to have had his boots and vest removed and had the two of us in hysterics with his antics. Other than waiting until I had my pjs on, (shorts and a t-shirt) to tell me he needed to go out and do his business…at 25 degrees F, he was a good boy. Out we went, me in my t shirt and snow boots and he  off leash with his happy on. I was only mildly frostbitten when we came back inside.

Next day at the doctors, several people commented and asked to pet him. I had to turn them down because he gets too distracted and wants to play with everyone. After awhile, a man came in, looked our direction for a moment then turned to the lady behind the admissions desk. She asked if she could do anything for him and he said “Yes, I want to buy that dog!” We laughed and I was again, really proud of Heath.

Next was Costco, where we were stopped several times and asked about his breed, then a man came up and said “It’s so nice to see a service dog BEHAVE like a service dog! I’ve trained dogs for 30 years and it’s not hard to recognize a phony or the real thing.” I was wow-ed. Again, none of the anxiety raised itself, because Heath was the focus of attention and I felt safe in the background behind his shining stardom.

What a dog!!

We were next faced with a 4 hour drive home in the dark, in the snow, in a vehicle I was not familiar with. I had a fair idea where the windshield wipers and defroster were as that was my key concern. I had already put the service dog stickers on the window so if we had a wreck, first responders would know to look for him and not to separate us. My car has one of those On-Star kinda deals so it tells me where I left it in the parking lot, if I forgot to lock it, if it's stolen, where it's at, and gets me help if I am broken down or in a wreck. A good option for me, I think. Now if they will just pass reciprocity so you can Concealed Carry across state lines so I am not vulnerable while driving long distances alone, waiting for help to show up in the event of an incident.


I was following TheMan in our embarrassingly dirty truck, knowing Blu Roo would look much like that when we made it home. It is, after all, a ranch, with 50 miles of dirt road leading there. I was pretty nervous,  unable to figure out how to work the radio or anything, and unable to take my eyes off the road, or my white knuckled fingers off the wheel. Only about 30 minutes out, we had a lot of road debris hitting the undercarriage which was unnerving Heath and throwing stuff onto my windshield. I couldn't find a sprayer for the front windows, so increased the wiper speed hoping to get it off. The defroster was running full blast and my vision was awful. Everytime there was an oncoming truck I had zero visibility as the whole windshield would go white. There was no white line on the side or lane markers in the center for that period of time. I kept praying they wouldn't pass me on a turn. We had to follow a snow plow into Jordon Valley and it didn't get any better. Finally, about 2 hours from home, I managed to signal TheMan to pull over at Rome Station as it was about the only place on the 4 hour trip to do so. It turns out the snow plow had put something down on the road that messed up our windshields on the outside so we could not see. He washed it several times and there was a marked improvement. I think both Heath and I hyperventilating probably didn't help the defroster any. I imagine that will probably be my worst trip in Roo, and I still love him, so it should be a brighter future for us, and no...I repeat...NO driving at night!

Pretty soon we will start travels in the Blu Roo. We’ll start small with a 5 hour drive to my brother and niece’s house, then build up to traveling farther for longer periods until I make it down to see my kids. The long, lonely winter is looking a lot better…now if I can just time it between record snow falls and flash floods….

A Day in the Big City

The Heathen put in two pretty tough days. A day to mark the calendar, Heath and I drove all the way into Burns, two hours away, by ourselves. We spent the whole day doing things and he grew a pretty big fan club. He's a pretty special guy. The following day, TheMan drove us to Boise to pick up Thanksgiving supplies, etc. and celebrate his birthday with a dinner out. Believe it or not, the life of a service dog is hard work. Mostly mental, because they have to spend all day exercising impulse control. When Heath slides underneath the table at the Mexican restaurant where we had dinner…he lays there smelling the fajitas and all the wonderful stuff he doesn't get to have (Until after because I always save a bit for him) and he’s hungry because he missed his normal dinner time at home. He's mentally always alert to me, and how I am feeling in case he needs to help out. Anyway, day 2 we drove 4 hours into Boise, headed to the Boot Barn to get TheMan some new boots. Just as we were crossing the road to the sidewalk, a very loud !!BOOM!! occurred at the construction close by, which sent Heath into a panic. He’s very sensitive to sound. He spun around on his leash trying to decide which way to run, shaking and eyes wide. We managed him on up to the sidewalk and tried to calm him, but he was really scared. I pulled him into the boot store which had double entrance doors so we waited in the first entry to calm him down. He settled between my legs as I talked to him and when he was able to manage a treat, we went into the store. He recovered completely by then, which was surprising. After a bit, I even took him back outside. He was cautious as we stepped out, but as nothing was going on, he relaxed and just let it go. He’s going to be a great dog.

He did really well ignoring people reaching out to him and talking to him for the most part. I think that is the hardest thing for him, because he LOVES meeting people. Everyone is his friend. He received many compliments on his behavior and his looks. We had lunch at Shari’s and everyone was surprised when we left, that a dog had been there. No one was upset, they were just impressed because he was so quiet and invisible.

Next we went to visit a good friend with 2 scotties. For some reason, they intimidated Heath and he didn’t want to go in the house. We went anyway and took his vest off so he could play, but he was very subdued. The female got snappy with him and that seemed to take all the joy out of him. We had a good time though, visiting, as we had not seen her for several years. She said that everytime she has to take something to the hospital, she always checks to see if i am on one of the wards. Ha. Ha. Costco was next on the list. He did great, although they had no scooter for me so I had to tough it out on foot. I haven’t yet the stamina and strength in my legs and back to walk that much so it was a challenge. Again, he was great. I have a new phone. I should say, I have A phone. There is a phone that was somewhere in the truck that I never used, and couldn't hear anything on. So this is really the first phone I have had in 6 years. It’s an Iphone. Nothing like what I’ve ever had before and I don't know how to use it. I did manage to get a ring tone assigned to TheMan (that I really like, as it sings “It’s your hussssband” and Pharrells “Happy” for other calls. I figured I could hear and recognize those easier than most, since I am losing my hearing. They are pretty distinct. All day it would begin to sing “Happy” but I could not figure out how to answer the phone!! Before entering the store, I stopped Heath at a couple of bushes and poles to pee as he is at that age of males marking territory and I like to be sure his tanks are empty before entering any businesses. He did so and I praised him. We slowly made it through to the back of the store, shopping, avoiding the crowd, and swearing at the ringing phone that I couldn’t answer. After all, who the heck even has my number??? It’s not like I told everybody. While fidgeting with the phone I made a mistake of stopping the cart right next to a big red pillar on Heath’s side. I glanced down and recognized the look on his face and cried “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” just as he lifted his leg. Mortified, because I never yell at him, he bounced back behind me wondering just what was wrong. Luckily for us, that was where the Clorox disinfectant wipes were for sale so we grabbed some, wiped up the dribbles and carried on. I apologized to Heath because it really was my fault. At the checkout they asked if we wanted a different on since the package was open. I hated explaining that.  A man came up and started this long, unwanted conversation with me about service dogs, and his aussies and yada yada ad nauseam. He finally ran out of breath and we continued. I was exhausted, Heath was burned out, TheMan was fresh as a daisy as always. We got through the register, everyone mentioning Heath and complimenting him and wanting to pet him, while I explained if I let them that he would take advantage and mug everyone he sees for attention after that.  As we stepped up to the check writing spot, I could tell he remembered 3 months ago when the guy was throwing boxes at his face, and he was uncomfortable there, so we stepped around to the end and he was fine.



After dinner we headed to Harbor Freight. My head had felt like it was in a fog for a good part of the day and TheMan was laughing at me because I was having trouble talking right during dinner, messing up words and such, putting salt in my ice tea instead of sugar and just basically being…odd. I was concerned, but he didn’t seem to be, and with Heath at my side the anxiety diminished. As TheMan skipped around Harbor Freight, wishing and window shopping and envying and coveting, Heath and I just cruised around to see if there was anything worthy of attention. I suddenly felt very weak and not very good so I sank down against a wall and Heath laid down beside me. He laid across my lap and watched people go by. He was simply fascinated by all of them, but never tried to move from his spot. I was pretty much used up. We had one more store to go. Once I was able to stand again, we went out to sit in the truck.

Onward to Winco we went. I got a scooter there and for awhile, Heath sat on the floor of it between my legs and rode along. Riding or walking he was a star. He always gets noticed. One man stopped me and wanted to know what breed he was and why I choose him for a service dog. The phone kept ringing. I kept failing to figure out how to answer it. Finally, in the payout line we were standing next to a group of very cute hispanic teenage girls. Heath was dying because he LOVES kids and he especially LOVES GIRLS. The phone rang again and I completely lost control. I handed it to one of the girls and said “Please, answer this! I don’t know how!” I was surrounded by peals of laughter and at that point, Heath lost control. He leapt up and began kissing girls (I’m quite sure Donald Trump will get the blame for this) and they giggled and hugged him and failed to answer my phone, but one girl tried to explain to me how to do it and said she always has to show her grandma how to work hers. Once we were reinstalled in the pickup truck, I played with the phone enough to find that no one was calling me, but the ringtone had been accidentally assigned to incoming email. GADZOOKS!! I think I fixed it. Now I just have to give someone my phone number so they can call and I can see if I can answer it or not. It always works when TheMan calls and that’s all that really matters.

So goes another shopping day. I’m glad we only do this once every  3 months…usually.

I awoke this morning with Heath sleeping on top of me, in the chair, keeping me warm. The medication alarm had gone off at 4 am because I forgot to reset it. He brought my pills and they sat next to me as I went back to sleep. A few hours of unloading groceries, then I am planning on a long winters nap.

 #GoodBoyHeath

A December Shopping Trip

 

It was time to replenish supplies and because the only other person able to care for our animals in our absence was leaving for a month to visit family and we wanted to avoid the Christmas rush, we headed out on the 4 ½ hr trip to town.

Randyman hooked up the trailer the night before, and loaded up all the large coolers out of the ranch walk-in. Everything has to go into coolers to either stay frozen on the long trip home or just to keep the dust out of it, as driving the 50 miles of dirt road coming into the ranch tends to push dirt into everything.

We awoke hours before dawn, threw on some clothes, tossed some essentials into a small bag for emergency and headed to the barn to load a horse. We were to deliver her on the way. She was a mare, and mares aren’t too popular here on the ranch. All the horses need to be working stock and more often than not, mares tend to be moody, kicky and also cause the geldings to fight over her. My little mare is no exception. She was often marked by teeth and hooves across her body as dominant geldings attempted to haze her into their small clan to keep the others away from her.

 It had been snowing and freezing and the dirt road going out was firm and fairly smooth, from the snow but the paved county road was slick and icy.

About an hour and a half into the drive, the sun began to rise, with black, blue and scarlet hues appearing over the small mountains in the distance. Ice crystals covered the brush on the side of the road and the ground sparkled like it was littered with diamonds. Further ahead, low clouds and fog shrouded the desert valleys like an ocean and we could see another set of headlights in the distance, showing we were not alone on the 200 mile stretch of road that snaked along toward our destination.

With a healthy case of nerves, I began to ramble about this or that, hoping to keep us both well awake and to cover my uneasiness with the less-than-ideal conditions and limited vision.

Climbing over a pass, we were jolted by movement, as the horsetrailer began to whip and slide across the ice, yanking the back of the pickup from side to side, while Randyman worked hard to keep us on the road and avoid sailing over the edge into the canyon below. That plummeted me into silence for the next 20 miles or so, as I struggled to regain my composure and fight the tears that followed the ensuing panic. All the hospital stays from my wrecks in recent years kept going through my mind. It was the first time I have ever been HAPPY to arrive in a CITY.

We dropped off the mare and headed to the Livestock Supply. A good deal of our paycheck was laid out for feed and minerals for our personal cows, goats, and sheep. 10 large bags of dogfood were acquired for the Maremmas, Cider and Scottie. Steer panels and tarps were purchased for building a temporary shelter for Dolly and EmmaLou cow. Late that afternoon we finally stopped to eat and made the decision that we would stay in town overnight to avoid an accident going down the icy hills heading to home.

The following morning, we headed to Costco to complete our grocery shopping and head home, hoping for an early start. The boss called needing some errands run, so we got those done and we were clearly going to finish our shopping quite a bit later than we had hoped. We opted to shop the Costco in Boise so we could zip straight home from there.

We don’t have phone service on the ranch, other than a satellite phone, which only works when the spirit moves it. Cell phones will pick up reception occasionally, depending on how far away from the mountain we are. There is a large peak that blocks the signal from us, so the closest place to use the phone is over a mile from the house. Paying $50 a month for a phone we can’t use unless we were in town together seemed pretty foolish to me, so I cancelled the service. We decided getting a ‘track’ or prepaid phone was a better idea, in case Randy got stuck in the desert, running wells. The guy at the kiosk in Costco asked for my license and said he would have a phone ready in 15 minutes.

We did the remainder of our shopping, pushed the carts out to the horse trailer, packed all our goods into the large coolers and headed home. It takes close to an hour to get from Boise to Nampa, and holiday traffic didn’t help matters. We passed the Nampa Costco and realized, my license and phone were still in Boise. That turned us around and added another 2 hours to our trip…which was already behind schedule.

The weather had been warm, ice and snow had melted, so the trip home was uneventful, except for the last 36 miles. I stared off into the expanse of desert searching for the wild horses that are often seen near, and sometimes ON, the road. Highway speeds of 55 to 70 are nice, as there is almost never another vehicle, but it can be deadly when meeting up with livestock or wildlife. Deer, antelope, wild horses, cattle and other critters often amble across the highway, and can wreak havoc on unprepared or unwitting drivers. Dark clouds hovered over us but didn’t unleash their burdens until we were off of the pavement.

Sunset

Turning off the highway and onto the dirt road leading home, it began to rain and the road was so soupy and slimey, it was nearly sucking us off the road and into a bar ditch and even with 4WD, we had a hard time negotiating any sort of rise in the road.. We made it home nearly 2 hours after dark, 2 days after we started out.

THAT my friends, is why we only grocery shop 4 times a year.