I'm just checking in for a second in between waves of well...stuff--to let you know that I will write my blogs and facebooks entries probably tonight. I have been so sick overnight that I've lost my voice (and all energy).

Poor Mike feels awful. After taking me for tests to find out the damage done by getting hit by a 100 lb roll of pipe that spontaneously fell on my face and then slammed my back, at the big box home store, he stopped on the way home and got me a couple of spring rolls and a Pepsi to try to alleviate my upset-ness at all the news from the doctor (will discuss results more after three MRI's next week). 

I enjoyed every single bite of those spring rolls--and even the sweet and sour sauce I dipped each bit in--all while wrapped up in a major back brace and neck brace. (I was so careful not to drip so I didn't have to go home and wash these contraptions!) At least, no matter how un-fashionable they look, they helped a lot, alleviating the immediate pain, especially of a fractured/broken bone in my neck--C6-7--a few herniated disks and more--(MRI's will tell us more)...can you believe this!?

I was taking the rest-and-see approach but the store's liability/insurance people kept calling me--over and over again--not to see how I was feeling--but to see if I was hiring an attorney! (We are not the suing kinda people...)

They have the store security tape and it must be pretty bad. So, after repeated calls which began scaring me, on the off-chance that this was something more than bad aches and pains, which were getting worse two weeks later, yesterday, I went to a specialist--who wanted me in the hospital last night! Well, with Mike's issues, the car, and the RR, that's just not possible, so he is sending me to three or four other specialists and lots more tests to come--thankfully we still have health insuance. To get food poisoning, on top of all of that last night, was adding cruel insult to injury! (Oh, but I so enjoyed those spring rolls...)

My loving doggies barked every time I garfed--all night long--just a team effort to let me know they were "there" with me, making Mike as tired right now as I feel sick. Some kept me in company in bed in-between my vacation visits to the throne and my beloved Poppy was my shadow--making sure in his way, that I was as always as OK as his little 30 lb self could do. (His moral support and love meant the world to me...)

Thanks for understanding.  I LOVE Y'ALL! If you need me, I'll check my email tonight--I'm hoping this is just a 24 hour thing and not a reaction to tests or a head injury. EMAIL: animalrescuevolunteer@yahoo.com

Jane

 

As many of you know, Mike has a catastrophic accident last week--and walked away from it, more or less. He has a concussion and a few others boo-boos but basically, he is alive. That is just miraculous. We cannot thank God enough...

Mike hit a truck (or did it stop suddenly), spun Mike into the right-er lane and a car hit him, spun him back and then he hit the center concrete barrier. He miraculously walked away--but his car (eleven year old car) has been totaled by the insurance company. (He has some issues and cannot drive right now so he cannot work--unless his job approves his doctor's telcommuting request--and so he is on unpaid leave again.)

The car is a Honda. It is more expensive, according to the insurance company to fix than the book value of the car--so they are just totaling it. Mike will get a check for the value of the two year old tires and some nuts and bolts, basically, they told him.

One of our RR Angels had an idea to contact KSBJ radio to see if there was a way they could help (we had been sponsors to the families on their Giving Tree List in the past, ironically.) The list for people who need help is now closed/too close to the holiday.

Then I got to thinkin'...Mike's car is salvagable if there were a Honda dealer willing to help. We'd gladly turn over whatever the totalled-car-check will be--if a dealer could put the car back together again. It is driveable--but needs the following (I'm not a mechanic by far but this is what I've heard so far): front and rear bumpers; hood; front and rear right side panels fixed/replaced and left front panel; CV joints are broken/breaking; muffler system broken at oxygen sensor; full light inserts in at least two to three lights.

That is my layman's guesstimate just walking around the car--but it works and is drivable. I don't think the frame was bent in the accident. So, now, I have to ask, does anyone have a Honda dealership, a friend with one, a connection...or can help us? We have nothing left after so many things that have happened in the past three years.

We can take the car in for an estimate at a dealer to get a complete list of what is wrong but again, it will not be covered by insurance--and so we will need sponsoring beyond the totalled-the-car-check.

The other alternative is perhaps there is a dealer (of any sort) who would like to make a year end gift to someone very special (he is) who does incredible work in the community. Of course, the publicity in my Houston Chronicle blog would be a benefit and perhaps some TV stations would cover the gifting--and we could bring down a few of the animals for photos--maybe Bunny and Pasha in their wheelchairs!  Imagine! (The car would need a trunk or hatch to put the chairs in.)

We are not picky about the car type--it just has to be non-smoking (allergies) if used and big enough to fit a few crates in the car to rescue dogs/go to the vet or doggie wheelchairs. If anyone has any ideas, please email me at animalrescuevolunteer@yahoo.com 

We need a sponsor, an angel or several, someone who is extraordinary to help with this very unexpected issue--for lack of a much better word.  God has watched over us so far--and getting Mike out of that accident like He did--was such a blessing, that we obviously have more work ahead to help the animals and to thank Him for what He did for us.

Thank you for listening, for stopping by and for caring. Especially for caring.

Jane

www.firststop-laststop.com/rescueranchblog.html

PS: If you are local/Houston area, there is an event TONIGHT starting at 7 PM at Something Unique in Pearland--where teacher's presents are $5 or a little more, there will be stocking stuffers and more.

For more information--address, phone number and even a list of what they are collecting for the Rescue Ranch (Note: the items can be mailed in if you are not local), please go to my story today in the Houston Chronicle entitled: "Native American Blessing: Carry Your Sadness Away." Something Unique's event information and flier link follow today's story.

URL: http://blog.chron.com/fromunderthebridge/2011/12/native-american-blessing-carry-your-sadness-away/   

PS PLEASE CLICK ON THE SHARE "ENVELOP" on this page below that says "Recommend this Site." It is at the bottom of this page. You can write a note and email friends OR just copy and paste this entry into an email or post on facebook, etc. Thank you kindly! We are so overwhelmed right now--and need help!

PPS Don't miss the new story and photo below (on this page) about Junie and big Mandy!

Some of the most unusual friendships form at the Rescue Ranch. Here, a little 22 lb. Min Pin, previously named Emmy, now named Junie--short for Junior (she is practically the spitting image of her mama, Mama Mia) is best friends with 160 lb Big Mandy!

The girls can't wait to get out together, run through the property--usually Junie (June-ee) carries the toys and Mandy chases Junie as best she can--Junie can far outrun her! They lay down together after a good run and sit on the porch, watching the birds go by and even drink water simultaneously out of the big bowl outside. They are two peas in a pod.

Mandy has had her choice of many dogs--she loved a chocolate brown Chow mix, Lenny, but Lenny didn't love little dogs (so couldn't stay here) and eventually he was adopted and lives happily in New Hampshire now.  This is the first dog she has bonded with after Lenny left. 

 

 

When Junie and Mandy go out, after running around the yard, these two girls come to my window and Junie barks once--to get my attention--and to get a treat! Junie is in charge, I've noticed, and Mandy is the back-up "team."  I adore seeing them at my window, regardless if I am writing or sleeping, I will always get up and give them a treat--or two!

Thanks for stopping by, for listening and for caring. Especially for caring.

Jane

PS  PLEASE give a GIFT to help the Rescue Ranch animals. You can click on the ChipIn box above or the actual CHIPIN LINK OR go to our Give Now page OR make a gift through paypal. Our paypal address is: a.rescue.volunteer@gmail.com

We have a huge responsibility normally and right now, with Mike on unpaid sick leave again, I am overwhelmed with expenses and need your help. It doesn't matter how you help, it just matters that you do--please. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

As promised, here is the pic of Miss Precious in her sweater!

To normal pet owners, this is not such a big deal. Most dogs will cooperate enough to put on a sweater--and keep it on at least for a little while.

Precie, was a feral dog, who had her eyeball ruptured--and was literally left behind in a shelter, with no pain meds or treatment and her "running" buddies that she was darted-to-sedate friends were saved by a rescue. The poor thing was laying on the concrete floor, pressing her ruptured eyeball socket into the corner of the cold concrete walls for some kind of pain relief...

Mike and I could just could not stand that this had all happened to her--and knew that she would just be euthanized if no one saved her sooner than later so we went down to the shelter. She was in shock and when we tried to move her, she got very upset--she was basically a very injured, untamed, feral dog--in a ton of pain. With the help of the then-shelter manager, LaJeane, who was practically a dog whisperer, we got her in a crate and took her to several vets--one to stabilize her and then one to evaluate the ruptured eye globe.

After taking pre-surgery blood tests, we found out that she had such a bad case of anemia that we had to have repeated blood tests and wait four months and feed her pig's liver--ordering it 60 lbs at a time (it is higher in iron than cow's liver)--before she could even have her eye socket operated on--after a week or so after the first surgery, the site reopened/stiches popped open, and with blood pouring out of the socket site, she had to go in for another surgery.

Thank God for my Houston Chron blog readers who pitched in and sponsored most of what she needed...the second operation was not planned nor was her high heartworm positive status. (These are some of the expenses that we just plain need help with--they come up all the time with special needs animals.) Note: This was all going on while Baby Hope/Project Hope, the distemper project, was going on. Talk about stress!

Now, Precie wags her tail when she sees us, dances and prances around in the yard and runs the one minute mile--she loves being outside, especially in nice weather! Since she lost her BFF unexpectedly, (Beautiful Black "Beauty," died last January due to an undiagnosed, asymptomatic brain anerysm--and left a gaping hole in my heart, too), Precie has never really made friends again with anyone, despite a very wide range of personalities and shapes and sizes of dogs that she could play with--and that we have tried to introduce her to.

Then, Rocky Rocks came to the RR and caught her eye. Now, she is sweet on him...like a teenager in L-O-V-E...

Precie is not ready yet for Rocky to be off-leash to play with her--we have to run around the yard, letting him follow her/wrestle with her but have to gauge when she has had enough. She is still shy and half feral. It will take awhile before she is sleeping in bed next to us, so to speak--but we are thrilled at the progress she is making and that she has found a friend again. (They sleep in crates next to each other. He pulls her blankets half into his crate, I think she he can smell her scent. She takes the bones out of his crate and brings them into hers!)

Amazing things happen at the Rescue Ranch--it is really an amazing place to be. Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed when all of the dogs want attention or need medicine or food or treats all at once--and feel like I could use a break...but then when I go out say to Target for a few hours, I am soooo happy to come back to what seems like a kazillion yapping, wagging wonderful animals,  who just love us for being just us. I think we live an extraordinary life!

Thanks for stopping by, for listening and for caring. Especially for caring.
Jane

My Houston Chron blog: blog.chron.com/fromunderthebridge

This blog: www.firststop-laststop.com/rescueranchblog.html

Our Amazon Affiliates Link (PLEASE shop through it--Amazon will give back a percentage of sales as a credit we can use on their site to help the animals):  http://www.amazon.com?_encoding=UTF8&tag=rescranc-20

Thank you kindly!

VIP VIP VIP We need just ONE more person to place an order and the Amazon affiliate giving percentage changes from 4% to 6% forever FORWARD (not on previous sales)--so please be that person who make this change possible before this link starts to get really active (we hope and pray!).

We have earned a total of $2.68 so far this month from people using our Amazon link. Not gonna get us far yet--but if people start sharing the link and continue to use it for future shopping, it will take off and hopefully with Amazon's gift/percentage, we can provide at least some of the items that the RR dogs need--and they need a whole lot!

Will you please finish your holiday shopping, or just shop in general, through our Amazon Affiliates Link:

 http://www.amazon.com?_encoding=UTF8&tag=rescranc-20

Thank you for caring!! Please copy this URL/link everywhere--on email, fb, message boards, etc. and ask people to use it to make a difference in this world--helping special needs animals--WITHOUT it costing them a cent! That is pretty cool!

Please pass this on...you will make a difference, too, without even shopping!

Thank you kindly

 

Bunny, out of her doggie wheelchair, is rolling over with happiness because y'all care about her and the other dogs she plays with/lives with at the Rescue Ranch. She really loves everyone, and despite her severe disabilities from surviving neurologic distemper, she is one of the happiest dogs I've ever met.

We all love U Bunny Bun Buns!