Bee~ Journal of then...

[Beekissed]

Pardon my frankness, Gypsi, but shelters are the last place I'd look. They all want you to swear you'll keep them inside, that you will have a fence around your yard...but still keep them inside. They want your vet references, of which I have none~I only vet if the animal is sick and they never are. They also want money, when dogs are free in the ads wherever you look.

The problem with all that is this: I would never keep a dog inside. I have invisible, wireless fencing, which they think is the Devil Incarnate. I don't vet unless it's necessary. I won't pay a shelter or support a place that doesn't really want to find homes for dogs...if they did, they wouldn't have the criteria they stipulate. They get more funding and grants if they hold onto the dogs, IMO, and so they play God with the people and the animals, doling out animals to their cronies but not to anyone they don't favor.

At least, that's how it's done in my area. They have given my sister multitudes of dogs and even let her foster dogs for them and the dogs now live in conditions that should warrant an animal abuse charge...why? Because she had her nose up the butt of the shelter manager and her daughter worked there. Any Joe Blow that walked in off the street would have to submit their dental records, 10 years of tax records, 3 credit references and a Macy's gift card to get a dog~ but they will give them to any hoarder they know personally, at any time, free of charge.

Nah...I'll get my dogs where I usually do~along life's pathway when the animal needs me and I need him/her. That worked well in the past and I've found no good comes of looking for the animal(case in point, the experiment of yesterday).

 

[rebecca100]

I don't recall ever having to "look" for a dog. They usually find me somehow. I had one of the best dogs we ever had chase my truck home in the rain! I refused to claim him for a long time and just fed him with the other one. I was afraid he belonged to someone. He was a beagle(mix?) that could bay like a big hound. I loved to listen to him chasing rabbits. He stole our hearts and occasionally our food. He was smart enough that he learned to open the refrigerator door! Seriously! He was an outside dog but I would let him come in until he figured that out!
I have a pit/bulldog mix now that is a wonderful LGD dog. She won't bother a farm animal, but she'll get a predator.

 

[Beekissed]

I don't recall ever having to "look" for a dog. They usually find me somehow. I had one of the best dogs we ever had chase my truck home in the rain! I refused to claim him for a long time and just fed him with the other one. I was afraid he belonged to someone. He was a beagle(mix?) that could bay like a big hound. I loved to listen to him chasing rabbits. He stole our hearts and occasionally our food. He was smart enough that he learned to open the refrigerator door! Seriously! He was an outside dog but I would let him come in until he figured that out!
I have a pit/bulldog mix now that is a wonderful LGD dog. She won't bother a farm animal, but she'll get a predator.

Me too, Rebecca! I don't know why I went looking when I know better...just curiosity, I guess.

 

[Denim Deb]

Only animal I've gotten from a shelter? My horse, Misty, and they were willing to bend over backwards so that I could get her. And, the shelter was in another state! I know I'd never be able to get an animal from the local shelter, either for just the reasons Bee's listed.

 

[moxies_chickennuggets]

I have not given them a fan. I have put a sprinkler near the run once or twice.
I practice open coop/secure run - only time I've ever closed the front door on the coop the wind chill was about 10 above zero, it's well ventilated, but the birds sleep on a 4 tier perch in the run itself, under the roof, west end. (pics on my byc page). I make sure they have plenty of fresh water, and when it is really hot out, I'm usually at home so I can pull the dogs in and let them have the run of the yard to pick their favorite shady spots. Wading pool and dog pond for open water if they want a splash. I grabbed an overheating red and ducked her in the dog's bucket one day last August, she was fine in the morning, slept on the roost.



Gypsi

gypsi...can you post a link to your byc page? I am still wandering around lost over there, and not sure where or how to fine things. People.

 

[Gypsi]

gypsi...can you post a link to your byc page? I am still wandering around lost over there, and not sure where or how to fine things. People.

Here you go: http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/gypsis-chicken-coop

Not updated too recently. The new hen arrangement is much much better. The older hens had my americaunas outnumbered and were hogging the food, and not letting them in the pen when I tried to pen them.

On the dog shelter situation, I actually meant the pound rather than a no-kill shelter. Bronx came from death row at Denton's pound. A volunteer would post the euth list to a petplacement group on yahoo, and I needed a large dog with a good temperament with other dogs, and not cat-aggressive. I'd always wanted a rotti - but with small children would not take the risk of having one. He's not full blooded, tail not docked, but he was trainable, (mostly - still have some leash pulling issues, when they get bad I get out the "gentle leader" for a refresher course.) And he helped me retrain Spike's fear of other dogs after a pitbull attack. If I had not retrained Spike, the responsible thing to do for him would have been to put him down. Bronx cost me $60, which included all shots and neuter, and has been worth every penny.

And my dogs do sleep inside at night, because they are not here to protect the chickens. They are here to protect me, I live alone at the edge of a large city. And I sleep deeply.
Gypsi

 

[Beekissed]

Gypsi, I bet you do! I can't imagine living in or near a city without some kind of good protection, be it gun or dog.

I don't think there are any kill shelters left around here...just no-kill. I think those just give the indiscriminate breeders carte blanche to never fix their dogs and to keep having puppies(accidents) willy-nilly because they know they can just drop the pups off at the pound and say they found them(I've actually heard conversations detailing this very thing). Gives me a headache just thinking about it....

Well...after reading up on these RMH stoves, I think the Bat and I are going to convert her barrel stove setup into just such a heater. As she ages and with Dad no longer in the picture, she has had trouble getting her winter firewood. She no longer has a wood splitter, just her chainsaw, and this year she actually had to buy firewood for the first time~due to unforeseen circumstances. $675 later and a wood shed partially filled with punky old oak wood, she sees the need for a change.

It is exciting thinking of a new project and we will document it in pics, of course, and post it here and on my webpage/blog. We will keep track of the materials used, those bought and those we already had or scrounged. Should be a lot of fun and will look beautiful in her log cabin...can't wait! Could be something to add to my book as well.

Won't be buying any plans or books of plans for the RMH, though....

 

[CheerioLounge]

Bee, did you post a link to your blog? Did I miss it?

 

[Gypsi]

ok, what's an RMH?

And Bee, the dogs have to wake me or the gun is useless....

 

[Beekissed]

I'm still working on the webpage and blog but will publish it to the net as soon as I have some good content on each page...its a work in progress.

The RMH~Rocket Mass Heater that Paul Wheaton touts on his Permies forum....he has a thread going right here about it. Lots of videos and very small print diagrams shown about how to build these stoves but none of the videos show the complete how-to setup. I guess that is so they can sell the books and plans on the stoves, so the videos are just teasers.

But...I did a little online digging and found a lovely pic that shows the whole concept and it ain't rocket science(pun intended) to put one of these together. Looks like the answer to my ol' ma's problems with firewood, as it uses so very little and of such small pieces that she can gather that here about on her land. Should add to the rustic look of her cabin as well, so it's a win/win situation. I'm just surprised she is going for it....she isn't as adventurous as she once was.