Time flies

Generally before any trip I obsess over getting the house clean, the yard cut and cleaned up, so things won't be a disaster when we get back home, but I know what needs to be done and how long it will take so I can plan accordingly. This is not a normal "trip" and the need to get the house and yard in shape relates to selling the house. There is 10 times more work to be done, more like 100 times, and the time left to get everything done is shrinking at an ever accelerating pace. I don't have the knowledge, skills, or patience for a lot of things that need to be done which is giving me big feelings of inadequacy and failing. 

The dumpster got filled up and was taken away and a new one brought in it's place today. It's already about 1/3rd full. I'm finally making progress on the outdoor stuff and we've started throwing money at the house projects in a desperate attempt to get things done. That should have started at least two weeks before it did. Mechanical things, particularly the damn mower, are the bane of my existence and I will be very happy to be free of it in two weeks, living without a car and without grass to cut.

We've about reached the end of things that can be sold, except for a few that I still need. I'm guessing that the dumpster will be full again when it it taken away next Friday. 

Bailey seems unbothered by the removal of furniture and other things. Her focus is on me. I look forward to being able to keep up my side of this co-dependent relationship and return the attention and focus with time spent on her. She's been letting me slide for now. 

My makeshift bird feeding station was very popular with the goldfinch community today, with a dozen or more of them on it at any time.

The first dumpster was filled mostly with wood. 

The next load will be more varied.

A HOWS Project truck leaving today with one of my kennels and a lot of outdoor dog stuff (toys, poop scoopers, feeder, dishes, water buckets, etc.)

I think and hope they will be able to put it to good use with the community dogs that they help.

Moving stuff out

The last few weeks have been all about moving stuff out of here. Clay's been selling on eBay for months and I've been moving larger items with the help of Facebook Marketplace. In addition to multiple trips to the dump and Goodwill, 

we've taken things to a consignment shop and Clay has made two trips to Circa selling our stuff. They seem to like our stuff and yesterday sent a truck out here and they left with a full load. And yet, I look around the house and there is still stuff that we'll need to deal with in the next two weeks. 

I finally got someone at work removing the insulation from the attic, and have contracted with another company who will do some other work up there and then re-fill it with new insulation. There are still other things to do.  I've been doing the demolition work removing a lot of the things I had built in the yard that were now looking rather sad. The dumpster is almost full and they will be taking it away next Tuesday. 

My one remaining mower has suffered a deck failure, which sucks big time because I can not be without a mower right now, or without something to haul around the utility trailer that I'm using in the demolition work. 

As always, Bailey remains my faithful companion through whatever is going on. 

It was like an episode of American Pickers here yesterday. 

A lot of our stuff went away, including many items that I had no idea what to do with.

I did some outdoor work in Daneland early this morning when it was shaded.

In the afternoon, I worked in the puppy palace, removing the torn up linoleum

and clearing off the shelves. Bailey helped.

Clay also made a second trip to coin dealer in Charlottesville, selling a lot of my childhood coin collection for more than I expected. 

I should have taken "before" pictures, but this is the area where our firepit was, along with the summer kitchen and several other assorted things. 

This is what remains of Playstation K9. This part is solid and in good shape so I'm leaving it.

The gathering

It's been a couple of days now so it's time I wrote something about "the gathering." We invited everyone we knew to come out to Patch Brewing on Sunday afternoon as a sort of going away party. I don't want to use the term "goodbye" party because that sounds too final and we clearly hope to see everyone again. The gathering served as a birthday party for me and as a retirement party for Clay as well. We invited everyone we know via Facebook although I realize that may have missed a few folks. Nevertheless, it was very well attended. Some people crawled out of the way back machine and traveled quite a distance to attend. We were overwhelmed and extremely gratified by the turnout of so many friends, including many we haven't seen in a long time.

To keep things dog-related, I decided to bring Bailey even though I wasn't sure how she would handle the crowd including the other dogs who came along. I am very happy, and proud, to report that she did very well. I had her on her Gentle Leader of course, and I brought along a small bucket of tasty treats that I thrust towards everyone who wanted to interact with her. These were all good people and they took some treats, offered them to her, and she took them nicely. She's suspicious of strangers, but she's easily bribed. I also took the precaution of bringing along a crate, which I set up in the office, in case she needed a time out. After a couple of hours I did put her in the crate for a while, but mostly because I needed a break from handling her, I wanted to be able to interact with the other dogs, and I needed a free hand to drink beer. After a half hour or so I brought her out again.

The invitees included dogs as well as their owners and several of our former fosters came. The first one we met upon arrival was Biscuit, a golden retriever. Jamma, a HOWS Project rescue (white GSD) that we fostered also came, as well as Maze (one of Della's 12-pack), former foster and occasional boarder Cosmo (Bernese Mountain Dog), and one of our more recent fosters, the marvelous Marvel (mother of our last litter of puppies). There were other dogs present as well, as represented in the pictures below. I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted, but I think I got pictures of most of the dogs and that's mostly what I'm going to share here, since I never assume anyone wants to admit knowing me. 

Clay and I both really enjoyed it. I talked more in a few hours than I usually do in a few weeks and felt like I was about to lose my voice. It was the perfect event for us, low-key, full of friends and their dogs.

I haven't been blogging as frequently of late, mostly because I've been extremely busy. I do intend to continue blogging from France although it may begin to look more like a travel blog as Bailey and I explore the city. 

Cosmo

Biscuit (the Golden)

Bailey

Jamma

Bailey

Marvel

Puck

Maze

Shelby

These two (Rorschach and MoDean) couldn't attend but they sent their people and this video message.

Bailey, being calm, cool, and collected.

One of my favorite songs turned up on my playlist on my drive to the event on Sunday. It's also a song that speaks of my parting wish. It's my hope that everyone will have a few fond memories of us and think of us from time to time until we meet again.

Woody, the final foster

Woody went to a new home a couple weeks ago, officially as a foster but everyone wanted to, and intended to make it permanent. Today they did so. Having Woody, a pain-in-the-ass German Shepherd Dog as my final foster seems very fitting. It was by adopting a shepherd from Virginia German Shepherd Rescue that we first got involved with that group and we've fostered more shepherds over the years than any other single breed. He epitomized what is both wonderful and problematic about the breed. They are steadfastly loyal but also driven in ways that can make co-existence with humans difficult, to say the least.

I thought Woody had it made with these folks because they are experienced fosters themselves and have a lot of experience with the breed. They saw what I saw, which was a young shepherd in need of bonding and in need of direction. He has that now, and he received his first Bark Box today. I think Woody would have been a memorable dog when if he wasn't my final foster. He was here a long time, we failed him twice with placements, but made up for it the third time around. 

I'm always seeing people giving their dogs treats, toys, and pupcups, and I'm ashamed to say that I never do that with mine. I do try to give Bailey what she wants and needs most, which is time with me. And we do some fun things together, although lately they mostly involve yard work.

Bailey waiting for me outside the bathroom door.

Today I went through a box of stuff from my childhood, including my Boy Scout days.

I had many bandanas, but only saved this one for Bailey. 

I don't actually remember this one but its colors suit her well 

and the fleur-de-lis is appropriate for this soon to be French dog. 

Fun and games on the 4th

A while back I saw that Ken Burns was going to be the speaker at the annual naturalization ceremony at Monticello. We've never been and this being our last easy opportunity, I took it as a sign that we should go so I immediately hopped online and got tickets. It did not disappoint. 

For those who don't know, each year Monticello holds an event where immigrants who have passed through the naturalization process are sworn in as U.S. citizens. This year there were 78 who chose to take the oath at this ceremony at Monticello. Ken Burns was the speaker and he was very good, but the man who stole the show was actually the first who spoke, a U.S. District Court judge who read the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. His impassioned reading of Jefferson's words was a tough act to follow with many lines eliciting applause and cheers from the audience, followed by a standing ovation. They were revolutionary words and they struck a chord with this crowd, who obviously were viewing Trump as the modern counterpart to King George. Although he only read the preamble, the Declaration of Independence goes on to list the colonists' grievances against the king, many of which do indeed seem very similar to current events:

• He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, ...
• He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, ...
• He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance (Musk/DOGE)
• For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world (tariffs)
• For imposing Taxes on us without our consent (tariffs)
• For depriving us in many of cases, of the benefits of trial by jury (extra-judicial deportations)
• For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences (deportations)
• He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.  (ICE)

It remains to be seen whether this country will ever again have a full, fair, and free election in which the electorate can correct the mistakes of the last one. The GOP cult is hellbent on holding onto power by any means necessary. They made that abundantly clear by the events of January 6th as well as every ass-kissing action and vote they have taken Trump took office.

Later in the evening, Bailey and I resumed our demolition work. When the driver delivered our 18 yard dumpster, he asked if I had enough stuff to fill it. I responded "I hope not." Now I'm afraid that I will have too much and may need a second.