How to kill grasshoppers, and get freaked out, and still not get the grass mowed.

I had a great idea last evening. Mow the grass! Then, I can run over the grasshoppers and kill as many as the mower can chop up and run over. So, dressed in shorts and a tank top, I -Pod in place with some great Texas R&B loaded, I crank up the riding mower ( and the tunes) and think I'm going to have fun watching little bits and pieces of grasshopper spew out from the blades. Well, I hadn't even taken one entire swath of the yard, when me and the mower were covered in grasshoppers! Ewwww! Yuck! Shiiiiiiiit!! Its really hard to steer while your swatting off grasshoppers! My first and only line of cut grass, looks as if a drunk was driving! I really don't like them! Need less to say, I abandon the idea quickly, and the lawn mower, and it is still sitting out in the yard where I made my escape, leaving a trail of injured and wounded grasshoppers in my wake. Theres gotta be a better way.

Friday, Bobby's aunt called me, and told me about a stray dog that had taken up on her car port around the 4th of July. She said it was a small black dog that looked so much like her Sweet Pea ( a smallish cocker mix) that had to be put down due to age related issues last fall, that she could almost imagine that they could have been litter mates! Bonnie, Bobby's aunt will NOT take an animal to the shelter, (even though I had told her that if it was there, the folks who lost it may stand a better chance of finding it) had already called rescues in the area and was told they were full, so she has opted to put up flyer's and such around the local stores and hangouts in hopes that some one will see them and claim their dog. Not that either of us think that will happen. This poor dog has been so totally neglected, is/was covered in ticks and fleas, and was a matted pelt. Bonnie, who lives on SS and does what work a 69 year old woman can to try to make ends meet, has a hard enough time keeping food on her table and feeding her own two dogs. So when she called and told me of this poor old dog, which judging by what Ive seen, could be anywhere from 12 to 14 years old, I told her to bring it to the shop and Id get it de-flea;d and de-ticked and see what I could do to help. Well, it wasn't small by any means, but OK. Bonnie, like other clients have a slight difference of opinion as to what small is compared to me. No biggie, I wasn't pressed for time, as I had her bring the dog after I was finished with my last groom dogs for the day. Old, was also not exactly a good description either, as this dog acted and looked ancient. About half blind, and deaf to boot. She'd, by the looks of her, probably never seen the inside of a grooming shop, and I was worried she had probably never seen the inside of a vets office either. The size ( a good medium dog) and long dense black matted coat, ( not to mention her totally black tongue) gave me pause as to whether I really wanted to dive in and help this dog. If I had to guess, I would probably say she was chow and cocker spaniel cross. Neither one being a fav breed of mine to groom, and crossed?? Well, to me, everything I saw in the dog, just added up to trouble. But, the Dundee in me decided to give it a go. Whats the worst that can happen? Nothing that hasn't happened to me before. So, I plunked her up on the grooming table and started to shave her down. At first, she wasn't going to allow it. But Bonnie stepped in and comforted her and she settled down. What I found by the end of the groom, was this sweet old decrepit soul, that had deserved so much better in her life than we could see that she had had in her golden years. What a tragedy. Such a sweet old girl, that tried so hard after her initial shock, to behave and do the right thing. Her legs/hips were so shot, she could hardly stand while I shaved her, so we allowed her to sit and lay down through most of the groom, and held her up through the rest. This kind of thing makes me so angry. Course, Bonnie, the type to always look at the glass half full, decides that it was probably an older person much like herself, that didn't have the means to support the dog, that had lost her. I tried to remind her that "she" didn't either, and that she has found a way to take care of the old gal. But it fell on deaf ears, her saying that she had a groomer in the family that could help her and maybe who ever lost the dog didn't. I find it hard to believe, that any groomer would turn some one away if they brought such a dog in for a groom and explained that they didn't have the money to get the dog groomed. Most groomers take their share of rescue, sad cases and just plain neglected dogs in and groom them and don't charge to help the dog. I know I have been doing this my whole grooming career, and I know many others that do as well. Oh well, whatever excuses Bonnie would like to allow for the former owners of "Sweet Pea #2" is fine by me. I still call it good old fashioned neglect. Sweet Pea#2 as Bonnie is now calling her, will have a loving home with Bonnie until some one claims her. If not, I know Bonnie will not part with this dog, and will find a way to get her vet care and grooming done for free or at a reduced rate. I have already told her I would give my services for free, for as long as she has the old girl. Cant help it, I have a soft spot for sweet old ladies and sweet old dogs. After all, its not always all about what you can get out of life, but what you can give back. Sweet Pea #2 is feeling much better today, and I feel good knowing I could play some small part in that.