My beautiful dog Flash "smiling" for the camera.

[thrown_hammer]

Here is Flash telling Jim Richards wife Lu to tread lightly on "HIS" porch...

[targa911S]

Big Henry and Henry's Buddy say HOWDY!

[notfarnow]

Big Henry looks like he's had a great recovery!

[targa911S]

yes he is in better health today than he has been in a while for sure. He's lovin' life large. Even his coat is great that's why he looks so red.

[notfarnow]

It's great to see a dog on the upswing; sure was touch & go for a while.

I'll post pics of my buddy Chance tonight. He's gone from a very sickly 10 yr old rescue dog that the vet gave "a year, tops", to a friggin puppy. He had 8 teeth pulled in Februaray, that has had a HUGE effect on his health (and his breath).

[targa911S]

Well we did the research, and at the time he was so close to death we were feeding him a can of wet food with his dry mix to keep him regular. The brand was iams, one of the killer brands of canned food out there. Even our vet agrees with our findings. So literally he was dying then. His terrier attitude and his size were instrumental in his ability to get to the other side. Buddy was not getting the canned stuff so he had no problems. Of course I have a vet that could walk on water in my book for saving his life. He is fine now and acts like an 11 year old puppy. He lost a bit of weight and now looks and acts great! Now let's see your buddy Chance.

[notfarnow]

We got Chance almost 5 years ago from a beagle rescue site:
http://www.beaglepaws.com/
In certain parts of Newfoundland, beagles are used as rabbit dogs. At the end of the season, many dogs are left to die out in the woods. Some are tied to trees and shot, or just left behind tied to trees. Chance was left tied, but managed to get loose. He was found in January, with sores from frostbite and a piece of wire that was imbedded in his neck. We had him flown over, but our vet said we should expect him to only live a year or so. His skin was very bad and he was basically worn out.

Here he is on the first day we got him:


We tried a few foods, and California natural seemed to help his skin.

Here he is after a year:


By then we had changed vets, and our new vet was willing to try different treatments. We tried a few things, but ultimately it was daily, weekly and then monthly allergy shots that brought his skin problems under control. He didn't like me for a while there, I was the dude with the needle.

He was 100% better for ages, then in January he started having wierd spells. He'd lose his balance and fall over, and he was throwing up a lot. He'd lost all his energy. We had quite a few trips to the vet, but in the end it was his teeth. A couple were so badly infected it was affecting his sinuses and balance. Had 8 pulled, and now he's a friggin puppy. We can't believe the difference. He is SO full of energy, even compared to our 5 year old beagle.

Every day is a new adventure for him. He discovered how to open the fridge a while back. That was interesting.

Just the same, his favorite thing to do is lay down:

[targa911S]

Now THERE is a dog that has it good! They know when you have saved their lives I swear.

[notfarnow]

Ya he knows he has it good, and he is a sponge for affection. I know he loves us, but he loves ANYONE. He's gotten loose a couple times, and after a few scary hours we find he's at a stranger's house, on their couch having a nap. Or on a leash going for a walk with his new owner.

He really likes the ladies:

[targa911S]

Hey is that a fireplace insert? Does it work well. I'm thinking of putting one in m kitchen FP.

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by targa911S
Hey is that a fireplace insert? Does it work well. I'm thinking of putting one in m kitchen FP.

Yes it's an Osburn 1800 insert. You can get them as woodburning or propane units; Mine's wood. I can't tell you how happy I am with it. We can pretty much heat our whole house with it; last year we burned 4 cords. On the real cold days we have to use some electric heat.

The biggest attraction was the "bay" loading door. The room is long & narrow, so the bay door gives a really good view of the fire from the end of the room.

Downside is they styling is a bit 80's, and the fan sounds like a hair dryer.

The Napolean, Vermont Castings and Regency inserts also came highly recommended, but none of them had the bay window.

Another insert to coinsider is the Jotul. My father just got one and it is a really nice unit. You can also take the doors right off if you want an open fire:



The Jotul isn't as deep as the Osburn though. With mine, I can stuff a huge pile of wood in it before I got to bed, and still have a bit burning in the morning.

[targa911S]

Well it's a must do for me this year. Last Feb. my gas bill was $400.00. I have an old Frank Lloyd Wright style home, and although it's a great house to look at they weren't really concerned about heating cost or insulation in those days. The house sits in the middle of a huge woods and I have been hauling out dead and fallen stuff all spring. I probably have enough wood out there to last a lifetime. I want to go to one of the instant on hot water systems too. I putting the money from the S to good use before I go looking for another P car. Did they have to sleeve your chimney?

[notfarnow]

They ran a flexible stainless liner down the chimney.

I think wood heat is a great investment. A good insert typically runs 2-3k, and they pay for themselves pretty quick if you use them as your primary heat source. Especially true in an older house

Make sure your wood is nice & dry. That makes the biggest difference; our winter power bill is down 30% compared to 3 years ago.

It can be a bit messy with ashes & dust, especially if you burn every day. I cut a 2" hole in the floor right beside the fireplace, put a vacuum in the basement and wired in a switch on the wall. You just pull up the hose & flick the switch, then slide it back down when you're done. My wife thinks I'm a hero

Heating with wood is good exercise too. Gets me working hard outside twice a year. In the spring I rank it, in the fall it goes in the basement. A full weekend and a week of evenings both times.

Token dog content:

[targa911S]

I know what you mean cuttin' and splittin' been my life the last few weeks.

Dog stuff:

http://www.davesdoubles.com/When Terriers Play.AVI

[targa911S]

I know what you mean cuttin' and splittin' been my life the last few weeks.

[azasadny]

Rebecca and her best friend... from today at the campground...

[targa911S]

smilin' dog!

[notfarnow]

yeah, that is a really happy looking dog. Great picture

[azasadny]

When you watch my daughter with our friend's Golden Retrievers, you would swear the dogs understand English. I know they don't feel emotions like humans do, but I swear they really seem to love playing with Rebecca as much as she enjoys enjoys spending time with them. She was in heaven yesterday and she walked the dogs, then played with them all afternoon. She likes all dogs, but she has a special place for Labradors, Goldens and German Shepherds.

[snbush67]

Here is my rottwieller Shepard mix;