We all went into Layla's pen, after Tony and Rick had carried Layla's crate into the pen. Sam opened the crate's door and Layla just laid there, with her head up—staring at us. Her eyes were still glassy, and she was still groggy. Sam reached inside the crate and began rubbing and petting Layla, trying to reassure her that she was going to be okay. Layla was relaxed, but she didn't move.
Then Sam began trying to get her to eat hot dogs, but Layla was not interested. After about fifteen minutes, Sam stood back, and Layla walked out of her crate and began sniffing her new digs. As she checked things out, we tossed little pieces of hot dogs near her. It took about five minutes of us doing this, before she picked one up and ate it! As we watched and talked softly to her, she slowly began searching for more of the tasty treats, scattered all around her pen.
Twenty minutes later, after Layla had found all of her treats, we began tossing her more treats, but this time we would throw one to one side of the pen, and then after she had gone to eat it, we would make sure that she was watching us, and then we would toss another piece to the opposite side of her pen. We took turns doing this for over fifteen minutes. "Sam, Layla is going to be just fine," I declared. "Her tail is not tucked up between her legs, and that is a great sign! I bet we can turn her around within a few days using hot dogs." Everyone agreed with me.
Ten minutes later, we left Layla's pen to let her rest, because the drug was definitely starting to wear off. Sam left about an hour later, because she needed to get back to Johnson City. The rest of the afternoon, Rick went down to Layla's pen, several times, to talk to her and to give her a few more treats. When Rick returned from his last visit down to her pen, he told us that Layla didn't seem scared of him, and he predicted that she was going to be just fine in no time at all!
Sunday morning, after Rick and Tony returned from the Old Timer, we ate breakfast, and then Rick cleaned the dog pens, while Tone fed the dogs. When their chores were completed, Rick went to Layla's pen to spend some time with her. When he finally got back to the trailer, he told us that Layla came real close to letting him pet her, but he didn't, because he didn't want to scare her. He wanted to wait until he was positive, that she wanted to be petted.
Late Sunday afternoon, Leisa's children, Stephen and Jessica and her husband Josh, came out to the rescue ranch to visit Leisa, and to see our ranch. They were delightful young people, and we really enjoyed meeting them! While Leisa visited with her family, Rick, Tony and I went into Outer Space to visit. At one point during our conversation, we started talking about our Plumeria plants. Then Rick complimented me on my two Plumeria plants, which were sitting on the table inside Outer Space.
"Well, thank you, Rick," I said. "That little one is from the seed, that Leisa gave to me, back in June, when y'all were here for the event."
"What?" Rick said. "You've got to be kidding me! I can't believe it!"
"Believe what?" I asked.
"When Leisa gave you that seed, I told her that there was no way, that little seed would turn into a Plumeria plant. I mean I swore up and down that she was crazy to think it would grow." We all started laughing. "Please don't tell Leisa that plant is from the seed she gave to you. She would never let me live that one down..." I promised him that I wouldn't tell her.
Thirty minutes later, Rick, Tone and me left Outer Space to go say goodbye to Leisa's family. As we were all hugging and shaking hands, I said, "Leisa, Rick owes you an apology, and I think he should apologize to you, in front of us and your family."
Rick turned red in the face, "Thank you, Cousin Nancy!" He quipped.
"What?" Leisa asked. And, we laughed, as Rick explained to Leisa and her family, that he had been dead wrong about the seed that Leisa had given to me.
As soon as Leisa's family drove away, Leisa said, "I want to see this plant!" We marched up the steps, and then went into Outer Space. Leisa was thrilled when she saw the little Plumeria!
Then Tony went inside the trailer and came out with my camera. "Rick, let's do a video of you admitting to Leisa that you were wrong. Leisa picked up the little plant, and Tony shot this video! (I have it posted on the sidebar, too)
Rick Was Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!
Last night, Rick and I decided to play some music. Rick played great, but I didn't. Here is a short video clip that Tony took of us.
Rick and me unplugged.
After Rick and I played every song that we knew—four to be exact, we put up our instruments. Then Kinky called. "Hi, Nance!" Kinky said. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, Kinky. How are you doing and where are you?"
"We're in Ireland. The tour is going great, and I am really having a good time. And, Ratso is with us now!"
"That's great! Please tell Debora, Little Jewford and Ratso that I said hello. How are your books selling?"
"They are selling great! We just have a few left. How are The Friedmans doing?..." We talked for about five minutes and then I put Rick on the phone to say hi to Kinky. After they talked, Kink and I talked a few more minutes, and then we hung up on each other."
This morning, after breakfast, Rick cleaned the dog's pens, again, while Tony fed the dogs. Then he went to check on Layla. When he came back to the trailer, he told us that she came up to the fence to greet him, and she was wagging her tail! That made my day.
Rick and Leisa left for Port Aransas around eleven-thirty, then Tone and I took off for Kerrville to pick up some supplies. Before going to H.E.B. we stopped at Wolfmueller's Books, because I wanted to buy this book that Leisa had highly recommended that I read. She told me that I would love it. The name of it is Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen.
Before leaving the bookstore, I had four books to pay for. I also bought Moosewood Cookbook, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, that Sandy highly recommended that I read, and Elmer Kelton's The Time It Never Rained.
I plan on reading these books as soon as I get mine published, which hopefully will be real soon, since Mercury in retrograde is ending tomorrow!
Before saying, "Y'all have a great evening!" I've got some great news! Shelley, the woman who adopted Henry, our wonderful yellow Lab sent me this note, along with this picture of Henry, that she has renamed Oliver!
Hey Nancy!
I'm so sorry I've not sent pictures earlier but I've been super busy! Oliver and I are having a great time together and we are totally in love! He wants nothing more than to be on my lap all the time, which is no small feat for a 76 lb lab... Haha . Anyways I attached a pic of him in the river, he loves to sit on the chair and watch the fish swim by. That day he stayed there for about 30min by himself haha. He cracks me up!
Thanks so much for saving him for me! I love him so much!
Best,
Shelley and Oliver
And my last good news for today is, Susan from Hoegemeyer's Animal Clinic, called this evening around five-thirty. She told Tony that the two cats that we rescued from Sam, had just been adopted out together to their forever home! I love it!
Y'all have a great evening! I'm exhausted after writing this long blog, but at least I am caught up!
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