Sparky! or The Road To Terlingua!

Today has been great, because early this morning Tony and I decided to rent a cute, Kia Soul, from Enterprise, in Kerrville, because we are going out to Terlingua for a mini-two-day vacation, tomorrow morning!

I've already named our rented, silver colored, Kia Soul—Sparky and we've already packed our bags and early tomorrow morning, before the sun shows up we are taking the Road to Terlingua. And we can't wait to go out there and see all of our friends including Chet O'Keefe.

We plan to be back sometime Thursday afternoon and I will write more then if I am not too tired. Viva Terlingua!

Mark Moore

This is dedicated in loving memory of our dear friend Mark E. Moore.

Kinky, Tony and I have been deeply saddened by the news of Mark Moore's passing. We loved Mark and we considered this kind-hearted man as one of our dearest friends. Mark always had one of those contagious smiles whenever we got the chance to see him and he was always upbeat and ready for a good laugh.

Mark was only 62 years old when he passed away and he is going to be missed by us and so many others including several charitable organizations. He was a Board member for the Cailloux Foundation, which over the past several years has helped our rescue ranch keep on doing what we do best—rescuing animals.

Mark and his sweet wife, Karen, loved our rescue ranch as much as we loved them and the two of them donated both their time and money to help out our rescue ranch anyway that they could. And our rescue ranch will always be indebted to them and to the Cailloux Foundation for all that they have done for us.

Last night, when Kinky called to tell me the sad news about Mark's passing my eyes immediately filled with tears and I was caught speechless, because I knew that we had lost one of our dearest friends.

Kinky, Tony and I send Karen and their family all of our love and our deepest sympathies. We loved Mark Moore and we will always miss him, as will so many others. Mark will always live in our hearts. So rest in peace, Mark, because you were one of the great ones.

Kinky, Roy Rogers and I accepting another generous check, from Betty and Mark, representing the Board Members of the Cailloux Foundation.

Oh Canada!

Tony and I just watched the movie Vacation, starring Ed Helms and we totally enjoyed it and we laughed a lot. Before we go to bed tonight I want to share some more great news with y'all.

Earlier this evening our dear friend Fay and her husband Ian, in Toronto, called me. I had a wonderful visit with Fay and Ian and Ian even sang me some old Scottish songs, that he rewrote and sings to their dogs when they are walking them everyday. (I loved Ian's Scottish accent and he has a beautiful voice.)

Over the past several years they have adopted three of our super dogs from us: Kris Kristofferson, Wee Lassie (Kia) and Ranger (Blake Shelton.)

Even though Kris went to the Rainbow Bridge, several years ago and Wee Lassie is now over ten-years-old and is showing signs of slowing down, they are going to adopt Sasquatch aka Sassy aka Grandma from us, so she can be Ranger's companion and running buddy!

Fay told me that she and Ian cannot wait to adopt our adorable, female Great Pyrenees mix. She also told me that she is already in the process of scheduling Sassy's transport, using Julie Griffith's "Breeders Select Pet Transport," in Center Point. Who is the same super, nice woman they used to safely deliver our Blake Shelton/ Ranger to them.

And to say the least, Tony and I are more than thrilled about them adopting our gigantic puppy. I told Fay, "We rescued Sassy and Big Foot on Thursday, December 17th. The next day we took them to Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic, to get them checked out and wormed. Each of them were healthy and they each weighed 5.5 pounds. And Tony and I are guessing that they now weigh close to twenty pounds. We're talking big puppies and it's not because they are from Texas...."

So this coming Monday, Tony and I will be taking Sassy back to Hoegermeyer Animal Clinic, so we can discuss with Dr. Craig Janssen when she will be ready to permanently move up to Toronto.

Life is good. Good night.

Amazing Grace and Bonnie Raitt!

Today has started out great and I will write more later this evening. This morning when I checked my e-mail, my dear friend Mari sent me this awesome Native American video to enjoy. It is a beautiful video about Cherokees singing Amazing Grace. In fact, I loved it so much I watched it twice. Mari wrote: "Love the drumming – said to mimic the sound of the human heart."  So I want to share this link with all of you: Amazing Grace in Cherokee-Native American.

A little while ago, the two nicest women came out to check out how Bonnie Raitt would get along with their precious four-year-old, rescued Black Lab, Sadie.

Paula's sweet Sadie was a saint, but unfortunately Bonnie wasn't, because she is an alpha dog and wanted to control things. Even though we took them for a long walk down to the creek, Bonnie kept acting aggressive towards sweet Sadie. So, to say the least—Bonnie blew it.

Paula and her nice sister were sick about Bonnie's behavior, but they told us that they would keep in touch with us. So that's about it for now. I will write more later on as the day progresses.

P.S. Last night we watched the movie A Walk In the Woods, starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. It was  fun to watch and it was adapted from author Bill Bryson's hilarious book. I am a big fan of Bill Bryson and I read his book several years ago and I totally enjoyed it. So after watching it I once again want to go hike the Appalachian Trail like they attempted to do.

Walter Cronkite and Big Foot!

The last few days have been great, but I have been so busy I've not had time to write. Yesterday our dear friend Jim aka The Mineral Man sent me a video on how to open a food storage can without the use of a can opener or knife and it was totally amazing.

So tomorrow morning when our great friends/volunteers come out I am going to try to make a video of us trying this survival technique. Anyway, I think everyone should know about this, so I am posting the link to the video, so you too will know how to do this: Here's the link: How to open a food storage can.

Today has been more than great, because we had an fantastic adoption. Last Monday, Di and Jerry called me to make an appointment to come out later that day to check out our dogs, because they were hoping to adopt one of them. And Tony and I feel in love with this really nice, dog-loving couple as we showed them around and introduced them to our rescued dogs.

So, this morning around 11:45, they came out and adopted our super dog Walter Cronkite. A lovable 1.5 year-old Lab mix. And if all goes well he will have a fabulous family and home! So everyone please keep your fingers crossed for Walter. I snapped this picture of Walt with his new family, before they put him in their car and drove away.

This evening after I talk to my good friend Cindy, in Northern New Mexico, I plan to watch a movie and then read awhile before going to bed early. And since that's about it for tonight, I am going to leave you with a few adorable Big Foot pictures that I took last night while he was sleeping. And if you know anyone who might want to adopt this little giant please ask them to call me at the rescue ranch.

Y'all have a great evening!

Reunited! or Knocking For Angels!

Today has been more than exciting for us at the rescue ranch. In fact, it was almost too much excitement than my old ticker could bear and I had to knock for Angels more than once. I will try to condense what happened, but it will be difficult, because so much has happened.

This morning the nicest woman called me and she left a message, on Carlton, about seeing Miss Dee's picture on utopia rescue.com and instantly falling in love with her and wanting to adopt her. In fact, last night she also left a comment on my last post, which I didn't post, because I wanted to talk to Tony about it, before returning her call this morning.

After Tony did his morning chores outside I talked to him about the nice woman and her family wanting to adopt Miss Dee, while cooking him breakfast—two eggs over-medium and a toasted English muffin.

"Tony, I know that we promised Roger and Mary that we would not adopt them out separately, but this is Miss Dee's chance for a great home and it would make Mr. Rogers more adoptable, too...." He understood my logic, but suggested we ask them about doing a trial separation to see how they reacted, before officially adopting out Miss Dee.

So, after our long discussion, I called Mrs. C. (all names to remain annonymous). I explained the situation and asked if they would consider adopting both of our dogs, but she declined, because they have a sweet, elderly, blind, deaf dog to care for.  And that made perfectly good sense to me, because Mr. Rogers is way too protective of Miss Dee in which case he might wind up hurting their family pet or worse.

We continued to talk some more and she understood the situation and agreed that if either Miss Dee or Mr. Rogers was unhappy about being separated—her family would happily return Miss Dee, so the dogs could be reunited. Then we decided on what time she and her family should come out to meet Miss Dee this afternoon.

Around 12:30, our dear friend, Maribeth, came over to eat lunch with us, because she was over at the Lodge baby-sitting The Friedmans for Kinky. I cooked us meatloaf, spinach, beans with cornbread and it was good enough and all of us did a lot of laughing while catching up on each others news.

Now for the excitement part. It was a little past 1:00 when Mrs. C, Mr. J and their beautiful daughter, arrived. I told Tony and Maribeth that I could handle it and that I would return shortly. But that was a lie.

The minute that I met this fabulous family I was more than impressed with them, because they were so nice, friendly and big time animal lovers and they were both probably in their mid-thirties.

After greetings, I suggested we take Miss Dee for a long walk, so she could get to know this impressive dog-loving family. And to say the least—they couldn't wait to take her walking.

When we reached Mr. Rogers' & Miss Dee's pen, I went inside and leashed up Miss Dee and took her out, even though Mr. Rogers wanted to go, too. I handed the leash to Mrs. C and then all of us took off.

When we walked past the gate entrance, a dog ran past us and then abruptly stopped, turned around and came running towards Miss Dee and tried to bite her. "No Whiskey!" I said. "Get back! Omg, she must have jumped over the fence! I am really sorry about this. I think I had better take the leash and y'all better stay back..."

As this super nice family stood back, Whiskey kept trying to get into it with Miss Dee, but Miss Dee was acting submissive while I demanded that Whiskey back-off.

Whiskey ignored my demands until our three donkeys and my horse Maya appeared—then she took off chasing Roy and Gabby, our two donkeys, while Maya and Little Jewford, our miniature donkey raced off. Roy and Gabby kicked several times at Whiskey and they even charged her, but Whiskey continued to chase them. "Y'all, let's get back inside the rescue ranch and close the gate, so Whiskey can't get back in here and hurt Miss Dee."

Mr. J immediately grabbed the gate and quickly swung it closed and held it tight. Then I climbed between the gate and the post, that had a narrow opening, so I could block Whiskey from getting back inside the rescue ranch. "We need for Tony to get out here," I said. "This is a real rodeo and somebody could get hurt. Then I asked Mrs. C if she would go up to the trailer to get Tone.

A few minutes later, she returned. "Mrs. C why don't you and your daughter and Miss Dee follow me to a dog pen, so all of y'all will be safe from Whiskey." A minute later, the three of them were inside the small, escape proof dog pen we have. As I heard Kermit crank up, I said, "Tony's coming! The lock for this pen is gone, so please keep pressure on the gate, so Whiskey can't open the gate and get to Miss Dee. Don't worry everything is going to be alright."

When Tony and Kermit pulled up, Mr. J swung the gate open for Tony. "You need to catch Whiskey! She tried to attack Miss Dee and now she's chasing the donkeys and they could kill her!" Tony floored Kermit and took off chasing Whiskey, who the donkeys were now chasing. "I hope Whiskey doesn't get hurt...." I said, to Mr. J, as we watched Tony chasing Whiskey who was now chasing the donkeys. "Whiskey came with that name and I hate it," I said. "A horse trainer brought her to us, because the woman thought the horses might kill Whiskey."

Then we saw Kermit and Tony chasing Whiskey back towards the rescue ranch. Mr. J opened the gate, so she would run inside, so we could finally catch her.

Seconds later, Whiskey flew past us, into the rescue ranch with Tony and Kermit hot on her trail. Then Mr. J quickly closed the gate behind us, so Whiskey would not be able to escape. Five minutes later, Whiskey walked up to Mr. J and he held her in place, while Tony slipped a leash around her neck and took her to a nearby pen, before returning back to The Cabin, to visit some more with Maribeth.

"Mr. J, you're a real dog whisperer. Thanks for helping catch her. I'm real sorry about the rodeo that just happened. And I'm so glad that no one got hurt. Now let's go on that walk with Miss Dee."

This great family walked and jogged with Miss Dee for over an hour. She sat down with them and rested and shook hands with them, too. So, I felt absolutely great about them trying Miss Dee out for a few days, to see how Mr. Rogers and Miss Dee handled their separation and if their family dog and her would get along.

Late this afternoon, Mr. J called to tell me some sad, very scary news and his family felt absolutely horrible about it. Miss Dee had been fine, before she slipped out of her leash, bolted out the gate and  ran off. I told him that both of us should call the Pound immediately to alert them and then I suggested that they post pictures all over their neighborhood.

It was two minutes past 5:00, when I called Mrs. C, "Tony and I are fixin' to come to Kerrville to help look for Miss Dee. If she hears our truck she might come running to us..." Then we took off in Trigger.

While Tony drove us, as fast as the law would allow, I was knocking for Angels and saying several silent prayers, in hopes that we might somehow find Miss Dee. We kept our eyes peeled on Highway 16, because Tony was convinced that Miss Dee would try to find her way back to the rescue ranch to be back with Mr. Rogers.

I suggested that we go back to the Methodist Encampment neighborhood, where she had escaped from, but Tony had his own idea—take 16 to Main Street and turn left, heading towards the neighborhood.

As we were driving down Junction Highway, in the right hand lane, past Walmart, then Wendys I saw Miss Dee run past us on the same side of the road. "There's Miss Dee! Tony stop, so I can try to go get her!" Then a black SUV, in front of us pulled off the side of the road, just as Tony pulled off the road with our emergency flasher lights blinking.

I then jumped out of Trigger with a leash and hollered for her, but Miss Dee kept on running like she didn't know me. When Tony saw me following after her, he made a U-turn and headed back towards Walmart. Then this woman, in the black SUV hollered, "Is that your dog!"

I hollered as loud as I could, "Yes, please help us!"

"I'm trying to!" Then she spun off to catch up with Trigger.

While I'm walking as fast as I can, back towards Walmart, I see Miss Dee keep trying to cross the busy highway and then stepping back and taking off again and my heart kept sinking and sinking, because I was scared that we would witness Miss Dee getting hit by a car in the oncoming traffic.

Then I see Tony, park Trigger, in the middle turn lane, with the black SUV right behind him, get out and then run towards Miss Dee, but she ran off, again. Then I watch Tony run back to Trigger and take off again, with the black SUV right behind him.

I felt like crying, because I thought something bad must have just happened, behind the buildings that were blocking my view. Then I see Tony take a left, either into the Walmart entrance or the tire store's parking lot, followed closely by that black SUV.

My heart was racing and breaking at the exact same time when I started crossing the Walmart entrance, when I saw Tony pull Trigger out into the traffic heading slowly towards me to pick me up. And then my heart sank, because Miss Dee was not sitting in the passenger seat.

When Tony pulled off the road, I shot him a sad look, as he lowered the window, "What happened?"

Tony smiled. "She's in the backseat. Get in." And that's when I really began to cry. I turned around and petted Miss Dee on the head, because she looked exhausted. Then I asked Tony how he had caught her, because I had the leash with me. "This super nice woman, in a black SUV helped me. We sort of boxed Miss Dee in with the vehicles and then she started to take off again, but I got down on my knees and half-hollered, "Miss Dee. It's me. Tony. Come here girl." Then she stopped, because she must have recognized me and then she walked right over to me. Then I picked her up in my arms and put her into the backseat. I wish I knew who that nice woman was, in that black SUV, so we could thank her for helping us rescue Miss Dee."

"Me, too." I said. "You nearly scared me to death when I saw you park Trigger, in the turn lane and take off after her and then run back across the highway."

"Yeah, some  jerk, in a big pickup honked at me and shot me the bird as he drove past me...."

We got back home around 6:35. With the high-beams on bright, I watched Tony take Miss Dee back to her pen to be reunited with Mr. Rogers. Both of their tails were wagging so fast when they were reunited, which by the way, will be the very last time that they will have to do that again. Then like always, I started to cry with joy again.

Photo take by Roger and Mary 2009, Miss Dee on the left.

Then Tony put the chickens up and then we returned to The Cabin. Fifteen minutes later, after composing myself, I called the sweet family back to give them the great news. Mrs. C started crying with joy and kept apologizing to me, as I told her about Miss Dee's rescue and before we adios-ed each other, we both agreed that it was best that Miss Dee and Mr. Rogers always stay together. So once again, life is good and thank goodness for Angels.

Y'all have a great evening, because Mr. Rogers and Miss Dee are!

Steven Rambam!

The New Year is already starting out great. Garnet sent me a note about Bobby & Ginger (The sweet Boxer that he adopted from us the day after Christmas.) She wrote that Bobby loves Ginger as much as she loves him and things are working out great.

Earlier this morning Tony told me that our dear friend Fay, up in Toronto, wants to adopt the female Pyr-mix pup if I am sure about not wanting to adopt Sassy aka Grandma for myself. "Tony, we already have five dogs and seriously, these precious puppies have been wearing both of us out.... So please tell Fay that we would love for her & Ian to adopt Sassy from us."

Then I spoke, on the phone, with two other nice people about two more upcoming possible adoptions. The woman and husband from Bandera are going to come out Monday to possibly adopt Rockette and I might also be driving and delivering one of our older dogs out to Alpine to be fostered! So please keep your fingers crossed about all of these adoptions.

And a few minutes ago, I received this e-mail from our good friend Rambam, with an exciting announcement. So, to help him kick-start and generate a audience, I copied it and am posting it here. Rambam wrote:

"Dear Colleagues:

This coming Wednesday (06 January 2016), 2:00 PM CT, is the launch of "Justice Radio", an exciting new radio show focusing on investigations, security issues, law enforcement, the justice and legal systems, and related issues of all kinds.

I am thrilled to announce that I have been selected as the host of Justice Radio, and will be partnering with Gordon "Big G" Ames of the famous Texas Roadshow.

Justice Radio is a weekly multi-platform broadcast, and will air every Wednesday, 2-3 PM Central Time. It airs in the most prime of prime times: we're sandwiched between Rush Limbaugh and then Herman Cain and Mark Levin.

If you are in Central Texas you can listen on 1230 AM, and on FM, too. (Not certain of the complete broadcast area / channels, but for certain it's available in the entire Hill Country, and in some or all of San Antonio.) Justice Radio will also be live-streamed worldwide on the Internet (www.kerv1230.com) and is available live via all Apple and Android phones. (I've C&P a link to the iOS app, below.) J.R. will also be available as a free podcast on iTunes. Meaning, there is no location, worldwide, where Justice Radio will not be available, both live and podcast. 

Justice Radio is also listener-participation radio; most shows, including the kickoff, will have an active call-in line. (Yes, we welcome your participation, and yes, please feel free to suggest guests.)

It is my hope that I will now be able to do on radio what I have been accomplishing on TV (I hope that you agree): to demonstrate how private investigation is today not just a job, it is a profession, and private investigators are a critical - in fact irreplaceable - part of the justice and legal system. (A note to FOI members: yes, J.R. will help FOI's educational and outreach programs grow!) 

And based on what we're already been able to line up, Justice Radio is going to be one of the most entertaining and informative shows, anywhere. Scheduled this month:

06 January  KICKOFF

13 January "We See Dead People"

(murder for hire, fraudulent deaths and international investigation)

Guests:  Elizabeth Greenwood, author of "Playing Dead"

Richard Marquez, international death claim investigator

20 January "No Ferrari"

Fictional Private Investigators vs. the reality of modern private investigation

Guest: Richard "Kinky" Friedman, author of 20 private detective novels

27 January "Privacy Is Dead, Get Over It"

Privacy, Electronic Surveillance, The Internet of Things and tracking 24-7-265

03 February "International Investigation and Due Diligence"

Guests TBA; co-broadcast from international location

All input will be gratefully accepted,

Steven."

And that's what is going on out here right now.

Y'all have a great day!