I'm thankful for so very much this year in spite of the continuing frustration of rebuilding, dealing with insurance, etc.

I'm thankful that everyone in my family is safe.

I'm thankful my horses are safe and that we only lost 2 chickens to the hurricane.

I'm thankful that my family (us, my parents, and my sister) have homes to live in even if they aren't whole right now and that my parents survived the destruction of their home and had another home to move into, even though it means they can't sell it now until their home is rebuilt/repaired).

I'm thankful we have a new roof! They finished it yesterday. We were one of the lucky ones to get a roofer lined up so early; some people are being told it will be up to a year, potentially, to get their roofs done.

I'm thankful for running water and electricity (and no more trips to/from the pond hauling water for the horses, chickens, and toilets)!

I'm thankful that I will be able to go to my parents' home and cook Thanksgiving dinner for them! The turkey is thawing in the fridge, I have all the ingredients for squash casserole, and we have plenty of potatoes!  I do need to get some Red Lobster biscuit mix, though. I'm going to cheat with those this year!

I'm thankful for linemen that came from ALL over the United States to get our power grid repaired.

I'm thankful that the hardship we endured through this brought us closer together.

I'm thankful for the groups that came to the area and gave of their time, talents and treasures!  From food and water donations that poured in from all over, and the feed and hay that has been donated to horse owners in the affected area. It's going to be a tough winter for hay . . . but we'll make it somehow. We may have to buy alfalfa cubes and end up spending a small fortune on them but some way, some how we will manage!

I'm thankful that we are doing okay enough that we do not have to avail ourselves of the free items anymore so we can leave them for those who really do need them.

I'm thankful for my church for getting into the trenches of the community and helping to cut trees that blocked people into their homes, tarping damaged roofs, being able to see needs and provision them (food, water, toiletries, tents, clothing).

In short . . . I am just thankful and blessed!

It's not sensational anymore so it's not newsworthy.  With a hurricane, it's more "one and done." And with the beach sustaining little damage compared to town (PC and PCB are not the same, although they are adjacent), the "world" thinks "Oh, PCB is doing fine" especially when they see the Tourist Development Council advertising "Everything is fine in PCB! Come on, tourists!"  

A group from my church is going on Saturday to a "tent city" to provide more tents (if needed), tarps, and pallets. The pallets can be used to raise the tents off the ground.  We've had constant rain all this week so the ground is very wet. Plus we had a cold front move in yesterday so it's cold, too. People are collecting warm clothing and blankets and trying to get them out to the people that need them.

On our own home front, the roofers have been getting our new roof on. I don't like these new shingles as much as our original ones but I imagine I'll get used to them. We are still waiting on the drywall to get installed so we can re-insulate the attic. We still need an electrician to rewire our well (currently has temporary wiring), and check our stove, and our wiring in the attic but overall we are in pretty good shape. I hope the electrician comes soon because we have few options for cooking without a stove, unless we use the grill. Since it's been raining all week, we haven't been able to do that, either. 

We were outside pretty late last night building a temporary shelter for our horses. It was cold and rainy and hubby's horse, who is 22 years old, was shivering.  So they have a PVC and tarp shelter now right next to their temporary paddock.

Curfew for our county has been lifted! We don't have to worry about getting arrested if we're running late getting home . . .  Whew!

Not sure stores will be staying open any later, though.

Elgee, our home is brick. Our pole barn was just a pole barn; 6x6 poles with metal trusses and roof. The run-in shelter was wood but it was, honestly, put together over the course of several years so I'm not real surprised it didn't last.  That said, 155 mph winds will take out just about anything. Hurricane Michael was like a large EF-3 tornado. It didn't affect only a small track but a huge swath covering numerous counties. We are out of the news now but THOUSANDS are now homeless or living in the ruins of their home or in tents in their yards or have moved out of the area altogether.  There is also very little available housing-wise. Most apartment complexes on the east side of the Hathaway Bridge were damaged to the extent that people could no longer remain there. Hotels are full of displaced residents and/or linemen and/or first responders from other areas who are here to help. Panama City Beach fared MUCH better as they were on the west side of the storm but housing on that side of the bridge is not affordable for so many people here.  There are no FEMA trailers here yet, though I've heard that 100 were approved of the 50,000 applications that were submitted. Even those who qualify for housing assistance from FEMA and get housing vouchers are having to go up to 2 hours away for lodging.  Businesses that are reopening don't have enough workers because the workers have no where to live.  

Whole homes were destroyed, roofs and walls caved in. In Mexico Beach. they were washed away by a 19-foot storm surge. Now, nearly one month after the storm, trees and construction debris (from the damaged homes) are piled up as high as a one-story house and clean-up isn't anywhere close to being done yet.

We are still under a curfew. There is no running to the store to grab a gallon of milk or loaf of bread because grocery stores now close at 6 (used to be 4). Even Super Wal-Mart which is typically open 24-hours per day closes at 6!  The hospitals are not accepting patients because they sustained so much damage. The Emergency Rooms are open but in-patients go to out-of-county hospitals. 

I could show you images that would make your heart ache if I could figure out how to do so successfully. I could show videos.  Huge metal electrical towers felled like so many trees.  Pine trees snapped like matchsticks. Huge, ancient oak trees ruthlessly uprooted.  Bricks peeled off of homes like an orange peel comes off an orange.

Schools are doubling up due to damage with the home school using the facilities in the morning and students from another school using them in the afternoon. 

Life will not return to normal for a long, long time. And even then, it won't be the normal we have long been used to.

But I'd like to think we are resilient. People are tired, people are cranky, but they are also helping each other. 

#PanhandleStrong

We contracted with some roofers today! They are to start drying in the roof by Wednesday. Once it's dried in, it will keep things dry for at least 120 days but they assured us that we will not have to wait that long to get the shingles installed. And we are getting a great price, too! It will be expensive, yes, for a whole new roof, but we have already received a check from our homeowner's insurance that will cover that, at least. We have to send the check to our mortgage company and they, in turn, will cut the check(s) to the contractors doing the work on our house.

We also ordered a storage shed today. I'll go put the deposit on it mid-next week and then it'll be about 3 weeks until delivery. We'll be able to use it for some of the stuff that was in the barn before it was destroyed.  It won't fit the tractor, but the tractor isn't running right now anyway; it was damaged in the storm and leaks fuel.  We plan to put it where the barn is now and then build a "lean-to" against it for our horses and hopefully some hay storage, as well.  Speaking which, hay is in short supply hereabouts right now.  

Anyway, for the next 3 weeks, we'll have to clear out the barn area to prepare it for the new shed and run-in.  Hubby will also be helping my sister with interior repairs (removal of wet insulation and drywall, replacement of drywall, etc.).  Unfortunately, the house she lives in was not insured. It's the house I lived in when I still lived at home. My parents bought a different house about 20 years ago and let my sister move into the "old house." They were going to sign it over to her this year but it didn't get done before the storm so all repairs will be out of pocket. Because of that, we'll help her as much as we can. My dad has 2 other homes to repair; having to fund a 3rd will be too much, especially given his health and the stress he's been under, especially since their home was so badly damaged and part of it pretty much needs to be rebuilt.

Late next week, hubby and I will drive up to North Georgia to winterize their little cabin so they don't have to worry about damage there (broken water pipes, etc.). There's no way my dad can make that trip right now.

Our new normal is a difficult one but we will persevere! We will overcome! 

Thanks all for listening!

The ongoing saga . . .

My horse's eye is fine! Vet came by today (she's from out of town and is doing a LOT of pro bono work in the affected area) and gave him the all-clear AND a horse cookie. She then gave both horses an Eastern/Western/West Nile vaccine booster.  No charge!    She is spearheading a Herculean effort of raising money and volunteers to help horse (and other livestock) owners here. She's amazing.  https://tuneupsequine.com/

Moisture mitigation is ongoing so we now have 4 people living in about 1-1/2 rooms because the other rooms are blocked off with thick plastic while the dryers are blowing 24/7.  And the house is a maze as a result. I have to go through the living room to go in the kitchen where I can access the sink, microwave, and island, then go through another "zipper" to get to the rest of the kitchen where the fridge is, or continue on to the laundry room or garage.  It's rather an inconvenience but better that than growing that black mold that is so very harmful and grows so quickly here in the humid south.  We still need to locate a roofer and electrician. And we have to select new flooring for the boys' rooms.

We have water! Finally!  The well guys came today. The non-return valve was broken so the water was draining back into the well from the tank. We ended up having to get a new pump.  Ouch. That was pricey. Hopefully, insurance will reimburse for that since it worked just fine before the storm.

It's going to take us years to get our property back to pre-Michael condition because insurance is not paying for any of our horse fencing or the run-in (horse shelter in the pasture) that was destroyed. The money they gave us for the barn and pump house were "depreciated" so we only got about 2/3 of what it cost us for the barn back in 2010. It will not rebuild the barn or build a new pump house.  We are going to have to get a loan to cover the difference, plus our deductibles, and get sufficient more to buy fencing materials and materials for a new pump house. I'm hoping we'll be eligible for a disaster loan through SBA. Interest rate is 2% and we have a year before the first payment is due. 

My head is spinning with all of this yet at the same time I realize how very blessed we are to only have been impacted this much. Others lost their entire home. Some were renting and had no renter's insurance and now not only have no place to live but have no belongings either. So I guess I would say that we were detrimentally affected by this storm, but not devastated.

The landscape here is so different now. Once towering pines have been snapped or bent, ancient oaks, cedar and cypress trees were completely uprooted. Those trees are now dying so the once green landscape is prematurely brown. Wildfire danger is scarily high as a result. Lots and lots of fuel . . .  The timber industry here will be non-existent for the next 30 years. People are having to leave the area because there is no housing available. Many businesses are closed for repair and/or operating under reduced hours.

If you want to see photos go to google and input Hurricane Micheal aftermath.

We are still under a curfew although that has been relaxed to midnight - 6 a.m.  (initially, it was sundown to sunup).

Internet still sucks. Verizon is still rebuilding their infrastructure so more often than not trying to get online is an exercise in frustration and futility.  Cable companies are estimating up to 6 weeks to get cable (TV, internet, and phone) back online so no internet through usual means.  

I'm back at work now. Doing both a telework and maxi-flex thing. I went to the office today and will go again tomorrow but will probably telework on Thursday and Friday. Hubby and I bought "burner" AT&T phones (prepaid) so I could have more reliable connectivity when I telework. AT&T, oddly enough, never lost service.

Well, it's late and tomorrow will be another long day! Thanks for "listening" to me ramble!

No water yet. Either we have a break in the line or the well pump is damaged. It's short cycling. So I still can't do laundry or dishes and we are still having to flush manually using buckets and drink bottled water.

Got an estimate today from the emergency restoration company for moisture mitigation.  It's pricey but necessary. Sent the estimate to our desk adjuster. Hopefully, we can get them started on Monday.

Waiting on an estimate from the roofers. Insurance is paying for a total new roof that is up to current code. Need to price flooring for the 2 rooms from which carpet was or will be pulled.

Waiting on the company that built our barn to come out and give us an estimate to repair or replace.

Need to price fencing materials to get our horses housed in a safer and larger area. Also need to get a shelter built for them.  This expense is not covered by insurance.

Need to apply for a loan to cover our hurricane deductible of $7200 and automobile deductibles for damage to my car ($1000).

Had to buy a new battery for my car today ($120), go in to work for a short meeting with upper management to discuss return to work plans, meet the guy that build our house in 2008 because he located a part we needed for our pump (yay! even though it didn't fix the problem), and had to go to the emergency drop-off for livestock supplies/meds to get meds for my horse, who injured his eye. Our regular large animal vet was severely injured in a car accident several months ago and is still not back to work. However,  an equine dentist, who is also a vet, and who travels regularly to this area, is doing some pro bono work for hurricane victims. I messaged her this morning and she told me what to get and where and was very responsive via text throughout the day. She'll be back in town on Sunday and can see him then.

Stick a fork in me, I'm done for today. Time for bed. Tomorrow is another busy day. We have to go help my sister as one of her tarps is coming loose. I have to go do laundry at my mom's house. Will probably take a shower while I'm there, as well. And at some point we have to start picking up all the debris littering our property and cutting up all the trees that came down.

Oh, and I have to start back to work next week. At least I get to telework and they are being very flexible with schedules. As long as we work our 40 hours, we are good (just no working on Sundays or holidays).

Have a great night (or day), y'all.  

Dar

#850Strong

#PanhandleStrong

We have power!  We got power early Sunday evening. The lineman that came to the house to ensure our generator wasn't powering the house was from the Suwanee area. The generator wasn't plugged into the house but we shut it down for their peace of mind before they flipped our circuit back on.

No water yet. The pump housing for our well was damaged. A friend is supposed to come over this evening to repair it for us. We took our generator to my parents' house yesterday so they could at least get their pump running and have water in the house, and power if they wanted it.

It may rain today. Just what is needed (NOT). It will rain Thursday and Friday -- thunderstorms. That will slow down the linemen's efforts. At least, I hope they won't be out working in severe electrical storms. The lightning in Florida can be deadly.  

For awhile, we here in the Panhandle will have a new normal. Maintaining tarps until we can get roofers in (I've heard the shortest wait at this point will be 6 months for roofers; that will increase as more people start getting insurance money and trying to schedule repairs) will be an on-going thing. Some people's homes cannot be powered until an electrician can check and/or repair the house electrical system; needless to say, it's hard to find an available electrician. Then, once that is done, the county (or city, depending on location of the home) has to send out an inspector before the power company can switch on the power. 

My stepbrother drove down from NY last week and arrived Thursday morning. He owns a roofing company and has been covering my parent's house (the one that was decimated). My boys have been helping. My stepbrother and dad have spoken very highly of my boys, who have really risen to this challenge. It's been quite an effort. They pretty much had to build some temporary "trusses" to give them something to attach tarps to on the worst-hit section of the home. The rest, they've covered with Titanium Underlayment.  They had to go with tarps on the last section because of the rain expected today, Thursday, and Friday.

Today, I requested an appraiser to come look at the damage on my car. Typically, I'd drive it to a shop and get an estimate. Unfortunately, there isn't a body shop open within an hour drive so I had to request they send someone. 

We went and picked up our truck yesterday. We had loaned it to the matriarch of a family who was concerned they'd be trapped if their road washed out because they didn't have a 4WD vehicle and the patriarch of the family requires dialysis (it's a 3 generation household.  "Big Momma "and "Big Daddy" are the matriarch and patriarch. S is their daughter and Z is their S-I-L and S and Z have 5 kids). We took it over to them on Oct 8, when we were still expecting a possibly low-grade Cat 3 storm. They live in an area with HUGE oak and cedar and cypress trees. Needless to say, the road getting washed out was the least of their worries with Hurricane Michael. They managed to get themselves cut out in time (though not via the road) to get Big Daddy to dialysis on Wednesday, though I think they had to go out of town to do it. However, our truck and 2 or 3 of their vehicles were buried under trees and debris. They got our truck "cut out" a few days ago and we finally had a chance to go get it yesterday. It does have some damage but mostly cosmetic and it's a work truck anyway so no big deal. It will need a new windshield, however.  Z's truck was totaled and their oldest daughter's car also sustained significant damage. We had actually tried to go check on them on Thursday. We climbed through, over, and under so many fallen trees, waded through knee deep water (the creek was high) and ended up getting within a couple hundred yards of their home before we could go no further. Even if we had had a chain saw, it wouldn't have been enough. They needed a small army of chain saws!

Our near future will be tearing out drywall that got wet. We also need to have our HVAC system checked as it may have mold in it (water was pouring from the vents during the storm) before we can use it. It came on briefly Sunday evening but we turned it off because it smelled bad. We need to buy a new bed for my oldest as his was soaked during the storm.  Hubby is going to try to find a moisture meter today so we can make sure we take out all the affected drywall. We also need to get the insulation that got wet out of the attic but first we need appropriate PPE. We have a lot of debris to clean up, including debris that ended up on our property from neighboring property. We have to figure out a way to safely take down the remaining trusses and roofing from our barn that are currently wrapped around the horse trailer, and then assess the damage to the horse trailer. We need to get an estimate for repairs to our tractor (hood was crushed by the barn) but the Kubota dealership and service center was severely damaged and we have no idea how long it will be before they are back up and running. We need the tractor for the cleanup effort so we may end up hauling it out of town for repairs. We need to build a shelter for the horses before winter and fence in a larger area. They are in a "round pen" that is typically used for training so it's not much space at all.

If all this sounds disjointed, I apologize! I've got so much going through my head right now of all that needs to be done. 

Pardon me while I vent . . . 

This is so unbelievably stressful. I can't get online to freaking pay my bills! Some, locally, are waiving late fees and my credit union is waiving NSF fees for autodrafts, etc., but those bills that I have to pay individually . . . 

We still have so much debris that needs to be cleaned up. Twisted metal trusses and roofing from the barn litter the pastures which haven't got a full fence line standing on any side (actually, has very little fence standing on any side). The run-in stall is a pile of rubble with one intact wall. The horses are in a small makeshift pen with no shelter and we are hauling water by the bucketful for them from the pond. Our well isn't working even when hooked up to our generator so we have no water. Still have no power and even when we do is it safe to turn on the main breaker? We had water pouring in through light fixtures and outlets during the storm. And good luck getting an electrician or plumber or roofer within the next 6 months or more.

I held it together pretty good initially but now I feel like Bilbo Baggins, "stretched thin, like butter scraped over too much bread."

That said, I am still getting paid, even though it, too, will end up being like butter scraped over too much bread (IOW, it won't go far). My heart goes out to all those families impacted by Michael that do not have a paycheck coming in . . . I can't imagine the stress they are under right now. Thank God for all the donations pouring in from all over -- food, water, tarps, volunteer "chainsaw army." We haven't availed ourselves of any because there are so many that are more needy than we are. Let the donations go where they are most needed. Well, except for ice. We have accepted some donated ice.

And there are the ubiquitous price gougers and thieves and looters. People with no conscious who prey upon their neighbors. Fortunately, they are fewer than the heroes. Thank God for the everyday heroes. The heroes that lend their backs and chainsaws to their neighbors to help them get the help the need, whether it's clearing a path out so they can leave their homes or getting trees removed from roofs so they can install tarps to prevent more water damage. The professional heroes that come from all over  -- linemen that leave their homes and families and come from as far away as Oklahoma to try to get our power back up and running. The first responders (LEOs, EMTs, paramedics, firefighters) that come from all over to support our overstretched first responders.

It will take YEARS for this area to recover. But do you know what's odd? I just now checked cnn but I saw nothing about it. We are already old news. Now it's all about politics.  I guess I missed all the news about Michael when it was hot but that's because I was living it. 

But we will persevere and we will overcome.  #PanhandleStrong

Safe! Still no power, finally got semi reliable cell service back but not in all areas. So much devastation here. I no longer recognize my town... Will check in as I can but I'm sure you understand we do not have a lot of down time right now. Been helping my parents. Their house was destroyed but thank God they are safe.

Finally had a shower at a friend's house last night. Amazing how we take things like lights, AC, and hot showers for granted! Our power is supposed to be back up by 31 October. Here's hoping!

Just heard that it is forecast to become a Cat 4 tomorrow morning with sustained winds of 130 mph. I don't even want to think about how strong the gusts may get . . . 

Right now it's not bad. Tomorrow will be another story!

They have a run-in shelter that is pretty sturdy wall-wise.  There's a good possibility the roofing panels will not survive the onslaught, however.

I've heard it may be a Cat 4 by the time it makes landfall. It's going to be a pretty hair-raising experience, I think.

We're still outside trying to board up most of our windows. We have discovered we do not have enough of the plylock clips so we are having to pick and choose windows. We are choosing the windows that are at most risk and/or on the side of the house we'll be spending most of our time in.

I'm wishing now we had forked out the money for the German metal exterior blinds when we had the house built. I'd gladly trade some square footage now for safer windows! Hindsight is 20/20 . . . 

Panama City here. We are battening the hatches. Our home is not in a mandatory evacuation zone so we are not worried about storm surge (would take a 22-ft storm surge to get to us), I'm more worried about the wind, especially with respect to my horses. And since we had no way or time to evacuate them, leaving was not an option, IMO. Hubby tried to get me to take the boys to North Georgia but it would have just followed us there.

.

My workplace closed at 11 a.m. today and we are not to return until at least Friday.

I will check in as often as I can but it all depends whether we have power or not.

The "good" news is that it's moving fast and won't be sticking around and dumping major amounts of rainfall.

Happy birthday, Elgee! 

I'll have to find you a suitable gift later (I'm at work right now and google searches can be difficult here).

Hey, Filchy-wilchy,

Got some fanged frisbees for you but you'll have to find them first! And I shan't give you any clues, either! Okay, maybe one tiny little clue. Encased in tin or not at all, you'll find them up against a wall.

Peeves

Oops! Should have read the rules first!

Dear Minerva,

I will take under advisement your request. Please keep in mind, however, that Cornelius has in some ways tied our hands in this situation. I will look for every opportunity to act upon your request. In the meantime, perhaps you can relieve some of your frustration by transfiguring the kittens in her plate collection to Centaurs.

Sincerely,

Albus

Good job on the trivia, Adella! I'm bummed I missed the entire event . . . 

Thank you, all!  I've been gone all week, "stranded" in the mountains of North Georgia without internet access OR television!  The horror! LOL! 

Had a nice birthday. Went horseback riding in the morning and then to Helen, Georgia for the rest of the day. Got some beautiful hand-made (by Navajo, I believe, but possibly Zuni) earrings (horses, of courses! LOL!). 

Hubby and I spent the week (last Saturday until yesterday) in Georgia to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary. My parents were amazingly wonderful and let us stay in their cabin.

Welcome, haycraftd (aka Dan)! 

I'm Daruya, a Knight in the Cavalry (best regiment in the Band!). I've been hit and miss lately due to work and DM outages. Finished my master's degree in December (Systems Engineering) and work has been crazy since then. Plus, they are pushing Windows 10 updates so there is a LOT of latency in our network connection at work which means I haven't been able to get to DM much even during lunch! And once I get home, I'm either fried or hubby is using my laptop (or both).   

BTW, I live in the Florida Panhandle so I'm quite familiar with the roaches of which you spoke . . . 

Welcome, Satrim! I'm Daruya, a Knight in the Cavalry (the best regiment in the Band). We look forward to getting to know you better when you return!

I read that book, too, Ryrin! It was my sister's book but I read it many times.

How about service dogs?  The ones that sense when their person is dangerously close to ketoacidosis, or going to have a seizure, etc.

When I was a little girl, my sister's godparents had a Chi that terrorized us . . . Now that I'm older, I understsand that she was used to older people and not small children so she was afraid of us, too. She, however, had sharp teeth. Our fear, however, did keep us sitting still on the couch! LOL!

Also as a child, in Columbus, OH, we had a shepherd (?) mix, Tippy. He was black and white. I don't remember what happened to him. My mom probably gave him away when we moved from that house after she and my step-dad got married (my bio dad had bought the dog against her wishes; they didn't have the money for one, after all, and when he moved out he left the dog anyway which left my mom with 2 kids and a dog to feed on very little money).

We didn't have another dog till I was a teenager. My dad (step-dad, but my one and only daddy) and I saw a cute schnauzer mix (stray) when he was driving me home from Sunday School in Montgomery, Alabama. We then went for a walk and the dog "followed us home." We called her Blackie (aka Butzi). After we moved to Florida a few years later, I had, for a short time, a schnauzer named Schatzi. Unfortunately, she and the matriarch (Blackie) did not get along so the newcomer had to go so we gave her back and the original owner rehomed her again. 

My next dog was one hubby and I bought when I was still in college. An absolutely adorable Shih-Tzu that we named Mai Tsong's Eko (aka, Echo).  After being terrorized as a puppy by the surplus of nieces and nephews on hubby's side of the family on a visit to Canada who all fought over who was going to hold her, she didn't like little kids much.  When my oldest was born, my parents took care of Eko for a few weeks till we got settled back in at home. When my youngest was born, my parents took care of her . . . and never gave her back! LOL! She was still our dog but was much happier in a no-child home. We lost her in 2007 at the age of 14. She was such an awesome little dog! We would wrap her Christmas presents and she'd unwrap them. She loved chasing balls that were bigger than her, too, which was funny to watch.

Our next dog was a rescue, a Golden Retriever that we adopted in 2004 at the age of 2-1/2. My boys wanted to call him Max (his registered name was Zeus Maximillion Klein) so Max it was. When we got him, he didn't know how to walk on a leash, was afraid of everything, and had no idea how to play.  He never got over much of the fear, but did learn to play. His favorite toys were tennis balls. About 2 or 3 years later, we took in a stray terrier mix that the boys named Leia (I was pushing for Jadzia but the boys overruled me), who was about 9 months old at the time. This is one dog with a super-high play drive -- STILL! Then, in Nov 2010, we adopted a Pomeranian from another rescue. He was somewhere between 3-5, per the rescue, but I think he as more like 2, if that. From the start he bonded HARD with my youngest.  At adoption, his name was Ramsey; my son changed his name to Lucky because "he was lucky we found and adopted him." He's a very playful and happy little pup, though it takes him a bit to warm to strangers. 

We lost Max in 2016. That was tough. Leia and Lucky are still going strong, though Leia, the eternal puppy has slowed down just a bit.

Lately, hubby wants a German Shepherd. Then again, he wants just about everything! I'm the hold-up because we can only handle so many vet bills . . . and we already have 2 dogs, 1 parrot, 2 horses, and about 35 chickens! Plus Lucky gets so anxious and unsettled whenever we bring another animal into the house it's best to wait until he either moves out with my youngest (which isn't like to happen until he's done with at least his 2-year college) or we lose him to old age.

TLDR: Everyone in our household loves dogs!

Just what is going on in here? 

*snags the scofflaws in flows of air*

I wonder if Myst will let me borrow her dungeon . . .