Howllo fellow basset hound and back yard lovers….

This morning as I was happily springing forward (not) I was reading the basset hound wires so I can keep the town informed. I just love discovering great stories and great new places.

OK, so howl have I not heard of this place?

Welcome to LoveHandlers
A Sanctuary for Blind and Disabled Animals

Our mission is to provide these special deserving souls with a loving second chance at enjoying a full quality life, to rescue, save, shelter and rehabilitate and find human companions in good homes when possible. Otherwise the animals are cared for in a loving, secure and comfortable environment for the duration of their natural life. LoveHandlers.org is a no kill sanctuary operated 100% by your donations.

Lovehandlers.og was founded by Apples, a basset hound that was afflicted by glaucoma. OK – you all know howl this had me in tears this morning.

Apples

Hello, my name is Appalachia-Bloom.

My human companions called me “Apples” for short. I was born in southern California on July 21, 1999. Growing up in California I loved to go hiking, running down dirt sand trails, over top of boulders and rock, and through the sage and tumbleweed. Many days during the week I would go to work with my master and sit in the office next to his desk and chew on my rawhides.

On June 13, 2006 my master called to me that it was time to for the ride home. I love riding “shotgun” in his truck with the window down, my head out, my long beautiful ears blowing back in the wind and looking at myself in the side mirror. But this day was different. I stood up to move and everything was going dark.

For a couple of days I had a bad headache that wouldn’t go away. But today was really bad. My master climbed down onto the floor with me and asked why I wasn’t feeling well. Of course I couldn’t respond, except with a reassuring lick to his face letting him know I would feel better soon. But that day as I stood up I couldn’t see my master. I heard him talking to me, but my eyes were covered and I was unable to see. I didn’t understand why then I heard the urgent fright in his voice as I walked directly into the wall of his office. I couldn’t see. Everything was blackness.

Next thing I knew he was rushing me into emergency at the local vet clinic. I didn’t need my eyes to know where I was; I could smell. Minutes passed into hours, and after I had drops in my eyes and they were poked and prodded, I could see some shapes and shadows. My master was beside me the entire time. I could tell by all the different voices something must me really wrong. I heard in my master’s broken voice the news. “Glaucoma”?

For the next 24 hours, my sight came and went. I was on medications, and the pain in my head and eyes was slowing going away, but so was my sight.The next morning I felt my master move. I knew I was awake, but it was still dark. I felt his hand on my shoulder as he guided me outside to my yard. He sat beside me and with an upset voice he explained to me that I was blind; never again to see.

I was grateful to have him to lean on. He cared for me, led me around, took me to the office, had long walks, played with my three dog sisters, treated me to cookiesnd I even continued to swim in the pool! Then one day he said that because of being so responsive in my rehabilitation, I would become the founder of my own ranch for other differently-abled animals.

As founder of the LoveHandlers Animal Sanctuary, I can’t express enough of what it’s like to have the love of my caring family. I got to go for long walks in the mountains, sleep by a warm fireplace on a cushy pillow, got my treats, two meals a day, plenty of fresh water and had so many more new friends to visit and play with. I may have been blind, but my “sniffer” and my ears worked better than ever.

So welcome to LoveHandlers Animal Sanctuary on on behalf of all my friends, we love you! LICK!
Apples

Established 2007

Note: In November 2008, Apples lost her courageous battle with cancer, but her memory lives on the sanctuary that she inspired for differently-abled animals.

I am just so touched by this rescue. Have any of you ever heard of it? I am going to take a road trip very soon and go see it for myself. I am going to see if they have a gift shop where I can donate some Lily Books.

Located in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains and home of LoveHandlers.org. an Animal Sanctuary located at Whispering Spirit Ranch.

Love Handlers a nonprofit no kill sanctuary for “differently-abled” animals. We’re beautifully located on sixty acres in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains, Greeneville Tennessee.

OMG! If you have never seen the Great Smoky Mountains you really need to put it on your list. Just stunningly beautiful.

I just did a map quest and it is about 5 hours from my house. I think Emma would really like it.

What a nice find for our town this morning.

Maybe it was the luck of the Irish…..

More road trip plans later…..Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

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Hal low fellow basset hound and fighting off sleep lovers….This Tube reminds me of college, sitting in my economics lecture, minus the music….

More loving Hal and his white neck bags later….Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

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Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and laughing at YouTube lovers…

I had to LOL at this one. Oh what we won’t do for our hounds. I sing to Chaps and Emma all of the time. It is amazing howl many words rhyme with hound! Anyway, here is the tube that make me laugh….

More loving the smells of hound paws later…..Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

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Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and stacking Mayor lovers……

This is pretty funny. Last weekend while my sister and her son Henry were here we were talking about the Mayor and all of the ribbons he had won in the past as a show hound. I actually have all of his ribbons and I will photograph them soon. I was showing Henry pictures of the Mayor stacking at different shows. Later that night Henry called me into the living room and said,

“Hey Aunt Kit Kat look at Chaps the champion”.

I had to LOL! The Mayor was so sweet to go along with it!

More NOT stacking later….Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

P.S. That is until 2012 – the basset nationals are in KY. Can you say veterans class? YES! Henry better mark it on his calendar as well as his residents…..

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Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and donations to the HOP in Grandpas name lovers! Well, you know most everyone in this town is one of those!

It has been 2 weeks today since my dear Daddy passed away so I thought, in his honor, I would go ahead and tally the donations made to HOP in his name! It was such a wonderful way to spend a Sunday.

These are all of the cards and some of the flowers. You will also see an album on the right that is filled with cards from some of our residents. I am going to showcase that a bit later. It is so cool. It is actually where I am going to store all of the cards and a few more precious memories I am collecting.

Grandpa will be so proud that 200 dollars is going to HOP in his name.

Any time Grandpa was in my office a hound was on his lap. That’s alot of hound pounds!

We cannot thank you enough residents. This is exactly what Grandpa wished for. I will be sending Marilyn all of the money this week. Eventually, I will scatter a few of his ashing at HOP. Again, another wish that he had. It will be my honor and my pleasure to fulfill that wish.

More loving basset hound town residents later……Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

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Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and songs that define periods of our life lovers….

Oh dear me, I have so many of them. My older sister had a boy friend who worshiped music. His passion started me on a life time discovery of love. Thank you Fernando!

Anyway, the kids and I were all ready to start our Spring time walking this morning. I got up and turned on the weather to just catch these words…

“And the rain will continue all weekend.” Ugh…..

So, plan B, look for this song on YouTube.

If you lived anywhere near Patterson Hall at UK in 1975 the music was courtesy of me. My stereo system was the blog of it’s time.

(We took Nin’s son Henry to UK last week for a college tour)

I can’t tell ya what classes I took that year but I can sure give you a play list! Back then a Tweeter had nothing to do with 140 characters and a 4 legged woofer was years off.

Ah, the 70s.

More tweeter and woofers later….Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

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Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and Ham Stew and wanna be Ham Stew lovers!

Well, I have received a few e-mails and comments wanting Grandpa’s famous ham stew recipe! I am going to try an attempt this. I do everything I cook by sight and feel.
I never follow a “recipe”!

So, here are the main ingredients.

That cottage ham is twice the size you will need. I had to buy it because it was the only size at the store.

Then carve the rhine off of the sides. you know that hard pink area that encases the ham.

Then I cut the ham into sections that I put a sear on. I use butter. I just like that pretty crust.

Then I de-glaze the pan with white wine and add the pieces to onion soup, chicken stock, and more white wine.

I boil this mixture for hours. Depending on the pot. The pot I use takes all day. The reason you have to boil is to get the ham soft. As you stir the ham will fall a part. It does not need to be a rolling boil, just a soft boil. Remember, this takes all day so it might be better to be home. I have done this in a crock pot but not for years so I cannot advise on this too much. I like to have it on the stove and under my control. Here is the size pot I use.

I put the ham, onion soup, chicken stock, and wine on at 9:00am. I slow boiled/just under that until 4:00pm. Dinner was about 2 hours out. I added the mini Yukon gold potatoes for 2 hours and then I added the frozen green beans at one hour until dinner. Add any of the liquids you are using as necessary.

It is all just easy breezy! Make sure you have room for the potatoes and beans. As you will see, as you are boiling some of the liquids will evaporate. No prob. Just add more soup, stock or wine as the day moves along. If you like a glass a wine have one toward the end of the process. To me cooking is fun and I enjoy it. CHEERS!

If you want to add anything to the meal it would be mac and cheese (I am famous for that) and a crusty chunk of German Rye Bread. Grandpa was German through and through!

The meal was delicious and I tucked Grandma and Chaps onto the couch for our slide show! (night vision photo)

Full of ham we were in store for a good show!

An 8 year old Mommy, of a future Mayor, smiling at her Daddy, in the audience (camera ready) at my dance recital. Now you know where I get my mad camera skills and ham stew recipe!

Life was good and still is!

More loving life, ham stew and all of the memories later! Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

CHEERS

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Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and wondering what a worry bed is lovers……

Well, let me try to explain what a worry bed is. Back when I was watching my sister’s dogs, Enzo and Romeo, I moved the sun room bed to the front window so Romeo could have his bed in the sun room. I kept meaning to move it back, but I noticed that every time I left, Chaps would be in it when I got back. He crawls in it when I am getting ready and he appears not to move the entire time I am gone.

Normally when I left the house Grandpa would come and sit with him and Emma. No worries!

Over the course of the last several months this bed has been the source of a lot of worry. Every time I pull up and I can see the Mayor looking out of the window.

I wish I could ease his worried mind. Poor thing is getting a bit worse.

I am not looking forward to the thunder storm season.

More hoping that I can ease the Mayor’s worried mind later…..Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

P.S. I have to be gone for a few hours……warm up the worry bed!

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Howllo Fellow Basset Hound and Cousin Henry lovers.

For the past few days my older sister (Nin) and her son Henry have been staying with us. We have been so enjoying each others company.

Howl ever, Emma took visiting to an entire other level. She has not left Henry’s side and the sounds I have heard come from her around Henry are sounds I have never heard before. When he walked through the door she screamed and cried liked a girl at the airport when the Beatles arrived. I really thought she was going to faint.

Henry spent the most time with the kids right here. Emma never left his side. Chaps, on the other hand, followed me around…..worrying.

Emma is going to have some serious withdraw when her buddy goes back to GA.

More loving Henry later…..Cat, Chaps and Emma

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Hollow Fellow Basset Hound and Internet problem haters…..

Oh dear – I had to upgrade to a new stronger package via my hosting company and it is going to take a few days. That could not have come at a better time. I have been so sad and not too productive.

It seems my pictures are very large and I take over more than my fair share of space on the nets! What ev! Just update me and send me the bill for the love of large pictures. I am not one to do anything small! Not even puppy Emma!

Stay tuned. I will be back soon. Like I said, the package update could not have come at a better time. I have been down in my cups as you can imagine.

I cannot wait to love my dear readers very soon….

Love, Cat, Chaps and Emma

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