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The Magic of Words!!
Hi my name is Sandy Metcalf and besides an artist I am also a writer.
While I love, creating with my hands and can make or draw anything. Words are my passion! From the time of youth I have been able to weave their magic upon the page and captivate my audience in any fashion I wish to aspire to.
From entertainment to education, I was born with the talent to place words in such a manner as to earn the privilege to call myself a writer and the fact I am, published I have also won the license to refer to myself as an author and do call myself such. But take much more pride in just saying a writer because a writer writes for self joy and an author puts words to paper for others. If I did not find great satisfaction in my own words I would not write.
Been writing all my life First won Poet Laurent for Realities I wrote at 17.
Last book I was in was 2000 Heart Dog Diaries 1. for Lab Rescue
I wrote Alpha Training and Alpha Respect a new way to train dogs 1999 and 1996
Online Dating and Divorce 2008
I have three other books I am working on at Present.
I write breed papers, I write marketing plans I write E books short stories magazine articles, business procedures and more.
Writing is easy- just put into words what you feel write for yourself first. I write like I have someone sitting in the room with me. Write like you talk is very popular if you have read Clinton's books he writes in that around the cracker barrel style, I myself possess.
You have to grab your audience by your words and you need to in the first chapter. But if you unfold Your story in a way that tugs at their heart or they can identify with you have your reader. A sample of two of my short stories below are based on real experiences, most writers pull from life.
As a retired well known show breeder I could write my own Marley and Me 1000 times over, we all have stories some are wonderful some teach some are sad, but they all cry out to be told. My own antidotal Lab story will be the last thing I share here today. I also can use this talent I was born with to place any Rescue fund any cause build any bridge or get others to climb any mountain. I do this by words as they are the most powerful tool there is. I told a friend once I stand by the uncompromising power of words. You can save the world or destroy it with them. A misplaced word can cost you millions a few incorrect letters can sink a ship and a badly coined phrase can break a heart WOW! Can you get anymore compelling than that?
Allow me to share some of my many different types of work with you, below.
First The legal stuff~
Copyright © 1998-2009 by French-Vanila Labradors ® /Sandra Metcalf. All rights reserved.
Registered number 764472-84
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of
The 1976 United States Copyright Act
OK some work related writing.
A few ways to increase revenue I sent to another client:
Adult-Care may want to offer a tenant screening service for an additional fee in the membership package maybe have Bronze, Silver and Gold packages.
You may want to look into approaching vendors that carry products that ARE targeted to your traffic and list those companies in a certain part of the site on your main web page set aside to focus a spotlight on these companies so your demographics will easily locate them.
Maybe offer things that are health related informational to the medium you are wishing to generate business from. Or even really any increase in site traffic of all people would bring more advertising if you have larger hit numbers. But such a broad scope can get daunting.
Reading though your site’s listings and seeing the same services over and over, and very little difference in the ads. You may want to activity recruit care facilities that offer things like limited alcohol use as long as no health conditions are involved. A place that allows pets, facilities set up more like a home situation the residents are coming from. I know my dad would not go anywhere without his cat. This will showcase that these places are a different type of care facility Shoot I think someone should put one on a working farm.
Imagine the waiting list there.
And places that did cater to a more customized clientele could stand out on this special services page you set up for businesses that really DO care to make their residents home life a HOME LIFE. Because they look out for more than their residents basic or medical needs. But also their social needs and spiritual and inner well being is considered. And they are not just another cookie cutter care facility.
I could not locate any long term care facility like that from several search tries. I am not sure there is such a place, but there should be. And the person that starts a long term care facility that at least allows animals will make a fortune. It would even be better if part of the resident care package is vet care.
As I said above if you wanted to diversify the type of postings you allowed the sky is the limit in just generating traffic and therefore merchant dollars. But that would depend how far you wished to drift, if at all.
Let me know if you would like to proceed with this.
Thank you
Sandy Metcalf
The Principles of Marketing
Marketing: Such a simple word and yet can be such an in depth strategy to implement
One very good Marketing idea is ONLY advertise to your target audience.
Too many
companies try and mass market to hit
everyone- that is a waste of energy and advertising $$$$ as if your business
does not fit the needs you are marketing to; you may as well not do any
marketing at all.
For instance lets say you have a diet a brand new way in which to lose weight you could join the millions out
there, it is a BIG pie, but lots of cooks in that kitchen. ORrrrr you could
tailor your diet to say- busy
executives.
With something like- We know how hard it is sitting behind a desk all day. Your
life is hectic- time quickly passes by! Meetings, rushing here and there! We know
you mean to go to the gym. You really do not want to grab at lunch and worse yet dinner on the run too often to
count! You would, lose weight IF you just had a little more time.
We hear ya! While we cannot put more hours back into
your day, we can show you how with the little time you do have you can take
back control of your life. We have developed a diet just for people like you.
That is why the CEO Diet works, it is designed for you, and targets your on the
go lifestyle. Tailor made to fit the
needs and goals of the busy professional.
You then only advertise it in mediums that cater to
busy professionals. You can tailor anything to
a target audience. Say you want to
do airline pilots, golfers’ computer geeks it is endless and all you need to know are key phrases and words that are industry
standard to their careers in order to come across like you really are here to help and get what are their particular needs.
That YOUR, diet is designed with THEM in mind. Not just another generic, but
one that will address their unique set of circumstances.
That is just a diet, peppered with the right words throughout, MARKETING!
YOU ARE
OFFERING A SOLUTION TO THEIR NEEDS
Where you step away from the rest is in your ethics so you have reputation AND
selling skills. Anyone can possess some salesmanship ability. But not everyone
really cares about their customers or clients.
If you
feel you will make a difference and improve lives, you have the heart needed to
succeed.
Remember a successful Marketing campaign either stops pain or brings pleasure,
and there are vast sub categories associated with those two definitions.
Another example is: If you hear people talking about how they do it, and think
I can do it better, cheaper or I can fill a need they are missing. Then you are
on the first rung of the ladder in a successful business idea. But you must be
able to get that idea across to your target audience.
The trick to making a company work is it is your PASSION!!? Not just a job. If you are providing a product or service you believe in, are honest, upstanding and enjoy what you do. Then you have discovered the SECRET of a successful business.
I am a
writer who has done many things in my life from the dog world to the professional world to
real estate. And the Real Estate market is just one of my many passions! We got
involved in it in the 80's before they closed the loopholes though the
deductions grew smaller in real estate investments, as laws changed. You do
still have some avenues open to
build on, other than straight equity/rents/sales. By being able to deduct your own work if you set up a secondary
company that services your main Like Staging. But in the mid 80's, real estate
in Oregon was
wide open and both fun and profitable!
We handled our own marketing, sales and management of all our properties. Many
of our techniques are common practice now and we were the only ones doing them
back then.
I love houses! That LOVE shows through in marketing/managing homes! And getting
others fired up about everything from we can sell it, to
we want to purchase it! It was not a
business with me it is a genuine love and people are drawn to you when you LOVE what you do. We cannot all love
what we do, BUT we can provide a level of service and professionalism that will
also cause customers to gravitate in our direction because we stand apart
from the others.
I get a
fire in my belly over anything I am involved with and give my time to which motivates others. That is why I get asked to take on so many things as people know Sandy will see it through
and it will ignite!
I am a professional that can sell anything, but must believe in what I lend my
name to, because my name and
reputation are # 1 with me and my word is my bond and anything I attach it to;
is guaranteed to, be top of the
line. I worked hard as a breeder, and in Lab Rescue and in the business world to garner that kind of reputation. I live my life by
that, I always have. SO HAVE ETHICS HONESTY and RLIABILITY on your side to
stand out above those that do not.
Everything I do, I love the challenge! I love the research, the hunt for
answers, writing, designing and seeing it come together.
I love seeing things come to a
successful conclusion and drafting the ads and setting up the process. But not
all Marketing is about selling. It is also about building loyalty.
For instance when my show kennel was active I did not place ads, to sell puppies. I made the pet public and the breed
world aware French-Vanila will be planning a litter in fill "in the
blank". And I am taking reservations on that litter. As I said, I do not
sell puppies I make adoptions there is an adoption fee, a screen and an approval.
I turn down more families than I accept and I pick the puppy for them, because I know my litter I do temperament testing and tracking of my puppies from birth. I have a 2 year wait list and no breeding dogs as I am retired. However people still want me as their breeder WHY? Well part reputation part marketing as people want on two scales.
One: What they cannot easily have.
Two: What they feel special to obtain.
But my kennel was not about marketing, it was about making good matches and happy families and my kids (puppies) the best homes. See when breeders breed a litter to improve our own show lines our surplus is living. You have a huge responsibility to seeing that they are not discounted just because they are not chosen to keep back by you as a possible addition to your own breeding and showing lines. I take that responsibility very seriously.
Things like real estate are not quite like placing puppies, because we do not have to consider the house's feelings and needs. But people hate being shown homes that look like you did not listen to what they wanted. They are already emotionally involved in the decision and each time we miss the mark is a let down and it is like me trying to force someone looking for a Poodle to adopt a Labrador, sure they are both dogs but a Labrador is not a Poodle.
Good Marketing can move any product or service- the principles are the same.
Driving a company Marketing and the bottom line goals, in the Professional world.
The key is LISTENING to your customers! Know what they need and then be able to get across that you can fill those needs.
Also know your customer, know your product as you never stop learning.
A great one for getting in the door for sales is free offers and trails.
But most importantly is the bang for their buck!
And having the ability to get that message across to your customers, and knowing who your customer should be.
I said. TARGET MARKET.
I will not talk to people at PetSmart when I had a litter on the ground and may not have had all the puppies reserved. The reason I would not try and drum up business with the people at the pet store falling all over my dogs is…
One: I have no clue if they would be the type of family I would accept into my own.
Two:
people in that situation act on impulse. Bringing a puppy into your life to
become a family member for the next 12-17 years should be a well thought out
process. So the idea of mass marketing would waste my time.
And with my standards most likely theirs as well, so I never did it.
I will
use the real estate scenario again:
I approached real estate the same way, I did not pass out our cards at Safeway
and say hey did you see the cute Victorian
downtown that is ours we completely
gutted and updated and redid the inside it has been brought up to code, and while we kept the flavor and woodwork
of the times, it has all the things needed for modern life! Wanna see it huh?
Maybe if I had they would have come an looked. But most likely someone buying
milk and eggs is not looking to add
something that big to their cart.
Nor are
they wanting to buy or sell when you randomly call out of the blue and
interrupt their dinner. EVEN if under other circumstances they may have
considered it. As you have already setup a negative response just by the
invasion of their personal space, uninvited. You have to time Marketing, and
cleverly disguise it sometimes.
A great one for getting in the door for possible sellers in real estate is to
contact by postcard and tell them you will be in the area on so and so date and
are offing a free walk through and mini analysis. Should they wish to take
advantage of this free service, you will let them know how to stage (present
rooms to show form and function) their home. What you feel are the points of
improvement where to play up the assets and offer tips on curb appeal.
You are not trying to get a listing you are bringing up value for them.
Should they wish a full market comparison as you chat that is something you can offer as well depending on what you feel from them and if they are favorable and you feel would really benefit from you running the report for them, hey' maybe you will get a listing, maybe they will even hire you to stage. And it will come across as their idea, a decision not forced on them, but made BY them. Keeping people feeling empowered is not only a nice way to do business it is a smart way!
“ Empowerment:
If you want to stand out in business you must be better you must shine through. Show customers that you are here to make their life easier. Not run them over and ram down their throat or remove their freedom to choose. Instead you offer them one of two things
Saving money.
Saving time.
Both will get attention.
We all like hearing we can save money, and time is priceless. And
if you can offer both you will be a success!
If you need investment capital then you also have to
come up with a way to tie that all together so the money people will fund your dream.
To get investors you have to put it down on paper so they can see a clear
mapped out agenda and a route to
their return, I love grafting an idea laying out my goals writing ads designing
graphics, R&D; tracing down who is the competition then undercut what they
offer in some form.
That is why a marketing analysis is a very important tool
in your research stage.
Once you
have made your new shinny idea into reality, you have the work of getting it
down in words so others can see what your plan is and so a bank can tell where
you are going, and what, are your prospects. That is where your marketing
analysis and your surveys (small ads in trade magazines or on trade websites
for your product/service are ideal) will come in. And show the powers that be,
holding the purse strings this guy has done his homework he has people lined up
wanting to do business with him and we know a winner when we see one, we want
some of that!
Remember Banks or Venture Capitalist will NOT lend you money if you show a
need. You have to not show you need them, but instead show them that by doing
business with you, you will make them money. So you are offering them this
opportunity to be a part of a great idea. Again Marketing- Business, like life
is always about selling who you are.
Same
with your customers WHAT will you do for them?
A few additional things to ask yourself:
What is your plan to implement these scenarios?
Are
there no established companies already doing this?
If there are how will you be better?
How would you lure away customers from a proven company?
What would be your "carrot" that you have to offer?
There are a just a few ways to make money in business one is make a better
mousetrap, one is paint the old one to appear better and make the paying public
think it IS a better mousetrap. And the other is design an entire new way to
trap mice.
You have to be careful with the last one, as it is not proven.
And the first one well it is hard to make something better than what works and get the public to change over.
Your best bet is to paint the old type and make yours stand out by how you present it and what you offer. In other words let’s say you get a mousetrap from company A you take it home catch the mouse it is all on you.
Sure Company A has been selling very good reliable get them every time they
never trip traps since 1900. But you walk out the door they have done all they
are going to do for you.
The way to compete with Company A or any established company is not in the
trap, though as I said a fresh coat of paint never hurts. But is in what you
offer.
I found
as a breeder my guarantee my backup after placement and the way I ran my kennel
gave me far more business than my pedigree I still get asked to breed litters
and provide puppies though I am retired, BECAUSE of my reputation.
So you sell the mousetrap, you guarantee it will work, you provide cleanup and
removal after the mouse is caught and you provide monitoring for a fee to make
sure all mice are gone. That will trump the big boys who do not provide such in
depth personal after sale care, every time.
And you have a stellar reputation as I mentioned above. You cannot buy that for
any amount of money. You have to earn both the ability to trade on your name
and your company's worth by what your customers say. I learned a long time ago
that if I can get my customer to love me they will love my company and if they
love my company my company loves me back.
A company that cares about their client, what they offer them and who utilizes the reputation that type of standard will bring has it made and will not only outlast the compactors, but can unseat the sitting companies that provide less.
REMEMBER:
MOTAVATION
RESEARCH
PRODUCT
MARKETING
GOALS
CUSTOMERS/CLIENTS
SERVICE
VALUE
ETHICS
REPUTATION
If you have the above then you see…
LOYALTY
LONGIVITY
PROFIT!!!!!!
Those basic principles must be a part of any successful businesses”
After laying out the business plan, you then go into more detailed marketing and your Internet strategy.
Being online is invaluable to both startups and even long established companies.
ONLINE MAGIC!
My venturing into the online world in 1996 first doing my own help desk on my breed nothing more, then doing my Lab email list, not only garnered me 1000's of my target audience contacts and gave me a place to share my knowledge and love of my breed- it was a steppingstone to becoming a top show breeder, with famous breeders all over the country and world wanting to add my bloodlines to their kennels. Alliances were forged, that usually take decades I achieved in less than 5 years.
From a little known Oregon breeder to breeding with Westminster dogs by invite was quite a feather in my cap and parlayed all my follow up companies under the French-Vanila name. I earned this by my reputation, my quality and my follow though. So it was not a given, but the opportunity was gained through my presence on the Internet. And my ability both to write and Market
So while I have seen many well made web pages most do not know how to really utilize foot traffic or increase their exposure. A very easy one is, let’s use real estate again. You are a Realtor so you add a MSL link to your site so anyone looking for any house will come on that site to track it. As not all people know how to scope out the Mutable Listing Service by name, but most know the MLS initials because the listings have a MLS# on each one so that is what they type in search engines (MLS not Multiple Listing Service, by name “if they even knew what MLS stood for” so they would not always find the MLS main site by just typing MLS) . Would it not be great for you if you were a Realtor if they hit on your site every time they searched for the initials MLS?
I did this in the mid 90's by adding every breeder in the nation and world that wished to be on my links page to my web page when I had my domain up. I was getting a minimum of 10,000 hits a month. Me, an unknown breeder in Salem Oregon and the traffic came from dog people, so they not only gathered information on the kennel they were looking for, but looked at my site as well and bought my dog food and pet products and some even chose to be screened for an upcoming litter. I had more than one person tell me they were looking for a one kennel, but after seeing my site and how I reared my puppies and my lifetime guarantee chose to be considered for one of my kids instead of the original breeder they came to my site to find.
So I cannot
emphasize enough the huge amount of
exposure you can attain online with a little extra work or the importance of a
well laid out easy to navigate web page.
One more important thing that I take personally is also Professionalism!
After the buyout of Nextel, Middle Management was first group laid off.
On my last day at Nextel after they had let us go Upper Management was all that was left to close us down and turn us over to Sprint;
My Manager was helping out the agents because Middle Management was told to leave midday with no warning we would not finish out the week and wrap up all our loose ends.
Literally before I left the building I showed my Manager where to go on our information network and what buttons to click on and drop down boxes to select to help her struggling Representative she was trying to coach- take care of the customer. Because I had kept up on the new products, new software, different ways Sprint did it from Nextel. It made no difference we would be closing in a year. I had teams to train customers to take care of and goals to meet. So while my Manager knew none of this, I wanted to leave her with what I had learned, it was all I could do.
Then I turned in my badge and left after nearly 3 years. With a shout out of email or call me, if anyone on my team or in my center needed anything. That is how I lead my life. Bring that attitude to ANYTHING you do and you WILL succeed!
By
Sandy Metcalf
Real Estate ad: You need to help your buyer to envision themselves living in the home before they ever step foot into it. There are a lot of homes out there- so yours must stand out!
WOW!!!! PURE DELIGHT is what you will feel when you walk in!
A charming openness is what greets you when you enter this spacious 1538 sq' 1980's ranch style home. Newly updated from high grade carpets in every bedroom to Thermopylae windows with sliding shades built in. Beautiful hardwood floors in living, and den vaulted ceilings and a wood burning fireplace for those cold winter nights or a cozy family gathering spot.
3 large bedrooms, a master suite complete with soaking tub for those much needed bubble baths, but also a double sized free standing tile shower with three separate massage heads to help you relax after a long day at work..
Master has sliding access to the garden area- just step out the door to your spring tomatoes and a lovely deck with an open view of your large mature yard....
Second full bathroom has ample room for kids jockeying for sink time.
Den or office with built in oak shelving and sliding door to the deck
Separate laundry, room w/WD and tile floors. and enclosed 1/2 bathA kitchen setup with the family in mind to prepare meals, or just meet an share their day. Newer gas appliance all stay, custom oak cabinetry and pantry for plenty of storage, easy care granite counters- and tile flooring. Light, bright and with fall just a round the corner waiting for the smell of cookies baking, or the busy activity of daily life as summer draws to a close.
The backyard is fully fenced, garden, shed, and RV parking. Built in outdoor barbecue perfect for family enjoyment or entertaining
This property is close to conveniences in a lovely established neighborhood. Move in ready waiting to welcome you home
Life Coach:
Have you ever wondered what you could achieve if you had someone who could
motivate you and walk you through? From everything on how to plan out, to
how to reach your; goals? In life, in love, in business in- you tell me
what you want to do and I will show you how to do it, an help you get there.
Do you want to be the person you are inside on the out? Do you want more in
your career, see your company grow and reach the sky? Date a different type
because you attract that type? Have people see you like you want to be seen?
Impress the world, or just show everyone how impressive you are? What is it
you want in life?
Everything is about marketing I have been doing so my entire life I can sell
ice to Eskimos and I can build and show anyone how to achieve anything they
want. I am a published author who after a 21 yr marriage and building him to
the salary and status he is currently at, he hit midlife and wanted out of a
good marriage, I went back into the workforce and have had two companies
close on me, in the time since my divorce.
This last time I was deciding while I consider offers and weigh my options,
do I write the next book? Or would it be more fun and rewarding with the
gifts God gave me that I put into play what a coworker and I discussed- be a
life coach? Not just boring run of the mill cookie cutter consulting, I
already do, but encompass the entire person and their needs? I am a born
teacher a natural leader and people and situations whom I have touched
throughout my life have prospered and turned to gold.
Heck my ex wanted me to do the marketing and brainstorm ideas on a company
he wants to start.....
If you would like a plan, a guide, an agent in a sense like you were a
Hollywood actor drop me an email I will happily talk to you and see what we
can do from show you how to write a personals add that will get the girl/boy
you want, to as basic as how to interview and what to wear and say- to show
you how to become everything from a start up for that business you always
wanted to do to a fortune 500- whatever it is about yourself you wish to
change or bring out, it is in your hands, but sometimes what is right there
in front of you is hardest to see.
I see so many people that carry themselves or present themselves in such a
way that they are not projecting what you would hope they are inside.
We are all special, but it is up to us to show the world we not only are,
but that we deserve to be treated as such. If you decide you would like me
to help you map out, be as involved in that choice as you like and spend as
much time as needed- contact me.
I have a long background in Marketing Business, training motivation and
more. Feel free to ask for any information you would like to determine if my
services can be of use to you. If you follow my advice you can change your
life. But up to you what you wish to do with what I will teach you.
Some of my work in the dog world:
Crate training potty training and more
My first girl French-Vanila My Fancy Vanila Wafer (Nelly) I nearly chucked her out the window when she was a pup! See I did most everything wrong there. While the bitch and sire that produced her were good English stock with sound pedigrees and clear health test. But they came from a pet home. The “breeder” knew nothing about the breed or rearing pups and had, had enough of it when they were 5 weeks old. She called us up she had sent the dam off with her trainer placed all the brothers and sisters and I was greeted by the pick bitch, “Nelly” sitting alone in her crate. I had purchased her when she was just 2 weeks old (something strange people should never do, is be in your nursery with 2 week old pups, but I did not know that back then, or the danger of Parvo in Oregon) And I had hand picked her from the bitches, before I knew anything about her temperament.
I took home a very untrained unweaned 5 week old that bonded to me and became my foundation for French-Vanila. The extra training and work required with her was a constant fight until I hired a JRT (Jack Russell Terrier) trainer who worked for Disney who not only taught my girl, but me how to train and in the end was the basis I used in developing my own Alpha Training and Alpha Respect programs.
I start at two weeks old, laying that pup first on my hand then on the table with a trust me. On the table I will place my face against it for reassurance and slowly rise all the time using a soft voice with trust me. When a dog has given over control to you they look to you before decisions are made or to see how mom is reacting to a situation or person.
Also my foundation bitch Nelly was an Alpha and had I known more back then, I would not have wanted the lead bitch as my pick, though Alpha’s are so smart they are also so cunning and so much work. But do make great show dogs for experienced breeder/show people. But awful pets and bitches in which to brood from. Took until she was 4 years old to show her I was the ALPHA above her. What I got from her though when she “got it” was magnificent! In beauty and brains with a show and work drive not seen in many of the English lines when I started. So I understand frustration BELIEVE me I do! With my Alpha Training I forestall a lot of the headaches I had with Nelly and people have with especially their older rescues. Remember just when you think you have a handle on it, you learn how much you still do not know. Keeps you humble keeps you rooted and you are not alone. Whether you are struggling with something in a pup you got from me, a friend, a fellow breeder, the local pound or an adult rescue there is a breeder who will help you and that is why I put this on paper.
When I start crate training, it is in conjunction with potty training both I start at 7 weeks. With crate training I use a squirt gun with warm water in a warm draft free area. The beauty in the squirt gun is no they do not know you did it or blame the crate they just know that something unpleasant and startling happens when they cry and throw a fit! So they stop!
Some puppies are a pain Alpha's are a pain and can take a week, others one day, Depends on the pup. I use a squirt gun to teach behavior modification for everything from sharing, to a stud dog not mounting a bitch. I am ALPHA in my pack- and I decide when everything is done. I teach my kids to look to me to make decisions. Just like I teach NO! No means stop no matter what! That way when you yell NO! They stop they drop and they look back, that will stop a dog from crossing the road in traffic to whatever, no need to remember anything but NO, means stop! They have no idea what they must stop doing, but they know to stop!
I use behavior modification in my Alpha Training Program starting from when their eyes open. So my puppies are conditioned to me being in charge and training from a young age. When I had a couple from another breeder I brought into my kennel at 10 weeks the Alpha bitch was a pain and we went round and round on things, for about 2 weeks- she was OK in the crate, but we had other alpha control issues. The other bitch was a subservient and easily gave over control. But each dog is different I would have to evaluate your pup and tell you what program I would use, all I can do on a general basis is tell you some of the things that work for the puppies I have raised or brought to my kennel or rescue. I use puppy methods in training adult rescues as well, works better then trying to train untrained dogs as adults.
I say NO when they cry in the crate, but only once I never repeat a command if you do the dog has trained you. They know what you are saying. Sit for instance only needs to be said once if they do not sit you make them sit without speaking say good puppy treat.
If the puppy continues to cry when placed in the crate after I have said NO! I squirt from across the room- right in the face! Nothing is said, puppy shuts up! Sometimes he will get brave and after shaking off go back to crying some to howling! Some it is so cute because they will cry and duck and shake before you squirt, even though nothing has happened yet, because they are being conditioned to learn they know if they cry it is coming. But usually a couple of squirts, sometimes you get a soaked stubborn pup! But most they will whimper and settle down and sleep. When they do I dry them off. Sometimes that starts them again. That is when you say NO! And then if that is not enough you need to repeat the process. You have to harden your heart to teach what needs to be taught to be a valuable family member. But as a puppy is quiet in the crate, take out and love on, and take potty, this teaches if you behave you will be rewarded. Return to the crate and start the process over.
My Potty Training Guide is set up for when a puppy is in supper learning mode.
Older Pups and Rescue potty training you are at a disadvantage. When dealing with an older puppy or an untrained rescue dog.
A puppy is in supper learning mode form 6-10 weeks after that they slow down. That is why we try and start all the early social and training prior to that age. By 12 weeks the puppy should already be starting basic obedience and be mostly accident free in the house. I get rescues that are outside only dogs or not house broken at all. Failure to house break is one of the main reasons for a dog's surrender. Most lay people do not have a clue how to house break a pup and it was up to your breeder to start the process. If your breeder did not do this she/he let both you and his/her puppy down.
What I do with an older pup/dog. I pretend they are 7 weeks old. That is what I want you to do is pretend that this is a seven week old pup. Expect no more than what you would from a baby that age. And go back to square one. Follow my potty training procedures I have outlined in how to potty train a puppy and crate or keep in a confined area in between bathroom breaks. Do not break this routine and always walk the pup to the place in the yard you want him/her to do their business. Wait as long as it takes. Do not let the puppy play or run around before he/she urinates. Bring him/her back to the spot and tell him/her to Go Potty!
When the pup does, reward with love and play. I always like to have young puppies evacuate their bowels at the same time they do their bladders, but in group training it is impossible to stop play after they have only urinated. So I use this, let the baby play, run around and more than likely the pup will need to evacuate his/her bowels as well before you return to the house. Give lots of praise and love!
It takes time to change an older pup's mind about where is and is not right to go, but just as the dam starts taking her litter away from the nest to relieve themselves at three- six weeks and takes them further away as they grow, until they are where she wishes them to always go. So can you teach that same behavior, but you must become the dam and you must teach your puppy in the same manner as she would have. If you are willing to assume the dam role and if the puppy does not make it outside, watch any dog with her pups she will pin it down and hold it in place and either let go make it yelp or give a small bite depending on the offence. You need to watch the signs know your pup’s body language they all have subtle ways of letting you know. And re-enforce good and correct bad. Myself, I do like the bitch does I put them on the floor I make them submit, I tell them bad- No! And we then go outside, if there is an accident.
I had one rescue that was a licker I thought she just licked; the people who brought her to me said she licks you up a storm! But is not potty trained. However when watching I realized she licked to let you know, she had to go potty. I have had rescues and my own pups that scratched on me instead of a door, as I said they all have some way of telling you if they think you are the one to tell. Let a puppy/dog make their own choices do it their way, then they will take the easy way. If they look to you as the head of their pack they not only want to please you, they do not think about it they just do- the conditioning the old duck and shake without water being squirted they learn and quickly. If you miss signs it is your fault not the pup’s all dogs large and small young and old have a look, if you watch. Make eye contact that teaches a pup you are Alpha as well.
You will begin to notice though puppy sleeps, puppy eats, puppy plays of course you potty. But puppy was just sitting looking at you for the last 10 minutes had not done more than watch the cat walk across the desk, you pottied ½ hour ago, puppy should not have to go, but watch for “the look” they want to make eye contact to let you know as the pack leader time to lead out and take him/her out. It is not your time table at this point I raised all mine on my time table they pottied when I said so even as little puppies they held it they learned, but I had the advantage of most starting that conditioning and grafting over control from so young they did not question my leaving them in the crates until 11:00 AM after last potty at midnight. They just did. But at this point you need to watch the dog learn as you teach and you will find a routine quickly talking place and puppy and you establishing a pack order and time table as you go through the day. If you want puppy to hold longer- crate.
The original crate training document you started this program with is now going to be modified. Once crate training has been established we are assuming that either puppy is crate trained if they came from me or is not and an adult, if a puppy and not at all, use my original way to crate train. If a Rescue or an older dog, we are going to try reward first as an adult works better with positive conditioning than the shock treatment that will hush a kid.
Get a crate if you do not have one already I want one that is big enough for the pup to stretch out in, if he/she has trouble holding bladder and bowels block off so the area in no bigger than the pup can occupy at this time.
I keep the crate open. Never close the door on a sleeping puppy/dog. I want the crate to be a home not a prison. If I need to close the door I will call the pup out and then put it back and say "Go to bed". That is my signal I am going to close the door. I find if you leave the door open and the crate out the pup will use it. To crate train an older dog or rescue I even go so far as to leave the door off so the dog knows I will not close him/her in. This builds trust. Leave the food bowl, a toy or anything that the pup feels is just his/hers inside and put the crate off to the side of the room. Let the dog explore and sniff. DO NOT put him/her inside. Let them do that on their own. Ignore the crate. Let the dog decide. Be patient. Most dogs will crate train. All dogs desire a den and if you let them they will usually pick the crate as that den, but it must seem like their choice.
Remember with any training schedule follow it do not deviate from what you do and when. Repetition is comforting to an animal even if boring to us and they come to rely on certain things happening at a given time, so make a schedule stick to it for the normal bathroom crate times until they get it down. All the while watching puppy for his/her own signals. And if he/she does not develop a way of letting you know that it is time to go, as they begin to get the idea what you want. Then stop at the door before you go out and ask want to go potty? You can do this with bye bye and out as well. But say potty to go out and relive themselves. They will get excited! Get them worked up and get a bark- reward by taking out potty, praise! As the dog gets more accustomed to barking before going out they will then start going to you and barking and dancing because they will associate you letting them out with going out so will look for you to let you know once they make that connection they will always seek you out to tell you they want out. It takes very little time to encourage a dog to let you know their needs in this manner.
As I said first you need to treat him like a puppy and you are the dam teaching him when and where to go.
When a dog has a problem with bathroom habits I do not care what age it is, you are going to regress as I said above this will make it easier on you and the pup because you will lower expectations. Also tether an older dog/Rescue to you until he/she goes each time you take them out if he/she fails to go while you are out.
You have to get the dog to look at you as the Alpha. Remember a dog will become the Alpha if you do not.
I also want you to get the pup’s food bowl and wash it out then I want you to have cereal or chips or something in it and eat it in front of him/her let them see you are the Alpha, you not only eat first you eat THEIR food as he/she thinks everything in that bowl is theirs.
NEVER feed pup before you.
And make sure he/she knows you are the one that feeds him.
This will also aide you in showing the dog who is head of the pack and getting him/her to turn over control that I build from two weeks up with my litters and is so important in getting a dog to focus on your wants and desires first and not challenge you but instead to look for ways to please you in an attempt to win both favor and the right to eat, in the pack.
If you have further questions or I can assist you in this or any other matter in more depth let me know, as I said hands on dog on a lead in my presence so I can read and tell you so much more, see the body language and evaluate is best, but if that is not possible. I, then rely on you to walk me, through what you and the dog may need to better make this work.
Sandy Metcalf
French-Vanila Labradors
FVLR (Lab Rescue)
Cutting nails a groomers guide
Cutting nails is so easy (I am a Ca. trained groomer) so I have an edge,
but it really is. I start cutting the hook of the nail when they are
little pups, by catching it in human nail clippers. I then will cut the
end of the nail off each week with human clippers and then when the
nails get too thick the dog clippers.
You just tip them. Cut the little part that is starting to come to a
point. I cut nails every week on my grooming day, so mine do not point,
but pet nails will, if not cut regularly. Left too long the nail will
also curve and it will cause a foot to splay and flatten.
Nails on a show dog should just about be hidden when you look at the
feet. Pet nails should not click when walking across the floor. Besides
ruining the feet, over- long nails will also arch the back and cause joint
problems.
This is how I cut a dog's nails that has not been properly groomed on a
regular basis and yes, nails are part of weekly grooming.
First it makes no difference about color of nails. The lighter are easy
to see the quick, but if it is over long it will not help you achieve
your goal. Only see that you are very close to the quick when you began.
First sit in the floor with the dog. Rub up and down his legs lift his
feet spread his toes. If he pulls away, say NO! good boy! treat.
Continue the exercise.
Make sure he allows you to lift and inspect every
foot. Do not let him pull away. End with OK to release him and a GOOD
BOY!!!! treat. You notice we cut no nails. You need to gain his trust
before you do even one nail.
Next day again go over his feet. Show him the clippers. Let him sniff as
you put them up to his front foot (foot raised in you hand, no pulling)
Tell him he is a good boy and treat. Now pick the other paw up same
exercise, but this time clip a very small amount from one of the longest
nails. He may pull away, again NO! good boy treat. Pick up the foot and
do it again. as long as he pulls you must repeat. Even if you have cut a
small piece from every nail. You must get him to leave his paw in your
hand at the time of and after the nail clippers snip! If he is still
pulling, just pretend to cut ,once you have done them all. Then rest
between the next foot. Now repeat the exercise.
Only do the front feet the first time you are really ready to start
cutting nails, but lift and inspect all feet. Giving the proper commands
at the proper time.
Make this a pleasant and painless event for him and
he will began to trust you. And even if you hurt him latter on, he will
not associate it with the procedure, but as a one time occurrence.
We are now ready to start the receding of the quick. Have blood stop
near by and open. You are not expecting to use it, but in case. You will
not be fumbling while the pup slings a bloody foot all around. And a dog
who's nails are not kept short will have a very sensitive quick and it
will bleed a lot if snipped.
Repeat the original exercise. Praise a lot as you lift and inspect, and
spread the toes. If he does not pull praise more. Once you are ready,
sit him on the floor in front of you. Take a front paw hold it. if he
pulls repeat the exercise, until he stops Good boy! NO TREAT He will
now get his treats at the end of each foot. So he will be waiting for his
goody and not concentrating on his feet.
Carefully slide the clippers over the nail. Clip the entire pointed part
off. If the nail is flat about a 1/16th of an inch or a little less of
the nail. You are not concerned with nail length, but receding of the
quick, at this time. The quick will recede further the longer you spend
cutting the nails back. For very over long nails expect to cut the nails
daily for about two weeks. Then if done in regular weekly grooming, they
will never be too long again.
To keep short once you have the right length is easy. You cut where the
nail starts to point about 1/16 of an inch or less, no more. At least
once a month, but preferably at each weekly grooming session
The next day repeat the procedure on the front feet now adding the back
feet. Cut each nail on every toe . Remember wait for him to stop pulling
and correct when he does. Earn his trust before you began and treat at
the end of each foot.
As he gets more accustomed to having his feet touched and grows
confident that it will not cause him pain and he develops a trust for
you that whatever you do is OK, because you will not willingly hurt
him you can treat after all the feet are done. Just remember take your
time. Lots of praise and do not expect nice short nails with a healthly
well receded quick, overnight.
And for use with a Dremel
As a professionally trained groomer. I was trained in the different
types of manual clippers and the ones available from the pet stores are
awful. They can split the nail easily. That is often why most people
have trouble with them, is they are no where near the quality a
professional pair of clippers I use are.
I was also taught to use professional electric files they called them
then (mid 70's) and I did no care for them, They mostly smelled awful
and to me just took too much time on a animal in the shop. I would use
them to smooth a rather jagged nail, but that is all. Also they were
very expensive. So I went on doing what I always had.
I left the grooming field in 1980 to marry and raise a family, so though
new and better electric nail sanders were brought onto the market and
other breeders I knew were using them. They still were spendy and I was
so used to the nail clippers I had been using since my school days. So
though I saw better results. I was not convinced to try them.
However I decided after all the people my Lab list I own Labchat were
talking about a Dremal that I could use that for crafts if it was as bad as the
old electric files used to be. So we purchased a Dremel Multi-Pro cordless
two speed for $39.99 in January 1999.
Nelly hates her nails done and after 4 years of nail cutting being the worst time
of her life, she let me use the Dremel on her with out any problems. The
nails shaped up nicely and were tight to the foot. I was very impressed
with the look of the foot after my third day of shaping the nails. My
girls have always had short nails, but never that nice of a show nail.
You can easily achieve that with only about 5-10 mins. a foot for about
three days (depending on length of nails) The Dremel is light weight and
easy to use, no where as heavy or bulky as the old electric files and no
cord.
You must remember to use light strokes and I use the sandpaper disk. I
have heard some people use the stone, but the sandpaer worked fine
for me and has less chance of burning.
I am very happy with it and although I have used my main pair of nail
clippers I purchased for school in 1975, on countless dogs. I think I
will be retiring them for weekly use and staying with the Dremel. I may
use them once in a while, but I am most impressed with the ease and
outcome of a using a Dremel
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Sandy Metcalf
French-Vanila Labradors
FVLR (Lab Rescue)
I am also a poet as I said above as well as many other things.
And I will share with you just a few of my poems, which is part of the way I help people heal. The first I wrote for a friend who's sister's nearly full term baby was born dead 8 pounds and beautiful but the cord had wound around her neck the night before and she died in utero, while mom slept. It was very sad, for them being their first child- made it harder.
All God's Little Messengers
God sent a little girl, so you could see how wonderful and sweet Heaven will be.
He never intended her to stay, she only came to show you the way. A little angel here on loan, had to leave and go back home.
She will be looking for you, for when in time, that door you both come through, she will turn and run, and into your arms your sweet little girl will come.
For one brief moment she brightened your world and made you believe Heaven is all you dreamed it would be.
God sends angels down to teach, there is a Heaven and it is within your reach.
That we must remember to love, learn and grow. That each day is a gift, given to show, those that we cherish, and let them all know how we feel.
That God is love and God is real, and each little messenger he sends our way, some who stay but a moment, others for only an hour, a month, a week or just a day. Carries that special message they come here to bring.
That life is forever, for everything.
Do not weep for her, she is not gone. Life is eternal she lives on.
Take comfort in, she is safe, she is warm. Just look up and see her laughter in the sunshine and her smile in a rainbow, after every storm.
Sandy Metcalf
?
And one I wrote for a friend who's 13 year old Lab died of cancer.
The sands of time catch us all- Two footed, four footed large and small.....
Goodbye my ray of sunshine . I can still see your goofy smile as you exit this stage. All the while, taking my heart as you turn the page.
May you walk along the clouds and find contentment there free from pain or the restrictions of old age,
May happiness light your face, at the tennis balls all over the place. Kongs and toys fill the space.
May you chase those tennis balls through the sky with the stars as your
guide.
May angels wait patiently for you to return the balls to their side. May
they throw them forever and never tire.
May you know only green grass, cool breezes and a warm fire.
May you have all the cookies and goodies that is your heart's desire.
After all this is Heaven.
May you radiate back your love with all that you are inside and may you make flowers grow so I may still see all the beauty that is in your soul.
May there be many kids and dogs for you to run and play with along the
rainbow. And may you out run them all as you go, no limp no pain just lots of fun as you leap effortlessly over the sun, in your silly game.
May dad be there to greet you, a very special little girl too and I believe there should also be some puppy tails wagging. Cuse, Heaven holds a few little ones that belong just to you.
May their eyes all sparkle as they see their own mom come through that gate. I will cry to say goodbye, but also rejoice as you gather your little ones close and celebrate.
May you only know joy and jubilation from now on and may you meet me at the door when I too come home, when my time is up and I am done. May you stand there, forever young.
Till then I have tucked you up inside in a special place. You may have to
squeeze in just a bit as you see it is a very crowed space. but I always can make room for you. I reserved that space so long ago. I hoped it would never be taken, but I always knew one day inside you too would go. So wrap around your lovely pups and all the ones that fill me up to stay warm , safe and loved in my heart. Until the day comes when we will never have to part.
Thank you for sharing all that you are you started a love of a breed that will continue long after this day that you leave, a lifetime I believe is not enough to say thank you.
I will honor you every day in every pup that comes to stay. In every ribbon we ever win, in every dog and every kid. But none will ever be as wonderful to me. You lit up my world by just being my special girl. You brightened the room because you, were you and...
I will miss you my sweet baby girl, my entire life through...
Why do dogs have to grow old? Why do they have to die? Why do they take our hearts, when they leave, Why oh why????
Sandy Metcalf 1998
T he Untold Story of Pearl Harbor and more
When talking to a friend about his Uncle's WW11 experience and how his Uncle was a hero to his own son. I told him about my Grandpa and what Grandpa had told me. My friend asked me for the story at Pearl, and also asked about his dad’s cowboy days.
Two people in history, that lived in challenging and life changing times.
Below is our own Pearl Harbor experience.
My Grandpa was one of only a handful (actually 237) who served on the USS ARIZONA and lived.
Now I will tell you the story of
I will start out with going back. I will try and recount his words as he related them, to us when he first showed us Lloyd's Purple Heart so long ago now.
My Grandpa was Lindy Steinhoff- Linden Author and his brother was Lloyd. Lloyd Delroy
They were not just one pair of brothers serving on the USS ARIZONA
In November 1942 the 5 Sullivan brothers all were lost serving on the USS JUNEAU. And that tragic sacrifice of an entire family's sons is why siblings are now discouraged from serving in the same theater, same ship or same base, during times of war. But unlike some think it was never made into law.
Out of the 1000's of stories that Infamous day- as I said here is ours.
As my Grandma closed his eyes and talked you could feel the warm breeze see the palms sway softly and hear the music of the Islands in the background. Along with the sounds of every day life. But Lindy noticed none of that is eyes closed in irritation not enjoyment to the atmosphere around him.
Mom Lindy says, I can't hear you they are doing fly by's again really low. Can you hear me? Good Yes we will be leaving the 10th. The 10th he shouted into the receiver! We got our leave approved today. They told us we met the cut off yeah it would have been bumped to the 20th, but Lloyd said his friend backdated our request to the first so we are all set. Yeah wish we could have left the 6th too, but were lucky to get the 10th. Still can't hear you yes yes will be great to see everyone. But I am kind of sad as hate to leave this place. I know San Diego it the best place in the world, but mom this is Heaven on Earth- well when those blasted planes land anyway! No there is nothing more irritating and bothersome than those fly by's. Yeah, I Love you too see you soon!
After Grandpa got off the phone on Friday Dec 5th. He met up with Lloyd his younger brother by nearly one year. Grandpa had 4 sibling’s two older sisters and two younger brothers. When he got his draft notice Lloyd decided to enlist in the Navy with him, and they would see the world together, but found themselves stationed in San Diego- home town was home port. His other brother Maynard had chose the Army so he could drive tanks. But though Maynard had at a very high cost to the US Army been trained in a long 4 month school on driving tanks he wound up as a cook. Uncle Sam and his own way of doing things again. But Lindy and Lloyd had went through basic training, tech school and got permission to be sent to the same ship.
Grandpa was 21 Lloyd 20, and would just make 21 in November before he died Dec 7th.
Grandpa said they went to the movies and saw It Happened One Night that Friday night before the world changed forever! They grabbed a quick meal at a local place that was quite popular with the Sailors and though was mostly Oriental food (later this family would have their business closed and be interned) but they made a mean attempt at Western fare. Grandpa and Lloyd as well as few fellow sailors liked the people far more than the food. They picked up a few more souvenir type gifts to bring home for Christmas and strolled back to the ship as both had early duty and Lloyd wanted to attend the Battle of the Bands (what Grandpa called it though it was really called the Battle of Music) the next night.
See Lloyd was in the high school band and played the trumpet and was very good his style was Rag Time and Swing! His heroes were Goodman and Dorsey to name two. And tomorrow night he was going to the Battle of the Bands. He had practiced long and hard for it and he was really looking forward to showing off his stuff and playing with the guys at the big blow out! Before him and Lindy left on the 10th for a 30 day leave.
They had not seen mom in over a year now (the fleet had left San Diego for Hawaii May of 1940) and though he was not the youngest child Maynard was more his dad's son, more than Lloyd who was a mom's boy and it was great being in the tropics but he missed home. Lloyd had written home a few months ago to her about those soft breezes and warm nights remarking on was it really fall? He had while stationed there described to her as well as his girlfriend back home about the beautiful flowers and fruit he had never heard of but tasted good enough he should bring some back to have her make a pie from, and while Grandpa was more interested in how the ships worked Lloyd was more about the ascetics and Grandpa said Lloyd would listen to the birds in the trees when we were hearing the buzz of conversation he could pick out the variety of birds by their calls. Grandpa thought it was because of his ear for music. Lindy and Lloyd were completely different in type, yet very close in more than age and Grandpa had promised his mom he would look out for his little brother. A promise he never thought he would have to worry about keeping nor know it would be out of his hands, to keep.
Saturday started early Grandpa said they were awake at 0400 and up on deck before the light and woke before they hit the floor as they scrambled from their hammocks trying to jockey for space. Though the
Everyone knows about the
But Grandpa that night he sat at the kitchen table absently looking into space rubbing that Purple Heart that came to him with is mother's death when only in her 60's she was never the same after Lloyd died, part of her died with him and the unshed tears in my Grandpa's eyes as he talked some nearly 55 years later, said a bit of him went down with that ship that day as well. But he went on.
She was built in 1916 in NY City he said. She was still such a magnificent ship they had both been so excited to get assigned to that ship and that Captain (Franklin Van Valkenburgh). The Captain and the
As his thoughts were far away you could see visible pain flash across his face as he relived his own Pearl Harbor, Then he looked at me and said, where was I?
I oh yes' that evening it was a flurry of activity- we were pretty much except for a skeleton crew free to come and go after our shifts, on the weekend and everyone on most the ships that were all tightly moored next to each other were heading off to the Battle of the Bands and Grandpa knew sailors and Marines on most the ships it was like a college campus and the ships just different fraternities he said, but we all went to the same college. Grandpa said you could hear the men across the ships practicing their instruments and it was such a happy joyful sound. Lloyd got into his dress blues and after a last minute inspection and polish of his horn they headed up top to get permission to exit the ship.
Grandpa said as they stood on the deck with all the other sailors exiting and the line was long as being the weekend and also so many going to see all the bands. But the music drifting from the other ships was beautiful and one guy on some type of horn somewhere begins to play Silver Bells. Someone else on another instrument picked up on it with him. Lloyd popped open his case and while they stood in line played along with his fellow sailors on the adjoining ships. The men in line turned to watch Lloyd and listen- by the time the line had snaked to the guy with the roster guarding the gangway, Lloyd had finished and began to put away his trumpet to applause and cheers! Grandpa smiled when he shared that, as the memory was one he held dear you could tell. And why not there were not many memories to hold dear that weekend.
They exited the ship and headed for Bloch Arena on the Pearl Harbor Naval station where the contest would take place.
Lloyd was not going to complete this time, just jam with his fellow sailors as the
Grandpa said they had a ball listening to the music and the impromptu sets among the guys was everything from the latest big band to more sweet Christmas carols that they joined in with voice which gave thought to not too long now before they were going to be home.
The music and merriment went on long after the prize was awarded to the USS PENNSYLVANIA. And there was ribbing from the
They finally got back to ship late. Grandpa as well as Lloyd did not have early morning duty and so had planned on attending church with two nurses they had met at the Bloch Arena and also they had a bit more shopping they wanted to get done before they left on Wednesday. So they said their good nights and since they were housed in different parts of the ship as both had different jobs Grandpa on the engines and Lloyd was a gunner, also Lloyd was a S1C and Grandpa a S2C so they parted ways and headed off to sleep like any other night.
Grandpa told me he got up at 0600 the next day and when he tried to get Lloyd up to go Lloyd said he passed and was gonna sleep in. So Grandpa headed off alone to meet up with the nurses go to church and shop.
That is not the official account: At the 50th Anniversary of the attack and what happened to the band- which I will go more into the 50th Anniversary later they said, and I quote: "The fictitious story about the band being allowed to sleep in on 7 December 1941, because they WON the "Battle of Music, 41" the night before or even, as some reports state, came in second, are wrong.
A contingent of
The bodies of three bandsmen were recovered from Pearl Harbor proving beyond any doubt,
Commander Fuqua was knocked unconscious by a bomb that glanced off the starboard side of the number four turret. That had to be the projectile that knocked the three musicians, unconscious, into the water. The Fourteenth Naval district, 31 Recovery Reports from the Commandants Office disclosed the following information:
SCRUGGS, LEO J. STATUS: Recovered from water as UNKNOWN. After identification, reinterred in Long Beach,
COX, G. C. STATUS: Probably drowned. Now interred in the National Cemetery of the Pacific, M-1027, "Punchbowl"
SHAW, R. K. STATUS: Body recovered from water. 3rd degree burns, drowned. Interred in Nuuanu Cemetery, Honolulu,
Additional bandsmen could have been recovered and buried as "Unknowns." End quote.
While I do not argue with them saying that the
My Grandpa attended services with the nurses and they headed off to town to shop as the shops were just opening their doors at 07:00 and they decided they would take their packages back to the ship and maybe Lloyd would want to go to breakfast with them as Grandpa was off duty until 1700 hours and Lloyd was off all day. And had said he might when he spoke with him this morning before Grandpa left ship.
They decided when they saw a friend sitting in a jeep that they would catch a ride back to ship. Grandpa said they were laughing and carrying on up a storm just having a great time it was a beautiful place it was a beautiful morning they were young life was great and it was nearly Christmas! Then they heard and saw planes. At first they thought it was an exercise like many did and was portrayed in the movies. But the strafing of bullets hitting the pavement and ricocheting all over the place and the scattering of soldiers and sailors, bombs hitting the water and the fleet his words KNOCKED THAT IDEA ALL TO HELL!!!!!!!! His friend ran the jeep into the nearest available open lot and they jumped out and ran to battleship row!
Grandpa said he could only see black the early morning blue sky was now black smoke filled and dark as night out over the entire harbor. And was a place of horror!!!!! His packages dropped to the ground as he ran for his ship! But he could not see the
In a numb fog Grandpa was pulled back to the jeep where a stunned set of onlookers stood, two being his companions from earlier in the day, it was the same day, wasn’t it? The same place? No it had to be dream, another place where your world was not destroyed before your eyes. But it was only beginning he had no idea what that day would bring or ask of him.
They scooted people away from the jeep and busted a sharp turn and out of there heading for the hospital Grandpa said you could still hear the bombs still see the planes but some how the strafing and carnage did not reach them. They either out drove it or God had other uses for them that day. But the smell in the air was rancid of burning and oil it hung heavy and stayed with them long after they left the dying ships in the distance and pulled up to the hospital to see men and women carrying so many people on stretchers and even doors into that little hospital veranda. Where will they put them all? He thought. But was quickly too busy to dwell on space.
It was late in the story when the one nurse got a name the other never did, Carol came up to me and said we cannot worry about Lloyd we have to worry about those we have here and we know we can do something for. How's your stomach? Grandpa was still in shock and he said maybe that was better and helped him cope with what was going on he was not sure. But some where far off in the distance he heard her ask can you cut dead tissue away from burns or clothing burned into flesh can you remove it?
That is when Grandpa looked around all over the lawn all in the halls everywhere were terribly burned and injured men, NO they were just boys! The screams of pain and the moaning was overwhelming he said, but that was not the worst. The worst was the smell. They cannot capture the smell of war in a movie and you cannot get the smell out of your nostrils try as you might. Or wash it from your body matters not how much soap you use. The smell of blood and burning flesh death and pain was more than a 21 year old should have to endure, but he took the scissors and followed Carol around watched and then repeated the ghastly procedures as they rationed out morphine to take the edge off as no amount of pain meds would really control such pain. And he did what he could. More people came to help, but most when asked the questions that Carol had posed to him could not bring themselves to disentangle burned flesh from clothing seared into the wounds. So they were given a pail of water and washcloth to administer drinks and offer to sponge off those that were not as injured.
The day was a blur he said of doctors picking who would and who would not get treatment and who they could just lay aside in the grass to die as there was nothing that could be done.
One man was so burned that his meat was hanging from his bones, but his eyes were open and though he had been left for dead as there was no way he would be able to survive such burns he was conscious and this junior Grandpa guessed nurse took this poor soul's head in her lap and rocked him while the bodily fluids seeped from him onto her in a sticky mess. He closed his eyes to her sweet voice as she sang a hymn to comfort.
Grandpa said the poor guy shuttered and was gone. The girl she could not be called a women she was so young, he did not know if she was a nurse, but she was too young to be a part of this macabre scene. When she realized the sailor had died she stood up and said I wish they would give me a gun, I asked them, but they would rather we let them lie here in pain and suffering not even sparing anything for the pain let alone fear, but they will not give me a gun. Grandpa said he just watched her; suddenly she did not seem as young and vulnerable as he would not have been able to do what she seemed to think was a better choice, could he? He did not think so. Could he spare a loved one such agony and fear Lloyd crossed his mind but there was no time to find him or like he said to us in his kitchen that day back in the 80's maybe I already knew.
But looking around Grandpa knew one thing, he COULD kill Japs and he could not wait to do so!
Grandpa said the movies he had seen over the years the sanitized romanticized stories of the attack made him sick that not once did they talk about so many feet that were amputated that they were in a big pile behind the surgery room door out back. Reminded him of old Civil War pictures but these were in living color way too much color and they had so many bodies they were stacking them like cord wood outside the hospital until an officer complained they were covering his window so they had to make a new stack on another wall. All this and more was going on and did not stop for days.
Worn out and staggering that evening when they had sounded the all clear as no more Japanese were spotted and the attack seemed to not go past the morning, though all the explosions and small arms fire went on for several hours.
Grandpa now that there was a break in what he could do. He wanted to go find Lloyd. I need a ride back to battleship row he told a guy leaning on a truck who looked as tired and dirty as he felt. Are you leaving soon? Nope said the sailor I just got here bringing up more medical supplies from some of the ships. I need to get back Grandpa said to check on my brother and see if I can get on my ship. What is your ship he said? The
That was it Grandpa had to find Lloyd. Lloyd had talked about sleeping until 0800 and then maybe he would meet them downtown. Did he get off, could he? Was he not on the ship either? If not where was he? If he was, where was he? Grandpa found a Marine Colonel who was heading over to the shipyard to pick up someone and said he would take Grandpa over to the shipyard and then he could walk the little ways to battleship row. But he warned Grandpa it was still a lot of fires and smoke over there even more than was blowing toward the hospital as they were down wind. But Grandpa accepted the ride anyway.
When they got to the shipyard you could see to battleship row it was still fires and smoke and men running everywhere with fire hoses and injured- God he thought! I was under the impression the flood of wounded that had been brought to the hospital was it, but with the lights of several trucks lined up all down the row and turned onto the harbor they were still removing people and the smell of death and war was as thick there as it had been at the hospital only add oil and diesel fuel into the mix. It choked him and he had to get his handkerchief over his nose to breathe his eyes burned his throat hurt.
Grandpa stood there he yelled for Lloyd- the sound that came out of his mouth was not his voice the sound that came out of him was almost primitive in it's desperation. But the noise all around was so loud no one not one person seemed to hear him. When he had finally navigated the injured on the walkway, the people rushing here and there and the debris to the dock number he knew was the ARIZONA'S He stood in utter silence and looked at the harbor and through the twisted steel and damaged ships he recognized the tower on his ship and all of a sudden all the tiredness and stress that he had kept a tight rein on let go and he slumped to the ground. He woke to someone forcing water into him and saying you hurt man? No! Grandpa felt ashamed by his reaction and tried to get up, but his body had other ideas and his legs refused to comply. All he could do as some strange kid cradled him and held a canteen to his lips was say no, water and point- that, that is my ship the ARIZONA my ship. My brother is on that ship, my brother. The sailor looked at the burning ship and said lets say a prayer, and they did. By this time Grandpa has pulled himself up into a sitting position and he and this strange boy who he never got his name set there while a hundred people ran around them in the glare of truck lights, and they watched history unfold.
Dec 8 0900 Grandpa gets a paper from a courier, he has no ship they are still in disarray he slept in the school building gym in anonymity with many other people, but the Military- come Hell or High water can find, ya, it seems and get a paper to you.
When he finally staggered off the dock this morning he was not sure the time, in need of sleep, not food it would choke him. But to the blissful oblivion of sleep the magic of washing it all away! He thought as he had curled in a ball on the hard floor too tired to grab a mattress that others were standing in line for or even seek out a blanket. But he thought his dreams would be fitful! They were instead of all 5 of them as children and paying baseball and the fun times that kids have with their siblings. He awoke to not sure where he was and still tired and sore so sore for a strapping young man in perfect physical condition and hungry boy was he hungry!!!! First he wondered where he was then why he hurt so darn bad in the supreme physical shape he was in? And then it all came back and his belly turned over and food was the last thing on his mind. Finding Lloyd was utmost, but instead he looked up to a paper being pushed into his face and the barking of a Naval Officer telling them to shower and eat and meet back there for duty assignments.
Grandpa read the paper it said- Leave canceled.
He just sat there. When he did not get up the officer came over and said son get up and shower and eat we will bury enough of you boys soon we do not need to add to it. Grandpa looked up and said I think my brother died yesterday. The officer said sailor, a lot of brothers died yesterday; now get a shower and eat- that is an order!
Grandpa said the shower helped a lot though he had to put on the same cloths until he got to the mess hall and someone said why did you not change your cloths he was covered in muck and blood not too appetizing for the others, but it was all he had then his was brought to his attention that there were cloths in the shower area and he found a blue jump suit and matched all the others in the dinning room when he returned. They looked like a prison work detail. He made himself eat but it tasted like sawdust in his mouth and was hard to swallow. He said it was difficult to eat for weeks after and the military did not offer counseling or any type of crisis help you were to suck it up not talk about it, and carry on, so he did.
They met back at the school gym and he was assigned to clean up and recovery, no one seemed to think recovery should include looking for his brother.
It took until the 20th of December for them to declare Lloyd Delory Steinhoff S1C to be no longer missing, but missing and presumed dead. As I said they never located his body but he did leave one of his horns with his mom when he went into the Navy and my bother Scott played that in high school and got quite good before going onto other instruments and passing Lloyd's trumpet on to other family members. One picture with Grandpa which used to hang in Grandpa's kitchen is only one I have ever seen of Lloyd. I did a search online but while I can locate his name everywhere I cannot much about neither him nor his picture. Even though I can no longer remember what he looked like when I think of that picture (I can remember Grandpa at that age though) but I can still see the two of them in their whites and sailor caps in that old black and white picture. I always got a kick out of he still had two sisters and one brother all who lived long lives well Maynard died of cancer, but in his 60's and Grandpa had none of their pictures up there just him and Lloyd, as well as another picture of himself in uniform after Pearl Harbor and a picture of my Grandma in uniform as she was a WAC and a nurse during the war. Through my grandparent's met in 1948.
After the initial attack and they begin to try and sort out who went where as there were more men than serviceable ships at that time. Grandpa got assigned to a much smaller ship called the USS CASSIN, but she was pretty cool as she had Little Orphan Annie painted on her smoke stack so she is easy to spot in old pictures and films.
Grandpa went on to watch Kamikazes try and hit his and other ships in the convoy. Land on Okinawa and bring back a rile he took off a dead Jap (his words) that he later modified for deer hunting.
You will not read about Linden Allen Steinhoff in any book on Pearl Harbor or the
He refused to be interned with his shipmates and brother and instead elected for Fort Rosecrans the Military cemetery in San Diego as his final resting place in 2001- a year later joined by my Grandma. I cannot judge him I did not have my brother killed by a sneak attack. While others there could forgive, neither did most of them. Grandpa could not, and it was just how it was.
Though Grandpa's dad lived to just shy of 100 and is the one who I describe his cattle drive to San Diego in the 1900's below and Grandpa's mom died from the same disease Parkinson's, that would kill him just shy of 80 (he did not live to see 9/11 and I think that is a good thing). It was awful watching a once proud man that could do anything and has been everywhere and was the family patriarch become feeble and helpless and die in the military hospital the same one we lost Grandma in a little over a year later. He took some stories with him as he said some would not sit well with us and he did not wish to burden anyone with the memories that would haunt him until he died. I was not home when he died though came home in January right before to say goodbye, but while my Grandma was too sick with heart disease to be in his room when he died, my mom was. And she said Grandpa said Momma and Lloyd and tears ran down his face his eyes were closed and he looked so relaxed and ready. I told my mom they came for him. He could never forgive himself for not taking care of his little brother it always stayed with him and it shaped who he was. But in the end it was his, mom and his little brother that rescued him and took him home. Maybe not a promise kept but a family united.
I still miss him and he is my Hero.
And before that my Grandpa's dad was the one who rode one of the last full on cattle drives into San Diego I mean cows right into town and his stories we used to listen to of a life that spanned nearly 100 years. Of those days to a kid who is transported by history and always wanted to live in the romantic side of the 19th and early 20th century (could not have stomached the actual times, but the vision in my head of what it would have been like is very inviting) and be a part of history as our world changed and grew he always mesmerized me. Gramps he could spin a tale to sound like eating prairie dog was a delicacy and the trail was made up of fairy dust not just thrown up dirt. I have often thought my gift for telling a story in such a way that you cannot stop reading it, is from him.
I also love the old West- I love the history so enjoyed the stories handed down to me as a child
On that note my Grandpa’s dad, my Gramps met his wife when he came into a part of San Diego called Little Sweden she did not even speak English and she was all of 14 and he was in his late 30's.
Granny was not to the caliber his family wanted for him and when she became pregnant it was even worse and they wanted him to abandon her and come home or be disowned.
Gramps was a stubborn mule even then and stood his ground!
He married her. His family came to CA to try and stop it; they tried to buy her family they tried to buy her. But the family knew the shame of a child without a father and their daughter no husband, so refused.
And well' my Gramps and Granny just knew they loved each other and could not be bought.
So his family failing to achieve the BIGGEST REGRET in their lives! I always thought it funny that it was THEIR regret on that day not his or hers as they were the one in a pickle by social standards hehehe! Departed with an OUT OF THE WILL and DEAD to me!
But Gramps said even though he went from a privileged life in CO to doing whatever a no good for nothing else cowboy can in a city, when Mary was born a courier was dispatched to bring her a "gift" it was 500.00 nothing was said no message, and they did not come see her Nor were Mary's parent's invited to Greeley Colorado.
The money was a lot in 1915. It was over 9000 in today's value I did the calculation.
Also the average salary was 200-400 a year and gramps was not making close to that. So it was a huge sum and a huge help in getting them out of a rental room and their own farm.
With the next daughter the following year (I need to ask my mom what her name was I am having trouble recalling) another 500.00 came, but also a summons for them to bring those grand babies to CO.
Each child following that also got 500. 00 (Grandpa was born in 1920) and Lloyd also in 1920 only 9 months after Grandpa who was in Feb of that year. Then Maynard in 1921. 5 children in 7 years no losses or miscarriages, But no more after either and she was still a young woman when Maynard was born, only 21.
Gramps family came out following my Grandpa's birth (could it be because he was a boy?) and with each baby they were more welcomed back into the fold. I guess after 5 children my Gramp's family either realized they were going to stay married or could not forsake their own grand kids.
Gramps and his mom still maintained a distance in their relationship that never healed for the rest of her life. But his dad forgave and forgot however my Granny was only known as "that woman" when they spoke of her except when they spoke of the children. And because there was only this tentative truce that extended through family visits and holidays, but was never quite an acceptance of some poor white trash foreigner that trapped their son- Gramps and Granny made San Diego their home.
They had a beautiful farm they grew oranges grapefruits and avocados and Granny loved her home and kept it immaculate even with 5 children that close in age. She never learned to drive, and Gramps took care of everything not domestic. When the last child was married with their own families, he thought he would ease her burden and he sold the farm. She was devastated!!! But in those days you went where your husband directed, she was not even consulted, as she was not even on the deed to the farm-so she packed up and they left. She actually had to distribute a lot of her much loved possessions through her family as the new house could not hold it all. So not only was her home being taken from her so were her things.
Gramps oblivious to her heartache as she never spoke of it to him- purchased them a new home in the city, with plans of retirement and travel. Granny was most unhappy, but only her daughters knew this. And my mom use to say though well meaning, he took away her life she did not have her garden or her home to take care of with her kids gone, no room to spread out and bake or can what little she could grow in that backyard, So she just sat in her rocking chair most days no place to get out to and keep busy she would not have went out alone when Gramps was off doing business most days. Granny was stuck there.
Slowly Granny withered. Then she died
They did not know what Parkinson's was when she got it, but only that she had dementia and was forgetting things and unable to take care of herself. So Gramps put her in a care facility at the age of 59 MAN can you believe it? Old at that age and even before, like my mom said take a person's reason to live they die. And like I wrote before, Lloyd's death was so hard on her then the last reason to hang on after he died her home the life she knew, it was all too much.
She adored her grand kids and seeing her family, but with the loss of her home (what mom said she called it as if it had not been sold but taken, I guess for her it was) there was no room for 4 kids and their families at the little place (also what she called the new home) and so they had to do gatherings and holiday times at one of the girls homes and Granny only missed her home more on those occasions. Her never driving she could not see her own children or grand kids or her old friends like she used to, just walk over to see them when she wanted to. So she mostly sat and waited for someone to take her or come to her. That had to be a lonely sad time for a woman who had once oversaw a bustling household made pies jams canned goods for the country fairs and sang in her church choir for most her adult life. And her children all close to their farm were now miles from her.
Gramps went and saw her at the home and had lunch with her every day until she died at age 69. We lost Gramps just short of 100 almost 8 years later.
Gramps was a strapper and active and a ladies man about town a real character until the end. I cannot remember what he looked like, only his Stetson hat like my own Grandpa wore his entire life, last I saw Gramps was the late 70's but his presences is forever burned into my memory and who I am.
He went peacefully in his sleep.
My life and family intertwines from Grapes of Wrath to Oregon Trail from Presidents to Profits and if I ever decide to tie it all together into a time line it would touch most shores and so many points of history, I have often wondered if it would be the same for other families as it is of mine. They just do not know the blood that runs through their veins, and I do.
From Banky Deslana "Smith" who married Joseph Smith's (LDS Founder) cousin John. She was a Cherokee Indian Princess.
My mom talks of her great grandma when she was a girl she was so petite and when she would take her all white hair down it hit the floor and my mom would stand on a chair and help her brush it out each night. My mom loved her hair.
Her Granny, Banky would share her stories and tell of the days of the plains Indians and the great buffalo and the stories handed down to her father from his.
She talked of her life with the Mormons and the atrocities put upon them for their beliefs of the hardships coming west of her decision to leave
All of it. My family was so good about chronicling our family and US history that you can taste the hard tack and feel the jarring of the wagons in their words.
You are able to live their journey in each paragraph and connect to a part of family you can never see since most people never had a picture taken. But you can read what they wrote in their Bibles and in their diaries.
Find who they were and what dreams they had set out to make happen. I am riveted by what I have read and had told to me in my life. One day when my parent's are gone I will be the keeper of the knowledge and I will put it in order and down on paper the entire story back to Europe and from
Then maybe some day in the distance a girl will say I have this color hair or I do this because.... And be able to trace back and know, as in knowing we live on.
That maybe when she sees her Great, Great too many greats to count Grandpa was from Ireland had red hair and her own daughter though she herself has dark as does her husband that the red hair of their child may be handed down from him.
Or about her Great, Great, Great fill in the greats Grandma (me) who was a writer and left this gift that others picked up on and continued and feel a sense of pride in whom Sandy Metcalf was not just a name or faded old pictures. But I come to life in my words. And because of that, she feels a connection to same long ago ancestor Through those old pix and words and thinks I want to put my story down as well and pass on who we were and our life and who she is and her life and the chain is unbroken. The possibilities of that makes tears run down my cheeks and a smile comes to my face.
Some share their stories, as we all have a story to tell and some have SOME story to tell. But sadly most it dies within a generation or two. When I hear people who have no clue what happened on Dec 7th or not know the date it, boggles my mind! Nothing is more precious in this world than family, country, and God. When we stop passing on our stories and our history we lose God as well. And with that we lose ourselves.
Sandy Metcalf
February 2010
Just one small boy……...
I love old graveyards. When my husband was in the Air Force and we were coming back from a TDY (temp duty) in
I could see the old broken worn gate half open, half closed with a rusted metal sign hanging above by one chain that had a date of 1845.
As we sat outside eating our lunch I mentioned going over when we were done- we headed across the two lane road which was probably the town's main street and not a car in sight. The gate was stuck in place John, my husband had to force it- him with our oldest on his shoulders and me with a baby in tow and in knee deep overgrown wheat all about us. The gate finally gave!
John did not think we should go in it was so high, but I was drawn to something I had seen from across the street and while he stomped grass down to make it easier for our sons to walk I took off on my own to the place that had caught my attention before. It had looked like a baby crib from across the way. It was a wrought iron rectangle about the size, of a crib.
I found it and approached pushing back the gone wild dying roses, careful to avoid the thorns- it had at one time been painted white, but now was as yellowing as the marble inside it.
On closer inspection it was, supposed to be a crib. Tears instantly rolled down my cheeks!
The lovely ironwork still held its place the craftsman's had constructed it in, not only the fashion of a crib but also the delicate ironwork of the slats and top rail were to mimic a crib. And the peeling paint and weathered conditions did not take away from the stately manner, in which its presence commandeered your respect.
Inside, there was a raised slab of marble on top was another piece, or the one had been carved to make it look like two with the cracks and aging it was hard to tell, but it gave the appearance of a lovely baby bed. On top a folded back quilt lovingly carved with delicate lace work around the edges.
And a matching pillow sat near the head of the bed with the same delicate lace work on the ends.
It was old it was unkempt and yet you could still feel the undying love that had went into this small boy's gravesite. He was one year old, and had died of no known cause. The inscription told of a young couple's only child and his great loss. The year was 1857, and while I have seen much beautiful stonework- many eloquently written parables and epitaphs over the years and been in cemeteries from Silver Falls Colorado to Silverton Oregon and some of the oldest graveyards in the country- that small crib has stayed with me.
I was sad that the camera was packed away and out of film as I would have liked to record that moment in time. I often wonder what they thought of this small young family stomping down wheat grass in their old neglected long
forgotten graveyard that last held people from the First World War and since had gone to rack and ruin.
Did his family feel our connection and see my tears? Did they watch my sons play among the loss of their own? I did not feel as an intruder, but as a welcome guest to share in a family's testament to the love of one child that would stand for generations. And in a way that made him seem as if his life was not cut so short. Because long after most, his parents included. And any siblings he may have had later on (no graves found)- were long dead, they are not being shared or written about today- he is.
Only one small boy, with a cherub watching over him at the head of the crib and a mother's prayer etched on the bed she had commissioned for him to be sheltered by for all time. To me that simple gesture sealed how all people who wandered through that small little piece of land set up for goodbyes, would see her son and come away a bit changed so much so that like me I bet they have told others through the years- what a great gift they gave him- immortality! No baby king, no great ruler, not in the history books, but forever in all who visits hearts. I wonder if she knew?
By Sandy Metcalf
If walls could… well you know hehehe!
While I live in suburbs now I am not a city type girl at all. I just love the country!
I always wanted to build a Victorian in the country. We planned to one day. We had the land and the also the Victorian, but not at the same time. I want a big wrap around porch dogs, horses and split rail fencing. I was raised with everything animal, so love that life. But now do not think I am outdoorsy or anything like that I am a spoiled CA girl that prefers room service to roughing it, but I do have my moments and will get down in the mud even into spider webs and I hate those things for any animal I have all the scars to prove it hehehe!
In renovation I have done it all from turn of the century Victorians to modern, as you can guess. I prefer Victorian architecture in homes, and as I said we were always gonna one day build that brick Victorian (Victorian for me, brick for my husband John) and inside all modern and everything oak. We have done many insides like that as well as birch ash and poplar. I love remodeling and have albums of pix tracking our work over the years and all the houses- as I said love anything to do with real estate.
Like for instance the Victorian I mentioned above. I loved that house. It was the first home we purchased in
People still walk just not everywhere; it is not as clean or pristine, but still has a set charm. And the smell is more of daily living than baking, except at my house. And kids are still safe to play- Klamath Falls
When we purchased our Victorian in 1986 I wanted to trace the history the remodels and add-ons had been horribly done and mismatched the once lovely home was now a red barn color and needed much TLC to come back, but I had always thought it would be white in her hey day! But trips to the library, the courthouse and asking yielded me no real information on what our home had looked like at one time.
Over the years we began the remodel the updating and changing things to work better as well as painted it a soft snowflake white with Wedgwood blue trim. The home next door had burned down years before and the two neighbors had purchased the lot and split it so we had a huge side yard and no front to speak of, but we did the best we could with landscaping to give the front a more set presence. The backyard was forest like and though not real deep was to the times this home had been built, and I thought we were doing a fair job of adding both beauty and grace back to the old girl.
And speaking of, an old girl. While I was out working on the side yard one summer this elderly lady dressed more like her Sunday best than for a hot June afternoon with a big white hat and a beautifully carved wooden cane stopped in front of our home where the sidewalk ran and just stood motionless looking. I came down from the side yard to see if she was OK. She said oh yes dear, the job you have done on this place is wonderful and reminds me a lot of when I was a girl. I asked when was the first time you saw this house? And she said oh I was a teenager I guess. I asked her about it, and she said well my parent's good friends lived here you see, and it was one of the nicest homes in the neighborhood. She went on to describe the house. She said it was white like you have painted though my old eyes may deceive me, but I think crisper (we had chosen a soft candle light color white) and the windows and trim were black and red (I had seen something like that on some of the older homes in town) But I wanted a softer look. Though, she added almost as if not to offend- it looks lovely the way you have it Dear.
The things that had changed radically was when the road went from being a dirt road and they had closed up the carriage houses beneath the homes on this street (ours had been bricked up and a door added and the basement opened up into that area) and the street paved and widened- the houses had lost their front yards. She said our home used to have a grass font yard and the porch was open in the front instead of the side like it was now and there used to be a wide staircase down to the yard and there was a white picket fence bridged by an arbor with roses over the top.
Her eyes were far away as she talked about the home. I was not sure if the memories were of her youth, or that she really had a fondness for this place. Then she said excuse an old lady's tears, see I had my reception here and was married in the stone church just up the street (I knew of it) and my husband died shortly after. I have not been back to this house in many years, but times I did it was so distressing, until today. Her words were so surreal and I was drawn to the still stock ridged little figure that weighed all of 90 pounds and I could see her as a girl in the dresses of the times that were so small in our local museum. I had felt such sadness and mixed emotions in her, when I first approached and what I thought was something that may be bothering her now, I could see clearly was something that affected her always.
I took her on a tour of the house inside (everything was changed in there) and out, made her a cup of tea and we talked about how Klamath had changed and yet was still stuck in the past. I could almost see my home in her words I could feel the days gone by see the horses drawing carriages down an old dirt road lined with trees. She rose to go and then turned and said would you like to see it? I asked her what? She said the house???? You see I have a picture of myself in front of the home. I said oh yes please I would love to. She said she would return with the picture.
A few days later I get a knock on the door. There she stood as impeccable and well groomed as anyone could wish. Not a crease in her clothing nor a hair out of place, her weathered old face in a slight smile, her old faded blue eyes dancing as if she had a secret and she clutched an old leather portfolio to her breast as if it were life giving. I had hoped she would return when my husband was home, but even though I had shared with him what I had been told I wanted him to see the picture as well. As he was not sure if the lady was a ghost (knowing me hehehe!) or lost in memories and would return at all, but I knew she would.
She sat down at the table and carefully untied the cord around the folder and pulled out an old worn picture. The first thing I noticed was a girl, no a woman, but not a woman with a smile (I did not think they smiled in pictures then) she was a bride her period gown was beautiful even in that old cracked photo. A glance into the teary old eyes and back to the bright young and hopeful ones said it all. How long were you married I asked- not long enough she said in barely above a whisper, kids? No children she said. I did not want to pry, but I felt such heartache in the room, it was nearly physical. He waits for you I said- I know she said in a soft voice and I wait for him as well. I did not ask what she meant, I knew- the air hung heavy and I wanted to lighten up her mood thank you so much for sharing this with me I said and as I was now looking past the bride to the house, my husband John came home.
After introductions he joined us at the table- kids ran into greet Dad and lots of laughter was had by all as between dad's day and her stories I guess she had quite a few brothers and sisters and a lot of nieces and nephews in town and she enjoyed talking to my sons as much as they enjoyed her doing so. In between, we managed to get back to the picture. The front of the home was much like a movie I love and even recorded in the 80's but first saw in the 70's and what I actually chose subconsciously as my color scheme to match that house when we remolded and painted our own home. A movie with Lindsey Wagner called The Two Lives of Jenny Logan- the stairway down and how the porch was setup behind the figure in the pix was similar. And the picture had been taken from the outside of the yard over the short fence so off to the side of the bride you could just see the arbor and flowers going over the top and even growing on over the gate and part of the fence. It was such a sweet picture and also because she was widowed so soon, and though she did not say I felt never remarried was also so sad. I looked at that picture and many years later thinking back when I looked at my own when we started out and my wedding day pictures and saw the same hope, and after my divorce I wondered would that nice little girl I was have wanted to have known the future? No she would not, and neither would the bride in the picture. For that one day she owned the world and rightfully so!
She spent a little more time with us, she than gathered up her precious things carefully closing the leather portfolio and tucking it against her breast and turned to go then she stopped looked at both John and myself and asked would you like the picture? We looked at each other and John reached out and placed his hand on the folder and guided it back to her once she had started to reach out with it and said no you keep it, it is for you, but thanks so much for bringing it so we could see it. There was relief in her eyes and she smiled that half smile and turned to go. After she had turned down our offer to take her or John's to escort her. We stood at the porch and watched her ever dignified upright and all alone figure slowly head up the street and around the corner- we never saw her again.
A few years go by and a knock at my door. A lady out front introduces herself seems she is Sue the niece of the elderly lady who had come to visit us one day and share her picture. She has a familiar portfolio and tells me of the passing of her Aunt and that her Aunt Bonnie had wanted us to have the portfolio, she did clear up some things for me, her Aunt Bonnie had indeed never remarried. She had left the town as a bride with a new husband in the Navy so they did not live there when he died, I did not ask how I wanted to, but felt it was not my place and the information was not offered. Sue said Aunt Bonnie had never returned to live only to visit. She left the portfolio with me and after a short visit at the door as she had declined my invite in, Sue left. I opened it expecting a note something to say why, but there was only the same old picture inside. When John came home we marveled over this gift that had been handed to us, all for a simple visit and a cup of tea. I; just felt great delight that they were together at last.
When we had outgrown and sold our Victorian in 1992 it was with tears of sadness and also joy at leaving a beautiful old home with a bit more self-respect than when we arrived. We choose a family who would love her as we had, with small children and a love of history and left one old faded photo behind (I had copies made of it, but do not know where those copies are now) with the home, where it belonged.
So though walls cannot talk you find your answers in many places. In the old newspapers we found in the walls used as insulation- the old catalogs I still have, that were stuffed there as well, when we remolded. The print every, bit as clean and crisp stored away from sunlight, as when they first went in. The newspapers sadly were too brittle, but I did spay down them with water and photograph all the beautiful pictures of the times also part of my extensive photo album collection. And from one, very generous elderly lady who I was sure was now at peace.
By Sandy Metcalf
A bit of my blogs/web page stuff
I love the old West- I love the history
But my main interest with days gone by in our country are the changes, the technologies from if you stole a man's horse back then, you all but killed him- is why it was a hanging offense.
To the innovations of the days from the 1800's up. How you can see a modern nation be born.. We may have forged that birth of a country in the 1700's. But we broke free to explore like a child taking her first steps following the Revolutionary war.
And in the 1800's we went from gawky teenager in pigtails to a young poised woman as we made our place in the world and as we have grown and changed and adapted and yet also stayed the same in our core values our beliefs, and our undeniable spirit and pride- to the present.
You can trace our evolution easily on the backs of the pioneers that had the vision to want better and the determination to have it. And the guts to walk away from the comfy still genteel life that was put upon a small section of the post Revolutionary war populace back East, and strike out into the unknown for no more than a promise.
We as Americans still do just that, not in as big a way as few trails left to blaze, but that Western drive that call to the wild that entitlement, of if we just work a little harder is still born in all of us that carry pioneer blood in our veins. And we have a footprint in that history that does not seem as prevalent in our Easterner cousins who's family stayed in their nice brick walkups and never saw the endless miles of open plains and said I will make a home here. That speaks in itself to the power of the people and the lasting legacy of their dream who came to the West.
Addressing Freedom:
I think unlike a lot of people I have always been political and I knew a lot of things thanks to a mom who encouraged the pursuit of knowledge. And I knew the basics about our country our founding and the principles we were formed on. However I have learned a lot as well. I always thought we were a Democracy and we are a Republic and I should have known by the Pledge of Allegiance “and too the Republic for which it stands”. But I never thought about it and even more I never knew the difference in the two types of Government.
I just read John and Abigail Adams Letters, so touching and heartfelt. For them to leave that gift for us to touch history in the first person is extraordinary! Theirs was a love story ten fold and I often wonder would we have given so much to make a nation? We are spoiled in their sacrifice and the others that toiled and died for our freedom! And sadly so many of us neither know, nor worse care the birthing pains and labor endured by our founders and their families. Or every person who picked up a musket rock and stick to secure the country we are lucky enough to be born into.
Now the public John Adams was a cantankerous ol man and I guess had few friends in Government was why he delegated out the Declaration of Independence after writing so many of the early papers (and his great speeches) that lead to our breaking with the Crown and our Revolution, and he thinks by doing so cheated himself of his place in history. But Abigail was the only one who could tame his overactive mind and sooth his anger and they were a good team. And he added to our founding because of that match. I think even though he could be a great orator when he chose he was only tolerated by the Congress because, of his gruff personality in the ranks of gentleman, but his letters show a side of him had, he presented it to more than just Abigail he may have been more fondly received and embraced than he was. And made it a whole lot easier on his self. He had a brilliant mind trapped inside a very disagreeable personality.
Then I finished Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography (written by him) EXCELLENT! I love one quote in there about his desire to master his passions! He says there are in reality perhaps no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Disguise it, struggle with it, beat it down, stifle it mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive, and will every now and then peep out and show itself; you will see it perhaps, often in this history; for, even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility” end quote hehehehe!
A few of the other things from the book I wish to share. He talked about his writing style for his memoirs and that he felt he was letting his son down in the manner in which he was conveying the information, but then referenced that we always dress better for company, and more comfortable for home. I loved that analogy he was saying that for family and friends we can be ourselves write one way and for those that pay us or we MUST impress we must diligent in dotting our I’s crossing our T’s and make sure they are capitalized where needed and never mix your pronouns with our proper nouns. In other words dress your Sunday best,
The other thing I have held to heart and stood out as I did not know in the first 186 pages of the nearly 300 pages this book was, is they actually had a lottery to fund the war that they got together to figure out the prizes and get donations for such to sell the tickets to fund the Revolutionary War
And also did you know that before we broke with England, that the King could not alone make laws for the colonies or could the colonies make laws without the King? Both the colonies and Britain could draft laws and present to the other, the King through our Assembly and us through his emissary. Then they each had to agree to said, laws. But neither body could make laws for the colonies without agreeing. I did not know that. And that was one of the things that made us so mad was the King decided to enact laws and try and enforce them when he had signed agreements with the colonies that all laws would be presented through our Assembly and agreed to which he wanted to enact in America or we did, would then go through his channels, and be agreed to by him as well. No wonder we went to war, and in a way this form of government is similar to what we used as a model for our own checks and balances.
I also got a kick out of Ben was talking about that when he went to England to speak for the colonies and laws that the Assembly had not approved and our disagreement with their validity without consent. That so and so would come and carry him to the meeting the following day. At first I thought this was just old English and a broad use of the word. Until I read further about the carriage arrived and them leaving promptly. So they carried you then like we drive someone now. Not I will drive you, but I will carry you hehehehe! I love that glimpse into the past. That is why I have so enjoyed reading John and Abigail Adams letters. As it is window into time that you cannot get unless you read it first person and see the way they used verbiage then.
I finished the Franklin book and was some disappointed as he just stopped while in England about our grievances in trying to prevent war, and that was the end. He did not carry us through the most important aspects of the times or even his part in them other than the very early stags of preparing and WHY we went to war or at least my beliefs why, by what he shared of the times and men’s opinions of the conditions they were put upon to live in. Is why they did.
One thing I was telling my son Mike was that when we had any dispute with Indians or others countries even though we were armed and had a rudimentary Militia. When we had problems we petitioned the Crown to send troops to take care of things, as we did not protect or defend ourselves on a large scale. And one time when the Indians were raiding and killing settlers the Brits came and wanted 150 wagons and horses to quiet the uprising with the Indians and their allies the French. And the Colonel was upset when they landed as there were scarcely 15 wagons waiting when they arrived. So Ben got involved to commander by means of promised payment for rent of such properties for a sum of the campaign to be returned, or if lost reimbursed on said date, along with payment. He talked the town folk into voluntarily providing the wagons and teams before the British just took what they needed.
But the battle went poorly and the commander was killed many teams and wagons lost and the Crown was slow to repay, which put both Franklin’s rep and purse on the line. He was nearly sued, but finally the Crown paid them, he was never repaid for his own loses though; but the town’s people were finally paid. Thereby averting his own financial ruin if he had had to make good his word and pay them his self. However the troops after the death of their commander behaved very badly they looted they destroyed they refused to fight and when they retreated they told the settlers they were on their own.
That is when the colonies (at Bens direction) decided to marshal their Militia even more tightly and improve their ranks to fend off the Indians attacking our settlements as the British were of no use WHY then were they paying taxes to the Crown? That was one of the early flare-ups you could see in the people that made me clearly aware as I would feel the same of what are we paying for? If we have to take care of our own problems and if the British when they are here they just steal and pillage. We are better off as a solvent nation than a possession of the King, as he cares not for our well being.
I think the tea cost and stamp act were just little needles in an already scratchy situation and the tea really was not that big a deal a small increase in cost the stamp act had been revoked because of public outcry already and the tea increase was not that high we should have been happy with it. The King thought we would be. But I think more having Britain tell us that we could not make goods to, sell, they barely tolerated us making goods anyway they wanted us to send raw material to them to make goods to sell TO us and we were not doing that any longer, pushing boundaries rebelling in small ways and we also wanted to export our goods and the Crown would stop our ships and take our cargo. Also English Navy ships would stop our ships and take men by force into their service and the Crown at worst, supported that. At best, looked the other way while telling us they would check into it.
I think things like that were the catalyst more than tea. But tea is what was the last straw and showed the Crown its misbehaving child needed to be brought to task and that is why they sent troops to show us who was the parent and rein us in. As the King said if we cannot bring the colonies in we may as well cut them loose. But they fought hard so he did not want to cut us loose so easily and we did not feel the Mother Country had a right to drive us anymore at all. Many of us were born Americans by then and were no more British in heart than we are in actuality today. Though they still had the English pound so they were intertwined commercially (though Ben was also printing our own paper money by that time) and also still had the affection in some ways to the Crown. They like us were Americans and I do not think Britain or the King understood what that meant to us. I do not think anyone who is not an American understands that bond or how much we will fight to keep our freedom from enemies without, or within. That is our strength that will ALWAYS see us through and same as Obama cannot stop that patriotic wave once in motion, neither could the entire British Army and Navy. Our heart and our spirit is why I know no matter what, we will prevail NOW, as we did in 1783
He is very entertaining and the history written there- though stopped too soon is another window into our past and the world he lived in, in his own words that lead to ours.
I highly recommend the book.
Like a lot of you I worked for team Sarah to try and elect John (though I did so as a war hero more than he shares my views, as I do not embrace Progressivism in either party) as well as helped elect Reagan in 1979 and 1980. And also love Thomas Jefferson. My favorite President used to be Theodore Roosevelt (even though Grant is my great, great fill in the greats, grandfather) But Teddy, Teddy saved a lot for us today! Even though now, I can no longer hold him up in such high esteem as I learned more about what he stood for politically-180 degrees away from my own beliefs. However I still am grateful to him for the good things he did do and his no nonsense way he approached our place in the world and in who America was.
Some of those things I learned long ago are, besides the norms we all know about Teddy
Did you know that he was the youngest man ever elected to the NY Assembly? And he was also reelected by the widest margin of any legislator in NY history to date?
And is the youngest President? Only reason JFK got that attached to his name is Teddy was not elected when he became the youngest ever President. But at 42 he still is the youngest man to ever, be president?
He started the Food and Drug Association then called The Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906? Because of the horrible conditions of the food Americans had available to eat, especially in the cities at that time. And the appalling way it was processed, led to his involvement with regulating it.
Painted our fleet white so we would stand out unafraid for all to see us and sent them around the world in peace to show we could go anywhere? That is where the term the Great White Fleet comes from when, we charge in to show support.
He collected more specimens for the Smithsonian Institution than anyone else to date?
He was shot in the chest when he was getting ready to go give a speech for his try for the White House again in 1912 and went on to deliver that 90 minute speech before he would seek medical help?
Because of his love of hunting and wildlife we have the Forest Service and the monuments we enjoy today. All the land set aside to be preserved on millions of acres that would have been developed, as everyone knows about. Had Teddy not said NO we need to save this; for future generations.
He also took no bull from overseas he KNEW we were the best country in the world and made no apologies for that fact. He did what needed to be done and though some of his decisions were erroneous like the Mane, his heart was pure and his goals were for us, not himself. He was a cowboy in spirit and it showed in how he led.
We could use Teddy’s bravado now, shoot! We could use Ronnie’s. But what we do not need is more money thrown away over printed, and scattered to the wind or a restructuring of our country and universal health care.
Our Founders understood the precious delicate fragile thing freedom is. That it has to be guarded and kept, it is not a right, not an entitlement, but an ideal that we must hold tightly to and never take our eyes off of or become complacent or let others watch over as we are too busy, too lazy, to apathetic or just plain too stupid to see the folly in such inaction. When our Founders said we hand you a Republic IF you can hang onto it. We need to heed those words. If we do not we will crumble under first our Federal Government and then the world.
Teddy Roosevelt's big stick we walk with needs to not only be poised to strike our enemies, but also our governing body (with our vote) should they forget it is us the states and the people there in, that wield the rod not they. And us alone that hold the power to the Union and the people are the glue that binds. Our Federal Government is merely the brush we use to apply it. It is nothing without the foundation we grant it to sit upon. And it can never stand alone
I have also since learned that Washington was really a failure until his loyalty building brought us to victory after many failures because his men loved him enough to not only die for him, but to stand with him when they thought they would die, because he would not run or abandon them. It was his heart and his bravery and the heart and bravery of those unnamed solders who won the Revolutionary War and also the stubbornness of Washington NOT to fail again. That made him who he was and what earned him by overwhelming consensus the right to be our first President,
Hamilton though was not one of my favorites since he went against Jefferson, but as I have continued to read I understood why he and Jefferson butted heads on more than one occasion. He wanted to expand Federal power and the baking system with the Bank of the United States (which was similar to the Bank of England). He said "All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are rich and well-born, the other the mass of the people. The people are turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right." About this Bank he purposed and why it was needed.
Hamilton’s feelings about us possibility going to war with France is not grounds for a Federal Bank. I find as much flaw in his reasoning as I do with the Patriot Act. Americans, well most Americans and my self in general do not wish to live in a safe world at the cost of a free one. In 1996 my 15 year old son John was skateboarding at a park in Salem and a kid had modified a firework and threw it down on the ground and hit it with a hammer. It exploded into my son’s face who, did not know him and was just I the wrong place. Lucky John had glasses the doctor said that saved his eyes, but his face was flash burned pretty baldy. And the police told us it was a teenager who had done it. We had the option to sue him, my son chose not to. We had the option to press charges as the fireworks were illegally modified, my son chose not to- though the State did charge him John refused to testify and so they had to settle for a lesser sentence.
When the cop, arrived the following day to take John’s statement after we had returned from the hospital. He talked to me first and said what we need is more laws if we had more laws we would be safer and I told him I do not want to live in a safe world I want to live in a free one, that last thing we need is more laws.
True fireworks are dangerous and many states outlaw them, but accidents are not cased because of a law or lack of one I grew up in San Diego and my brothers went over to Tijuana every 4th and got some bad stuff they set off. Laws like that do not stop people, education does. The child felt bad, he came to see my son. Hopefully he learned from something that could have been so much worse than it was. But I do not want safety at the price of freedom. Remember what Ben Franklin said “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety”. So I find Hamilton’s reasoning of a “maybe” does not hold water in expanding Government’s control over our lives and in how the monetary system was supposed to work verse how he thought it needed to be IF happened. I do not know about you, but should I live looking over my shoulders and planning my daily life on IFs I would have no freedom.
And I am not so sure that the dollar would have been stronger being a Federal bank or standing as a New Nation should we have gone to war. As IF, did not happen to show us.
I am also a Jeffersonian and I back Thomas over Alex. Jefferson said about Hamilton’s Bank "To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. If we run into such debts, we (will then) be taxed in our meat and our drink, in our necessities and in our comforts, in our labor and in our amusements. If we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people under the pretense of caring for them, they (will) be happy." He did not want to see Federal power expanded nor control the banks
And though Hamilton was involved in the writing of the Federalist Papers though some say Madison wrote several of the essays as well. And they were the basis for our Construction. Not all the Federalist Papers are a benefit to our liberty, as their wording had a notable for their opposition to what later became The Bill of Rights.
It is often hard to go back and read old docs and letters old feuds and opinions and get a feel for really who would and would not be in favor of the outcome that was eventually to be the United States of America, and why.
Who was trying to craft a more free form of Government by the Governed and who thought the ignorant masses not able to make such choices as only gentlemen could, as we did not live in their times.
So I try and not make heroes and villains of the founders. But I do enjoy trying to walk in their footsteps and see what their eyes took in and feel the unfolding of hope and anticipation as to something good was coming they could feel it in the air.
As in now, we are also gripped by people trying to unfold a new Government and once more thinking the Governed have no ability to know what we need so they should gently at first direct us, then a little harder then finally push us if we do not comply. That action will not be greeted with hope and anticipation, but with steadfast resistance and they shall find that these people/US cannot be pushed these people are not falling away from a King and a way of life most were born into so are hesitant to take that first step preferring the known to the scary new.
No these people/US, have known the beauty and power of individual freedom we have walked with answering to no man, shown no papers, and are free to chose where we go, how we live, what we think and speak out without fear. These people/ US are not afraid, to go forward to a new it is not about fear it is about freedom and we REFUSE to change! We have no desire to be coddled and cared for by our parent the King or the Federal Government.
We will lay blood in the streets before we will let go this freedom we have already had bought by so much sacrifice and loss of too many to count. The Federal Government is quite wrong in thinking we will go quietly to the slaughter! First we will use our vote then we will grab Teddy’s stick! They that Govern have no idea who the American people are, and how strong if they think that they can drive us into a nation they want, that we do not.
But sadly and I pray I never live long enough to see it, as one day all nations fall. It will not be an easy task no matter the time it occurs, but will be a costly one on both sides to see does the Star Spangled Banner yet wave? Or is it another flag that flies over the once home of the Free and the Brave??????
Puppy Mills
I first wrote this in 1998 I see it pop up often, but I am no longer listed as the author.
After WW2 the demand for puppies with the growing post service families could not be met. Farmers were suffering post war. So good ol' Uncle Sam came up with an idea. They would contract out to the farmers to raise puppies.
They even brought in kennel core people from the service to train these farmers. They classified raising puppies as they would rabbits, livestock. This gave the farmers a right for government aide. The agriculture rep told them how easy it was to raise puppies in wire cages just like rabbits. I had the original 1946 pamphlet they put out showing dogs in rabbit hutches, as that is my reference materail to this piece.
The Federal government started this huge movement to get farmers involved in the milling of puppies to supply the many pet stores popping up in the post war USA.
Just as the milling of corn or rabbits was a term used by farmers, so was it of puppies and they became shortened to puppy mills. The pamphlet showed b&w pix of little, what looked like cross bred dogs in wire rabbit hutches- I kid you not.
The author talked about the ease of care and upkeep. Showed the farmers a way to get back on their feet, without going under. Helped Uncle Sam solve the problem of farmers going belly up. The US losing much needed farms and also the demand for puppies was met. Everyone was happy. The puppy mill was a huge success the pet stores were supplied Janie and Johnny loved Tuffy and the 50's came in with a lot less farms lost.
Most farmers did not keep milling pups. They were not like rabbits they did not breed when you chose and their upkeep was harder and more involved then the government rep had implied, but the idea of milling pups was still out there.
The government continues to list the milling of pups under USDA jurisdiction. So if you want to find millers look for that symbol. I can not tell you how many kennels proudly say we are USDA inspected. Translated it means our stock is healthy and viable, according to US Agriculture “livestock” standards.
NO reputable breeder will ever have a USDA approved rating. I would not let those cow raters around my kids. Many miller's/puppy farm's breeding stock are tagged just like cattle with metal ear tags, by USDA inspectors. That is so they cannot switch an approved dog for another one. And these dogs a lot of them are healthily and meet general USDA guidelines. But we are talking about dogs not livestock, so how much care, socialization and love. Research and pride goes into each pup they produce???
Of course most millers are not USDA inspected and those are the worst. They are the ones we cringe about and fight so hard to eradicate.
Those that are, are breeding to livestock laws not AKC standards or to their own hearts, because the ones I've dealt with do not have any hearts.
Anyone breeding to make more puppies with no other reason then what they can pocket whether they keep them in nice kennel runs with USDA inspected signs everywhere and call themselves a puppy store, but never so much as love on them. Or they are in filth and squalor with bad food, no health care and producing until they drop dead, is a puppy mill. They all should go.
Of course like most I would hit the worst ones first. But those slick willies offering up many breeds of pups like they were a supper market are really even scarier, because they look so nice they say the right things and the public BUYS!!!!
But both are Puppy Mills
Sandy Metcalf
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And if you would like to see an example of what to look for in a breeder see attached.
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Welcome to French Vanila Labs.doc Size : 0.076 Kb Type : doc |
And as promised......
When we were kids our dogs used to climb up our pool slide and slide down or when we went to the river they would run to the top of the rocks and jump in.
The first time at the river it was an accident the kids had been doing it and one of the pups got too close in their excitement and fell off the wet rocks! Scared us to death it was a long drop but he popped up got out of the water shook off ran back up the rocks and jumped! Well that was good enough for all the other dogs from then on they did it every time.
Our pool slide they just started following us up the ladder and we would pull them to us to slide down then some began doing on their own by getting too close to the edge watching us take another pup down and then slipping off but once the lead dog did it on her own- they all did it.
As everyone knows Labs love water!
"I could easily fill a book on the antics of my four legged kids over the years, For instance my dogs were so smart they could open doors if you did not lock the door. I mean turn the handles.
So you either had a horde of unruly four legged kids bounce into the bathtub with you or accost you in the shower if you went in did not lock and they heard water.
One time long before I learned how to and developed Alpha training, I had a lot of them home at once instead of off showing, plus we had half grown pups two, we had acquired from another breeder to add to our own bloodlines and two of my own I was running on to see if they would be show prospects. If you are counting that is 12 dogs at home and the lead bitch opened the door to the bathroom.
I was tired I was covered in worming medicine from treating the little pups and I wanted a shower. I forgot to lock the door.
Not only did I learn how many UNWANTED Labs can fit into a shower I learned how many it takes before the curtain rod is pulled from the wall and then the fun of trying to remove wet dogs from the shower and yourself as a bunch ran off with the curtain with the rod still attached! Hitting everything in its range as they fled!
I was adorable half covered in shampoo and dog hair mostly blinded from the suds in my eyes- stark naked and running out the back deck down the stairs to the backyard screaming my head off to no avail- trying to grab a shower curtain that they destroyed my expensive shams before I could get them!!!!
I stood in the middle of our property (no one could see inside our fenced yard plus it was huge so no one was close. But as I stood there winded covered in black and yellow wet dog, hair muddy from the dirt I and they had kicked up as I ran mingling onto the wet soapy mess on me and MAD a HELL!! With a designer shower curtain and sham, or what was left of it in my hands, bare naked!
I hear a voice behind me say mom (they were at school I thought I must have lost track of the time) is that your' secret? Play out in the mud with the dogs in your birthday suit and clean up is a breeze? I could not stop laughing!
I was covered in everything but cloths, I had this big ol sham and curtain blocking me, you could still see I had nothing on behind it, but I was shielded I did not lose too much modesty just all my dignity as I had to let the pole slide to the ground gather the ripped dirty mess (no dirtier than I though) and wrap it up further around me to exit the situation, with absolutely no grace, but still laughing as was my son!
All the while trying to avoid dogs who, thought my presence was great fun and solely for their entrainment! Just to get back across the yard over the deck dragging mud and dirt into the house a trail of Labs and debris and torn curtain behind all the way to the bathroom. Where I stopped turned and faced down both laughing child and hopeful Labs! With a GO AWAY! Closed the door LOCKED it tight and without a curtain turned on the water, and finally go my shower.
I only looked raving mad that day I was not hehehe! And many a show friend when we have traded our stories over the years and I have dozens love that one and always say what I would give for that pix hehehe!
Soooo I drew one
Pix artist rendering and much cleaner looking than I was :)
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Thanks
Sandy Metcalf
