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Hi there. This is the ramblings from Maynard MA. Above are the trio that run this home - (left to right): Max, Ruffles and Jake. Max has gone but Rudy (right) has joined the tribe!But more about them later. This site just gives us a place to talk about Maynard, Beagles, Family and Friends On the left are some of my favorite places. The Flickr site is a collection of my photos, grouped by area or subject. For the cat lovers out there, check out the Katmobile. Kathy Reiner is a mobile vet that only does cats - yes a vet that comes to your home. No more trying to catch that cat and get it in a crate. Avoid those scratches, call Kathy. Check out her site for the areas she covers. Want to send a comment or suggestion?
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| Time Flies! Wow - time sure flies this time of year. There is so much going on but I really cannot remember much of it - just know I am busy. Of course, some of the time I am busy sitting on the couch petting the beagles! Lots of good stuff going on but first a beagle update. Rudy, Jake and Ruffles are doing well. All the things I am supposed to watch are not changing so all is good! Rudy has been very successful. We did a consultation with Paul Emerson about Rudy's fears and how to approach work. Well, this is one smart beagle. He is doing wonderful at work. Still lots of treating going on for encouragement but no barking at folks. He actually wags his tail when they come near the office. He is not perfect but so much better. We have a plan and are sticking to it. Our friend, Mary Claire Springer has taken on a very special foster. Heidi weighed over 80 pounds when BONES and Mary Clare took her in.  But miracles happen (along with a lot of
hard work by Mary Clare and
husband Doug. Heidi is down to 59 pounds! You can read about her story
on her web site, Heidi's
Story.
There are wonderful videos of Heidi on walks and enjoying life. (Now that she can move) This is a very special story. Our congratulations to Mary Clare and Doug for not only taking this on but succeeding. We thought we had it bad when we got Ruffles - she only weight 50 pounds. She is now a lovely 29 pounds. Daffodils are out. Bud on the trees. All is just about right with the world. Need to get the yard cleaned up. So many thoughts at this time of the year - how much lawn work do I want to do? Can I turn the entire back yard into a mulch kingdom - no lawn, just mulch? Then inside - do I paint the kitchen cabinets? How about one of those great glass tile back splashes? (HGTV is my new love!) How about a ceiling fan in the bedroom? I have to get out my bike and ride this year. I have discovered a new web site - Women on the Web. Excellent contributors, articles, just stuff in general. But my favorite this month is a quote from Suzy Welch: 'It Is Better to Be Real and Sleeping With a Dog You Love Than Be Phony and Sleeping With a Man You Don't' |
WIDGET!!!! Yes, Maynard Beagles has our very own widget! You can add us to your blog or your website, google home, netvibes, or whatever! Then we are only a click away. Want to see a site with the widget incorporated? Visit our home page. |
| Rudy loves to go to work as much as Max
did. And just like Max, he
makes part of his rounds. So take a peek at Rudy's work day. |
It's a new
bathroom!
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| Yep!
With a lot of inspiration from my Mom and Dad I am redoing my bathroom.
First, Kathy and I ripped out the carpet. This was to get me going -
how long can you look at yellow vinyl linoleum????? And it did! Have had Greg from Stow Tile and Bath doing all the work and it is coming along well. The bathtub has been ripped out and a shower is being put in it's place (yes I know - resale requires a tub well I am not going anywhere and I want a shower!) Decided to build one the same length and width as the tub. It is being tiled and will have a door. Learned from my buddies, the salty dogs in Maine, that the best place to wash a beagle is in the shower but you have to havea door. Here are a few photos - some before and some in the middle. Will do more of the actual shower when I can walk on the floor.  And this is the new floor |
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And more photos as it gets closer to being done |
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 The tile floor is down and grouted |
 Picture of the hardware. I was sitting on the bench to take it !!!!! |
 Shower door does not look to good from this angle but it is striking! Now I have to do some painting. |
 Finished bench with floor. |
Winter is here! |
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| Here is our buddy, Binnie. Binnie did a
very strange thing for a large dog -she ruptured her achilles tendon. She had
to have some extensive surgery and isnow in a splint and soft cast. As you can
see, she is getting around well and issupplied with toys to chew on. Shelley has
constructed a large crate out of herkitchen. Binnie has about 5 more weeks of
this. I have to get a picture of her going out - she has a bag for her
foot, a blanket for her body, a leash to keep her in chack and a body
sling to help balance her hind end. Quite the sight to see. |
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| Rudy has been going to work regularly and
is enjoying it very much. His best friend Pauline took some pictures of him doing his favorite job - cleaning the cookies off the shelving. Tim hides the cookies and Rudy finds them. He is getting good at it and it is really helping him fear of noises. Rudy is still afraid of a person holding white paper but he is getting better in so may ways! I am so glad he has joined our pack. |
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Thanksgiving 2008What a day! Spent just the way I like it - good friends, good food and football (That was not so great - I dislike lopsided games!) Here are a few photos of the day.
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FriendsNothing is better than friends. And here are a few of ours. On a rainy day in MA, I was on dog sitting duties for Shelley. While she was at a conference, I went out to let the dogs out and play with them for a while. I took these three photos.
This is Lyle begging for a treat. |
Update!Rudy is doing great at the office. Improving every day! He is a lot less timid and knows who has treats for him. His begging skills are excellent. At home, he and Jake never stop playing or destroying. This morning they managed to unplug an extension cord and , with one on each end, chew off both plugs!!! Here is a photo of what my living room looks like on a good day!
The rest of the clan is doing well also. Ruffles (seen here doing what she does best) actually managed to scare a possum in the yard the other night. Not my favorite critters!
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Video is here!I finally managed to catch Jake and Rudy at play. They play constantly but I never have the camera or it is to dark or they are tearing up the house - you know how it is! Well, I finally caught them. so here is their video: We went for a walk this morning and Rudy got to know Shelley as well as her dogs. This video was shot after the walk but they still had plenty of energy! |
Welcome Rudy to the pack!
My friend Pam invited me to the Cape and then took me to visit a stray beagle. No one had claimed him and he seemed perfect for my life. He is a little shy but warms up quickly - gets along great with other dogs. He and Jake have done nothing but play for two days. They stay out in the yard for hours! For specifications, Rudy is a tri color with a very shiny black saddle, white chest and legs. He has a little hair loss from some allergies and is intact - but both of those will be taken care of! He is about 15" but probably 14" at the shoulder and needs a little meat on his bones. Rudy will be going to work with me tomorrow so we will see how that goes. I expect it to be fine. He has been a perfect gentleman with regards to house training, food, handling, riding in the car, etc. More updates once we get to know each other better. But for more photos, please visit my Flickr site.
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Max - Formal Photo by Samuel's Studio
He loved to clean ears! Ruffles is enjoying it.
Sleeping in a basket made by my Grandfather
Enjoying a good roll on the grass |
September 2008 A very sad time. In the hardest decision I have had to make in my 57 years, I had Max put to sleep on Thursday, September 18. He went very peacefully and is now hanging out with some wonderful dogs that have gone before him. He had a wonderful Wednesday, still looked like his old self. Dr. Zorgniotti gave him an acupuncture treatment and we talked about how well he looked. His back did not hurt, his eyes were full of life. We even talked of how you don't know when the end will come so you just love them every day. Thursday was a different dog. He had no energy - I had to carry him to the car. He was just listless. We went to Dr. Kilgore who did some testing - he was anemic so we did an ultrasound and found nodules on his liver and fluid in his abdominal cavity. A tap showed the fluid to be blood. This was the expected course of his cancer and it was clear there would be no improvement. Max and I went to the park and laid on the grass. Came home and laid on the deck in the sun. Then we returned to Dr. Kilgore. Max went very peacefully. As I said, it was the hardest thing I have ever done and yet, I was so glad to be able to do this final act for him. He did not suffer and had a great life. I got Max when he was 1 1/2 years old from Buddy Dog. One look and I knew he was my dog. It took him a while to warm up to me but we have been buds ever since. I lived in a condo when I got Max but it soon became clear he needed space to run. So he led me to buy my house in Maynard, add a fence and make a home for Max. It was always as much his home as mine - he was allowed everywhere and on every stick of furniture. He sat on the couch with me to watch TV and he slept with me - snoring all night! After a while, I decided he needed a friend so we adopted Ruffles and then took in Jake. I am pretty sure Max always thought they would leave but he did tolerate them well. But Max was the one that got to go to work and he loved going to work. He had freedom to roam the entire building and he did. Everyone at Comrex was so kind to him and he enjoyed it so much. With three rescue beagles, we decided it was time to give something back so Max and I started to volunteer. We helped with web sites (Max has his own column at www.bonesbeagles.org called Ask Max), home visits, adoptions, etc. We made wonderful friends, friends I never would have known if it had not been for him. I can only thank him for being part of my life and making it so much better. |
Aug 2008Summer has come and gone.... I have no idea where the time went. I do know it has been one of the busiest times of my life. This summer included cardiac rehab three evenings a week as well as some physical therapy on a rotator cuff tendonitis. Again, no idea how I got it but it really hurt! That took up the other two weekday evenings. Of course there was regular work from 8 to 4 so the entire work week was shot. But all was not lost - I managed to have dinner with Shelley and Warnie on most Friday evenings, breakfast with Kathy on Sunday mornings. I fit in laundry on Saturdays. A couple of highlights and low lights.... 1. :( Max had his spleen removed and a tumor was diagnosed a hemangiosarcoma. This is a fast moving type of cancer that attacks the lining of the blood vessels. It took him a while to recover from surgery so his regular vet, Dr. Kilgore at Littleton Animal Hospital recommended some acupuncture. We decided to go for it and met up with Dr. Flavia Zorgniotti at Phoenix Vet Hospital in Wayland MA. Max took it very well, made great progress and now acts like his old self. We are all watching him for signs of the cancer but so far - none. The pathologist gave him a six month prognosis but so far so good. 2. :) Jake has developed cataracts but since he is already blind due to retinal degeneration, there is no real problem. He is doing very well. 3. :) Max did so well with the acupuncture, I decided to take it up for my tendonitis. I LOVE it. My tendonitis is better but so is my stress and energy levels - less stress impact, more energy. I am doing rather intensive sessions at first - three times a week but it is great. Acupuncture Family Practice is the place and they are super. Kerry sees me at 6:30 in the morning! So there is no interference with cardiac rehab. 4. :) My parents have returned to Acton after 17 years in VA. They have a new condo and are having a ball! As usual they are very active - shopping, friends, decorating, etc. My brother and I are very happy to have them back in our area. 5. :) I have joined Global Fitness Center in Stow to continue my home fitness routine. The cardiac rehab has been great! I cannot thank Emerson Hospital and the staff enough for this experience. It really gets your confidence back and helps you get that kick start on the exercise routine. I am over half way through the program and do not look forward to it ending. The people are great - staff and patients. 6. :( My friend, Dan Bellomy, passed away. He had been ill for some time and entered a hospice a little over a month ago. Dan was a big help to me doing web site work for BONES and had become a good friend. I will miss him.
He and his wife Tina adopted Jasper from BONES and were best friends until Jasper passed away. They then adopted Miss Ethel, also from BONES. Ethel has been a big support to both Dan and Tina as they went through this phase of their life. Tina was able to bring Ethel to visit Dan in the Hospice every time she came.
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Earlier Posts.....
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Yesterday was quite the day - beautiful sunshine mixed with booming thunder and lightning. Took some pictures to show the backyard progress - crocus, snow drops, and something I do not know are all up. The beagles are enjoying the smells. Even Jake stayed out yesterday when the sun was out. Ruffles was laying on the warm porch when Max decided to clean his ears! My next door neighbor, Michal got her canoe yesterday. I took video of it beling delivered. Now I have to try to edit it down a little and then I will post it for those who know Michal. The canoe is an Old Town, 16 footer. I annot wait to see her carry it!
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April 5, 2008 Another rainy, chilly day in New England or at least around here. I don't think Jake has gone outside for 12 hours and counting. He just hates the rain! His trick is to sleep. He can hear the rain (I can't) and will not even go near the kithchen where the door is to the backyard. But on the good news side - there are buds on trees, my bulbs are coming up, the lawn guy is coming tomorrow to clean up the leaves. Then we start another yard project or two. Got tired of grass not growing under the maple tree - mowing dirt is really a mess!. So I am going to extend the bark mulch once more. This time I am going to try to do it environmentally by laying newspaper down first to kill the weeds and what little stuff is there, then cover with mulch. I have a new friend that is a landscape designer and she is working on finding plants that will thrive in the shade and soil of a maple. Yes, I could cut down the maple but I like it and it has already ruined the soil for grass so I am going to try to make something good out of it. Then the boards on my deck were not left far enough apart and have swelled so that the water stays on top of the porch. Need to either redo the boards or drill discreet holes. Still trying to figure out what to do with that one. The deck is mahogany. The best thing would be to pull up the top boards and replace with that new fake wood for decks - never have to worry again! But I bet that is outside the current budget. OK - enough whining. Onto the good things. My new ultraportable eeePC arrived this week. What a sweet toy. Weighs about 2 pounds (with the battery!). Has about 3 hours of battery life between charges. The keyboard is tiny but I am getting used to it. Comes with 3 USB 2.0 ports, a monitor plug for the bigger monitors, ethernet, phone jack, web cam, built in speakers - everything just like the big boys. I have already changed the operating system to something I can use - Xbuntu for the techy out there. Now I am working on figuring out how to install applications. It looks like the only thing I need is a web editor. The little PC comes with word processors, spreadsheets, mail program, web browser, games, etc. Also has the card built in for wireless. I have it running and can use the little one in the Living room at night to surf at FIOS speed. I beleive I have run out of money so I have blocked eBay for a while. It will take a while to learn how to use the video camera (my edits are way to sharp, I need to learn smooth) and the little pc. |
"Never doubt that
a small
group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed its the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead
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March 30, 2008 Experimented a little more with video - still not editing but here is some footage of Ruffles and Jake in the backyard. |
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March 22, 2008 This is a little off the animal path but what a week! First, all of my friends know I am a geek wannabe. I love new technology but don't always understand it. I always am looking for the latest toy. This was a week filled with toys and thoughts of "You are so far over your head it isn't even funny" I decided to play with a Unix operating system called Ubuntu. I saw it and thought - this is cool! It totally replaces windows, comes with 40 applications and there are about 2000 in total on the web for it. Best of all - FREE. Very unlike Microsoft. First, you have to understand that I have a principal rule - do not mess with the desk top system. You can experiment all you want with the laptop but no messing with the desktop. One foot has to be grounded at all time. Yes, you guessed - I tried to put the Ubuntu on my desktop as a dual boot system. A very strange thing happened - the minute I put in the CD, my video graphics card decided to fail. No video. I thought it was the Ubuntu and tried to go back to windows. No go - no video. After spending several hours with nothing working - I took it down to the Geek Boutique (more on them later). They took it to fix and I was left with my laptop. Just not the same Trying to read emails and keep to find out more regarding my error with Ubuntu (convinced I did something wrong). I ended up on ebay - major mistake. I ended up bidding and winning three things - a Panasonic Camcorder - what a great toy. I got it yesterday and have already taken some video of the beagles. This is the one with a 30GB hard disk as well as an SD card. Very light and easy to use. Have not looked at the instructions yet. This was followed by a painting from Art Helping Animals - another Tanya Amberson. This one is based on one of my fosters. Could not resist it. And last (it has to be last - I have run out of money) I won an ASUS eee PC 4GB. For those of you into computers, this is an ultra portable laptop (about a pound, with a 7" screen) pre loaded with a version of Unix. I will use this for trips - primarily email and web surfing but it also includes wireless for hot spots so I can update web sites, upload photos to flicker and not be weighed down. If it works, I will probably sell the other laptop. While all of this was going on, my desktop got fixed and I have reinstalled it. Very nice to have it back - love the big screen (20") As I write this, I am working with Dreamweaver and watching through streaming video, the 2008 World Cub Final in dressage. Jane Hannigan, friend, is competing. A real thrill to be among the top riders in the world. This is her first major world competition. She will not win but wow! To be riding with the best in the world - stabling with them, dining, talking, being one of them. This is in the Netherlands. So as you can see, a very crazy week. I think tomorrow will be chill out day. A little Nascar, a little laundry. Maybe catch Jake running in the back yard on video! If I do I will have to figure out how to get it up here. Have a wonderful weekend. UPDATE Here is the first video. It is of Max cleaning Ruffles ears and Jake drinking - not meant to be artistic, just first to see how everything works. |
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March 18, 2008 The small group has 16 members with very different styles. They do work and sell it on ebay, ruby lane and through their blog. Many of the artists also do private commissions. The picture to the left is of my latest purchase. This was done by Tanya and Craig Amberson. I also own several beagles done by Carol Chretien. Is there a theme to my art??? My small description does not do them justice. Please visit their site and help their mission. Saving
one animal won't change the world... |
Magnetism is one of the
Six
Fundamental Forces of the Universe, with the other five being
Gravity, Duct Tape, Whining, Remote Control, and The Force That Pulls
Dogs
Toward The Groins Of Strangers
Dave Barry
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March 11, 2008 In the dog world, many people refer to separation anxiety. This is usually in the context of leaving their dog alone. Many times, this is the label given to your dog whining or barking. Maybe chewing a shoe. This photo is real separation anxiety. The dog here caused $2000 worth of damage. So be sure what you are seeing in your dog. Some adjustment anxiety is to be expected with a new home. If it carries on, try aversion therapy. There is plenty about this on the web - but you might want to consult with a behaviorist. This photo comes from Fran Demiany of Beagles of New England States Click on it to see a larger version. |
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This lovely little guy is Lyle. Lyle had a wild beginning to his life, then found BONES. But better than that he found Libby and Bailey. I had been working with Libby to find a senior beagle to join her and her Golden (Bailey). They had recently lost their best friend, another Beagle. Long (and very interesting) story made short, I had Lyle in my car heading home when my friend suggested that I take Lyle to Libby's and see how it worked out. There is nothing like love at first sight. Lyle never came back into my home again! He just made himself comfortable and stayed. Libby has seen him through separation issues, severe heartworm and some other stuff I cannot remember but he is now a very happy, healthy boy. Lyle is one of my favorite stories and one of my best adoptions. We still see each other - he much prefers Libby and Bailey to me. but he will always have a special place in my heart! |
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March 9, 2008 Not a big update but I wanted to point out some dog toys I have found. My friend Pam introduced me to West Paw Designs. They carry a line of products called Zogoflex and they are indestructable. My Jake can destroy anything in moments - including toys made with firehose or hardened rubber....anything. Pam said to try these ZogoFlex and Jake has finally met his match. They are not easy to find but you can get them from their site. |
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March 8, 2008 Well, vacation was incredible! Venice Florida is the spot to get warm in a New England winter. 70 degrees sure felt good! Lots of nice things to see and places to eat. Some very nice homes as well as some very extravagant ones. And you can always attend Open Houses if you want to see inside. No one seems to mind if you arrived on a bike or a limousine. Somehow I do bet they pay more attention if you arrive in a limo but what the heck - we did not want to be bothered with the gory details of cost, association dues, or weather the dock would hold a 42' boat. We just wanted to see what you were paying for. Turns out you are paying for granite, ceramic tile, elevators(!), Viking appliances and some other stuff I did not understand. To tell the truth I liked some of the homes that were in the $200K range over the $2.9M home we looked at. I guess I am really just a down home girl with simple taste. We ate Italian, Mexican, Home Made and Cracker Barrel. Don't really know what to call it but it was good. We did some biking around where I was staying as well as on Boca Grande - what a beautiful Island. We drove around Kasey Keye - another great spot. If you want to take it easy, have a quiet vacation, enjoy architecture and sightseeing - Venice is the place. The only thing I missed seeing was an alligator - lucky me! To the left are some small photos from my flicker site. To see more, click on the Flicker link above. Top to bottom: 1. Man made
pond with crane and ducks While I was gone the beagles were being babysat in their own home with the best folks in the world so they did not miss me at all. They had a great time. So no worries there. I am home now and not really enjoying the pouring rain we are having. Looks like spring will never get here. I know it is only the beginning of March but my hopes are up. I want warmth! |
There is a new man in my life. He is not a new
Max, he is another beagle added to the pack. We all know that no one
can replace the one you lost but one can push their way into your
heart. Well, Rudy has done that.
Dan was a native of Houston, Texas, where he began playing
the organ at age eight, and his professional career at age eleven. In
later years he has made many solo appearances and has served as musical
director and writer for several television shows. 
This is a photo of Dan, Tina and Jasper taken in January
2007. 
April 13, 2008
The eee
PC is almost all set. It works on the wireless network and has all the
software for Xubuntu on it (A version of Linux). I got Skype running!
Major accomplishment. Upgraded the RAM to 2GB thanks to the 
