Ben's back

Here's Ben and Gretchen, happy to be back together. We tuck them in every night, covering them with this blanket on the cold ones.

2/11/09 Wednesday
I guess I spoke too soon about Ben finding a home. Cherie got a call yesterday from Laura, who heads up Animal Outreach Association. She runs a heck of an organization and paid for Ben to get fixed along with shots for him and the puppies. As a non profit Laura depends on donations to pay these expenses so if any of you want to help her out send me an email and I’ll give you the particulars. She told Cherie that Ben wasn’t working out for the family who adopted him. Ben was terribly depressed and kept trying to dig his way out of their yard. Of course we were anxious to get him back after hearing this.

I met Laura at the beer store that is halfway between us and Midland to pick up Ben. He was just whining terribly when she opened the hatchback of her car and it hit a crescendo when Ben recognized me. Laura wanted to hand me a bag of dog food the family gave her for us but I told her I wanted to get Ben out of the cage first. I just couldn’t leave him in there for another second. Ben was all fear and kisses when he got out of the dog cage. He wasn’t just depressed, he was traumatized but he knew the way home. When I had taken Ben to the vet and Pet Smart I couldn’t get him to jump in so had to pick him up and put him in the truck. Now Ben wants in the truck in the worst way, running from one door to the one on the other side and back. I opened it up and Ben loaded right away. He was crying during all of this and continued after I got in, pushing his head underneath my arm desperate for pets. He got them, lots of them as I sat there trying to calm Ben down before I started the truck. As soon as I started driving away Ben settled as if he knew he was going home. He was.

It is clear to us now that Ben cannot be adopted. I suspect ours was the first home he has experienced love in and we love our animals well. He found family here and companionship with other dogs when we rescued him off the intestate. I don’t know what his life was like before that but there are clears signs of abuse. Add to that the fact that Ben is a father and you can see how connected he is to this place and understand his anguish at being taken away. So I guess we won’t have any outside cats. Plus this changes the equation for keeping puppies. Before we thought Ben was gone and thus had room for two puppies. Now I think we will only keep one. Probably Ginger.


Then we had a sand storm blow in. Yesterday I planned on getting some serious tilling done but it wasn’t to be. The tiller was running better but still giving me fits when I got the call to get Ben. When I got back there was time spent as I watched Ben run around everywhere to find every familiar landmark after being welcomed by Gretchen and the puppies, all of whom were happy to see him. Rascal and Trixie were not as thrilled. Then I got back to the work I so need to do but as I ran the tiller the wind started to blow. At first there were little squalls that would come and blow cold air for two minutes and be gone. As it picked up I went to the garage and put on my goggles to keep the sand out of my eyes. Then it got too bad to work so I decided it was a good time to go to Midland and poop scoop. That’s when it got really bad. There were times I couldn’t see ten feet in front of me so I turned on the strobe light that’s on top of the truck and crept along.

The wind never let up so that was the end of tilling or doing anything else outside. Hopefully I can get some done today but I go work for the old man this afternoon so that will cut into things. If I don’t hurt too much I will work on stuff after I get done at his place. Right now I feel guilty taking valuable working time to write this so got to go.