Return to home page |
April
2009 |
|
Dear Friends:
Spring finally made it all the way up to the very northern
part of Maine, so even in Limestone we are now almost snow free! There is
still some in the woods, but the crocus are blooming, and if that does not
show us spring is here, our friend the black bear also came back, and that
is a sure sign of better weather to come! two nights ago we saw this big
huge black lump out on our lawn, and even though we did not exactly spent a
sleepless night, we were very concerned to know if this was our Teddy or the
rowdy bird-feeder-killing pest which had shown up last year and would not
leave us in peace. Yesterday evening he was laying stretched out on the
lawn, munching away on the suet. Only one bear feels so comfortable around
the Brewer’s yard, and that had to be Teddy, the white-chested beauty who
has been coming now faithfully since the year 2000, every spring to fall. I
took the flashlight and went outside to take a closer look. Flashlights or
floodlights, or anything else we shine on him, does not
bother Teddy, he just keeps on doing whatever he
is doing, even if he’s just taking a nap. Anyway, sure enough, the white
chest gave it away, it’s him! He reminds me so much of the old TV series
“Gentle Ben”; some of our older folks probably remember that one. I have
been as close to him as five feet, and that was an accident, but I have the
feeling he could be “Gentle Ben Number 2”. This gives me some peace of mind
too with our dogs, who have chased him in previous years. Luke, who is in
dog heaven now, came close to nipping him in his hind leg once, and all
Teddy did was stop in his tracks, turn around and look at Luke. Needless to
say Luke backed up as quickly as he could.
Our new
dog, Casper, the one who had been abused so bad and still has to wear
t-shirts to cover his wound on his belly, has yet to make Teddy’s
acquaintance, and we hope he is as smart as Luke was. We can’t keep an eye
on Casper 24 hours a day, and since Teddy has wandered out of the woods into
our yard in the middle of the day while I was weeding, both dogs at my side
making sure I did a good job, there is always a chance of a dog/bear
encounter. |
And
spring has sprung at the Shelter too; along with floods; everything is
under water, as always in spring. We wonder how Charley could have
bought this piece of land, which is really only swampland. And why he
had a concrete plate poured at the lowest point of the premises, where
Jim eventually built the kennel. The kennel itself is dry, and so are
the attached outside runs, but the “summer residences”, the separate
large enclosures for the dogs are soaking wet. Right now we are looking
to buy some small gravel and hope we will find someone who can pick it
up with a dump truck, so that we don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for
delivery. The gravel will be spread in the outside pens, to raise the
ground some. We don’t want the dogs to grow webbed feet. With the
economy in bad shape, that’s probably the only project we can do this
year. But our animals have food, much TLC, and very expensive vet care-
so they are not missing out on anything other than a nice peaceful home
with a place on the couch, and all the table scraps they want
including a donut on Sundays.
Rebecca, the not-so-new
lady, at Charleys has been with us now since last year August and is
doing an excellent job; she is great with the dogs, and our Shelter
looks spotless. Our volunteers love to work with her; even on her day
off many times she works right along with them.
 |
|
“Boomer” our blind dog, is a sweetheart. We got him from another animal
shelter; they had found him wandering around, a stray. But he is so
mellow and nice that he could not have been abused; he also did not look
like he had been starving. So I wonder if this is one of those sad
stories, where the owner dies and the relatives kick out the dog, or
maybe even worse, that he may have been abducted. I hear more and more
about this: teenagers steal dogs out of back yards, drive 200 miles with
them and throw them out of the car. The only setback is that he was not
neutered, which a responsible dog or cat owner should have done right
away. Not only to keep the ever-growing population of unwanted animals
in check, but also to stop some of the nasty cancers unaltered dogs and
cats are having more and more often. I am in touch with Dr. Bachrach,
the eye-specialist from Massachusetts, about an eye-appointment. Debbie,
Dr. B.’s wife, told me that he would be in Waterville in July, doing a
clinic there at our own vet’s office. So we will take Boomer there and
see if something can be done about his eyes. He seems very happy, and
has had no problems after the first initial bumping-into-things when we
first got him. Now he walks around outside, and he seems to know
exactly where everything is. Ted did take him out late one evening, and
Boomer was totally disoriented. So he must see some light and shadows.
There is definitely some hope for this guy.
Our
long time friend Cindy Houston is collecting items again for a yard sale
for Charley’s Strays. So far she has nothing, which will bring no money,
or at least not much. She lives in Woburn, Massachusetts, and other than
big pieces of furniture, appliances and such, she would be happy to take
anything decent what could be sold. The yard sale will be in September,
and the money she raises will be put towards the heating bill of the
Shelter, for next winter. So if you have anything at all what you can
mail, please send it to:
Cindy
Houston
143
Winn Street (Rear)
Woburn
MA 01801
Her
phone number is 781-932-3387. Maybe you could do the spring-cleaning you
have been putting off so long and instead of putting the stuff back into
some corners where it just mildews away, let us sell it! If you can’t
mail it, and you live not to far away, maybe we can arrange a pick up
too. If you live in Maine and you have un-mailable items, let me know,
we may be able to arrange something too. We can always hang the trailer
on our van and make house-to-house calls. I remember when I was a kid;
once a month a man drove through town, who would pick up junk and
sharpen knifes and scissors. He would sharpen all our dull things and
make off with a bunch of items which my mother was “tired of”. Luckily
my dad survived that. |
Jean
Tillson, the lady who was selling our sweaters at last year’s
fundraiser, is not only a great sales-lady, but also a great artist. She
painted this adorable creature [below] in honor of Herb Woodger’s
birthday. His daughter had paid for it, and Jean sent us a check for the
proceeds!
Thank
you much, Jean!
So if
any of you need a one-in-a-kind original painting, let me know and I
will ask if Jean is able and willing to do it for you.
I know
artists are not always in a creative mood; sometimes it takes years to
get back into it.
|
|
CAT REPORT – April 2009
I hope all of you have
enjoyed the spring sunshine as much as the cats have! Some get onto the
porch (and a few stay there overnight already, though I don’t yet leave
the door into the house open all night), more have access to south
windowsills, and the way the house is situated the late-afternoon sun
shines into west-facing windows. So there are basking cats all over the
place.
The spring house call
is over, uneventfully. Buddy, one of the cats scheduled for shots,
spent a couple days beforehand in hospital – the doctor and I still
don’t know what his problem was, but his vacation apparently cured it.
The main symptom was that he didn’t eat. Not eating is not our
Buddy – he’s the one who’s been on diet food for years and is still, to
put it politely, a very substantial cat. I took him immediately to the
doctor, who did blood work and an X-ray and kept him overnight; he ate
well for the techs, and since he’s been home has been eating normally
for me. By the time Dr. Balboni came with his needles, he and I both
thought Buddy was well enough to be vaccinated. |
Mr. Tom ate less well
than usual for a few meals about the same time, but didn’t cut down
enough to alarm me – and he, too, can stand to lose a few ounces. Right
now he seems back to normal.
Randall, too, isn’t
eating as well as he should, and he’s heading for the vet soon – I
haven’t made the appointment yet, but it’s on next-week’s to-do list.
Unlike Buddy and Tommy, Randy doesn’t need to lose weight. I hope he’s
just bored with his diet, rather than ill – he and Agnes get a lot of
c/d, because they had urinary tract infections when they were younger.
Speaking of age, Agnes
and her brother shy-High and Kennebec all have May 1 birthdays, and the
younger funny-feet – Black Peter, Lisa and Pooh – were born May 11.
Agnes and Shy-High will be 12, Peter, Pooh and Lisa will be 11, and
Kennebec will be seven. As kitchen cat, Kenn always helps when I open a
can, even when it’s senior food; next month I can let him have a bit,
since seven and older is “senior” according to some of the labels.
Thanks, as always, to
the cats’ friends who help with coupons, food, beds and other gifts.
This month I’ve had coupons from Suzanne Belisle, Doris Lary, Iris
Martinello, Teresa Parent, Irma Simon and Judy Smith. I don’t remember
which of you sent the generous Science Diet coupons, but I used every
one of them, stocking up to t/d and replenishing the c/d for Randall and
Agnes. Alice and Ric Cummings, Karen and the Charles’ cat gave our cats
food. And I’ve had the pleasure of distributing knitted cat beds and
catnip toys. Kennebec got two red beds, a nice deep red that
complements his black-and-whiteness, to cushion the recycling box that’s
one of his resting places. |
| |
|
Our mailing
address: |
| Charley’s
Strays |
| P. O. Box
64 |
| Limestone,
ME 04750 |
| |
|
Back to the Shelter: Once
again I would like to thank all of our supporters for their
donations, stamps, and packages with treats and blankets. Again:
Without your help there would be no Charley’s Strays. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Betsy
Anderson, Framingham
Carole Parker, Stoughton
Cindy Houston, Woburn
Cristine Cardello, Melrose
Diane Rizzo, Oxford
Donna Bering, Lynn
Dorothy D’Alessandro, Oss.
Dorothy Eckstein, Medford
Dorothye Andrews, Warwick
Doug
Robertson, Dennis
Florence Bournival, Nashua
G &
R Welch. Stonington
Iris
Martinello, Tewksbury
Irma
Simon, S. China
Jean
Catignani, Conway |
Jean
Tillson, Franklin
Joan
Ryan, New Bedford
Joe
D’Alessandro, Tuftonboro
Jon
& Barb Anderson, Augusta
Joseph Blake, New Bedford
Joseph Kogut, Upton
Josephine Smith, Woburn
Judy
& Al Smith, Belmont
Laureen Alden, Stoughton
Linda Merriam, Dresden
Lorena & Harry Clark, Beverly
Marcia Smith, Bucksport
Marian Delarue, Woburn
Marlene Kaplan, Melrose
Mary
J. Gorton, Floral City |
Mary Klayda, Winchester
Nancy Brown, Waltham
Nancy Capone, Wakefield
Naomi Teixeira, Jay
P.A. Lenk, China Village
Pat Thain, N. Billerica
Sandra Nicholson, Beverly
Susan Borsic, Woburn
Susan Culver, Wayland
Viola McDonald, Woburn
Willa Rockett, Belmont
Thank you!
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
We also received a
donation from Nancy Capone in honor of Cookie
Frieder’s birthday. Doug Robertson sent us a check
in memory of Freckles, beloved cat of Ginger and
Bill Budress.
And some sad news: One
of last month’s newsletters was returned. It had
been mailed to our long time supporter, Joe Arouca.
Joe had been with Charley’s since the beginning. He
used to live in Rhode Island, but after his wife
died, he moved to Florida to be close to his
daughter. Joe called me every so often, and we had
some nice conversations. So it saddened me deeply
when the newsletter was returned with an official
stamp by the Post Office, saying “deceased”. No word
from his daughter, just a returned envelope.
That’s about all the
news for this month.
Wishing you a happy,
sunny spring,
Gabriele, Mary, Karen, Ted and Jim |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Return to home page |
|
|
|
