HSSV!

So today will be day 4 of Humane Society Silicon Valley's Animal Community Center being open for business! We've done 4 adoptions so far, in three business days...which is slow for us but expected due to the recent move. We're already seeing an amazing increase in the comfort level of the dogs and cats in our care. One dog, Cabernet, a 5 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback and Lab mix, went unnnoticed and fearful for months at our previous site. Once she got into the homelike habitats in our new facility, it only took 48 hours for her to be in her forever home! The behavioral turnaround was absolutely amaxing! From shunning people to outright soliciting attention...way to go Cab!!!
A couple of other animals I'm particularly pulling for..

Ricci A#67010 is a mature poodle with a love for life! He came into our care with a cat, which means he's ok to be with them. He'd probably do better in a home with no small children. Other than those stipulations he's a great dog! Loving and ready to rejoin a mellow family.

Tiger Lily A#67433

This ten year old gal was surrendered with three of four of her housemates, all of were together for their entire lives. She was outwardly affectionate everytime I saw her. Her sister, Squirt, was the one I worried about. She wasn't eating, she wans hiding behind things, her kennel was covered by a feral cat cover. Her fate did not look good, but once I rubbed Tiger a bit then showed Squirt her smell, she was a different cat. The calm took over and I was able to work with her to the point of making it up for adoption. This is the reason I work for HSSV. Thank god we're in an amazingly calming new space!!!

Dreams of reading in the mountains...

A few books read lately. Seems as if I've swung back over into a fiction mode for a while. I know, "Alive" is a true story, but it reads like fiction.


Our friend Jimi come over the other night with a full bag, a smile, and a wonderful gift. "Want some books?" he said...."Of course!!!" I beamed! Those combined with 2 I'd gotten from work for free makes the total 7! Excuse me while I nerd-out for a bit...
They're sort of all over the place subject-wise...but then again thats what we like to read....everything!

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I experimented with a really old pair of Barrett's thread-bare socks the other day. I wanted to see if I could make a quick (albeit ugly) mend by completing the weave, and see how they stood up to actual wear.

Looks terrible, but is almost back to wearable! Will update when level of comfort/warmth/durability is assessed.
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These places are filling my thoughts lately.




oh I miss the mountains..

Handmade Homes

I absolutely LOVE this! The man in the video is right, this idea will be a seed that sprouts an orchard. There is nothing better than building, owning and living in a space you can call your own. We're practicing the building part...can't wait to get to the owning part!



Thanks to Leah at Our Yellow House for the link

Locked in!

One of the many hazards of living in a shared community environment is turf in front of your front door being compromised. Our existence is of course on a hush-hush basis, but not so much to the point that we cannot enter and exit the premises!!

Our door, which is on the right, was blocked from opening!
This happened for a couple of reasons....our neighbor Beto, who had a massive marble shop, was forced to clean up and move out a lot of his outdoor work area into 1 of his 3 warehouse spaces. He had a ton of shit left to make a temp wall. It was exra windy on saturday night which caused one of those temp walls to fall....smashing one of our chairs into splinters, catapaulting one over a car....and otherwise causing stress and havoc. Feeeeeelings have been mended and things are ok now :)

Pet Care: Common Poisonous and Toxic Plants

If your canine and feline friends are at all like mine, they are mischevious and LOVE to get into everything...including plants. No matter what time of year it is, its always a good idea to know if the plants in and around your home are safe for your furry companions. With spring and summer planting going strong, now's a perfect opportunity to educate yourself, and keep every 4-legged member of your family safe.

The following video, which watches a little like a lecture, is a great visual resource for 17 common decorative plants and flowers, both indoor and out.


This is a comprehensive, searchable database for all toxic and poisonous plants, both indoor and out, food and decorative. Some may be surprising, like Tomato Plant and Aloe Vera!

Finally, a good list of "People Food" you definitely do not want to share with your little buddies. Their digestive systems are NOT the same as ours!

Thanks to the ASPCA for the links, all the great work they do!