Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Helpless Doesn't Mean Worthless: UPDATED AGAIN

I dropped off some flyers to Carrie yesterday so she could help us canvas the neighborhood for the dog's owner. She texted this morning with some amazing news! She found the owner! Apparently her boss was walking by her desk when he saw the flyer. He recognized the dog immediately and called the owner, who is his friend. The owner was so happy and relieved! Apparently they were out for a walk when Bailey wandered away. She follows voice command and doesn't wear a collar because she hates them and chews them right off. They say they have been looking for her for over a week and were very worried. The owner is going to pick her up this afternoon.

A very happy ending indeed!!

Updated 1/24/14:

I received a message from the shelter yesterday that the dog Carrie and I found has not yet been reunited with her family. I decided to stop in to visit the pup this morning on the way to Evergreen. The volunteers say she is doing well but she is still very scared, probably because she is blind and it is so noisy with all the other dogs there. She is obviously house-trained because she always waits to go potty until the morning when they let her outside. Unfortunately, she only has about two weeks more before the shelter will have to "decide what to do with her". I asked them if it was a money issue, as Hubby and I would be happy to provide her with toys, food, and blankets if that is what she needs. The volunteer said it is about space in the facility, not money.

Only two weeks to find her family or a new home! In an effort to expedite getting her home I posted a lost/found ad on Craigslist here and Hubby made some flyers to put up.

The shelter asked me if I could swing by the U-Haul store right near where we found her and see if they had any information. The man behind the counter quickly shooed me away, claiming he hadn't seen "that particular dog" before. I sense deception!

This is Bailey!

Original Post Date: 1/18/14

I was driving to Evergreen yesterday when I noticed a woman trying to corral a dog along the side of the road. She was on her cellphone and looked a tad stressed. I parked and walked across the street to see if I could give her a hand. She exclaimed, "Oh thank God, dozens of people have honked and been irritated but no one has helped. This dog is blind and I don't know what to do." I offered to stay with the old dog while she ran to get a leash from her work. She called the animal shelter to get advice and than asked if I would be willing to take the dog to the shelter since the animal officer wasn't on duty. I agreed and we, with much difficulty and threat of harm, got this poor old, blind dog over to the truck. Poor girl was terrified and obviously had never had a leash on before. However, she jumped right in the truck and curled up near the heater.

I arrived at the animal shelter and knocked on the door and was wonderfully greeted by two volunteers. They got all the equipment they would need to get the dog out of the truck and eventually got her out and into an indoor kennel. The police arrived (-- I know, weird, they take their stray animals quite seriously around here! --) and took my "statement" and said they would attempt to find the dog's owner. Wow! The volunteers let me see where the blind dog was being housed and gave me a tour of the facility.

Before leaving I provided my name, address and phone number to the shelter so that I can stay up to date on what happens with the dog. I made sure they understood to call me before they make any life or death decisions regarding this pup. I was certain that when push came to shove, my Hubby and I couldn't let this old, blind dog get euthanized simply because she was helpless. I truly hope that this sweet pooch and her family are reunited very soon!

Before heading to Evergreen, I dropped off the leash to Carrie, the woman who originally found the dog. I updated her on what happened and that the dog made it safely to the shelter. She hugged me and thanked me for being such a loving person! She is the amazing lady who originally stopped, I just leant a hand. :-)

I urge all of you, don't hesitate to stop and help whenever you get a chance! My heart is filled with gratitude and happiness today for having this experience and for meeting a group of truly amazing people!!

A special thank you to Carrie, Newberg Animal Control and the Newberg Police Department! You were all amazing!

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Hepcat Model

As I had hoped, I was able to get the painting completed over the past few weeks. I was shocked at how well we were able to match the interior color to the exterior! 

My remaining to do list:

Windows still need to be put in
Landing skid needs to be installed
Fuel tank needs to be put together
Landing gear needs to be installed
Engine needs to be put back in
Horizontal and vertical stabilizers need to be permanently installed





Sunday, January 12, 2014

Hepcat Model

More progress has been completed on my Hepcat model. The nose has been covered and the decorative stripping has been ironed on. This week the agenda is to paint the inside of the engine and fuel compartments to protect them from fuel leakage. Balsa wood is extremely porous, so if fuel gets on it it seeps in and dissolves the wood. After painting I will cut out and install the window panels. 








Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Happy New Year!!

2013 Phillips Family Year in Review

I thought it might be nice to take a look back at all the things that happened this year:

1.  We lost Grandma Eileen
2.  Trudy broke her back and we thought she might not recover
3.  We bought a house!
4.  We took some trips around Oregon
5.  I saw a Blackhawk helicopter for the first time
6.  My best girlfriend got married and I went back to Tucson
7.  I went on my first archaeological dig!
8.  I broke my hand :-(
9. I changed my hair color to red
10. The Spruce Goose model conducted her first/second taxi tests (8 years in the making!)
11. Hubby and I went to a sci-fi convention
12. I quit a job (the mansion), got a job (retail) and now am unemployed again...
13. Hubby and I officially got old. We stopped caring about what was new and what was popular. We were done replacing electronics just because something new came out. We didn't know a single artist on the Top-40 station anymore. We found ourselves saying "when we were young..." and "when I was a kid..."

Hopes for 2014!

1.  Go on another dig
2.  Go to a convention or two
3.  Travel and see new places
4.  Finish my Hepcat model
5.  Get the Spruce Goose to fly
6.  Have a wood insert installed in the fireplace
7.  Entertain more and have more visitors over to the house
8.  Work on the yard and plant a garden
9.  Reach my goal weight (only a few more pounds...)
10.  Find a church that we really like
11.  Have a healthy and happy little furry family in our teeny tiny little house! :-)
12.  Due to popular request: Visit the Hudsons in CA!!