It's My First Gotcha Day!!!!!

Today is my first gotcha day.  A year ago today, I made my way from Halfway Home Greyhounds in Tulsa to Springfield, MO. In Springfield, I was picked up by two women from Greyhound Companions of Missouri. I arrived at County Animal Hospital around 3:30 p.m.  My forever family was there waiting for me. I didn't know it then, but I would be spending a lot of time at County.

This is photo that was put on Halfway Home Greyhounds website.  Mama and Dad both thought I was cute.

I was a little wound up after my long trip.  I still act like this at times.  My attention span is very short.

Me and my new sister headed home.

Wow, look at all those cars.

I'm on my way to my forever home whatever that is.

What does this thing do?

This place is crazy with stickers all over the windows.

I had never lived in a house before.  It took me the rest of the day to settle down.  I just kept walking around the entire house. Mama thought I would never just lay down.  I discovered the couch the next day.

Things went pretty well that first week, but then Mama noticed something was wrong with my leg.  She took me to the vet for just a check up and he said it looked like it was something serious.  Mama sent Jane of Greyhound Companions a note telling her what the vet said and she jumped into action. I was taken to County Animal Hospital on Monday for x-rays. It was determined that I had an infection and had severe arthritis where my hock broke.  I was put on a lot of medication that I didn't want to take. I really stressed my new Mama. It was decided that I would need to have surgery to fuse my bones together.  I had to get the infection cleared up first though.   On August 31st, I had my surgery.  

The hospital staff signed my cast. They put Joseph on my cast.  Mama calls me Joey, Joseph, Jo Jo, Mr. Joe.  Sometimes she calls me Bubba Joe.  My real name is UCME Bubba Sparks.

My first day home after surgery.

A lot of people signed my cast especially at the GCMO reunion.

I got a Cardinals name tag.

I was a pirate for Halloween.

I met Santa.

My first Christmas.

My first Super Bowl.

In March, I had the surgery to remove the plate and screws.

Me after my second surgery.

On April 29th, we set out on our HUGE adventure.

Scout and I are ready for our HUGE adventure.

Ready for take off.

Walking along the canal in Florida.

My alligator impression.

Arriving at the 5 Star resort in Naples, FL

Bully sticks!

The first nine months of my life in my new home wasn't exactly fun with my surgeries and being on restrictions for that entire time.  I caused Mama to get a lot of gray hairs.  Mama had the support and help from Greyhound Companions though.  They definitely didn't turn their backs on us when they learned I needed some serious medical care.  They made sure I had the best care.  They bought an x-pen and a soft crate for me to use while I healed.  They were simply the best to us.   We really don't know other groups that do all they do for their dogs.  Heck, even now while we are living on the road, they helped me get medicine.

I am doing great now and just have a silly corn on on my foot. I wear a boot that really helps.  It's been a crazy year for me.  I went from living on a farm to living in a motor home and traveling the country.  Life is good!

What am I doing to celebrate today?  I am going to have some pizza bones for lunch.  We didn't have that on the farm. LOL   I am just hanging out with Mama and Scout today and enjoying the good life.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Can't Believe How His Life Has Changed In A Year

Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows

Mama just returned from the Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows.  She said it was a lot of fun.  She met a lot of dogs, including greyhounds!   It was a huge show.  There was a lot of shopping.  She didn't buy anything though.  Can you believe that?   She planned on buying some things from the GPA of  Houston.  That is the rescue group that we bought my Thera Paw boot from. They were there, but they were not selling anything.  Dad didn't see any of the rescue groups selling things.  They gave away some things.  Mama talked to a lady from GPA about my corn and she recommended a few more things to try.  Yep, it is still there.  It is really not coming to the surface.  I guess that should be discussed in another post sometime.

There were a lot of people that brought their dogs, but Mama said we wouldn't have liked it.  I would have been whining at every dog and trying to mark things.  Scout would have gotten tired and probably just laid in the aisle.  They said a lot of dogs that had accidents.  Some of the show dogs even had accidents in the rings. 

Mama said they went through rows and rows of vendors.  There was a lot of  neat things, but nothing that she wanted.

Granite dog food dishes. Nope, she didn't buy us one.

Exercise equipment - so glad she didn't this for us.

The greyhound group.

A greyhound collecting money and the GPA-Houston's mascot.

More greyhounds!

A Great Dane hoping for a bite of food.

This Cocker Spaniel has cancer.  She has a bucket list.  She has appeared on the news and threw out the first pitch had a baseball game.  She has done a lot of things, but Mama can't remember them all.

The show also had a dancing dog competition.

Dog dancing with his Mom.

There was agility.

Mama said she could have watched the agility all day long.

There was flyball and also a pulling competition.

They walked around and saw the dogs getting ready for the dog show.  Mama said it definitely takes a lot of work.  She didn't take photos because she didn't know if the owners wanted that to happen. If the dogs were not getting their hair fixed, they were kind of hidden.  They probably just wanted to be left alone so that they could rest.

There were only two greyhounds that competed today in the dog show.  The dog show was a lot different than on TV. There were not any announcements.  In fact, Mama couldn't hear a thing.  It is like it was done in silence.  She is not even sure who won between the greyhounds.

The folks thought the brindle was very handsome.
 
They watched some of the other dogs being shown. They noticed that one judge seemed pretty bored and didn't even watch the dogs walk around. It is definitely different than the shows on TV.

This is where the dog show was held.

Astrodome is across from the dog show. There is talk that it will face the wrecking ball.

We got treats from the show!

Lots of free samples of dog food.  Dad said we can eat them as treats.

Open them!

After the show, the folks drove to a restaurant that they wanted to try from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network.  There was a line to get in and they couldn't find a parking spot, so they gave up. The place closes at 3 p.m. and is not open on Sundays. They will not be eating there on this trip.  Mama was disappointed.

The buffet where they ate.

They ended up eating at China Stat.  Mama said it was good.  The food was not labeled very well, so she didn't know what had seafood in it for sure.  She ate a lot of chicken.  The place was packed at 1.30 p.m.  It was $9.95 a person.

There is still one more restaurant that the folks plan on trying this weekend.  Our time in Houston is almost over.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Preparing For His Gotcha Day On Monday

Bully Sticks Are Here!

We haven't been chewing our bully sticks as much since we have been living on the road, but recently we took an interest in them again.  Mama decided to place an order for us while we still have a good shipping address.  They arrived yesterday. We were excited!

Oh, boy!

Open it before my eyes pop out!

Yep, smells like bully sticks!

Yum!

Yummy!

On our way to the fire house.

See the red sign?  That's the Jack In The Box that Mama walks to for lunch sometimes.  There is still standing water.

These are probably the best pictures we will get of the ducklings.

Another view of Goldie.

Hi Mom!  Have you been looking at the ducks again?

Mama made tortilla pizzas last night, but she forgot to take photos. The pizzas did not have a sauce. They had a layer of  Monterey Jack cheese, diced tomatoes, Canadian bacon and then another layer of cheese.  She placed olive oil in the electric skillet and coated the tortilla and fried it on both sides and they added the toppings.  She covered the skillet until the cheese melted.  She thought they were pretty good.

Dad has made our reservations for our next trip. We will stay somewhere in Louisiana on Friday night. It will take us probably 7 or more hours. Dad has to work half a day on Friday.  The next night we will stop in South Carolina and finally, Sunday night we will be in Washington DC.  It's a very long trip.  We are excited about continuing our adventure, but not looking forward to the long drive. 

Tomorrow is the dog show.  Mama is excited about going.  They have a lot of vendors and demonstrations, so it is more than just a dog show.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Needs To Catch Up On His Sleep Since He Lost Some Yesterday Due To Bully Sticks Chewing.

I've Been Dremeled!

Mama dremels Scout's nails, but I have always said "NO WAY!"   I freaked out when that thing was brought near me.  This morning, we went on a long walk and Mama told Scout that she was going to do her nails when we got back and she would get some chicken as a treat. Scout doesn't mind the dremel.  So, Mama did Scout's nails and I was laying on my bed watching.  Mama brought the dremel over to me and let me sniff it.  She touched my nail to it and I didn't freak out.  She then turned it on and she quickly did all my nails.  I DID IT!  It didn't hurt. It just felt a little strange.  Mama has been trimming my nails a few times a week with clippers.  My nails are really thick, so she just trims a little at a time and then files them.  I don't mind her doing that, but she is worried she will hurt me.  After she dremeled me, she praised me and hugged me.  She was so excited. Scout and I got some leftover chicken as a treat. Yum!  Will I let her use the dremel again?  Stay tuned to see.

This is the Dremel that got me today.

Mama made a breakfast this morning that she thought you might like.  She saw it on a cooking show and can't remember the name of it.

Take a slice of bread and cut a hole in the middle.  Mama uses a glass to cut the hole. Melt butter in a skillet and coat the bread with the butter on both sides Also, coat the piece of bread that you cut out with butter.  Brown the bread in the skillet and add an egg to the hole and fry that like you fry any egg.  Flip it over to brown the other side.  It's that simple.  We had leftover ham from dinner last night, so it became part of the breakfast this morning.

Scout has started laying on the couch.  Here she is watching Mama put the laundry away this morning.

Our rain chances are only 30% today. The ground is still very wet.  We didn't get rain here yesterday, but other parts of Houston did.  We are heating back up to the 90's since it is no longer raining.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Made His Mama Very Happy Today

Wet Feet Equals Wet Boot

The ground is still a sloppy mess here.  Water continues to just stand on the ground.  Mama says she is tired of  her socks getting wet when she walks us.  I don't mind my feet getting wet, but it feels strange to have my foot in a wet boot.

Yesterday, we had a bad storm.  There were 490 lightning strikes in just a half hour.  According to the news, four houses caught on fire due to the lightning.  Mama couldn't believe that a man in our park was fishing during the storm.  He definitely doesn't have his head on straight.  Two people died in Houston on Sunday due to being struck by lightning. 

The park manager came by yesterday afternoon and told us we were getting a new neighbor.  We haven't had a neighbor on our right side the entire time we have been here.  We thought maybe they couldn't put anyone next to the propane tank, but the manager said it is because no one wants just a 30 amp site.  She told us the guy had his motor home in storage and plans to rehab it. She said we might hear some hammering noises.   He dropped it off last night and then left. He may not be living in it for a while.

Our view before our neighbor.

We really only see the neighbor's motor home when we go outside.  We rarely look out the kitchen window.  We have been lucky not to have a neighbor for so long.  It definitely will not be like that in other parks.

Mama has been busy making dish cloths and pot holders. 

She actually used the one in the middle and washed it.  It didn't fall apart.  Victory!

This one turned out a little big.  It is her first attempt with a "fancy" border.   She needs practice.  It doesn't seem that practical for a dish cloth.

Most of what she has made.

She likes this one because it matches the RV colors.  It is a pot holder. It is made with half double stitch.  The back is dark brown.

Last night, she made Chicken and Rice Taco Fiesta. 

1 boneless chicken breast, cut in small pieces
(1 T olive oil)
14 oz can chicken broth, 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
15 oz can corn, drained
1½ c uncooked minute rice
¼ to ½ bag tortilla chips
Sour cream

In large saucepan, sauté chicken pieces in oil until barely done. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, taco seasoning; bring to boil; simmer covered 5 min. Add corn and rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 min. Fluff and serve on crunched tortilla chips. Top with sour cream.

The green sauce is that green salsa she bought at H.E.B.   She thought it was good.  Dad didn't comment, but he ate it all.

This is us this morning.  Really, it is not just another photo taken yesterday when we were sleeping.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Happy That The Space Bar Is Working Better On the Laptop