TEMP HOME 2 (no neat photos)

Well it will probably almost be fall by the time we are back in our house. I am ferrying Cooper, who is the least boardable, back and forth from the motel to the kennel. If John and I both have things to do at the house then Cooper goes back to the kennel, and then I pick him up in the afternoon and he spends the night here with us.

Today they told me Nigel and Llewis were not eating. Oh good heavens!! You all know when a Basset refuses food we are in serious trouble. I said, try anything. Then I went to visit with them. They went nuts. I felt awful. Llewis began keening-- it is the only word that fits: a high-pitched steady wail. Nigel jumped all over me, frantic. I only stayed a moment and then left. I did not go see Conley.

Also today I called the Head Honcho of all this Mess and said if it is going to be weeks before we get in, we need somewhere else to live: a house with a kitchen and washing machine and mostly, a place where they will allow dogs. He said nobody would allow 4 dogs. I said fine, tell them there are two and we'll rotate.

So apparently the ALE (relocators) are looking for a house for us. That might make life a little more bearable.

Meanwhile it has gotten hot hot hot-- 90 degrees on Monday, 85 today, maybe higher. Working in the house is almost unbearable. Everything has to be packed out, and while we have professionals doing a lot of the work, it is tedious and dirty and boring and backbreaking. I worked all morning on my room, packing tiny little things. By the end I was dumping whole drawers into boxes, taping them shut, shoving them at the packers and saying "Here, this is ready to go."

I set aside the good crate pads, knowing if we get a house I will need to crate the monsters at night and will need the pads, then forgot them, and tonight, when I went back to get two or three small, delicate, ancient items, they were gone.

I don't have a scale and have no idea what I weigh but I bet I have gained about ten pounds eating the way I have, even though I sweat it off in the house. Without a stove it's tough to cook properly and so I have been subsisting on Panera and Dunkin Donuts. Luckily for my cholesterol, the local DD has closed for remodeling-- much as we have. But I FEEL fatter.

The Maids, of course, are terrified of Cooper who doesn't help much by barking and whuffing at them, and backing away. He doesn't like them any better than they like him so when they come to clean our rooms (we have 2) I sit in the Van with the a/c blasting until they're done. For some reason we seem to be almost last on the list.

The pond where my mama duck and her cutie babies were has dried up completely. I don't know where they went. I hope they're safe.