Tuesday - Gone to the Dogs!

There was a bit of excitement around the QPO yesterday!

I had been happily working my way through yet another random bin of pieces, yardage, more hunks and chunks to strip more down -

And out of the corner of my eye I saw a wagging tail pass by the big picture window at the front of the building.

I do have a neighbor that comes to stay at their get away house next to Quiltville Inn a couple of weekends a month, and they have a dog, and walk him in front of my building - so I really didn't think much about it.

Until I glanced out the side windows while hanging some more strips over the long arm rail and saw this big dog - going up to the front door of the inn.

And out I ran to see what was what.

Some kind of hound dog - sweetest face ever -

dragging a long broken chain.

Where did you escape from, little lady?

(Little did I know how close I was to her name!)

Curious, hungry, and still quite young I saw!

That dragging chain had worn a sore spot on her belly - and to find out what to do, I brought her in. Gave her a treat, some water.

And she spied Lola on top of the long arm table and "treed" her as hunting dogs will do.

Lola, hunkering down in the sunny spot.

This sweet girl had a collar, but no tags.  No identification what so ever.  And she smelled like she had ran through farm and field, following her nose, and rolling in whatever smelled good to her.

She stunk to high heaven of manure and mud!

Not knowing what else to do, I called my vet to see if they could search for a chip.  It's a 30 minute drive - but Stinky Miss evidently loves a car ride!

It was 60 degrees yesterday (CRAZY!) and she loved a window down, ears in the breeze ride.

We parked in the lot, and the vet tech came out with a chip reader to see what we could find.

I was overjoyed when I heard the BLEEP showing that yes, she was chipped.

While the fact that she was chipped was the "good news"  the bad news came with the information that her chip had never been registered by the owner.

An unregistered chip is nearly as bad as no chip at all!

So back to Mouth of Wilson we went - and I started visiting farm houses up the highway from Quiltville Inn to see if anyone recognized this dog or knew its owner.  NADA.

My plan was to take her home overnight, and ask the mail lady this morning if SHE recognized the dog.  It was a long shot - many mailboxes sit right at the road - but the farm houses can be set way further back and the mail lady may never know what dogs belong to that "house on the hill."

While starting my journey home, my phone rang - and this is the miracle part - it rang in a place where I never, and I mean NEVER have cell service.

And the voice on the other end was as clear as a bell, not crackly.

My vet had called to all the other vets in the area to see if they had issued chips with that serial number. We were able to find the owner, even with an unregistered chip.

Because I was in a "no cell" (usually) area - I told them to have the owner call me back in 5 minutes and Miss Stinky and I headed back to the QPO to await the call.

Happily 'rolling in it!"

All was explained, the story became clear as I talked to the owner.  He works at Oak Hill Academy, about a mile up the road from the Inn.  On occasion he brings Lady Bird (the real name of Miss Stinky) to work with him.

 

On a nice 60 degree day - instead of keeping her in, he chained her "for just a bit" near the horse barns to enjoy the day.

What caused her to bolt, break her chain and follow her nose to me is anyone's guess.  Dogs will be dogs.  Hunting dogs will be hunting dogs - always following their noses.

Squirrel?  Probably!  And then who knows what.

The main thing is - this is a well cared for hunting dog. And she did what dogs do.  She made it a mile or more up the road to me - likely running along the highway, and crossing it a time or two, dragging a long chain with her.

Her owner has been found - and he was frantic and SO GRATEFUL.  I am relieved that I didn't have to bring Miss Stinky home with me (she would have had a bath!) and then spend today continuing to knock doors and find her owner.

I wasn't just going to set her loose with hopes she'd find her way back to wherever she came from - which was not her home in the first place. 

The moral of the story is - you have to REGISTER your animal once they are chipped.  It usually involves going to a website, putting in the animal's name and your info and the chip number so your real info is in the data base.  

And then if your info changes - like your phone or address - you need to go back to that website and update your information, so if something like this happens, we can find you faster and return your beloved Miss Stinky back to you.

Some of this got started -

But didn't really get finished with all that dog gone driving!

These neutrals are calling my name!

And the piles of stuff are getting better.

Today I'm headed back to pick up where I left off.  And while I wish we were hanging on to yesterday's weather - today the tables are turning.

Here Comes the Snow, doo doo doo doo

(Singing to Here Comes the Sun)

We've already decided it's best for me to park at the bottom of the drive this evening.  Here we go again!

I'm planning on a snow day sew day for tomorrow and just working from the cabin and not driving in it at all.  

No reason to if I can stay safe and warm at the cabin.

Did you see we have another Forever Mine! PDF pattern gift away and fabric bundle to go with it from Mary’s Quilt Shop?

Get your entry in on Yesterday's Post!

If you are looking to enhance your stash for your own version of my Forever Mine quilt, check out these gorgeous pinks, reds, aquas and neutrals designed by Mary Koval for Windham fabrics! 
⁣
Mary’s Quilt Shop is happy to pull together a hand picked selection of fat quarters for you!
⁣
Mary's Quilt Shop is in Bedford, Pennsylvania and they are open by appointment during the time of Covid.

Drop Mary an email at Marysquiltshop@comcast.net to arrange an appointment, or place an order to be shipped to you! 

These fabrics are not available for purchase on her website - so drop her an email for a custom fabric pull, just for you!

Anything fun ahead for your Wednesday?

You know just where I'll be - Audio book or podcast playing, pressing cutting sorting, continuing to work on whittling down those tubs.

One big tub is all random pieces of solid cream to white including muslins of many dye lots.

What do you do with stuff like this?  Usually I say to myself "Okay, this needs to go - what can we make with it and sew it away?"  but I just don't know.  It's a big old tub of solid white/cream in hunks chunks and pieces.

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Imagine how much better the world would be if when speaking of others we focus on assets instead of shortcomings?
⁣
Let's build each other up instead of tearing each other down. 

Can you imagine?

Have a wonderful Wednesday, folks!