Pets and Heat

It seems we are having a bit of a heat wave this week.  Whew!  Can't wait until it is over, but in the mean time, we have to all try to stay as cool as possible.  Since so many of our customers are also animal owners or animal lovers, it is a good time to remind everyone to be extra diligent with their animals in this heat.

 Please do not leave your pet in the car during this heat wave.  I know many people like to take their dogs with them when they run errands, but if you can't do them early in the morning, then just leave them at home.  It is just too hot to sit in a car, even with all the windows down.  Your beloved friend will be much more comfortable at home, than in the hot car.

Water.  Make sure your pets have plenty of fresh, clean, cold water to drink.  This is especially important for animals kept outside.  Add ice to it periodically to make it as cold as possible.  It is critically important that they have access to fresh, clean, cool water at all times. Also, be sure to provide shade for them as a resbit from the sun and heat.  We all know it can be many degrees cooler in the shade than in the sun and this is a welcome relief to your animal.  Some animals enjoy a small kiddie pool full of water to cool off in.  If your pet doesn't like to get wet, try this.  Fill a kiddie pool or any container large enough to accommodate your pet, with sand.  Freeze a couple of gallon jugs or large freezer bags full of water and bury them in the sand.  Make sure you put this in the shade and it will provide a cool place for your pet to escape from the heat. 

If your pet isn't an indoor pet and if you have a nice cool garage, it can be a good idea to temporarily put your pet in the garage to make sure they stay nice and cool.  If this isn't an option, then you will need to take a couple extra steps to ensure your pet stays cool and comfortable during this heat wave.

Remember, our pets depend on us for their health, safety and well being.  This heat is hard on them and it doesn't take that much extra effort to make sure they are comfortable and well cared for during this heat wave.

Lost Dog Reunited With Owner

The little lost dog I found two weeks ago has been re-united with it's owner!  Thanks to an ad in the Town Crier, we were able to re-unite them.  Another happy ending.

Monday Musings

What a wonderful weekend we just had.  The weather was absolutely beautiful.  There is nothing better than warm days and cool nights.  Makes for wonderful sleeping.  Well, unless you  have to listen to your neighbors barking dogs from 1 am until about 8 or 9 am each day. Please forgive me for the rant that follows, but I have gotten no more than about 3 or 4 hours sleep each night over this past weekend and I may not be in my normal good humor, as I am not one that can function well if I don't get my 8 hours per night!

Here in Pine Cove, I would like to think that we are all neighbors, regardless of our specific addresses.  Since I work at the water district and get to met many of you, I view you all as my neighbors and would hope that you would return that favor to me as well. That being the case, I try to keep my home's appearance and noise level to what I would consider reasonable for my particular neighborhood and I would hope that others would return the favor.  I am finding out that this is not the case.

 Since I have moved to my current home, I have been inundated with music blasting so loud it rattled the dishes in my cupboards, couples fighting in the street using extremely vulgar language within ear shot of my two young daughters,  a pit bull breeder who beat his dogs in the front yard despite my attempts to stop the abuse, various renters who brought with them assorted problems such as drug use and child abuse, a condemned property, a drug dealer who had customers coming and going at all hours and then there was that whole woman's shelter fiasco.  If I described some of the goings on I have witnessed over the past few years to people unfamiliar with Pine Cove, they would think I was living in the ghettos of the inner city somewhere!  I don't think that my experiences are typical of life in Pine Cove though.  At least I hope not.  As each one has moved on, I breath a sigh of relief and think OK, now things will be normal.  But to no avail, as one problem seems to be replaced with another.  I am beginning to think that I have had the misfortune to purchase a house smack dab in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle of Pine Cove. 

I have long pondered why people get dogs, only to shove them out into the yard and pay little mind to them or their socialization and training.  My dogs are not perfect and every naughty behavior they have developed is due to either a lack of training, discipline or an over indulgence on my part. They are not to be blamed.  Such is the case with the barking dog in my vicinity.  He is obviously lonely outside all night and all day and is trying to get his human owner's attention.  Barking is the only way he has of communicating.  When he is ignored, he continues on in hopes of getting attention.  Unfortunately, from what I heard, all he got was shouted at. What people don't seem to realize is that dogs do not train themselves and do not just automatically behave in the ways we want them to.  They have to be taught

This really breaks my heart to think of a dog not getting the love and attention he so desperately wants and needs.  So I would like to remind everyone that being a dog owner is a very long and serious commitment.  Sometimes as long as 15 years or even more. Please do not get a dog without taking the time to really stop and think it through.  They look to us to meet all of their needs.  There is so much more to owning a dog than just feeding it every day.  They have mental needs as well as physical needs and providing them with plenty of  mental stimulation is just as important as giving them  lots of exercise and  fresh, clean food and water.  On top of that, they need training, discipline and lots of affection and interaction with their humans.  There is also the financial aspect of owning a pet.  They need shots, visits to the vet, get sick and of course need things like food, collars, leashes, toys and medications.  So please, be brutally honest with yourself before you adopt a dog, because it you aren't, then it is the dog and your neighbors who will pay the price for your bad decision.

We have a very special and unique community here in Pine Cove and it would be my dream that we would all live by the simple rule we learned in kindergarten.  Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.    It is really that simple.  Please, think through your decision to get a particular pet and really be honest with yourself as to the level of care and commitment you can realistically provide for the animal before you get it.  They have no control over who adopts them and I am sure it isn't the dog's choice to be locked outside in the yard all night.  I know my dogs are at their happiest when they are with their human family.  I hope that this particular dog's owner will see the light and provide his dogs with the attention they are so desperately trying to get.  And if you are thinking of adopting a dog, make sure you can do so for the right reasons and that you can provide for ALL of it's needs.  Please take the time to think it through and be sure you are ready to make such a huge commitment.  Everyone will thank you for it.

Spring Ahead

So, did you all remember to turn your clocks forward on Saturday night?  It is always an adjustment, isn't it?  Whether going forward or backward, I find it disruptive to my internal clock.  And while I like the extra daylight at the end of the day, I do not like the dark mornings.  I love to get up early and take my dogs for a walk in the quiet, early hours.  It gives me a chance to think, pray and just listen to the sounds of nature while we are walking.  However, walking two dogs in the dark is not especially fun. 

I have tried doing this, but I am always afraid of what or who I might run into.  Since you can't see, it is very easy to trip and fall as well.  I tried taking a flash light, but my husband thinks that makes me look like I am doing something suspicious.  Since I have to be at work at 9 am, I cannot wait until 7 or 7:30 to walk the dogs unless I want to get to work all sweaty.  I doubt my co-workers would be in favor of that.  At my age, I need extra time in the morning to make myself presentable.

So for now, it is afternoon walks for us.  I don't enjoy them as much as there is more traffic, bright sunshine and more noise.  At 5 am, Pine Cove is fairly quiet and watching the sunrise as you walk is an invigorating way to start the day.  It kind of puts everything into perspective for the day.

How about you?  How has the time change affected your schedule?

Are you ready?

They are calling for more snow on Friday night.  I don't know if I am ready for more just yet, but ready or not, it will come and I can't do a thing about it.  How about you? Are you ready for more snow so soon after this last storm?   Luckily, my misery is eased by the fact that all this snow will melt into the ground and provide water for a the trees and hopefully our wells, which is a very good thing!

So when I am outside trying to shovel out a path for my little dogs so they don't sink down into the snow and disappear, I try to tell myself I am really watering the pine tree next to the path where I am shoveling.  It doesn't make the shoveling any easier, but it does make it a more satisfying activity knowing that the snow I am piling up on the ground will eventually melt, soak into the ground and go to the tree roots.  Keeping this in mind makes me a little more of an enthusiastic shoveler!  So as this next storm approaches, I will try to keep in mind how much we need the moisture and I will try not to complain, no matter how cold it gets and no matter how high we have to pile up the snow!

Lost Dog

Ok folks, we need your help. This little guy is lost and would like to be reunited with his humans. He is a Jack Russel Terrier.

He is white with brown around his eye. He is at ARF today. If you know this dog or own him, call ARF at 659-1122. After today he will be at Elaine Hogan's house. You can still call ARF to claim him. He was found in Pine Cove in the snow. Let's help this little guy find his way home!

Weather

Ok, where is the ark? This is the 6th straight day of rain. I don't know if this is a record breaker or not, but it sure feels like an unusual event to me. The weather station has registered 10.47 inches of rain for December. They are calling for some snow and if you haven't seen it yet, here is the messasge from the Nation Weather Service in San Diego.

Winter Storm Warning

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA
556 PM PST TUE DEC 21 2010

...PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOWFALL POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH
WEDNESDAY...

.A FLOW OF MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTHWEST WILL BRING PERIODS OF
LIGHT SNOWFALL TONIGHT. FOR LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...A
STRONGER...COLDER TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL
BRING NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY
SNOWFALL POSSIBLE ABOVE 6500 FEET.

CAZ055-056-221200-
/O.EXP.KSGX.WW.Y.0010.000000T0000Z-101222T0200Z/
/O.EXT.KSGX.WS.W.0010.101222T0800Z-101223T0200Z/
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...BALDWIN LAKE...
BIG BEAR CITY...BIG BEAR LAKE...FAWNSKIN
556 PM PST TUE DEC 21 2010

...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO
6 PM PST WEDNESDAY...
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM PST THIS EVENING...

THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL EXPIRE AT 6 PM PST THIS EVENING.
THE WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 6500 FOR HEAVY SNOW IS IN EFFECT
FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM PST WEDNESDAY.

* ELEVATION: ABOVE 6500 FEET.

* SNOW LEVELS: 6500 FEET TODAY...MAY RISE BRIEFLY THIS
EVENING...BEFORE LOWERING TO 5000 FEET OR LOWER WEDNESDAY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 2 TO 4 INCHES ABOVE 6500 FEET EARLY TONIGHT.
FOR LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...12 TO 24 INCHES ABOVE 7000
FEET WITH 4 TO 12 INCHES FROM 6000 TO 7000 FEET.

* TIMING: LIGHT SNOWFALL TONIGHT. NUMEROUS SNOW SHOWERS AND
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING
WITH HEAVY SNOWFALL POSSIBLE...DECREASING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AND ENDING WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDE: BALDWIN LAKE...BIG BEAR CITY...BIG BEAR
LAKE...FAWNSKIN

* WINDS: SOUTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH EARLY TONIGHT.
SOUTH WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH LATE TONIGHT...
BECOMING SOUTHWEST ON WEDNESDAY.

* VISIBILITY: AREAS OF NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY AT TIMES IN BLOWING
SNOW AND AREAS OF FOG.

* IMPACTS: A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS.
ONLY TRAVEL IN AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA
FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN
EMERGENCY.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF
SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN
AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...
FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

WHITLOW


We have sand and sandbags here at the water district office. If you need sandbags, please stop by the office during normal business hours and we will be happy to give you some. We have sand located behind the workshop.

If you are going to be out on the road, please take the appropriate precautions. It is better to arrive somewhere late, but safe and sound, than to not arrive at all. If you don't have to be out on the roads, then stay home. That is the best way to assure you will stay safe.

We hope everyone in the Pine Cove/Idyllwild area is staying warm, safe and dry. Don't forget to provide for your pets in this weather as well. They too appreciate a warm, dry place to hunker down while this storm plays out.

If we are all careful, we can make it through this.

Pets and Cold Weather

If you have pets that live outside, please make sure they have what they need to endure the cold weather. Most animals need some sort of shelter so they can get out of the elements. Even in the cold and wet, they still need fresh drinking water daily. Mine enjoy nice hot water as it helps warm them up a little bit. Make sure they have some where to eat where their food will stay dry. Please make sure they have the appropriate bedding so they can stay warm and dry when the wind starts blowing and the rain and snow starts falling. It is up to us to provide for our pets and to make sure they are as comfortable as possible. Winter is hard on everyone, but especially on the animals that are kept out in the elements. If we are going to have pets, then it is our responsibility to provide them with what they need. Please be a responsible pet owner.

Great News!

The lost Bassett Hound found her humans yesterday evening. They were reunited and everyone was happy to be back together. Her name is Penny and she wondered away from her home on Tuesday morning. We are so happy to have helped out in this situtation. It also serves as a reminder to be sure our pets have name tags. Had Penny been wearing a current name tag, she would have been reunited with her owners in a matter of minutes, rather than days. I am sure it would have been a lot less stressful for her as well.

ARF has temporary name tags that they will give you for free or you can pick them up at the pet stores in Hemet. Thank you to all who helped me in my search for Penny's humans.

Help! I lost my human!

On Tuesday morning as I sat at my desk watching the rain, I spotted not one, but two loose dogs running up and down Marion Ridge in front of the water district office. So of course Becky and I had to go out and see if we could help them. One had a tag on his collar, but wouldn't come near us. The other one, however, was extremely grateful to see a human and be taken in out of the rain. She is a Bassett Hound and is extremely sweet natured. She had a collar on, but unfortunately, no tags. She was soaked to the bone and very dirty. She was just walking up and down the road as if she knew she left her house somewhere, but didn't know where. My daughter came and got her and took her to our house. She gave her a warm bath, some lunch and a nice soft rug in front of the fire. Once she was cleaned up, she was just beautiful. Maria from ARF has scanned her, but she has no microchip.

We don't know what her name is, but she comes when you talk to her. She seems to have house manners and to be housebroken. Not sure of her age, but she is extremely docile and gentle. She is not the least bit bothered by my two pugs or my other little dog. She is not aggressive with food and walks nicely on a leash. She is content to sit with her head on your lap for as long as you'll let her.

Someone has to be missing this sweet girl. If she is your dog, or you know whose dog she is or if you would like to adopt her if no one claims her, please call Vicki at 951-659-0160 or call me here at the water district, 951-659-2675. You can also call Maria at ARF. Her number is 951-663-6466. We would love to get this girl back with her family. She is extremely docile and sweet natured and deserves to be back with her family. Please help us find her humans.

Lost Dogs

It seems there are two lost dogs wondering around in the vicinity of the Pine Cove Water District office. One is a multi colored Basset Hound. Very friendly. Has a collar but no tags. The other dog is medium sized gold color dog. It has a collar and a tag but will not come to anyone so we can read it. If you know who these dogs belong to, please let them know. They are both soaking wet and just wondering back and forth up and down Marion Ridge and Rockmier. You can call us here at the district. 951-659-2675 and we can tell you when and where they were last spotted. Thank you.