Update from Dings



Bob the Dog's first afternoon home Thursday, following major surgery. You can see the shaved area on her right leg where an IV went.

DATELINE GRAY COMPOUND, HONDO, TEXAS --- Life has been consumed by Bob Dog's illness (and equally so my epically not-so-well-managed stress).

For quick background, she has been sick on and off recently, mainly not eating enough and loosing a lot of weight. An x-ray finally found the problem and she underwent surgery Tuesday to have two small, squeaky-toy squeakies removed that were blocking her intenstine. Eviscerating stuffed animals on ocassion is no longer allowed.

Thumper visited Bob Wednesday and also drove with us to pick up his gal today. Bob is starting to eat again, walk the yard but it will be a slow recovery. She smiles and still makes her famous doe eyes at Ding, who is my rock for handling her medications.

As for the Cut-n-Shoot rally last weekend, the Sam Houston wilderness area is picturesque with mature fir trees and soft grass. The event had a lot of good vendors from throughout the Midwest and West. Unless a full-time vendor wants to hit Daytona and possibly hit it big, an alternative is a very steady stream of Texas rallies during February, March, April and May. It was the first year for this event and that combined with cold weather limited the number of riders. We changed a tire and moved some T-shirts but the joy was seeing Rick and Susan, great leather buddies from Oklahoma. 

The compound is still super strong after withstanding 60+mile per hour winds last weekend. Snapped branches have been cleared, along with a trellis that greeted visitors to the pretty garden between the house and garage. And what felt like a two-week job on a Jesse James West Coast chopper - oh, wait, it was that long - is finally complete thanks to many hours in Bill's garage. Pictures of that job forthcoming.

It seems so appropriate to close with this: "Lord, help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that You and I together can't handle." Bill Gray first scrawled that months ago on an eraser board inside our BFT home, and Deb Gray justed printed those words beneath a beautiful south Texas sunset photograph jammed with shades of violet, pink and subtle oranges. She framed it for us and it now hangs in our cozy galley.

Ding turns 50 tomorrow. I will buy Ding Dongs to build the birthday cake - his request.

Peace....Hol, Ding, Bob Dog and Thumper