Friday, October 22, 2010

college, floods, and blood

The days are getting colder, the leaves are different colors and mom says something like "heh there country bumpkin, the frost is on the pumpkin". Humans have such odd sayings, and very strange customs. Dogs are so much more sensible. When we meet another dog we sniff each other and decide if we like each other and go about our merry way. People say hi, act like they like each other, then when the other person leaves they talk "trash" as El says for hours afterwards. What's up with that?
I went on my first road trip the other day! Mom, my sister and I went to college to visit my other sister. College life is sooo cool. No one sleeps, ever! My sister walked us all over campus, it was huge. Boys in "Frats" were playing loud music, dancing, singing and drinking lots of stuff that made them stumble around and act stupid! Wow, how unattractive that was but all these pretty girls seemed to like them looking like fools! I'm going to try that on Petunia..... or maybe one of the other girls I meet at the hospital!

My sister snuck us into her dormitory! I was suppose to be quiet and act calm but everything was soooo exciting. College kids are really strange. My sister had this pink pig that drove me nuts. I really couldn't stay calm when she was waving it in my face. She also had this crazy Mexican pinata that they fill with candy and beat with a stick until the candy falls out. See what I mean?

I also took it upon myself to enforce a few rules. No candles in the dorms! She thought she would trick me by placing them in a basket but not this sensitive nose! Candles can be very dangerous. I had so much fun! I really embarrassed Casey by pooping in front of the science building right on campus, especially because it was RIGHT when some cute "Frat" boys were walking by. I am such a college boy rebel.
My world seemed to turn into a swimming pool recently. It rained and rained for days and days. Everything filled up with water. Our corn fields turned into a lake and the pumpkin fields flooded, as the water rose the pumpkins popped right off the vine and started their long trip down the Connecticut River to the ocean. I couldn't help but wonder what the fish in the ocean were going to think of that. Will the whales have pumpkins stuck in their throats? I think those sea creatures really have a rough go of it with all the things humans throw their way!
Over the course of a few days, literally thousands of pumpkins washed down the river. When the water finally receded there were pumpkins stuck in trees along the river 6 feet in the air. Boy that was some water level.
Luckily mom got all her tomatoes in this year. She was so excited because she claims this was the first time in 15 years that her tomatoes ripened before it frosted.

When they got tired of eating them raw she began to cook them for sauce. I personally found it more fun to smash them with my feet when I found that they had fallen from the vine!

SAVES had it's first blood drive at the Bark in the Park in Norwich Vermont. We registered many dogs to become potential blood donors for the hospital. A small blood sample was taken to type the blood, and those dogs that are deemed the correct blood type will be added to our list of heroes. Any dog can become a donor as long as they are healthy, at least 50 pounds, up-to-date on all vaccinations, no previous pregnancy, 1-6 years old, and never having had a blood transfusion in the past.

Our blood donors are heroes every day! If a patient comes in and needs a blood transfusion because of a sickness or injury we start calling our registered donors until we find one that is available to come down and donate. Before the donation we run some routine blood work to make sure the donor is still healthy and able to donate. The donor is given a sedative to relax them and the blood is collected.

The process is very quick and the donor is heading home within a very short time frame just like when humans give blood. Already our donors have saved many lives at SAVES. I hope I can be a donor when I am old enough!
If your interested in becoming a donor please give SAVES a call at 603.306.0007. We would be so grateful for your act of courage and so would the patients.
TaTa for now.

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