September 2005…I just had surgery for a hernia, which included a three-day hospital stay.  On the day I was released the nurse, who was very derogatory, really was a sour puss.  I mentioned really wanting to get home to my six kids and she felt she had to knock dogs all together and say that they were just animals and would not go out of her way to help one.  I discounted the remark, as it did not require anymore-negative space between my ears.  The negativity of some people should be kept to them miserable selves.  I am at home resting for a few days before I return to work.  It is 5:45 am and the family is getting ready for work and school.  Get up and let the dogs out then back into bed with meds and…the six Chihuahuas…  this is where this story of healing begins.  You might have guessed by now I am a lover of Chihuahuas.  I have had Chihuahuas for 20 years now.  The first was given to me as he was abandoned and he produced one pup with a Maltese.  Gator lived to be about 18 or so before his heart gave out.  His son Shoki preceded him a year prior also with a heart problem.  He was 10.  Then a year after all the drama of loosing a loved one a new little man came into our life.  Mister was like 7 months old when his owners could not keep him, so we took him in with open arms.  Another year goes by and we decide to get mister a girlfriend.  If you have ever really looked for a specific dog this can be difficult.  We answered a few ads and finally met with some folks who where cleaning house if you will and had two adult females and a 1 year old male.  All for a pretty price of course.  So we took them all home and made them ours.  Sugar, her daughter Kisses and Moses are all a great part of our lives.  Next come the girls in heat.  The boys are crazy and it is like puppy porn everywhere.  Uuugggghhhh

Tadah! 60 some days later Sugar has 4 girls and 2 boys.  Two days later kisses has 2 boys one still born.  (Also a very difficult situation)  ok now there is 7 three to six ounce babies.  How crazy can that be… remember we only wanted one girlfriend for Mister.  As you revel over the wonderful balls of joy you count the hours of time required to attend to such a crew.  The count now is at 11.  We raise each one with love and care.  Now it is time to begin the pedigree paperwork process and first shots.  Get out the credit card!!!  Anyway got all that done and then ran the ad in the paper to sell the pups.  I have to say I am a pretty private person and inviting miscellaneous people into my house is not a comfortable thing for me.  So we ran one ad.  Sold only three.  Then it was time for our summer weeklong camping trip.  Four-room cabin tent, electricity etc.  We pack up all the kennels and cages and we are off to the woods for a week.  Do you have a visual?  Two door Toyota pickup two adult women, 8 Chihuahuas and tow behind trailer full of supplies…we have a couple that are car sick (traveling is near impossible) camping…well that was interesting to say the least

Within the first hour of putting the kids out the mama had a bug bite of some sort and her snout has swollen up she looks like the son of mask (that movie) anyway we discover that the small amount of time they were out on the ground the bugs were absolutely relentless and we quickly moved the party to inside the tent where everyone was more comfortable however we didn’t go camping in the woods to sit in the tent.  We made it all work for six days then back to the city it was.  Got back to town and sold one more baby and a short period of time after that we got an unexpected call from some people who got our number from one of the flyers we had put up either at a vet office or the pet store and another little girl gone.  I have to say that with each of the children leaving it ripped my heart out as you truly do feel they are a part of the family.  We spent time at the market downtown, time at the pet store showing the dogs for sale.  We put up signs on the fence and along side the road by the tent… we still have 6.  Now everyone is very attached and it is getting harder and harder to think of getting rid of any of them.  The girls have come into heat again and we escaped only with one little tie up.  We do not know yet if we will have Halloween babies.  So that is something to look forward to I guess…so summer is over and we only went camping once.  Just had surgery and am waiting to get back to work.  As I lay in bed to rest I am surrounded by all six wonderful balls of love, Mister, Sugar, Kisses, Moses, Pretty Eyes and Daisy Mae I have to say that I wouldn’t want to recover with any other method than the healing power of the Chihuahua.