And your little dog, too! Yes that would be the Wicked Witch, Miss Gulch, as Dorothy and Toto, who were sentenced to his demise after he got into Miss Gulch’s flower garden and Dorothy begged Aunty Em and Uncle Henry to save Toto. Oh, yes, then there was a huge tornado…. spoiler alert! Ok kids, this film was released just a few years ago. Earlier than Star Wars! We used to go to our tech neighbor across the street who had the first color tv in the neighborhood, to see the film turn to color.
Dorothy and Toto journeyed to The Wizard of Oz in 1939. So did Scarlett and Rhett that year in Gone With The Wind. We spent a day watching Gone With The Wind a couple of weeks ago. It was a two-day event. I have seen both several times over the years.
We have a an old little dog, twice the size of Dorothy’s Norwich terrier Toto so we would have to make travel arrangements to Oz by other means than bicycle, balloon or dream, perhaps space travel. Oh, my husband might be with me because as I can get in the Emerald City door by charm, he is the one to quickly decipher the codes to the Emerald City that will let Dorothy, and us, go home.
Puppies, dogs go, ours is old and healthy at over 13 years. She is a treasure to our lives and hearts. She was kind enough to mentor a nearly three month-old pup for a weekend. I call Zoe the Dowager Princess of Dogs. All I can say was that the pup was a handful.
I am exhausted, but she’s a smart gal and given the right direction she will find her own way. This was an unusual case of two professionals getting a young pup and leaving it alone. I tried to help but only had a weekend and couldn’t help with behavior problems as I’ve been ill and have a bit of blood loss from bites and possibly tetanus to deal with. I still love dogs, just had to take care of that little pup who reminded me of my volunteer days with feral cats and my mind may say, today, I’m too old for another pup. That’s sad. Dee
ps Toto was an inspiration to me for how to adopt from a shelter and have a kind companion, so was Dorothy who saved so many people. We might adopt an older dog later on with {I cannot say the word without) my old girl. With the pup, I dealt with household involuntary or voluntary gastric enterprises. Not me. Angry, scared, unsocialized with other dogs and people (only the young pup, mine is a mascot around here), our pets need help. Not $250 per night to stay with my pet for six hours and then give her two brief walks per day. I want care, and we don’t even spend that much for our hotel and drive half-way throughout the country to see his parents at his childhood home.
I spent years working to establish leash-free areas for dogs in one city and around the nation. I will not let pet-sitters rob us blind. $250 per night? I used to do it for about $35 back in the day and it included an overnight, 24/7 in my home and at least four walks. Two years later Zoe dragged me across the street to look at back of someone, it was the guy who walked her two years before and they just wanted to say hello. Back then, in our current town, it was $85 per night. Now it’s $250.
Right now pet sitter companies are acting like they own the world, but of the cost of service and profits means their walkers only make a small fraction of the proceeds because the boss takes it all without ever handling a leash.
Service is what I do. I am a volunteer that has been lucky to be with our dog Zoe for over 13 years. She is to me what Toto was to Dorothy in 1939, as things don’t change too much except calling them my dog or best friend. Oh, Zoe just said go through shelter adoption interviews, pay the $75 and spend the rest on hip surgery – you’ll find out more about that in a couple of months. Smart gal.
It is interesting that we spent $75 to adopt our dog and now it costs $250 per day to take care of her as she ages and we do not put her on a plane for her health. She is very healthy and takes no medication, only eats good food and has lots of love.
My husband and Zoe and family are stand-up folks. Mother-in-law is upset when our Zoe doesn’t visit for our big Thanksgiving as we make a lot of dishes and dance around her kitchen together knowing timing and our territories. Oh, Zoe eats the crumbs from the floor, leading to less vacuuming. Once welcomed only in a goat pen (I refused to visit) she sleeps on our bed while visiting and stands on the sofa to greet my father-in-law when he returns from feeding cattle.
I did meet Margaret Hamilton on probably her final speaking tour. I was 19. She was not scary at all! I came to greet her as staff, and of course mentioned her as The Wicked Witch of the West and that this is one of my favorite films. We’re off to see the wizard… Dee
Cooking with Dee 