Day 8

I left home one week ago today and it feels like it has been so much longer. Even though I pretty much do the same things each day, the weather is such a dynamic here, even from hour to hour, that it feels like so much more happens. An hour ago it was sunny with a few clouds and now it is howling wind and pouring rain. Yesterday I discovered one of the wonderful benefits of a windy day...NO MOSQUITOES!! It was awesome!

I have been doing some research on cancer and coconuts. As in most alternative health issues, there are those that swear by it and there are those that say its a bunch of bunk. It seems like the people that believe in it are people that have actually used it and were benefited by it. The nay-sayers are people in the main steam that haven't tried it. I found one site I liked where a young man shared his journey to health after having colon cancer. Here is a link to where he talks about coconuts but the whole site is quite interesting.

http://chrisbeatcancer.com/nuts-for-coconuts/#comment-9223

Shasta

 This is a picture of Shasta. She is my buddy and lays at my sliding glass door at night. I feel like she is my protector. My house is a little separated from the rest of the property and I feel safer knowing she is there. She is in heat and so she is kept apart from the other rottweiler, Maui. Maui is hormonally at his witt's end and does everything he can to get at Shasta. Last night as I was heading to bed, I asked Bebing if she would hold onto Maui while I went through the gate (where Shasta was waiting). It is always a challenge to get through the gate without letting Shasta lose but I have gotten pretty good at it. But last night I had my laptop tucked under my arm, a bag looped around my neck, and a large flashlight in my hand and as soon as the gate was unhinged Shasta shot past me. When Maui saw that he had a clear shot at Shasta, he lunged out of Bebing's grasp and all you-know-what broke lose. I made a lung for Shasta but I didn't really have a free hand and Bebing made a lung for Maui but he was no match for any of us in his excitement. Bebing is normally a very quiet, calm person but she was yelling and grabbing at dogs and trying to get between two huge rottweilers that were more than happy to see each other. I also tried inserting myself between then without dropping all my stuff, but to no avail. The last I saw of them, the dogs had disappeared around the corner with Bebing giving chase. Helpless, I went through the gate and made my way down the hill to my house. By the time I made it to my door though, either Bebing or Jimmy (Bebing's husband) had Shasta through the gate and she dejectedly made her way down the hill to my door. All I could do was apologize to Shasta for messing up her date and head to bed. I'm not sure if Maui was successful in his goal before Jimmy intervened but there is a possibility of puppies in the future. Sorry Tom and Karen.