The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
Arnold and Nic's great adventure. excuse the mistakes I am pooped. crosspost pl
This all started from, I believe, Alexis sent out pictures of Arnold and nic over the internet.
They were stuck in a shelter in LA,Ca.
Janice of "Heartsonnoses" pig sanctary sent me an email. "Deb, these pigs need you."
OH brother. That was all it took. Janices faith in me.
This was a Thursday, I believe.
By Friday morn we were all buzzing getting or hoping we could pull this rescue plan together. At first I was hoping for Saturday, however Monday was perfect.
After my driving poor Pearce, the rental car guy crazy with questions, redeciding the day, what vehicle, etc redoing costs.. he was so patient, we had a great van waiting for us.
Wonderful people started sending donations to the rescue paypal to help support the desire to help two very deserving potted pigs! We also had many prayers and wonderful energy sent to us.
Alexis from what I understaned is new to our pig world. She is a beautiful young woman with so much energy and love.
This little gal faced some pretty ignorant, big men to tell them NOT to try to muscle the pigs into the craters. They had ropes around their necks!
After some of kilter trying to figure out how to time our meeting, we were ready to leave. The van was $150, gas approximately $330 from the north to south trip. I got a tarp, and a sprayer just in case for the guys.Of course some apples came too.
HIt the health food store for some real food, picked up this beautiful dark blue van, and felt like I was hopping into a computer. Who knew driving could be so effortless!!
My neighbors Carla and Henry are wonderful to keep an eye on Eden. The animals here already love them. They are helping me whilst I heal from the knee surgery a week plus ago.
I realized after all the planning I was exausted and not ready to do this venture alone. I payed a person I have known since high school to help me drive. He had to take a day off work.
Then next snafoooo was it takes 3 to 5 days to get our money from the palpal!!!
Ended up having to pay this guy, he is a dry drunk. Thought I could use the skills to be able to stand him. I was wrong.
Dad is Don Ditch, the husband of Pat Ditch we all called MomPat. He, as always came through and put up $500 until we get our paypal amount of $414.26. He was happy to help with NO reservations. Mom is always a part of us through him.
Soo off I went to pick up Tim, then we hit the freeway. Perfect blue sky day, very warm.
He lost it when he found out i was stopping at my adoptive Dads.He did the usualy balking ,obnoxious wussy A thing. It was not about him, so what would make him want to stop?
I ignored him and stood my ground. Had to do this the whole time.
We stopped at ,Dad's, Don Ditches home. It was very emotional, he walks out in his white socks, brown pants and a flannel shirt with his hands full of new dresses for me Mom had ordered. He is very thin but he has he sweetest smile.
Mom was everywhere in the house. There are pigs on the walls on shelves, on top of every flat surface! Her computer sitting there with Camilles afagan on it. Same everything around it.Earrings she had taken off, papers sayings like, "love is all there is."
Don and crying, hugging and crying. Tim sat down and just took in all the antiques. We talked I snooped, he handed me mom's jewelry box and told me to take what I wanted. I picked up each piece and chose things that felt right in my hand. A great sliced rock necklace, amythist, little pig things. Out of all the hundreds of pigs the one that called to me was this cat sized wood carved one with a big snouter. I don' t know its story.all I knew was it was the one.
Dad showed me everything. I looked in his fridge and complimented him for having eggs....he had some good food. He tends to not eat.
Twink was under her blanket griping on the couch. I say by her and scratched the back of her leg, I was her best sister then..Cinco the Eclectis bird was yacking up a storm at me.Dad said he had never heard her talking so much to a stranger. Stranger ha! He knew I knew.
Bear is HUGE. his head is big as any mastiff. His body thick as a lion. I am NOT kidding. giant shnauzer and black lab. He has this great wirey hair and big old beard, when he gets a drink of water, you get a shower. Greatta is a rotty/bull mastiff, Sort of like a giant Boxer body with this massive mastiff head. All fawn color. Very sweet. Sparky is all white, a chi/terrier mix full of love. All of them mold themselves around dad.
SoIt felt like home, I could look in moms cloths, open drawers, ask questions. Was the hardest thing to leave. He had me pick whatever cloths I wanted. We hugged and off we went.With me with a whole handful of moms cloths in my lap crying.As close as I ever got to her. I love Dad so much and will go back to clean his house!!!
Among the pig things everywhere is moms chair, dad says is his file cabinent...haha. It is a clean house full of love, life and heart.
Thinking after many text messages and calls, we were ready to meet at Lakehead Ca. rest stop.IIt must have been nine pm or ten? We left at 4pm. Tim drove.
I was saying how cool it was to feel at home, looking at things, holding stuff. Tim days ya that was really rude and you made a food of yourself. yuck. he is awful. He had to ruin every sweet feeling I had.
Alexis pulled up in the Element, I said she is a tall drink of water with dark brown hair and very cute. Girl next door!!!
She backed right to the van and we slid the pigs in,heavy as can be but we got them in.(Tim was asleep after such a long drive).They barely grunted.Who would with the large amount of "Hamster" bedding she put in there, lol. It is this like soft cotton shredded able stuff looks sortof like popcorn on everything, but felt like firm but shredable clouds...did I mention it got everywhere? haha
NO wonder they were so comfy. I kid you not, I believe that is what made poor round, fat as can be, Nic feel so comfy in his crate. His fat body finally cuddled in softness.
So Tim drives us offback home again. He got tired so I drove as far as I could constantly changing positions, pinching my ears, washing myself with ice water, singing to the radio, poor tim was trying to sleep.My old arthritic body was screaming, I could not take it anymore, though I took a couple pain pills and that caffeine/aspirin/acetaminophen like candy.
Tim the whole time griping about my driving, cussing and smoking. I never am around anyone like that. It was hell. plain and simple hell. He mentally and emotionally abused me the whole trip. I wanted to physically abuse HIM.
I would go off into my head, pray talk to God about how can he have such horrible behavior, it is like he has NO heart, no joy, no love at all.
Was horribly draining on me.
I called him a jerk a few times. never cussed never got mad, if I had I would have seriously done things I would have regretted.
still could not keep my eyes open. After squawking and moaning I pulled into a town that promised food, gas and lodging. It lied. All there was, was darkness, a few lights and a white bulbed peace sign on a buliding. I hear a sound when I am checking the boys. I said NO no way nO no no. tim says what??? I heard a cat. I said they find me everywhere!! So here comes this large girl black and white cat so happy to see us. she was not a stray just the only welcoming life...
My mistake was allowing him to drive. to part two.
Gee, Tim sounds like a real charming guy... griping, cussing, smoking, no heart, no joy, no love at all... Ugh... I'm not around those kind of people anymore either. Thank God!
I enjoyed reading your piggy rescue story!
Artygirl
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Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it is about learning to dance in the rain.
