Donna's Memorial Service

Donna Heinesh, Jackie's ex wife and the Mother of Colton and Logan passed away from a heart attack last week.  On Saturday September 27th, 2008 family and friends gathered at the picnic area for a memorial service.

Colton read a poem that he had written for his Mother.

Donna's wish was to be cremated and her ashes scattered on the San Antonio River.  Colton and Logan fulfilled their Mother's wish.

Rest In Peace  Donna

I will Never Know

I guess this story started yesterday when Margaret called me and asked if I would do a brisket for her.  She was going to have the family over at her house for Sunday dinner or Grandparent's day.  Of course I agreed and did the brisket and then on Sunday I took it down to their house about 11:30 am so it would be there when they got home from Church and it would be cooling down for them to cut it up and eat.

After I took the brisket inside and was locking up the house, I noticed that Mike and the other dogs were across the back road.  I called Mike and he came but he had something in his mouth and wouldn't come near me.  I chased him all the way back to my house yelling at him all the way.  I really hate it when a dog doesn't come when he is called.  It is one thing that really gets to me about a pet, not doing my bidding.  When we finally got home, Mike was in the garage and I was right behind him.  Whatever he had in his mouth was no longer there.  I scolded Mike for not coming when he was called and he took it like old Huckleberry Finn taking a lickin' i.e. "it didn't hurt much".

Then I looked around and there was a baby rabbit on the ground next to us.  This was what Mike had in his mouth.  I picked it up and it was shook up but not hurt.  I put it in a box and it tried to jump out which told me that it was physically okay.

I knew that the chances of it surviving were slim and almost none without it Mother.  I took it back to where I saw Mike come out of the woods with it and I found the nest.  Blue and Mosquito were both in the area sniffing around and I just knew that any other baby rabbits were no longer there.  I also knew that leaving the rabbit there would only be more food for the dogs.  So I left the little bunny at Margaret and Jack's house.

Margaret called and I told her it was my Grandparent's day gift.  She told me that Colton had already claimed it and was taking it home.

Colton came down later that afternoon and said that they had looked up on how to care for a wild rabbit on the internet and it had told them that the odds of surviving without the Mother were not real good.  He asked me where the nest was and I took him down there and showed him.  Colton stayed near the nest while I tried to call the dogs off.  I guess we were somewhat successful or at least the dogs didn't go for the bunny right away.

I came back home and was watching the Cowboys kick A on the Browns and I noticed Mike in the front yard with something.  He was digging and playing with something.  I went out and sure enough, he had a bunny rabbit again.  I will never know if it was the same one or not but it looked like it was the same one.  He had dug a hole and had put the rabbit in the little hole.  I picked up the bunny and Mike looked at me like "What are you going to do?".  I had no idea what to do.  I find it very strange that Mike had brought this bunny home twice and neither time was the bunny harmed.  I also knew that the bunny needed to be free and wouldn't survive without his Mother or at least another female rabbit.

I set the rabbit free and Mike and I watched him/her hop off to whatever fate awaited it.

We went back outside a hour later and Mike sniffed around but we didn't see any sign of the little bunny.  I hope it made it and I know I will never see another rabbit without wondering if it was the one.

Fallen trees

Mike and I got out this morning for our first walk in over a week.  We had gotten quite a bit of rain last week and the roads have been too muddy for me.  Of course, a little mud never stopped Mike so he continued to go swimming and walking every day.

Halfway between the houses on the back road, a couple of trees had fallen during one of the storms.  These trees were covered in vines and my guess is that the vines became too heavy with the rain and they caused the weaken trees to fall over.  They are blocking the road.

I stopped to take a picture and I guess Mike thought I was going to turn around.  He took off like he was telling me that he had been through here before and knew the way around the trees.

Of course, I followed him and praised him for being a trail blazer and that made him happy.

This is what it looks like from the other side.

We picked up Blue and continued our walk.  We got almost to Pebble Beach and the dogs started barking at something in the brush.  I thought is was a squirrel or maybe another hog but it turned out to be a horse.  Sometimes livestock come across the river from the ranch on the other side.  I called Jack and later he came down to Pebble Beach but we didn't see the horse again.  It will either swim back across or it will show up at one of the houses sooner or later.  I should have taken a picture of it but I forgot I had my camera and I am sure everyone has seen a horse before.