I hope that none of Kirbys readers were hurt by KATRINA. It might be a while befor they can send up a smoke signal for help but if anyone knows of someone that needs special help maybe we as Kirbys fans can do something?
Just a thought along with the ones for the rest of those caught in this event.
Our fire department is putting together a list of people to go down and help. I think they'll end up sending four people. My first thought was "I'LL GO." Then my sense prevailed and I turned the chance down. Yes, it would be the experience of a lifetime, but also very sad. The reason I can't do it is because I have to get my horse at the end of September, and whoever goes will be committed to be there for at least 6 weeks, camping out on the ground in the swamps. That part wouldn't bother me so much, although the people who are afraid of snakes are going to be hating life. You can bet every kind of snake, including poisonous ones like water moccasins, eastern diamondback rattlers, copperheads and corals, will be crawling EVERYWHERE down there. But my problem is I would be 5000 or 6000 emails behind by the time I got back, along with three books behind. I would like to go down to help those people, and I wish I could, but there are way too many things I'm tied up in to ever go. The part that made me feel better is that of the people who've been asked there are already at least 40 who said they'd go, and they are down to drawing names out of a hat to get the final four.
I wish those people luck. I don't think in the young life of our country we have ever witnessed the like. This has to be the worst disaster that has ever occurred, similar to the big volcanoes, etc., and comparable in a lot of ways to the tsunami. Pretty sad, and pretty scary. The scary thing is that everyone in Idaho thinks they're safe, and we are sitting on some of the worst faults and seething volcano systems in the country, just a big pot waiting to blow! I just hope we get all the help that other disaster-stricken places do. Little old podunk Idaho is sure going to need it when our time comes!
Hey....how about a more uplifting topic? How about those gas prices??????
But the sky sure is blue....and....I get to go pick up Cloud Catcher in California at the end of the month. Mule was going to go but has to drive truck right then. Sorry, buddy! That would have been great. The greatest thing is maybe it could have been three of us. I forgot you know the guy who's going with me. I told you the other day on the phone that he's a "horse guy," but now I'm going to be forced into admitting that I was just trying to make you not feel so bad about not being able to go. The feller going with me is our own Dave!!! He's going to fly into Pocatello on the 27th of the month, and then we'll head out. I can hardly wait. So other than riding other people's horses, Dell, there aren't any "horse people" going to California, but I promise we'll make out. Your spirit will be riding along with us. Wish me luck! Actually, Debbie and maybe one of the kids is going to, so it will be a big party. Hopefully we won't run out of gas and get stranded. We'll have to steal a bunch of California horses and ride home!
Wow, Kirb, that sure is an opportunity of a lifetime. But, your family needs you, and they're still so young. Besides, who would save Pocatello if you weren't there?
That Dave - he's the best. He's lucky, too. That sounds like a ton of fun. I can't wait to hear all about Cloud. The 27th will be here before you know it. So cool. Christmas is coming early for you this year. You will be walking on "Clouds" heh heh. I can't imagine how excited you must be. I'm excited for you. A baby horse!!! Man, if that's not the most incredible thing.
Well, I'd better get for now. Hope everyone's having a nice Labor Day weekend. Talk soon.
G
Kirby - I know you have had more than your share of rescuses
as a Firefighter in Idaho. Looks like many NO residents are
refusing to be rescued now anyway. Wanting to stay in what's left of their homes or apartments. I read an article this morning reporting the mayor is offerring to send NO firefighters and police officers to Las Vegas and
other vacation sites in return for their hard work. Better than a kick in the pants I guess and the police officers salary of $13.00/hour.
I am really looking forward to our trip to pick up Cloud.
Mule - I am a poor excuse for a "horse person". I rode a horse before, even been bucked off of one when a brainless
person threw an egg hitting the horse in the head. I'll
follow Kirby's lead and just do my best to help out...or stay out of the way, whichever.
I think it was the National Geographic channel that had a program on the Yellowstone caldera. A huge under ground volcano that if it erupts will send the world into darkness
and destroy everything in a 600 mile radius. Think I'll also move to Kanab, UT!!
Dave, I hope you and Kirby have a good trip. I was looking forward to going with Kirby to pick up his new horse. I was going to take some of my poems, and while I had him captive, I could read them to him. I might even let him drive sometimes. I will be busy hauling sugarbeets so couldn't make connections .
Just remember to slow down easy and resume speed at an even steady pace. NO QUICK turns or stops if you can help it. A horse can take most of the bumps and jiggles as long as they are in a straight line.
But they can't see out, and judge where the floor of the trailer or truck will be, so you have to be their eyes and legs. If you want to check out your partners driving, get in the trailer and ride along aways with a blindfold or at least your eyes shut and don't hang onto anything.
Fresh hay at all times, and some water when you stop. A horse can go quite a while between drinks but where Cloud will be just weaned, he should have a chance to drink every 3 or 4 hours. If the trailer is large enough, Cloud should be able to lay down if he wants. He might not be old enough to take 12 to 20 hours of standing up.
IF, big IF, you decide to let him out when you stop for fuel or a meal. Make sure you have control. He will be in a strange environment so don't lose him. Maybe let him have a bite of grass. How well will he load back up? If your not sure you can handle him don't chance it.
Well thats about it. Just be carefull where you park, so you don't have to back up very much, or at least have a ground guide if you need to.
Have Kirby take notes about how the money transactions at gas stops take place, so he can incorporate the highway robbery into one of his next books. With or without a mask.
I do wish I could go with you boys. Take care and good luck. I'll be watching for your return back to camp.
DELL
I wish I could help you move your baby, as I've had a lot of long-distance horse-hauling experience. If there were a way I could fly to Pocatello at the end of September, I would.
I just got the call from my vet asking if they can borrow my truck and trailer for a trip to Louisiana with animal medicines and supplies. I'm asking for Friday and Monday off so I can drive. Since Doc's tech, Lisa, can talk donations out of a stone, I know they'll have a trailerload of stuff to take down there, and we'll be bringing back rescue pets. Doc and Lisa can't go but there are three rescue workers who can, and one is a certified vet tech. It's going to be rough -- we'll have to sleep in the gooseneck and haul our own food and water -- but it's something I can do. And a REAL adventure!
Kirby, good luck to you & Dave. Sounds like Mule covered
most of the basics wtih some sound advice. If Mule was
going to make you a captivea audience for his writings
maybe you are lucky than you know. Just kidding Mule.
Hope when you get back and get Cloud settled I can wring
an invite to some see him. I haven't spent much time
around horses lately but still love them.
Kaye, it is so wonderful what you are doing. It will be
hard but I'm sure there will be lost of rewards too. It
takes a strong person to do what you are doing.
I know our thoughts & prayers are with everyone, even
those who don't want to be rescued. Well maybe not the
looters and the people shooting at the rescue workers.
Got home late yesterday. Interesting trip. We took nine ladies (with small bladders, frequent potty stops) and two horse trailers full of at least two TONS of pet food, supplies and medicines.
Dropped all that off Friday afternoon at the LSU Vet School in Baton Rouge and then were sent to Gonzalez to the Expo Center which is ground zero for animal rescue and the bedroom community for a lot of the rescue workers, human and otherwise. Huge livestock show facility. There were humane society and animal rescue workers from all over the country -- I saw trucks from San Diego, Oregon and Connecticut.
When I showed up Saturday morning at the volunteer desk, I told them I had a lot of horse experience. They didn't need horse people, but they did need clerical workers at the intake desk. I'm a Registered Records Administrator. Guess where I worked.
There were probably 3,000 animals at the Expo Center, of which probably 2,400 were dogs, 300 equines and the rest cats and exotics. A huge number came in the day before, so I matched Polaroid photos with paperwork and filed. There were four different forms used and when they ran out of those, they photocopied and invented their own numbering systems. Must have had 40 FEMA, National Center for Disease Control and plain volunteer vets on premise. Whenever I saw my friends, they were either washing or walking dogs. I think I saw the mules (who had been employed as carriage animals in downtown New Orleans) in the horse barn. Some of the animals were scraped up and filthy, but most seemed to be in good shape although a few were quite thin. We had about a dozen goats, some chickens and ducks, a few small exotics like guinea pigs and rats. We sent the python to the vet school.
Since most of the rescued animals have to be held for possible redemption by their owners, we couldn't bring them home even if they were "relinquished" by the owners since we couldn't be sure of that. The facility was full and they wanted to send animals out to other shelters, so we hooked up with a beautiful little county facility at Hammond where we loaded 14 dogs into my horse trailer to free up space for the rescued critters. Apparently black dogs are hard to place and several we took had been there awhile so their time was just about up, including a lovely shiny black Lab. Just as we were leaving, a Hammond cop showed up carrying an 11-week-old Blue Heeler pup that had been abandoned, so we put her in a carrier and brought her along.
We drove all night since it would be cooler for the dogs. I think the modern-day equivalent of "ride the river with" could very well be "drive all night with," and my partners Lisa-the-cop and Nadine, who trains dogs and manages a pet store, turned out to be worthy companions. I think they are long-lost sisters from a previous life. Great gals, we shared a lot of good conversations during that long night. We'd like to go back next month and see if we can help some more.
So Paul and I are fostering a lovely little smooth-coated female collie we've named Justine, who is playing happily with my dogs although the cats are pissed off. I'm glad I went, although I was frustrated by the breakdown of the chain of command and the general lack of regard for the paperwork aspect since that is how we should be able to reunite pets and people. We did manage to do some of that Sunday although we couldn't find some pets for the sad parade of pet owners who visited our desk. I was real pleased, however, that the older gentleman who'd had surgery the day before the storm did find his two cats, and the two of us bawled together.
So now I'm back to work and trying to catch up on sleep. Thank you all for your kind thoughts. If you're in the mood to donate, look into Noah's Wish and your local or national Humane Society.
KAYE,
Thanks for going to the assistance of the Katrina PET Victoms.
You and your associates deserve a pat on the back for your efforts to keep owners and animals connected. I wish I could have been there to help also. After you get caught up on your sleep, send us some more stories about your adventure.
Kaye, that is a remarkable story. What an adventure. And you came out of that with only one dog? Amazing. heh heh. You should write a book of all your experiences. It woud be fun to read.
It must've been a happy sight to see pets and people reunited. It's almost a miracle. What are the chances anyone is going to come and reclaim their goat?
G