The common denominator

First off let me bring you up to date on my medical condition.

The  last I reported I was going for a visit at the hospital to have my liver checked.

I started with 2 aspirations that morning: one was that my liver would be alright, the other that I would no longer have to take the pills that keep the little living brain munchers from coming back and killing me.

50% is not bad in many arenas. If a baseball player comes to bat 100 times and he gets 50 hits he is batting 500. That is a good percentage in the base ball world. If a doctor operates on 100 people and 50 of them die that is not a good percentage.

In my case my liver is fine. The not so good thing is I have to takes the medicine for at least 6 to 9 more months. I choose to equate it to a ballplayer, I am batting 500. 

The doctors who had met me before were genuinely happy to see me again.

 They were all surprised at how much more confident my demeanor was.  I let them pet me and rub my head. I know these people helped me and I felt good showing them how far I had come. Some were even fans of my Chronicles. When you look at it that way I was a celebrity.

Where is Bones in this post? He was busy being what Jesse called a candy striper to the plebeian dogs and cats. He is truly impressed at the work these doctors do. The waiting room is always full of animals in different stages of some disease or injury. Every animal here has been referred by a vet who was simply not able to deal with what ever ailment or injury these critters had.

This day there was a dog with cancer. another dog with 2 broken legs. 2 cats in very bad shape many others  and  me with aspergillosis.. I was the healthiest dude on the floor.  I  had empathy for my brothers and sisters who were just starting on their journey of pain. If the others knew how far I had come it might help them have a positive attitude.

As I said Bones was amazed at how many lucky dogs and cats were there. When I say lucky I am referring to having humans love them enough to bring them here. The doctors are the best and it is very expensive.

The parking lot was filled with brand new very nice cars. In the middle of these cars is a 1986 honda, that is my car. I guess the point I am making is despite the fact the other animals had richer humans the love Bones feels for me is the same love everyone in the hospital felt for their pals.

Bones  wants to pet and say something to everyone's furry friend. Some people are a little sketchy when he approaches.

 One guy said his dog doesn't let any one touch him. The poor dog had 2 vertebra removed and could barely crawl. When bones approached him the dog crawled toward him to get a hug. It had to be a very gentle hug so as not to hurt him, but his owner was taken aback. Bones can't help himself he toured the whole lobby petting touching and talking to the patients. Any where else in any other situation these people would not have allowed this. In this building on this day all the owners let their animals share love with Bones.  

The up shot is: I have to take my pills for a long time. This is the end of chapter 1 of the Cash chronicles. I am a new dog, I have a human family of loving people and chapter 2 promises a lot of laughs.


Love is the common denominator:

Hugs from the hill Cash Fargo Bellinger

The green eyed monster:

                  Relationships are tough you have to  think of the other person you are involved with.

Being alone means you can do anything anytime and think anything you want. If you have been alone a long time you forget that other peoples thoughts are not the same as yours. If you want to know someone in a meaningful fashion and have them in your lives you have to be willing to compromise. 

Relationships come in many forms, really any time you have to deal with another entity for any extended period of time you have a relationship with this person. There are work relationships where people work all-day together but in many incidences never see each other out side of the work place.

Their are social relationships where you may meet a group or person once a week to dine or drink or go to a movie.

Then there are committed one on one relationships where two people commit to each other body and soul share each other thoughts feelings pain and triumphs. 

There are human and animal relationships. Bones and I have a relationship he is there to feed me, walk me, pet me, rub my head, let me out when I have to go, pick my poop up in a bag. Hey what is that all about? Where do they take it? I take a lot of time and effort to find just the right place to leave my refuse.  I could just do it in the bag.

Bones and I are learning to compromise. I let him sleep on my spot on the couch at night and in the morning when he gets up to lift his leg I take his spot in the bed.

Sometimes he isn't up for a walk on the beach so he sets up the umbrella. I sleep under it whiles he sleeps next to me. Boring but compromise is what it is all about.

Roxy and I are in a relationship, I think she is a little jealous of my being number one. She tries to lay down by Bones sometimes and I growl or nip her to let her know it is my spot. I love her but she is no longer the princess. She was here first but now I am the man.   

 Humans are sometime jealous of others that have more stuff or money or power.

I am a little jealous when Roxy leaves to go with Jesse and Megan. 

There is a feeling that exist within us all, it can kill a good relationship.  

 This feeling effects most every kind of relationship office, social, man animal, or committed.

Jealousy is stupid and petty, be happy with what you have and cherish the ones who love you.

Hugs from the hill: Cash Fargo Bellinger 

In the desert there ain't no one to remember your name:

                 In the desert there ain't no one to remember your name:

I have told you a little about my early years in Arizona. The heat was excruciating 110 degrees in the shade and the nights were no cooler. It was easy to dodge coyotes, the hard part was staying away from the rattle snakes and scorpions. If you get bit by a snake or stung by a scorpion it is pretty much all over for you.

There is a theory that if someone sucks the venom out of the bite before it hits your blood stream you may survive.  It is really hard to find a friend that loves you enough to suck on a rattlesnake wound . Being a dog it is down right impossible. Very important not to lift your leg on the wrong cactus if you get my drift.

This is painful to recall but in the interest of full disclosure I must tell the tale.

I was born in a small border town to a group of coyotes, not animals but human coyotes. These are people that smuggle people across the border for profit. As soon as I was old enough they attached a small but powerful flashlight to the top of my head. I was like rudolf the reindeer only instead of a sled I led groups of humans from Mexico to Arizona across ravines, and trails, and holes in the fences.

Why didn't I just run away you ask? It is not that simple, this was all I knew they fed me and if I did my job I did not get beaten. All my family had been raised in such a fashion and the ones not smart enough to learn the trail were soon gone and not too a good place I am sure.

I was one of the best I am very smart as I may have pointed out. I soon came to the attention of a cartel of very bad people that brought packages of very bad things across the border. As I grew in stature they started to put small back backs on me and fill them with some kind of contraband. Since I knew the trails by heart they would load me up and send me from Mexico to Arizona and sometimes back across with the pack filled with green paper.

I knew what I was doing was wrong but as I have said it is hard to run from a situation like this with nowhere to go. Well finally one night I got my chance, the back pack snap broke and I was able to scrap the flash light off my head on a cactus bush. It hurt like the dickens but I was free, I ran for days. I finally found a road with cars, I was just about to dart out in front of a car and end my misery when a police car pulled over and saw my plight. She gave me water took me home and gave me food,  eventually she took me on a long journey to California. I was scared the bad men would find me for a long time but that is all behind me now.

We all did dumb things when we were teenagers I had no choice, Bones thinks I should wear a pack and carry his surf wax and lunch for him. Sorry bones my mule days are over.

No matter who people were in the past they can change. I love you all

Hugs from the hill Cash Fargo Bellinger  

The good: The bad: The Snuggly

Thunder, lightning and Cash. Thats right I am a force of nature, deal with it.

 I stand at a precipice, a turning point if you will, my medication is all gone. I have been taking the stuff since my last treatment 4 months now I think.
 The fear was I might get a liver side effect and be as bad off as I was before but with a whole other problem.
 Bones was supposed to take me in and get me checked every month,  the doctor told him it would be obvious if I had the problem, I would be tired, sick and unable to eat.

 Well I love to eat, I am not tired, and I can bark as loud as Roxy and run faster than most dogs I have met. So the day of reckoning is upon me if the doctor does not prescribe me more medicine I may be at the end of this journey. I tell you this, I am strong, I am alert and yes I am smart. Did I mention I am good looking?

Roxy was not here for a couple of days and all was quiet. Bones was convinced that Roxy is the trouble maker and I misbehave when she is here just to show off. Guess what Bones I can be bad all on my own.

We picked up Roxy today from Marsh-maid that is Jesses mom, she and Bones made Jesse and Dan many years ago. Humans make a big deal out of being pregnant and having babies. It is weird they only have one kid at a time and dogs have a whole bunch. Humans are cry babies.

Roxy was really laid back when we got her, in fact I have been so bored with Bones I was ready for some action, Don't get me wrong I love Bones but when Roxy is not here we don't go as many places or walk as many times a day. Figure it out Bones I need to be entertained also.

I started barking at bikers on the way home and it got Roxy going, oh boy yelping, barking, howling. Bones was confused he now knows that sometimes I start the trouble I can be the bad dog. It is very upsetting to him, he does not want to punish me because it took so long for him to build my trust and he was so convinced I could do no wrong.

At night I have taken to snuggling with Bones in bed I did not do this before. I don't know why because it is pretty cool to have your head hugged while you sleep.
So the gist of it is the good dog can be the bad dog.

Give your loved ones a hug:
 I have to go, it is very quiet I think I will start barking and blame it on Roxy. Tonight we will both snuggle with Bones he needs a lot of love. He is a very high maintenance human but we love him.

Hugs from the hill Cash Fargo Bellinger

PTDSD

Sometimes at night Bones thinks I am asleep on the bed, he pets me gently for fear he will wake me and I might bite him.

 I do that sometimes if I am startled awake.

 I flash back to my old house where I slept outside. I had to keep one eye open most of the time, besides trying to sleep thru the din of a hundred birds, from 10 different countries, yelling at other in 10 different dialects of bird talk, there were predators that lived on the same land.

 We had at least 2 monitor lizards on the land, these things take down cows in the wild.

 Sure one didn't have any teeth, but a 6 foot long dinosaur teeth or no is not to be trifled with.

For 4 years I was ever vigilant, when awakened suddenly in that situation you have to be ready to rumble.

 Besides the lizards, add in the other 2 dogs that both had a beef with me, and sleep was tenuous at best.

 So I know bones would never hurt me but I have ptdsd or post traumatic doggy stress disorder.

 Sometimes I pretend to be asleep when he pets me.

 I like to see the mix of fear and love in his eyes and

 I like the way he pets my head and eyes and gives me a massage,thinking I am asleep.

 He is trying to let me know that, here with him , I can sleep and not be afraid.

 Roxy is here we are all lying down.

 I like my life:

 I hope you like your life and know when you sleep you will wake up to people that love you.

Hugs from the hill: Cash Fargo Bellinger 

The tell tale tongue:

I love Roxy you all know that, and I can understand that with that little thick tongue of hers she would be jealous of my luxuriously long thick pink spiel. After all, her tongue fits perfectly in her thick squat little head.
 My tongue is a problem, even though my nose is so wonderfully long it is still an effort to keep my tongue in my mouth. This has always been a problem with Bones also, he has been told since child hood to hold his tongue. I am not sure how you do that but he doesn't seem to care. He feels people should hear what he has to say. I feel the same way like now, as to my tongue being stupid I beg to differ my tongue knows just where to lick and how to do it. The reason I drink daintily is so said tongue does not lash back at me and either knock me out or blind me.

Now watch the video and tell me who is the more gracefull of us? See how my stroke is determined and powerful, while Roxys is tenative and fearful? She is afraid her big head will sink and drag her to the bottom. I on the other hand am long and streamlined. Besides if I get in trouble I can always  grab something with my tongue and pull myself to shore.

Oh oh Roxy just saw what I am writing.
 I am just kidding about everything she is my queen and I worship the ground she walks on.

I love you honey:

Watch your tongue, it can get you in trouble.
 Say nice things and nice things happen.

I love life you should also.

Hugs from the hill Cash Fargo Bellinger

The Swimming Mongrels

Roxy wanted to write this one. She said I look funny when I swim. I told her I am like a TireFeet. (Bones corrected me: apparently it's "triathlete.") Anyway, we went swimming for the first time ever. It's like flying in the back of a truck, only you're covered by a blanket that you can't eat. It's like the ocean only it doesn't move. You can drink it. It tasted like frogs and fish poop. A bunch of it went up my nose so I had to rub my face in the dirt like I was charming snakes.

Roxy just bit my ankles. She would like it to be her turn now.

It was 110 degrees. The wind hit our nostrils like exhaust. We utilized our Shadefinder capabilities, lingering under trees or shrubs, then quickly skittering across the ridiculously hot wasteland to the next spot.
The first pond felt so good on my belly I thought I would involuntarily pee. Cash dipped his stupid long tongue and drank all dainty like he does. Then we started on the next batch of heat.
The next pool looked good to me, but dad didn't want to be next to the people. We kept going. There was another pond. It was covered in green goopy things that I wanted to eat. The mud felt lunchbox on my feet. (Dad said it's "luxurious.")
Megan looked hot. I licked the sweat off her calf but that didn't help. I want to eat her calf.
There was more heat. It made my eyes feel like cooked olives. There was a long time with no water. Finally we made it to a big pool. The breeze still felt like getting cooked in an oven. I don't know what that's like, but Megan's kitty Solomon likes to crawl into the refrigerator—he says the oven is the opposite.
Megan slinked into the water. It sounded like it felt good on her belly. She kept trying to take Cash in deeper than his paws could touch. Water is weird. It's squishy like a deliciously dead animal I want to roll in, but it doesn't end. Megan finally got Cash to go in. He started flying. Only his head was above water.
I had to get him.
I figured if I jumped really far I could make it to the other side without flying through the squishy animal. Dad says it's called swimming. It's weird. You can't get on top of it. You run as fast as you can without touching anything.
Cash is fast.
I went back with Dad and Megan yesterday. We went to the first big pool. There weren't a lot of people, but one lady had a daughter. She got mad at a guy who had "a mouth on him." His friend said he "had a pretty mouth." I don't know. His mouth looked the same.
Dad and Megan left me on one side of the pool and called me over. I tracked them from land, then they started swimming back. Eventually I jumped in, but it was way too far. I had to fly. It took a long time. It felt good, but I don't know. Cash wasn't there to chase.
When we left we saw a rattlesnake, a deer, turkeys, and the same old lady who doesn't recognize me every time. I will make her recognize me next time.
It's still my turn. Hm.