Dispatches from the Swamp – the Hell has Frozen over Edition

Oh my god! My mother is freaking out because Calgary has elected a Muslim mayor, Naheed Nenshi! When we talked him she did not really know anything about his platform. Her main concerns were that he was Muslim and not married. She went on to say that he got everyone in NE Calgary (code for visible minorities) to vote for him. She also blamed students because he used social media. My mother and I spar a lot over politics mostly she pushes my buttons and I correct her racist language.

Our drainage work is back on. They are laying the drain pipes, filling it in with gravel and putting the dirt back on top. I am really looking forward to it all being done. I hope we have a better winter. It already is less damp in the old part of the house.

I had a major grant application to finish this week. I really don’t know why I don’t just do it all early rather than working steadily and getting it done. Oh well, perhaps it is just human nature. I finished it today and will send it in tomorrow. There is always another grant application to try to not procrastinate.

We are a little worried about the dogs being left alone 3 days a week for several hours. They have been very spoiled for the last couple of years as they were rarely alone. Madison is our real concern as she is getting increasingly anxious because of her dementia. She gets upset when gates are closed and tries to destroy them so we have to leave them all open. So far, so good.

Pampered Chef Fundraiser for Turtle Gardens

Zoe, rescued by Turtle Gardens

We are holding a fundraiser for Turtle Gardens through Pampered Chef. We had planned to have a party but it was sidetracked by H1N1. We decided to go ahead and try and get orders for products. The more money we spend, the more money goes to Turtle Gardens!! What a great deal. So here is my shameless appeal! Pampered Chef has great, high quality products. You can place your order in time for Christmas still!

The picture above is of Zoe the newest member of the K-9 family here at The Swamp. Before she was rescued by Turtle Gardens, Zoe spent her life living outdoors and in a cage as a puppy mill dog. She had many litters of puppies and probably only received emergency medical care. When she came to Turtle Gardens she was spayed and screened for mammary cancer. Other dogs coming out of that puppy mill had mammary cancer – which is almost completely preventable if female dogs are spayed before 6 months of age. Unlike our Gemma, Zoe showed no signs of this invasive, deadly cancer.

Turtle Gardens is the only rescue for a large area in the North. They rescue dogs without questions as they live in an area of the province where the solution to dog over population is a ‘shoot.’ One of the main goals of Turtle Gardens is a low-cost spay and neuter program as they try to reduce the number of puppies being born every year.

Turtle Gardens has pretty much no funding. They rely completely on donations. This year they did not receive their Gaming grant from the province of BC. It is looking like it is going to be a long, tough winter for Yvette, Bear and Dave up at Turtle Gardens. With almost 50 dogs in their care and no steady stream of income, they need all the help they can get to keep everyone fed and moved to their new homes in the South.

If you have a moment, have a look at the Turtle Gardens website. Read the blogs and get an idea of what life as a rescuer is all about in Northern BC. If you are able to help the fundraising efforts of Turtle Gardens order some great items from Heather at The Pampered Chef. You can email Heather directly at chasmundson@gmail.com. You do not have to live in Metro Vancouver to help out Turtle Gardens – your purchases can be shipped elsewhere.

Zoe and Gemma and all the other Turtle Gardens dogs say thank you!

Thank you!