#21

A PEACE FULL DAY HIKING WITH GINA

   I love taking my dogs hiking in the woods near my house when i feel well. I think it's safe to say we all have a great time. In Hamilton there is somewhere around  126 different waterfalls that you can hike to, and they are just breath taking.

   Last time I took Gina and Capone hiking we were lucky enough or unlucky I should say, to see lots of wild animals. I must admit my dogs are great but when it comes to chasing wild animals, nothing I can say will stop them from trying.

   After Gina was attacked by a greyhound at the dog park she has become a little aggressive towards other dogs. She doesn't attack them or anything like that. But if the other dog happens to bark at her she goes nuts, she starts barking back and wining and pulling on the leash like a tractor.

   A few months ago we went to Webster's falls, which is a huge family park, hiking trails, picnic area and the largest waterfall in the Hamilton area. The park was packed that day, I had never seen it so busy everywhere you looked with there were people. Dan and I had walked the dogs for a few hours and were just getting ready to leave the park when walking towards us was another young couple with their dog. Dan turned to me and asked "what kind of dog do you think that is?" I lifted my sunglasses to see better and stared at the dog coming towards us. My best guess, the dog was some kind of husky/ great Dane mix. It was a big orange dog twice the size of my petite Gina.

   I don't know if Gina could tell I was focused on the dog coming towards us, or if she was jealous or if shes just a bitch. But either way the other dog started barking and growling at us, which made Gina start barking and squealing at the other dog. She pulled on her leash bucking and kicking, standing on her hind legs. I started winding her leash around my wrist trying to keep control of her.

   Calmly walking beside me was Dan holding on to Capone's leash. Poor Capone isn't much of an aggressor so he just dropped to the ground looking around trying to figure out why Gina was acting so crazy. At that moment I really wished I had been the one walking Capone. Looking around quickly I realized everyone in the park was staring at me and Gina and the other couple walking there dog towards us.

   I tried to calm Gina, I yelled at her, I pulled on her leash I tried to distract her but she was going nuts doing circles around me and barking. Before I knew it I couldn't move, she had wound me up with her leash and my legs were tied together. All it took was one swift pull from her and I was flat on my back hitting the ground with a loud thud. Everyone in the park was staring at me. The guy holding his out of control dog came up asking me if I was ok, and if i needed help.

   I was so embarrassed. I now know how my mother feels all the time when she trips/falls. I quickly jumped up trying not to bring anymore attention to my fall. Finally Dan asked "are you ok? Do you want me to walk Gina?" Funny how he didn't ask me that 2 mins before all this had happened. I'm sure Gina felt bad about what had happened but all I could say to her on the way back to the car was "You took mommy down, in front of all those people you took mommy down."

#22

FIR CRAZY

Dear readers,

   This is  a blog I wrote a few weeks ago, and thought I had published on my site but realized I still haven’t put it up for everyone to read so here it is…    

   Monday night I laid in bed like a kid on Christmas eve, I tossed and turned and tried my best to fall asleep. But Sleep was eluding me. No matter what I did I couldn’t sleep I was too excited. Excited about what you ask? Well as many of you know I am one of the biggest Christmas fans out there, I play Christmas music all year long, I keep my tree up 365 days a year and on any give day you can find me watching one of my Christmas movies from my huge collection.

   But what does my love of Christmas have to do with me not being able to sleep in the middle of summer? Even though there are only 195 days until Christmas, this is not what was keeping me up. I had received word that the HALLMARK channel was filming a new CHRISTMAS movie HERE in Hamilton called FIR CRAZY and they were filming outside on the street. Someone had told me that “if you get there early enough you might be able to get a part as an extra”. So I woke up put on my make up got dressed and raced across town to the movie set. Apparently I was a little too excited because the actors weren’t set to show up for another 6 hours.

   Even though I was disappointed that I couldn’t fulfill a Huge dream of mine and become an extra in a Christmas movie and cross that off my bucket list, I still had a great time on set. Because the actors and the director and other important people weren’t expected for a few hours I was able to have some fun on the almost empty set.

   This is a picture of Krysta Lee, she is starring in the movie Fir Crazy and is such a nice lady. I didn’t realize till the next day that she also is a friend of my old friend Mike. Mike plays in a country band and so does Krista so they kind of know each other from the local country music scene. Too bad I didn’t know all this the day before, maybe I could have cashed in a few favors and become an extra walking down the street in the movie. But I still had a great time on the movie set and here’s a few pictures I took of my time on set.

 Such a great day on the Christmas set in the middle of summer 

#24

I AM LENNOX!

The fight for Lennox

Since this is such sad news I'm only going to touch on it for a moment. My blog is meant to make people laugh and to share the new adventures that i embark on each and every year.

But since I was recently at a breast cancer fundraiser in Windsor, and was asked repeatedly about the dog Lennox I thought I would give all my readers the update.

 

The world has last the fight, The BCC has released a statement saying that Lennox was put down at 7 am on July 11th basically the moment his appeal was expired.

There is more to this case then the public knows... At least that is my belief. The family of Lennox was denied a last request to say good bye to their beloved family member that was to be put to sleep... forever. They were also denied the right to have Lennox's body returned to them, so they could bury him on the family's farm or in the local pet cemetery. (Wherever it was they wanted to lay him to rest, somewhere they could visit. A place with a headstone where they could mourn and feel close to Lennox, somewhere they could leave flowers and little trinkets of love to show that he is not forgotten.) Lennox's 12 year old best friend had made a call, herself, asking if should could have Lennox's collar back once hes gone. She just wanted something to remember her dog. From what i have been told and what i have read. She was rudely told no and the adult on the other end made animal noises at the little girl and then hung up on her.

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL

If you want to read more for yourself you can go to www.savelennox.co.uk web page there are also facebook pages that show support for Lennox's family. As well as web site and face book pages that have thousands of followers calling for a boycott of Belfast, where all this happened.

It is horrible that hundred of thousands of people have come together to support this dog Lennox and his family, and still thousands of screaming and pleading voices wern't able to make a difference in the life of Lennox and his best friend the families 12 year old special needs daughter.

I personally won't stop fighting for Lennox's memory, and for the other dogs that may be put down under the BSL. Starting wtih a protest this upcoming weekend in Toronto. I'm not a protest kind of girl, I have never walked a picket line, I have never held a man made sign and chanted with others for what i believe in.
But in memory of Lennox the dog who touched the hearts of everyone I will proudly hold a sign and chant along side other like minded individuals and their dogs.

I have cried more tears then I can count over this case, I have worn blue to show my support, I have prayed and hoped wished and prayed. All to no avail. It's a sad case with the worst possible outcome. I will do what i can to make sure this doesn't happen again and I'm going to start on July 21st in Toronto with my dogs at my side, protesting for the END OF BILL 16. A sign that i came across a few days ago really sums up the way i feel about the dangerous dog act.. "Don't blame the Breed, punish the Deed." Meaning any dog can be aggressive even a fluffy poodle. But don't blame a breed of dogs because of what some may have done. Treat each case as individual cases and deal with them on a personal basis.  Come out and join me if your going to be in the area or if the Lennox story has moved you.

Because of what has happened to Lennox the world is still watching and fighting. Lennox supporters now call themselfs "The Lennox Army" with a slogan of WE ARE LENNOX. It's something I strongly believe in and a pharase I will promise to use over and over again.

Ok thats enough of tree hugging hippie protest chanting Ashley. I promise my blog will be back to normal. :)
Happy and Funny :) 

I'm sure this blog has spelling mistakes and is poorly written but as my emotions are poured out onto my computer i can't help but shed tears for Lennox and all the other dogs that are out there waiting for their death sentence. I can't help but become over wellmed with anger that Lennox couldn't be saved. Becuase of my strong emotions right now, I can't go back and prof read this blog and correct the spelling mistakes and poorly composed sentences.

I am a dog lover, and I am in love with MY dogs. I will fight till the end if i had to, just to protect them from any basis comments. Together we can make a difference. And together ...

WE ARE LENNOX!

Lennox, I'm sorry I failed you, I'm sorry we are as the human race failed you. But you will not be forgotten and your pain and suffering was not in vain. Change will come from what was done to you. The world is STILL watching and so am I. Rest In Peace Sweet Boy.

#23

DRAGON BOAT RACE/ FUNDRAISER FOR BREAST CANCER

   Oh how much I have to blog about. My blog started this weekend a year ago, when I had a little too much to drink and ended up crossing  #21 off my bucket list, when I got on stage (or should I say was pushed on stage) and sang along with the band. (Please see #52 if you need a refresher though i still have till August 5th to finish the 52 things for this year!!!!!!)

   Luckily this year I didn’t have as much to drink so I didn’t have the liquid courage to get up on stage. (probably a good thing as I have heard myself sing.) But I did cross off another thing from my bucket list which I will tell you about in one of the upcoming blogs. 

   I did have a great night, with great people and was so happy to be surrounded by family and friends and so many people who love me. The day started off with a mad dash to get things packed, load the car, head for the express way, turn around half a dozen times for things I forgot including Dan once, and flying down the highway trying to make it to the dragon boat fundraiser in time to see my favorite band Nemesis go on stage. 

www.nemesisrocks.com

   Once we made it to Windsor, it was again a mad dash unload the car, take the dogs pee, find my clothes for the night, help Dan get dressed ( He had an accident at work this week and isn’t moving to freely yet without pain) and put on my make up while doing my hair. This is where my night really started.

   So after the long 4 hour car ride to Windsor my make up had been baking in the trunk of the car for quite a few hours. When I got to my grandfathers house in Windsor I turned the A/C on right away. The house was at 98F hot enough to melt the ice in my cup in moments.

   But I didn’t have time to worry about that I was in a rush to get ready and head down to the park. I started teasing my hair and spraying more then enough hairspray for the whole cast of jersey shore. I knew it was hot out and I wanted my hair to stay in place and it was going to no matter what! After that I took a break outside to cool off had a drink and was back in the bathroom to start on my make up. I did my eyes and couldn’t figure out why my make up job didn’t look as it usually did. But again I didn’t have time to dwell on it. Next was my cover up. Thank god I remembered to bring my cover up, that morning I had woke up with this gaudier of a zit on my chin. Almost like the big massive zit you pray you don’t have on prom night or your wedding day, but yep the one night a year I go out I got that massive dreaded zit right on the front of my face, it almost looked as though my head was trying to grow an extra chin.

   So I reached for every cover up I had, sticks, powers, liquids, foundations, everything I could. But once I opened the jar to my foundation I noticed it looked at little different… It wasn’t it’s usual smooth creamy texture. It was lumpy, like cottage cheese. I stood in the small hot bathroom staring at the bottle for minute puzzled. Finally I reached out and touched my make up case , it was still warm. It was then I knew I had cooked my foundation in the trunk of my car. There wasn’t much I could do at the moment.

I put on the warm foundation starting at my forehead and working downwards. By the time I got to the massive zit on my chin the peach foundation from my forehead was melting and running down the top of my nose and pooling a tear size drop that dripped off my nose.

   Frustrated I decided to go outside cool off, and let the central air do its thing. After my small break I went back to mirror and was going to attempt to make this foundation stay on if it was the last thing I do. Looking up into the mirror I noticed the sweat dripping from my face and that my eyebrows were suddenly and totally unruly. Now I don’t know for sure if it had something to do with the massive heat in that house that had made them grow like a chia pet over the last few minutes, but whatever it was I had to tame these beasts.

   I searched around for a solution , I was at my grandfathers old house a house that no women had entered in decades. What was I going to do, searching though my make up bag I found one of those little razors at the bottom. Phew thank god something was going my way in this bathroom. I took out the razor and started taming these bad boys. A little here, a little there, some from the bottom and not to forget the uni brow that was starting to grow. This little razor was amazing it was taking no time and I was doing great……….. Until Dan knocked on the bathroom door and I lost concentration. The razor in my hand pressed up against my eyebrow ready to take the next sharp swipe out of my eyebrow, was still firmly pressed against my face when I turned my head to the door, and took a swipe out of my eyebrow.

   I no longer worried about my uni brow, I was covered as far as that went. Because I now had three eyebrows. I had taken a complete section out of my eyebrow and left me with two half's of a brow above my left eye.

   After all this, I threw on whatever make up I had knowing damn well it was going to melt off before I even made it to the park. But at least I tried. In the pictures of my that night you will notice my make up is not at its best but I tired and most of it stayed on. Until I got home that evening, tired, tipsy, hot and uncomfortable. I sat at the table while everyone indulged on pizza and drinks. I placed my head in my hands and closed my eyes. I rubbed my face and tried to wake up, when someone asked if I was ok… I lifted my head and replied “yeah I’m fine”. Just then everyone at the table started laughing, unsure of what was going on my younger cousin held my hand up to me and said “look”. I looked and realized some of my make up was on my hand but big deal why were they laughing?

   Finally I was let in on the joke lol. When I had placed my face in my hands, the eyebrow that I had drawn on earlier that night had come off in my hand and was perfectly transferred onto my hand. What a fitting end to the night that started off with major make up issues.