Ghost's Arrival

I have always been a kind hearted soul, and believe the Universe put me on this Earth to help Mother Natures creatures from two wee kittens named Konni & Tatlow in 2012 then later Nootka, and Two Socks who found me in 2016 just skin and bone and then a year later Ghost who was an abused Rhodesdian Ridgeback/Pitbull mix pictured above. These were the pets, but I also rescued a Swansons Hawk that crashed into the side of a cabin and a Common Loon that was knocked out of the sky by a Bald Headed Eagle. As well as countless wee birdies from hummingbirds to barn swallows who found themselves trapped indoors.

Thinking back to August 2012 when I rescued the two wee orange tabbies from the local dump. Quite the story... haha as I remember diving headlong like a football player into the pile of abandoned truck tires, and came up holding the leg of a tiny bundle of orange fur. That was one little kitty I now had in my pick-up, but his brother ran under the dilapidated old school bus, and was far harder to capture, as every time I got close he managed to squeeze under the rubble. The trick that finally got him out was letting his sibling meow, and waiting patiently until the kitty was in the clear before Emilia, and I were able to catch him in a fishing net.

I believe it was during the spring of 2014 that another rescue came into play, as I looked out my cabin window and saw a Swansons Hawk swoop down low, and for some unexplicable reason perhaps the cabin windows' reflexion, crashed. Without a thought I jumped two short rail fences and approached the prone raptor. The bird was stunned and flopped around until I gently folded its wings, and set it back up on its feet. I remember sitting there petting the hawks head, and talking softly to the bird. It took about seven minutes before the hawk shook his head, and stood there looking directly at me then took a short hop, and flew away.

Not long after this rescue I heard an unearthly screeching coming from the woods just past cabin eight, and went to investigate. Jenny was there, and I wondered what poor animal she had come across when I saw the loon. How the devil did the loon get there, so far away from the water. I could only surmise that, as the bird flew over an eagle had knocked it out of the air.

Omg...I just stepped forward grabbed the loon's bill in one hand and trapped the birds powerful wings with my other arm and hoisted. Then walked over to the lake and set it free.

Every summer countless country birds found themselves trapped indoors until I came to the rescue and gently scooped their bodies in my hands talking softly, and saying everything is going to be okay, as I walked outdoors and opened my hands only to have the birdies fly away.

Nootka and Two Socks arrived on October 13th, 2016 following a lady hiker back from Konni Mountain a 17.5 kilometer distance from my home, and Chaunigan Lake Lodge. These two beggars where just skin and bone when they arrived, but I already had two dogs of my own Jenny a husky mix, and Maggie an English Black Lab both intact females and these two rascals were males. I needed to decide and quick if these two dogs were to stay they would need to be neutered, as winter was quickly approaching my mountain home. Both dogs were just skin and bone when they arrived and quite literally inhaled their bowls of dogfood.

I believe they came from the native reserve on the other side of Konni Mountain and had to hunt and scrounge for something to eat. Fate put them up there that day on the mountain.

Two Socks named for his two white markings on his front paws is a Shetland/ Collie cross and Nootka well I was not quite sure so I say he is a cattle dog of sorts.

Two weeks after their arrival Jenny passed away at the age of eleven and that left me with Maggie who had been plagued all her life with epilipse and arthritis. I remember her being cramped in a small cage at a pet shop and crying when she saw me, as if pleading for me to take her home. Oh, that was so many years ago in Lachute, Quebec. At the time the five hundred dollar price tag was well above anything I could afford, and I had to turn my back, and walk away. But, as I went home I kept thinking of that poor pup, and the next day went with my last dollars to purchase her. Only she was not there and had been shipped back to the kennel in Joilette.

Omg, what to do I thought then quickly asked for the address and directions, and asked that the shop call the kennel and say I was on my way to purchase the three month old pup. So a long story short I brought Maggie home with me. Jenny was excited for a new playmate a puppy herself. Then suddenly a few days later Maggie stiffened up and her eyes rolled back into her head, and I thought she was dead.

Over the years she suffered dual, grand mal seisures, and I would have to sit with her and calm her until the two subsided. It was not until we had driven across Canada and come to British Columbia that I found out she was born with arthritis, as well when she needed a knee replacement. Yikes, that was expensive at $3000.00. But I loved my dogs, as they were my family.

Early February 2018 is when Ghost a Rodhesian Ridgeback/Pitbull cross arrived and this is quite the tale to tell.

I remember being on Facebook in late January scrolling through my friends posts when I came across the post for a seven month old pup that had been abused, and kicked down the stairs by his previous owner. This pup was a feature from 'Paw Patrol' out of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Right off the bat I felt sorry for the pup, but hell what could I do I was snowbound for seven months, and about a nine hour drive away even if I could get out. That is when a lady neighbor of mine sent me a message that she was in the Fraser Valley, and the lady whose post was about the pup just happened to be a friend of hers.

Just so you know when I said neighbor I meant she lived twenty-five kilometers across the mountains from where I was snowbound.

Okay, so now I message the person with the ad and say I might be interested thinking what is one more dog, but never actually thinking this might come about. I get a message back saying someone is coming to see the dog on the weekend, and if they do not take him he is yours. Oh, oh what now I say to myself.

I contact Deanna, and ask if she can pick-up the dog and sure enough she is more than eager to go and get the pup. Now for her to retun home it is a two day journey with the pup in a kennel in her backseat. They even spent one night in a hotel in Williams Lake, BC.

In the meantime I need to figure out a way to get the pup from her when she returns to Brittany Lake across the mountains. Well, I have the snowmobile, and a skimmer sled, and think that might do the trick. But its been rather cold these last few days and everyday I am looking at the forecast, and praying for a warm day to go, and get the pup.

I believe the date was February 4th, 2018 when I set off from home via snowmobile, and skimmer sled for the two hour ride across the mountains to meet up with Deanna, and her husband Luke.

Apparently my timming was spot on, and I arrived shortly after she had arrived home at the 'Earthship' they called home, at Brittany Lake.

Both Luke and myself tried a couple of options, but finally decided to strap the green kennel to the skimmer sled and wire the mesh door shut with some wire. All set I put on my googles and snowmobile gloves then fired up the old Yamaha Bravo snowmobile for the twenty-five kilometer return trip to Chaunigan Lake and my cabin.

I was going rather slow at first making sure the pup was secure, but he howled and whimpered for a bit when I turned around, and saw that the skimmer sled had flipped on its side, and he was being dragged. Crap, I stopped and righted the sled then skimmed along through the burned area until I reached the trail leading down to Tsunia Lake. That is where we turned left, and headed for Five Mile Meadow. Crossing the meadow I heard the wolf pack howling somewhere off to the right and hoped we would make it safely home.

I was halfway home when we needed some speed to get up the backside of Chaunigan Mountain and follow the winding ten kilometer trail through the forest. Alright, I said finally made it to the top of the trail.

Ghostie I said to the pup here is your new home. Just wait until you meet the other boys.

A city dogs adventure into the wilderness...

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Author's Note: Ghost, Two Socks and Nootka are my three furry companions since Maggie's timely demise in the spring of 2019 at the age of 14.

Ah... I sigh and remember how lucky I have been over the years to have had such great dogs to share in my wilderness adventures.

I appreciate and am grateful to all my fans for sharing these stories with their families and freinds!!

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