"Where are you going to put that?"

I just finished watching a marathon run of "Buried Alive". To refresh your memory or give you some insight it is a program on A & E discussing and witnessing hoarders. I've seen this program on occasion for the past year or so...always being critical of the people that live the life of a hoarder.

It is easy to be critical but in my case it was more a case of 'for the grace of God, there go I". I think I know exactly when it started. I became the sole heir of my aunt's, mother's and father's 'stuff'. It was in very rapid sucession, I didn't have time to grieve, so I hung on to everything in hopes of a later garage sale.

The garage sale never materialized. In fact I moved across the country at a huge expense to keep all of the 'stuff'. A huge barn was built....just to shelter that 'stuff'. The storage units here were prohibitive since I needed several.

The initial moving in of the 'stuff' was exhilerating. I loved it, it reminded me of Christmas. "OH look, remember this?" And on and on. The barn is packed to the gills. I thought I would test the waters of the Eastern Shore and see how things progressed here.

I thought of a shop....consignment and used items. Most of our little downtown is vacant with more than enough space for this venture. But I was told early on....do not attempt to operate a business here....they won't come.

More than a few such attempts were made these past ten years but that advice still holds true....all failed for one reason or another...most important ....they did not come.

I also found out that Memorial Day and Labor Day are big garage sale days here. In some instances a whole village gets together and they run a sale block after block. Not my town.

The second year I tried to sort things out in the barn, I was making headway and ran across a snake. That was it for me. My fear is unreasonable but debilitating. We do have copperheads and I was not about to reach into a box with a nest of coppers nope not me.

While I still lived in Arizona I bought things....like the hoarders....to put into a shop in my new hometown. That only added to the mountain of junk. If my life depended upon it I couldn't tell you ten years later what is all in that barn.

My health deteriorated as well over the years. I traded my arthritic hip for fibromyalgia....what a bargain. This is tricky at best....when you feel grand what to do first. If the weather isn't co-operating your choice is made for you.

Now to get back to the hoarders....I sometimes feel their pain in letting go. What an awful feeling, after all it is just "stuff". I am the woman who on more than one occasion said the next time I move....it will be one suitcase and me walking down the driveway. Ha.

It is spring....memorial day is approaching faster and faster. I really want to get a set of dishes out of the barn to use in my house. I know this is ridiculous but I just can't make myself go into that place. Why oh why didn't I use these past ten years to overcome my fear of snakes, probably there is no such person here to help in that area.

Seriously....I think it has been too cold up until now for snake activity....maybe I'll chance it......or maybe I won't. Be careful out there....lots of stuff..RD

A Population Explosion that Requires Immediate Attention.

I really do not remember when I began to use Facebook, at any rate it must be some time ago. I went there for the games and just to veg out. It has indeed served that purpose and more. Many of my friends were there and it was much like not missing a step from old '360'.

But there is so much more on Facebook. Do you have an interest? It can and will fill that void in a most enjoyable way. You don't have to commit, or pay an entrance fee. I am interested in multitudes of things, including gardening, cooking,keeping perverts off of this site and animals.

Here is where I began to get caught up in a whirlpool of sorts. One thing leading to another. No one was pulling at me to join every other rescue agency known on this continent or any other. I did so out of curiosity, and a willingness to help if needed.

No sooner had I signed on to one then another and another group wanted me to take a look-see. I did so because I am polite and do know the pitfalls of the rescuing business. I gave that up some ten years ago, nope, I wasn't going to fall into that 24/7 trap again. It is endless, and keeps escalating into more bizarre needs than the human mind can comprehend. At least I can't.

To give you an example of the hideousness of the problem I get no less than 100 groups parading one sad faced dog or cat on the internet day after day. No, they are not always sad faced....some of them show a spunk for life and have no idea that theirs is about to be cut short.

Mine was not a unique dilemma....I never wanted to become hardened to the fact that this is happening right under our patrician noses day in and day out. So unless I want to return to my former life of a rescuer and sit in remote places under the cover of darkness listening for the click of the trap door closing I saw no way to be of help.

Let me revisit that time.....we had a plethora of help. Vets, volunteers, foster homes and lots of donations. We did this all before the internet and managed just fine in most instances.

My main concern is the over-abundance of one particular breed of dog that is either running loose or is relinquished by their owner ..... the pit bull. Oh, what a maligned breed this is. It is a relatively new breed to the United States but the population explosion is drowning us all.

The photos that I mentioned are largly pics of pitties. Yes up to 60% are pitties. Now I am aware that Riverside County in Calif has a day set aside for free pit spay/neuter. Isn't that grand? That is just one example. Other cities like Denver have banned pit bulls, which unfortunately does very little for the pit bull.

I want to do something. I want to have a fresh start with this breed...like Disney doing a film about pits that show their inherant loyalty, intellegence, strength. But thinking ahead....what if Disney were to take this on and the pitti looked so good to children that they would just run up to them and try to hug them and in the process get mauled?

Here is the rub, my friends, its all about the owners. How do we know how this pup grew up? We don't. He more than likely was purchased out of a department store push cart at a flea market or out of a trunk of a car. Is there money in this? I kind of doubt it. Do the purchasers have any idea what they are commiting to? I kinda doubt that as well. Do they know this breed is extremely active? Do they have any idea how much money a pet costs? Forget about getting spayed or neutered. Nope, I think not....but they sure do look bad and mean on the end of a chain that is designed for pulling big rigs out of ditches.

Many people have tried unsuccessfully to remedy this situation. How many of the people that partake in the free spay/neuter services of Riverside County do you think are of the macho kind just having a pit for an ornament?

I know I haven't even touched the problelm....yet day in and day out pitties are losing the battle. They have become a large part of our disposable society. How can we help this breed? How can we prevent flea market sales? How can we prevent the utter abuse? I'm at a loss. RD