My blog is worth $192,508.14.
How much is your blog worth?
« November 2017 | Main | January 2018 »
This picture was posted on the UPS Dogs Facebook page. If you remember, UPS drivers have won the hearts of dogs all over the country as they give treats to them while delivering packages. Well this is one for the record books. An Illinois UPS guy got a big kiss from a different kind of dog.
Awesome
|
|
In 2007 Katie and Charlie brought home a fuzzy, brown, Wheaten Terrier puppy they named Riley. He grew into a fuzzy white-ish handsome guy who liked just about everyone except delivery people. He was great with each baby boy who came along and loved food, snow, and even the bunny who joined the family a year later. When we were out in Maryland last week there was the belief that Riley was not going to make it. He has suffered for some time with a skin disease which the vet could not cure and which got worse until all Riley would do was sleep or scratch. This health problem seems to be common in many Wheatens. Sadly today Katie had to take him to the vet for his last ride. This post may be a bit long, I've added Riley pictures and a couple of videos and links to stories about him from my blog.
This was one of the funnier times we had with Riley. It was at an Alexandria, Virginia dog park and he was obsessed with digging furiously in the water ball. He kept it up and kept it up until the ground was muddy, he was muddy and everyone was in tears laughing.
Here he is when he met baby Drew for the first time.
When he came with Katie and Charlie for Christmas for the first time.
It didn't take him long to learn where the food was.
Fuzzy puppy
He changed to a lighter color as he got a few months older
Neutering was not the best day
He could be a nosy stinker
He loved the snow. Here is a video of him playing in the snow
He was a family guy
We loved you Riley and will miss you so much.
The night before we left the other day, I spent a little quiet time alone with Riley and took one last picture.
Katie took a final photo last night as she and the boys snuggled on the couch with him
It's very heartbreaking for the family out there in Maryland. But they have some great memories to look back on.
Riley!!
|
|
The introduction to this story said, "This may surprise you." Well it certainly did. I find some of the things people buy the most at Walmart's website just can't be true. For instance Missouri Walmart shoppers buy Life Savers more than anything else. I mean, come on. Illinois shoppers buy erasers the most. Lots of mistakes over in Illinois I guess. Who goes online to buy LIfe Savers and erasers?
In Georgia another mind boggling item: Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chairs
This list is pretty hilarious if you believe people buy these things online more than any other item.
|
|
In the mid 1800's a German immigrant, Adam Lemp, began a German Lager beer business in St. Louis which proved to be very popular. "
"After his death in 1862, his son William J. Lemp, Sr., took over the family business. Under William Sr.’s watch, the brewery blossomed into St. Louis’ largest beer manufacturer. He was credited with installing the first refrigeration machine in an American brewery and later developed refrigerated railway cars to distribute their chilled product across the United States.
In 1892, Western Brewery rechristened itself William J. Lemp Brewing. William Sr. served as president; son William Jr. was Vice President; and son Louis, superintendent. William Sr.’s fourth son, Frederick, was his golden child – the chosen one who stood to inherit his empire."
But it wasn't long before things went bad.
Frederick died of heart failure in 1901 at the age of 28. This, coupled with the death of William's best friend in 1904, caused William such despair he shot himself to death that same year in the Lemp mansion.
In 1920, William's daughter Elsa shot herself to death after marital problems.
William's son, Billy took over the family business after his father's death but saw it decline due to prohibition and sold for almost nothing. He shot himself in the mansion in 1922.
Charles, the third son of William, went into banking instead of beer making and lived out his life alone in the mansion with his dog and two servants. Becoming more depressed and reclusive as the years went on, one day in 1949 he shot his dog and then himself in the mansion.
William sr, had two other children who manged to live their lives and die natural deaths.
Today the Lemp Mansion is a B and B and has a restaurant which if you're interested will have a New Year's Eve chicken dinner from 11;30 to 5. It will not be open during the evening. The maniosn also has plays, tours, Halloween events.
|
|
This from former KSDK weather expert, Cindy Preszler:
"That bit between Christmas and New Year's where you don't know what day it is, who you are, and what you are supposed to be doing."
I can't count the number of times lately Dale or I have asked, "What day is this?"
|
|
Last week Y-98 traffic reporter, Lance Hilldebrand, had the week off so his tally of mattresses and ladders which fall onto local roadways was not added onto. But, KMOX traffic reporter, Rodger Brand, made not of a ladder on 70 near highway K. So the latest total is:
Mattresses 162 1/2 Ladders 149
Oddly, driving back and forth to Maryland this past week we saw absolutely nothing on any vehicle which looked like it might fall onto the highways. No ladders, no mattresses.
|
|
Back from our Christmas visit to Maryland last night so this morning meant a trip to Schnucks to get some food in the house. Who'd have thought we'd need food ever again there was so much around the past week? Anyway, I was very surprised to see the parking lot of the Schnucks near the seminary. We heard there had been snow in St. Louis while we were gone which meant treating roads and other surface areas. But, wow. The entire parking lot was white. At first I thought it was still some ice/snow cover, but that was not the case. This must be some new salting product because I have never seen anything like it.
Whatever this product is, it stays on and looks exactly like snow cover.
|
|
The boys spent their last night together pondering something on an iPad and then Charlie took them to an indoor pool for an hour and a half. They get along so well it's a shame they live so far away.
|
|
Last Thursday we left St. Louis with Lizzie and her family to head to Maryland for Christmas with Katie and her family. The drive was long as always, but thankfully weather was not an issue, and the days since have been active and festive. We head back Wednesday after discussing how tiring it would be to leave early the day after Christmas. Not safe for driving if we're as tired as we are tonight. The first things we did on Friday was to run final errands for the weekend holiday, grocery store, wine shop, and the hair place so Dale, Jake and Drew could all get hair cuts.
This was kind of a fun place. There was no wait and all three got worked on at the same time after a before picture from me which the women seemed to get a kick out of and even told me where to stand to get the best view.
Drew
Jake
Mama Kate watching
Dale and Jake were done about the same time and sat and watched for Drew.
After supper of Italian beef sandwiches, all the boys grabbed a blanket and headed to the basement to watch a Batman movie that was projected large onto a wall. Really cool.
And if all this wasn't enough for one day, while the boys were downstairs, a huge group of Carolers stopped in front of the Bailey house and sang their hearts out. They were all ages, young , old, mid life, and were having a great time.
Ferdie went out to listen. After all this we were tired and went to bed. Saturday was busy too.
|
|
Mattresses 162 1/2 A mattress fell on 70 near Blanchette Bridge
Ladders 146
|
|