Good news and Bad news

Good news first! People drop animals off too frequently down where we are building the house, that is why we have 6 dogs now! I was raking leaves in the back of the property on Monday and from the side I saw something dart across the railroad tracks, it looked like a tan dog. I went outside the gate and didn't see a thing. I went back to raking and looked up and there he was again so I went out the gate and as soon as he saw me he darted off. I had a can of wet dog food so I opened it and emptied it out on the side of the track and I could see the dog was watching me further down. When I backed off, he came closer, when I stopped, he stopped, it was too funny! I went back in the gate and he came and ate the food so I went back out and put some dry food on the side of the track and he did the same thing. I was talking softly to him, trying to let him know I wouldn't hurt him. The third time I brought the big stuff, a leftover taco bell burrito (with sour cream!) if that didn't work, nothing would! I broke it up into pieces and backed off but he didn't keep as much distance this time so I went into the fenced area and waited. After he ate the burrito, he came over to the tracks and sat down, looking at me as I talked softly to him. Then, all of a sudden he looked at me like I was his long lost friend and started wagging his tail and came down to greet me through the fence. He was licking my hand and jumping up and down for joy, crying with happiness, it was a sweet scene but brought tears to my eyes as I knew we couldn't take in another dog and I wasn't sure what to do with it and, I knew Terry was going to kill me for feeding it! He hung around all day, barking and crying and wanting in the gate so bad. Terry finally showed up and I told him I had to feed him as he was starving, his ribs were sticking out and I knew he hadn't eaten in days. I left late afternoon with plans of feeding him every day, hoping he would hang around until I could find a home for it. There is a local dog rescue facility a few miles down the road and Terry called them and they said they were full but he knew we had allot going on right now and said we didn't need to deal with a stray dog so he came and got him. He put a leash on the dog and he jumped right in the truck like he had done is several times before. The guy said that by the time he got back to the shelter, the dog's head was in his lap and he was sleeping. He put him in a kennel with fresh shavings and lots of food and water. I was so happy that this sweet dog was going to be taken care of and the guy said that he would probably go fast as he is so friendly and lovable. A little fattening up and a trip to the vet for a check up and he should be good as new! Here is a photo I took of him through the fence, doesn't he have the sweetest face. I am so relieved this had a happy ending!

Sorry for the long breaks between posts, we've been busy with the house trying to get it ready for final, hopefully first of the week! Its been really stressful trying to get everything done, then on top of that we have had another issue come up.
Now the Bad news. The Sheriff's dept. is trying to open a Training Facility/Shooting Range directly across the street from our new house! We have known about it for a few months but it didn't really sink in until a few weeks ago when they posted a zoning sign and it has been stressful ever since. I just think about it and I start crying, I can't imagine listening to guns all day long, it will just be devastating. We got the property because it was out in the country, away from the noise of the city. They had the zoning meeting at the courthouse and several local neighbors attended and voiced their concerns. At the meeting the Planning Board told the residents that they were going to come down to the site (on 3/30) and listen to the sheriff's shoot guns so they could hear how loud it was. The neighbors all got together and protested the shooting range, there was about 30 of us, we had signs and wanted to let them know that this was not acceptable. We were told by their attorney that we were not allowed to talk to them so you could say it was a silent protest. It was kind of a waste of time because a shooting range consists of 12 shooting areas, which will have 12 sheriff's all shooting at once. The demonstration they had was a single sheriff and he shot about 4-5 times and that was it, plus he shot in a area where the noise would be buffered. Everyone was really mad because they should have had 12 sheriffs shooting so they could hear what it really will sound like, that will definitely be a big point that comes up at the next meeting. I took a photo of our group, they were all in front of our property as the designated site is across from us, these are the good guys.

The next meeting is 4/6 and it is going to be huge as there will be several people there and lots of them will be speaking. There are several landowners that surround the range site and no body wants to hear guns. I can't even imagine what it will do to the wildlife as there is an Eagle that flies over our property that has a nest close by, there are white cranes and blue herons that graze the ponds for food, there are deer everywhere and lots of little critters. Too bad snakes can't hear, I wouldn't mind if it scared them away! The impact to the environment, the wildlife and the neighbors will be devastating so we are all going to do whatever we can do prevent this.
These are the bad guys, some of them are sherriffs and some are the County Board Members, our future is in their hands! I guess the Board members aren't bad guys unless they vote yes on the range!

I haven't had allot of crafting time lately but did manage to make a few cards.
I made the first one with Basic Grey Kioshi line. I stamped the flowers, cut them out and then traced around the edges with a sharpie, then coated with glitter and attached them only in the center for a 3D effect. The window is a very old stamp that I had. I stamped it in white, cut it out and put paper behind it and sewed around it.

This next card was embellished with some Paper Studio scraps and Basic Grey Laundry line. Frame is Tattered Angels with glimmer mist and rub-on is Melissa Frances.

I'm off to the property today to start my garden, I got a bunch of tomato plants yesterday and, it's supposed to be in the 80's!! I'm going to be daring and put on a pair of shorts and show off my white legs, I hope I don't scare the birds!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a very Happy Easter!
Annette