Yesterday at 4:45 a.m, I turned off the alarm and reached down to pet Summer who had just run upstairs. As I did, I noticed that there seemed to be some sort of white powder on her muzzle–a definite muzzle puzzle.
I stumbled down the stairs and rounded the corner to see this.
Getting a little closer, I saw the whole picture.
This is not the thing you want to see early on the morning of a busy day.
Our darling doggie had not been pleased with the rain we’d had in the middle of the night and she responded in her usual way which is to open up the kitchen pantry and frantically claw and paw her way through whatever was available. You would think I would have learned that behavioral quirk by now but for some reason I had put an unopened bag of flour on the floor.
Big mistake.
To make matters worse, Steve had spent four hours Saturday shampooing the carpets upstairs which now bore traces of white doggie footprints everywhere. And since there was flour also sprinkled around the kitchen floor, Steve and I were walking in that and tracking it hither and yon.
Steve had already done some sweeping and cleaning up before I got down there and we made the joint decision to leave the rest of it for after church.
After morning service, a quick lunch and a quicker nap, we launched into Phase 2 of the Great Flour Cleanup.
We were on a bit of a time crunch because we had to leave house before 5 p.m. for a banquet at church; also, Sarah was due to arrive home with her roommate, Becca, who is visiting for a few days. We didn’t want Becca to look around and think she was visiting the Beverly Hillbillies.
And so I emptied out bins, washed and dried each item, and then returned everything to the bins. Exactly what I wanted to be doing on a Sunday afternoon.
When I had finished my cleaning, Steve came behind me and filled up the bucket and mopped the entire kitchen. What a great fella.
Here is the finished project. Ahhh.
We barely finished in time to get out the door to the next event of the day–our Volunteer Banquet.
I sang a song . . .
and Steve got a pie in the face.
I think I got the better end of the deal.
Sarah and her roommate, Becca, arrived safely late afternoon. So great to see them both!
I even made them a little welcoming poster.
I enjoyed sitting down with Sarah and Becca last night after the banquet and getting to know Becca. She loves movies (creating and watching) books, and words. She is funny and creative and is a wonderful friend to Sarah. It is our joy to get to have her stay at the Smith Abode a couple of days.
They will be here till Wednesday afternoon and then go back to Regent where Sarah has a final class meeting and Becca will get ready for her parents to arrive take her home to Connecticut.
Sarah will drive back home late Wednesday night and very early Thursday morning, we will load ourselves into the car for the trek to Florida to see these people. (And also, of course, Nathan.)
Lots of miles and smiles to come. I’ll keep you posted!
What about you? Have you ever had a dog (or other animal) that didn’t like storms and made messes? Any stories to share? Or any tips on how to deal with it?
Oh, my, poor Summer – to take out the frustration on the flour and whatever else was around. How about more shelves in your pantry, then, of course, you have to make sure there is no ladder for her to climb up. We did have a couple dogs, but don’t think they were afraid of storms. Our son, upteen years ago, had a guinea pig. It learned to get out of its cage, and one night I went downstairs to get a glass of water and about scared me half to death as it raced across the floor. I hate rats and to me guinea pigs are a short tail short of a rat. But I did get close enough to try and pet it. Steve, what a guy to wash the floor for Becky. You truly are a treasure (I have one of those too).
Sharyn,
Having a guinea pig run across the floor in the middle of the night would take 10 years off my life. I’d rather clean up flour!
And yes, Steve is a great guy; mopping the floor after the Flour Catastrophe won him big points!
Maybe she just wanted to give you a heads start on spring cleaning! :p All kidding aside, sorry about the mess! Our pastors dog happens to be afraid of the wind and the rain, and in a rainy and windy town it causes problems for them often – many sleepless nights with the dog wanting to hide in their bed! Also their dog is a giant chocolate lab. Their problem was solved when they had to replace their front door, they assume the wind must have made a different sound coming through the old one. Doggy problems can be frustrating for sure!
CJ,
Well, after looking back at those pictures once I posted them I thought that the closet could sure USE some cleaning! So I guess it turned out ok.
I wish problems were as easily solved as replacing a front door. Interesting that the sound was so different. I’m always glad to hear when a pastor and his wife are finally getting a good night’s rest! 🙂
Becky, as I ALWAYS say – this blog is one of your BEST. And this one is! But you are the BEST, so that might explain it. We will be Kill Devil Hills next week… but you will be in Florida. Oh, my. Well, hugs to all, and congratulations to Sarah on another successful year!
I will be 71 on Saturday (good grief!)… sympathy cards may be sent to the usual address! 😉 Y’all take care, Fred & Lucy. <3
Fred,
I HATE we are going to miss you! But in the meantime, I am sending happy rejoicings to you as you celebrate 71 years of making the world a brighter place.
Yikes! What a mess! poor Summer must have really been scared. 🙁
We don’t have pets so I have no experience in that department.
Have a really fun and safe trip to Florida!!
Lee Anne,
Yeah, she was definitely scared but it was only rain and no thunder. Who knows?
For such a tiny dog, she sure made a huge mess! Definitely not needed first thing in the morning on a busy day! All of the dogs we had were afraid of thunderstorms and fireworks but they never did anything destructive, just shook and panted and wanted to be near us. The Thundercoat did seem to calm our last dog a little. The only things she ever chewed were Dougs baseball hats when he left them sitting on the couch. Very meticulously she would first take off the button thingy at the top, next came the edge of the brim, tiny little bits off the edge. This was a 62 lb. shepherd mix! It was funny how neat she was about it!
Hoping you have a good visit with Sarah and Becca and a safe and fun visit to Florida!
Kari,
I love that your dog was so meticulous about her chewing of the baseball caps. It would have been funny if she had done it that way once but to do it more than once the same way is hilarious!
We have a lab mix that was found as a stray, living in the woods in north Alabama at about 5-6 years old. He was 29 pounds, and it was touch and go for awhile with him. We rescued him about 7 years ago and soon found out that he was terrified of storms and would pace and pant and whine and drool. In his younger days he would “sneak” up onto the bed and shake. It was like having one of those old hotel vibrating beds. One time he somehow got himself locked in the laundry room while we were gone and tore up the ironing board cover and destroyed the door jamb trying to get out. Poor guy was frantic when we got home. Another time he got himself locked in the bathroom and tore up the floor. We got a new bathroom floor out of that one! He has mellowed some in his old age, but will still pace, pant and whine if he hears the thunder or sees the lightning. We love our big, brave boy!
Gayle,
Yes, Summer is a shaker, too, although since she is smaller we don’t get the full effect like you do!
Amazing how a dog can be so afraid of a storm. I’m sure there are scientific explanations but it still boggles my mind that it can upset them much.
Bless you for adopting a rescue dog.
I have a chocolate Lab and he is terrified of thunderstorms, gunshots and fireworks. My screens are all scratched with holes in them. When I am gone in the summer and think it may storm I leave my garage door open so he can go in there. He runs to my neighbors if I shoot a squirrel or porcupine, or we light off fireworks. Poor doggie. I let him in when I am home. One bag of flour? holy smokes~~That made a big mess. Have a wonderful trip to see your grandkids, and kids too 🙂
Wendy,
You’re dealing with squirrels and porcupines in your life and I am dealing with shredded flour bags. 🙂 Isn’t it funny how all of our lives are made up of such different elements?
Sounds like your little guy is bothered by the same things as Summer; I feel so sorry for dogs who are fearful but it’s hard to know what to do sometimes!
One problem with the pictures, no Nate!!!
Jim,
Yeah, I know! I looked on Meagan’s FB page and didn’t see a recent one so I just put on the one of her and the kids. I’m sure that after our trip we will have plenty photos of him to share!
Thanks for missing him. 🙂
We had a rottweiler/shepherd cross and Roxy was petrified of storms. She came flying into our bedroom one night during a storm and I think she was already mid air as she came through the door and landed right on top of my husband. She was approx. 80 – 90 lbs. 🙂 She learned that she could sneak into the room and if she went to the foot of the bed and crawled up the center she would get a much better reception. Same dog pulled a pumpkin pie from the back of the kitchen counter just to the front edge with her front foot and licked out all the pumpkin and then left the empty pie crust there. Her toenail marks gave it away. Dog 1, family 0. She passed away a few years back and we miss her so much. No matter how much trouble they cause after a couple days you can usually laugh about their antics. Enjoy your trip to Florida. I am sure you can hardly wait to smooch up those grand babies.
Mel,
I am trying to picture a 90-pound dog making a flying (unexpected) leap onto our bed in the middle of the night! Yikes! I’m so used to a 7-pounder that imagining a big one doing all of those things just blows my mind.
I loved the stories of how she could be so sneaky with crawling up the center of the bed and helping herself to the pumpkin pie.
You’re right. They can be annoying at times but they certainly are treasures and brighten our lives so much.
Well this is not storm related but one morning our little Bichon got into a whole bag of Hershey kisses and finished them off, I came back from driving the kids to school and she was lying behind the toilet, convulsing, she had eaten wrappers and all, I scooped her up and smelled her breath, chocolate, saw the empty bag lying on the floor and immediately took off for the vet. They had to pump her stomach…..but that didn’t bother her, whenever she saw a Hershey kiss in the future, she would still head for it!! We had to be very careful to put them out of her reach. She also ate a jar of vaseline AND baby oil (but not at the same time) that was not a pretty sight either.
Dale,
I am amazed that your dog still wanted Hershey kisses even after overindulging on them and getting so sick. You would think that would be the LAST thing she would go for.
And Vaseline and baby oil? Oh my. I imagine her digestion was pretty interesting for a couple of days!
Little doggie almost met Jesus.
Steve,
Yeah, she was not our favorite creature at that moment, was she?
Good thing she’s so cute!
Our dog is petrified of thunderstorms, fireworks and anything that sounds remotely like gunshots. She also gets super anxious when sports are on television (roaring crowds). We’ve tried the thunder shirt, benadryl and a pill/treat tried Compose to no avail. Last year, our veterinarian prescribed an oral gel medication that comes in a syringe. We choose the dose and give it to her as needed and it works like a charm to calm her and to help her take a nap, although she does seem a little “hung over” for a day or so.
Kristy
That’s interesting to hear about the oral gel med; never heard of it! We have also tried the thunder shirt and relaxing meds and it hasn’t done a whole lot of good. I’ll have to mention this to her vet.
Wow! You guys did a great job of getting that humungo mess cleaned up! Especially on a Sunday afternoon after you’ve spent your energy on the morning service. Our cat throws up now and then but that’s the worst she does thankfully! Glad Sarah will be home and your FL trip is forthcoming! ? love, deb
Deb,
A dog and flour; a cat and throw up. Being a pet parent is so swell, isn’t it? Good thing we love those creatures SO much!
Oh, Becky, I am so sorry! It’s frustrating to have things like that happen at the most inconvenient times. Hope you have a wonderful visit/vacation and lots of fun!
Angela,
Yeah, any day but Sunday would have been good but we made it!
Thanks for the vacation good wishes.
Have not noticed our pups being afraid of storms because they snuggle close to me whenever I sit down. Do sometimes find “mess” when they miss the puppy pads when we are gone or during the night. Love them anyway. Safe travels for Sarah and then for the “fam” as you travel to Florida. Making memories. ?????
Ann,
That’s the bottom line for people and animals alike . . . we love them anyway! I know how much joy our dogs bring you and Jim and Summer certainly does make our lives rich. They’re not perfect but life wouldn’t be the same without them!
Good thing Summer is adorable! Have a wonderful trip!
Lesley,
She is an adorable doggie–but not so much when there is flower all over her little person. 🙂
Never had a dog but had a friend that every time it would storm, they would find where he had pooped in a corner. I have seen some flour messes from toddlers that rivaled Summer’s mess.
Is there anyway you can doggie proof the pantry so she can’t get in it?
My niece got home Saturday from her first year of college.
Have fun on your trip to Florida. I’m hoping to make a trip next winter – after my retirement next month!
Phyllis,
Well, the pantry has a door that has to be pulled out (with a handle) to open. We’re not quite sure how Summer manages to get in there!
I know your niece must be glad to have the summer off; always good to get that first year done!
Wow so much Flour .
sounds really nice with a visit from Sarah and Becca. They look lovely ?
How are Sarah’s childhood friend Victoria ? And Hope ??
My mother ‘s cat is just a very quiet cat which prefer napping and .. more napping. However he can run very fast when my mother tells him she has chicken for him ?
Katrina,
Victoria is working at a veterinarian’s office; she is wanting to go into vet medicine. Hope is going to college in Oklahoma. Both doing well!
Cat are very good at napping, aren’t they? 🙂
Hope actually just graduated with her bachelor’s degree in English education! 🙂
Wow, quite a HUGE mess from such a TINY doggie! Bless her heart, she was just afraid of the storms! Hope you guys have a safe and fun-filled trip to Florida!!
Donna,
Big mess. Small dog.
That pretty much sums up that whole story, doesn’t it? 🙂
Wow, that’s quite a flour adventure! I hope you have a wonderful trip to Florida.
Jenna,
The Flour Adventure. That’s a nice way to put it–make it an adventure!