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Related: About this forumHey y'all! HillWilliam here
Last edited Wed May 23, 2012, 10:13 AM - Edit history (2)
aka Bill. My partner is DUer HillbillyBob, aka Rob. We live way out in the sticks in central NC. Rob hasn't been on DU much in the last year, but he'll be back soon. We spent most of last year putting him in and getting him back out of hospital, lather-rinse-repeat. I'm glad to report he's finally doing much better -- spent the whole day up, the first in a couple of years.
The love and support from DU meant a great deal to us. Your good thoughts and energy carried us through some really tough days. We both want y'all to know how much it's appreciated.
Here's a link to our farm blog. I've been remiss in keeping it updated, but that's us and our furkids.
Edit 5/23/12--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've seen a lot of sad posts lately of beloved furkids crossing the Rainbow Bridge. One of the many hats I wear is Animal Companion Chaplain. No religion, no charge, I'm just someone who cares about animals and the humans who love them.
All-too often, humans don't take another person's loss of a dear friend seriously just because that friend happened to have four paws instead of two feet. In truth, the grief is no less.
All y'all got Rob and me through the last year. If you've lost a furkid, don't be afraid to PM me. We've plenty of love to give back.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,014 posts)Hey Bill!
You getting those big storms tonight? Send a few eastward - Raleigh needs a bit of rain!
HillWilliam
(3,310 posts)Out here in the county, not so much. I was out in the yard playing "collieball" with the furkids earlier. The baby, a border collie, hates it when the sky growls at her. There was one almighty clap of thunder and she evaporated into thin air. I found her huddled next to HillbillyBob with her ears laid back.
Wish we had some rain. It's all south and west of us now, not making much headway getting here. My maters and beans could use it!
NRaleighLiberal
(60,014 posts)eyes at the windows.
I once sold lots of tomato plants to a woman who ran a restaurant (now closed) in Yanceyville. Wished we could have gotten there before it closed!
HillWilliam
(3,310 posts)but I have loads of Heinz VF; 20 of those in the ground. I've about a dozen German Johnsons I need to transplant and about a half dozen Better Boys. I'm trying to use up the varietal seeds and stocking up on more heirlooms. We usually start those indoors under lights in late January or the first of February. The last year and a half have been a little complicated, so I've gotten a late start on gardening.
I'm growing half-runners, black beans, and greasy cut-shorts for beans this year. Gonna have crookneck and spaghetti squash out the yinyang. I'm thinking of running a tailgate concession at work later this summer.
My boy kiwi didn't bloom this year even though the one big girl did. I had a talk with him and advised him to get on his jay-oh-bee before that fine specimen next to him became a frustrated old maid. Maybe we'll have fruit next year.
NRaleighLiberal
(60,014 posts)Been busy!
got hundreds of kinds of tomato seed...been collecting since the mid 1980s.
HillWilliam
(3,310 posts)We're going green and heirloom. I've got the beans all switched over. This pic is from a year ago, but the area I'm working is about the same. I added another 20 feet at the far end.
William769
(55,144 posts)HillWilliam
(3,310 posts)Yes, buddy, as deep as our roots go into NC soil, there is no doubt we're kin somewhere along the line. You know what a "branch cousin" is, right?
Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)I was thinking about him just the other day. This is great to hear.
HillWilliam
(3,310 posts)prayer/energy/loving intent matter. There were some days there I really thought I might be widowed. I'm not sure when he and I have been so scared. I've become convinced it's the love everyone poured out that pulled him through.
Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)Give him one of these for me tonight, yes?
HillWilliam
(3,310 posts)the hug. Hugs back!
pacalo
(24,721 posts)I enjoyed your posts today! You've got an awesome sense of humor.
Welcome back!
SunsetDreams
(8,571 posts)Welcome back! Hopefully Rob will be back soon as well, and I wish him a steady recovery. Your farm blog is awesome, I sure wish I had the patience and knowledge in making things grow.
NBachers
(17,099 posts)Now this is real Family Values in action. For each and every one of us.
HillWilliam
(3,310 posts)DU has been an awesome family.
MineralMan
(146,286 posts)HillWilliam
(3,310 posts)Life's slowly getting back to something like normal. Every day goes a little easier.
All I can offer from the last couple of years is this: love as hard as you can while you can. Tomorrow isn't promised to anyone.
MineralMan
(146,286 posts)Tomorrow may never come, so love those you love today. Very true.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)You are one of the wittiest posters around these parts. Pleased to make your acquaintance.
You are so right about losing our furfriends. I still get all misty when I think about the dear cat I lost almost two years ago. Fortunately my "new' cat keeps me mentally occupied most of the time I am at home.
HillWilliam
(3,310 posts)Your handle brings back some good childhood memories. My dad sorta rode the wave from HiFi (he sold and maintained commercial systems back in the 50s) to TV. At one time he owned a few stores that comprised Curtis-Mathes's highest seller in South Florida. I spent my earliest years listening to vinyl, watching him dance cha-cha in the livingroom, LPs playing on a hunk of equipment the size of a small chest freezer. That is, if we weren't in his HAM shack.
No wonder I'm a geek
I love cats, but as I have the girldoggies that kind of competition won't fly with them. Two are eldergirls, one I adopted as an elder who got too old and inconvenient for her former family. I could never leave a friend like her behind; she's so sweet and big-hearted. When you adopt an elder, you know your time together is pretty short, so you tend to make the very most of it.
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)My first cat, rescued from a no-kill shelter in '05 was an older kitty who had lived outside for several Minnesota winters. He lost all of one ear and half of the other to frostbite. The foster said I was the first person to call about him in the year she'd had him. At that minute I knew he was the cat for me. We were roomies for five years and two weeks to the day. The vet said he was probably about 16 when his kidneys conked out and he had to cross the Rainbow Bridge. That was the worst day of my adult life. Max had been with me through the worst times and always been there to snuggle, purr and just be there.
A couple of months later I went back to the shelter looking for a new cat. One was leaving to his new home, another was skittish, but this big ol' Turkish Van boy just kept following me around. He looked like Max if Max had been a feline bodybuilder - all 17 lbs of him. I finally gave in, and took him home. He had picked me out as soon as he saw me I think. He's also an older cat, but didn't lead the hard life Max did and has a lot more cattitude. I wound up calling him Butch cos he looks like a cat version of one of those bulldogs from Tom and Jerry cartoons that were always called Butch.