Safe at home

10:42 p.m. Today's project was to retrieve our yellow Labrador Retrievers from the Riverside County/City Animal Shelter. Bailey and Jada had wandered down the street yesterday afternoon, slipping out of the backyard gate Steve had inadvertently left open earlier in the day.

I was told by an agent on the phone that we could pick them up by 10:00 this morning. I made sure Steve had on the same outfit he was wearing in the picture I took with us, walking the dogs with our grandsons. No such luck with Adrian and Xavier, who have both grown quite a bit in the last year! We laid out a thick layer of towels on the vehicle's carpet, took the leashes and Lysol spray, and made our way over to Van Buren and Clay Streets, in Pedley where I used to teach.

The four of us entered the facility with high hopes, only to find that the Lost Dog section opened at 11:00. What to do? No sense being irritated. "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty," Proverbs 16:32 says, illustrated by a scene we witnessed. On our way to our vehicle, we saw people most get violent, when the front desk girl went out to record the license plates of some ladies who merely came to turn in a stray they found nearby. Pointless bureaucratic demand, in my view, but I didn't see the outcome.

We drove to a nearby McDonald's to pass the time, enjoying $1.00 breakfast burritos and a mocha frappe for me. we joined a lengthening line as the sun began to get warm, and the door was unlocked about 10 minutes late.

The process was not too bad except for the tons of fees exacted as ransom for the dogs! Here's the list:

1. IMP 1 RV 40


2. BOARD RV 30


3. STATE FINE 35


4. IMP 1 RV 40


5. BOARD RV 30


6. STATE FINE 35


7. DA2PPV 9


8. BORDATELLA 6


9. DA2PPV 9


10. BORDATELLA 6


11. LIC RV 115


12. LIC RV 115


13. MCHIP 20


14. MCHIP 20


15. PMT PLN FEE 20

TOTAL FEES DUE 530

We managed to pay half today, and have 3 months to pay the rest. We narrowly escaped having to leave them for mandatory spaying (another $170) because they have AKC papers and it's assumed that we might want to breed them! (We had thought about it once, but now with Steve's Alzheimer's, all of the puppy-raising chores would fall on my shoulders). I'm already overwhelmed as Steve becomes less capable with each passing day, and I have to go show him how to do simple tasks he has always done, like hand-watering dead spots on the lawn.

The dogs were wildly happy to see us, especially their Pop (Steve). They must have been miserable in the midst of all that howling, barking nd yelping, compared to their tranquil backyard where they are the only noisemakers. At least, we were assured, they were placed in the same kennel!

It was a lesson in vigilance for me. I think we'll be installing a stiff spring on that fence so it will close on its own, no matter who leaves it open.

Yet, God is so good! Our son-in-law Nick is coming over tomorrow to fix our broken door frame; I made over $300 at a Mary Kay skincare class tonight; and our mechanic is looking for a used transmission for the Jeep. Our grandsons have been helpful and entertaining. and I've written about half of my Bible study for Thursday already.

AND, I recieved the good news from my publisher that I'll be doing a signing of Galatians: An Exploration of Faith and Freedom, at Berean Christian Store in Riverside on August 27th! Hope I have a ride over there!

During my trials I can say to the Lord what Jeremiah did in Chapter 14:9b:

Yet You, LORD, are in our midst, and we are called by Your name.

That's unmatched reassurance!