Please don't misunderstand - the farm people valued their animals and cared for them well. On the other hand - the cattle provided milk and meat, and local dogs that got together and travelled in packs, chasing cattle, would be dealt with severely (read, "shot"). They tried to train the dogs to herd cattle - some would go to the pasture at milking time and bring the cows to the barn for milking. It could well have been that the Grandfather felt a deep sense of love for the young lads. I thought that the Grandfather's act was a bit severe - but he had a reason that was logical to him, and his reply to the boys likely would have been, "Get over it!". As several have said, life was hard for such people and there was little margin for soft-heartedness. Would you be willing to have soft-heartedness and hunger co-exist? Quite likely the Grandfather was marksman enough that he could have shot the dirt beside the dog to have been thrown up and both stung and frightened the dog, but he took more direct action, as many did. Life didn't have the nuances for them that it does for many of us. The idea of someone shooting over the heads of kids invading their land was quite foreign to me. I have four barn cats, one of which loves to be scratched and petted - but if I pick her up, she jumps down. Another cat lets me pet him, and enjoys it some, but is a bit reluctant. Drat him, he's a bit of a scairdey cat, but when I pour feed into each of three or four dishes in turn ... he has to be there to eat immediately from all four dishes in turn! A half-grown kitten that I didn't see until it could run pretty well has got to where it'll let me pet it when it's looking for feed, but not at other times. Its mother will follow me around, even quite closely ... but if my hand gets a bit too close ... she draws blood. It is nigh impossible for modern, city-raised people to understand what life was like for such impoverished people who, as several have said, hunted for meat in the woods and fields. I'm glad that you felt comfortable enough with this place to have come to share your question. By extension ... many people who live in other parts of the world look at life very differently than we, and I think that at times it would be well if we were to sit down with them to learn of their ways - and to share our viewpoints. It seems to me quite likely that we would find that we had more in common than appeared at first, as I think we came to realize regarding this situation. When I was a kid, some folks in town had a metal-lined wooden box that looked something like modern fridges and men drove horse-drawn boxy wagons with tons of ice in them down the street, carrying a block into many houses to put into the top compartment. We on the farm pumped cold water by hand from the well in the yard to put into a pan in the basement, where we stored butter, meat and other perishables in bowls floating in the water, changing it as it warmed. Within a few years, they built refrigerators. Within a few years after that, they were building them to last for 40 years ... now they build them to last for 10 years. I've heard that for the world's people to live in the fashion to which we've become accustomed (in about 3 generations) ... we'd need the resources of four planets similar to that on which we live. We are hugely wasteful. We have a lot to learn from those people who lived more simply. And as more jobs are shifting overseas, our descendants are going to be learning them. Several areas of the seas that used to teem with fish are now almost barren - we didn't practise conservation. Our kids and grandkids will suffer the consequences. We still have about the cheapest food in the world ... but one doubts whether that will last much longer. Currently, many thousands of U.S. and Canadian families are about half a dozen paycheques from being on the street ... but we've forgotten how to forage for food, as our forebears did, out of necessity. We are much more brittle, less resourceful and adaptable. Good wishes for a really fine week ahead. ole joyful

SG, your pain and sense of loss is understandable. Those of us who have loved and lost a furbaby have also lost a piece of our heart. The pain is not just emotional; it is physical and it goes on long after our friend has left us. I do believe Tara is in her new home, playing with our furbabies who were there to greet her. She's healthy and happy and without pain or discomfort. Take comfort that you loved her and she loved you in return. You gave her the kind of love and home that many other animals never get to experience. We all love these furry creatures knowing they'll probably die before we do. We love them knowing their passing will break our hearts. And yet we love them because the pleasure of experiencing the love they give us far outweighs the pain. I wrote this when PeeWee died. I think this may express your feelings,too. "The house seems so empty since you have gone. Were the rooms always so large? Were the corners so dark? Did sounds always echo this way? Now that youÂre not here Can this house be the home that it once was? Who will fill the empty spaces Now that youÂre not here? When will I stop listening for your familiar sounds? When will I stop looking for you in places I expect you to be? I think I never will. You took a part of me when you left And now I just feel empty. IÂm told my sadness will fade with time; I think it never will." ((( Tara & SG ))) Mona

The first thing to do is STOP. Re-eavaluate your goals on the project. Washing and sanding to a dull finish is required when painting over varnish. That is, if you want a long lasting, durable bond. Washing with Dirtex will clean away the dirt and grime (and there is some)and also do some deglossing. A light sanding with #180 sandpaper (aluminum oxide) will create a dull, open surface to which the primer can quickly bond to. Wash first, sand second. A high quality, Acrylic blocking primer will hide the dark stain. Have the primer tinted toward the finsh paint colors.After primer is dry, caulk all unsightly gaps and seams. That will create a seamless finish between trim and wall. Two coats, properly applied, (not thin) will cover well. Be sure you're using the highest quality, 100% Acrylic Latex paint, that you can afford. There is no short-cut to a quality paint job. When it comes to trim, you want to be able to stand back and say, "that's a very nice finish", not just, "well, the color is different". :) Michael

I too, like SnidelyWhiplash, appreciate the low cost and speed of a keyboard with internet. I was raised in a different time long before the internet when writing ability was important. I believe that good penmanship yet has merit in today.s world, albeit slow compared to the typed word with other modern conveniences. I am saddened to learn that cursive writing is no longer taught in some schools. Its no wonder that today;s students can't write. Printing is slow compared to cursive. Cursive characters are designed to flow smoothly into each other and this speeds writing. It leaves some latitude for individuals to develop their own distinctive styles. although that was frowned upon by teachers of the art some 70 years ago because they were striving to mold the output from everyone to standard form. Lets not forget that this country was built with cursive writing. Case in point: The Declaration of Independence is hand written in ink with a nib pen. The original Constitution was hand written. In fact, all court records such as land descriptions and marriages were hand written until the introduction of the typewriter in the 1880s.