Hi Everyone, Thank you all for the kind words! Sally, I'm familer with the mall, but so far everything i've seen online, I can find at Arid lands. minime~ There is no way you can "window" shop there! LOL! 5-6 beauties, sounds fair. ;) next time your in town give me a yell. :) Yes, the people are wonderful! I could sit and talk all day with Toni! My son loves playing with their dogs. They bring him their frisby. :) It's just the owners and a few helpers, so you can be sure you'll be well taken care of. Tom~ I know what you mean! LOL! I'm very careful, don't take alot of cash and dont own a CC. ;) I make a list from their web first, and then grab one thing that's not on the list. ;) I too love the Euphorbia. Thanks. :) The pattern is amazing on it! It's about 3" tall. Anxious to see it grow. Al~ Always good to see you. :) I'll be busy next week moving everyone into gritty mix, wanna help? ;) lol.. Josh~ Hello! and Thanks. :) The Scilla is awsome! Kinda like your naked lady. It just glistens! Toni brought it from the "holding" greenhouse, I guess I'm the first to see it, and of coars, "Sold"! lol.. It had to come home with me. The Adenium are so cute and little! caudex is about 2-3", and healthy and beautiful! So you like my nails? LOL! I'm not sure why my finger is in the pic. :) I do my own art work, and that is mellow! they get pretty wild. lol! Hi Pug! I'm not sure about other Hoya's, but will look into it. ;) need a few more myself. I love heart shapes, so Kerii had to come home with me. Mike~ Thanks. ;) The Ghost is really nice! A tall one. Yes, a little more confident. ;) Thanks so much for all you do! And to Josh, and Nancy too. ;) The Epithelantha polycephala~ can be kinda fickle/fragile in the winter, so hope I do O.K. with that one. Deburn~Thank you! Yes, unusual. You wont find any of these plants in a big box store. Hi Linda!~ I'm having to be careful so as to not go broke. ;) I probably wont go back till after christmas. They are very strong, healthy plants. They are grown in a huge greenhouse, so plenty of air, and sun. ;) it is covered in winter to protect from frost. To shop there, you shop in a greenhouse, not a building or store, it's fun! Hi Jeff! This is my first time having Albuca, so i'm anxious to see it bloom! The little flower to the Ornithogalum tennifolium, is neat, it's green, and will open and close for a few days, today 3 are open. "Haul Discout" lol.. These were actually bought over the summer, several trips, bringing a few home each time. ;) My computer acted up all summer and eventually crashed, so I couldn't post as I got them. :) I just got it back a few weeks ago. I read about the Kleinia stapeliiformis in the book you sent me. (many thanks again!) and really wanted it. :) Toni had it. LOL! Thanks again everyone! After Christmas, I'm getting out to see Miles, owner of Miles 2 go. :) He's also spoken very highly around GW, and Toni of Aird lands speaks highly of him too. :) JoJo

Since you volunteered at an SPCA I'm sure you picked up lots of tips and information about not only animals but strays in particular. I understand your fear regarding the risks to your son and dog. It is possible that the dog's primary caregiver was the wife and with her gone the husband does not know how to properly care for his dog. That could be why you're seeing it, perhaps animals can associate a neighbouring female for their missing mother figure. With a change in the animals home it could be this poor animal is confused and fearful, especially if the breakup wasn't pleasant and there was a lot of fighting. This animal's world is falling apart and it doesn't understand why. Its mom and the kids are gone so it is probably lonely and feeling abandoned. I feel sorry for the poor thing. I would write a polite note of your concerns regarding the safety of your family and place it in an envelope and tape it to the neighbour's front door (tape it secure or on the inside door so you know if its gone that he took it and wasn't blown away). I am not great for writing letters and the whole situation is probably painful for him so focus on the concerns that you have regarding your son and dog who may not know how to handle the approach of his dog without your supervision. This man is also going through a tough time and for all we know his wife might have gotten the dog and he had no say in the matter but now is left with it. Try to make the note tactful (something I lack at times but know the necessity of) regarding your feelings and the possibility of his dog's emotions might make the the dog react in a way he normally wouldn't. No matter how many times we tell my dad not to leave the dogs outside, off a lease, he never listens. If he goes into the house because he's absent minded and forgets then they are not out for just a minute anymore and he won't know if they are in trouble. He refuses to listen to us and the possible dangers to the animals. Even though they won't run off another dog could attack them but he does not like to be told what to do. He will even do the opposite to spite people to prove he'll do what he wants. He does love his dogs but he thinks he knows what is best and won't be told by others that he's wrong. Even if something happened to prove his error in judgment, he would find ways to blame someone else. I think of my father as I think of how to approach this gentleman. That is why a note would be better than a face to face discussion unless you were friends and could approach him before. A note describing your concerns without sounding accusing or blaming is, IMO, the best approach. If the note and your message go unanswered and the problem continues then you should contact the authorities. I wouldn't offer any help as he is selling his house and will be moving and you have no idea of what will become of his dog then. Sadly he may leave it behind, especially if he rationalizes that you'll take it in since you offered help. If he asks for help do what you feel comfortable doing. The reality is this poor dog's future is uncertain. If this man is not caring for it properly now will he take it with him when he sells the house? If its a really big dog can he take it if he must move into an apartment? Will the wife take the dog when the house is sold? So many uncertainties for this poor animal. When a family breaks up its not just the people and kids who get hurt but also the pets.

Definitely contact that state veterinary board, but meanwhile, to help you and your dog adjust to the three-legged life, check out a wonderful forum for dogs (and cats), tripawds.com. A few months ago my cat had to have a limb amputated (re-growing tumor), and they were wonderful support. He now gets around pretty well on three legs -- when he's at moderate speed his gait is normal! True he doesn't leap up as high as he used to, but he still can get on my lap, and he's definitely enjoying life to the fullest.

Thought I would give an update in case anyone else searches for this type of problem. The swelling is caused by a blocked lymph node. Why it's blocked and exactly where the blockage is, can't be determined. We've seen 2 vets, a surgeon and an internal medicine specialist at a regional hospital. She's had various drugs, x-rays, an ultrasound and ultimately a CAT scan. We've spent thousands of dollars only to be told there's a blocked lymph node but there's nothing that can be done about it! All 4 vets agreed, she is not in pain. I imagine she's uncomfortable lugging around her large leg but she doesn't even limp with it. The good news was that there wasn't a tumor causing the blockage. Occasionally her leg "springs a leak" and she gets a wet mark on her leg. She licks a lot of it. Our concern will be if she gets a cut, there's more danger of an infection so she'll have to go to the vet for antibiotics right away. The specialist said it might even unblock on it's own. If it should become painful in the future, then we will have to discuss removing her leg. I hope it never comes to that.