Pepe came for a visit

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What better way to celebrate May Day than with an odoriferous post!

A few weeks back Pepe came for a visit at our house and one of the Dogs encountered him. Actually, he showed up in the middle of the night.

One of the Dogs just HAD to go outside in the middle of the night. So Hubby gets up and lets the Dogs out - without thinking. Then we realized just why the Dog HAD to go outside. He had heard something lurking in the yard (why can't they do that when the Coon is snooping around?)

Well, Hubby let the Dog back in the house not realizing the Dog had been sprayed, Hubby just thought Dog had scared a skunk away from the yard. Dog then promptly came into our bedroom and immediately tried to rub the spray off his neck and chest onto our carpet! AUGH!!!!!

So, at 2am I ushered Dog back outside, Hubby to bed and set a bowl of vinegar in bedroom to kill some of the odor so Hubby could get some sleep. I then researched what to use on Dog. And carpet.

Long story short, I used hydrogen peroxide and baking soda on Dog. I made a mixture of the two with some added dog shampoo which contained coconut oil. I rubbed this mix into his fur especially around the neck and chest where the skunk had sprayed. I let it sit for about 5 minutes then added water and proceeded to wash Dog. Hubby came home later with a skunk deodorizer shampoo which worked very well. 

Bedroom carpet was cleaned with skunk deodorizer shampoo and then again with regular rug shampoo. Dog also received another bath three days later. Faint odor lasted about 2 wks but Hubby said it was all in my head - he couldn't smell it.  I have since taken measures to help insure Pepe can no longer come to visit the yard. I have planted flowers on the outside of the fence!

Homes w/Soul

Thank you for the comments on my last post. 

The Dog's Mother - Kudos to your daughter! I am discovering more and more of her generation truly appreciate the craftsmanship which went into the old houses.

Mittens - I love to hear stories about people who have lovingly restored these glorious homes. Hubby and I have always been on the 'other end' of the house restoration - we restore the house and then end up selling it and moving on to the next one. This is the first time we have owned a house which has already been restored (at least 95%). There are some things we wish to do to give it that "POP". We want to restore the gingerbread around the front eave, upgrade the front porch light, new picket fence. 
All minor details. But then, The Devil is in the Details......

Soul-less Houses

There's a saying, "The Devil is in the Details". 
This couldn't be more accurate when it comes to the Victorian Houses found in small towns across the globe. It used to be main-stream thinking to demolish these old beauties and put up some under-engineered stick built dwelling. In many locales, these houses are seen as a boon to the community and they have been lovingly restored. In some towns, developers have gotten hold of these homes and have kept the exterior but have completely 'modernized' the interior. Tearing out and not replacing beautiful woodwork, ornate doorknobs, or other details which add to the charm, the Soul of the House. 
Those are the Soul-less Houses.

A house in Cripple Creek that was recently sold

The interior of the above house could be an apartment
or small condo located in Anywhere, USA

When gaming was established in Colorado. There was a new kind of land rush to the state. People focused on making a quick buck swooped in, bought up real estate (both commercial and private), and then did their darnedest to turn a quick profit. I understand that the commercial establishments had to do a fair amount of remodeling in order to bring old buildings up to the modern building safety codes. But I think that a little more care could have been taken in designing the brand new buildings so they blended in with the old ones a wee bit better.

Proposed expansion for a local casino

To me, the details say it all about a house. And all the people, who over the years, have left their mark on that house. Our house was purchased, along with several others, by a retired gentleman in the 1990's, not long after gaming was established. This man did his best to modernize these houses and yet retain as much of the old charm as he could. I commend this guy! And it is because of his attention to detail that we have a home with a Soul.

Original light fixtures (modernized) with embossed wallpaper on ceiling and walls, crown molding, chair rails all add to the original ambiance of the house

Old Sew-n-Sew

For those of you out there who like to sew. Here is a link to a source for free vintage patterns. 

Click here to go to vintage patterns