True Blood- the MS house

If you’re a fan of True Blood you probably recognize this house as the Mississippi home of Russell Edgington. (who has now met the true death) While it appeared as an elaborate multi-roomed mansion, that’s not really the case, as many of you may know. The house is actually the historic Longwood Plantation in Natchez, MS. Longwood Plantation, also known as Nutt’s Folly, began construction in the 1860s. It is a very different looking plantation building when compared to other plantation homes in the area. Rather than the usual Greek Revival style that was so popular in the South during that era, the builder chose to create a multistory, octagonal, Oriental Revival style home. The house is six stories tall, 30,000 square feet, and has a large byzantine styled dome. Dr. Haller Nutt began the building of the home and a Philadelphia architect named Samuel Sloan designed it. Before the house could be completed the Civil War broke out and construction halted. The workers were needed at home, so they left the house in an unfinished state. The exterior of the house was complete but the inside was never finished. The house has 32 rooms, but only 9 were completed. In 1864, Dr. Nutt died. His wife continued to live in the first floor of the house. The first floor still has many of the original furnishings and belongings. Even through years of neglect and abandonment, the house survived. It is well known as one of the most beautiful, as well as the largest, of the octagonal houses. If you’re ever in the area Longwood is open for tours as are many historic homes in Natchez.

And then there were three!

Zoe 4 months after adoption. 

So, recently we added to our min pin posse by adopting a new female min pin estimated to be six years old. Here’s a bit of her story. Zoe (previously known as Sondra when rescued) was pulled by the Mobile SPCA from dreadful conditions. (Thanks SPCA!!) She was living (if you call it that) with fifty other dogs in a house trailer. I’m fairly certain she’d never been outside. So guess where fifty dogs use the bathroom if they don’t go outside. The yard is a strange place to her and she prefers using the bathroom on the concrete patio rather than the grass, or inside the house. We're working on housebreaking, but it's slow. You don't break a six year habit overnight. The first time I put her down in the grass she didn’t seem to know what it was and she still doesn’t really want to walk in it. She’s apparently lived in her own filth for quite some time. I was amazed when she urinated in her own bed and continued to sleep in it, but I guess that’s all she’d known. I'd never known a dog that would soil it’s own bed. So every day we washed beds, blankets and dog hoping to teach her the difference between clean and dirty. 4 weeks later she finally learned to quit soiling her bed. She looks like she recently had a litter of puppies. She’s spade now so no more worries with that again. Zoe’s a challenge, but hopefully she’ll learn how to be part of our family like our other dogs are. Just a few weeks ago, when we were sure she had learned not to pee on a whim at night, she made the move from her bed to ours, where the other two dogs are.  (I know, I keep saying we're going to get them out of our bed but we just never do.) And that’s Zoe’s story. Just a note, spay and neuter your pets!! Adopt whenever possible and please don’t buy your dog at a pet store or in a parking lot or street corner, or from a puppy mill. If you don’t know what a puppy mill is it’s a place where dogs are kept in cages and used for nothing but breeding. They don’t live with their owner. Often the owner of the mill breeds several different varieties of dogs. If you’re buying a dog GO VISIT where the owner has them. Dogs in puppy mills spend all or almost all of their time in a cage. PLEASE don’t support this. If you have a heart of any kind you know this is no way for an animal to live. Yet, I see people who are touted by local media as businessmen or women and their business is a puppy mill. REALLY!!!  When you buy and don’t SEE where the dog lives you’re probably supporting and encouraging people like the one who had Zoe.  Check out a breed rescue. They often have puppies and young dogs too. If you’re looking for a specific breed you can get one there and not support bad situations. (Whew! Stepping off soapbox now.) This is a picture of Zoe and her sister Sassy who we adopted in 2008. Sassy was also rescued from an abusive situation by the Louisiana SPCA. Toby, our male min pin didn't want to have pictures made. Mr. Grumpy! 

Zoe and Sassy