We have had an active week!
On Wednesday, we picked up our new dog and a potential friend, who went back Thursday due to being a cat-hater and a little snappy. We kept the original planned-for dog, named her Zephyr Zipporah and so far, she's been an amazing fit. Not quite as seamless as Kuma, but still, she's a very good little dog and a fast learner. And she came potty trained and updated on all vax AND spayed. What a deal!
Thursday, Suzette came out for the afternoon and we had a great time just chit-chatting. I can't think of 2 things we talked about, but that's fine with me. : ) Sometimes I need a few hours of hen time (as Matt calls it). The kids played outside together in this wonderful fall weather we are having, I wish it would stay like this all year long.
Friday, we went to lunch and fishing with my father, then MNO was last night. I was SO tired...I think I would have enjoyed it more with some solid sleep under my belt. As it was, we had a great turn-out and I got to catch up with a couple moms I rarely ever see.
Today we worked most of the day cleaning out the dog shed and cleaning up in the yard. We put the pigs out in the yard to graze on the last of the green grass-it's mostly dead from the drought. The dogs got along better today, but Zeph is a twerp, she just CAN'T seem to stop trying to lick the big dogs in the face. It's making them both nuts. They did all lie down in the same area for a while, I THINK she will eventually chill...
On Wednesday, we picked up our new dog and a potential friend, who went back Thursday due to being a cat-hater and a little snappy. We kept the original planned-for dog, named her Zephyr Zipporah and so far, she's been an amazing fit. Not quite as seamless as Kuma, but still, she's a very good little dog and a fast learner. And she came potty trained and updated on all vax AND spayed. What a deal!
Thursday, Suzette came out for the afternoon and we had a great time just chit-chatting. I can't think of 2 things we talked about, but that's fine with me. : ) Sometimes I need a few hours of hen time (as Matt calls it). The kids played outside together in this wonderful fall weather we are having, I wish it would stay like this all year long.
Friday, we went to lunch and fishing with my father, then MNO was last night. I was SO tired...I think I would have enjoyed it more with some solid sleep under my belt. As it was, we had a great turn-out and I got to catch up with a couple moms I rarely ever see.
Today we worked most of the day cleaning out the dog shed and cleaning up in the yard. We put the pigs out in the yard to graze on the last of the green grass-it's mostly dead from the drought. The dogs got along better today, but Zeph is a twerp, she just CAN'T seem to stop trying to lick the big dogs in the face. It's making them both nuts. They did all lie down in the same area for a while, I THINK she will eventually chill...
I spent most of my afternoon cleaning up a place to fence in for her. We had the shed split in half for the big dogs and the cats. The dogs started being a little freaky about the cats eating in there-I think maybe a cat crossed the line somewhere...probably they tried to snuggle. We moved the cats to the porch and over the past year, their space was filled in with...junk. I don't know why we hauled so much stuff to the shed instead of the trash, but that's where it all is now. I swept the shed and moved things around and now the doghouse is set up on the 'cat' side where the big dogs can't get to. I made a door to go out into a separate smaller yard that is 3/4 fenced as of tonight.
Zeph needs a smaller gauge fence than the bigger dogs, she can jump through their fencing! hahaha. So, we are making her a small...about 20x20...fenced area with a way to get in the shed away from the big dogs. We will eventually get rid of the fences and do a wireless fence, but for now, this will work. She can get in the shed and into the doghouse, which will be heated this winter, and, being inside, will always be dry and out of any drafts. We don't plan on leaving her outdoors all winter, but there will be times when we are gone all day or possibly overnight and it's important to have her a safe, heated space where she can have her own food and water and potty and play area. Anything longer than overnight and we will kennel her. But not for a while, we want her to feel secure here and know we are not giving her away! The Disney trip next fall will be the first time we will be gone for any period of time...I am already fretting about her! *sigh* I wish I could just take things as they come and not look ahead for potential worry. Maybe she will love camping so much that she just comes along with us. I have no doubt other dogs get to go to Disney. LOL
I am excited about her camping debut! We are planning a quick weekend trip soon to let her see how she likes the great outdoors. The plan for now is for her to be our camping dog and she can come with us on trips. Jess and Kuma are just too big for traveling with and they often get filthy and washing an 80 pound dog while camping somewhere is not easy...much less 2 of them. Plus there's trying to hike with them on leashes about to DIE to run after something, trying to hold a camera steady with a dog tugging you, trying to go in to eat somewhere and coming out to windows so smudged from dog-smooch-nose that you can't see through them, THEN getting the sniff-probe as they try to decide if you sneaked anything out for them, and the occasional driving help when they want to bound around the van to get a better view...a 9 pound fluff pup will be easier.
Zeph needs a smaller gauge fence than the bigger dogs, she can jump through their fencing! hahaha. So, we are making her a small...about 20x20...fenced area with a way to get in the shed away from the big dogs. We will eventually get rid of the fences and do a wireless fence, but for now, this will work. She can get in the shed and into the doghouse, which will be heated this winter, and, being inside, will always be dry and out of any drafts. We don't plan on leaving her outdoors all winter, but there will be times when we are gone all day or possibly overnight and it's important to have her a safe, heated space where she can have her own food and water and potty and play area. Anything longer than overnight and we will kennel her. But not for a while, we want her to feel secure here and know we are not giving her away! The Disney trip next fall will be the first time we will be gone for any period of time...I am already fretting about her! *sigh* I wish I could just take things as they come and not look ahead for potential worry. Maybe she will love camping so much that she just comes along with us. I have no doubt other dogs get to go to Disney. LOL
I am excited about her camping debut! We are planning a quick weekend trip soon to let her see how she likes the great outdoors. The plan for now is for her to be our camping dog and she can come with us on trips. Jess and Kuma are just too big for traveling with and they often get filthy and washing an 80 pound dog while camping somewhere is not easy...much less 2 of them. Plus there's trying to hike with them on leashes about to DIE to run after something, trying to hold a camera steady with a dog tugging you, trying to go in to eat somewhere and coming out to windows so smudged from dog-smooch-nose that you can't see through them, THEN getting the sniff-probe as they try to decide if you sneaked anything out for them, and the occasional driving help when they want to bound around the van to get a better view...a 9 pound fluff pup will be easier.
Here are some pics from the week:
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| Paper, the barking tree frog, was released after about a day of observation. He stayed in the aquarium on the porch (with no lid and that stick he is on going all the way up into the Jessamine vines) for 3 more days, then came back in the house and got on the bookshelf, we put him back out and he stayed on the porch, then moved to the rain barrel (where he was originally found) and as of this afternoon, was still out there. |
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| Aaaaaah! My house is tilting forward! |
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| This is the heron Zeph tried to be friends with. It was not meant to be. : ( |
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| Zeph goes fishing with Granddad! |
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| Jake's hooked a river monster while in the background, Chan is unsure what to do...Zeph walked down and got in that man's lap and went to sleep. hahaha! |
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| The river monster was only the line getting caught in the rocks. Again. The man finally set Zeph off his lap and she came back to join our family again. hahaha! |
