A Boone Story

     Boone was the 5th puppy I raised for Leader Dogs For The Blind.  He would always watch TV.  It did not surprise me when he was "career changed"  because he was "easily distracted".  Usually the puppies pay no attention at all to TV.

     Boone had a problem with knowing if he was seeing reality or not.  One day he was watching Martha Stewart.  That day she had a whole bunch of cats and dogs on the show -- all on a table.  Boone eyed up the terrier pup and watched him go back and forth on the table.  Pretty soon that terrier pup jumped off the table and out of sight on the left side of the screen.

     Boone started wagging his tail quickly, and ran up to the left side of the TV --- to go see that terrier pup.  He could not figure out where he went!  He was so ready to play.  We had a good laugh.

      Another time he was watching the news. They were showing a mountain lion treed in someones back yard.  I had never heard him growl at any time before, but when he saw that mountain lion, he knew instinctively it was not a good thing and growled viciously -- all the while backing up.    .....animal behavior is so interesting.




Boone 8 months old.
Now a family pet.  The career he decided on :-)

.....dr momi

Flying Dog



No we don't have snow -- old pic :-)

     On the news tonight, I heard about the kid and dog that had to be rescued from the side of a cliff.  A bottle was thrown over the cliff, and the dog tried to retrieve it. Then the kid went to rescue the dog.  A happy ending, both were fine.

     It reminded me of when our golden retriever, Billy, did the same kind of thing.  It was when our house was being built.  Nothing but the shell was up.  Late afternoons after the builders were done for the day, I would take the dogs over and check out how things were coming.

      Billy is a retrieving machine.  I think if you kept throwing the ball, he would keep retrieving it until he died of heat exhaustion or a heart attack.  I was throwing the ball for him out the future doors, and, occasionally out the future windows.  If I threw it out the "window",  he would run out the "door" to go get it.  Until the time he decided to fly.

     I can still feel how my face froze in disbelief as he decided to follow the ball out the window this time.  He didn't casually jump out.  Oh no....he used the sill to jump high into the air as if he was a dock dog.  There was one problem.  The bottom of the sill was 6 1/2 feet off the ground.  When he arched into the air I bet he was almost 12 feet off the ground.   .....and he didn't land in a pool of water!

     I thought for sure he would break a leg or something.  No, ....we just kept on playing fetch.  To this day though, if he over exercises, he has a gimpy leg....his "medal of honor" I suppose.

Retrieving is in his blood,

.....dr momi  

I Met the REAL Santa

     It was at an after Christmas sale in an upscale decorating store a few years back.  I was looking down, and as I looked up so as not to run into the person in front of me -- there he was.  (Yes, he was after-Christmas shopping.)  He was dressed in nice neat jeans, handsome looking suspenders, and a red plaid flannel shirt.  Perfectly silver grey hair, flowed into perfectly silver grey sideburns, that flowed into a perfect silver grey beard.

     I blurted out, "Do you know that you could be Santa Claus?"....."I am Santa Claus", was his reply.  The way he said it made me believe!  Then  he reached into his wallet and gave me this picture.




Yes.....it said Believe on it LOL!


     That summer I was shopping for a Mother of the Bride dress in a store that also sold furs.  As I checked out, there was an 8 x 10 of the very same picture I had in my wallet!  "What??  You guys know the real Santa Claus too?"  Turns out they made Santa's suit!!  That's real fur!  They informed me that this Santa travels to Harrod's in London to work there for the Christmas season.  He is suppose to live in a close town to me, but I have never met him.  (as a real person :-)  I would like to thank him for a great story that I tell almost every year....the year Santa gave me his picture.  He is a great (I mean the REAL) Santa!





Linked to" The Great Holiday Barn Hop




.....jean

A Booker Story

     Booker is the first Future Leader Dog For the Blind that I raised.  He is a yellow lab.  He's been a working dog (leading a blind person) for about 7 or 8 years already.  When we turn our puppies in after raising them for the year, Leader Dogs For the Blind asks us for a "story" about our puppy that they can share with the blind partner they get hooked up with.  Here is "Booker's Story".

Booker 3 months old.



     When Booker was about 5 months old, I met my sister Roxey, at a Red Lobster for lunch, of course Booker came with.  He was so good about going under the table and falling fast asleep.  The hostess seated us, and Booker was all settled in and quiet by the time the waitress came.  She never knew he was there.  The waitress took our order and Roxey and I were chatting away.  Our salads finally came and the waitress asked if we wanted fresh ground pepper on them.  "Yes, thank-you".

     What happened next left all of us with looks on our faces that you wish you could have taken a picture of.  With no warning, our table "exploded"!  It raised off the floor about 8 inches.  Booker who had been asleep must have gotten pepper in his nose and shot straight up!  He sneezed and sneezed and sneezed.  The poor waitress was beyond confused.  I bet she still tells this story as "the weirdest thing that ever happened to me waitressing".  We saved the salads....Roxey and I were "holding" things on the table.   After much laughing (and feeling sorry for Booker), we settled into a wonderful lunch.  Booker was just fine.  Roxey and I were fine.  Not sure about the waitress :-).





Booker 8 months old.

 .....jean

Double ER Visits



     Yesterday nephew Alex was sawing branches off a tree to put up a deer stand, the saw slipped through the branch, down onto his other hand, and he pulled back before he knew what had happened.  Yup, he actually sawed the top of his hand.....15 stitches. (including 2 in the tendon)

     Today, nephew Jake (Alex's brother) was going to go fishing.  He was on the dock as the boat came in, his hand was on a metal post, the boat was too fast and smashed the web of his thumb into the post.  Six stitches later he's still smiling.

     Their mom can't believe it......

     They go on vacation this week......

Just before vacation....
I figure one can cast, and the other reel the fish in :-)
(I'm adding finger splints to my emergency kit.)



Rick's Snake Story

     Rick and I have been married for 34 years, and the first time I heard this story was a couple of days ago.  Huh, just when you think you know someone..... He started the story by saying, "Did I ever tell you why I so hate snakes?"  (...and when he finished I said, "oh, this is so going on my blog." :-)

 

My husband Rick.
Mighty Hunter...Salmon Slayer
Hates snakes.  :-)

       He said he was about 6 or 7 years old, and at his grandfathers house.  One of Grandpa's pigs had just had babies.  Without any adults with him he went in back to see the new piglets.  What he saw traumatized him for life.  ( If I dislike snakes, he  hates them :-).

     In the pigpen was this huge 7 ft long snake -- probably a pine snake.  It had just eaten a baby pig.  I mean just.  Rick said the baby pig was still wiggling around and screaming -- inside the snake!   The snake was trying to get away, but because the piglet was so big, it could not get back through the fence.  Needless to say, the adults took care of that situation.............

     Now I know that when Rick says he hates snakes, he really means, uhh.....uhh *whisper* that he's afraid of them. (DO NOT tell him I said that :-)

.....dr momi

  

The Snake Story

      

Perfect snake "houses".  We found a snake skin under these one year.
However, this metal is all going on the pig shed tomorrow.
So sorry snakes,.....NOT.

     At our old house we lived on a hill.  If you rode your bike out the driveway and turned down the hill, it only took one pump and you could coast (fast) down to a second driveway by our barn.

     That's exactly what I did one fine spring day years back.  I had horse chores to do before I took a bike ride.  I think I might have given that bike two pedal pumps that day, if I was going any faster, I wouldn't have made the turn into the driveway.


     Just as I turned in, I looked ahead, and there was this big (4 feet -- ok -- medium) snake sunning himself on the gravel!  It all happened so fast.  If I had put on the brakes, I would have stopped right on top of him -- I just knew it.  So, I kept going, and with my legs stretched out as far as I could get them, wouldn't you know I ended up running right over the middle of him!  I was screaming my head off the whole while....!  He slithered away, and since it was only a grass snake, I hoped that he made it, but, I really don't like snakes.


     Tomorrow........Rick's snake story.

Rhubarb Survivor

This Rhubarb plant was planted 3 years ago --- the first spring in our new house.

It started to grow that year.......and then......

Rick mowed it down with the lawnmower.

....and kept mowing it down all summer.

It started to grow the second year......and then.....

Rick mowed it down with the lawnmower.

....and kept mowing it down all summer.

It started to grow this, it's third year.....and it's still here!

....because he hasn't mowed yet.

....because the lawnmower is broke...hahahahaha she says with an evil laugh.

I do believe it's big enough to see now!  The new lawnmower comes tomorrow.

.....dr momi


linked with      http://farmchickskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/farmchicks-farm-photo-friday.html

The Rat Story

     When I look at my forsythia in bloom, I remember all my kids.  It was a Mother's Day present two years ago.   Thanks guys......love you all.  Perhaps I should have planted it somewhere else around the house......

 .........because when I look at this area of ground I remember the ...."rat story". The rat story took place a year before my beautiful forsythia.  We were just in our new house 1 year.  Landscaping is something I enjoy, so I wouldn't pay anyone to do it for me.  If it took  "years" to finish it all, no big deal.  That spring I was digging holes to plant some bushes.  I remember I was babysitting my young niece.  We were putzing, enjoying the outside.  I dug a hole next to the porch, the shovel went in, and as I was lifting the dirt, there was quick, "rat size" motion, and "something" ran for cover under the porch!  ....oh ya... I screamed!

     Then I looked in the hole.  At least 10 baby rats about 3 inches long were squirming all over the place!  I had just dug a hole straight into a rats nest!!  "Anna, come and look."   "Awwhhh".

     Now, how to get rid of these baby rats and be discreet with my niece.  I didn't want her to have nightmares.  Well, it was discreet, I'll leave it to your imagination.  Oh, but they were gotten rid of!!! :-)

Sleeping Like A Pig

     I thought I killed them.   "I killed the bees and now the pigs!!", was running through my head.  The morning after their first night here, I went to give the pigs breakfast.  This wasn't all that early mind you, maybe 9:30.  I called to them as I came out.  ......I've been practicing my pig call :-).  Nobody moved.  I opened the squeaky door.  Nobody moved.  I peeked in their dog igloo (which they love, but won't fit in for long) and yelled "time to wake up".  Nobody moved.  Did I see them breathing?  I started to panic.  I kicked the side of the kennel four times -- not all that gently.  Nobody moved.  I was distraught now.  I went to the front of the kennel thinking I was going to be pulling dead pigs out, when all of a sudden, deep scared oinks shot out!  I think I actually jumped off the ground!  I scared them and they scared me :-)

     I have never seen an animal sleep that hard before.  You've heard of "eating like a pig"?  Well, I'm coining a new term, "sleeping like a pig".   :-)

Of course, trying to get a picture of them sleeping didn't work :-)
Oh,.....they ended up with names.  Pinky and Gordo.

.....dr momi

Frisky's Progeny

Look what I caught a picture of hanging on the bird feeder!
Check out the funny/sad story about Frisky.
http://homesteadingatredtailridge.blogspot.com/2011/02/friskys-gone-er.html

Remington!!






 My Grandson Remington.





This cute, sweet, adorable baby, just threw up smack dab in the middle of my eyes while I was holding him up above my head!!!  ...And not just a little!   ......It was classic America's Funniest Home Videos.  I scared him when I screamed.  S-o-r-r-y Remington :-)

18.8 inches

This is pretty in December --- not so much in March. 
Alright.  It's kinda pretty. 

    Ok that was a lot of snow.  With really bad timing.  Rick is thinking this is not good for the deer.  Before the snow, he was out looking for "sheds" (antlers the bucks shed in Feb. or Mar.).   He didn't find any sheds, but did find 2 dead fawns.  Probably ones that were born late June or early July last year, and just didn't have enough time to put any weight on for the winter.  When there is too much snow cover it is tough on them.  This snowstorm could very well kill some that were right on the edge.

     All the birds that were "twittering" (the word we use for birds mating :-) in the woods are quiet.  I think they are all just trying to stay warm and find food.  I saw a very cold redwing blackbird that I'm sure "just got into town" this morning.  The robins will do ok, no worms, but there is fruit hanging on some trees they will eat.  I've seen them devour ornamental crab apples this time of year.




That's as far as the load of wood got. 

   

Our driveway this morning --- you need 4 wheel drive.




The dogwood is still making me smile :-)



Thunder Snow

     It was thundering and lightning last evening in the middle of a nasty snow/sleet storm!  Thunder snow is what the weatherman calls it.  Very strange.  So far we have about 13 inches of the wettest, heaviest snow ever.  We are suppose to have 15+ inches by the time it is done today.

     The guy came and plowed the driveway, leaving a 5 foot high bank in front of the garage door, which my husband is tackling right now.  There is no school today.  Ironically they used up the last, "built in" snow day just recently. (As in they got a day off).  Now they will have to make up this day off, by going another day longer.  I was suppose to work at the food pantry today, but, when school is called off for snow, the pantry is closed.  Not that I could get there.  Rick says he is only shoveling out his side of the garage right now.  I'm officially home bound for the day.  ( I don't want him to do anymore than his side -- that snow is heavy!)

 

Butsch loves the snow. 
The reason why Leader Dogs For The Blind
only uses double coated breeds - snow & cold climates.

     This morning when I took Butsch out, he stepped on the back of my slipper/boot and pulled it off.  The next step was a bare foot in 13 inches of snow :-).  He of course was sure he had to help me get it back on.  As I hopped around on one foot trying to hold onto the leash and put on the boot --- well, let's just say that didn't work!  Into the snow with my bare foot again.  This is guaranteed to wake you up in the morning!  No coffee needed.



.......and Billy loves the snow.  Golden Retriever, another double coated breed.



.....and Rick hates the snow.  (A heavy coated breed :-)



Yesterday

 


Today
(If you look close you can see the corner of the kids picnic table.)





     I am so glad I didn't get my baby chicks yet.  All next week is only suppose to be in the low 30's for highs.  I start them in an old water tank in the garage every spring.  Just too cold at night and too "drafty" when we open and close the garage door. 

     Those of you with your gardens going already......I'm jealous :-)

                                       

                                   

Man That Ground Is Hard.....

     I took a digger yesterday afternoon on the ice.  (Everything is icy right now) Landed hard on my hip and shoulder.......saved my head though :-)  I'll live, it just reminds me that---aahhhh, well, I'm not getting younger :-)  Falling reminded me of another time I said "man that ground is hard"!

     It was when I had just became the new owner of a 12 mon. old colt.  I had wanted a horse all my life and finally had one.  I knew absolutely nothing about horses.  Cherokee was lying in his outdoor paddock soaking up the sun.  He didn't want to get up for me, he was too comfortable.  So, what did this rookie do?  I came over and straddled his back -- you know, he had to start getting trained soon.  I figured if he started to get up I'd just slide off.  Well, I never saw a horse move so fast.  In one fluid motion he stood up into a high buck.  There was no time to...... slide off!  The ground is hard enough from 4 ft up., but, really hard from 10 ft. up!! 

     Over the years I learned a lot about horses.   We had them for many years until everyone went off to college and the chores were just too much for me.  Lots of good memories though.....


This is Fire, 1/2 Arab -- a different colt that I bred.



Sister Wins -- Robin Sighted

     It seems we do it every spring.  Compete to see who sees the first robin of the year.  The competition heated up this year ---  it had to be proven with a picture.  I admit it, my sister won.........But, she lives an hour south of me, so I'm sure I'll see one tomorrow :-)

     For those of you reading from far away places (I know you are there), robins migrate back to our area in the early spring.  Seeing one gives us hope that winter won't go on for ever :-)

This is what she e-mailed me.  The orange belly gives it away.  You win Roxey :-) ........next year.

Slip Sliding Away.....

     This morning my husband took the garbage to the road.  (drove my truck ---  we have a really long driveway.)  The driveway was almost drifted shut at 9:00 a.m.  After dropping off the garbage at the road, he tried to Y turn the truck back around and ended up slipping down the hill --- sideways!  Our driveway is in the middle of a steep hill, and that steep hill has very deep ditches.  So, sliding sideways down the hill is a little scary -- even for him!  All turned out well, of course the big joke was,  "why didn't you just let it go into the ditch!"  -- I have 163,000 miles on that truck and it just won't die! ---- he says I have to drive it till 200,000 miles.  Ughh!



Our road at 2:00 this afternoon.


     About a month ago, a neighbor was driving down the hill, did a cheerio right at our driveway and wiped out the mailbox.  No digging a hole now.  It is now in a pot of Quik Crete, working out just fine.  She went into the "not quite so deep ditch", popped a tire and had to be pulled out.  Country driving in Northeast Wisconsin  -- we just go with the flow.

     We are expecting 4-6" of snow through tonight, and we are trying to keep a smile on our face.  I went looking for any kind of color out there.



The dogwood is getting bright, bright, red. 
Against all that "grey" --  it makes me smile.



Vixen Alert

     Just when I thought I could let down my guard concerning fox, what do I see this morning in broad daylight?  A fox, trotting the whole 40 acre field fence line (there is no fence just some brush) along the side of our house.  Broad daylight!  Guess that's a sign that spring is.........here/coming.  It was awful small, probably a yearling vixen (a female fox that was born last year), running away from Mr. Fox who wanted to breed her.  The birds are "twittering" in the woods, guess that's a sign that spring is here/coming too.
 
    Billy the watch dog, barked early this morning when I let him out.  In the shadows I could see something running in the field, I wonder if it was the fox.     .......Good Dog



I'm just figuring out my chick order for this year. 
 Guess I'm still on fox alert.

 P.S.  I'm adding this on ......this evening about 5:30 didn't that vixen go right back the same way she came!  Thought for sure we'd see Mr. Fox.  Nothing, until 6:30.  Here he comes, following her path through the field.  Not knowing he was putting a show on for us, we watched as he started to jump into the air!  We realized he was hunting mice.  Jumping high into the air and stomping down hard to try to spook up the mouse.  It was all very exciting to watch.  Two grandsons and all of us adults totally enjoyed the show.............uuhhhh, but I'm still on fox alert.

Duck Escapees

     I think the ducks have "Cabin Fever".  I just did the morning chores late. (it's middle afternoon -- my bad)  I left the duck coop door open a bit like I always do when I bring the food and water, and instead of waiting for me to be done, they all made a mad dash for the open door!  Uhhggg!  Now, they are happily going from dog poo pile to dog poo pile chowing down!!!!  My husband said, "what Lucky Ducks!"  All I can think of is whether I want to eat tomorrows eggs!

     It is not going to be easy getting them back in.  First of all they don't want to go in, and second of all there are 4 foot drifts out there that they are walking on top of and I will sink in! 

Cleaned The Frig.......

     I finally got around to cleaning the refrigerator......it really needed it.  It was good to get it cleaned, but also kind of sad.  I threw a lot away.  What a waste.  I was curious as to how much money I was literally throwing out.  Here's how I figured it:

1/4 lb shrimp leftover from Super Bowl Sunday (Yeah Pack!)
        ..............................$ 3.00
Mangosteen Juice...one swallow and then forgotten about
        ...............................29.99
1 lime.....rock hard
       .....................................50
3/4 of an avocado
       .....................................75
3/4 lb. of Havarti cheese
       ..................................6.00
1/2 ring polish sausage
       ..................................2.00
Nitrate free sandwich meat......doesn't last without the nitrates :)
       ..................................6.00
2 Nitrate free hot dogs..........leftover from roasting over the fire New Years Day
       .................................1.00
Homemade Elderberry juice....got pushed to the back....out of sight out of mind
       ...............................10.00
1/4 jar taco sauce.
       ....................................40
1/2 jar homemade pickles....................in there a REALLY long time opened
       ..........2.50
1/2 jar homemade pickled beets.........."       "    "        "          "       "         "....
       ..........2.50
Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus drink....single serve
       ..................3.50
Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus qt.
      ...................6.00
Homemade Barbecue 1 qt....(my canned sauce and grass fed hamburger)                                         
(I just forgot to freeze it!!)
      ..................8.00


                   Grand Total.......................................$77.39

I could use a spare $77.39 in my pocket.  What really hurt was throwing out the things that had cost me lots of time and energy--- elderberry juice, barbecue, pickles, pickled beets.  That is not going to happen again.  Using up leftovers is going to become a regular thing.  And really checking over the whole refrigerator for opened things (i.e the protein drink and Mangosteen Juice) has got to become a regular habit.................. Pray for me  :-)