Geriatric Delinquent

OK, so I'm not the most regular blogger. It seems that whenever I have the inclination I don't have the time, and when I have the time, I don't have the inclination. Or I'm just too darn tired. I do want to post more often, though; things happen here every day that make me think "Gee, I'd like to share this with someone". If I blog, I do have someone(s) to share with. So I'm really going to try to blog more regularly.

It's been a long day. I was thinking earlier "man, the weather was gorgeous today and I didn't get anything done!" But then I realized that wasn't true. I broke down and scrubbed out three big varikennels and three large cat carriers (currently in use as small dog crates) this morning, washed dog bowls, got Que ready for her mom who came early this afternoon to get her, carted a big folding crate Que's mom gave me out to the pole barn, while I was there I searched through my stash of collars to see if I had anything that would fit the short boys, did 3 loads of laundry, emptied wastebaskets and gathered trash and took that all out to the cart, updated the folks about the Dachsies, got crates set up for them in the living room, paid bills, got the schedule info submitted for my summer obedience classes, and did the heel flap and turned the heel on the first sock of a pair in the Pembrokshire Pathways pattern (in a gorgeous hand-dyed yarn from Pagewood Farms in the colorway Turquoise). So it wasn't true that I hadn't gotten anything done.

Then I fixed myself a little dinner, repaired an extension cord, hooked up the clippers, and removed Duchess' beautiful feathers. Her new mom "doesn't do the cocker cut", and offered to pay me to groom her. She looks really good, weight wise, and you can see it even better without the feathering. She was pudgy and flabby when she got here, she's svelte and sleek and at a perfect weight, now. Duchess, Duke, and Olivia are going in to the spay/neuter clinic in the morning, so they all had to have baths tonight. I figured I might as well clip Duchess now instead of waiting until the end of the week, it would take less time to shampoo her and less time for her to dry. (Mrs. Parker, Chu-Chu, and Sparky are going to the clinic on Thursday. While I'm there tomorrow, I'll get the two intact Dachsies scheduled .)

Three baths given, three clean dogs tucked into clean crates with clean blankets. Three Dachsies taken out and supervised, then given their first lesson in crating (they got their dinner in their crates). Two more shifts of dogs out, then dinner for everyone. Then I decided it was time for a treat, so I sat down here with the last Leinie's Creamy Dark Lager to check e-mail. Too tired to get up and go to bed, here I sit.

I am having so much fun watching The Chooch find herself. Her most recent step into real doghood is to play, with Sparky. She has such a crush on him, it's the sweetest thing. She follows him everywhere, and takes every opportunity she can find to mount him - her idea of a play invitation. Sparky, bless his sweet, easy-going heart, isn't bothered by Chooch's crude approach, he just rolls onto his back so they're wrestling face to face. She's started to play growl, and if it weren't for her body language indicating clearly that she's playing, I'd interpret the sound as pre-attack aggressive. Sparky's not bothered by her vocalizations, either. (He really is the most easy-going, loving little dog in the world. I absolutely adore him.) She asks to be petted now, and actively seeks me out for attention. She's so funny, such an odd, determined little mite. I get such a tickle out of her.

Oh, it is so quiet here without Que. The energy level in here has dropped by half. Sure is nice.