As I was sitting in the bathroom with Irenie I looked out onto the patio and saw a baby bird doing little hops in place on the dirt right at the edge of the concrete slab of the covered area. It was one of the kingbird babies and he'd fallen out of the nest. I flew through the house and out onto the patio, because I knew Nellie was there, she jumps the fence from the yard into the patio. I don't know how she missed him, except to guess that she was sleeping when he fell out and didn't hear him. As soon as I opened the door she woke up and I barely beat her to him. As I grabbed her he flutter-hopped away. I snatched him up, opened the step stool, climbed up to put him back in the nest. He wouldn't let me put him all the way in, he perched on the edge, but he had a good grip and I figured he'd be OK. His wings are fully feathered, he's just missing the longer feathers at the tip of the wing and on his tail to be able to fly. They'll be ready to leave the nest within a week or so, I think.
Mama kingbird was sitting on the fence, watching the rescue. Apparently she didn't mind that her baby smelled like me; she flew to the nest and fed him, so I guess he's going to be OK. Then she flew over to the phone cable by the kitchen window and 'talked' to me. I don't know whether she was thanking me for saving her baby, or scolding me for touching him. Cheeky little thing.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
TG for DWTS
I had a mostly rotten night. I've been uncomfortable about one of the dogs in my class. She's a mutt, no way to know for sure what component breeds might be in her make-up, but I'd bet that one of them is Basenji. Maybe Shepherd/Basenji? Very smart dog, learns very quickly. But if the payoff isn't exciting enough, she just blows people off. Her handler is an 11-year old girl. The mother came to class and observed - and did some practice with the dog, at home - but the handler in class was very young. She, too, is very smart and learns quickly, but she just doesn't have the presence and physical strength to manage this dog. The dog's been learning and doing well on most things but it's all a game to her and when she gets bored, she does whatever she darn well pleases and screw you.
I've been concerned because whenever she doesn't like what she's being asked to do, she gets aggressive. It's a timid aggressiveness, but that's only because she's only 10 months old. As she matures, and gains the confidence of maturity, I think she could be a real threat. A few weeks ago I tried to check her teeth. It's a non-threatening thing, it's not painful, most dogs don't have previous bad experiences with having their mouths touched (they way they can with having their feet touched, nails quicked, etc.). It's OK for a dog to object, it's OK for a dog to pull away, but they shouldn't respond with their mouths. She didn't like it, she let me do it, then snapped at me - and connected, but didn't break skin - as I took my hand away. "I held still and let you do it, but you didn't get away with it." I had been thinking I'd have to have a talk with the mom, tell her I didn't think the dog was a safe dog, especially in a home with children whose friends come to visit. But it's hard to convince someone their dog is dangerous before the dog actually does something to prove it to them.
She got me tonight. We were practicing the grooming/handling section of the CGC test, in which the dog must allow the evaluator to brush/comb them and touch each front foot. She wasn't happy about me touching her feet, she growled and threatened. As I removed my hands from her she snapped at me. I ringed her snout with my thumb and index finger and said "oh no, I don't like that, not one little bit!" I removed my hand and started to stand up and she flew up into my face. Thank heavens she didn't break skin or I'd have lost half my upper lip. As it is, I've got a bruised lip and a bruised cheekbone. I'm probably going to have a shiner tomorrow.
So I had to have a talk with the mother. I told her I was going to say something to her tonight, anyway, but now any doubts I'd had about the need to do so were gone. I told her I didn't think the dog was safe, would not only not get better but only continue to get worse, and that I would euthanize her if she was my dog. I explained that she couldn't re-home the dog herself, that even if she didn't tell rescue groups about the dog's problem they'd discover it during a temperament test and they wouldn't take her. That the only really responsible thing to do would be to euthanize her themselves.
I gave her some reading suggestions (Jean Donaldson's books), and I also suggested she call Chris, and have Chris temperament test the dog. I told her that Chris is a well-respected expert in dog behavior, someone who knows the difference between fixable and non-fixable problems, and would give her an objective opinion, so she'd have as much information as possible in making her decision about what to do with the dog.
I don't know what they'll decide to do. It's a hard decision, especially since the dog belongs to the 11-year old, because everybody loves her. Sadly, sometimes love just isn't enough.
Of course, the rest of the class was shaken by the incident. I explained that if a dog is doing to have a dominance issue, I'm the one they're going to have it with. Same with Chris. A dog that's been able to dominate everyone s/he has ever met takes one look at me and knows right off the bat I'm claiming the pack leader position. That's when they say "oh, no you don't, bitch," and have a go at me.
(The un-rotten part of my night was Raven, my star pupil. Some dogs are fixable, Raven was one of them. He improves by leaps and bounds, the difference from week to week is clear. He flew through my obstacle course tonight, did everything he refused to do last term. Every last one of them. He's confident, poised, relaxed, and an eager worker, a completely different dog than he was just 3.5 months ago. Warms the cockles of my heart to see a basically good dog overcome an early lack of socialization and become the dog nature intended them to be. Makes me proud to have had a part in that.)
I was so grateful to have the tape of tonight's Dancing With The Stars to watch when I got home. All the brilliant performances tonight really lifted my spirits. For the first time, it's hard to pick a favorite to win based on dancing ability. I hate to see any of the remaining four couples lose.
I've been concerned because whenever she doesn't like what she's being asked to do, she gets aggressive. It's a timid aggressiveness, but that's only because she's only 10 months old. As she matures, and gains the confidence of maturity, I think she could be a real threat. A few weeks ago I tried to check her teeth. It's a non-threatening thing, it's not painful, most dogs don't have previous bad experiences with having their mouths touched (they way they can with having their feet touched, nails quicked, etc.). It's OK for a dog to object, it's OK for a dog to pull away, but they shouldn't respond with their mouths. She didn't like it, she let me do it, then snapped at me - and connected, but didn't break skin - as I took my hand away. "I held still and let you do it, but you didn't get away with it." I had been thinking I'd have to have a talk with the mom, tell her I didn't think the dog was a safe dog, especially in a home with children whose friends come to visit. But it's hard to convince someone their dog is dangerous before the dog actually does something to prove it to them.
She got me tonight. We were practicing the grooming/handling section of the CGC test, in which the dog must allow the evaluator to brush/comb them and touch each front foot. She wasn't happy about me touching her feet, she growled and threatened. As I removed my hands from her she snapped at me. I ringed her snout with my thumb and index finger and said "oh no, I don't like that, not one little bit!" I removed my hand and started to stand up and she flew up into my face. Thank heavens she didn't break skin or I'd have lost half my upper lip. As it is, I've got a bruised lip and a bruised cheekbone. I'm probably going to have a shiner tomorrow.
So I had to have a talk with the mother. I told her I was going to say something to her tonight, anyway, but now any doubts I'd had about the need to do so were gone. I told her I didn't think the dog was safe, would not only not get better but only continue to get worse, and that I would euthanize her if she was my dog. I explained that she couldn't re-home the dog herself, that even if she didn't tell rescue groups about the dog's problem they'd discover it during a temperament test and they wouldn't take her. That the only really responsible thing to do would be to euthanize her themselves.
I gave her some reading suggestions (Jean Donaldson's books), and I also suggested she call Chris, and have Chris temperament test the dog. I told her that Chris is a well-respected expert in dog behavior, someone who knows the difference between fixable and non-fixable problems, and would give her an objective opinion, so she'd have as much information as possible in making her decision about what to do with the dog.
I don't know what they'll decide to do. It's a hard decision, especially since the dog belongs to the 11-year old, because everybody loves her. Sadly, sometimes love just isn't enough.
Of course, the rest of the class was shaken by the incident. I explained that if a dog is doing to have a dominance issue, I'm the one they're going to have it with. Same with Chris. A dog that's been able to dominate everyone s/he has ever met takes one look at me and knows right off the bat I'm claiming the pack leader position. That's when they say "oh, no you don't, bitch," and have a go at me.
(The un-rotten part of my night was Raven, my star pupil. Some dogs are fixable, Raven was one of them. He improves by leaps and bounds, the difference from week to week is clear. He flew through my obstacle course tonight, did everything he refused to do last term. Every last one of them. He's confident, poised, relaxed, and an eager worker, a completely different dog than he was just 3.5 months ago. Warms the cockles of my heart to see a basically good dog overcome an early lack of socialization and become the dog nature intended them to be. Makes me proud to have had a part in that.)
I was so grateful to have the tape of tonight's Dancing With The Stars to watch when I got home. All the brilliant performances tonight really lifted my spirits. For the first time, it's hard to pick a favorite to win based on dancing ability. I hate to see any of the remaining four couples lose.
Today, Maybe?
Irenie's got to produce those babies in the next 24-48 hours. I don't know how she could possibly hang onto them any longer than that. The other day her hindquarters were damp and I thought she must have lost the mucus plug, but I guess it must just have been damp from a post-potty cleanup. She's had a lot of gas and diarrhea and there's an odd odor to it, I'm guessing she has giardia. We're both going to have to suffer with it until the kittens are 8 weeks old, she can't be given metronidazole until the kittens are mostly weaned.
But last night she did lose the mucus plug. I'll spare you the details of how I know that for sure, but I do. And she has clearly "dropped", so I think things are moving into place. The babies sure are an active crew. I hate to disappoint any of the pool participants who guessed a low number of kittens, but I've felt at least 5 different kittens moving and I'm guessing there are more than that. There's one little (?) guy (actually, he feels pretty big) just below her last right rib down toward the bottom of her belly who's been very, very active, I can feel the separate movements of all 4 legs. I think he's been practicing his litterbox digging technique. There's another one - a little quieter - right on top of him, but up under the rib a little. I feel that one kicking when I put my hand on Irenie's back from the top. There's another closer to the rear than the first one. That one feels like it has littler feet, and feels more toward the middle than the right side like the others. Probably going to be the first one born. And there are at least 2 on the left side, too. At one point, I felt all of them move within a few seconds of each other, so I was sure nobody had relocated during that brief period.
Irenie likes me to hold her in my arms and support her belly. She puts her front legs across the crook of my elbow and I close my left arm around her putting my palm along her side. I put my right arm through her back legs (which she then relaxes and lets dangle), hold her belly in my palm, and hold her close to my chest/stomach so my body helps support her. I can feel the babies moving not only with the palms and fingers of both hands, I can feel them on my chest/stomach where Irenie's belly is resting on me. It tickles, and it's hard not to giggle.
With my luck, she'll have them while I'm gone to my obedience class tonight (this is the last class of this term) and I'll miss the whole thing. But I know she likes having me with her, so maybe not. Maybe she'll wait for me to get home.
On my way home from class I've got to remember to stop at Meijers. They sell bulk rawhide in chips, rolls, bones, and rings, every day price $4.99/pound (sale price $2.99/pound) and I'm starting to run low on "pacifiers" for the big dogs. (I still have a whole bunch of the little twist sticks for the little guys.) A big bag of Kitten Chow for Irenie, some multi-packs of canned food, too. I also need to pick up a big bag of the Meijer store brand dry cat food, there's been an increase in the amount of food being consumed at the outdoor dish (despite the increased availability of live food outdoors) and I need to stock up on "feral food". (The ingredients are about equivalent to the Friskies or Whiskas dry foods, and it's only $7 for a 20-pound bag. If it's on sale, it's only $5/bag.) I need birdseed for the feeder, too. Yogurt for Irenie, half and half for me.
Now...... who do I take to class with me tonight? Tonight is split into two sections - Fun and Games, and a CGC practice run after the break. In the Fun and Games part, I talk about dog sport, trick training, and then I set up an "obstacle" course. What looks like a fun obstacle course to them is actually a course of traps and triggers, designed to ferret out how each dog will react to the kinds of things they may encounter on walks out in public. At the beginning of the course are two "traffic" cones, the task is to walk the dog in a figure-8 around them. Next comes a low jump. (A broom handle held up at either end by the low railing at the back of a couple of folding chairs, maybe 4" off the ground.) Another cone, where they are to sit, down, and stay. Next is group of 6 cardboard blueprint tubes separated by 3-4", the task is to walk the dog over/through the tubes. (Awareness of foot placement, simulates something like tree branches across a path.) Next, heel past a flock of "ducks". (Some wicker duck and turkey baskets, I want to get some plastic decoys to use instead, but it's surprising how many dogs bark at those baskets!) Another jump. Another down/stay. An 8' length of plastic floor runner to walk across (unusual texture underfoot). A hula hoop on the floor, get the dog inside the hoop and do a sit-to-down. A low plastic storage tub, walk the dog through the box. (This one is really tough for a lot of dogs, even without water in it.) I need a tunnel, and I need it to fit into my little car for transporting, I'm still trying to figure something out.
People are always amazed at their dogs' reaction to the obstacle course, at what the dogs handle with aplomb and what they react unexpectedly to. (I usually know ahead of time which dogs are going to have problems and which aren't, but they catch me off-guard at times, too.) By the time they've been through the course twice, they'll have a good idea what sorts of things their dogs might react to so they can work on those areas.
After that I talk about agility, flyball, formal obedience, therapy dog work, rally obedience, whatever I think might be satisfying to each dog and handler, and give them some suggestions for local trainers/classes for those things. I demonstrate and explain clicker training. Then a short potty break, and the CGC run-throughs.
I've got one student whose sweet chunky little pug/beagle mix is just about ready to take the test; he and his handler have come so far in the last 6 weeks and she's really pleased. Those are the students that make teaching fun. After I run her and Benny through the test and tell her what needs to be polished before he's ready, I'll give her Chris's number and tell her she should call Chris when Benny's ready, and Chris will test him. (I'm not an AKC CGC evaluator, Chris is.)
I've also got the big Malinois boy Raven, who is close to being ready to take the test too. His handler hasn't started moving away from him on a 'stay' yet, but once he's got a good 'stay' he'll be ready. This is Raven's second term with me. His handler is perfectly capable of teaching him the basic obedience stuff (sit, down, stay, come, leave-it, off, etc.), but he was extremely timid and spooky - and highly reactive - when he first came to class. He desperately needed socialization. I'm so pleased with how he's progressed. He's a totally different dog than he was when I met him the beginning of February. I was a little afraid of him then, but I'm very comfortable with him now. When I met him I had to be very careful not to even appear to be leaning over him, now I can bend over him, wrap my arms around him, and hug him. The first time I touched his leg just below his shoulder, he snapped at the air next to my ear. Now I can pick up both front feet and play with them and he doesn't protest. If he were a rescue dog I wouldn't place him with the general public, I couldn't trust that he wouldn't bite if he felt insecure. But his owner is aware of his issues and committed to, and capable of, managing them, and I feel confident she'll be able to handle him so he's safe.
It'll be nice to be able to stay home on Monday nights for the next few weeks.
But last night she did lose the mucus plug. I'll spare you the details of how I know that for sure, but I do. And she has clearly "dropped", so I think things are moving into place. The babies sure are an active crew. I hate to disappoint any of the pool participants who guessed a low number of kittens, but I've felt at least 5 different kittens moving and I'm guessing there are more than that. There's one little (?) guy (actually, he feels pretty big) just below her last right rib down toward the bottom of her belly who's been very, very active, I can feel the separate movements of all 4 legs. I think he's been practicing his litterbox digging technique. There's another one - a little quieter - right on top of him, but up under the rib a little. I feel that one kicking when I put my hand on Irenie's back from the top. There's another closer to the rear than the first one. That one feels like it has littler feet, and feels more toward the middle than the right side like the others. Probably going to be the first one born. And there are at least 2 on the left side, too. At one point, I felt all of them move within a few seconds of each other, so I was sure nobody had relocated during that brief period.
Irenie likes me to hold her in my arms and support her belly. She puts her front legs across the crook of my elbow and I close my left arm around her putting my palm along her side. I put my right arm through her back legs (which she then relaxes and lets dangle), hold her belly in my palm, and hold her close to my chest/stomach so my body helps support her. I can feel the babies moving not only with the palms and fingers of both hands, I can feel them on my chest/stomach where Irenie's belly is resting on me. It tickles, and it's hard not to giggle.
With my luck, she'll have them while I'm gone to my obedience class tonight (this is the last class of this term) and I'll miss the whole thing. But I know she likes having me with her, so maybe not. Maybe she'll wait for me to get home.
On my way home from class I've got to remember to stop at Meijers. They sell bulk rawhide in chips, rolls, bones, and rings, every day price $4.99/pound (sale price $2.99/pound) and I'm starting to run low on "pacifiers" for the big dogs. (I still have a whole bunch of the little twist sticks for the little guys.) A big bag of Kitten Chow for Irenie, some multi-packs of canned food, too. I also need to pick up a big bag of the Meijer store brand dry cat food, there's been an increase in the amount of food being consumed at the outdoor dish (despite the increased availability of live food outdoors) and I need to stock up on "feral food". (The ingredients are about equivalent to the Friskies or Whiskas dry foods, and it's only $7 for a 20-pound bag. If it's on sale, it's only $5/bag.) I need birdseed for the feeder, too. Yogurt for Irenie, half and half for me.
Now...... who do I take to class with me tonight? Tonight is split into two sections - Fun and Games, and a CGC practice run after the break. In the Fun and Games part, I talk about dog sport, trick training, and then I set up an "obstacle" course. What looks like a fun obstacle course to them is actually a course of traps and triggers, designed to ferret out how each dog will react to the kinds of things they may encounter on walks out in public. At the beginning of the course are two "traffic" cones, the task is to walk the dog in a figure-8 around them. Next comes a low jump. (A broom handle held up at either end by the low railing at the back of a couple of folding chairs, maybe 4" off the ground.) Another cone, where they are to sit, down, and stay. Next is group of 6 cardboard blueprint tubes separated by 3-4", the task is to walk the dog over/through the tubes. (Awareness of foot placement, simulates something like tree branches across a path.) Next, heel past a flock of "ducks". (Some wicker duck and turkey baskets, I want to get some plastic decoys to use instead, but it's surprising how many dogs bark at those baskets!) Another jump. Another down/stay. An 8' length of plastic floor runner to walk across (unusual texture underfoot). A hula hoop on the floor, get the dog inside the hoop and do a sit-to-down. A low plastic storage tub, walk the dog through the box. (This one is really tough for a lot of dogs, even without water in it.) I need a tunnel, and I need it to fit into my little car for transporting, I'm still trying to figure something out.
People are always amazed at their dogs' reaction to the obstacle course, at what the dogs handle with aplomb and what they react unexpectedly to. (I usually know ahead of time which dogs are going to have problems and which aren't, but they catch me off-guard at times, too.) By the time they've been through the course twice, they'll have a good idea what sorts of things their dogs might react to so they can work on those areas.
After that I talk about agility, flyball, formal obedience, therapy dog work, rally obedience, whatever I think might be satisfying to each dog and handler, and give them some suggestions for local trainers/classes for those things. I demonstrate and explain clicker training. Then a short potty break, and the CGC run-throughs.
I've got one student whose sweet chunky little pug/beagle mix is just about ready to take the test; he and his handler have come so far in the last 6 weeks and she's really pleased. Those are the students that make teaching fun. After I run her and Benny through the test and tell her what needs to be polished before he's ready, I'll give her Chris's number and tell her she should call Chris when Benny's ready, and Chris will test him. (I'm not an AKC CGC evaluator, Chris is.)
I've also got the big Malinois boy Raven, who is close to being ready to take the test too. His handler hasn't started moving away from him on a 'stay' yet, but once he's got a good 'stay' he'll be ready. This is Raven's second term with me. His handler is perfectly capable of teaching him the basic obedience stuff (sit, down, stay, come, leave-it, off, etc.), but he was extremely timid and spooky - and highly reactive - when he first came to class. He desperately needed socialization. I'm so pleased with how he's progressed. He's a totally different dog than he was when I met him the beginning of February. I was a little afraid of him then, but I'm very comfortable with him now. When I met him I had to be very careful not to even appear to be leaning over him, now I can bend over him, wrap my arms around him, and hug him. The first time I touched his leg just below his shoulder, he snapped at the air next to my ear. Now I can pick up both front feet and play with them and he doesn't protest. If he were a rescue dog I wouldn't place him with the general public, I couldn't trust that he wouldn't bite if he felt insecure. But his owner is aware of his issues and committed to, and capable of, managing them, and I feel confident she'll be able to handle him so he's safe.
It'll be nice to be able to stay home on Monday nights for the next few weeks.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Still Waiting......
I sat up with Irenie until 4:30 this morning, I was sure she was getting ready to queen. Nothing happening, so I finally went to bed.
She hasn't eaten since late yesterday afternoon. Isn't even interested in the food dish.
It really can't be very long now. I can't stand waiting!
She hasn't eaten since late yesterday afternoon. Isn't even interested in the food dish.
It really can't be very long now. I can't stand waiting!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Tonight's the Night?
Well, at least I think it is. Irenie's appetite disappeared this afternoon. This evening she's lying on the cool bathroom floor purring like crazy and grunting softly from time to time. She'd rather be on the floor getting petted than be on my lap getting petted. I checked her bottom, she's swollen and it sure looks like something's going to happen soon.
She's too rotund to reach her bottom, so I'm going to have to keep a close watch on her in case I have to help out with the first few.
If something happens I'll update this post later.
She's too rotund to reach her bottom, so I'm going to have to keep a close watch on her in case I have to help out with the first few.
If something happens I'll update this post later.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Getting To Know You.....
It's always fun to get to know a new dog, to discover the temperament and personality of the dog behind the initial impression. I'm enjoying my new girl, very much. As I was on my way back to the pound yesterday to get her, the name "Tansy" came into my head. "Eh," I thought, "we'll see." When I discovered she was full of "dreadlocks", Jamaica popped into my head. Then I remembered a friend and co-worker from... gosh, about 20 years ago already. She was Jamaican, and her name was Pansy. Tansy, Pansy, close enough for me! So yesterday I was calling my new girl Pansy. But it just doesn't sit right, and Tansy does. So now she's Tansy. Tansy T. Nannydog.
She's very gentle. And she loves kids. She enjoyed visiting with the tomato-snitcher and her little brother yesterday evening. This morning when I let her out, the tomato-snitcher came flying over to the fence. Tansy's head and tail both came up, her tail started to wag, and she ran right over to the fence and sat down to be petted. I love dogs that love kids! And it's going to be a strong asset in matching her with a good home.
She let me cut out some more mats today, I've gotten all the mats that ringed her neck around her collar. She's lots more comfortable. There are still some mats on her flanks and rear, but she's touchier about me messing with those so I'll just work on them a little bit at a time. I did manage to clip her front feet this afternoon; when I held her foot she yelped and tried to pull away but, when she realized I wasn't going to let go (I was just calmly but firmly holding her foot and waiting for her to settle down) she tucked her head under my arm and let me clip. That's got to feel better, too, I took off at least half an inch of nail and now her feet are flat on the floor, instead of having the toes twisted sideways by the long nails. I'll work on the rear feet tomorrow.
She moves pretty good for a fat girl. She really covers some ground when she trots, and she's graceful despite her bulk. She's very easygoing and inoffensive, and she's very well-behaved in the house. She's been loose in the house since this morning, except for half an hour when I fed her earlier, I think I probably won't even crate her at night after a week or so. (Maybe sooner. Might just move the Springer boy into Tansy's crate when I bring him home on Weds.)
Tonight, I discovered Tansy already knows how to sit when asked. I'll have to see what else she knows. She takes treats very gently, and does not resource guard - I was able to take a rawhide chip out of her mouth without the least sign of protest. I'll wait to place her, and I'll test her in different situations to be sure, but I'm thinking she could go to a home with even young children.
When I woke up this morning, I was lying on my left side and Ivy was tucked into the back of my knees. I just reached down and started petting her, she rolled onto her back and stretched while I skritched her tummy, then she curled back up and nudged my hand with her head, so I rubbed and massaged her head and ears for almost 5 minutes. She's such a funny little thing, most of the time she's really spooky and I have to sneak to pet her, but not this morning! Watch, she'll go back to being aloof now.
Irenie's enormous, and she's eating close to 3 cups of kitten food every day. I'm starting to think she's carrying a litter of Great Dane pups.
I'm a klutz. Thursday, I slipped on a plastic bag on the floor in the garage and ended up doing the splits. Nice to know I'm still flexible enough to do them, but a little stretch and warm-up first would have been nice. I pulled the muscles in my left thigh and my left hamstring, and overstretched the muscle in my right inner thigh. Probably because I was sore and moving a little stiffly yesterday, I tripped over the Springer boy when I was at the pound and went sprawling on the concrete floor. Banged my right knee, pulled my back. By last night I hurt so bad I couldn't sit comfortably, anywhere. I'm still sore today but it's dulled a little from yesterday and at least I'm not as stiff as I was last night. Another good night's sleep and I should be feeling lots better.
Yes, I'm going back to the pound on Wednesday to get Simon. The Springer/BC mix. (I don't know where 'Simon' came from, but that's his name.) When I get him cleaned up, I'll get some good pics of both him and Nellie and get bios of them off to BC rescue, who'll do a courtesy listing for them on their site. I'm also going to contact the local rescue group. I met one of their volunteers at the pound yesterday, same woman I met the day I pulled Nellie. I know she liked Tansy and wished she could have taken her. I'm hoping they'll be willing to do courtesy listings for me, too. I'll do an 8-1/2 X 11 ad with pic and "bio" for Tansy and post it on the tackboard at my mom's grocery store. I think she'll appeal to the population in that area, and I just feel that's where I'm going to find the right home for her.
You know who Tansy would be a really good match for? Bobbie. But I'm not going to ask her, and the logistics of a transport would be tough anyway.
She's very gentle. And she loves kids. She enjoyed visiting with the tomato-snitcher and her little brother yesterday evening. This morning when I let her out, the tomato-snitcher came flying over to the fence. Tansy's head and tail both came up, her tail started to wag, and she ran right over to the fence and sat down to be petted. I love dogs that love kids! And it's going to be a strong asset in matching her with a good home.
She let me cut out some more mats today, I've gotten all the mats that ringed her neck around her collar. She's lots more comfortable. There are still some mats on her flanks and rear, but she's touchier about me messing with those so I'll just work on them a little bit at a time. I did manage to clip her front feet this afternoon; when I held her foot she yelped and tried to pull away but, when she realized I wasn't going to let go (I was just calmly but firmly holding her foot and waiting for her to settle down) she tucked her head under my arm and let me clip. That's got to feel better, too, I took off at least half an inch of nail and now her feet are flat on the floor, instead of having the toes twisted sideways by the long nails. I'll work on the rear feet tomorrow.
She moves pretty good for a fat girl. She really covers some ground when she trots, and she's graceful despite her bulk. She's very easygoing and inoffensive, and she's very well-behaved in the house. She's been loose in the house since this morning, except for half an hour when I fed her earlier, I think I probably won't even crate her at night after a week or so. (Maybe sooner. Might just move the Springer boy into Tansy's crate when I bring him home on Weds.)
Tonight, I discovered Tansy already knows how to sit when asked. I'll have to see what else she knows. She takes treats very gently, and does not resource guard - I was able to take a rawhide chip out of her mouth without the least sign of protest. I'll wait to place her, and I'll test her in different situations to be sure, but I'm thinking she could go to a home with even young children.
When I woke up this morning, I was lying on my left side and Ivy was tucked into the back of my knees. I just reached down and started petting her, she rolled onto her back and stretched while I skritched her tummy, then she curled back up and nudged my hand with her head, so I rubbed and massaged her head and ears for almost 5 minutes. She's such a funny little thing, most of the time she's really spooky and I have to sneak to pet her, but not this morning! Watch, she'll go back to being aloof now.
Irenie's enormous, and she's eating close to 3 cups of kitten food every day. I'm starting to think she's carrying a litter of Great Dane pups.
I'm a klutz. Thursday, I slipped on a plastic bag on the floor in the garage and ended up doing the splits. Nice to know I'm still flexible enough to do them, but a little stretch and warm-up first would have been nice. I pulled the muscles in my left thigh and my left hamstring, and overstretched the muscle in my right inner thigh. Probably because I was sore and moving a little stiffly yesterday, I tripped over the Springer boy when I was at the pound and went sprawling on the concrete floor. Banged my right knee, pulled my back. By last night I hurt so bad I couldn't sit comfortably, anywhere. I'm still sore today but it's dulled a little from yesterday and at least I'm not as stiff as I was last night. Another good night's sleep and I should be feeling lots better.
Yes, I'm going back to the pound on Wednesday to get Simon. The Springer/BC mix. (I don't know where 'Simon' came from, but that's his name.) When I get him cleaned up, I'll get some good pics of both him and Nellie and get bios of them off to BC rescue, who'll do a courtesy listing for them on their site. I'm also going to contact the local rescue group. I met one of their volunteers at the pound yesterday, same woman I met the day I pulled Nellie. I know she liked Tansy and wished she could have taken her. I'm hoping they'll be willing to do courtesy listings for me, too. I'll do an 8-1/2 X 11 ad with pic and "bio" for Tansy and post it on the tackboard at my mom's grocery store. I think she'll appeal to the population in that area, and I just feel that's where I'm going to find the right home for her.
You know who Tansy would be a really good match for? Bobbie. But I'm not going to ask her, and the logistics of a transport would be tough anyway.
Friday, May 04, 2007
The Hummers are Back!
As I sat here looking out the window and thinking, a little dark blur darted up to the feeder outside the window. First one. Little guy looked thin, I'm glad the feeder was there to refresh him after his long journey. I love these little guys, I'm so glad they're back!
Snickers is getting easier. He let me pet him yesterday afternoon. He saw my hand coming and not only didn't move away but stood still and elevator-butted so I could skritch at the base of his tail. Then he came and curled up on the floor about a foot away from my feet. I think, I hope, he's going to be a big-time cuddler some day.
Ivy let me pet her yesterday, too. That means the only cat I won't be able to Frontline this year is Roo. I'll have to be sneaky with Snickers and Ivy but it's doable. It's not, with Roo.
Snickers is getting easier. He let me pet him yesterday afternoon. He saw my hand coming and not only didn't move away but stood still and elevator-butted so I could skritch at the base of his tail. Then he came and curled up on the floor about a foot away from my feet. I think, I hope, he's going to be a big-time cuddler some day.
Ivy let me pet her yesterday, too. That means the only cat I won't be able to Frontline this year is Roo. I'll have to be sneaky with Snickers and Ivy but it's doable. It's not, with Roo.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Tap....Tap....Tap....Tap....
We're still waiting. Irenie's so big that her belly's gotten taut. She's not lactating, so she's not quite ready to pop yet, but I don't think it's going to be much longer. She usually enjoys me rubbing her belly; today, it irritates her. I had her out on my lap, and on the bookcase behind the cat tree where she likes to lie, for a little while earlier today, but then she wanted back in the bathroom. First time she's wanted in instead of out. And when I popped in there half an hour later she was curled up in the box, instead of on top of the carrier where she usually hangs out. 24 hours? 48 hours? With my luck, she'll have them when I'm gone to class tomorrow afternoon/evening.
Nellie has learned to leave the cats alone. Mostly. She still needs a verbal reminder to "leave it!" once in a while, and only when Dudley or Ten get her fired up by chasing Flint. Nellie doesn't understand that Duds, Flint, and Ten play like that, and it isn't a hunt. Other than that, she's a very good girl. She can entertain herself, which is an unusual trait in Border Collies or mixes. When she has "Nellie only" house time (Penny and the little dogs are loose in the house all the time, the others rotate, usually in pairs but one at a time, sometimes) she goes and finds herself a hoof or bone to chew on, then settles down and works on it for an hour. She's very social, but is less demanding of personal attention than most other youngsters her age I've fostered. Ten and Dudley love her, she's a great playmate.
I sleep with a bedful of little dogs, now. Lacey Jane likes to be under the covers. She's taken over the spot on my left side that Dudley used to occupy, so now he sleeps on my right side down by my knees, or even down by my feet. Penny sleeps on the bottom half of the bed, Toby either sleeps just above her, next to her, or up by my shoulder. I also have the bedcats with me. (Or on me.) Getting up in the middle of the night is tough; getting back into bed is tougher. Mornings are fun. Dudley wants cuddles, Lacey wants cuddles, Toby wants cuddles, Ellie and Doobie want cuddles. I could use a couple extra pair of arms/hands.
The bulbs I planted last fall have been a mixed success. Some of the crocuses came up but not all, but then the ones that were already here didn't all come up either. The miniature irises came up and were pretty, but they got buried beneath the snow we had and didn't recover well when it melted. The narcissus bulbs my sis planted did very well, three different color varieties that bloom sequentially rather than concurrently. And I have some rose-with-white-edges tulips in the south side flower bed, so my sis must have sneaked those in there when she was planting narcissus. All the hyacinth bulbs I planted came up. There were 10 of them, 6 were purple. One is white, one is pale pink, and the other two haven't blossomed yet (I didn't check on them today, though) but it looks like they're going to be deep pink. They smell heavenly. Here's the pale pink one:
Nellie has learned to leave the cats alone. Mostly. She still needs a verbal reminder to "leave it!" once in a while, and only when Dudley or Ten get her fired up by chasing Flint. Nellie doesn't understand that Duds, Flint, and Ten play like that, and it isn't a hunt. Other than that, she's a very good girl. She can entertain herself, which is an unusual trait in Border Collies or mixes. When she has "Nellie only" house time (Penny and the little dogs are loose in the house all the time, the others rotate, usually in pairs but one at a time, sometimes) she goes and finds herself a hoof or bone to chew on, then settles down and works on it for an hour. She's very social, but is less demanding of personal attention than most other youngsters her age I've fostered. Ten and Dudley love her, she's a great playmate.
I sleep with a bedful of little dogs, now. Lacey Jane likes to be under the covers. She's taken over the spot on my left side that Dudley used to occupy, so now he sleeps on my right side down by my knees, or even down by my feet. Penny sleeps on the bottom half of the bed, Toby either sleeps just above her, next to her, or up by my shoulder. I also have the bedcats with me. (Or on me.) Getting up in the middle of the night is tough; getting back into bed is tougher. Mornings are fun. Dudley wants cuddles, Lacey wants cuddles, Toby wants cuddles, Ellie and Doobie want cuddles. I could use a couple extra pair of arms/hands.
The bulbs I planted last fall have been a mixed success. Some of the crocuses came up but not all, but then the ones that were already here didn't all come up either. The miniature irises came up and were pretty, but they got buried beneath the snow we had and didn't recover well when it melted. The narcissus bulbs my sis planted did very well, three different color varieties that bloom sequentially rather than concurrently. And I have some rose-with-white-edges tulips in the south side flower bed, so my sis must have sneaked those in there when she was planting narcissus. All the hyacinth bulbs I planted came up. There were 10 of them, 6 were purple. One is white, one is pale pink, and the other two haven't blossomed yet (I didn't check on them today, though) but it looks like they're going to be deep pink. They smell heavenly. Here's the pale pink one:
I'm waiting for my hummingbirds to return. The feeder's been out for a week and I haven't seen one yet. But I remember last year I didn't see any until a couple of weeks after they were first spotted in my area (according to the migration map: http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html ) so it shouldn't be long before I see some action.
I had to stop at the dollar store last week, and while I was there I browsed some of their windcatchers/windchimes. The twirly purple one I had last year didn't make it through the winter, so I was looking for something to replace it. I found a nylon wind spiral with a pink flamingo at the top and the swirl in hot pink, purple, green, and yellow. It was so lightweight that it didn't spin right, but I used a paperclip to attach a penny to the bottom of it and now it spins beautifully. I'll have to get a pic of it. This winter I was in the lighting section at Meijer looking for either a clamp-on light reflector or a clamp-on swing-arm reading lamp and, after I got that, I checked out the clearance shelf. They had strings of little paper lampshade globes that fit over the (provided) white christmas-type lights on clearance. Well, I had to have 'em. The shades are white, hot pink, and burgundy and they're beautiful. I bought one set and hung it up in here, and bought two sets for the patio. I also bought a larger paper globe shade in the same hot pink; it fits over a regular lightbulb (40W max), so I think I'm going to put that out on the patio, too, over the seating area. If I put a compact fluorescent bulb in there it'll only cost pennies to have on in the evenings over the summer. I'll take pics when I get it all set up.
I've switched almost all the bulbs in my house to compact fluorescents. They're great, even brighter than incandescents and they're so much more energy efficient! The added bonus is that they're guaranteed for anywhere between 7 and 10 years (depending on the brand/type) so I don't have to worry about changing light bulbs for years to come. I've still got a couple of places that have round, decorative incandescent bulbs (over the bathroom and kitchen sinks), but I'll be replacing those with round, decorative fluorescents as the budget allows.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Time to Buy Cigars?
I think Irenie's closer to queening than I thought just a couple of days ago. She has gotten a lot bigger in just the 6 days she's been here, especially in the last couple of days. And I think she may be "dropping"; either that, or there's no more room to get rounder and her belly's just elongating.
I put a nesting box into the bathroom last night. Irenie's too big to use the bottom of a large cat carrier, which is what I usually use. But one of the cardboard boxes Kass sent my crate back in is a generous size and I think it'll work well. I lined it first with a quarter of a heavy fleece blanket to pad it, then put a towel down on top of that. I didn't think I was going to have to worry about it for another week or so, but now I'm starting to think it'll get used in pretty short order.
Irenie is a doll. Ultra-affectionate and cuddly. I hope she passes that on to her babies!
I put a nesting box into the bathroom last night. Irenie's too big to use the bottom of a large cat carrier, which is what I usually use. But one of the cardboard boxes Kass sent my crate back in is a generous size and I think it'll work well. I lined it first with a quarter of a heavy fleece blanket to pad it, then put a towel down on top of that. I didn't think I was going to have to worry about it for another week or so, but now I'm starting to think it'll get used in pretty short order.
Irenie is a doll. Ultra-affectionate and cuddly. I hope she passes that on to her babies!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
The Bigger They Are, The Harder They Fall
It seems that Snickers has a new crush - Lumi. Now that he's been spending more time out and about, Snickers has decided that Lumi's OK. When Lumi's lying on the floor near my computer chair, Snickers is lying under one of the dining room chairs, no more than a couple feet away from Lumi. He has approached Lumi on more than one occasion to have a good sniff. Last night, Lumi was standing perpendicular to me with his tush next to my thigh, and Snickers was winding around Lumi's legs headbutting him. I sneaked in a couple of strokes, he knew it wasn't Lumi touching him but didn't appear too worried that it was probably me.
The cats have always liked Lumi, once they've spent some time observing him. I'm tickled that Snickers has apparently fallen for the big guy; Lumi likes to be close to me, and I'll be able to sneak in more petting when Snickers comes to headbutt him. Hmmm..... I wonder if the reassurance of both of his buddies on the bed would be inducement enough to get Snickers to come up and sleep on the bed the way Ivy (another buddy) does. She comes up on the bed after she thinks I'm asleep and curls up against my ankle/foot. She sleeps down there all night, but the instant she realizes I'm awake in the morning she's off and gone.
Got another odd couple becoming ever closer - Amalie and Onyx. They're both black, both about the same size (though Onyx is much cobbier), and lately they've been joined at the hip. Sometimes they stand side by side, touching each other; they look like a very odd pair of conjoined twins. *snrk* From the time I brought Mena's cats inside, Onyx has preferred to hang out in the laundry room. The laundry room door is a pocket door; I've attached an eye bolt to the edge of the door and another to the door frame, and I use a double snap-bolt to keep the door open wide enough for the cats to come and go but narrow enough to keep out the dogs. (Dudley fits through there, though. Little stinker.) The laundry room is right off the doorway to the kitchen, cats hanging out in there are able to keep an ear on what's going on in the rest of the house. It's a quiet spot, with lots of soft places to nap, and Amalie likes to sleep on the pile of crate blankets on the counter.
Apparently Amalie and Onyx made friends in the laundry room. Onyx has been gradually getting braver, coming in to the kitchen in the evening looking for me to come pet her. And her new hangout spot is in the family room. Last weekend my sis helped me carry the old sofa from there out to the pole barn (seating for the training room) and carry in the twin box spring, mattress, and brass head and footboards. I got it assembled and put it where the sofa used to be. When I let the dogs out in the evening, while I'm waiting for them to get finished in the yard and come back to the door, I flop down on the bed and kitties come out of the woodwork for cuddles. Onyx is one of the first ones there, and I'm pretty sure she's hanging out under the bed in there instead of in the laundry room. That's good, she'll have much more company out there than she had in the laundry room, and I think she'll be happier.
I'm crazy about Toby. Absolutely crazy about him. He is such a sweet, cheerful little charmer. (Oh! And there's the third new odd couple! Toby loves Ellie! He ignores the rest of the cats, but he follows Ellie when she's out and about, and insists on sleeping next to her on the bed. If she moves, he moves to stay close to her. I don't think she's terribly impressed with her suitor, but she doesn't appear to mind him.) Anyway, he's simply adorable. I'm going to have to find him a very special home. Gee.... Lacey likes him a lot, I wonder if her new mommy might be interested in two dogs......
By the time Lacey's new mom comes to get her, I should have some kittens for her to play with. The lovely, large, long-haired dilute tortie in the bathroom - Irenie - is definitely pregnant. She's still carrying them "high", but she's quite well-rounded so I don't think it'll be more than a couple of weeks, if that. This cat is so not feral! She can't get enough snuggling. (She can't get enough food, either, she's eating me out of house and home.) Last year my neighbors mentioned something about a cat having kittens under the skirt of the mobile home on the other side of them, I was wondering if it was Irenie. But I asked John about it and he said that no, Irenie was probably one of those kittens, the mother cat was a calico. So Irenie's still pretty young. It'll be interesting to see what color(s) the kittens are, and it'll be fun to have babies around.
I filled the front hummingbird feeder for the first time today, I can't wait for my little buddies to come back. I never got around to removing the kingbirds' nest from last year; I noticed earlier in the week it's been refurbished with some new fluff (probably dryer lint I put out for the birds) and mama's sitting on the nest. I hope we don't get any unseasonably hot weather this year....
Ten's Gotcha Day is coming up in a week. Hard to believe that scared-of-everything little guy grew into my big, beautiful, confident boy. He's still puppy-crazy at times, which can take a physical toll when he's bouncing around. I'd forgotten how physically demanding Dogo youngsters can be. When Blizz was Ten's age I often said, "I hope we both live through her adolescence"; I hope both Ten and I live through his. I don't know if I'll ever have another young Dogo, I'm not sure my aging body could handle the three-year maturation process of another. All that said, I wouldn't trade Ten for anything. He's a wonderful, loving fellow, I couldn't ask for anything more in terms of temperament.
Gotta get my seeds planted tomorrow. I'm two weeks late.
The cats have always liked Lumi, once they've spent some time observing him. I'm tickled that Snickers has apparently fallen for the big guy; Lumi likes to be close to me, and I'll be able to sneak in more petting when Snickers comes to headbutt him. Hmmm..... I wonder if the reassurance of both of his buddies on the bed would be inducement enough to get Snickers to come up and sleep on the bed the way Ivy (another buddy) does. She comes up on the bed after she thinks I'm asleep and curls up against my ankle/foot. She sleeps down there all night, but the instant she realizes I'm awake in the morning she's off and gone.
Got another odd couple becoming ever closer - Amalie and Onyx. They're both black, both about the same size (though Onyx is much cobbier), and lately they've been joined at the hip. Sometimes they stand side by side, touching each other; they look like a very odd pair of conjoined twins. *snrk* From the time I brought Mena's cats inside, Onyx has preferred to hang out in the laundry room. The laundry room door is a pocket door; I've attached an eye bolt to the edge of the door and another to the door frame, and I use a double snap-bolt to keep the door open wide enough for the cats to come and go but narrow enough to keep out the dogs. (Dudley fits through there, though. Little stinker.) The laundry room is right off the doorway to the kitchen, cats hanging out in there are able to keep an ear on what's going on in the rest of the house. It's a quiet spot, with lots of soft places to nap, and Amalie likes to sleep on the pile of crate blankets on the counter.
Apparently Amalie and Onyx made friends in the laundry room. Onyx has been gradually getting braver, coming in to the kitchen in the evening looking for me to come pet her. And her new hangout spot is in the family room. Last weekend my sis helped me carry the old sofa from there out to the pole barn (seating for the training room) and carry in the twin box spring, mattress, and brass head and footboards. I got it assembled and put it where the sofa used to be. When I let the dogs out in the evening, while I'm waiting for them to get finished in the yard and come back to the door, I flop down on the bed and kitties come out of the woodwork for cuddles. Onyx is one of the first ones there, and I'm pretty sure she's hanging out under the bed in there instead of in the laundry room. That's good, she'll have much more company out there than she had in the laundry room, and I think she'll be happier.
I'm crazy about Toby. Absolutely crazy about him. He is such a sweet, cheerful little charmer. (Oh! And there's the third new odd couple! Toby loves Ellie! He ignores the rest of the cats, but he follows Ellie when she's out and about, and insists on sleeping next to her on the bed. If she moves, he moves to stay close to her. I don't think she's terribly impressed with her suitor, but she doesn't appear to mind him.) Anyway, he's simply adorable. I'm going to have to find him a very special home. Gee.... Lacey likes him a lot, I wonder if her new mommy might be interested in two dogs......
By the time Lacey's new mom comes to get her, I should have some kittens for her to play with. The lovely, large, long-haired dilute tortie in the bathroom - Irenie - is definitely pregnant. She's still carrying them "high", but she's quite well-rounded so I don't think it'll be more than a couple of weeks, if that. This cat is so not feral! She can't get enough snuggling. (She can't get enough food, either, she's eating me out of house and home.) Last year my neighbors mentioned something about a cat having kittens under the skirt of the mobile home on the other side of them, I was wondering if it was Irenie. But I asked John about it and he said that no, Irenie was probably one of those kittens, the mother cat was a calico. So Irenie's still pretty young. It'll be interesting to see what color(s) the kittens are, and it'll be fun to have babies around.
I filled the front hummingbird feeder for the first time today, I can't wait for my little buddies to come back. I never got around to removing the kingbirds' nest from last year; I noticed earlier in the week it's been refurbished with some new fluff (probably dryer lint I put out for the birds) and mama's sitting on the nest. I hope we don't get any unseasonably hot weather this year....
Ten's Gotcha Day is coming up in a week. Hard to believe that scared-of-everything little guy grew into my big, beautiful, confident boy. He's still puppy-crazy at times, which can take a physical toll when he's bouncing around. I'd forgotten how physically demanding Dogo youngsters can be. When Blizz was Ten's age I often said, "I hope we both live through her adolescence"; I hope both Ten and I live through his. I don't know if I'll ever have another young Dogo, I'm not sure my aging body could handle the three-year maturation process of another. All that said, I wouldn't trade Ten for anything. He's a wonderful, loving fellow, I couldn't ask for anything more in terms of temperament.
Gotta get my seeds planted tomorrow. I'm two weeks late.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
The Things I Do For Love
I was thinking it had been a while - a long while - since I'd made fishbiscuits for the dogs and little fishbits for the cats. I picked up a couple cans of salmon a few weeks back when it was on sale, and I had an unopened bag of rice flour in my pantry, so I decided I'd make fishbiscuits today. Salmon, eggs, oil, garlic, and a splash of water get pureed in the food processor, then I add the rice flour until it's sugar cookie-dough consistency. I rolled it out and used my medium dog bone-shaped cookie cutter to do 2.5 dozen biscuits for the dogs, then mashed the remainder together, rolled it out, and cut it into small squares with a pizza cutter. Got them in the oven about 20 minutes ago, and now I remember why I make these so seldom even though everyone here goes nuts for them - my house stinks to high heaven. Garlic and fish, it's enough to gag me. I had to open a window; I'm glad it's near 60 here today so I can do that without heating the outdoors! It's going to be another long while before I make fishbiscuits again!
I called yesterday and scheduled Dudley for his neuter. The first opening at the low-cost clinic is two weeks from Thursday, so it's going to have to wait until then. I'm going to start feeding cats in my wired-open trap, hopefully they'll be so used to going in there to eat that I'll be able to trap Roo the day before the appointment so I can get her in to be spayed at the same time. (She's very tough to get hold of, which is why she's still not spayed.) I need to go introduce myself to my neighbor to the south and ask her if any of the cats that are hanging around belong to her. If not, I'm going to see what I can do to trap one or two of them and get them in, too. This clinic does ferals for free, so as long as I've got to make the drive down there to get Dudley done anyway, I might as well get as many cats spayed/neutered as possible at the same time.
Speaking of Dudley, I've been having a blast training him. My clicker technique is improving rapidly, and Duds is learning quickly. Sit, watch me, down, and wait are all almost perfect, and he's learning to "be tall" (stand on his hind legs) and "ask nicely" (sit up and beg). He's such a hoot and he fits in here so well. I still haven't decided whether or not he's staying, but I'd like to keep him if possible.
I've got one boarder dog coming for a week over the Christmas holidays - an adolescent Newfoundland pup. I'm hoping to get one or two more boarders - or even three or four, depending on size - over the holidays. I love having canine company, I love the opportunity to work with different dogs, and it's a nice little income for doing what I like to do. I need to get either a permanent-installation pet gate or an old, solid-wood door I can cut to size and make a dutch door out of, to put between the kitchen and the front hallway, so I can divide the house in two. That will allow boarders to have the family room and the long hallway and my own dogs can have the living room, dining room, and kitchen. And the pet gate, or a small pet door in a solid dutch door, will allow the cats to come and go between areas as they please. I'll have to make a "wanted" post on the freecycle list, see if anyone's got a door I can have.
I called yesterday and scheduled Dudley for his neuter. The first opening at the low-cost clinic is two weeks from Thursday, so it's going to have to wait until then. I'm going to start feeding cats in my wired-open trap, hopefully they'll be so used to going in there to eat that I'll be able to trap Roo the day before the appointment so I can get her in to be spayed at the same time. (She's very tough to get hold of, which is why she's still not spayed.) I need to go introduce myself to my neighbor to the south and ask her if any of the cats that are hanging around belong to her. If not, I'm going to see what I can do to trap one or two of them and get them in, too. This clinic does ferals for free, so as long as I've got to make the drive down there to get Dudley done anyway, I might as well get as many cats spayed/neutered as possible at the same time.
Speaking of Dudley, I've been having a blast training him. My clicker technique is improving rapidly, and Duds is learning quickly. Sit, watch me, down, and wait are all almost perfect, and he's learning to "be tall" (stand on his hind legs) and "ask nicely" (sit up and beg). He's such a hoot and he fits in here so well. I still haven't decided whether or not he's staying, but I'd like to keep him if possible.
I've got one boarder dog coming for a week over the Christmas holidays - an adolescent Newfoundland pup. I'm hoping to get one or two more boarders - or even three or four, depending on size - over the holidays. I love having canine company, I love the opportunity to work with different dogs, and it's a nice little income for doing what I like to do. I need to get either a permanent-installation pet gate or an old, solid-wood door I can cut to size and make a dutch door out of, to put between the kitchen and the front hallway, so I can divide the house in two. That will allow boarders to have the family room and the long hallway and my own dogs can have the living room, dining room, and kitchen. And the pet gate, or a small pet door in a solid dutch door, will allow the cats to come and go between areas as they please. I'll have to make a "wanted" post on the freecycle list, see if anyone's got a door I can have.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Spam, Spam, Go Away
Attention spammers: Comments to this blog are moderated. They will not appear unless they have been approved by me. Spam will not be approved, so save us both some time and find someone else to bother.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Sleep, Little Bulbs, and Dream of Spring
Last spring, as the snow melted and the sun began to shine, I was delighted to discover crocuses coming up in my front lawn. By the time the grass grew long enough to need mowing the crocuses were finished blooming, so I was able to mow without hurting them. I promised myself then that I'd plant more crocuses this fall. My sis brought, and planted for me, a couple dozen mixed daffodil bulbs for my birthday a few weeks ago, but I hadn't had time or money to get more crocus bulbs until today. I had to make a trip down to where I used to live, and I had $10 to indulge myself, so I stopped at Home Depot to pick up some more crocus bulbs. Since it is so late in the season, all their bulbs were on sale for 75% off. My measly $10 bought me 4 dozen bulbs. A dozen crocuses, a dozen anemones, a dozen miniature irises, and a dozen hyacinths. All but the hyacinths are early and very early spring bloomers, the hyacinths bloom mid-spring.
I split the crocus bulbs into two groups, and planted those in the lawn between the northern tree and the bird feeder - right outside my window here. Between the bird feeder and the southern tree, I planted all the anemone bulbs in a group. Those should eventually spread outward and become an early-spring blanket in the middle of the lawn. Out toward the road a little more, I planted the miniature irises in another grouping. I love the idea of having a lawnful of early spring flowers; I'll probably continue to add groupings of bulbs each fall, filling in the gaps. I planted half the hyacinths along the walkway to the front door, and the other half in the front flower bed with the grape hyacinths and hostas. Next to that bed is a small half-barrel planter, my sis planted some of the daffodils in there, so there should be a nice display of spring flowers along the front of the house, too. The nice thing about having hyacinths right underneath the windows is that during their flowering season there are usually some days warm enough to open windows a little, and I'll be able to smell the hyacinths on the breeze.
The scent of hyacinth is one of my favorites and has been since I was a child. It is a promise of warmth and sunshine and light. My maternal grandmother always bought my mother a potted hyacinth or lily for Easter; the scent of hyacinth returns me instantly to my childhood. I feel the closeness of my family, and the excitement of new spring coats and hats, a new Easter dress, and a new pair of white patent leather shoes. I don't know what Mom did with the lilies once they were spent, but she used to plant the hyacinths in the flower bed that ran along the back of our house. Many of those hyacinth plants were right under my bedroom window, and would "double my pleasure" each spring - the scent of the hyacinths in the pot on a cabinet in the living room, and the scent of hyacinths wafting into my bedroom on a soft, sunny spring breeze.
Deep in January, when the wind is bitter and the ground shrouded in white, I will smile when I think of my little bulbs slumbering snug in the ground, waiting for spring to rouse them from their beds.
I split the crocus bulbs into two groups, and planted those in the lawn between the northern tree and the bird feeder - right outside my window here. Between the bird feeder and the southern tree, I planted all the anemone bulbs in a group. Those should eventually spread outward and become an early-spring blanket in the middle of the lawn. Out toward the road a little more, I planted the miniature irises in another grouping. I love the idea of having a lawnful of early spring flowers; I'll probably continue to add groupings of bulbs each fall, filling in the gaps. I planted half the hyacinths along the walkway to the front door, and the other half in the front flower bed with the grape hyacinths and hostas. Next to that bed is a small half-barrel planter, my sis planted some of the daffodils in there, so there should be a nice display of spring flowers along the front of the house, too. The nice thing about having hyacinths right underneath the windows is that during their flowering season there are usually some days warm enough to open windows a little, and I'll be able to smell the hyacinths on the breeze.
The scent of hyacinth is one of my favorites and has been since I was a child. It is a promise of warmth and sunshine and light. My maternal grandmother always bought my mother a potted hyacinth or lily for Easter; the scent of hyacinth returns me instantly to my childhood. I feel the closeness of my family, and the excitement of new spring coats and hats, a new Easter dress, and a new pair of white patent leather shoes. I don't know what Mom did with the lilies once they were spent, but she used to plant the hyacinths in the flower bed that ran along the back of our house. Many of those hyacinth plants were right under my bedroom window, and would "double my pleasure" each spring - the scent of the hyacinths in the pot on a cabinet in the living room, and the scent of hyacinths wafting into my bedroom on a soft, sunny spring breeze.
Deep in January, when the wind is bitter and the ground shrouded in white, I will smile when I think of my little bulbs slumbering snug in the ground, waiting for spring to rouse them from their beds.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
The Tougher They Are, the Harder They Fall
My semi-feral girl Ivy finally condeded the struggle to remain untouchable this morning.
It was Ivy who caught my eye when I first saw this litter of feral kittens. Tiny and white, probably no more than 6-7 weeks old, she took one look at me, puffed up like a big cotton ball with a bottle-brush stuck in one end, and skittered sideways across the stoop away from me back into the litter's safe hole under one of the concrete steps. "It's time to trap this litter and tame them. And I want that little white one for myself."
(Seven years ago I acquired a fluffy white kitten; four months later she died of FIP. I've always been sad that she didn't get a chance to have a long and healthy life. But in the last couple of years I've come to believe that every animal that comes into my life has something to teach me, and I think now that Vera's lesson was to teach me about FIP at a time when most cat owners had never heard of it, so I'd have the facts and the personal knowledge to help others whose cats developed FIP. When I saw little Ivy, I knew that I had to give her the opportunity for a life I hadn't been able to give Vera.)
I left my live trap with the owner of the house, who wired it open and began feeding in there. After watching them through the window for a few days, she was able to sit on the steps a couple feet away from the trap while they ate. She became such a familiar part of their feeding routine that one evening when all four kittens were in the trap eating, she was able to lean down and untwist the wire holding the door open and get them all at the same time. (She was able to trap Mama cat a couple of days later, and we TNR'd her.)
There were four very unhappy kittens in the trap when I got them home. One at a time I got them out of the trap, clipped their nails, gave them a dose of wormer, treated them for fleas, then put them into the large wire dog crate that was to be their home while I was taming them. I chose the black kitten that seemed to be the calmest first. (That's Doobie, and he's still the calmest.) Then the other black kitten (Amalie) who bit me and then quit struggling and let me treat her. Then the little spitfire tabby girl (Roo) who fought wildly the entire time I was holding her. The little white kitten was last. She bit me twice and then quit struggling, frozen with fear.
After about a week of forced handling Amalie was the first one to give in, though Doobie was neck and neck with her the whole time. After Amalie had gotten away from me one afternoon while I was holding her on my lap and petting her and letting her explore my lap and the arm of the sofa, I figured she was taming down well enough that I'd be able to catch her easily and just let her go and explore. I fell asleep on the sofa, and when I woke up she was snuggled up next to me, purring. Doobie gave in a day later. Roo continued to hiss and spit and fight me, but Ivy just froze in fear every time I touched her. I've been working on them ever since.
At about 17 months of age now, Amalie and Doobie are so loving and friendly you'd never guess they were feral kittens. Roo is still untouchable and wary, though she's very, very slowly relaxing more all the time as she becomes more confident that I'm not going to try to touch her. She's comfortable enough to take food from my fingers, and will even come looking for treats when she knows I'm doling them out. Ivy has also been very wary and doesn't want me to touch her, but sometimes she's OK with touching me if she thinks I don't know about it. I've awakened more than one morning to find her curled next to my ankle/shin, though she takes off the instant she realizes I'm awake. A couple of months ago, she didn't move when I woke up. Some of the other cats were on the bed sleeping, but when I woke up they did too and started asking to be petted. I sat up very slowly, trying to get myself into a position where I could reach her while not moving the lower half of my body so I didn't spook her. Once she was within reach, I just casually began petting the cats closest to her and, when she didn't move, I started sneaking little strokes on her hindquarters between strokes on the other cats. I was eventually able to lengthen my stroke when I touched her - from her shoulders to her rump, instead of just on her rump. She stayed on the bed for a good 5 minutes, allowing me to stroke her in rotation with the other cats. Then I sneezed, and she was gone.
She's been watching me very studiously ever since. About a month ago, she started coming to curl up with other cats in one of the cradles on the cat tree behind my computer chair. If I sit in my recliner, she often comes to sit on the end of the coffee table, about three feet away from me, and just watch me. Sometimes she sits on the floor a couple feet away from my feet, and watches me. When I use my half-bath, she'll often stick her little head around the doorway so she can see what I'm up to. She's been watching me scoop litterboxes, lately; I guess I'm not as threatening when I'm bent over digging in her "dirt". I always greet her, but never reach out toward her. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting to feel that she would be open to being touched.
This morning when I woke, Ivy was snuggled up to my shin just below my knee, facing the bottom of the bed. Within reach. The dry food dish had been emptied during the night; when that happens, I have a lot of company on the bed in the morning. They want to know the instant I wake up, so they can alert me to the dire hunger situation. Doobie, Amalie, Misu, Gertie, and Mookie were all sleeping on the bed with me. They were awake a split-second after I was, and immediately began clamoring for attention. I was hoping to be able to include Ivy as I'd done before. Well, not only could I include her, she wanted me to. After I'd stroked the length of her back a couple of times she began to knead and purr. Emboldened, I stretched forward and began gently skritching behind her ears. She began rolling her head on my hand, so I began stroking the sides of her head and even up her face, over the top of her head, and down her back to her tail. She rolled onto her back, so I skritched her tummy. Then a dog barked, and she was gone.
Two minutes later, she was back. First sitting below my feet, then lying down and putting a front paw over one of my ankles. After a minute, she moved up to my thigh and flopped down next to me. Her body was relaxed, but there was still a speculative look in her eyes - "is she going to grab me?" She wants to trust me and, finally, the need for love is conquering fear. This morning was pivotal, I think the scales were tilted from fear to trust with enough momentum to prevent them from tilting back.
Perhaps Ivy's lesson for me is a review course on the virtue of Patience.
It was Ivy who caught my eye when I first saw this litter of feral kittens. Tiny and white, probably no more than 6-7 weeks old, she took one look at me, puffed up like a big cotton ball with a bottle-brush stuck in one end, and skittered sideways across the stoop away from me back into the litter's safe hole under one of the concrete steps. "It's time to trap this litter and tame them. And I want that little white one for myself."
(Seven years ago I acquired a fluffy white kitten; four months later she died of FIP. I've always been sad that she didn't get a chance to have a long and healthy life. But in the last couple of years I've come to believe that every animal that comes into my life has something to teach me, and I think now that Vera's lesson was to teach me about FIP at a time when most cat owners had never heard of it, so I'd have the facts and the personal knowledge to help others whose cats developed FIP. When I saw little Ivy, I knew that I had to give her the opportunity for a life I hadn't been able to give Vera.)
I left my live trap with the owner of the house, who wired it open and began feeding in there. After watching them through the window for a few days, she was able to sit on the steps a couple feet away from the trap while they ate. She became such a familiar part of their feeding routine that one evening when all four kittens were in the trap eating, she was able to lean down and untwist the wire holding the door open and get them all at the same time. (She was able to trap Mama cat a couple of days later, and we TNR'd her.)
There were four very unhappy kittens in the trap when I got them home. One at a time I got them out of the trap, clipped their nails, gave them a dose of wormer, treated them for fleas, then put them into the large wire dog crate that was to be their home while I was taming them. I chose the black kitten that seemed to be the calmest first. (That's Doobie, and he's still the calmest.) Then the other black kitten (Amalie) who bit me and then quit struggling and let me treat her. Then the little spitfire tabby girl (Roo) who fought wildly the entire time I was holding her. The little white kitten was last. She bit me twice and then quit struggling, frozen with fear.
After about a week of forced handling Amalie was the first one to give in, though Doobie was neck and neck with her the whole time. After Amalie had gotten away from me one afternoon while I was holding her on my lap and petting her and letting her explore my lap and the arm of the sofa, I figured she was taming down well enough that I'd be able to catch her easily and just let her go and explore. I fell asleep on the sofa, and when I woke up she was snuggled up next to me, purring. Doobie gave in a day later. Roo continued to hiss and spit and fight me, but Ivy just froze in fear every time I touched her. I've been working on them ever since.
At about 17 months of age now, Amalie and Doobie are so loving and friendly you'd never guess they were feral kittens. Roo is still untouchable and wary, though she's very, very slowly relaxing more all the time as she becomes more confident that I'm not going to try to touch her. She's comfortable enough to take food from my fingers, and will even come looking for treats when she knows I'm doling them out. Ivy has also been very wary and doesn't want me to touch her, but sometimes she's OK with touching me if she thinks I don't know about it. I've awakened more than one morning to find her curled next to my ankle/shin, though she takes off the instant she realizes I'm awake. A couple of months ago, she didn't move when I woke up. Some of the other cats were on the bed sleeping, but when I woke up they did too and started asking to be petted. I sat up very slowly, trying to get myself into a position where I could reach her while not moving the lower half of my body so I didn't spook her. Once she was within reach, I just casually began petting the cats closest to her and, when she didn't move, I started sneaking little strokes on her hindquarters between strokes on the other cats. I was eventually able to lengthen my stroke when I touched her - from her shoulders to her rump, instead of just on her rump. She stayed on the bed for a good 5 minutes, allowing me to stroke her in rotation with the other cats. Then I sneezed, and she was gone.
She's been watching me very studiously ever since. About a month ago, she started coming to curl up with other cats in one of the cradles on the cat tree behind my computer chair. If I sit in my recliner, she often comes to sit on the end of the coffee table, about three feet away from me, and just watch me. Sometimes she sits on the floor a couple feet away from my feet, and watches me. When I use my half-bath, she'll often stick her little head around the doorway so she can see what I'm up to. She's been watching me scoop litterboxes, lately; I guess I'm not as threatening when I'm bent over digging in her "dirt". I always greet her, but never reach out toward her. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting to feel that she would be open to being touched.
This morning when I woke, Ivy was snuggled up to my shin just below my knee, facing the bottom of the bed. Within reach. The dry food dish had been emptied during the night; when that happens, I have a lot of company on the bed in the morning. They want to know the instant I wake up, so they can alert me to the dire hunger situation. Doobie, Amalie, Misu, Gertie, and Mookie were all sleeping on the bed with me. They were awake a split-second after I was, and immediately began clamoring for attention. I was hoping to be able to include Ivy as I'd done before. Well, not only could I include her, she wanted me to. After I'd stroked the length of her back a couple of times she began to knead and purr. Emboldened, I stretched forward and began gently skritching behind her ears. She began rolling her head on my hand, so I began stroking the sides of her head and even up her face, over the top of her head, and down her back to her tail. She rolled onto her back, so I skritched her tummy. Then a dog barked, and she was gone.
Two minutes later, she was back. First sitting below my feet, then lying down and putting a front paw over one of my ankles. After a minute, she moved up to my thigh and flopped down next to me. Her body was relaxed, but there was still a speculative look in her eyes - "is she going to grab me?" She wants to trust me and, finally, the need for love is conquering fear. This morning was pivotal, I think the scales were tilted from fear to trust with enough momentum to prevent them from tilting back.
Perhaps Ivy's lesson for me is a review course on the virtue of Patience.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
What Happened to Autumn?
It was lovely here over the weekend. Sunny, in the upper 60's/low 70's, perfect fall weather. Yesterday it was cooler and cloudier, today it's cooler yet and overcast. There's a storm a comin', supposed to arrive by midnight tonight. It's going to be cold and rainy tomorrow, and it's supposed to snow on Thursday. Might even be some accumulation Thursday night. It's supposed to stop raining/snowing by late Friday afternoon, but Friday night is supposed to be miserable - damp and very cold. The overnight temp on Friday is supposed to drop to freezing or below. Brrrrrrrrr! It's supposed to warm up and be more seasonable after that, but I'm afraid this approaching weather spells the end of my garden for this year.
So today I'm working outside. I finally finished draining my little pool. (Couldn't do it when the weather was nice, nooooo. Had to play in the sunshine!) It's draped upside down over some lawn chairs to drip off as much moisture as possible; before dark, I'll move it into the pole barn and let it hang in there for a couple of days. Then I'll use towels to remove any remaining moisture, fold it up, and put it back in the box until May. I'm taking a short break now, then I'm going to go out and pick all the green tomatoes. I've got a couple of good-sized cardboard boxes and a stack of newspapers, so except for the tomatoes I'll use in the next couple of weeks as they ripen on the counter, I'll wrap all the rest in newspaper and stash them in the boxes. With careful storage, I should be able to enjoy "fresh" tomatoes until December. I also need to review my green tomato canning recipes to see which ones I'd like to try. Might try to pick the rest of the chokecherries, too, though I might have a chance between rain showers tomorrow to do that if I can't get it done today.
I'm afraid my pumpkins might bite the dust with the upcoming weather. I'm going to try to protect the vines/pumpkins with plastic, and then with blankets on top of the plastic for the cold temps on Friday night and see if I can pull them through. If they make it through, there might be just enough time for them to get big enough to carve. (Note to self: start the pumpkins earlier next year!)
I took in a "free dog" yesterday. Young Blue Heeler. They said he was 11 months old but I doubt it; he's still got his puppy molars though his adult canines are fully in, so I think he's closer to 8 months. Very nice little guy, sweet and even-tempered, smart and affectionate, cat-safe and appears to be dog-congenial. I can't keep him, and I can't keep him here for long, so I've got some feelers out to several rescue groups to see if they'd be willing to take him. I sure hope someone can make room for him.
Half way through my Monday night obedience class for this fall. This is a really nice bunch of dogs, not a one in the class I dislike, and I like the handlers, too. Got a sharp little rusty-black Pom fellow - sharper than his owner, but sweet enough to wait for her to catch up. *smile* Sweet, happy, enthusiastic young chocolate Lab with the attention span of a gnat. Middle-aged black Lab mix rescue girl, never been off the dairy farm she used to live on, sweet and good-natured, her owner is a sweet, gentle, inept older man. A sassy young Samoyed who's mischievous but smart and sweet; I'm trying to teach her elementary-school teacher owner how to be a little more firm. A shy little pet store-purchased Jack Russell who's gradually gaining more confidence in himself and his handlers. (Mom, Dad, and daughter all come and whoever's not handling the dog is taking notes. They're putting in the daily training time, too, and it shows.) Incredibly smart, eager, willing-to-please, but very barky little guy who's the size of a Jack Russell but looks like a Red Heeler/Basenji mix. OMG, the sass from that one! But so smart and responsive, and a total blast to teach! (His owners are very nice, but not nearly as sharp as their dog.) And a young couple with a very sweet, smart, energetic young girl that I think might be an English Shepherd or mix. Very good class.
I've been checking my impatiens plants daily for seed pods, and collecting them when they're ripe enough. I should have plenty of seeds for next year's pots and hanging baskets. Picking impatiens seed pods makes me think of my dad; he used to get such a kick out of carefully picking them and handing them to unsuspecting victims, who'd inevitably put just enough pressure on them to cause them to pop and curl in their hands, startling them. It's a very odd sensation, feels like you just caught a bug in your fingers. As I carefully pick seed pods - holding a paper cup underneath to catch seeds as I pick, just in case I put too much pressure on them - I'm remembering my dad and his little prank, and grinning from ear to ear.
OK, I guess break time's over. Tomatoes, here I come!
So today I'm working outside. I finally finished draining my little pool. (Couldn't do it when the weather was nice, nooooo. Had to play in the sunshine!) It's draped upside down over some lawn chairs to drip off as much moisture as possible; before dark, I'll move it into the pole barn and let it hang in there for a couple of days. Then I'll use towels to remove any remaining moisture, fold it up, and put it back in the box until May. I'm taking a short break now, then I'm going to go out and pick all the green tomatoes. I've got a couple of good-sized cardboard boxes and a stack of newspapers, so except for the tomatoes I'll use in the next couple of weeks as they ripen on the counter, I'll wrap all the rest in newspaper and stash them in the boxes. With careful storage, I should be able to enjoy "fresh" tomatoes until December. I also need to review my green tomato canning recipes to see which ones I'd like to try. Might try to pick the rest of the chokecherries, too, though I might have a chance between rain showers tomorrow to do that if I can't get it done today.
I'm afraid my pumpkins might bite the dust with the upcoming weather. I'm going to try to protect the vines/pumpkins with plastic, and then with blankets on top of the plastic for the cold temps on Friday night and see if I can pull them through. If they make it through, there might be just enough time for them to get big enough to carve. (Note to self: start the pumpkins earlier next year!)
I took in a "free dog" yesterday. Young Blue Heeler. They said he was 11 months old but I doubt it; he's still got his puppy molars though his adult canines are fully in, so I think he's closer to 8 months. Very nice little guy, sweet and even-tempered, smart and affectionate, cat-safe and appears to be dog-congenial. I can't keep him, and I can't keep him here for long, so I've got some feelers out to several rescue groups to see if they'd be willing to take him. I sure hope someone can make room for him.
Half way through my Monday night obedience class for this fall. This is a really nice bunch of dogs, not a one in the class I dislike, and I like the handlers, too. Got a sharp little rusty-black Pom fellow - sharper than his owner, but sweet enough to wait for her to catch up. *smile* Sweet, happy, enthusiastic young chocolate Lab with the attention span of a gnat. Middle-aged black Lab mix rescue girl, never been off the dairy farm she used to live on, sweet and good-natured, her owner is a sweet, gentle, inept older man. A sassy young Samoyed who's mischievous but smart and sweet; I'm trying to teach her elementary-school teacher owner how to be a little more firm. A shy little pet store-purchased Jack Russell who's gradually gaining more confidence in himself and his handlers. (Mom, Dad, and daughter all come and whoever's not handling the dog is taking notes. They're putting in the daily training time, too, and it shows.) Incredibly smart, eager, willing-to-please, but very barky little guy who's the size of a Jack Russell but looks like a Red Heeler/Basenji mix. OMG, the sass from that one! But so smart and responsive, and a total blast to teach! (His owners are very nice, but not nearly as sharp as their dog.) And a young couple with a very sweet, smart, energetic young girl that I think might be an English Shepherd or mix. Very good class.
I've been checking my impatiens plants daily for seed pods, and collecting them when they're ripe enough. I should have plenty of seeds for next year's pots and hanging baskets. Picking impatiens seed pods makes me think of my dad; he used to get such a kick out of carefully picking them and handing them to unsuspecting victims, who'd inevitably put just enough pressure on them to cause them to pop and curl in their hands, startling them. It's a very odd sensation, feels like you just caught a bug in your fingers. As I carefully pick seed pods - holding a paper cup underneath to catch seeds as I pick, just in case I put too much pressure on them - I'm remembering my dad and his little prank, and grinning from ear to ear.
OK, I guess break time's over. Tomatoes, here I come!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
A Garden Report
I can't believe it's been almost 3 months since I blogged. It's the beginning of October already!
The kingbirds are long gone, I never saw them after that fluttery farewell. The hummingbirds left on their migration south a couple of weeks ago. I still have the feeders out, in case there are any stragglers who need a meal on their way, but I think I'll probably take them down this weekend and put them away until next April. The year-round local birds are still coming to the feeders, but much less frequently than even a month ago. I think it's probably because there's such a wealth of wild food available at this time of year.
My impatiens are still blooming, but they're starting to look a little anemic. I think they'll last until the first freeze, though. I thought my geraniums were done blooming for the year, especially since we've been in a cool, rainy weather pattern for a month and they haven't gotten much sun. But when I went out yesterday, both plants have several new blooms. When they're gone that'll be it for the year, and I'll bring them into the garage for the winter. The begonias, too. In the spring, I'll transplant them to larger pots.
My garden produced mixed results. The cucumbers were a huge success. The plants bore continuously, and provided plenty of both pickling and eating cucumbers. There are a dozen small pickling cukes still on the vines and they continue to grow, though very slowly. I'm hoping they'll be big enough next week to pick and make one jar of gherkins. I'll probably make them sweet gherkins, and give them to my mom. The peppers were also a success, I had enough jalapenos and habaneros to do everything I wanted to do with them. I also had a decent lettuce harvest. From two zucchini plants, I got 4 zukes total. I should have gotten more, there were plenty of flowers but they never produced fruit. I think they need to be in a sunnier location, I'm going to find a new, sunnier spot for them next year. My carrots were a mixed success; I planted them too close together and didn't thin aggressively enough when they were small, I'll know better next year. My string beans produced quite a bit, considering that the plants never got above 12 inches tall. The spot where I planted them and the lima beans wasn't sunny enough for vigorous growth, they'll be going elsewhere next summer.
My tomatoes were also a mixed success. I got lots of Purple Cherokees from one plant, and they were wonderful. Meaty and sweet, beefsteak-type, and a nice blue-red color. I've saved seeds, and have enough for myself and extras to share. (Want some? e-mail me!) I also got a good harvest from what I think was the Burpee "Fourth of July" plant. Baseball-sized and round, they were great for slicing and salsa, and had the added bonus of having a long "counter life" - they could sit on the kitchen counter for over a week and not lose texture or taste. The Romas were prolific and produced a nice steady crop of uniformly-sized fruits. But I got them planted too late, as I did with many of the other varieties; I have plants that are heavy with green tomatoes, most of which won't ripen before the first heavy frost kills the plants. I got some small Golden Jubilees, they were a beautiful yellow and very tasty. The plants in pots produced a lot of fruit but both the plants and the fruits stayed small. It's because the pots were too small - when I found myself with more tomato plants than could fit into the garden proper, I planted some of them into discarded laundry detergent bottles, the largest of which was 2 gallons. It was hard to keep them adequately watered, when it was hottest outside I had to water them at least twice a day. The spot where I placed the pots was a good location, though, so next year I'm going to try growing some plants upside down in 5-gallon buckets in the same spot. It shouldn't be too expensive or difficult to build a hanging rail to hold them up, all I need is some 2 X 4's and a length of galvanized pipe, and large S-hooks for hanging the buckets from their handles.
The garden was too shady for some of the things I planted there. Next year I'm going to plant that plot with things that did well there (cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, peppers, and some tomatoes), but I'm going to make another garden plot, or maybe a couple of raised beds instead, at the back end of the driveway. That area gets sun from about 9 am until evening, and I'll plant more tomatoes, zucchini, watermelon, and beans there. I'm going to try again to raise some herbs in the raised bed at the side of the house. The dill did well there, at least. But nothing else came up. I'm not sure why. (I know that bed was built over a stump, maybe that has something to do with it. Maybe they tried to dissolve the stump with something that poisons the soil there?)I'll also plant herbs in the vegetable garden; I know the soil there is good so if herbs don't grow there next year I'll know it was something I did wrong.
I think the key to having a more successful garden next year is to get started earlier, and to have more vigorous seedlings to transplant. I'm working on the logistics of setting up an area in my family room where I can keep the seedlings protected from the cats, and where I can hang a couple of grow lights. The only place I can put seedlings where they'll get natural light is on my dining room table, and that's a north-facing window and it just doesn't get enough sunlight to grow vigorous seedlings. I'm thinking a sheet of plywood over a pair of saw horses, with dog crate panels set up around the perimeter of the plywood so the cats can't jump up there. I should be able to suspend at least one long grow light from the crate panels, maybe two. That should give me a much better start next year. I'm also keeping my eyes open for old wood windows or doors; if I can find the right combination, I'll build a cold frame out in the patio.
The kingbirds are long gone, I never saw them after that fluttery farewell. The hummingbirds left on their migration south a couple of weeks ago. I still have the feeders out, in case there are any stragglers who need a meal on their way, but I think I'll probably take them down this weekend and put them away until next April. The year-round local birds are still coming to the feeders, but much less frequently than even a month ago. I think it's probably because there's such a wealth of wild food available at this time of year.
My impatiens are still blooming, but they're starting to look a little anemic. I think they'll last until the first freeze, though. I thought my geraniums were done blooming for the year, especially since we've been in a cool, rainy weather pattern for a month and they haven't gotten much sun. But when I went out yesterday, both plants have several new blooms. When they're gone that'll be it for the year, and I'll bring them into the garage for the winter. The begonias, too. In the spring, I'll transplant them to larger pots.
My garden produced mixed results. The cucumbers were a huge success. The plants bore continuously, and provided plenty of both pickling and eating cucumbers. There are a dozen small pickling cukes still on the vines and they continue to grow, though very slowly. I'm hoping they'll be big enough next week to pick and make one jar of gherkins. I'll probably make them sweet gherkins, and give them to my mom. The peppers were also a success, I had enough jalapenos and habaneros to do everything I wanted to do with them. I also had a decent lettuce harvest. From two zucchini plants, I got 4 zukes total. I should have gotten more, there were plenty of flowers but they never produced fruit. I think they need to be in a sunnier location, I'm going to find a new, sunnier spot for them next year. My carrots were a mixed success; I planted them too close together and didn't thin aggressively enough when they were small, I'll know better next year. My string beans produced quite a bit, considering that the plants never got above 12 inches tall. The spot where I planted them and the lima beans wasn't sunny enough for vigorous growth, they'll be going elsewhere next summer.
My tomatoes were also a mixed success. I got lots of Purple Cherokees from one plant, and they were wonderful. Meaty and sweet, beefsteak-type, and a nice blue-red color. I've saved seeds, and have enough for myself and extras to share. (Want some? e-mail me!) I also got a good harvest from what I think was the Burpee "Fourth of July" plant. Baseball-sized and round, they were great for slicing and salsa, and had the added bonus of having a long "counter life" - they could sit on the kitchen counter for over a week and not lose texture or taste. The Romas were prolific and produced a nice steady crop of uniformly-sized fruits. But I got them planted too late, as I did with many of the other varieties; I have plants that are heavy with green tomatoes, most of which won't ripen before the first heavy frost kills the plants. I got some small Golden Jubilees, they were a beautiful yellow and very tasty. The plants in pots produced a lot of fruit but both the plants and the fruits stayed small. It's because the pots were too small - when I found myself with more tomato plants than could fit into the garden proper, I planted some of them into discarded laundry detergent bottles, the largest of which was 2 gallons. It was hard to keep them adequately watered, when it was hottest outside I had to water them at least twice a day. The spot where I placed the pots was a good location, though, so next year I'm going to try growing some plants upside down in 5-gallon buckets in the same spot. It shouldn't be too expensive or difficult to build a hanging rail to hold them up, all I need is some 2 X 4's and a length of galvanized pipe, and large S-hooks for hanging the buckets from their handles.
The garden was too shady for some of the things I planted there. Next year I'm going to plant that plot with things that did well there (cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, peppers, and some tomatoes), but I'm going to make another garden plot, or maybe a couple of raised beds instead, at the back end of the driveway. That area gets sun from about 9 am until evening, and I'll plant more tomatoes, zucchini, watermelon, and beans there. I'm going to try again to raise some herbs in the raised bed at the side of the house. The dill did well there, at least. But nothing else came up. I'm not sure why. (I know that bed was built over a stump, maybe that has something to do with it. Maybe they tried to dissolve the stump with something that poisons the soil there?)I'll also plant herbs in the vegetable garden; I know the soil there is good so if herbs don't grow there next year I'll know it was something I did wrong.
I think the key to having a more successful garden next year is to get started earlier, and to have more vigorous seedlings to transplant. I'm working on the logistics of setting up an area in my family room where I can keep the seedlings protected from the cats, and where I can hang a couple of grow lights. The only place I can put seedlings where they'll get natural light is on my dining room table, and that's a north-facing window and it just doesn't get enough sunlight to grow vigorous seedlings. I'm thinking a sheet of plywood over a pair of saw horses, with dog crate panels set up around the perimeter of the plywood so the cats can't jump up there. I should be able to suspend at least one long grow light from the crate panels, maybe two. That should give me a much better start next year. I'm also keeping my eyes open for old wood windows or doors; if I can find the right combination, I'll build a cold frame out in the patio.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Empty Nest Syndrome
My baby birds have flown away. For three days they sat perched on the rim of the nest - and on top of each other - without flying. Yesterday morning, I put the dogs out in the yard and closed the gate to the patio. I headed back into the house, walking beneath the nest on the way. As I got a step past the nest there was a big whoooosh! accompanied by a wild fluttering of wings around my head, and then all the babies were flying out into the yard, swooping around in ever-increasing circles until they took off in different directions. A couple flew back and perched on the fence briefly, cocked their heads at me and dipped their tails a couple of times as if to say farewell, then flew off. I haven't seen any of the family since.
I'm so glad they made it! I really enjoyed waiting for the clutch to hatch, and then watching them grow. And I hope the parents and the offspring come back next year to breed.
I'm so glad they made it! I really enjoyed waiting for the clutch to hatch, and then watching them grow. And I hope the parents and the offspring come back next year to breed.
Monday, July 10, 2006
A Green Explosion
We had a line of strong thunderstorms, accompanied by heavy rain, blow through here last night. When I woke up this morning and looked out the window into the garden, I was shocked. Plants practically doubled in size overnight! The Cherokee Purple had gotten top-heavy and was leaning over a little, so I went out to tie it to the stakes I put in when I planted it. It's got a dozen flowers on it! I wonder how long it takes from flower to fruit? Some of the other tomato plants are getting big, too, with nice thick stems and lots of foliage. I had to tie one of them to a stake, too. They've only been in the ground 3 weeks, I can't believe how big they've gotten during that time! The zucchini plants got huge overnight, as did the cucumbers. The watermelon is coming along nicely, and the pumpkins I planted a couple of weeks ago are growing like crazy. (I planted them in the mound of the sod clumps I pulled out when preparing the garden. I wasn't sure the mound had compacted enough for roots to take hold, but I guess they have.)
We're supposed to get more rain on Wednesday. Until this summer, I'd have been unhappy with any forecast calling for rain. Not any more! When I see rain in the forecast, I smile with anticipation of the growth it'll bring to my garden.
The hardware store just called, my lawnmower's fixed. I've already done my errand-running for the day, I'll pick it up tomorrow.
We're supposed to get more rain on Wednesday. Until this summer, I'd have been unhappy with any forecast calling for rain. Not any more! When I see rain in the forecast, I smile with anticipation of the growth it'll bring to my garden.
The hardware store just called, my lawnmower's fixed. I've already done my errand-running for the day, I'll pick it up tomorrow.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Ahhhhh, Summertime!
The weather has really been nice this last week. It was too hot last weekend, but temps and humidity dropped on Tuesday. Wednesday was lovely - dry, sunny, and in the low 70's. It's been getting a few degrees warmer each day since then, and it's back up into the mid-80's, sunny, and not too humid. Good growing weather - everything in the garden is flourishing - the tomatoes continue to grow, the trampled string beans have recovered nicely and are flourishing, the limas I re-planted a week ago already have 4 leaves and are 6" tall (maybe I won't have to wait until September for limas after all!), and a couple of the pepper plants are flowering. The tomatoes in pots are growing at an incredible rate - two weeks ago they were just 4" tall seedlings, now they're over a foot tall and really filling out. I had potted a couple of sweet pepper seedlings (or yellow Hungarian pepper seedlings, I can't remember which) in a pot but it didn't look like they were going to make it. I left them there but planted a tomato seedling in that pot, so the growing space wouldn't go to waste. Yesterday, when I watered that pot, I was amazed to see that one of the two pepper plants had taken off. It went from a seedling that had been an inch and a half tall since I planted it to an 8" tall pepper plant in just 4 days. And the other little pepper seedling is still alive and looking good even though it hasn't grown at all, I wonder if it's going to take off and grow, too. So maybe I'm going to have more than just jalapeno and habanero peppers, too!
I think I finally fixed the fence so the Big Sister won't slither under it into the garden any more. I staked it down in three places with 24" long crate pins, and she's stopped trying to go under.
The kingbird clutch made it through last weekend's heat. I got out a box fan on Saturday and angled it upward so it would dissipate the heat that builds up under the patio "roof". Sunday was even warmer, so I climbed up on the step ladder and slid a foot-square plastic end table top onto the roof over where the nest is, to shade it from the sun. Between the shade and the air circulation, the nest stayed just cool enough not to bake the baby birds. It looks like they're fully-feathered now, and getting ready to fly. One has been perching on the rim of the nest for a couple of days; though I haven't seen the others perching on the rim, the amount of bird droppings on the patio slab is evidence that they're all perching up there - at least long enough to eliminate. I wouldn't be surprised to see some short, trial flights in the next 24-48 hours.
A week ago Friday, I bought a little pool. Little pool. The kind with the blow-up rim. It's only 10 feet in diameter and 30 inches tall (and holds only 24 inches of water), but it's big enough to float on my back in, or to sit on the bottom and have water almost up to my armpits. It's big enough for cooling off, and small enough to maintain easily. I fenced an enclosure for it just off the yard fence where it attaches to the house and put a gate in the fence between the yard and the enclosure, so the only way to access the pool is from the yard. I made it a little more private by cutting a tarp in half and attaching it to the fence on two sides - cut edge folded over the top of the fence and held in place with binder clips, the bottom edge with grommets secured to the bottom of the fence with zip ties. The third side of the enclosure is the house, so the only "exposed" side of the enclosure is on the yard side. The big pine in the yard hides the pool from the house on the south side, and through that fence I can see the road out front but it's really tough to see the pool from the road, so it's still pretty private. The pot of moonflowers my sis brought me from her MIL finally took off after I divided them and transplanted them into three pots. I re-transplanted them from the pots into the ground on the uncovered fence, so if they thrive (and it looks like they're going to) they may provide a little extra privacy.
After I finished the fencing I prepared the ground and got the pool set up. My neighbors had come to talk while I was working and had slowed me down, so by the time I got the pool up and started filling it was almost dark. When I got up Saturday morning, I realized the half-full pool was on a slope. I drained it, removed it from the enclosure, and excavated into the slope to get a level base for the pool. That was a heck of a project. It took me most of the afternoon. But I finally got the pool back up and started filling, and finished filling it on Sunday morning. I've been in it twice, very briefly, Monday and Tuesday. The water was still too cold both days to even think about getting completely wet. Both the water and the air were too cool on Wednesday and Thursday, and on Friday I went up to my sis with my mom for the day and didn't get home until late in the evening. It was hot here yesterday and the water feels warm enough now for a swim, but I got busy yesterday and by the time I got around to getting ready to go in the pool, the temp had already dropped below 70 and the air was too cool to get wet. It's warm out there today, and the sun's had another day to heat the water, the pool is filtered and skimmed, and I'm going for a dip in a little while.
On our way out from Mom's to go see my sis's weekend/future retirement place, we stopped at the orchard to pick up some sweet cherries. We've been going to that orchard since I was a teen, they've always had exceptionally nice fruit at exceptionally reasonable prices. Their cherries have always been the best, and this year's no exception - big, plump, juicy, sweet, tender-skinned. I've saved a couple of pits, I'm going to try to start a cherry tree to go with the peach tree I intend to get next year. The Amish family who bought the orchard maybe 20 years ago added blueberries since the last time I was there a few years ago. They were gorgeous, perfect berries and I'll bet they tasted as good as they looked. I'm sorry I didn't get some. They'd have made some great muffins for the houseguests who are coming to visit in a couple of weeks. I might try to stop in there when I go up to Mom's this week.
I'm having a hard time getting motivated, today, and I've got so much to do! But I think I'm just going to do what absolutely has to be done today (like cutting up, bagging, and freezing bananas that will be too ripe tomorrow) and maybe a coupld of loads of laundry, and give myself a little break.
I think I finally fixed the fence so the Big Sister won't slither under it into the garden any more. I staked it down in three places with 24" long crate pins, and she's stopped trying to go under.
The kingbird clutch made it through last weekend's heat. I got out a box fan on Saturday and angled it upward so it would dissipate the heat that builds up under the patio "roof". Sunday was even warmer, so I climbed up on the step ladder and slid a foot-square plastic end table top onto the roof over where the nest is, to shade it from the sun. Between the shade and the air circulation, the nest stayed just cool enough not to bake the baby birds. It looks like they're fully-feathered now, and getting ready to fly. One has been perching on the rim of the nest for a couple of days; though I haven't seen the others perching on the rim, the amount of bird droppings on the patio slab is evidence that they're all perching up there - at least long enough to eliminate. I wouldn't be surprised to see some short, trial flights in the next 24-48 hours.
A week ago Friday, I bought a little pool. Little pool. The kind with the blow-up rim. It's only 10 feet in diameter and 30 inches tall (and holds only 24 inches of water), but it's big enough to float on my back in, or to sit on the bottom and have water almost up to my armpits. It's big enough for cooling off, and small enough to maintain easily. I fenced an enclosure for it just off the yard fence where it attaches to the house and put a gate in the fence between the yard and the enclosure, so the only way to access the pool is from the yard. I made it a little more private by cutting a tarp in half and attaching it to the fence on two sides - cut edge folded over the top of the fence and held in place with binder clips, the bottom edge with grommets secured to the bottom of the fence with zip ties. The third side of the enclosure is the house, so the only "exposed" side of the enclosure is on the yard side. The big pine in the yard hides the pool from the house on the south side, and through that fence I can see the road out front but it's really tough to see the pool from the road, so it's still pretty private. The pot of moonflowers my sis brought me from her MIL finally took off after I divided them and transplanted them into three pots. I re-transplanted them from the pots into the ground on the uncovered fence, so if they thrive (and it looks like they're going to) they may provide a little extra privacy.
After I finished the fencing I prepared the ground and got the pool set up. My neighbors had come to talk while I was working and had slowed me down, so by the time I got the pool up and started filling it was almost dark. When I got up Saturday morning, I realized the half-full pool was on a slope. I drained it, removed it from the enclosure, and excavated into the slope to get a level base for the pool. That was a heck of a project. It took me most of the afternoon. But I finally got the pool back up and started filling, and finished filling it on Sunday morning. I've been in it twice, very briefly, Monday and Tuesday. The water was still too cold both days to even think about getting completely wet. Both the water and the air were too cool on Wednesday and Thursday, and on Friday I went up to my sis with my mom for the day and didn't get home until late in the evening. It was hot here yesterday and the water feels warm enough now for a swim, but I got busy yesterday and by the time I got around to getting ready to go in the pool, the temp had already dropped below 70 and the air was too cool to get wet. It's warm out there today, and the sun's had another day to heat the water, the pool is filtered and skimmed, and I'm going for a dip in a little while.
On our way out from Mom's to go see my sis's weekend/future retirement place, we stopped at the orchard to pick up some sweet cherries. We've been going to that orchard since I was a teen, they've always had exceptionally nice fruit at exceptionally reasonable prices. Their cherries have always been the best, and this year's no exception - big, plump, juicy, sweet, tender-skinned. I've saved a couple of pits, I'm going to try to start a cherry tree to go with the peach tree I intend to get next year. The Amish family who bought the orchard maybe 20 years ago added blueberries since the last time I was there a few years ago. They were gorgeous, perfect berries and I'll bet they tasted as good as they looked. I'm sorry I didn't get some. They'd have made some great muffins for the houseguests who are coming to visit in a couple of weeks. I might try to stop in there when I go up to Mom's this week.
I'm having a hard time getting motivated, today, and I've got so much to do! But I think I'm just going to do what absolutely has to be done today (like cutting up, bagging, and freezing bananas that will be too ripe tomorrow) and maybe a coupld of loads of laundry, and give myself a little break.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Cheep, cheep, cheep!
I climbed up on the step stool this morning to have a look in the nest, I wanted to make sure everyone made it through yesterday's heat OK. There are four little beaks in there, not three, and they're all active and noisy. (That explains why both mom and dad are such frequent visitors to the nest - there are four little mouths to feed!) They don't even have their eyes open yet, but they're already getting feathers. It got very hot this afternoon, over 90 in the shade, and it's humid. I looked for and found one of my box fans, and got that set up out on the patio blowing air upward toward the nest. It did a good job this afternoon of dissipating the heat that builds up under the translucent patio roof. At one point I took a break from what I was doing and sat down to rest; I looked up at the nest and all 4 little heads were resting on the front rim of the nest, I think they were enjoying the breeze. Tomorrow's supposed to be about the same weather as today, I'll turn the fan on for them tomorrow, too. If it gets any hotter, I think I'll go out to the pole barn and get a metal crate pan; I can put that up on the roof over the nest and weight it down with a couple of rocks so it doesn't blow away, and that should shade the nest.
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