Ramblings
Life with Dogs
Arthur’s half birthday
Arthur is six months old. He is a sweetheart, with just enough mischievousness mixed in to be perpetually entertaining. He hasn't barked yet, not once, though he is very vocal. His most recent hobby is pinching with anything within his reach (which...
Just another day
My evening trip out with the dogs began with me spontaneously becoming a midwife and helping Arthur deliver a giant turd that contained wood chips. It was a difficult birth, but father and feces are doing well. Before I could blink, Alice trots by...
Contract renegotiations
My au pair has requested a contract renegotiation, citing concerns that the job description was not accurately represented and that the current compensation does not align with the required responsibilities. He is seeking adjustments that include...
Our bevy
Yesterday afternoon, I could see our resident swans from my kitchen window. They were enjoying the late winter’s sun in the river that runs through our front “yard”. I grabbed my camera and got a few quick pics of the bevy. The family consists of...
Corgi saves the barn
Yesterday afternoon, I found a huge spider huddled in the dog room. I had noticed it a couple of weeks ago, but I thought it was a glob of Bill’s drool adorned with Alice’s black fur until I saw it had moved. The dog room has been kept quite cold...
Tech savvy
This morning, while grabbing a coffee, Bill climbed up on my desk. He took the opportunity to send a Telegram message to my daughter, open my media player, and watch a video. He fell asleep, sprawled across my desk. I'm not sure if I should be...
Brothers
On Stanley’s last morning, I sat on the floor with him, line-combing his gorgeous coat. George (virtually blind and deaf) thumped past us on his way to the other end of the house. A few seconds later, George plodded past us in the other direction....
Fox Family
We currently have a family of foxes living behind our barn. Multiple times a day, mama fox heads down the driveway on her way to the grocery store. She returns rather promptly, carrying fresh kill for her pups. Within a few minutes, she heads out...
Bedtime for Alice
Alice is a sweet, delicate soul. She spent her first 16 months of life as a kennel dog. Her interaction with people was limited to her breeder delivering food and cleaning her kennel twice a day. She rarely left her pen and never left the property....
Dumb Bunny
This morning I was out in the yard with the dogs. I was having a pleasant conversation with George when I heard an odd squeak. I turned toward the sound and saw Nora emerge from under a giant spruce with suspiciously chubby cheeks. I shouted, “Drop...
Love Hurts
George is in love. Alice and Nora are both in heat, but his heart belongs to Alice. George is a hardcore carboholic. He worships me but wouldn’t hesitate to sell me for parts if offered a brioche. The high point of George’s day is “bunny-time” when...
Squirrel Girl
This morning I took the dogs out in the yard for a romp. I was down by the barn when Nora tore past me in hot pursuit of something. Before I could fully register what was happening, Nora spun around and locked eyes with me. Her cheeks bulged, and...