Thinking Sunny Thoughts!

This is where i wish that we were right now....at the great little bar next to the dog beach in Key West. This was our "Welcome Home From Iraq" vacation that the husband, the hounds and I took back in '04. That is the husband in the background, making conversation with another bar patron, while the dogs look on. We spent a great deal of time on that vacation at that bar. The dogs would get their swim on at the beach, and then we would move on up to the bar for some Corona refreshments, and to soak in the sunshine, and watch the water.

My poor parents are STILL stuck in the Chicago Amtrak station. Here is a tip...IF you travel by train, always always always book a room, or roomette. If the train is delayed, you get to wait in the warm, cozy lounge. There is a fireplace, comfy seats, big screen tv. If you go coach, you will have to wait in the virutally unheated lobby. My parents have been in Chicago now for almost 24 hours. Amtrak DID put them up in a hotel for the day though yesterday. Poor 'rents had not had a SHOWER since leaving Seattle on friday, due to the fact that the pipes on their train were frozen! ACK!!!
Mark my words, my father will NOT be traveling over the holidays ever ever every again!!
He is hanging in there though, and being a good sport. I am heading out to the grocery today, and i will be buying the man some beer. Could you imagine, if after all this, he got to my house and i did not have a beer to hand to him?

Snow....lots and lots of snow. I have done my morning shovel out, and i am now enjoying my first cup of coffee.

Cute dog stockings, and snow pics!

Henry and Fred are having a good ole time in the snow!! The snow was nice and powdery the other day...love it! The drifts looked like snow dunes.

These cute little stockings were a gift from my good friend Gaylen. SO cute!! I had to hang them up high in the kitchen, otherwise Fred will love them to bits! Especially after i fill them with treats!! She also sent some adorable ornaments, which have since been disperesed throughout the house. I know she is reading this, and wondering why i did not take pics of the package like all the other good bloggers....but i am not a very good blogger!! i will have to track down the rest of the package and snap pics of it all in a bit!

Thanks, G!! I love it all!!!

OOPSIE!

Henry is so stinking cute. I had both dogs do their annual Christmas Tree pose, and then Henry was so excited when the modeling session was over with. He picked up his kitty, and REALLY started to wag that tail. The tail smacked right into the glass ball ornament (you can see it in the pic, down low, right between the two of them) and it exploded. I was cracking up, so of course i had to have him pose with it.

Thinking about Germany

I am watching a PBS special on the German Christkindlmarkts right now, and it is making me miss Germany so much! i will never forget the smell of the fabulous Langoens Christmas Market! Champignon mit speck, and it was HEAVENLY. And all the gluhwein, which was so nasty, but the more you drank, the better it got. I remember being soooo cold, wearing thermals under my clothes, and still freezing. Our first Christmas was one of the best. We went with all of our friends to the market, and just got sloppy. Afterwards, we went back to the XO's house, and at about 2am, his wife cooked us up the BEST breakfast burritos ever. Donya is such a good Texan!
We hit several Markets during our three-years in Deutschland. Nurnburg, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, etc., but i think that small one in Langoens was the best. And their Oktoberfest was the best, too!!!

I just bought myself a Christmas present!

I have a tv upstairs in my office, equipped with rabbit ears. I can get CBS on this tv, and that is pretty much it. Come Feb, i will get zilch. So, today i called the cable company, and found that it will cost $41.25 for them to come out and equip me with a new cable box. Woowhoo...a treat for me. I spend a lot of time up here, as it is also my craft room. I like to have the tv on for background, and well...you know i am a tv addict. Honestly, i cannot believe i lasted an entire year with just CBS!! I see myself spending a LOT more time up in this room now, which will save us SO much money for several reasons. First, i do not have to have the propane fireplace running in this room, like i do in the downstairs tv room. Second, the tv downstairs is HUGE, and uses a LOT of electricity. By watching up here, i will lengthen the life of the tv downstairs, because heaven forbid i turn a tv off and read a book. So really, i did not just buy myself a Christmas present...i SAVED us money. SO, with that said...i guess i can go find another Christmas present now! ;o)

WOW...I am not a cow after all!!!

Well, many of you (all four of you who read my blog!!) know that i never, ever weigh myself. I tend to only weigh myself at the doctors office. I have a scale in my house, but it is in the bathroom that i never use. This summer i was diagnosed with high(ish) cholesterol, and it was a HUGE wake-up call to me. I am not, nor was i then, HUGE, but i was packing on some extra weight, and eating out at restaurants like nobody's business. After my diagnosis, i decided right then and there that it was time to get everything under control. I concentrated on whole grains, lean meats, upping my fiber, and just eating WHOLE, HEALTHY foods. I cut out restuarants for over a month. HUGE HUGE thing for me. I cut out alcohol for the most part.
I was rewarded last month with a much lower cholesterol count, having raised my good and lowered my bad. I also lost weight. I think at last months doctors visit i had lost about 10-15 pounds? Well, today i decided to weigh myself, and i weigh 148! This is pretty major for me. i have not weighed that since my 20's, when we lived in Germany. Best way to gain weight? Move to Germany and drink some awesome beer, and eat pommes and schnitzel at every opportunity, for three years!
So...WOW...i am pretty freaking pleased with myself.

Stuff

I got a wild hair and decided that i was going to make all of my Christmas cards this year. I have only dabbled in card making, so these are not exactly professional looking..but oh well, i had fun!

Henry was following me, and positioned himself in front of all of the shots. How cute is he? I love him. He is quite possibly the sweetest creature on earth. The table at the top of the post WAS just a card table with a Christmas Village puzzle on it. Now it has all my card making supplies, the scarf i am still knitting on, study materials for my final, and who knows what else. sheesh. I know how to make a mess, don't i?

Last night while sitting on the couch, i looked down on either side of me, and all i could see were feet. Well, for Henry i saw feet and a snout. He sticks the feet out when he needs to cool down a bit. Fred only has one foot partially sticking out.

It doesn't take much....

....but i am REALLY excited about something i just discovered last friday. The USA network airs Wings everyday, sometimes more than once a day!!! Now, i know The Husband is reading this, and just GROANING. When we were first married, or maybe we were still living in sin, in our crappy little mobile home I would fall asleep EVERY night to Wings on tv. it aired every night at 11, and 11:30pm. I set the sleep timer for midnight. I never EVER get tired of this show. Well, now i can tivo it, and i am watching it RIGHTNOW...and just laughing my butt off. I know, totally corny humor, but i LOVE this freaking show. LOVE IT. This show is one of the reasons i was excited to move to the Northeast, because i would finally have a feasible chance of getting to Nantucket, where Wings takes place.
Now if only some network with a heart would start airing Buffy again, i might BURST with joy.

Well, now that i think about it.......

.....it COULD be chipmonks that are in the walls. I remember seeing a little one scurry under the old front steps, and disappear under the siding. awesome. oh well...at least they are cuter than mice. i am pretty sure it is a mouse in the actual house though. Fred would NOT have given up if it were a chipmonk. he would have upended that couch in a second.
And Gaylen....really? do you think i would have put you in a mouse-house room? No...the room is the tiny little door at the top of the stairs. I would prefer to NOT use it as a storage room, because i do not like to go into storage rooms like that....but The Husband has other ideas. the end result is that nothing in there gets used, because i refuse to go in there.
It is cold here. my thermometer says -1.3*. yikes. me no likey.

Seriously, who needs a cat.....

.....when you have a Fred?
Fred is definitely a cat. In fact, his nickname is "meow-meow". I realize that when The Husband and i call him that in front of other people, it is probably the most annoying thing to hit their ears, but i digress.
I was in the kitchen fixing a sandwich, and Fred BOLTED from the kitchen to the couch, and tried to get under it. Awww crap. I have been hearing some rustling in the walls, and now i have proof that there is a freaking mouse in the house. Fred would not leave FOOD for nothing. He would however leave dead, inanimate food for the prospect of live, to-be-killed-and-eaten-while-still-puke-warm food. Just like a good cat.
What did Henry do while all this was going on? Stared fixedly at my bologna and cheese sandwich. He knew a bite was coming his way, and there was no way he was going to chase after a future friend when there was a bite of sandwich coming his way. He knew i was going to card-making class later, and he would have plenty of time to root out the mouse, and be BFF's with it.

It's card class day!

I am SOOOO excited to be going to my Christmas card-making class today. I need a break from the not-really-studying-for-finals-but-REALLY-thinking-about-it. I have a huge pile of cards from last year, but i cannot find them. The Husband put them away, in a really really great spot. Before they could be finished and mailed. Along with the address list. And the stamps. And it is almost one year later, and i still have not found the great storage spot that he put them in, nor does he remember where he put them. That makes it sound as though my house is super cluttered, but it really is not. We just have ample storage in the garage, and on the second floor. There is also one room i am a little scared to go into...i call it "Mouse House", or "Spider Haven". It is also known as "the room i am scared to go into, as the floor is crickety, and i have an aversion to plummeting through the ceiling into the kitchen-dining room." It is where the tree and decorations are stored...so we will see if i get the tree up this year. My parents might be getting conned into going in there when they arrive. Either that, or i could do what my friend Mike did when we lived in Germany. He did not want to get a tree, so he threw some garland and lights on a floor lamp. Voila, the Christmas Lamp. Almost as good as a Festivus Pole.

Anywhoot...wish me luck with my card class. Apparently, i will be making 20 cards. Then i am hoping to buy materials to make 20 more when i get home. And somewhere in there, i REALLY need to log into my school account and finish up that final.

some knitting, a sad Vizsla story, and an annoying movie story

Well, yesterday started out with an email from a friend, telling me about a Vizsla in the local mall pet shop. If you know me, you know that i am vehemently opposed to pet stores that sell dogs and cats, the ONLY exception being the shops that sell the ones they get from shelters. I don't need to go into it here, most people i know undertand the mulititude of reasons. I contacted the local Vizsla rescue person, and offered up my services for her. There is not anyone in my region that does rescue, so it looks like i am it. By doing this, i will be a "spotter" for the local shelters. This means i will make regular trips to the shelters, and do a physical check of their dogs to make sure that they do not have any Vizslas in. If they do, the shelters will hopefully release them to me, i will do a short-term foster (if Fred and Henry will let me!), and then transport the dog to other rescue people, who will then work tirelessly to rehome the dog.

After speaking to the rescue person, she sent me an article to bring to the pet shop. This article is for the prospective buyers of this Vizsla, an info sheet on a V's needs, requirements, etc. They were very thankful for the article. I then asked to hold the poor boy. Oh boy, he was a mess. He was born in August, and has been there for a month already. Beyond horrible for this boy, but it also means that they will not be dealing with V's anymore, as they know that they cannot make a profit on them. Anyways, i loved on him, and told him he was a good boy. Then i reluctantly handed him back. All i wanted to do was put him in my bag and run out the door with him.

Then i went on to the movie theatre, where i was meeting some friends to see Twilight. Was enjoying the movie, and then a very HUGE, very loud teenager just could not keep her mouth shut, nor could she stop texting. This frustrated her friend to no end who kept saying, loudly "your missing it!", and she would then relay the entire scene to her friend. OHMEINGOTT!! I finally "shhhhsd" them, and the huge one FLIPPED OUT. I thought she was going to fling her obese self right out of her chair and on top of me. I decided to let the manager shush her. The poor manager then was subjected to her sass. No one could shut this mess up. I was so annoyed, and my friend and i were so pissed, we just decided to remove ourselves from the situation before it escalated. We got our money back, and got a free pass to another movie.

After i got home, i talked to another friend who was sitting in another part of the theatre, and she told me that security came and removed this person, but not without her disrupting the ENTIRE theatre. WTF?

Ok...now lets end this short novel with some knitting. This is a scarf that i am working on. The pattern is courtesy of Jimmy Beans Wool, it is their Scarves to Throws series, and i am doing Month 6. I am using my FAVORITE yarn, Lornas Laces Shepherd Worsted, and the colorway is Tuscany. I cannot wait til i finish it. This is the BEST yarn ever.

And What Do We Do on a Sunny, Snowy Day....

.....in the North Country? Well....we SKI!!

We were out walking, and every step i took, i sunk down about a foot. It was great exercise, but I was getting exhausted, and realized that SKIING would make me smile. So, ran back to the house, strapped on the skis, and off we went. It is super icy, so the downhill part really felt like alpine skiing...not an easy feat with nordic skis! Good times though...gorgeous gorgeous, and the dogs were happy to run run run. Hmm, maybe later i will strap on the alpine skis and brush up on my mad skills? The neighbors will think i have GONE MAD though...oh well. Fun times.

Good Dog, Bad Dog

....or, My Dog and My Cat, or....My dog, and the Husbands Dog. Can you spot the good dog in this picture??? He is the well behaved one, sitting on the FLOOR! The other one, well....you cannot say he is not ALL Vizsla. This is what they do. Really, you just have to learn to laugh at it, and accept that they are what they are. cats.

Snow snow, lots of snow. We are telling ourselves that we LURVES us some snow. It is pretty, and cold is a GOOD thing, and we love love love it. We can ski and snowshoe...and all is right in the world. And the plow guy came, so at any minute, we can load the car and head for Shelley's condo in Florida. And believe me, we have the route ALL PLANNED OUT.

Happy Thanksgiving

Well, i am thankful for WONDERFUL neighbors, who have invited me to Thanksgiving dinner over at their house. I am even MORE thankful that i do not need to DRIVE to get there, because if i did, i would NOT be going!!! I could not leave my house if i wanted to right now..there is about two feet of snow in my driveway, with about three to four at the end of the driveway, courtesy of the state snow plows. Awesome! I think i have an appointment with my snow shovel. I hope my back can take it, it just about reached it's limit shoveling off the pack porch for the dogs. The houndies MUST be able to reach the toilet, aka the backyard, without having to climb over mountains of snow.

I am also very thankful that the neighbor dogs that i am dog-sitting for across the street decided to come home last night. Their stupid electric fence failed (ask me how much i am against electric fences another time) and they took off for the day yesterday. I called my neighbor, and she did not really even care. She was mad at "the stupid dogs". Um...no comment. The dogs did come back last night, and will be spending the remainder of the weekend in the toasty warm house. If they wreck anything...not my problem!!! I will feed them, and play with them, and let them out to pee. They are sweet sweet dogs, and deserve better owners.

My own dogs are all snugged in right now, under wool blankies on the couch. We are watching TV, and thinking about going out for a ski.

I am thankful for my awesome, wonderful Husband. I love you, babe. Oh...the Seahawks are playing the Cowboys today. Go 'hawks!

Warmies!!

I have a new furnace, and it is the prettiest thing i have ever seen! I will post pics in a bit for the man, but too lazy to go upstairs and download them.
snowy snowy out right now...was going to go to a friends for Thanksgiving, but i feel no need to be on the road right now, so will go across the street to the neighbors house. good to have good neighbors!

yesterday laughing, today...not so much

Today i hit the wall and the tears and massive frustration came. The husband, bless his heart, was bound and determined to get our crappy home buyers insurance (that shitty little insurance you can buy that covers repairs to EVERYTHING for one year?) to cover the cost of the furnace replacement. He called them from Iraq, and after an incredibly massive headache, and many many phone calls on my end, their end, and his end...it got pushed through. Everything was going to be GRAND. Yeah right. They just called me back to say ...nope...SORRY!
I knew that they would be a headache, and i KNEW that they would not cover this. Bless the man's heart for trying, but i knew that he was wasting his time. He was.
Note to anyone ever buying a house....do NOT buy that shitty insurance that is supposed to cover everything that could ever possibly go wrong in your house during that first year. They do not cover a FREAKING thing, it is IMPOSSIBLE to get an emergency call pushed through, and you will just be throwing your money and sanity away. Save the $500 and put it towards medicinal marijuana, and wine. and a good hammer. and a xanax or ten.
Today i am going to get my haircut. I will be putting the dogs in their sweaters, and bringing them along with me, because i do not feel secure leaving them in the house with a malfunctioning heating system.

My heating guy....

....gets a gold freaking star.
He was going to install my furnace next Tuesday, but had to change it to this friday. he just now called me back to let me know that he will be here this Weds to install. He knows i am very freaked about this whole ordeal, and he does not want me going through Thanksgiving with any more stress. Pretty nice, huh? he and his dad (who is the husband of my realtor) completely rearranged their schedule so that they could do this. They kind of know that i will not be sleeping well while this whole ordeal is looming over me.
honestly, i just am so thankful for this family. They have been nothing but THERE for the husband and i on this entire home adventure. SO, i am giving thanks to them this year.

New Furnace Coming.....

....have you ever seen Strange Brew? That part where they are giving "Hosehead" the dog a donut, and they say "jelly donut coming" to appease him in the meantime. Anyways....i wish i only had to pay for a jelly donut...but no...i get to buy a new furnace. ugh. oh well...at least in the meantime i still have heat. And all the shit i have been through for the past few months has just made me laugh at all of this. had i not been through all the other shit, i would be curled up on the ground in the fetal position. But seriously...what ELSE can you do, when in the past year you have had to:
Put a new roof on your house
Re-route and re-fit the majority of your plumbing
Replace your heating oil tank
Install a new sump pump
Buy a new washing machine (that it turns out you really did not need to do because the one that you thought broke in the move turned out to be not-all-that-broken after all.
There is more, i know there is more...but i cannot think of it right now.
Anywhoot.....like i said, all you can do is laugh at this point.
Oh...i know the other one....send your beloved off to war!

It is JUST heating!!!

Oh for crying out loud....now the furnace is acting up. If i did not wake up to a temp of SEVEN degrees the other day, i would not be so concerned, but winter in this region is no freaking joke, so the furnace MUST function properly. i did go out and buy a portable heater in case i need it though. I also have two wall mounted space heaters that are in the main bathroom, and a fireplace, so i likely will not freeze to death in my house, but....whatever. I could use a few positive thoughts and white light sent my way folks..if you can spare it, please send it!!!
Has anyone noticed the overwhelming amount of SHIT that has gone wrong with my house in the last few months? I have not even posted the health issues that i have been having. Nothing life threatening, just you know...expensive and annoying. of course all this shit happens while the man is off fighting the war. next year everything will be peachy, and the house will run smoove. cuz the man will be home. and he will think that i made all this crap up!
So...for all this crap i am having to deal with, i am going to be making a few demands. number one, i AM getting a cat. number two...we are GOING to Seattle next summer.
The cat is a major necessity. we live on a farm, and there is a critter who has taken up residence INSIDE my walls. He, and his possible herd of friends woke me up the other night. I swear if i opened up the walls i might find a cardboard mat on the ground, because i am pretty sure they were breakdancing in there. Also, it snowed the other day, and in the morning i woke up and saw a herds worth of critter footprints all over the snow. Like ALL OVER the snow. Luckily today, i saw cat footprints from one of the neighbor cats, so at least they are over here helping me out. Anyways, i was going to wait for the green light from the husband on this...but you know what? He is taking his sweet time on giving it, so I am putting word out to the neighbors to keep an ear open for anyone with a litter of farm cats. Fred and Henry will be THRILLED! Well, Henry will be, Fred will be intrigued as all get-out.
As for the trip to Seattle...another major necessity. I have not been home in two years, and it is time my friends. I have to see the city i love, and the people that i love that reside within it. i do not ask for much, and really, i am not even asking for this...this is going to happen.
So, G...expect to see me next summer! not sure when, that depends on when the man has block leave....but we will be there, and we will have the hounds with us.

Dogs in Need

We have been busy this morning making dog quilts to donate to our local SPCA. Our local shelter is the only non-kill shelter in the county, and the only one that takes cats. It is very very cold here right now, and it is just too much for me to bear to think of these poor animals having no warm bed to lay on. So...thanks to my pal Gaylen, for posting a challenge to all her doggy friends to make beds for the dogs in dire need. I bought this fleece a bit ago, with intentions of making new blankies for my own dogs, but really...my dogs need another blanket like i need another hole in my head. They are more than happy to donate to other dogs though! The SPCA website stated that they are in constant need of laundry detergent, and dryer sheets/fabric softener, and luckily I had just bought a bottle of detergent that has not been opened yet, and i have an almost full bottle of fabric softener that i just do not use.

Everyone seems to be feeling the pinch this time of year, and THIS year in particular. Now is that time for all of us to dig a little deeper, and give just a little more. My local Urban Mission is at a critical low right now with their food pantry, as more and more families are unable to feed themselves. This is just unacceptable in our land of PLENTY, with our shamefully overfed citizens! Give up a meal, give up some fleece and laundry detergent, and GIVE!!! It'll make you feel better!!

Coffee....boo hooo

I went to my local Starbucks yesterday for my monthly bag of Yukon Blend, and got the jolt of my day.....STARBUCKS HAS DISCONTINUED YUKON BLEND!! Seriously? You guys can BITE ME! I have been a good and loyal customer since the get-go! The MINUTE that my first Starbucks opened in my 'hood (1988?) i have been a junkie. And Yukon Blend has been my drug of choice. And now you do this to me? Well, luckily there is a Seattle's Best here in my new town, and their Henry's Blend is calling my name. Now, if only there were a Tully's around here, and i could get my Vitamin T fix. hee hee....get it? Ya gotta be a native to get that one....Tullys is in the old Rainier brewery, and back in the day, that most excellent Rainier beer was referred to as "Vitamin R". The big "R" on the old brewery has now been replaced by a "T". Just a little useless information to get you through the day!

Fun Times ahead!!

I went to the dentist today, and i got some great news....i am getting a crown!! I feel like such a princess!
Oh...not that kind of a crown? Well, whatever.
Apparently, he wants to replace an old filling, but he is quite certain that he will crack my tooth when he removes it, due to some wear and tear on the tooth...so he is going to remove it all, and put in a nice new crown. Should i get a gold one with a diamond in it???? It is in the back, so no one would ever see it. I am actually kind of not a "diamond girl", so will just go with the plain white.
Yippee for me....my first "old lady" dental work. What a joy!

And while i am thinking about Langston Hughes....

there is this one that i first heard in the 9th grade, and still love, and which means THAT MUCH more on this day. Thanks to Ethel Clarke for introducing our young, impressionable minds to Langston Hughes, way back in the day.

I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I'll sit at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,
"Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful
I am
And be ashamed,--
I, too, am
America.

Deferred.....no longer

Good morning Daddy,
Ain't you heard
The boogie-woogie rumble
of a dream deferred?

NO LONGER!!! The dream was fulfilled, and i am just proud and elated that i was alive to witness it, and to be a participant.

Goofy dogs, and an awesome dog trainer

I have not posted in awhile...been super busy with Craft Fair, and lots and lots of studying. Tonite my mom sent me an email, and i thought it would make a nice post....a touching story about the Dog Trainer (who recently died) at Pawsabilities, and then some funnies about my parents German Shepherd Dog Samie. She is such a goob...but god, i love her!
Anyways, enjoy:

We just got back from the Celebration of Larry's Life at Pawsabilities. It was really something. There were literally 100's of people and well over 100 dogs! Samie went but she couldn't even make it inside. She was way too excited (and had to wait in the truck). They had a tribute from the FIDO drill team (First in Dog Opedience) which is sponsored by Pawsibilities. And at the end of their close order drill they did a 1-minute sit & stay in memory of Larry--all the people joined in the minute of silence. Joan was there with several of her friends from the Keeshond dog club. Dana spoke after the tribute, thanking everyone. And she said that Pawsabilities will continue--the new Pawsabilities with their daughter & son-in-law joining with her. That was so good to hear. And your Dad is starting Samie again this Wednesday evening! He knows she really needs it; she really suffers from not meeting with oth er dogs on a regular basis and going through her paces.

It was good to see all those dogs in close-order drill. You know Larry was career military, a Master Sergeant in the Air Force from '68-'88. He did dog training for many years before his retirement and has been teaching here since 1989.

Oh, another thing about Samie. She has now joined Fred's surfing club. She is a great counter surfer. I was telling you about having a great pork roast from Han's Deli--with sauerkraut & noodles? Well, I cut the chops and left them on the counter for Dad--he was watching the football game in the other bedroom. And when he went to get his plate full, he asked wasn't there 3 porkchops? Well, yes, there were--but only 1 small one was left for him. So Samie got a huge one, plus half of the one I had. (And she obviously loved that German food cause she didn't get sick or anything!) Your Dad was sick though; now for leftover of the sauerkraut, it'll just be hot dogs for the meat instead of pork chops. Well at least they are the German weiners.

I was telling Joan this story. She had a better one. Tucker is also a champioin counter surfer. He has helped himself to many a morsel over the years. But the worse was recently when Joan had been to the store and picked up lunch and also got some Copper River salmon fillets to fix for dinner. She left it in the kitchen while she delivered something to a neighbor. Gary was watching something on tv and came to get his salad to start on--and went back to watching his show. When Joan came back, the salmon was gone. And Tucker didn't get sick either. With the price of salmon, that is mighty expensive dog food!

I'm glad your Dad has decided to go back to dog classes. It will be good for both of them. I sure would love to see Samie composed enough to go to events like today and actually be able to join in, in a good way.

WOOOOOWHOOOOO!!

First ski of the season!! So the snow was heavy and wet, and not all that deep in a few places, i had FUN, and got the best workout i have gotten in a loooong time! The dogs are exhausted and very very happy. They loves them some snow. Henry thought the skis were pretty cool, and tried to pounce on them once or twice as i was zipping along on my freshly laid tracks. That ought to be interesting later in the season.

And by the way, how freakin pretty are my skis? I love them!! I have matching poles and boots, and they are just the prettiest little things you ever did see!

I MISSED my Husband on this inaugural ski.....he would love to be snow-shoeing right along with me...actually, he would probably be about 50 paces ahead of me, the man is a bit of an athlete.

Donkey

Here is a pic of "World's Most Pathetic Donkey-Dog"

Do NOT let this photo fool you. This is a dog who flips OUT in the snow. He loves loves loves it. I took this pic last night, just as the snow was starting.

yes, Henry REALLY has me wrapped around his paw-hoof. He is such a little manipulator.

Holy Crap....we got SNOW~!

Oh boy...now, i was ALL PREPARED to deal with snow AFTER Halloween, but hello, it is the 29th! It started snowing yesterday, and it snowed throughout the night...and we got this!

The houndies are pretty darn excited. I am actually going to strap on my new XC skis in a bit, and hit the fields! I am psyched....i will put the Vizslas in their Nana sweaters...see said pics of sweaters above in blog headline. My mom knit them those...and the Husband groans everytime i pull them out, but the houndies? The houndies bound through the house with GLEE!! They loves Nana's sweaters!!!

What i have been up to lately......

Well, Miss G asked me what i have been up to lately...and even though i have been blogging a lot lately, i have not really been saying what i have been doing. So....here is a pic (which i know is what she has been wanting to see FOREVER!!) of the Husbands Garter Stitch Aran Pullover. This is the front panel. Back panel looks the same, except has a few 'signatures' on it.

I should be starting on the 3-needle bind off today i hope, and then get to work on the sleeves. I am super excited to get this finished! My husband is so nice...he will wear it even if he hates it, or if it does not fit him. yup, he is a GEM!! The yarn i am using is Dale of Norway Freestyle. This is a washable wool, and feels so nice. I love working with it. There was another washable by Dale that was a little bit more industrial strength, but i did not like the feel of it. Husband would wear the itchy stuff, but why suffer? Oddly though, he thinks that the itchy stuff keeps you warmer...as in, the irritation actually heats you up. That is one way to look at it, i guess!

So, where does this lovely little sweater live while it is being worked on?

It lives here, in this adorable little project bag that Miss G sewed for me!! I think this was the first gift she ever gave me, and that was about 2 or 3 years ago? I love it!
It also contained a needle roll, but there is no room in it for the roll now! It is crammed full of yarny goodness, and pattern copies, my notions and what not.

Please excuse the interruption......

....these photos are strictly for the Husband:

Snow in the forecast...already!

Well, winter is REALLY on the way! We are under a winter storm watch here, as there is a Nor'easter bearing down on us. It looks like i will likely get only a dusting, but the areas east of me will possibly get over a foot! Ha, and the guy at Sears LAUGHED at me when i brought my snow tires in last week, and asked him to put them on my car!!
Henry is going to be SO thrilled when he sees the snow. He loves it, although last year he did get a little sick of it after a bit. He, along with Fred also loves to EAT GRASS. They are like a couple of little cows, and i think the lack of grass really bothers them.
Today i get to haul all the patio furniture into the barn. That ought to be fun. Not sure if i want to put the Adirondack chairs in the barn, or put them on the covered front porch? I think i will opt for the porch. At least when they are there, i still get to look at them all year!
All the geese have been flying south for the past few weeks. I have not seen the snow geese yet though, just the Canucks.

Wow, i watch too much TV

Ok...i was just reading "Watch with Kristin" on the E!online site, and did a fistpump in the air when i read that "The Real Housewives of the OC" will be coming back on Nov 25.
That is me...and this is my life. I firmly acknowledge that i am a tv addict, and i really watch some pretty stupid shows. Oh....which reminds me, i tivo'd The Girls Next Door last night, and i still need to go and watch it.....

New Sump Pump Coming....wooooowhooooo

Yep, that is the exciting news in my household today. I am having an automatic sump pump installed. This will enable me to live my life without having to go down into the cellar every couple of hours to turn on my sump pump. I can actually LEAVE my house for a WHOLE day while it is raining outside. Progress folks.

I still have not done the three needle bind-off on the sweater...i have been too exhausted to tackle it, and have had too much homework.

Oh...on a brainy note, i am getting a 4.0 right now in my current class. Wow. That is pretty amazing for me! I usually do really well on the discussions and class participation, but suffer on exams...but i got a 10/10 on my most recent essay. Wooowhooo.

Big Accomplishment

Last night i finished the front panel of The Husbands Garter-Stitch Aran Pullover. Woowhoo...only took about TWO years to get to this point. Now comes the tricky part, doing the bind-off. Looking in my Vogue Knitting Ultimate Knitters Guide ( i lurve this thing), it looks a lot like kitchner stitch? I am a little freaked about this step, i have never done a three needle bind-off. Kitchner, yes...with a cable needle. If i go slow and methodical it turns out great. Anyways, reading the instructions though, i think it looks pretty easy. Famous last words? Sheisse, i hope not.
Oh, and last night i fixed a big error, and i am SO proud of myself. I had forgotten to cross the VERY last cable on the front panel. I almost said "meh", and left it, but then said to myself " i am a BETTER knitter than this...i can fix it!". So, i pulled out my handy dandy Knit Fix by Lisa Kartus (Thank you Yvonne....love that book!) and read up a little on the "Incorrectly crossed cables" section...took a deep breath, and off i went. Holy cow...it worked! It is not perfect, i think my ladder is off by one stitch, but it looks pretty good! This is a HUGE improvement on my previous attempt to fix the center diamond pattern. I flubbed up the unraveling, and ended up having to frog back about 20 rows. ugh.

Oh...and i have a bad doggy report. And NO..it is NOT Fred!! it is HENRY!! I know...shocking. Well, the other day i left Fred out of his crate while i ran to the neighbors house. Normally, Fred is crated when we are gone from the house, as he tends to suffer from separation anxiety a little, and he will terrorize Henry with his neurosis, and be COMPLETELY exhausted when we return home. If we crate him though, he rests comfortably, and we return home to a relaxed, calm (ish) dog. OK, so...i ran over to the neighbors house for a few minutes, and when i returned home, i noticed that the little piece of plastic tubing that holds up the canopy on the new burrow dog bed had been chewed, and a portion of the sleeve had been torn. I instantly figured it was Fred, and just sighed...what else can you do? No punishment if you don't catch them in the act. I was a little annoyed with Fred though.
Flash forward to yesterday, and we are all comfortably tucked into the living room for a night of TV (yes, we are party people), and i happen to look down at Henry, and see him nonchalantly chewing on the plastic tubing!! Just all casual, like a cow chewing her cud. I could not beleive it!! My PERECT prince!! I immmediately flashed back to his first year or so of life, where he chewed the HELL out of many many expensive things. My brand-new down jacket when we left him in a hotel room for a couple of hours while we had the NERVE to go out and ski the Matterhorn in Switzerland....several pairs of The Husbands pricey running shoes, which he CLIMBED A SHELF to get to, in another hotel room in Garmisch. A gorgeous pillow from my MIL that he casually chewed the tassels off of, as he gazed out the window. Yes, Henry is lucky he is STILL so dang cute.

Can you tell which dog is......

super well-behaved, and which one is not so much so?








Don't they accessorize so nicely with the gorgeous fall color? I think so, too.








Today the dogs and i played like REAL farmers. We loaded up into the Husbands big truck, i put on my mud boots, and we headed over to the local cattle farmers house for some bales of straw. There are some weak spots in the back of the house as far as the air-tight foundation goes, so i needed to put some straw up against it, now that winter is once again rearing it's head.

The dogs thought this was pretty damn cool! I am sure that they will eat the straw at some point. Doesn't Henry look like a little Donkey back there? He is SUCH a donkey...loves to mosey around the farm, just taking it all in.

There is one thing that stinks about being in the North Country, and that is NO decent Thai food. We have been to two restuarants, and they were horrid....so, i just make my own. So far i have Pad Thai and Tom Kha Gai down pat...and last night i added Green Chicken Curry to my repertoire. I am work on Red Curry...and hope to have it all down good so that the husband and i can feast when he is home on leave.

Another thing that stinks....the closest yarn shop is over 50 miles away. Can you even believe this? I cannot!! Today i really just had the urge to hang out in a yarn shop, sit, knit and chat a little....but the idea of driving 50 miles to do it pretty much killed that urge! So...i baled straw instead, drank a beer on the back porch in my adirondack chair, and chatted on the phone to the 'rents instead.

Dog Park Social Lepers

My friend and i started a new club at our local military post. It is a Dog Club, and we meet monthly at the dog park. Today was our first meeting.
I usually do not like to go to dog parks, and my excuse is that it is germy, and mean dogs could show up. The fact of the matter is though, my dogs are social retardos. I am just sitting here thinking about todays visit to the park, and shaking my head. I am the co-chair of this club, and i think i am about to become the first member to be kicked out of the club. Let's see, where do we begin.
First off, when one of our club members showed up at the gate, Fred rushed the fence and absolutely scared the sheisse out of her, and her two gorgeous, white German Shepherd Dogs. Then Fred decided that both dogs, the girl AND the boy, were unbelievably hot, and tried to hump both of them every chance he got. Then Henry raised his leg and peed on my friends Cairn Terrier. Now, that one really mortified me. Anyone who knows Fred completely expects ANY socially unacceptable behavior from him...but Henry? He is my sweet prince!!
My poor friend, her dog sleeps in her bed at night, and she just does not have time today to bathe her. Let's hope Henry was well hydrated.
ahahaha!

Bummer, Dude

Well, i am not the only one who is bummed about closing down the pool for the season.....

In other news....we have a giant dumpster in front of our house.......

This is to prep for the roofing material to be removed, which i REALLY hope starts soon!!

Yarny Yuminess

My good friend Gaylen sent me a treat in the mail the other day. She felt sorry for me, i was having a rough few weeks there, and she knows the way to make a knitter chill out!!

This yarn comes from Clementine's Dry Goods, and it is loverly. I used it today to help teach a new knitter how to knit! I started a little knitting club up here in my neck of the woods, and today was our first meeting.

I've always thought that Vizslas....

....made the BEST accessories! Don't they just coordinate SO well with the fall colors?

Notice the hunter orange ree ree's? It is officially deer hunting season here in the North Country, so the dogs will be sportin' some orange for the next few months.

Actually...it is a PERFECT fall day today..little bit misty, and damp and cool-ish. Yvonne, what does that mean? Yep....TRACKING WEATHER!! Can you believe it, i actually laid a few tracks for Henry today!! I used the lower hay field, and laid down three tracks of variable lengths. Henry has still got it, although he is a tad rusty. I really need to make a committment to getting him out there a couple of times a week, now that the growing season is over, and the snow is not here yet.

I contemplated taking Fred, but i am hesitant, as i know that the husband REALLY wants to hunt with that boy, and you just cannot do hunting and tracking at the same time. Especially if you are going to practice on planted birds. I will double check with my old tracking instructor and see what she thinks though....but if i remember correctly, a dog that has been trained to track, will follow YOUR scent right to the planted bird. Kind of defeats the purpose of them finding the BIRD on their own.

The rest of the day is going to be spent watching Anne of Green Gables, and knitting. I am at the portion of mein Soldat sweater where i need to join the two shoulder seams together, and start down the sleeve...never done that before, and it is COMPLETELY new and a bit scary! eeek!! if my LYS were just down the street, i would not be such a wimp...but it is 50 MILES away.

On another note altogether...i took my XC skis in to get the bindings put on yesterday. Wow...cannot believe we are almost getting into ski season around here. Gotta get a move on, and figure out which pair of SNOWSHOES Mein Soldat wants......Hey...soldat...that is a HINT for YOU.....go to rei.com and look 'em up! or you're going to be stuck with what i get you.

Beavers 27, Trojans 21

The Beavers told them Trojans NO ENTRY!!
WOOOWHOOOO!!
What??? Sheesh, get your minds out of the gutter...we are talking FOOTBALL!! OSU beat USC, this is cause to CELEBRATE.
My beloved Dawgs totally stink this year...but at least we have the Beavs!

Schwimmbad spielen, und camera haten

I know....haten is not really the German word for hating the camera....but the dogs really REALLY hates it when i make them pose for pics.

Here are some of the last swims of the season for Henry. We are closing down the pool next week....boohooo.

In all the pics where the dogs are looking away from the camera, they make it look like they are concentrating SO hard, like there is a wild animal in the distance...but really, they are just pissed at me for making them pose, and they refuse to look at me. I swear, they focus on my JUST PRIOR to the point where i raise the camera, and then they immediately look away.

Anyways....the pic of the lawn, i got so tired of mowing the grass, that i finally just mowed a meandering little path into the grass. In doing so, i have created a lovely little sanctuary for the snakes, and probably the ticks. mmmm, great. Oh well.

What do you do......

....when the fall color is just starting, and it is a beautiful day? Why, you load up your two best boys, get a sandwich and some fresh cider from the deli counter at the grocery, and you head into the Adirondacks for the day!

I really just needed to get out and about yesterday, and far from the house. The dogs are always game for a roadtrip, and i have been wanting to get up to Old Forge and hit the shops. We stopped along the Moose River for a little picnic and a dip in the river

Hmmm, is Henry trying to tell me something?

Well, i think Henry likes the bed.

And i thik Fred is trying to tell me that i need to order another one for him.

Last night Henry just curled up into the bed at bedtime, Fred looked at him once, whined a little and then went and LAID DOWN IN THE BED WITHOUT A COVER and did not make a peep! It was actually kind of sad, and i went over and put a blankie over him, and gave him a few pats, and a promise that i will order him a smaller Fred-sized bed. Poor little pup.

OH well...i guess it IS fitting that Henry steal this bed, we actually have been looking for a bed like this for Henry ever since he was a pup.

On the ottoman you can spot my current knitting project. During breaks from husbands Aran sweater, i work on my "Scarves to Throws" project from Jimmy Beans Wool, my FAVE yarn shop. Every month they give out a cool scarf pattern, and at the end of the year, you sew them all together for a throw. A much more interesting way to do a throw, as every month it is a different pattern, and before you sew it all together, you get a bunch of cool new scarves to wear. They are all knit with Lornas Laces Shepherd Worsted, which is quite possibly my most favorite yarn EVAH! So soft, and the colorways are amazing. Love it...would eat it if i could.

The new bed

Well, it was an exciting day in my household, the new dog bed arrived!! Fred is a huge fan. He slept in it, all burrowed in, until at least 1am. Let me tell you, this is progress. Then he moved up to the husbands pillow, and slept soundly under the pillow for the rest of the night.

It's JUST a roof!

yeah....it gets better! The remnants of Hurricane Ike blew through here on Sunday night, and took some portions of my roof with it, as it headed out towards the Atlantic. Oh well, that is what Homeowners Inusurance is for, right? I am letting them handle this one. I am using the company that they recommended to do the repairs, and being done with it!

The dogs are loving the constant parade of workers that have been coming and going. I think they are exhausted from all the entertaining they have had to do in the past week and a half.

Photos will follow this post, with pics of Fredericks NEW bed. Fred can be a bit of a PIA (no....., not FRED!!) at nighttime, what with the constant SCREAMING (yes, my dog DOES scream....really, if you have not witnessed it, you are in for a treat...it'll crack your eardrums) if his blankie falls off of him. Ignoring him does not work. How do you tune out ear peircing screams? All you can hope for is that his voice loses pitch, and he works himself up to the much preferred "silent scream"...this is where he gets SO emotional, he opens his mouth, and not a lot of volume comes out. It is like he is SO upset, he just cannot speak of it, hence, the silent scream. But, i digress. We have been looking for a bed/den for Fred. I saw a picture years ago in a Vizsla book of a V-pup in a little fleece bed, and it had a fleece cover over the top of it. A perfect den. We got this book when 9-year-old Henry was a pup, and having been looking for the bed ever since. Good ole Orvis has one! It is called the Burrow Bed, and I ordered it this weekend. It arrived today...and let me tell you...there was MUCH excitement in this household. I think Fred KNEW it was for him. When Henry came to smell the box, Fred growled at him. What a little sh*t. Whatever...i am just happy that he seems to be thrilled with the bed. He has popped in and out of it several times today. The real test will be this evening.
I will get the pics downloaded and posted asap! Right now, i gotta get my houndies outside to enjoy the sunshine. It is a beautiful day here today, and the pool needs to be used before it gets closed down for the season. Henry will be so sad. :o( I have not told him yet.

getting the hang of it all again.....

Yes Yvonne, we are baaaaaaad bloggers!! Oh, and to respond to your comment about the water in the basement, it was hot water...you're not kidding about the steam bath!! I was wearing my big Wellies, so did not notice the temp...but boy, i was sweaty! Yuck!
Plumber comes tomorrow, and then the real fun starts.

OK....here are some pics of my sun bunnies enjoying the sun. Actually, Henry is the sun-bunny, Fred is more of a shade bunny. Henry used to sun-bathe in the desert, on the cement slab of our patio, in the heat of the day. He loves him some sunshine. Move his bed into the sunbeam in the house, and he is the worlds' happiest pup.

The other pic is of Fred, after receiving fluids sub-cutaneously. Why, you ask? Well, this is Fred...he tried to poison himself, again. I was out in the garden, and Fred was eating tomatoes off the vine. I looked up just as he popped a "blueish-black" berry off a weedy plant growing amongst the tomatoes. I thought, "oh crap, that is likely toxic", dashed inside, and dosed him with hyrdrogen peroxide, and headed for the 'net. I went to google images, and found the perfect photo of a Eastern Black Nightshade. Toxic, of course. Called Animal Poison Control, told them the story and was instructed to get Fred to the vet ASAP for a dosing of activated charcoal, and supportive fluids. So, off we went. The fluids were put into his back, so he came out of the treatment room with quite the little camel back. It migrated down his chest during the course of the day.

Just another day in the life of Fred. Poor Henry was traumatized by the whole ordeal, he threw up, too. He hates to be left out.

It is JUST plumbing.....

That is what i need to keep telling myself. MAJOR plumbing emergency this weekend, a pipe in the basement essentially exploded, water EVERYWHERE....it scared the crap out of me. Two things i don't like....proplematic pipes, and freaky electrical wiring.
My plumber is great, he is the son of my realtor, whom i loves. He came out first thing this morning, and showed me the CORRECT way to turn off my well pump. The way i shut off the water yesterday could have been REALLY bad if the pump had turned on. Basically, i COULD have had the entire contents of my well IN my basement, and then i would have been frakked.
So, the real work starts Wednesday. An old cistern wall will be coming down, and old copper piping will be switched out with the new and improved good stuff.
Whatever....i get lost in the details...just fix it. I tried explaining it all the the husband earlier, and just got more confused and frustrated, and had to call the plumber back to talk me down from the ledge that I was in grave danger of plummeting off of. All i need to know is which switch to flip to make "water go bye-bye". Nothing but the basics here ma'am.

Anyways, my new mantra is "it is JUST plumbing"....because really...my cousin had it FAR worse than me this summer. She lives in Cedar Falls, IA. Her house was completely flooded, and there WERE no damn pipes to turn off. All they could do was sit there, and watch their house and everything in it be ruined. Luckily, she and her boyfriend had plenty of time to get themselves and their pets out safely. Puts it into perspective for me, really.

Pointer Park

These are pics of two very happy dogs. I take them hiking out on the trails at Pointer Park, and they LOVE it! There are hundreds of miles of trails, and when the weather is nice, Henry can swim in the lake. Fred loves to run through the fields and chase the barn swallows.

Come October, we will have to don orange vests, and i will have to wear an orange hat, as part of the park is desingated hunting grounds. There are parts of the park that are protected though.

Anyways, there are a million trails, and surprises throughout. If you look behind the dogs in the field shot, you see an old hunting cabin. This is one of my favorite places.

And another ones down.....

Another one bites the dust. Chipmunks, that is. I was eating lunch yesterday, watching Dallas, of course...and i saw something bobbing in the pool. I ran out, and it was a chipmunk. I thought i could get him out in time...but no. He was gone. Stupid pool. Tough little fella...probably held on for a few laps.
Sheesh...everyone wants to be Michael Phelps......

You know what G? You are RIGHT....

.....about the corn, that is. She does NOT know that for sure!! What is she? Some kind of corn expert? No, i do not think so. I am not giving up on my corn stalk.

So....guess what came ambling into my yard today? A Kee-hoe-tay!! Otherwise known as a coyote. yes, the dogs went beserkoid. He just trotted across the yard like he owned the place, and then heard Fred yip (Fred does a wicked little female coyote impression...smooth one, Fred) and stopped dead in his tracks, and just stared at the house. And now that he has heard a mating call come from the house, i am sure he will be back, to lure his little coyote-yipping-princess out to his den. This ought to be fun. Oh well....maybe he will work on the bunny population a little.

No corn for me....

So, my friend Sheila came over yesterday, and declared that yes, that is indeed corn in my garden. Then she threw the hammer down and said "but you won't actually get any corn from it because there is no other corn around to cross-polinate." Whatever. i am not giving up.

My friend Maggie updated her blog yesterday (yay) and was talking about the Olympics, and that reminds me, i have not mentioned them yet. Or have i? Whatever....i talk about/think about tv so much, it may have been lost in the shuffle. Anywhoot....i LOVE the Olympics. I love love love the athletes, and watch them as much as i can. Does not matter the sport, i love it all. I have to say though, that i am really loving Men's swimming, and Michael Phelps. Did you see the thing on the evening news last night, when they talked about what he eats in a day? Over 8,000 calories. When he ran down the list of his breakfast foods, i think i felt my cholestrol level go up a few points. Three fried egg sandwiches, among other things. Ugh. I am betting Dara Torres does not eat like that.

I love that i am very mature

I am back in school, getting a post-bacc degree in Natural Resources, at Oregon State. I was online shopping at their bookstore today, and took a look over at the fan shop. Now, as UW grads, i have been STRICTLY verbotten by the husband to ever EVER buy any Beaver gear...but, i gotta tell you, it is TEMPTING. They have this t-shirt, and it says "Beavers" across the front, and it really REALLY makes me giggle. How can i NOT buy one of those? I think even my darling husband would not mind if i wore that one! Heck, he might even wear one himself. He better wear it, cuz i'm gettin him one!

Mystery plant, and other things.....

I think that i might have self-planted corn growing in my yard, in the rocks that surround the big maple tree. I know, i sound like a complete idiot...and i was going to pull this "weed", but it looked kind of like corn, and now it REALLY looks like corn. I am really HOPING it IS corn, because i want to eat it.
And speaking of gardening....have you read about the illegal-alien-reefer-growers in our National Parks? The latest one is in the Sequoias in California, and then today i read about some that are growing their crops in the midst of the grapevines in Washington state. You know, if they would just legalize it already, this would not be an issue!! Sheesh, at least legalize it for medicinal purposes already. Oh, i get so annoyed.

Are we all watching the Olympics? So exciting...we loves it. "We" being the dogs and I. It gives us a nice break from Dallas, The O.C., and The Gilmore Girls. I know the husband is reading this, and he is REALLY glad that he is not being forced to sit and muscle through these damn shows. But, i do think he would enjoy Dallas.

My neck is getting nice and healed up. I injured myself last friday. playing golf. yes, i am a total loser. Bear in mind though, this is the same loser who has been known to throw out her back knitting. yeah, i have a few spinal issues. This is what happens when you do not get your childhood scoliosis properly corrected. You get slighly off-centered shoulders, hips, and golf and knitting injuries. Anywhoot...been dosing myself on all the Army-prescribed Ibuprofen in the house, Tylenol PM, and a heating pad. It has been a REALLY fun week, and my dogs are not at all INSANE with boredom.

Last night a Chipmunk "mysteriously" died on the back deck. Seconds before death, Fred and Henry were standing together over him. Now, i am not going to say that they did the little fella in...but, i sure did not see any other critters around. I was a little upset....i like the chippermonkeys. I am pretty confident that Henry did NOT do it...he loves all animals, save for the archnemesis of all archnemesises, the SQUIRREL. Henry is pretty perfect...except for when he eats wild animal shit in the lower field.

Little Miss Muffet

That is what we are calling Henry these days.
Yesterday evening, Henry lingered longer than outside. Fred came to the door first to be let in, and that NEVER happens. Usually i need to pry Fred away from the bunnies with a crowbar. So, i went and got my shoes on, and off we went in search of Henry. I suspected he was in the lower field, so that is where i searched first. Sure enough, he was there, chowing down on an unknown substance that i saw the farmer spraying from the back of a truck. Nice. I yelled "HEY!", and he looked up, and RAN back towards the house. Now, mind you, he completely ran AWAY from me, and went the back way to the house. He knows he is not supposed to eat "treats from the heavens", since usually these treats do not come from heaven, but from the ass of some wild animal.
Well, i had NO idea what the farmer had been spraying, so i walked over to the neighbors house to ask if they knew. Turns out it was just the whey from the local cheese factory down the street. They spray it on our local cattle ranchers hay fields, and it fertilizes his crops. And lord knows Henry likes his dairy. So i felt better...Henry was just eating his cruds and whey...no need to induce vomiting.

I love living in the country

So, i was having issues with my water again. Basically, it smells like Yellowstone National Park. Not the best smell, unless you LIKE the smell of rotten eggs. I called our local water guy, and he came out on his way home from work, loaded up our filter thingy (i'm pretty sure that is the technical term) with cholorine and water, and we should be good to go now.
As Pat was leaving, i asked him how much we owed him. He said "aw, nothing, this is no trouble for me." Well, this is the second time that Pat has refused money from us. Luckily i was baking zucchini bread for the husband today, and had an extra loaf. So, i paid Pat in zucchini bread. You know you live in the country when you pay the water guy in baked goods. yes, it is not hard to understand why i love living here.

Seriously, what the frak????

These dogs...what is IT?????
Tonite, after their insanely nutritious meal, they went out into the yard for a few, and came in smelling like crapola. again.
I instantly thought "they've been dining on a shit pile. again." But no...i have figured it out, after rinsing both of their mouths out with apple cider vinegar. yeah. Pretty sure they hate me right now. Last week i was gardening and weeding, and filled a bucket with weeds. I forgot to dump it in the compost pile, and it sat there and filled with rainwater. And baked in the sun. and created it's own little micro-compost-bin-within-a-bucket-that-smells-like-a-shitpile. The dogs have been drinking the shitpile-smelling soup from the bucket.
Seriously....what is WRONG with them????? i am so grossed out by them, i feel like i am walking around in a haze of disgust and general pissed-offedness towards them.
They are lucky they are cute.

These Dogs are Trying to KILL Me

I have been walking the dogs a lot in the lower field lately, as the grass has been mowed and hay has been harvested. I thought the dogs LOVED this walk...but i may be wrong. Yesterday, i think they might have been trying to tell me something.
I normally walk down the river with them, and then we turn and head back to the house. Fred normally lingers at the river for a bit, and then races to catch up with us. Well, yesterday i got to the top of the field, and noticed that Fred was not by my side. I looked down into the field, and the little shit was rolling in shit. Coyote? Fox? Elephant? Who the hell knows. I got him home, and hosed him off, and sprayed him down with "Key West Guy" doggie deodorant. He still reeked, so into the shower he went. It was very painful for both of us. But, the end result was worth it.
After dinner, i took the little mongrels back down into the field for a walk. Normally, Henry is either rightinfrontofmetrippingmeup, or rightbehindme. I got to the top of the field, and noticed he was nowhere to be found. I look down into the field, and Henry is EATING the pile of shit that Fred had rolled in. GAG.
Now, Henry is normally a perfect prince. He does NOTHING wrong. Except eat wild animal shit every so often. Honestly, i would rather he chew on my newest pair of shoes than eat wild animal shit.
This is not a sign of a diet deficiency. My dogs eat better than the vast majority of HUMANS...and not humans in the WORLD, but humans in frakking Beverly Hills. Seriously, they eat an insanely nutritious diet...the Volhard Diet, to be specific. Henry is just groddy. What can i say...he LIKES wild animal shit.
Nice.

Ok...so now i will take this time to write about my NEW favorite tv show. Aside from the Dallas reruns, which i cannot seem to get enough of (I was a Dynasty watcher back in the day...never did watch Dallas...what was i thinking???) I am LOVING the TBS show "My Boys". When they were first promoting this show, sometime last year, i was a hater. The network did a HORRIBLE job...it looked so annoying, and the clips they showed were the worst. In fact, the clips they show now are STILL the worst. Well, after reading Pop Candy's (my fave entertainment blog) review of the show, i decided to give it a shot. OHMYGAWD....best show ever. for now, at least. Or at least until they bring Buffy back. Or Veronica Mars. sigh. Can we get a moment of silence? anywhoot, Single girl sportswriter, living in Chicago...her brother is Jim Gaffigan, who i heart..so funny, cute roommate, and dorky cute guy friends. the show is clever and witty, and i watch it over and over again. And it is clever and witty in a good way...not in an annoying "Friends" way. I love it as much as The Office. Well, not really...but almost.

A little vacation....

My mom and i went to visit Boldt Castle while she was here on vacation. We also went to Singer Castle, but all my pictures got deleted my some idiot on the boat ride from Singer to Boldt. That idiot would be me. I am techno challenged....Jitterbug..doo doo doo doo, Jitterbug, dooo doo doo dooo. Have you seen those ads for the Jitterbug phone? It is a cell phone for old people who are easily cornfused by technology. Well, the husband now likes to sing that song to me. It has become my theme song.

Anywhoot, here is a pic of the boat landing at Boldt.

Singer was a cool castle, and fully decorated...but you have to take a guided tour, which i just HATE. So, by the time we got to Boldt, we were very happy that they just cut you loose on the tour. You can picnic on the grounds, and walk all througout the castle on your own. It has never been completed. Boldt built it for his wife, but she died shortly before completion. He was heartbroken, and never finished it. There is a real estate law in NY state that the island can never be lived on, and the castle may never be completed. It is a very romantic and tragic story. but they really dorked it up by piping the theme from Titanic throughout the castle. I felt like doing a little ballet dance through the halls as it played. The husband and i did that when we snuck into the Grotto at one of King Ludwigs castles in Oberammergau, Germany. The grotto had Wagner piped in. Pretty funny. If you're a nerd. Which i am.

Fricken sweater taking for gawddamned ever

If you ever have the urge to knit the Celtic Cardigan, by Oat Couture....think twice. All those left and right twists will suck the life blood right out of you. Last night, i knit on it while watching Atonement (wow...can you say depressing movie??) and i knit a whopping 4 rows. Time to pick up the husbands always lovely Garter Stitch Aran Pullover. That pattern ROCKS.

Special Biotic Community

That was the title of a recent assignment in my Principles of Natural Resources class. I hemmed and hawed for DAYS on this assignment, because there are so many places that have special meaning to me. I really contemplated putting down Andermatt, Switzerland. This was a town that the husband and i stopped in one time while on vacation. It was a completely random stop, and turned out to be one of the best places we have ever been. Way up in the Alps, at the foot of the Rhone Glacier. We were there in the summer time, right after we got Henry. He was a little Mountain Goat on that trip, hiking all around Andermatt with us.

Well, it is much easier to do the research on a place in the US using USGS data, so had to scratch Andermatt as my place. Instead, i picked another place that i LOVE. Rocky Mountain National Park. I think we were there exactly one year ago today, too. We try to go up every time we visit Colorado. The husband likes it when i drop him off on the Front Range, at the base of the road leading up to Estes Park, so that he can ride his bike up. Must be nice to be a phenomenal athlete! The dogs and i meet him at the top, and we go about our day from there. Henry likes to swim in the stream in the middle of Estes Park, and Fred likes to dream about cutting loose on the tundra on the top of RMNP.

I love mountains, and the more extreme the range, the better. No wonder why the husband and i loved Switzerland, and the Alps in general. Any Alp'll do. French ones, Swiss ones, Austrian ones, even German ones. And when we cannot be in Europe, the Rockies, Cascades and Sierras are the destination of choice. I love 'em.