Sunday, March 30, 2014

birthday!!!!


It's my birthday!!!!! another year.... has come and gone, and it's onto the next. I think of my Grandfather each time a birthday rolls around... when many people say "oh I'd like to forget my birthdays"... my Grandpa would say ... "I love my birthdays, because it means that I am still here on earth... I doubt I will have anymore of them in heaven".... so, I agree with Grandpa..... "I love my birthday!!!"
Besides, so does someone else.... when you are four, birthdays are very important... and when Abbie and Ed went and got this sweet little cake and decorated it for me (a day early)... how can you not celebrate!!!!
I was so excited to have her here, at first it seemed like she wasn't going to be able to come, and then, plans changed, and she was able to come and spend the night!!!!! So, we had our own little party together....

Papa and Abbie...waiting to cut the cake!!!!
It's also Titus's anniversary.... I got him seven years ago for my birthday gift. He has moved three times with us, and has his tank right in our living room. His present was to have his tank completely cleaned out... and Abbie was more than happy to help with the whole process....
I don't think he has grown much more over the past year. Not sure how big "sliders" get, but we measured him and he is seven inches from one side of his shell to the other. 
He looks big compared to Abbie's hands!!!! I'm not sure either, how long turtles like him live... but I have certainly enjoyed having him here.......
Ed picked up this little John Deere snow machine. It's an antique!!!!! The price was right and we thought it would be fun just to have around the farm and take the grand kids for rides on. Abbie couldn't wait for Papa to take her out on it.....
It's warming up a little and the snow is a bit mushy.... but it's good enough for a ride or two.....
She certainly had a good time... and I could hear her telling Papa... "let's go around again!!!".....
It isn't a fast machine and I'm not sure how long Ed will keep it (he thinks it's a bit small and too slow)... but we'll play with it for now.....
And last night, we went to our "home town" and had a nice pot luck meal with our friends at the fire station.  As much as we do love being on the farm... we always miss our friends.... and so having the chance to meet up with everyone is something we won't miss out on.....
Such good "eats"... I love pot luck meals... and everyone was so happy to see us and always asks when we will  move back home. Which, some day, we will..... actually, if we could find a small farm or land back home, that would suit our needs, we would go back soon than later. But for now, we'll do our "farm thing" and then when we are "tired of this" we'll look to go back to where we are from. 
My Dad... and a life long friend, Kate. The way I grew up.. friendships last a life time.....
And here are all our friends!!!!!!
This is a very special photo and moment in time.... My Dad, Bob (Kate's husband) and Chuck.... these men have been friends for 50+ years... along with the fact that they have donated over 100 years of volunteer service to the fire department!!!!! All of them are doing well (health wise) and continue to give what and where they can to the department. 
Cake number two!!!! who gets two cakes for one birthday???? ME!!!!!
I decided to have a "thanksgiving" dinner for my birthday. So, we took one of our turkeys out of the freezer, called the family.... and had a birthday celebration!!!!!
There just is nothing.... NOTHING ... better in the world, then having all of my family here.... I just enjoy every single moment when the house is busy, loud and happy!!!!!
Goodness, we "just bought" this little gator for Abbie when she was learning to walk... it was so great to pull it out again and have it for Reagan to play with!!!!! He's a "real" little boy, and trucks, tractors, or anything with "wheels" is his "thing" for sure!!!!
Grandbaby,birthday hugs.... are always the best!!!!!
Along with cake of course!!!!!!


So... happy birthday to me!!! and I'll take as many as the Good Lord sees fit......

Saturday, March 29, 2014

happy, busy days....


winter, winter, winter.... it seems to go on and on this year. Perhaps I say that every year..... We do live in the "north" so, it's expected, but after a while, I long for the green... going outside without bundling up.... 
and then, summer does come, and it's fun for a while, and the I think about warm wood stoves, and hand made projects to be done.... and it starts all over again. Good thing I live in a place were the seasons change... maybe I just get bored with one thing for too long. 










But, the chickens have begun to lay again... and we are finding a fresh egg or two each time we go to the barn.... so, that's a good sign of things to come!!!! 









Livy is doing great and has settled into this house like she has always been here. I love her so much, and she is "just what I was looking for". She has a fresh attitude, and is smart and likes to 'work".... I have big plans for this little dog....


She has a great time at puppy school, and she has become good friends with Debbie and Cappy. She isn't afraid of the bigger dogs by any means, and playtime is her idea of life!!!!



Bernice has been so wonderful, traveling down to classes each week to work with Livy for me. The downside of teaching.... I can't work my own dogs in class. But, they get their lessons, socialize and then I follow up on the rest at home. So nice to have such great friends that they would come and do this for us....







Cappy has moved in with Kathleen for a while, which is good because it gives her some one on one time. Mookie has gone back to NEADS, and now this gives Kathleen a puppy to work with. 
Even though the three puppies (Deb, Livy and Cappy) do well together at home... having three puppies is a lot of work, and I find myself on the go all the time. So, to have Cappy move over to Kathleen's has taken some of the work "load" off....... 
This winter has been quite busy too in the boarding department. I love watching the dogs run and race in the big pen. They're not tired of winter by any means.....
We have Rylie's graduation coming up in a few weeks, so I went on line and had her blog printed out as a gift for her owner at graduation. It came today..... and looking it over brought back so many memories!!!!! Looking at the picture I picked for the cover and seeing just how small Abbie was when Rylie came.... it doesn't seem possible that so much time has gone by. 
I am always pleased at the way these books are done. I know that Rylie's Mom is going to enjoy it... seeing what we did with Ry when she lived here on the farm!!!!
And then the photo on the back cover..... they sure grew over the course of a year....
Rick has been setting up some pet therapy visits for the dogs to do. These are so fun to go on, not only is it fun to visit with all sorts of people (this one was with children)... but it's such a good experience for the dogs. Since I brought Livy and Camille and Debbie with me... Rick said he would take Debbie along with him....
She trotted right in with him and Moxie....
And besides these gals, we also had Linda and her service puppy Matty join us. 
The children (who are children with special needs) absolutely adored the dogs... all of them!!! and with so many different sizes and colors and coat textures... there was one for everyone.... and everyone seemed to pick a favorite. Debbie was quite impressed with this little chap....
She knows how to "work" the crowd!!!!!

















Camille and Livy were the favorites with these two little guys. These kind of smiles make cold winter days seem like "nothing".... and keep us busy .......

Thursday, March 27, 2014

always remember.....

 Today is Moxie's birthday... and the fifth one that we have been apart. I still  miss her, and think of her often. Even with all my other beloved dogs... she will be always special in my heart....


                                               Happy heavenly birthday, little "Moo"

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

puppy training 101......

Seems like I just don't have (or haven't taken the time) to keep up with my blog like I used to. But, I certainly do manage to keep busy, and the day always zips by on me. Today, it was visit the hospital day with the puppies. Cappy got a ride on the elevator. She sat quietly and seemed to enjoy her new adventure. 
Kathleen brought Mookie along.. and Debbie was with my friend Wanda. After we did a couple of trips in the elevator, it was off to the stairs. The hospital has this great set of steps that are tile, and in a hallway that echos. We practiced having the puppies go up and down the steps are various speeds, and stopping and going again.
It's funny how I view things with a service puppy, most of the time I run up and down stairs without a thought. But with a pup, and one in training for sure, it is important for them to know how to take the stairs carefully... sometimes only one step at a time... because who knows how a future owner will be able to do stairs. Both puppies did very well, and weren't bothered at all about the steps or the sounds of the hallway. 
Wanda was happy to sit in the front hallway of the hospital with Deb and just watch the world go by. Deb is good with elevators and steps, so this was a nice "training" for her..... course you know that almost everyone who walk threw had to stop and chat  with her. 
And then I got to work some "unders' with Cappy ....
After our visit to the hospital, it was onto puppy school. Good thing I have friends who like to play with puppies, because Kathleen took over Cappy's obedience work, and Bernice comes down to work with Livy for me. Both puppies love going to school and seeing all their buddies....
Making friends with 'other" kinds of dogs is important work!!!!
A few nights later, Abbie came for an overnight, and even though it's still really cold and wintery, we had to make our first ice cream run of the year. Abbie was all for taking the beetle with the top down (no less).. but we said it was way too cold. We even tried to tell her it was too cold for ice cream... but nothing doing, she only replied... "ice cream will melt slower when it's cold"  (LOL)
And then, when the days are too stormy or cold, this is how we get rid of puppy energy!!! Deb and Livy have become very good friends, and can spend hours, rolling around and playing together in the mud room...
I have to say, it pleases me that they play so well together... Debbie is certainly bigger than Livy, but they keep it all fair....













And have a grand time, wearing each other out. 

The horses have done well over this long winter. Everyone has stayed in 'good coat and weight"... I can only imagine what's it's going to be like when warm weather hits and all that winter coat comes off. Tonka has had great fun with the snow pile that Ed made plowing....
He's the king of the mountain for sure, but as I said somewhere before... I'll be glad to see "this king  lose his mountain"!!!!