You must know that "saying"... "the most comfortable spot in the house is where the dog is!!" Well, it certainly is true here... and in the winter, when the sun is lower in the sky, the light floods into the back of our house (which works nicely for heating purposes too)... but even more so...
a guaranteed warm sunny spot to spend a few hours..... and Debbie dog taking full advantage of that!!!!
This past weekend was the "Festival of Trees"... a local garden club hosts this event every other year... this was "one" of the years!!! It's a beautiful event and various clubs set up trees and other decorations and compete for prizes in all sorts of categories. It was a cold night, but I like to go after dark, so that you can see all the lights better....
Abbie was able to come with us, and she had the best time checking everything out. She's pretty excited about Christmas coming!!!!
I brought Deb with us as well.. knowing this was going to be crowded, I thought it would be a good place for her to practice. She and Abbie had great fun together, checking out all the different things to do.
What's a Christmas display without some Charlie Brown.....
Abbie wanted her and Deb to have a picture taken with Snoopy......
The nice thing about this is there are both outdoor and indoor displays. And they way they have you walk along, is by going in and out of small buildings... so it would seem just as you are getting really cold, you get to pop inside and see what's there... and then you are back outside again....
People come up with the most interesting ideas for "trees".. I loved this one with all the small glass dogs.. I have several little dogs like this and thought that maybe I could make a little dog tree like this one.....
One of the buildings you walk threw is a 1800's cape, and this was all decked out. I thought this feather tree was just beautiful..... I wouldn't mind having one like this some day......
And you just know that you could have cozy Christmas dreams in a bed room like this!!!!!
Our dog club set up a display, people seems to really like seeing the "doggie's tree"....
Abbie said that it was her's and Deb's favorite one!!!!!
We enjoyed watching the train... this was an outdoor display.....
Lights in the trees, a cold night, music and so many things to see... great way to begin thinking about Christmas........
But, just to top it all off... as we were driving back to the farm. it began to snow... a pretty good snow at that, we came home to a couple of inches on the ground. Course, Abbie had to play outside just for a bit....
And it is Debbie's official snow fall... I had a hard time getting photos of her, she was zooming around in it so quickly......
She'll be a snow dog for sure.....
And even though this is first of many, and by March I'll be sick of it... there is something very special about the first snow fall..... and so, I smile and tonite consider it a treasure....
Today we attend another wonderful, amazing NEADS graduation.... as I thought, it was a great emotional day... and I will never get threw a graduation without crying my eyes out!!! I still say, when I am asked "how do you give up your puppies after a year of work.." this is "how"!!!!
Right away, Deb seemed to sense the importance of this day.. she was as good as gold, but spent much of the ceremony sitting like this, with her eye glued to me. She seems quite concerned that I was "upset" though I told her a million times, everything was just fine. Even though this is the fall graduation and Rylie was matched a month ago, her graduation will be next spring.. so I could "enjoy" this one without any personal attachments (ha, ha!!!)
There were 26 teams today... with dogs from each group.. though this time, the dogs for children seem to out weigh the number of dogs in the other groups. The testimonies of the parents of these children is so great and so hard to listen too... and some of the children even had the courage to stand up and talk about their dogs...
Story upon story about how the children had improved since getting dogs.. everything from behavior to school work.. to making friends.. and how families can now do "normal" things... like one family who said they now can go out for dinner... because with their child's dog resting quietly under the table... their child felt secure and wanted to "act as nicely as the dog".... it just goes on and on as what these dogs do for these very special children....
Here are a few of the service dogs... but one in particular is the dog on the right. This team is from Maine!!! and not only that.. but the dog, Radar... is the dog that was sponsored by the gold star Mother that we met last December in Arlington National Cemetery... AND Radar was trained in prison, but his weekend puppy raiser is the same gal that had Rylie on the weekends while she was doing her prison training... the longer I am with NEADS, the smaller the program gets!!!!
Deb finally decided that I was really OK, and got comfortable and spent the second half of graduation like this!!!!
and here's a dog that you all "know"... this is Hope!! and if you don't remember, she came and lived here at the farm for a month when she and Rylie traded spots. Hope and Rylie are sisters, and Hope isn't far from having a match...Here she demos some of the tasks that she can do... like turning on the lights...
And opening the frig!!! There was also one other litter mate to Rylie and Hope.. that was Norton. I got to see him as well, and turns out, he's being trained as a hearing dog and didn't have much more to go before his match would be coming up. So that was a big success for NEADS.. Rylie as a social dog, Hope as a service dog and Norton a hearing dog!!! all off into the world to work their magic...
There was a good crowd of folks that came to the graduation. I knew many of them, and they were excited to meet Debbie and hear all about "where she is with her training".. Actually, it's hard to think that we have just passed the half way mark... time goes quickly.....
And as I have told all my puppies... "it's all about the RED vest"!!!! and next graduation will be all about Rylie!!!!
I feel like I have been very busy doing "what??" and have been quite lacking when it comes to getting Debbie out on her public field trips... which is NOT good when it comes to the training log!!!! So, today, after receiving an invite.. I met up with Linda and Otis and another service dog group (ACTS) to do some work time at Cabela's.....
This is a nice group.. small and local, and I know many of the puppy raisers, so it was fun to meet up with a different group of dogs. Their puppies were all ages and at all stages of training, they were quite impressed with Miss Deb... as was I. She does know how to handle herself in public....
We roamed threw the store, Cabela's is a great place to work, because there are so many different "things"... one being the huge stuffed animals there... which at first, Debbie had to take a close look at... (moose are pretty big!!!). We got the chance to work by Suzanne and her scooter.. no problem there, and then practiced our obedience skills here and there. The store was fairly busy, and we got lots of time to talk with folks who were interested in watching the dogs work.
They have a big fish tank here (like LL Beans) and Deb watched the fish for the longest time. She thought they were pretty cool.....
Then we popped over to the shooting gallery. There were some kids playing there and so all sorts of things would pop up or make strange sounds. Debbie loved this and watched and waited for the next "thing" to pop. She wasn't one bit shy about any of the sounds or actions. She is turning out to be a good little worker and I am really enjoying our training together.... I have good feelings about her, like I did with Rylie.... and it was a fun morning.
I didn't stay all day, because it was just too pretty out and I wanted to get Duke out in the cart ... which I have been doing a fair amount this fall. As it turns out, Kathleen and Courtney stopped by and I was "able to convince" them to take a little drive with us.... all too soon this wonderful weather is going to be on it's way.. so I'm taking advantage of every second!!!!
We're well into fall now. The leaves have pretty much gone by and I can, once again, see the homes of my neighbors. Which is nice when the days are so short and dark, to look across the field and see another home and know that I'm not the only person in the world. I love the quiet of my farm, but there are times when I feel like I am the only person on the earth.......
I saw this pattern for this little hat and just knew that I had to have it!!! When the pattern arrived, I realized there where some stitches that I do not know how to do... thank goodness for the internet. With a bit of studying and some patience.... it came out.. looking somewhat like the fox it's suppose to be...
I tried it on Abbie, but it was a bit too small.... so decided that this one can go to Reagan and I'll do another one for Abs'... and if you make it up in gray... it's a wolf.....
Sadie came for a visit... and decided that she would get the pony out and see what she could do with her. Sadly this little pony isn't exactly what I was looking for.. she's quite timid and it's taken her a long time to settle in. I'm not even sure that I will keep her forever... but turns out, Sadie made some real progress with her...
I totally forgot that I had a pony saddle, Sadie said she just went slow and easy, and got the saddle on without too much fuss. Course Abbie wanted to help, she really is hoping that "her pony will learn to like her".....
And the three of them just "played" quietly together for the longest time.....
With a bit of help and some gentle work... Abbie actually got on her and sat for a little bit. This is huge and maybe if we continue, we can bring her around... and she can stay. BTW... I don't usually dress like this or allow a picture to be taken if I do... however.... while they were playing with the pony....
I was cleaning out the turkey pen!!!! and so by the looks of what I was dealing with... one can appreciate my "not wanting to be dressed up"..... (yuck).. but the pen is all clean and ready to be the winter home of the guinea hens!!!!
We popped down to have a visit with Reagan.... he's mobile now and Abbie had a great time with him. He can finally play with her and she was delighted.....
The foxy hat is actually alittle too big for him. But, he'll grow into it.. so this one is his for sure... and I'll definitely be making more of them... they are really fun to do...
These two played for the longest time and allowed the big people to have a nice visit together....
Looks like the days of "old".......
Whenever Abbie is here on the farm, she likes to check her email.... this morning, she decided to do it "just the way Baby does"... (note the glasses.....)
We finished getting the "girls" settled for the winter. Time to wrap the hive, which helps to keep the drafts out, and give them extra support to stay warm. We started by taping up the vent holes... all but the very top were done...
Then, using a sheet of tar paper, wrapped around the boxes, covering the seams between each box. That helps keep out the drafts..... I guess the dark color of the paper also attracts heat from the sun, but our hive is a dark color anyways.... and you don't wrap it completely, because there needs to be some air movement in the hive.
The girls will fly on warm winter days... so even though we're buttoned up, it's not like they just stay in all winter..I have to make some winter food - just in case they run out of honey (which I don't think will happen) and then, we wait for warm spring days to see if they made it threw.....
Well.. I have to admit, for the past couple of days... I have not been at all "responsible" and have simply been.... playing!!! The weather is so grand right now, and to be inside doing "responsible" things is beyond what I can do. I have to be outside and just enjoying!!! My friend Kathy saw that I had taken Mary out for a drive a few weeks ago, and made a comment that "some day she would like to go"... just give me an excuse to hitch Duke and go for a drive!!!! So, we made a date and today Kathy and her little dog, Tia came!!!! Duke is so gentle and kind and I wanted to show Tia that she had nothing to fear....
After I tack up -- I like to do a short, stretching walk with Duke before we hitch.... he knows exactly what we're up to when we do this.....
Cart on, and we're heading down the drive... Kathy told me that she has never had the opportunity to ride like this before..... all the more reason to make this the perfect drive!!!!
We took a couple laps around the farm and then headed out onto the road. I am lucky in that the roads around the farm are pretty quiet, and most drivers know how to safely pass a horse... so I love being out on the road... (besides... I can hear the "hoof clop-clop better!!! a sound I truly love).....
We went along for quite a ways and then turned to head for home. Duke (as usual) was amazing, and never even flinches when we are passed by cars, trucks.. and even huge truck filled with a load of logs!!! (which - honestly- sort of frightens me!!!)....
Upon our return, the others hardly even pick their heads up to say hello.......
And here we are with one of our passengers.... (Kathy was taking the picture) but Tia seemed to enjoy her ride very much... and look at Duke, he is so proud and knows when he has done a great job... (can I just say how much I love this horse!!!!)
After our ride, and getting Duke all settled back in the barn, I invited Kathy and Tia in for some hot cocoa.... well, Kathy had hot cocoa.. Tia just visited with all the cockers. They all thought she was quite cute, and I am sure they would love to have her come back again.
So, before the wintery winds begin to blow and the outside is not so welcoming... I am planning on being out as much as possible....and poor Duke, won't be having much time off!!!!!
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