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 .......
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"
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"!!!!
The winter seems to want to hang on... but I have noticed that the snow is dropping, not melting per say.. but "dropping lower".... so, some day, we'll see the ground once again. One thing,, the sun is much stronger, and tonite as it set, I could see it shining threw the woods... this is a "summer" sun - the "winter" sun doesn't hang around long enough to shine threw the woods.....
We had a real treat!!!! Craig, our friend who is a veteran and plays on a sled hockey team, actually had a tournament here in our area!!! Most of the time he has to travel to the tournaments, so to have one here in our own back yard was grand!!! He asked if we might be interested in coming to watch, well.... that answer took us all of a second to answer!!!!
I love hockey... but it has to be in "real life"... I don't enjoy it as much on the TV. I like seeing the whole rink, I like the sound that the games makes, and being near the ice. So, to see a sled hockey game in "real life" was a real thrill. I'll tell you, to play hockey this way, makes playing it on skates easy. Moving those sleds... moving that puck, playing with team mates from the height of a sled.... amazing....
I brought Debbie along thinking she might enjoy the outing... oh my goodness... she LOVED the outing and sat bolt up right and watched the game the whole time. I don't know what had her attention so much.. the players or the puck, but she never laid down once and watched just like this the whole time!!!!
Here's our guy!!!! and he won't tell you, but I will... he is an amazing player!!! and (not because he is our friend..) but he's one of the best players on his team.... he even tried out for the Olympic team and missed by just a small amount. I have no doubt that one day he will be on the Olympic team.....
We sat with a veteran who knew a lot about this game, and he was happy to point out all sorts of things to us.... and to Debbie.......
Because waiting down in the player's box... was this service dog!!!!!
The action of the game was even more exciting that regular hockey!!! and it's just as "mean" as the other hockey is.. these players are serious.... the game ended in a tie, and it was a close game, very exciting to watch!!! I hope that Craig will have another one here soon,because we will certainly be looking forward to going again....
At the end of the game the service dogs went out on the ice to be with their handlers....not that either needed their dog to get in off the ice, but the dogs wanted to do their jobs....
And help where they could. I told Debbie that she should get a match with a sled hockey player, I know she would love that!!!!!
We had a chance to meet some of the veterans and chat about the game. Debbie was more than happy to turn on the charm and got many compliments in return. Almost everyone knew about NEADS, which was really nice to hear.....
And even as we left the rink, we had to stop and say hello to other folks as well. Debbie loved the whole evening... as did I .....
Here we go... on our way home, Miss Livy!!! I didn't take her last week, after deciding to 'take her" because I had some busy days (neads, Reagan's birthday and such) and just didn't want to get her home and then "not be there" to settle her in. Though, the way she hopped in the jeep and snuggled up to Debbie, I have a feeling that getting settled in, isn't going to be a problem.
She is so curious and outgoing... I (obviously) haven't spent much time with her, but she seems like a little "live wire"... and I already love that about her. I have big plans, and can think of so many things that I would like to try with her, but of course, in the end... much of that will be her choice......
Naturally, the moment we walked into the house, everyone else had to check her out. I was a bit "worried" about the other three... Hunter, Trevor and Tazzy, aren't youngsters anymore, and I had wondered what their thoughts would be about a puppy. Pretty much as I figured... they all "told her" what they thought and that was it....
Other than Camille, Hunter is probably my most patient dog... course Livy knew that, and she spent much time, trying to get him to run and play with her. He, basically, went about his own business....
I could just hear her "awww... come on Hunter, you know you want to"......
She certainly doesn't mind the snow.... and when I take her out for potty breaks, it's hard to get her to "pay attention" to business... she's too busy running and playing in the snow.
I, myself, am rather sick of all of it.. but who can't smile at this sweet face, and the antics that she does in the snow....
One thing for sure, I am already falling in love... and the next 14 or so years... I am planning on having a grand time with this little gal......
WELCOME HOME... OLIVIA...... (AKA .. BEACHSTONE'S HOLIDAY SCANDAL!!!)
