Life With The Crew

Lola

I'm writing this right now with one dog eating his lunch beside me.  Just one dog.  Wallace, the homeless street dog from Romania that we adopted 12 years ago.  He is at least 14 years old now, but we'll never know his real age.  As of yesterday, he is the only dog in the house.  I feel the need to document this, here in this space, on the platform that I wrote almost daily on for several years, sharing my life with the crew - my pack of dogs, cats, various other animals, and my young babe.  My Corgi queen, the first dog that my husband and I got together, the Corgi that started our love of the breed which led us to adopt five more, has died at the age of 17 years, 2 months, and 15 days. 

Lola. 

She had lost mobility in her hind legs almost a year ago, but was still happy, strong, and healthy otherwise, so we used a towel to sling her outside.  She powered around the yard with no hesitation.  Since the New Year, she started slowing down and then recently was diagnosed with kidney failure.  We decided it was time to put her gently to sleep before her kidneys shut down further and she started to really feel the effects.

This dog loved my husband and I so strongly; I swear that is what kept her going for so long.  Even when her eyesight was failing, she would smell us - she knew as soon as he came in the front door from work, she would awake from sleeping if I tried to slip through the room at night to throw wood on the fire.  Lola always wanted to be where I was, that was part of her bossy nature, having to know what was going on and keeping track of me.  For the past several months, she would watch me from her thrown of fleece blankets on the floor - unable to physically follow me, but keeping track just the same.  When she was young, she loved walking in the woods and around the neighborhood, patrolling the backyard for duck and chicken poop.  This dog lived to eat and her last moments were spent licking raspberry ice cream until she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.  

I loved this dog with all my heart and it was returned with the same strength.  My girl is no longer here.  The Corgi era has ended.  I used to walk around the neighborhood with a babe on my back and four Corgis in hand - the neighborhood oddball Corgi lady.  Now I have none and will be a bit lost for a while.  I think about the people that do not have pets or that do, but still see them as "just pets", not true members of the family, sentient beings with their own feelings and desires.  They don't have to experience the pain that is making my heart hurt, but they also don't have the joy of loving so deeply.  I have one dog left and I know how bad it is going to hurt again.  But I will never regret loving an animal - they ask so little and give us their heart in return.  A true gift that is worth the pain, but damn, it is hard.

 

Hello Out There!

Hello out there!  I feel like I'm speaking to an audience of just myself, since everyone has migrated to the land of IG (myself included - I'm a sucker for peaceful photos of country houses and landscapes that are so different from my own.)  However, my daughter's 10th birthday was last week, a decade of life being a rather big milestone, so I thought it was fitting that I pop back in here to commemorate it.  While looking back to see when I first started sharing in this space - 9 years ago and 1 month - I found the first post I wrote and thought I'd share it again.

"Let's see, what happened today.  Cleaned, made cookies, walked the dogs, oh yeah, and almost lost a chicken.  The question I ask - Why jump the fence?  The chickens have to know the dogs are out there.  But they still do it.  So I go flying out the back door and try to find something to break up the massacre.  The wheelbarrow is right there, so I throw the wheelbarrow onto the mass of fur and feathers and drag the first set of dogs into the house.  Then throw the third one into the dog crate that happens to be on the back deck, and that only leaves one left, who screams like a baby when I barely touch his collar.  Amazingly, the chicken is fine and gets tossed back over the fence.  So back inside, wash my hands, and continue the dishes.  Barely broke a sweat on that one."

The "crew" is significantly smaller since I wrote that post.  We only have 2 dogs left - our Romanian rescue Wallace and our 16 year old Corgi, Lola.  We adopted a kitten last Fall named Tiny Tim, we still have a yard of ducks and chickens, and we just acquired a new Lop rabbit and a guinea pig.  My beloved Angora rabbit, Flora, was with us five years until two weeks ago and I miss her little happy furry face.  

The newest members:

We also have three horses that are kept at a boarding stable, so our outside crew has grown while the inside one has shrunk.  Shaya, the Haflinger mare, is the newest addition adopted last year, from Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue.  

My hobbies haven't changed that much - gardening, knitting, and spending time in the woods.  I sell my knitted items on Etsy.  My daughter and I spend a lot of time at the barn with the horses and love riding in the field and woods.  

I'm glad to have this space to look back and remember the adventures of parenthood and pets.  

 

Bad Day to be a Duck

We woke to an icy world today.  The frigid temps had warmed enough overnight for some of the snow to melt and then the rains came and everything was enrobed in ice.  Very pretty; pretty deadly.  Any surface that had partially melted is now super slick ice.  The ducks are NOT happy.  I spread wood shavings in their yard, but if they pick up too much speed, they slip and slide on their amply padded chests.  They could stay in their dry hut, but apparently there are still too many things to see and do on a day like this.  Gotta love their determination.

On the birding front, the feeder and suet block have been receiving a lot of action during these cold days.  If you're interested, this is a list of the birds that we have seen since Jan 1.  If not stated otherwise, they were sighted in our backyard in the suburbs.  Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Cardinal (M&F), Mourning Dove pair, White Breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, House Sparrow, White Throated Sparrow, Junco, American Robin, Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Carolina Wren, Blue Jay, Goldfinch, Red-Tailed Hawk, Tundra Swan (adult and juvenile at local wetlands), Coopers or Sharp Shinned Hawk (difficult to tell apart), Turkey Vulture, Pigeons (farmland), Mallard, Kestrel (on telephone wire near farmland).

 

Hope It Will Be A Good One

I don't get too sentimental or excited about the coming of the New Year.  I'm too practical for that I guess.  One year is done, another year begins, and if we're lucky, we'll be here to see the one after that.  Good and bad things happen in each year and hopefully there is much more of the former.  So I'll keep trying to remember to focus on what is important and to appreciate the wonders in the world around us.  The not so little babe and I had a great walk today, on this last day of 2021.  It was quiet, moody, and misty in the woods, everything saturated with rain and color.

The weather has been way too warm for this time of year, with rain and 50's instead of freezing and snow.  It makes the ducks happy, but not so much myself when I'm squelching through the muck.  However, this morning was heavy with fog and when the sun started to break through, it bathed the backyard in a beautiful hue.  I spied spiderwebs visible in the moist air and tried to capture their beauty while the ducks searched for breakfast.

Many wishes to you for a Happy New Year.  We always hope it will be a good one.

 

Late December Loveliness

Late December.  That means happy Christmas preparations and parties for some.  Extra work and stress for others.  Waiting for the return of the light (the Winter solstice is tomorrow) for all. 

We had a nice visit to the local arboretum late last week, hadn't been there for a while.  I assume most people think this is the ugly season in a garden, nothing but a bunch of dead stems, dried and brown.  Personally though, I love the gold and silvery vegetation, rustling in the wind with the light shining softly through them.  I love to think about all of the insect life that is hibernating, hiding, waiting, for the return of the warmth so that the next cycle of life can begin.  This is an informative article about how insects overwinter if you're interested.

And here is Tiny Tim.  He will be overwintering with lots of snuggles, warm blankets, and crazy kitten playing to keep warm.

Puttering with Ducks

We had a bit of snow this afternoon.  Nothing dramatic, just enough for looking pretty.  I haven't puttered with my camera outside for a while, so I took a break from my knitting and headed out to join the ducks.  It was just enough snow to hide their poop!

And if looking at these snowy scenes makes you a bit chilly, you might want to stop by my Etsy shop.  I'm running a 30% off sale on all wool items until tomorrow!

Get Back on the Horse and Keep Your Eyes Forward

We had a little excitement this last week of October, but things have quieted down now and we're settling into the last days of rainy October with hot tea, good books, the woodstove, pumpkin donuts, drawing, and knitting of course.  I cleaned up the garden a bit yesterday, pulling out the blackened basil and planting next year's supply of garlic.  We haven't had a frost yet, so my zinnias are still blooming!  This has been a great year for our red raspberry bushes.  Our plants bloom twice a year - a small crop in July and then a bigger crop in October, and frost is the determining factor.  This October has been mild and very wet, so our raspberries have just kept coming and are nice and plump!  I snapped a couple photos of the ducks and chickens looking pastoral in the late afternoon light on a rare day without rain.  (Daisy is the first one, then our male Dawn with the white Pekin Snow.)

And now for that excitement:  Last Sunday, my not-so little babe fell off her not-so little pony and broke her arm.  Luckily it is her non-dominant arm and luckily she didn't require surgery.  However, it needed to be re-set before the cast, so that required full anesthesia, which was a little scary.  She is now clad in pink from upper arm to hand, but should be all good by the time the snow really flies!  And because we can't imagine life without horses, she was back at it this week, just at a little slower speed and with some assistance.  Yes, I am her mother and so will of course say so, but my babe is a super tough little lady.  With her arm dangling by her side, her concern was not for herself, but for her pony.  She walked into the barn with him to make sure he was okay.  She had no fear about getting back on this week.  She isn't moping about what she can't do.

Happy Halloween!  Forget the spooky, I'll take the pumpkin doughnuts and apple cider!  (And maybe a Reeses's PB Cup or two.)

Hello Autumn

Some scenes from the last week of September.  I cleaned out the garden and was pleasantly surprised to see that we have 5 medium size pumpkins that should ripen nicely by the big day in October.  My last ditch sunflower seeds planted in July came to fruition and are smiling sunnily.  I have white and deep purple dahlias that are just coming into their prime and the cosmos and zinnias are so cheerful in the late afternoon sun.  We are getting a handful of red raspberries each day and we harvested our first ever batch of sweet potatoes and have enough for three loaves of quick bread.  Not a bumper crop, but a good start.  My husband surprised us with four 5-gallon buckets of apples that he foraged from trees around town.  They don't look like much and most people would pass them by as wormy old things, but they were nearly perfect inside and made great cider!

My knitting has been a bit slow, but I did take new videos and photos of the items in my shop.  Check them out if you haven't stopped by lately!  We're getting into the 40's here at night, so it is officially SHAWL SEASON!  And it is always baby blanket season for someone!  If anyone is in the market for a gender neutral baby gift, this turquoise blanket is a beautiful color!

And here is a photo of the latest addition to our family (the horse, not the monster beside me).

This Shaya, the Haflinger.  She came from Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue in Maryland.  She is a pretty little lady with a quick step who will keep me on my toes. (My other little lady is wearing a mask because she was in a foul grumpy mood - too much traveling doesn't do a child good.)  My old Thoroughbred, Frank, is doing great for being almost 32 years old, but his current speed of choice is only the walk and I respect that.

Hope your last days of September go out with a splash of Autumnal color!

Here, There, and Everywhere but Here

Between finishing up the homeschooling year and having our first evaluation, attending the little babe's first horse show, preparing a new Airbnb, and taking care of everything else in regular life, I haven't had any time for this space.  When we head out into the woods, I take my binoculars more than my camera.  But I am still here and life is good - exploring nature, reading stories, riding horses, squeezing in some knitting, and now spending time watching the latest addition to the family - Snow, Daisy, and Fawn the ducks.  When we woke up yesterday morning, we had no idea that by evening we'd have three ducks in the backyard.  We found them in a small 3 season pond, realized they needed a real home, and so took six to the farm that we buy our raw milk from and kept three for ourselves.  They adjusted very quickly and seem happy in their new home.  (The chickens have been a bit absent this morning - I think they are mad at us.)

This weekend we head to my daughter's first Event - that involves a dressage test, show jumping round, and cross country course.  We will be with friends and horses, so it should be fun!  Hope your summer has started well - it will officially be here next week!

This Spring Thing

Hi-ho, hi-ho, into April we go!  Halfway through already - not sure how that happened!  The grass is green, though I have not mowed yet.  I'm going to wait until we see if any morels decide to pop up this year beneath the old apple tree.  The chickens have been loving their free range lifestyle and I have to admit that it is pretty fun seeing them roaming all around and come running whenever we step outside.  However, their toilet habits leave something to be desired - good thing the garden hose is located right on the deck.  One of the bonuses that I didn't think about was how yellow their yolks are now that they are eating so much greenery.  Their coop is a large area for just three chickens, but the ground is compacted dirt.  We give them regular chicken feed and kitchen scraps, plus whatever bugs they find, and their eggs are always more yellow than grocery store eggs.  But now that they are foraging throughout the whole yard, their yolks are GOLD and firm and more "eggy".  My pancakes actually look like I added yellow food coloring or turmeric to them!  

We have been spending four mornings a week at the barn, enjoying the time in the outdoor ring and gearing the little babe up for her first show season.  So far that only includes two shows, but we have had fun buying the necessary show attire and gear.  The furry white pony has been getting lots of exercise and I can actually see some tummy muscles!  

The woods are looking greener at every walk and we've spotted the first white Hepatica, Bloodroot, white violets, and the first thrust of Mayapples.

In the animal world, we saw about 40 turtles today, heard a gazillion bullfrogs and managed to sneak up on a couple before they indignantly jumped away, and then we saw THIS:

It might not look very impressive in the photo, but this was one HUGE snapper!  It's shell was between 2-3' across.  I always have my eyes open for them at this location, but the little babe spotted this one luckily across the pond from us.  All the Painted turtles slipped into the world when we approached, but this one wasn't phased at all.  No need to be afraid when you're that big.

Hope you've been spotting some Spring things in your neck of the world!