Random 5 Friday - 2/14/2014

1.  I finished the chicken applique quilt top this week. Now, I'm all caught up with the Quilt-A-Long and looking forward to the next step! :)

2.  Jerry has been a member of the Tombstone Art Association for about a year now. His watercolor paintings and colored pencil drawings have been doing very well at the Art Gallery, he sells two to four pieces each month! The Tombstone Art Association is having their annual juried art show next month. I decided to enter some of my photography. I also joined the Art Association so that I can offer my photos for sale at the Gallery.

3. My goat, Daphne, is definitely bred so we will be having baby goats on the ground in June. They are always so cute!

4.  The mare, Missy, got out of the pasture yesterday while Jerry was gone riding his gelding, Paco. He had looped the chain over the gate but hadn't latched it. We think the dog got the gate open trying to squeeze through. Anyway, when Jerry got back, Missy was out in the front yard! He thought (ha-ha) that she would just follow him and Paco back into the pasture but noooo. She ended up across the road at the neighbors' place so Jerry latched their gate and then we proceeded to try and catch her. Every time Jerry would get within 10 feet of her she would take off. By the way, the neighbors have eight acres. They also have a very nice roping arena and they have a couple of their horses 'stabled' in it. After about an hour, Missy went down the alley that is used to bring the steers up to the chute. When she finally realized there was nowhere to go, she stood quietly and let Jerry put the halter on her.

5. Today, when I got back from town, I went out to hang the sheets and there was a smell kind of like a skunk but not really. I checked Red Dog and he was okay, so I brought him in the house with me. Within half an hour, he wanted to go back out (just like having a 4-year-old!). When I went to let him back in, he had gotten into whatever that awful smell was! Blech! There were several javelina in the back yard a week or so ago drinking out of the dog dish so I looked up javelina smell on the internet and lo and behold, another name for them is "skunk pig!" A couple of months ago he got into what we thought was skunk but now I think it was javelina. Here is some info I found: And that smell! Strolling through the Arizona high desert, you'll often smell a Javelina before you see one. They have a gland at the base of their tails that they use to mark trees, rocks and even each other with a sharp, musky scent something like that of a skunk, though just a touch less eye-watering. I tell ya' there's never a dull moment around here! ;)

I hope you all have a very happy Valentine's Day!! :)

Linking up with Nancy for Random 5 Friday. 

Tuesday's Tails - 10/29/2013

Well, Red Dog is a Kelpie after all and they were bred to be sheep dogs but I don't know why he had to steal my Serta Counting Sheep from off the bed!

He seems to be a bit of a klepto. So far, he pilfered my sheep, he came home with somedog's bone, he procured a little stuffed animal dog somewhere and brought it home ("But, Mom, he followed me home, can't I keep him? Please, please!"), and last night, he wanted to bring in a dead bird that more than likely belonged to the barn kitties...I drew the line at that one!! ;)

Random 5 Friday - 09/20/2013

1.  I never tire of the view from our front porch. The mountains always look different depending on the time of day, clouds, etc.

2.  Two weeks ago, Nancy posted a 'recipe' for a DIY shower cleaner. I tried it and must say...it is by far THE BEST shower cleaner I have used in years, homemade or commercial! It is easily made and, because of the lemon juice, it isn't stinky like some I've tried. Thanks Nancy!! Here is the recipe from Nancy:

Simple: Fill a spray bottle half-full with white vinegar; add 1/4 cup lemon juice, then fill the bottle the rest of the way with dish detergent. Shake well then spray on and leave for about 30 minutes, then wipe off.

3.  I found a cute pattern online for a knit Baby Kimono that I'm going to make for grand-daughter Jaycee for Christmas. I probably should get started, huh?!

4.  Here in the next few weeks, we are going to get electricity installed down at the barn. It will be nice to have real lights and an outlet in my milking shed for a heater and/or a fan.

5.  Jerry took Red Dog with him to the horse auction last Saturday and met Red's former owner. I kind of figured that might happen living in a small town and all. Come to find out, the fella raises pretty high-dollar stock dogs and Red was one of his 'breeders.' Initially, he offered to buy him back but when he found out that we had to get him neutered to adopt him from the animal shelter, he changed his mind. He was glad the dog is okay and has a good home and had Jerry out to his ranch this past week. He also gave Jerry some literature on the commands to use. So, you really, really never know just who you are getting when you adopt a dog from the pound! ;)

Joining Nancy for Random 5 Friday and Jan and Jer for Friday's Fences.

Wordless Wednesday - 09/18/2013



 

Random 5 Friday - Red Edition

1.  When you adopt a pet from the Animal Shelter, you never really know just who you are getting, especially when they were brought in as a stray.

2.  Red is a 4-year-old Kelpie, a hardworking Australian stock dog breed with lots of energy. You would think, then, that he would have spent his prior life on a farm or ranch outside. Imagine our surprise when he wanted to follow us into the house Wednesday! We let him in to see what would happen...

3.  Outside, he is always on the move. He loves to go with Jerry when he takes the horse out. He loves to go for walks. He loves to accompany us down to the pasture to feed and take care of chores. He loves to go with Jerry in the truck. If we try to leave him in the pasture with Buddy, he paces back and forth at the gate and, eventually, escapes.

4.  He is an entirely different dog in the house. Inside, he is calm and quiet. He is housebroken. He lies on the floor with us while watching TV. The first night inside, he was a little restless and did a fair amount of pacing. None of us got much sleep that night. Last night, he settled right down.

5.  So, you adopt a dog thinking he is an outside ranch dog and will be a pasture mate for Buddy and end up with a good, good house dog that loves being outside with us too! ;)

P.S. Buddy is really okay out in the pasture by himself so don't feel bad for him.

Joining Nancy for Random 5 Friday.

Tuesday's Tails - 08/20/2013

We picked up Red from the Animal Shelter this afternoon. He seems to be none the worse for wear from his surgery yesterday. Well, except for the nasty doggie farts in the car on the way home! (Gag!)

The introductions to Buddy, the barn kittens, the horses, the chickens and the goats went well for the first time. The kittens just hissed at him and hid under the hay and the goats were 'on point' the whole time they could see him, which is to be expected when introducing a new "Wolf" to the barnyard. Red and Buddy will get along just fine.

I do hope this works out though. It is a stormy afternoon here in Beautiful Southeastern Arizona and Buddy is a big scardey-dog about thunder. His safe zone is under the front porch during storms and he AIN'T coming out for NOTHIN'. We did manage to keep Buddy in the pasture when we brought Red home and I went down to sit with the dogs in the barn to get them settled. Red left and ran up to the gate but came back when I called him, the first time anyway. The second time he ran to the gate, he just scooted his butt right under and headed towards the house. I think he was looking for Jerry, who seems to be his designated human. Since he was already out, I went ahead and let Buddy out so he could go under the porch and not be so neurotic. Red went in the shop with Jerry and promptly settled down under the work bench.

I don't know what is going to happen tonight. I think Red would climb the fence to get up to the house even if we blocked the space under the gate. I sure hope he is still here in the morning. At least he has a collar and tag on in case he wanders off. Wish us luck...

Puppy Update

Well, it seems the little guy decided to move on down the road, he was gone Friday morning. We did not hear anything during the night (we sleep with the windows open) so we don't think anything got him. My guess is that he went back to where he came from. We tried to get him to stay in the pasture with Buddy and hang out at the barn but he was so small that he could get through the fence. We did let Buddy out with him and they would sleep under the porch at night. The puppy had really bonded with Buddy too.

We reported him missing to the County Animal Control Officer and we filled out a missing dog report at the Animal Shelter in town. We also checked with all the neighbors. The County Officer called me this morning and no-one has turned him in, no surprise there! As cute and friendly as he is, if someone 'found' him they would keep him.

While we were at the Benson Animal Shelter Friday, we took a look at the dogs they had and one in particular caught our eye...Red, an Australian Kelpie. Red came to the shelter as a stray. After thinking and talking about it over the weekend, we went back today and adopted him. Unfortunately, we can't pick him up until next week. He can't get in to get neutered and get his shots until next Monday. If the puppy shows up or is found and returned, then we'll just have to have THREE dogs! :)



Red