Puppy love

My sweet boys.

Henry may grumble when Gus tries to interrupt Henry's Mommy-time, but they really do love each other. It's loads of fun watching them play tug. Henry will be walking through the living room, and he'll spot one of their tug toys. He'll pounce on it, and tail a wagging, prance over to Gus and hold it still so Gus can grab it. He'll then drag Gus all over the house. If Gus loses his grip, Henry stands very still and lets Gus get another grip. Noisy play, with all the growling and click clack of nails on the floor, but entertaining nonetheless!

Gus keeps Henry fit, as Gus has LOTS of energy and goads Henry into games of tag. Sometimes Gus chases Henry, sometimes Henry chases Gus. Must be working, as according to his last vet visit, Henry has only gained 3 lbs in the last 3 years (he'll be 6 in June!). I wish I had only gained 3 lbs in the last 3 years...

A drive in the woods

Took a drive up above Molalla today. Henry had fun running in the woods. Lots of good smells. Especially after Gus went and rolled on a snake (retch). Plus, Henry had rot gut today, so it was a very fragrant trip, even with the windows down!

Got home and set up my new deer stand. Very cool. If I don't get a deer, may have a chance at a bear (lots of big bruin poopy piles around the property) or a coyote (got me a new predator call at Cabela's this weekend!)

Buck season starts next Saturday. Yay!

Happy Birthday Henry!

My sweet boy turned 5 yesterday! I think we'll take him with us to the drive up coffee booth. He sure does love rooroorooing at the gals for cookies. :) Spoiled rotten!

Blackberries 1, Henry 0

This is what happens when stupid dog goes tearing into the blackberries after mangy rabbit... Looked much worse 4 days ago.

We only went to town for a couple things...

So, we went to town for a heat mat kit for seed starting, coffee, pig chow, and straw. We came home with all of that PLUS a new brooder light, more seeds, 3 blueberries, 2 bareroot trees (semi dwarf peach and apricot... The kiwanis were having a fundraiser sale and they were only $10 each), 2 bareroot lilacs, and a pair of Swedish ducklings (boy and girl). So much for planning, eh?


Henry drooling over the box of EIGHT guineas we brought home last weekend. We'd only planned for four, but the lady gave them to us for half off if we took all 8 because they were nearly ready to start flying and they couldn't have guineas flying around the feed store. :)

Puppy love

Told ya they make out. Sickos. :)

The new pup... Gus

We brought Gus home late last August. We had stopped at a sorta grungy yard sale near where we live. As we were looking around, we spotted a playpen full of puppies. They were awfully young (prob around 6weeks), and awfully cute. The lady running the yard sale said that she had gone out of town a while back and left her female aussie in the care of her sister, who had a male chiweenie (chihuahua/wiener dog). Of course, neither dog was fixed, like the world needs more pound puppies... Sorry, but I'm pretty against backyard breeding, unless you have an exceptional dog with good temperment that is a good example of their breed, and you can ensure good homes for all the pups. Pounds are very sad places, and unfortunately many dogs end up there only to not be adopted, if you know what I mean. We fix our dogs as soon as they're old enough for the procedure. Anyhoo, I digress.

So, apparently the male did his thing. They had him there at the sale, and he was probably a 15+ lb dog. The pups had already been weaned (sooo way too young). We'd been discussing off and on getting a companion for Henry (because Cammi's a lump), and out of curiosity, we asked how much the pups were. "Well, they're free", the lady said. "We just need to get them to new homes". (didn't sound like she was too too happy about the unplanned litter). We discussed for a few minutes, and I told LJ that it would be great for Henry to have a pal, but if it didn't work out, he'd have to find a new home for the pup. We decided to go for it, picked out the biggest male pup there (females tend to be bitchy, and we wanted a pup that appeared to be a bit more Aussie than weenie), and left with the new bundle of fur.

Poor kiddo was FILTHY, dirty and smelling like pee, so he got a bath in the sink first thing.

Much better!

So, the new addition was bathed and named. I'll tell ya, in the first 2 months of his life with us, I only saw this dog sleep maybe twice. He was and is insane. He screamed bloody murder if we left him alone (never heard so many different sounds come out of a dog). I barely slept for weeks, and often contemplated feeding the little wailer to Henry, who was sure Gus was a squirrel (ok, not serious about the feeding part... May have upset Henry's tummy).

In any case, once the pup got up to about 15 lbs or so, and was less likely to be smashed and injured by Henry, we started introducing them to each other outside. They regularly interacted through the kennel fence or the bars of dog crates, but we never let them be together outside of the crates. Henry has a bit of dog aggression, as he's been attacked several times over the years (randomly by Cammi, the stupid mutt), and we didn't want him to hurt the pup. We wanted them to be friends. Their first encounters over the first couple months were with Henry wearing a soft muzzle. Unfortunately, Gus, who would tease Henry mercilessly running back and forth with him when there was a fence between them, went completely limp when there was no fence. Completely and utterly limp like he was dead. Henry would stick his nose under Gus and flip him over, trying to get him to play, and finally lie on the pup's inert form, smashing him. Ugh. Stupid dogs. Henry would normally be tail wagging, but we were never sure what he'd do without the muzzle. Plus, Gus wouldn't play. I was getting REALLY fed up, after months of dog rotations, and told LJ that he either brought a trainer in to try and work out the sitch, or his pup had to go to a new home.

We had run the full gamut of approaches. Treats, play through the fence, walking them next to each other, introductions off Henry's territory, etc, but it just wasn't happening. Well, this last weekend, LJ went in the living room, where Gus was crated while the big dogs were out. He found Henry on his side next to the crate, tail a-wagging, while he and Gus "made out" through the bars. So, LJ grabbed Henry's muzzle and gave it another go. They actually started playing, though Henry worried at the muzzle repeatedly. Finally, LJ figured "screw it" and took the muzzle off Henry. And they played. And played. And played. Woohoo!

They are now pretty good buddies, though Henry won't let Gus near his toys, food, and sometimes me. Henry will block Gus from following me into the bathroom. He'll actually run in front of the doorway and cut him off. Gus is very submissive to Henry, but will snarl-play with Cammi, and won't hesitate to jump on her. Of course, it's because Henry is king. :)

The best is when Henry goes on one of his runs, and Gus chases him. Henry really loves to run, and will tear around the backyard, jumping over stumps, executing agile turns around trees, and randomly doubling back on his trail to go the other way. Gus Gus tries to keep up with his boss-dog, but his little legs can't keep up, and he's not nearly as agile (more likely to run into things), but he does his best (squeak-yelping with every other stride). Really is fun to watch. The most entertaining is the making-out. If I can ever get a pic of it, I'll share. :)

So, looks like Gus gets to stay, and Henry's got a buddy. Gus is around 7 months old, and is around 25-30 lbs. We'll see if he gets any bigger, and if he'll ever be able to keep up with his big buddy.

Busy busy and more to come

Been insanely busy around here! LJ is recovering quickly from his knee surgery, but is still mostly off his feet, so I've been running my butt off. Spreading gravel (went through a dump truck load over the course of the last two weekends, and need another load), taking care of critters, house, and (future) hubby. Henry has finally decided that the new puppy is friend and not food (they make-out for god's sake, which is hilarious and a little disturbing). We made a trip to One Green World last weekend and bought 3 lingonberries, a black spanish fig, and a chojuro asian pear (to replace the one that the stupid goats snapped in half... need it for cross-pollination!). Planning on taking out some alders and putting in another 3-4 apple trees this year. We have 10 pekin ducklings ordered, and they should arrive in a couple weeks (nummy num num ducks). We're watching for pigs at the right price, and haven't yet decided how many to get this year, though I'm gonna expand their pen regardless of the number. Last year's pen was more than large enough for four, but we have some more underbrush nearby and it would be nice if we could use the porkers to help clean it up.

I know it's already mid-February, but I'm still planning a run down of our first year on the property. Just gotta find the time to sit down and write it! :)

Hope everyone is doing well!

It's a hard life for a dog...

Poor kid was all tuckered out from learning new tricks (wave, and pick which hand holds the cookie), and eating lots of reward treats. Life is really hard for a spoiled piggy, eh?

Simply the best dog ever

Ok, so he still wants to eat the new puppy, but otherwise he is the best dog ever.

So, I taught Henry at a very young age that nothing is his unless it is given to him. So, he doesn't chew things that aren't doggy toys, and doesn't steal food. I can put a plate of food on the coffee table, mere inches from his face as he sits on the couch, and he will not touch it. Cammi is an entirely different story, having eaten an entire hot pizza (stolen off the stove), a boiling hot bowl of soup, and many many other not-for-doggy foodstuffs. She once choked down a lemon wedge that had fallen on the floor, just so our other dog couldn't have it. I don't write about Cammi much, because I really dislike her. She's LJ's girl though, so I've got to tolerate her.

Anyhoo, back to my golden child, Henry. Last night we were having a pizza dinner in the living room while watching tv. I had left my plate on the coffee table (Henry on the adjacent couch) and gone into the kitchen to grab a drink. As I came back in he room, LJ tossed Henry the crust from his pizza, which bounced off Henry's big rubber nose and landed on my plate next to two big fragrant slices of pizza. The look on Henry's face was priceless... Sort of like that Reading Rainbow episode where Levar Burton drops his ice cream on his shoe. Heartbroken. He looked at me, at the plate, at me, at the plate, and flumped down on the couch with a huff and a sigh. "Henry, do you want that 'cookie'?" ...Ears perk up... "That looks like an awfully tasty cookie." ...glances at the plate and then stares at me... And then the key word, "OK". Henry reached his muzzle out to the plate and gingerly snagged ONLY the little piece of dry crust that LJ had tossed him, completely avoiding my pizza. Best. Dog. Ever. He got a piece of pepperoni as a reward. :)

I love this dog...

Talented

Spoiled rotten!

Curious

Bath tolerant

Hardworking

And yet also a total couch potato. :)

Evening stroll, and a big surprise!

So, I got home from work last Friday afternoon, soooo very glad it was the weekend. I relaxed for a few with LJ on the back lawn, enjoying the sunshine and a beer. It was such a lovely evening, LJ suggested we take Henry for a walk on one of the old logging roads. So we headed out, happy pup tugging us along.

We came around a corner, and LJ pointed up at one of the hills. Standing there, nearly invisible against the brush and grass, stood twin fawns. They watched us as we walked around the hill. Henry was oblivious, more interested in scenting the trail. Unfortunately, the deer were too far away to snap a pic. Very neat sight, though.

Such a pretty walk!

We continued into the hills, and I started to get a bit tired. Lots of uphill! LJ pushed me on, telling me that we only had a little farther to go to get to the top of the hill. Henry seemed to agree, and dragged us ever higher.

We finally reached the top and walked out on an old log landing to view the lovely sunset. I saw LJ reach into his pocket, and didn't think much of it, until he turned to me, told me how much he loved me, and got down on one knee...

5 years and nine months to the day from our first date, I got engaged to the best man ever! :)

Perfect man, perfect ring, perfect setting, perfect evening! Now, to plan the wedding... Woooooohooooo!

My dog killed a skunk... Warning... Dead skunk pic.

Yep. Henry got his first skunk last night, about 100' from the turkey pen. He was just protecting the livestock, right? Riiiiight... He bounded off into the bushes, leaping around like a fox hunting in the snow. Next thing I know, he's wiping his face in the grass. Yuck. It was a young skunk, and Henry appeared to have killed it with little to no resistance. Luckily, he hadn't gotten bitten, and is up to date on his rabies shots. Skunk appeared healthy (other than the whole being dead part).

So, I got to stay up late, washing skunk stank off my dog. The miracle mixture? A bottle of peroxide, a heaping 1/4 cup of baking soda, and a good squirt of dish soap. Mixed it all together, lathered him up, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Took the stink away like magic! Luckily, it didn't really get his face, just his neck. I think he hated the bath more than the spray. Lol. Poor kid. No... Poor me. After washing the stinky pup, I got to go out and cut the head off the skunk with a shovel. See, when I was a kid, rabies was a terrifying thing. More than once, one of the dogs got a skunk. We would have to quarantine the dog while the vermin was tested. I cut the head off so the brain could be tested if necessary. Quadruple bagged it and popped it in the shop freezer, as the brain apparently decomposes pretty fast. I was up until nearly midnight... Ugh. Turns out not necessary. I called our vet this morning, and they said don't worry about it, since Henry is up to date on shots and wasn't bitten. Just need to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't react badly to the spray. I guess some dogs have severe reactions. So much for my paranoia. Anyhow, at least that little skunk won't be developing a taste for poultry, eh?

The cherry on top? Henry went and rolled in the spray this afternoon, and I got to wash him again... Oh joy! :)

(This post gets a LOT of hits. Leave a comment if you have a moment! :) I would love to hear if the peroxide mixture worked for you, or hear your dog vs skunk story.)

Henry Pup's 4th birthday

Happy birthday to Henry Bob, aka Hank, aka Fatso, aka Pooter Pup, aka $&!?head (LJ's fav), aka Cuddle Pup, etc etc. This dog has lots of names. Hard to believe he's FOUR! Goodness, time flies. Seems like yesterday when we brought him home, small enough to fit in my coat. His nickname was "veal" for the first few weeks, as I carried him everywhere. :)

So little the day we brought him home!

Our silly pup is quite the cuddlebug and goofball.

And has such a lovely smile!

We're so lucky to have him!

Finally Friday

Ugh. What a week, and today's been no different.

LJ just had a shift change, which means that I have to take care of the pups in the morning, feeding them and putting them out in the kennel. Yeah, sorta forgot, and didn't get up early enough. Henry did NOT want to get out of bed, and did so only after many heaving sighs and dirty looks (the little diva). Got out of the house about 10 minutes behind schedule.

New gal at the coffee shop totally flubbed my drink, which I didn't notice until I got to work. Nonfat. Yuck. And no peppermint either. Peppermint and REAL milk are absolutely necessary to cover the bitterness of a triple shot. I choked it down because I'm out of black tea, and the company I work for cancelled our coffee service a few months ago. Caffeine, gotta quit this. What a way to start a Friday.

The goslings are growing rapidly, and their feathers are coming in at an amazing rate. Belly feathers, shoulders, and just under their wings are in. Tail feathers are getting longer, and they have big fat quills on their wings. Very exciting, as they get to go outside for good once they've got enough feathers. We're very excited about this, as they've gotten huge and have decided that the middle of the night is the BEST time to stage a mock battle. Thus, we've started unplugging their lamp at night. Helps a bit. They still have the occasional battle in the dark, but not as frequently.

The second batch of chicks is finding their way around the run. They've figured out how to come out in the morning to eat and scratch, but haven't yet learned to go to bed at night. So, each evening at dusk, I'm out there counting chickens as I transfer them from the run to the coop. The Golden Girls look on from their coop perches with what seem to be smug expressions. The buffs, of course, had figured out the routine much more quickly.

Piggies actually come running now for food. They are exploring more and more, urged along somewhat by the apple chunks we tossed in the brambles. I swear they've doubled in size in the last couple weeks. Good piggies.

Weekend... I will I will I WILL get my tomatoes started this weekend, maybe.

Need to broadcast more grass seed in the future goose pen.

Hoping for some sunshine on Sunday.

Rain or shine, I'm so very glad the weekend is almost here.

Happy Friday all!

First losses

Well, we had our first critter losses. It wasn't quite as bad as the Henderson Massacre, Paula, but the Henry massacre was still pretty awful. My stupid dog knocked down the barrier to the chick room, jumped in the tub, and killed/maimed 5 of our 6 new chicks in about 3 1/2 seconds. We had to finish two of them ourselves because they so weren't going to survive. :( It was heartbreaking, both from losing those tiny little babies, and having to get after my dog. I'm more than a little traumatized. The only one left is a barred rock who came away completely unscathed. We went out today and got replacements, including ameraucana, wyandotte, rhode island red, welsummer, and jersey giant. (I probably misspelled most of those, but I really don't care at the moment...) In any case, LJ and I wanted more of a variety, and the mix of new babies has cheered both of us a little. We're hoping to get the coop finished this weekend and get the Golden Girls (the buffs) moved to the coop. Once that is done, we can move the new babies into the big brooder, which is much more secure/Henry proof than the tub they're currently in. Heck of a start to the weekend...

What are YOU looking at?

Henry and one of Mom's geldings, last fall.

Sleepy kiddo

I really need to get internet at the new place so I can post pictures on this freaking thing. Sigh. Anyhoo, just a comment on how cute and fabulous my dog is. Henry normally sleeps in with LJ in the morning, while I'm up and out of the house in the dark. Well, LJ got up before me yesterday, as we both needed to leave early. I fed Henry while I got ready for work, only to come out and find the little beastie back in bed, under the covers. Beastie. I rousted him out of bed, and shooed him to the door so I could put him in the kennel. He sleepy stumbled to the door and down the stairs. I turned around from locking the door to see a furry butt disappearing around the side of my running car, instead of towards the kennel. I followed, and found Henry sitting by the passenger side of the car, asleep on his feet. Literally. Eyes closed, head sagging towards his chest. Poor pup thought he was getting dragged out of bed to go for a ride. I finally got the sleepy beastie in his kennel. He took his cookie over his shoulder with his eyes closed, and went into his doghouse. I heard a big sigh, as he flumped down. Note, this dog doesn't lie down, he flumps down. Poor sleepy beastie. It's a hard life. :)

**ok, trying to load a pic from photobucket, but it keeps previewing in gigantor size. So NOT "small" size. Grrr. I give up.

How I love this dog

Truthfully the best dog I've ever had!  Henry was a rescue, found abandoned at about 7-8 weeks old.  We added him to the family just a couple days afterward.  Best we can figure, he's an American Pit Bull Terrier / Pointer mix.  He is truly a blessing.  The most cuddly pup I've ever had, he loves attention and is actually more attention driven than food driven.  He needs to be right next to you, if not on top of you (or under your chin, or in your lap, or behind your head).  At the same time, he can entertain himself for hours outside, or in his crate with a couple boxes to shred. Our dogs sleep in our bed, and provide lots of warmth during the colder months!  (Which is good, as our woodstove is sooo not going to heat the bedroom)

Currently, Henry is on my legs, putting them to sleep, and snoring to beat all.  LOVE this dog!  We're so lucky to have him!

We love him begging...

We love him during summer sprinkler funtime...

We love him doing the kung fu frisbee splits...

We love him watching for squirrels...

And we love him posing...

We got a good start on teaching him to flush grouse this last fall (he's a natural... go figure).  Can't wait until next year!