He had a visitor over Memorial Day weekend. This is Penny and she is quite the little seven-pound ball of energy.
Honestly, I was ready to dognap her (and I don't even like little dogs) ... she was just that cute.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Peanut's Visitor
Peanut is doing great after his surgery and is in complete recovery mode. He is naughty as ever ... although it is hard to stay mad at him with those puppy eyes.
He had a visitor over Memorial Day weekend. This is Penny and she is quite the little seven-pound ball of energy.
Honestly, I was ready to dognap her (and I don't even like little dogs) ... she was just that cute.
He had a visitor over Memorial Day weekend. This is Penny and she is quite the little seven-pound ball of energy.
Honestly, I was ready to dognap her (and I don't even like little dogs) ... she was just that cute.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Garden Update
Whew. Right now is about the time that I wish I had a really, really green thumb. I am struggling through this gardening thing, but I refuse to give up. I'm kinda stubborn that way.
Things are coming along (better this year than last), but not as well as I had hoped.
My sugar snap peas had a heat shock this year. Those 80 degree days in May were painful. They haven't even flowered yet. I am seriously considering ripping them out and trying again this fall.
Same deal with my broccoli. Sad, really.
My carrots are actually doing okay. It is hit and miss with them, but that's okay.
My onions are the biggest they have been yet, but they are turning a little yellow on the ends.
The Yukon golds are coming up well. I should be packing more dirt around them, but I'm lazy that way.
The Pontiac red potatoes are a bushier plant and actually came up before the Yukons.
I planted quite the variety of lettuce. Some are doing better than others, but all are growing.
Bugs were waiting for our green beans to germinate and attacked them almost immediately. Hopefully we can get that under control.
It turns out that Peanut loves peppers. He chews the leaves of the plants and runs with the fruit. Not funny.
I thought we were going to lose our tomato plants, but they are recovering nicely. This 4th of July is flowering and waiting for a lovely bee to come its way.
The Roma just started flowering as well.
This little fellow is a seedling that I started inside. We didn't expect it to survive, but it is by far the healthiest of my tomato plants.
Temperatures dropped over Memorial Day weekend and I thought for sure I was going to lose my pumpkin and cucumbers. This little Jack-be-little seems to have survived.
I planted a few more seedlings last night (cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, etc.), so I will give them a few days to adjust and let you know how they are doing.
Things are coming along (better this year than last), but not as well as I had hoped.
My sugar snap peas had a heat shock this year. Those 80 degree days in May were painful. They haven't even flowered yet. I am seriously considering ripping them out and trying again this fall.
Same deal with my broccoli. Sad, really.
My carrots are actually doing okay. It is hit and miss with them, but that's okay.
My onions are the biggest they have been yet, but they are turning a little yellow on the ends.
The Yukon golds are coming up well. I should be packing more dirt around them, but I'm lazy that way.
The Pontiac red potatoes are a bushier plant and actually came up before the Yukons.
I planted quite the variety of lettuce. Some are doing better than others, but all are growing.
Bugs were waiting for our green beans to germinate and attacked them almost immediately. Hopefully we can get that under control.
It turns out that Peanut loves peppers. He chews the leaves of the plants and runs with the fruit. Not funny.
I thought we were going to lose our tomato plants, but they are recovering nicely. This 4th of July is flowering and waiting for a lovely bee to come its way.
The Roma just started flowering as well.
This little fellow is a seedling that I started inside. We didn't expect it to survive, but it is by far the healthiest of my tomato plants.
Temperatures dropped over Memorial Day weekend and I thought for sure I was going to lose my pumpkin and cucumbers. This little Jack-be-little seems to have survived.
I planted a few more seedlings last night (cucumbers, watermelon, cantaloupe, etc.), so I will give them a few days to adjust and let you know how they are doing.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
My Little Peanut {Butter}
Spring is such a busy time of the year ... even more so with a new puppy. I have a few extra minutes today because Peanut is currently sleeping. You see, he went under the knife this morning. Poor little boy ... does this make him less of a man? Kidding.
Anyway, he did great and we are hoping for a fast recovery.
I'm sure everyone is dying to know what is new with The Nut, right?
Last month we took him camping with us to Little Sahara Sand Dunes and he did great!
He kept a close eye on the girls ...
He is a fantastic fire wood collector ... and distributor.
The best part of the trip (for him) was when we took him on a ride in the Teryx. He loved it! We took a short break on a dune and he hung out with me in my shadow. I showed him how to dig for the cooler sand and he almost rolled me down the hill when he dug the hill out from under me. So ... I buried all of him except his head and he was in heaven.
Peanut loves playing fetch, but often forgets the ball in his enthusiasm to come back to me ...
He is now in a puppy obedience class (mostly for the socialization aspect). This is how I found him 40 minutes before his first day of class ...
Watering the lawn is a dangerous thing. I barely made it on time after bathing him and getting myself back in the shower.
This pup loves water! The first time we took him to the walkway he tried jumping in the pond for a swim.
He is growing like a weed and finally outgrew his "puppy" collar. I was so excited to buy him his first "real" collar. A local grooming store carries these collars and they are my favorite. He hated his first collar, but he can wear this one a little looser and it is a little wider so it is more comfortable.
I also bought him this nifty harness. He hates his collar so much that I thought we would have problems with the harness, but he acts like it isn't even there. Whew!
Peanut's interactions with the chickens is deserving of a post all its own! He is such a naughty little guy!
Anyway, he did great and we are hoping for a fast recovery.
I'm sure everyone is dying to know what is new with The Nut, right?
Last month we took him camping with us to Little Sahara Sand Dunes and he did great!
He kept a close eye on the girls ...
He is a fantastic fire wood collector ... and distributor.
The best part of the trip (for him) was when we took him on a ride in the Teryx. He loved it! We took a short break on a dune and he hung out with me in my shadow. I showed him how to dig for the cooler sand and he almost rolled me down the hill when he dug the hill out from under me. So ... I buried all of him except his head and he was in heaven.
Peanut loves playing fetch, but often forgets the ball in his enthusiasm to come back to me ...
He is now in a puppy obedience class (mostly for the socialization aspect). This is how I found him 40 minutes before his first day of class ...
Watering the lawn is a dangerous thing. I barely made it on time after bathing him and getting myself back in the shower.
This pup loves water! The first time we took him to the walkway he tried jumping in the pond for a swim.
He is growing like a weed and finally outgrew his "puppy" collar. I was so excited to buy him his first "real" collar. A local grooming store carries these collars and they are my favorite. He hated his first collar, but he can wear this one a little looser and it is a little wider so it is more comfortable.
I also bought him this nifty harness. He hates his collar so much that I thought we would have problems with the harness, but he acts like it isn't even there. Whew!
Peanut's interactions with the chickens is deserving of a post all its own! He is such a naughty little guy!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
RV Pad: Part Two
After deciding where we wanted everything to go and adding a barrier, it was time to move forward with the RV project.
Weed removal is a necessary evil.
What makes an otherwise routine project a little more terrifying? The fact that we have found snake nests behind the shed in the past. I'm not hugely terrified of snakes or anything, but it is incredibly unnerving to have one pop out at you at the most inopportune time.
The original owners of our house sold it when they built their own. You see, the guy was a general contractor. So, it turns out that he had a habit of taking home extra material and stashing it behind the shed. One day Matt was removing a sheet of metal when he unearthed about three dozen black snakes. The largest being 5 - 6 feet in length and 2 1/2 -3 inches in diameter. It was a little unnerving to have them scatter around him in the five foot weeds.
Anyway, back to the project ... we raked up as many weeds as we could and then we brought out the big boys.
We inherited this guy when my in-laws moved. Having the right tools makes any job easier.
Tilling up the ground behind and around the shed only took a few minutes, but then the hard work of packing and leveling began.
I know, I know. She still needs some work, but she is coming along. Not to worry, Matt does great work and she'll come together in the end.
Weed removal is a necessary evil.
What makes an otherwise routine project a little more terrifying? The fact that we have found snake nests behind the shed in the past. I'm not hugely terrified of snakes or anything, but it is incredibly unnerving to have one pop out at you at the most inopportune time.
The original owners of our house sold it when they built their own. You see, the guy was a general contractor. So, it turns out that he had a habit of taking home extra material and stashing it behind the shed. One day Matt was removing a sheet of metal when he unearthed about three dozen black snakes. The largest being 5 - 6 feet in length and 2 1/2 -3 inches in diameter. It was a little unnerving to have them scatter around him in the five foot weeds.
Anyway, back to the project ... we raked up as many weeds as we could and then we brought out the big boys.
We inherited this guy when my in-laws moved. Having the right tools makes any job easier.
Tilling up the ground behind and around the shed only took a few minutes, but then the hard work of packing and leveling began.
I know, I know. She still needs some work, but she is coming along. Not to worry, Matt does great work and she'll come together in the end.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Weekend Work
Yard work has kept us busy this weekend.
Last weekend we got away and spent some quality time at the dunes, but in anticipation for our dune trip we accidentally caused a little yard problem.
Our new trailer that now holds all of our bikes is too big to fit where we used to park my dad's trailer (Dad, thanks for loaning us your trailer for years and years and years!). We moved everything around and measured it all out ... and decided to park it into the backyard.
Now, we have kept the truck bed trailer in the backyard for a long time, but it was small enough that it really just hung out in an itty bitty little corner. This trailer is so big that it takes up an entire lane of traffic.
Stage One of our RV pad extension was to add a divider to separate everything. It would be nice to lay concrete, but that is a little more money than I want to put into the project ... maybe in the future (if we are still here).
When we bring in the rocks, we will put them down around and behind the shed as well.
I tried to talk Matt into making the pad two cars wide, but he is so very efficient that he dismissed my suggestion. I'm pretty sure his dinner is going to be a little crispy tonight ... kidding!
The grass looks a little rough, but grass is amazingly resilient.
Last weekend we got away and spent some quality time at the dunes, but in anticipation for our dune trip we accidentally caused a little yard problem.
Our new trailer that now holds all of our bikes is too big to fit where we used to park my dad's trailer (Dad, thanks for loaning us your trailer for years and years and years!). We moved everything around and measured it all out ... and decided to park it into the backyard.
Now, we have kept the truck bed trailer in the backyard for a long time, but it was small enough that it really just hung out in an itty bitty little corner. This trailer is so big that it takes up an entire lane of traffic.
Stage One of our RV pad extension was to add a divider to separate everything. It would be nice to lay concrete, but that is a little more money than I want to put into the project ... maybe in the future (if we are still here).
When we bring in the rocks, we will put them down around and behind the shed as well.
I tried to talk Matt into making the pad two cars wide, but he is so very efficient that he dismissed my suggestion. I'm pretty sure his dinner is going to be a little crispy tonight ... kidding!
The grass looks a little rough, but grass is amazingly resilient.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The Power of Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin puree is amazing. I kid you not. Amazing.
It is totally normal for a new pup to have a few digestive issues as they settle into their new home. Stress is the culprit. And then there is the whole issue of dogs being dogs and getting into anything and everything. The chances are quite probable that you will find yourself with a ... loose stooled puppy at one point or another.
Yes, it had to be said. Loose stools are a problem.
The solution is pumpkin puree. A little in the morning and a little at night and your pup will be feeling much more regular in no time at all. The really neat thing about pumpkin is that it helps both ways; too firm or too loose. Amazing, right?
When I open a can of pure pumpkin puree, I freeze the rest in an ice cube tray. Label it and I'm ready to go.
Are you worried that your pup is really sick? Ed Frawley wrote an article about puppy diarrhea that all dog owners should read!
It is totally normal for a new pup to have a few digestive issues as they settle into their new home. Stress is the culprit. And then there is the whole issue of dogs being dogs and getting into anything and everything. The chances are quite probable that you will find yourself with a ... loose stooled puppy at one point or another.
Yes, it had to be said. Loose stools are a problem.
The solution is pumpkin puree. A little in the morning and a little at night and your pup will be feeling much more regular in no time at all. The really neat thing about pumpkin is that it helps both ways; too firm or too loose. Amazing, right?
When I open a can of pure pumpkin puree, I freeze the rest in an ice cube tray. Label it and I'm ready to go.
Are you worried that your pup is really sick? Ed Frawley wrote an article about puppy diarrhea that all dog owners should read!
Monday, April 9, 2012
Wheat Grass Love
After the feline ate my fern, I planted a wee bit of wheat grass for my girl.
She approves.
Since I already make her wet food from scratch, throwing a few wheat berries in the soil was an acceptable option.
What most people don't realize is that cats are omnivores, not strict carnivores.
Advantages:
- Human grade wheat berries
- Pesticide free food
She approves.
Since I already make her wet food from scratch, throwing a few wheat berries in the soil was an acceptable option.
What most people don't realize is that cats are omnivores, not strict carnivores.
Advantages:
- Human grade wheat berries
- Pesticide free food
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