NYC DOG MEETS COWS

It may not seem like it at first, but this is a video.

We are staying at my dad's in Texas and the rancher who owns the land behind Dad's house just moved his cows to this pasture. This is the first time Mia has seen them. She stood like this, even giving me time to fetch my camera, and didn't move a muscle until I walked toward the cows. We also have a resident toad at our back door; we've named him Prince. Since toads are toxic to dogs I keep them apart, but on the occasion they meet, Mia just watches Prince hop and wonders what she has found. Ivy sticks to squirrels-and sometimes cows if a window or fence separates her from them.

In the first picture, Mia puts her nose through the fence to get a really good whiff...

She then looks at me, as if to ask how did those "squirrels" get so big and what should she do about it!

This post is dedicated to Brandon and Beth, who are being cruelly forced to live in a foreign country for 8 months!

The Dogs at Matagorda Beach

We visited the beach where my sister lives and had a wonderful time playing in the surf. The dogs were so happy! It was a lovely evening, the water was clear and a beautiful blue and the sand was fine and such a soft tan. All this, topped off with a dinner of fresh caught red snapper. My sister's husband owns shrimp and fishing boats and one just came in with 6,700+ pounds of red snapper. We watched them unload the boat with so many beautiful fish, quite an experience! He promises to take me flounder fishing when the water's right! You fish with a spear.

My first quilt!

Bucky-Pony & Cart

This is a movie of my teacher driving Bucky, the pony I use for my driving lessons.

Federal Protection

The little fox between Ivy and Mia has a big job here in the neighborhood. There is a subdivision of huge homes with a very nice park and sidewalks that meander around five or so man-made lakes. This fox's job, along with other fox and coyote decoys, is to deter the Canada geese from choosing this spot to make their homes. As I was walking last week, I spotted a Canada goose apparently napping next to one of the coyotes. When I got closer I realized the banded goose had died. I assumed it would be picked up promptly and walked on, only to be surprised today to see that the goose was still there. (We have had a huge blizzard so I haven't walked there for about five days.) I saw some city workers tending to broken tree limbs so I told them about the bird. They told me to call animal control. I called Wichita Parks and Wildlife who told me that Canada geese are federally protected and they can't touch them, even a dead one. I am not even allowed to pick up the bird and report it! There is only one person in the Wichita area who is licensed to pick up the bird, and he charges a minimum of $60. He has to file paperwork and report the bird to the banding people. After we talked awhile, the plan was for him to call someone he knows in the subdivision to notify the homeowners association, who hopefully will pay to have the carcass picked up. I told him to call me back if they refused. He said that the reason the bird has been there so long is probably because nobody wants to pay to have it picked up. Mind you, it is in a VERY wealthy neighborhood. Anyway, I just felt the need to write about this. The poor little bird's body is just lying there as people walk by and watch it rot. My point is, I guess, to beware of letting the federal government protect you-you might not get the service you think you will get!

Tug o' War

Ivy and Mia's favorite game. They love this and each wins about half the time.

Wanna Go Home?

See previous post first-I published in the wrong order.

This was Zeke's response when I asked if he wanted to go home. Remember, we had been out for a fairly long time and it was below freezing! He just wants to walk the dog.

Zeke with Ivy

Recently I got to spend some wonderful days in New York City and, of course, the best of it was being with my kids and two grand sons. This is a video of Zeke, who is about 19 months old in this video. It was quite cold but he loved the walk in the park with my little dog, Ivy.

Result of Uncontrolled Passion

If you saw the previous video of Ivy barking at the squirrel, you will want to see how that barking affects her. I have to confine her to the bedroom or tie her to a leash in the front room just to give her a rest. I'm afraid she'll have a heart attack!

Welcome to My World!

~ALL DAY LONG, PEOPLE !

Snow Day

We have 15 degree temperatures and just enough snow to make it pretty outside. The wind isn't blowing much so that makes it okay to go outside for a bit. Ivy and I had a little bit of cabin fever so we had an outing, even though the streets were a little icy. We went through the Taco Bell drive-thru for a burrito (and Cinnamon Crisps!) and pulled in the almost empty parking lot of a Michael's to eat. While doing this we watched the crows trying to find food in the grass next to the lot. I felt sorry for the birds so I tore off pieces of my burrito and threw them out the window. The crows were thrilled, so I drove over to McDonald's and got them a Happy Meal! We went back to Michael's and threw the cheeseburger and fries out the window and watched the delighted crows eat their feast.

Then we decided to go to the museum-the only kind of museum that allows dogs. Petland! With Ivy perched in the shopping cart we visited all the different animals in this very big pet store. The rabbits were the biggest hit with Ivy and if I weren't staying at someone else's house we might have come home with one! Petland is a great place to go with your dog. The clerks love animals so you get lots of attention, usually a treat for the dog and the pet gets to see how good they have it at home! They have puppies at this store and there was the cutest little female Old English bulldog I have ever seen!

We bought birdseed and a bar of rabbit food and sprigs of millet, along with treats for Ivy and a new chain collar. When we got home, I spread some birdseed on the ground outside the sliding glass door, as I have seen a lot of ground feeding birds out there. We also put out some water and hung some of the millet sprigs. (The Johnson's already have a hanging bird feeder that is quite popular.) Then I put the rabbit bar out by the compost heap where I have seen some very cute cottontails hopping around in the evenings. Ivy and I proceeded to take our places indoors, she lying at the sliding glass door and me in the recliner with Shelby Foote's Volume 1 book about the Civil War. (I'm on page 98 and there are a total of almost 3,000 pages.) I can see directly out onto the patio from my seat in the recliner. In about thirty minuets, I was amazed to look out and see a hawk, I think it was a Cooper's hawk, sitting on the back of the porch swing, eating the prey he had caught! It was amazing! When he was finished tearing apart the small bird (I hope not one of the ones I had lured there with seed!) he flew away. I've never seen anything like that, so I was very excited. That's when I decided to post this and let you know what I am doing!

A Little Dog Shall Lead Him

Ivy decided that there is an easier way to move livestock than herding!

You gotta be firm with these broncos...