Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Chaos and progress, dryness and rain






Leo: from flight risk to off-leash in five days!
Leo and Gracie are making a LOT of progress – from unsettled and unsure little creatures to much more engaged and happy little characters now. It helps that Gracie seems to have gone out of heat; it was also very helpful to have dry, sunny (if cold) weather until today in which to take them outside to exercise and eliminate. But make no mistake, it is still a LOT of work to potty and exercise and clean and supervise these two new additions; so much so that I have not yet committed to doing ANYthing special or extra for Thanksgiving this year. Rick's mother can just join us for a spaghetti dinner for all I care . . . but she and her son will probably not be okay with that....






We were (again) in desperate need of the rain that finally returned today. After "the rainy season" started and we got several inches, it turned sunny and cold for the longest November stretch on record here. (Cold and sunny + wood heat = extreme dryness; there is not a rich-enough moisturizer to keep my hands and feet from cracking!) The arena will need another laborious session or two with the heavy-duty backpack blower that leaves me feeling like I've been wrestling alligators, but I am enjoying every iteration of my Japanese maples.

"Spot and Blais-y sittin' in a tree...." 🎶


The honeymoon is almost over for the breeding group; Spot is hopefully leaving for another assignation in Washington on Wednesday (or next week, if Wednesday doesn't work out). My friend Kate will pick up her ewe, and the three ewe lambs, who have been vocally unhappy in the extra horse stall, will go back in with the ewes in the Sheep Sheraton. I haven't witnessed a single breeding, so lambing dates are unknown, but regardless there will be several months' reprieve before lambing and shearing swamp me.
Poppy and I enjoying some quiet lap-time today – priceless!

That's it for now from a tired but still thankful . . .

14 comments:

Mama Pea said...

Your fall colors are absolutely gorgeous. Thanks for sharing them! I can only imagine how much work it must be for you with the two little fostered pups. Sort of like having a newborn infant in many ways. Maybe worse because the pups don't sleep as much, need to be trained to go potty outside and learn all the other rules of good dog behavior. Spaghetti sounds good to me in lieu of fixing the whole turkey dinner. (But I know it will taste really good and I do love all those leftovers!) :o)

Michelle said...

These colors are the last of 'em, Mama Pea, which is why they are so enjoyed. As for the Frenchies, it's rather more like have twin toddlers raised on the streets with no manners being introduced to the household. The main advantage over human children is that they can be put in their crates for "quiet time"!

Marlane said...

I am glad that things are going well so far with those new fur babies. I know about TG here we are having just immediate family, and no extra friends invited by my hubby and not me.

A :-) said...

Michelle - at night on my cuticles I use either CND Solar Oil, or Qtica Intense Cuticle Repair Balm. The latter is the best I've found when I get a painful crack near a nail. Then, on my hands, O'Keeffe's. It's the absolute best at night, and as soon as I finish up the foot cream I have, I'm getting some O'Keeffe's for feet!

So glad the new puppers are settling in. I hope they bring you lots of smiles so the extra work doesn't seem overwhelming. :-)

Leigh said...

You still have such beautiful fall color! What a treat for the eyes.

Poppy is such a good big sister! Nice to see the pups adjusting so well. I know it does your heart good.

Michelle said...

Marlane, I just read your blog about your twisted ankle. So glad you have other cooks in the family; take it easy! BTW, I can no longer comment on your blog. It asks me to sign in with Google to comment, but then says 'sign in unsuccessful.'

I've never heard of the CND or Qtica brands, but my crack isn't near a nail. I do not like O'Keeffe's, but will use it sometimes on my heels – never on my hands (BTW, if you look at the ingredients, the "hands" and "feet" formulas are the same). Bar lotions work well but are greasy and I'm limited to what I can do when that is applied. And with all the animals and outside chores, I have to wash my hands frequently.

Yes, Leigh, Poppy is being a peach and the Frenchies are doing so much better!

Fat Dormouse said...


They're not my favourite breed of dog, but I'm sure they will thrive with you, the family, Poppy and Chuckie looking after them!!

Tim B. Inman said...

You're going to have a ball with your new pups! Please keep us posted. Cheers!

Jeanne said...

Your post is so nice!

The pups are darling. It's good to know they are improving.

Your fall leaves are beautiful.

We are getting some rain this evening! Whee!

A :-) said...

I only use O'Keeffe's at night because I don't care for it during the day, either. But using it before bed has made a big difference for my hands. During the day I usually use L'Occitaine, which is spendy but quite wonderful.

FullyFleeced said...

Leo and Gracie are adorable. Puppies are a lot of work, though. Hopefully Poppy can show them the ropes and make things a little easier on you (?)

Michelle said...

Alison, they aren't what I would have chosen, either; I would have gone with another Aussie or another Decker instead. Poppy is disappointed that they don't engage more with her; we'll see if that changes with time, or possibly having only one of them here.

Tim, right now it's mostly WORK, although there are definitely comedic moments.

Thanks, Jeanne!

Thanks for all the skincare recommendations, A!

Yes, they are a lot of work, Denise. Housebreaking requires constant supervision and diligence, and that is very difficult with TWO. I'm beginning to wonder if I can succeed....

Mokihana said...

Wow, your fall colors are so beautiful! That cold spell was really something, wasn't it? We had the east wind here for a week, and it was brutal being out in it.

As always, I love your sheepie photos!

Retired Knitter said...

That Poppy! She is so photogenic.