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Laredo likes Air Conditioning.

8/5/2013

Ain't nothing like a Texas summer with 100+ degree temperatures to get a dog to decide that being indoors with people is better than being outdoors. Laredo now runs in the front door with me standing right there, and he wanders into the kitchen or upstairs a lot. He doesn't hide in corners anymore. He lays around the house in plain sight enjoying himself, sometimes gets on the couch, and he plays with other dogs a lot. He has even started approaching me for petting, and standing still and letting me pet him. He is doing so well. He will gladly join all the dogs for treats, and eats in the house with the others. He has even started taking treats from Mark, which is pretty incredible. Oh he still barks like crazy at Mark when he's outdoors, but he's getting better. One of these days Laredo is going to find out that we have Memory Foam on our bed, and it will be all over. We'll never get him out of the house again.

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Three New Kids

8/5/2013

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Freddy, an 8 month old Blue Merle Border Collie

We rescued 3 new dogs on 7/29/13 from the Christ-Yoder shelter in Buchanan Dam. They must not get much adoption traffic there, because all three of these dogs are outstanding dogs and I can’t imagine why there weren’t adopted, especially Freddy, who was at the shelter for a month. I think his energy probably scared adopters away, but once he got here and got some exercise he settled down into a very nice boy. I put all three dogs into quarantine pens before introducing them to the others, just in case they picked up any germs in the shelter. But I let Freddy out after a few days and introduced him to the pack, thinking that since he had been in the shelter for a month he would have already gotten any illnesses that he was exposed to. And, he was becoming kennel crazy in the pen. He needed to run. We let him into the main yard and introduced him to the pack, and after a few scoldings from the female dogs over his overly-amorous ways, he got along very well with everyone, males and females alike. We have never had one problem out of Freddy with other dogs.

Maria, a 2 yr old Red Bi Aussie

Next I brought Maria into the house. She just seems so….neglected and unloved, and we need to turn that around. Actually, she kind of made the decision for me by jumping the fence of the rescue pen. I saw her walking on the road out back and went out there with a leash. I knew if I tried to chase her she would run, so I just sat down and lowered my head and she came trotting right up to me. I clipped the leash on her and brought her inside, but had to coax her through the doorway. I’m not sure if she’s ever been inside before. She was terrified, especially of the other dogs, even the puppies. She spent the first two days huddled in the corner of the laundry room and would snarl and bare her teeth to any dog that approached her. We determined that she was just afraid of other dogs. She is full of burrs and was probably stray for a long time, and I’m sure she was chased and attacked by other dogs a lot while on the loose. Once I started feeding her in the kitchen with the rest of the dogs, she opened right up and slowly, one by one, started making friends with everyone here. She has now been all through the house, has had a nice bath, sleeps in a crate at night, and is just the sweetest and most loving thing you could ask for. She is a real gem, a wonderful girl with a beautiful soft nature.

Minnie was a bit of a concern, because while in the quarantine pen she would aggressively charge both of the dogs and I had to separate her. I had her with Maria but she was bullying Maria so badly, and Maria is just too shy to defend herself, that I had to separate them. So I was a bit concerned over how she would do with the other dogs, especially since Lil, Angel, and especially Coco can be very dominant. I was thinking Minnie and Coco would be like oil & water. I know it’s a bit early to take Minnie out of quarantine, but I rolled the dice yesterday and let her in the house with us because she needs some seriously socialization if she is to become the great dog that I know she really is. At first, she charges and nips the other dogs and there were a couple of squabbles, mainly between her and Mr. Humpty, Freddy. Girls don't like boys humping their heads, just an FYI, Freddy. We got through yesterday fine, and introduced Coco last and held our breath. A couple of growls, but everything went well. This morning Minnie went into the main yard with everyone for the first time. Minnie did take off after a couple of dogs, but she calls off easily with verbal corrections. She's not hurting them, but she sure wants them to think she will. I think it comes more from a defensive place rather than an aggressive one.

So now we're back in the house, and Minnie has taken to herding the three Border Collie puppies as they play. And she is so typical BC in doing it. She's crouching, she's hiding behind things and creeping, it's pretty funny. She is one step away from playing with them. You can see she wants to. Suddenly, Coco was worried that Minnie was going to hurt the puppies so she ran over and growled Minnie away. I had to call Coco back, but she did make Minnie immediately submit. So maybe Coco's attitude can be useful in all of this after all.

All dogs are inside right now. Stella & Laredo are wrestling on the couch. Rocket, Angel, Tumbleweed, and Gingersnap are lying in the floor around the table napping. Coco is lying in the floor by my side, Maria and Freddy are playing in the dining room, the three BC pups are romping in the living room, and Minnie is dividing her attention between watching the BC pups and watching Maria & Freddy, ready to run in either direction and intervene if needed. Oops, even Minnie could not resist the puppy cuteness—she is now in the floor having a grand romp with Cotton Eyed Joe. J I work from home today, so I'll have all day to monitor their activity and continue to socialize everyone. Maria and Freddy have done great, and Freddy is usually just in the floor beside me when indoors, Not nearly as crazy as I thought he was going to be, he's a really nice boy. Maria is an absolute gem, very sweet and loving and needs someone to spoil her rotten. Minnie has an adoption pending and will be adopted together with Brewski. They have yet to meet because Brewski is still in isolation as he finishes recovering from Parvo, and can be contagious for a while yet. But in the next 1-2 weeks they will be going home to Houston together, and I feel very confident now that they will get along marvelously.

Yay for happy, socialized dogs who all get along together!

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Happy Happy Dog Love

7/13/2013

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I come home, and everything bursts into excitement. I drive past the house, and they know. They know what my engine sounds like. I see them start as I head down the road, running slowly along the fence and looking to make sure it’s me. Then as I get to the first road hump (yes, we have a Hump sign right in front of our house) they know it’s Mommy. Oh it’s Mommy!! Our favorite time!! So I speed up to about 30 mph and try and give them a good run. This is what they live for every day. So I go down to the community mailboxes, get the mail, and come back. They listen. They know the sounds. As I come back up the road, they are ready. A whole gaggle of dogs, in the corner of the yard, watching and waiting. Now as I pass, it gets really fun. The dogs who are fast are at the end of the yard. And then there’s Rocket. Thirteen years old, and he will actually do a little old man sprint along the fence when Mommy gets home. They make me feel very loved.

When I pull into the driveway at the back of the house, the dogs are going wild with barking and excitement. I get out, talk to them, then go into the back door while they run to the front door. Once inside, I am in the laundry room which is separated by a baby gate from at least six overly happy, noisy dogs who have waited all day for this moment. I pet, talk, rub, push, and I make my way into the house. We go get the others, and we all start sharing our stories from the day. Eventually, everyone will settle into their own little corner of the rooms and chill. When it’s bedtime, some of the dogs will just gladly walk into their bedtime crates. Some have to be encouraged. But everyone knows where they sleep and it makes them happier to know, to have their own place.

In the morning, I start hearing it around 6:00. Which is absolutely awesome to me, because it used to be 4:00. I don’t have to get up as early now that I work from home, so our schedule changed a bit. But, dogs do not have any more patience than I do so they want fed when they get up. I make coffee, unload the dishwasher, check email, and by then they are annoyed. So I feed them.

We have 13 adult dogs and 3 puppies. That’s 16 bowls. I fill all of those bowls with kibble, and stack them. I have help from puppies though, because Joe can fit through all of the puppy gates and helps me with everything. So I stack my bowls, push Joe off of the food he’s trying to scarf down, and take the bowls to the counter. My counter holds 17 bowls max, I have tested it. We have 16, we should be good. Now the fun part. All bowls get a shot of Salmon Oil. I have a shaker of Missing Link, that goes in Rocket, Justice, Angel, Bonnie (adopted), Libby, and Brody’s bowls. All of the dogs who may have joint issues. Next I take the awesome Merrick canned dog food we scored from the Rescue Food Bank and I put a dollop in each bowl. That takes 2 cans. Then I put warm water in each bowl, add probiotics and medicine for any dogs who need it, stir it up, and feed.

Feeding. Sounds simple. Until you have 16 dogs. Rocket and Justice have large bowls and get 1-1/2 cups. Lil, Angel, and Candy get small amounts, because the first two are watching their figures and the third is tiny. That leaves, what? Twelve? Twelve bowls, I think. Because so far I feed the puppies the same as adults, because I want to make sure they get full. They always leave food and the others go eat it. It’s a special treat so I’m fine with it. OK, bowls are scooped out, dog food added, water added, stirred up, medicines added, and we’re off. First the babies eat. I take 3 bowls to the laundry room for Joe, Nellie, and Liza Jane. They dive in. Take a tower of bowls into the “dog room”. Angel runs into her crate and gets fed. Bonnie has run into hers, and gets fed. Stella now will go into a crate, and gets fed. I make Coco go in a crate, because she’s new, and she gets fed. No food fights this way. I leave the room and Pete is waiting, and Pete gets fed in the hall. I go back to the kitchen, and Libby gets fed by the gate. Lil knows it’s her turn, and she’s dancing, and she gets fed. Justice is coming completely off the ground, in an old man kind of jerky dance, and he gets fed as well as Rocket who is being much more dignified about it. From here I go to the living room, and feed Gingersnap who is giving me a little dance. I go to the coffee table, where Laredo is hiding if he’s in the house, and slide his food to him while he wags his tail like crazy. Then it was outside to Brody, but now I feed him in the dog room. Oh and Gingersnap often eats in the landing at the bottom of the stairs, because she’s a gentle eater and the others can’t get her food there.

This is a happy home. I feel lucky to see the kind of love I see. This is nice. Lots of love around you, if you will watch it.

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A Perfect Match

7/13/2013

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Our sweet Bonnie Blues was adopted today! After being with us since October, she finally found her forever home. But even better, it is with Sue Ellen the black tri Aussie, adopted by a woman who works for my company. This just could not have been a better fit. Sue Ellen is extremely shy and in a week there, just wasn’t progressing as well as expected. She follows Ellen around, but is afraid of her husband Brent, as she was with Mark. And she doesn’t venture out into the house very often. I knew another dog would bring her out of her shell, and she and Bonnie were very close here. The adopters have several grandchildren, and Bonnie is wonderful with kids. Bonnie is very outgoing and friendly, almost the opposite of Sue Ellen, so we knew they would be a good combo.

When we arrived, Bonnie just trotted in the house like she was at home, “Hey everyone, I’m Bonnie Blue Eyes, let’s party” with that pretty feather duster tail wagging. Sue Ellen approached for a minute but quickly retreated to her safe area beside the couch. We went into the living room, sat down and started to talk, and I took the leash off Bonnie. As soon as I did, she went to Sue Ellen, Sue Ellen got up and met her, and you have never seen two happier dogs. Sue Ellen just instantly changed. The adopters were amazed. The girls visited, we all went out back, they romped and played, we came back inside, and for the first time in a week the adopters saw Sue Ellen’s tail wag. And man did it wag, over and over and over again. I also took a Premier Busy Buddy kibble ball, because both dogs really enjoy playing with that. By the time I left, the whole family, both dogs included, were relaxed and happy and going into the kitchen freely. Oh and Bonnie LOVES the husband Brent, and he really liked that since Sue Ellen seems to be afraid of him now. I told him that Bonnie will help open her up and now he’ll be able to get closer to Sue Ellen. And Bonnie will get the more individual attention that a wonderful dog like her deserves. Yes, I’m crying again. I will certainly miss that little funny face. But it’s good tears. This time, we hit the jackpot. We made a family happy, they each have their own dog now, we made Bonnie happy, and Bonnie is helping to make Sue Ellen happy. What more could you ask for.

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East Texas Berries

6/9/2013

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I love living in East Texas during the summertime. There are several things that we do pretty much every single year. One of them is getting fresh crawfish, straight out of the pond, from the crawfish farm in Frankston. Another is berry picking. There are several berry farms around East Texas that have blueberries and blackberries available for you to pick your own, and when is the last time you went berry picking? It’s not about the price of the berries because I don’t really know that you save any money. It’s about the experience of wandering through the rows and rows of berries in the early morning, with the dew still on the ground, and seeing beautifully delicious berries everywhere. You pick a while, you eat a while, and you pick some more. The baskets are peck baskets, and you would be surprised how long it takes to fill one up. We usually stay until one of three things happen: 1) I have filled up all the baskets I have money for, since it’s Cash Only, 2) I get so hot that I can’t stay out there anymore, or 3) I see a snake. Whichever comes first, that’s when I call it a day.

Yesterday I had to drop off two puppies at the vet to get a little “work” done, and since we were in Athens anyhow we decided to travel on East to Larue and pick some blueberries at The Blueberry Basket, a farm I’ve been going to for over a decade. I took my trusty sidekick Libby along with me because I thought she would enjoy the outing. When we got there, the place was deserted. There was only one family there. I went inside and asked the man running the store about picking berries. In his broken English, he directed me to the blackberries instead of blueberries, which was fine by me. So Libby and I took our basket and headed for the blackberry fields.

Libby eating berries. Silly dog.

I was so disappointed as I drove past what used to be pristine blueberry orchards and saw that half of the fields are dead and gone. Even the rows of blackberries that remained were horribly kept. Lots of dead canes, the grass hasn’t been mowed, and there are tons of weeds growing in the rows. But we did manage to find enough plants with some nice, huge berries to fill a basket. Libby seemed bored at first, but I handed her a big juicy blackberry to try and she actually ate it….and apparently liked it, because then she started her own berry picking. She followed me down the row and was scavenging overripe berries off the ground. And she continued to eat berries the whole time we were out. I got a huge basket full of berries, didn’t see any snakes (a miracle, considering how overgrown everything was), and when I paid the man I told him he may want to charge me extra for all the berries Libby ate. He laughed with surprise that a dog would eat blackberries. I paid him the $10 for a peck of berries and we left.

As I said, I have been going to this same farm for over ten years. It used to be a wonderful place to take your family on the weekend, and we went every year. But several years ago I guess the elderly people who ran the farm couldn’t keep up with it anymore, and it was sold to a Somalian family. They have not kept the property up whatsoever since they have had it. I would not dare take a child there now. Besides everything I already mentioned, the place is crawling with fire ants. I was even worried about Libby getting into the ants, they were that bad. It’s very sad to see this place run into the ground when I know what great potential it has. Hmmm, maybe we should buy it? Plenty of room for a dog rescue. :)

Now back on the road, I am craving blueberries. I had my heart set on blueberries, and although I love my blackberries, it’s just not the same. So about that time, Libby and I are cruising down the farm road listening to the local Bluegrass station on the radio and what do you know, they play an advertisement for Echo Springs Blueberry Farm. I know exactly where it is, so from Larue we head north towards Brownsboro and I am already salivating.

Echo Springs Blueberry Farm is the exact opposite of the farm we just left. Professional, manicured, pristine, and absolutely packed with people, as any good farm should be on a Saturday morning. It is also in the direct sun, so Libby and I opted to buy our berries already picked. I went in the store and walked around and looked at all of the baked goods for sale, the jams and jellies, and the flavored coffees. Somehow, all I wanted were berries, and a lot of them. I looked at their price list, and asked for a flat of berries for $35. The sweet young girl who waited on me said, “You know, the 10 pound box is really a better deal. It’s $30 for ten pounds, and the flat is only about 9 pounds and it’s $35.” Aaahhh, honesty. How refreshing! I thanked her and said we would take the 10 pound box. After a small wait, another very nice young lady came out with our box of berries but didn’t just hand them to me. She set the box on the counter and opened it and said, “Why don’t you try your berries.” I did, and almost went into a coma of delight. Like nothing else, oh how I love the taste of fresh blueberries. We closed the box and I checked out, and then the girl asked if she could carry the box to my vehicle for me. What customer service! Since they were extremely busy I told her I would carry it and she could help someone else. Now, you don’t get the same price for picked berries as you do if you pick them yourself, but considering I got about 8-10 quarts of blueberries for $30 and didn’t have to be in the sun for an hour sweating like crazy, it was well worth the money. I took our box of berries, put them in the truck and showed Libby what we had, and I think I may have actually been giggling as we left.

When I got home, Mark was so excited he met me at the truck saying “What did we get?” He knows berries mean I’m going to cook, and it just so happens that he loves to eat. When I told him he was getting a cobbler, he took my face in his hands and gave me a teary “I love you.” I know how to make my baby happy.

The first thing I did was rinse the blackberries and put a couple of handfuls of them into a jar, fill it with vinegar, and set it in the sun to make Blackberry Vinegar. I do this with some berries every year because it makes the very best Blackberry Vinaigrette salad dressing and it’s easy. After it steeps, strain the liquid and the vinegar will keep for quite a while.

I rinsed all of the remaining berries, and got several quarts—5 quarts of blackberries, and 8 quarts of blueberries. I am not sure at this point what all I am going to make, but I know I’m making my best cobbler recipe ever, which is Blackberry-Blueberry Cobbler Supreme. This is the best recipe I’ve ever made and it is cobbler the way I like it.

OK, a little discussion about cobblers. Why do they all have to be so different? When you order “cobbler” from a restaurant you never know what kind you are getting. Some people’s cobbler isn’t much more than a berry filling with some biscuit-type dough on the top. That’s not enough for me, I need more. I am happier with a cobbler that has both a bottom and a top crust, but my favorite type of cobbler is the type in which the dough rises up and surrounds the berries similar to a cake. And that is what this recipe is. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Blackberry-Blueberry Cobbler Supreme

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup sugar
¾ cup milk
2 cups blackberries
1 cup blueberries
½ to ¾ cups sugar
2 cups grape juice or water

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl stir together all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat margarine or butter and the 1 cup sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with milk. Beat until smooth. Spread batter evenly over the bottom of a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

Sprinkle blackberries and blueberries over batter, then sprinkle with the ½ to ¾ cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of your fruit. Pour grape juice or water over fruit. Unless you have grape juice on hand, water turns out an equally tasty cobbler.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Some of the fruit should sink toward the bottom as the cake rises to the top. Cool 30 minutes…..OK that’s just crazy talk. This cobbler has never lasted that long in our house without being torn into!

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Scaredy Cat Laredo

6/6/2013

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I have a deep love for this guy, and regardless of what he wants everyone to think, he loves me too. He's been coming in the house a bit, and when I put this dog bed down he really wanted to get on it but wouldn't come out from under the table, so he made a compromise and laid halfway on it.

Today there have been storms, so Larry was happy to come in the house. So happy, in fact, that I can't get him to go back outside. He is more comfortable today than I have ever seen him, ever. He's followed me into the kitchen twice, he wags his tail like crazy every time he sees me, and earlier when I bent down to pet him he stretched his body out and laid down instead of tensing up from fear. He has even lifted his leg for a tummy rub. But just now, he made a huge leap forward. Instead of making me go to him and force petting, for the first time ever Laredo got up from his safe spot under the table, walked all the way over to me, and stood still and allowed me to pet him. First. Time. Ever. In four months. I am so excited for him. If he will just trust me, he will one day be sleeping in our bed like the others. He is almost there.

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On a Rainy Day

6/6/2013

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As of today, we have 16 dogs here. That sounds insane, but you know, it's working. It depends on the dogs and that's why I have to choose carefully. Even my husband just said that having this many dogs isn't bad as long as they are a great pack like we have right now and all behave and get along. It's true. With a bit of training, some treats and treat sessions, I get their attention and then they all work together. We have baby gates everywhere and I separate them off to different areas at feeding time so I'm not trampled but we don't have any problems. And we have a house full of happy, healthy dogs. But you put one off-balance dog in here and it throws the whole energy of the house off and then it's miserable. Right now I have most of them in the floor of my office, chewing on cow hoofs and just being content. And I can't stop looking at them. There's a whole lot of love in this house.

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Laredo likes Air Conditioning.

Three New Kids

Happy Happy Dog Love

A Perfect Match

East Texas Berries

Scaredy Cat Laredo

On a Rainy Day

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