Wandering About

I had no idea hunting was so relevant in this area (north east ks/mo) until this fall when we really started to spend time hiking out in more remote parks and areas. So much for being a 'conservation area' when some form of animal killing is allowed year round. Not that we have ever seen a hunter.... Taricha and I tend to be loud when romping around. Im singing, her pack is rustling, etc, and I feel safe knowing a big white dog is pretty visible even from a distance, even though she is always leashed.

This last weekend I could hear gunshots off in the distance. Then an hour later they changed locations and sounded closer! We also found tons of shot gun shells, scattered here and there... litter... plastic bottles, cigarettes  trash... gahh. I really hate hated humans this weekend for many reasons. But I digress.

Today the fuzzies spend the day sleeping as a snow storm is rolling in...

The two boys stole my computer chair....

While Taricha stole theirs... 

Winter Day in Pictures

It's Cold and Stuff

Hope all puppies are enjoying all types of weather this holiday season!

More Newbies!

The fostering thing isnt going so great. Infact, its at a standstill... I've filled out official applications and contacted three different organizations over the last month and not a single one has followed through, if even responded at all. They must not need homes that bad huh? Before I get into a long frustrated rant... we do have some good news.

New snakes!

Meet  two red tail boas and two dumerils boas!

A really old friend contacted me through facebook, asking if I wanted to come take these guys off his hands. He has little to no time to take care of them and wanted them out of his house cause "they smell". (they only smelled cause he hadn't cleaned their cages in months.. anyways). 

Upon arriving, I was mildly disgusted at the state of these poor guys. Old shed skin still hanging on, feces everywhere, no water, too much dry-heat from a ceramic bulb and it appears to be months since they last ate. They were housed Two and Two.... which is not ideal, as snakes compete for heat and tend to be cannibalistic if hungry. (especially dumerils boas). The two dumerils had bred the previous year and the last remaining baby was in the cage with mom and dad, very much dead. Sad sight and smell.

As happy as snakes can be... I believe they were happy to be out of there. When we got home, I dumped all four into the bathtub while scrubbing their cages. All four sat and drank water forever. I mean they put their little noses in the water and just drank and drank and drank. Every time I came back to check on them, still drinking. 

They have been here for a little while. Everyone has taken a rat a few times and are starting to look so much better. Their color comes back and they start to perk up, flicking their tongue more when you walk by. 

Only one bad thing has come out of all this...

Caught the two dumerils boas breeding! 

I didnt expect them to because  its winter, dry, colder... and they're both too skinny.  Normally getting snakes 'in the mood' is a hard task, getting perfect humility, temps and light cycles, so this was entirely unexpected. They must feel good cause they're full of food and water? 

Just another reason why one shouldn't house snakes together. I do not have any other cages or this would have been remedied sooner.   For now I put the male in a box and there he will stay until I find some more cages of appropriate size. Which is not an easy task! Maybe Santa will find one.

Happy holidays one and all too... even though I'm a bit of a scrooge. 

On Fostering

pouty face

More fur kids in the house has been on the agenda for some time but something has been holding me back from simply going out and adopting another dog.

Im scared to death of committing to another 10 + years. Scared of something in my life changing and losing the ability to care for too many pets. Scared that the dogs wont get like each other  Taricha is my heart dog. Since the day we met, I knew I was hers and she was mine. It's been the two of us for years and the thought of some one interrupting 'us' is a scary thought. I always want Taricha to come first.

But..... I have the time. energy. desire. money, to take on another dog. Taricha often seems bored, listless, lonely and I can only do so much for her. I am only.... human. Last year she spent the majority of the year living with doggie roommates and they would romp from dawn until dusk.  Now she sits at the window staring out with a pouty face....

So, Taricha and I have made the decision, finally, to start fostering dogs. This way, we can have our fun AND help out dogs in need without the life-long commitment.  I hope Taricha realizes as much as I do, that this is going to be quite an adventure with a lot of hard work involved. She will need to show some pup the ropes.

We decided to go with a local organization I am familiar with, as I adopted Set the black kitty from them some time ago. They have a great network, have been around for years and tend to help mostly inner city dogs on chains and bully breeds. (which we have a soft spot for.)

I will be sure to keep this updated, its about time we had some REAL excitement  Though, it's a slow (learning) process. We get our house inspected tomorrow! 

Searching around for blogs and info n things about bringing in a second dog to the home and fostering... what to really expect, tips, tricks, etc. Suggestions greatly welcomed! 

Fields

Hoping everyone had a wonderful holiday.

What a Smile

The days are entirely too nice to waste.

Up to our old tricks... the skate park.

Naturescaping

Taricha and I are already planning our garden next year. This year being our first year in this house, we didnt know what to expect in our yard, with the dirt, the sunlight or the wild animals but we've figured things out so it's time to get serious. We have decided on naturescaping. 

"Naturescpaing is beauty and function. It is the practice of designing a landscape so that it reducded water use, storm water runoff and pollution all while promoting native habitat."

Taricha needed some inspiration. A few miles away we found this beautiful tucked away garden that is all about the naturescaping.  Every plant is labeled, bird boxes everywhere, gorgeous winding paths, bridges and waterways.

 This is the perfect place and I can hardly stand the wait until next spring when our yard will have a similar vibe.The birds were singing, the sun was shining and the chipmunks were teasing poor Taricha at every turn.

"I'm ready to work!"

Daily walk in pictures

 

 

 Taricha insisted on investigating this intently. 

What a bizarre object.

Sunday Mornings

Full of sunshine

Words Cant Describe....

... the beautiful day we had today.

Felt like we were the only ones in the world.

New Wolf Pack Member

The biggest Halloween metal bash of the year was last night and I could not resist grabbing this shirt for Taricha. This was the biggest shirt size Hammerlord, the headline band, had and we had to squeeeze T into it!

Kinda wish more bands would have dog clothing! This is great!

"I dont think it's great....."

Every Day is Halloween

Around here, every day really is Halloween. Especially when you are big fluffy black cat. 

Wordless Wednesday

The (not so) many faces of Taricha

Taricha and I have been butting heads a lot these last few weeks. She wants my constant attention but when I give it to her, she doesnt want it. It's like, she wants to 'do' something but all our normal activities are not interesting to her. I've been having a really hard time getting her enthusiastic about -anything-. She'll just sit there, stare at me and whine. This non-interest seems to be solely happening at home. When we get outdoors, she's back to her normal happy self, enjoying toys and such.

My mother, ever so full of wisdom, who raised us with retired greyhounds, says that she's just been feeling her oats with the change of weather. That I need to remember Taricha is really only just 3 years ish of age and she still is growing mentally and will have her moods. That I can't bend to my dog's will constantly. (Health issues have been ruled out, Taricha is actually in the best shape of her life) Yet I still feel like I'm failing her! We already spend 3-4 hours a day out doing things and I can't squeeze much more in! I mean 'doing' things too, stimulating activites, wearing packs, clicker training, fetch, parks, car rides, friends houses, play dates, walking new areas, and on and on.

I try to remind Taricha, most dogs in our neighborhoods dont get any walks or field romps. Most dogs are tied up with  four square feet of living space for their entire lives. I try to remind her that most dogs are in their kennels 8+ hours a day while their humans work, while this human works at home and is devoted to her every whim! So have I created a monster?

Sometimes I find Taricha hard to read. She's not a crazy tail wagger, never has been. She likes to lean against people rather than lay on.  She's actually rather mellow and only has a handful of expressions I've been able to pick out. Some dogs flip out when you ask them if they want a 'cookie' or so forth. Taricha just kinda tilts a head.... and... thats it.

I love scratches, face.

Want Food, face.

Want toy, face

Nom Nom, Face

Car Wrecker

Its been a long dirty summer and so many car-outings. So many many! I finally opted to clean my car and was disturbed by the amount of hair. Thankfully the seats are leather so no hair sticks but the floor and mats and anything fabric.... I could have constructed another Taricha out of the piles of short white hair.

Makes me want a hairless chihuahua.

I kid I kid.
Hair is all part of the love.

Enjoy the Day

New Places

While we have our familiar haunts and routes....  I try to make an effort to take Taricha somewhere new as often as possible.

A new dog park opened about two weeks ago just down the street. Its kind of a big deal, being only the second off leash area in the city limits. The Zoo is nearby and if it's really quiet at dusk you can hear the lions roar. Freaking, awesome.

This new place will fast become a familiar haunt.
If only some other dogs would join us... 

What's next?

Summer's End

And still blazing hot.