I'm back!

I'm trying to get back here again. Right now I can't put any photos on my blog but, I don't really have the time anyway.
Thursday again. No surgeries so I didn't get to participate in my favorite activity. Next week there's an ACL surgery on my Thursday though so I really really hope they don't move it!
Instead I kept busy with other things. I had to do kennels since there weren't enough dogs to warrant Tony coming out. Max, whose dad is taking a travel group down the Panama Canal (Larry works for a travel agency. His blog is great - http://w.angelfire.com/mn/4seasons/PANAMA12.html ). Also Louie, a chocolate lab who had severe entropion on both eyes and had surgery to correct that Monday. Entropion is where the eyelids turn inwards toward the eyeball and the eyelashes literally rub against the eyeball. It is extremely painful and this poor dog came in squinting. He was also very nervous and growly. After the surgery, which involves cutting out a piece of eyelid and suturing the eyelids, Louie could see again without pain and became a completely different dog. Now he wags his tail and jumps all over me when he sees me. Much better! Sometimes it's not the dogs temperament but a medical condition that makes them aggressive or defensive.
That was all the boarders until Sophie came in. She's an apricot miniature poodle that had a penrose drain in that we had to take out today. The dog had been bitten by a family members dog over Thanksgiving and had a penrose drain put in, which is a rubber collapsible tube that enables serum and infection to drain out of the wound to allow healing to take place. This dog was a rescue who had been adopted last year. A beautiful calm purebred poodle found wandering on the street of Minneapolis. I really don't understand people. I'm glad she found this special lady to love her.
Other things - sterilized bottles of water, sterilized plastic bottles, answered phones, did laundry, changed the outside mercury light, just this and that...
Speaking of dogs....I came home at lunch and found a house full of poo. All 10 dogs ( or most of them) had gone potty while I was at work. Possibly because it was raining (Yea!) this morning and I left earlier than usual since Jacky left at 5:15 and I left at 6:30. So it was dark also. I was not happy at all and had to spend  my lunch hour cleaning the floor. Plus I had to move horses and llamas outside at noon since it was raining when I left this morning. SueBee and Piper had accidently closed the gate which prevented them from going outside. It meant that they were stuck inside the barn while poor Brandy was stuck outside in the rain,. Oh well, everyone survived and Jacky got home at 4:30 so he got to clean up the barns (sorry!).
Jacky fixed hamburger patties on the forman grill tonight. They were very good. Aren sent me a picture of Truely curled up next to Cedric. Looks like they're getting along! That makes me feel good. I love my two kitten boys. It's true nothing is safe, but they come find you when they want to nap, they know their names (Eli and Sambo), and they purr like crazy when you hold them. Must say I'm happier with them today then with the dogs! Hope tomorrow goes better. Night!

November 13

Well, it's my day off again and people probably wonder how I spend my time off.... Not that it's exciting but it does come under the heading "my life with animals".
This morning was starting the Christmas shopping on line. I sometimes put it off too long and then things can't get here by Christmas. So at least I've started! Then I talked to Mom while watching a DVD we made from an old VHS tape. It was so fun seeing the kids when they were little. Such happy times! I have to transfer all the old VHS tapes to DVDs' so we don't lose them. Already you almost can't find a VHS player to watch them on. I also need to send some old old 8mm family movies in to be transferred. We don't even know what's on most of them!
To Albert Lea to fill up my car (the empty light went on as I pulled into the station), pick up some dog food, and meet Jacky for lunch. We went to Taco John's where they make an excellent meat and potato burrito. I can't ever finish mine - wish we could just order one and split it but it isn't enough for Jacky then.
When I got back home, I figured I'd better start on the horse stalls. It's been cold and night, and blowing, so the horses have gotten to come inside at night. They love it, but I'm always reminded the next day why I wish I didn't have animals...each stall has to be 'picked' of manure. I use a wheel barrow and have to dump it in the manure piles outside each barn. By the time winter is over, the manure piles are quite large! There's two 'stalls' in the pony barn, and 5 'stalls' or areas in the horse barn. You're talking 3 wheel barrow loads today. This is the door we get to use for the wheel barrow. The animals like it when I have it open too!

We also haven't quite winterized the barns. In the horse barn the water buckets were freezing up. So I dumped four buckets of water and ice, and replaced them with heated water buckets. May not have to plug them in yet because the horses body heat warms up the barn somewhat. But at least everything's ready. Oh yes, also had to throw new bales of hay down from the hay loft. They eat about a half a bale a day right now but that will go up to a whole bale in about a week or two. The llamas have to eat twice a day as there is no grass left in their pen.

The cats are getting more hungry now too. Every time someone goes out, they all run to the bowls to eat. What a life!

Bryn has have her  herding instinct satisfied as well - but with cats instead of sheep. At least she doesn't try to bite them like Willy does...

Had to stop just now and feed the dogs and kittens. They certainly eat better than people do - a balanced diet made just for them without any junk food or fillers, including no grains. They love it - a natural raw meat diet. Traeh, who was diagnosed almost a year ago with Degenerative Myolopathy, has been doing fantastic - in fact better than when she was diagnosed. I certainly attribute her well being to the new diet as well as not getting any vaccinations or heart worm prevention (which sets up an inflammatory response in the body).

Jacky accomplished something big this Sunday. He finished putting down the dining room floor!!! It looks beautiful. All we need now is the molding at the bottom. But we need to paint those first. So I can't put anything back in the hutch yet. Just look at this!...

One last Pic. Saturday we were in Rochester picking up a few more boxes of flooring. In the Wal Mart parking lot guess what we saw...

New Post!

Someone who shall remain nameless has reminded me that I have not been keeping up my blog like I'm supposed to. So this is is semi-catch up post with lots of photos and few words....Lets go backwards, shall we?
Yesterday was voting for our next president. This is not a political stand so all I want to show you is where we have to go vote. It is out on a farmer's property which is REALLY hard to find. From the blacktop that takes you to Clarks Grove, you go north on a gravel road, take another gravel road west, then turn north again on a third gravel road (none of which have road names). We have witnessed other people getting lost trying to find the place to vote (are they trying to keep people away??). I myself always have Jacky take me because I can't remember how to get there!

After voting, there was the farrier. I already have pics of him and the horses so we won't go there.

Last night Teddi and I went to the City Arena. Teddi got to take his Canine Good Citizen test again. There were a lot of people and dogs there we didn't know but Teddi did ok. He passed his test! That was after a LOT of hard work to get him to trust people and not bite them1

 Here we are after the good news...

I also got Tracy and Sharon to help me take pictures of Teddi so I can register him with AKC. If he gets an ILP number, I can compete in obedience events with him. That could be a lot of fun!

Last week we celebrated our 30th anniversary. Monday we went to Wabasha and the Nat'l Eagle Center...

Tuesday we went to the Minnesota Science Museum.Playing at the Omni theater was a tornado film that we watched being make on a Discovery Channel show. That was really good. Here is the TIV vehicle that they drove around in...

Also at the museum was an Egyptian exhibit. Jacky and I had fun taking a 'ride' on this gentleman -

I think I have the more 'natural' seat, what do you think? I also can see Mom and Dad's camel saddle on this guy!

One last picture. The kittens are growing. I haven't been taking them to work...Beth really doesn't want them and will only throw them outside in the barn. These little guys wouldn't last a week at this age. Guess I'll keep  feeding them for a while. By the way (BTW) they really don't help when you're trying to type up a post... Oh yes, there isn't any good pictures of the kittens because they never hold still long enough!

Kittens!

Beth's kittens - I'm bottle feeding the 3 dark colored ones, and Beth is raising the 3 light colored ones. I have  a blue cream I call "Truly" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang  (Truly Scrumptious), Tab ( a gray tabby) and Tracker, my favorite, a dark striped tabby. Tracker has the best temperament and is also the prettiest.
He looks like a baby wild cat  - maybe a lynx. He may have to stay!

Tracker

Tracker, Tab and Truly...and me!

Wednesday

It's been super super busy for 2 weeks. I was appointment today - not too much going on there. Had to do kennels,but there was a lot of surgery dogs and drop offs to take care of - along with many many cats. I also brought 3 of my dogs this morning to practice training after work, as well as my 3 bottle kittens which are 3 weeks old. Two trips loaded down to get to the car, and then from car to inside clinic. Plus I was a little late this morning. The sunrise was literally out of this world. I kept stopping the car and taking pictures!

Isn't that gorgeous! This was the best one because of the clouds but the color was spectacular. I admit, I wouldn't be up for the sunrise if I didn't have to be at work so I guess I'm glad I had to get up this morning!

The weather was cooler today - windy! I'm glad yesterday was nice. Mother and I went to Faribault and ate at The Depot. Then we drove the back road to Nerstrand, visited the meat market there (and bought some wonderful jerky, bologna, and weiners!), stopped at the Nerstrand Bid Woods State Park (didn't walk any trails), and finally visited the Valley Grove Norwegian Lutheran churches that are on the Historical Registry. The day started out rainy but ended up really nice - not cold nor warm with a breeze.

Good thing we didn't try to go today, the weather was perfect yesterday! What was really nice about the churches was, of course, the history, but also that the Preservation Society bought up the land around the churches and restored it to original prairie. The song birds yesterday were everywhere, and singing!!! It was just so peaceful. I tell you, I'd like to live like that now, without the 'farm' but out in the woods or prairie (rolling not flat!).

Let's see, not too much from work. Training went well. I'm helping John and "Ida Mae" get ready for the Canine Good Citizen Test on Nov 6. I will be taking Teddi to try again since he failed the first time so he was with me tonight.

Bryn and Gertie were with me also, helping to demonstrate. Bryn is working on her Rally so she got to practice too. Gertie just likes to go. When I got home and finally sat down on the sofa, I had a few of the animals join me. They miss me when I'm at work!

If you want an actual count, there's 2 cats (Leia and Juju), Candy, Uli, Teddi, Bryn (herding Leia), Gertie (cleaning Bryn's ears), Casey...Traeh in foreground. 

One last sunrise picture before we go...

Are clients really necessary?

What a week. Still have Friday and Saturday to go . Hope I make it. People don't tell you that one of the most exhausting jobs at a vet clinic is dealing with the clients. Yesterday was dealing with a woman who bought a golden retriever puppy about 9 weeks ago. Paid $1200. Anyway, the puppy has had diarrhea ever since she bought it. She's never brought the dog in but brings in fecal samples. We've diagnosed giardia and campylobator ( I know, but I'm not explaining them right now). Every medicine we've went home has not gotten rid of the problem. She's frustrated, and has a daughter with Crohn's disease so she's very careful about the meds and such - people can get campy, especially with compromised immune systems. The puppy acts fine but is not 'right'. Yesterday I had two 30 minute conversations about her latest fecal she brought in, the meds, a change in food suggestion....and finally do I think this all should be covered under the health guarantee? This is all fine and good but there's other things I need to be doing! As far as being appointment tech yesterday, I think I helped with only 2 out of maybe 8 or 9 because of phone calls, helping with a surgery to remove a lump and then giving a dental to the same dog (started as an appointment), giving fluids to a dehydrated cat, running blood work on a sick dog....Whew! I was sooo tired when I got home.

Today was a remake of yesterday. Instead of the diarrhea puppy calls, I had a dental on a dachshund whose owner lives in Rochester. She called twice to check on the dog, then came early and questioned EVERYTHING! I mean questioned the charges, questioned the antibiotics prescribed, questioned the pain meds prescribed...Questions on dog behavior and dog antidepressants....the list goes on and on and on.
She started with Holly and then on to me. She was very nice about it but since her divorce 2 years ago, the dog hasn't been the same. Well, all the behaviors she was describing sounded EXACTLY like typical dachshund behavior. And I should know what that is! Nothing I said made any difference. I'll probably be getting at least one phone call from her tomorrow...Oh Joy.

One spay - a Yorkie mix spoiled rotten - and 6 baby teeth that had to be pulled at the same time. One dental on the dachshund who had 5 teeth pulled - including 2 molars. Tomorrow looks like a German Shepherd spay. She's quite lovely - all white - and her name is "Aoiffe". I asked and it's pronounced "eefa" and is Irish. Cool name! Also a lump removal.

Cool weather has come today. I picked the last tomatoes yesterday. Not enough to can (thank goodness - I canned 7 pints Tuesday) but there's more potatoes to be dug. We're laying them on the floor of the garage. I have a picture but I'm too tired to go fetch my camera and transfer the pics. Another time, after there's more collected. The blue one are pretty cool!

Better go to bed. I'm surgery tomorrow too since Megan is on vacation. Pam has to be appointment again because Emily is on vacation also. Also doing kennels for the 3rd time in a row. Not enough dogs to have Tony or Gloria out. In fact tonight there's no boarders! MEA is coming up soon so I hope things will pick up. Night!

Long Lake Hunt Club

Here they are before their run -


Spent a beautiful  fall day in Hamel. Anna and Piper rode at the Long Lake Hunt Club. Even though Piper was a little tubby, she did great. Like Anna says, it's so much fun when the horse enjoys it as much or more than the rider does! Now Anna thinks I should bring SueBee out next time. I'm not sure she could handle even small jumps - she's quite a clutz - but it might be fun. I have 2 weeks to get her ready...

Here they are after. Hmmm, Piper's head is quite a bit lower!


Jacky enjoys these outings also. I had to get a picture of him doing his thing...

We ate lunch afterwards at Culvers - left Piper dozing in the trailer in the parking lot. Funny, she was a lot more ansy this morning!
Took some pictures tonight. The moon was orange and partly hidden behind the clouds. Harvest Moon! Nice and peaceful, isn't it...

Work, work, work

Can't seem to find time to write a post here. I told Jacky when I got home "No tomatoes tonight, PLEASE!"
Ok, maybe I was being a little dramatic, but I need a break once in a while!
Today was quite busy again - seems like every day is like that now! Megan and Karla and Pam gone so it was Emily, Beth , Holly and me. I was appointment, again, and it keeps you from getting involved in any other projects because you have to be right there ready when a client comes in. We lost our internet this morning, and our printer cartridge. Soooo it was a little crazy and we couldn't check people out, look up refills, print labels, put in histories...the list goes on and on. We did get a computer girl come and fix things - about 4:00.
Also had a lunch and learn - with Novartis about cat pain meds. Had a subway platter, which was ok, but I had to spin pig blood which Jen brought in right when he started his talk. The blood had to be spun to separate and then boxed up to go out on UPS. Big Brown usually comes about 1:00 so I had to have everything ready.
Had the client who complained about boarding a week and a half ago, call and make another boarding reservation. I had instructions in history to not let this person board (he complained we didn't administer eye meds and the dog's eye got all goopy although it was clear we did and he got free boarding...). Mike was gone so I had to talk to this jerk. I am letting him board his dog this weekend but I told him I would keep a close eye on everything. We will also take pictures of the dog's eyes before she walks out the door. This client didn't make a complaint until 4 days after he picked the dog up and he had pictures he 'supposedly' took as soon as he got home. He is not a nice person and was kicked out of the local legion for stealing money from them....Oh well, it means a lot of trips to the clinic this weekend.
Corn and soybeans are being harvested now so allergies are crazy -in people and in dogs. I would bet fully half of all our appointments now are itchy dogs! And my coworkers walk around blowing their noses all day long too.
Looks like a young tabby cat visiting the goat barn tonight. All toes were white - I'll have to see if he stays around. Not likely though. I watched from the house so I wasn't close to him.
walked into the goat barn and smelled rotten eggs. The eggs two hens have been setting on for over 2 weeks have gone bad. At least one had exploded in the nest box. While I had the hens off the nest eating corn, I very gingerly took out the rotten eggs (one wrong move can make them explode!). Jacky took them way out in the corn field to get rid of them. The dogs would eat them if he didn't take them far away (I know! How disgusting!!)

Really enjoying reading my nieces blog while she's on global. I'm ready for another trip I guess. Life though was much simpler when I didn't have all the animals to worry about. Boarding fees alone cost about as much as the trip. Whose idea was it to keep 10 dogs???

Canning! (again)

Ok, sounds like a broken record. Same story as Saturday (if I had written a blog for Saturday). Loads of tomatoes, now corn, beans....A run to Albert Lea for more onions, garlic, parsley....I've gotten a lot of tomatoes from Lee and also our own our still coming strong. The last corn is slightly overripe but still good. However, that means the corn can't wait. The beans are getting over ripe but will have to wait a little longer. My watermelons are sitting in the garden because there's no room in the fridge. I hope I don't lose them like I did the cantaloupe. Here's what my kitchen looks like tonight -

Here's the 6 pints (only!) of tomato sauce I finished tonight.

Here's some of the purple and a regular Cascade potato next to it -

Lee and his mother, Beth, came over to pick up their buckets and brought me more tomatoes. Beth is done canning and freezing and doesn't want to see another tomato for a very long time...Lol. She had always wanted to plant purple potatoes and never had so we walked out to the garden and dug some up. I guess Lee is getting purple mashed potatoes for supper tonight!

Renaissance Festival!

Festival time again! This time Ben and Maggie were with us for a few days while on the way to Duluth so they came with us, Aren and Becky drove down from Duluth, Anna came from St. Paul, and Emma brought a carload of "Cobbers" from Moorhead. Phew! Hard to actually catch up to everyone. But it was a beautiful day - cool and breezy - and if you're wearing a full skirt , feels really good! As you can see from the photos, some of us were dressed up, and others wouldn't quite get in the mood...
Here we are in the parking lot. As you can see, we brought Candy and Magic. Lots of paperwork to get into the festival but I'm glad we did. They were such conversation starters and obviously lots of people either had, or have, schnauzers. Lots and lots of attention, and both dogs did great!

Ben and Maggie look the part, of course. They've been doing this for a lot longer then the rest of us...

Aren got his turkey leg, like always -

Here's a good one of him and Becky. Course, can't see their eyes. So I don't know what they're thinking...Maybe "What a crazy lady!"

Anna was soooo happy to have Magic with her -

Emma and Lee made quite a couple - don't you like the parasol? Emma was hot...

I guess you need one of Candy too -

Looks like I take lots of pictures of family - of course! There were a few other photos but not as many. I ran out of battery (after lunch, obviously). We did and saw lots of fun things - not the least was the free beer tasting offered by - Schell! Yep, a few of us had trouble carrying our weight but it was interesting hearing about the history of the various beers and tasting them. Some were quite different from others! We also watched a little of the sheepdog herding demos like we watched last year. Of course I enjoy that!!!! Mostly it's fun to people/costume watch see the sights. I'd like to make this an annual tradition but I imagine it will become difficult as everyone slowly leaves the area. Well, we'll have to enjoy it while we can!

State Fair

State Fair! Can't forget to put in a word about state. The day was quite warm and Emma's Dairy Goat show started at 8:00 in the morning. Lots of children and goats to be seen. I love seeing all the different breeds too. Emma did great - got third in showmanship but won the livestock interviews in dairy goat and got her chair she'd been wanting to win! Good thing too - it's her last year!

It is quite an honor to win this - every 4H-er has to do the interviews and it's a panel of judges you have to talk to. I'm very proud of Emma for winning this!

Her goat, Maggie, also did great here. Unlike at the County Fair, this judge knew all about dairy goats and breeds and what to look for. Maggie and Emma won their dry yearling class for Nubians and they were second - or Reserve Champion - in Junior Nubian Dairy Goat. The goat that beat her was an excellent doeling also. Yeah Emma! Way to go!!!

The goat behind Emma and Maggie won the Junior Does. But the judge said it was the hardest decision he'd had all day - that they were very very close!

Right after Emma finished, Jacky, Anna and I had to go help the vets test the champions and reserve champions in the swine and cattle. I've helped now for 4 years but we were very short handed this time. Mike had me lead a team (of me and Jacky) and Anna was drafted too and went with Mike's son Bridger. We had a bit of wait in the swine ring while the judge decided who he wanted. I spent the time taking pictures of the pigs...

Jacky and I had the Reserve Champion Barrow. We needed to get a urine sample and a hair sample which are tested for illegal drugs. But trying to get your animal to pee is not the easiest thing! We tried everything with our pig. Even took him to the wash rack to wet him down. Nothing worked. Then Tom came along and the mother of the 4Her said he sometimes peed when his privates were massaged. So Tom gets down in the middle of the isle and proceeds to "massage" while all these people are walking around us. Of course he was successful so I will have to remember that for next year.
Cattle were after that and Jacky and I had the Reserve Champion Dairy Market Steer. Again, he didn't want to produce for us. Eventually, after we walked him down to the wash rack and let the sound and feel of water get to him, he did go for us. Jacky caught it in the cup and was quite proud of himself. All I told him is "Don't spill it!" It could be another couple of hours before the cow urinated again. Job well done. The lambs we left to Mike and Tom so we could get home. After all, tomorrow we would be picking Emma up and driving to Mooorhead. Whew! What a week!