Barn Swallows

Ooh, been so busy lately. Today was actually a pretty slow day at work so I was able to catch up, or start catching up on a few things. I did spend a few minutes watching and taking pictures of a family of barn swallows outside our front window. They made a mess of the window, but I figure we can clean up after they fledge. You can tell they aren't far from leaving the nest! Actually they have left for flying practice and then come back for meals and sleeping.

My new camera does a pretty good job! I have to show this last picture. When I started clicking the shutter to take the picture, I had a perfect line up of orange mouths. But by the time the picture actually took, the parent was in the middle feeding someone. When the picture was done, the parent had already left - fast work! And hungry babies to feed!

Had dog training class tonight. This is my first class which is taking another 4 weeks to get ready for the Canine Good Citizen Test. Everyone is doing great and I am very proud of all of them. I think they had fun too. My new class which met Monday for the first time will be a challenge - at least some of them. I have a 6 year old lab and a 4 year old Airedale Terrier - same owner. Totally out of control and well established bad behavior. I had to put a training collar on right away so the Airedale wouldn't eat the 'poochon'! I guess the poochon is a cross between a poodle and a bichon frise. I will have my work cut out for me and I know I don't get paid enough for this! But I do it so the owners and dogs have a better life together.


Airedale Terrier



Poochon

Busy surgery day tomorrow. Dental on a 3 pound papillion, glucose curve on a diabetic cat, OFA xrays for registration of a registered dog, scraping the corneas (on the eyes) on a cat, a finally a pyometra (infected uterus on a female dog).
Won't get much else done I guess but it's job security!

Thursday

Long day. Started at 5:30, work at 7:15, finish work at 5:15, start last dog training class at 6:15 and end it at 8:15. Home at 9:00 and the girls weren't home so animals weren't fed and put up. Jacky putting up our first corn so I went out in the near dark and put away the animals for the night. Got on the computer and Ben was on so spent a few with him (he was ready for bed) and girls came home (Anna from Mankato, Emma from Lee's house). Phew! and tomorrow is my long day...
Last day of training went very well. I had everyone fill out an evaluation form and looked at them tonight too. Everyone seemed to enjoy the .8 weeks of class. I know they've made a lot of progress but they also have a ways to go. All the feedback was positive and they are almost all going to come to my 'extension' classes. I'm adding another 4 weeks to get ready for the Canine Good Citizen Test, hopefully middle of September. We start that next Wednesday night because I'm starting another "Dog Manners 101" on Monday again for another 8 weeks. Also 3 of my students from this class recommended me to friends so 4 dogs in my new class are there because of these first students. I hope I'm deserving of this! We've had a whole lot of fun and sometimes my insights into the dogs have surprised the students, and even me when they turned out so true!
Tomorrow will be a super busy day - and ACL surgery, an entropion surgery (where the eyelids are turned in and the eyelashes rub on the eyeball), plus a cat neuter and a dog spay. I'm also trying to fix the boarding mess my coworkers made in the 4 days I was gone (just Saturday, Sunday, off Monday for Livestock interviews in Owatonna, and Tuesday my day off). I came in this morning and they're like, "Lori, you better look at the boarding, I think we're over booked!". Well, yes and no and it took all morning to straighten it out. We are quite full with a waiting list. and one of my regulars went somewhere else because we had no room. Another regular called today and expected to get in this weekend. I forgot to call her back but I really don't know where I'd stash her dog....
Better get to bed. Hopefully will talk to you tomorrow.

County Fair Time!

Busy, busy week. Emma's last county fair as a 4H-er. It's hard to believe the years and years of showing at the fair are almost over.
Emma has done very well. Her drawing got Grand Champion in Crafts and Fine Arts. She can't show it at the state fair because she will be back at school! Her lambs both got purple ribbons and 1st and 2nd in their weight class! - and 4th and 7th in the state fair line up. They were fantastic! Out of about 60 lambs I would guess. Very very competitive. This is only the second year Emma's done lambs too...

Ashley is next to her in yellow with Emma's second lamb. They are put in a class based on their weight and Emma's were only 2 pounds different. Obviously you can't hold two animals at the same time so another
4H-er is allowed to show one of the animals. Way to go Emma! Fantastic job!!!!
That was Wednesday night. Thursday night was Goats. Wish I could say the judge was ok but he was horrible. Not anything new in 4H. Sometimes I think they just put a warm body out there. Emma had the only Nubian Dairy goat.They put all the dry yearlings together and Maggie was 5th out of 6. The judge's reasons and the goats he put ahead of her made no sense whatsoever. Emma will be taking her to State Fair and I hope this judge is watching when "Maggie" does well there. Emma did get Grand Champion in Senior Showmanship. Great Job! She also won the Goat Interviews, Senior division!

More to come on the Meat goats. Tomorrow is the last how - Llama show at 9:00. So to bed!