A root Cellar?

I went to the bank the other day and the teller asked if I had a dog now.  I said, "yes, but he is only allowed in the fenced pasture when I'm not with him.  Did you see him on the highway?"  She said, "Oh no.  He was in the yard just digging away and tossing dirt everywhere.  Then he would run around the hole he was digging and just seemed to be having the best time.  He must still be a puppy but he looked pretty big already."

So, needless to say when I got back home I let the dog out of his kennel and we went out to the front pasture. Thor gets to spend a lot of his day out in the front pasture/garden area.  He has some of his toys out there with him and the goats don't know the gate between the areas is open so they leave him alone.    Sure enough he has a couple of holes dug there.  Both of them are already at least two feet deep.  Maybe he is digging for water or he knows I have wanted a root cellar to store veggies in.  That isn't quite the location I had in mind for the root cellar.  Realistically, however, I suspect he is trying to get the gopher or mole family that has been making gardening in that area a real challenge for the past few years.  Go Thor!  I hope you catch them.

Don't forget the furry friends

Tis the night before Christmas and all through the town, 
every shelter is full - we are lost, but not found, 
Our numbers are hung on our kennels so bare, 
we hope every minute that someone will care, 
They’ll come to adopt us and give us the call, 
“Come here, Max and Sparkie - come fetch your new ball!! 
But now we sit here and think of the days… 
we were treated so fondly - we had cute, baby ways, 
Once we were little, then we grew and we grew 
now we’re no longer young and we’re no longer new. 
So out the back door we were thrown like the trash, 
they reacted so quickly - why were they so rash? 
We “jump on the children:, “don’t come when they call”, 
we “bark when they leave us”, climb over the wall. 
We should have been neutered, we should have been spayed, 
now we suffer the consequence of the errors THEY made. 
If only they’d trained us, if only we knew… 
we’d have done what they asked us and worshiped them, too. 
We were left in the backyard, or worse -let to roam- 
now we’re tired and lonely and out of a home. 
They dropped us off here and they kissed us good-bye… 
“Maybe someone else will give you a try.” 
So now here we are, all confused and alone… 
in a shelter with others who long for a home. 
The kind workers come through with a meal and a pat, 
with so many to care for, they can’t stay to chat, 
They move to the next kennel, giving each of us cheer… 
we know that they wonder how long we’ll be here. 
We lay down to sleep and sweet dreams fill our heads… 
of a home filled with love and our own cozy beds. 
Then we wake to see sad eyes, brimming with tears - 
our friends filled with emptiness, worry, and fear. 
If you can’t adopt us and there’s no room at the Inn - 
could you help with the bills and fill our food bin? 
We count on your kindness each day of the year - 
can you give more than hope to everyone here? 
Please make a donation to pay for the heat… 
and help get us something special to eat. 
The shelter that cares for us wants us to live, 
and more of us will, if more people will give. 


Author unknown


Merry Christmas to you and all your loved ones, furry or not.

Another Freeloader

We've named him Stumpy.  He looks like a purebred Manx.  Very large head, chunky body, long hair and no tail.  Possibly he was dumped here...or maybe up the street at the neighbors, but he seems to be here to stay.  He is very friendly to people and really thinks he should be inside.  The original resident cats have screaming fights with him, but no blood has been shed.

I'm pretty sure if the neighbors next door didn't already have two huge cats, this one would be moving in there with them as their little girl (as well as Momma) really like him and always ask if I've seen him if he hasn't been around during the day.

Thor's First Chicken episode

Hopefully Thor's first chicken episode will be his last.  The rooster was where he shouldn't have been, on the west side of my house.  The rooster is now missing 95% of his tail feathers and a large chunk of feathers from his back.  Thor obviously was playing and not trying to kill it or the rooster would have been dead.  Thor did drop the bird as soon as I yelled at him.  He knew he was in trouble.  He was severely chastised but I'm not sure I put the fear of death or dismemberment in his mind for the infraction.  I did not strike him.  However, if it happens again sterner measures will be taken.  He also chased one of the cats today.  He is obviously feeling quite comfortable at Prairie House now.  Discipline will apparently need to be increased as he is very much still a puppy in spite of his size.

Maybe I'll just turn him over to Mulberry and Ginger.  They are good a getting his attention and keeping him under control.

Six wasn't a magic number

Alas, six is not the number of young an opossum bears.  It is at least 7.

Last night in the small chicken house another of those rascals was residing in a nest.  This time I baited the trap immediately with that valuable commodity...the egg.  Within an hour I had him in the trap and under the water.  I'm sure tired of dealing with these creatures:

We can't keep up with the demand for eggs and cannot afford to have one of those ugly things having complimentary dinner on Prairie House.  I have been turning away people wanting eggs...especially those who have never purchased eggs from us before.  I had the eggs we set aside to sell to the food coop in a separate refrigerator in the shop.  While I was gone getting a permanent, some customers decided they were fair game and bought those.  I'm afraid some of our regular coop customers may be disappointed this month.

 Looks like I'll need to keep the shop locked up when I'm gone...honor system be damned for now.

Thanksgiving or Christmas Cactus??

Either way, I think they are really pretty.

That sneaky Ginger

Thor has been a really good puppy since he arrived.  He stays close by whenever we are outside.  Sleeps all the way through the night.  Doesn't bother the cats.  Doesn't chase the chickens or turkeys.  Doesn't torment the goats.  But that didn't stop Ginger from teaching him goats are nothing to mess with.

Thor and I were in the barnyard yesterday.  I went into the chicken house and he patiently waited outside.  When I came back out Ginger was staring at Thor intently.  She looked at me, then turned away and started eating on the bale of alfalfa I put in the wagon for the goats.  I no sooner turned around and headed for the gate than she came charging at Thor and tossed him hind over front.  He yelped and beat me through the gate which was only gaping open a little at the bottom.

Today he said "NO WAY!" when I opened the gate and went into the barnyard.  Smart puppy.