Weekend fun...

Today is an awesomely sunny day for January.  We are so counting our blessings for such a mild winter, although without the snow, our fields will suffer come summer.  We took advantage of the sun and went for a nice long walk.  Even Sebastian, our orange kitty came a long.  Everything went pretty good until the puppies realized there was a CAT! Sebastian quickly made a run for the trees where he sat in the branches and watched from a safe distance.

Sadie was along this time carrying her ball and begging for someone (me) to throw it for her.  She gets so possessive that it was a little tense when the puppies were chasing her, but she did good and no one lost any body parts.

And Miss Tessie tagged along, she's getting so old, 14 plus years and counting, but she always goes with us.  The problem is that over the last year or so she has gone almost completely deaf, so the puppies running up and jumping around her, scares her a little and she's a little crotchedy, so its always an adventure with her.

Tessie teaching Brownie to read her lips!

The 3 Amigos, Green, Lucy and Brownie

Green Girl in full run, great Michael Jordan tongue!

Our beautiful Brownie Girl

And Lucy Lu, a Booner Jr.



More babies leaving the nest

After today we will only have 2 puppies left, by the end of the weekend, probably none.  We are so fortunate that we have found good homes and great families for them.  I feel really good about where everyone has gone and have gotten pictures and updates back from almost everyone.  Here is the latest departures

 Our Red Boy chillaxing with Bruce right before...

His new owners picked him up.  He is going to live in Nebraska with Walker, shes' a student at University of Nebraska in Lincoln.  Mom is on the right, her dad used to be my Doctor in Kiowa.

And today Pinky Tuscadero will become Molly Brown and move to Larkspur, CO.  Such a joy to have them in my home for a short while .

"Molly"

One more hppy family, they told me they thought they ahd just about bought everything you can get for a puppy at PetSmart, should be one spoiled and happy girl!

Fun with my sister

My heart is always happy when my big sis comes to visit for a few days.  It always seems like we will have so much time but the time goes by so quickly.  We spent a lot of time with the puppies, going to the vet getting them ready to go to new homes, putting me back together when I would totally fall apart, loving and playing with them.  I know she thinks she's not a dog person, but I beg to differ.  Animals instinctively know good people and they loved her.

Two of my favorites!

 We went to the National Western Stock Show where I think Karen was astounded at the cows being bathed, combed, clipped, puffed and prepared for show.  It's quite the operation and something to ponder...these cows are pampered like movie stars at a spa, crazy!

Chilling in the cow barn

Look close at the cows tail, they tease the end and spray it, kind of looks like cotton candy and the bigger the poof, the better.  We stayed until the people got so thick we couldn't move through the aisles.  We only touch a fraction of what was there to see.

We finished this awesome project too.  I had an old frame in the garage that we cleaned up.  We went to Home Depot and bought a full big smooth board (can't remember what the heck it was called" they sawed it into smaller pieces for me so out of one board I got 5 big pieces.  Next we painted the board with chalk board paint and then glued it to the framed and hung it.  It turned out so great and now I still have the other boards that we painted that I can either use in other places like my office and my hangar, but you could cut smaller pieces, use smaller frames and use them for gifts or classrooms, kitchens, you name it.  We were both happy with how it all turned out.  Just a hint that garage sales and thrift stores are great places for cheap frames.

Of course we made jewelry, Karen is a machine when it comes to stringing and she made some really pretty pieces that we didn't take pictures of, maybe she will and post them on her blog.  It was a really fun few days and I just love having that kind of one on one time with my soul sista.  Love you Karen!

Bitter Sweet Times

The past few days have been just that, bitter sweet.  Our puppies have been finding their way into great families and while I am happy and grateful for that, each one takes a piece of my heart.  Our Blue Boy and our Orange Boy are now gone.  Here are the really happy new families

Orange Boy who has been renamed Bacchus

Blue Boy who has been renamed Boston

Our congratulations to the new "parents" I'll post updated pictures of them in the near future.  I like the Winnie the Pooh quote that fits so well..."I will carry your heart in my heart, forever"

Fun in the snow

Very fun taking the puppies for a walk with Hoss, I'm not sure who enjoys it more!

Full Moon over the Plains

Caught this as I was driving home a couple of nights ago, it makes you stop in your tracks and watch in awe, the miracle of the place we call home.

Coming up over the rise

Another shot over the trees

I wish I had my real camera and not my phone, these would have been a lot clearer, but you get the idea.

Mellow Yellow's New Family

The Reinhardt's came out today to select their new puppy.  They seem to be a great family who lost their German Shepherd a few months back.  It was both fun and gut wrenching to watch the selection process, they were so torn between all the puppies.  They wanted a female so that narrowed it to 5, and I had sent pictures to them a couple days before so they thought they were going to pick the light green girl with the long coat.  After a long discussion between mom, dad and the 2 teen age daughters, we started to eliminate choices to help make it easier.  In the end Yellow Girl actually picked them and it was a match made in Heaven.  Being a little psychic, I actually knew somehow that Yellow would be leaving us today.  I was sad and happy at the same time.  She is going to a good home in Evergreen, CO and with any luck we will get to see pictures of her every now and again.  Happy Trails and good sniffing Wellow, Wellow!

I love the smiles, they are so happy to have a new family member and called when they got home to let us know they had all made it ok.  Here's to wishing them a restful night's sleep :-)

New Digs

Yesterday we moved all 9 puppies to a stall in the barn.  They are getting so big and their space in the basement was getting too small.  It was a hard day, I'd like to say it was hard on them because they are so attached to me, but the truth is it is the other way around.  I cried a bunch and worried a lot, I worked myself into a real tizzy and by the end of the day I was physically sick, yep puking and everything.  After the first bout with the porcelain throne around 10:30 pm, I went out to the barn to check on them and make sure they were warm enough.  We had set it up so they were corralled with hay bales under the heat lamp, but the little poops had found a hole in the hay and were all bunched up outside the corral next to the stall door...I was heartsick.  So I got everyone back under the light, fixed the bales and then laid down in the straw and paper shavings with them, they all piled on top of me in a real dog pile, it was nice and I cried again.  We stayed that way for probably a half hour or so and then the urge to purge took over again, so I carefully unpiled everyone and headed for the house.  To say the least, I was a total mess, puking, crying, worrying and all for nothing.  This morning everyone was fine and happy to see me.  I just miss hearing them and knowing they are right downstairs.  And yes, it is time for them to start leaving for new homes, so I will have to find a good way to detach, but it ain't going to be easy.

7 Weeks and the count down begins

Yesterday, yes on Christmas day, we spent a rowdy time taking pictures of the puppies.  They are looking more like litle dogs now and the size of the ears on some of them should be a little tell-tale sign of how big they might get, as well as some of the paws.  I want to do a new shoot since for me the light is too bright and there is too much distracting crap in the backgrounds on some of the pictures, but my hubby loves his bedroom, so to get his help, I have to concede something.  Anyway, enjoy and pick your favorite.  We are hoping to solidify buyers in the next couple of weeks so they will be leaving the nest shortly. 

 Little Boy Blue

 Brown Girl (Stretch)

 Yellow Girl and friend Rocky

My Little Red Boy

Purple Girl, her ears kill me!

Pinky Tuscadero

My Sweet Orange Boy, he is the sweetest puppy ever!

 Light Green (Spring) Alpha Female

Dark Green female (second sweetest, but tied with Pinky)

Cha Cha Cha Changes...

Sorry I haven't posted updated pictures for a few days, but my life has been filled with, feeding, cleaning, playing, feeding and so on.  They are growing fast and are topping out at about 13 lbs as of today.  Dira weaned them at 5 weeks which was the 10th, so keeping a feeding schedule and keeping them happy is a full time job.  I brought a couple of them upstairs to get Bruce to help me and they promptly dog piled on him biting his ears, they are quick and the teeth are sharp as heck.  I wish this shot would have been a little sharper, but you get an idea of how big they are getting.  This is Spring, the light green female, the Alpha dog and the biggest of the litter.

 The Alpha in the pack, surprising since you would think it would be a male.  She is also most likely going to be a plushie, long coat like her mom.

 This is the dark green male, he's a little smaller by maybe 8 oz. and a slick coat like his dad.  He was so intent and interested in the TV.  Just like his master, Bruce.

 Watching Fox News like he knows what's going on.  It was the only time he held still, too funny!

 Me and the dark green male, so sweet when you have them solo, they just cuddle up, but put them with the other siblings and all heck breaks loose.  I really love these little critters, it has been such a blessing to have them in my home.  I wish I could bottle the sweetness that is puppy love.  It will be a sad day, or maybe just a bitter sweet day when they leave us.

5 Weeks goes by too quickly

It's 5 weeks and I can't believe it has been that long, seems like a blur really.  A couple days ago we moved the puppies to their new crib in the basement, lots more room to run and poop.  They are right under our bedroom so I can hear them at night, mostly when they are playing or barking at each other.  They are really developing personalities and the play is non-stop, but of course so is the growling and the barking.  There is always someone being dragged around by a tail, ear, leg or something.  I am loving every second of it and drinking it all in as they will begin to leave the nest in 3 short weeks.  Here are the 5 week solo shots.  Pick your favorite!

 Blue Male

 Brown Female (Stretch)

 Dark Green Female

Light Green Female (Spring)

Orange Male

 Pinky Tuscadero - Female

 Purple - Female

 Red - Male

Yellow - Female

4 Weeks and growing like weeds

We tried to take offical pictures yesterday, but our subjects were a little unruly.  It was fun but we will need to try again.  Hard to keep them all in check, not let anyone fall off the bed and try to keep as much of my hands and head out of the picture.  Hope these make you smile.