JUNE-it's here

Any more fencing will involve either a contractor or my favorite son.  

About the new dog, if there are no photos-it didn't happen.

Retiring is civilized.  Work is really over rated.

The new format may just work!!!

Hi everyone, I was not sure where to post this, so, forgive me if this is not the right place. :) I am working with friends on a project to help improve lives and lower the abandonment rate of dogs.  It's called Edumal (EDUcating our aniMALs).  Can you help us with our information collecting?  We have a short 7 question survey.  You will receive a 20% voucher for online dog training through our project website, EduMal.tv

Every little bit counts!

Survey title: Dog Training to Improve the Lives of Dogs

www.surveymonkey.com/.../7ZLMJS5

Thank you for your help!

Woof! Woof!

Hi -- man, life has been a race lately ... boss has been crazy about going on his vacation (he always gets panic-stricken before he leaves and this year he's gone 4 days longer than normal and he had a bigger than usual melt down).  Gal who works with me has given her notice (her last day is when he comes back *rolling eyes*) so we put an ad in Monster which generates a ton of utter crap -- everyone just ticks off a box and sends their resume to anything listed no matter if it's anything they want or are at all qualified for.  Ok vent over.  *grin*  

But then David and I went to see the Rolling Stones last night -- wow -- great concert.  I haven't had new drapes in 30 years, but dang we do the stuff WE want and we had fun.  But holy cow -- 60,000 people at one concert??  It took us 2 hours to get TO my car (which we left at my work partking lot which was about 3/4 mile from the stadium??) LOL -- but you don't dump that many people out onto the street and have them all get where they want to go at all quickly LOLl -- but dang it was good.  Far better than we expected.  I can NOT believe some folks paid like $450 for BAD seats.  David got ours early  so we both went for about half of that).  

I may never BE able to retire, but  I would SO not be good at what you guys do so well.  Yard work?  yuck.  even if I was hale and hearty digging in the dirt has never been my thing.  And Doug - I hope Vlad appreciates you!!  Callie is SO good at turtle and possum and all species rescue except for ... bats 'n snakes.  *chuckle*  I'm glad he posed so prettily for your picture.

Good luck with the boss's pre-vacation freak-out, Callie.  I can sympathize!  I can also relate to your vent about unqualified job applicants.  I worked on a search committee last year and had the same experience.  It's one thing to apply for a job when you have several of the qualifications but are missing one or two -- you want to try, just in case something else stands out on your resume.  But we were hiring for executive level positions, with very specific educational and experience requirements, and the number of applicants who met almost NONE of them was astounding.  

Doug, your garden and wildlife photos are cool!  It took me a minute to identify the little birds hidden in there.  I've always been fascinated by bats, so little Vlad is pretty neat!  I don't want one fly at me, but looking at them from afar is interesting.  They have creepy little vampire faces, but there's something cute about them in a weird way!  And I do appreciate that they eat so many bugs.  I'd much rather have a dozen bats living around my house and yard than one snake!!

Kate, so happy to hear your news about a new family member and your workload change.  Eager to see some photos when you get a chance.  I hope all of you are settling into a nice routine together!

New plan with my MIL -- hoping to bring in skilled home health aide team on a daily basis so she can remain in her current apartment.  She doesn't want to move, and in the end, it actually will cost less to hire someone everyday than what it costs at the assisted living facility.  DH has given her an ultimatum -- this can be the new arrangement if she is cooperative (key word) and lets them bathe her 2-3 times a week and escort her to the dining room for a few meals.  No more lying in bed 24/7, expecting everyone to wait on her, refusing to bathe or dress.  She's capable of more than that, but she turns everyone away when they try to get her going, because "she's comfortable right here in bed."  I just want the stress level to reduce for DH -- that's my primary concern, no matter where she lives.  It's taking a big toll on him since his siblings are all hundreds of miles away and he's doing it all on his own.

On a lighter note, Ruby defended her title at our humane society's annual Fun Run/Walk event yesterday -- she tied for 1st place again this year in the "My Dog Will Eat That" contest.  She ate all kinds of things, even tofu, jello, a radish, a walnut, and an oyster.  So many dogs drop out after they introduce a carrot or any veggie, but Ruby barely takes time to taste whatever DH offers her, so she was a shoo-in as a winner!

Oops, I meant to say that the concert sounds great, Callie!  Going to live concerts is probably my favorite entertainment, and to see someone legendary like that is fantastic.  The expense can be high for some of those major performers, but it's worth it if the show is high quality.  That's how I felt when we bought tix to see Bruce Springsteen 3 or 4 years ago.  Worth every penny!

Mosquitos have hatched.  May have to set up a blind, put out some bait, and shoot them.  12 gauge with high brass steel shot may work for the small ones.

Set up a large fenced area for Sky.  He is impressed

Almost done.  Now to get some kids who have never read Tom Sawyer.

Garden is looking well.  The grapes are excellent, and have attracted the attention of a crow.  Joy!!

!

The milkweed is a crop-Monarch butterflies feed on them.

And the pests are doing well also

The little boy is really handsome and polite.  At the park, he greets every new arrival.  At home, he welcomes people politely, then gets comfortable on the sofa and just watches what ever is going on.  If I am at home, he is usually attached to my hip or is on my feet.  He still has not had a haircut.  A few trims, but his body hair is staying close and tight. He does have a mane on his chest and neck, and feathering on the front legs.  See if I can get him out to my WMA photo spot and get a portrait on the big rock.

@FrisbyPI

So, the big (75 lb.) news here is I adopted a third dog. Yup, I am officially nuts. Rock is his name, and Walker coon hound is the breed

Rock is a great name :) congrats to him and to you.  Happy to see that you are maybe going to retire, alittle anyway.  

Summer is here.  Portrait of 5 million MN wood ticks:  Actually this is a picture of a sand and gravel pit recycled as a WMA.  Sky is there in the middle, running his legs off and apparently hunting frogs.   I was surprised.  The left side is the northern bluff of the Minnesota River, with about 400 more acres of WMA on top.

I like this rock for dog portraits.   I've used it with Piper, Gunther, and now Jr.  The other side was in shade, and Sky doesn't show up well in shade.   Now that he understands "sit" and "stay", it's easier getting a picture.  Between the ticks and the mosquitos, I am surprised we survived.

Good boy Sky.. great pic Doug,  I cant wait til Garth understands "sit" , "stay", "no" and "don't bite my feet" :).  Seems like he is always in trouble.  I know this too shall pass but I am really ready for that to happen.  He is so dang smart but I am ready for some positive training.

It is raining here over and over and over again.   That does not help much with a puppy that needs to run of some energy, lol.  He doesn't mind the rain but he wants everyone else in the house to go outside with him and Hot Shot is just not in to it.  

Take care all, think about our Texas friends  some of them may have to build a ship soon.

Haven't been on here in a bit and what a shock. Looks like this forum may work. They've cut a lot out and that's a good thing. Just way too much in that other format.

Enjoy your pictures Doug. Very jealous of your gardens. My garden activity may be curtailed somewhat. I got poison ivy from somewhere in our yard. Still have lots of garden work to do too, as have many perennials that have to be thinned out and more mulch put down. Poison Ivy started with one little spot, just before we headed to Vermont for a weekend trial. That was on Thursday and by the time we got home I was an itchy mess. Got started on Prednisone finally late Tuesday afternoon. Still itching quite a bit but hopefully by tomorrow things will be starting to get better. Have an 11 a.m. Dentist appointment too....getting my crown put on my implant..finally.

Sounds like a great concert Callie other than the 2 hours to get to the car. Like you said though, 60,000 people aren't going to get anywhere too fast.

Tracy sorry about your not getting your Mother-in-law into the Residence. Hoping things work out okay and that your hubby gets a bit of a break.

If anyone would ever like to go to Vermont, check out the Von Trapp Lodge outside of Stowe. What a beautiful spot for a dog agility trial, though I think the mountain air had Corey a bit crazy. He's always a wild boy but seemed even more so this past weekend. Was great fun though.

Please do share that we are listening and trying to improve the experience, with any users that y'all know that have drifted away. We will want to add features to the site to make you want to come back. The first are the kennels, we are hoping to encourage dog walking groups and interest groups to have their own spaces. We may also consider adding a dog adoption zone where you will be able to list dogs up for adoption. Please do post ideas in the community support forum.

Guess what?  It finally quit raining in N.W.Arkansas and the sun is peaking thru.  The downside of all the rain is the humidity and mosquitos that are sure to follow.   Oh well, glad to have a little drying out time.   Have a great evening everyone.  If I don't see you before then, Doug hope you have a great father's day.

It was a dark and stormy night.  Woke up about 4AM.  Wind was building, rain and hail, and a light show.  The river is about 3 miles south of us and it's prairie all the way, so I had a good view of the bolts coming in from the south.  They tend to hang up a bit at the river and it makes for a good show.  About an inch of rain in about an hour.  Sky was a little nervous, but settled down.  We are getting into tornado season, so we watch the weather closely.  

Our house was built with a storm shelter in a corner.  About 10 ft square, concrete roof, and we use it to store canned goods.  We have used it several times, as our local lake (Swan Lake) is a shallow area that generates tornados. And mosquitoes.

At the dog park today.  Sky was running with a new dog and having a blast.  They almost collided, but Sky performed an acrobatic trick.  He jumped and spun 180º, legs outstretched.  Think "starfish".  He was watching the other dogs face the whole time.  He landed on his belly, facing the other dog , slid to a stop and stood up.  A bunch of us father types were escaping the house and having a nice time at the park with our dogs.  Several hours, and Sky is resting comfortably now.

glenmar here is the June thread