5 Inches

5 more inches of snow today. I despair. It will never be spring. Winter has set in with a determination seldom seen.

Angus slept all the way through the night without a potty problem. Hubby got up with her and "B" at 6AM. After Bravo was done pottying, he raced into the house & jumped on bed with me; spraying his wet fur all over as he shook!

I must have fallen back to sleep as the next thing I heard was hubby beating on the door trying to get my attention. He had forgotten his house keys and I had to let him in with our lattes.

He went up to get the used truck (a super deal he says. . .) in the HooDoo Valley; and traded the truck he had for sale.

While he was gone, I had to clean up a "hidden" poop that Angus had left for me. She evacuated near her mattress, then proceed to step in it (remember - she's kinda clumsy!)

When hubby came home he wanted me to bring the Saint Bernard down to show Kevin R. So we bundled up, got her leashed up, and ambled our way down to the dirty shop. Angus got really dirty. She had a bath when she got back to the house.

After getting the mail, shoveling snow, writing letters, and making chicken for dinner it was time time to call it a day.

Hubby called to say that he was home and that Bravo had jumped out of the truck down at the shop. So I went to call for Bee-bo and he was already waiting patiently at the glass door! He tore into the house & was so happy to see all the other dogs. Seeming to be very proud of himself for finding his way down from the shop, he went around wagging his tail, wiggling his body, & kissing all the other dogs! It was adorable to watch.

Earlier in the afternoon before Bravo had left to have fun with the boys, I taught all the dogs to catch dog cookies in mid-air. Isabelle finally mastered this trick! She has been working on it for 4 years now! Maybe having the other dogs around made it easier for her.

Whoops!

Sat Nite.
The concert sucked big time as it was a concert venue for more of a bar than anything else. It was disorganized going in, and got worse as we had to stand for the entire concert. The only thing available to sit upon were tall bar seats. Ugh.

So we came home early. Picked up Wendy's hamburgers for the puppies. Went to bed early. Fuddy-duddies.

Sun
Picked up lattes on the way to Spoky-Jo, and Harriet started fidgeting. Seemed like she wanted to go potty. Panting, licking the window, etc. So we stopped a few miles out from home. But she is a home-pottier, and didn't want to go.

So we continued on our way. She kept fidgeting the whole way. The other dogs were acting normal, but Harriet just kept getting worse.

We stopped again. And she refused to potty. Oh no.

Finally arriving at our destination - JoAnn's Fabrics and purchasing the sewing machine at twice the price. I won't even tell you what I paid for it, because even tho I got the husband's OK, it was still VERY expensive. But hopefully this one won't crap after a few months.

Hubby was hungry by this time, so we went to Brucchi's for chicken sub sandwiches. Yum.

Then to Costco to pick up a few things. But not gas. Because fuel there is SO expensive with Washington state taxes.

Drove home. Unpacked stuff.

The puppies were rambunctious as they were cooped up in the truck for so long. They ran through the house playing. HOWEVER. While hubby was unpacking toilet paper in the bathroom and I was in the laundry room, Bravo & Angus decided to get a little TOO playful. We heard a crash. Hubby wanted to know if I was OK. I told him that it wasn't me that made that loud sound.

I wandered into the living room, expecting to find a chair had been knocked over or some other little thing.

What we found was that they had rammed headlong into the stove insert & shattered the glass. Thank GOD that the fireplace was not on at the time, or it would have been curtains for all of us!

I screamed for hubby to come look and we just gaped in disbelief. After checking both dogs to make sure they were not cut by the glass that had knocked out onto the floor, we put them in their respective kennels.

Then I proceeded to use packing tape to CAREFULLY tape the rest of the shattered glass on the fireplace. 3X2 foot of tiny, itty-bitty little shards were still framed within the black ironwork. Hubby was certain that I would cut myself to shreds, but it worked out quite well.

Now we have to purchase more propane as it is still snowing. We got 4 inches this morning! No end in site.

Then we will need to get a replacement glass insert.

Oh woe.

POSTSCRIPT-Angus had been having nightmares & semi-seizures in her sleep. I have never in my life heard a puppy cry & scream like she did when she woke up about 3-4 times every night. Even during the day there was no solid rest for her. She had also been in a "fog" since we picked her up. We had been feeding her Nutro dog food as it was what she had been eating since she was weaned, per the breeder. In researching what might be the cause of her problems, I found that this dog food is almost like poison and causes serious damage. Even though we discussed it with the Vet, he had no clue about what was wrong and had not heard anything adverse about Nutro. We then switched her to Purina ONE. The change is evident after only 2 days!!!! She is sleeping perfectly. She is more alive & aware. A different puppy.

So this is a warning to anybody out there that wants to feed their dog Nutro. Please don't.

She's Going To Be A BIG Dog

Yes. We know that. We already have one big dog. Isabelle tops out at 135 pounds now. She's a little bit heavy for a Fila, but this summer when we start biking again she will lose the weight. Everyone agrees that winter tends to put the weight on dogs. (and humans)

Dr Mike, the Vet said that she is 100% OK. He came into the office and gave her a big hug! It was so cute. But then, she is one adorable little puppy. A little dense, but adorable.

Her heart is OK, her ears are fine, her weight is within limits, her eyes are clean & healthy. They are checking out the poop that I managed to bring in to the office in a plastic bag. While we were there, the assistant gave us a free 6 lb bag of Purina Big Dog Puppy Chow. They also gave us a puppy book which has a coupon for $25 towards your next vet visit if you have 48 points (lbs) from bags of dog food. Naturally, we have WAY more than that. So when I got home yesterday, I clipped the weight tags from the bags, and sent away for it.

In other coupon news, we also stopped at the Liquor store the other day to pick up more Kahlua & Irish Cream Liqueur. Bailey's has a coupon to save $10 on 2 bottles of Cream Liqueur. So I also sent away for our rebate for that!

Every penny helps.

Angus' rescue keg collar came yesterday. It is a little bit too big, so she will have to wait until she is older to wear it.

Tonight we have special plans! We are going to see Blue October perform at The Knitting Factory!

Then on Sunday we are going to pick up my new sewing machine over in Spoky-Jo. Will probably have to take hubby over to Harbor Freight to make him happy, too.

Sleepy Puppies

All the puppies are sleeping now.

It's not snowing.

We did not walk Thursday morning as it was snowing & cold.

However, Angus and I went for a drag to see daddy down at the shop. As she is still mastering the fine art of walking, she happened to fall into a puddle after tripping over a rock. Covered with mud from her ears to her toes, we came home to take a bath. I was unable to get a pic as she was such a wiggle-worm in the bath!

Bravo ate ANOTHER hole in our down comforter last night. I really need to patch the pieces. . .will wait until B goes home with his mommy & daddy before I put out the new comforter to use. We punished him this morning by leaving him in his kennel while we went for a walk in the park with the rest of the dogs. Looks like Bravo will be confined to the kennel at night from now on!

Angus goes into the Vet today at 3PM. Afterwards, we will run into CDA for a few errands.

Hubby's new gooseneck trailer. Looks like we will have a new career after retirement hauling stuff around the country. Yeah. I'm thrilled.

Work on the 2nd building begins this spring. Look for pics to be posted.

Du Hast

Been listening to Rammstein on the iPod lately. Pretty good. Can't wait to bicycle this summer to some of these songs.

It snowed yesterday. It snowed today. It is snowing now. I really, really, really want spring to come soon. In town, the snow is all but gone. Wish it was gone here, too.

Angus' potty training continues. She is actually climbing down AND up the deck stairs! Yippee! So we don't have to carry her everytime. A Vet appointment for Friday at 3pm has been scheduled so we will be able to find out how much she weighs. I'm betting 40 pounds. Like a sack of roller ball bearings!



Pics of Angus:

The pretty pink belly.

Snapped this pic while she was sleeping. She has such terrific nightmares. Will have to discuss with vet.


Sleeping in the library.

She started chewing on one of the books. Had to reprimand her.











Climbing a snow mountain.

The alpine mastiff shows her true colors!

WHY do we have to have all these Darned Kids anyway?

A memorable direct quote from George Bailey in the movie It's A Wonderful Life.

I can't possibly tell you how fun it is to have all these dogs around the house. Well, maybe not all fun and games!

When we went for our walk yesterday morning, Angus was eager to tell us when she had had enough! She sat down by the edge of the road & refused to go any further. There were a few times that she couldn't quite get the hang of a leash, but soon Bravo was running out in front of her, showing her how it is done.

We really appreciate that little boy. He's like an older brother now. Herding everybody around. Telling all the dogs what to do & how to do it. He demonstrates how to get down the deck stairs to Angus. He plays with her & they both enjoy tug-of-war.

But my. Does he get jealous! He will bark & immediately butt into any petting of other dogs.

Bravo is also practicing his Big Top routine. He was walking on the back of the seat in the truck yesterday after our walk. . . and last night he sat on the armrest of the leather couch next to Harriet most of the night.

After our walk, we had to get a few groceries at Spirit Lake. All the dogs were quite well behaved in the truck by themselves for a few minutes.

Had to get up in the middle of the night to potty. On the downside, Angus started whining to go out. Hubby had to sit on the couch as his back was hurting. He dealt with the baby for the rest of the night. So he got little to no sleep. Poor guy.

Angus has a favorite spot to nap in the laundry room corner by hubby's chair. It is so adorable. I think she likes him better than she does me!

One little problem with the "new dog" is that when she potties, she looks like she is sitting down. It's very difficult to see if she is actually sitting or potty-ing! We will work it out. Just requires patience.

Angus

He's fur-fluffy, not fat!

Took the dogs for a walk in the park Sunday morning after picking up lattes. Kurt & Co. will be closed for the following two weeks to renovate, so we will have to find another drug dealer.

The park is still closed & entrances are blocked as there is over 2-3 foot of snow everywhere. However, the open area around the RC plane runway is very clear as the sun has been able to melt most of the snow. We parked the truck on the side of the road, and proceeded to leash up the 3 dogs. We noticed that Bravo has outgrown his last harness.

Isabelle started smelling the park as soon as we turned down past the roundabout. She was so excited. Even hubby and I were happy to get out in the fresh air for exercise again. The temps were high and not much cold air blowing. About 40F degrees. Spring is around the corner.

Damn string eater!

During our walk, Bravo had to poop. G-ross. But when the poop came out, it was being held onto his butt by a string. I had to bravely bend over to pull the rest of the string out - but it broke off! Even G-ross-er! Thoroughly washed his butt when we got back to the truck as he had hanging dingleberries and washed my hands too!

Show him who's boss!

We came home after a brisk walk to contact the breeders in town. Made arrangments to meet with them at 1:30. Greg stirred the turkey breast he has in the crock pot. Yummy. I can't wait until it is done.

The dogs ran in the woods (how they had any energy after that walk. . .) and while romping through the woods, Harriet t-boned Bravo. Big time. He went rolling in the snow and came in throughly soaked!

Up the down staircase.

It was a big RED letter day as Isabelle (quite a big dog, remember?) turned around in mid-staircase. Mostly because Harriet was blocking her way, but it was still quite an accomplishment.

Operation B-Minus begins.

We went to pick up the body-double in CDA in the early afternoon. She is just so darned adorable. I don't think that the kid will notice that 1.It's not Bravo 2.The dog is a different sex 3. The bark is completely different. 4. The dog is a different breed altogether.

Hubby said that we can purchase a voice-modulator to mimic Bravo's bark.

Isn't she adorable?

Yes. She is a Saint Bernard.

Yes. She has a boy's name. Blame the husband.

Yes. She is named after Angus Young of AC/DC.

Yes. At some point in her life, she will be wearing a miniature keg.

Yes. She's kinda clumsy and falls down over her own big feet. Huge feet. Enormous feet.

Did I say she was going to get big?

Covert Operation - Code Word (B Minus)

Deny, Deny, Deny.
Never Write Anything Down.
Don't Admit To Anything.

Rules learned while watching Burn Notice.

Our plan is to:

1/Find a Bravo Schipperke look-alike.
2/Purchase & bring home the doppelganger.
3/Name the new dog BRAVO.
4/Train the New B all the authentic B tricks.
5/Daughter returns stateside.
6/Good old Bravo (the original) goes to stay with neighbors.
7/Exchange is made.
8/Daughter goes home not knowing anything is different.
9/When the coast is clear, bring bona fide Bee-BO home!

Foolproof.

BreakthrougH

We had a small breakthrough of sorts with Harriet tonight. I was so darned proud of her. Overcoming her "kennelization" abuse has been quite a challenge. Thankfully, we have Bravo around to start things off with a bang!

Sorry that I am unable to share pictures, but I got into the dog play with them!

When Bravo & Isabelle started playing tug-of-war with an old white washcloth, Harriet bravely came over to try to tug in the middle. Then I got up and started playing with them. Alternately Bravo & Harriet, Harriet & Isabelle, Harriet & I, Isabelle & I, Bravo & Isabelle and Bravo & I all played tug. It was hilarious. The fun went on for about 20 minutes whereupon all the dogs laid down, totally exhausted. Harriet laid down by my chair which is also highly unusual-she is content most of the time to curl up in Bravo's little pet bed. While she was next to me, I petted her for quite a while.

We have also gotten quite a lot of comments to the effect that we should RETAIN (keep) Bravo as a permanent house guest. Both of us have grown quite attached to the little guy. It will be hard to let him go.

Thursday we excursioned over to Spoky-Jo in an effort to pick up parts for hubby. I got to meet Alan - an extremely nice young man who has a penchant for collecting LOTS of truck parts. Lots. He has LOTS of trucks parked around the home he still shares with his mother, and he has LOTS of trucks & parts at his 60 acres up in Ione, WA. We have yet to be able to get up to his property - he has lots of 4X4 junkets - has a whole mud bog up there. But we eventually will find some time this year. It should be fun.

While going through an entirely different section of Spoky-Jo than usual, we found the Antique section of town. Literally. A veritable multitude of Antique selling stores all along this area. We were driving by and I squeaked out "STOP!" to the hubby. Around the block and parking, we then walked down the sidewalk to observe all the neat things at this place~ The Pedal Car Emporium.

None of these are for sale - the owner states that he might sell them as a total collection sometime in the future.

I picked up a couple new pairs of shoes at Fred Meyer (gesh - Fred Meyer of all places!) and they are quite comfortable. Couldn't find any more than 1 pair each, but maybe can find some on-line.

Unable to find the nail polish I wanted to try sample desperately for the upcoming summer season, I will have to reluctantly wait to find it on-line. With the flagging economy, the stores obviously don't want to stock it yet. The China Glaze "Bahama Blues" summer collection. Won't my toesies look great in those blue!

Spring? I Don't Think So

It doesn't seem like spring here at all. St Patrick's Day came and went in a flurry of snow.

Isabelle went on walkabout today searching for the coyote that ambled through our property. (hubby saw it/I didn't see sit)

Hubby's favorite photo of Izzy on the deck today. Even tho there is still about 3-4 foot of snow everywhere, she was out there soaking up the sun. Poor little dog. *fat dog* See her big pink belly? She desperately needs exercise.

Bravo fell off the bed this morning when he jumped up to sleep with me after hubby left. I heard him drop. Plud.

Bee-BO also jumped out of the truck window the other day to run after a latte koozy. Hubby was on the cell walking around the vehicle when he heard him hit the ground. Sounded "like a wet rag" when he landed. He trotted off merrily to chase the koozy in the wind. . .

Harriet jumped off the deck when she was all worked up and running. About a 5 foot drop to the snow now. That dog is amazing.

Not AGAIN!

That darn dog chewed up ANOTHER down comforter on our bed. I am getting very frustrated with him.

He is over his puppy stage; almost a year old. So WHY does he continue to chew & tear everything to bits?

Hubby got quite upset - he rubbed his nose in the comforter and spoke to him in a reprimanding voice. Bee-BO was quite repentant for the balance of the day.

While we loaded up Isabelle & Harriet in the truck to go get lattes, Bee-BO was left behind to sulk in his kennel. His plaintive howlings tore our hearts in two.

The weather ranged from heavy snow, to heavy wet snow, to heavy rain, to heavy wind. By the end of the day, the wind was blowing with a very warm breeze of 40 F degrees.

As I have been gathering family info to insert into Ancestry.com page, I remembered that my father had foisted some famiy pictures onto me when we visited. Digging around in the garage and finding that they had NOT been thrown away (thank goodness), I am now busy sorting them and will have to scan & upload them to computer. Just one more thing to organize in my life.

Hubby thinks that I am preparing myself for "the end"; as many older people will do when they realize that dying is around the corner. I haughtily told him that "my time has not come yet!" so don't get too anxious to find another wife. . .

In other thougths, we will hopefully see Spring soon. It would get very depressing to keep having snow all the way into June like last year!

Tomorow we plan on going to get my nails done in the AM; picking up a few necessities (laundry detergent, milk).

Hubby and his older brother - - -

A Star Is Born

Bad Dog!

Hubby got home last night around 10:30; after 2 near fatal traffic accidents. One in Seattle when a woman driving a car & talking on a cell phone decided to STOP in the HOV lane so that she could changes lanes...talk about stupid. And another on Interstate 90 when a semi trailer & a Chevy pickup decided to fishtail on the ice.

Even after telling him repeatedly about daylight savings time, he still thought he had made it home before 10Pm. The dogs attacked him when he arrived. They were all thrilled to see "daddy" home again. However, Bravo had to be let out of isolation where I had put him after he chewed a GIGANTIC hole in our down comforter on our bed. The bad dog has been chewing everything lately. Is it just a phase he is going through or what?

While hubster was gone, I kept myself occupied by starting our family tree on http://www.ancestry.com/. It is very fun and interesting. I have already run into some very unusual things that I did not know before about the relatives. There is no hiding anything there!

After sleeping late, we ran into town to Costco to replace our comforter only to find they don't stock them anymore. So I will have to order one on-line. We also gave ALL 3 puppies baths at the Car/Dog Wash. Bravo jumped up into the wash basin while Harriet was getting her bath. It was so cute. He sure loves the water.

On the way home we made a quick stop at the local grocery store and hubby couldn't get out of the door. He thought he had broken his door handle. So he rolled the window down and tried it from the outside. Still nothing. I got out of the truck on my side and there was a huge chunk of ice hanging on the bottom of my door. It appears that while in town, it was melting and we drove through lots of slush. But by the time we got home, the temperatures had slid down to the single digits. So the slush froze on the truck, thereby locking us in the vehicle! It was so funny. Hubby finally got his door open.

Having gotten the groceries put away that we purchased at Costco, hubby plowed out the 6-8 inches of additional snow that we had received this weekend, then worked for a while at the shop. He got home later & we had pizza for dinner. Then fell asleep. Zzzzzzzz.

Captivated

Bravo was enchanted with the snow yesterday and spent a lot of time out on the deck, just gazing out into the woods.

The sun was shining this morning as more snow softly fell. We have an additional 3 inches. Shoveling the decks seems a never-ending occupation.

Hubby's supervisor contacted him the other day and asked him to come in for 1 day this coming week so he can keep his benefits up-to-date. Hopefully the snow will dissipate soon to enable him to return to work full time.

After doing another 45 minutes on the elliptical, I vacuumed, shoveled the decks, then washed the dishes.

Bravo slept with Harriet & myself on the bed last night. Instead of burrowing under the bed into his "fort". He is very NEEDY lately. Seems he misses grandpa. . .

Harriet & Bravo tore around the yard yesterday in the sunshine chasing each other. I convinced them to return after quite a while by offering pig ears. Harriet does not quite care for pig ears yet. Maybe the smell?

Prior to leaving for the weekend, hubby left me cute little cat drawings and notes all over the house. It was sweet finding them these past couple days.

Day 2 All Alone

Woke up at the crack of dawn to let all the puppies outside to go potty. It had started snowing. Again. Falling down like a whirlwind. There is already 2 inches outside.

Went back to bed for a while; then Bravo crawled out from underneath the bed (his fort) to come up and snuggle with me & Harriet on the bed. Except he decided that he was going to stretch out between my legs. And push. Hard. I got a cramp in my back from him resting on me like that.

Hubby left a couple messages for me and my phone beeped to wake me later. The temperature had fallen to 60 degrees in the house (brr) as the remote had been turned off (whoops). I snuggled under the comforter with two heavy, warm dogs upon me while I called the hubby. They got to Seattle quite late, dropped off the frame in Elma and then went to Kevin's friends' home to rest for a couple hours. Hubby had a bird-dog sleeping with him during the night. Obviously this dog had remembered him from last year and wanted to be close friends again!

Once the puppies had gotten me up and the house had warmed up a bit, I made bacon & chicken for leftovers.

Then did 45 minutes again on the elliptical while washing dishes. Trying to get into shape again for bike riding this summer. Both the hubby and I miss it a lot.

Typical boring day. Sure hope hubby has fun.

Isabelle & Bravo were soaking up the sun the other day.

This is Izzy resting all by herself.

Weekend Bachelorette

Look at those beautiful brown eyes. Aren't they just adorable?

Harriet's a doll!

Am just settling down with a hot cup of green tea. Hubby just left to go the the Auto Swap Meet in Puyallup, WA this weekend. I am all alone (except for the 3 dogs) this weekend!

Just got done with 45 minutes on the elliptical. I did 45 yesterday, also. Want to break back into it gradually.

Am FINALLY back in the land of the living. Tho, yesterday I had felt a little drained and weak again.

Our friend Chachi was unable to go to the swap meet this weekend with the guys as he got this stupid cold/flu from his 5th graders at school where he teaches.

Bravo is growing ONE white hair in the middle of his back between his shoulder blades.
Very odd.

My email broke down the other day, and when I got into it today there were over 396 emails. Ugh.

Last night, hubby had me go with him to Spoky-Jo to deliver a rear-end that a guy bought from him at the last possible minute. Every year it is the same. He has 1001 things to do before going to the swap meets. Always a hassle. They were planning on leaving before NOON today, but it is 2:00pm now. . .

Hubby, Kevin, Joe, Joe Jr, Joe’s friend Tom are all going in Kevin’s truck. Can you just imagine 5 guys; all over 6 feet and 200 pounds…fitting into one pickup truck with a gooseneck trailer behind? I dunno.

After a very WEIRD lightning storm the other day, it hailed/snow about 3 inches. It was predicted that we would get 11 inches and hubby was very worried as he didn’t want to plow before he left. But anyway, when hubster went to open the sliding glass door the other day, he broke the handle – the door had frozen shut! He fixed it before he left, so I have a door handle again! Yippee.

Tired of Being Tired

SAT-
All day Saturday, I sat around and did a lot of nothing. Then took a few catnaps.
I hate being so weak & tired.

SUN-
Hubby let me sleep until 11:25! Yippee. Again; I am so tired of being tired.
Once I got up, I moped around and watched TV until I was bored out of my mind. Hubby took an all-day nap.
Managed to play with the puppies a while.

MON-
Went into Costco to pick up a few groceries. Puppies just loved going in the truck for a ride. On the way home, we stopped at Joe's to see the German Shepherd puppies. Too cute.