Hi Julie, Norma, Woody, and 'bug and anyone else who may stop by!

Woody, such good news about the MRI. Funny, I never think of Misty as being that old, but then I can't believe ours are eight and seven years old either. I like picturing Misty on her short walks-bet she loves those still!

Norma, have a wonderful weekend at the lake. If your weather is as spectacular there as ours is here, you can't help but enjoy it.

Julie, those caps made me laugh. I HATE it when I do that unintentionally. ;). Hope the pup keeps doing well. Gosh, it is hard to see our pets hurting and/or aging. I think you are wise to get Adrian identified before middle school. I am a special ed teacher and MS can be so difficult for our kiddoes. The added support can make all the difference.

'bug, Ivy is such a joy, isn't she? I love the story from DD!

I worked in the yard a little today. Still watering like mad. Chuck is painting/staining the deck. He has been at it since the last week in July! Obviously, not working steadily. I don' t have the heart to point out that it is really a deck in need of replacement. He is working so hard sanding and all, but seriously, the deck is a disaster. Oh well, it looks better and with luck this will help it last for a couple of years.

Did I mention that I have started replanting in the back where the dogs had destroyed the garden? They have calmed down some since we first adopted them, so I thought I would chance it. When the grandpup is here, I drag chairs to block or cover some of the new plants and that has worked fairly well. Hostas in a couple spots aren't looking too great, but the shrubs are okay so far. However, the walled area (retaining wall behind garage) is still a favorite spot for Annabelle to dig. I am now running the drip hose in an attempt to make the soil damp enough to send the chipmunks elsewhere. Stupid dog.

Which make me think of Chelone. I am so glad you heard from her, 'bug.

All for now. I need to either get back outside or get out of these disgustingly dirty clothes!

Oh, and I love those clems, Julie. So envious of you, Woody, and 'bug who all are so good with growing those!

Cynthia

Just a fly-by post... Randy headed out this morning to visit his father and sister in Calgary. It was an eventful flight! Here's his discription in an e-mail I got a little while ago....

-----
About 90 minutes out of Toronto there was suddenly a loud scream: everyone looking around to see where it came from. A male flight attendant came along & 4 rows in front of me there was a black woman @ 30 years old at most. She then started yelling loudly:

"There is a bomb inside me" -which got everyone's attention to say the least! She then started a non-stop stream of wild ramblings e.g�..

I'm a black Jew
I'm full of electronic particles
I'm a Canadian, do you want to see my passport
It's my vagina, what do you make of it?
What are they doing in Ottawa? It's a conspiracy
I live in Toronto
It's all racism
I listen to rock 'n roll
They are all pedophiles & perverts
It's the fault of the gas station by my house in Toronto

You get the idea�. Very quickly people understood that this was some sort of psycho-medical breakdown & not a serious safety issue.

Across the aisle from me there was a Canadian soldier who volunteered to help: he sat in the seats behind her ready to help restrain her if she became physical. Interestingly, they kept the cockpit closed & neither pilot emerged during the entire one hour of the incident.

It took about an hour to land in Winnipeg & we zoomed right into a gate. Two security guards in black came on & a cop hovered in the background. Everyone was trying to talk her to leave on her own steam, but she wouldn't budge. They then announced that everyone else had to leave plane. The passengers in front of her exited & then suddenly she got up and "went with the flow" - no big fuss. Speaking later to one of the passengers who got off, she said they put her in a wheel chair & restrained her arms & happily that was the end of it without any violence.

I was afraid that they were going to make everyone get off the plane & they would remove the luggage as well, but we got back in the air again fairly quickly - a 45 minute visit to Winnipeg in all.

So it went on flight 1151!
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Barb is staying here while Randy is away, and her middle daughter, Laurie, is here tonight - as is Liam (Border Collie), so I've got lots of company while Randy is away.

Whoa! Sounds like the airline handled that very well. Glad to know it all turned out okay. Sounds like you and Misty will have fun while he is away. Love that the border collie is named Liam-that just tickles me, although I am not sure why. Very cute.

Watch below. Look for the baby bat attached to Momma...and more!

Here is a link that might be useful: WOW!

Happy October one and all!

Not much sun today here...and the forecast is for an entire week of rain. We shall see.
Here in Ontario we have some beautiful fall colour.I have made only a few timid steps toward "fall cleanup". Both a peony and a batch of yellow lilies have been given away. The peony was pretty enough, just that they occupy lots of real estate for such a short period of bloom.
Yesterday we harvested the last of the eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. I cut back the asparagus too. I should have waited longer but it is a job I prefer doing when there is still warm air outside. Picked carrots and beets too and roasted the beets for our dinner.
Had to go fix the wheelbarrow tire today in the shop. DH tried in vain yesterday.
Today was "Debbie Day" and so I am happy to start the week with neat surroundings and cleaner windows! Off to rest a bit after being ill last night. A good book should cure all that!

Feel better, 'bug. At least with rain, it makes it easier to allow yourself the luxury of taking it easy. I wish we would get rain for the whole week-we are still so dry here.

Happy October all.

Hola my friends...I have a new computer ..at least quasi new as I bought a refurb unit. I had to remember my log in and password here ! My old one was at least 15 years old and on it's 2nd hard drive. No way it would have been able to handle the new photo software I want to install.
Woody, great to hear about your MRI, but sorry that Misty is having some issues. Elderly pets are such a challenge.

'bug I read your blogs religiously but often can't comment(this seems to be the case on all Wordpress blogs--except Denises for some reason. Just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you !

Cyn, I'm going to have to make sure you are on the FB IU10 group..plans are in the infant stage , but it looks like we will be on Long Island this year.No dates yet.

We are seeing alot of Chelone these days over on FB . She is busy as 'bug says..compound improvements and more floor cloths !

Ok , back to baseball

Kathy in Napa

Hi there Kathy! Congratulations on the new-to-you computer! Hope the transition works out well. Yes, Denise's blog is a wonderful one to follow! I'm not sure about the various problems accessing blogs. It seems some people have issues with Blogger, others with Wordpress. So far I have been lucky I guess. Also, I am hoping that Long Island will be a possibility for me!

For those who remember him, I have recently been in touch with Kaveh- who also has a very fine blog. His father is in poor health and the whole family is under great stress at this time. I am eager for him to return to blogging in the hope that this outlet will bring him some joy. Recently he has had one of his garden designs installed for good clients and I hope he shares this on his blog soon!

The past week has involved celebrating my 70th...a long drawn out celebration involving way too many cakes and pies and restaurant meals. One friend gave me compost for the garden, another a sweet necklace, another a book, another a flower vase that attaches to a mirror or window, another a trip to an amazing nursery...and DH gave me rain chains for the garden! Then there was the chorus of Happy Birthday from the grandchildren etc... Quite the drawn out occasion, highlighted by the best year for colourful leaves I've ever experienced!

Tomorrow will be Thanksgiving here and there is a great deal to be thankful for as well!

It won't be baseball here that I turn to now (at 8am) but cutting back more in the garden and saying goodbye to a visiting friend.
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'bug

Happy Birthday Marie!

Nice to 'see' you Kathy...

The forecast here has been calling for rain for most of last week and this coming week. So far, we've only had one night with some rain (~ 1/2" - very welcome indeed!) Did you get some good rains gb? At least with the cooler temperatures things are not drying out quite as quickly now. We were at Northland Nurseries yesterday morning to pick up a few things and it was very, very chilly with a strong wind up there on the top of the Escarpment! We didn't linger long :-)

We're heading out to a friend's for Thanksgiving dinner later this afternoon, so we need to get busy here to cook our contributions to dinner.... (cranberries, a 'turnip puff', apple pie and butterscotch brownies....) We won't be staying long after dinner because I don't like leaving Misty alone too long now - plus she's fussy about taking the Metacam pain medicine. Since it has to be taken with food, we're only going to leave a bit of supper out for her and feed her the rest, with the medicine, when we get home. Poor little mite is looking very sad these days :-(

Happy Thanksgiving 'bug and Woody!

Thanks, Kathy. I would love to make it this coming summer and Long Island would be fairly close-comparatively speaking!

Happy belated birthday, too, 'bug. Hope it was a grand day!

Sweet Misty is in my thoughts. Hate to think of her looking sad.

We got a little rain, too. I am hoping for more today. If I dig, it is still dry only an inch or so down. Nearby, they received over 2" of rain last week. We got half an inch. Makes me a tad grouchy. Hope you get lots wherever you are.

Now, off to contemplate butterscotch brownies....yum.

Good Morning everyone!

Managed to get through Thanksgiving in peace. We have had frost here the last two nights, so what is left of my garden is looking decidedly sad. I now make myself go out for an hour every decent day to cut back and dig up. Much more fun to plant in the spring than to clean up in the fall!

Woody, I am sorry to see that Misty is still not well. How sad. Have you had her for all of her fifteen years? Ajax is still on the Metacam. He actually likes it, and comes to sit at my feet when I take the box out of the fridge. He probably associates it with having dinner. I was trying to give it to him in the morning so he would feel better all day, but he often does not want his breakfast. He always eats dinner.

While Kelly is in Africa (how great that sounds!) we are sitting for her dog as well. So we have three zesty little Bostons for the month of October. Raia is very slim and fast, and has multiple food allergies. Tucky is a chunk, will eat anything and everything, and not fit. Ajax has the gimpy leg and eats when he is hungry. He is just the perfect size for a Boston. So it does keep me occupied trying to make sure everybody gets the right food, the right amount of food, and appropriate exercise every day.

I have decided to completely redo my back garden - Woody, I might pick your garden-design brain sometime this winter - I am sure I will need advice!

Sounds like your birthday was a blast Bug! Congratulations!

I hope to make it to Long Island as well this year. We are thinking of getting travel docs for Adrian and driving to NYC so that he and DH can have a short holiday as well. Everything takes so much planning! My brain is stuffed!

Kathy, did you get a refurbished laptop? I am lobbying for a second one to put downstairs. Adrian is quite the gamer and getting computer time is getting more difficult.

Adrian has a host of doctor and cousellor appointments over the next three weeks. He is having a lot of problems right now, but we are handling it o.k. I will have to change his name from TCS (you might remember the Thanksgiving when he ate Three Carrot Sticks for dinner) as this year he managed the mashed potatoes, scalloped corn, and salad.

I hope you all are having the weather you need to keep your garden stuff over the winter to come.
We are fine for rain now, in fact lawns etc. are way too lush, but I think the perennials are hydrated enought to survive the winter.

Cheers all!

Julie

Hi Julie! Misty was around 6 when we got her. We're not entirely sure of her exact age. It's a long story... Barb, who works for me part-time, years ago had a pallitive care client. The woman's son got Misty as a puppy for his mother (who gets a dog - let alone a puppy! - for a dying person?!) The woman did not like dogs! So Misty ended living in a closet. Barb was the only one who cared for her and looked after her. The son also didn't like dogs and would do things like kick her out of the way.... Unsurprisingly Misty learned to bite to protect herself. As the woman reached the end of her life and needed more care, Barb started taking Misty home with her so she was out of the way. When the woman died, the son told Barb to get rid of Misty. Barb took her to the Humane Society, but they said they couldn't put her up for adoption because of her biting, so would have to put her down. Barb didn't want that, so she took her home. But Barb is a single mom and had three kids, two of them quite young at the time. She was also working multiple jobs and going to college to upgrade her skills, and she knew nothing about training a dog and had no time for walking etc. So she treated Misty like a cat :-) So, while Misty was cared for, she spent a lot of time alone and didn't get much exercise and no training. (She was paper-trained for bathroom duties...) When Barb started working here, she told me about Misty. I said if Misty and Chelsea would get along, she could bring Misty to work with her. Chelsea was not a fan of most dogs, but she seemed to not believe little dogs were really dogs! So Barb started bringing Misty to work. It was 3:00 the first day before Misty would let me touch her! Soon we were taking care of her overnight at times when Barb was away somewhere. A few months after Barb started bringing her to work, Misty started hiding when Barb was getting ready to leave at the end of the day! It soon became clear that we had ourselves a new dog....! So Misty has happily been a member of our family for about 9 years now. I think a large part of her problem is arthritis in her spine. She has a very bumpy section in her back now. She's still eating fine most of the time but walking is difficult for her, especially by the afternoon. She's almost as deaf as me now too :-) Plus she has cataracts in both eyes, although she's not yet completely blind. So she's definitely a rather sad old lady now but is still reasonably happy and lovable. It's going to be hard to decide when it's time to 'pull the plug'. I'm hoping she just dies in her sleep some night.

I'm not sure how much there is in my brain to pick re changing your garden! But I'm happy to make what's there available to you :-)

Aacckk, Julie, happy Thanksgiving to you, too! Can't believe I forgot you were in Canada. Peace is good, although how you managed that, I don't know. Sounds like a lively place with all those pups. Hope all the appointments go well. You are amazing.

Woody, Misty's early life story is so infuriating, but she sure did find herself a wonderful family. Love that she started to hide when Barb was ready to leave. She is one smart dog! I'll bet it is hard to believe you have had her for nine years. I know I can't believe Annabelle and Clouseau have been with us for six+ years. It seems more like two!

I actually had a productive long weekend. Checked off a couple of big Julie Jobs-cleaned out and straightened the two linen closets...new shelf paper and all. Now, I just keep opening the doors just to admire them! ;)
Got lots of regular cleaning done and got out the winter clothes. Moved some furniture out of an area downstairs which was starting to look like a storage area which it is NOT. We just have too much stuff. Looks better now.

Good night all.
Cynthia

October continues to "be a blast" as Julie put it, but November is gradually turning into another anxious month with DS and his friends reappearing... They are interesting and fun, but it will be tons of time, work and money. Oh well, I wanted kids and I still have them at 36 and 41 years of age.

Today I accomplished a bit more cutting back of the garden...but there is so much left to do and only rain rain rain in our forecast.

Then there were the big anxieties popping up once more with D step GS's manipulations. ARGH!
I shall survive!

This foliage lifts my spirits:
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'bug

sneeze, sneeze, sneeze
lemon & honey in my tea
shivers

I expect to be cured FAST! No time for this.

Hope you are all well!

sneeze, sneeze, sneeze
lemon & honey in my tea
shivers

I expect to be cured FAST! No time for this.

Hope you are all well!

Thinking of Misty!!!

Today is odd job day: cleaning out the eaves of the house, some painting in the basement, etc...

The last clematis of the year.
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TGIF!

First hard frost here this morning - about two weeks early!

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How's your cold gb? There's been a nasty one going around - I'm trying hard to avoid it!

Frost here too. Brrrrr!
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It was a sunny morning though as we drove to Paris (Ontario of course).

Still fighting the cold off, but not feeling too awful.
Ivy had a fall and her teeth came through her chin! Sarah did this when she was little too. Sigh. Her teeth are fine and she'll be OK with probably a bit of a scar. I expect a photo....

Lots of company, also lots of rain.
I hope to get more garden cleanup accomplished soon as there are a few sunny days predicted for next week.

Here's Ivy with her chin bandage-
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Still some leaves on the trees here-
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Hope all is well with you lurkers!
'bug

My goodness, Bug! Ivy looks so grown up! And so gorgeous!

My last two weeks have been filled with appointments for all of us - doctors, dentists, the vet, a couple of specialists, consellor for Adrian....the time has just flown by!

I have managed to get most of the garden work done. I mentionned before that I would be picking Woody's brain for ideas for my triangle garden at the back - but I will take all and any advice into consideration! It was hard to put that garden to bed because I don't like it. So I didn't want to work on it. But it is done for now. I still have garlic to plant and a rhodo to wrap but that's about it.

In the house, our basement leak has been repaired, the insulation, vapour barrier and drywallin the office replaced, the carpet ripped out, the walls primed, the ceiling primed and painted, and the trim bought and primed. The stair carpet is gone, the crummy quality wood steps repaired and filled, and all is sanded. The primer and paint for them arrived today, so tomorrow I will be painting. As soon as I have the walls in the office painted, the floor can go in. DS thinks he can do all of the flooring in one day.It was kind of good that the leak appeared in the only room we had not redone since we bought this house. It will now be beautiful, and hopefully will function as an office once again, instead of the "box room" it had become.

In the next two weeks, Adrian has a large project due. He is doing a part of it at home, but assures me that the other three sections are almost completed at school. Everything is supposed to come home to be put together on the last weekend. Doesn't give much leeway if the kid forgets the work already done, or leaves it on the bus or something. He also has his 11th birthday that weekend and in a moment of weakness we agreed to a sleepover party. This is two days after Hallowe'en and the same day that he sees his pediatric specialist. Not looking forward to that week at all. And then we can start getting ready for Christmas *LOL*

Kelly, however, is swimming in the Indian Ocean this week.

I hope you are all enjoying fall colours! Beautiful here, and I thought that after the drought the fall would be dreary. I have Gabera daisies and tiny geranium cuttings blooming in my solarium window already, giving a little touch of cheer indoors.

Cheers,

Julie

Julie - my goodness; you've been a very busy lady! What don't you like about that garden area? Pictures...? We haven't done a lot of fall clean-up here yet, although it's starting now. 90% of the ash leaves are down now - there's no point to doing much until they're down. Randy was cleaning the eavestroughs today - it always makes me nervous when he's up on the roof with the leaf-blower :-(

gb - Ivy looks like a cute tomboy :-(

I am NOT finished with garden work at all. So much left to do, but today they delivered fire wood for our wood stove this winter, so I had to stack as much of that as my back could tolerate. DH is doing more right now. Tomorrow thunderstorms are predicted, so we must cover the rest with tarps until dry weather returns. I have also worked a GREAT DEAL on leaf mowing to grind them up for mulch. What a pain though.

Talk of Adrian's project makes me nervous. I know all the concerns about losing things on the bus. (a library DVD, a bus pass, and a wallet last month alone!)
Skyler had a week off school(WHO ON EARTH CREATED OCTOBER HOLIDAYS??? That is the best school month of the year!) which was spent with Sarah and their family. That meant 2 weeks of extra school work and tons of practice on concentration, reading comprehension, following math instructions and practice working on his own without a parent hovering. This resulted in an 84% on his math test Friday, which certainly is an improvement over 43%. In any case, it does show he CAN do things if he cares to.

Hardly any blooms left, but lots of leaf colour and ornamental grasses still. Those may vanish with this week's rains though.

We've had loads of company lately and will again in mid November and early December. I'm rather hoping we do NOTHING but stay home solo for Christmas!

Ivy and Leo Play-
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Daddy and Leo eat ice cream
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Ivy eats ice cream too
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Just wanted to share this:(Maybe you'll need this Julie!

We had our basement floor painted with special stinky Alkyd paint over a week ago. It was AWFUL, and then we were having guests spend the weekend here this last Saturday & Sunday. I didn't know what to do about the smells. We had opened windows, doors etc, but nothing helped! So I checked Google and they suggested chopped raw onions in bowls of water. So, with only 2 hours left, I drove off to buy half a dozen onions and began chopping! Within 2 hours the smell had dissipated a great deal and by evening it was gone! WOW! Never again will I use that Alkyd stuff!!!

Thanks Bug! Yup, the primer is Alkyd. I will buy onions tomorrow!

Hope that Randy got off the roof the right way :)

Cheers,

Julie

Julie, they say to add vanilla to the primer before you start too! Seems it won't alter the colour at all.

Here is a link that might be useful: concerning paint smells

Handy tip re the onions and the paint - I'll have to keep that in mind for the future.....

We just got back from our weekly volunteer session at Dog Guides. All the dogs there are very nice, but Gladys is our favorite. When personality was handed out, she got a double dose! :-) When she's in the holding pen in the training area, she spends a lot of her time standing on her hind legs, waving her front paws around to get someone to pay attention to her! She's a cuddly sweetheart when we groom her and is a happy worker in training. (If you're wondering why my nose is red, it had recently had an abrupt encounter with the very sturdy skull of a Lab - I bent down just as he raised his head.... ouch!) Volunteering there is such a fun thing to do.

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Don't tell the squirrels, but ALL THE BULBS ARE PLANTED!!!

Exciting news! Our name came up on the waiting list for a 'failed' Dog Guide dog! Friday we'll be bringing home a 14 month-old black male Miniature poodle named Quark. He 'failed' the temperament criteria to make it from the foster home to the training program. He has 'resource sharing' issues, although they assure us that they're minor and he's a friendly, sociable dog with both people and other dogs. There's a 2 week trial period when we can return him if there's any problems. Hopefully he'll get along well with Misty - and her friends, both human and canine.... Since he's coming straight from the foster home, he only has basic training that the foster parents provide. But it also means the cost is fairly low - $500+tax. I was expecting it to be more; dogs that have been in training at the facility do cost more - not sure what though as it depends on how far along they are in training and the reason for failing out. The next few weeks should be very 'doggy' here as we all adapt to each other and we introduce him to our extended dog pack :-)

Yay Woody! Pictures, of course.Will you be keeping his cute name? Our DD arrived home on Sunday from Africa - pretty much the last flight from D.C., and has now taken her dog back home. My two guys, especially Tucker, are a bit despondent without Raia. DD was pleased at how happy Raia was, and has contacted a shelter to take a second dog. Raia needs a pet!

Did Sandy cause any problems for you? We were hunkered down with supplies and candles and water - and it ended up being a sunny day today! A little breezy, but certainly nothing dramatic. Some of our other Idyll friends had some difficulty - Sue was out of power, and I don't know about Deanne. Liz posted on FB that she could really hear the surf pounding, and Brenda and "the boys" took the day off from harvesting due to the wind. Have you heard from Marie??

I am pleased that most of the outside work is now done...on to fall cleaning and basement reno! DH painted the first coat on the office today, and I finished the first oil primer coat on the stairs. I may actually get a second coat on this week, and then I can start the top coats. What a job. But I am pleased at how much brighter our stairway looks already.

Friday is a very busy day for us: Adrian is gatting a Kiwannis Terrific Kid award at school in the morning; it is also his eleventh birthday, and he is seeing his paediatrician in the afternoon. He is having a sleepover party in the evening - so probably no sleep for any of us! He also has a big project due on Monday - at my insistence he is now pretty much done that. Good thing, as of course, Hallowe'en is tomorrow night. I will be canvassing for funds for our local animal shelter at ten on Saturday, so DH will be dealing with the party aftermath. I am anxious to get this week over!

Take care!

Cheers,

Julie

Please keep us updated with photos as things progress with Quark!
Phoebe

I'm sure there will be lots of pictures.... :-) We'll probably keep his name but give him a nickname too (Misty's is Monkey....)

We've had wind and rain from Sandy, but nothing excessive - no big branches down from trees - so far at least! We've got lots of fall clean-up left to do so we'd better get some nice weather again soon!

We have one dead spruce tree which came down, also lots of large live spruce branches. Supposed to be freezing (or below) at night, starting Friday.
My brother in New Jersey has been eating cold meals. :( The police predict 7 more days without power too.
My activities are more centered around the fireplace these days, but there is plenty more to clean up outdoors before winter is allowed!!! The cats have been catching mice who sneak in the basement. UGH.

We have caught one mouse in the kitchen too. It's death was grisly, glad I found it and not Adrian! Funny, same cupboard we caught one in this time last year. Must check again to see if I can find the entry. Glad you folks are o.k. NYC did not fare well at all.

Cheers guys!

Julie

Pterodactyl anyone?
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Introducing.....

Cole! (Formerly Quark....)
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Cole/Quark had been adopted out 3 weeks ago but came back because the husband developed allergies. They changed his name to Cole and we preferred that, so he's now Cole here too.

He's an energetic little guy - some obedience training definitely in his future, although the place we want to take him doesn't have a class we can join until January. He's a bit bossy but, so far, he and Misty are getting along fine. They're both asleep near me at the moment. Cole seems to have attached himself strongly already to Randy so I suspect he's going to end up as more Randy's dog than mine! (Randy grew up with a black miniature poodle...)

A couple more pictures:

He needs a good comb-out!
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Misty checking him out:
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WOW! Hard to believe he's 14 months old, especially when I see him with Misty. What a good thing that Misty is quite used to other doggies coming for visits. I bet she wonders when he's leaving... Lots of fun in your future! Aren't you glad that you don't need to toilet train him?!

Misty's nose is a bit out of joint I fear :-) I think she senses he's not just a visitor.... Yes, I'm glad the house-beaking training is done, but there's lots more training he needs! He's got very big feet, so I'm wondering if he's got more growing left to do. I think we need to get his hair cut now so it has a chance to grow out before it gets really cold. His coat is quite long now and it'll be a mess if we don't get it cut soon.

I think Cole is splendid looking Woody ! I hope you don't cut his hair too awfully much !

I haven't been over here to visit in so long, maybe I'll do better this winter. It's been quite busy at the awfice and I feel a bit drained when I get home. Our weather has been really nice , still hitting the 70's in the daytime though it gets down to the 40's at night.We had two very welcome rain events in October -at last I can roll up the hose and be done with it til next spring. I need to get my pop-up greenhouse out and erected..once November hits our first frost could arrive anytime.

'bug, I tried to comment on your blog this week but once again was asked to log in to my (non-existent) Wordpress account ! Just know I read and enjoy !

A few updates: Cynthia has retired as of Oct 31st..Chelone continues to produce beautiful floorcloths and a new pergola has been erected at the Compound...Saucy continues to search for an 'indoor' job...Eden outdid herself on the Halloween decor this year, and Bella was a peacock..

all for now !

Kathy in Napa

Hello my friends..I see there is a new photo upload option so I am trying it out !

This is Van Damme State Park on the Mendocino Coast

That looks like a peaceful place to hang out Kathy :-)

Cole is keeping us busy. He's a generally happy little boy - but he does have temperment issues and can be a bit snappy. Guarding toys were what we were warned about but the biggest issue seems to be about sharing treats - he wants more than his fair share! We're training him to stay out of the pantry entirely - that's where we feed Misty, so to give her peace to eat, he has to stay well away. At this point, I have to sit across the doorway while Misty eats to ensure he stays out, but he's getting better.

He's very dominant/bossy so we were a bit worried about how he'd get along with some of our regular doggie visitors who are also a bit bossy (e.g. Blue) But he met Blue on the weekend and they were fine together. Barb has been bringing her oldest brother's little something-or-other (!) with her when she comes on Thursdays. Booboo is very cute and smart but and odd looking little beast. He's very dominant too. Yesterday Cole met his match in Booboo! They chased each other endlessly around the backyard, obviously both having a great time but neither willing to concede to the other as to who was top dog! I think it ended up as a draw :-) But it was very funny to see little Booboo hop aboard Cole and start humping away! When Barb pulled him off, he'd continue to 'air hump' for a few minutes. It was hilarious to watch! Cole didn't seem offended. He was a timed little boy by evening though!

Barb and the little folk:
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On a sadder note, Randy's father ended up in the hospital two days ago with a serious lung problem. The prognosis is not good....

We have had our first frost last night, so this afternoon I put up my pop-up greenhouse.When I got home from the awfice yesterday it felt really cold, and it was clear too, so I took precautions and moved some of the tenders in the house or garage. My biggest concern is always the frost-sensitive succulents and the begonias. Frost is predicted for tonight as well, but I am ready ! I finally caved in turned the heat on in the house yesterday too..I always try to go to Nov 1 before using the heat and I went quite a few days beyond that this fall ! Got the thermostat set to 64, and will turn it off overnight.

((Woody and Randy)), sorry to hear that Randys dad is ill.

All for today,

Kathy in Napa

Yahoo! The painting of the staircase is done! In two weeks I can install the carpet treads and the whole thing will look 100% better than the crummy carpet that was there. Certainly a cleaner look! I thought often of Brenda as I donned my painting outfit; and of Liz, whose materpieces look like faux marble. My job is just plain white. Daily wipedown, and maybe a repaint in a few years. but I have had this look before in my old house and it is surpisingly attractive. Next on my list today is a bunch of phone calls, and then a big TSP scrub of my kitchen ceramic floor - a huge Julie Job.

I sweep the kitchen every day and damp mop about once a week, but this big clean occurs about three times a year.

I am already getting cabin fever and I have been in the house for about a week. Sidelined by a cold and by the weather.

Cole is very cute, and probably used to getting his own way. When Raia is here she and Tucker have a ball and Ajax is the third man (dog) out. When Raia is gone Tucky follows me everywhere looking very remorseful; and Ajax becomes very cuddly. Kay has taken in a very abused Cane Corso Mastiff puppy, who, at less than a year of age, is already about 90 lbs. This big girl had very little training, but Raia, who is about twenty five pounds. is busy showing Zurei what to do. When Raia sits, Zuri sits. When Raia lies down on a cushion in the living room, Zuri follows suit. They both have crates of their own too, and when Raia says "It's bedtime" Zuri crates herself as well. Kay is an exemplary dog owner, and walks the two of them for an hour in the evening after work, and takes them to the dog park on her off days. Zuri is a big (!) hit at the dog park, as she is quite timid as a result of her background.

I am sorry that Randy's father is not well. This time of year is so dreary that I think many elderly people suffer from a version SDD and slip downhill a little. I hope he improves and is with you for a while longer.

I better move on if that floor is going to get done! As the saying goes "It's not going to wash itself".. Wish it would!

Take all,

Cheers,
Julie

Julie - we have to do that periodic serious scubbing of tile floors too. I've never tried TSP though - that sounds like a good idea. How much do you use?

Cane Corsos are scary dogs! Tell Kay to be careful!! One thing we've learned from having two abused dogs (Chelsea and Misty) is that you can never totally trust them because you can't be sure that you know all the things that trigger their fear response that they learned in the abusive situation. She needs to be always on her guard even if 99% of the time tha dog is fine with her. The 1% can happen fast and unexpectedly so always be wary.

Cole is definitely My Bossy Boots! We took him over to Randy's brother's place on the weekend so he could meet Dexter (big Airedale). They happily ran around the backyard together - but it was Dexter who ended up on his back in the submissive position! Cole's smart and he's learning the rules here but he's a challenge at times :-) Cute and lovable too!

Hi Woody!

Kay does in fact know what Zuri's issues are, and has been very well coached by the rescue group. If anybody can care for this dog, it is kay. The adoption process was quite rigourous also.

When I use TSP I dilute it 1 part TSP to 20 parts water. I also rinse with clean water after washing. And wear Rubber gloves. And test a surface first - it removed the gloss from my kitchen countertop!

We are having great difficulties with TCS right now *sigh* The medical establishment has not been very helpful and we are at a loss.

On a lighter note - I have just completed my last mowing of the year. Imagine having to mow in November when it is typical to have snow here by Remembrance Day! At least the grass is not likely to grow much now. And it is easier to pick up after the dogs in the early morning because the poop is frozen :)

Cheers,

Julie

Julie - While Kay has probably been told as much as the rescuers knew about the dog's situation, she still needs to be very alert to what causes the dog to react negatively. For instance, we knew Chelsea had been kept in a garage but what we noticed were things like
- she hated to be in any space that felt confined and where there was no obvious 'escape route' where she could easily get away from someone approaching her; in a situation like that she'd snap at anyone she didn't know and trust coming towards her.
- anybody leaning over her and extending a hand towards her was likely to be snapped at.
(From that all we assumed she had been backed into a corned and hit....) So we then tried to avoid placing her in a situation where she'd feel trapped. You could not get her into a crate under any circumstances!

Misty generally reacts more negatively to men than women - but burly men particulary scare her. She also does not like anyone running towards her - either from behind or coming towards her. When we first got her, she'd run to the end of the leash and snap at anyone jogging past us on the street!

So, Kay should be alert to the sort of situations the dog reacts to so she can anticipate problems and be prepared and/or avoid situations that can trigger a negative response. Once you can anticipate the problems, often a warning Ah-Ah said in advance is sufficient to settle the dog down and avoid a tense encounter, once the dog has come to trust that Kay means safety.

I just wanted to share a comment about abused dogs. Years ago, a stray dog followed me home. She was beautiful, like a slightly taller, more slender, more delicate Welsh corgi. Anyway, she seemed to be terrified of men because she wouldn't let DH touch her for a couple of weeks. However my dad visited and she loved him from the beginning. We figured out she was afraid of men with beards and glasses. DH had both and Dad had neither. When DH would pick her up, she would freeze in terror.

Later we found out who had dropped her at the landfill and he had glasses and a beard. He probably picked her up and threw her out of his truck.

Later she became so confident that she would jump to shoulder level and throw herself backwards for us to catch her. She was less than 6 months old when we got her, the vet estimated. She died at 14 and was a super companion for our poodle mix. They loved each other.

Nice story spicebush!

I had a fall today and broke my left tibia! I'm back in a wheelchair again - it's going to be long winter I fear...

Julie - can you please pass on the the IU folk that I won't be going so there's no need to include me on the e-mail list (but thanks for including me )

Oh no Woody!! At least it's not gardening season! Take care....Can youy do walkies with the chair? Please let us know how you're dong - often.

Cheers,

Julie

Oh Woody ! So sorry about your accident... I think Saucy used an older list-I asked her to send out an e-mail for me because all my contact lists are on my old computer which is unplugged. I will see what we can do to amend the list.

A week of rain is on the way here--fungus corners !

Kathy in Napa