Puppy Profile

We got this little sweetheart of a puppy dog about a year and half ago when she was six months old.

She is a Yorkie-poo, a cross between a Yorkshire Terrier and a small Poodle.

We had a large breed dog many years ago right after we were married, and he lived to be thirteen.

He has been gone for over twenty years, and I wasn't so certain I really wanted another dog.

All the shedding, the smell, the care, and expense of a large animal wasn't something I really looked forward to at this point in our lives.

I always figured cats were the way to go for a pet - they were better able to care for themselves, and a purring kitty is very calming and soothing.

But then, I met, Mya.

She's tiny - about 12 pounds.

She has hair, not fur, so she doesn't shed.

Her weekly showers keep her ever so soft and oh so clean.

She follows us everywhere - inside and out.

Going for a ride is one of her favorite things.

And she is most entertaining in her playing and prancing about.

Those bright eyes and that wagging plume of a tail show us her love.

This little soul makes me laugh, and brings such joy into our lives.

I really don't know how we got along without her all these years.

She is such a gem, and a more perfect match for our home could not be found.

Life is good with this little puppy dog!

The First Chick

It happened a little over four weeks ago.

After sitting on her clutch of six eggs for three weeks, the first little peep hatched.

Mama was very protective yet proud to show us her baby chick.

Over the next couple of days two more little ones joined the first.

We candled the other three eggs, and since they didn't have any chicks, we removed them from the nest box.

Watching these little chicks grow has been a great experience.

And watching Mama teach them has brought many smiles.

To see these small chicks mimicking the larger ones is too cute - especially the dust bathes.

More pics to come, for sure!

Baby Goats

The little farm of my daughter's is growing.

Chickens and rabbits and goats have been added over the past year, and now that spring has arrived, the babies are coming too.

The hens are brooding on their eggs.

The rabbits are still separated at this time.

But the goats have been the center of attention for the last few weeks.

There has been a set of twin girls and two single births that were each male.

Two of the mamas were first timers - as was my daughter to all of this.

She was nervous about it - but those mama goats handled it all themselves without any problems.

The little baby goats are so cute and full of life as they hop around and play.

There are two more ladies who will be delivering their babies next month.

Her little herd is increasing at just the right pace for her to handle.

The chickens are next to have their babies.

And those little peeps will be just as cute as those baby goats!

Another Winter for Rusty

Each winter I fear will be his last.

But with his determination and spirit, he always makes it through.

Rusty, our pet feral cat, came to us over 14 years, that we can figure.

Actually I think he has been around longer than that, as I remember our pet cat chasing him out of the yard, and he has been gone for over 15 years.

He refuses to come in the house - the wild in him just won't allow it.

But he is with us every time we step outside.

He follows us to get the mail, to shovel the snow, or just to walk around the house.

If we are working outside, he will be laying beside us, keeping us company and purring all the while.

He permits a pat, just barely tolerates being picked up, but when the brush comes around, he can't get enough of it.

He has put his winter heft and thick coat of fur back on.

And he is still at the door every morning and evening - he is not about to miss a meal.

We will continue our care for him as long as he wants to stay around.

And from the look of him, I believe he will make it through another tough New England winter.

ABC Wednesday - D is for Drink

The animals at the county fair are always a big hit in the autumn.

And the that first weekend in September was a steamy one.

This thirsty cow was so happy to get back to her stall after the showing.

She drank all the water and the bucket was promptly refilled for her.

She didn't even mind me going right up to her to snap the photo.

We couldn't wait to get out of there ourselves and head straight to the lake for a swim.

Most times we are bundled up against the chilly fall air, but that year was a hot one for animals and people alike.





This is the twelfth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details. 

Surprise Visitor

For those that have followed my blog, you know that last spring we had an opossum problem.

They were living under our house, and we repeatedly set a have-a-heart trap to catch and relocate them.

After catching nine opossum, we caught two skunks and one very hairy and large raccoon.

We figured we caught all the opossum.

We started hearing noises again this fall and put the trap back into action.

The opossum have returned - but only one so far.

This morning we looked out the window to see the trap had sprung.

And what was in there?

A Blue Jay.

Having a fit and making his loud calls of protest at being caught.

And sitting on top of the trap was another one watching him flap back and forth inside.

Seventeen degrees was too cold for my camera and me, but what a sight it was.

He was set free and the trap is ready again - hopefully that bird learned his lesson.

And we can get back to relocating another opossum family - one by one.

ABC Wednesday - O is for Opossum

O is for Opossum..........




 

A couple of weeks ago, my "J" post featured a critter in "jail"

At that time, he was the second Opossum that we had caught in our have-a-heart trap.

We gave him a new home a couple miles away also.

Since that post, we have caught two more of these creatures.

Thinking that they were returning, we squirted a small spot of paint on the third one's rear haunch.

  The fourth one was not the painted one, so we put a different color on him.

Well, I still hear another one under the house.

Can't wait to see if he has any paint on him once we catch him.

If this keeps up, there is going to be a whole family of rainbow opossums living a few miles down the road!

 

This is the tenth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - U is for Unblinking

U is for Unblinking..........




 

He stares straight ahead.

Unblinking.

Totally ignoring the black clicking thing that sometimes gets too close for his liking.

 Not letting anything get to him, he held this pose as I closed in on him.

He could only stand it for so long though.

After the click, he just had to get up and leave.

I do appreciate the cooperation that he so sparingly bestows on me though.

Every once in a while I can get a decent photo of our feral cat, Rusty.

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

A Garden Helper

A Garden Helper




 

This past summer I had a helper in my pot of basil.


She hid under the leaves during the heat of the day, and in the evenings, she would appear on top of the leaves.


The spray from the watering hose would send her scurrying back under, but as soon as it stopped she reappeared.


She wasn't afraid of me, and I didn't bother her.


She worked at keeping the pesky bugs away.


My basil grew beautifully, and she had her family in the hosta plants below the basil pot.


We both lived peacefully with each other - being that she stayed outside.


If she had been inside, well, I can't say she would have raised a family.


Everything works well when we all respect each other's space!

ABC Wednesday - J is for Jabber

  

J is for Jabber..........




 We have had a visitor these last few days. Our 21 month old grandson. It has been such a joy to have him here - playing and caring for him. One of his favorite things to do - stand in the door and jabber to the kitty on the porch. Rusty squints his eyes in appreciation of the attention then curls back up on his pillow to take a nap. A passing bee then catches the little boy's attention, and he is off jabbering again about his find. We are going to miss him when he goes home tomorrow. But that just gives us a reason to take a trip up to see him and his Mom and Dad.

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - F is for Frog

  

F is for Frog..........




 Not quite sure where this little guy came from, but we found him on a rock beside the driveway. He hopped onto some mats we were cleaning and stayed there long enough for me to photograph him. He is white, or a very very light gray with black markings on his back. It's the first time I have seen a frog with his coloring. We have lots of the brown and green ones around. Haven't seen him since but I do keep my eye peeled for him around those rocks.

 

This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Cat and Light

Cat and Light

He posed just right for me.

Sitting on the step overlooking the solar light, he sat there just long enough for me to grab this shot.

That pot now has a beautiful patch of basil growing in it.

It's so tall the light has been fully engulfed.

There's no way Rusty would sit next to it now like this.

That basil smell is just not to his liking.

But if it were catnip, I bet I wouldn't be able to keep him out of it!

ABC Wednesday - C is for Cat

  

C is for Cat...........




 He made it through the winter. And this is how he has been spending most of his summer. Under the shade of a tarp with the green grass to keep his underside cool. When the sun heats up the porch, we will find him here, just a couple of feet away from the porch steps. He has thinned out quite a bit this season. This feral cat has been around for about ten years now. We has gotten quite frail lately so we are already worrying about the winter again. We will continue to help our Rusty as long as he lets us.  



This is the ninth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - Z is for Zodiac

  

Z is for Zodiac...........




In astrology, the Zodiac is a circle that is divided into twelve equal zones that line up with the celestial constellations that are determined by the position of sun during the equinoxes. Each "zone" is approximately 30.4 days long, and the time of the year we are born in determines which zodiac sign we are. I was born during the zone of Cancer, the Crab. Which means I am a water sign and my ruling planet is the moon. Since the ocean is my most favorite place to be, I guess I fit right in with my zodiac sign.   



This is the eighth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - M is for Mouse

  M is for Mouse............




We were in a public park with many people around. We just happened to be standing next to an area that was roped off - and I caught him out of the corner of my eye. Nestled in the lush clover was this little gray mouse - having a snack in the late afternoon sun. Nobody else paid him any mind - but I just had to snap his photo. And all the while thinking - glad you are out here and not running around under my house where the mouse traps are. He knows where he belongs - out in the great outdoors - which is perfect for all of us.




This is the eighth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - C is for Cat Tail

C is for Cat Tail............







I knew he was outside with me - I had seen him when I was out in the backyard.

My last stop before I went in was to stop in front of an iced over bush in the driveway.

Concentrating on the camera settings and focus, I stood quite still for a bit in one place.

When I finished and went in my pocket for my lens cover, I saw that crazy cat.

Rusty, our feral cat, had silently crept over to me, and sat at my feet.

And proceeded to drape his tail over my boot.

He stood watch, but I think he was really thinking that he was in charge, and I could leave when he decided I could.

Either way, I had to smile.

He is feral, and to have him stand by me is a special gift from him.








This is the eighth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

Geese Gliding Across the Water

Geese Gliding Across the Water







Out of the fog they came - gliding across the smooth water.

All was quiet, the fog kept the sounds dulled and distant.

It mid morning - much earlier than we usually arrived at the lake.

Had we waited until the late afternoon, we would have missed their visit.

Sometimes those unplanned outings turn out just perfect.

ABC Wednesday - B is for Beehive

B is for Beehive............







I never spotted this beehive until the fall when the leaves had changed.

It then stood right out against those bright colors.

I don't often take the road where it is, but the last time I went by it, it was still there - showing even more with the bare branches.

I am hoping to get there sometime this winter, I would like to catch it with some freshly fallen snow on it.








This is the eighth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - A is for Ant Hills

A is for Ant Hills............







With this letter A, we are beginning the 8th round of ABC Wednesday - almost 4 years - that is quite a long time for a meme to keep going.

We owe a huge bunch of thanks to the members who donate their precious time to keep it going and and make it the special community it is.

You are the best!

Now - on to the letter A.

Anthills - not a very interesting subject.

And to be honest - I have done my share of trying to evict ants from my home and gardens - to no avail.

But I will never give up the battle - I know they are needed in the circle of life, but just not in my living quarters.

I can respect and admire their homes - as this photo shows.

They were all built within inches of each other, and each one is a different color (if you enlarge the photo it really shows).

Just like our homes.

It would have been easy to scuff them with my foot and make a lot of work for them, but I simply admired their handiwork and let them be.

I wish they would do the same to ours instead of looking at it as a giant opportunity to invade and conquer.






This is the eighth round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.

ABC Wednesday - Z is for Zizel

Z is for Zizel............







He's hard to find - blending in with the rock, moss, and grasses beside the lake.

Can you spot him?

His little feet never touched the water as he darted out from under the rock that is sitting in the water.

He was so quick!

We call them chipmunks, but they are also known as rock squirrels, striped squirrels, chippers, and zizels, as I learned today.

It's not one of my better images, technically, but I enjoyed his quick visit and am glad I was able to photograph him.





This is the seventh round of ABC Wednesday. If you would like to join in please visit this site for the details.