THREE DOGS ANIMAL SANCTUARY

Sleepy Hippo!

2011-02-05T18:38:00.001-08:00

We have a very sleepy little hippo on our hands!

He must have had a very relaxing bath....

...and happy dreams!

Hey! I'm awake! I was just resting my eyes...

Aaaaaand back out.

Cute feet!!

Injured...Injured Bad

2011-01-21T13:36:00.001-08:00

Miss Lola hurt her leg. And, okay, she isn't "injured bad" but whenever I hear the word "injured" I can't help but think of the commercial with the little boy...

Did you watch it? It is one of my favorites...

Moving on... Lola hurt herself romping around like a maniacal maniac so, poor girl, she has been sequestered to the indoors which means.... to the couch.

She is really having a hard time adjusting to this and I hope it doesn't cause her any long-term psychological damage.

The real problem? How we are ever going to get our couch back once she has recovered 100%.

You think I'm giving this back?! Pffffffffft!

Snow Dogs

2011-01-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

Snow, snow, snow!!!

We have a few serious snow dogs... primarily Kohana (the husky... clearly a snow lover) and Mabel (the St. Bernard who pants at the door when it is about 20 degrees outside).

Lola (the Great Dane) loves to play with the other dogs in the snow but is not a snow lover. She says it is because she is too dainty, thin, and short-haired but I know it is just because she wants to commandeer a spot on the sofa before anyone else can. I'm onto her games!

Being the baby of the pack, Miss Mabel is the most rambunctious of all the dogs. Add snow to the picture and she's out. of. control. Her favorite playmates? Lola and Franklin. Lola because she truly loves to romp and play with her. Franklin because she just annoys the bajesus outta him and she likes for him to chase after her.

Mission accomplished.

Ummmm, will someone help me!?!? This guy's gone crazy!!"

Do you think she knows she outweighs him by about 115 pounds???

hello, little one!

2010-12-29T08:50:00.000-08:00

On December 8, 2010 we welcomed our little boy into the world.

He decided to make his entrance a little early :) This was fine by me for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, he came at 38 weeks on the dot. This means that he was considered a full term baby which was great news! Secondly, I am so pleased that he will not have to deal with a Christmas birthday for his entire life!

As you can imagine, we are overjoyed and totally enamored with the little guy. We all seem to be coping with the sleep deprivation fairly well although I am definitely looking forward to a time when I can sleep more than 2 hours at a time! And the thought of sleeping through the night? Well, that is too much for me to even fathom right now! The excitement would be too much!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-29T12:10:00.000-08:00

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving to all!!
We have so much to be thankful for and it is important that we not forget our blessings.

We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year... for the first time. I am typically very involved in the cooking process, but we've never hosted before.

Especially since I just hit the 9 month mark... I definitely could not have done it without the help of the hubs and my mom. They were unbelievably instrumental in helping getting the house rearranged and tables set up for dinner.

"Please drop something....Please drop something!!"

The "adult" table... (ha! It's my house so I made the cut!!)

The table for the kiddos.

We always have a buffet line of sorts. So, here is the table before it has been loaded down with the delicious Thanksgiving feast!

Amazingly, DM actually picked up the camera. He was kind enough to grab a few action shots.

Of course, he snagged one of the rapidly expanding belly.... I'm not even sure if this picture really does it justice!

Thanksgiving Creme Brulee.... YUM YUM YUM!

My beautiful sister (and mother) helping out making some appetizers for the youngsters.

Speaking of youngsters... here they are lined up for dinner!

An attempt at a smile... no such luck....

I hope your Thanksgiving was as wonderful as ours!

m.e.s.s.

2010-11-24T13:30:00.001-08:00

Since you've been so kind thus far to indulge me in my life that revolves around food... I thought I should share a tidbit with you. You know, to keep things honest around here.

So, this was my kitchen after making a few different things the other night. Like Woah. This is what happens when your dishwashers are already running and you scarcely have a moment between things to do for the different recipes.

I'm a little scared as to what Thanksgiving will bring.

Cheese Wafers

2010-11-24T13:29:00.001-08:00

I know... food posts... Sorry, I can't help myself. These were actually supposed to be for last week but, as I mentioned, Blogger hates me and wouldn't let me upload photos.

Anyway, someone in town makes the most delicious cheese wafers. Whenever I'm in the mood and I think about it, I will try to recreate them. Honestly, I've only done it a couple of times because I have the memory of a walnut. But that's not the point. I decided to make a few the other day (in two different flavors...hence the different colors) and they aren't as great as the mystery person's wafers but they are pretty good.

So, I think I'll keep 'em. And gorge myself on them.

Aaaaaaand you might get out of more food posts in the near future but since that is what will be driving my existence over the next few days.... you might not. Just think of it as a Thanksgiving teaser!!

Cornbread Stuffn'

2010-11-19T06:43:00.000-08:00

I may have mentioned... but I'm not a huge stuffing fan. So, I'm testing and tweaking a couple of recipes for stuffing this year and I found one I really like. Sure, everyone else might think it tastes like a foot but who cares?! Last night (EDIT: Tuesday night. Blogger hates me and has decided not to let me upload photos at my own discretion) I decided to try out a new recipe- with a few changes to fit my personal taste (are you noticing that it is all about me? I should seek some help.) It's a cornbread stuffing so that is what I had to make first. I choose to make my cornbread in a skillet. Because I live in the middle of nowhere and it seems like the right thing to do. Plus, it makes me feel all farm-y and like I belong on a giant homestead where Maw makes her cornbread in the skillet while Paw rounds up the cattle for feedin'.

Sorry. I have a vivid imagination.

Look, I'll show you a crappy picture because it was nighttime and the lighting stunk but I was too lazy to do anything about it (I'm nothing if not honest...)

Moving on, my cornbread underwent a transformation and became stuffing. The end.

*I should really work on my story-telling skills....

Puppy Love

2010-11-12T06:01:00.001-08:00

I don't think I tell you enough how much I love our puppy dogs...

I know what you are thinking... that I tell you too much. But, trust me, it isn't enough!!

This dog? Well, I can't help but be utterly smitten. He pretends to be aloof and independent. But he's not. It's all a show. He pretends that he doesn't care if I'm around. But he does. He might not be constantly at my heels like the others but even though he will let me out of his sight for a few minutes he will undoubtedly follow me to wherever my final destination is. And I sort of think that is his MO... to make sure that I am in my final destination before he drags himself out of whatever his current sleeping position may be and lumbers to my new location to, of course, find a new sleeping position.

Something Scary

2010-11-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

Well, here is something utterly disturbing that I thought I should share. This is what I've managed to do to my office today... and it is noon. Send help.

Fabulous Fall

2010-11-10T10:22:00.001-08:00

For as much as I whined and complained about the cold weather the other day (sorry... thanks for listening!) I must admit.... it is a beautiful autumn day today.

I'm loving the warmer weather and the fall foliage :) If the weather could stay warm I would be in heaven!

And I know what you are thinking and the answer is no. I have not been diagnosed with multiple personalities. Key word: Diagnosed.

Relax!

2010-11-08T05:20:00.000-08:00

During football season (especially once cold weather hits) a lot of our weekend afternoons are spent curled up in the den watching game after game on TV.

Whereas it used to bother me tremendously (and, on really nice days it still does)...on chilly days I've learned (or, am learning) to appreciate it. Because it means snuggling up with puppies and taking advantage of whatever relaxation we can find. And I'm all about relaxation...

Holiday Idea

2010-11-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would share this.

A couple of days ago, we received a very sweet baby gift from some friends in Texas. It came wrapped in Christmas decor (yikes...it is just around the corner!) and I must admit, there was something about the wrapping that I loved.

This little guy! The little felt Santa that you can turn into an ornament. I've used ornaments as wrapping accouterments many times before so perhaps I am a little biased... but nevertheless I thought it was very cute!

And, it can be something you try out this holiday season!

The Perils of Fall...

2010-11-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

(First of all, before I get started, let me just say that I chose this picture because, for whatever reason, I like it a lot. Some random lady shot it of us when we were in the mountains a couple of years ago. I have another version- probably a better version so I don't know why I didn't choose that- and yes, I could go back and change it, but quite frankly it takes a long time to upload pictures on this site and I'm too ~~lazy~~ awesome. Now that I think about it- the other version is way better. We look better and you can see more of the mountains and the fall colors. I really should have chosen that one. So, just pretend it is a better picture. Looking at this one I don't even like it. So, yeah, pretend it is a better picture. Secondly, at the moment, it just seems pretty cool that at some point in my life I was able to fit in a pair of jeans that didn't have a gigantic elastic waistband that came up to my shoulders... Now on to the post!!)

Sooooo.... I do it every year.

Every single year.

In the midst of summer I yearn for fall. As I'm out sweating buckets while dealing with the animals, or trying to peel my melted skin off the scorching hot seats of my car I think of the cooler days autumn will bring and I smile. And I must admit, I was exceptionally nostalgic for cooler weather this year as my body is pumping an inordinate amount of blood through my veins thereby increasing my internal temperatures to that of the sun. Plus or minus a few degrees, of course. Anyway, in reality I've never really been able to fully appreciate fall. Because, as beautiful as it is, it means that winter will soon come screaming like a madman from around the corner and knock us all out. I do not love gray days with naked trees. I do not like bundling up in layer upon layer of clothes until I am scarcely able to move my arms and they just hang from my body at a 45 degree angle... I just do not like it. But, during the heat of the summer I think to myself "You know what? Fall won't be so bad. It will be great to have cooler weather!" Then I go on about my merry way reveling in my optimism that the changing season will bring me great happiness and comfort.

And then it happens.

Fall arrives.

And I curse it.

Because, the truth is, we will have a few days of pretty, cooler weather and then the North Carolina weather patterns start kicking in. Which means reasonably nice days with absolutely frigid nights. Which means layering clothing less you want to turn into an icicle in the morning while walking to your car or, in my case, going to fend off 1000+ pound animals as they try to steal their buckets of food from me before I've had a chance to even walk through the gate. Which means constantly putting blankets on said large animals and then taking them off, and putting them on, and taking them off, and putting them on, and taking them off. I think you get the idea. Or, as the past couple days have been, it does not mean reasonably nice days with frigid nights, it means frigid days with frigid nights. And today it means frigid and rainy with a frigid night.

And so I sit here and yearn for summer. For the hot air that is so thick it is hard to breathe. For the bugs and the buckets of sweat, and the melted skin on the seats of my car.

Cookies!!

2010-11-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

Our annual Oktoberfest- Beer & Brats was held at my office this week. Everyone is asked to bring a dish so.... I chose cookies. And I made them from scratch...because I am awesome. They are chocolate with toffee and, in my humble opinion, delicious. The problem? Now I have extras at my house which I need to get rid of STAT! Because if my face gets any "rounder" (as my mother has mentioned) or "retains any more fluid" (as my boss has mentioned) they are going to tie strings to me and walk me down the streets in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEN!

2010-10-31T06:42:00.000-07:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Love,
All of us at THREE DOGS ANIMAL SANCTUARY
xoxo

Amusement

2010-10-29T05:07:00.000-07:00

While in the mountains... we went to a little amusement park- to be discussed further at some random time in the future when I finally get around to it.

The boys (well, most of them) decided to hop on a ride or two.

This one was called "The Tornado" and it was basically a cross between the teacup ride and the giant swing ride you see at amusement parks.

You hop inside this little round pod which has a wheel in the middle. That wheel controls how fast your specific pod will spin. Meanwhile, the entire pod is swung around in a circle along the perimeter of the ride.

Did I explain that well? No? Sorry, I haven't had much sleep and, ummm, also I don't know how to explain it.

The boys loved it...

And it looked pretty fun too! As long as you don't think about whether or not the maintenance on a machine like this is up to date, whether your pod will unhinge itself and go flying over the edge of the mountain, etc. You know, things like that.

I'm pretty sure they weren't thinking about that.

They probably weren't either

Snooooooze

2010-10-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

We were hit with an absolutely torrential thunderstorm last night. Usually I sleep through storms of all kinds without incident but even this one woke me from my slumber. Absolutely massive thunder and lightning... I don't think anyone in the area could have slept through it. Unless you live in a bomb shelter.... but even then....

Big thunderstorm last night mixed with a gray and rainy day today means a lot of this is going on in our house.

And this.

And this. I feel sorry for this poor creatures who must endure such a difficult existence!

New Water Line!

2010-10-26T04:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we embarked upon an epic DIY project.

Okay. Epic is definitely not the right word. Boring is probably a better description.

Anyway, we put in a new water line to the horse pasture.

Check out this baby up close. It is a ditch digger and it makes me feel like a real man. Except that a) I'm not a man and b) I didn't use it at all. Really, I did very little for this except go "Hey, we need to go ahead and put that water line in....blah blah blah... yada yada yada" and then DM went and found the necessary parts and equipment and went about the project. I did, however, help fill in the ditch once the water line was in place. OH! And I held the spigot in place while he filled the dirt in around it. So, yeah, I was pretty indispensable to this project if I do say so myself.

The pipe had to go in the ground below the frost level which is why it was necessary to employ the services of the handy dandy ditch digger. I mean, you could try to dig a ditch 2 feet in the ground by hand, which would be great, and when you finished you would look like a magnificent god-like specimen with rippling muscles and all that jazz but.... who wants to do that? No one. Because it hadn't rained in weeks and the ground (which is already full of rocks) was like concrete.

One thing I find exceptionally annoying:

We have fifty bazillion dogs. Many of whom like to dig. So, why won't they use their digging powers for good instead of evil? Sure, they can dig a hole right in my typical walking path across the yard so that when I'm going to my car with stuff piled in my arms up to my eyeballs I don't see it, step in it, and fall down twisting my ankle, soiling my clothes, and dropping all of my stuff all over the place. They think that is hysterical. But will they help us dig a line for something useful? Nooooooo.Sheesh!

Side Note: Once the line has been put in and we have filled in the ditch will said dogs then go behind us and dig it up? Yes.

Progress made! The line goes in!

Look at him go! Have I ever told you how much he likes DIY projects? The answer is NOT AT ALL. He deplores them. Sorry, DM!

But, the good news is that we now finally have an actual spigot out by the horses' water trough!

And everyone lived happily ever after! (Except for B who will probably fall down in one of the holes the dogs left for her on the way to the pasture after they re-dug the ditch...)

Rainy Day...

2010-10-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

It's gray and rainy out there....

Which don't get me wrong- living in the middle of nowhere I really appreciate the rain that falls from the sky. It nourishes the plants and grass which feed our ponies and it provides all of us with water to nourish our bodies. While most people complain about the rain- I revel in it because I know how necessary it is not only for us but for all of the farmers with crops and livestock.

The only thing I don't love about it is the smell of wet dog x9 and 36 wet, muddy paws! :)

Installing New Floors :: Dos

2010-10-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

Let's see... where did we last leave off in our epic journey of do-it-yourselfness?? Ahh, yes.. we had cleared the room of all furniture, we inspected the filth of the carpet, and we discussed my pension to live more like a pre-schooler than someone of my actual age. Let's continue, shall we??

The gross carpet is on its way out!

See? Look, we are loading it in the truck!

No more carpet! Step 1 complete!

Actually, it isn't really step 1. It would really be, like step 50...but whatever.

Who wears loafers with basketball shorts and an NFL t-shirt? That guy. Sorry, ladies, he's taken! Please refrain from writing love letters trying to woo him away. It won't work!

Where's Baxter? Oh, there he is... on the couch... what a shock! As usual, he is providing no help whatsoever! What does he think this is? Just some place he can live in air conditioning, lounge around all day without putting any effort into anything, be petted and loved on constantly, and be provided with the finest food, water, and medical attention? Oh wait....

The floor is going in!!!

So much progress has been made!

Still a lot to do but it is looking good!

Installing New Floors!

2010-10-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

So... here's the deal... Baby is on his way. I mean, we're at the 2 month countdown! So, there is nothing like a little deadline like, idunno, anewborn to really force one into action!

This is a "before shot" of our den.

And this one too.

And, this is a good example of what a weekend morning is like in maison de Mehler... FOR SHAME!!
Moving on....

Here is our den after we've moved everything out of the room (not a fun chore, I might add!)

Clearly Baxter is of no help to this operation.

View numero dos.
Note: I was not watching whatever was on TV here. If it isn't Fairly Odd Parents or Penguins of Madagascar.... Nickelodeon means NOTHING to me!!! Now, if we're talking Batman cartoons.... that's another story... I promise I'm not 6 years old.

Another shot of the glorious empty den.... just in case you hadn't yet had your fill.

See this stain? The one you've undoubtedly noticed in a few of the previous pictures? Yeah... it's gross, I know. With 9 dogs, I am always cognizant of happy (read: whipping) tails and their ability to clear a coffee table. As I was keeping an eye on my red Hi-C (What? No, I'm not 6 years old!) and holding onto Baxter's tail to prevent my drink from being launched across the room by said tail.... he head-butted it off the table. Epic fail.

Want to see more pictures of the gross carpet! Well then, today is your lucky day! Here it is again.... picked and with more stains!

While you are marveling at the utter awesomeness of our carpet, let me fill you in on what the real problem is with moving all of your den furniture out of the room in which it lives and thrives and belongs.

This...

This is supposed to be our dining room.

And this is supposed to be our kitchen.

This is supposed to be our hallway.

Just an FYI, it is not easy to maneuver around your house when your hallway is blocked, nor is it easy to sneak away from putting in new flooring in order to gorge yourself on yummy snacks when you have no kitchen. I am, however, growing partial to the club chair in the kitchen- I think it will make cooking much more comfortable and I'm looking to start a trend!

Stay tuned for the next step! In the meantime, you can find me lounging in the chair in the kitchen. But I'm thinking I should move it next to the refrigerator to maintain maximum comfort while exerting minimum effort...

Madeline

2010-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've bombarded you with animals... so, there is no time like the present!

And before some of you start freaking out... she is not our dog!!

But she is quite precious, and she allowed me to snap a few photos of her before running off to find something better to do.

Not that I can blame her! I'm really not very interesting at all...

So, if you're having a bad day at work, take a look at Miss Madeline and hopefully her precious face will cheer you up!

Or eat an Oreo. Whatever works for you.

Kids these days...

2010-10-12T05:53:00.000-07:00

The kiddos were playing with balloons-- blowing up balloons (which is difficult enough to be entertaining to those with minuscule lungs), throwing balloons, trying to pop the balloons that they were only able to blow up about 1/3 of the way (outcome? unsuccessful), making water balloons and finally........

putting balloons in various parts of their clothing in order to make themselves look like they had larger "parts" than they really did.

A. I wish I were joking and B. I wish I could say this was the first time I'd seen them do this.

At some point I realized that one of my nephews not only put two water balloons in the back of his pants.... but one in front as well. And then?

And then he decided it would be a good idea to pop the balloon in front. I'm not sure where else I can go with this story other than that. So there you have it.

Roaring Gap :: Kiddos

2010-10-07T06:41:00.001-07:00

I tried to grab some shots of the niece/nephews... but seriously, how am I supposed to work with this mangy group of whippersnappers??

This is probably my favorite of the boys.

And this one? Well, it was sweet that they were sitting like that. I'm not so sure about that facial expression though :)

Zzzzzzzzzzz

2010-10-06T08:02:00.000-07:00

The weather the last few days has been beautiful!! Blue skies and much cooler temperatures. Which means that I have a lot of pictures on my phone like this one... dogs (in this case Mama Annabelle and daughter Winnie) snoozing in the yard soaking up the sun. I've tried to talk to Miss Winnie about being a little more lady-like but she just doesn't listen and who am I to thwart such a free spirit?!?

Proof

2010-09-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Remember the other day when I told you that Baxter is the laziest dog ever and spends his entire life snoozing on the couch yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah???

Well....

I rest my case. Matlock style.

Backyard Football

2010-09-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Backyard football.... is actually inaccurate because it took place in the front yard. Speaking of which, why is "backyard" capable of being one word while "front yard" must be two? Someone please explain this to me. Thank you.

My eldest nephew, F , is quite the little athlete so he and DM tossed the ol' pigskin around for a little bit.

And see that garden in the background? The one with the deer fence surround? I'm pretty sure DM only had to lift the little guy in there once to retrieve a stray pass. Let's count that as a win, shall we?

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure DM had to retrieve the ball from the "woods" a few extra times...

Eventually, little H decided he wanted to play. Unfortunately for him he ended up playing Monkey in the Middle for the first several minutes.

He's running!

He's ready!

And?

Yeah, ummm, no dice.

But look at that determination!!

Finally it is his time to shine.

It is possible...

... that he might need a little help on his technique.

But he still gets an A+ for cuteness.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

2010-09-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is what this dog does virtually every moment of every day. It is amazing. I bet even his dreams are filled with couches, heavenly slumber and snoring. But I love him all the same! Even though sometimes I have to stop what I am doing upstairs because I hear a strange noise coming from the lower level only to realize that it is the loud snores emitting from his smooshy, wrinkled face!

Roaring Gap :: Two

2010-09-14T05:57:00.000-07:00

While in Roaring Gap, I tried to snag a few pictures my youngest niece Miss L. But, she pretty much wanted nothing to do with that idea. We were able to coax her to stand and look towards the camera but our attempts at making her smile were futile :)

But as you can see, she is super cute! The entire thing only lasted a couple of minutes, if that, and while she did not smile once for the camera... she definitely did entertain us!

At one point Mama asked her to "show us your teeth"... meaning smile. Well, she opened wide and literally did show us her teeth!

And then she was finished indulging our fantasies of smiling little girls dressed in pink... On to more important things. Blowing up balloons!

Roaring Gap :: One

2010-09-13T09:29:00.001-07:00

We recently took a trip up to Roaring Gap to celebrate my step-father'sx4th birthday. (I don't know if I'm in the will or not but just to be safe I thought it best not to divulge his actual age...) All of my siblings and five of the 6 nieces/nephews were in attendance.

The weekend was filled with fun.

Weirdness.

Seriousness.

Dirt and bugs.

And through it all I learned a very important lesson...

Even Spiderman gets wedgies.

Blowing Rock, North Carolina

2010-09-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

After we went to Grandfather Mountain we drove to nearby Blowing Rock. Which I love. It is so quaint and wonderful and if nothing else, look at their hanging baskets!

The little "tourist" section really is wonderful. It is a street of shops and restaurants with great small town feel and architecture.

Honestly, this is my kind of small town. It is very quaint and friendly but has maintained a different level of class than you sometimes are able to find in small Southern towns. I really love it... a lot.

Plus, the crisp mountain atmosphere is perfect for growing the most beautiful flowers.

They have a couple of b-e-a-utiful churches.

Take another look. Or don't. It's up to you.

Across the street is the Episcopalian Church. Their landscaping, which I did not adequately capture in the photos, is absolutely stunning. Very much the English country garden feel. Love, love, love it.

Again.

Again. Okay, I won't make you look at any more.

One of the reasons we went to Blowing Rock was for this restaurant. The Storie Street Grille. We've been there once before and DM developed a severe crush on their sweet potato fries topped with gorgonzola. And I mean severe. He used to talk in his sleep about how much he loved them. Okay, okay he didn't.

Or maybe he did and I didn't hear because I was asleep. You never know....

They do have excellent food. I ordered the lasagna, which was fantastic, and also enough food to feed the entire Blowing Rock population. But their food really is delicious!

Also? Did I mention their hanging baskets? Mine look pretty much the same way if you think dead brown twigs shooting in random directions out of a basket that hangs pathetically from the front porch looks the same as these (don't judge me!). If you do, you are also my new best friend. So come on by, new best friend, and gaze at my beautiful hanging basket bounty! It will be glorious!

Happy NFL Day

2010-09-10T05:20:00.001-07:00

Yesterday marked the beginning of the NFL season. Which made my husband a happy man. A very happy man. He spent the majority of his morning serenading me with various well-known melodies that he changed the words to be about football. Anything about football. Not only that, but he wished me a Happy NFL Day approximately two thousand times throughout the day and continuously reminded me that, for him, this was the happiest day of the year. Although he didn't specify for him. Because I think in his eyes it is just plainly the happiest day of the year for everyone.

In honor of him and his happiness, I hope everyone else had a very happy NFL day!

Grandfather Mountain :: Part Three

2010-09-08T08:28:00.001-07:00

Things have been very busy around here! Both of us have been busy with work, etc and I can't believe I haven't finished posting about our trip to Grandfather Mountain! Don't worry, this is the last.... then you get to see beautiful Blowing Rock followed by family pictures from Roaring Gap! It's a good thing I'm obsessed with the mountains.... Okay, okay, I'll post about other things too since I'm pretty sure you mostly care about the puppy dogs :) In the meantime, if you don't hear from me it is because I have literally been buried in paperwork and filing. Send a personal assistant STAT!

Grandfather Mountain really is quite beautiful. It was terribly foggy on this day which was actually okay with us because it provided a different vista than we would have seen otherwise. It was quite interesting to watch the fog move across the mountains and once we were at the top of Grandfather we watched it come toward us and engulf the pinnacle. I tried to scare DM by telling him it was The Mist (since I think he read that book at too early an age and it left him shivering and scared...) but apparently he doesn't have residual PTSD from it and, at age 27, it was not scary at all. Color me depressed.

They have a really beautiful butterfly garden on the mountain and these photos you saw the other day were all taken there. I wish I could say that they were taken from our beautiful butterfly garden at our house.. but that would be a big fat lie. Although we have had tons of butterflies around the last few days! Love it!

The eagles they have at the "zoo" on the mountain are all rescues. I believe they come to the preserve if they have been shot or otherwise wounded and are unable to be returned to the wild. At the moment they only have one.

Personally I find eagles very fascinating and I love to see them soaring above. Until they try to dive bomb your boat with their razor sharp talons exposed and ready to rip the poor saps on the boat apart limb from limb. Have I told you that story? It is pretty shocking how scary a bird can be! :)

Beautiful Day!

2010-09-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

Today is an incredibly beautiful day!

The skies are the bluest of blue, the temperature is magnificent, and Ilove it!

The horses are munching on grass, the puppies are snoozing on the front porch, the husband is mowing the grass... all is right on this homestead.

Now, if my laundry would somehow just magically fold and put itself away...

Grandfather Mountain :: Two

2010-09-01T06:23:00.000-07:00

While on our day excursion to Grandfather Mountain, we crossed the famous Mile High Swinging Bridge.

It used to be the classic wood and rope structure that you conjure in your mind when someone says "swinging bridge." Fortunately, that has been replaced with a much more sturdy and less death-inducing metal bridge. I would not have crossed the old bridge. Especially since inside the nearby building that houses memorabilia and the history of the mountain (and, of course, a gift shop) there is an old photograph of the wood/rope bridge after a storm. Let me see if I can describe the picture to you. ... There was the top rope used for hand rails and the bottom rope used to secure the wooden planks... and then there were about three or four dangling planks that were caught in the ropes. That is it. I don't mean three or four out of the hundreds of planks were dangling. I mean there were only three or four planks. Period. The rest had been carried off by the wind. YIKES!
It was very foggy and much of the view was obscured by fog. Which was probably a good thing when you are walking across a narrow bridge that reminds you at the exact point you are one mile above ground. On a narrow bridge. With no life-saving equipment in case of need. Fortunately we were not of need.
But we made it! And it really couldn't have been a prettier day!

The only thing that could have made it prettier would have been if I had worn make up. And therefore not looked like someone smacked me in the face with a hammer. But no such luck. Plus, I thought you should all have to suffer in the way DM did that day :) Seriously though, I just wanted to share what is quite possibly the worst picture ever taken of me. This is right up there with any photos taken during my 7th grade year. Fortunately - or unfortunately?- I'm not sure which is the proper way to go here- you don't really get to see the ever rounding mid-section that matches the ever rounding face. :)

Grandfather Mountain :: One

2010-08-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

August 25th is the anniversary of our marriage. I really can't believe it has already been three years since we said I do! We wanted to do something together on our anniversary this year but schedules wouldn't allow any sort of out-of-town trip. So, we decided to take a day trip up to nearby Grandfather Mountain.

The weather was beautiful. About 72 degrees all day! It did not help ease my undying desire to move to the mountains. Didn't help at all, I tell ya.

On the mountain, they have a little animal refuge/zoo. Which is where we saw these bears. But if you'd like you can pretend we stumbled upon them while hiking in the woods...

I sort of love bears. Well, in all honesty, I sort of love all animals.

But there is something about a few species of bears (including black bears seen here and sun bears not seen here) that I really love. I don't know what it is about them... probably their sweet little faces. Don't get me wrong, I have a very healthy respect for the creatures and would reeeaaally prefer to not meet them in the wild. Not that I think they are people-eaters or out to get humans.... but, like I said, I just have a healthy respect for their abilities.

Their abilities are quite frightening, actually. You can't out run them. You can't out climb them. You can't out swim them. So.... our human capabilities do not compare well in a match up. Think about it. They run, swim, and climb. What would you do? Growing up we used to take an annual trip to northern Wisconsin. My youngster self was pretty terrified that I would walk outside and come face-to-face with a wild black bear. We were taught what to do if that happened but I was always afraid of the worst that could happen. I think I watched too many movies.

I'm really not sure how I went from "this is our anniversary trip" to "humans are not much of a match against a bear" but..... here we are. Maybe next time I'll be able to stay on topic. Either that or we'll discuss what to do if attacked by an alligator

Playing Favorites

2010-08-27T05:58:00.001-07:00

This is Baxter. Do you remember him?

This is Baxter with his favorite toy. We gave it to him less than a week ago and as you can see he was so taken with it we couldn't even get the plastic hangy piece off quickly enough. You see, Baxter has a severe weakness for stuffed toys. And I mean severe.

Since the moment we gave him this teddy bear he doesn't want to spend a second away from it. He carries it everywhere with him. I use the term "carries" loosely since he spends most of his time snoozing. But when he sleeps, he typically sleeps like this.... toy in mouth.... face perpendicular to the floor. He's very odd.

And because he barely drops it from his jowls to eat.... the thing smells. I don't know what he has done to it in such a short amount of time but poor teddy was suffering from some severe body odor. So, I swiped it and stuck it in the wash. Why do you care? You don't. Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to suffer with me. Because right now as I type, as all of the other wonderful puppies are literally snoozing on the front porch on this glorious morning, one Mr. Baxter is standing at the top of the stairs barking incessantly for me to give him his teddy back. And I am not using the word incessantly lightly. Literally incessantly. Joke's on him! I had to sanitize that sucker so it will be another two hours before it is ready to see his droopy lips again!

NC Wine Festival

2010-08-19T15:29:00.001-07:00

Occasionally... occasionally... we get off the farm and out on the town. Occasionally.

Back in May (I know... May... it is pushing late August but I couldn't post this before! I'm playing catch up!) we went to the North Carolina Wine Festival with a couple of friends.

These are our friends. J and D. We spend a fair amount of time with them, actually. J isn't an overwhelming animal lover so it must be my winning personality and fabulous wit that keeps him around. I've known J since middle school. We've seen each other in our gawkiest of phases and yet he doesn't cringe at the sight of my face. It's a miracle!!

Moving on.... it was super duper hot that day. DM and I hadn't yet told anyone of the growing bambino so it is fortunate that I'm not a wine drinker or it would have most definitely caused suspicion.

This sangria, however, did look mighty refreshing as I stood in the blistering sun. Too bad for me!!

I think everyone else had a marvelous time, however. They definitely enjoyed all of the different wines from the region. And I definitely enjoyed the Italian Ice cart that was set up on the outskirts of the festival. And then we all enjoyed listening to a little Chairman of the Board who played that afternoon.

DM felt a little guilty tasting all of the wine with me standing there watching glass after glass after glass go down. But deep down, I know he loves the fact that he has an automatic Designated Driver!

Summertime Wedding :: Part Two

2010-08-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

As promised... more wedding photos from the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. S!

Who is that most handsome groomsman I see?

Fortunately, there were no wedding snags and everything went smoothly. Maybe one slip of the tongue by the groom... but it was pretty funny.

The bride gave the groom a new camcorder as his wedding present. Towards the end of the ceremony, immediately before the pastor pronounced them husband and wife, the groom grabbed the camera and turned toward the congregation. You see, he wanted to use the camera and pan across the crowd showing who was present at their wedding.

He shouted, "I WANT TO GET MY FIRST MARRIAGE ON CAMERA!"

It was quite funny and the entire congregation was in hysterics. The silver lining? I assume he will have an awesome shot of everyone happy, smiling, laughing, etc for the video!

Summertime Wedding

2010-08-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we attended the nuptials of a close friend.

I love going to different weddings... seeing the individual personalities of the bride (and groom?) come alive through their decoration choices. Choices like this:

Mason jars. I, myself, am a huge fan of using mason jars for different events so my bias may be getting in the way. :) I loved them! They were used as vases at the reception as well as glasses to serve the water and sweet tea. Plus, they were party favors in the sense that you were able to keep your drink jar!

This year has been filled with weddings for us and most of them have been "my" friends. That is sort of an inaccurate statement, I suppose, because after being together for (almost) 8 years I don't think DM and I truly have friends that are 100% his or 100% mine.... but you know what I mean. I think. Do you? I hope so. Oh well. Moving on. The great thing for DM is that this wedding was for "his" friend Mike and therefore he was able to see a few high school buddies. This is Mike:

This is Mike at the rehearsal dinner wearing what can only be described as the best.shirt.ever. Also? If you are wondering, he cut the sleeves off because it looks awesome.

(If you don't catch that reference then you obviously don't have a husband that forces you to spend three-quarters of your life watching football or football related material and therefore you are not bombarded with football related commercials. P.S. If you can't tell, I'm super excited that the season of molding our lives around what games are going to be on TV is here. Please send help.)

Back to the non-complainy story!

As I was saying, it's great for DM to spend time with friends. I know he has a great time. It is so great to see him having such a great time. Great!

The blonde one? I have quite a few pictures of him from the weekend. And would he smile for me? No. Would he typically give me weird, creepy stares just to ruin the picture? Yes. So, I only have a very select few that are somewhat decent. He must be getting me back for that time I took pictures of him throwing up in the surrounding water after a particularly rambunctious tubing session one afternoon out on the lake.

HA!

More wedding photos to come!!

Miss Bailey

2010-08-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

We have had an extraordinarily busy summer thus far. In addition to the daily chores of life, work, tending to the critters, etc etc etc, we have found ourselves out-of-town for several reasons (unfortunately no vacations...). We have had a summer of weddings (I believe the count is at six) which have taken us all over. I love weddings because it is so great to see old friends!! We have also had a few other reasons to spend time away from home. Recently we went to Whiteville, NC (the home of many of DM's family members) for him to conduct some bidness.

While there, I tried my best to stay out of the way :)
Miss Bailey is a cousin of our pups. She and I played quite a bit and then I decided to whip out my camera.

It seemed appropriate for me to do so since I had not taken it to any weddings.... and therefore I have NO pictures of said weddings... but that is for another time. Anyway, Bailey was Miss Happy-Go-Lucky until.... I took out my camera. Something about a giant conglomeration of black plastic that had her spooked. She wanted nothing to do with it.

So, I was only able to snap a few photos... and they aren't very fabulous! But oh well! She is super cute, isn't she?

Just like me to have more pictures of dogs than people. :)

Big News!

2010-08-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, okay.....

Remember when I joked in my last post about hopefully posting again before the 4th of July???

And now it is August 13th?

Well, it isn't all entirely my fault. Most of it (approximately 99.9999999%) of it was my former computer's fault. Yep. So there.

We have had so much going on around here. I can't wait to catch everyone up!! But, let me just cut to the chase and divulge the biggest and most life-altering news.

Which is?

Wait for it...

Here goes nothin'!

In December, the hubs and I are expecting a little wippersnapper. Whippersnapper? Whipper snapper? Oh, who knows... but you get the idea!

A little boy tater tot will be joining our family in December and we will officially have 50 feet running around our homestead!!

Pretty exciting, huh? And terrifying? Yeah, that too...

So, let's raise a glass (of water) to the new bambino AND more frequent posts now that I have an awesome new computer to work with!

Easter 2010

2010-04-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

Someone messed up the calendar. They are showing that is is mid-April but I'm pretty sure that's not the case because I haven't updated anything on here since mid-February. Obviously they are in error. You just can't get good help these days...

Life has actually been extraordinarily busy. Spring has sprung- the grass is growing- trees are blooming- flowers are blossoming. It is most definitely my FAVORITE time of year! Easter was quiet and uneventful this year. We spent the day with friends and family and I annoyed my brother and his three chillins by snapping a few photos of them before our annual Easter dinner. I also snagged some pretty random shots from around the ol' family homestead... I'm pretty good at always taking some photos of inanimate objects. It's a gift, I guess :)

This is our family dog, Mackenzie. She is going on 15 years old but she is still happy and energetic and, of course, precious! Also, smart as a whip!

What does that saying even mean?? Moving on...

Some people (read:DM) were less than thrilled to have their picture taken. I have approximately 783,329 of photos with this same (or worse) expression located in folder after folder on my computer... I think deep down he really loves it.

My very cute nephew, H. Seriously, can you get any cuter?

Another nephew, S. Encouraging him to stand still so that I may take a photo is quite an accomplishment. Just another reason I am awesome!

My brother, J, with his daughter, C. I think this might be my favorite of the day!

Miss C.

Family photo! A good looking bunch, don't you think??

Here's hoping I'll post again before the 4th of July!!!!! Fingers crossed!!

Thankful

2010-02-11T09:38:00.001-08:00

Today, I just want to say that I am thankful.

Thankful for everything we have in our lives.

Thankful to the howls and woos and barks that wake me every morning (and occasionally every hour on the hour throughout the night).

Thankful for the mud and dirt and grime that covers my boots.

Thankful for the ponies I see when I look out my bedroom window.
Thankful for the happy puppy faces I am blessed to see everyday.

Thankful for the mountain view the winter brings.

Thankful for the glorious green that I will soon see when Spring arrives.

Thankful for the mountain of laundry that I can never seem to conquer.

Thankful for the washing machine that does the work for me so I do not have to carry it down to the creek.

Thankful for the vultures that roost on the town's water tower.

Thankful for everything... big and small, good and bad, that has been part of my life and for what will be in the future.

February Already??

2010-02-02T06:41:00.000-08:00

"Hey, Baxter!! Can you believe it is already February??"

"Huh? Oh, umm, no."

"But can I ask you one thing?"

"Sure! What?!"

"Would you get off of me??"

A Worthy Cause

2010-01-28T07:35:00.000-08:00

There are so many save-the-animal worthy causes our there. I'm so very grateful that people work together to end the animal abuse that comes in so many shapes and sizes. At the same time I'm so disheartened that these groups need to be in existence....

While in college I was in an equine management class. We had to choose an equine-related project which we spent the better part of the semester on. I chose equine slaughter. It is a topic that is not common knowledge for many people- even in the "horse world" and I thought that these equine-friendly students needed to know about it. So, I dove into the project head first with great passion and, although I was already familiar with the topic, I finished broken and downtrodden.

Anyway, the point of this depressing post is this: The Humane Society has an article up about equine slaughter and at the end of the article is a link to write your congressman and ask him/her to support this cause. I suggest you read the article and watch the video as I think it will best help you to understand. (Quite frankly, I did not watch the video. I have too many memories and I am fairly well-versed in the whole process.) But, the most important thing is writing your Congressman.

Obviously this is not mandatory! And, I struggled with deciding whether or not to post this as I try very hard to stay away from polarizing topics. But, I decided that we are all animal lovers here!!! If you choose to do this, I appreciate your help greatly!

Click link to tell Congress
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/horse_slaughter/facts/grisly_end_for_horses.html

Escape

2010-01-26T06:09:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, my mom used to recite a poem to me- insinuating that I was the girl for whom the poem was written. It went like this:

There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
And when she was good
She was very, very good
But when she was bad
She was horrid.

Well, if you would now please swap our "girl" with "dog" and "she" with "he" then you will understand my current sentiments on our dog Kohana.

This weekend was a quite rough. First of all, we moved all of our furniture, etc. from our old house to the new one. And, honestly, moving is terrible. I don't like it one bit. Saturday was a terrible day (which I will explain at a later date) but we had a moving truck and we had to get it done. Sunday we had more miscellaneous things to transfer over. It was a long day. By Sunday evening we were exhausted. At 6:00 I was so ready for bed I could hardly see straight.

In addition, we were hit with torrential rains. Flood worthy rain that our county is still dealing with flooding 2 days later... It was serious.

So, in the midst of all of this, our wonderful husky Kohana decided that it was time for him to play a little game he likes to call "escape." And that he did.

Side note: On a regular day, I suspect I do a dog head count approximately one billion times. You see, I am a paranoid freak. I am constantly checking on them and making sure that everyone is present and accounted for. And on the occasion when something isn't right, I usually know about it quickly.

But, as I mentioned, we were moving. Because of this I'm not sure how long he was gone though I don't think it was more than 10 minutes. And off we went. DM took the car, I stayed on foot. But the rain! The rain was terrible!! First of all, I don't think he could hear me calling for him as he would have been able to under normal circumstances. Secondly, I couldn't hear the jingle of his collar in case he was near me. It was pitch black. We don't have street lights and we have woods all around. Visibility was extraordinarily limited. We searched and searched and searched. Typically I am an optimist and under control in situations like these. This night, however, I was extremely worried. I thought the weather conditions might ruin any chances we had of finding him. But, someone was looking out for us because DM did find him and although Mr. Mischievous Kohana did try his best to elude him he was temporarily distracted by another dog and we were able to get him home.

So, this ending is a happy one. We have our precious pup home and my car smells like dirty, stinky, wet dog and has muddy footprints all over it. Well, at least one of those things is good. :)

A few weeks in the life...

2010-01-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

We have been super busy around here! Let me give a super quick summary.

Weather very very very cold. As in, coldest it has been in 20 years. Water troughs freeze. Must use axe to break up the ice. Feel like manly lumberjack in a woman's body.
Water line to the horse's trough breaks. Must carry water from the house to the horses one 5 gallon bucket at a time. Feel like very sad and sore lumberjack in a woman's body.

Snow on the ground increases the amount of hay we have to feed the horses. Hay supplies dwindle. Must replenish.

Dogs have to spend much more time inside due to the weather. Dog hair army rises up and tries to take control. Vacuum cries. Dogs decide that carpets are meant to be the color of red mud and try their best to cover all carpeted surfaces with as many dog prints as possible. Carpet cleaning man celebrates at the continued business we give him. I decide that putting in hardwoods on said carpeted surfaces may have to happen sooner rather than later.

Weather warms. I sing from the rooftops!!

Our old house is under contract meaning that we can finally move our furniture!! YAY! But that means moving the masses of boxes we have neglected so that furniture may move to its new home. BOO!

Baxter decides that he would like to sleep all day (which is not a change for him at all) but would like to stay awake at night. Thinks we should do this as well. Barks incessantly during the night to ensure we abide by his schedule. I argue with him that I need a good solid 9 hours of sleep a night. He disagrees. He wins. We do not sleep through night for weeks. I cry.

In my personal boycott of life due to the cold weather I neglect the laundry. It continues to grow. As it turns out, neglecting it will not persuade laundry pile to stop growing. I almost drown in laundry and then scold myself for letting it get so bad.

That is the most concise summary I can do... Sure, I left out a bajillion things but who cares?! Till next time!

S.A.D.

2009-12-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

I know there is controversy out there about S.A.D. or Seasonal Affective Disorder. Since I am neither a qualified medical physician nor a psychiatrist I definitely think I have the knowledge base to declare that Seasonal Affective Disorder is most definitely real and that I am most definitely affected by it.

Winter.

I do not like Winter.

I do not like it in a house. I do not like it with a mouse. I do not like it here or there. I do not like it anywhere. I do not like it Sam-I-Am. I do not like green eggs and ham.

Sorry.... distracted.

Anyway, back to winter. I am just not cut out for winter. The cold. The wind. The dry, pallid (or in my case, extra pallid) skin. Gray skies. Leafless trees. Frozen ground. Frozen water troughs and buckets.

Yet, I am dying to move to the mountains of NC or Virginia. Can someone explain it? Am I crazy? Actually, do not answer that last one... I know the answer.

Anyway, apparently this winter I may be sporadic with my blogging because, well, it seems that apparently when it is winter I do not want to blog about what I've done with my day because I do not want to remember that I was freezing cold the entire time. And I don't take my camera out nearly as often. But, I will try harder. But more importantly, I will stop whining!!

Charleston, South Carolina : : Part Three

2009-12-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

Okay... this is my 3rd and final post about Charleston. Don't worry, no more random building pictures with which to bore you to tears. This time, just animals and a toddler... much cuter! Anyway, for anyone planning an upcoming visit to Charleston, I am a free companion! Just sayin'...

My sister and her family live just outside of Charleston so we stopped to visit with them briefly on our way out of town.

Their house is full of critters! Dogs, goats, pigs, cats, and a little rugrat....

It was raining quite a bit so I wasn't able to hug and smother the animals as much as I would have liked...

My niece let me snap a few pictures of her... though it wasn't easy!! Especially since she spends most of her time ~~torturing~~ loving on my sister's poor Min Pin named Lilly. Though, my niece considers Lilly her sister, and calls her "sissy." I'll make sure to remind her of that in 13 or so years... preferably in front of her friends... :)

I'm pretty jealous of the menagerie... but, I definitely have my hands full at home. In fact, I think I spend 90% of my life feeding animals and husbands...

That's all I'm good for 'round here...

Charleston, South Carolina : : Part Two

2009-12-02T06:54:00.000-08:00

I repeat. Charleston. Is. Beautiful.

It is a photographer's dream - Even on the rainy day I saw no fewer than 4 professional photographers out within a 3 block area.

I love this photo! What a precious pup!!

We chose a random restaurant for lunch. We ended up wandering into the SouthEnd Brewery.

They provide crayons for children (apparently of all ages) to express themselves on the tables.

So. We did.

My turkey in honor of Thanksgiving. A true masterpiece. It was quite delicious!

I miss it already!

Charleston, South Carolina : : Part One

2009-11-30T09:58:00.000-08:00

DM and I were fortunate enough to go down to Charleston for a wedding a few weeks ago.

Before heading home, we went around downtown Charleston. If you haven't been, it is absolutely beautiful.

The weather wasn't the greatest that day, but that didn't stop us!

The homes, as you can see, are absolutely stunning. I am officially in love.

If only I could buy a house in downtown Charleston, across from the water, with enough acreage for all of the animals..... *sigh*.....

Although I love it, and think it is beautiful.... DM is OBSESSED!

He wants to move.... REALLY wants to move down there....

He loves the water. And the history. And the ambiance.

He loves it all.

And you can't help but admit that it is pretty fabulous.

It still has the charm of a small town though it is fairly large and it certainly has all of the amenities you could ask for.

Plus, it is chocked full of history.

I think spring and fall are perfect times to visit.... The summer? Well, it gets a tad bit toasty...

Thanksgiving : A Reflection

2009-11-30T06:15:00.000-08:00

Here at Three Dogs Animal Sanctuary, we hope that everyone had a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Despite the troubles of the day and of our world, we all have things for which we should be thankful.

Me? I'm thankful I don't always have to survive my entire extended family being in the kitchen with me sticking their fingers in the pie, tearing off chunks of turkey, and opening the oven fifty million times. :)

But then again, I'm easy to please...

One of the things I love most about Thanksgiving is spending time with old friends. Everyone who lives near and far congregates and spends time together and we reminisce about the old days.

Now, only 1 month until we do it again!!

Preparation Day

2009-11-25T07:15:00.000-08:00

Dogs: Hey, whattya doin' in there besides NOT cleaning these windows?

Me: Well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving which means I will spend all day today in the kitchen preparing to spend all day tomorrow...in the kitchen.

Dogs: Do you hear that?! It is Thanksgiving! I don't know what that is, but I think I saw her bring in a turkey. Mmmmmm, I love turkey!

Me: What you talkin' bout Willis? You've never even had any turkey.

Dogs: That's what you think.

Dogs: Listen up, everybody! Maybe if we look really cute and are on our best behavior she will give us some turkey! We should spend today practicing...

Annabelle: Seriously. Clean this window. It is embarrassing.

We're Baaaack

2009-11-24T08:16:00.000-08:00

It has been over a month since my last post! YIKES! I can't believe it!

And it isn't like I haven't had anything to post about. To the contrary, we've been amazingly busy. In addition to work and running the farm, we've had two weddings, a funeral, we've been to the coast of NC and to the southern coast of SC, made trips to the vet, a million trips to the feed store, replenished our hay supply, tracked down two run away dogs, survived the swine flu, and I've even climbed down into the sewer to rescue DM's beloved iPhone.

So, there is no excuse for my lack of posting. Except for the flu + rainy weather + tending to the animals = I barely had enough energy to lift my head. But still, no legitimate excuse!

I hope all is well and I am looking very forward to the holiday season.

Rainy Monday

2009-10-05T06:19:00.001-07:00

A cool and rainy Monday morning means silence throughout the house. Everyone just wants to stay in bed...

Winnie Update

2009-10-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

Hello, Winnie here. I thought I would give you a quick update on my status.

Well, for the first couple of days I was just plain miserable. Whimpering and whining and really trying to show Mom how pathetic I was. She felt pretty bad for me and barely left my side at all. Yesterday, I started feeling much better. I had a lot more energy and didn't whine at all (except for when Mom left me... I don't like that. I've never been alone in my whoooole life because I've always at least had my momma (Annabelle) or my brudder (Oliver) around. Don't worry- she felt sad for me and didn't stay away for long).

Anyway, my Mom (wait, are you confused? I have two moms... Mom- my funny looking mom who only walks on two leggies and has this unfortunate furless condition except for on her head. It's embarrassing, but I love her anyway. Then I also have my momma- my biyologikal momma) Anyway, my Mom made this chart for my medications because she is super dorky.

But, this is the day we are looking forward to!

For the time being, I've been a really good girl. I haven't complained about being locked away in the kennel all day. And I've really enjoyed being fed by hand- I eat all my pills and I sleep for most of the day. Oh! And the drain was taken out of my side yesterday so everything is going well so far!

Incapacitated and Incarcerated,

Winnie

Guess What Time It Is!

2009-10-01T05:22:00.000-07:00

So...

Let me just give you a little background. Pointless background, I'm sure you will soon discover.

The other morning, I had to go get dog food (a common occurrence). On the way I decided that I would really love a piping hot breakfast from Biscuitville. (Don't have a Biscuitville in your area? You have never heard of Biscuitville? Well, I am very, very sorry. I lament for you. It is a fast food chain that serves nothing but breakfast here in the southeast. They are only open until 2 p.m. and they are delicious).

At our old house, we were about 3 minutes away from this restaurant. But here in the stix? It is a 30 minute drive to the nearest. So, obviously, this was a worthwhile excursion for a $3.00 breakfast!

Anyway, all of this is leading up to what I saw on the way to Biscuitville. A sign at a local hardware store.

Guess what time it is?

That's right. Opossum stew time. Grab your spoons (forks?) ladies and gentlemen!

Poor Miss Winnie

2009-09-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

Remember the other day when I posted about Winnie? And we discussed (aka all agreed) that she is cute and cuddly and adorable?

Well, she still is.

But, Monday evening..... well, Monday evening Miss Winnie got into a little scuffle.

That resulted in quite a significant puncture wound, a trip to the emergency vet, a surgical procedure including anesthesia, a 7 inch drain which extends out the side of her body, and several stitches.

Poor, poor Winnie. Poor, poor precious Winnie.

She is a trooper but she is very uncomfortable and unhappy. She has to wear an e-collar - which is incredibly necessary but pathetic because she runs into things and, let's face it, just seems more sad and pathetic. She has to be separated from her siblings (and her momma) for 14 days! And she must be confined to a kennel for... 14 days! Not allowed outside on her own for... you guessed it... 14 days! This is quite a big deal for us, I might add. Our dogs are fortunate to have the run of our household. When the weather is nice (or just whenever they feel like it) they are outside. Otherwise, they are inside. To be constantly confined, separated from family, and restricted to very brief leash walks is quite a change.

I neglected all other duties today and stayed by her side. She tries so hard to fight sleep (one of her medications causes drowsiness) though she basically just sits and stares at me and whimpers. It is torture. Eventually she gives in and will lay down and sleep.

We did give her a new toy today. Under normal circumstances, this type of toy would last mere seconds in our household but she is not in a destructive frame of mind. I put it in her collar thinking she would A) bite it or B) duck her head and drop it on the ground. She did neither. So I took pictures. And then felt guilty. But, I love the little booger and couldn't help myself!

13 days to go!

Wistful for Winnie,

Blankets Galore!

2009-09-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

We have had a slight reprieve from all of the rain. Yesterday was GORGEOUS! Blue skies. The perfect time to air out the horses' blankets. Well, some of them. One thing about horse ownership- you acquire, and acquire, and acquire. It is truly amazing. But, as usual, I'm getting off subject...

Anyway, today has been stunningly beautiful as well. Since I left the blankets out overnight (due to the fact that I made ribs for dinner. Then ate said ribs. Ate way, way, way too many of said ribs. Then realized that I could no longer stand and was unable to put the blankets away unless I could find some Oompa Loompas to roll me outside to do so and that seemed unlikely... since I couldn't even stand to call directory assistance to ask for them to connect me to the Oompas...so I left the blankets out overnight). Then this morning, it was another gorgeous day- and the blankets were slightly damp from the dew. So, I left them out to dry off and bask in the warm, loving sunshine.

Except?

Except?

It just started POURING down rain....

And the moral of the story? Don't eat too many ribs. Terrible things will happen.

Blue Skies!

2009-09-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

It has been raining like crazy around here for the past several days.

Which means we've been doing a lot of this.

And this.

And this.
And this.

And this.

I won't complain about the rain because we've been in a severe drought but.... today the skies are blue and the temperature is great!

Which makes Winnie one happy girl!

Love,

Oh, Italy... How I Miss You

2009-09-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made a big mistake. Huge mistake. Massively huge gargantuan mistake.

I watched about 1 1/2 straight hours of Food Network.

All three shows (Paula Deen, Giada, and Barefoot Contessa) were showcasing herbs and Italian foods.

And it made me... A. Want to consume an entire weeks worth of calories in one sitting.
B. Go back to Italy.

Oh man, did it make me want to visit Italy again.

Did I tell you that is where DM and I went on our honeymoon?

It was fabulous. Magnificent. Extraordinary. Tremendous. Remarkable. Extraordinary. Amazing.
If you ever get the chance to go to Italy... please take it. I beg you. You won't regret it.

The food. THE FOOD. Oh my goodness gracious, the food. You can stop at any restaurant you pass while walking the streets and it is absolutely delicious. Despite the fact that we walked a bajillion miles a day (and literally almost died while hiking along the coast) I still managed to gain 10 pounds.

The views. THE VIEWS. It is so beautiful.

The history. THE HISTORY. Awe-inspiring.

The art. THE ART. It is so magnificent I can't even put it into words.

The pictures you are currently viewing were taken in Rome. It is fascinating... a bustling city built around ancient ruins. There is so much history to be seen... oh, and the Vatican. The Vatican left me speechless. To see the unbelievable art and to view the Sistine Chapel in person... I have no words. Other than, do your best to go and see it yourself!!

I repeat: You won't regret it. Or maybe this is just the crazy rantings of someone who is going through caprese withdrawal... I plead the 5th. And someone get me some mozzarella. STAT!

Rainbow!

2009-09-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

My car... it needed tunin'

So, I had to go into the "city" to take it to the shop. When I went to pick it up... this is what I saw!

Granted, the photo was taken out of a moving vehicle... with my phone... in one of the ugliest parts of said "city." But, I think you get the idea!

In case you don't, here is the other side :)

Love,

w i n n i e

2009-09-21T05:36:00.000-07:00

Hi, my name is Winnie! I am cute and cuddly and adorable... as you can see.

This is my mom, Annabelle. You read about her recently. ... She is a wonderful momma dog! I also have a biological brother, Oliver, and a sister named Tippy. We were found at a nearby farm and Tippy went to live with the owners of the farm where we were found. She loves it there! But I get to terrorize my brother Oliver on a daily basis :)

I love it here! I have lots of adopted brothers and sisters I can play with!! One of my absolute FAVORITE activities is....

Licking the other dogs' mouths!! It is so much fun! Primarily because it gets on their nerves... and what would a little sister be if she didn't try to get on everyone's nerves?!

I am definitely a tomboy! This picture... this picture is deceiving. It makes it look like I was doing something bad... like digging in the back yard which resulted in dirt all over me. But, umm, obviously I was not digging. Nope, definitely not digging. Definitely not doing anything bad. Nope! Not me! I am the definition of good behavior- no matter what the photographic evidence is!

Man, now I'm embarrassed that you caught me doing something bad....

Okay! I'm over it! Time to play!

Love,

Elaphe Obsoleta Obsoleta

2009-09-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

The other morning, we walked out to a surprise waiting for us.

Mom! Mom! Did you see it? Did you see it? It was AWESOME!

This... is the "awesome" new toy they had discovered...

He lives in the woods... we've seen him before... but never up near the house. Fortunately, I am not afraid of snakes but I AM afraid of the pups being bitten by a snake.

After seeing them interact with this snake, they have confirmed my fears. They thought it was a really great new toy!

I actually felt sorry for the little, four foot long, guy. Fortunately we were able to corral the dogs without incident to them or the snake.... or us. Then I followed him around and took photos while he tried to escape back to the safety of his woodland manor.

Seriously, Lady... leave me alone!

And I did. Because he had started his day with quite the traumatic experience and I didn't want to contribute to his increasing therapy bills. But I'm pretty sure he won't be venturing this way anytime soon!

Are you ready for some football?

2009-09-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

Well, are you?

Let me fill you in a little bit on my football background... I don't have one. My high school didn't have a football team. We did not ogle the football players as they walked through the halls because... there weren't any football players. (And if my small school had created a football team- we would have been terrible and pathetic and therefore the football players still wouldn't have been revered). I have two brothers... but they are much older than I am and certainly didn't include their younger sister in football viewing activities. Even if they had tried, I would have scoffed and said "NO WAY!" Growing up, football was as much a part of my life as trying to catch a unicorn.. while flying through the air in a rainbow hovercraft... while wearing lederhosen... and eating brussel sprouts. *Shudder*

But then I met DM. A football player. And suddenly, I was ~~dragged kicking and screaming~~ gloriously swept off my feet and led into football land.

Recently I saw a cup that said "We interrupt this MARRIAGE to bring you FOOTBALL SEASON!" I want that cup. I have never felt a stronger connection with a quote than I do with the one on that little plastic cup.

I don't, however, mind attending football games. Which is precisely what we did last Sunday when we went to Charlotte to watch the Carolina Panthers (our team) take on the Philadelphia Eagles.(Oh, and really I don't mind watching football games when it is cold or rainy or yucky outside or when I'm bored... but shhhhh, don't tell).
I quite like our seats. We are close enough to the game to keep my attention... (which DM can certainly attest to my faulty attention span during sporting events)

This is Sir Purr. I love Sir Purr. Mainly because he is cuddly and cute- which is why I typically like all mascots. Also why I really struggled when I considered attending the University of Richmond. Their mascot? The Spiders. I don't know how you feel- but I certainly didn't think that Black Widow I found the other day was very cute and cuddly.

The players exiting their tunnel... fireworks, machismo, and excitement galore!

One thing I definitely do like... the flyovers. At least during the first game of the season they will have a flyover immediately preceding the game. It is really great! Except for that one time when we were running late and were still walking to the stadium when they flew by... It was not long after 9/11 and we were walking through downtown Charlotte... and WOOOOOOOOOOOOSH! They do not make much noise until they are directly overhead... and it is LOUD. I nearly jumped out of my skin. And then I felt dumb.

And... okay. Let me get my social commentary out of the way. Normally, I will keep my political/social/polarizing/etc opinions to myself and out of the blog. But I am going to make an exception here- and I hope you forgive me for it.

Because this?

This is how I feel. I am NOT a fan of Michael Vick. Not at all.

I will keep my real rants about it to myself...

Moving on...

Did anyone see this game?

If you did not see this game- let me tell you how it went. It was AWESOME! We won by a million points!

If you did see this game... well... umm... it didn't go so well. I mean, started off great! But went downhill from there. As in downhill from the peak of Mt. Everest.

But look! We did score one touchdown in the beginning!

This guy was absolutely enthralled with the game. He was cheering, and jumping, and screaming, and possibly doing ninja kicks in the air. The only problem is that he was supposed to be watching the crowd to maintain order. I think he is just a smart fan who found himself a gig that lets him be on the field!

This little girl was too precious not to snap a photo of! Look how cute she is!!

This gentleman has his face painted every game. EVERY game.

This gentleman... well, he was not pleased with the performance of his team. Not pleased at all, I tell ya.
This just made me laugh. He too was in charge of maintaining order but instead chose to spend much of the time presumably checking text messages. I will say this... it kind of makes me happy to know that the security peeps feel comfortable enough with the crowd to relax.

It's football season... marriage interrupted.

Fetch

2009-09-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

"Throw it! Throw it! Throw it! Throw it! Throw it!"

"Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"I got it! I got it! Guys? Did you see me? He threw it and I got it!"

"What? You act like it isn't normal to chase a ball over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again!
....

Horses are so weird."