Cat girl and Facebook!

This is how my daughter fell asleep- she thinks she is a cat- so she lays on the back of the couch with the cat!

On the Facebook front- I think I am going to move my posts back to my blog- I have too many friends on FB that it has become awkward- family, and parents of kids on my children's sports teams that I really have never had a conversation with in my life- I know you say- just ignore them- but we live in a small town and what if I offend someone? I am a pleaser! So it has just become weird on FB. How do you deal with FB requests from people you are not sure you want to know everything about your life?

Horrible Day- but cute kitties

So yesterday was a horrible day. Root Beer got locked in our tack room by accident. This is a very small room with no windows and no fresh air- so it gets really hot like a car would. When I found her she was passed out and limp. I pulled her out and drenched her in cool water, took her inside in the a/c and after 40 mins still nothing.

I called my neighbor who is a nurse, because I did not know what to do- I was waiting for the Vet to call back- so she came over and then I lost it- Root Beer was panting so hard- and it was just so awful- I was sure she would die- and I was pissed because she was locked in there and I did not know- and so many emotions were flooding me. Dylan and I were just bawling, sure this was the end- Toby has no emotion- he does not like animals and poor Trey was trying to help.

So, we hurried her to the Vet- she was not opening her eyes or responding in any way. he put her on fluids- and I was freaking out- because he was not moving fast enough. I was crying and I did not want to know how bad it was. He put the IV on full blast- gave her some other medications to help her brain from swelling- and took her temp- we got it down to 92! 102 is normal- so now we had to warm her up! We put her on a heating pad- and she opened her eyes- after a few hours she was wagging her tail and I have never been happier. Finally he sent her home with a new IV bag after I told him there was no way she was staying at the Vet so don't even ask.

Once we got home- Root Beer was tired of the IV- so when it was about 3/4 empty I took it out- she went outside and is slowly getting her sea legs back. I am so thankful- I had nightmares all night about her being in that room, and what she was thinking, and I know it is all not rational but I feel like shit.

I spend more time in a day/week with Root Beer then anyone else in my life and I am thankful she is OK. I know most folks don't really like her- because she is a grouchy old dog- but I sure love her.

On a better note- look how cute the kittens are sleeping together.

because we do not have enough animals....

We went to get Taya a new kitten and she likes one and I liked the other- so we brought both home.

This is Napkin- he was found in a dumpster

This is Easy Mac- she was born in the shelter

This is Napkin's hair on the fly strip- Taya put him on the counter so he could get a fly and he got stuck to it- it was very sad or else I would have gotten a picture- so this is the best I can do!

Flower...

Some kids play with human friends, some kids play with dogs, my daughter plays with a goat!

Birthday pictures to come soon. I am going scrapbooking for 4 days yeah!

Can you say suckers?

We live in a great small town- where if you get busy- there is always someone else who will take your kids to soccer, or football- or call you and see if you can pick up their kids. This happened on Monday- a friend needed us to take and pick up her son from baseball while she ran some errands in another town about an hour away.

So we went to get "T" for baseball and when we pulled up he was playing with his goat "Flower" in his front yard- not such an unusual sight where we live. I asked "T" if it was his 4-H goat and he said yes- but that his Dad was going to make him sell Flower to the neighbor's for Easter dinner. I understand that people eat goats- but not our children's goats. I said that would not happen- and when I picked him up from baseball I paid him the $50.00 going rate for Easter Flower and said we would get her the next day.

We have a goat- so what is the big deal to have one more? "T" was very sweet when we picked her up- he loaded her in our horse trailer, followed us to our farm to make sure she got settled OK- and life was good. Until Flower decided to jump out of the pen, over and over. We are figuring our ways to keep her in her pen- but in the meantime Taya is enjoying her.

(Les L.- I know you are just laughing at this post)



Audio, the brown goat, is the one we had and Mellow is the little horse Taya is feeding


Taya riding Flower

Taya hugging Flower

It takes talent to pull off wearing jeweled Princess shoes in a horse corral!

Animals

Not a whole lot going on- yet a lot going on. We are doing Track, baseball, wrestling, soccer, tap, jazz, ballet, and gymnastics. Bible Study and my DV group- all outside of the normal school day- so we are here and there.

I was just thinking about what a great day it was. O woke up and got the children to school, and spent about 1/2 hour just throwing balls and playing with 5 of our dogs on the back porch. Then I can inside and payed fetch with another one for a little while. I looked over on the bed- and Taya was sleeping with Root Beer and Teriyaki- just snug as a bug in a rug.

When we went to dance- we took three dogs with us. Toast enjoyed sticking her head out the window. I played with some of the cutest pups when I got home and was able to pet the Emu for a few minutes. Taya and I went for a ride on the 4 wheeler and stopped at the neighbors to talk to their llama and give her some loving. The whole time we could hear Charlie the goose honking at us for disrupting his quiet day. The horses and Audio our goat nayed at us to feed them, as we parked the 4 wheelers in the barn for the night.

On my way to bed tonight- I looked in and Taya and Toast are sacked out in her bed- and Domino is on the back of the couch. As I type this- Root Beer is keeping my feet warm, and Teriyaki is sleeping with Jen. I just love the animals in my life and I sure do appreciate them.

Tell me about your animals.



Root Beer- I have no idea why it is sideways


Puka will be leaving us at the end of the month because she won't breed

A wonderful puppy- still looking for a forever home

Da Kine- our new Russian CH that will be here in April- he looks like he has so much confidance.

Taya and Toast- ready for bed.

Don't watch if you have a weak tummy!

I have some dog porn....I recorded Lilo giving birth to a puppy- keep in mind that I was filming, and helping, and no one was helping me- so it is a little crazy at times- but you can see me break the sac off the puppy's face so it won't drown in it's fluids.

And you all thought puppies were cute!
Lilo Gives Birth to a boy!

Upset Customer

I got the rudest e-mail from a customer that I want to share with you, I feel so sad for this puppy- because this person just sounds horrible to me. I have asked her to return him to us- but she won't:

We bought a dog from you and are very disappointed-
For the first six weeks we hand fed him boiled organic chicken breast, rice and Pedialyte because he was a picky eater and I slept on the floor with him to make sure he kept quiet. Also, he would sit with his head hanging down and every time he would raise his head he would grunt and snort, he sounds like he is growling at people and it scares them. He shows no interest in surroundings or smells like horses or cows or other dogs, it is like nothing bothers him or he is too stupid to notice the other animals. By process of elimination and much work with the Vets, we found out that he is completely allergic to all corn and corn byproducts. None of the three Vets have been able to pinpoint the grunting/snorting problem and have suggested acupuncture and/or going to CSU which we haven't done yet. He is in a harness outside instead of a collar so there is no pressure on his neck and nothing inside. None of the Vets will put him under anesthetic to neuter him because he had allergic reactions to his puppy and permanent shots, so it looks like we will have to keep him intact. (he is under our constant supervision so I don't think there is a problem)

I agree that he is a good looking dog with a good looking head although after seeing his parents I don't think the muzzle/jowls is what you would have wanted and he is actually smaller than his mother. Maybe it is just Grady, but he does not retain commands or vocabulary and has been very slow to reach stages of maturity. I work with him every day and it's like starting over every day. We have talked to two come-to-the-house-trainers but neither really wants to work with this breed. So, it has been a long 10 months and we still have a dumb dog who is apparently going to remain snorty and dumb and we have a bleak outlook for improvement in intelligence.

No, he has not turned out to be what we expected but we still chose him to be in our home and will have to adjust to what he is . It is similar to having a retarded child- we will deal with him. I do not want to return him because I made the commitment to have this dog. I have since gotten feedback that I am expecting too much from a European Golden as they are known to not be very bright. I was comparing this pup to 30 years of American Goldens and their development and I did not know that these could not be trained the same way.

His muzzle is too short and jowls too long. He can hardly get a decent drink or water without it falling out of his mouth even with raised dishes. I told my Vet that this dog is "slow"and what did they know about this kind of dog. The above info is what I received. I will now proceed accordingly.

I believe that this puppy was the last in the litter for a reason we were the suckers that got him. You knew he was stupid and ugly and you still sold him to us.

He is a year old and still drools and is impossible to potty train because he is so stupid. He has not developed properly physically, he weighs 60 pounds at one year and is the most stupid canine I have had in 55 years. He can't even chase a ball- he just watches it roll away from him.

I would never, ever recommend your operation to anyone and I have given that information to the Golden Clubs in this area.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

The only phrase that comes to mind is...."Mean people suck" Poor Grady.

As far as the eye can see...

OK before you look at these pictures- just remember that my house has been under construction for three months- so everything gets piled in my office- so it is not the neatest area.

I thought that you all might enjoy the view I have from my desk when I am working on my computer- it feels like every animal in the house needs to be around me!

I wouldn't have it any other way- I love my animals.


Teriyaki sitting behind me.

Teriyaki walking along my desk.

Pepper laying under my desk- she was an outside cat- afraid of people and one day she had kittens and the dogs got to her babies- so I brought her inside with the only 2 kitties that made it- she has never left except to go to the Vet to get fixed.

Root Beer- she is my baby and goes everywhere with me- she is never more then about 3 feet from me.

Toast and Leihua- what you can't see is that Toast's butt is laying on my feet!

Happy Easter!

Taya's new kitty Teriyaki says Happy Easter!

We are just hanging out- it is cold here. My parents will be here tomorrow from Maui for dinner. Bryce is riding his dirt bike and I am going to try to get caught up on laundry. I have about 15 loads to do.

We went to go see the Haunting in CT last night- it was interesting. better then I thought it would be.

Hope everyone is able to enjoy some family time today!

Jen had a baby!!!!!!

Ok well maybe not Jen- but her baby had a baby- so it is kinda like she had a baby!

I know I promised my big news yesterday, so I am a big slacker- slap my hands!

Our miniature mare had her baby- we were not expecting her to foal until March- and we went to go to the store and driving past the corral I saw something on the ground and I made Jen stop- I thought it was a dead cat- so I jumped out of the truck and ran towards this lump on the ground- and it moved- I yelled "it's alive" I was so happy to see a baby horse and nothing dead.

I am a little bummed- ok a lot bummed because I wanted to see her girl birth- but we were not expecting the baby for a few weeks. Oh well- just thankful she is doing well.

It is a little girl and she is beautiful! She is a charcoal grey color and we named her Smores. Her Mom is named Mellow, like marsh mellow- so we thought that was a great name. All of our household animals are named after food- Root Beer, Ice Cube, Toast, Crouton- you get the picture. No the horse is not a household animal- but we just stuck with the theme.

So that is our big news- in the midst of all the bad and sad things that have been going on lately it is fun to have such a great surprise. God is good.


Smores with her Mommy


Look how happy Jen is with her new baby


Mommy is not sure about Jen holding her baby

Have you ever seen such a cute little horse?

Da Kine

Jen got a new baby. He came all the way from the country of Serbia and we got him last night. We have been on a waitinglist for a few years and we got a male in December but he got sick and died within a few days of coming here- the travel was too much on him- so this is our "replacement" puppy. He is cute- and has the same dad as puppy number 1- but I really wanted a big white male and he is more creme.

He will be big, he has a nice head and I am sure he will be fine- he has a great pedigree I am just trying to get over the idea of a big white male.

His name is Da Kine- like Dog the Bounty Hunter's bail bonds. We name all of our dogs Hawaiian names- my parents live on Maui- so we thought Da Kine would be a great name. So we have a puppy in the house again- to train. Always fun!

Today we got some snow- we have dance class and will be going to Denver for a breeding. Trey and Toby are going to 4H camp this weekend- so they will have a great time.

Bryce is talking to Vanessa again- you know how kids are- you watch they will get back together and she will stomp on his heart some more. Girls!

More Puppies!

Today- while many of you were at work I was delivering more puppies. These are miracle puppies.

We have a female who was a large female and by far an ALPHA female who liked to strut her stuff. Well she had puppies about a year ago and was no longer the biggest female. One day in December, the rest of the girls jumped her when she was walking by and if you have ever seen a dog fight- it was bad! 7 against 1. By the time Jen got them apart Lilo was in bad shape- we thought her leg was broken. But she made it- what we did not know at the time was that she was pregnant- with 13 puppies! We watched her belly grow over the past month, in awe that she did not lose them.

So a month later- today- she delivered. She did a great job. Most of them made it, a few did not. That is the hardest part of what I do- death. I see more death than I care to. On the bright side though, I saved three of them that would have otherwise died. By the time a Mom delivers 13 puppies she is tired and needs help, so I cut the cords, and break the sacks, and get the puppies breathing for her.

I love having puppies around- because they are so fun- however we keep them in our bedroom suite so the first few weeks I don't get much sleep because I am such a light sleeper. What a blessing it is though to bring joy to so many people.

Wrestling started today for the boys. I am glad they will be able to use up some of their extra energy.

Toby took second place at the Science fair at his school.

A new baby- just a few hours old

Taya laying with the new babies

Presidential Puppies

We had beautiful puppies on the same day our new President went into office- I just had to show their cute faces. They are now 6 days old- one little boy did not make it- but all the rest are doing great. Mom is a good Mama- but she does let them cry more than I like so it makes me get up 2-3 times a night to check on them.

It is so hard to believe these little rats will turn into someone's best friend, someone's playmate, protect someone from something, be a shoulder to cry on. These little fellows will impact the lives of many. I am so blessed to get to spend time with them.

Meet Binx

This is Binx- I named her Cinnamon, but my daughter re-named her Binx- now where on earth did a 2 year old come up with the name Binx? There are no cartoon characters named Binx, no one I have ever met named Binx, perhaps her late night trips to the liquor store and sipping the sauce are making her hallucinate just a bit. I better put a limit on her VISA card.

For those of you following- and waiting for puppies- our girl finally delivered on the 20th- that makes them Presidential puppies in my book. She had 7 males and 3 girls. I will post pictures later. They are already on my website http://www.goldengirlskennels.com/ if you can't wait.

It is a great joy and privilege to be able to spend my time with dogs- such loving and carefree animals- willing to give your their heart at a moments notice. It is hard to sell them but they go to great homes. Taya will miss Binx when it is time for her to move on.

These pictures remind me of pictures of Malia with her dog- on my blogger friend's page. No better combination than kids and dogs.

I warned you...

I told you llama porn was going to be my topic today, and I would hate to disappoint my fans. So ta da..... Skeeter is mounting his Aunt Bandana. I guess he missed the announcement that he is fixed, poor guy just can't take no for an answer.

The llama in the front is Crystal- Skeeter's Mom. So these are my llamas. Crystal and Skeeter are the only tame ones. Bandana is always watching and if Ann is within 10 feet then duck because loogies are going to fly.

10 interesting llama facts I bet you did not know:

1.- Llamas are pregnant for 11 months

2.- Llamas do not like to be touched between their ears

3.- Llamas always potty in the same spot- so it makes cleaning up after them easy

4.- Sweet feed is too rich for llamas and can kill them-we found this out the hard way

5.- Llamas have 3 stomachs

6.- Llamas do not like their necks rubbed- most do not like to be touched at all

7.- Most Vets have no idea how to treat llamas- found this out the same day as the grain- when the Vet shows up to help you with a sick llama and he has a book in his hand about llamas- you know the outcome is not going to be good!

8.- Llamas kick sideways not backwards like a horse

9.- Llamas lay down when you pull them in a horse trailer- it is called cushing

10.-Llamas do not have top teeth so they really can't bite you

See how did you know when you were reading blogs today that you were also going to learn so much!

He used to be a baby...

Well while the rest of you were enjoying a normal Saturday- and in Michelle's case trying to burn the house down, we were playing cowgirl's on the farm.

We did some animal switching this week- moved the goats to a new location, got rid of a llama- 2 males can't live together because they will fight- and I wanted to move Skeeter, my male over to our other pasture with his Mom and Aunt. Seems easy enough. NOT!

Skeeter was a baby when we got him, still nursing on his Mama- so of course we could not just take him- we had to buy the Mom too so he could nurse- well them we also had these visions of breeding llamas so we also bought the Dad and my friend Ann bought the Aunt- we had no business buying 1 llama let alone 3! Now let me set the stage a bit- we were not ready at all for llamas- we just heard they keep coyotes away and Jen has a weakness for animals- so we went to look. We all know about looking. So buying a llama turned into buying 3 llamas, a huge fencing project and the neighbor also getting a llama.

I don't regret it a bit. They have been great pets- Ann's llama Bandana, hated her- she could spit a loogie a mile away just to hit Ann- never spit on anyone else but Ann she hates- so eventually Ann also gave Bandana to us.

We have had them about 4 years now- and Skeeter is still my baby- although he hates to be caught and moved. He just knew today- like a dog knows the Vet's office, that we were up to something. He loves these treats that I give him and even those he was wary about. So Jen being the wanna be cowgirl that she is- roped him until I could halter him- now you wanna see funny- picture Jen in her pajama shorts trying to lasso a 300 pound llama. But, she did and it worked. Skeeter is now happy as a llama could be in a 5 acre pasture with his Mom and Aunt- so I have a few pictures with him. It is such a rewarding experience to be able to love these amazing creatures that we have.

Stay tuned tomorrow- I have llama porn pictures!

Mellow, lazy days

Well we have had a boring weekend. Jen has been sick and Toby's heart seems to be bothering him some- so we have just been hanging out at home watching TV and videos. The good news is- I was able to catch up on all my DVR recordings.

The kids went back to school yesterday so the house has been so much quieter. Bryce was excited to go back to school wearing his brand new Letterman's coat he got for Christmas.

We had a new puppy imported from Serbia, but he was sick and died in less than a week of getting him. So it has just been a crappy weekend.

I am going to add some pictures of us hanging out with some of our dogs. On the bed with me sleeping is Leihua, (lay hoo ah) one of our white Golden Retrievers from Russia and Root Beer, a mutt. Toast, our Great Dane, is giving Jen a hug on the couch, and last is Domino, one of our cats, taking a nap.

Like I said before, we have a pretty boring life. Tonight I am off to PTO for the Twins' school, I am the treasurer. On Wednesday's I lead a group for woman who have been victims of domestic violence, and then Friday is a field trip for the kids- so I have a busy week planned.