Hannah Talks

Hannah never ceases to amaze me. Border Collies are active, intelligent dogs who need a job. Hannah came from the local shelter with a torn cruciate ligament. A year after that was fixed she broke her pelvis. No herding, agility, or other active sports for this BC!

Border Collies need jobs. So Hannah invents jobs for herself. She is my Door Dog, letting me know whenever another dog is thinking of wanting in or wanting out. It is her job to predict what I will do next, where I will go, and to precede me.

Hannah is a very vocal dog, something she learned from Jesse the Samoyed. Samoyeds woo-woo and talk prettily, which is encouraged because their barks tend to be sharp and penetrating. So Hannah does what Jesse gets praised for. Her voice is nowhere near as pleasant, and I have to admit to spending much time trying to get her to be quiet.

Lately I noticed she has a special bark for going outside. Completely different from her other barks and vocalizations. This morning I realize what it is. She is saying "Out". Her bark has been shaped into the English word. Today she got it clear enough that even I could tell exactly what she was saying. Out. She only uses it at the back door, when she wants Out. 

At a time when I am learning to communicate telepathically with animals, my BC is learning to speak English. We all have our jobs to do.

May I Help You?

Six months ago Alex the African Grey died unexpectedly. This morning I discovered a site about a Arielle, a macaw who speaks English fluently.

This made me think of Santi, who has been my friend longer than most humans. A Greater Sulpher Crested Cockatoo, Santi is a force of nature. He came to me while still a chick, and now lives with my mother. He has always communicated freely with humans, dogs, and other birds. One of my favorite stories is from when he was living with me in Seattle.

Santi loves being outside. He was in a large camillia tree next to my porch, and I was sitting on the steps reading. It was a sunny day, and the street was quiet. The phone rang. I ducked inside, grabbed the phone, and came back out. Santi was gone.

During the two minutes I was out of sight Santi climbed down the tree and walked across the road to visit the neighbor working under his car. He sauntered quietly up, crest raised, until he was next to the neighbor, his beak by the man's ear. Then he said "Hi! What'cha doin'?"

When I got down the stairs I saw a young man standing next to his vehicle holding Santi on one arm and rubbing his head with the other. They were still in conversation. There was a group of people around them. Santi was delighted to make new friends. He knew more people on the street than I did.

Every one on the street knew that story by the end of the day.

Berna the Protector

Berna was 5 months old when I got her. From the moment of her arrival she adored Ursa, the now 13 year old Caucasian Ovtcharka. I worried that as Berna grew up this would change, as Ursa is and always shall be top dog. Berna is now 3, and still thinks Ursa is the coolest thing ever. Here she has placed herself between Ursa and the other dogs, so Ursa can gnaw her bone in peace. Instead of challenging the old girl Berna protects her.

Millie's Next Step

I had a loose plan for training Millie. She's been living in the main sheep field, sans sheep, for the winter. She needed to burn off some of her puppy energy, get in touch with her guardian instincts, and spend time next door to the sheep, now locked in the smaller paddock. This has worked pretty well. Charlie goes in with her occasionally, and she's learned about patrolling fence lines, marking territory, and general good behaviors from him.

I had planned to put a smaller enclosure in her territory, but the portable fencing deal I made fell through, and that really needed to wait for better weather. She couldn't go in with the sheep until they lambed - no upsetting pregnant sheep allowed! So Millie has been mostly alone in a very large field, with sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and more to watch from a distance, and ravens to chase off close up.

Today as I was feeding and then getting set up to restore another shelter roof, I noticed a big white in with the sheep. I didn't remember putting Charlie in there. And while large, this dog was smaller than Charlie. Millie! She broke through the gate between fields, and was strolling around the sheep paddock. I watched from a distance as she checked the perimeter, sniffed the shelter, and did some digging for gophers. She was calm, the sheep were calm. All my new mammas are in a separate field now, so I thought I'd leave Millie while I was outside and keep an eye on her.

After a half hour or so I saw a white streak. Millie cornered a ram, and he was taking a stand. I calmly went into the field with a leash, merrily calling to Millie, saying "Leave it!" when she started being rambunctious, but mostly letting things play out. She did some chasing, but the ram kept stopping to take a stand. Millie let me walk up to her and clip on her leash. We then walked over to the group of sheep still lolling around the feeding area, sniff everyone, and slowly make our way back into her field.

I fixed the gate, played with Millie for awhile, and then got some really good food for Millie's lunch.

This was the next step I had planned, Millie just thought my timing was off. I'm very pleased at how well she did. She was much calmer than I expected her to be, and while she did chase, she didn't burst into the knot of sheep to disrupt them. She was playing, not trying to hurt them. I'm feeling more hopeful for her working future. She is more exuberant than I would like to see, but she didn't rush in and start chasing. She's growing up and learning.

I was also amazed at how much coat she's put on. Somehow I hadn't noticed that before. Her guard coat has come in, she now has a mane and a nice, full Pyr coat. And muscle. She keeps herself in shape!

Testing the Shelter

Trey had to test out the new tarp/crate/dog bed combo I set up for him. The winter's wind storms destroyed all my shelters, and had a very unsatisfactory fix in place for the "back of house" dogs. Berna tested out her favorite spot before I'd finished setting everything up, and Trey was next checking out his fav crate.



Squeak the irrepressible cat snoozes on Charlie's porch dog bed.

More than Just a Pretty Face

Meet Nickel - Can Ch GrCH Alchmys Magic Tin Nick-L Blues RA JHD CGC


I had the pleasure of meeting Nickel and her poodle family when I met her owner Vikki Kauffman at Fido's Farm outside of Olympia. Vikki was taking Nickel for some herding practice, and I tagged along to watch.

As you can see, Nickel is a Standard Poodle. The letters in front of her name and the first picture show she's a champion show dog. The letters at the end of her name say she's done Advanced Rally (RA), has a Junior Herding title (JHD), and has earned a Canine Good Citizen certificate (CGC). She has also done hunting field trials.

Herding? Poodles? Check it out. Poodles started out as working dogs, mostly water retrieval but many other tasks as well. Including herding.



Vikki and Nickel - another pair out to prove that dogs can do it all. A well-rounded poodle with a fun personality, a lovely smooth gait, lots of talent and a beautiful face.

Favorite Places

I've "re-discovered" some sites recently that I'd like to share.

One is Seymour Stained Glass. Karen Seymour is a very talented artist, and her glass creations are a joy to behold. Check them out! She even has a window depicting her husband's obsession - a Meade telescope.

Kerin Gale and Charley Slaughter create jewelry and other art out of found items. See it at Remnants Of Olde. This couple is embarking on a new adventure, moving to the south Oregon coast to be inspired by the sea.

And Veryl Anne Grace has a new creation pictured on her blog, Fiber in Paradise. Masquerade is a collaboration with her husband Glenn, and is glorious. There are also pictures of her lovely Maremma, Keanani.

A recently discovered blog that I've been enjoying very much is My Anatolian Dog Otto, very well written and entertaining stories about Otto and his family.

I discovered the above blog by reading Semavi Lady's Turkish Dogs blog. There's always something interesting here, including wonderful pictures of Anatolians and other LGDs.

These last two are part of the Anatolian Blogroll listed on the right. Lots of great blogs in there.

Walkabout

I took Jesse with me to the feed store and stocked up on my diminished supplies. Jesse loves going to the store, and had to be talked into getting back in the van to come home. There were two people there who hadn't cuddled him! It smells so good there! The guys were charmed by Jesse's woo woos of complaint, and the way he uses his body to let me know he doesn't like what I'm asking him to do, and makes it very clear what he does want me to let him do. They were also disappointed I hadn't brought Charlie. "Where's that big dog? I don't know his name, I call him Polar." This about the dog who gets in their faces as they try to load my van with hay and feed sacks. He's not aggressive about it, but he really isn't sure about people coming in his van, even if they are putting things in. He wants to get a good smell of them. I have to get in and keep him from getting out to really check out the place.

Charlie was locked in with the sheep, so when I got home I just opened the gate to unload.

Mistake.

Jesse and Ursa took the opportunity to go walkabout. Millie had been barking down at the corner of her field, but the neighbors were out making noise, I thought she was barking at them. I had forgotten that the last time I let Jesse and Ursa out together while I did chores, they took themselves off for a walk.

Last time they went up the hill, where we go for walks, on our property. I found them on their way back. That's the most interesting area, so that's where I went to look for them. Usually I go down the hill first to find any missing animals, since that's the area towards danger, but up is more interesting, and up is where they went last time. No footprints. Not of dogs, that is. Nice footprints of a raccoon heading up, and very clear, recent prints of a deer heading down. No dogs. So I went down the hill. No footprints, but this direction is gravel not mud. No dogs. No answer to my calls.

The neighbor dog was barking, and I've been curious about whose dog that is and what kind, so I walked up the road towards the noise. This large, grey dog, obviously young, is tied out a ways away from the house, poor thing. No wonder he barks a lot. As I was walking back down the road I saw some moving white in the trees. I waited until two cars went by to call out, and sure enough it was Jesse. Ursa wasn't far behind. They were checking out the log house, the one that's been for sale for ages, the one that the sheep liked to go visit to mow the lawn last summer, and that has a new car and trailer parked there. They probably followed the deer scent down, and then got interested in the new rig.

Jesse came up to me with that "you really love me and aren't mad, right?" look. Ursa laid down on the grass.

Ursa, 13 with severe arthritis and a tumor hanging off her jaw, was tired and sore and didn't want to walk back. I massaged her back and legs, and she agreed to move to our road. We spent a long time walking the 1/4 mile back to the house, stopping frequently for rubs, rests and encouragement. Once home she got all her feel-good pills, and another massage.

This is the dog who was walking out on the county road, crossing the road. Thankfully those two cars I waited for were the only ones to come by while we were there. It isn't a busy road. But really, a gimpy CO and a Samoyed with two bad knees, on a road with no shoulder. There aren't many cars use the road, but it only takes one car to hit a dog.

They are both such stick-around dogs, I used to have them out with me all the time while I did out-of-the-fence chores. Until one day several months ago they went walkabout. They haven't been out since except for walks with me. Except for today, when I forgot I could no longer trust them. Tonight we are all inside the fence, and we are all tired.

It Must Be Spring

Besides the usual sorts of things - tree buds swelling, grass growing, increased wild bird activities, lambs being born - my roosters are starting to squabble. My tom turkey has become a complete and total jerk, albeit a pretty one. And I collected a dozen eggs today. A dozen. Pretty soon, if I don't improve my distribution plan, my fridge will have room for nothing but eggs.

The dogs have also become more playful. While there is still enough snow in the mountains to keep passes closed, it's warmer down here and supposed to be sunny. Any time now.

It must be spring.

...did I mention the mud?

February Morning

Jesse the Mouser

Jesse (Samoyed) went to bed beautifully white, prettily clean. This morning he looked like he'd been in a fight with the Mud Man. We had 4 inches of snow overnight. How could he get muddy?

By chasing mice. This used to be a pile of scrap wood. It is now, it seems, Mouse Haven. Jesse hears them.

And digs for them. He knows there is a mouse down there!

He isn't really taking a break, he's still listening. And getting dirtier.

And where are all the cats who've come to call this place home? Sleeping on the hay in the shelter.

That's What It's All About

Charlie greeting the newest resident of our farm. First he touched noses with Mom, and then with the lamb. When he tried to step in and do some serious cleaning Mom stomped her foot and we all moved on.

The first two lambs of the season. There is a shelter for them, but they prefer this tree.

New lambs are so cute. These are both female, which is a good thing. This one has a black nose and some black spots. She is adorable. Just ask Charlie.

And the Snow Keeps on Falling

Weave One Heart

Veryl Ann Grace, my friend in Hawai'i, creates wonders in the fiber arts. A photo of one of her weavings is displayed on the Hawai'i Handweavers' Hui Gallery. It's a beautiful weaving, as are the other works in the gallery. Well worth a visit! You can also see the wonderful hat she made me on her blog, Fiber in Paradise.

St. Helens Speaks

Friday morning (1/25), Mt St Helens from my porch. Really cool steam plume.

Same day, same steam plume. From the Johnston Observatory.

Just a little closer.

Yet More Dirty Dogs

My name is Alea. I'm a Tibetan Mastiff. I am too regal to play. There is no mud on my nose.

"Right after Christmas (thankfully before and not after bathing to get ready for the Deland, FL shows!) she decided to have a good old dig in the yard." - Robyn Allwright

Koda, Anatolian Shepherd Dog, and Buttercup, American Bulldog. That is not a brown mask on Koda.

That is mud.

"We had a couple of stumps removed from the backyard. The resulting sawdust and mud sinkhole proved irresistable to the Dynamic Duo. All hell broke loose when I let Buttercup and Koda out into the backyard unsupervised. I swear I went inside for just a minute...well, really more like 5 or 10." - Tammy Ardolf (from Tammy's blog Koda)

"From left, Contessa, A Pyr Sheepdog cross, Sasha, Great Pyrenees rescue, and Royal Hunter, Hunter for short, an AKC Pyr." - LvbleLeRoy

Contessa is not only clean, she stopped in the process of getting of the table because she was told to. Wow.

More Muddy Puppies

"I thought I would share this photo of my trio - my Golden, Sammy and Berner puppies - after a torrential rain storm. They were so happy with themselves, all I could do was laugh!" - Laura Olsson and the Muddy Wonder Trio

That's a kitchen Leo is confined in. He lets Catherine cook in there occasionally.

"And my entry - Leo (Great Pyrenees) at six months" - Catherine de la Cruz 

Boris, a Caucasian Ovtcharka. Hey Boris, your roots are showing!

Thor, also a Caucasian Ovtcharka. No roots showing here, just the red-gold glow of head and face!

Pinta, a Central Asian Shepherd. Normally more than the blaze is white!

"What a fun concept. Thor and Boris are both normally red and Pinta was white." - Angie Wheat

Rainy, Rainy Day

Today is one of those days that should be looked at through living room windows, with a warm fire in the hearth and a hot drink in hand. Since it's been below freezing for over a week, the ground is solidly frozen. This morning freezing rain fell. The freezing rain turned to rain, but it made little difference, since the ground froze the water almost immediately. I had to get supplies. I took the van out and started up the hill, wheels spinning. I put on the brakes and thought a while. If it was this icy here, how would it be on the tight curves of Leonard road, going down the steep hill? I turned around in my neighbor's drive and headed out the back way, which is longer but avoids the hills. The roads were all icy, but not too slick if you stayed in the ruts. At the feed store the big rig driver who had just brought in a double trailer of alfalfa was talking about all the accidents on the freeway and 508, and how he had chosen not to turn on Leonard but continue on to where 508 met up with 12, the main state route. Made me glad for my choice. 

Loading the supplies was slippery business, but my boots have great traction. Charlie, who had insisted on coming with Jesse and I, kept close watch on everyone. He really draws attention. "Someone has a polar bear in their van!" "Wow, that's one BIG dog!" The brave workers loaded the van anyway, as Charlie sniffed the bags and faces. He just loves going to the feed store.

We got home without incident, although the county road was still very slick. The van has much better traction with the extra weight in back. My chickens now have scratch and my sheep some alfalfa to supplement their grass hay. I even walked up my hill without slipping. The geese are happy, because there are now puddles to bathe in. Water has been freezing too fast for bathes the past week.

I now plan to stay inside as much as possible the rest of the day.

Starry, Starry Night

One of the best things about the cold weather we've been having is the clear, clean air. The full moon shone brightly early this week, making crisp shadows and allowing me to navigate my hill at night without a light. The nights seemed brighter than many of our cloudy, rainy winter days.

Tonight the moon is up late, and the stars are out in force. So many, many stars. White, blue, yellow and red stars. The longer you stare at the sky, the more stars appear. Endless stars. In this part of the world in winter one tends to forget there is sky, let alone sun, moon and stars. There is but a white and grey cloud ceiling. Not this week. There is bright sun, blue sky, black sky, and endless stars.

I love living in the country, where light pollution is minimal. And in spite of having to haul warm water to the animals twice a day, I love the crisp, clear cold spells of winter. Frozen mud may make uneven footing, but it's easier to deal with the warm, wet, sticky mud.

And that sky.

The Contest Continues

Dogs do love to get dirty. Here are some more Samoyeds trying out dark coats.

"Maria and Chase (named by the adopter), came in as strays into a northern MN shelter (rescued by Playing Again Sams) and we figured they were littermates (and yes, real hellions too). I love this photo!" - Maria Kirylo

"These two would be right up there. That's what you get when you put together puppies, a sprinkler and a lawn that's just been top dressed." - John Deyomas

I love the little puppy's expression - "Yes, I think I like brown."

"Here's one of Shadow from 2002. The crazy part is that Shadow's coat must be made of teflon. A day after this shot, with no bath, he looked clean. What we didn't get with the towels fell off on the kitchen floor." - Ron Manor

And The Winner Is...

I thought it would be fun to have a contest for a picture of the dirtiest dog, and suggested it on the Samfans list. I think this entry intimidated everyone else. I'll post more pics as I get them.  

"Here's our entry into the Dirty Dog Contest...a picture of Yuki from quite a few years ago. This is the result of her being rolled around by another dog one misty evening on the freshly seeded lawn. I think the only thing on her that even came close to being white is her muzzle. A very close friend of ours didn't realize it was her until he recognized the kitchen floor!" -Debbie Yip

Notice the deep color and even distribution. You really have to work hard to get yourself that thoroughly colored. Samoyeds just gotta have fun.

How Muddy...

can a dog get?

Jesse is going for the championship. I didn't think to take pictures until after I had toweled him off some.

"See, the top of my head isn't muddy. Much."

The new, rare breed, a chocolate-tipped Samoyed. Much rarer than the silver tipping so greatly desired.

Best Laid Plans...

The dog kennel.

The dog shelter.

Snowy Sunrise

White Christmas

We rarely get snow on Christmas day here in the Pacific NW. Our Australian visitor was thrilled when the white stuff started falling. The rest of us were thrilled when it looked like it wouldn't stick. I discovered on my drive home that my area had more snow, and it had decided to stick around.

My animals are less than thrilled the day after Christmas, when their world is white, wet and cold, and food is under 4" of snow.

The chickens, reconsidering the whole "free range" concept.

Muscovy, trying to keep her feet warm.

Charlie, playing in the snow. The dogs are thrilled. Millie is loose in the lower pasture, thoroughly enjoying this white world.

Drying Out

Several of the chickens take advantage of a rainless spell to dry out.

The turkey hen dries out on the picnic table, while looking in the window to see what's keeping breakfast.

Boston Dogs At Work

Babe stands at full alert, protecting her acre of woods in Boston, with Hannah watching carefully in the background. No one gets in their fence unnoticed!

And when some critter manages to sneak through, Zoron and Babe avidly chase it down. "If I can just move this log..."

These lovely Anatolian Shepherd Dogs protect their woods, house, and Audrey Chalfen (Shahman's Tales of Anatolian Shepherds : A Turkish Dog). Will there be puppies in Babe's future?

Happy Millie

With three major wind and rain storms in a row, Millie has been unhappy living in her kennel. I couldn't bring her in the house during the storms because I already have two alpha bitches in there, along with the other 4 dogs, and just can't upset that balance.

I've rigged a tarp inside the kennel that is keeping most of the rain off, but Millie's sleeping crate was filling with water, and she kept pulling out anything I put in. She didn't have a safe place to go.

I decided something had to be done. I put an old wool sweater in the low back end of the crate in case water gets in, a door mat on top of that, and a small rug over the mat (more comfortable, you know). Then I took an old raincoat and draped it over the back, to keep wind and rain out of the air holes.

Finally, something Millie likes. No, something she loves. She went in and didn't want to come out again. In this picture I've just come in to take her for her morning walk down to the very fun critter area while I feed. Usually she's jumping on the kennel door to get out. Today she deigned to stick her head out. "What? I'm busy!"

Even after I talked her into coming out and got the leash on her, she was trying to go back in. You can see layered look and her comfy carpet.

The dog bed just outside is one that had been inside the crate, and she pulled it out. The previous dog bed she pulled out and destroyed. And the dog blanket. But the carpet she seems to like. Cosy home. Happy Millie.

Destruction From Above

I'm sure everyone has heard of the devastation in Washington and Oregon states from rain and winds. I-5 is closed for 20 miles. Ten feet of water on the freeway. Coastal communities were blasted with hurricane force winds, and many are without power and, ironically, drinking water is in short supply.

I live right in the midst of the closed freeway area. Fortunately I live on a ridge high and, well, not dry, but not flooded. Also fortunately I was working at home Monday (I work in Olympia, on the other side of the closure), so I'm stuck here but that's OK with me. It seems Lewis and Grays Harbor (and probably more) counties are closed - can't get in or out for a while. We had terribly strong winds and lots and lots of rain, but my power is on so I'm happy. Meanwhile people in the western part of the county are being evacuated by boat and helicopter. People are being plucked from housetops. We don't usually get this extreme weather.

My sister lives by the coast near Montesano, and is without power. Lots of downed trees. They expect to take up to 8 days for power to come back on. Yikes! The main city of the county - Aberdeen - was isolated for a day. No roads open in or out, and I believe no one had power.

I haven't been off my property since Sunday, but I understand it's a real mess out there. They expect the freeway to be closed until Friday. Sure glad I have what I need to work from home.

My sister and I were going to pick up her son and his wife on Thursday - they are arriving from China. Now it looks like neither of us can make it. Fortunately a good friend in Seattle will do the airport run, and my other nephew in Seattle can put them up.

Life is interesting in the winter.

And I have an extra bag of dog food, and raw bones in the freezer. Lots of food supplies, and lots of water stored (I have a well with a pump! - no power, no water). Something EVERYONE should have - you just never know. I still need more work on my emergency plan, but I'm sure glad I've done what I have. I don't need to leave home until the devastation is repaired some. I'm definitely one of the lucky ones.