Wind Song

The power went out this afternoon, so I decided it was a good time to walk down and feed my birds. As I stepped out of the house, and the sound of the wind surrounded me. It was a felt sense as much as a sound, filling the world. Then I heard a crack that out did even the wind song. I turned and watched one of my huge deciduous trees crash down the hill. 

Watching a tree fall is an amazing thing. The power of nature, the power of the wind. Fortunately no one was in or near it, although Charlie was headed that direction. He looked at me and we shared a moment of awe.

The power came back on in about half an hour (thankfully!) and when I went back outside it was sunny and calm. Now it's snowing. The weirdness of this winter. 

Beautiful Pre-Spring Morning

When I stepped out the back door to let the dogs out, the full moon was just setting through the trees, as dawn was breaking.

As the sky lightened, Mt. Rainier stood out against the pale sky.

Trying out my new zoom lens on Mt. St. Helens, against the soft apricot morning sky.

Here's St. Helens at "normal" size, with the surrounding foothills. These lovely mornings take my breath away.

Eagle Tales

There is a wonderful series of eagle photos circulating through email and the web. A photographer caught two Bald Eagles trying to catch a duck, ending up fighting each other, and one of them being stunned, dropping into the water. Great photos, telling an interesting story about life on the wing. The earliest posting I've seen of these photos on the web is at NewsCannel 10 Viewer, with author listed as Randy Elms. I hope that's correct - these are stunning photos with well written commentary, and the photographer/author deserves full credit.

While hunting down a reliable source for the eagle aerial combat photos I came across a home video posted on KomoNews.com by gmelhaff showing two eagles harassing and eventually catching  another hapless duck. It does make you realize the life of a duck isn't such a safe one! 

It's amazing to think that not all that long ago Bald Eagles where endangered, and now within a month there are two wonderful series of photos taken by folks in residential areas of eagles living their lives in the lower 48.

The Dog and The Goose

Mornings can be interesting.

I had tossed out some chicken drumsticks for Charlie (his favorite food - the dog who guards chickens, go figure), when the geese came over and tried to steal a piece right out of Charlie's mouth. Now, this is wrong on so many levels I just stood and stared. I thought my geese were basically vegetarians and here they were stealing meat, and geese - big birds, but very small for dogs - trying to take food out of a Pyr's mouth. One was grabbing for the food, the other pulling Charlie's hair right at that tender spot in front of the hind leg.

Charlie had enough of that. He dropped the chicken leg, turned and grabbed the goose causing him pain. That big goose half disappeared inside Charlie's mouth. The sounds were deafening: Charlie was roaring, the geese were making loud goose noises. I stood dumbly, just watching. Charlie turned back, grabbed his food, crunched loudly and swallowed. The goose shook himself, put his beak up in the air and complained noisily. Chickens stared, waiting, I'm sure, for someone to drop food.

No wonder Charlie runs through the geese whenever he gets a chance. Obviously it hasn't made them afraid of him. 

The goose? He wasn't even wet. 

Long Suffering Dogs

This is Jesse's crate. He likes to sleep in it. I often find him in it during the day, or when I come home from work. He likes his crate.

So do the chickens. I've shown them sheltering from snow and rain inside, but I didn't realize until yesterday that they are also using Jesse's crate as a nest. Chickens are not great respecters of personal space.

I have to say, it's handy. The crate isn't too far from my front door. I could walk out in the morning and collect breakfast. 

Not sure what Jesse thinks of it. However, the eggs are still there. Both he and Charlie love eggs, so I'm grateful they haven't done my collecting for me.

Who's Messing with MY Sheep?

Life is all about choices. Our choices, in many ways, define us. Charlie recently made a choice that defines working LGDs.

It's axiomatic that, given an open gate, a Pyr will go through it.

My hay supplier has a buyer for rams, and knowing I had a few extras, came by to help me catch them so he could sell them for me. Guardian dogs aren't very useful when you are trying to catch sheep, and given that I had to open my double gates for my neighbor's rig, I shut Charlie into my lower building. We had caught and sequestered 3 of the 4 rams and were about to catch the 4th when a large white dog made his presence known. Charlie had opened the double garage door - which is right next to those double gates - and slipped into the much further away paddock to see what the heck we were doing to HIS sheep. The young man doing the catching and heavy lifting looked down and said, "that's a DOG? I thought it was a sheep!" Heck no, my sheep are much smaller than my dog.

We managed to get the last ram into the truck before Charlie figured out what we were up to, and I got us out and him locked into the paddock so we could get the truck out and the gates closed.

Charlie got special treats for dinner. What a good boy. Well, I'm not so thrilled he knows how to open my big garage door, but I'm glad he made for the sheep rather than darting through the gates to patrol the perimeter of the property, as he is wont to do. I guess he only does that when there isn't something more pressing at hand - like people messing with his sheep.

Art News

Today I learned of two wonderful art-related events from two great friends.

Veryl in Hawaii finished a stunningly drop-dead beautiful quilt. No words can describe this, it is gorgeous. Don't take my word for it - see for yourself: Fiber in Paradise, Starry Skies. While you're there scroll down to take a look at other wonderful fiber arts she's created, the masks Glenn made, and the beautiful plants they live with.

Kerin in Oregon just got a book deal! She's another great artist, specializing in found object art - transforming found items into amazing works of art. The book deal is announced here Remnants of Olde, Book 'em Danno, but take a look around the web site at the creatively beautify art. Some of it's for sale at the Remnants Etsy Shop. I love the flying raven. Heck, I love it all.

Stunning Peacocks

One of the wonderful things of having peafowl is turning a corner and coming across one unexpectedly.

The peacock's bright and unbelievably beautiful plumage stands out like a beacon, the tail newly grown, longer every year.

The wind whips his tail, and I stand in awe of this beautiful bird. And they are more than just beautiful. I love listening to their morning contact calls, and watching them watch the world.

 

Another Snowy Morning

Sara Stalks

Saturday was sunny and warm, and seemed the perfect time to get initial control over that barrier to travel, the Himalayan blackberry. I started on the path next to my lower pasture, between the fence and a strip of woods. It's easier to snip them to the ground while they are still in semi-hibernation. In spring and summer I wouldn't want to take a nap near a blackberry patch, for fear of waking in the middle of the stand.

Sara, a kitty who came to me years ago after being dumped at a friend's farm, moved into the bird building during the snows. She has been a totally outside cat since we moved here (her choice), but the snow was too much for her. She hasn't as much as poked her nose out since.

Until today. I left the door open to air out the building, and Sara decided to join me in the woods. She quietly stalked around, re-familiarizing herself with the great outdoors.

And basking in the sun. It was fun having her outside with me again, but she went back in when I declared myself finished with the berries.

There is a surprising amount of snow damage to the trees. Many branches are broken close to the trunks. It seems the trees aren't much more prepared for heavy snow than the people and buildings of this normally mild northern clime.

Another Colorful Morning

I think it may have to do with the rarity of clear mornings in winter. If there is a beautiful sunrise I must take pictures, and I must share them. I love documenting the movement of the sun, now again heading north.

St. Helen's Sunset

Moss, Ferns and Lichen

I have difficulty getting grass to grow, haven't succeeded with flowers or even bamboo, but I have wonderful moss gardens. Not that I have had much to do with their success...

Millie in the Mist

Resting in the Sun

Is this just a comfortable position, or is 30 F too hot for him? Jesse the clown, enjoying life.

Bantam Delights

My Sebright bantams - silvers, golds, and some crosses.

Natural Beauty

The Queen is Dead. Long Live the King.

Ursa December 24, 1994 - February 13, 2009

Ursa was my friend, companion, and protector for nine of her fourteen years. She taught me so much. She continued to do her job until the day she died. When she was unable to sit or stand, she lifted her head and smiled at me with her eyes.

Ursa watched the sun come up and transverse the sky and as it started to set, she crossed the rainbow bridge very peacefully, with me beside her. (Thanks Veryl, for that wonderful sentence!)

She chose a spot with a good view, well protected by her friends. I was able to get her onto a rug, and covered with blankets. We spent the day together, Ursa nobel and uncomplaining as always.

Early in the day a raven landed atop the nearest tree and spent several minutes singing a chortle song. 

Ursa's Last Day

Berna stood watch from the northwest, the back of the house.

Jesse and Charlie watched from the top of the hill.

Even Millie, who was always challenging Ursa's Queen status, stayed by us, guarding from the south.

The geese came by, either to pay tribute, see what was happening, or to steal water. I'm not certain which.

But they spent most of the day nearby.

Random Thoughts

Cold night

standing still

watching stars.

Hard to imagine

half a world away

heat, fire and devastation.

Shining Points of Light

Clear and dark night sky

Gibbous moon not yet risen 

Stars in full glory.

A Samoyed Reading List

The Samoyed email list SamFans is friendly and helpful. The people are as full of life and love as the dogs they share their lives with. The list is also blessed with the presence of a very talented and funny man, Dave Wiley. We are all waiting for his book of humorous stories to be (written and) published. Dave does sports writing online, and has stories published in Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul. He has kindly agreed to let me share this post.

As always happens on dog lists, someone wrote asking for reading material. Below the question is Dave's response.

I would also love recommendations for Samoyed reading material, if people have any favorite books or websites.

My Sammie's like to read anything by Dr. Suess.  A few of their favorites include - Cat in the hat, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, and the Cat in the Hat Comes Back.

To generalize, I think as long as you purchase books that rhyme, contain some sort of enemy or edible animal, or food related items, Sammie's will enjoy them.

I also went ahead and laminated the books, since the doggy magazine rack is exposed to the elements.  I tried putting it by the door, but then everyone would forget his/her book and I'd have to let them back in and out.  Then they'd leave the book outside and I'd have to send them back out for it.  It was just too much of a hassle.

Really the hardest part of picking out Samoyed reading material wasn't the content, it was teaching them about the silent E at the end of a word.  I don't have any idea what that is so hard to grasp for a Sammy.

Dave Wiley

Who's Been Walking on MY Path?

I no longer jump for joy at the window when snow starts falling. That wonderful sense of elation ends about the time a person starts driving. However, I am still delighted with many aspects of snow.

As snow starts melting it really takes footprints well. When I started down the hill to feed, I had to run back for my camera. Only in snow is the hill highway so obvious. Big footprints -compare them to the big paw prints! The Peafowl have been on the move.

Peafowl, chickens, and raindrops have all left their marks here.

Aren't these great? Any ideas? These are from my Toulouse geese. They look like the dance step footprints embedded in the sidewalk on Broadway in Seattle.

Some of the responsible parties.

Snow and Snow Dogs

Another February Morning

As the morning got lighter, it was clear the valley was covered in fog. These clear mornings it's hard to get in the car and drive away.

Morning Dogs

Can we come in?

Welcome, morning. Sun is coming.