A Dungeness Walk

A sunny day. Walked at Dungeness. All the puddles were frozen. A cold new years tonight.

A Walk in the Park

The day started cold and sunny so we went to Robin Hill Park, about a mile south of our place, for a walk in a beautiful cedar forest. Other days we go to Dungeness, a mile or two north, and get some ocean views. Sometimes we just walk in the neighborhood. The trail down to the beach is in rough shape after all the rain storms - trees down, trail washed out, bridges knocked over, so we just walk on the road around the ranch. There is little traffic, only locals, so for a road walk it isn't bad and it gets the dogs out when I don't feel like driving anywhere. But now the clouds have moved back in.

We had an earthquake about 11:30 last night, although I didn't know that till the morning news. I thought one of the dogs had banged into the door.  I happened to look outside and noticed the neighbor's lights on. Thought it was odd that she was up so late. The star-studded sky was gorgeous, reminding me of the desert at night. The quake epicenter was almost directly north of us in the Strait, I think 4.8, so not big enough to do any damage here.

Here are the dogs in their new harnesses at Robin Hill Park. Yes, leashes required everywhere except our private trail to the beach.

Pictures from Oatman

Look at that blue sky. Wish I'd gone with Bob after all. Our house is still in good shape despite the long absence. The saguaro (picture 1) has a new knobby top or arm growing. The pool garden (picture 2) lost the little tree and a shrub, and some of the tender cactus appear to have been damaged by the cold, but most stuff survived. The palo verde (picture 3), aloe, and mesquite up top are thriving. High winds took their toll somehow knocking over the heavy exercise equipment on top of the garage (picture 4) and monsoon rains cut gullies in the driveway, but nothing major happened and I guess Bob won't be staying long. He's cleaning up loads of dust both inside and out and making friends again with Flop, the only burro in town right now. I want to plan a whole family trip in Feb-March, even thinking we could bring the ducks and keep them in the fenced lower yard. Can ducks eat scorpions safely?! I could sure use a big dose of sunshine.

The Eve

What else is there to do on the eve before Christmas but drive around looking at lights. It was pretty slim pickings in Sequim until we went out to the casino. The Jamestown S'Klallam tribe puts up an amazing display. This was the best I could do from the car, in the rain, with my jams on.

Clay

I've been making boxes (see sidebar) to finish up an open bag of clay so I can clean everything. I'll be taking an e-class to learn how to work with porcelain next month and don't want any stoneware contamination. But it is so cold in the garage my hands ache after a short time in the water and clay, even sitting right next to the heater.

Border Collies

She who must be in my lap at all times

We've had non-stop rain all day. I'm making vegetarian chili and doing fun training things with the dogs.

Long ago, back in Arizona, Tux decided she would deliver our morning newspaper and she has continued the tradition here. It's a long walk down to the box at the road but she's good about carrying the paper all the way into the house and delivering to me. I then make a big fuss about it and give lots of hugs. 

Our diva dog, Hattie, goes with Bob and Tux in the morning, and has apparently been keeping an eye on how this thing works. This morning she made her move. She grabbed the paper from Tux and ran to the head of the driveway. Bob took it from her there and gave it back to Tux, but Hattie was having none of that. She gave Bob a sly look, snatched the paper again and raced to the porch. Bob once again gave it to Tux to bring into the house but Hattie ran to me first, whole body wagging with excitement, to tell the story of who really carried the paper. 

It reminds me of Tag who was so jealous of the attention Tux got for this job he would grab the paper and throw it on the ground with a look of disgust. He would take quail and rabbit that she caught away from her and bring them to me with that same expression of disgust as if saying, Look what she's done now. What a character. That's border collies for you.

Our Whirlwind Dog

A day without rain! I am so ready for winter to be over and I guess it hasn't even officially started yet.

Tried to get pictures of our little whirlwind today. Hattie with Tux:

First Sign of Hearing Loss

Today I saw first real evidence that Hattie's hearing is deteriorating. She thought I went into the garage and was sitting in the laundry room facing the garage door. I was actually behind her, down the hall. I called her in a normal speaking voice and she didn't move, so I walked up, saying her name until I was directly behind her. She could hear me then but still thought I was in the garage. I had to touch her to get her attention.

Saw the same thing happen with Hooper and Tag, to some degree, in their last two years.

Beginning Agility

Started agility classes with Hattie this week, working on basics to get her to follow hand signals and develop relationship. The biggest hurdle for now will be getting her to go to my side. Her preference is to sit in front facing me and it's not going to be easy to change that. There was only one other dog in class. A rambunctious red Aussie. He was very interested in Hattie but she was busy earning treats and wanted nothing to do with him. Poor guy got the cold shoulder.

Hattie sits at the bathroom door watching me brush my teeth morning and night. Last night I tossed an old toothbrush in the trash. Before I knew it she was carrying the old thing around, her new favorite chew toy. It was so cute I let her have it until she fell asleep. However, the trash can is now in the cabinet under the sink. Hooper was very good at sneaking things out of trash cans, too.

House sitting is going well. No more accidents.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

It's gray and rainy this morning. Duck weather for sure.

But we had another good day for Hattie on the potty issue. I guess she has become my dog already. Bob tried to take her out first thing this morning to let me sleep in, but she ran back to the bedroom and insisted I handle the chore. She's at my side pretty much all the time and is becoming my helper with the ducks. They followed us out of the yard when we were playing ball this morning and Hattie rounded them up and put them back in the yard. Good girl!

House training

Day one house training went well. We have blocked off the room Hattie was soiling (with my expensive Tibetan wool rug no less) and she has to be with one of us at all times when in the house. She tends to stay at my side anyway, but I keep doors closed when we are in a room that has them. After dinner when I sit down to watch some TV I keep her on the leash. She's happy playing with toys on a bed next to my chair or wandering over to Bob for attention. This way we can watch for any sign of needing to go. Last night she went to Bob and gave him one of those looks, so he took her out and she did the full business. Lots of praise then.  As a precaution we take a last trip outdoors just before going to bed, then she spends the night in the bedroom with us, door closed. First thing on waking I take her outside. This morning she did her business first thing and got lots of praise. We are keeping a close eye on her all the time just to determine her duty schedule. She's becoming much more comfortable here and I think that will help. It won't be long before she's a regular family dog.

I was delighted to see Tux initiate play with Hattie today. She has missed Tag and Hooper terribly and is very happy to have another dog around. She's aged a lot over the last year and it's nice to see her accept Hattie so readily, and even enjoy Hattie's herding her.

New Dog Blues

It turns out Hattie is not house trained. Would have been nice if her owner had been up front about it, but even after confronting her she just apologized for the dog ACTING like she isn't house trained. A dog either is or isn't, and this one isn't. No acting about it. 

The frustrating thing is I take her out first thing in morning, last thing at night, for morning and evening duck feeding, half hour ball play, more than an hour walking the trails, and multiple times in between all those times. Yet for some reason she has decided to poop in the house, even immediately after being outside. 

Now we learn she was a kennel dog that only spent time in the house crated or confined to a small area and somehow the previous owner considers that house training. She's a darling dog otherwise (although now I'm wondering what else we weren't told) so now, as well as teaching her how to play we will have to train her to poop outside and untrain the inside habit. 

So much for thinking adopting an older dog would avoid the need for house training. Word of advice to anyone thinking the same thing: make sure you aren't getting a kennel dog.

Hattie

Hattie is fitting in with us very well. Even the ducks are getting used to her. I'm just posting a few pictures for now. The red spot is a little cut on her lip that she came with. This girl is a real firecracker.

A Day to Remember Tag

October 31, 2000 to July 21, 2015. 

We miss you Tag.

 

Midway in the picture below, directly above Tag, is the rusty roof of our Oatman house. Musoke, the parrot, is buried in the rock cairn to his right, where the bowls are, a spot where she can keep watch over the world. I would say let's go see Soke, and Tag would lead me all the way up here. Believe it out not, someone eventually found this spot and stole the bowls!

So cute. He loved to make a show of digging in rodent holes, thus the dirty nose. I don't know how he didn't get Valley Fever.

Looking handsome with a relaxed, happy expression in this photo taken at the cabin in Homer.

We spent so many hours exploring the desert. The views were grand and Tag was happy to pose for a picture. Some of the buildings around Oatman are visible on the  mountainside in the upper right of the photo below. 

Always sharing his discoveries, here Tag points out a feather or scent on a twig. On our hikes he would bring things he found to me, or me to them. His curiosity was remarkable. He was a valuable partner that found something new every time we went out. 

I like to remember him in his prime posing in this rare show of desert poppies. There will never be another dog like Tag.

Latest Pictures

Life continues to be about working on the studio/shed, working in the yard, tending the ducks and walking Tux. I stay busy but still miss Tag and Hoop. Today I recalled Tag diving for sticks in the lake on Sauvie Island, something I'd completely forgotten. He was a delight in so many ways.

Fall red leaves on the blueberries

The roses I planted this spring are doing well. This is Bonica and it is amazing to think it was just a wispy twig when I got it.

Late blooming Bonica

Bonica bud

Even leaves are beautiful on Bonica

 The ducks are a kick, always entertaining, and they are becoming very comfortable with Tux.

Ducks in a row

 I plan to put colored leg bands on them and have the names selected: yellow for Amber, green for Emerald, blue for Sapphire, and red for Ruby. A task for this weekend.

I cleared out the mess of bulbs and greenery growing in this front bed; replaced it with boxwood, for a short shrub (someday), and spring tulips. It looks pretty bare for now but what was there before was unruly.

These are three hemlocks to be planted. They were amazingly expensive, even with the 30% off sale.

Bob is very proud of his red jalapeno.

Here is Manzanita Corner, where the driveway splits into a circular drive. There are six or seven varieties of manzanita planted here, all very small, and some ceanothus. We probably won't live long enough to see them to maturity.

Here is the red garden on the east side of the house. I planted the peony roots last week. There are tiny figs on the tree!

This is on the south side of the circular drive, Pacific wax myrtle and strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) to screen the neighbor's house someday.

More trees to plant. These are the shore pines. They have to be spaced widely to avoid the root and drip zone of the black walnut on the outside of our fence (on the right). Walnuts produce a chemical that kills or stunts the growth of a lot of other plants and I don't want to lose these pines.

Ta da! Two walls of my fantastic studio are finished. Isn't it wonderful?

Inside view

Outside view

Ducks again, rooting through our weedy lawn earning their keep as bug eaters until the eggs come. And that's it for now.

Deer Day

There has been some deer activity today in the neighbor's yard. Photos below.

But first, here is the latest sculptural piece I've been working on. Something fun:

Teapot totem

Now, deer pics:

A big buck was relaxing in the shade next to the house:

Big Buck goes into alert mode as...

...Buck 2 approaches..

...and starts snorting loudly

Big buck rises and handily chases him off

Even smaller buck joins Big buck

Big buck makes exit 

With small one following