A Spot Moment.....

Had a funny Spot moment this morning....

 

Spot is our oldest dairy goat and will be officially retired this fall.  We have always called her "the dullard" cuz while very sweet she is not very coordinated or quick to react.  The other goats will jump up on the spools, houses etc we have in the pen and Spot still has never figured out how to jump up on stuff true to her little goatie nature.... she wants to...  she tries and alas remains earthbound.

 

I had her by the collar, walking her to the milk room... Keenan, the puppy, had the zoomies (zoomies = dogs running crazy with their tail tucked and the wild look in their eye as they race around pell mell burning off excited, happy energy) in the yard and I sort of wanted to play with her but I had Spot....  I walk to the door of the milk room and push Spot in... thinking she would go in, jump on the stanchion and wait for me....

 

I turned my back on her and jumped out low for Keenan... Keenan comes running over all zoomie-fied...

 

Spot at that very moment comes out of the milk room - sees Keenan running at her and takes off around the goat pen.  All I see is Spot's fat ass running for all she's worth, eyes bugging out of her head with Keenan right behind her with the zoomies like WHEEEEEEEE!

 

Spot came running full circle around the pen with Keenan on her tail... I grabbed Spot's collar as she ran past me and put her in the milk room on the stanchion to milk her.... poor Spot. 

 

She was shaking violently the whole time I was milking her and she didn't eat her grain.... it scared her!   She was fine and was relieved to go back in her pen with her homies to eat breakfast and be safe from the zoomie puppy.

 

But WOW it was a really funny scene....  and of course all the other goats in the pen caught a serious case of the zoomies from the excitement of seeing Spot chased by a dog around the pen... they were all running full speed around and around, jumping on and off things in their pen...

 

I think everyone had fun this morning except poor old Spot!

Tooz-day

Working a lot o' hours.... and will continue to do so til the end of September - full days on Saturdays, some Sundays and definitely no 3 day weekend for me this Labor Day weekend.  Also squeezing in lots of OT during the week.

I'm not complaining - tho it IS making me a little punchy. 

I was trying a Christopher Walken impersonation the other day at home.... "I got the fever, and the only prescription is MORE COWBELL!".  

I need a hair cut and when I was practicing Mr. Walken in the mirror while scaring Furry Husband,  I also needed a shower so my hair was very Christopher Walken like.  ( I'm not saying that Christopher Walken needs a shower... it's just my hair can look like his when I need a shower and I don't know why that happens... it's sort of like when people see Jesus' face in their toast... a small miracle.)

Tho' my verbal impersonation of him really needs work.

After my shower, I didn't put any hair goo into my hair and it dried Au natural with frizz and curls and then my hair looked like Will Farrell.

My hair is very talented in its movie star impersonations, while I am not.

Overnight guests!

Furry Husband's buddy M and his standard Poodle dog came to stay with us on their way back to the Southern, Grand Mesa part of CO.

You can imagine what Furry and I thought once we found out that M was an hour away and we discovered for the first time he had his dog with him .....given Keenan's "Cujo persona" right now. 

I kept saying, "Oh, honey, it'll be fine."  with a bravado I'm not sure I felt.

Seriously tho'.  We have crates, we have halti's (gentle leader or head halter for dogs),there is the power of the ez cheese.  

Worst case scenario?  We kennel Keenan, and rotate dogs in and out for potty breaks etc.  Not like she would be out of our control or running loose to savage any one at any time.... it can be managed.

We started out introducing her to M when he arrived and leaving his dog in his car. 

Yes, Keenan reacts and at the same time, her reactions are less and she gets over them faster than she did.  Progress.  I'll take what I can get.... any move forward is A-OK with me.

I taught her this cool "trick".  I say "touch!" and she touches whatever it is near her.... I figure most people hold their hands out to dogs to sniff... could train this into a trick and it may help her with any fear she may have toward a new person.  (with people she is more fearful)

I wasn't sure if the trick would transfer over but if not, nothing was lost in teaching it. 

Turns out it does transfer!  Once she was sitting near M, I'd tell her "touch"... she'd reach over and touch his leg or his hand and look immediately to me for a treat.   Pretty cool.   Tho I think at one point she reached over and touched M's privates and I'm sure he was thinking... "Gawd I hope she doesn't react NOW".  

I think men are sort of particular when it comes to their testicular area.  

Once Keenan was comfortable around M, we brought his dog out and worked on getting her near and tolerating a strange dog.   We did the dance of near and far... putting pressure on her as we neared the new dog and as it became too much, backing off... rewarding her for relaxed, non-reactive behavior.... moving in close and backing off again, all the while inching closer and closer to this new dog. 

We got to a point that she could tolerate which was us standing near M close enough I could reach out and touch him or his dog.... still a dance of sorts because as M moved or his dog moved, spaces were infringed upon, looks were given, moving dogs and people are different than stationary dogs and people - the world is static and ever shifting, not stationary much to Keenan's dismay.

Through it all, Keenan has the halti on and I have her leash.  It's manageable.

We came indoors and kenneled Keenan while we ate dinner so we could relax.   We brought her back out after dinner and she tolerated the strange person and dog in our living room while laying down and remaining relaxed.... always on her leash and with her flexi.

I thought she did well considering. 

There was no blood and no loss of limb, testicles or life.

Jekyll and Hyde

You remember our "Cujo" dog, Keenan?

All of a sudden at 8 mos of age (infamous fear stage in dogs) she became "Cujo" on an outing to our friend's house when she saw/heard their loud yet harmless German Shepherd.  Since that moment she's been pretty reactive to other dogs.  (it's "reactive" now and not "aggressive"  - I discovered - for those not current in dog training lingo for this sort of thing...which I wasn't)

Tho' she is fine with our 3 dogs at home and she still goes to a doggie daycare 2x a week. 

We started taking her to daycare when Furry Husband couldn't take her to work with him anymore... she was still young and we figured it would assist in her "socializing" with people and other dogs as well as wear her out vs. being in a kennel all day cuz our dogs are crate trained and in kennels when we are away at work.

The doggie daycare sends all dogs home with report cards.  It's really very cute - and I absolutely realize it's for the hoo-mans and not the dogs.  

The hoo-mans pick up their cute, widdle,  goggies from daycare and they ooooo and ahhhh over the report cards which list the dog's "friends" they played with that day (Max the Golden, Sasha the hound X, Toodles the Poodle).... whether or not they listened well.... what their favorite toys were.... and if they played well with others.

Awesome marketing ploy.   Chalk up a point for the doggie day care staff.

Every time we go to pick Keenan up from daycare the staff remarks how she is the absolute BEST player there.   She "loves" the small dogs at nap time and would prefer to snuggle and sleep with them, lets them crawl all over her as she is laying down.  She plays SO WELL with ALL the dogs there and it's really pretty amazing what a great dog she is with everyone!

Last night her report card said, "I played with all the new dogs today, I am a GREAT WELCOMER!"

And while I realize this place is taking our money and wants to keep taking our money.... They tell people when they come to pick up their dogs if Fluffy was nasty and tried to fight and had to be placed in a kennel.  I don't think they would blow smoke up our arses if Keenan was being "Cujo".

Glowing, glowing reports of Keenan and how fabulous she accepts other dogs at daycare.  She loves all the staff and she is a great dog.  There are rainbows and unicorns and little care bears dancing around in this alternate universe.

And then we get her home and she sees a dog in the "real world".

We go for walks most mornings.... a woman I'd never seen before in our neighborhood was walking a well behaved Golden down the road.  We would have to pass her... there is no other way out... it's a long country mile before we reach an intersecting road.

Keenan is going ape-shit.  Cujo - muther f*%cer I will KILL you - red eyes - froth - and her head is spinning around like that girl in the Exorcist movie.

The woman with her Golden looks at us in horror, like we are the absolute worst dog owners in the universe, speeds up and gets past us as fast as she can thanking whatever God she believes in that she and her dog did not die that day.

Yeah, yeah - I get it, Keenan is used to daycare and the "rules" and dogs are so very literal.   Behavior in one place doesn't = behavior in another place.... and we are working with someone to re-direct Keenan and get her figured out and it's not a laughing matter.  (the ONE day I forgot our emergency "Keenan b good ez cheese can" to keep Keenan's focus on us and work her thru the "reaction" we come across this poor lady with her Golden.... the ONE day.... every other day nothing - not a thing for Keenan to react to... sigh)

I dropped her off at daycare... the gal taking the dogs told me to wait a minute and she'd be right back.  A guy was sitting in the lobby area.

I practiced getting Keenan's focus, asked her for some tricks to which she complied happily and readily.... the guy sitting in the lobby says, "Wow!  She is really well trained!  MY dog could learn from her!"

Yes.  Yes, absolutely your dog could learn from Keenan. 

Learn to KILL.....

THE talk....

The below link came to me from Girlfriend # 1.

JUST after I talked to Girlfriend #2 about how her daughter wrote a short story in one of her school classes about their dog "humping" a favorite doggie toy.  Daughter was talked to by the teacher and told "humping" isn't an appropriate topic to write about. 

Daughter didn't understand why.

Girlfriend #2 had to have THE talk with her.  

When Girlfriend #2 was telling me about it, we were laughing about her poor daughter's response as she began to put the dots together about how she was created.  She was very clearly horrified and disgusted that adults actually do this.

Then I got this link to Minnesota Public Radio and Julia Sweeney's monologue about having "the talk" with her 8 yr old daughter.  How very timely....

Warning:  This may make you laugh so hard you spritz a little pee..... 

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/04/06/wits-sweeney/

Bloodletting for HLA typing....

I stopped by the hospital lab Monday morning for my confirmation blood testing to see if I am a match for someone needing a marrow donor.

There was a box the lab needed to send in for further testing to see if I really do match this patient - it contained maybe 6 or 8 test tubes... the woman in the lab tapped my vein and filled test tube after test tube.  She said I must be a  pretty close match because they included such and such vials....

I was given a consent form, further information about the process and sent on my way.   I read through the consent form, signed it and mailed it to the marrow program.  It says  how they will test the blood... that I'll be tested for blood transmitted diseases like Hepatitis.... at any time I can stop the process... the results will remain confidential and released only to the marrow program and the Dr. who is treating the recipient.

I read through the booklet.  It says even at this stage of the testing for the donor, only 1 in 12 people will actually donate.  I should know in 4-8 weeks and they will let me know either way.

I read about the two ways to donate. 

The first way, they knock you out and take marrow from your pelvic bone.  Sounds like you are sore for a day or two and then you are very tired.... takes a couple weeks to feel fully recovered and within 4-6 weeks your body has replaced all the marrow they took.

The second way to donate, that they give you a shot every day for 5 days.  It sends your marrow into overdrive producing blood cells and platelets.  The booklet said you are bone and muscle sore for these 5 days and then you donate your blood.  Once you donate and aren't receiving the drug anymore, the soreness goes away.

There was a picture of each type of donation.  I'll admit it's a little scary.  Tho' whomever needs the donation is literally fighting for their life so I can't really be much of a baby about it.

The pelvic bone donation showed a person lying face down on a stretcher in an operating room - naked.

Great.

I could be passed out, face down and naked in a room full of people.

That's never happened to me, even on my wildest night of college partying....

Fabulous dessert....

Had to share this with you guys cuz it's  1. so yummy  2. it didn't make very much clean-up and  3. it was super easy... win, win and win in my book!

We had this after dinner last night compliments of a reader recipie in Better Homes & Gardens magazine:

6 peaches halved and pitted

1/4 C butter - melted

3Tbl cinnamon sugar (3Tbl sugar and 1tsp cinnamon)

1/2 of an 8oz pkg of cream cheese, softened

1/4 C sugar

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

 

Dip the peach halves in the melted butter, arrange them cut side up on the baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

 

In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla until combined.  Spoon into peach centers.

 

Bake uncovered about 30 min. or until lightly browned and softened. 

 

Serve warm or at room temp.  Makes 6 servings.

Dog Days of Summer

Swappers?

Hey - I read about this group called The Mile High Swappers in our local paper....  (no - not THAT swapping... think those people are called "swingers".... heh heh)

 

People sign up for an event - think they have them once a month.  Limited number of people allowed - first come first served sort of thing.... you bring 5 servings of something homemade.

 

You go around and look to see what other people brought...  if you are interested in what they have, you sign up on their sheet.... if people want what you have, they sign your sheet... then you swap your stuff for other people's stuff and so on... so I could bring goat cheese and/or goat lotion or soap....

 

The newspaper article said there are all sorts of things...  elk sausage... canned goods... pies.... baked goods.... honey.... preserves.... etc, etc, etc.

 

I signed up for their website today - they usually do the swaps in Denver but for the first time are coming to Ft. Collins area - which is why it was in the paper.  

 

There is a Sept. 18 swap... 11am to 1pm.... guess you are alerted when you can sign up over e-mail....I joined their website so I can be alerted....   could be a sort of neat thing? 

 

I'm all about the barter system baby!

 

If anyone in the Denver/Boulder/Northern Co area is interested their site is www.milehighswappers.com

Bone Marrow donation?

Hey - I just got called as a possible match for a bone marrow donation!  I've been part of the bone marrow donation registry since 1994.  I was called once as a possible donor but the patient decided not to go through with it and nothing further ever happened.

Got a call today.

Filled out an online health questionnaire - questions similar to when you donate blood.  Things like:  do you share needles, have you been vaccinated for small pox recently, have you had sex with someone at risk for AIDS, have you had a tattoo or piercings in the last 12 mos., do you take any medications and if so, please explain what they are and why you take them...

I go to a lab on Monday to give blood where they narrow down the match even more.  Can take 4-8 weeks from this point to know if I'll move on to the next step toward donation.  Could be it ends there.

If I go on to donate, I'll keep you posted about the process.

I think it's very interesting and I hope it happens! 

I'm a big believer in giving what you can to help - blood, organs, tissues, marrow... told Furry Husband that he could really and honestly donate my body to science when I die so others could learn or be educated -- think medical or research students.

I know - that may be sort of weird - but how cool that through our deaths, others might have a chance to live?   Even in a round about way from research....

Anyhoo - enough of my ramblings...

If you are so inclined, join the bone marrow registry program and maybe help save a life!  Thousands of people with leukemia or other life threatening diseases rely on marrow donations to live - many never find a match.  The more of us who join, the more matches may be possible.  Join here:  http://www.marrow.org/


* Sort of off topic but not really....  if you ever get a chance - read the New York Times Bestselling book "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Cadavers"  by Mary Roach.  Awesome book about what happens to our physical bodies when we die. 

It's researched, accurate and told with very tongue in cheek humor which I love.  Made me want to donate my body when I die all that much more once I finished reading it!   grin.  

Tho' if you are squeamish or don't like honest and sometimes graphic medical descriptors this may not be the book for you.  If you are a biologist, medical buff or otherwise geeked about science - I really really recommend this book!

Mrs. Kravitz story....

I talked to Mrs. Kravitz last night. 

Mr. Kravitz is at Sturgis this week.  

Mrs. Kravitz told me she's woken up every morning feeling great - no back pain, no knee pain, her ankle isn't giving her problems....

I groaned, "Oh no... it's not Jack Lalanne entering your body again is it?"

"No..  but I did think that for a second!  No - it's not Jack Lalanne.  I began thinking to myself tho'.... what is different about my day now that Mr. Kravitz is gone?  And then it came to me!   I have been turning on music and dancing around my house!   It must be loosening me up like the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz movie!"

Then she tells me she gets afraid at night because Mr. Kravitz is gone so she's been sleeping with a loaded Beretta gun under Mr. Kravitz's pillow.... and she isn't really sure if the safety is on or not.  Does red mean it's on or does it mean it's off?

The Agility World....

Yowza.

So much to learn!  It's boggling my little mind!

We had a clinic sort of class last night because the instructor is leaving for a couple of weeks.  No sense starting up something new for a class then putting it on hold for 2 weeks. 

She had this clinic style class last night where we discussed targeting for speed and getting our dogs used to working out and away from us...

We talked about contacts - those yellow zones on some of the agility obstacles.  Our dogs are supposed to have 2 paws on and 2 paws off upon leaving an obstacle or they get disqualified - even once they understand slowing down enough when they are running up and over a regulation A frame they can easily pop off and miss their contact or 2 on / 2 off... they need hind end awareness. 

Just like with horses, dogs want to be on their forehand and they carry a lot of their weight on their front halves.   Teaching your dog how to back straight up helps strengthen their hind end, as well as teaching them to sit up... then have them stand on their hind legs from the sit up position also helps....

And we talked about weaves.   (weaves scare me)  Instructor says contacts and weaves will be the hardest things to learn and those two things are the things that will disqualify us in a majority of runs. 

Got to work on your weaves and contacts!

Anyway - once the information was slowly leaking out my nose - she let us go.  I wish I woulda brought a notebook to jot some things down.

Toe is having great fun zooming around, jumping, running through tunnels, chutes and over dog walks and A-frames.   He is such a jolly little guy.  (tho Furry and I call him the Lil' F*#$er... very affectionately of course....)

Keenan is really digging all this agility stuff as well.... I asked Furry Husband on one of our morning walks if he was enjoying the agility classes.  He said he was surprised but yes, he was enjoying it and could see Keenan was having a lot of fun too....

Interesting ....  wonder where all this new agility stuff will take us?

Glow little glow worm, glitter... glitter....

Ready to head to the show 7am....

Obari... Flash... Sera

 A and Flash...

 Rex and Obari....

Flash with glitter....

 Me and Sera Sue... who knew those screamin' green breeches would come in handy?  I left my skull helmet cover on... figured if there was ever a time for it... it was now....

 Rex and Obari glittered up....

 Me and Sera Sue... 

I got home at 7:30 that night... it was a really fun day... HOT with 99 degrees and full sun.  By the end of the day I was over the sweat, dirt, sweat, grime, sweat, heat, sweat, sun, sweat dust, sweat and... did I mention sweat?

A shower never felt so good.

Next day tho' glitter kept turning up.... on my desk... in my hair... on the back of my neck....on my arms... on my clothes...  I went to the restroom and there was even some damn glitter in my underwear!  Good grief.