Monday, February 28, 2011

M&M Monday

M&M Thru the Seasons
Spring is springing! My daffodils are peaking thru the dirt and we've had some warmish days. I was going thru some pictures and realized that I've had M&M here at the River House longer than Barkley & Remi were with me here. M&M are really doing better than ever. Maggie's vertigo is like it never happened. They're both still a bit creaky, but they are as cheerful as ever. Millie has been especially waggier lately.
This is the first picture I took of the girls. I don't think I've ever posted it:
Kathie from AARF with the girls.
We are going from wintery daze . . . 

of plopping down . . . 

and eating snow . . .

to lazy-dazy summer days:


Sweet Maggie

We've had some porch days already. Millie's favourite!

Millie on the hill overlooking the front field.

Trotting down the driveway. Come on back, now, girls!
Millie hanging out on laundry day.

Beginning of Autumn.

Sweet Millie.
And then we are back inside, snuggled up, all warm & toasty by the wood stove.

Monday, February 21, 2011

M&M Monday

The girls greet me at Mystic Pet upon my return after a coupla days:

We've had nice weather & they love it outside. Gareth put their pillows out for them in the yard.

Gareth & Lena, AWESOME friends at Mystic Pet. I can't remember what we were laughing at, but I snapped a quick pic!
Gareth said, "No matter what happens with these girls, you know you've done a good job. You've given them a good life." A few years ago, he & Lena had a German Shepherd that they rescued. He came to them balding & with some health issues. He mended up & they had him for 2 years.

I don't know how much more time I have with them, but I am so grateful for our time together. And it was nice of Gareth to say. He & Lena go above & beyond just a kennel. It really is a pet spa & resort!
Back home; Maggie with Tabby Bobcat. She's friendly with her when Tabby's not around the food & water bowls.

Maggie plops down & hangs out.

Another pic of Maggie plopped down in front of the woodshed.
Millie is more of a porch girl:

Yeah, I know. Window cleaning is in my future . . .

Millie in her spot. She slipped off the bed the other day and was stuck on the slippery floor. She doesn't panic like she did when I first got her, & she knows that I'm trying to help her get back onto the Land of Carpet. (So she doesn't growl or snap at me)! But it still takes some maneuvering. So I stuck some other beds along side just in case . . .
Lena gave the girls a bath when they were at Mystic Pet & they came back all fluffy & soft. MOST of the Winter Shed Fest is finished. Pioneer Sister's kiddliewinks came for a vizzie this weekend & the Eldest said how much better they looked than last summer. I think it was the baths! Haha Both M&M are good around the kids, but the kids are cautious when M&M get growly over their food dishes. And Maggie is snappy at Tabby Bobcat & it's a bit disconcerting when you first see it. I reassured the kids that it wasn't at them. And M&M were very good at settling in on coats, etc. dropped on the floor. You'd think that would be an incentive not to drop your clothes on the floor, but no!

I was going to say that it's been a quiet, ordinary week. It was except for the weekend with the kids; a whirlwind of activity, but M&M took it in stride.  :-)

Monday, February 14, 2011

M&M Monday

We begin this week with a visualization involving Tabby Bobcat . . .

. . . who was sitting next to me on the sofa. Maggie was at my feet between the sofa and the coffee table, as she does. She stood up, and started wagging her tail . . . smacking Tabby in the face. I knew if I went to get my camera, the moment would be lost. So I just sat there and watched. Tabby was so surprised, and I could see the thought process of wanting to raise her paw and swat at the giant hairy thing whacking her in the face. She finally got up and out of the way.

Speaking of hair . . .

M&M donate to the Bird Nest Foundation.
 . . . M&M are shedding. I don't know what the groundhog said about spring, but according to M&M, we're having an early one! They are leaving tufts of hair all over the place & I can pull it out by the handfuls. Mum says that they are year-round shedders, but even this is more than usual!

Here's a pic of the girls snoozing away . . . 

Zzzzzz . . . .
 I knew if I got up to get a pic at a different angle, they would wake up:

Millie sits up. Maggie raises an eye dot. See the tufts of hair? *sigh*
I recently read a book on the importance of play. Much of the research cited was based on animals. Anyway, it's an easy & fun read, and goes into play styles. Fascinating stuff--I'll have to write a proper book review (I'll put it on The List). But back to M&M: even tho they're old, they need play. Just as we can have a sleep deficit, we can have a play deficit. Bones are really a great things for dogs; it relieves stress and gives them something to do. I have real bones & I put cream cheese in them for the dogs to lick out. Maggie just licks, but Millie gnaws away at them & I don't want her losing anymore teeth! So I got them some GF, healthy dental bones from Mercola.com. [insert eye roll from Mum]  Millie chews hers right away, & Maggie saves hers to taunt Millie with. *sigh*  Another way they like to play, even tho their growling can be rather ferocious! So that's our week . . .

HAPPY Valentine's Day from M&M. 

I would include Tabby Bobcat, but she's far too superior  to wish us peasants a happy anything.  ;-)

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Mum's B-day Vizzie

A coupla weeks ago, Mum had planned on popping over on my actual birthday. Before it snowed. So she came over 3 days later. My road was fairly clear until my driveway. Neighbor Dave was away, so there was no plowing til he got back. Mum tried to drive up, but after the second churning of the hill, she parked down below & walked up. She had stopped by the local flower shop to pick up my birthday flowers because they couldn't get down my road to deliver them before.

She was also lugging up an industrial blender & some b-day prezzies from chiro-sister. So we walked up to the house:

Did I do the horizon right?  2/3rds sky!
Here are a few shots of the flowers:




I always think of Van Gogh when I see these flowers.
Carnations; Mum's favourite.  :-)

Monday, February 7, 2011

M&M Monday

Hangin' in the LR

Here's Millie draped across the box top propper-upper for her food bowl.
Millie gazing out the window.  What is she looking at?

Neighbor Dave on the tractor.

Meanwhile, Maggie watches Tabby Bobcat at the watering bowl. Maggie has a love-hate relationship with her. "We don't like cats." She's a cat tolerator.
Millie dozing . . . .

Maggie sidles up & sits between Millie & her food bowl, feigning innocence.

Huh?

Grrrr . . . .

"Hmph! Do you see what she does?" Millie's thinking.

But then . . . Zzzzzz . . . . 




Slurp-slurp. When Maggie had her vertigo, I gave her water in this little bowl & so now she still gets it. I have to keep it filled because she won't go to the big bowl.  I can hear someone saying, "She would if she were thirsty enough!" 

 
I feed her on a paper plate because she doesn't like the noise of the metal bowl. So here we go . . .

Grrrr . . . Millie is snoozing away, & Maggie's starting the Grr-Game.
 But then:

Zzzzzz . . . .

Friday, February 4, 2011

Funny Friday

This put me into a fit of giggles at the stationery store:


Battery operated! How many mistakes are you making that you need batteries? Who is buying this? I can imagine if this existed when I was a kid:

Me: But Muuuuuuum! All the other kids in class have them. 
Mum: Well you can just use your rubbers the old-fashioned way!
Brother Atlasta:  [smirk] Yeah, Hal. Use your rubbers the old-fashioned way.
Me: Shut-up!
Dad: Anne! They're called "erasers" in this country!
Mum: Well, I don't know! [to me] Don't say "shut-up" to your brother!
Me: *sigh*  [rolling eyes]