That is too bad about your old dog, sometimes it is just the kind thing to do when they no longer have any enjoyment out of life. Jake, our old guy, still loves to eat and some days are better than others. He hasn't lost all hearing yet...perhaps a bit selective now and again;) The puppies are doing good and I have enjoyed getting to know them and their individual personalities. The weather is very cold and we had several days of blizzard conditions last week but it doesn't deter them a bit, just deters ME. I'm going to order some books on puppy training but I've ran in to a few concerns. Jesse hates to be on the leash and even if I am going in the direction she seems to want to go in, she will dig in her heels. I don't want to drag her around!! Letting them go without is no longer an option because they love the snow so much that they are off and running. We have a very large yard but I'm afraid they will run in the road. It is getting to the point where they will actually run if they see me trying to get them and will not mind while outside. They mind like angels inside as long as you have your eyes peeled on them at all times. They have gotten into the usual puppy mischief, chewing on things they shouldn't (they have lots of toys) and having some accidents here and there. My other concern is that for being so young (just 9 wks now!), they do have that strong prey instinct. Especially since there is two of them. They will bark at my inside cats and will chase the outside cats if they run. The outside cats are learning and depending on which one they are interested in, will get a fast reprimand. The puppies have came with me to the coop but wait outside while I go in so have not really dealt with the chickens yet. Any ideas on how to approach this? I don't want my cats held prisoner in the garage like when we had that other dog and I sure don't want them attacking my chickens. Lori

Well, it wasn't *exactly* New Year's Day, it was the Friday before. I spent my lunch hour cruising Baker's greenhouse and found this really cool plant. My question is: Do you folks think this plant will lend itself to winding around on a large metal sculpture shaped like a rooster? Or should I stick with an ivy? Any other ideas? The rooster is about 3' long and 2' tall. He's wrought iron. Someone here posted a picture a few months ago of a chicken-wire shaped chicken that had greenery on it and I like that idea. But since Mr. Rooster is a lot of individual sticks of rebar-type stuff, it won't look the same so I'm wondering what plant I could use that will define his shape. Any ideas are welcome. and TIA. Mary Here is a link that might be useful:

I'm sure glad I wasn't taking a drink of my tea when I read OA's comment...LOL. Boy did I need a good laugh and she sure gave it to me. (tho I definitely understand about not always getting the abbreviations! Jeanne, I'll stick with IMO. I'm too darn opinionated to be humble about it) That first photo belongs on a card or in a magazine. Your photography skills always leave me in awe! I LOVE that little blue bead garland. Its beautiful. And those glasses were meant for you!! But your basket center-piece is definitely my favorite. I'm nuts for birds anyway, and he just found the perfect home nestled in there. What a wonderful woodland table! hugs, Karen

I can angle the dog house (which is on my porch) in any direction. Right now the snow is blowing from the northwest. But I'm more worried about the temperature, which is going to be sub-zero, with wind, tonight and tomorrow night. The routine is to bring Rocky in at night, setting him up with his bed, litter box, food and water in the downstairs bathroom. (Pogo, Annie, and Peachy stay upstairs at night,) Scruffy stays outside, and I put one or two microwavable pet warmers in the dog house for her, depending on how cold it is. I don't want to set a precedent, but I think I'll have to bring Scruffy in for these two nights. The pet warmers are great, but there's no way they can retain any heat with wind chills of -15. Tomorrow daytime will be bad enough, with a high of only 9 degrees. But at least during the day I can rotate the pet warmers and keep the cats supplied with water and food. Scruffy is a longhair, and her winter coat is incredibly thick and dense. But she loves those pet warmers, and so do I.