Hi everyone, Last week was sunny and mild (above zero during the day), I was having a serious attack of spring fever. Since Thursday, March 1st was gorgeous, I suppose we were "in like a lamb". Then, the snowstorm (and snow day!) on Friday, and now here we are again, back in the deep freeze just in time for March break - -22 to -24 at night (windchills -38 to -43) and -15 highs during the day. On the news the other night, some guy put up a big neon sign saying "Groundhogs lie" - I guess everyone is pretty fed up with the winter (he must have been a gardener!) Judith

I'm so sorry about your Ginger girl. Pets are such a wonderful part of our lives, so forgiving, loving, honest, on and on. Ginger was a lucky girl to have you too. Adopting a senior is so kind. Sigh, I have a senior nearing her end of life soon. She's 14 1/2 , can hardly see or hear , her enzymes have been off the chart for years and she keeps on ticking. It will be hard seeing her go even though I've been preparing for this for quite a while. I imagine as always, time will heal the tears and our other pets will need our attention. It's still a tough time.

Herbs which go in/with lamb: Basil, Bay, Caraway, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Dill, Garlic, Ginger, Lemon balm, Horseradish, Hyssop, Marjoram, Mint, Onion, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Saffron, Sage, Savory, Tarragon, Thyme. There are many more, and it's a matter of personal preference. I quite like a roast leg of lamb which is cooked with lavender instead of rosemary. Just lay the sprigs on and around the roast. Also look around for Moroccan dishes, or other Middle Eastern or Mediterranean dishes, including Greek. Just a few non-mint ways of serving lamb for you: Anise Hyssop Sauce 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup coarsely chopped anise hyssop leaves and florets Combine sugar, vinegar and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and add the chopped herb and boil very briefly. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Pour through a strainer, pressing against the pulp with a wooden spoon. Serve with roast lamb or veal. Lemongrass Lamb Chop on Sauteed Choy Sum For each lamb chop: 1 teaspoon lemongrass, finely chopped 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon garlic, minced salt to taste Mix ingredients to create dry rub for each lamb chop. Marinate lamb chop overnight. Pan fry to desired taste. Souvlakia 2 onions 3 green capsicums 2-3kg leg of lamb, boned and cubed 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled 1/2 cup olive oil 3 bay leaves 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 3 garlic cloves, minced juice of 2 lemons 1 cup dry white wine 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 6 tomatoes, quartered Cut onions into quarters and separate layers. Cut capsicums into quarters, and cut each quarter in half. Combine all ingredients, except tomatoes, in a shallow roasting pan, mixing well so that meat is completely coated. Marinate in refrigerator for several hours. Take out of refrigerator and let sit out about 20 minutes to come to room temperature. Before cooking, add tomatoes to marinade and mix well to coat with juices. Place meat cubes on skewers, alternating with capsicum pepper slices, onion slices, and tomato wedges. Lay skewers in pan with marinade, turning several times. Put skewered lamb on a rack over pan containing marinade and place under preheated griller. Turn several times during cooking and baste with marinade from pan. Cooking time depends on your taste. For medium rare allow about 15-18 minutes. Alternatively you can barbecue lamb using marinade as the basting sauce. Serve skewers on plates with rice pilaf. Swedish Roast Lamb 1.5-2kg leg of lamb salt and pepper 1 cup strong coffee 1/4 cup cream 1 teaspoon sugar water 1 1/2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly Rub salt and pepper into the flat surface of the lamb. Roast at 180°C for 50 minutes per kilo plus an extra 25 minutes. After an hour, pour in the coffee, which has been mixed with the cream and sugar. Baste the lamb occasionally during remaining cooking time. Transfer lamb to a platter and keep hot. Skim fat from the pan juices, add enough water to make a gravy from the remaining drippings. When the gravy has boiled and reduced until thickened, add the redcurrant jelly. Horseradish Leg of Lamb 1 leg of lamb, boned, butterflied 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons horseradish 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning, crushed 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper Preheat oven to 150°C. Pierce lamb generously with fork. In a non-metal baking dish, combine vinegar, horseradish, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Coat all sides of lamb in marinade, then place roast flat; spoon any remaining marinade into center of meat. Roll up meat from short side to make a 25cm long roll, 12cm wide. Tie meat several times along length of roll with string. Place rolled lamb into a baking pan. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until done as desired, brushing with pan juices every 30 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove string; place roll on serving platter. Cut into 1cm slices to serve. Grilled Lamb Cutlets with Herbs 1 clove garlic salt and pepper to taste 2 small shallots, finely chopped 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary 4 sprigs dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon ground sumac juice of 1 lemon 60ml extra-virgin olive oil 8 double lamb cutlets Crush the garlic with the salt, then combine with the pepper, shallot, herbs, sumac and lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk in the oil to make a thick, pungent dressing. Heat a griddle or barbecue to its highest setting. Brush the cutlets very lightly with a little of the dressing, then cook for 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Towards the end of the cooking time brush on a little more of the dressing. Serve the cutlets hot from the grill with the remaining dressing on the side. Sweet Spicy Moroccan Lamb 4 lamb steaks, diced 1 teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 medium onion, diced 1 cup vegetable stock 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 eggplant, cut into 1cm cubes 1 carrot, sliced 5 dried apricots, diced 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon paprika In a flame-proof casserole dish, heat the oil, then add the lamb and brown. Add the allspice, ground ginger, cinnamon and paprika, combining well to ensure the meat is coated in the spices. Add onion, garlic, vegetable stock, eggplant and carrot, then cover and cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Add lemon juice and apricots, stir through and serve. Lamb Chops with Herbs 4 lean lamb chops 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped Trim fat from lamb chops; sprinkle with pepper. Combine chives, parsley and rosemary; press herb mixture on each side of chops. Coat a non-stick frypan with cooking spray, place over medium heat until hot. Add lamb chops, and cook for 10 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Rosemary, Lemon and Mustard Lamb Cutlets 1/4 cup white wine 1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons lemon juice 12 lamb cutlets, French trimmed 600g orange sweet potato, peeled, cut into 2cm pieces olive oil spray 2 teaspoons olive oil 100g baby spinach leaves 1 small red onion, thinly sliced Whisk together the wine, mustard, rosemary and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the lamb and turn to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the sweet potato, in a single layer, on the lined tray. Lightly spray with olive oil spray. Season with pepper. Roast, turning once, for 30 minutes or until sweet potato is tender and golden. Preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill on high. Lightly spray both sides of the lamb with oil spray. Cook on grill for 2 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest. Combine the oil and remaining lemon juice in a jug. Combine the sweet potato, spinach and onion in a bowl. Drizzle over dressing. Toss to combine. Divide the lamb and salad among serving plates. Serve immediately.

Ok. Yes, you can spay a 6 year old dog and not have complications. There are risks involved as with all surgeries and those risks increase with the age and physiological health of the animal. If she is healthy and you have confidence in your vet, there should be no problems. A spay is a common and routine surgery. This does not mean things can't go wrong. Again, just as with human doctors, there are vets who are not at my own personal standard. You can shop around for prices and your own personal preferences. :) You can spay them when they are pregnant but it is an even higher risk and a deliberate abortion. My own personal opinion on spaying, is that, at this age, I probably would not bother unless there is a reproductive problem with your girl. In other words, a medical emergency. If she is pregnant now then you are going to have puppies. If not, you just have to be really careful with her subsequent heats. I prefer to leave them whole because I do insure that they do not get bred (to the best of my ability) and I prefer not to mess with their hormones. It is easier to neuter the boys, IMO. Second question. Absolutely she can be bred in 5 minutes. I have a boy (just neutered)who could bred in about 3 feet of time! And he has! So, if she is in whelp, you are going to have puppies! Congratulations! 59 to 65 days from the day she was bred. With a girl her size, it may not be easy to tell without an ultrasound. They can carry up in their ribcage till the last week sometimes. She will start showing definite signs of pregnancy at about day 40. Or they may show no signs at all till they are in serious labour! Either way, you will probably know by then. there is tons of information on the web for pregancy care, labour and delivery including emergency situations. Just do some homework. :) Most importantly, don't panic. It is also very likely that she will go through a false pregnancy which leads you to believe that she is going to whelp but just no puppies. Dogs are funny that way. If it were me in this situation, I would wait and see if she is in fact pregnant and then make a decison to spay her or not. She will not be back in season for at least 6 months so there is no hurry.Trust your gut. I have spayed and neutered dogs at all ages and I prefer to do it later if at all. Never had a problem if one did not exsist before going under an anesthesia. Voice your concerns to your vet, do your research and don't believe everything you hear unless is makes sense to you. :) I hope this helps. Ginny PS I have had many horses too and there is a big difference if only because a horse doesn't get to lie down and lick himself after a geld (poor guy). :)