Trail Breaking

Time to make sure the trails are in good shape.  We took a tour around this afternoon in the Ranger.

Too Quiet

Matilda was our announcer and door bell.  When there was something to be noticed, Matilda always sounded the alarm and didn't quit until we fixed whatever was wrong.  She was the tattler on escapees.
Now no one is barking, sounding the alarm.  It very, too quiet.  We moved Rosie to days with Buffy and Herman so she won't be so lonesome.  This morning we moved Ruby and Yo over next to Rosie before her
transfer to Buffy's.   Everyone is a bit too quiet, probably sad as we are that Matilda is not with us.
When you drive up now there are four empty pens staring at you.  But no one really wants to move.
We could move Sherpa but she'd tear open yet another gate, so probably we won't do that.  For now, it is too quiet.   Rest in sweet peace, Matilda.

Photo:  Buddy in front, Navy and Ruthie (in the pen)

Matilda, age ten

Matilda lost her battle with cancer today.   She was very shy, but the sweetest dog with the most beautiful
gait and fur.  When she was in harness she ran wherever we put her, no nonsense, giving her heart to the sport for which she was bred.   She was an excellent leader, pairing nicely with her sisters, Buffy or Ruthie.

We moved her to the pen closest to the house because of  a respiratory issue, but also more recently because of a tumor on her leg.   We had hoped to have a surgery for her this fall, but it was not to be.

Born in June of 2003, Matilda gave her all to life and we tried, in turn to make her life very special.   Her sister, Rosie, her next door neighbor will miss her very much.   Born of Liller and Skinny, she leaves behind her sisters, Rosie, Buffy, Kiddo, Ruthie and Ruby and her brother, Herman, all of which are mainstays in our kennel teams.

Rest in special peace, dear Matilda.

Matilda, right in wheel as facing photo.

 

 

Another Heat Wave

We're having a long lasting heat wave again.  Tonight is the first break in five days of hot, very humid, buggy , sun intense weather.  The dogs have been so patient but they've had enough.   We've done all the usual things and today Nick washed down every dog with water.  Late day Jim sprayed pens and redid all the water.
Now it's thundering again, lightning, scary for all of them.

We are seeing more deer in at the apple trees and in the raspberries.   Can't wait for the oppressive weather to go away for all of us.

Nature's Bounty

The apples are ripe and falling;   raspberries continue producing;  blackberries are ripening; pincherries are waning and chokecherries are turning purple.   The wildlife have taken notice and are appearing nightly to eat the harvest.   They seem to leave my plantings of sunflower and kale until all the wild things are gone.  They usually don't touch the kale until November.

The Navy goes to sea

Navy had his first lake visit since he's been with us and he appeared to love it.   He submerged himself several times, and even jumped off the dock (pursuing a distant water skiier), but he smelled rather fishy, surprisingly, so Nick gave him a bath when we got back to the kennel.

He seemed perturbed when we first put him in the back seat of the truck, his first truck ride since he has been here.   Of course we can't know what he was thinking, but he was happy to see that he was back at the kennel an hour or so later, very happy to greet Eos, as she was him.  He had a nice adventure that turned out well.

Dog Days

Not sure why these are the ''dog days" of summer but they're cooler, thus better for dogs than July's days.

Not too much wildlife visible and it's possibly because there is good wild food for them... they're not coming as close to humans because they're able to find food farther away from us.

The deer are pretty consistent about walking through, eating berries, apples, so we do see them. 

Rabbits trigger the field camera as do the deer.