Smile

Smile.. it’s the key that fits the lock of everybody’s heart…and we have running water again!

Murphy's smilie tag

Read Full Post »

Let the gardening begin

Garden planning

Gardening in January? But I just love gardening. Love. Love. Love it!  By December I’m usually grateful for a break and because the holiday season takes up so much time with family and friends and it’s a good respite from weedin’. ( Oh yeah.. and because the ground is often frozen and covered with a couple of inches of the white stuff.)

Yeah, I know it’s freezing out there… so much so that yesterday as we woke to minus 10 degrees and frozen kitchen pipes (ugh ugh) and after I proceeded to take two tylenols.. I still planted my leek seeds.  Heck, I was suppose to be stirring 20 pounds of soaps, so I had to put the time to good use right? It’s the one thing that didn’t get into the garden last year, but it will for sure this year. 🙂 Just think, only a few more weeks left til I can play in the real dirt again!  Thinking Spring.

Read Full Post »

One unhappy camper

Yes I know, winter has just really begun, but already we’ve been hit with a Nor’easter and two accumulative storms back to back.. and we’ve just about had it with  all the shoveling we can muster.  I am laughing at the word ‘we’ as all I do is sit indoors snuggled up in my basket usually snoozing. But hey, my ‘voice’ counts here too!  I want to be out in the fields catching mice, or sunning myself on the deck or poking around the neighborhood to check things out. But no, here I lay grumbling to myself and dreaming of warmer days…sniffle sniffle.

Spencie.. waiting for Spring to arrive

It is sort of pretty, if you enjoy walking in it or the folks that never see  all this white stuff and have absolutely no conception what it is to have to get up two hours before your workday even begins and go out to shovel it!  I can’t even imagine sleeping in the barn as I once did quite routinely on the chilliest nights, it seemed of the year, but I did.  Funny how the years just disappear.

Spencie is now fast asleep, so I’ll add a shot of yesterdays walking path and our seas during the Nor’easter, and two ducks foraging for a warm meal.,,and one big Bubba that use to love a good snow storm.  Hey, this is ‘vacationland’…  we need  warmth & mucho sunshine up here in the boonies! ;).. and a lot less white stuff!

Snowy walk

Cold Duck(s)

1st Nor'easter of 2010

King of the mountain--Bubba Jackson

Read Full Post »

Happy as a clam

Three weeks ago, I landed a new job.  It takes up a lot of my day, but my new boss really appreciates my work so far. I’ve been hired as a caretaker by two professionals that are seldom home. Bad for them- awesome for me!

My job description:

• keep them busy
• gather up all the toys they drag out each day
• don’t spoil them
• wear ordinary clothes
• take them with you wherever you go
• don’t allow them to climb up on the sofa
• if you take them down on the beach–be prepared to get soaked
• and.. take only one at a time with you out on the kayak

It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it! So let me introduce you to my new wards. Two of them are 11 years old and the third and youngest is two years–full of too much energy and a little rascal!

This is Deacon.. a happy go lucky fellow that only wants to play catch. And when he’s not fetching he’s  first in line for his treat.  And gawd help you if you forget that treat.. he’ll just woof & woof until he gets your attention. Once he’s had his fill of playtime and his treat, he just enjoys finding a nice warm spot, usually in front of the sunniest window, to take his afternoon snooze.

Deacon

Deacon--Resting up

And this would be Mack…  a real sweetheart, who sadly has a bit of arthritis and would prefer to snooze much of the day.. so we gently prod him along to participate in our daily walks. It’s tough for Mack to sit waiting for his treat, so we just let him stand as best as he can…while his tail wags just fine!

Mack snoozing

And lastly.. meet Murph! Murphy is the pup.. full of the dickens and one to keep your eye on all of the time!  What is that saying about the terrible twos? 🙂 But goodness, he makes me laugh out loud some days.  He’s spoiled rotten–he’s the only one that gets to sleep on the bed because he doesn’t shed, smart as a whip and one who’s always scheming!  LOL He torments his older brothers, hides all their toys or runs away like heck with them and then proceeds to hide them under a bed where the  two big guys obviously can’t possibly  fit.

Murphy- the imp!

The other day after we came indoors I couldn’t find my mittens anywhere.  I hunted all over the place, and for just a moment wondered to myself..’hmm.. could Murph have  hidden them on me?’  Sure enough, there, they were…under a bed!!  I just love this little guy.  He just looks so angelic, but we both know he isn’t!

Murph

As for the house rule.. NO sofa’s allowed… well, let’s just say my boss apparently  hasn’t a clue what goes on when he isn’t home… because this is where I found them on my first day at work. 🙂

Caught in the act

Well there you have it.  No doubt you’ll be seeing more of my newly acquired extended family in the coming weeks. I’m looking forward to getting them all down to the farm where they can run freely and use up a lot of their energy in the fresh air.   Who knows, maybe these new furry friends came into my life for a reason.  One thing’s for sure.. they’ve been growing on me more & more each day. 2010 may just be a very cool year.

Murphy, Mack & Deacon

–

Read Full Post »