Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for the bright sun shinning.  That wakes up the guinea pig that squeaks.  That wakes up the dogs who have to go out side.  I must rise and shine to take them out and start my day. Just like the sun rises and shines to wake up the earth

Wacky Wendesday

Well we started off good.  We woke up early so we could create more shade for the pigs.  Then everything went crazy. You don't have to grease pigs to make them difficult to catch.  They got out of the pen.  We had to chase them.  Not once but twice.  They were able to push through the gate the first time.  Then under the fence the second time.  Our little heeler Bandit tried to help.  She is untrained and thought it was chase the pig game.  So They ran and ran and ran.  In the end Bandit figured things out and nipped at them to get them going in the right direction.  I'm sure if the Gods were watching they were laughing their heads off. 

I finished cleaning up from the washer incident.  Towels to wash, dry, and put away.  Things to put back into the utility room.  Floors to mop.  Lots to do.  I never realized how many evil plastic bags I had.  They just get piled into the utility room.  I hate them.  They are going to Walmart to be recycled the next time I go.  I hate them but am unwilling to just destroy them.  It isn't in my nature.  Since Walmart has those recycling barrels I will utilize them and save a Um Tree. 

I finished putting my summer clothes and shoes in my closet.  Then with the boxes I unpacked I put my winter clothes away.  I do not have enough space to hang both seasons.  How spoiled am I.  I'm sure I could go forever without washing.  Except undergarments.  I try to be very frugal.  None of my attire is bought full price.  I mostly shop at thrift stores.  I haven't really shopped for myself in awhile.  Except for jeans.  I riped my last pair in the most unmodest place while climbing an orange tree.  (treats for the goats)

Off to work.  I go.

Tuesday March27th

I woke up bright and early to drive to my sister's house.  Why you ask?  My mother has a Dr. Appointment.  Not really an appointment, but an appointment to pick up a sleep machine.  My mother does not sleep well.  Anyway.  The sleep study facility was easy enough to find. 

We went to Ihop for breakfast.  If you call in the serve you can get a stack of hot cakes for free with the coupon number.  My mother had already done that.  Service was good.  Restaurant was clean. 

Then we went to Safeway for meat.   My mother was worried about the ammonia slim so she had a large piece of meat ground.  I thought that was clever.  Again the store was clean.   Everyone was very helpful. 

Then I drove my mother home.  I stayed to visit with my sister.  Then I drove home.  I was exhausted.  Strange because I didn't do any thing physical.  I went to lay down.  I could not regulate my temperature.  Hot then cold.  My husband took pity on me and brought home burgers.

Million Dollar Monday

Today was one of those million dollar days. You know the kind where you keep spending money. My husband took the day off thank goodness. If he were working at his old job he wouldn’t have the ability to take time off. Things would have waited until he got off work. He would have worked late into the night to fix all our issues.

I didn’t intend to spend money when I woke up. Things just happen. Yesterday we lost water pressure to the house. So this morning upon investigation we realized the pump had gotten hot and the plastic parts had flared and there was a leak. So off to Lowe’s we go. My husband decided to change out the plastic parts to metal. Metal parts cost more money in the beginning, but they don’t break as often. We get home and he begins repairs. Then my husband notices a leak in another area. So back to Home Depot. This is where he got this part from. But oh no they didn’t have it in stock. What a surprise. Here Lately Home Depot has let us down. They never seam to have what we need. Oh they can get it; the truck comes in on Wednesday. Whatever. Need it now. Over to Lowe’s for more parts. We get home and our oldest is very unhappy. You see a quick fix lasted three trips to town. He needed to do laundry and take a shower before night school. I called the school. It seems we have an appointment that he can not miss all of a sudden. He stays home. Thank goodness. I’ll tell you why later. We get the pump fixed and ready to go. Or should I say my husband does.

Then we notice a terrible sound coming from out truck. What now? Power steering hose leaking. It needs to be replaced. Back to town. We go to Auto Zone and get the part. Bring it home and of coarse it is difficult and does not want to come out easily. The neighbor helps my husband. They get it replaced and filed with fluid. All is well.

The neighbor says our pigs are ready and he needs to move them. We were planning on getting them in the next two weeks. So we go to buy a truck load of feed. We look like rednecks on the way home. A full pick up load of whole corn and grain, and three little pigs tied to the top in a little cage. Our kennel was at my husband’s sisters house. We get home. Not completely ready. Surprise. Today while my husband was working on the water pump I had finished installing the gate on the pigpen. They have no shade because that was the next thing. I needed more screws, which we bought on our many trips to Lowe’s. The feed bins were not created yet. I hadn’t thought of what to put their feed into until yesterday. So tomorrow we will have to rise before the sun to finish making the three little pigs a happy home. I was so grateful that our oldest was home. It was dark when we got done with catching the pigs. By the time we got home we were very tired. He came out to the pens and helped. We got every thing done fast with his help.

So we go inside. My husband decides he is going to do laundry. Um ok I say. We sit down on the couch. Me with my crocheting, he with his new tool set. He has been drooling over this tool set for some time. I was thinking father’s day. We walked past it too many times today. It ended up in out cart. Our oldest says Dad the toilet is over flowing. Nope. It was the washer. Thank goodness my husband cleans carpets for a living. While he was figuring out what the problem was our oldest son was sucking up the water with the hoses. My husband moves all the appliances to clean up the water. Installs fans to dry the wood. He was unsure what the problem was. The water came out from inside the washer. So they drained the water and started over watching it. They did this three times. I am thinking water, water, water. His laundry would have waited. I think he was trying to be helpful. He He.

I am exhausted so I go to bed. What an emotional, whirlwind kind of day.

No News Today

Saturday was not very productive.  I went to work, went to a birthday party, and then went home.  No news today.

Frantic Friday

I have received a request for the recipe I use for hamburger and hot dog buns. The link I used was www.kingarthurflour.com
The recipe is called beautiful burger buns.
Ingredients
¾ to 1 C lukewarm water
1 large egg (I used a duck egg)
3 ½ C flour (recipe calls for King Arthur flour, I used Kroger flour)
¼ C sugar
1 ¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. instant yeast
Topping
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Directions

1. Mix and knead all of the dough ingredients- by hand, mixer, or bread machine (I used a bread machine)- to make a soft, smooth dough.
2. Cover the dough, and let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until its nearly doubled.
3. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a round ball; flatten to about 3" across. Place the buns on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, cover, and let rise for about an hour, until noticeably puffy.
4. Brush the buns with about half of the melted butter.
5. Bake the buns in a preheated 375-degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Remove them from the oven, and brush with the remaining melted butter. This will give the buns a satiny, buttery crust.
6. Cool the buns on a rack.

Yield: 8large buns.
How I do it
I put all ingredients into my bread machine set it to knead. The machine does all the work. When the machine is done I remove dough. I separate the dough into 16 pieces. I round 8 (hamburger buns) and rolled 8 (hot dog buns). I baked according to directions. After last buttering I sprinkled crushed onion flakes on top of hamburger buns.


I have started to create an Etsy shop. My sister, who lives in the north, reminded me of my goal. My goal, well I have several, is to create an Etsy shop and start moving my craft items this year. Every year I say I will but just don’t. Because I can not sit still crocheting keeps me busy. When I find something I like I make many of them. Usually I see something and can create my own pattern. People at my work place have bought several items. This gave me the idea that I can create a shop and sell there too. I will keep you posted on that. The process seems easy enough.

Today was Payday Friday.  This is the day I run around doing all the errands.  Today I went to Pet's Mart.  I bought Stretch, the turtle a  new filter pump.  It serves two purposes.  It is a pump and it is a baking mountain at the same time.



On my way to work I stopped at McDonald's  and bought a Shamrock shake.  This is seasonal so I am not sure how long they will have it.  I just had to have one before it was to late.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for garden shoes. I have a need to check on things outside several times throughout the day. These shoes allow me to just slip them on and out I go. I refuse to pay more than $10 for these. You would think the price on such a useful item would not mater. I can find them at Big Lots. They are not name brand. I suppose if push came to shove I could break down and buy crocs, the true form of the garden shoe.

I am thankful for cotton dishcloths. I can create them under an hour. They can be thrown in the washer repeatedly and always come out fluffy soft. Well not teddy bear soft, but you know what I mean. I buy the cotton yarn from Walmart and the colors stay true. If I get sick of one color I can crochet another in no time flat. Maybe I will make a how to post about crocheting a dishcloth.

I am thankful for goldfish. Not the real, breathing goldfish. The yummy, cheddar goldfish. You can pop them into tomato soup. They float around until you can catch them and gobble them up. I can confess I have a hard time eating tomato soup without them.

March 21st

I made beef soup to put in the crockpot. First I cut up a beefsteak. Then I cut up vegetables; potatoes, carrots, onions, and celery. Then I thawed Beef stock from the freezer. Finally I added spices; garlic, salt, pepper, and cumin. I hope it tastes yummy.

Usually I dry the celery leaves on a paper plate holder. Then save them I a jar for cooking. Today I gave them to the inside animals. Dent, the guinea pig will squeak when he sees me give a treat to Stretch, the turtle. Dent can hardly stand himself. Merrel, the cockatiel pretends I am not giving her anything special. She will wait until I leave to partake in the delicious morsel. There wont be a scrap left in her cage when she is done.

I ordered my medicine today. The pharmacist was logging into the computer to tell me a time when they will be ready. I said no worries I will need to pick them up on Monday. She said you know how rare that is, usually customers want them now, or better yet yesterday. Why do people wait for something so important? I know if I don’t take my medicine it alters my whole being (I become a witch). Why are prescriptions so expensive? Does it really cost that much money to make?

My oldest wants to go to the movies with his girlfriend on Saturday. I do not mind letting him go. At this time he does not have a job so I am the one giving him the money. Which I do willingly, if he helps out in the household. This week he has chosen to sleep until 11:30. He has to get to the bus stop for school at 1:25. He has not helped. Today I told him I would not be paying for the movies. Of coarse I get a "that’s not fair" and a " I hate you" and a " So and So’s mother lets him do it" and a " I would let my youngest go". He is seventeen. This is nothing new. He knows the drill. So until Friday, when we switch kids he will be as difficult as he knows how. Please come fast Friday.

Cleaning Day

Today was cleaning day.

Usually I start in the back of the house and work my way around. I use very few cleaning products. Vinegar and baking soda usually does the trick. I have used lemon if something is particularly yucky. My son learned a trick to clean the ceiling fans without making a mess. You place a pillow - case over the blades and it catches the dust.

I try to make most things from household items. DIY potpourri is made from orange peels and cinnamon sticks. Put them in water in a pot and simmer. This makes the yummiest smell in the house. It cuts the vinegar smell almost instantly. Just make sure you keep water in the pan or it will burn. That will be a terrible smell.

I posted yesterday that I have had a difficult time breathing. This makes me sit and take treatments. I think this is such a misuse of my time. Today I put a puzzle together while taking medication. I enjoy puzzles. This is funny because I think sitting still; not doing anything productive is a waste of time. Still it is fun for me. I ask my family to join me but they do not like puzzle building.
　

Today I cleaned out the inside animal houses. My family shreds paper (old statements, bills, etc.) and that is what I use to line the guinea pig cage. I noticed his nails needed to be trimmed. I usually do this when my youngest is around, but he is at school. Any way I figured if I do his I might as well do them all. Merrel the cockatiel was not very happy. You see she hates me. My husband is her favorite. Even though I feed and water her every day. I also give her treats too. I am happy to say Johnny Cash layed down like a gentleman until I was done. In the past he would pull away and I would just about have to sit on him to get the job done.

While I was cooking dinner I reached up over the stove and burnt my tummy, right where my waistline meets. When we first moved into this house my husband’s father gave us an Aloe Vera plant. We never planted it. It stays in the kitchen window. I have used it several times. I just cut off a piece and rub it on. When that end dries out I cut that same piece and more goo oozes out. This helps the burn heal with almost never any scarring

Rainy Day Monday

Yesterday was a rainy day with high winds. The roof to the chicken coop and the lids to the feed buckets flew off. We retrieved them and re attached. We spent the rest of the morning inside. In the afternoon we went to my sisters house for my youngest Birthday party. We stopped at Wal-Mart first for Pizza and soda. My mother brought the cake. Cheese cake from Costco, which we added strawberries. Then we went home. It was still cold and dreary so we popped in a movie.


We swap kids, so to speak on the weekends. My youngest stays with my sister during the week to go to the local high school. My oldest stays with us to go to the local night school. They are best separated. They fight like crazy. So we mostly swap them on the weekends. This gives both children a break from the adults they live with. I am so lucky to be able to do this. My sister has opened her home many times over the years to us, in one form or another.

All this rain hurts my lungs. I have to take breaks repeatedly to catch my breath. Every four hours I take a breathing treatment. We played a game yesterday at my sister’s house. You ask questions off a card and everyone goes around the table answering it. One question was " Would you like to be more funny, more attractive, or more athletic?" I answered more athletic. Let me explain. It is a pain, literally, to not be able to breathe. Nothing is more annoying than not being able to hurry thorough a task because you have to stop to catch your breath. So I would like to be able to be more athletic. Sure those other things are nice but this breathing thing, I wish for.


Today it hailed and rained. It was very comfortable in the house for me. My Chihuahua, Memee was shivering. She looked miserable. So I decided to make her a sweater. I saw this some time ago on the Internet, but I can not remember where. I would like to give credit to who ever posted the tutorial I think it was on about com. Anyway I will make one and post how to.

First cut sleeve off of old sweater.

Then cut front of sleeve off for neck.

Then cut two leg holes.

Turn color down.


Place on freezing dog. Take picture.

I did not feel cold at all because I was baking. I try to bake on Mondays. This is a day off for me. I believe if I bake once a week my family is satisfied for sweets. I also bake all our bread, hamburger and hot dog buns. I save money this way. It does take my time. So if you’re doing a time to money ratio then no. I also know what goes into our sweet treats and breads. My husband does not eat very many raw fruits or vegetables. He will eat banana muffins, zucchini - carrot bread, and pineapple upside down cake. So this serves its purpose.

Today I made
Green and yellow sprinkled rice crispy treats
DIY Girlscout tagalons
Chocolate covered raisins
Oatmeal raisin cookies
Chocolate chip cookies
Banana pecan muffins
Zucchini carrot bread
2 loaves of white bread
1 loaf of raisin bread
8 hamburger buns
8 hot dog buns
8 hoagie buns
　
　
　Sadly to say the little mice left this world.  They rest out by our other deceased pets.

Busy Saturday

Today was very productive.

We picked up our bountiful basket. Bountiful Basket is a Co –op. I paid my contribution of $15 plus $1.50 for service fee on Monday. We meet today, Saturday from 7:00 to 7:30 at a local park. I received my basket with no difficulties. This is a basket with generally six fruits and six vegetables for $15. I think it’s a smoking deal. I set it out on the table to look at all the beautiful produce. I can’t wait to eat those yummy looking tomatoes. Maybe I will make a tomato and cucumber sandwich with lots of mayo.

Then we used our ancient forklift. We call it Frankenstein. It is so ugly. The base is solid but it is so old it has been rebuilt repeatedly with many different parts. Thus the name, Frankenstein. We have used it so much since we bought it. From lifting water tanks, to pallets of block. It is a very useful tool well worth its money. Today we used it to put my husband’s old car carcasses on a flat bed truck to haul to the scrap yard. We had to go to Phoenix. When we got there it reminded me of the Brave Little Toaster, a Disney movie. They were using the giant magnet to attract metal to place in containers to be moved to recycle into plain sheets of metal. What an ending for useful things.

On our way home we stopped at the guitar store and bought our youngest the guitar he has been eyeing for over a year. When he was home schooled one of his fun classes was guitar. His grandfather (my husband’s father) also has an interest in guitar. We would spend an hour every Tuesday at his house so he could take a lesson. We also purchased an amp. This has a special feature that he can plug in headphones and you can not hear him. I thought that was awesome because he lives at my sister’s house during the week. She has a toddler who goes to sleep at a normal hour. My youngest likes to stay up late and practice/ play his guitar.
After we got home we went to get water. We stayed at the neighbors for a while. Drinking some soda and talking. My youngest stayed at home to play with his new toy.

We had BLTs for dinner. I put cucumbers on mine. Very tasty. After dinner we cleaned up and I began to prepare our fruits and veggies. I have used an old food processor for many years. Today I shredded carrots and zucchini. We also shelled pecans. This is fun to sit around the table and do. Everyone has a different technique.


It was very windy today. We had a wind advisory. I was worried about our little chicks. Yes they are safe, but they are only three weeks old. We brought them back into the bathtub. Everyone else was doing fine when we checked. The mice are still alive. They crawled out of their towel and were sitting on the glass in the aquarium. I am surprised they are still alive.
　
I spent the rest of my night sitting on the couch crocheting while my husband played a video game. This is the first night we have done that in a long time. We are always to busy to just sit. Anyway.
　
　

Friday of Spring Break

Today is Friday the last day of Spring Break.

I bought a husky aluminum scoop shovel a couple of weeks ago. I found it under the feed tarp broken. How annoying. It was probably stepped on. So I decided to fix the problem of tools being left helter skelter everywhere. Stacked up against this fence. Over by the dog run. Who knows? Years ago we had purchased a tall Rubbermaid storage cabinet for motorcycle parts. The children don’t ride anymore. This has been left collecting dirt for over a year. Anyway we (my youngest son, and I) cleaned it out. We moved it over to the animal pens and took out the top shelf. Instant tool cabinet. Now if I can only train everyone to put things back where they belong.

When we moved the cabinet out popped a mouse. Angel our dog snatched it up and shook it to death. Then I saw a little baby mouse. Then out popped another mouse. We tried to save it thinking it might be the mamma. Angel saw it hiding and pounced, grabbed, and shook. It was too late. On further inspection there were seven babies. We are feeding them goat’s milk. I am most certain they will die. What a sad thought. Their lives have just begun. On the other side. Mice are yucky. They cause a lot of damage with chewing. Not to mention when they do die and you are unaware of there were a bouts they stink to high heaven.

We also worked on the pigpen. We used wooden pallets and tie wire. I will need to purchase more T posts to put in joints of the make shift fence. We made a giant pen. Pigs get very big. They use their body weight to push on fences. They also scratch a lot. I am unsure of the gate as of now. We will need to use something strong, but not to heavy. It will have to swing. Something will come up.

I took the weekend off from work. I have PTO at work and if I don’t use it I loose it. So this freed up some time. For lunch we meet a friend and her daughter and grand daughter at a local Mexican restaurant. I ordered my usual. I think everything is spicy. If I find something I can tolerate I stick with it. My friend told them it was my yougest’s birthday. We had a nice meal then the staff brought out ice cream singing happy birthday. We could only eat half of our lunch. The rest was packed up for another meal. You know how it goes with Mexican restaurants; you fill up on chips and salsa before you eat your dinner. Often times I will order queso and that will be my meal. I know how bad is that.

We got home and my youngest got a call from the neighbor. Could he help with the dollhouse? The dollhouse is a large playhouse for his daughter. He had it built a year ago. Another neighbor, whose trade is carpentry, built it but never finished. Her birthday is coming at the end of the month and he wanted it complete. It needs to be wrapped and stoccoed. This will be a new skill for my youngest. Unfortunately the neighbor will have to take time to teach him. My children have had to learn many new things; carpentry, plumbing, electricity, animal husbandry, gardening, etc. They can use all kinds of machinery. From tractors and forklifts to welding machines and power washers. We will call these life skills. No they will not have any sort of degree in these skills but they can do them none the less.

.Bandit did not want to be confined in the bathroom. So I let her out. She went outside and layed in front of her doghouse. That is where she was every time I checked on her. I am hoping for a fast recovery.
　
　
　

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for children growing up.  Today was my youngest's birthday.  He turned fifteen.  He is helping / working for the neighbor.  My youngest said to me yesterday " Tomorrow is my birthday and I don't want to go to work."  I told him I completely understand.  Most people have to work on their birthday.  Anyway he woke up just like always, and came outside to tell me he was going to work.  Did I need any help with the morning chores.  I had previously joked with him that we would be building the pig pen on his birthday.  I told him no thanks  have a good day at the neighbors.  Then I cried as he drove away. 

I am thankful for low cost vet clinics.  With our plethora of animals I could never afford vet care without it.  Bandit our outside dog had her appointment to be spayed today.  We dropped her off ,they did her procedure, and we picked her up.  Spay, rabies shots, Pain shots and medicine all for under $100.  When I left for work my youngest came home to watch her.  She was the most pathetic little thing.  I felt bad leaving her even though I know she will be in good hands.

I am thankful for wrinkly free clothes.  Because I am so busy moving from one task to the other I sometimes let time get away from me.  I have never run late but I would if it not for wrinkle free clothes.  On occasion I only need to spray with a mist of water, then shake.  Throw on some accessories.  Without them I feel naked.  Grab my stuff and head out the door.

Wednesday of Spring Break

Today was the third day of spring break.  My children have both left the house.  My oldest to my sister's house.  My yougest to help the neighbor.  I put the chicks in the tractor.  Bandit the outside dog needed to bark and run around the tractor for what seemed like for ever.  While I was waiting for her to calm down I braided the twine that comes on hay bales.  I buy three string usualy from the feed store in Maricopa.  They get it from a local farmer.  Hay prices have risen since we started this homestead ($7 to $16).  My youngest says my animals are spoiled.  I would have to agree.  Well feed animals are happy animals.  Anyway back to today.  I took the eggs in the house checked the clock.  I was only outside for an hour.  That includes thiry minutes of feeding time. 

I start my work week today.  Wednesdays are usually soup days for that purpose.  I love my crockpot I have three.  One small, One large, And one strictly for soap.  I haven't made soap yet because the does dried up before I was comfortable with the process, lye is scarry.  So I cut up potatoes, cut up left over ham, cut up an onion.  I add an onion to most of my cooking.  Throw everything in the small crockpot.  Add one can of evaporative milk, two cans of water, pepper and lemon pepper.  Turn it on high, so I can take some with me to go to work at 2:00.  Then I turn it on low.  It will cook until my husband comes home. 

Then I realized I have a bunch of time until I need to get ready for work.  I have been thinking of making sacks with the feed bags.  I hate plastic grocery sacks.  The eggs that I sell never want to stay upright in them.  It is difficult with the duck eggs.  They are so large that they do not fit in an egg carton.  You have to leave them open a bit.  This really worries me.  What if they tumble out they will make a yucky mess.  I have lots of feed bags saved.  Last year I sewed them togetherr to create shade for the chickens.  So I just stock pile them.  Well today was the day.  I created a feed bag sack. The first of anything takes a little longer to figure out.  It only took an hour or so.  I think it will work nicely to transport eggs. 

Then I cleaned up.  I have curious teenagers.  If I leave my sewing machine out they will try to use it, mess with the knobs.  You know.  So everytime I work on a project I must pack it back into my box.  I received a sewing machine from my mother in law when I was first married. It came with a nice hard case. I left it out on occasion.  Eventually the boys "fixed" it so well I couldn't get it to work.  They acctually "helped" me with two sewing machines.  I have learned my lesson.  I bought a cheap machine at Walmart.  It has worked for four years now.  As long as I put it away.  This does bother me at times.  It is my house, my stuff.  They should leave it alone.  Yah right. 

Off to work I go

Dogs

We have six dogs. 

Angel is our oldest.  She found us.  One day when we lived in Phoenix, we came home from some errands.  Robert took the car garbage to the can.  There was a box and it was moving.  He came to get us and we looked inside.  There she was so small.  We had another Dog at that time.  He was a pit bull and he didn't get along well with others.  She lived in the laundry room until we were sure we could trust him.  My son named her angel.  We were told she was a jack russell.  If that is true she is the giant version.

Memee is our chihuahua.  My mother called me one day to ask if I would be interested in a chihuahua.  I was secretly looking for a small lap dog.  So she has a coworker who's daughter found one.   The dog was running around a junk yard hiding from the larger dogs there.  We go to meet with them.   This little dog is so afraid of her husband and sons.  We sit on the couch.  She is passed around to my husband and sons.  I surely didn't want a dog who was afraid of them.  She is fine.  Kisses them and snuggles.  We take her home she is fine at first. After the honey moon period she shows her fears.  She will walk completely on the other side of a room to get away from any male.  Poor thing.  I can only imagine what some man did to her. 

June was the mother of our two puppies.  We had to put her down.  It still bothers me so I wont talk about it.  Only to let you know how the puppies came about. 

Johnny Cash is our male pit bull.  A coworker of mine was getting rid of him because he was a puppy and she worked and went to school.  He was chewing on the bathroom cabinets where he was kept for many hours.  He was only kept inside because outside were two big bad huge mastiffs who thought he was their chew toy.  He had just received his first shots when I agreed to take him.  At the time we had three other dogs.  My husband was not to please when I brought him home one night at midnight (when I get off work).  We wanted to get him fixed because we had June.  The vet told us we needed to wait until he got bigger.  Enter nine puppies.

We found homes for eight puppies.  Nobody wanted to take Bruiser.  She is a beautiful brindle with a black mask.  I call her puppy.  She is the opposite of a bruiser.  She is long , gangley, and dopey.  She has one ear up and one ear down almost all the time.  I was able to capture a picture of both her ears up.  Very odd. 

Then one day when we went to visit the neighbor we saw Spot, also Junes puppy.  She is all white with a brown spot on her buttock and ear.  The little boy had lost interest in her.  She looked terrible.  So we took her back.  She was afraid to come in the house.  All the other dogs would rush in when we opened the door, she would just sit at the bottom of the steps.  Now she comes and goes just like the rest.  She also wouldn't come in the bed.  Now I know some people say ewe dogs in the bed.  These dogs get their nails cut on a monthly basis.  Baths sometimes on a weekly basis.  I love to cuddle with them.  I do wash the sheets often.  Now she will wait until we invite her in.  Such a gentle girl.

And last but not least Bandit.  I touched on her a little in an earlier post.  She is a blue heeler.  Someone dropped her off at the neighbors.  On a visit we saw her and the neighbor said take her.  So I put her on my lap and took her home.  They said she kept them up all night crying at there door.  She was only two months old then.  Just a baby.  Of coarse she was scared.  We brought her home and our June dog and Angel got in a huge fight.  Bandit had to go.  I cried.  The neighbor said put her in with the goats so she will learn to herd them.  So my husband built her a house, in case she needed to hide. She did fine.  Until we brought Chocolate home.  She now lives outside the pens.  She has her house and the whole property to roam.  She has an appointment with the mobile vet tomorrow.