Pupdate

We went to the vets yesterday, just for a quick looksee.  Little no-name did fantastic - she really does have the sweetest temperament!  The vet said other than her weight, she's in perfect condition - good eyes, ears, heart, lungs and patellas.  And everyone at the vets was loving on her, and could not believe she was a stray that no one claimed.

I find that odd too.  She is very well behaved - house-trained, great with people and other dogs, sweetsweetsweet, playful.  Twice now, people have come to the door (mail and newspaper).  No barking at all.  In fact, I didn't realize the mailman delivered a package yesterday until I opened the door to go to the vets and tripped over it (ahem, canines in my life?  A *little* barking is not a bad thing, kthanx).  She apparently doesn't know any "obedience" commands, or at least the words for them, but has already learned to sit while getting her leash on.  She is a total sweetheart - I know I keep repeating this, but I can't convey how fantastic she is.

This morning though, she broke my heart.  Kip was outside, so she and I were playing inside.  I called her to me, and raised my arms (not thinking, since this is something I do with Kip all the time), and she stopped on a dime, dropped, and rolled over, showing me her belly. 

Sigh.

I keep trying to figure out what her story is.  Sweetest little dog, but somewhat afraid (abused?  Inappropriate discipline?  Just a soft temperament??).  Very well trained in some areas, not at all in others.  Over-fed, but found as a matted stray.

Owner death?  Family moved and lost her?  New living arrangements that made her expendable?  I try not to judge others, and if she was surrendered to TAS, I wouldn't be.  But to have come in as a stray - her, and hundreds of others like her - that I don't get.  Even here, in little Fort Erie, dogs are found as strays (most with collars on, but no tags), and no one claims them.

That I find unforgivable.

If you don't want/can't keep your dog anymore, don't just let it go.  It is still your responsibility to arrange for proper care, which means taking it to a shelter, rescue or pound.  Yeah, it might hurt your pride/cause you to feel ashamed/make you sad/whatever, but I don't give a fuck.  It's not about you - it's about the dog who has no choice in the matter.

To little no-name's previous owners, and others like them - while I thank you for the opportunity to have a fantastic little dog (spayed and microchipped, all for the grand total of $140 and change, thank you TAS!), a happy ending doesn't excuse your irresponsibility.  Not at all.

And since I can't help myself, here are some more pics - happy dogs!

  I kill the fox

 

Sharing schnauzer secrets

 

 

Tired happy dogs

___________________________________________________________

I forgot to give a hat tip to Fred's blog yesterday, which is the only reason I have such a great little dog now.  If you are looking for a dog, anywhere near Toronto, have a look at One Bark at a Time - and make sure you read "Stuck", but don't have any fluids in your mouth while you do.  Fred won't reimburse you for any ruined computer parts :)

Original "Dotty" pictures here and here. 

Just because I'm not busy enough...

 

  

 

This is "The dog formerly known as Dotty", adopted last night from Toronto Animal Services (yes, I drove to Toronto to get a dog.  It's less than 1/2 the distance I drove to get Kip.  This is what Crazy Dog Ladies do).  No new name yet... I'm terrible at naming, and we might just keep "Dotty" - we'll wait and see what feels right.  She and Kip are getting along great - playing, playing and more playing.  Last night went great and so far today, things are good.  We just had a romp in the snow, and will go for a walk a bit later, once I'm fully caffeinated.

Oh yeah.  Also got the mortgage this week!!  So let the renos begin...

Drowning in choices

I've been busy lately.

Trying to decide which vegetables to grow this year.

The problem?  Too many choices.  Way too many.

But I finally bit the bullet, and placed two orders yesterday, from Stokes and Richters.

From Richters:

Seeds:

Salad Burnet, Garlic Chives, Lovage, Watercress, Sorrel, Lemon Balm, Chervil, Chives, Dill, Marjoram, Oregano, Parsley, Sage, Savory, Basil, Thyme, German Chamomile, Cilantro,

Plants:   

Horseradish, Lemon Verbena, English Mint, Applemint, Peppermint, Rosemary, French Tarragon

Shipping and Handling                                15.75

Sales Tax                                                      7.64

Grand Total in Canadian Dollars                 66.39

Yeah.  $66.  Yikes.  But wait, it gets worse...

From Stokes:

Beans (Kentucky Wonder Green, Blue Lake, Roma II), Brussels sprouts, Swiss Chard, Beets (Mona Lisa and Chioggia), Broccoli, Cabbage (Red Dynasty, Winner, Tenderheart (Napa)), Tsoi Sim, Pak Choi, Celeriac,  Carrots, Cucumbers (slicers and pickling), Kale, Lettuce (green and red looseleaf and Buttercrunch), Bunching (or green) onions, Peas (snow and shell), Peppers (green, red, yellow, cayenne and jalapeno), Radish (winter, red and Valentine, a green and white variety - couldn't resist!),  Rutabaga and turnip, Spinach, New Zealand Spinach (perennial variety), Squash (epic fail in this category - green and yellow zucchini, pattypan, spaghetti, acorn, mini Hubbard and butternut - can you tell I heart squash?), Watermelon (sugar Baby, a small variety), and the Tomatoes (Brandywine, Basket Vee, Roma, and Sweet 100 (cherry)).

Along with some growing medium, trays, cell pack, domes, a soil test kit and 6" mesh for trellises.  

And a "free" Mini Seeder.

Shipping and Handling                                 0.00
Sales Tax                                                      22.23
Grand Total in Canadian Dollars                251.17

Holy Hannah.  That's over $300!!  And doesn't include onion sets, potatoes (not sure if I'm growing these or not),  Lemon thyme (seeds not available), and a few others I'm sure to want once I get going.  Or row cover, shade cloth, wood for the raised beds, soil, amendments....

That also doesn't include asparagus, rhubarb, or any of the soft fruits I want (raspberries, strawberries, currants, cranberries and blueberries, to start).   Or grapes.  Or fruit trees - in theory, I can grow apples, pears, plums, and possibly peaches and other related stone fruits.  Or nut trees.  Or gooseberries, quince, seabuckthorn, roses (for hips), and kiwi (yes, we can grow kiwi vines in Canada!!).

Oh my.  Drowning in choices indeed.

But at least the vast majority of the seed order is in.  Now I just have to figure out where everything is going.  And to start the seeds that require starting.  And and and...

In a bit more detail, part 1

I've been thinking a LOT about food choices.  So, I wanted to go into a bit more detail about what my plan is - 'sides, I think the less vague a resolution is, the better the chance it will actually be kept.

A. I want to try to grow all the fruit and vegetables that I eat in a year.  Can I do this in 2010?  No way in hell.  One fantastic way to get out of gardening is to go too big, too soon.  And I haven't actually gardened as an adult (well, I did spend ~15 years growing weeds, then trying to kill them, but I don't think that will help too much).  So I will start out with a few raised beds, including as many fruit plants as I can afford, starting as many things from seed that I can, and try succession planting and season-extending techniques to increase yield, and look into different preservation methods.


Thus, the break-down is:

1. Get seed catalogs - partially done, as I've been signing up for some as I come across the companies.  I do need to try to get a more diverse selection though, including some heirloom varieties.

2. Plan out what I want to grow - then cut that in half.  Example: I canned (with Mom's help) 2.5 bushels of tomatoes this past summer, as salsa, sauce and whole tomatoes.  And I don't think the sauce/whole yield will do me for the entire year, as I love soups and sauces that use tomatoes.  But I don't think I can grow enough tomato plants to yield 3 bushels of tomatoes, plus whatever I eat fresh.  So I really do need to limit, for now, what I grow and in what amounts, until I get a better handle on the work and money required.  Besides, remeber those house renos?  Yeah, I'm going to be a bit busy this year.

3. Talk Dad into letting me use some room on his grow-light stand.  I would LOVE to have my own, since it makes seed starting a lot easier, but I cannot justify spending the money (never mind the room it will take up) this year, especially when Dad has one that he uses for storage for the most part.

4. Get the wood and parts I need for raised beds.  And try to do this as cheap as possible.  Why raised beds?  Clay soil, poor drainage.  'Nuf said.

5. Get the wood and parts I need for raised bed covers I might need, to prevent pest damage, extend the season, etc.  Again with the emphasis on "cheap".

6. Build the raised beds, get the soil and amendments i need to fill them, and plant.  Then sit back and rest on my laurels...  LOL.  

I'm sure there will be more as I go one, but this is enough to start with.  And it give me a time line as well - this needs to be done in the next 3-4 months... can't wait for spring!

Oh yeah... Happy New Year!!

Local?  Sustainable?  Ethical?  CHEAP??  FAIL!

Tasty? Epic win.

Happy New Year everyone, and may 2010 bring you want you want, and what you need, even if you don't think you do. 

Resolutions 2.0

It's that time of the year again!

Getting in the Way Back machine, let's go back to this time last year... and lo & behold, I actually did pretty good on that one. Good thing I aimed low.

Of course, it helped immensely that both grocery stores in town now charge for bags. I did pretty good for grocery stores, but notsogood on stores for things other than food. So, I'll keep working one this one. The biggest hurdle I now have is to remember to put the damn bags back in the car!

Other things for this year are a bit more ambitious, and there are more of them. So yeah, this post might get a wee bit long. Sorry 'bout that.

1. Work more with Kip, especially on agility.

I still haven't looked for a training club, basically due to lack of money. While I have enough to pay the bills, adding agility lessons to that isn't an option right now, especially with the renos planned. But, there is a LOT I can do cheaply at home. Like build a board (okay, not so much "building" as "painting and putting sand on it for traction") and work on body awareness. I even have the board already. And work on tricks that will build back-end strength and awareness, something Kip is lacking. And build and use a tippy board. And of course, I already own jumps and weave poles, so let's get working on weave entries and jumping already! I can also build a pause table, and a "contact" obstacle (not having tons of extra space, this item combines both the dog walk and A-Frame in one unit, sorta) to work on those 2o2o running whatever contacts. 

Goal:  "10 treats per day" (counting out treats helps keep each session short and fun)
Plan: make a plan of one thing I want to teach every month, and do it.

2.  Find a new job.

For reasons I won't go into here, my current job is not a good fit for me.  One reason I left Saskatoon was job dissatisfaction.  And while I'm living where I want to live now, I won't stay in a situation where I still am dissatisfied with my job, for half the money I was previously making.

Goal: 2 job applications a month.  While this doesn't sound like a lot, there aren't a lot of jobs in this area that a suitable for me, and yes, I moved here knowing that.
Plan:  Apply to anything that is slightly suitable!

3. Food.

This is a multi-faceted resolution, and one that has been emerging for a long time now.  There are so many food "revolutions" out there - 100-mile diet, organics, fair trade, cruelty-free, sustainable... 

And I have issues with each.  They sound great, but I know if I attempt any one, I will fail - for me, there are built-in fails in each. 

Let's take the 100-mile diet:  eat only what is grown/produced within 100 miles of where you live.  Great... no coffee, no spices, no citrus... no way in hell that diet will last more than one day for me.

Organic:  sorry, but I have issues with buying organic produce from 1000s of mile away, when I can get non-organic local.  It seems to often be a trade-off between finite resources and pesticide free (and I also know that organic doesn't necessarily mean pesticide free).

Fair Trade, cruelty-free, etc.:  Those can be a bit easier to do, especially for items like meat & eggs, chocolate and coffee.  But the trade-off is cost.  And while I'm better off than many others, I don't have an unlimited amount of money, and there are too many, more important (to me anyway) drains on it at this point in my life.  Just looking at meat - sure, I can eat less meat, thus making cruelty-free, sustainable, local, organic meat fit into the budget, but I can't for Kip.  It already costs me just under $1/day to feed him, and I WILL NOT compromise on a raw diet for him. 

So basically, I've come up with my own food revolution.

Grow what I can.  Make what I can.  Buy local what I can't grow or make.  Buy "ethically" what I can't buy local.

So that means a vegetable garden.  And a herb bed.  And some fruit plants/bushes.  And I do know this isn't a single-year endeavor.

It means less reliance on processed foods,  on eating seasonally, on reducing some items while increasing others.  It means making contacts in the community to find local, sustainable foods that I can't grow, to find sources of "un-local" products that are produced in a way I'm comfortable with.

It actually comes down to one thing - THINKING about the food you eat, and making decisions about where it comes from, and how it's made. 

So yeah, I'm aiming a bit higher than last year.  Think I can do it??

The true meaning of Christmas

Religion, family and friends, tradition, thumbing your nose at the dark days of winter with a display of greenery and lights...

Whatever.

The true meaning of Christmas, the reason for the season... dressing your dog up in silly hats, and laughing at the result.

Kip really does wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Really. Honest.

Bah humbug!

______________________________________

sorry for the poor video quality - maybe Santa will bring me a real video camera!!

Ho ho...

Supervisor dog supervises... but does little actual work.

More shopping...

Getting there...

Done!

Fortunately, it snowed after I was done.

mmm... snow

And yes, I found the wreath hanger!

Weirdness, part one

Completely off topic, but...

(and no, I am NOT done my Christmas decorating. What's your point?)


I am not afraid of heights. I love roller coasters. I can drive over tall bridges in a single bound. But pictures like this* give me the willies.

Most people don't encounter such pictures too often, but that was one of the hazards of working in plant pathology for 15 years. You see, plant pathologists take a lot of picture of plants, dead, alive or somewhere in between. Plants in the field, on lab benches, in the greenhouse. And for the most part, they attempt to stand over the plants, and shoot straight down. But very seldom is it dead-on straight down - it's often slightly angled. And most people cannot tell which way is "up" in such shots when they are presenting the slides (at meetings, conferences, publications, etc.).

But I can tell. Every time. And to the vast amusement of some of my colleagues (you know who you are!!). Who delighted in showing me such pictures - and watching me turn green.

Fun times.

So yeah. This is one of my many completely useless life skills. Being able to tell which way is up. Think it will make me rich?

_________________________________________________

* That picture is from this blog:

http://youngestround.blogspot.com/

A 16 year old Australian woman sailing solo around the world. Even if you don't think that's an appropriate adventure for one so young, the blog makes for great reading.

Ho...

Someone went shopping...

Someone who likes to live a bit dangerously...

Not too bad for someone's first attempt at wreath making!

Now someone just has to find the rest of the decorations... and the wreath hanger...