Our Puppy Story

We are having so much fun with the puppies!  They are the most adorable little creatures I have ever seen.

Today I started them on formula and began the potty training process.  Oy Vey!  All I did today was wash towels and put puppies on the paper.  But, believe it or not, they are already getting the idea down.  Let's hope they get it down completely before the weekend!

If you know anyone who is interested in adding a schnoodle to their family, have them contact me so we can sit down and discuss the possibility of them being chosen for one of our puppies.

I think they will be ready to join their new families in about four weeks.  Since this is my first puppy experience I have to learn how to do everything from reading websites and blogs.  It seems that most people agree that eight weeks is the correct age for them to be taken away from their mother.

They have such funny little personalities!  I was very surprised to learn that High Five - the smallest of the bunch - is the most rowdy and is pretty bossy.

Three Wee seems to be very shy and sits back watching the others but does join in with the play sometimes.

The boys, Thing One, Thing Two, and Four tune, all love to wrestle and tug on each other.  Thing One climbs on top of the others to see what is going on outside the basket.

It is very difficult not to get attatched to them, but we never had intentions of keeping any of the puppies.

Many people have asked us if we are planning to continue breeding Haley.  And the answer is no.  This will be her only litter.

Our rabbi instructed us that we are not allowed to have an animal spayed or neutered according to Torah law.  So she will not be spayed. 

Lance has always heard that it is emotionally damaging for a female dog not to be spayed, yet never have puppies.  I have no idea if there is anything valid to this or not, but he insisted that we allow her to have one litter.  We agree that this will be her only puppies.

Our neighbors at the lake have a registered brown colored poodle, and since they are the same size and get along pretty well, that we would allow them to "get married".  So, when we were at the cottage in December they had their "wedding" and the schnoodle puppies were their  "honeymoon" babies.

Haley has been a very good mother, but I can tell she is getting ready for them to move on.  She is not enjoying nursing them any more, and actually runs from them.  It's funny, yet sad at the same time.  The puppies look hysterical running after her, barking and trying to latch on while she is running away.  I have to put them all in the kennel for her to actually lay down for them to nurse.

I read today that I need to put a baby onesie on her when we ween them completely.  That will be a funny picture! 

I hope you enjoy the pictures, and let me know if you want to set an appointment to discuss taking one of the babies and making it part of your family.

Another photo slideshow by Smilebox

In my last post I asked if anyone knew what the unusual looking thing was.  Sheryl, you were correct.  It is a loofa.

I have used a loofa for many years, but I always thought that they grow in the ocean - like a sponge.  Maybe sponges aren't from the ocean either?  I'll have to look that up...

The man who gave me the loofa and the seeds to grow them told me an interesting story.

He said that in the old days cowboys would carry a loofa and some lye soap with them.  Then when they came up on a river or creek, or some other body of water they would take a bath - using the loofa to scrub away the grime and dirt.  It makes sense. 



I just wanted to follow up and post the answer to the question of what it is.



I am looking forward to trying to grow some.  If I am successful, you just might get one!



Until next time...

Spring Fever

Every year about this time I start feeling an inner stirring to plant something.  It happens when the weather begins to warm up and the days are bright and sunny.

Those of you who know me know that I DON'T have a green thumb.  In fact, I have secretly known for many years that I am a plant murderer. Sad, but true.

But, regardless of my gardening skills (or lack thereof), I always start dreaming of the beautiful flowers, delicious vegetables, and wonderful groundcoverings I would love to plant.  And sometimes I do plant something.

Usually I enjoy picking out the seeds, finding just the right pot (or plot), getting the dirt ready...it smells so good - so earthy.  And I even enjoy going outside every morning or evening to water the things I have planted.  For a while.

Then, something happens.  We go to the lake.  Or it is too hot and I don't want to go outside.  Or I don't feel good.  And before I know it, I have failed to provide the plant(s) with the water needed to survive.  And then, just as if I had never planted anything in the first place - I have no plants.

You might be wondering:  "So why do you plant?"

And I can't answer that question.  I really don't understand what it is about this time of year that makes me feel the need to plant something.  I know how I am.  I know that the odds aren't good that any plant will survive me.  (I have even killed bamboo that needs nothing at all except clean water every couple of weeks.)

In Ecclesiastes 3:1 - 2 it says, "To everything there is a season...a time to plant..."
And in Genesis 2:15 we read, "And the L-rd G-d took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it."

I will simply have to assume there is some kind of connection between my need to plant and   G-d's desire to have mankind tend to His earth. 

So, once again, this year, I have started feeling that need to plant.  And I have already planted some wonderful little plants.

A couple of weeks ago I was in KMart.  Not to buy plants or seeds.  But I walked by a display of the most amazingly beautiful tiny little cactus plants. 

I have never been particularly fond of cactus.  I have never planted one.  Never owned one.  And have never wanted to.

But, the tiny little plants were calling to me so strongly that I simply could not pass them by.  So I bought them.  I also bought some special soil and some little pots to transfer them to since the ones they came in are teeny tiny.

When I got home I went online to read about the care of cactus plants.  It sounds pretty easy.  They don't require much tending to - or water.  My kind of plant!

I set everything out on the table.

 

I put on my gardening gloves.  After all, they do have thorns!

I then poked drain holes in the pots I bought.

After I opened the packages of pots I discovered there were no drip trays.  I thought I could go back and get some when I remembered the bucket of jar lids I have in the garage.  I recycle all our glass, so just drop the lids into a bucket.  When I checked the size I found that they would work perfectly.  Yea!

I watered each one with the reverse osmosis water.  Somehow I can't imagine that the tap water would be good for them.

I now have a windowsill garden.  I really love it.  And I plan to take care of the plants.  So, we will see how things go...

Today I had a wonderful experience connected with gardening and planting.

While checking the Freecycle posts yesterday I noticed one saying that a man was offering free heirloom garden seeds.  I immediately responded, and he set a time for me to pick them up this morning.  I loaded my bag with envelopes to put the seeds in and off I went.

He is an elderly man who has been gardening for many years.  He has been having health issues and can no longer have a garden, so he is passing the seeds that he has collected over the years to other gardeners.  (He would be horrified to know how many plants I have killed, so I never mentioned that to him.)

We sat together for nearly an hour and a half. He told me all about how to harvest seeds from each plant, gave me planting tips, and was a wealth of knowledge.

I took lots of notes. It was so much fun!

Now I have lots of seeds and am very hopeful that I will be able to do better this year.

I saved the best thing for last.  He had some seeds for something that I have never heard of anyone growing in their garden.

Can you guess what it is?  Post a comment if you have any ideas.  I will post the answer later this week.  I will be surprised if anyone gets this unless you are some kind of exotic gardener!