Ginny's Recovery

Ginny is at that age where I realized that it was time for her little operation. I'm going to be gone off and on this summer and after I looked up info about dogs coming into heat I realized that I couldn't leave and think that someone else might have to deal with that. Ginny was a sad puppy when I picked her up from the vet office Wednesday evening. They hadn't done the spay operation until the afternoon so she was still woozy and tired all night. The next insult was The Cone, but it didn't hold her down long. She figured out how to pick up her favorite Toy even if i was underneath the cone. This is one day after the spaying and she expected me to throw the Toy. I guess she didn't read the instructions. This is the next day (2 days after spaying) and she is rolling around with Rusty. No jumping or climbing here and only a little bit of running. Maybe I can discontinue the pain killers.

Dogs in Our Lives

This post started as a way to show what Rusty looked like at the age Ginny is now. Ginny is 7 months.I got Rusty when he was 6 months old. This post has evolved into photos of the other dogs that have been in my life. I am clearing off my old computer before I get rid of it and I found photos that had never been transferred. Then when I searched dogs on my computer I found old scanned photos too. So here you go.This is my mom sometime in the mid-70's. Murka is the German Shepherd that was our family dog. Blue is on the couch--he was my mom's dog that she found somehow. I have forgotten the story. Katya or "Kat" is on the table. She was my half-Keeshound (supposedly the other half was coyote) who was very loving but timid, especially of men...like Bonnie and Maggie, who both came to me later. I had Kat through my moves to Utah and Arizona, but she died before I came back to California. Then there was a no-dog period although mom had Blue. When the kids were young and we lived at the dairy we had Brandy and Flash, both rescues of one sort or another. Brandy was given away by someone who also gave us a huge bag of all the flea and anti-itch things that didn't work on her and Flash was found in a parking lot by a veterinarian I used to work for. I got him as a puppy. Brandy died while we were still at the dairy, but not long after we moved to our current location in 1999 we got Benny, rescued in the Safeway parking lot.  Doc, on the left, showed up as a lost dog and was later identified by his owners from just down the road. They took him back but I told them that if they ever wanted to give him away I'd take him. They moved and didn't want him. He was a wonderful dog, but was killed by a big truck on the road when he chased Benny, who is the only dog we've had that would leave the barn to run to the road.I got Rusty after Flash died, but while we still had Benny. My son and DIL got Sam the next year.This is what Sam looks like now. He outweighs Rusty by at least 50 pounds. That's his buddy, Kirin, who is even bigger now. Bonnie came later. She is the only dog that I have given away but she went to a life that is much better for her. That's a long story that Rusty has told in his blog.Rusty's role is as a herding dog. He helps me when I need it but doesn't have nearly as much work as he'd like.Benny died a few years ago and I wanted to get a dog as a buddy for Rusty. That's when I got Maggie through Dog Spot Rescue. Rusty told that story too. So now there is Rusty and Maggie......and Ginny.

 

Ginny is the only dog here that likes to play with toys. While I was working in the garden she dug that hole specifically to bury her toy. Rusty has the last laugh.

Weaving Class Gone to the Dogs

I taught a Learn to Weave class this weekend. There were three people who worked diligently all weekend and finished their samplers. I don't make everyone use the same yarns. Willard used Jaggerspun Green Line, an organic Merino yarn.Ruth used Ashford Tekapo yarn. I didn't get a photo of Marion's piece until our group photo but she used Imperial Stock Ranch Erin yarn.I wish that I had a separate classroom that could remain set up for classes and Spinners Night Out but we just have to move everything aside to turn the shop into a classroom. And this time we made room for dogs also.

This is Bear, who came for the weekend. I don't usually invite dogs to functions here but made an exception for Bear and her owner. Bear is a Leonberger and this is what Wikipedia says in addition to describing a "generous double coat": "When properly trained and socialized, the Leonberger is vigilant, loyal, and confident in all situations. Robust, adaptable, obedient, intelligent, playful, and kindly, the Leonberger is an appropriate family companion for modern living conditions". Evidently that goes for weaving classes too although at times I think Bear was a bit bored with us.

 "Mom, can't we go yet?"

Can you tell from this photos how large bear is? It's not just the camera perspective.

  And then there is Rusty who gets to come in the shop when he hears gunshots and needs to feel safe.At the end of the day.

Bassi Falls

Yesterday it was way too cold and windy at Loon Lake ... ...for us to enjoy snowshoeing for very long so we drove back down......to the trail to Bassi Falls at about 5400' elevation.There wasn't enough snow to snowshoe but there was no wind and the other signs of winter were still there.  At the base of the falls Meryl and Chris showed off their gymnastic skills.Here is a group shot where we're not quite as bundled up as in the previous post. How many people does it take to arrange a dog-only group shot? You can see the result of this in Rusty's blog after he gets his turn at the computer. Once again, Maggie provide entertainment for Ginny because just hiking isn't enough for her.After the trauma of the first stop we made, Ginny had a great time on this hike. We all thought that she would be worn out for the day, but it seems that the long car ride was enough to revive her and she wasn't at all tired last night.

Ginny Gets Around

Ginny has been here a week and a half. I have been taking her with me on errands so that she'll be used to going in the car and to help get her socialized. Her first trip to the big city was when I delivered woven pieces to The ClayGround in Winters for a holiday sale.  Ginny's selfie when choosing a Christmas tree. Ginny at her first visit to the veterinarian. Socializing at home with some of the spinners.  Christmas shopping in Vacaville. We're watching cars go by. More Christmas shopping. I learned that it's best to go during times of heavy rain because most people stay home (or maybe they are at the malls instead of walking to stores). Even in  town you can get off the cement.Back home at the shop. Rusty is fairly tolerant but not always happy about having Ginny around.View from inside looking out.