A little Chicken story.

So time has passed.  I have had chickens now since the 24th of August.  They were born on the 22nd and shipped from Texas to me via the mail. A long ride in a tiny box.

They are now about 14 weeks old.  They are all getting close to adult size.  Still no eggs.  I have to wait till around 18 weeks for an average chicken to lay and with it being winter,  I will probably have to wait till spring for my first egg.

So a lot has been learned in these 14 weeks of chicken farming.  I received 10 chicks and all ten survived.  I handled them daily and kept their food, water and enclosure clean.  At 6 weeks, I moved them out to their permanent coop.  Before I moved them out, I would take them all out every evening and let them play in the pin.  I think that this backfired for my training.  They were all really good at first allowing me to pick them up.  After a week or so of me bringing them in and outside, they changed there minds about me picking them up.  I believe I am now seen as the evil women who takes them back to that boring place.

10 chickens, that is a lot of eggs. However, I don't have 10 ladies.  I ended up with one rooster among the mix.  I named him Gonzo. Gonzo, to my beginner chicken knowledge is a New Hampshire Red.  I mistakened him and his lady friends for Buff Orpingtons. So far, he is quite the gentleman.  Hopefully once he reaches puberty, he remains a gentleman. Gonzo can be seen walking with me and the dogs. He doesn't actually walk with us.  He happily sits in my arms and is carried for a lap or two most every night.  All in the fun of training.

Day to day routines continue with the chicks.  I realized how much of a commitment chickens can be on a daily basis.  They are very easy to feed, water and clean up after.
However, you have to rise early to let them out and be home in the evenings to shut them up to avoid predators.   Getting up early is not as big as a problem as i had expected, it is the getting home in time to shut them up before dark and having to ask a neighbor to shut them up if we leave for a weekend evening.  Makes traveling hard, but can be a great excuse if you are a homebody and don't like to leave your home.

I am a bit of a homebody, but not to a chicken degree.  I decided to solve this problem by purchasing an automatic chicken door.  Hope to install it at the end of the weekend.

So this weekend brings me to the reason for this post.  I got chickens to have fresh eggs.  I realized that once they stopped laying, we would have to slaughter them for meat, so new chickens could take their place.  Just the cycle of any sustainable farm.  We have the opportunity this weekend to butcher 6 chickens that are not our own and keep the meat for ourselves.  The chickens are older, so may be tough, but can be used for stew meat if nothing else.

I am unsure how this weekend will effect me.  I have never killed, gutted or butchered any animal let alone one that I have handled and looked into the eye prior.  I am lucky that my husband is doing the dirtiest of the work.  The killing and gutting.  My mother and I are de-feathering and butchering. At least this is the plan.  I am excited to take this responsible step, but nervous.  I am a meat eater.  Therefore, I must witness the death of the animal I eat.  Many of us have completely disassociated ourselves with the fact that the item on our kitchen table used to breath, eat, drink and live.  I find this weekend a time for me to grow and become a more responsible meat eater.

Welcome Chickens

So, finally.  The day has come and I have received my first batch of chickens.  I purchased an assortment of 10 brown layers.  They are all mixed.  I am beginning to id the breeds.

Day one with the chickens started at 6:00 am.  I was sleeping and had taken the day off from work so that I could pick up the chickens when the Post Office called.  I also wanted to make sure to be home all day so that I could monitor their temperatures and health.

Phone rings, I wake up and look to see who could be calling at such an obscene time in the morning.  Oh, yeah, chickens, post office.  Yawn, yawn, then excitement kicked in.  Joshua was awesome and awoke with me to go and retrieve our new responsibility. 

Mornings are so beautiful.  Nothing is as calm and quiet as dawn.  The most peaceful time of day.  Every time I have ever woke up early, I regret being a non morning.  It is my favorite time of day.  We drove to the post office on quite streets, no traffic it was still dark, but beginning to slowly gain light.

I didn't run into traffic and most cars that I did in counter were still patient and calm.

When I arrived at the Post Office, obviously they were still closed at 6:45am, I went to the loading docks at the back.  This in itself was an exciting experiences.  Getting to walk through the mail room of the post office, the behind the scenes of our mailboxes.  Very cool, very crazy and very busy.

I find a women bringing in a cart of mail from a semi.  She asks me what I am doing there.  I tell her I am here to pickup my chickens.  Like clock work she states,  "follow me."  To me this was crazy.  Little live animals shipped through U.S. mail.  To her, this was another day and another round of chickens being picked up.  Not her first rodeo.  So I walk with her, and soon enough, the chickens are in my hands.

I return to the van, hand the box over to Joshua and head home.  While waiting for Joshua to awake and get dressed, I had already prepped there water and food for the return home.  I just had to sit them down in the brooding box and teach them how to drink there water.

In the van, Halle and Noodles joined us on our early morning adventure.  They were very excited by the cheeps along the way.  Joshua was very sleepy, but opened the box to take a peek inside at the baby chicks. Everyone was inside crowded together.    I still laugh at Joshua's words toward the chickens, "we are not off to a very good start chickens."  Joshua was not thrilled at the early arrival or the cheepy, cheepy on the way home.

Home at last.  I took the chicks into the back room and opened the box.  My first glance at my new chickens.  They were all crowded in one corner.  I slowly picked them all up and placed there beaks in water before placing them into the brooding box.  Once all 10 were placed, I watched for awhile.

All day on the first day, I watched often.  I didn't handle them much on the first few days.  I figured they had gone through enough on there trip from Texas to Indiana in the mail.  I now have been handling them a lot.  I want them to be friendly to anyone who tries to feed or pick them up.  I also need to to be friendly for health inspections.

The chickens have been fun.  Daily routines have changed.  Every morning and every evening after feeding the dogs, I have to clean and refresh water and food for the chicks.  I usually handle a few times a day.  Picking up or hand feeding. I am trying to get the chickens friendly enough for children to be in my coop and grab a chicken.

So two weeks later, my, my how they have grown.  Within two weeks, they have so many feathers.  They started out with very little feather and a lot of down.  There feathers now are coming on everywhere and there down is getting harder to see.

Besides feathers, I am learning everyone's personalites.  There a few ladies that adore being held, a few that abhor me touching them.  I continue working and learning all there quirks.  They will be inside for a few more weeks then we will venture to introducing them to there coop.

Pics posted soon.

Heart, forever on my sleeve.

When I originally started this blog I believed that with each passing day, my time was limited with my best friend.  He had cancer that was slowly going to take not only his life, but grace away.  I decided soon after finding out the terrible news about his cancer, that I would like to have my buddy tattooed on my body.  Print the love I have for him for my lifetime on my body.  Many thoughts and reason went behind this decision.

Langston has been the only dog I have had, that I adopted as a baby.  I picked him out at 6 weeks old and took him home at 8 weeks old.  He was adorable.  From cuddling on my lap, suckling on my fingers and being carried in a backpack during long walks.  He was my buddy, my baby.  I immediately loved him dearly. 

Langston as a pup and beyond wanted to please me.  As a pup, training was easy as long as he was pleasing me.  He never wanted to anything that went against what I thought was best. Langston played with Halle, played fetch, but always kept a close eye and ear on me.  He was such a great friend and leader to Halle.  She always stuck closer to me because her buddy Langston never wanted to stray far.

I decided on a tattoo of Langston on my forearm.  I wanted him to be on my left arm and visible.  I decided on my forearm so I could look at the tattoo during walks with my dogs.  I wanted the tattoo to represent my best friend as well as make him present on all walks now and to come. With him being on my forearm, the arm I most always hold a leash, I felt as though Langston will be on every walk of my life, every hike, everything, in memory. 

I have joked with people that I wear a part of my heart on my sleeve. On the 6^th of June, I decided it was time for my best friend to leave this world and pass.  This has been the hardest decision I have ever made in my life.  When bringing Langston in to my life, I swore to protect, nurture, care and only bring goodness and happiness his way.  Toward the end of his time, I had to make a decision to end his life.  I will never feel ok with this decision.  It seems to me that it probably was never my decision to make.

We make the decision to “put our dogs down” because we do not want them to suffer.   The only issue with this decision is, we decide when they are suffering.  I will never for sure know if Langston was suffering or I just thought he was suffering.  This is a difficult pill to swallow.

I miss my best friend dearly.  He led me through some of the hardest times of my life.  I will never forget him for the strength he gave me.  I know he was “just a dog.”  He however was probably one of the best friends and companions I will ever meet in my lifetime.  He could read my emotions better than my closest family.  He was always there for me, never judged me and always loved me.

Langston is one of the very few beings in my life that I have never judged or had an angry moment toward.  I know too many he was just a dog, but to me he was so much more.  He was truly a best friend, a companion, a true friend of life. I will forever miss him and am saddened to know that with time, my memory of time with him will fade.  

Mushroom Hunting

 The trees are beginning to burst with leaves.  The grass is starting to inch its way up and wild flowers are covering the forest floor.  Temperatures are beginning to warm up, not only in the day, but during the evenings.
Morel mushrooms are starting to peak their funny shaped heads above the earth.

This time of year, Joshua and I spend as many evenings and weekend afternoons in the woods as possible.  We both enjoy hiking the Southern Indiana terrain and hunting for mushrooms.  This has always been a task shared with our buddy Langston.  He is good in the woods, never strays far, always follows and doesn't mind the slow pace walking of mushroom hunting.  This year however, we are not able to bring Langston along.  He is beginning to slow down.  His cancer and amputation is beginning to show its effects.  He still enjoys a game of fetch and his spirits are still high.

Halle and Cadet unfortunately are not good at mushroom hunting.  They are great in the woods, but don't enjoy walking slowly on a leash.  When off leash, they can't stick near at our slow hunting pace.  They are always running out of site and distracting Joshua and I from the actual task at hand.  So, they enjoy the woods the rest of the year when we are not hunting.

Noodles has been attending our hunts.  She doesn't mind the slow paced walk.  If I stop for too long hunting an area, she lies down and patiently awaits for us to continue.  She sniffs the ground, the air, but mostly just enjoys looking around the woods while we walk.  It has been difficult leaving behind my buddy Langston, but when arriving home, he greets Joshua, Noodles and I.  I believe he understands that he is only not with us because he can not physically handle the hike.  He however, is in the thoughts of Joshua, Noodles and I on every walk.  Wishing he was hiking along side us.

A day in the Life of Halle

Halle, my oldest, can be so routine based, so obedient about not getting on the bed or couch unless invited.   From first impression, she seems to be the sweetest dog, the most obedient, the good girl.  She however has a dark side, a side that enjoys rolling in something vile, not listening and repeating the same bad behaviors.

Alarm goes off, Halle raises her head, and glances toward us and waits patiently for us to awaken and rise from bed.  She lies nightly between Joshua and I.  She enjoys cuddling with us during the night.  She is not that invasive and stays toward the foot of the bed, most nights.   

 As the morning sun begins to shine, Halle drops her head to the ground and rubs her head along the floor. Scratching her head and ears on a rug, she anxiously awaits for Joshua or I to scratch her back near her tail.  This is a very cute and interesting trait of Halle’s that she has been doing since she was a puppy.  She is always so excited to awaken and start a new day.

We all venture down stairs to prepare for our day.  Halle and Cadet usually follow us into the bathroom.  If I stretch before a walk she will watch as I stretch and patiently wait for her walk.  Sometimes pawing me in the shoulder or licks my face to urge me to hurry.

We then go for a walk.  Halle loves the fact that I spend more time outside because of Noodles.  I usually walk .5 miles in the morning or run 1 mile with the dogs.  This gives Halle plenty of time to roam around the yard and sniff out what the night brought onto our property.  After about 20 minutes playing outside.  I call the dogs to come inside to have breakfast.  Halle usually is close, but can be stubborn.  Not because she doesn’t care to eat, she would prefer to spend the day outside with smells. This behavior is limited to warm temperatures.  During the winter I can barely get her out the door to potty. 

After breakfast is inhaled, Halle goes willing to her place (dog crate).  She spends the rest of the morning and afternoon in a crate during the work week.  I have tried for years to let her out of the crate and to allow her to roam freely in the home.  She has let me down each time. Her crate is the safest alternative to her and our house.  She has always been trained that her crate was a safe place.  A place she could go and not be punished and be 100% safe.

Out of all my dogs, Halle has been the one to help me improve the most in my life.  Halle helped me learn to take solo adventures in my early 20’s.  I would go to Indianapolis by myself with Halle, go to a dog park or go hiking in the woods alone.  I had never before really spent much time alone doing recreational activities.  Halle has also been a huge reason for learning my anger problems.  I can get angry and not necessarily be fair in my punishment with the dogs.  Throughout my 20’s I have learned to calm myself and realize that bad behaviors are more often than not, my fault.  I was not giving Halle focus, not picking up or putting away temptation items, or not giving proper exercise and training needed.    I still have a ways to go with my anger issues, but I have changed dramatically.  I am learning that dogs are just that, dogs.  They are not humans.  They do not roll in a pile of stinky to make me angry, they do it because that is what is instinctual.

My dogs have been wonderful friends for me throughout the years we have shared.  They have helped me try new activities, they have motivated me to exercise, and they have helped me strive toward better nutrition.  I enjoy our daily routines and even the crazy “why did you do that” moments.  I couldn’t imagine my life without havening experienced each of my dogs.  They have all shaped me.  I still have to thank my dog Halle, she has and continues to make me a better person.  

Mid March entry.

The weather is beginning to break from winter.  Cold days are getting less frequent.  The sand hill cranes have been flying overhead returning to their summer homes.  Daffodils are beginning to unfold their spring bloom.  Our spring work schedule has kicked into full blast.   We have booked our schedule for the year.

 

Our pup Noodles has been invited to a handful of jobs this season and has begun to be Langston’s understudy.  She has attended two different jobs.  She has had the opportunity to work on a job in which we walked around the entire property pruning and maintaining the landscape.   The second job was a pond cleaning.  This was actually more difficult for her than the large job.  The first job mentioned was a property with acreage and only fencing in the back yard of the property.  Noodles kept eye on Joshua and I and remained close by.  The second job was a small fenced in backyard with a few landscape beds.  The problem being, the landscape beds surrounded the pond.  Noodles wanted to be next to Joshua and I and had difficulty staying close without walking through a landscape bed.   Noodles still needs to learn landscape bed boundaries.  She doesn’t understand that we are in the beds and she cannot follow.

 Noodles has been more active in playing in the yard.  She has continued to play with the ball that we bought her a week or so ago.  She is also playing more actively with Cadet.  This has all been a lot more fun and entertaining because we have been able to drop her 20 foot lead and give Noodles a bit more freedom.  This has been so much fun to walk and play with Noodles.  Her having more freedom and being able to play with the dogs and chase a ball at her own free will has been entertaining. 

Langston is still very active and having a good time.  He still runs out back with a ball in his mouth just waiting for someone to either grab the ball and play a game of tug or throw the ball for him to fetch.  Cadet and Halle are enjoying the warmer weather.  We are having to step up on making sure they stop sniffing in the wood shed and in our limestone pile.  We are worried that if they continue to poke their heads about these areas, they may get injure themselves.

  

Feb. 28^th

Thunderstorms continued throughout the night.  The Tornado sirens started around 1 am and the dogs began getting edgy.  Noodles lay in bed scared and Langston was nervous and in need of attention.  We had very little sleep throughout the night.  Cadet and Halle seemed untouched by all these events. 

With little sleep, we still managed to pull off a very productive work day.  Arrived home and got greeted by our wonderful pups.  The evening walk was relaxing and rewarding.  Nice casual exercise and new training with noodles.  She accomplished a new command.  We are calling the new command two feet.  She stands on her hind legs and attempts to take a step or two.  We have ways to go until the command is fully understood or mastered. 

With a good walk, training and full bellies, we all relaxed in the living room with the tv jabbering in the background.  I spent the evening working on photographs for our portfolio while the dogs munched on a rawhide and dozed in and out of consciousness.

March 1^st.

The temperatures never got as high as expected, but comfortable.  The sun shined all day making for a pleasant day and a great mood.  Joshua and I finished up an inside stone facing job we have been working on.  Always great to see a project completed. 

Arrived back home after a long day.  This was one of the longest days that Noodles has had to deal with us being gone.  She was extremely full of energy and very excitable.  During our walk she had a hard time focusing.  She still did a great job training and we walked a bit of the energy from being home all day out of her system.

We had a little loss of focus towards the end of the walk.  Something distracted Noodles and she completely tuned out Joshua and I until a tug of her leash redirected her attention.  This reinforced that her training off leash is going to be a long time away.  When something distracts her attention, whether it is another dog, a squirrel or a stinky place to roll, she can tune out the world and focus only on what is entertaining her at the moment. 

After our walk, I relaxed by combing Noodles.  I never figured that I would ever enjoy grooming a dog as much as I do.  I have actually worried in my past, that if I were to adopt a dog with long hair, that I would not have the discipline to groom.  No problem.  I love grooming her, it is very meditative. 

Cooked the dogs dinner of ground beef, mixed vegetables and rice mixed with eggs.  I was a bit lazy and didn’t juice there carrots.  Will add that tomorrow to their left- over’s.  I have been trying to increase Langston’s protein intake because the special high protein kibble I buy for him was not available at the pet store. I also try to give him carrots often with dinner.  I have been told that beta carotene is a good anti-cancer agent.

 Cooking dinner for the dogs for me is a never ending struggle of trying to find the right recipes.  I have had so many opposing sources on proper diets.  I do not feel comfortable experimenting with my dog’s health to find the right diet.  I have done a lot of research and plan on discussing diet with my Vet as well as, as many professionals in the topic as I can.   Raw, cooked, grain, no grain.  I am not sure which is the best, but plan on attempting to find a solution?  I do not plan on taking my dogs off kibble, but would prefer kibble only for breakfast and whole food for dinner.  In the future I may make a complete switch, but not with 4 dogs. 

March 3^rd

Spring has sprung.  As landscapers, our business picks up in March.  We start spring maintenance; start getting phone calls from prospective clients for estimates.  Usually, estimates start around mid March.  This year, we started getting calls in February.  This winter was awful and as soon as the sun peaked itself from behind the clouds and the temperatures rose above freezing, people started getting the landscape bug.  We have had three estimates and already two confirmations from those estimates.  Not only the exciting news that we are finishing booking up our year’s schedule, but Noodles and Langston have been given permission to accompany us on the two excepted estimates.

Noodles, is being trained to be our work dog.  Langston is the most amazing work dog.  He is calm and attentive.  He follows us around a property and patiently waits when we are working.  He can comfortably wait for 8 hours in one spot while we build wall.  Noodles, has worked on a few jobs and has showed similar traits.  We have been training and socializing her to become a work dog.  The jobs she has worked, she has been very patient and attentive.  She seems to be happy to just be near us.

March 5-6^th

We spent the weekend away from the Hollow.  Joshua, myself and the four pups, packed ourselves into our van and drove back to our home town. My grandmother turned 80 the past week and we had a party for her Saturday evening.  We arrived to my Mother’s house early enough for the dogs to settle-in.  Joshua and I had discussed that Noodles could benefit from the party.  There were a large number of people and children attending.  She has been used to a pretty solitary life with only one owner in her past who had very little guests visiting.  Joshua and my life is not much different.  We have occasional guest, but usually our home is just the two of us, a pretty calm and quiet setting.  Noodles had no problem passing the test.  She enjoyed the attention of the children and adults but didn’t bother those that were indifferent to her presence. 

 

One more test passed, one more weekend of fun with the family and pups.  Happy to be back in the hollow, relaxing on the sofa with my husband and pups.  Good week.

Muddy Paws

The snow has finally melted.   Looking out back, I can see the grass and the patio.  The weather is chilly, rainy and still winter.  Our creek, which can be dry during the peak of summer, jumped the bridge due to large amounts of rain this last week. The creek has not flowed this heavily for at least a year.  Despite all the rain and winter, we have been given moments of relief with sunshine and mild temperatures.  I had a moment on one walk with the dogs of remembering a day in kindergarten.  My teacher was teaching us about the four seasons.  She discussed winter and spring.  I remember photographs of the seasons and how winter is snowy and cold.  Then suddenly everything begins to melt.  The rain begins to bring in the beautiful green spring and animals again begin to frolic about. 

Boots and paws squish into the muddy muck created by winter.  The sod is peeled away from the lawn with the slightest touch.  First season in the hollow, I was frightened of the damage.  My two big boys would run and slide destroying the lawn.  I figured no grass would survive.  Seasons have come and gone and is fine.  They can do some destruction and our natural lawn will recover on its own.  Overall, the muddy mess of boots and paws are hard to frown upon.  After a miserable winter of snow, ice and frigid temperatures, a muddy mess with mild temps seems like heaven.

I am not the only one smiling because of the relief in the weather.  The dogs are happy winter has slowly begun to fade.  The snow has melted, causing the earth to be exposed.  The smell of spring is tickling their noses.  Halle has always been overwhelmed, in spring, with the smells.  I enjoy watching the dogs walk, sniff and explore the ground that has been hidden from sight and nose, for months.

During our evening walks, I have been venturing more into to lower section of our woods.  This is enjoyable for all.  We cross the creek, truck through the woods.  Halle usually wanders off a bit into the woods.  This has been great for our whistle training practice.  A sharp blow of the whistle, Halle races back toward me expecting a treat.  Noodles and Cadet have also been improving on whistle training.  Langston seems to ignore the whistle.  He doesn’t need to come when called.  He never really ventures too far.  He patiently waits for all the silly dog games to end so a serious game of fetch can continue.

Training has been amazing this week, not just whistle training.  Noodle’s is beginning to down without a treat.  She has progressed with the crawl command, crawling about 3 feet.  She is healing without a lead and playing fetch.  Great progression this week led to a fun outing on Sunday.  Joshua and I wanted to take Langston out for the weekend.  He has not been able to work this week with us so we wanted to take him for a walk and a trip to the pet store.  We decided that Noodles could also benefit from a walk downtown and lunch outdoors at the Laughing Planet.  

We headed downtown and walked a few blocks to our lunch destination.  Langston sniffed and greeted people along the way.  I have forgotten how much he loves the city.  He has always enjoyed greeting and meeting people on walks.  Noodles on the other hand, had nothing to do with anyone.  She kept her focus on Joshua and I and ignored passer-bys and greeters.  Reaching our destination, we sat and quietly enjoyed our lunch, while the two dogs laid down and patiently waited for us to complete our meal.  After lunch we headed back to the van and off to the pet store, where Langston picked out a tug toy.

Spring may not be here, but it has fooled us.  My pack and I are excited about the warming temperatures and beginning to spend as much time outdoors as possible.  It has been a good week.

First warm days of the Year.

The bad weather has finally ceased and warm air has excited us all.  Sticks have been placed in a pile on our five acre property and the doggy doo, once hidden by the snow, has been uncovered and properly disposed.   Play sessions and walks have grown in length and intensity.  The whole pack loves being out now that the weather is breaking.  With the warm weather, the slippery surfaces have begun to fade and Langston’s three legged adventures of skating across the constantly reoccurring ice, had faded.

The week of wonderful weather continued so we decided to plan a hike the upcoming weekend.   Saturday arrived and we awoke and started getting ready for the hike.  The one thing I had not even considered was Langston.  I was aware that we were only hiking with Halle and Noodles, but did not think about, in detail, how this would affect my buddy.  Langston had not been able to work with us for over a week because of our current project.  Now we were loading up our hiking packs (which he is very familiar) and Halle and Noodles.  He refused to lie down and sat by the door.  This was heartbreaking.  Joshua and I both really needed to go for a long hike in the woods for our own psyche.  Halle and Noodles also deserved this privilege. Langston, since the amputation, has not been able to walk more than 1 mile.  It was still very difficult to leave Langston behind, the friend that has always accompanied me in the woods. 

Our van loaded, off we headed to the woods.  Tears shed for the first half of the drive.  I couldn’t erase the picture of Langston, confused and sad as to why he was being left behind.  The other upsetting topic in my mind was that the night before, Langston coughed.  The coughing has continued since Friday night.  Cancer in his lung is beginning to bother his breathing.  This seemed to come out of nowhere.   This hike, though joyful, was beginning to feel like a life transition.  I was leaving behind my friend, my hiking companion and moving on.  Guilt ridden, but also realistic I acknowledge that this unfortiunately is life.

Entering the woods, after the first mile, I was able to clear my mind and enjoy the moment.  I was walking with my wonderful husband, Halle, and Noodles.  The weather was pleasant for a February afternoon.  We walked a little over 3 miles in about 1 hour and realized that we, as well as our close to 10 year old Halle, were all a little out of shape.  We haven’t hiked a distance in awhile.  We arrived home and played outside for another hour with Langston and Cadet.  Even though I was heartbroken for leaving my best friend at home for a hike, he seemed untouched.  Dogs are amazing in dealing with life.   They roll with the punches without much complaint. 

Needless to say, I am aware that Saturday was a transition.  My friend is getting tired.  He is losing his everyday drive.   He is coughing.  Cancer is progressing at a faster rate than I had ever expected.  We still play fetch.  We still walk, but change is apparent.  He is beginning to lag behind; he is beginning to lie down for awhile between throws.  I know I must prepare myself.  I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that I will always treasure what I had with Langston.   He will forever join me on my hikes.  Maybe not in a physical presence, but he will always be with me.

My fourth dog, my friend.

 I never thought that any dog would ever touch my heart the way that Langston has touched mine.  Noodles is quickly working her way into the deep, hidden walls of my heart.  She has been a wonderful friend, companion, and a distraction walking into my life the day after finding out that Langston's cancer had moved into his lungs.

 We adopted Noodles from a friend.  He had a few dogs and Noodles had not seemed to fit into the dynamic of his pack.  We baby-sat Noodles last winter and realized that she did fit in well with our dogs, but we did not even consider her becoming a member of our pack.  That summer we found out about Langston's bone cancer.  Grief stricken, we approached our neighbor and asked what he thought about us adopting Noodles.  We asked him to think it over, and we wold revisit the topic at a later date.  In early January, everything with Noodles just fell into place.  Our friend was in need of some relief and we were in need of a major distraction after learning Langston's cancer had spread.

Noodles moved in on January 4th, and we immediately had a few issues to work through: kitty food, kitty poop, and tasty recyclables were all irresistible.  Issues not much different then those of our other lady of the house.  Halle has never been able to turn away kitty food or kitty poop.  After a few days of "no's" and constant reminders to ourselves to wash out recyclables, these problems faded.  Noodles quickly learned that some things were ok, others were not.  We still have to make sure the room to the cat box is properly secured.  Not just for Noodles, but for all the Toostie Roll fans in our home.

The next new adventure for Noodles was food.  I try at least four nights out of the week to have a home-cooked dinner for the dogs and they usually get yogurt in their kibble for breakfast.  The first night of real food, Noodles looked at her bowl as if I was trying to poison her.  She, like most pups, was used to kibble.  After trying breakfast with yogurt and real food dinners, I quickly had created a picky monster.  She started refusing plain kibble after a week.  Thankfully, she has changed this habit.  We also have a routine for feeding at our house.  Our dogs eat half their meal in the morning and the remainder in the evening, they wait to be given the command to begin eating and then they have 10-15 minutes to eat before the food is removed.  Like all our other rituals, Noodles quickly adjusted and has fit in better than I could have imagined with the rest of the pack.  Very smart, girl.

After giving Noodles time to adjust to the initial move-in, new food, new pack members, and her new daily routines, we began basic obedience training. Noodles had not appeared to have had any formal training before we adopted her.  She was well socialized and very friendly with people and animals, especially cats.  I have been certified in training dogs and thoroughly enjoyed my training sessions with Halle.  I was very excited to start training again with Noodles.  Joshua and I both started with basic commands: sit, down, stay, come.  After a few days of training, I was stricken with the training bug.  I searched the internet for a book on training that I had lost.  "Training your Dog. The Step-by-Step manual" by Joachim Volhard and Gail Tamases Fisher, a helpful guide on how to break down training sessions.  I realized that I had grown disorganized in a basic obedience training lessons.  The book arrived and lessons began.  Noodles is very intelligent and adores training sessions.  We train her constantly throughout a day and try to have at least one formal training session a day.  She has mastered the basic commands and we are beginning whistle training, follow, crawl, stand and rise.

 So, why all the crazy training?  We use training for bonding, attention, fun and distraction.  Also, Noodles is a runner.  She plagued her old owner with running away.  We hope through constant training that we can break her of this habit.  We have Noodles sit calmly and wait until we release her before she can go outside, though she is always leashed.  She has progressed so much since her initial days as our dog and we are hoping to take her to a dog park this summer for off-leash training and enroll her in agility training.

 Noodles like many things in life, has proven me wrong.  When finding out about Langston, I told Joshua I would never be able to love another dog with the same compassion that I do for Langston.  I have been graced with Noodles for less than two months and she is quickly moving into the same category as my favorite buddy.  Thankfully, Langston loves her as much as I do, and even allows her to cuddle with us during our special time in the morning.  The other dogs go downstairs and Langston and I sit and meditate for a few minutes.  Noodles, from day one, joined these meditations.  She is a special lady and I look forward to growing memories and experiences with this wonderful dog.

The Two Strangers

Joshua and Cadet.  Buddies!!

  Life was routine for myself and the three dogs. We had morning walks, evening walks and playtime.  Weekends were full of long walks, relaxing outdoors at a local coffee shop, fetch at the park.  I took the dogs with me wherever I could.  I had never spent a night without them.

 Langston, who was still angry about Cadet's arrival in my home, still had time alone with me.  We would walk every Saturday morning, roughly 2 miles to the Farmer's Market.  He would patiently wait for me outside the market.  I would quickly walk through, grab my produce, fruit and bread.  I always made sure to grab a baguette and blueberries, when in season.  Before our walk home, I would sip on coffee and we would both enjoy blueberries and bread.  This was probably one of my most favorite moments of every week.  I enjoyed our companionship and he enjoyed some alone time with me.  With 4 miles under our belt, Langston and I still had to walk Cadet and Halle.  So leashes in hand we headed off to the park.

  My routine continued until late spring.  In late Spring of 2004, I met my future husband, Joshua.  Life changed a lot for my dogs during this transition.  We would still go for our walks, but spent evenings over at Joshua's.  He had a large back yard so the pups and I would play fetch and have fun there, instead of the park.   Halle and Cadet took up with Joshua as if they had never known life without him.  Langston on the other hand, not so much.  Langston was very jealous.  He had always been the alpha male in the pack, the shoulder to cry on, the twinkle in my eye.  Who was this strange fellow and why was he taking time away from him, with me.  He was used to be the center of attention.  This was a difficult period of adjustment.

  Needless to say, we had a long road ahead.  Langston enjoyed Joshua's company, but was an emotional wreck inside.  He started having stomach disorders with vomiting and diarrheal. We later found out, this was Langston's way of showing me that he was jealous and unhappy. Time passed and Langston realized I was not going to leave him behind and he very much was still the apple of my eye.  He and Joshua are great friends now, but Joshua still gets grumbled at if Langston wants to be alone with me.

George

  Throughout all of the adjustments my dogs had to take by Joshua and I beginning a relationship.  Joshua's cat George had a bigger challenge.  George, the second stranger,  was not so sure about this women with the three dogs entering into his life.  He would watch us from afar for the first couple of months. He was a terror to other cats and didn't much tolerate dogs.  He would hiss if the dogs tried to interact with them or slap them in the face.  My dogs grew up around cats and have never fully understood why all cats don't like them.   Eventually, and 1 million slaps later, he tolerates the dogs.  He and I on the other hand are good buddies.  He will cuddle on me in the mornings and begs for me to groom him.  George acts somewhat like one of the dogs.  He walks with us on our property on a leash and lays by the woodstove with a dog Kong at his feet.  Even though we all had to adjust, we have all been treated to a wonderful life together as a pack.

Langston and Joshua at the Lakes in 2010. Langston was recovering from his amputation of his leg because of bone cancer.

   Joshua and George have brought so much joy into my life.  Joshua has helped me become a better, calmer person.  He has a wonderful attachment and love for our dogs, as well as they do for him.  Even Langston.  Many stories could be told about our meeting, as I am sure they will throughout the blog.  When we all became a family, I never realized just how important Joshua's support would be become.  Now that my dogs are seniors, I am unsure what I would have done without Joshua in my life.  The stress of aging is difficult.  My three dogs, not very long ago where spry, crazy pups.  Running around without a care in the world.  They are all entering the senior stage of their lives and all have some sort of medical issue.  Joshua's strength has been wonderful during some of the hardest times. Halle has chronic bronchitis.  There have been asthmatic fits that we were unsure if she would continue breathing.  Cadet has epilepsy.  This is very scary and would be very difficult for me to experience alone.  The seizures are frightening, but so is the unresponsive 105lb dog during and afterwards.  Langston was diagnosed with cancer last year.  Having Joshua as my shoulder to cry on, my friend to confide in, has made this all tolerable.  Animals are a joy, but their lives are short.  This makes loving them wonderful, but it can be painful.  I adore Joshua for his love for me and our pack.


Even though, Joshua started out as a stranger to my dogs, he is as close if not closer to them as I am.

Mr. Wiggles

                                        

Mr. Wiggles.  Interesting how this fellow squirmed into my life. Over a one year period, my life had changed drastically.  I was divorced from my first husband,  had fostered a dog, was addicted to running, practicing massage and teaching canine massage to fellow dog lovers.  I had a full time office position for the County Parks and Recreation department and was attempting to start a pet sitting business with a friend.  

Winter arrived and snow covered the December sidewalks making running difficult.  I injured my knee from the uneven surfaces.  I spent the rest of December and Early January Cross Country skiing.  Halle and Langston would go on my CC days and run right through my freshly laid tracks. It is difficult to ski over dog pawed snow, but it was worth watching the dogs run along side me.

One evening after work, I had plans to photograph a Parks event.  First, I had to run by the pet store to pick up food and supplies.  As I was browsing the isles, the owner of the store approached me.  We had been acquaintances since I adopted Langston.  She wanted me to see a puppy in the back room.  She was hoping I could help him with massage.  I walked back into the storage room and there sat a chocolate colored Doberman, with an upside down front left paw.  The owner asked if I would be willing to take him home over the weekend and massage his leg daily and apply heat compresses.  They would supply me with a collar, leash, dog food and toys for the weekend.  Sure.  I was actually going home to my Mom's house over the weekend and would attempt a whirlpool bath as well, to help ease the tension in the paw.  The pet store owner informed me that the vet's diagnosis was grim.  If the paw did not straighten, then amputation was going to be necessary for this dog.  

So, I left the pet story and told them I would be back before closing to pick up the pup.  I left to photograph the parks event,  finished up my work, then went back and picked up the pup.  What a handful!  He had non stop energy and could not get enough attention.  I figured this was from being kept in the store room the last few days at the pet store.  I later realized, this was just his personality.  I got home and introduced him to my dogs.  They were friendly and accepting Cadet upon meeting him.  They had spent the spring with a foster dog. I assume they figured this was a temporary situation as well.    

The pup received three 1/2 hour massages a day on his arm, shoulder, neck and back.  I would finish the massage by a 1/2 hour heat therapy session.  The whirlpool bath to help reduce tension did not happen.  He was frightened to death by the water.  The weekend progressed and massage and care continued.  Monday evening after work, I brought the pup and his belongings back to the store.  Unfortunately, my attempts didn't help the deformed limb.  Like anyone caring for an animal over a three day period, I had grown a small attachment for this little fellow. So, when the pet store owner approached and asked if I would be willing to take this pup in to my home, it was hard to say no.  They offered to help with vaccinations, supply a bag of dog food, his AKC papers, collar and leash. I would just have to take him to the vet and continue treatments. 

This was a very difficult decision for me. Halle, Langston and I had a great relationship. Adding a third dog in the mix could be harmful. I never even considered keeping the dog I fostered in the spring, because they seemed uncomfortable with her living in our house.  So, I bit my lip and made my decision.  I would take him and hoped I had not made a mistake.  So the pup, Cadet, crawled back in my car and went home.  

Cadet was an easy name choice.  It was actually the name I picked out for Langston.  However, my ex had convinced my to change his name to Langston.  Langston was named after poet Langston Hughes.  So since Cadet's name was chosen for a previous friend, I added SpaceCadet on to create his full name.  The women I worked with at Parks and Rec didn't think he was a Cadet and tried to convince me to change his name to Louis, after Louis Doberman.  Louis Doberman is the man who created the Doberman breed.  So, I compromised and filled out the AKC papers as SpaceCadet Louis.

SpaceCadet was a difficult pup to walk.  He was extremely skinny because he had to remain on a senior diet to slow down his growing.  His front paw was flipped upside down, so he would drag the paw along as we walked creating a bloody abrasion. I bought dog booties to protect his paws.  He would put very little pressure on the front leg and hold it up if he wasn't moving.  I took Cadet to my vet and she suggested a bone specialist in Anderson, Indiana.  Off we drove to Anderson.  The specialist took x-rays of the leg, and decided for a cast for the first round of treatment.  She was hoping because of fast growth, his tendons were stressed causing the foot to flip.  However, if the foot was not fixed in two weeks when the cast was removed, he would have to have the leg amputated.

Two comical weeks passed.  Cadet used his cast as a weapon.  He would whack the other dogs and myself in the face.  Langston, did not appreciate any of the play from Cadet.  He ignored him and was not very nice  at times.  Cadet could walk with the cast, so off we would go on daily walks.  On one walk, Langston thought it would be funny to get Cadet (and cast) to chase him.  Langston leaped off a small hilly area along terrain, landed and took off.  Cadet, thinking Langston was the coolest thing ever, copied.  Unfortunately, his front left leg was not flexible because of the cast.  Cadet hit the ground and slid about three feet across the concrete on his chin,quickly ending our walk.  He still does not have hair on his chin from the accident.  

When the cast was removed, we were lucky to see that his leg was healed.  All I had to do was continue to feed a senior diet for a couple more weeks.  Cadet was healed and capable of running, jumping and being a puppy. I decided to go hiking with a friend. I had my three pups loaded up in my vehicle and her pups in her car.  Off we went.  All of a sudden, chaos erupted in the back of my Tracker. I looked in my mirror and noticed Halle sitting quietly, Langston hanging out by an open window and Cadet, ugh where is Cadet.  I looked out my rear view mirror and there stood Cadet.  Standing on the side of the road.  The same side of the road with the open window and innocent Langston. I brought the car to a screeching stop, jumped out and ran up to my buddy.  He was scratched and frightened.  I scooped him up and my friend had noticed the commotion and came to help.  She and I looked over Cadet over and realized that all was well.  I don't have 100% proof that Langston pushed him out that window, but I strongly believe that is the case.  Langston has never been very happy with the placement of Cadet in our home.  They have grown to tolerate one another, but it has taken time.

These are all stories about Cadet's intro in my life, but who is SpaceCadet Louis.  Cadet is a unique dog.  When he was young, all you had to do was touch his head to satisfy him.  He is a bit more demanding as an adult.  He never gets enough attention and can be a bit overwhelming.  Most people are told to not get in a dogs face.  When you are around Cadet, that rule is broken.  He always gets in your face.  He also wiggles his whole body when he is happy (which is often).  When he was a puppy, he would wiggle all the time.  He would even wiggle while he ate, so the kibble would rattle all over the bowl.  We started to tell him to wiggle and he eventually began to wiggle on command.  My mom gave him the nickname Mr. Wiggles because of his adorable body wiggle.  

Cadet has been a challenge.  He has busted my lip and knocked me down many times, nearly broke my glasses and nose with his head and has annoyed many friends. His place in our pack has also been a challenge. He and Langston have a rocky relationship.  They play fetch and wrestle, but it often ends in a fight or argument. Cadet tends to push Langston's buttons. However, Cadet and Halle are dear friends. They run and explore the property together like the best of buddies. Getting Cadet, hurt Langston and Halle's play relationship.  I realize that Cadet may not have been the right dynamic for my pack, but he did bring energy and joy overall to Langston, Halle and I.  It hasn't always been easy, but we have all had a lot of fun learning to live together as a pack.

The Friend

    Back in 2002 after my experience in training Halle, I decided that I wanted to work with animals.  I was nearing my wrap up of classes to become a dog trainer and had just started my massage therapy certification classes. I applied and received a job at a local doggie day care and kennel.   My new boss hired me on as a trainer, kennel tech and future massage therapist for the canines.  I was excited.  Halle could come to work everyday and she and I were working and playing with other animals.
  I worked three twelve hour shifts and most weekends.  I enjoyed the companionship of the animals and of other co-workers.  I attended meetings and training sessions with my boss.  One of the first people he wanted me to meet was pet store owner who was a close friend of his.  He was aware of this my obsession with German Shepards. He had something he wanted to show me.  Inside the store was not a German Shepard, but a Doberman puppy.  His mother and father had been purchased by a local resident who did not want the puppies.  The pet supply store offered to take the puppies. There were only two in the litter, a male and female.  My boss thought that I might be interested in this breed.
  I observed the pups and quickly asked to see the male.  My decision for a second dog had to be taken very seriously.  I owned a independent alpha female.  I did not want to challenge her place in the pack by bringing in a challenging dog.  So, the crazy female Doberman that was stomping on the very submissive male, was not a choice.  Couple of meetings with the pup, tons of research on the breed, discussions with my training instructor and boss, I decided to adopt the little man.  Looking back, I am surprised I chose the pup.  He was a shy, scared and not affectionate upon the first few meetings.  However, I knew he would be a perfect match for Halle.  I adopted Langston in the middle of July.  He was only 6 weeks old.  I was not able to take him home until the first of August, when he was 8 weeks old. I was so excited to introduce this new pup to Halle.
  The ride home was quiet.  I placed the tiny little Langston in the seat next to me.  The same seat that Halle sat, on our first ride together.  Just like Halle, Langston looked scared and nervous about his first trip in a car to a new place.  Arriving home, I scooped the pup into my arms and went inside the house.  Halle met me at the door and began sniffing the pup.  She was very excited, at first.  Then, she was confused and nervous by the new arrival.  She jumped into a recliner and watched the pup sniff about the house.
  It didn't take Halle long to become best friends with Langston.  He was submissive, small and easy to dominate.  Everything Halle wanted in a friend.  Play was easy.  Walks were difficult.  Langston did not have the energy as a pup to do Halle's two to three hour walks a day.  So, I began walking him for a few minutes, than carrying him in a backpack on my chest for the remainder of the walk.  This happened for a couple weeks.  Finally he began to get the strength and energy to keep up with Halle.
  Halle was my first dog, but Langston was my first puppy.  He was not potty trained, still tried to suckle fingers and had the puppy breath that is best described as smelling like bologna.  I quickly began growing a close bond with him.  Like Halle, he came to work with me daily.  I was very rarely without my dogs.  A strong bond formed from this companionship.  Potty training came quickly and was entertaining.  Langston was so small and uncoordinated as a pup, he was unable to hold himself up during poopies.  He would squat then slowly start to tip forward during the process.  I found this hilarious and adorable. Like potty training, everything was pretty easy with this pup.  He was always willing to please and a very well mannered dog by nature.
  Taking him to the vet, he would sit beside me and wait his turn. Most people thought he was ill because he was so young and well behaved.  I would love to take the credit, but it is just Langston.  I enjoyed taking him new places.  My dad's factory, where everyone enjoyed seeing the cute little pup, playing with other pup friends, to the coffee shop, parks or wherever.  This little man was quickly introduced to many people, animals and adventures.
  Soon after adopting Langston, I moved from the rental, into my first home.  The house was near my rental, but unfortunately in an area not as walking friendly as my previous home.  There was a large park nearby and the pups and I had a lot of fun walking and running.  My town has a leash law, but no one was ever at the park and the dogs would stick close by. I would walk behind the dogs as they ran, sniffed, and played with one another.  When they were not watching me, I would hide behind a boulder or tree and wait for them to realize I was not around.  They would soon panic, turn around and find me.  I was awaiting them with treats.  This fun game, helped the dogs gain attention toward me during walks, so they didn't stray far. The park is also where I discovered Langston's extreme play drive for fetch.  He would play fetch until he had reached, utter exhaustion.  I actually would have to take breaks on the walk home from the park because he sometimes would be too tired from fetch.  Warm sunny days, I would sit in the park and watch the two dogs run and play together.  They were the best of friends.  They were also, my best friends.

  Langston has been my buddy throughout his life.  He has been my shoulder to cry on, as well as the one thing to put a smile on my face when no one else could.  We have created an unbreakable bond throughout our time together.  He is currently my husband and my work dog/mascot for our landscaping business.  Last summer, he was diagnosed with bone cancer.  My whole world crashed around me.  My husband and I decided to amputate his front left leg and  treat him with chemotherapy.  He is doing well, but cancer has moved into his lungs.  I realize my time is limited with my best friend, but we enjoy every passing moment together.  Writing about Langston is difficult.  There are a million moments that we share and I adore.

My first experience of life with a dog.

 My first dog was Halle, the sharpie/beagle mix. That is at least the best guess as to Halle's breed.

I had just graduated college, working for a small newspaper in a near-by town and living in a 1 bedroom duplex.  I was interested in getting a dog, but had no experience or knowledge on how to properly raise one.  

I was currently doing a photo story on the local shelter for the newspaper.  I spent weeks photographing on my spare time at the office and days off.  I even started volunteering at the shelter. Made friends with the shelter manager and we talked dog shop daily.  I was beginning to feel more confident in pet ownership and really had my mind set on a German Shepard.  Why a German Shepard, I am not sure.  Honestly, at the time, I was uneducated and had no idea what I was looking for in a dog.  I suppose I was only going by appearance.

It was late September 2001.  The weather was ideal for a midwestern fall afternoon.  My last shoot of the day was photographing a local woman who was sharing her cinnamon bun recipe with the food section of the paper. I always enjoyed food shoots.  This specific assignment, I left with a large homemade cinnamon bun covered in a delicious sugary glaze.  No better way to end a day at work.  

It was late afternoon and I was headed back to my home.  Had big plans that evening. Once a week I would get together with my brother, sister-in-law and a couple friends and we would watch "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." We would enjoy the company, a snack and a wonderful show.  Always a great evening.  Thinking about my future plans for the evening, I approach an intersecting road on the highway and notice a small animal on the shoulder. I slow down, not wanting to hit the animal.  As I approach closer, I realize that it is a small puppy.  I pull the car over and try to shoo the pup off the side of the highway. In the distance, I notice another dog leaving the pup.  Figuring that the two are wandering together, I attempt to shoo the pup toward the other dog.

No luck.  The little puppy sat in front of me and started wiggling her tail.  She looked pathetic.  She was skinny, had what I later found out was mange, she was covered in ticks and very scared.  I scooped her up and put her in the seat of my chevy tracker.  Off we headed home.  I tried to tempt her with the cinnamon bun during the drive. She was too frightened to accept the treat.  Once I got home, called my brother and sister-in-law and we went to the grocery store to buy a collar and a leash. Leash in hand, this was the beginning of this 5 month old pups life with me and her first Buffy night.

With proper food and nutrition she became a wound-up ball of energy.  As my first dog, she was quite a challenge.  I began asking a friend with a dog for advice, reading every training book in the library.  I obsessively became involved with training Halle.  In fact, I decided to look into a training career.  Halle and I took a basic obedient class and later she became my instruction dog for a few training classes that I taught. I realized quickly that I did not like training people, just dogs.  Halle and I had a lot of fun through our training adventures.

When we weren't training she and I would awake early for park playtime, take afternoon and evening walks.  She had a lot of energy to burn and I have always enjoyed walking.  She would hang out with me at the coffee shop, enjoy jumping up on the city cement and limestone walls during walks, hike in the woods and go on occasional runs (which she found boring). During Halle's first year with me we made lots of pup friends and had a lot of dog park fun.

Halle is a wonderful dog.  She is stubborn and we still butt heads to this day.  She however, is the spark that ignited my love for dogs.  My post for Halle could go on for days. She has taught me to have patients and has helped me grow as a person.  

What is life like in the hollow?

I originally started this blog to discuss my growing understanding and life with chickens (that I do not have yet).  I plan on owning chickens for eggs in a year or two.  It is a new adventure for myself. One I figured would be entertaining to write about.

However, I recently adopted a new dog.  She's a lab/border collie mix and I decided that I should write about all the animals in my life.  My dogs, my property and soon, the chickens.  This new blog is also inspired by author Jon Katz.  I have read two of his books and have enjoyed the writings of someone chronicling their life and observation of their animals.

So, what is life like in the hollow?
The hollow (or valley) where I  live has four other homes. Only one neighbor borders our property.  Our home is at the end of a dead end road on 5 acres.  One side of our property is hillside, the back part is wooded and we have a creek that runs through the center of our property.  Our home lies on land west of the creek and our woods run up on the east side of the creek.  The creek makes a very nice visual border for the dogs to remain close to the house.

We own the 5 acres of land and a  950 sq' home.  We share our living space with 2 dobermans, 1 beagle/sharpei mix, 1 lab/border collie mix and a cat.  It's quite a full house.  My husband and I both prefer the outdoors and have created a great outdoor living space.

As I continue future posts, I will attempt to describe each of my animal friends.  How life in the hollow has changed their lives and mine.