Ani-Mules and Stuff

Last week the hubster thought I was having/or going to have a rough day and arranged for these to show up at my work. The day itself wasn't going too bad, but these sure made it better anyway! Gotta love getting flowers just because. ;)
Last month I brought home a new scratcher/toy for the cats to offset their loss of Bandit and to try to change Salem's nasty habit of shredding Don's recliner. It went over really well and Salem claimed it as his own. Abbie has to really assert herself, and she does, to get any use of it at all.
Thankfully this company makes "refills" for the scratcher portion of the toy as it took approximately 1 1/2 weeks for Salem to shred it enough to remove the center of it. We're currently on refill #3 and the "excitement" they have for it hasn't worn off. I can't wait to see their reaction to "Thing in a Bag" when I bring it home.
Here's a dark, but great pic of The Princess. You can just barely see her favorite toy next to her paw in the picture. We've taken to referring to the toy as her crack addiction as she's relentless with it.

And here's a pic of the boy. Look! He's too big to fit in the picture now! LOL. This was taken a week or two ago in one of his more cooperative moments. I just love that face!

Cody is still anti camera and since I don't always have one now it's hard to get current shots of him. I'll try to get one of him soon to post up. ;)

A Little of This...

"I didn't do it. It was the cat. Honest."

I have a few things to post up here in a random fashion just to tidy up the loose ends and be nearly caught up for reals. I do have another (probably multi-part) post on our Christmas pressy to each other but it will wait until this ones' done.

First off I want to snivel in full whiny fashion that I can't just upload a stinking picture. Every post I've done lately with pictures has required me to go through extra steps* and really, I'm blog time impaired as it is. I don't need the extra steps. It's silly stupid hassles like this that keeps me away sometimes as I just don't have the patience or time and it's one of the reasons I still have the "other" phantom blog. I'll have to spend some of my extra (snort) time over there playing around and I will have to seriously think about moving permanently. I know, I know I keep threatening to move, but never do. I hate change. So I'll snivel a bit more.

Onwards! Up first is the first (left hand) red/black/grey glove. I'm happy with the fit and wish I had more of the yarn already completed so I could cast on the second glove. It looks a bit funky in the pictures and makes my fingers look overly long me thinks, but that's due to the nature of the finger construction. If you recall, I knit them with long fingers and open tips so that they would keep my fingers warm, but allow for grip inducing pull back.

Here they are with their tips pulled back to allow for grippage. Grippage. Heheheh. Sorry, just amusing myself. As I knit these up, I notated any changes I made as I was customizing them for a better fit. Overall these are larger and super comfy, if not as soft as the last pair. I'll have to clear the fiber off the wheel asap and get some more of this colorway blended and spun so I can complete the right hand.

Next up is Maria's purple skein. (Sorry for the blurry pic.) This one is a three ply and nice and squishy. It measures in at 158 yards and is a nice plump round yarn. Ya gotta love Navajo ply for making a nice round yarn! I've already started the Vermilion skein and hope to have them finished this weekend. As always, I'll post when I'm done. Or whenever.:)

Now I give you a picture of my back yard. It's only snowed a small amount in the last few days, but the rains come down and you'd think it would wash away the snow faster than it does. This is what we had in the back yard as of this afternoon.
And this is why I'll be sharing the truck with the hubster for another day or two. At least. Still lots of snow surrounding the car and with all the rainfall it's smooshy and slushy and icky and all those little girl words depicting icky.
Did you want proof that he loves this stuff? He really wanted to wrestle but when he realized I meant business he decided to settle for a belly rub. He's such a sucker for a belly rub.

*What extra steps, you ask? Well I have to first put some words in the body of the post. Then I have to hit save now. Then I have to return to the list of posts and click on edit post. Once that opens I can usually upload pictures to the post. Its not a whole lot of steps and if I were on DSL or satellite internet connection it probably wouldn't bother me as much. However, I am on dial up and each page refresh is a chance for carnage. ;) And yes, I'm reporting it to the powers that be at Blogger.

Me and Roo

Tucker Roo that is.

Here is a rare occurrence in blog land. Pictures of me on the blog. I wanted to share this short story and the pictures with you but couldn't do it justice without keeping a few of me in there too. I hate to have my picture taken and am usually quick to delete them. However, these are of the Tucker boy too, and I just couldn't get rid of them. So sorry, you're stuck looking at me too. :) Focus on the dog and you'll get through it. ;)

Before we started shoveling snow I was trying to get Don to walk out in the front yard and see exactly how deep it was in the areas Tucker hadn't packed it down. Don was having none of that so I had to go out there and show him. Tucker hadn't been playing in these areas because it was so deep. He thought it was a great time to play and I figured with the snow that deep it wouldn't do much harm. It's rare when I get out and wrestle with him as he is so large and so powerful. "Mama is for cuddling, Daddy's for wrestling." That's what I tell him. We had so much fun though that I couldn't stop laughing!

And it begins.

He's always been mouthy.
That's a power slam headed my way.

It's like wrestling an elephant.

Making snow angels? Naw, getting kisses after I pinned him. lol
Trying to stand up after rubbing snow on his belly.

"Truce?" Naw, Lets play more!

I'm holding onto his fangs and trying to distract him so I can walk to the driveway.

It was lots of fun playing with him in the snow but I'm glad I don't have to do it all the time. This weather is his kind of weather and he's always "on" right now. It's either full bore play, or sleepy time. He sure is a lot (and I mean A LOT) of fun in this stuff!

Tucker and Snow

The 19th of December marked Tuckers 2nd birthday. I know! It's hard for me to believe that he's two already. That really went fast. At his last weigh in he was 156.8 lbs, but that was before the cold weather (some single digit nights which are rare for us) prompted hot oatmeal in the morning and at night. It's something he really likes and has gotten quite attached to. I don't think it'll be fun to break him of it. ;) Anyway, it appears he's put on a few pounds since then, but he wears it well. For his birthday, I brought home a T-Rex stuffed toy that I had originally put aside at work for his Christmas pressy. It's about 18" tall and super tough. (I got him another toy for Christmas.) Monday while I was home cleaning out my craft closet (the power was out) I looked out the window to see him playing with it. I was able to snap these pics through the window before he realized what I was doing.

It pretty much says it all.

Evidently he liked his pressy! He's carried it around the yard and we keep bringing it back up to the house at night but it's none the worse for wear. That's a tough toy!

Well, that's far too many pictures for one post, so I'll wrap it up and start another. ;) It's feast or famine around here with now being FEAST time! The next one might take a bit as I have to steal pictures off Don's computer and Photoshop them first. ;) Bear with. I've a goal to get caught up tonight!

Reindeer Anyone?

Tucker the Anatolian Reindeer!

Last year he did this so well and was so patient for the pictures. This year? He wasn't quite so thrilled with it. While this picture causes me many giggles, you can certainly see the desperation in his eyes. lol The whole "What the hell?!!!" expression just gets to me. hehehehehe

I have some more pictures to share of the big ole boy, just to get you all caught up. These were taken at the end of last month. Don took advantage of the good weather and did some maintenance on the motorcycles. As with anytime he's outside working, Tucker decided he had to help. He mostly lays around where Don is working, that is, until he decides Don should be done and playing with him. Then he's all over Dons feet, chewing on them , and trying to get him to play. Don was able to snap these pics before the play began. I would never dream of getting the camera this close to the ground anywhere near Tucker, but that is the magic that is "a man and his dog." He can get away with so much more than I. ;)

Here's our boy sitting nicely for the camera.

Guarding the motorcycles.

Posing all GQ.

"You sure you wanna mess with me?"

Sunning his belly.

There's much more to catch up on, but I'm finding it hard to make time to post. I've got a few more posts in the works and I'll try to get them done in the next few days. Busy schedule this week, so we'll see. ;)

Hope this finds everyone warm and cozy, safe and happy.

Sleepy

I don't know why I'm so inclined to curl up and take a nap! lol

Abbie

Salem

Tucker---this one was taken through the window at night...so the quality leaves a lot to be desired.

Kinda cute how they all curl up, no?

Feeling Chatty Part 1

It's been nearly a month since my last post and as Cindy pointed out, "It's not motorcycle weather.", so I have not that excuse. Really, time just gets away from me. It's hard for me to believe that it's November 8th already! Someone mentioned to me today that loss of memory was one of the signs of aging, I just can't remember who. (ba dum bump! applause) Well anyway, I've decided that I'm just going to pick up where I left off last month and do a long rambling post and try to catch up to today. I may have to suddenly break if off to start another post, but that depends on how much blogger can take. ;)

To simplify I think I'll do a list and add photos as necessary.

The following has happened since the last post.....

O.K., I just went to "my photos" to see what's been going on in the last month and there is NO way that's all gonna fit in this post. I think we need to break this down by category or something or you all will be here forever. Yes. All three of you. And really, Cindy, I know you have stuff to do....lol So although there will be numbering....it may not mean anything other than as space makers.)

1) The GARDEN! ---Thankfully I've just re-read the last post and deleted the paragraph that I typed here to tell you how the garden went. Ya, I know you got that last post. So here are some pics.

Raised beds, cleaned out with the exception of one broccoli plant that I made an agreement with (it must produce or out it comes!) and seeded with a cover crop. Please ignore the untidy gravel pathway as much of the top left of the picture is strawberry plants that hopped the bed and are moving to my Mom's in the Spring. I couldn't bear to kill them and she's not ready for them yet, so they'll stay with me till then. ; ) It's not really a problem as there's a motorcycle (Virago) that needs to move sitting on that pathway too. lol

Here's the sunflower that didn't quite make it before the seasons changed. It was not planted by me, as I didn't plant any. One of the wild birds or rodents must have stashed it here.

The tires I decided not to seed with cover crop as I'm going to change out 1/2 their soil next spring before seeding. In this picture you can see the Lavender (that I've always wanted to grow but didn't get transplanted yet) and the Mints that should already be in the mint bed but that requires moving some other flowers first. My gardening life resembles a slide puzzle. "move piece a, slide piece b, move piece c into space vacated by piece a," etc.

And the bean/pea bed all cleaned out and ready to grow.

This is my pride and joy from that weekend. Just looking at this picture makes me smile. I've been wanting to clean out the area behind the shed and behind the lettuce bed and lay shavings since I built the lettuce round bed. It was always part of the plan. At things progressed, and there were more important things to do, that project fell by the wayside. Even though I knew it would save me time and effort, even though I knew it would mean eradicating a natural shelter for rodents, snails and slugs. Finally, this Autumn, when the ground was so moist that the natural weeds just peeled off like a blanket, I was able to complete this task. It was amazingly simple, but oh so satisfying! This is the spot I stash my extra fencing, my empty pots, my extra whatever. It will be so nice to not have to cut whatever-it-is-I-need out of the blackberry vines and weeds to be able to use it next spring. What a grand Spring surprise that will be because I promise you, after the winter snows, I'll forget I got that accomplished!

I've already made one resolution for next years garden. "I am only going to grow what we normally eat!", and I mean it. Even if it means three boxes of the same ole, same ole. It's ridiculous to grow food that we 1) don't normally eat (meaning, I'll buy it at the grocery) or that is 2) a royal PITA to store. ;) So next year will be a bit interesting with me trying to curb my "let's grow everything in the known universe" mentality! Come back and enjoy the ride!!! This means I should NOT be planting Turnips. Can you help me remember?

o.k. at this point in the evening, I'm working on the second coming of this post. My dial up connection has already failed once, deleting 2/3's of this post and I've just re-created it. If it fails again, I will be forced to give up and go to bed as I cannot be held accountable for my reaction to a post being eaten up by blogger twice in one evening due to dial up issues. I'm only noting this as the last time it crashed it posted my unfinished post and if you are reading this and it's wonky...that's why. k?

2) The next grouping of pictures were downloaded on the 26th. They included the 21st of October, which was the hubsters and mine 17th wedding anniversary. As we were wedded on our two year anniversary, it marked the 19th year we have spent together. I was completely floored to receive a flower arrangement delivered at work. I NEVER expected that, and was so wonderfully surprised that I was speechless for a bit. It truly effected me for days. I'm still floored. It was arranged differently from both sides and I loved it completely! As it happens, I had a guild meeting with some prior responsibilities that night and could not miss the meeting, so we had our usual guild night of deli oriental for dinner. I believe he had other plans, but made up for it later in the week.

Here's a shot of the other side! This beautiful arrangement lasted at least two weeks. I've yet to toss the dead heads as I'm waiting on the last of the bloomers. I hate to let something like that go!

3) Oh yeah, and I broke out this old friend from the cupboard. During grocery shopping one day I noticed that the price of "decent" bread was so high that I could make it myself at a significant savings. Yes, I own a bread machine and yes, the initial out go was more than a loaf of bread, but even making the two loaves a week required to meet our needs, we're saving money. I made that up the second week I made 7 grain bread. I think the bread tastes better, and I know what's going into it, so I know it's healthier. There have been a few mishaps like miss-calculations and all that is normal to a new routine. It must be sticking though as last Monday (My day off) I had a batch of bread going, the food dehydrator going, and a crock pot of soup going all while I carded fiber. Wow! What a wonderful and happily repeatable day!! If I could do that each day and stay home, I'd feel truly productive! ;) (Oh, what a dream!)

4) Oh, and last but not least for this post. Some time around here I loaded up His Royal Highness Tucker the 1st and we visited the "walk in clinic" to get an accurate weight. He wanted me to post his weight as I was guesstimating him a little heavy. He's only 156.8 lbs. NOT 160. I know, I know, but can you argue with this?

Love him dearly and can hardly believe he's almost 2!

Bloggage---Tucker!

Ok so it's been a long time since you've had some eye candy.

I understand.

I do.

I see this handsome beast every day and yet sometimes I forget how stunning he can be and that some of you, ahem, only come here to see him.

So I give you.....

Tucker......

A month ago... Don was trying to rake up the front lawn after mowing. Keep in mind that Tucker loves long handled tools. And his Pa!

So I guess it's a good thing Don hadn't gotten the rake out yet, huh? lol

Then there are my new favorite pics of him.

Don captured this one before one of our rides. They were outside waiting for me and Tucker was peeking in the window at me. ;) I was tickled to see this pic as I've only seen this from the other side of the window. lol

This is after we got home. Isn't he a handsome boy?!

Ok, I hear him talking outside which means his Pa is home and it's time to cook dinner. I hope you all have a great week and I'll try to get back soon with more updates!