Appointments and dogs

 All of Far Guy’s medical appointments went well. Return in one year, one month and two months.  It was a full day with three appointments. One was at a new location but we found it easy enough. 

We had breakfast for supper, Far Guy made the potatoes, I warmed up the little smokies and ham and Andy made the eggs….so it was a group effort! 

It was a beautiful day with the highs in the 30’sF. We hardly needed a heavy parka! 

I am still sorting photos. Still. It keeps me out of trouble. 

Four of our Shetland Sheepdogs or “Shelties” that were a part of our family for years. 1986 to 2001. 

Misty, Moses, G’day Mate and Captain.  All Shelties with different personalities. Misty and Moses had a litter of four puppies and Mate and Captain were part of that litter. 

Far Side

1990

 Sorting through the years.

February 1990 my Aunt Marie and I took the train from Detroit Lakes Minnesota to Seattle Washington for my cousins Clark’s wedding to Mary Jo. 

We had a great time!  The dogs are two of ours Captain and G’Day Mate. They were two years old.

We had a quiet day sorting photos and watching a movie, we decided not to cook and went over to Arby’s drive through. The influenza A is going around so the less we encounter people the better. 

Far Side

Milk Can Project

 The Milk Can Project began many many years ago. 

Photo taken about 1990.

We had two daughters and three Shetland Sheep Dogs or Shelties.   Jen with G'Day Mate, Trica with Misty and Moses.  Misty and Moses were the parents of G'Day Mate...and also Captain who lived for awhile with my parents, we took care of him when they went on vacation and one time he just stayed living with us.  

Moses, Mate and Captain in 1996.  Misty died in  the spring of 1996, Moses died in 1997 and G Day Mate in 1998. Captain held on and was a wonderful companion for us until 2002.

One constant was that I groomed them and cleaned their teeth...usually twice a week..  G'Day Mate loved double turns and Moses would fall asleep while I cleaned his teeth.  Bathing them was a group effort...I would wash and the girls would take turns towel drying them...we bathed them once a month more often if they found a smelly fish to roll in.

I saved all the dog hair.  INSIDE the milk can.  It has been waiting for me to do something with since about 1987.  

I began by sorting the hair outside in the evenings on the patio. 

Getting rid of all the twigs, burrs etc...  I rather enjoyed sorting...I could tell which dog was which and enjoyed the unique fragrance of all the dogs.  Just a few tears were shed.  When I had a bin full I washed it in the kitchen sink. I do like the smell of a wet dog...what can I say I am weird.

I rinsed it many times and took it out to the greenhouse/woodshop to let it dry out.  Batch after batch...I should have counted. I started washing and sorting mid June and finished the first part of July. 

Dog fur drying out. After it was dry I collected the fur in paper grocery bags. 

I ordered some carders.   Through the miracle of You Tube I taught myself to card.  It takes practice. 

I struggled with making rolags...but I think I have the hang of it now. 

The one on the far left  is correct the others will be carded again...although usable they will take up space! 

Otto Bruce my spinning wheel is waiting...Can I spin it ???...that remains to be seen...and that will be a winter project...right now I am concentrating on carding and making rolags. The rolags will be stored in old pillowcases or paper bags until I can work with them.  I have some special roving from some of my favorite sheep to mix in with the dog fur if needed when carding.   Did you know dog fur that is spun into yarn is  called Chiengora?? Someday I hope to make a lap blanket.

So my Milk Can project is coming along.   I hope to work on this project every day for awhile...the weather is cooler and I finally have time to concentrate on carding! 

The Milk Can itself found a new home and is going to be a project for Jen. 

I bet it will be painted burgundy or red and be used on her front porch.  ( She probably will not store dog hair in it as seeing the paper bags of dog hair made her gag.)

Far Side

Wistful Wednesday: Logan and Captain

Not sure what year this photo was taken.  Logan was 31 last month and he looks like he may be 2 or 3 in the photo.   So that puts it somewhere around…1989-1990.

Captain and Logan

Logan obviously has something in his dish that has Captains full attention. The photo was taken at my parents resort sometime in the summer.

Captain would have been 4 years old.  He was the runt of one of my Sheltie litters and lived with my parents on and off for a few years.  When they were gone on vacations he stayed with us…one time he just stayed forever…and that was fine with us. He lived until 2001 and was our last dog before we got Chance.   He was a undersized Sheltie…just a little bit of a pup when he was born he weighed about 4 ounces…with round the clock care for about ten days nursing everytime he woke up he grew.  His name back then was Captain Stubby Grunter…he was short and grunted when he nursed.  He was the last born in a litter of four remarkable pups.

Oh yes …Logan he is all growed up too…married and lives in Seattle.  He has a PhD in Robotics and Mechanical Engineering, he is working as a Research Scientist. Logan is my nephew…the youngest son of my baby brother.