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

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 : Christmas 1997

It was our second Christmas at the house in Harwood ND 21 years ago.

Our oldest grand Savannah was just 17 months old.  Trica was pregnant with Maddie who would be born in April of 1998. Trica was working as a RN in Grand Forks and Richard was the Manager of a Radio Shack Store in Grand Forks.   Jen and Andy were not married until the summer of 1998.

Far Guy was working for the North Dakota Air National Guard and I was a student at NDSU working part time for the University as a Horticulturist.

We had a very sick Sheltie that December.  Moses died the day after Christmas…leaving a huge hole in our hearts.  We still had the juvenile deliquents (Shelties) G’ Day Mate and Captain so we were not dogless.

It would be our second and last Christmas in that house by Lake Shure.  Far Guy retired and we sold the house after it was on the market for a week in the spring of 1998.

Wistful Wednesday : The girls and dogs

This is most likely 1991 or 1992.  About 26-27 years ago.

 

Jen and Trica posing on a snowy day with our three Sheltand Sheepdogs/Shelties.  This was taken at  our resort out back by a spruce tree.  Trica would have been going to college at Moorhead State University and Jen was most likely in 9th or 10th grade.  Those teenage years would not be real high on my list of years to repeat.

Trica on the right is holding onto Misty and Moses…they are the Mother and Father of G’Day Mate who Jen is holding. Misty was really well behaved, she had been to Dog Obedience and Moses had been to puppy classes…and Mate well she had a mind of her own and a real stubborn streak.   She was really Far Guy’s dog…I gave her to him…so I wouldn’t have to sell her.  There were four puppies in that litter, when the puppies were little we would get them out on a blanket in the living room and watch what we called puppy tv.  Those were fun evenings….when we were all home safe and sound being entertained by puppies.