Dogs

 Bailey lived next door.   We would hear her barking; she barked at deer, raccoons, squirrels and just about anything that moved.   Including us as we walked by her driveway.  If her bark changed in tone Far Guy and Chance would walk over to see what was up.   She liked Chance and would visit him...then she got a collar that beeped and she would only come to visit when the battery wore out.    She loved her people and they loved her.   In the past few years she has been going downhill...she would never allow me to pet her until the last year or so...senility I guess. 

This is Bailey and one of her people.   Her youngest people are now 15 and 16.  They were just little when Bailey was a puppy.  ( A Beagle)

Bailey and Chance in 2009. 

Perhaps she is running with Chance again.  Bailey crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in her sleep one night last week.    She had been barking less and less and then the barking stopped. 

Far Side

Cookbooks and Shiny Brites

We went to several garage sales on Saturday. 

I purchased several cookbooks.  The lady there said “Oh you are going to cook!”  I replied “No I am only going to read them.”  I like reading cookbooks, they are like short stories.   I mix the contents in my head and see if I can figure out if we will like it or not.  Or not happens a lot around here…as we are pretty much plain meat, potato, vegetable and fruit people.  I am very allergic to some foods…so food adventures are best kept to a minimum.

The one from Iowa is an Italian Cookbook…I know nothing of Italian food but there must have been a few Italians in Iowa to write the book.  The Akeley Minnesota Centennial Cookbook should be great fun to read, Akeley is about 45 miles away.  The cookbook from Nye Montana is a Community Cookbook, Nye is a little berg with 272 people in South Central Montana.

Found some Shiny Brites. Some that I have only coveted in antique shops.

These I call Frosted Shiny Brites.

These are from West Germany. Not technically Shiny Brites …more like Mercury Ornaments trimmed with glitter. They are most likely from the 1950’s.

This is the whole box.  It was a dollar.  I was pleased.  There are three other Shiny Brites in the box and one satin thread ball from the 1970’s.

Chance is still enjoying his company. 

Summer

Summer came this week ..it was 99.9 degrees with about 95 % humidity on Wednesday.  So the subsequent days where it has only been in the eighty’s seemed cool. There is as much air conditioning as there is heat in the museum..and that would be zero. I am very thankful for the air conditioning at home!
Miney and Little Elvis visited for part of the week.

All of their masters wanted to stay in a fancy smancy hotel/resort where no animals were allowed.  Miney and Little Elvis love staying with us..well they love staying with Far Guy and Chance.

Much ball was played… Chance was hiding behind a tree sneaking a peek for an airborne ball. Chance loves having visitors.

They were happy content (tired) dogs at the end of the day. Chance never gets tired or cranky with his company..he shares everything..his food and water dish and he takes turns playing ball with Miney. Little Elvis just runs along side them both..and occasionally he will grab a tail and hang on..he is a stinker.  Chance would have shared his pool with them too..but neither of them are real fond of water.  When he jumps in his pool and splashes water the other dogs look at him like he is nuts:)

Chance: Who Loves Far Guy?

It is I, Chance the handsome blogging Border Collie. Miney and Little Elvis came to visit.  I introduced them to chipmunk hunting and gave Little Elvis a lesson in chipmunk catching.  His eyes were big as saucers…I think the little guy was impressed.

We all got to go out on the pontoon on Sunday. I had to share Far Guy all weekend.

Me, Far Guy, Little Elvis and Miney

Miney is a little large for a Sheltie ( don’t tell her I said that..I love Miney) and Little Elvis is on the little side for a Sheltie.

What Little Elvis lacks in height..he makes up for with hair.

Look at that wild and crazy “do.” Little Elvis are you in there?  Little buddy can you see anything?

Me and Miney keeping a lookout for other boats with dogs. I have so much fun when they visit, I am always sad to see them go..but when they leave I get Far Guy all to myself.  You see Miney and Little Elvis love him almost as much as I do:)

Ice-cation 2010 Visitors

The quiet descends on the house once more.  All of Chances friends are gone.   He made fast friends with all of our house guests this past weekend.  He woke them up in the morning..his cold nose will do that to you.  He brought them his prized possession...a ball many, many times.  He was fed an abnormal amount of summer  sausage and cheese.  I don't have eyes in back of my head but I am sure that he was fed at least twice the amount that I witnessed.

My brother and sister in law invited two friends, Lou lives in Chicago they met him a long time ago when they were all in school in Tulsa, OK.  Lou is a bachelor..he cracked me up.. he said "The husband is the head of the household, but the wife controls the neck and can make the head go where ever she wants."  Lou is a marvelously sensitive gentleman, he was in the kitchen almost continually, doing dishes. preparing food, getting stuff for people..what a guy..he is the perfect house guest!   Warren is from Oregon..and a talker..he is also single..but I see his freedom slipping by the wayside..he is a huge Oregon Beavers Fan..my brother met him when my nephew Kirk was a kicker for the Beavers.   Neither of these gentlemen had ice fished before..it was one of those life experiences for both of them.  They are calling this long weekend Ice-cation 2010.  My sister in law and I were totally outnumbered in this testosterone city for the weekend.

One morning Lou got up before any of us..Chance showed him where his treat drawer was located.  Of course Lou gave him a treat.  My brother said "See it is possible for the dog to train new owners."  We borrowed Chance to Lou for the snow fort building at the neighborhood children's house...the dog came back home and slept for hours.

We talked and argued politics, played games( mainly Dominos) and ate.  They fished, went for snowmobile sled rides, built snow forts and watched the Vikings lose their bid for the Super Bowl ( I did get a nap..but woke up for overtime) , they also had a little fender bender when the ice became too slick and a tree got a little close to my parents vehicle but no one was hurt.  All in all I  think a good time was had by all..especially Chance:)