Kitty bravery and dog goings-on

LOOK WHO HAS EMERGED!!!

Millicent is FINALLY getting bold enough to explore the house!

Don't mind my kitchen stairs that need a fresh coat of paint!

She is so cute, this one. To think she was left outside to starve last year! She's just a sweetheart, always purring and up for a cuddle. She and Naomi are good buddies now and Millicent has made friends with some of the other cats, too.

We got snow last week, then we got a bunch more today! Here's Monty enjoying himself the other day...

He does seem to love winter! I like to dig my hands into his beautiful thick coat. It's so warm! He has the option of various shelters, including the heated pig pen, but he's often outside, lying in the snow. I have been working with him on obedience training every day, as well as making him stay calm around his livestock. He is going through a chasing phase right now (wants to play with the goats!) which sometimes happens with teenage livestock guardian dogs. He's a smart boy... we'll get through it!

And here are Daisy and Honey...

....hogging a dog bed!

Chloe tried to get them to move, but no dice!

She tried to get Gigi to move, and that didn't work either!!

Last Sunday a bunch of people went riding at our farm. I can't ride until June, but it was a beautiful day for it. My friend's daughter took Jimmy on a trail ride!

And Gordon rode his beloved Sandy!

And we have two new additions...

Meet Cindy and Ninja, sister and brother! They are about 3 years old and are Nubian/Pygmy crosses as far as we can tell. They are healthy and well cared-for, but their owner had been boarding them and that situation wasn't working out, so he wanted a new forever home for them.

So here they are! That makes 18 goats now. They have fit in really well and have befriended Bert, and our other Pygmy goats Salty and Pepper.

Bambi gave a few head-butts, but otherwise all is well!

And I may have posted this pic of Gigi before, when she was rescued from the streets of Jamaica as a tiny puppy, after getting separated from her pack...

Look at her now!

She has the BEST ears! And she is an absolutely lovely dog in every way. I'm so glad we adopted her!

My head is getting better, slowly. Today was a pretty good day. I hit my head 37 days ago and am still amazed at how long it is taking to recover fully. I drove my truck this week for the first time since hitting my head, just a short trip to my dentist. It went fine but it was tiring! Slow progress...

Have a great weekend. :)

Snowy Saturday and RIP Warren, aka Vern

Well, damn. We lost one of the farm's best characters yesterday.

Rest in peace Warren, aka Vern, who was 13 years old. He came to us six years ago after retiring from his job at Upper Canada Village.

What a handsome guy, and such a nice personality. He has been a presence here for many years. I found him dead in the coop yesterday morning. It looks like he just keeled over in his sleep. Thirteen years is a pretty good life for a Muscovy duck, but I would have taken 13 more. Apparently he was actually named Vern, but someone at the Village was named Warren, so this guy got the nickname Warren as a joke, and we thought it was his real name. By the time we were corrected, Warren had stuck. The boys who raised him from an egg visited from time to time and still called him Vern.

Warren, aka Vern, you were a very good duck and you will be missed! xxooxx

As well this week, we had a whopping snowstorm that stretched over two days. Here's Roo at the start of it, looking a little snowy!

I believe we got just over a foot of snow! Thurday and Friday were sunny and beautiful, so I took my Nikon out for some pics...

One handsome, fluffy beast.

Another  handsome, fluffy beast.

He looks like a wolf or a polar bear with his ears up!

Watching the puppies play on the other side of the fence. He runs up and down the fenceline playing with them.

Big goofy Monty smile!

Hawkeye and his sister Debbie turned one year old on March 16th. And this week I finished a coloured-pencil drawing of Debbie as a kid...

I am getting back into my art and drawing.

And this two cuties...

...always make me smile. Salt and Pepper.

And Pierre and Emmeline, who turn one year old on Monday!

Meanwhile, Dodger has been dreaming of his homeland of Jamaica...

Such a good boy.

The Jampup loves playing in the snow!

Chloe

Gigi

And snow or no snow, the robins have been out!

My head is doing okay, 4-1/2 weeks after falling on the driveway. Slower recovery than I'd like, but we're getting there. I am really missing riding my horse, but at least we can still spend time together...

Love this big goof!

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Animals make me happy

It is day 22 of what I like to call my "concuss-eration"! I am definitely improving, if more slowly than I would like. Some days are better than others, but the overall curve is upwards. Concussions suck, even so-called "mild" ones.  Gordon worked from home yesterday, and drove me to the massage therapist. That was really helpful! He also made me lunch, and generally doted on me. Lucky me!

The pets just would like me to nap 24/7....

Dodger cracks me up.

And here is my friend Jackie, who does chores here on Sundays, with Monty...

101 lbs of total dorky sucky-dog!

Poor Mootie has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, but she is tolerating her meds well and gaining back the weight she lost. She is such a happy little thing! No teeth, nearly all deaf, but loving and content.

Poor Millicent just got back from a few days at the vet's. She had some nasty congestion from an upper respiratory infection, but she's much better now. I gave her extra snuggles today.

Honey is always happy, so long as you are cuddling her.

I do not nap. I hate napping. I only nap when I am really sick, or apparently when I am recovering from a concussion. Today I just had a 20-minute lie-down with no sleeping but last Sunday I slept for 90 mins in the middle of the day, which is absolutely freakish for me. But I have to say, I felt much better afterwards, so clearly my body and brain need the rest. Still, I am running out of patience for this crap... ;)

But Dodger was thrilled to have a snuggle this afternoon...

Yes, he was sleeping like that. And the other day I got to rest with Choe and Gigi...

People are being super-nice to me. Last Friday my dear friend Brian came to visit, and he brought a yummy lunch to share, from The Green Door in Ottawa. Then we went out and communed with the pigs for a while...

Today my friend Deborah dropped off lunch from the Quirky Carrot. She did this for me last week, too. It was so nice, because I'm still not driving (although I intend to try this weekend, with Gordon in the car.) Doc said I should take a week or two off, and we are just at two weeks since my doctor's appointment.

My friend Ronna sent me homemade soup last week, and this week I got two pieces of the delicious chocolate/pear tart she made!

SOOOO good! She put in two pieces so Gordon could have some too. I reluctantly shared.

Meanwhile, here are cats in boxes...

Archie

Pip

And Honey invading! Cat beds in boxes on top of dog crates.

Daisy and Mootie.

The terrible trio of puppies keep destroying all the fabric cat beds, so I got out these old wooden boxes to try. The cats LOVE them and the dogs haven't destroyed them yet, nor have they been able to fish out the blankets in side.

Daisy prefers a heated bed...

aka the floor vent! 

Gigi likes any bed!

It was windy and cold yesterday and my 101-lb lap dog was happy to sit on me. I have been working with him every day on obedience training, and also making sure he stays calm around the goats and pigs. He is going through a teenage ass phase where he thinks it's fun to chase the goats and try to play with them. This is something livestock guardian dogs often go through on their way to maturity (at the age of 2, argh!) I use clicker-training and positive reinforcement and he responds really well to that. I have faith in his ability to grow into a very good guardian for his herd.

And here is lovely Ella, my friend's horse who is boarding here. She is very sweet and beautiful! The Friesian/Paint Princess.

Today my barn helper Bernie rode past the kitchen window and down the laneway on my horse Roo (he often rides our horses after he has done chores.) I burst into tears! It was nuts... I'm so emotional lately. I really miss riding my horse... once the ice is melted, I am going to take him for some walks around the farm just so I can spend some quality time with him.

I will be glad when I feel 100% back to normal, but for now I am trying to rest and also I really appreciate the kindness so many people are showing me! My friend Pam has offered her chauffeuring services on more than one occasion. I am so grateful.

Animals make me happy... and so do kind people.