We're all mad here

I still have mine, and his batteries last about a decade at a time ;)

So when I was a kid I had an AG Bear (who am I kidding - I STILL have an AG Bear and I apologise to him every time I squish him into a box to move him lol).   Anyways - for those who don’t know, AG came to life in the 80s as talking bear, shortly before Teddy Ruxpin.  Both bears would talk to their person (or anyone really, they’re not selective lol) but TR did it in English while AG did so in Bear.  So you would think TR would be “better” but in reality by AG speaking bear to any kid w an imagination the conversation possibilities were endless.  And his tone modulated to echo the speaker so it really felt like a conversation.

But what really amuses me now is I realize I do the exact same thing with Mori 😂.  I always talk to my animals, this isn’t new.  But Mori has a conversational range and personality that I’ve never experienced in a pet before and it amuses me to no end.  Sometimes makes me roll my eyes - esp when it’s very clearly a “come here and play with me!” order at the top of his voice (who knew such a tiny critter could have such a loud voice).  But more often than not he makes me laugh.  Volume and tone change significantly and sometimes you can tell exactly what he’s saying but sometimes really could be a whole conversation and it makes me laugh.  But it also definitely feels like talking to AG.  Good for stress relief and creative thinking but occasionally makes people wonder if you aren’t just slightly mad ;).  But then, the best people are.

There's a reason a cat said it first ;)

Kitten silliness

Moriarty

So I was freezing cold when I got home today and decided a hot bubble bath (well along w turning on the heat) was the solution.  Tub is in our ensuite and usually bath time is right before bed, so as a result our kitten Mori - who loves playing in the tub, has never seen it full of water (animals aren't allowed in our room at night cause I'm a light sleeper and not a good human when I don't sleep ;)

But - this was daylight so I didn't lock the animals out.  He was *super* concerned about the loud tap running and was yelling at me from the other side of the bathroom.  I - being a stupid human - did not get out or take his warning seriously 😂 

So I turn off the tap and Mori comes over and pokes his head up.   Jumps up on the surround behind the tub and head butts me a few times purring and then goes away.  All is good.

Right so I’m half asleep soaking, no critters around.  Then *splash*!!!    😂 Mori had tried to cross the window ledge and failed, fell in the tub, and managed to levitate himself out, completely soaked and absolutely covered in bubbles.  Somehow without scratching me in the process.

He flew back to the floor mat absolutely traumatized for life and frantically started trying to solve the fact that he was now soaked and covered in bubbles.

It’s hours later and I’m still chuckling at the desolate drowned rat kitten wearing a bubble sweatshirt and looking so very confused as to what had gone so horribly wrong 😂.

I gave a moment’s thought to hoping the bubbles weren’t toxic to cats but figured by the time I managed to catch him it’d be too late for me to do anything about it anyways.  I am amazed at how much of the bathroom my 8lbs kitten managed to soak in .07 of a second.

Today's amusement for you :).   Alas too fast an adventure and I was asleep for the first part of it, so suffice to say, there are no photos ;).  But I kinda wish there were.

Rebel Kitten

Pure innocence ;)

So with Enola it wasn't all that hard to convince her to stay off the counter.   Mori, otoh, is a bit more adventurous ;).  So a few weeks ago we ordered a device that will blast air any time it senses motion - it doesn't have the best reviews, but theoretically it should deter the kitten from jumping on the counter.  Said device arrived yesterday, but it needed batteries which I figured would be a today problem.

Well this morning I got a text from C that mentioned he "picked up batteries on the way to work".   Ummm okay?  I figured there was more to that but busy work day so didn't ask too many questions.  Got the story when he got home.

Apparently he was making chicken breasts for his lunches and had left them on the stove while he put dishes away (now understand our kitchen is not large and is horseshoe-shaped.  If you are putting away dishes, you are by definition within arms reach of the stove).   It seems Mori hopped up on the counter and helped himself to one of the chicken breasts 😂     You have to realize, the chicken breast is nearly as big as the kitten.  C did, of course, get it back.  But omg the gall of that kitten.  I have to admit I'm still laughing at the scene I never got to see in reality ;)   

And yes, the air device is set up and appears to work.   The noise more than anything scares him off.

Anyways - just some silliness that made me laugh.  I adore this kitten, even when he is being a holy terror 😂 

The things we do for our pets

Gratuitous Nola Picture

So I got a free cat...

Lol not really, I paid a little for her, or at least the vet work that had been done for her.  But some of you will remember the "So I got a free horse..." from many years ago that makes the rounds every couple years and this may resonate.

Enola came home with us, and since she was on trial, the bare minimum of stuff was acquired to support her (think compostable temporary litter bin, a cardboard box with air holes as her carrying container, a cardboard scratch pad, and free food).  We hadn't even made it home when that list expanded to include some basic toys and treats ;)

I'm not even sure the trial was officially over when that list expanded to make her as spoiled as our dogs ;).  A tree, a proper case, high quality food, ALL the toys and treats and scratchy things, etc.

But the latest bout of ridiculousness was as much about Enola's people as it was for Enola.   You see, feeding her on the ground is a problem, as the dogs still somehow out rank her in the hierarchy AND she is a grazer while they generally wolf down anything in sight.   Which means, her food on the ground means not only does she NOT get said food, but they also get EXTRA very high fat food.  Less ideal.

We also did not want her on the kitchen table or counters.   While she's allowed pretty much everywhere in the house, those spaces are no go zones -- which she mostly respects.   But I wasn't about to feed her there; that would definitely be sending the wrong message.

Now we do have a pass through between our kitchen and living room - this proved to be somewhat ideal as it's easily accessible to her, completely inaccessible to the dogs, and a location I don't mind her going.  Great.

Except...

It's been a number of years since I've had a cat, and I'd forgotten the overwhelming stench of their food.  Even the good quality food.  And on the passthrough, it gives that stench access to our entire downstairs.  Less good.

So okay, try with a side table that we could move elsewhere.  High enough - check.  Stable enough...?  Definitely not :(.  First time she jumped up with any force, well...   cat one direction, food another, and table yet another.  Broken cat dish.  Booo :( 

So then we tried with a square side table from our outdoor furniture.  Stable enough - check.  High enough?  Not quite...  It got her off the ground and away from Tucker, but Sasha was quite happy to polish off every meal she didn't finish.  Fail.

Go online to find other solutions - quite a few that involve sticking boards to walls, which would be okay, but most were really ugly.   Chris found one on Marketplace that looked great, but they were only selling the board - no hardware.  And at that price, I needed a full solution.  Fail.  Went to Ikea and a few other places and walked around looking at appropriate sized random furniture but most was either the wrong size, not stable enough, or too expensive.

Then we found a guy who makes cat tables for exactly this purpose?!?!  At a reasonable price!  Win.  The catch?   Windsor.

Yeah - by this point I was okay with that 😂.   He made us the table, and I went on my 7.5-ish hour round trip to go collect it.  Other than the 20 min snowstorm, was awesome.  AND the drive goes by the Cinnabon in the Flying J outside of London, so that's an extra win ;).  I definitely drastically underestimated how much past London Winsor actually is, but not tragic.

So now Nola has her own furniture, we generally don't smell the cat food, and Sasha stares longingly at the table that is too tall for her to get on.

My not-at-all-spoiled feline

For those who want to feel a bit better about their day...

I’m going to preface this with saying this story is only for those of you comfortable with the real life sides of dealing w animals ;).  You know who you are.   The rest of you - you have been warned.

An expert multitasker,
she is both our story's protagonist and antagonist ;).

So if you’re on my FB there’s pretty much no way you could’ve missed that we now have a feline addition to our house.

She’s an older kitten but still a kitten, and so much fun :)

As w most critters I encounter, I figured we should do some basic training.  Sit, high five, and “in the crate” are solid - so long as there are treats involved.  Recalls non-existent - pretty standard for a cat.   Getting much better about not scratching things and knowing which surfaces she’s not allowed to be on.  So all good - close to a solid family companion.

Life skills

Thanks to the internet, I also stumbled upon the idea that it’s possible to toilet train a cat.  Not litter - she came w that.  But actual toilet. 

Game on ;)

And until today, so far, so good.   We’re at the point now where her litter is essentially just under the seat - so she has to jump on the toilet to use the litter box, but otherwise it’s still a litter box (albeit a shallow one).  And it’s been pretty much no issue except that it requires more frequent cleaning that normal litter, and when she buries it, the litter flies a lot farther.  Short term pain for long term gain.

Today I had to go to the office.  We’ve been having issues w Tucker peeing when we both go out (behavioural not needs based) and because I just really didn’t want to deal w that, I left him w a good treat when we left (Sasha was w me - she spent the day w Bailey).  I swear this is related.

So back to Nola - in the entire time she’s been with us, there’s only ever been one accident and it was the night after we moved her box.  She’d been shown the box, but I think maybe lost it….  Before and since, no problem.   Her litter was spotless when I left, so I really didn’t stress about her.

Fast forward to when I got home.  Shortly after walking in the house all I could smell was excrement.  This is not good.   Took a quick look around the ground floor and nothing.  Smell gets significantly worse going upstairs.  Checked all the open rooms - nothing obvious. Looked at her hiding spots.   Still nothing.

It couldn’t possibly be in the litter bin and that foul could it?

Well no.  Not quite.  Went in the washroom and not only was the litter untouched, it was protected!   Oh fuck.   Pardon my language but you will understand shortly.  Somehow, the lid was down.  So Enola could NOT access her litter if she wanted to.   And where was the stench?!?!   

The tub.  I mean, credit to her to pick the best possible place.  But….  Remember Tucker’s super treat???    I’m guessing Enola had her share.   Sasha doesn’t get those treats because it gives her diarrhea.   Suffice to say the volume of fecal matter in the tub outweighed the cat :(.  In multiple deposits, most of which didn’t resemble solid.  And one tiny cat paw print.   It looks like self preservation cleanliness kicked in after the first effort and she balanced on the end of the tub.   But oh my god.  Explosive diarrhea on the day she was locked out of her litter and I wasn’t home to fix it.  This did not end well.   

For the record: I have looked after many tiny people, cleaned more stalls than anybody ever wants to count, had my arm all the way to my shoulder shoved up a horse’s ass (if you’re not a horse person that’s a literal statement - done while wearing a long glove) and cared for multiple pets of many species. This was among the worst I’ve dealt with. 

So lesson learned.  Tub is cleaned.  Multiple times.  Toilet lid is tied open.   I just really hope it didn’t scare her!   She hurt herself playing w a feather toy the other day and now she’s terrified of it.   That would put a significant complication in things.  So we shall see.

This is now a daemon-spawn toy, to be avoided at all costs.

And yes - she seems totally fine since I’ve been home :).  We’ll see over the next few days if it did irreparable damage to our training.

Cat Tree Construction Adventures

So Enola’s been here a week.  Clearly she’s staying :).  And clearly she needs a tree so she doesn’t climb everything else in our house.   Chris cannot handle the ugliness of the tree (fair - they really are hideous) so it will live in my office.   We won’t mention that Enola is still too scared to come upstairs lol.  Someday she’ll appreciate it.  When Sherlock was her size I had an apartment the size of our master bedroom.  Lol my comparison for how cats settle is a little off ;)

Anyways this is my “live blog” thoughts on the cat tree adventure - wrote as I went along, sharing now, unedited.  Consider yourself forwarded ;)

First: this box isn’t supposed to arrive for 2-3 weeks.  And it’s way too small; maybe I ordered something else and forgot?  Not like me, but it’s Xmas so it’s possible.

Hmmm box is heavy.  Probably the tree.

Oh good - instructions are IKEA style and only tool is an Allan key.   I have a shot :).  I’m the queen of ikea furniture ;)

Instructions do not require two people.  Win.  They do require you read the instructions lol.   Ironically you would only discover that if you actually opened said instructions ;-P

Off to a strong start ;)

Have you ever tried to put together a puzzle with no picture on the box?   This is similar.  Most ikea furniture you have some idea what the assembled product should look like.  I have only the vaguest recollection of what this will be.  The picture on the cover isn’t as helpful as you’d think.

Step one: accomplished.

Step two: repeat step one with a bigger box.  There is no logical reason this should be so much more challenging.  Yet here we are.

Step three: it’s time to adopt a passion for wine (I do live in wine country after all).  I’m sure wine would help this situation.

The box on the left was exponentially harder to assemble

Where did I leave the key?   I haven’t moved.  Logically it must be in arm’s reach.  Logic has left the building.

This was not an expensive cat tree.  I am covered in cat tree fluff and wishing I’d gone up a level or two in price point.

I’m also puzzled as to the physics of it, as several of the pieces are bigger than the footprint.  Hmmm this could be a challenge as small footprint was critical for the space…

Where is that key….?   I swear it’s like scissors while wrapping Xmas gifts.

At least Alexa is doing a good job w the music for this adventure ;)

Thank the cat god that the instructions are clear.   Although I’m only on step 4.  I may take those words back later ;)

Hmmmm the screw won’t pierce the fabric like they did earlier.  Scissors it is.  Oh wait - they weren’t supposed to pierce the fabric.  🤦‍♀️  Maybe that’s why.  This one is a win for the cheap fluffy fabric.  My mutilation of it is unnoticeable.  Win.

Definitely the first time I've assembled anything with a ramp

This is the most random IKEA furniture I’ve ever assembled.  Cat designers, shockingly, do not follow human standards for construction design.   Apologies to IKEA as this is definitely not actually from there; it just feels like it is ;)

My wine is empty.  Where did the wine go?  Probably w the key.

Alright.  Step five only requires one tool.  How hard can it be?   Why do I feel this is about to be the furniture equivalent of when your jump coach makes all the fences *really* low?

Why was this step *more* concerning than the ones with dozens of pieces?

Side note - I’m pretty appalled that the top shelf appears to have cat ears?!?!   Fortunately it was mailed in a flat pack.  Maybe I can just not unflatten them.

Not even kidding.

No I’m not stalling.

So it turns out that piece 16 upside down is not, in fact, piece 19.  Fortunately the instructions are excellent and the diagram made it v obvious there was a flaw in my interpretation even *before* I put it together.

Building upward

Hey!  It’s starting to look like a tree.  Also - the binder-twine type parts for them to scratch on are horrible to touch.  I truly hope she enjoys shredding them.  Ugh.

I didn’t need the key for a couple steps.  It has now gone on break.

Also - there’s a strap to affix this to the wall.  Clearly the makers of this product think I’m a more responsible human than I was intending to be. 

Top platform is like spinning a pizza to add :).  Definitely the most fun part of this.  I’m also rethinking where said tree is going to live. 

There’s a bell on this too?!?!  Why do all cat toys come with bells?!?!

Ugh.  Not one bell: TWO

So it is done.  And tbh was actually really simple to put together- but that doesn’t make for a fun story ;).  Where I want it to go is unfortunately right next to the piano and I’m not convinced that’ll end well so temporary home till I sort it out.  We’ll see.

Success!

Also - Enola came upstairs of her own volition for the first time shortly after I finished this.  She went about exploring the tree even before I laced it with catnip (I wasn't expecting her to come upstairs, so said catnip was still in the kitchen - also, the SPCA said her name was Catnip.  Enola definitely suits her better; she's too dignified to be Catnip!)

Looking down on the world with appropriate feline disdain

Introducing Enola

So, Sasha has a spiky ball that she loves.  Unfortunately it has exceeded its lifespan -- the plastic spikes have been coming off, so I discretely, when she wasn't looking, deposited it in the trash.  I intended to replace it right away, but it turned out to be harder to find than I'd expected.   Then suddenly she had one that she was happily parading around the living room...  ummm, what?

Well it turns out it's Chris' massage ball.  It looks almost identical to Sasha's favourite ball, although it's significantly harder so I wasn't sure I wanted her playing with it and I *was* sure Chris wouldn't want her playing with it lol.   So with renewed interest, I went looking to replace her ball.  The magic that is the internet, told me Petsmart had them.  Excellent.  Petsmart also sells the food they eat.  AND it's right next door to Staples, where C had to go.

Right - so we go to Staples, accomplish item one.  We walk over to Petsmart... Where the local SPCA is having an adoptathon.   Now some of you may remember that once upon a time, several lifetimes ago, when I moved into my first apartment, I adopted a kitten, who turned into a really really cool cat.

I got Sherlock in 2000, so there are limited online photos ;)

Sherlock unfortunately passed on shortly after Chris and I got married and I found myself cat-less.   However, C is mildly allergic, doesn't *like* cats, and we had Tucker.  Tucker has many feline traits, so he is kinda like having a cat.  Kinda, but not really.  Also though, he has a fairly strong hunting instinct that can end poorly for cats.  A cat who will stand up to him and swat him, will do fine and be left alone, but one that runs away is subjected to an endless opposite-of-fun game of chase.  So when one combines all those things, I resigned myself to not having another cat.

So I get my cat fix by playing w friends' cats or visiting animals up for adoption in pet stores.   So when the adoptathon was on immediately upon entering the store, of *course* I went to visit.   And since I only ever get short cat visits, I tend to go to the ones with significant personality (lol, I know - you're shocked). So I was playing with an older kitten and sort of figured Chris would wander off and find the food and ball we were there to purchase.  But instead he says "that one can come home with us if you want."  Wait, what?!?!  On second thought, there are times you just don't ask questions ;).  

But... Tucker.  Hmmmm.  So checked with the SPCA rep who told us we could do a one week trial to make sure they did okay.  This kitten was known to be good w other cats but hadn't been tested with dogs. And Tucker, well we know Tucker.

Run around the store to get basic supplies for a cat who might not be with us more than a couple days.  Her carrying case was a cardboard box, food was included in the adoption purchase, we picked the cheapest litter box (it's disposable?) and some litter.  Really, that's all you need right?   Also, dog treats (new pets should always bring treats!) and the stuff we originally came for.

No, you're not new here.  Lol Winners next door provides at least a couple basic cat toys ;) 

Her first few minutes at home.  She has some great markings.

Got home, put her - still in her box - in the living room while we set up "her" room (aka powder room).   The dogs sniffed the box but didn't seem to care.  There was a grand total of zero drama with her in the room and the dogs out of the room.   Went to get groceries - and cat treats ;).  Get back, still no drama.  Carried her to the couch where she sat with us most of the evening - even snuggled with Tucker?!?!  Still a little stunned by that but okay.

Not sure he wants to share the couch, but no aggressive behaviour either.

Gave her a name -- Chris suggested sticking with the Sherlock thread.  I didn't love Watson for her so we landed on Enola instead.   Which is often shortened to Nola.

And so it went for the next few days.   She was clearly shell shocked -- she'd be hiding in her box (which we filled with a blanket for her) in her room every morning.  I'd bring her up to my office where she'd stay in her box until I brought her back downstairs.  She'd play a bit a night.  Rinse and repeat.   

She seems pretty relaxed here ;)
She hadn't yet gotten confident enough to move from wherever I left her though.

And then slowly she started coming out all on her own.  Spent a day hiding under the couch, but other than that she started exploring more.  One week later, she went upstairs by herself for the first time.  Tucker completely ignores her - even when she's batting at him or hitting him with her tail.  Sasha is very jealous, so I've been trying as much as possible to make sure she gets extra attention AND that her routine isn't changed (walks at the same time etc) but she's also the most unaggressive dog ever so no risk to Enola, just I don't want my dog to be sad.

Slowly getting closer.  
Also note how quickly the number of cat toys has expanded ;)

So now our trial is over, and we have a new cat :)

Sherlock crossed the Rainbow Bridge :(

His last night

In a ridiculously hard post to write, it is with sadness that I tell you the coolest cat of all time has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  Sherlock, who would've been 15 in May, had to be put down last night.

Sherlock always "helped" me at the computer -- be it school or work

He's been losing weight slowly over the last year or so, but when I got home from Costa Rica there'd been a huge drop.  I'm not convinced he ate at all while we were away.  We gave him all his favourite foods and he'd pick at them but still only eating a fraction of what he used to.  I could feel his skeleton, and a rather large lump that definitely didn't belong.  On Wed night he wouldn't even lick chocolate ice cream :(   Despite not being permitted to have it, it's always been his favourite -- the one food I really couldn't trust him around.  Definitely not a good sign.  I got him an appointment for the next day.

He was a stunning cat

The next morning he was very wobbly.  He couldn't seem to get any traction; his paws would slide out from under him.  And when he did walk, he waivered as though drunk.  When I got him ready to go to the vet, it was the first time ever he didn't fight me about going into the cat carrier.  The vet told me he was in the late stages of kidney disease, had either a swollen spleen or an unidentified mass (I'm guessing that's the mystery lump I felt), and was severely dehydrated.  She also said there was a strong chance he had internal bleeding.  There were explanations for all her findings, but tbh at the moment they're all lost in the fog.  I recall her saying she said they could run tests to confirm, but she was very clear she wasn't recommending it.  She was trying to be diplomatic about saying he wouldn't live through them and at this point it didn't matter.  With steroids and IV she could buy him a day or two.  Make him slightly more comfortable.  But we both knew that day or two wouldn't be for him; it'd be for me.  And I really wasn't okay with the idea of him dying alone.

He loved looking out this window when we lived in Brampton

Instead, he went curled up in my lap, purring until the drugs knocked him out.  The vet was really good -- gave me what time I needed and explained the procedure clearly.  The drugs they gave him worked in seconds.  He went to sleep for the last time.  I'm crying even as I write this; I know it was the right thing to do and that it's a fact of life, but it doesn't make it any easier somehow…

There was no need for camouflage -- he knew the house was his

Sherlock came to live with me about a week after I got my first apartment.  He was five months old and I picked him up from the pound.  He still had a green spot on him from being neutered.  I had so much fun with him.  He learned to play fetch and kept me distracted when I should've been studying.  I quickly discovered I couldn't leave his food in ground-floor cupboards as he'd just open them and help himself.

After a rough night

Being with me for almost 15 years, we've been through a lot together.  He's known most of the people in my life.  He's been there, always ready to cuddle, when things were tough.  And more independent but always around when they were awesome.  We've had many a nap curled up together on the couch.  He's been on several airplanes, lived in two provinces, adopted another cat, some fish, and a rabbit.  He was an only cat for a long time, but when there were other critters, he quickly established himself as the boss. He didn't much care who entered his bubble as long as they left him alone.  The fish he used to watch, calculating, but he never actually harmed them.  Of course, he also occasionally would chase the laptop mouse around the screen too -- esp as a kitten! 

He was *not* okay with the addition of Sasha!

The only thing that got a reaction from him was Sasha -- she was clearly *not* allowed and Sherlock would often insert himself between me and her and offer her a good swack of his paw and a nasty hiss if she got too close.  Being rather amiable herself, Sasha usually just solved this problem by going around to the other side of wherever I was sitting *g*.

Whatever room I was in, he'd join me

He was a super-cool cat, and he will be missed.

Critter Tales

I was somewhat amused watching the cats at breakfast today.   My cat Sherlock is, and always has been, the boss.   When I lived in Brampton, Red came to live with us.  He learned to sneak a paw into Sherlock's food and take a mouthful at a time -- and Sherlock seems ok with this.  Fast forward a few years and introduce Rusty, who is potentially the stupidest cat I've ever seen.   I feed Rusty separately because otherwise he won't get any food, but sometimes he's too stupid to find his own bowl.   Today though he got ambitious and thought he'd try Red's trick.  Only instead of stealing a mouthful of Sherlock's food with his paw, he dragged the whole bowl away.

I wish I'd had it on video. Sherlock gave him a stunned look that clearly suggested he couldn't believe what Rusty had just done, then folded his paw the same way, swatted him across the head with it, took his bowl back, and resumed eating.  All in one totally smooth and quiet move.

Poor Rusty just sat watching Sherlock eat like he couldn't quite figure out what had gone wrong until I eventually took pity on him and redirected him to his own bowl.   Was pretty funny though.

And Sasha the super-puppy who passed grade two with flying colours last week went to agility fun day today.  OMG So. Much. Fun.  hahaha  We got in trouble a couple times for making things more interesting than they were actually supposed to be, but she was too good at the basic stuff.   Had it down solid.  And fast.  hahaha she starts actual agility classes in Aug - can't wait!

Any day that ends better than it starts is a good one...

So I generally love my job, but even I have to admit that there are days when it's just plain hard.   When you're stiff, sore, tired, cold, cranky, or the world just isn't right and the horses aren't co-operating, and things just don't go as planned... Well let's just say those are the only times I miss the office.

Today was the first of those days at the new place.   By 10:30 I was only *just* finishing up turn-out (ummm that'd be about an hour later than normal).  Super tired and slightly cold and all I wanted to do was go back to bed.  But with 17 stalls to muck, that's not so much an option.   Didn't even have a real reason for it - just super-tired and very much in slow motion.

So I'm debating about the wisdom of taking a mini-break to make some hot chocolate and recharge with some puppy time.   Would that wake me up and put me in a better mood, or would it put me to sleep?   Deciding the second, I reluctantly dragged out the wheelbarrow and convinced myself that if I ever wanted to be done, I'd better get started.

Well not 30 seconds after the mental "quit your whining and get to work" the door opens and in walks...   my Dad :)   Carrying hot chocolate and an offer to help with stalls.   Can I just say I have the most amazing parents on the planet?   Made such a completely huge difference to my day which was suddenly not so overwhelming.  And with his help, even having a very slow day I was still done in a very reasonable amount of time which allowed me to get some other stuff done and even take a 20 min break (first one!).

And I'll tell ya - it made all the difference in the world.   By the time it was time to teach I was awake and happy again :)   And lessons were a blast.  Louis set a new personal best height record jumping (given that he only knew about cross rails when he came, there are a lot of these - but he was jumping *really* well tonight with his part-boarder Margaret).  And a dressage lesson with everybody getting really good work from their horses.

So yesterday I drove the tractor for the first time.   Yeah, def prefer sports cars *g*   But it did get the job done.  Having a hard time adjusting to the fact that it runs without touching the gas, and the break doesn't stop it unless you're in neutral.   An odd mix of automatic and standard -- shifting the way I do for the car is not necessary, but you do use the clutch for some things (but not all - that'd make too much sense).   The bucket takes more control to move around than I'd expected, but I'll get the hang of that.   Was a horrible fail at parking on a hill.  hahaha gave up and let it roll backwards to flat ground.   Suspect that'll get better.   Did manage to deliver all the hay to the paddocks I wanted it to go to, but I suspect I'm not really ready to try harrowing the ring yet!

And have I mentioned lately how ridiculously smart my superstar puppy is?   We really need puppy classes to start sooner rather than later cause right now she's learning all sorts of things she can get away with >;-P   But really, she's awesome.  Travels like an old pro (good thing seeing how much time we spend in the car) and last night put herself to bed in her crate without so much as a minor wimper.   Yeah puppy!

Sherlock is really bitter about her presence though.   I've never seen him growl, hiss or spit before, but she brings out all the ugly in him.  On the plus side - he's way more affectionate with me than ever before now.  As long as Sasha isn't around that is!

Hopefully actually get to ride tomorrow!  Def time to work that back into the schedule...

Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies.

So...  Have I mentioned that my superstar puppy is... well... a superstar :)   I'm a little concerned actually - I know what happens when horses are smarter than their owners and it's never good.  What about when puppies are?

So once-upon-a-time somebody threw some crunch out in front of the barn.   I have no idea how long it's been there as it's protected from the weather, but probably a while at least.   Sasha thinks this is the best treat ever!  And it's reasonably harmless, so I let her have some once in a while; usually as part of house/barn training.   But, now she knows that when she comes outside there's a marvelous buffet!  No worries, the barn has big solid doors that adult people sometimes have trouble opening - little puppy should be safe inside.  The only door that has a puppy-sized gap is to the shavings area which is quite a ways away from the main barn and through another door.

Yeah, but the door between the two barns has a cat passage way.  Covered with a flap, but still there.

Uh huh, she definitely figured out how to move the flap, fit through the cat-door, follow the path to the shavings, slide *under* the door and get to the treats -- in about 45 seconds.   The dogs that have lived there for years who are small enough to fit through there still haven't figured out that trick.  And maybe the first time *was* a fluke (we know all about taking credit for flukes at GRS :) -- but the second time she knew *exactly* what she was doing.  "Never teach your horse something you don't want them to know" -- I'm thinking the same applies to the dog; the difference is, the dog is teaching herself!

She also has no problem finding me if I call her while hiding in a stall or another area of the barn.  Knows enough to go around whatever wall to where there's a door.  Crazy smart pup.

On the plus side - "come" and "sit" and "with me" (of course I make up random commands to teach my dog) are about 70% installed.   Still not there if she's distracted, but I've only had her for two days *g*   And she's very housebroke (thank God!)   And she now travels well in the car, sleeping in the back seat.  Sweet.

I'm a little concerned that puppy class doesn't start till Jan.  hahaha I know how much trouble a novice horse owner can do in a month with a greenbean -- can only imagine what I could be doing wrong with poor Sasha now.  Yikes!

But she's soooo much fun.   And I was highly amused that people came to visit her at the barn today :)  Not me, or the horses, nope - just Sasha.

And my poor cat is very unhappy with this situation.  The other cats don't mind but Sherlock is definitely suffering from eldest child syndrome.  Right now he's sitting between me and the keyboard looking for attention -- not that he didn't always do that, but these days it's with a whole new level of determination.  And every time I pet the puppy he appears -- and then promptly hisses at Sasha and backs away.  I try to play with him all the time I'm home, but of course Sasha gets to come with me and that's just Not Fair.   Ah well - it'll work out in the end.

And it works the other way too - Sasha was NOT amused when I was riding Athena today.   I don't know what she thought I was doing up there, but she was very unhappy at not being allowed to participate.

For all the extra time and lack of sleep Sasha causes that mostly makes people think I'm even more insane than they thought, I have to say every time I see her, she makes me smile.  N that counts for an awful lot.

As for the barn itself... Starting to get the hang of the routine.   Spending so much time getting organized (well and playing with/taking care of Sasha) that unpacking still hasn't really happened -- hoping I can get the vast majority of that done on the weekend when I have wonderful working students doing the barn :)   I tell ya, taking care of Sash nearly doubles the amount of time it takes me to do stalls.  I'm sooooo productive when she's asleep *g*  But when she's awake - omg.  hahaha Lessons have been going well and the horses are soooooo much happier.   Going to start getting Apollo and Lissy fit again and it looks like potentially even Dixie!  Not holding my breath on that one, but will be amazing if it happens.

PUPPY!!!!!

I got to meet my puppy!!!!   She is sooooooo cute :)   And I'm *very* excited!  hahahaha can you tell from the excessive exclamation points???

Puppy, whose name is tentatively Zoe, is absolutely adorable.  Climbed up into my lap and made herself comfortable :)  Sooooo cute :)

Of course when I got home Sherlock (the cat I've had since uni) was *very* suspicious about the new scents *g*  It's not as though I don't come home smelling like other animals all the time, but this one definitely had him concerned.   Might be an interesting few days when Puppy comes home...

As far as the barn goes - starting to get very stressed about the hay :(  Getting it all there and stacked - every time something gets organized something changes.  Booo.   On the plus side though, most of the other stuff is slowly getting there :)

Critter Stories

So my cat understands about the snooze button. I love it :) He knows that when I get up I feed him, so he'll come start meowing as soon as he hears the alarm. But if I hit snooze and tell him to go away, he stays quiet till I actually get up. The other day he was on my bed when the alarm went off (he's usually not allowed in the room) and he got all excited for breakfast. I hit snooze and rolled over, and he curled himself up in a little ball and went back to sleep. The next time the alarm went off he looked up but didn't even bother uncurling. hahaha when I eventually (3rd or 4th try) made an effort to get up, THEN he got super-excited again. hahaha I was amused anyways. Reminds me of when he was a kitten -- my apartment in Fredericton, I had no end-table, so the alarm clock used to sit on my bed between the pillow and the end-table. It was always set to start quietly and get progressively louder. Well one day I hit snooze instead of off before stumbling my way to the shower. I come back after the shower to the alarm beeping smoke-alarm volume and Sherlock sitting glaring at it. He takes one paw and swats the snooze button with all his strength. It turns off and he gives the "so there" look that only a cat can and stalks off. hahaha

The slightly larger four-legged critter provided some entertainment today. Got on and she was soooo quiet. Was like somebody switched my TB for a schoolie when I wasn't looking. Walk, trot, canter blah. Jumped a little almost apathetically. Was starting to think she either had too much fun playing in the mud (even her face was coated) or was maybe not feeling well and about to stop for the day when suddenly somebody somewhere flipped a switch and suddenly I had my TB back. She was bred to canter and that's exactly what she wanted to do. And canter and canter and canter. Not even slightly frantic, it was actually quite civilized just no option to stop. She's done that to me once before -- ages ago. Weirdest thing ever. Does make for an amazing floaty balanced canter though :)

Took what she gave me and worked with it -- riding the pole course on the ground, working on legthening/shortening, turns, etc. World was good. When she finally deigned to walk we went for a walk outside :) Woohoo!