… here are some cute pictures of kittens!
Last week we moved the entire contents of our old shelter, the falling down, 50 year old cluster of buildings where we worked, to a brand spanking built-for-us new shelter. Very exciting. But you know how moving sucks SO MUCH? Now, imagine moving 100 odd animals and allll their stuff. Yep.
The new shelter has a great big cavernous North facing atrium with floor to ceiling windows. It looks pretty. It has nothing in it, but seems to me like a good place to play ball with dogs on a rainy day (that noise you hear is my boss’ heart rate going through the roof and blasts of air huffing out of her nose, incidentally).
The atrium is also good for taking photos. That’s the arty part of me talking, because *every* artist likes North facing light. If the atrium were only located in a garret of some kind, I could swish moodily around in wearing long skirts and painting my feelings on canvases before taking my own life BECAUSE NOBODY UNDERSTANDS ME, CRUEL WORLD!
Its not though, so instead I use it to take pictures of cute little kittehs.
And what the heck, cute little dogs too (these two 2 year old Havanese are looking for a home together, by the way, if you know anyone smitten with hairy moppy dogs)
Last week I ALSO had the mother of all colds / flu / plague that kicked my ass six different ways. And I couldn’t take a single day off to fight back, because of the move. I ended up working 8 days in a blessed row, which may explain why I still sound like I am being impersonated by frog that smokes cigarettes. One of the days was actually a Nicole Wilde seminar – the other supervisor and I each attended one day of the seminar, and I got the “Working With Fearful Dogs” day because, well, that’s what I do.
It was gratifying, but kind of disappointing, to spend 8 hours at a seminar where I didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know and/or practice. It makes me happy to know that I’m on the right track, but since I was DYING from the cold/flu/plague at the time, maybe I imagined the whole thing.
You know what REALLY bothers me at these seminars? The “MY DOG” audience members – you know who they are … the folks who think themselves (and their dogs) so interesting that they have to constantly interject with anecdotes thinly disguised as legitimate questions and end up speaking almost as much as the lecturer. I loathe these people – one day I am going work up the nerve to turn around and tell one of them (blonde girl sitting behind me) that if they are so flippin’ interesting, they should put on their own seminar. I love Brenda Aloff because she has a “No My Dogs” rule and if you raise your hand and start talking about your dog, she tells you to shut up.
Anyway, that’s why I didn’t get a chance to blog last week, and why I have nothing really interesting to blog about this week either. THIS week, something broke into my chicken coop and killed nearly half my flock, including 70% of the Black Copper Marans I raised from day olds (leaving me with NOTHING BUT F*CKING ROOSTERS, tyvm), my bantam rooster, my Crested Polish with the torn ACL, my favourite Wheaten Marans hen, and my two best brooder hens, including the one confined to a smaller pen with all her peeps (it killed all but one of the peeps too <sad face>). Since the culprit only bit their throats open, I assume we are dealing with a mink or a marten. I have a live trap set for the f*cker for when it comes back, but it won’t be alive for long once I trap it *shakes fist at mystery serial killing animal*
As today is my only day off this week (I do get a week’s vacation next week though!) I had a lot of errands to run, but I did manage to get out with the dogs and the camera to photograph Wootie falling down.
Wootie falls down more than any dog I know. One day I am going to get my hands on a super sweet, fast telephoto and I am going to make Wootie fall down again and again until I have the best photos EVER of him doing it.
We played some Wootie Toy™ and some Flying Squirrel, which Piper says Kieren cannot haz.
Kieren. Still here. It must be because my photos of him are ugly. Or at least, that’s what a woman in the parking lot at Regionals pretty much said to me.
Piper, on the other hand, is here AGAIN. By which I mean her knee is pretty well 100% and she is back to her running, spinning, snarling self. It’s nice to have her back at full charge :)
My Monster got adopted too. Happysad.
Next week, whilst I am on Staycation, the weather is supposed to be brilliant! So I hope to take the dogs to cool places and get lots of blog fodder for you. The problem is, they don’t all fit in my truck. So if you want to come to cool places with us, and let me bung a couple of my beasts in your car, hit me up! I promise not to put the WooTWoo in your vehicle and speed away never to be seen again. My license plate? Oh, it, uh, it fell off. I’ll just go look for it. Just stay here, I SWEAR I will be right back …
Jenn says
Ugh. Boo on that lady at Regionals. Seriously. You’ve had some great pics of Kieren up.
When you get those Wootie shots, you can make an awesome gif!
Corey says
Parking Lot Lady knows nothing, because there ARE no ugly Kieren photos. So there. :)
Fay says
Welcome “back”! Glad to hear the (mostly) good news. I’m looking forward to pics of your upcoming fun week!
Tania says
I think keiran is the handsomest dog on the planet and I covet him very much. If you can just hold onto him for me for another 10 years or so until my dog-aggressive ACD’s time has come to an end, that would be perfect.
Mon says
I totally agree with you on the “MY DOG” people. I paid good money for the seminar to hear the speaker, not some random person.
Your Kiernan photos are great. I have noticed thee are not very many of those posted.
Alice says
Woo falling down just made my day. Thank you.
And Sheena, maybe *you* should be giving the seminar! I’m always amazed by your dedication and the variety of experiences you have working with fearful/behaviorally challenging animals. Regardless of the situation and the difficulties you have with your own pack and bringing in new members, you always seem to make newbies more confident, sociable animals who eventually find permanent homes. You’re a champ. I’d go to a seminar if I knew you were speaking.
Carol says
Um, I have Thursday and Friday off. If I can give Tweed a ride (looks side to side), I will drive up from Portland for a play date. Never mind the mud on my license plate. You know how muddy Oregon is (looks side to side). We’ll see you at the lake. I promise I won’t get lost. Really.
Bonnie says
Wootie pictures ….laugh out loud funny !
And very sorry to read about your chickens being killed.
Rachel says
I hate the My Dog people too, but in this situation, I can kind of see it both ways. I’m worried about MY dog and keeping HIM from hurting others and I want help with HIS issues. Don’t really care about tennis ball eating, or whatever. And for non-trained behavior pros, I think it’d be really hard to take the general information and apply it to their specific dog. So it seems like there needs to be separate seminars for pros that work with many dogs and are primarily interested in principles of behavior and for people looking to help their individual dog (and can’t/won’t do private sessions for whatever reason),
clairesmum says
Wootie is the one who most often makes me laugh when i am reading your blog, and he did it again today. perhaps he carries the extra weight as padding for those tumbles?
glad Piper is better, sorry to hear that the predator did such damage to your flock. hoping your vacation has cool air, sunshine, and lots of playtime.
Katrina says
Your little black and white border collie, the side shot in the flowers – could be twins to my dog. I would not have thought it was not my dog!