When we first got our rat terriers, we got them to attack the rats that were gobbling up our chickens' feed (and eggs). It took them a couple of years to figure out that they were supposed to chase the rats and that if they weren't fast enough, the rats would get away. Eventually, they figured it… Continue reading Continuing Our Dogs’ Education
Angry Birds
I love birds. I don't keep any in the house, because I also like cleanliness, quiet and the ability to travel. The more pets you have, the harder all those things become. But birds are also carriers of pests, they're filthy and they die easily. So, the best solution to the problem of how to… Continue reading Angry Birds
Let Sleeping Creatures Lie
I'm here getting ready for the trip up to San Francisco, and the little doggies are bored, so I took them for a little perambulation down the driveway. It's a fabulous day out, the sun dappling the driveway through the beautiful trees, the creek burbling a few yards away, and as the doggies walked up… Continue reading Let Sleeping Creatures Lie
I Hate Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
When I first moved in with Junglemonkey I was surprised at how frequently I had to change lightbulbs. It seemed as though at least once a month and frequently more often than that there'd be a burned-out lamp that needed replacing. Living on my own, I'd go for maybe a year before having to replace… Continue reading I Hate Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Spring in the Boat
This is what Luff looked like this morning, with happy little blue flowers among the larger plants whose blooms are yet to open. It's a good thing that the bottom leaks; it means the plants won't drown should we be so lucky as to get any rain.
Spring Planting
It's that time of year. Time to plant those bare root fruit trees, get those spring bulbs into the ground. You can tell that it's that time of year, because it's criminally cold out. This is what's necessary to go out into the front yard. Long sleeves, thermal vest, a hat. I gathered all the… Continue reading Spring Planting
Whoa. What Just Happened?
We lost power at our house on Wednesday afternoon. We felt pretty smug about it. After all, we've been doing Day Without Electricity for years now, and we know how to get along without. When the power hadn't been restored by Thursday morning, the little kid was allowed to skip a shower before she was… Continue reading Whoa. What Just Happened?
The World’s Largest Moustache
It started with the idea that we were going to sell our house. We put together a formidable list of things we had to do in order to get the house sold - things like fixing the tiling by the fireplace, putting cabinet doors in the kitchen where we took out the microwave, and especially… Continue reading The World’s Largest Moustache
Stomach Upset
This is my dog Esme. She's one of two rat terriers at our house, the other one being Dagmar. Esme is the one that everyone seems to respond to. She's delicate-boned, beautifully colored, and mostly bald. Sadly, Esme has color dilution alopecia. It's a hereditary condition that means that she has no hair and a… Continue reading Stomach Upset
The Days (Without Electricity) Are Getting Longer
The days are getting colder. Cold enough that the Pirate turned on the heat. Cold enough that we realized with horror that the entire summer is gone and we'd forgotten to order firewood early enough to get a really good price for it. (Darn!) Cold enough that I've gotten my bin of gloves and hats… Continue reading The Days (Without Electricity) Are Getting Longer
The Quintana-Beitzel Coprosperity Sphere 