Of Celery and Carrots

While discussing the alarming trend of childhood obesity patients rolling through the door, my co-workers and I were discussing just how young and how large children seemed to be now.

I chimed in by mentioning the three siblings that were all in the single digit by age, and yet weighed around my weight up to one and a half times my weight.

I also chimed in that my soon to be seven month old weighed ninety pounds and that I had put her on a strict diet of carrots and celery.....and moose and caribou and raspberries and butternut squash and apples and salmon and blueberries and kefir and peas and almonds and bok choy and pumpkin and. . .! To top it off, we chase it all down with popcorn............ and exercise and sweet, delicious NAPS!  

Many Happy Returns of the Daylight

...to misquote a famous line from Winnie The Pooh!

Our sun is making its Northern journey once again, migrating toward the North Pole along with its many accompanying fauna who make this annual pilgrimage.

A Case of Moosetaken Identity

When one lives in moose country, and one has a puppy who still needs to make a midnight facility run, one needs to be very careful that ne'er the twain shall meet! While there have been many near and surprising encounters, none was more entertaining than last night!

Let me enlighten you...

'Twas three in the morning, not a creature in sight,
til some lips came a bobblin' to kiss me, all right.
Claire's tail came a waggin', her eyes said 'Please Please',
won't someone, oh someone let me out to go pee?
Down the stairs we did go, out the door to the cold,
when her nose caught a whiff and her ears stood all stiff.
She barked and stood taught, while my flashlight I got,
And the beam it shone round revealed nothing, not even sound.
I called her inside,
Gave kisses goodnight.
When outside down in front, there arose such a clatter,
There was one thing for sure...something was the matter.
Down the stairs I did fly
and to my wondering eye,
flipped the switch to behold
a male moose outside cold.
At my door he did knock,
saying ...
"Darling, I saw you standing there outside and you are the most beautiful lady I ever did see. It doesn't matter that your ears are up in curlers; you are still my kind of gal".

I was stunned. This bull moose had followed Claire very quickly and lovingly up the steps of the front door and was just staring at me with desperate eyes only three feet away! I called Claire to me, but she, being very confused by the quick inside outside routine and all my bluster about being careful over moose had her worried that she had done something wrong. Since she was laying as submissively as possible, I resorted to picking her up so she would not miss the opportunity of a lifetime. We were well rewarded! The moose caught one glance at her and ran away! We sat side by side staring out at the midnight darkness and looking after one lone heartsick moose!

Claire looks both ways before walking down the front steps now!

Christmas 2011

> 11 dogs a dancin'


> 10 plates a layin'

> 9 tails a waggin'

> 8 feet a tanglin'

> 7 trails a blazin'

> 6 glasses tinklin'

> 5 lords a leapin'

> 4 ladies laughin'

> 3 rooms a gatherin'

> 2 potato dishes steamin'

> 1 boeuf prime rib a standin'

What an evening with more dogs than people, but the mix seemed to work out well, with the exception of one lady who was not creature compatible...the dogs seemed to be aware of this and preferred the company of those humans with hands outstretched!

Claire, though only six and a half months old, was the largest of the bunch with a little husky rescue being about her age. They seemed to know that they were both the same age and were inseparable, including the time where the husky teeth imbedded themselves in Claires lip, thus earing him the name "The Stapler".

A few weeks later, "The Stapler" came over to play and became yet another office implement, this time earning the name "The Letter Opener" after tearing a one inch wound in Claire's hind leg right down to the muscle. We debated stitches, but after two MD's inspected the gaping wound, felt that it would be better served healing on its own since stitched would require antibiotics and could cause future tummy trouble.

Now, there is small pinky sixed spot remaing to close and a sensitivity to the cold, but she seems to be fine. There are no future office implement purchases planned, but if so, we will shop carefully!