Doug's New Favorite

This morning, Ransom was inside as Doug was getting ready for school. She has always had a weakness for socks (particularly DIRTY ones)! I suspect that Mr. Doug had recycled the socks he was about to put on his feet out of his dirty clothes hamper because they were not neatly folded into each other (as I would have left them in his drawer), but, instead, were suspiciously inside out, bunched up, and separate from each other...as though recently pulled off his feet! So, one could hardly blame Ransom when she sidled up to Doug and, the moment he was off guard, snatched one of those dirty socks from him. She hopped over to the other side of the room to happily chew on it, but Doug, tore after her and snatched it out of her mouth. Then, totally disgusted that the cuff of his sock was now slightly damp, he dangled it, barely holding on to it with a thumb and forefinger and went on and on about how disgusting it was. I suggested he might want to deposit both of the socks in his clothes hamper (where they should have been anyway!) and fetch fresh ones from his dresser. Doug was quite put out and remained aggravated with Ransom the rest of the morning. I didn't realize HOW aggravated, though, until, thinking to remind him that he really DOES like Ransom, I asked, "Who is your favorite dog?" Instantly he shot back, "GABBY!" (our friend, Lisa's dog...Ransom's littermate)

Recently, Lisa and I took Ransom and Gabby tracking. I was amazed at what a skillful tracker Gabby already is at just seven months of age! We had a blast laying trails for our dogs to follow. Gabby puts her nose right to the ground, immediately all business, and follows the zig-zagging, circuitous trail flawlessly (and with dizzying speed). She amazes me! Ransom, however, still hasn't shown much of an interest to track the trail by ground scent...she prefers simply to throw her head high to the wind and race as the crow flies towards her target. I handled Gabby while Gabby would track Lisa and Lisa handled Ransom when she would track me. The very last trail I laid, I backtracked quite a ways and wound up hiding up under the roots of an upturned tree, totally out of sight from any direction of approach. The upturned tree was laying against a thick wall of fallen trees that extended for hundreds of feet in either direction. When Lisa released Ransom from the parked car, she ran STRAIGHT for the place in the fallen tree wall where I was hidden on the other side, but, the wall being about five feet high, she was unable to scale it. Frustrated she was whining and carrying on excitedly directly on the wrong side of the wall where I was huddled down. Meanwhile, Lisa did not realize I had backtracked all the way back there and thought I was way off in the opposite direction. She, herself had headed for the break in the wall (a long ways further down) where she had seen me disappear into the woods. She was quite put out that Ransom (off leash) was not "looking for Monica", but, instead was throwing a fit at the wall. I didn't make a sound, hoping that Ransom would give up and follow my scent trail on the GROUND to find HOW to get to the place I was at (on the other side of that wall). Lisa, meanwhile, began calling, "Ransom! COME!!!! Ransom, COME!!!" Ransom complied, but then immediately broke away again to resume her frustrated vigil far from the wall's opening, just opposite my resting place. Lisa was aggravated. Obviously, Ransom was not taking this tracking thing seriously at all! Again she commanded Ransom to come back and admonished her, "Find Monica! Where is she? Go find her!" and again got downright MAD at Ransom for racing back over to that same place at the wall, instead of joining her in the woods! The FOURTH time my friend yelled at Ransom to "COME!!!", I finally had to break my silence and yell to Lisa, "Ransom knows exactly where I am, she just can't figure out how to get TO me! YOU are the one who is clueless here! Quit making my dog go the WRONG way!" Lisa and I laughed all the way home over that one. First rule of handling a tracking dog is FOLLOW your dog...don't make her follow you! We learned that even though Ransom still refuses to track by ground scent, her nose is still a lot better than Lisa's! She can wind scent like nobody's business.

End of Christmas Break

Well, to Doug's delight and the girls' sorrow, Christmas break officially ended at 6 am this morning when we flipped their bedrooms lights on and prodded them into getting dressed for school. It's been nice all five of us getting to be home together through Christmas break! I'm counting down now until Spring break!!!

I took Sunday off from walking the three furry back yard inhabitants, but this evening as I watched Ransom and Rivie obsessing over the squirrel that goes through our backyard tree to tree without ever touching the ground, I decided it was time to give them a change of scenery again. I remember how, as a pup, Rivie would go absolutely nuts over squirrels and try her hardest to CLIMB the trees after them. Now it is Ransom's turn. She looks, for all the world, like she is trying to climb the tree while the wiser, now older Rivie, sits like a tense, rigid little statue with her gaze frozen upward. Thinking it would be easier to just walk the two hyperactive dogs, I quietly opened the door and whispered both of them in. Gloria was in the back recesses of the dog house where she couch potatoes away the majority of her day. I thought I had slipped the other two dogs in unnoticed. Wrong. As I was putting their leashes on I head a single, deep bark in the back yard. There was Gloria sitting at attention peering in through the patio door. She NEVER barks. I mean NEVER. I think she has barked three times in the whole nine years we have had her. Sometimes she yodels happily to us, but that is only when we are standing next to her and it isn't a bark at all. Well, how could I leave her behind when she was waiting with such expectancy that it actually illicited a BARK out of our silent giant. Besides, she is the most well mannered of the three on our walks, anyway.

It amazes me how much the dogs look forward to our daily walk. We've only had four, so far (in the past five days)...but I guess I will have to keep it up!

Ransom (6 month old shepherd pup) was being a total idiot today...pulling ahead, jumping over the other two dogs, whining, gasping for air, totally ignoring every correction...arrrg! Finally, I had just had enough so we doubled back home and I put a pincher collar on her. Whoa! Immediately her IQ shot up 100 points! I didn't have to correct her a SINGLE time after putting the prong (pincher) collar on her. She knew it was on and suddenly she was a master of self-control, maturity, and calm submissiveness. Irritating pup! She is smart as a whip and stubborn as a mule.


GERMAN SHEPHERD PUP IN NEED OF A NEW HOME:

A recently made acquaintance of mine is needing to re-home her beautiful registered German Shepherd pup, Dexter. He is 2 weeks older than Ransom (he is 7 months old). The photos below show Dexter. One of the photos show Dexter and Ransom together. He has not had much socialization or training yet. He would need a home where the new owner has plenty of time to invest in his training and socialization, especially the first year. He is very energetic (what 7 month old pup, isn't?) and he is a big boy. I think he is one of the most gorgeous shepherds I have ever seen, though. he is black and light cream colored...just gorgeous. He is timid now, but I think he would socialize out of that. He just hasn't had much exposure to unfamiliar people and unfamiliar dogs prior to now. He does not seem to be a fear-biter yet and I think with the right handling and socialization now, he will never become one. He settled down fairly readily when I took him for a walk with only a couple of quick corrections. He seems eager to please and is sweet spirited. If you know of anyone in the Ozarks area with a serious interest in Dexter, let me know and I will give them the contact information for his present owner. (His present owner just didn't realize how much exercise and time taking care of him would require. She doesn't really have the space for him. She is deeply attached to him, but she wants what is best for him and has come to the painful decision that she cannot give him what he needs and that another home would be better for him. She wants to find a new home for him while he is still young enough to be trained and socialized more easily by the new owner. She loves him deeply and wants what is best for him. He is extremely attached to her.)

A Full Life...

When Grant and I married, I had a German Shepherd named Jonathan. A few years later when she died, Grant insisted we get another dog. So, my little sister and I went to the dog pound and picked out a blonde shepherd mix that was already past her allowable time, she was due to be put down any day. After she was spayed, Grant and I brought her home. Grant chose her name...Shanachie (Shawn-uh-kee). "Shanachie" is a record label for Celtic music. Our vet said she was a couple of years old. She was a real handful the first few years we had her...problem digging and chewing, constant barking...so unlike her predecessor. Once we moved out to the country, though, she was in her element and all her earlier problem behaviors evaporated. She loved roaming the 40 acres of woods and was even happier once she had a side-kick, the pup, Gloria. She was an accomplished hunter...we never had moles in our yard or rodents of any sort around. She kept them cleared out. And, even though she was a friendly dog, still, she was a great watch dog, and always let us know when someone was coming. She knew the boundaries of the property and stayed on it. And, she always noticed when my father-in-law was going out to brush-hog or work out in the pasture and she would be right there, faithfully trailing him all day as he worked. She lived with us fourteen years. We lost her today. We miss her.

The Freezing Garage Sale and Spiral Staircase:

Saturday morning found us rolling out of bed at 4am to make a run up to Kansas City. My friend, Lisa, had hired my oldest to run her garage sale. Darcy was thrilled to be given this responsibility and handled it quite professionally. ...but, it was FREEZING cold! A few days earlier it had been in the 70's, but Saturday it was in the 30's. We could SEE OUR BREATH it was so cold! Which, isn't exactly conducive to a successful garage sale. I mean, who in their right mind goes cruising garage sales when their body is in SHOCK at the sudden appearance of full blown winter?

None-the-less, Darcy was able to move the really big items (ie either large space consuming or expensive). Meanwhile, I spent the day laying the groundwork for teaching Ransom to climb ladders and scale walls! Lisa's home has a REALLY SCARY steep, narrow, tightly wrapped spiral staircase...imagine the pole in a firehouse and you pretty much have her spiral staircase! The opening going down is about the size of the "manhole" leading down a firepole and the stairs are small, flat triangular pieces that are about three inches wide at the point where they connect to the pole and maybe 12 inches(?) wide at their widest point! The stairway is bordered by narrow metal rods which are wide enough for a full grown shepherd to fall right through (not to mention the wide open space between each step--wide enough for a shepherd to nearly slip through if a step is missed). There is no reassuring wall anywhere near. (This is not evident in the photo--but, the nearest wall is actually several feet from the spiral staircase.) When a DOG goes down this staircase, it is nearly standing on it's HEAD (SEE THE PHOTO OF GABBY DESCENDING AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I MEAN!). When a DOG goes up the staircase, it is practically standing on its hind legs all the way. Really, it is much akin to climbing a ladder, except that the dog also has to wind their body tightly around as it is is climbing or descending (otherwise it will shoot right out between those thin metal rods and fly out into open space). Physically it is CHALLENGING for a dog to navigate. VISUALLY it is TERRIFYING! Frankly, it really IS dangerous. Add to that the fact that Ranson had never even seen a NORMAL flight of steps before Saturday and you have an idea of how CHALLENGING learning to use the spiral staircase was for her. It was hilarious the first time she went down the regular staircase...it reminded me of Gabby's STEALTH CRAWL! She got her center of balance as low as it could possibly go! Too funny! But, by her second time up and down the regular flight of steps, she was taking them ninety to nothing like a regular dog. But the spiral staircase....WHOA....THAT terrified Ransom (and she is not easily rattled!). In fact, I've NEVER seen her terrified before...but that terrified her. However, by the end of the day, she had it mastered! She was coming up and down the spiral staircase independently! I don't have photos of RANSOM doing the stairs (didn't have my camera with me by the time SHE was doing it), but I do have some photos of her sister Gabby doing the stairs (just to let you see the steepness in relation to the dogs). The stairs are AT Gabby's house...so, she zips up and down them like no one's business!



Ransom and Gabby spend all their time together happily CHEWING on each other!

She Has a Problem...

It's in our genes. It has mercilessly marked five successive generations. But she doesn't SHARE my genes, so, I had thought she would be safe.

I was wrong.

Today the truth slapped me in the face.

My youngest has a problem. Only four months old and already she is addicted...to the white stuff.

Am I sure she is addicted?...well, let's put it this way...
the DEALERS.know.her.by.name.




Yes...today I happened to pass through the DQ drive-through to pick up my regular. As I pulled up to the window, I overheard voices from the dim, cool recesses of the DQ as one shadowy figure asked the other, "Can you pass this through to Ransom?"

How do they KNOW her NAME??? I can only assume that she has been making trips to the DQ on the sly, without me, to get those irresistible Pup Cups.

Eating it in secret...I'm pretty sure that is one of the hallmarks of an addiction...
and, here, all this time, I've thought she was just a social ice cream eater...




I can only wonder, where will the madness end?

Long Overdue Rebuttal:

Okay, there are times in life when the comments get so out of hand that they must become a post of their own! THIS is one such time. As, I'm sure you read on the previous post, my used-to-be-best-friend arrived at our home this past Wednesday night bearing a belated birthday cake for me that made derogatory references to my incredible pup, Ransom ("Happy Birthday and Good Luck with your dumb coyotoe dog!" Dumb...Hmmm....guess I won't point out that LISA spelled coyote 'coyotoe' on my cake!) Well, after I posted a picture of the cake, Lisa felt compelled to leave a comment further driving home her insults by expounding further about, "the truth written in red on the B-day cake. Ransom is dumber than a box of rocks...looks extremely homely--looking like a scroungy coyote and when she runs... she even looks like a coyote trotting in the distance. What blows my mind is that she had the pick of the litter!!" Hmmm...the only thing that blows my mind is that Lisa finally figured out how to spell 'coyote'!



Of, course I had to enter a rebuttal comment to set the record straight...and, I would have left it at that had not my sister-in-law, Jan lit the fuse again by commenting, "which part of the dog comment was supposed to be the insult? 8) "

So, I feel I must fully explain the facts as they are!

Lisa (my used-to-be-best-friend) was the breeder who allowed me to have the pick of her dog's first litter. I went up to Kansas City at least once a week beginning the day the pups were born and continuing forward until they were old enough to leave their mother. I spent inordinate amounts of time STUDYING each and every pup and watching their interactions within the litter and also to new experiences apart from the litter. I have to admit that ALL the pups were very intelligent and had exceptional dispositions, but each had its own personality and own individual strengths. I chose the BEST ONE. She was the alpha in the litter. She was the first pup to growl...beating the other pup by weeks on that score! She was the first pup to bite Lisa on the nose (why Lisa insists on putting her nose right up to the puppies noses and cooing and gooing over them, I will never understand...obviously Ransom didn't either, because she issued an ominous grown and then nipped Lisa right on the tip of her nose quite hard! Even at that tender age of just 3 weeks, she KNEW how to get obnoxious people out of her face!) While about five of the pups in the litter were extreme snuggle/cuddle-bugs, my little pup didn't need ANYONE! She was the first to explore the rest of the yard far from the other pups and her own mother. She never was ooey-gooey over people who came to look at the puppies and play with them. She was aloof. She was dignified. She was self-assured and confident beyond measure. She would make eye contact with Lisa, who loved on her often, but not me. She would respond to Iran (Lisa's husband), and come when he called her, but not me. (Back in those days, her litter name was just "Black"...because she was the blackest of all the pups. Iran called her "Tortuga" though (Spanish for "turtle").)

Ransom was unflappable. If there was a loud sound that startled the other pups, she barely even bothered to open her eyes to look...yet, on the other hand, she was the most observant. She was the first to notice things, but the last to be upset by them. Though she was the calmest pup, she was also the most aggressive. I had her and one of her brothers with me over at my parents' home (a brief afternoon trip away from the litter) when they were about 4 weeks old. They were in a strange place, away from the litter. They were both standing side by side in my parents' back yard. They had both come over to my mom and were standing there between her two feet, when a dog in a neighboring yard began barking. Both dogs alerted instantly. RANSOM took a step FORWARD out from between my mom's legs and away from her brother, drawing CLOSER to the barking sound and, with her ears erect and her tail held high she BARKED right back...like, "You think you're tough, buddy? Well, just come over here and I'll show YOU who's the boss of THIS yard!"

Early on, my pick was between Ransom and the one brother (who was EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE to me and would follow me everywhere. HE picked me. And he was an excellent pup...very intelligent and confident and quick to respond to me...I could tell he was going to be a joy to train). It was a hard decision between the two. My only reservation about the black pup (Ransom) is that she was so unresponsive to me. I leaned towards the boy pup for over a month, simply because he was so clearly bonded to me and it just grabbed my heart the way he obviously LOVED me. Ransom (the black pup) didn't care one way or the other about me. But, Ransom was less EXCITABLE than the boy pup. He was wired tight...jumping and bouncing at every new sound. Ransom was rock solid...though she was very energetic when playing with the other puppies, she was very calm and unexcitable when it came to different things in her environment and new experiences and highly stimulating activity around her...I liked that. And I liked her self-assured independence. She was fine being alone. There was not a dependent bone in that dog's body. Sure, she wasn't all snuggly and cuddly like the others, but I saw in her a quality that would make her more of a one-person dog than any of the other pups would ever be.

The night before I had to make my final decision, I took both Black (Ransom) and the boy pup (who, actually I had been calling 'Ransom' up to that point...assuming that I would choose him) away from the litter and, Doug (who had come to KC with me) and I got a hotel room for the night that would allow pets. Getting to spend time that evening and night with both the boy pup and Ransom (Black) was all it took for me to be 100% certain in my heart which one I wanted. I wanted Black. By 2:00am that morning she was clearly demonstrating attachment to me (which she had not formed before...but, then, I had always held the more responsive boy puppy and not interacted as much with the less responsive Black, though I always had watched her closely, too and had always told her, "If I don't pick him, I'll pick you!"). When I saw that Black WOULD attach to me and WAS responsive (in her own unsnuggly way), I picked her. Actually, just in teaching the pups only to wet outside, Ransom understood IMMEDIATELY. She never had a single accident in the hotel room and, after the first time of being set in the grass and instructed "Go potty!" she CONNECTED those words with the action. Literally from the first time onward, that pup would potty on command and NEVER pottied inside, EVER. Even as a tiny pup, she was a joy to travel with because she didn't have any accidents. When she needed to relieve herself, she would whine, but hold it. The moment we stopped the car and let her out, she would do her business and I would be back in the car with her in less than sixty seconds flat. She didn't nose around, act like it was play time, get distracted....I would say, "Go Potty!" and she would squat BOOM that moment, do her stuff, and then step back to my feet, sit down and look up at me.

Though I felt terrible about not taking the little boy pup...felt like a traitor, because he clearly was already very attached to me...still, I never once regretted the choice I made. Black (Ransom) is the pup that I would choose over again. And, as it turned out, the little boy pup was bought by a young woman who's German Shepherd that she had been deeply attached to had died, not long before. Every one of the boy pups personality traits mirrored her previous dog. She was so in love with the little boy pup from the very first moment. She was the perfect home for him and he was the perfect pup for her! And, the moment I saw how incredibly PERFECT the match between the two of them was, I no longer felt sick in my own heart that I had "left him behind".

Meanwhile, Ransom has become EXTREMELY attached to me. She is very affectionate in her own subdued, dignified, subtle way. But, she isn't lovey-dovey with people outside of the family. She politely tolerates them with quiet patience, but she does not yearn for their attention and she certainly does not obey them if they try and make her do something...nor will she eat from their hand if they try and share a treat with her. I have not trained her to do this, it is just her genes...her inborn nature...the traits she was BORN with. Actually, I HAVE trained her to politely tolerate those outside of the family...her inborn nature was to attack first and ask questions later. I have socialized her extensively around unfamiliar people and unfamiliar dogs, until she has learned that she is not allowed to show aggression without my approval. She is a great dog! She is a lot different from her litter mates, who, were/are very affectionate, sweet dogs. Ransom has her sweet side, too, but she doesn't wear it on her sleeve.



Now, I will give Lisa credit that actually, being objective, Gabby (her pup, Ransom's sister) IS a lot prettier than Ransom. BUT, Ransom is one SCARY looking dog. She has a wild look about her that I think is pretty cool!...a wolf-look quality that Gabby missed out on. Gabby, with her exceptionally soft, plush coat and beautiful markings looks very domesticated and ready to take the ribbon at the next dog show. My little pup, with her scraggly markings (countless odd gray hairs sprinkled through the black fur on her face) looks ready to protect her pack! And, also in fairness, I feel compelled to add that though Gabby instinctively LOVES people, she wouldn't hesitate a moment to use every ounce of her strength to protect her family and home...there isn't a cowardly bone in that pup's body. Honestly, Gabby is by far the better FAMILY dog. But, I like that hint of wolf-like wariness that runs through Ransom's blood...none of the other pups had that. There were a couple of somewhat shy pups, but, even they were eager to be able to trust and love people. Ransom isn't a bit shy. Her avoidance isn't from fear..she just plain by nature doesn't like people overly much and doesn't see any need to earn their acceptance/approval/affection.

And, I do have to admit that Gabby is extremely sweet. She is such a loving pup...but, personally, I like that my dog is a one-person dog. I also have to admit that Gabby knows all kinds of adorable tricks...If you tell her, "Give me a high five!", she will reach her front paw up and enthusiastically smack your open palm....if you tell her "STEALTH, Gabby, STEALTH!" she will silently and swiftly belly crawl with her body and head hugging the ground closely like a furry Rambo sneaking in on the bad guys! ....and, I have to admit that Gabby COMES instantly the MOMENT she is called. No matter how far away she is, she will spin on a dime and come TEARING back to you when you call her. She comes to anyone who calls her by name. My dog will look at you like you are stupid if you call her. If I call her, she will usually come immediately (95% of the time)...but, I need to do some long line work with her to teach her that she must comply 100% of the time. I will readily admit that Gabby is more compliant and easier to train...not because she is SMARTER (she isn't one little bit more intelligent than Ransom), but simply because she is by nature eager to please. My dog is not tainted by that flaw! My dog understands that I am the leader and she is quick to comply with my directives, but she isn't interested in pleasing just for the sake of pleasing. She only seeks to please me because I am her leader. Though that trait makes day to day training more challenging, still it is THAT very trait that makes her such a one person dog. I don't know if I could TRAIN a dog not to obey other people and not to accept food from other people and not to follow happily after other people...but the trait that makes my dog more challenging to train is the very trait that makes her such a courageous, rock solid, aloof dog with single-hearted-loyalty to her own family alone.

So, though my Ransom has to endure countless negative comparisons and insults at the hand of my dear friend, Lisa...still, Ransom and I both know that SHE is a unique, rare dog! Any insult or negative comparison thrown at us rolls like water off a duck's back...because WE know who we are! ...and, yup(!), my pup is a bit more coyote or wolf than house-puppy...that is the very thing I like most about her!!!

And, as much as I like to act like I am taking offense as Lisa's jabs, I am so excited that we are getting to camp down at Roaring River together this weekend! Iran and Lisa and Gabby already left this morning, to get the cabin set up. I plan on taking the kids out of school early this afternoon and the kids, and Ransom, I will join them. Grant can't make it this time (yeah...he's REALLY disappointed he has to miss out on camping...NOT!) because he has a print seminar in St. Louis Saturday. Grant LOVES Hatch prints....and, at this seminar, the participants will be taught about the process of making Hatch prints and then will get to design and print one of their own! I know he will have fun at his seminar, but I bet he won't have near the fun that we are going to have camping!!! (And Doug is SO EXCITED that we are bringing the puppy! It has amazed me how much he loves this pup. Doug is not fond of dogs. In fact, when he came to us, at the age of six, he was TERRIFIED of dogs. We had the sweetest, gentlest dogs imaginable...and Doug remained terrified of them for well over a year. Even when he finally got over his fear of Shanachie and Gloria, he still remained a little leary of them. Then we got a puppy, Rivendell. I thought that snuggly, fuzzy, loving little puppy would win Doug's heart. Nope. He was just as leary of her as he was of the grown dogs. So, when we brought Ransom home, it surprised me how attached Doug became to her. She IS a bit scary...but, not to Doug. He loves her to pieces. And, she, for her part, is not a bit put off by his tendency to be a bit rough, without meaning to be. She is rock solid...she doesn't reflexively snap or growl like many dogs are be prone to when hurt (but then, neither do our other dogs), but, unlike our other dogs, she doesn't avoid someone who inadvertantly handles her roughly. She is unflappable. She is a good match for our sensory impaired son. And he is crazy about her. I'm gonna make a dog-lover out of that son of mine, yet!!!)


and, having nothing what-so-ever to do with the topic of this post, is this photo that I snapped yesterday evening. See what is WRONG with this picture? This is the way I found my daughter as she flew up our driveway to return home from biking around the neighborhood with her friend...the child recognized it was cold enough to wear a JACKET, but NOT SHOES?!!!!

Ransom has grown a bit between early August and now!

Snapshotos from Saturday:

We went to Clinton, MO on Saturday to attend a bluegrass festival that Grant's old band was performing at. Greg, (the guitar player who moved to Colorado to accept a pastorate just about six months before Grant moved to Bolivar to accept a teaching position at SBU) was back in town for a visit and had scheduled to guest appear with the band during this performance. Greg had been with the band 14 years and Grant had been with the band 28 years. It was so weird hearing the band announced on stage while Grant was standing NEXT to me, rather than up on stage. It was a bittersweet visit...good to see all the guys and their families again, but sad, too. That band was such a huge part of Grant's life from the age of 17-45, that it seems odd not to still be a part of the band. Surprisingly, Grant hasn't found any regular bluegrass group to pick with down in this part of the country. Two different bands have invited him to join, but both have fallen apart over pre-existing personality conflicts within the band before they could really even get off the ground. I think Grant misses picking a lot. He brought his bass down to Clinton with him in hopes of finding a good jam session, but it seems we missed the jamming...there had been some jamming on Friday night around the campsite, but no one hung around Saturday night after the show to jam. We didn't even end up taking the bass out of the van.

Grant, bless his heart, let me take Ransom with us. This delighted Doug to no end. He spent quite a bit of the day "training" Ransom and taking her for walks.









We listened as the band warmed up. Darcy, exhausted from an overnighter with her friend, Jaylin, fell asleep on the ground. Doug continued "training" the dog. And, Rayna worked her way into a black mood over not getting to have first turn, "training" the dog.






Rayna had fun most of the day, though! She was delighted to see her old buddy, Alayna, again. (Our kids grew up hanging out with Greg and Tracey's kids during the numerous band gigs that filled many of our weekends back in our "old life".)







Rayna's day REALLY brightened when she was able to "save" a little frog. Rayna has the deep-seated belief that any wild-life she finds needs her intervention to survive! And she is certain that they mourn her terribly when she has to "abandon" them to the wild once more because her mother just doesn't understand how much the little frogs, insects, birds, rabbits, etc, NEED her!












Darcy was actually looking quite comfy and content before I aimed my camera her direction. She gets a bit scowly faced whenever she thinks I am taking her photo. (Her mother just causes so much frustration in her life, these days!)









Brian's (mandolin player's) dad did his morning workout using Doug...much to Doug's delight!












Rayna spent a great deal of time working with Ransom. Ransom listens to her and obediently follows each command. Of course, the fact that Rayna and Doug were well stocked with doggy treats didn't hurt! Ransom was quite attentive to both of them in turn!














Darcy and Trent got to catch up on old times, too. I was shocked at how much Trent has grown in just the year and a half he has been away! He is as tall as his father, now!

Dog Class

Tonight was our first night of dog class. Ransom was sweet as could be...but, to our shock, RIVENDELL was our problem child! Darcy had her hands FULL with little Rivie (or, as Grandpa C always has called her "Rip-and-Tear")! Her border collie came out in full force. She hasn't been around any dogs other than ours and Lisa's, so we never realized that she would respond to new dogs by going into stealth attack mode. (Typical border collie style, she just dives low to the ground and fast as lightening for a quick nip of the heels and zips off.) She never got any nips in, but, man, she is FAST and SHEER STEALTH. She doesn't give any warning or signal...is all innocent one second and WHOOSH silenty lunging quick as a snake down low under the radar the next moment. She kept Darcy on full alert the whole evening. Meanwhile, the pup was a pushover. Go figure! We both expected the pup to be the trouble maker and Rivie to be a piece of cake. Come to find out, RIVENDELL is the one who needs social rehabilitation when it comes to proper interactions with new dogs. I offered to trade dogs with Darcy for the remainder of the classes, but she wants to keep Rip-and-Tear, I mean Rivendell!

(It is a big class--thirteen dogs. There were about four dogs that aggressively barked or growled at the other dogs. At least Rivendell was so sneaky and silent with her aggression attempts that no one but Darcy and I noticed what she was doing (not even the targeted dogs or their owners). Darcy always had a good hold on the leash and reeled her back in almost as fast as she had shot out like a torpedo hugging the ground. I can't figure how that dog can move so fast when she is crouched so low to the ground! She really does just need a bunch of cattle or sheep to herd...that would make her happy as a lark! Before our move, she had the full run of 40 wooded acres...learning to be a backyard dog in town has been an adjustment for her. She really would be happier hard at work. Having the pup to herd about has brightened her demeanor a lot the last few weeks and I think she will really be delighted with Darcy training and working her. Darcy has great natural instincts when it comes to teaching dogs. Our biggest problem in class tonight (next to the silent torpedoing!) was that Rivie has always focused so intently and exclusively upon me that she kept wanting to respond to my voice (as I was working the pup) over Darcy's voice. I suspect, though, that will change quickly enough once Darcy begins working one on one with Rivie on a regular basis.)

Ready to Take on the World...or at least One Intruding Repairman!

Well, she is DEFINITELY Gus' girl! Her father, Gus, makes Kujo look rational when it comes down to fending off potential intruders. Ransom is an apple that hasn't fallen far from the tree. She looks so sweet and innocent and cuddly...especially now with her oversized ears that are trying stand-up wolf-fashion, but just haven't quite made it yet. However, SHE doesn't KNOW she is sweet and cuddly. SHE thinks she is already a full grown German Shepherd ready to take full responsibility for the safety of our household! She is ten weeks and one day old. Today she was quite offended when the contractor came to remove the dehumidifier from our utility room. She thrust herself between me and the contractor and launched into a some serious guard dogging. She was giving him the evil eye and barking furiously at him. (Never mind she still only has a puppy bark!) It took THREE TIMES trying to call her off the attack before she relented (finally I just swatted her aside...that is when she finally realized I wasn't intending on allowing her to eat the poor fellow alive). Even then, she made a point of keeping herself positioned between him and me the entire time he was in our home...and she kept on eyeing him intently, though no longer barking or trying to advance upon him.

Today, I decided that from now on, on the rare occasions that the kids are home alone, Ransom is going to be indoors with them. We live in a really safe town, but a guard dog is always a nice thing to have, any way. With her puppy size and puppy bark, it is hilarious right now when she tries to ward off an intruder...but four or five months from now, it won't be the least bit hilarious...it will be downright intimidating.

(Don't misunderstand...I don't take her lightly. I have socialized her like crazy since bringing her home--taking her all sorts of places and having her interact with many, many strangers so that she won't be universally agressive to all strangers. And, her reaction today was the first time I have seen her act aggressively towards a stranger...but, then, after it happened, it dawned on me that this is the first time she has had a total stranger enter her HOME. I will continue to work with her and train her with the expectation that she follow OUR lead, not her own natural inclinations when it comes to judging the seriousness of a potential threat...but, I am pleased with the fact that she has such a strong protective drive...we will just need to make sure it is well-controlled and channeled appropriately. I need to invite more strange people into our house now, while she is little, to teach her to follow our lead. She is always going to have that willingness to attack just under the surface, which is fine, just so long as she understands from a very early age that we, not she, decides when or if showing that aggression is appropriate. Tomorrow evening, Darcy and I will begin dog training classes. Darcy is going to take our two and a half year old, sharp as a whip, border collie Rivendell and I am going to take Ransom. Ransom is too young to do any serious training...I am bringing her for the socialization benefit. I want her to be used to people outside of our family and other dogs outside of our family and be accepting of them, so intensive socialization is important. Ransom already follows a lot of the commands that will be covered in the course of the classes...like "sit", "down", "come"...and she walks nicely on a leash and has pretty good house manners...but, the class will be a great opportunity for her to learn manners in relation to new dogs and continue working on her manners in relation to new people.)

Darcy's Own Series Continues...

Darcy posted the third installment to her Dog Series yesterday. This time she featured Rivendell.
(Click here to see her latest installment in the series.)





(Darcy has published three other posts to her blog since then...but, I'm not providing any links to those, because one of them contains a slide show featuring, among other things, about the worst photo of me that I have ever seen. If I needed any added incentive to hold the course in my present diet/exercise regimine, my merciless eldest child has certainly provided it!)

Say, "Cheese!"

Well, today, Darcy posted an installment on yet another of her favorite pups! Today's feature is all about Violet. Click on the little collage, below, to be taken to Darcy's post!

A Notable Post:

My daughter, Darcy, wrote a great post today on her blog.
Click here or on the photo collage (below) to read her post!
(The collage is a huge hint as to the subject matter of her post!)

I think Darcy is planning on entire series on the mishaps of our dogs and Lisa's dog, Violet. Anyway, the Gloria piece is the first in her series! Darcy always has favored Gloria over all the other dogs. If I had to choose one word to describe that dog, I guess it would HAVE to be "affectionate". She is the sweetest dog I have ever known...and stupidest, bless her furry heart. When she was a pup, she was as dumb as a box of rocks. She couldn't have found her own way out of a paper sack! She managed to fall into one major mishap after another. All pups are a bit short on common sense, but Gloria was absolutely DEVOID of it. Fortunately, she got a little bit brighter as she matured--though she still isn't any Einstein, and she is frustratingly, passively, stubborn. She is a real avoidance professional. She has a sixth sense when it comes to me having any designs upon her (whether it be to apply her tick medicine or give her a heartworm chew treat or hook a leash on her)...she just SENSES that something is "up" and she will DIVE ninety to nothing into her the huge doghouse that all three dogs share and will WEDGE herself into the very backmost recesses of that doghouse knowing full well that it will be nigh on impossible to drag her 90+ pound dead-weight bulk out! So IRRITATING!

Whenever I make the mistake of actually agreeing to take her for a car ride (she ADORES riding in the car), I always regret it almost immediately. She is just such an idiot! She will try and climb into little, bitty RAYNA'S lap or whoever else's lap is handy (mind you, she doesn't see a problem with trying to sit in MY lap as I am driving down the road!). The other dogs all sit quietly in the floor. Not Gloria! She LOVES furniture...be it the seat in the car or the tiny little stackable chairs at the veterinary clinic! She has no innate sense of PROPORTION...no matter how much prior experience she has had, she still believes that her horse-sized frame will fit onto the tiniest of chairs. She looks hilarious hunched up trying to keep from falling off a chair that is way, way too small for her...but, she will insist on sitting there, anyway. Most dogs could look at the situation, size it up, and comprehend in advance that the seat is way too small for them...but, not Gloria. She doesn't even "get it" after she has barreled up into the seat and can barely manage to maintain her precarious perch there! I have always said she is a chihuahua in a mammoth's body. (Except that every chihuahua I have ever seen is way more confident and aggressive than Gloria...not to mention irritable! There isn't an irritable bone in that dog's body...even when she is in terrible pain or utterly terrified, she is still as gentle as a lamb.)

I do have to admit, she is the most calm, sedentary, quiet dog around. She almost NEVER barks. If SHE barks, we KNOW something worth noting is afoot. She does, though, converse in a really adorable way...making cute little "hoooo" sounds to indicate she really needs us to scratch her behind the ears and cuddle her. And she has the softest, silkiest, thickest coat of fur. She is a very huggable dog!

Today, after Darcy finished training Violet for the evening, Violet happily dashed off and returned moments later to drop this beautiful five point antler at Darcy's feet! Darcy was so delighted by Violet's gift!!!

Violet and her three country cousins love roaming through the woods that surround our home on all sides. Violet must have found this treasure earlier today when she was out exploring!

Violet is back for another visit!

We get to keep Violet for the next two and a half weeks while our friend, Lisa, is in Mexico. Violet is 6 months old now. The vet says she is going to be a BIG German Shepherd. She certainly loves hanging out in the country with her "cousins" (our dogs, Rivendell, Shanachie, and Gloria)! Rivendell crossed paths with a skunk a couple of weeks ago and is just now beginning to air out...hopefully Violet will not meet up with the skunk while she is here!

Lisa has told Darcy that she will pay her $20 if Darcy can train Violet to COME on command by the time Lisa gets back from visiting Iran in Mexico. Darcy thinks that will be an easy twenty bucks to earn! (Lisa warned her, though, that Violet has to obey LISA on the command, too...not just Darcy!) Lisa took her pup to the vets just before bringing her over here and I guess her pup rumbled at the vet! She is definitely growing into her German Shepherdness. Glad she knows we are FRIENDS and not foes! (We've been promised one of her pups when Lisa breeds her (much to Grant's dismay)...Darcy and I will have to do a lot of fast talking to get any other puppies squeezed into this family!)

New Snow...

We got four inches of snow overnight. This was the scene out of our dining room windows this morning...














And this was the scene out our front door!...

Gloria LOVES the snow! She just got so animated yesterday when the snow began falling...becomes a puppy again! Rivie likes the snow a lot, too...but big ole Gloria is the one who appears to delight in it the very most!

We are still iced-in!

Well, temperatures have remained bitterly cold and the ice that came down in the form of sleet and freezing rain last week remains. This has been an odd sort of ice. Not the kind (thankfully) that we had a few years ago that brought down so many trees and left us without any electricity (no heat for our water or house!) for a week. This ice collected on the GROUND, not the trees, since most of it was already frozen before it fell...hard, tiny, ice crystals. And it DRIFTED...like snow....leaving solid ice speed bumps in front of our garage and across our back deck. The "speed bump" was hard to get the car over when getting into the garage--scraping the bottom of it as it went over, and, worse, last night, the car began sliding sideways as Grant tried to manuever over the ice drift to get the car into the garage. So, he got out all sorts of heavy tool implements and spent the next hour trying to chip away the ice. The drift was six and three quarters inches deep....solid ice in the neatest speed bump stretching across our entire driveway.

Needless to say, the kids and I have just stayed home for an entire week now...no errands, no shopping, nothing. Totally homebound. Actually, it has been rather relaxing. We don't have cabin fever yet! I would rather be SNOWED in than ICED in...snow is so much more beautiful (and fun to play in)....but our ice LOOKS like snow. From our view through the window it remains a pristine, white covering....showing no footprints! (But, of course, not being able to get to town, we are stuck with our incredibly slow dial up internet...which explains, in part, why I haven't been posting nearly as often. The fact that the last week of December and first week and a half of January, we were dealing with viruses explains the rest of our stretches of no posting! I'm so glad we are all feeling better!)

The photo below is a scene I walked in on a couple of days ago. Mind you, the dogs are NOT allowed on the furniture and have never gotten up on our furniture in the past when they are allowed a visit indoors, but, Darcy didn't KNOW I would object to them being on the furniture, so she had invited them up and the three of them were quite content and half asleep when I happened into the room. I couldn't resist snapping this photo before admonishing all three of them! In a way, this scene just summarizes our week!