In bloom

The peony is now in full bloom and looks fantastic. I noticed that the bud had opened when I was headed out to the grocery store.

I asked the woman in the floral section if they had any peonies in stock. She said they had not received any this year. The florist said that peonies are popular for Mother's Day, but they did not receive any for the holiday.

Vet Checkup

It is hard to believe that another year has passed and it was again time for Otis' annual vet exam.

Jeff took Otis to the Norwalk Vet Hospital. Dr Duffy said that Otis was in great health. At 81 pounds, the vet thought Otis could lose 2 or 3 pounds.

Jeff said that Otis was very well behaved while waiting to go into the exam room. I was surprised, since Otis tends to be vocal whenever I am at the vet with him. I guess Otis knows who the Alpha in our pack is.

Fox Sighting

Just the other day, I wrote that it had been months since I saw the fox. This morning, I was looking out at the pond and there was the fox, standing on his hind legs sniffing the forsythia bush. The forsythia is one of Otis' favorite places.

The ducks saw the fox and swam into the middle of the pond. The fox slowly walked across the yard and then trotted up the driveway and out of sight.

Playtime

Cooper and Otis enjoying their toys.

Who's there ?

Otis was sitting by the front door, looking out into the yard. Otis began to bark and growl. I did not bother to look outside. I assumed deer or squirrels were in the yard. After 10 minutes, Otis was still growling.

I finally looked out and saw the mallard pair sitting in the front yard. The ducks eventually wandered towards the bushes and began to peck at  the ground.  A short while later, I saw them waddling up the driveway. Something must have scared them, because they suddenly flew back to the pond.

Now that the ducks are becoming more comfortable and roaming the property, we will need to use extra care when letting the dogs out or backing out of the driveway.

Peony

I love peonies. They are one of my favorite flowers.

Unfortunately, I have not had much success in growing these beautiful flowers. When the new walkway was installed last year, my peonies were displaced.

This spring, I noticed this lone peony growing in our front yard. I am hoping that it will bloom.

Soft

Cooper and Otis have found the softest spot in the yard to relax. When the dogs come inside, they smell like fresh mulch

Otis loves to roll around in the mulch, which means he needs to be brushed before coming in.

The Fox

It has been months seen I have seen the fox. I thought that the mild winter would have meant increased odds for the fox's survival. However, I am wondering if the fox was hit by a car or has found a new hunting ground.

I am hopeful that one day the fox will appear in our yard again. I really enjoyed seeing the kits hiding out under the shed the last few years.

Popular Place

We have been having a lot of  hawk and owl activity at the pond. I am not sure if this is due to it being spring or due to corn.

I have noticed that the corn which the ducks do not eat, attracts birds, squirrels and chipmunks. I am sure that other creatures like mice also are drawn to the pond for this tasty treat.

I have seen the hawks  and owls sitting on a tree limb above the pond. The hawk has been spotted sitting on the ground at the edge of the pond (presumably eating something warm and furry for breakfast).  It seems that these birds are smart enough to understand that the pond provides ample dining opportunities.

Laundry

As if discovering that we needed a new heating system was not enough, our washing machine died.

 We called our resident appliance expert to get some advice on which models were the best.  We then went to Best Buy, PC Richards and Sears Home Appliance. When we arrived at the first store, I opened the lid on the washer and was surprised to see no agitator. I thought, WOW - washers have changed a lot since we last bought one. Many of the washers are now front loaders. A front loader would not fit in our laundry closet, so we went with a top loader.

 We chose an LG washer. I was told to be sure to read the manual before washing clothes. It seems that laundry is no longer a simple process of add soap, add clothes and press start. The LG is unbelievably quiet when in it is running. Much less water is used, but the washing time is much longer (1+ hour).

Sweet Potatoes

In the box of Mango's Munchies dog  treats was a bag of large orange colored snacks. I thought they were carrots, but the label said dehydrated sweet potato.

I gave one to Otis and Cooper.  Otis immediately grabbed the treat and began to chew it. Cooper sniffed it cautiously and after a moment began to eat it.

The next day, Coop grabbed the treat the instant I offered it to him. I never would have imagined that dogs like sweet potatoes.

Cooper wants to say thanks to Maine Mom Linda F for all the great snacks!

Mound cake

Obviously, it has been a while since I baked. My pound cake turned into a "mound cake". However, it still tasted great with fresh strawberries and ice cream.

Hootie

I knew it was going to be a long night when the owls started hooting at 5:00 pm and Otis started howling in response.

I often hear the owls calling after sunset or early in the morning. Seeing them in the late afternoon was a real surprise.

Jeff did a great job capturing our feathered friend. There were originally two owls sitting next to each other, but one flew away before we could get the camera.

Mulch

Jeff picked up 20 bags of mulch at Home Depot. It was a nice day, so Otis was outside with us. As soon as the back door on the 4Runner was opened, Otis tried to jump inside. Unfortunately, the mulch completely filled the car.

As Jeff unloaded the mulch, freeing up space, Otis would jump in the car. Jeff would chase him out. As soon as Jeff walked away, Otis was back in the car. When the last bag was removed, Jeff shut the door.  Otis looked so sad, when he realized he would not be going for a ride.

As we spread the mulch, Otis spent an hour running back and forth and rolling in the warm grass.

Mango's Munchies

Cooper sends a big THANK YOU to the wonderful person  who sent him a box full of Mango's Munchies dog treats.

I was working at home when the doorbell rang. Cooper and Otis raced to the front door. I was surprised to see the mailman holding a box and other mail.

The box was addressed to Cooper. I opened the box and found it full of delicious dog treats. Unfortunately, there was no card stating who had sent us this wonderful gift.

I am hoping that one of our blog readers is the sender and will know that their kindness is appreciated.

Calico Corners

I recently received a chair from my Mom, who said that the chair was originally owned by her Mother. When we brought the chair home, we noticed that straw was falling out of it. Upon flipping the chair over, we saw the webbing on the bottom was broken and the chair was stuffed with horse hair and straw!

I wanted to have the chair repaired. We brought the chair to Calico Corners, which has gorgeous fabrics. I asked if they could fix it and was told yes. The sales woman said let's see what we are working with and proceed to peel back several layers of fabric.The  woman commented that this must have sentimental value, since repairs will cost much more than the chair is worth.


Using our couch pillow as  a guide, we found a fabric that will look fantastic. I am excited that we will be bringing this piece of family history back to life.

I also received a cedar chest from my Mom. We found a beautiful fabric and are having a custom cushion made for it.

Both items should be ready in about 6 weeks. I can't wait to see what they look like.

Cooper Update

Cooper is slowly getting better (we hope). Coop is still on a diet of canned chicken and rice - no kibble.

I worry about how much weight Cooper has lost since he became ill. Poor Coop does not understand why he cannot have treats or milkbones.

If Coop continues to keep food down, we can introduce some of these items at the end of the week.

Stunning

I can't wait until the Stargazer Lilies open. I think the bouquet will be gorgeous.

Home Again

Cooper is out of the hospital and back home!

The vet took x-rays and ran more blood tests.  The x-rays did not show any blockages or anything irregular. The blood tests showed the pancreatitis was getting better. Cooper was given IV fluids to keep him hydrated.

The vet gave us a prescription for appetite stimulants and said to keep doing what we have been doing (only allowing Coop to eat a bland diet).

I hope Coop will be feeling better soon.

Hospitalized

Cooper is still not able to keep food down.

I spoke with Norwalk Vet Hospital. They said Cooper needs to be hospitalized for several days for observation, nutrition and fluids. Additional testing may be needed to determine if Cooper has a more serious illness.

Jeff will drop Cooper off on his way into work. We are hoping that Cooper will be home soon and feeling better.