Well ... I am just back from the shortest hike in history and heading out for a playdate with Jack, the Golden Lab youngster visiting the lake. More details to follow.
It is noon and I am home again ... this time from a romping walk with Kenya and Sadie. Jack and his human did not turn up today.
I was supposed to go for a 2 hour hike with the Wakefield Winter Walkers. Kenya and I followed Tom over to Carmen Road where we met about 30 hardy souls and one free range Border Collie who immediately told Kenya she was not welcome. I calmed Kenya and reassured her that she was a good girl and two women told her that they were very glad she was there.
Less than five minutes later our welcome was revoked.
A man in his early sixties, an acquaintance, and someone I had had nothing but pleasant dealings with, arrived and barked, "No dogs in the park."
I probably looked a little stunned because I had asked one of the organizers about bringing Kenya. "She's on-leash," I stammered.
He continued in the same rough voice, the same angry fragments of speech, "The 15th . Narrow icy paths. "
I said, "But I was told it would be all right to bring her on this trail; that it was mainly on a wide road."
"Who told you that?" The gruffness had now escalated and hardened into a confrontational tone.
I told him, and his response was, "He didn't check with me. I'm responsible for one of the trails."
Officious little bureaucrat, I thought. But what I said was, "That's fine. I'll take her home."
I have no idea how many people were listening because he was facing the crowd behind me, but at that point he began to try to placate me, to smooth things over, to offer me an option. I could take Kenya on a different trail from the other hikers. An easier trail. Then another short angry burst. "Read the park rules."
"It's okay," I said. "I'll take her back to the lake where I can walk her off-leash with a dog she likes."
"You could take the easier trail," he repeated.
"No," I said. "Thanks. Better if I take her back home. I don't want to break any rules."
I was ticked off ... still am ... The only reason I wanted to go out with the Wednesday walking group was to try out different hiking terrain and meet like-minded people once a week. I get enough exercise walking Kenya daily. And she gets far better exercise when she is off leash and chasing sticks along Pike Lake Road, where she can dash off into the woods or take a drink from the streams or the lake, and where she has good buddies to race with. The winter group will also be skiing and snowshoeing and I do want to be involved in those walks even though it is difficult to schedule anything that does not include exercising Kenya in on Wednesdays just now because of teaching.
This was an attempt to fit everything in on a Wednesday hike when it would have been possible.
I will likely join them next week ... but I really wish my first experience with this new group had been a little less fraught with tension ... especially when Kenya's presence on the entire walk with the others would not have been a problem for anyone.
I had intended to leave her home when we were on skiis or snow shoes or when the walking trails were particularly narrow ... I am just sorry that this week we were sent home with our tails between our legs.
Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dogs. Show all posts
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Friday, 6 August 2010
Doggone it
My day began at 5:30 a.m. with a dog's wet nose next to mine. I had slept soundly since 7:30 the night before exhausted by teaching and the humidity. I like moderation ... especially now that I am older. I dislike intense heat and sopping wet humidity, but I am not a great fan of frigid temperatures or winter-dry air either. I like having something to keep me alive intellectually but I become stressed by too many demands on my time. I hate crowds but like people in small doses; value privacy but like to have the silences broken occasionally. This morning at 5:30 I realized that we were being granted a reprieve from the rain forest climate we have been enduring this summer. I headed off with the dogs for the first walk I have actually enjoyed for ages. Kenya bounced for the first time in a while, and the two dogs, Kenya and Tango, dashed ahead in typical doggy fashion zigzagging from woods to lake all along the road. I chatted with a friend I had hardly seen all summer while the dogs rooted about in his garden for mice and feinted with one another.
Roger arrived a little late to class yesterday. He had slowed down to accommodate Kiwi who was exhausted by her very long run in the humid air.
On a much sadder note: This afternoon we will be burying Teddy in a lovely spot near the gravel pit owned by friends. He always loved this lake so it is fitting that he will rest here forever. I will post photos of Teddy and the spot later.
Teddy was always one of those special dogs ... the sweet natured ones who wanted nothing more than love and the occasional cookie. He walked with a spine twisted by a car accident when he was a puppy, and lived with pain from all kinds of probably related health conditions for nine years.
All of us who loved him will miss his smile. Yes, Teddy smiled, and wagged his whole body even when he was suffering. And he loved blonde female dogs right up till the end.
My father's grave marker says simply, " At rest in the mountains he loved" ... I am glad that Teddy too will be at rest in the hills that he loved.
Roger arrived a little late to class yesterday. He had slowed down to accommodate Kiwi who was exhausted by her very long run in the humid air. 
On a much sadder note: This afternoon we will be burying Teddy in a lovely spot near the gravel pit owned by friends. He always loved this lake so it is fitting that he will rest here forever. I will post photos of Teddy and the spot later.
Teddy was always one of those special dogs ... the sweet natured ones who wanted nothing more than love and the occasional cookie. He walked with a spine twisted by a car accident when he was a puppy, and lived with pain from all kinds of probably related health conditions for nine years.
All of us who loved him will miss his smile. Yes, Teddy smiled, and wagged his whole body even when he was suffering. And he loved blonde female dogs right up till the end.
My father's grave marker says simply, " At rest in the mountains he loved" ... I am glad that Teddy too will be at rest in the hills that he loved.
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
Hidden Truths
Just some reminders that it is important to take time to smell the flowers; that life can still be exciting and learning can continue at 84; that even the toughest looking can be scared of thunderstorms and other loud things; and that in the messiest tangled jungle of life, jewels can be found.
Saturday, 10 July 2010
The week that was ... I think
The heat wave is over. The temperatures will continue to be higher than we are used to but the humidity will be much lower than it has been. Thank goodness!
Kenya is becoming more and more freaked out by the blasting which was supposed to be finished this past Monday but which, in fact, has continued all week. Yesterday I couldn't find her when I was setting off to get the mail and I thought she must have gone outside when I hung out laundry. But no. She was nowhere to be found. I called and called. I went back indoors and called some more. I went all around the house looking for her. No Kenya. I headed off in my car and asked a neighbour if he'd seen her. No, but he would bring her home if he saw her on his way to the village. I returned and did one more check everywhere ... down at the lake and indoors.
That's when I discovered her curled up under the shelf that holds the water heater and the boiler. Curled into an impossibly small ball among the tubes that feed the in-floor radiant heating. A black ball of a dog in a dark spot where she shouldn't have fit.
I am not sure just how the blasting is affecting her physically, but psychologically it is certainly having a deleterious effect. She is frightened the whole time the workers are across the lake. She recognizes the horn honking signal that a foundation-shaking blast is imminent. She doesn't want to be outside or in the lake when the workers are there, and she sticks very close to me whenever she can.
.I wondered if she had been deafened when she didn't respond to my calls.
We went off to Erin's Meat Party after I found her. The humidity had tripped the power bar in the barn
where her freezers are plugged in. The meat at the bottom was still solidly frozen but the upper layers had started to thaw, so she decided to have a meat party. Lots of people bearing beer, wine, soft drinks, salads and desserts ... and dogs ... arrived and spilled out onto the deck. Ed did the barbecuing, and we all feasted.
Kenya was delighted to be surrounded by dog people, and happy to have so many canine buddies. She was particularly popular with the big boys, Jesse, Connor and Cole. She knew C and C from three years ago when we looked after them. Their owner, Andrea, brought photos of her new baby ... a nine week old foal. I think we will go over and visit him soon.
I am not sure whether it is the blasting or all the swimming without ear plugs, but I have gone deaf in my left ear. A party is an odd occasion when you cannot hear on one side. Last night I felt a bit as if I were watching a silent movie with a lot of static on the sound track.
This morning I treated it with hydrogen peroxide and then with almond oil mixed with tea tree oil . I hope whatever it is clears up soon. I don't want to have to see my doctor who is 1 1/2 hours away, and it isn't a medical emergency which could be treated here in the village.
My Swiss student, Sibylle, has headed off to British Columbia for the next stage of her vacation. I have enjoyed her company, and will miss her. I have one free week and then I will be spending time with Yoshiko, the 84 year old Japanese artist, the following week or so. Yoshiko was here last year and amazed all of us with her energy and youthfulness. She still downhill skiis for goodness sake!
She is in better shape than I am these days ... deaf in one ear ... exhausted by the heat wave ... and swollen up with a reaction to a hornet sting. A neighbour's son visiting here on the lake this week has promised to help me blast the two nests I have here: a wasps' nest under the first step from the parking area, and a hornets' nest in the cute little box housing my hydro meter. Because I reacted so strongly to the hornet's sting I received the other day, I am afraid to try to get rid of them by myself.
Oh ... and before I forget ... for those people who were following the doggy taste test ... I bought a bag of Pedigree Dentabones at Costco the other day. They are made by Mars, the makers of the Natural Defense bones that Kenya loved. They smell the same but are smaller and are to be fed daily rather than a couple of times a week. And Kenya loves them too. They cost $18.99 plus tax .
The list of ingredients:
rice
sodium caseinate
rice flour
vegetable oil
tapioca starch
natural poultry flavour
propylene glycol
wheat bran
calcium carbonate
dicalcium phosphate
potassium chloride
sodium tripolyphosphate
microcrystaline cellolose
iodized salt
potassium sorbate
'choline chloride
eucalyptus
zinc oxide
vitamins A, D3 and E
zinc sulphate
iron sulphate
magnesium oxide
d-calcium pantothenate
niacin
copper sulphate
riboflavin
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B1
Folic Acid
Vitamin B12
I will have to find the post I did on Natural Defense but I think this list is longer than the ND one was. I will check and edit this post.
UPDATE:
Natural Defense definitely had a shorter, and, I suspect, healthier ingredient list:
Ingredient List:
corn starch
potato starch
glycerin
water
natural flavour
dehydrated myrtle leaf
sodium tripoliphosphate
salt
potassium sorbate
a number of vitamins
rice hulls
chlorophyll
What do you think?
Have a great weekend.
Kenya is becoming more and more freaked out by the blasting which was supposed to be finished this past Monday but which, in fact, has continued all week. Yesterday I couldn't find her when I was setting off to get the mail and I thought she must have gone outside when I hung out laundry. But no. She was nowhere to be found. I called and called. I went back indoors and called some more. I went all around the house looking for her. No Kenya. I headed off in my car and asked a neighbour if he'd seen her. No, but he would bring her home if he saw her on his way to the village. I returned and did one more check everywhere ... down at the lake and indoors.
That's when I discovered her curled up under the shelf that holds the water heater and the boiler. Curled into an impossibly small ball among the tubes that feed the in-floor radiant heating. A black ball of a dog in a dark spot where she shouldn't have fit.
I am not sure just how the blasting is affecting her physically, but psychologically it is certainly having a deleterious effect. She is frightened the whole time the workers are across the lake. She recognizes the horn honking signal that a foundation-shaking blast is imminent. She doesn't want to be outside or in the lake when the workers are there, and she sticks very close to me whenever she can.
.I wondered if she had been deafened when she didn't respond to my calls.
We went off to Erin's Meat Party after I found her. The humidity had tripped the power bar in the barn
where her freezers are plugged in. The meat at the bottom was still solidly frozen but the upper layers had started to thaw, so she decided to have a meat party. Lots of people bearing beer, wine, soft drinks, salads and desserts ... and dogs ... arrived and spilled out onto the deck. Ed did the barbecuing, and we all feasted.
Kenya was delighted to be surrounded by dog people, and happy to have so many canine buddies. She was particularly popular with the big boys, Jesse, Connor and Cole. She knew C and C from three years ago when we looked after them. Their owner, Andrea, brought photos of her new baby ... a nine week old foal. I think we will go over and visit him soon.
I am not sure whether it is the blasting or all the swimming without ear plugs, but I have gone deaf in my left ear. A party is an odd occasion when you cannot hear on one side. Last night I felt a bit as if I were watching a silent movie with a lot of static on the sound track.
This morning I treated it with hydrogen peroxide and then with almond oil mixed with tea tree oil . I hope whatever it is clears up soon. I don't want to have to see my doctor who is 1 1/2 hours away, and it isn't a medical emergency which could be treated here in the village.
My Swiss student, Sibylle, has headed off to British Columbia for the next stage of her vacation. I have enjoyed her company, and will miss her. I have one free week and then I will be spending time with Yoshiko, the 84 year old Japanese artist, the following week or so. Yoshiko was here last year and amazed all of us with her energy and youthfulness. She still downhill skiis for goodness sake!
She is in better shape than I am these days ... deaf in one ear ... exhausted by the heat wave ... and swollen up with a reaction to a hornet sting. A neighbour's son visiting here on the lake this week has promised to help me blast the two nests I have here: a wasps' nest under the first step from the parking area, and a hornets' nest in the cute little box housing my hydro meter. Because I reacted so strongly to the hornet's sting I received the other day, I am afraid to try to get rid of them by myself.
Oh ... and before I forget ... for those people who were following the doggy taste test ... I bought a bag of Pedigree Dentabones at Costco the other day. They are made by Mars, the makers of the Natural Defense bones that Kenya loved. They smell the same but are smaller and are to be fed daily rather than a couple of times a week. And Kenya loves them too. They cost $18.99 plus tax .
The list of ingredients:
rice
sodium caseinate
rice flour
vegetable oil
tapioca starch
natural poultry flavour
propylene glycol
wheat bran
calcium carbonate
dicalcium phosphate
potassium chloride
sodium tripolyphosphate
microcrystaline cellolose
iodized salt
potassium sorbate
'choline chloride
eucalyptus
zinc oxide
vitamins A, D3 and E
zinc sulphate
iron sulphate
magnesium oxide
d-calcium pantothenate
niacin
copper sulphate
riboflavin
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B1
Folic Acid
Vitamin B12
I will have to find the post I did on Natural Defense but I think this list is longer than the ND one was. I will check and edit this post.
UPDATE:
Natural Defense definitely had a shorter, and, I suspect, healthier ingredient list:
Ingredient List:
corn starch
potato starch
glycerin
water
natural flavour
dehydrated myrtle leaf
sodium tripoliphosphate
salt
potassium sorbate
a number of vitamins
rice hulls
chlorophyll
What do you think?
Have a great weekend.
Monday, 28 June 2010
After the Weekend
We are back to clanking, roaring, beeping noisiness this morning, but the weekend was pleasant, and quiet.
Our next door neighbours were entertaining, but the only sign of habitation was the fact that two little boys with no experience with kayaks were out most of the weekend playing on the lake, their paddles occasionally skimming the surface of the water at first but by Sunday dipping in more often than not.
The only time they became loud, Kenya went over to check out what was happening, ended up staying with them for an hour or so and came back exhausted and water logged.
Overall it was a very special weekend for Kenya. She had Charlie (an extra dog but not very sociable or playful) here to pretend that there was some competition for her sticks, and two young men who threw those sticks into the water. Techwood and Scott came up on Saturday and left Sunday afternoon. We ate well (I made Tamarak's Island pork tenderloin with barbecued veggies and rice on Saturday, and Scott made hamburgers on Sunday. We played with dogs, lounged around the garden, weeded, moved some black pipe up to the storage spot with the roofing tin, turned the clothesline right side up, drank more than we should have ... and just generally had a relaxed happy weekend.
I am still not drinking the water and won't be able to till later this week ... I expect by Friday if my plumber works that day. It makes planning for the long weekend a little trickier, and it was already tricky ... I had hoped to visit friends near Montreal but M. is undergoing tests and so her dates are up in the air.
We are supposed to have good weather so maybe I will just hang out here ... and invite friends to join me at the lake.
I am teaching the following week so will have an escape from the noise every morning at least.
I hope you all had a great weekend and that the week is beginning well for you too.
Our next door neighbours were entertaining, but the only sign of habitation was the fact that two little boys with no experience with kayaks were out most of the weekend playing on the lake, their paddles occasionally skimming the surface of the water at first but by Sunday dipping in more often than not.
The only time they became loud, Kenya went over to check out what was happening, ended up staying with them for an hour or so and came back exhausted and water logged.
Overall it was a very special weekend for Kenya. She had Charlie (an extra dog but not very sociable or playful) here to pretend that there was some competition for her sticks, and two young men who threw those sticks into the water. Techwood and Scott came up on Saturday and left Sunday afternoon. We ate well (I made Tamarak's Island pork tenderloin with barbecued veggies and rice on Saturday, and Scott made hamburgers on Sunday. We played with dogs, lounged around the garden, weeded, moved some black pipe up to the storage spot with the roofing tin, turned the clothesline right side up, drank more than we should have ... and just generally had a relaxed happy weekend.
I am still not drinking the water and won't be able to till later this week ... I expect by Friday if my plumber works that day. It makes planning for the long weekend a little trickier, and it was already tricky ... I had hoped to visit friends near Montreal but M. is undergoing tests and so her dates are up in the air.
We are supposed to have good weather so maybe I will just hang out here ... and invite friends to join me at the lake.
I am teaching the following week so will have an escape from the noise every morning at least.
I hope you all had a great weekend and that the week is beginning well for you too.
Monday, 14 June 2010
A hairy little heartening weekend ...
I seem to have been running from one social engagement to another all weekend ... and also bought (foolishly) a very expensive pair of German sandals and then returned them a day later.
But I did manage to watch one of the movies I picked up at my favourite little second hand store. It was called "Heart" and cost me $3.95. Unless you grew up in the fifties, it probably won't mean anything to you, but when I was fourteen, in 1954, a sixteen year old girl swam Lake Ontario. Her name was Marilyn Bell.
She learned to swim at the same place I did: the Sunnyside pool. And while my swimming in Lake Ontario was confined to short distances from the raft we neighbourhood kids knocked together, she swam 32 miles across that grey, cold, rough-waved lake.
Still at fourteen, and living by then in Halifax, I felt a sense of kinship with her.
"Heart" is her story. I am very glad it jumped off that dusty shelf into my hands. I like reading about people who struggle against tremendous odds.
Another hitherto unknown movie I bought recently was called "The Freedom Writers". It too was about a young woman who fought against terrible odds and succeeded; another movie that reminded me of my youth. This time, I was taken back to those years I spent teaching.
Today we have rain again and I have botched a loaf of banana bread. It is still edible, just not pretty. I used one of those silicone loaf pan things.
Ever since Kenya went to the groomer she has had dandruff. I am not sure whether the groomer used a shampoo she is allergic to, or whether she didn't rinse her properly or whether it had something to do with the fact that she shaved a section above her tail (something I would NEVER do and that is where the dandruff started). It is also possible that it was all just coincidental. But Kenya's coat is usually beautiful ... long and sleek and silky.
The first attempt to remedy the problem was almond oil applied topically. She seemed to enjoy it but she looked like a wet hen with spiked hair. After a few hours I bathed her with warm water from the hose and puppy shampoo and then rinsed her really well.
Then I decided to fix things from the inside out. I mixed olive oil into her food She liked the olive oil fine but I went on line to see if there was a better choice. They suggested Vitamin E or fish oil so I went to the health food store and bought something specially for dogs' coats and skin.
Her coat already looks better so I think I am on the right track.
But I did manage to watch one of the movies I picked up at my favourite little second hand store. It was called "Heart" and cost me $3.95. Unless you grew up in the fifties, it probably won't mean anything to you, but when I was fourteen, in 1954, a sixteen year old girl swam Lake Ontario. Her name was Marilyn Bell.
She learned to swim at the same place I did: the Sunnyside pool. And while my swimming in Lake Ontario was confined to short distances from the raft we neighbourhood kids knocked together, she swam 32 miles across that grey, cold, rough-waved lake.
Still at fourteen, and living by then in Halifax, I felt a sense of kinship with her.
"Heart" is her story. I am very glad it jumped off that dusty shelf into my hands. I like reading about people who struggle against tremendous odds.
Another hitherto unknown movie I bought recently was called "The Freedom Writers". It too was about a young woman who fought against terrible odds and succeeded; another movie that reminded me of my youth. This time, I was taken back to those years I spent teaching.
Today we have rain again and I have botched a loaf of banana bread. It is still edible, just not pretty. I used one of those silicone loaf pan things.
Ever since Kenya went to the groomer she has had dandruff. I am not sure whether the groomer used a shampoo she is allergic to, or whether she didn't rinse her properly or whether it had something to do with the fact that she shaved a section above her tail (something I would NEVER do and that is where the dandruff started). It is also possible that it was all just coincidental. But Kenya's coat is usually beautiful ... long and sleek and silky.
The first attempt to remedy the problem was almond oil applied topically. She seemed to enjoy it but she looked like a wet hen with spiked hair. After a few hours I bathed her with warm water from the hose and puppy shampoo and then rinsed her really well.
Then I decided to fix things from the inside out. I mixed olive oil into her food She liked the olive oil fine but I went on line to see if there was a better choice. They suggested Vitamin E or fish oil so I went to the health food store and bought something specially for dogs' coats and skin.
Her coat already looks better so I think I am on the right track.
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Kenya smells lovely and has a new identity ...
Kenya went to the groomer today while I taught a lesson on rhetorical devices ... a local woman who breeds horses and dogs and showed her animals for years.
The lesson went well and the groomer loved Kenya ... said she put her head on her lap and just relaxed almost the whole time. She gave her a bag of her homemade natural doggy treats for being such a sweetie.
She thinks (judging by her coat and size) that Kenya is definitely Flat Coat Retriever ... but that the other bits and pieces are Australian Shepherd and Akita. The Akita is a big dog; the females go around Kenya's weight, and the males up to 120 pounds. And, like Kenya, they have very dense double coats that keep them waterproof. The Australian Shepherd and the Akita both carry the blue eyed gene, and the Australian Shepherd would account for the brindling on her legs.
This is Kenya's second professional grooming in 4 1/2 years ... of course I comb her pretty regularly and she has one of those outer coats that is silky and sheds debris easily. The groomer was impressed by how healthy she is and how good she looks.
I am enjoying teaching but I am glad to have a three day weekend. Enjoy your weekend.
Oh ... this evening I ate a salad that was almost completely from my own garden ... only the tomato was bought. It was made up of leaf lettuce, arugula, and a sampling of every herb I am growing.
The lesson went well and the groomer loved Kenya ... said she put her head on her lap and just relaxed almost the whole time. She gave her a bag of her homemade natural doggy treats for being such a sweetie.
She thinks (judging by her coat and size) that Kenya is definitely Flat Coat Retriever ... but that the other bits and pieces are Australian Shepherd and Akita. The Akita is a big dog; the females go around Kenya's weight, and the males up to 120 pounds. And, like Kenya, they have very dense double coats that keep them waterproof. The Australian Shepherd and the Akita both carry the blue eyed gene, and the Australian Shepherd would account for the brindling on her legs.
This is Kenya's second professional grooming in 4 1/2 years ... of course I comb her pretty regularly and she has one of those outer coats that is silky and sheds debris easily. The groomer was impressed by how healthy she is and how good she looks.
I am enjoying teaching but I am glad to have a three day weekend. Enjoy your weekend.
Oh ... this evening I ate a salad that was almost completely from my own garden ... only the tomato was bought. It was made up of leaf lettuce, arugula, and a sampling of every herb I am growing.
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Natural defense to the Rescue
It is stinking hot here ... even here ... and Kenya and I have both been swimming as much as possible this afternoon. Now I have the dehumidifier on downstairs and a fan blowing 26 degree air around upstairs.
I was happily ensconced on my bed reading a novel ... after doing some obligatory reading for tomorrow's lesson ... when Kenya set up a frantic howl and headed up the road to the mountain. The last time she behaved like that she ended up with $300 worth of porcupine quills in her face.
I took off after her, barefoot, a Natural Defense bone in my hand ... I waved it around and told her I had something very special for her ... and ... she turned her back on whatever she was chasing and came back to the house like a docile lamb.
The last time we were in that situation I used every wile I knew ... including raw beef ... nothing worked like this magic just did.
Congratulations, Natural Defense.
We are almost at the end of the trial ... just the breath tests left ... To be honest I don't really notice a difference in her breath ... but I will pay close attention and report. What is absolutely clear though, is that both she and Remi thought these treats were to die for.
I was happily ensconced on my bed reading a novel ... after doing some obligatory reading for tomorrow's lesson ... when Kenya set up a frantic howl and headed up the road to the mountain. The last time she behaved like that she ended up with $300 worth of porcupine quills in her face.
I took off after her, barefoot, a Natural Defense bone in my hand ... I waved it around and told her I had something very special for her ... and ... she turned her back on whatever she was chasing and came back to the house like a docile lamb.
The last time we were in that situation I used every wile I knew ... including raw beef ... nothing worked like this magic just did.
Congratulations, Natural Defense.
We are almost at the end of the trial ... just the breath tests left ... To be honest I don't really notice a difference in her breath ... but I will pay close attention and report. What is absolutely clear though, is that both she and Remi thought these treats were to die for.
Monday, 24 May 2010
The Queen's Birthday
I find it odd that we Canadians celebrate the birthday of a monarch few of us care much about ... but nice that we do so by digging our fingers into warm soil, attempting to create gardens in our too short summers.
This summer promises to be the longest we've ever had ... or at least the longest I remember.
Nice that this is the one I decided to start gardening.
I have a to-do list for the garden that includes working away at the weeds in the gravel a little each day. I figure a week to clean up the zany zen garden and then it will simply be upkeep. Yeah, I know ... simply. Nothing is ever simple.
My next big job (besides teaching for the next two weeks) is to finally get at the rest of the windows. That is a job that I may have to call in help to accomplish. But we will see.
Odin and Mark came on Saturday and took away a truckload of wood remains. They will be back (with extra muscle) to move the old wood stove that is spoiling my view of the lake, and to complete the rest of the clean-up ... before the end of the month they have promised. This is a really busy time of year for Odin's newly established company.
Remi is going home this evening. His people miss him. Kenya will be lonely when he goes. So will Sadie. Remi and Sadie play tag team wrestling, both of them ganging up on Kenya. It is fun to watch. She is remarkably patient with these two ... probably because she thinks of them as hers. I will miss his warm body in bed every night ... but I won't miss the extra sand and laundry that result from an extra dog that paddles or swims in the lake and then trucks through earth before coming into the house.
This summer promises to be the longest we've ever had ... or at least the longest I remember.
Nice that this is the one I decided to start gardening.
I have a to-do list for the garden that includes working away at the weeds in the gravel a little each day. I figure a week to clean up the zany zen garden and then it will simply be upkeep. Yeah, I know ... simply. Nothing is ever simple.
My next big job (besides teaching for the next two weeks) is to finally get at the rest of the windows. That is a job that I may have to call in help to accomplish. But we will see.
Odin and Mark came on Saturday and took away a truckload of wood remains. They will be back (with extra muscle) to move the old wood stove that is spoiling my view of the lake, and to complete the rest of the clean-up ... before the end of the month they have promised. This is a really busy time of year for Odin's newly established company.
Remi is going home this evening. His people miss him. Kenya will be lonely when he goes. So will Sadie. Remi and Sadie play tag team wrestling, both of them ganging up on Kenya. It is fun to watch. She is remarkably patient with these two ... probably because she thinks of them as hers. I will miss his warm body in bed every night ... but I won't miss the extra sand and laundry that result from an extra dog that paddles or swims in the lake and then trucks through earth before coming into the house.
Sunday, 23 May 2010
May 24 Weekend
This has to be some kind of record ... 33 degrees on the 24th!!!
I have changed my header photo to reflect the reality of this wondrous spring ... and my first real garden ... but I will have to wait for Tammy to make it look good.
My radishes have started to sprout and I can harvest lettuce and herbs of all kinds now.
Today the neighbours are having parties and Kenya, Remi and Sadie have been playing in the water all day. The Alaskan Sled Dog came over and attacked Kenya ... and Kenya never backs down so there was a rumble. I hauled Kenya off and crated her, and Juno's dad was pissed off and sent him home with his son. All the nice dogs just kept on playing outdoors.
Then I went and had lunch with Carlos, and after I returned Kenya was let off suspension and has been good ever since.
I planted lemon balm from Tom, and more basil from the store and also winter savoury and thyme today. Someone has to stop me or I am going to be following in Rowboat Flo's footsteps ...I am going to have a garden (gardens) that will consume me and enslave me!
Tomorrow Sarah is coming out for the afternoon and will take Remi home with her. I think he misses his family ... but Sadie and Kenya have been good stand-ins for the duration.
I kind of hope that this summery spring is not an aberration but a harbinger of springs to come!
Happy May 24th to all of you, especially the gardeners.
I have changed my header photo to reflect the reality of this wondrous spring ... and my first real garden ... but I will have to wait for Tammy to make it look good.
My radishes have started to sprout and I can harvest lettuce and herbs of all kinds now.
Today the neighbours are having parties and Kenya, Remi and Sadie have been playing in the water all day. The Alaskan Sled Dog came over and attacked Kenya ... and Kenya never backs down so there was a rumble. I hauled Kenya off and crated her, and Juno's dad was pissed off and sent him home with his son. All the nice dogs just kept on playing outdoors.
Then I went and had lunch with Carlos, and after I returned Kenya was let off suspension and has been good ever since.
I planted lemon balm from Tom, and more basil from the store and also winter savoury and thyme today. Someone has to stop me or I am going to be following in Rowboat Flo's footsteps ...I am going to have a garden (gardens) that will consume me and enslave me!
Tomorrow Sarah is coming out for the afternoon and will take Remi home with her. I think he misses his family ... but Sadie and Kenya have been good stand-ins for the duration.
I kind of hope that this summery spring is not an aberration but a harbinger of springs to come!
Happy May 24th to all of you, especially the gardeners.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
If I get enough energy back ...
If I do find the energy again, I will post photos of my progess. In the meantime words will have to suffice.
I completed the box with cedar and filled it with mixed soil. Then I planted a real combination of things ... at the back the climbers ... zucchinii, cucumbers and pole beans. In front, bush beans, both green and yellow, and sugar snap peas.Then I planted the rest of the nasturtiums in the tree trunks, took a great big breath, and considered how to start the rock gardens of herbs.
When I had my courage up I began ... and five hours later had 8 different herbs planted in and around the big rock area.
Then I went in for a swim ... well I started to ... I waded up to my knees and splashed icy cold water all over myself. I don't know how Kenya stands it ... probably the same way she and Sadie stay cool while Remi has to come in from the sun. They have thick insulating coats.
I discovered that I have to shade the basil and the lettuce from the strongest sun ... used my mosquito pullover today but have to find a better way. Some kind of movable screen I think.
It is an experience ... I have told you already that I am not a gardener, right?
I completed the box with cedar and filled it with mixed soil. Then I planted a real combination of things ... at the back the climbers ... zucchinii, cucumbers and pole beans. In front, bush beans, both green and yellow, and sugar snap peas.Then I planted the rest of the nasturtiums in the tree trunks, took a great big breath, and considered how to start the rock gardens of herbs.
When I had my courage up I began ... and five hours later had 8 different herbs planted in and around the big rock area.
Then I went in for a swim ... well I started to ... I waded up to my knees and splashed icy cold water all over myself. I don't know how Kenya stands it ... probably the same way she and Sadie stay cool while Remi has to come in from the sun. They have thick insulating coats.
I discovered that I have to shade the basil and the lettuce from the strongest sun ... used my mosquito pullover today but have to find a better way. Some kind of movable screen I think.
It is an experience ... I have told you already that I am not a gardener, right?
Gardening Update
Gardening must be about as boring to read about as dog biscuits ... but that is my life these days ...
Jim made me two box frames 6 feet long, one foot wide, and the depth of a 1x8. When I got them home I stacked them and went looking for nice pieces of cedar to hold them together. All my cedar bits and pieces are different lengths so I will have to saw them before attaching them. I hate sawing and am an incompetent hammerer, but this job is very straightforward so I hope I can't mess up too badly.
I didn't have enough soil to fill the box so off I went to the village to load up once again ... 9 bags of soil and one of sheep manure.
The trip down the two hills had to be done in stages ... but all of the bags are now reposing in the zany zen garden where I will mix and fill the box and the tree stump pots for nasturtiums ... they are the ones with the edible orange flowers and the peppery leaves ... and will plant the climbing beans and zucchini in the box and the rest of the nasturtiums in the stumps.
Then the really hard labour begins ... I have to create little gardens for the various herbs by digging down through the gravel to earth, filling each spot with good mixed soil, and then planting. I will do it one herb at a time ...
I am a little concerned that this might not work very well because there is so much rock beneath the gravel ... that there will be insufficient room to give each perennial enough soil. Oh well ... all I can do is try. If it doesn't work I will resort to pots and next year I will have another square foot garden made.
I am doing this as a gift to myself to celebrate the completion of the house and my seventieth birthday ... but I must say that it is the least cost effective way possible to get fresh vegetables.
The dogs are outside waiting for me to fuel up before attacking today's gardening chores. More another time ... maybe I will even do something more exciting than mix soil ... and will actually have something to write about.
Jim made me two box frames 6 feet long, one foot wide, and the depth of a 1x8. When I got them home I stacked them and went looking for nice pieces of cedar to hold them together. All my cedar bits and pieces are different lengths so I will have to saw them before attaching them. I hate sawing and am an incompetent hammerer, but this job is very straightforward so I hope I can't mess up too badly.
I didn't have enough soil to fill the box so off I went to the village to load up once again ... 9 bags of soil and one of sheep manure.
The trip down the two hills had to be done in stages ... but all of the bags are now reposing in the zany zen garden where I will mix and fill the box and the tree stump pots for nasturtiums ... they are the ones with the edible orange flowers and the peppery leaves ... and will plant the climbing beans and zucchini in the box and the rest of the nasturtiums in the stumps.
Then the really hard labour begins ... I have to create little gardens for the various herbs by digging down through the gravel to earth, filling each spot with good mixed soil, and then planting. I will do it one herb at a time ...
I am a little concerned that this might not work very well because there is so much rock beneath the gravel ... that there will be insufficient room to give each perennial enough soil. Oh well ... all I can do is try. If it doesn't work I will resort to pots and next year I will have another square foot garden made.
I am doing this as a gift to myself to celebrate the completion of the house and my seventieth birthday ... but I must say that it is the least cost effective way possible to get fresh vegetables.
The dogs are outside waiting for me to fuel up before attacking today's gardening chores. More another time ... maybe I will even do something more exciting than mix soil ... and will actually have something to write about.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Quick and Dirty
I have mixed more soil mix, planted the impatiens in a chicken wire and perforated green garbage bag dish in the old well, moved the lumber Leonard and I are transporting to Jim's place, arranged for transport, finished planting the square foot garden ... and am about to fly to have the box for climbers created.
Remi took off with his Natural defense bone ... upstairs ... just in case Kenya might be interested in his ... Usually he just drops and crunches into treats. This time, after assuring himself he was safe from interruption, he did as Kenya does, held it between his paws and munched away slowly.
Must run now ... today will be another digging and planting day with the occasional break to apply linament and throw a stick into the lake for Kenya and a tennis ball for Remi. He is really funny when we play this way ... gets VERY excited every time Kenya jumps in to swim after a stick ... comes and tells me and forces me to watch everything she does. Yesterday he let me throw a ball in the water and was willing after much cautionary procrastination to swim two strokes to get it. He is a sweet boy but not a water dog.
Remi took off with his Natural defense bone ... upstairs ... just in case Kenya might be interested in his ... Usually he just drops and crunches into treats. This time, after assuring himself he was safe from interruption, he did as Kenya does, held it between his paws and munched away slowly.
Must run now ... today will be another digging and planting day with the occasional break to apply linament and throw a stick into the lake for Kenya and a tennis ball for Remi. He is really funny when we play this way ... gets VERY excited every time Kenya jumps in to swim after a stick ... comes and tells me and forces me to watch everything she does. Yesterday he let me throw a ball in the water and was willing after much cautionary procrastination to swim two strokes to get it. He is a sweet boy but not a water dog.
Friday, 14 May 2010
An Eclectic Post
We are concluding the taste test of the Tasty Treats today. The fishy breath was just an aberration ... maybe Kenya caught a fish that day and ate it ... after all she caught a mouse in a neighbour's garden this week. So ... the nubbly little Tasty Treats were a success ... clean breath and customer satisfaction. Stay tuned for the next treat on the list tomorrow.
Today is a busy day ... Jim is coming to make my square foot gardening box this morning at eight, and Dan is bringing Remi to stay for a few days a little later this morning. Then I have to make a town run after that to shop at Costco for groceries and a new kettle. If I continue to use a pot and wander off and forget it for much longer I will burn the house down. And now is not the time to do that!
I will try to use up the Crunch'n'Cleans on Remi while he is here. I have offered them to Kenya occasionally this week and she just leaves them lying wherever I have put them. Too bad because I had a whole box of those whereas I have sample sized amounts of all the others.
Today is a busy day ... Jim is coming to make my square foot gardening box this morning at eight, and Dan is bringing Remi to stay for a few days a little later this morning. Then I have to make a town run after that to shop at Costco for groceries and a new kettle. If I continue to use a pot and wander off and forget it for much longer I will burn the house down. And now is not the time to do that!
I will try to use up the Crunch'n'Cleans on Remi while he is here. I have offered them to Kenya occasionally this week and she just leaves them lying wherever I have put them. Too bad because I had a whole box of those whereas I have sample sized amounts of all the others.
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Kenya's New Best Friend
One of my neighbours, Dan, has a six month old puppy ... a Border Collie Shepherd mix. She is adorable ... friendly, active, a regular pogo stick bouncer ... and she absolutely LOVES Kenya.
Dan has been working on his sister's cottage next door and Sadie comes with him whenever he comes to work. I always know when they have arrived because Sadie comes to the front door and knocks. The first time it happened I thought it might be one of the workers I have been trying to hire. But no ... there was Sadie, all bright eyed, bushy tailed and still dry.
Kenya is always delighted to see her and the two of them play for hours. For a while Kenya would get fed up with the puppy antics and energy after an hour, but now she is just plain happy to see her buddy.
They are fun to watch. Kenya will not share her stick and she says really ferocious things to Sadie when the puppy teases her for just a little nibble. Sadie's reaction is that of any youngster who knows damned well she has nothing to fear; that her foster mom really loves her no matter what she says. She kisses Kenya's nose and ears. She bounds right over her prone body. She teases some more. And Kenya accepts it all with equanimity.
Sometimes they play in the lake ... Kenya swimming, Sadie wading. Other times they chase one another up and down the hills and through the woods.
Kenya has taught Sadie not to jump up at the windows, and scolds her when she jumps up on me ... so she is strict ... but she is also awfully glad that a good buddy lives nearby.
So am I. Especially these days when I don't have the energy to walk Kenya far. A puppy provides way more exercise than any human, especially an old lady human, can possibly provide.
Dan has been working on his sister's cottage next door and Sadie comes with him whenever he comes to work. I always know when they have arrived because Sadie comes to the front door and knocks. The first time it happened I thought it might be one of the workers I have been trying to hire. But no ... there was Sadie, all bright eyed, bushy tailed and still dry.
Kenya is always delighted to see her and the two of them play for hours. For a while Kenya would get fed up with the puppy antics and energy after an hour, but now she is just plain happy to see her buddy.
They are fun to watch. Kenya will not share her stick and she says really ferocious things to Sadie when the puppy teases her for just a little nibble. Sadie's reaction is that of any youngster who knows damned well she has nothing to fear; that her foster mom really loves her no matter what she says. She kisses Kenya's nose and ears. She bounds right over her prone body. She teases some more. And Kenya accepts it all with equanimity.
Sometimes they play in the lake ... Kenya swimming, Sadie wading. Other times they chase one another up and down the hills and through the woods.
Kenya has taught Sadie not to jump up at the windows, and scolds her when she jumps up on me ... so she is strict ... but she is also awfully glad that a good buddy lives nearby.
So am I. Especially these days when I don't have the energy to walk Kenya far. A puppy provides way more exercise than any human, especially an old lady human, can possibly provide.
Monday, 10 May 2010
A little of this 'n' a little of that ...
First the new dog treat testing ...
I decided to end the trial run with the C&Cs as they were causing a smelly bum ... likely the result of diarrhea and long feathers ... I know ... more information than you need ... but also because Kenya so obviously did not enjoy them ... and a treat ... even a healthy one ... should be a treat.
#2 Iams Tartar Treats (TTs)
These look like little brown nubbly tooth brushes and Kenya spent a lot of time chewing and drooling the first time she ate one (Monday, May 10, 2010). I suspect this is healthy for her gums and for the stimulation of teeth cleansing saliva.
The recommended amount for dogs 10-20 lb. is one per day. I think I will give my 90 pound dog 2 per day ... one each morning and night.
I was a little concerned about the cautions regarding size of treat. Kenya doesn't gulp down large objects so is unlikely to be in danger of the "harmful or fatal" results of swallowing the thing whole ... but if I had a Lab ... or that Mountain Dog puppy ...
No mention of calories on this one ... I like to know.
Here are the ingredients:
wheat gluten ... uh oh
sodium caseinate
water
glycerin
tapioca starch
corn oil
gelatin
pea protein
natural chicken flavour
calcium carbonate
potassium sorbate (a preservative)
potassium chloride
titanium dioxide
Basically a cookie made from fairly innocuous ingredients that give it the consistency of hard rubber plus those last few chemicals which I will check out ... I suspect they are teeth cleansers.
I don't like the fact that the first ingredient is wheat since Kenya gets diarrhea from too much wheat.
Titanium Dioxide is a fine particulate produced mainly in China and used in almost every sun screen, name brand vitamins, and most anything requiring whiteness. It has been listed as a possible carcinogenic, but not for those who ingest it, rather for those who inhale it. In other words, all those Chinese workers are likely to get lung cancer from inhaling it by mouth so that the dust goes down the trachea to the lungs or by breathing it in as they work in not-too-well-controlled factory conditions. Kenya is unlikely to be in danger as this is not a cookie that crumbles, but I am not overly impressed by the addition of something that could be toxic for anyone. Just how important could whiteness be?
Potassium Chloride is saltpeter, and the calcium is the same thing found in bone strengthening pills for osteoporosis. Not too worrisome. I don't think she has a sex drive to diminish, and strong teeth and bones are good, right?
The sodium caseinate is just milk with acid added.
Next ... glass work ...
I had trouble controlling the little tube brush that dispenses the fake lead lines. It was all right on the smaller test piece, but long flowing lead lines are hard to manage. My first little table top has blobby lead lines.
I thought when I finished that it might be fun to actually make a top out of bits and pieces of stained glass ... and my lead or solder lines would be neater. However I would have to learn to use lead if I wanted small pieces because solder only works if you can wrap the edges in foil. Tiffany glass lamps shade, for example, are all made with channeled lead and the other , less finicky, modern types of construction join copper wrapped pieces by soldering them with lead (speaking of toxic products).
Something to think about.
What I am reading ...
I have almost finished Khaled Hosseini's newest book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and can recommend it without reservation. I find it hard to put down.
I have been trying to read Birth of a Nation, the story of Kenya's biggest and best newspaper, but it is heavy going. The author doesn't know what to leave out . So, while the history is accurate and interesting, the flow is like my lead lines ... blobby. It is an easy book to put down. I am sending it on to a friend who is younger, more academically inclined, and even more interested in Kenya's socio-political history than I am. Like me, she read The Nation every day while living in Kenya ... and continues to read it on-line.
I enjoyed Twenty Chickens for a Saddle and would recommend it to anyone interested in Africa, simple alternative life styles, and home schooling.
I am also picking away at the square foot gardening book ... chock full of good ideas.
And that ... for today ... is that ... Have a great week. I think I will finally go to town this week to get new frames for my glasses ... and make the trip a Costco run as well ... My tummy is finally feeling as if it might hold up for a trip to town.
I decided to end the trial run with the C&Cs as they were causing a smelly bum ... likely the result of diarrhea and long feathers ... I know ... more information than you need ... but also because Kenya so obviously did not enjoy them ... and a treat ... even a healthy one ... should be a treat.
#2 Iams Tartar Treats (TTs)
These look like little brown nubbly tooth brushes and Kenya spent a lot of time chewing and drooling the first time she ate one (Monday, May 10, 2010). I suspect this is healthy for her gums and for the stimulation of teeth cleansing saliva.
The recommended amount for dogs 10-20 lb. is one per day. I think I will give my 90 pound dog 2 per day ... one each morning and night.
I was a little concerned about the cautions regarding size of treat. Kenya doesn't gulp down large objects so is unlikely to be in danger of the "harmful or fatal" results of swallowing the thing whole ... but if I had a Lab ... or that Mountain Dog puppy ...
No mention of calories on this one ... I like to know.
Here are the ingredients:
wheat gluten ... uh oh
sodium caseinate
water
glycerin
tapioca starch
corn oil
gelatin
pea protein
natural chicken flavour
calcium carbonate
potassium sorbate (a preservative)
potassium chloride
titanium dioxide
Basically a cookie made from fairly innocuous ingredients that give it the consistency of hard rubber plus those last few chemicals which I will check out ... I suspect they are teeth cleansers.
I don't like the fact that the first ingredient is wheat since Kenya gets diarrhea from too much wheat.
Titanium Dioxide is a fine particulate produced mainly in China and used in almost every sun screen, name brand vitamins, and most anything requiring whiteness. It has been listed as a possible carcinogenic, but not for those who ingest it, rather for those who inhale it. In other words, all those Chinese workers are likely to get lung cancer from inhaling it by mouth so that the dust goes down the trachea to the lungs or by breathing it in as they work in not-too-well-controlled factory conditions. Kenya is unlikely to be in danger as this is not a cookie that crumbles, but I am not overly impressed by the addition of something that could be toxic for anyone. Just how important could whiteness be?
Potassium Chloride is saltpeter, and the calcium is the same thing found in bone strengthening pills for osteoporosis. Not too worrisome. I don't think she has a sex drive to diminish, and strong teeth and bones are good, right?
The sodium caseinate is just milk with acid added.
Next ... glass work ...
I had trouble controlling the little tube brush that dispenses the fake lead lines. It was all right on the smaller test piece, but long flowing lead lines are hard to manage. My first little table top has blobby lead lines.
I thought when I finished that it might be fun to actually make a top out of bits and pieces of stained glass ... and my lead or solder lines would be neater. However I would have to learn to use lead if I wanted small pieces because solder only works if you can wrap the edges in foil. Tiffany glass lamps shade, for example, are all made with channeled lead and the other , less finicky, modern types of construction join copper wrapped pieces by soldering them with lead (speaking of toxic products).
Something to think about.
What I am reading ...
I have almost finished Khaled Hosseini's newest book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and can recommend it without reservation. I find it hard to put down.
I have been trying to read Birth of a Nation, the story of Kenya's biggest and best newspaper, but it is heavy going. The author doesn't know what to leave out . So, while the history is accurate and interesting, the flow is like my lead lines ... blobby. It is an easy book to put down. I am sending it on to a friend who is younger, more academically inclined, and even more interested in Kenya's socio-political history than I am. Like me, she read The Nation every day while living in Kenya ... and continues to read it on-line.
I enjoyed Twenty Chickens for a Saddle and would recommend it to anyone interested in Africa, simple alternative life styles, and home schooling.
I am also picking away at the square foot gardening book ... chock full of good ideas.
And that ... for today ... is that ... Have a great week. I think I will finally go to town this week to get new frames for my glasses ... and make the trip a Costco run as well ... My tummy is finally feeling as if it might hold up for a trip to town.
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Kenya's Choice
Before getting rid of the obviously less-than-palatable first test item, Crunch'n'Clean, I decided to do an experiment. I laid down four treats and invited Kenya to partake. The one closest to her was Crunch'n'Clean, the next, a no-name from Costco with the same ingredients as her kibble, , the third one a Marrow Bone, and the fourth, a piece of a dried chicken breast, also from Costco. I made sure that all four were roughly the same size so that she would not be lured by gluttony. All four were approximately the same dull tan colour so she would not have been tempted by what might have looked good.
Kenya sniffed each one in turn and then picked up the one furthest away (the chicken), and ate every crumb. Then she chose the next furthest away, the Marrow Bone, and ate it up completely as well before moving on to the third choice, the Costco biscuit, She looked around for a few minutes snuffling and vacuuming up all stray bits of cookie.
Finally she sniffed the Crunch'n'Clean and licked it. She put it down on the rug for a moment and then bit into it and ate each of the pieces.
I decided to continue till the end of the week in view of the fact that she may not like it very much but it isn't something she refuses to eat, so her teeth are probably getting their daily cleaning with it.
Also ... she eats fewer treats when that is the one I offer most often.
I suspect that a gluttonous dog might behave differently. Most of the Labs I know don't care what they eat as long as it is edible, and there was that Bernese Mountain Dog puppy who didn't even care whether it was edible.
Kenya has never been a glutton ... but she does like her treats ...so she is probably a very good taste tester.
Kenya sniffed each one in turn and then picked up the one furthest away (the chicken), and ate every crumb. Then she chose the next furthest away, the Marrow Bone, and ate it up completely as well before moving on to the third choice, the Costco biscuit, She looked around for a few minutes snuffling and vacuuming up all stray bits of cookie.
Finally she sniffed the Crunch'n'Clean and licked it. She put it down on the rug for a moment and then bit into it and ate each of the pieces.
I decided to continue till the end of the week in view of the fact that she may not like it very much but it isn't something she refuses to eat, so her teeth are probably getting their daily cleaning with it.
Also ... she eats fewer treats when that is the one I offer most often.
I suspect that a gluttonous dog might behave differently. Most of the Labs I know don't care what they eat as long as it is edible, and there was that Bernese Mountain Dog puppy who didn't even care whether it was edible.
Kenya has never been a glutton ... but she does like her treats ...so she is probably a very good taste tester.
On finding cookies everywhere ...
I am afraid that this day will tell whether Kenya continues to test the Crunch'nClean. She seems to have gone on strike.
First thing this morning I asked whether she wanted her cookie or whether she wanted to go out and pee first. She made it clear that the front door was her goal ... not the treasure trove of treats above her crate. When she came back in out of the damp cold I offered her the treat. She allowed it to fall to the floor. I played her game where she has to let a treat sit on her paw till she is told to take it. She picked it up in her mouth and I went off to make tea. Later I discovered it sitting on the floor and Kenya sat looking longingly at her food dish.
I fed her and she ate her breakfast ravenously ... as if kibble and yogurt was the best possible taste in the world. The Crunch'nClean lay on the floor nearby. Rejected.
First thing this morning I asked whether she wanted her cookie or whether she wanted to go out and pee first. She made it clear that the front door was her goal ... not the treasure trove of treats above her crate. When she came back in out of the damp cold I offered her the treat. She allowed it to fall to the floor. I played her game where she has to let a treat sit on her paw till she is told to take it. She picked it up in her mouth and I went off to make tea. Later I discovered it sitting on the floor and Kenya sat looking longingly at her food dish.
I fed her and she ate her breakfast ravenously ... as if kibble and yogurt was the best possible taste in the world. The Crunch'nClean lay on the floor nearby. Rejected.
Friday, 7 May 2010
First Taste Test Report on Crunch'nClean
The first one we are trying is made by Hartz, the people who make all those products for birds. If they can sharpen birds' beaks with cuttle bones, they should be able to create a doggy tooth brush, right? I examined the big box of Crunch'nClean for dogs under 20 pounds ... maximum for that size: 2 per day ... Kenya can have 8 per day. There are 35 calories in each biscuit so 280 calories worth of this treat for teeth in a day.
Then I read " not for human consumption". That led me to check out the ingredient list.
wheat flour ... not an auspicious beginning for my dog whose digestive system is not good with wheat.
ground whole wheat ... hmm ... or this ...
chicken meal
wheat germ meal ... more wheat
sodium hexametaphosphate
poultry fat
salt ... as well as sodium?
poultry digest
whey
malted barley
molasses
calcium
brewer's yeast
choline
sodium metabisulphate ... more sodium?
chlorophyl
colour
ferrous sulphate
vitamin e
2 zincs
vitamin b
vitamin a
2 coppers
niacin
calcium proteinate
manganous oxide
manganese
riboflavin
vitamin d
thiamin
another 2 sources of vitamin b
calcium iodate
sodium selenite ... yet another sodium
folic acid
That seems to be it ... an awful lot of wheat and sodium ...but only 35 calories ... just a little for a 90 pound dog.
Kenya's reaction to the taste of #1:
She liked the taste, but the next morning she stuck her nose up at this substitute for her Dentistix. As the day progressed I tried her again and she actually left it sitting on the staircase despite my attempts to convince her that it was a tasty treat.
Her breath is still okay ... perhaps not as nice as with Dentistix but not unpleasant.
Other effects noticed: She has farted a couple of times and Sadie (the puppy) has been very interested in the smell of her bum. Kenya is not a farter usually, likely because she has yogurt with every meal. In fact she looks shocked and turns around to sniff her own bum when the unexpected does happen, so this might be the result of the Crunch'nClean, but I doubt it since she is so reluctant to eat any of them and they are intended for such small dogs.
By the end of today she had actually chewed and ingested 4 of the 8 permitted.
She prefers the taste of her regular treats, and her regular food wins paws down over this treat. (Her regular food is usually way down on the list ... a mix of two types of Kibble: Gastro from the vet and lamb or chicken without wheat from Costco.)
We have been asked to try each dental treat for a week so we have 5 1/2 days to go before we try the next one. Either Kenya will acquiesce and accept this one or she will stop eating it entirely if it is bad enough, I guess.
Will keep you posted.
Then I read " not for human consumption". That led me to check out the ingredient list.
wheat flour ... not an auspicious beginning for my dog whose digestive system is not good with wheat.
ground whole wheat ... hmm ... or this ...
chicken meal
wheat germ meal ... more wheat
sodium hexametaphosphate
poultry fat
salt ... as well as sodium?
poultry digest
whey
malted barley
molasses
calcium
brewer's yeast
choline
sodium metabisulphate ... more sodium?
chlorophyl
colour
ferrous sulphate
vitamin e
2 zincs
vitamin b
vitamin a
2 coppers
niacin
calcium proteinate
manganous oxide
manganese
riboflavin
vitamin d
thiamin
another 2 sources of vitamin b
calcium iodate
sodium selenite ... yet another sodium
folic acid
That seems to be it ... an awful lot of wheat and sodium ...but only 35 calories ... just a little for a 90 pound dog.
Kenya's reaction to the taste of #1:
She liked the taste, but the next morning she stuck her nose up at this substitute for her Dentistix. As the day progressed I tried her again and she actually left it sitting on the staircase despite my attempts to convince her that it was a tasty treat.
Her breath is still okay ... perhaps not as nice as with Dentistix but not unpleasant.
Other effects noticed: She has farted a couple of times and Sadie (the puppy) has been very interested in the smell of her bum. Kenya is not a farter usually, likely because she has yogurt with every meal. In fact she looks shocked and turns around to sniff her own bum when the unexpected does happen, so this might be the result of the Crunch'nClean, but I doubt it since she is so reluctant to eat any of them and they are intended for such small dogs.
By the end of today she had actually chewed and ingested 4 of the 8 permitted.
She prefers the taste of her regular treats, and her regular food wins paws down over this treat. (Her regular food is usually way down on the list ... a mix of two types of Kibble: Gastro from the vet and lamb or chicken without wheat from Costco.)
We have been asked to try each dental treat for a week so we have 5 1/2 days to go before we try the next one. Either Kenya will acquiesce and accept this one or she will stop eating it entirely if it is bad enough, I guess.
Will keep you posted.
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