Ann’s Weblog

First of all I’m ecstatic to learn that my oldest daughter is coming out from Calgary tomorrow!

We had this greenhouse frame delivered this morning; a friend of ours who is an excellent fabricator/welder designed and built it. I’ve ordered some woven poly greenhouse fabric, hoping that the covering will last many years. There’s no doubt that this structure will last for as long as we need it!

For dinner tonight we invited another couple to join us for Chinese smorg. The company was wonderful (we were joined by two more friends), and the food was great.

When we got back to the house, after checking on, and talking to, all the dogs in the outdoor runs and feeding bisquits, I checked the answering machine. There was a message that I had won a barbecue at a benefit raffle this afternoon! Tonight I also won a bet with Gary that Steppenwolf sang, “The Pusher”.

The Pet Hostel is taking care of a great bunch of guests again/still. I’ll try to take some pictures tomorrow. We still have Makalu, the wolf cross, Shiloh, a collie cross and the hamster, Hammy. Also we have Seiko, the gentle doberman. Just overnight we have Mac (named after his owners’ favourite computer). There is Tonka, a sweet purebred pug, Rosie the fretful coyote cross, and Willy, a small poodle that I gave to friends SEVENTEEN years ago!

Tomorrow some of these pets go home and different ones will arrive.

I got up earlier than usual to celebrate the delivery of the greenhouse, so I’ll go chat for awhile and then go to bed.

Thank you for stopping here. ~ Ann

Well, doesn’t the place look desolate? This photo was taken at the beginning of April, and now the place looks a lot greener. The picture doesn’t show our entire property. Thank you to our friend Barry for taking this aerial shot, and to Debbie for emailing it to us.

I’ve been pretty busy; sorry for not keeping up with this blog. I have had dogs and cats to groom this week. One of the jobs that took some time was preparing a spot for the new greenhouse, which is coming tomorrow! We were determined to find some ultra-violet-resistant plastic for the covering, and this is proving a bit of a challenge.

My middle daughter is doing a research project in Costa Rica! Last night she caught (and studied and released) a very special frog. This is a Hyla pseudopuma male in breeding colours (the bright yellow).

Take care everyone. Thanks for visiting this blog. ~ Ann

Above is picture of this morning’s “mid April snow”.

Had a relatively early start to the day, as customers were dropping off their dogs.

I haven’t added to this blog for a few days, for no particular reason. I couldn’t really write about a couple of the dogs I had to groom, as I was left almost “speechless” over the condition they were in. Both are very old dogs that have been allowed to get far too heavy and have been not groomed by anyone (it doesn’t have to be me! this isn’t sour grapes) often enough. Yesterday I donned surgical gloves in order to remove about two pounds of feces and urine-soaked matts from the butt and underside of a cocker spaniel. Under the wet matter, her skin was actually suppurative; I washed her gently and applied an antibiotic, and hopefully, soothing, cream. I did speak to the owner about this, but I don’t know if I made much of an impression. The day BEFORE yesterday, I groomed a different obese cocker spaniel cross which is too heavy but whose grooming has been kept up a little better. Still, that dog’s claws were so long that they crossed over each other, and she too was getting gross around the tail end. Goodness, some days I wonder how I can claim to love my work so much! I think “the thing” is that I know I’m providing some measure of relief for these creatures, whether their care at home is deficient or they are being “killed with kindness”… overfed. I try not to make owners feel guilty because I want them to bring the pets SOONER.

I would have liked to be gardening this week, but the weather hasn’t cooperated very well. I did a bit of raking and otherwise tidying of perennial beds, some potting in the greenhouse, and little else in that department. I am running out of room in our small greenhouse, but a neighbour and good friend is fabricating a new one for us! When I visited yesterday, I saw that the new structure is a feat of engineering and will be both solid AND attractive when finished. Though “just” a plastic-covered pipe greenhouse, it will be suitable for inviting the public into, I’m certain. I’ll post a picture when it is moved here.

We have an almost-full house in the kennels again: Katie and Zena, Oreo, Ranger and Annie, Bodhi, Makalu and Shiloh, Seiko and Hammy. I have some grooming to do later this morning, and an art gallery function to attend this afternoon.

Gary is away in Ft. St. James for the weekend, for his work as a farrier.

Take care, all. ~ Ann

Smokey had his day at the spa. He gets badly matted in the wintertimes as he only wants to be out in the barn catching mice. Between his owners and I, he has been fixed up (sheared short) for another year. He’s a gentle cat, though he was really losing his temper with me; five minutes after I was finished grooming him, he had forgiven me.

Muffin and Sophie went home today. I’ll miss them; they were both in the house with us during their whole stay.

Dinnertime: we’re having hamburgers. ~Ann

This is “Baby” who had his morning at the dog spa. Although he pretends to be bashful, and indeed IS very attached to his humans, he was as well behaved as can be for his grooming. Afterward, he pranced about with Lady and Sophie in the house, obviously knowing that he looked great and felt better too.

Just had to throw in the “Challah” that we ate this weekend. Challah is a bread that is almost identical in most recipes, to Easter Braid.

Back to work…

Love, Ann 

Murphy is a sweet shepherd cross who stayed with us for the first time this Easter weekend. At first he was fretful and even dug a little at his kennel gate, but soon regained his composure and seemed to wait patiently for his people. While reluctant to eat at first, I enticed him with some canned dog food and lean chicken broth, and then Murphy ate very well.

Yesterday I spent a little time potting perennials out in the greenhouse. I have hundreds left to do, and in my small town, nobody is selling a good, light potting mix in large bags! I’ve run out of what little soil I had for this purpose. Today I’ll buy a bale of peat moss and mix my own to get those plants started. because the sooner the roots hit soil (liberated from cold storage and the dark boxes!), the sooner I’ll have lovely perennials to sell.

I need to get on with my day, so will catch up with you folks tonight. Thank you so much for visiting my weblog.   ~ Ann

This blog was unavailable for a whole day after I composed the following. That was caused by a server error of some sort, to my chagrin. I had hit “Publish” instead of saving to draft, resulting in an incomplete “post”. I think I’ll start again today with a NEW post rather than patch this one up.

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 Am having a slow start to the day; it’s just as grey as can be outside. But HELLOOOO it hasn’t been freezing at night! Almost every bit of our snow has gone, although we have friends on a farm near us who still have a foot or two. We can just do our raking and cleaning up sooner.

We had a pleasant Easter/Passover weekend. Last night we ate turkey, stuffing and gravy, challah, yams, and for dessert, homemade vanilla ice cream. I didn’t bother with salad or spanakopita or any other “green stuff” as I do when we have company for a meal. Some of those foods upset Gary’s system too much anyway.

I think we made new friends with the folks who own the doberman, “Onyx”. He adjusted well to being with us and seemed to enjoy his canine neighbours, and he had good manners on a leash. When I trimmed his toenails (at the owners’ request) he showed no objection.

We still have dogs Shadow, Seiko, Shiloh, Sophie, Makalu, Shiloh, Pritchard, Murphy, and cats Pontoufel, Chiquita and Muffin. Of course we have the hamster Hammy as well.
 

Anyone who knows me in “real” life, knows that I spend time chatting in an online community. The “topic” that we supposedly have in common is gardening, but there are as many non-gardeners as gardeners and most of us don’t mind.

 The “chat room” is the place I take breaks and sometimes spend several hours per day. In the winter when I’m practically hibernating, I spend most evenings right here at the computer. Gary is by my side in the evenings, reading or watching TV, and we enjoy each other’s company when conversing or NOT. Occasionally I even relay what is said in the chat room.

It has happened for quite a few months that people who do not particularly like each other (even as much as you can “know” another online) have launched vicious attacks in the Gardening room. I have such an enemy or enemies. As much as I try not to let it bother me, many things which have been said play on my mind daily.

One chatter says that I am not a “success” in my businesses. She was relating an anecdote about having had her dog groomed (and she doesn’t know the meaning of the word “anecdote” because she believed that I was accusing her of not being factual). The grooming job cost $90 for 1.5 hours’ work, which indeed seems high; the dog has a magnificent coat and perhaps 2 groomers worked on her.

I live in an area of sparce population. We have community members of every economic group, but there are many who can’t pay $90 to have their dogs groomed, at least not often. Even if my businesses amount to a “community service”, who is anyone else to say that it is not “successful”? This really has me thinkin’!

For 23 years I’ve groomed and boarded pets for locals and travellers, old friends and new acquaintances. I’ve enjoyed almost every day of it and have never regretted hanging out my shingle for these services, which fit well with my college training and work experience with veterinarians. It also fit well with raising children (who are animal lovers as adults), and helping to operate a farm.

I do like the expression, “Cash poor and soul rich”, because I live in an area with just a few hundred people… sometimes money has been tight though the business wasn’t dormant. “Soul rich” refers to quality of life when we have enough to live on, and feel blessed by the lifestyle.

The one chatter and associates who keep attacking me seem to think that I should be too busy to visit in the Garden Room (an affectionate term for this particular online community). What business is it of theirs that, YEARS ago I said I couldn’t afford tennis shoes for the gym or was saving for a new computer? What is the measure of success anyway? Who cares if I spend even an appreciable part of every day during the winters, online? To “accuse” me of spending “24/7″ (which is an expression I’ve always disliked anyway) chatting is just preposterous, silly. To say that I neglect any of my human or animal companions is equally ridiculous. I’m getting so tired of it.

I’m also hounded for being “not as sweet” as I might appear. Of course I’m not unfailingly pleasant or polite, but I’ve been trying to live by the golden rule in the chat room as in real life. Regardless that I have tried to identify those who maliciously attack others in the Garden Room, and perhaps have even been mistaken when I point fingers or infer SOME associations, I have NEVER stooped to the level that some have. What’s up with: wishing others dead, or wishing them dreadful misfortune, calling people “c*nts” or twats or whores or whatever, insulting how they live or what they live in, their sexual orientation or any part of their history? What’s up with posting my identifying information in the chat room ?

I have never wished you were dead, nor to have any terrible illness or other tribulation, have never argued that you are in the profession you claim to be working in, always believed that you ARE married because you say you are married. You say that you served in the military (but their payment for education isn’t government subsidy, of course), and I’ve never seen any evidence that this isn’t true. Your home is expensive property because you pay $800 for rent (and that, you imply, makes it better than those who have finished paying for their house). You have been hurling insults for years, when all I’ve accused YOU of is cruelty to other people in various forms. If you don’t care what happens in “chat” and you care for no one who visits there, WHY do you impose your presence on the rest of us?

I think it’s hilarious that you’ve said in your “own” name that my children dislike me and that my husband won’t “sleep with” me. I’ve chatted away in this blog and in the Room about the times that Gary is away for work, to go skiing or to visit family. I’ve also written of the reasons that one of us needs to be home at almost all times. The last time that you or one of your associates said that my daughters had abandoned me, I had seen them ALL within that week! As for crying myself to sleep at night… the last time I shed a tear might well have been related to the ridiculous drama in chat (makes me sensitive, but hardly pathetic). And, by the way, the information that Gary had gone skiing with a beautiful young woman was a “plant” in this weblog, for those who are NOT our friends.

Those who ARE my friends who read this weblog: I thank you for your patience. I know I’m just feeding the malevolent soul of those who log all that is said in chat SOMEHOW, every hour of every day, it would seem. It’s too bad that THOSE people can’t find something better to do.

Apologies and thanks to a beloved relative for this expression; I want to quote:

“The problem with wrestling with a pig, is that you get dirty, and the pig enjoys it.”

~Ann

This is Willow, the little Shih Tzu who was groomed today. She was good as gold, as always! Willow’s owners have just adopted a Chihuahua X Terrier and showed the new puppy to me. I should have grabbed the camera!

Today is so busy at the Pet Hostel that I’d better finish my tea and get right back to tending our guests. This is MY WEBSITE for anyone who is interested.

~ Ann

For those who celebrate Easter, I wish you a happy time and a pleasant weekend.

Some of our guests are pictured above, after my photos of the crocusses. You have seen the beautiful Aurora here before; she spends quite a lot of time in our home while “boarding”. Aurora, in this picture, is looking at the bowl of homemade ice cream that I just sat down on the counter.

A new face at the Pet Hostel is “Onyx”, and he is a large, handsome and pleasant doberman who still has his long tail, which he expresses his good nature with. His humans live in Prince George (the nearest city of any size), and they were happy to find someone to take Onyx on short notice. It’s our honour to be asked.

We have a hamster to babysit for 10 days! His name is “Hammy”, and you wouldn’t even know he’s around except when his wheel starts turning at night, “kerthunk, kerthunk”.

Shadow the little “Heeler” cross is staying with us for the long weekend too. She is in heat, so she gets an “executive suite” a few feet apart from the main row of dog runs so we can be absolutely certain no male will scale a fence to be with her! She’s a dear dog who makes no noise or fuss, eats enthusiastically and patiently awaits her owner’s return.

We are also taking care of Seiko, Makalu, and Shiloh:

We have “the girls”, Foxy and Morag, staying here just for daycare, and I need to get you a new photo. I’m referring to the two purebred border collies who we babysit while their owners work.

I have a little grooming to do, and will try to take a picture of darling “Willow” who gets her coat buzzed off short several times per year.

Back later! ‘Bye everyone. ~Ann