Ann’s Weblog

We have a truly “full house” this “holiday” time. It’s Easter weekend and the end of a school break. Every kennel is full and there are a few guests in the house as well.

There’s a first time for everything. In my 24 years of boarding pets, I hadn’t had a lizard to care for:

This is “Spike”, a young female Uromastyx . Spike is reclusive, but I propped her plastic rock house up and put her chopped lettuce under it, and in just a few minutes, she was grabbing her meal. It was fun to get a picture of her, but felt even more rewarding that she IS eating. I was worried, because as with many pets, the change of surroundings can be disturbing.

Another sensitive soul is Shasta, but she is fitting right in. She is an English Pointer, 11 years old. Shasta is an indoor dog, but no trouble in the house at all. She gets along with Lady, our dog, and Aurora (pictured last blog post) and other dogs who are in our home full or part-time.

As well, we have Missy, Buster, Makalu, Shiloh, Beowulf, Chester, Belle, Gracie, Max, Mocha, Molson, and Pritchard boarding, and our own outdoor dog, Buddy. That’s just the other dogs.

We have a boarding cat, whose name I forget, but who comes to “Kitty”, of course. The sound of us opening any tin of salmon or cat food will bring him anyway. We also have a cockatiel Shamus, and a budgie bird Toohey (named after the Aussie beer).

Wednesday after I was out for dinner with friends, I was sitting at the desk reading email, and wondering why the computer chair was squeaking. I would move, and it seemed to make a noise, and then I’d move again, and it wouldn’t. I was just wondering where to apply the WD40 to this chair when I realized that Shamus the cockatiel was sitting on the bookcase beside me, chirping! I had been warned that he was an “escape artist”, and sure enough, he had chewed off a twist tie from the door of his cage and liberated himself! It was uneventful to recapture him… since he declined to step onto a dowel, I gently placed a tea towel over him and returned Shamus to his cage.

Gary went to ski Jasper overnight this week on Wednesday/Thursday. He took the camera. There won’t be too many ski trips left this winter, and Gary is happy to have found a friend in our town who is like-minded about skiing.

Gary at Knob Peak… you can see his tracks behind him. Next picture is looking downhill from Knob Peak. Third photo: rugged terrain looking south from the ridgeline at the top (you can take the chair lift only so far, then it’s a hefty hike to the peak).

Will talk to you later! It’s a beautiful day for working outside. ~ Ann