Ann’s Weblog

Below is “Axel”, who is a favourite. This handsome basset hound is gentle and willing, and is treated like “one of our own”. He just goes in and out of the house with our dog, Lady.

We’ll be busy over Christmas… there are still folks phoning for “reservations” and we will take as many more as we can.

Today I groomed “Pikachu”.

… and tomorrow I’ll groom the little dogs “Magic” and “Cloe”.

Thank you for stopping to look at my blog. My mind is troubled tonight… as we were coming home from visiting friends, we came upon a bull moose on the highway immediately after it had been hit by a truck. As we stopped, the poor animal hobbled off the highway and through the ditch with one of its legs broken. No conservation officer (or any other officer) will attend the scene of an injured animal if it is still mobile, and this moose was on his way into the bush already. It is -30˚ Celcius tonight; who knows how long an animal would suffer after being hurt this way. We reflected that we had seen this magnificent creature earlier this evening. If only they could be kept off the highway.

~ Ann

Was glad to have a little paying work today, I groomed this delightful Yorkshire Terrier, Pikachu.

At her owner’s request, I tried a rather different style with this “client”: I clipped much of the fur from her tiny feet so that Pikachu wouldn’t be so bothered by snow and ice crystals building up between the pads. I think it’s a great idea for winter for dogs with hairy paws. (Click on the thumbnails for a larger portrait to view or print out.)

I “babysat” (provided daycare for) my friend’s dogs Morag and Foxy again this week. The sisters have become long-legged beauties; at this age many puppies have an “ugly duckling” stage: NOT so for them! Am I biased? Yes, indeed.

I also groomed “Snoopy”, a regular client who is part Fox Terrier, part Yorkshire Terrier, and total gentleman and sweetie.

I am glad to report that I seem to have shaken “the blues”. There’s no rational excuse for me to feel so sad (I wouldn’t call what I have “depression”… more like melancholy), but I do feel relieved when the grey mood passes.

Am very excited to see my daughters in Calgary; two of them live there, and one is flying back from Argentina next week (unless she has changed her mind and extended her stay). We always have a great time visiting and eating great food in restaurants, sometimes shopping. I need to visit my stepmother, who also lives in Calgary. She is, in general, lonely, and troubled by realities of what lies ahead in her life. Whatever conversations she thinks we need to have, I’m opened minded to.

The weather has been great today, mild and clear. Gary split a bunch of firewood and hauled it all indoors. The warmer temperatures and high winds have resulted in our parking area being just like a skating rink, so we try to greet customers at the cars so that THEY don’t have to walk on the ice, and we have spread some gritty stuff on it. The gritty stuff that I found in my shop? Chick starter! Hey, it’s biodegradeable, and we won’t be raising chickens again any time soon.

We’re having cheese blintzes tonight (yippee) and some plain meatballs with the main attraction.

Thanks for checking my blog.

~Ann