Puppy Class! Part 1

This will be written in part to give you the whole background...so check back weekly...

I've lost the battle but I am going to win the war! We have to join a puppy class to schedule regular training time with our new puppy -remember the 60lb one!

What's the big deal, you say? Pride- that is it. B.K. (before kids) my husband & I enjoyed dog training for a good solid 5 years. Almost 4 nights a week we were out with the dogs: obedience, agility, search & rescue and just plain fun swimming with them. They are a great way to plan for parenthood- really.

We loved the agility. We even had a synchronized team that was hysterical when the dogs decided to give attitude. My dog would just lay down and ignore me- others would start playing. Mot my gal she was always beyond the training. Once in an obedience ring, she yawned. Another time she gave the judge a nice sniff between his legs. We didn't do any breed shows, we never had that plan. Once I saw women curling the hair of a poodle & putting ribbons on the dog. I never spend even that much time on myself - let alone on a dog. I did threaten to do that to my gal if she gave me attitude again.

We weren't really competitive about the training. Never placed in anything with A*K_C* but would get our certificates. Our dogs were always spayed or neutered. So we weren't trying to get the best for breeding. We did have fun.

Some of the best shows were with A*M_B*E*R, American mixed Breeds, aka mutts. They were more our style. They seemed to love dogs for the individuals. Our "mutt" was a great working dog, she loved to please. My Husband & her were quite the pair. She was quick to learn. We trained more positive, used slip collars but nothing like pinch collars or hurting the dog. You could not food train her because she would lose her brain with food, touch & words of praise worked beautifully. She was a special gal too.

Our search & rescue was a disaster. We live a very flat area of our state. No one gets lost. We enjoyed learning how to search & track at first, then we lost faith in our trainer, who just needed to stop lecturing at us & admit she had not idea how to do this. Every week it was different, and any trainer would know that consistency is the most important part to learning. We left the group after a year of being deceived. We weren't as active but did try things on our own. After kid one & two, we had less sleep at nights, less energy and just enjoyed the dogs with the kids.

Each dog is a chapter of our lives. We have special memories for each. Below the white shepherd was my gal: Kimba, and the brown terrier- German shepherd was Tesla. This is their later years.

Ode to a Dragon fly

This post is dedicated to Ms Dragonfly for her good news...
This afternoon I went to a friend's place- out of the city and took my time, enjoying the beauty. These dragon flies were playing with me. I have been trying to get the right exposure too. If they would just stay still....





Next comes the frogs...

Black Hole

Black Hole: Swirling hot gases in outer space. Largest known gravitational force in the universe. A "hole" in space so dense that even light cannot pass through. An inverted bend in time and space causing space to warp.
Yes, this must be it. I have come to the rational conclusion that there is a black hole existing in my terrarium. As many know - this terrarium of critters had become my summer project. My nemesis, way too time consuming- addictive toy- obsession.

I was given a terrarium to play with. It was missing some key parts so I used my non existent bonus to buy the parts. I paid for the finest creatures in all the land of Oz.

Some days are good, other days I consider doing CPR on a frog (never know if the handsome prince is there). My kids encourage the battle. "Save him, Mom. He just can't die- I feed him every hour." and it goes on and on.

My morning ritual is to check who is living and who has taken the easy way out and chose death to escape our house of turmoil and torture as we blunder through the How to take care of XXX.

We are learning but with a cost. My sanity is on the brink.

We started with 5 tadpoles. 3 turned into froglets and were never seen again. The other 2 just disappeared. One day the fish are there, the next day there is only one- only to mysteriously return the following day. The newt died today- he was missing for 2 days and surfaced this morning.

Current census:
2 small gold fish, a very small algae eater, a new newt, a frog, 6 sand toads and two ivy plants.

Many of our creatures "disappear." I have too many critters MIA. There seems to be a daily replacement necessary.

My theories:
1) The fish eat the tadpoles- But they are on the other side of the tank and only twice the size of tadpoles. NO way for them to get to each other unless one sprouts wings to fly over to the other side.

2) The water plants are actually carnivorous in the tank- they look so pristine and lily like. A little frog hops on the leaf to be smashed like a pancake and digested into oblivion! Cool! they only cost $1.99. What a deal.

3) There is a black hole festering in my terrarium. Things are constantly being taken into different dimensions. Some come back alive or belly up. Some decide anywhere - any warped galaxy is safer than our tank. This seems to be the only rational theory.

Getting the picture?

I depserately need a new lens. Macro- I think. I am in the right spot but can't seem to get the shot I want.

Here are my "bees in action"





Why can't I get the bee in focus?
I am trying for the flying bee next to the flower.

Here is my dragon fly picture. Not as cool on others' blogs site.

Flying Squirrels

WHOA! What a morning... My neighbor & I were talking outside and we hear some crazy animal chatter in the trees. Next thing we know there is a little red squirrel jumping over our heads and landed in the yard and dashed into some bushes. I hadn't even finished my coffee - so we both checked - did you see that?

Our suburban little red squirrels don't do this. Plus my dog was in the yard too. We were amazed and thought how cool it was. I went back to my deck to do some reading when I saw a squirrel do it AGAIN! This time from the other side of the tree. Then it scampers back and joins the other squirrel in the tree and they chase around until one ends up "flying" out- sometimes landing on a neighboring tree - sometimes just thudding onto the ground.
I raced inside to get my camera- knowing it probably will stop and I would be too late. I put my dog inside. Then stood near the base of one tree and wait. After some misses - I got it!

I can't tell yet if it was the same squirrel jumping or two. There were only two playing in the trees. It seemed like they were playing "king-of-the-tree". They ran around & around when all of the sudden - one comes "flying" out from some part of the tree and lands randomly. If it is only one - what an cool survival adaptation! Or terrible trait that will cause it to die out very soon due to poor landing choices (ie my dog). Maybe it bumped its head too many times. You never know.

This whole morning ritual only lasted about 10 minutes. I hope to get out there tomorrow and see if they do it again! Please click on the picture to get the whole effect.


One of the squirrels.

Critter update

We had to go away last weekend for 4 days. The poor terrarium was in a fragile state. I am missing 4 of the new frogs. We actually think they are small sand toads because they don't seem to like the water. I did find two before I left - floating belly up. Also one of the bullfrogs did not make it either.
OK- so I left with worry - NOT about the house on fire or being robbed - but worried and hoped that the fish & frogs make it.

Sunday we rush to the terrarium. One bullfrog tadpole (Moe)with some good looking legs, one sand toad out of the water, and two fish. Good.

Then I looked over at my very established large goldfish tank (never had a problem) and see one very rotten dead algae eater. The water in my tank was a slight brown. Not good. All the other fish are on the bottom, not moving, gulping for some clean water. Really not good.

I removed the carcass and replaced the water. Over two days I am not able to get the pH right. Two of the three fish are moving but the third is still on the bottom. This was not to be the crisis of the week - there are surely more to come.

I am thinking of a newt that can be under water and out. This may be a better pet in the terrarium than the frog- toad things that keep disappearing.

My son's hamster has lost a bunch of fur. I am told this is a food allergy. I had been feeding him premium hamster delight. Now he is on basic lab tested pellets for a week to see if that helps. He looks awful.

I don't know why I care so much about these critters. I guess it is a test of nurturing. It is kind of scary- right now I am failing with a D+. It is that high because of the effort factor....

The Terrarium

The set-up.
This has been the project of the week. We were given this tank with parts sealed in to make a complete ecosystem. Basically, plants & animals working together in harmony. Yeah- right. OK the first problem was that it didn't come with any instructions. It had been sitting on a shelf in the science lab storage for uh...longer than I have been working there.
Second, the filter system seemed pretty small and the tank is missing a cover.
So, I take my not so large paycheck and blow it on "supplies" to make myself & the boys happy. The salesperson was more than eager to spend my money on the "right" things. I actually had to "buy" water plants because the ones in the nearby creek will have larvae of many insects that will destroy my pristine habitat. So I am told- Nooooooo icky bugs to contaminate!

So finally on Friday, after I let the tank run for 24 hours with out anymore leaking and the water actually moving around in the tank, we decided Sat will be the day for the critters.

Saturday, the tadpoles moved in with the goldfish. Goldfish in compartment two, tadpoles in the first compartment. Five small tadpoles and two bullfrog tadpoles are accounted for with two basic feeder goldfish. Water plants set - not dried up but floating and rooted. Air bubbler working and a cute little waterfall.
I praise myself - show off - the boys think I am the greatest Mom ever, etc..

Sunday- Hurray! Four of the five small tadpoles turned into Frogs about the size of your finger nail. We are so great! My new genesis!
New Frogs!


Shorty & Moe the bullfrog tadpoles.

Tuesday...One found floating upside down bullfrog tadpole named "Shorty" (left? in the picture) this morning. My 7 year old is crying in his cereal. Says I should have fed him more. M.I.A. two of the new frogs but the goldfish look fatter...
My water fall is now a trickle- "sounds like someone is peeing" states the 10 yr old.
What will tomorrow bring? stay tuned....