Important Birthday

Many of our good readers have no idea that your fearless blogger just celebrated a milestone birthday. Yes, not only does John build hills in our backyard, he is now officially over the hill himself.

I tried (and subsequently failed) to keep a surprise party from John. He was not at all willing to play along with the charade and honestly seemed to enjoy making me clumsily spin an intricate web of lies. 

We had a lovely sushi dinner with people friends.

Which was followed by some yummy gluten free cupcakes. 

Sasquatch was there as well. 

In various forms. 

John received some fun presents, notably Sasquatch LEGO's...

and Simpsons LEGO characters. 

My parents just dropped off all of my LEGOs from childhood, so there were plenty for John to play with. I was keen on the castle sets when I was a kid...

John also received a couple nice weeding implements from my parents. Perhaps the present he was most excited about though was the one he bought himself: the Weed Dragon. 

Look it up if you can't figure out what it does, you will be impressed.  We will definitely post pictures (and maybe videos) when we fire up the Weed Dragon.

Not to worry, this will obviously be used responsibly since John is officially a grown up now. 

Ovenbird

I was sitting on the front porch a few days back enjoying a warm Spring morning, watching the usual birds on the feeders and on the lookout for any cool or new arrivals.  Even though he wasn't super spectacular, this little fellow caught my eye.

Can you find him?

How about now?  Here's a close up of the previous picture.  It took me a bit of research and some serious watching of this little bird to pin down an identification.  This is an ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), the only member of the seiurus genus.  It gets its name from the nest it builds on the ground, a small woven nest that people thought resembled a Dutch Oven.

The ovenbird is mostly terrestrial, it stays on the ground rooting through leaves, or in our case mulch.  They are very similar to thrushes in appearance, but their terrestrial habit and close inspection of coloration make an identification possible.

I was pretty happy to be able to identify this new feathered friends.  It isn't the most colorful or dynamic bird, but it's always fun to identify a new garden visitor. 

Bergeson Nursery in Fertile, Minnesota

Over the weekend we made our annual visit to Bergeson Nursery in Fertile, MN. My mom and dad also came along to see what goodies they could find.  They did not leave empty-handed.

We spent an hour and a half there, and picked out a bunch of new perennials and some eye-catching annuals for our flower boxes. 

Even with a wagon load of flowers, our bill was less than we thought (actual amount not disclosed), which we thought was a big win. Our perennials are starting to mature so our annual flower budget is finally starting to decrease. I think this really might be the year that all of our flower areas look really filled in. Stay tuned for pictures...

Pileated Woodpecker

This handsome/pretty pileated woodpecker showed up at our feeder this morning.

We saw pileated woodpeckers almost daily for a two month-long stretch last year and were really hoping that they would return to the homestead again this year.  We'd also heard them in the neighborhood on our morning dogs walks - their rapping on trees is very distinctive. 

The feeder that the woodpecker is snacking on has peanut butter suet balls.  We've experimented with numerous kinds of suet over the years and have settled on this kind, which they seem to really enjoy. 

After having a suet snack, the woodpecker foraged for some bugs on the ground and then flew off. 

Spring Birds and Wild Spring Weather

Spring is officially here in North Dakota.  Trees have started breaking buds, hostas are up, and various plants are about to start throwing off flowers.  This time of year is especially glorious since there are no mosquitoes (not yet), so we can work in the garden without the annoyance of biting mosquitoes. 

For us the change to Spring is marked by the birds that begin arriving at the homestead, some just passing through, some to stay for the duration of Summer.  The American Goldfinches arrived just a few days ago.  We love their high-pitched chirps and striking yellow, they truly brighten up the garden. 

The American Goldfinches show up suddenly, and usually in sizeable numbers.  We go from seeing one or two, to seeing dozens in a matter of just a few days. 

The Rose Breasted Grosbeaks also showed up yesterday.  In similar fashion to the American Goldfinches, they go from one or two to bunches in a matter of days.  Sadly the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks are just passing through, they'll stay for a few weeks, then move along.  At least a few of the goldfinches will stay with us though through the Summer. 

Even though it was 90+ degrees just a week ago, Spring here is temperamental.  Today being Friday the 13th, Mother Nature tried to put on an eerie show.  A cold wind started overnight and a morning rain shower turned to snow.  Brief but intense snow showers and a brisk wind have continued throughout the day.  A hard freeze is forecast for tonight and I have a few petunias, sweet alyssum, and dianthus that I need to cover.  Hopefully this is the last freeze or frost for the Spring. 

Grand Forks Dog Jog

On Saturday Alycia participated in the Grand Forks Dog Jog, a 5k jog/walk fundraiser for the Circle of Friends Humane Society. Given that all of our dogs are somewhere on the neurotic scale (some more than others), it was not even a possibility that any of them would be invited to come along.

Instead, Alycia got to borrow Luna, the long-haired dachshund owned by Kelly of our local pet food store - Treat Play Love.  Whenever we visit the store, Alycia gets her special "Luna Time" and holds her while John gets to lug heavy sacks of dog food. Luna is a therapy dog and is probably the best suited dog for that job that we've ever known. She loves to be held and snuggled. 

There were probably a couple hundred dogs at the Dog Jog on Saturday, and Luna wanted nothing to do with them before the race started. She wanted to be up in Alycia 's arms out of the fray. 

Here's the pre-race photo. 

While there was some concern about whether Luna would walk the entire 5K, we needn't have worried. Luna was a champion and nearly ran the entire race. She just needed a little help on one short uphill climb. We even ran the last bit to the finish line, posting what I consider to be a respectable time for a mini dachshund of 52 minutes. 

Here's our post-race photo. You can see her eyes are a bit sleepy. She sat down immediately after crossing the finish line and received her well-deserved belly rubs. 

Seeds Started Indoors

I started some seeds a few weekends back, the anticipation of Spring is palpable and I can't wait to actually start planting things in the ground.  The weather over the last week has been Spring-like, highly variable, windy, and alternately cool and warm.  I've been able to get out and work in the garden quite a bit, but it's just isn't the same as being able to plant something.

Here's our set up for starting seeds indoors.  I have a multi-level wire bakers rack with two shop lights on each level.  We don't use warming mats or anything that fancy. Between the heat from the lights and turning up the thermostat a little bit in the room, it's warm enough for good germination. 

Tomato plants, growing by leaps and bounds every day. Pumpkins, squash, gourds, and cucumbers also grow quickly and vigorously.  There are also some other veggies and flowers growing in there. Perhaps we'll make our first trip to a local greenhouse and be able to plant a few flowers next weekend. 

Tired Shadowfax

Shadowfax had a tremendous playtime session in the back yard, fetching basketballs and sprinting to a fro.  She needed a moment to lay down, cool off on the hardwood floor, and gather herself before an afternoon walk. 

She was fairly mellow for the rest of the day, mission accomplished. 

Deaf Dog Aftenoon Playtime

Alycia and Shadowfax enjoy some low level chomping time.  Shadowfax loves to snuggle while she destroys toys and play tug-of-war, so the Extra Large 6-Foot Long Rope Toy (Amazon link here) is perfect for her.  It's also long enough that it prevents hands and fingers from being accidentally subjected to a wayward chomp.  We're big fans of these rope toys and get a new one once or twice a year, since eventually they get shredded and beat up.

Through it all, Shaak Ti is pretty content just to sit and chew on her "Crazy Eight" rope toy (Amazon link here).  Shakk Ti is a simple gal, she's happy with a toy that can be meticulously disemboweled or slowly pulled apart, thread by thread. 

This is a pretty standard afternoon scene here at the household. We've had our outside play time, a nice walk, and some dinner.  This is the wind down stretch, where we expend a little bit more energy and see if some snuggling develops (it usually does). 

Homemade Apple Cider from a DIY Cider Press

I've got some pretty awesome and entertaining co-workers in my job as a Community College Instructor.  Over the last few years we've developed a small circle of folks who swap the results of DIY projects and share the bounty of our various gardens and orchards.  Sauerkraut, home roasted coffee, jam, fruits and veggies of all kinds, baked goods, and numerous recipes have all been shared and swapped over the years.  It's the kind of virtuous circle of sharing and goodwill that keeps me going and energizes my mind toward sharing with others and experimenting with new ideas.

In late September I was talking with my friend Rob about my apple trees that were bearing a huge amount of apples when he mentioned that over the summer he and a friend had built an apple cider press. They built their apple cider press for less than $200.

They took a sturdy old kitchen table and outfitted it with a garbage disposal (purchased new).  All that need to be done is to roughly chop the apples into 8ths and then they get pushed through the garbage disposal slot. 

The Nose Knows Where the Treat Ball Goes

One of our most reliable training tools is leaving treats for the dogs when we leave the house. Many years ago when it was just Alycia and Tito, she realized that his separation anxiety would be lessened if she left him a small Kong filled with treats when she left the house. This tradition took hold and became our routine.

When we leave the house Shadowfax gets a large Kong filled with treats and capped with peanut butter that has been frozen.  It takes her a little while to get through the frozen peanut butter and get the treats out, and provides her a challenge and a little snack. The dogs have learned to look forward to us leaving because they associate us leaving with tasty treats.  I would highly recommend this approach to anyone with dogs with separation anxiety.

We came home a few weeks ago to find Shaak Ti with the scrape on her nose you see in the pictures above.  We were unable to find her Kong Treat Ball.  These two facts only mean one thing, Shaak Ti has hidden her treat ball somewhere.  I looked all over the house for 15 to 20 minutes, but neglected to look outside.  It was near 0 with snow flurries and a brisk wind, so I figured that there was no way she'd gone outside and buried it.  I was wrong. 

Shaak Ti is good at a lot of things, but digging is not one of them.  She had left her Kong Treat Ball just laying on top of the snow, barely buried.  It's likely that she had it buried or hidden elsewhere, but moved it here when she realized that we were on her trail. 

This Kong has held up for several years (maybe even 5 years), but is starting to show some wear.  And leaving it out in sub-zero temperatures sure doesn't help.   It might be time for a new one. 

Another Day of Muddy Splendor

It's a banner stretch for muddy dog time here in Grand Forks, North Dakota.  For the first time in a while, we were able to get outside multiple days in a row and play vigorous games of fetch with Shadowfax.  That's the good news.  The bad news?  That game of fetch had to be played on pretty muddy backyard pitch.  Shadowfax didn't seem to mind at all. 

Shadowfax was pretty pooped from romping around in the mud.  It'll take her a few weeks to work off that winter sluggishness and return to prime outdoor season form. 

Shaak Ti and Tito are in the background, clamoring to get in on the action.  Part of the action means getting your toes cleaned off though, and they want no part of that. 

Shadowfax isn't winking, she had a bit of dirt in her eye, which I promptly helped her remove.  In the upper left hand corner of the photo you can see the old beach towels that we use for for removing the bigger chunks of mud from puppy feet.  Ahh...Springtime!

North Dakota Polar Bear?

Even though it's pretty far north, there aren't any actual polar bears in North Dakota. But, it's spring melting time right now, which is great even if it is weeks earlier than normal. Shadowfax though is still holding on to winter like a polar bear clinging to a melting iceberg.

The ring of snow was part of a sweet snow volcano that John created as part of his winter "backyard terrain park" for the dogs.  The giant mound of snow made a great ramp for rolling the ball up into the air for Shadowfax to chase, a fun king-of-the-hill mound, and the perfect obstacle to chase around.  We're not sure if her preference for the small patch of snow and ice is a good thing because she's staying out of the mud or if it's ridiculous that she chooses to chance an icy slip. 

Leap Day

February 29th, Leap Day.  To honor this day, we're supposed to post pictures of our dogs leaping.  I caught this pretty nice action of Shadowfax a while back. 

Last summer Shadowfax was digging a hole in the dirt when she noticed that I was watching her.  She tried to spring out of the dirt and look innocent...to no avail. 

Melting Snow and Mud Parade

So today happened. It was sunny in the mid-40's, an otherwise glorious day. The dogs spent three months of pent up winter energy in one glorious afternoon of misbehaving and repeatedly tearing around the back yard. 

Shadowfax and her "I'm so sorry I was bad and got filthy and trashed the back yard..."

"Psyche!  Hahahaha, I'm not sorry.  I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat!"

This is just a small snippet of the carnage.  The backyard is a giant cauldron of mud, snow, slush, and doggy footprints. 

Giving Hearts Day

The Circle of Friends Humane Society in Grand Forks, North Dakota is participating in a huge one-day fundraising bonanza called Giving Hearts Day.  The Dakota Medical Foundation is partnering with numerous charities in the state and is offering to match every donation greater than $10 (up to $4,000 total).

We would love to have your support in this statewide online fundraising event, and know that if you make a donation greater than $10, your donation will have double the impact when it is matched by the Dakota Medical

Here is a link to the Giving Hearts Day page. You can click "Donate" and then enter "Circle" in the search box to find Circle of Friends Humane Society. 

Seriously Sad Sack of a Deaf Dog

The blog has been a bit Shadowfax-centric lately, but that's mostly because she's the one most frequently engaged in some manner of silly shenanigans, or getting herself into some pickle.  This is her most recent escapade. 

Shadowfax was tearing around the backyard and managed to rip up her dew claw.  The backyard is a bit of a mess, melted snow has pooled and refrozen and is slippery as heck.  How she managed to tear up a dew claw so badly is beyond me, but she did it. 

Shaak Ti is inspecting her temporarily broken little big sister.  Shadowfax hobbled around on three legs for the better part of two days until we removed her foot wrapping. 

Ah poor little pibble, milking this for all it's worth, tucked into her cozy blanket.  One little owwie and she plays it up as much as she can, trying to elicit as much sympathy as possible. 

Nap Under a Rocking Chair

Shadowfax has a half-dozen comfy dog beds in the living room to choose from, but she'd rather take a little nap with her head underneath this rocking chair.  Go figure. 

Does this look comfortable to you?  It sure doesn't to me.  But who am I to argue? 

Shadowfax Asleep

Shadowfax the deaf pittie mix snuggling hard against the North Dakota winter. 

She spends a decent amount of time here in her cozy slumber ball and warming blanket.  I you want to check out the slumber ball bed or reflective warming blanket for your four legged friend there are links.  In many respects Shadowfax is a stereotypical pittie (or pittie mix) - lazy as all get-out.  If you want to know what a pit bull dog is like, here it is. 

That is the happy face of a dog that shall always have the finest things in life. 

Indoor Gardening and Pruning

It's been cold here in North Dakota, the third consecutive day where the temps haven't reached above 0. We're not complaining (much), that's winter in North Dakota.  Winter has some enjoyable activities, but it leaves a big gaping hole in our gardening yearnings. Some indoor gardening is in order.   

This is a ficus (ficus benjamina) tree that Alycia's parents had in their house for a number of years.  It belonged to Alycia's grandparents and is probably 20-30+ years old. It's been around for a long while. We've had it in our entryway for a few years and (as you can see above), it slowly grew to take over the East facing window in the entryway and leaving it looking really unbalanced.  Some pruning is in order!

I trimmed a bunch of unruly branches and rotated it. I don't rotate it very often as ficus trees can be finicky about being moved. They're prone to sulking and dropping their leaves if they get drafty or jostled around too frequently. After the trimming, you can finally see the nice window in the entryway with the leaded glass and tulip designs, I knew there was cool window behind all that foliage. 

Indoor gardening isn't as much fun as outdoor gardening, but it's a reasonable substitute for the next few months until the weather warms up and Spring arrives.