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Should I Get a Mini Australian Shepherd or a Regular Standard Australian Shepherd? What Are the Differences?

/ Cait and Me, Dogs in General / By / 44 Comments

Mini Australian ShepherdI cannot tell a lie. I’m wavering. I’d initially wanted to wait at least a year before bringing another dog into my life. I’m blaming it all on my daughter, Cait.

She’s been having me look at Aussies in Rescue and Shelters for her. She’s thinking she wants a Mini Aussie with a tail. Specifically a Mini Aussie Blue Merle. This is the girl she has her heart set on. She’s also thinking smaller is better for apartment living.

Looking … Read More

How to Disable and Remove Important Labels in Gmail

/ Tech Tips & Product Reviews / By / 24 Comments

Depending on the email client you use, you may see every and I do mean ev-er-y single email marked with a bright yellow IMPORTANT  label. It’s maddening to keep unchecking them to only have the next email reappear as important. Again.

Here’s the only fix that works to stop Gmail from marking all emails as important.

If you don’t want emails getting marked as important, go to mail settings > inbox  – disable Importance markers, and then set up a … Read More

A Conundrum

/ Nature / By / Leave a Comment

Cheeky little fellow. Without dogs or cats to scare him away, he’s happy to hang out on our front porch and take in the sights.

chipmunk on porch

Our front and back yard are now overflowing with chipmunks who’ve moved in. Which presents a conundrum. Do I take a live-and-let-live policy (as has been my policy with all outdoor animals) and leave them alone? Or do I find a way to actively move them along? I don’t need more burrowing or house-entering critters.… Read More

Wonder How Long…

/ My Dogs and Me / By / Leave a Comment

…it will take before seeing an open gate will no longer trigger a reflexive heart-clutching moment?

open gate

It’s been 3 months since Wink joined the rest of our animal family on the other side.

When they were all here, if I’d come upon a gate left open like this, I’d have somebody’s head for being so unconscious. That’s after I’d have spent the next few hours chasing dogs down the street while screaming at cars to slow down, and running through … Read More

How to Tell if Pavement is Too Hot for Your Dog’s Paws

/ Dogs in General / By / Leave a Comment

When Are Sidewalks and Roads Too Hot for Your Dog’s Paws?

The Seven-Second Test

There’s a simple seven-second test to check whether the pavement is too hot for your pet’s paws. Just touch the pavement with the back of your hand for seven seconds.

temperature sign

If you can’t hold your hand there for the full seven seconds, then it’s also too hot for your dog’s paws. Same difference, if you walk barefoot and can’t tolerate the pavement heat, neither can your … Read More

Want to Know Which Bird is Singing What Song?

/ Nature / By / Leave a Comment

There have been a lot of changes in the past year. It’s been interesting to see how Wink’s and Finn’s absence have been telegraphed through our little wild kingdom.

One of the most noticeable differences is in the number of birds that now feel comfortable in much closer proximity to our house.

When Wink and Finn were here, pretty much zero came inside our fence. Just this afternoon, there were several that I could single out by sight and sound, … Read More

Memory Lane Can be a Mixed Bag

/ Cait and Me, My Dogs and Me / By / Leave a Comment

Spring cleaning turned up this photo from a long-forgotten box tucked far back in a closet. Two of my favorite girls in the world.

Cait and Kiera

Hard to believe that one left the planet almost a decade ago. It seems like just yesterday we were running around a field chasing sheep. Me, in fits of laughter. She, annoyed that I wasn’t being more serious about holding up my end of the job. She was so good, there was really nothing for me … Read More

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