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Five Facts You Need to Know Before Choosing an Australian Shepherd

/ Dog Training, My Dogs and Me / By / 183 Comments

Australian Shepherd

Updated May 9, 2022

She’s beautiful, isn’t she?

She’s also smart, athletic, a snap to train, devoted, telepathic, and my right-hand girl. In fact, she’s everything you could want in a dog — and more.

It’s the “more” part that gets most people into trouble. The truth is — for as beautiful and brainy as Australian Shepherds are — they aren’t for everyone.

The question is: Are they for you?

Let me walk you through a few key points … Read More

No Mow May

/ Nature / By / Leave a Comment

no mow may sign If you’re a gardener, you’ve already seen the decline in bees, and maybe even experienced a resulting decrease in crop yield.

wasp nest

Maybe you’ve even resorted to hand pollination, as I’ve had to on a few occasions.

So I’ve become all about the bees, as witnessed by this wasps nest.

You can learn more about why I left them alone in this post which talks about the benefits of wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets.

And letting our lawn go … Read More

What Do People Do When They Don’t Have Bark Alarms?

/ My Dogs and Me / By / Leave a Comment

boxes They Buy Home Security Systems

In all my years on the planet, 90% of them have been spent living with animals. Mostly dogs. I’m still figuring out how to find my way without four-footeds always by my side. It’s weird. So very weird.

I promised Andrew that I would try to make it a year. There’s some traveling he’d like to do where we both get to go together. What a concept! But I’m not sure how long I’ll last. … Read More

The Embodiment of Pure Love

/ My Dogs and Me / By / Leave a Comment

Wink

May 11, 2008 – April 15, 2022

Blenheim Cavalier Spaniel

There has been no other dog filled with as much love and happiness as this little guy. He came by way of a dog for Cait, but as life often has other plans, it wasn’t long before he attached himself fully and completely to me. He and I have been inseparable ever since he made that decision. Literally, in 14 years we’ve rarely been out of each other’s sight. One of the … Read More

If You’re Grumpy All the Time, No One Will Buy You

/ Cait and Me / By / Leave a Comment

Yep, pretty true words from my Yoda daughter back when she was 4 years old. She’d randomly throw out one-liners that just cracked me up!

writing on scrap paper

I have a box full of these scraps I wrote down from when she was little. I call them “Caity-isms.” Whenever I start taking life a little too seriously, I pull one of these out, have a good laugh, and get back to facing the day with the proper attitude.… Read More

When You Become Your Dog’s Seeing Eye Person

/ My Dogs and Me / By / Leave a Comment

I’d be lying if I said we’re not struggling to keep going. The days—and nights—keep taking their toll.

Now along with Wink needing me to always be within sight inside (or he cries nonstop until I am back in view), we’re at the point where, even though we have a huge fenced yard and dog door that he’s used since he was a puppy, he won’t go outside anymore unless he’s tethered to me. So all potty breaks are now … Read More

The Peace of Wild Things

/ Nature / By / Leave a Comment

At a time when life’s uncertainties abound, I am reminded of the strength and healing of nature through the imagery in this poem.

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of

… Read More
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