Heart of a Cowgirl

Bunny Sunday

2012-02-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

A continuation of last week's Rottie/Bunny Wednesday:

Ginger is the brave explorer of the bunch. He always has been, even as a little tiny bun. Always the first to check things out.

"Oh, that's just Boots." No big deal.

I ain't afraid of no stinkin' rottweiler...

Happy Bunny Sunday!

Rottweiler-Bunny Wednesday

2012-02-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

An "anonymous" commenter has accused me of robbing the bunnies of their Bunny Sunday! :) Sorry for that...life has been getting in the way lately.

So, in the interest of fairness, I'm combining Rottweiler Wednesday and Bunny Sunday this week. Good thing we have a bunny loving rottie:

And the bunnies have no fear of her:

She really does love her bunnies and is such a good girl around them.

Even though the devilish look on her face says otherwise...

Happy Rottie/Bunny Wednesday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2012-02-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

Just chillin' in my chair in the sun today:

Life is good! Happy Rottie Wednesday :)

Bunny Sunday

2012-02-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

I'd forgotten about these pics of the bunnies I took back in October.

Makes me want to snuggle up right in the middle of them!

I could use that about now. Been very busy the past week working at the Tucson Gem Show. Another week to go.... It's been a lot of fun, but I miss my bunnies! :(

Happy Bunny Sunday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2012-01-25T10:12:00.001-07:00

AHOY THERE, MATEYS!

I laughed so hard when I saw this picture, taken by my friend Lanae. Boots used to go to Lanae's house a couple of times a week for daycare while I went to the office. Now that I am working from home she hasn't been there in awhile. We went to go visit Lanae the other day and she showed me this pic she had taken of Boots. She really doesn't look too happy in this pic, but she did LOVE going to daycare at Lanae's. Even if she had to play dress-up. It could have been worse Boots...I did see some fairy wings and a little pink tu-tu laying around while we were there....

Happy Rottie Wednesday!

Cowgirl Wisdom for a Saturday Morning

2012-01-21T04:55:00.000-07:00

Just Sayin'...

Rottweiler Wednesday

2012-01-18T06:07:00.000-07:00

Looking back on more pics of Boots as a puppy.

Then:

Now:

Some things never change! Happy Rottie Wednesday :)

Bunny Sunday (a day early)

2012-01-14T06:57:00.001-07:00

You may remember my post from July about Darla, a bunny at Heartland Rabbit Rescue:

She looks so much like my Nutmeg that I wished I could bring her home, but since Heartland is in Oklahoma, that wasn't possible. So instead, I decided to sponsor her.

(Here's Nutmeg, just chillin'. Quite the resemblance.)

Darla had been waiting at Heartland patiently (...well maybe not SO patiently, Rex bunnies are not known for their patience, they have a little bit of 'tude!) for her forever home. Last week, my friend Christina, a Heartland volunteer, took her bunny Whoosh to Heartland to find him a friend. Guess who immediately took to him -- Darla!

And here is the happy couple:

Pretty darn adorable. They give Nutmeg and Patches a run for their money...

I love happy endings. Running a rescue is definitely a labor of love. Unfortunately, it takes more than love to help as many bunnies as possible. Here's how you can help! My fundraiser for the bunnies runs through tomorrow (Bunny Sunday). Simply shop the Mystique Boutique online catalog here and a percentage of each sale will be donated to Heartland. (Please add in the notes section of your order that this is for the Heartland Rabbit Rescue Fundraiser.) Thank you so much for helping out this great cause. I know everyone at Heartland appreciates the support.

Happy early Bunny Sunday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2012-01-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

As promised, the BEST of Rottweiler Wednesday 2011!

January - well, there is no January because Boots hadn't yet found us. She was born around the first of the year and didn't come home with me until she was about 6-7 weeks old...

February - How she got her name:

March - Boots and Rosie sparring:

April - Chewing up mom's gardenia:

May - First trip to Patagonia Lake:

June - Growing into a big girl:

July - Boots hanging out with her cousin, Inca:

August - Cooling off in the pool with Snuffy:

September - Boots and friends (Freckles, Cleo, Inca, and Boots in the back):

October - Working at the Equine Voices booth at the Farmers Market:

November - lounging on her ottoman:

December - Naughty Boots:

That was a fun little journey down memory lane! Time sure does fly. Looking forward to what this year will bring in the Rottweiler Wednesday department. ;)

Fundraiser for Heartland Rabbit Rescue

2012-01-05T08:50:00.002-07:00

Happy 2012! A new year always brings renewed energy, ideas and goals. One of my goals this year is to help my favorite animal rescues by doing more fundraising, so.... I'm jumping right in.

As you can imagine, we are big supporters of bunny rescue and our favorite is Heartland Rabbit Rescue, a nonprofit, no-kill rescue and shelter devoted to providing rescue and care for abandoned and neglected domestic rabbits. (Sandie, Digger, Ginger, Bully and Turbo give them 10 paws up!)

Something new for me this year is that I have signed on as a consultant for Mystique Boutique, a wonderful company that features jewelry, accessories and body care products. This is where the fundraising comes in... being a consultant allows me the opportunity to host an online "catalog boutique", with a percentage of all sales going directly to benefit the bunnies at Heartland. And this is where you, bunny lovers, come in... shop the Mystique Boutique catalog here, order securely online and have it shipped directly to your doorstep. Simply put "Heartland Rabbit Rescue" in the notes section of the order form and Heartland will get credit for your purchase. The bunnies benefit and so do you -- the products are beautiful and well made.

Some of my personal favorites from the Mystique catalog:

This beautiful scarf can be worn tied around your neck or draped around your shoulders shawl-style. It is super soft and luxurious. I never fail to get compliments on this when I wear it. Of course, I LOVE the turquoise color...

And how about this leather cuff...handcrafted by ME! I'm so excited that Mystique Boutique is carrying one of my designs.

Their interchangeable belts and buckles go great with the cuff! I've been wearing this one a lot lately:

And this is the purse/tote that I'm currently carrying. LOTS of room for all your necessities (and then some).

And last, but not least, Mystique also has a great line of body care products, including lotion, goats milk soap, moisturizing sticks, bath salts and their AMAZING shower gems (spoil yourself with one of these!)

The catalog boutique starts today, January 5th and runs through Sunday, January 15th, so you have plenty of time to shop at your convenience. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via e-mail. Thanks in advance for your support of the bunnies at Heartland Rabbit Rescue!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2012-01-04T05:23:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to Boots! I'm not sure of her exact birthday, but I know it was somewhere around the first of the year last year. When we brought her home in February she was about 6-7 weeks old.

Looking all grown up now:

(Thank you to my friend Rose for taking this great pic of Boots at the Farmers Market a few weeks ago)

But still acting like a puppy:

Hard to believe it has been almost an entire year that we have had her...

Next week's post: a month by month stroll through Rottweiler Wednesday 2011...

Have a great Wednesday everyone :)

Best of Bunny Sunday 2011

2012-01-01T07:45:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year everyone! 2011 is in the books. Let's take a trip down 2011 Bunny Sunday memory lane...

January - The Many Faces of Turbo:

February - Baby Boots Meets Turbo

March - Sandie meets "Buns of Steel":

April - I "heart" Bully:

May - Sandie giving thanks that the world didn't end as predicted!

June - All the bunnies, enjoying an apple treat:

July - Darla, the bunny I sponsor at Heartland Rabbit Rescue:

August - Bunnies in the courtyard:

September - Bunny take-over:

October - Ginger with a mouthful of parsley:

November - Nutty and Patch:

December - Santa Bunnies:

Wishing you the very best in 2012!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-12-28T06:20:00.001-07:00

All tuckered out from the Christmas excitement:

Boots loved the stuffed snowman that Santa Claws brought her. He didn't last long, though. His carrot nose was gone after about 5 minutes, then he lost his arms and then she pulled out all of the stuffing! Nothing left now but a melted snowman...

Happy Rottweiler Wednesday everyone!

A Very Merry Bunny Sunday

2011-12-26T06:38:00.000-07:00

Now that the gifts are unwrapped, Christmas dinner is eaten and the guests have gone home... it's TIME!

Time for this year's installation of Little Dancing and Singing Christmas Elf-Bunnies!

The bunnies worked very hard on this one this year. We hope you enjoyed it. Merry Christmas friends!

Cookies anyone?

2011-12-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

I'm doing some baking today and thought I'd share one of my favorite cookie recipes with you. This recipe is courtesy of my friend's aunt and they are so easy and unbelievably DELICIOUS you will never go another Christmas without baking them. I guarantee it!

Cream Cheese Cookies:

1 C. shortening (yep... just don't think about it!)
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 C. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 egg yolks
2 C. flour
1/2 t. salt

Cream shortening, cream cheese and sugar together, then add the remaining ingredients. Drop on an ungreased cookie sheet by teaspoon. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes until edges turn lightly brown. Frost when cool and decorate as desired.

And now, the frosting (an absolute MUST, it's what makes the cookies):

1 lb. powdered sugar
1/4 C. butter
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 C half and half (+ a little extra)

Beat sugar and butter and 1/4 C. half and half till blended, then add extracts and cream cheese. Continue to add half and half until desired consistency.

You still have plenty of time to make these and you will be SO glad you did. Enjoy and Merry Christmas friends!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-12-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

I think I know someone who is getting coal in her stocking this Christmas!

OOPS! Sorry Santa...

Happy Rottie Wednesday to all!

Bunny Sunday

2011-12-18T07:57:00.001-07:00

The bunnies are getting into the holiday spirit. I have to re-post this video! It's a tradition. ENJOY!

Happy Bunny Sunday! XOXO, Sandie, Digger, Ginger, Bully and Turbo (aka. Little Alien Elf Bunnies)

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-12-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

This is the picture I currently have on my desktop:

I've been looking at pictures of baby Boots lately and reminiscing. What happened to that little bitty rottie? I hardly remember her being that small.

She'll be one year old at the end of the month. STILL a puppy, though... an 80 pound puppy.

Happy Rottie Wednesday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-12-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

Mom is heading over to California today for "work". She says she is going to help with her friend's booth at a gem show. Doesn't sound like work to me, sounds like she is just going to have fun.

I can see all the way down the driveway from this chair. I'll just wait here for her to return.

Happy Rottie Wednesday! XOXO, Boots

Bunny Sunday

2011-12-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

SNOW DAY!

This is what we woke up to this morning:

We usually get snow here a couple of times every winter. I think this is the earliest we have ever seen snow, though.

Turbo was content to stay snuggled in my jacket and not get her little bunny-diva feet wet in the snow.

The best thing about our snow... it will be gone by this afternoon. ;)

Happy Bunny Sunday!

Piper

2011-12-01T13:54:00.001-07:00

There's a lot of chatter and debating today on Facebook and other social media sites about the bill that President Obama recently signed into law which now allows slaughter of horses in the U.S. for human consumption (mostly shipped outside of the country). It's been weighing heavy on my mind.

I just wanted to share a few photos of Piper, who was rescued by Equine Voices Rescue and Sanctuary, when she was just 6 months old and headed to slaughter.

Thankfully, due to their efforts, she did not end up on some Europeans' dinner plate. It's hard to think about, but sometimes we have to force ourselves to think about things like this in order to be compelled to do something about it. Please take a moment today to call the White House Comment line. The number is 1-202-456-1111. This is not a recording, there are real operators answering and taking down your comments. State your objection to this legislation and request that it be repealed.

XOXO, Piper and Bridget

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-11-30T05:25:00.001-07:00

We took an 8 hour trip to New Mexico last week to visit Lee's family for Thanksgiving. Of course, Boots went with us. She is such a good little traveler and loves riding in the truck. When she was a puppy, she used to sit in the front seat with us and barely took up any room.

Those days are over!

Although she'd still prefer to ride in the front with us, she compromises by sitting on the back seat and draping herself across the middle console...

Which allows her the option of getting into the back seat and sleeping for 7 of the 8 hours on the trip home (complete with snoring)...

Happy Rottie Wednesday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T04:10:00.001-07:00

This is a repeat pic from last year. It's too cute not to post again. It made me smile and think of my 3 little pilgrims, gone but not forgotten, and very much missed.

What are you especially thankful for this year?

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-11-23T04:07:00.001-07:00

'Nuff said...

Happy Rottie Wednesday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-11-16T04:00:00.001-07:00

I thought it was just a little TOO quiet on the front porch this morning...

Boots: "Ruh Ro".

Ruh Ro is right. What a little monster! And yes, it was an old dog bed that had seen better days, but STILL....

"I think I might possibly be in trouble."

Happy Rotten-weiler Wednesday everyone!

Cowgirl Cave

2011-11-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

FINALLY ~ my very own studio! This has been a long time coming. I've been working in a VERY small space for years now. We had our neighbor build this addition for me and he did a great job. Thanks Mike! I have been having fun moving in, getting organized, arranging and rearranging (and still not done yet).

Boots immediately claimed it for herself (are we surprised??)

The view from my work bench:

I have it set up so I can work from either side of my workbench, depending on what I'm working on. I can leave one project on the bench and still have a clean work space on the other side. What a luxury!

A few shots of the construction in progress - getting ready to pour the concrete (the space to the right is our little dining room)

Walls going up:

Getting there...

View from the road:

Just need to paint the stucco to match the adobe and it's done!

I'm a happy cowgirl. :)

I'm hosting an Open House/Studio Warming Party on December 3rd ~ if you're in the area and would like to come, please do! Send me an e-mail for details. Hope to see you then.

Bunny Sunday

2011-11-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

Reminiscing about Nutmeg and Patches today. A cuter pair was hard to find:

I miss seeing things like this:

And this (miss you, too, Angel):

And this:

And THIS!!!!

This house just isn't the same without them. :( Sure do wish these little bunnies could stay with us longer...

Happy Bunny Sunday ~

Happy 236th Birthday Marines!

2011-11-10T12:59:00.001-07:00

SEMPER FI Devil Bunnies... er, dogs.

Thank you to all Marines, past and present!

XOXO, Drill Instructor Turbo Bunny

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-11-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

I think this was written just for Boots!

"I have no idea what she is talking about."

Happy Rottie Wednesday everyone! XOXO, Boots

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-11-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

I dig dirt.

Happy Rottie Wednesday!

Bunny Sunday

2011-10-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

We're recycling last year's Halloween costumes...

Happy Scary Bunny Sunday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-10-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

How hard can it be to get three dogs to sit down and look at the camera for a picture? Well...

Inca and Freckles were cooperating nicely... I think Boots was distracted by a grasshopper...

And something to the right...

And to the left...

And now even Inca is interested in the grasshopper... C'mon, work with me girls!

Finally, success! Success-minus-one-dog... Sometimes you've just got to take whatever you can get.

Happy Rottie Wednesday!

Bunny Sunday

2011-10-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

A continuation of last week's post... "action" footage ;o

Happy Bunny Sunday! XOXO

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-10-19T16:02:00.001-07:00

Boots and her best buddy Inca:

There was a time not too long ago when they were both the same size. Boots has now passed Inca up by a good 20 pounds.

We took them to Patagonia Lake a few weekends ago when Inca came to stay. Inca is a swimming, stick retrieving MANIAC. Boots likes the water, but she's not that interested in swimming or retrieving. She does like to wait in the water for Inca to bring the stick back and then pounce on her:

And steal the stick...

That scene played out over and over. Neither one ever tired of it. Two puppies, full of energy.

That is, until we were on the way home:

A pair of pooped out pups. Priceless.

Happy Rottie Wednesday!

A little thought for today...

2011-10-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

It shouldn't be surprising that the turtle beat the rabbit over the long run...

Consistent effort, no matter how small, sparks magic, fills sails, butters bread, turns tides, instills faith, summons friends, improves health, burns calories, creates abundance, yields clarity, builds courage, spins planets, and rewrites destinies.
No matter how small.

Let's hear it for the turtle! :)

Bunny Sunday

2011-10-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

The gang's all here...

Enjoying a mid-morning snack of parsley....

Happy Bunny Sunday! XOXO

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-10-12T05:23:00.000-07:00

Boots and I are off to the Farmers' Market again today to tend the booth for Equine Voices. We are there every Wednesday from 10 -2pm. I finally remembered my camera last week to get a picture of Boots in the booth:

She's my secret weapon to lure people over to our booth! Not many people can walk by this face without at least stopping to pet her:

A lot of people bring their dogs to the market, also. Boots has met lots of new friends.

I love that she is so friendly with other dogs. She really has never met one that she didn't like. Big, small, it doesn't matter to her, she just wants to play. :)

We've been enjoying our Wednesdays at the market. We get to be out in the beautiful weather, meet lots of very nice people and talk about the horses (and of course, Piper!). So many people have no idea about the plight of the PMU mares and foals.... Boots and I are happy to help educate people and bring some awareness.

If you are in the area, the market is located in Green Valley off the Esperanza exit just west of the freeway. It runs from 10 -2pm every Wednesday. There are quite a lot of vendors with a nice selection of goods. Our booth is located toward the back of the market. Stop by and visit! I do have my jewelry on display and, as always, will donate a portion of each sale to Equine Voices to help the horses.

Happy Rottie Wednesday! I

Bunny Monday

2011-10-10T12:03:00.002-07:00

Our days are running together lately! This week is starting out well. The weather is beautiful so the bunnies were able to go in their outside casa this morning to hang out. Boots joined them for a game of hide and seek:

Boots: "Found you Bully!"

Oh hey, water... don't mind if I do. (Bully: "ugh, dog slobber")

Ginger: "Where did that darn dog go?"

Boots: "I know they're around here somewhere..."

"Come out, come out, wherever you are..."

Happy Bunny Monday. Have a great week everyone. :)

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-10-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

Boots and her blankie. On her chair. (Seeing a pattern here???)

Happy Spoiled-Rotten Weiler Wednesday!

Cowgirl Wisdom on a Monday Morning

2011-10-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted one of these little gems in awhile. This one seemed fitting to me for what's been going on in my life lately. I'm heading in a new direction with my jewelry business and things have been really coming together --- new selling venues, lots of interest in my designs and new opportunities presenting themselves to me almost daily. It IS exciting...and not knowing what's coming next is part of the fun. I'm just going to roll with it and expect that those unknown "things" will all be good.

Have a great week everyone!

P.S. The bunnies all say hello, taking a little break from Bunny Sunday this week. It's hard work being in demand. :)

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-09-28T05:29:00.001-07:00

Good morning! Boots has a busy day planned today. First thing this morning we are headed out to the Farmers Market in Green Valley to set up and man the boot for Equine Voices, our favorite horse rescue. Last week was our first week doing so and Boots was quite the little ambassador. She greeted everyone who came up to our booth and even drew people over to us by lying under the table and poking her head out from under the tablecloth. Hard to resist that kind of cuteness. Good job Boots!

After the Farmers Market we're picking up her black lab cousin, Inca, who is going to be spending a few days with us. She will be SO happy to see Inca. The 2 of them play non-stop together and are best friends. Lee and I have prepared ourselves to be ignored while Inca is here... apparently we are very boring compared to the fabulous Inca. :( ha ha.

So, yes, a busy day ahead of us. But most days, this is how Boots' day goes:

It's tough being her.

Enjoy your Rottweiler Wednesday!

Bunny Sunday

2011-09-25T08:48:00.001-07:00

Fall weather has arrived! At least in the mornings and evenings here in the desert... The bunnies have been happily spending time in their outdoor casa in the mornings lately.

This is the view of the outdoor casa from our front patio. We can look over and see bunnies running around out there. In fact, you can just see one bunny if you look closely in this pic:

And here's the bunnies' view of our front patio:

Life is good for these little bunnies.

Happy Bunny Sunday everyone. Enjoy the beautiful fall weather!

Bunny Sunday

2011-09-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

Move over Boots, we're taking over:

You got a problem with that?

We ain't afraid of no stinkin' rottweiler.

Happy Bunny Sunday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-09-14T18:03:00.000-07:00

It's OK that I'm on the couch...

RIGHT?

Sure Boots. We can always just sit on the floor...

Happy Rottweiler Wednesday!

Bunny Sunday

2011-09-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

A very solemn Bunny Sunday today...

I will be taking some time today to think about all that I have and all that others lost 10 years ago today. I hope that everyone else will be doing the same....

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-09-07T06:25:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we went over to my friend Patty's place for "workshop day". Inca was with us for the weekend, so she went along. When we got there, not only was Freckles there, but also the neighbor dog, Cleo, who Patty was dog sitting.

4 BIG DOGS IN THE WORKSHOP -- made for a fun day! That's Freckles on the left, Cleo in the middle, Inca on the right and Boots lying down in the back. Everyone got along great and behaved themselves very well.

4 female dogs, no less, and we had NO DRAMA! Maybe it was the sign we put on our "clubhouse" door that said "NO BOYS ALLOWED". :)

Happy Rottweiler Wednesday!

Bunny Sunday

2011-09-04T04:00:00.002-07:00

A follow-up from last week's Bunny Sunday:

And now you know... :)

Happy Bunny Sunday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-08-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

Boots and her buddy Snuffy:

I think we need a bigger pool...

Happy Rottweiler Wednesday!

Bunny Sunday

2011-08-28T11:48:00.002-07:00

I haven't posted any pics in awhile of all of the bunnies together, in one of their "feeding frenzy" shots. This is one of my favorites:

I love how they just line up and are so cooperative with me when I'm trying to take pics! Extra credit to the first person who can name them all. :) And no cheating - in order from left to right!

Happy Bunny Sunday!

Rainbows in the Desert

2011-08-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

I was outside this evening feeding the horses when it started to lightly rain. It has been SO hot these past few days that the rain was a welcome relief. I just kept on about my business, not minding (and actually enjoying) getting rained on. I saw this rainbow and just had to go inside to get my camera.

I didn't notice until I downloaded these pics to my computer that it was actually a double rainbow. Very nice.

I know the horses were definitely not minding the light rain, either. They were happily enjoying their dinner... in the rain...

under a double rainbow...

Life's good. Have a great weekend everyone!

Rottweiler Wednesday (a day late)

2011-08-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Boots and I were gone all day yesterday and didn't get a chance to post. Sorry! I'm house/workshop sitting for my friend while she is out of town which means I get to go over and spend the day "playing" in her workshop. Torching things, firing in the kiln, working on new designs.... FUN!

And Boots gets to go and hang out with her buddy, Freckles. This pic was taken back in April. Who is that little puppy???? She's almost as big as Freckles now...

I always tell everyone that Boots has never met a dog she doesn't like. She's such a friendly girl and great with other dogs. She's very laid back and doesn't need to be the boss, she just goes with the flow. A trait we should all try to adopt into our daily lives. :)

Happy Rottie Thursday!

Bunny Sunday

2011-08-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

This is more like a combo Bunny/Kitty/Rottweiler Sunday... (Turbo on the left, Rosie the kitty in the bunny hay/litter box on the right, and Boots). One big happy family!

Boots likes to sit in front of the bunny condo and visit. The bunnies will come right up and go nose to nose with her and let Boots "groom" them. She was raised with the bunnies (as a puppy, she was about the same size as Sandie, our largest bunny!) so she has learned from a young age that we are always nice to them. :) And she gets along great with Rosie, too.

Yep, it's a zoo around here. And we like it that way.

Happy Bunny Sunday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-08-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

A little clip of Boots playing with her squeaky hedgehog toy. If you listen closely, you can hear her whining/crying as she squeaks it. I wonder if she thinks she is hurting it??? She's such a sensitive girl... :)

Happy Rottweiler Wednesday!

Bunny Sunday

2011-08-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

We're back! Sorry we skipped out on Bunny Sunday last week. No excuse, just being lazy bunnies...

This morning was nice and overcast so the bunnies were able to get outside in the front courtyard and run around.

We sat out with our coffee and watched the show. Lots of running around, binkying and exploring going on.

And nibbling on my plants...

Happy Bunnies!

And Happy Bunny Sunday :)

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-08-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

Going way back into the archives for this one...

Look at that little bitty puppy! She would lie down in the strangest places and fall asleep in a second. She still falls asleep in the strangest places, but now she just takes up a lot more room doing it....

(And yes, those ARE sweats...with cowboy boots.) Quite the combination, don't you think? Lee's going-out-to-feed-the-horses-in-the-morning-look.

Happy Rottie Wednesday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-08-03T20:44:00.001-07:00

A few pics of Boots and her favorite cousin, Inca, when she came to stay with us last month:

Being only 2 months apart, they are perfect playmates for each other. Tons of energy!

Inca had a very bad weekend last weekend. She was bitten by a rattlesnake on Saturday while playing ball with her mom. They had to drive 45 minutes to get to a vet that could treat her. She was struck on the tongue and it swelled up so much that it blocked off her airway and they were lucky to get to the vet in time. SCARY, to say the least.

The good news is, she got out of the hospital yesterday and is doing great! She and Boots will be back in the round pen tearing it up in no time.

Happy Rottweiler Wednesday! Be sure to hug your dog today. :)

Horse years/Human years

2011-08-01T07:20:00.002-07:00

I've never really taken the time to look up how human and horse years compare. Most of us know that every human year = 7 dogs years, so that's pretty easy to compute. I found this information about horse to human age comparison:

First horse year = 12 human years
Second horse year = 7 human years
Next three horse years = 4 human years each
Subsequent years = 2 1/2 human years each

Sassy is 12 years old, so that makes her 48.5 in human years.

Our big boy Chini, who just turned 5, is 31 in human years (that's Phoenix in the background)

My baby Piper, who just turned 4 years old, is already 27 in human years (she's growing up so fast...sniff, sniff...)

I couldn't resist putting in a pic of her as a little girl, not quite a year old, when I first brought her home:

Phoenix is a young 34 years old, so that actually makes him 103.5 years old! I can only hope I age as well as he has.

Of course, even though horses age much faster than humans, they also age better. And it also depends on a lot of factors such as their genetics, size and lifestyle. Phoenix is such a spoiled old guy, I'm sure he will live to see 40. Just imagine --118.5 in human years!

Bunny Sunday

2011-07-31T16:25:00.000-07:00

Spying on Turbo:

Happy Bunny Sunday :)

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-07-27T12:56:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone. Happy Wednesday! Boots is now almost 7 months old. Caught somewhere between a puppy and a big dog. I look back at those puppy pictures and wonder where that little roly-poly thing went.

She has big dog teeth:

And a mischievous little puppy smile:

100% irresistible rottweiler:

Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-07-20T10:23:00.000-07:00

66 pounds. That is what Boots weighed in at this morning. Hard to believe she is such a big dog now. And not even 7 months old! I'm thinking another 20-25 pounds when it's all said and done. And rotties actually don't fill out completely until they are around 3 years old. Yikes.

This is "her" ottoman. She has claimed it and that is the way it is. Once she decides something should be hers, you might as well give it up. Don't you love the look she is giving me? "Don't even think about it mom".

If someone happens to be using "her" ottoman, she'll just lay on top of them. That is my nephew's feet under there. He eventually just got up and moved.

Boots: "He shouldn't have even been there in the first place."

Did I mention that rotties are also very stubborn and like to get their way???

Happy Rottweiler Wednesday everyone!

Bunny Sunday

2011-07-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

Wrigley and Tiger are visiting this week. Their mom is out of town, so they are here at "Camp Bunny"...

This isn't their first visit, so they are pretty comfortable here. I'd say Tiger is REALLY comfortable here...

I got a little freaked out when I saw him lying there like that...I had to wake him up to make sure he was ok! He didn't appreciate it. Sorry Tiger! But, it didn't take him long before he flopped over again and zonked out.

These guys are so cute together. I know I've said it before, but they remind me of Patches and Nutmeg. Best buddies. And it didn't take them long to find one of Patches and Nutmeg's favorite spots to hang out. Maybe they can feel their presence still there. I like to think so.

Happy Bunny Sunday everyone!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-07-13T23:00:00.001-07:00

Boots had a playmate all last week. We were taking care of my cousin Jennie's dog, Inca, while Jennie went out of town. Inca is 8 months old. Boots is now 6 months. 2 puppies with endless energy! They were a perfect match for each other.

We took them to the lake over the weekend. Inca is a true lab - it was hard to get her out of the water. Boots loves the water, too, but she's not crazy about actually swimming. She likes to go out into the water only as far as she can still touch. She watched Inca retrieve the stick over and over...

AND she discovered something she really likes to do better than swim:

OH GREAT...

But, I have to admit, it did make me laugh. Such a puppy. Still.

Happy Rottweiler Wednesday everyone!

Bunny Sunday

2011-07-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

My friend Christina, who lives in Oklahoma and volunteers with my favorite bunny rescue group, Heartland Rabbit Rescue, shared a "Bun of the Day" on her FaceBook page a few weeks ago. This is what it said:

Bun of the day: Darla

The tattoo in her ear reads 90210 but Beverly Hills was not the lifestyle Darla lived. Slender frame, saggy dewlap and the tat all scream that she was used for breeding. Never again precious Darla. A chocolate rex, her coat is like fine velvet. She likes posing for pictures so if she were to adopt you get ready to take constant snapshots of this princess. Darla needs love and lots of it. With time you may be able to convince her not all humans are bad and when she lays her head on your lap with trust in those big brown eyes, all will be right with the world. Darla's song......"I will survive"

And this is Darla:

My first thought was, "Wow, she looks just like my Nutmeg!". I kept going back to the pic and looking at it and thinking about (and missing) Nutty Brown...

Quite the resemblance, huh?

So, in Nutmeg's honor, I decided that I would sponsor Darla. She could be an honorary member of our family. Nutmeg would definitely approve.

Sponsoring a bunny is a great way to help with expenses, vet care, etc. It's only $45 a year. For your donation/sponsorship you get a sponsorship certificate, a 5x7 photo of your rabbit, three cards from your rabbit throughout the year and a fridge magnet with your rabbit's picture on it. And a warm, fuzzy feeling that you are doing something to help a sweet bunny! Check out the bunny bios on Heartland's website, I'm sure there is a special bunny waiting just for you. :)

Happy Bunny Sunday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-07-06T04:00:00.002-07:00

I picked up a new hammock over Memorial Weekend, intending to get it put up back then. We finally got it up this past weekend. It took me that long to decide where I wanted it! I think I'm happy with the location between these 2 mesquite trees. They are big enough to offer a nice shade canopy for a relaxing little snooze.

And, more importantly ~ Boots approves!

I'm not sure who will be spending more time in the hammock ~ her or me...

Happy Rottweiler Wednesday!

Bunny Monday and Happy 4th!

2011-07-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

We hope that everyone is having an enjoyable long holiday weekend. Fly your flag, go take in a small town parade, eat some watermelon and most of all, remember what this day means to all of us Americans. Enjoy!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-06-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to post pics all day today and Blogger will just not allow it :( We may be having Rottweiler Thursday this week...

So, I reached into the blog archives for the very first Rottweiler Wednesday. Enjoy!

Bunny Sunday

2011-06-26T10:53:00.001-07:00

Nutmeg and Patches always knew how to conserve energy when summertime rolled around here in the desert:

And since the daily forecast has looked something like this for the past week:

108, 110, 109, 107, 108... we're all doing a lot of lounging around like these two lazy bunnies... humans included!

Happy Blazin' Hot Bunny Sunday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-06-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

Transforming into a big dog right before my very eyes:

She's getting SO big.... but still very much a puppy.

Happy Rottweiler Wednesday everyone!

Bunny Sunday

2011-06-19T16:16:00.001-07:00

I took these pictures a few months ago, before it got so BLASTED hot outside and the bunnies could still get outside for a bit everyday in their outdoor casa.

I get the best pics of them when I bring out a treat and let them have at it.

I like the up-close pictures of them when they are eating something tart. The faces! Always makes me laugh. (Laughing WITH you bunnies, not at you)

Happy Bunny Sunday everyone!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-06-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

One of Boots' new favorite things... riding in the jeep.

She can't wait to get in when we tell her we're going for a ride. I bought her a harness so she is securely strapped in and she can either sit in the back seat or in between the front seats when we're cruising along.

I love dogs. They completely live in the moment and get so much joy from the little things. This video clip says it all!

Bunny Sunday

2011-06-12T10:21:00.001-07:00

Today's bunny treat: ROSES

MMMMM... one of their favorites! Usually, I cut off 5 individual roses from Angel's rosebush, one for each bunny. They happily much away on their own little rose snack.

Today, they got a little bouquet to share. They made quick work of it, stem and all.

If you've never given roses as a treat to your bunny, just be sure to break the thorns off the stem. And also make sure no pesticides have been used on them. I never use any kind of pesticide on any of my flowers or vegetables for that very reason. And as for fertilizer.... we only use bunny poop!

Happy Bunny Sunday!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-06-08T09:07:00.001-07:00

At first, we thought the idea was a little silly. But the more we thought about it and talked about it, the more sense it made. Doggy Daycare.

Most days I work from home. But, several days each week I have to actually go to my office in town to work. That creates a dilemma with Boots being at home alone. She doesn't have free run of the house (yet) and we hate to put her in her crate for more than a few hours. And it is too hot now to put her out in the courtyard (plus she figured out how to jump over the wall). So, off to doggy daycare for Miss Boots! Here she is on her first day with her sitter, Lanae, and 3 new "little" friends:

The little ones really didn't know what to think about this new beast. There was a lot of yapping going on. Boots just wanted to run around them in circles and play. It's so good for her to be around other dogs and learn how to play nice.

We don't have any grass at home, so this green stuff was a real novelty for her. And hey, her own fire hydrant!

I'm sure she can't wait to go back again. What a spoiled rotten-weiler...

Happy Rottie Wednesday! XOXO, Boots

Hot and Hazy Weather

2011-06-06T10:30:00.001-07:00

And it's not just due to the 100+ degree heat. We have a wildfire burning on the other side of this mountain (that you can barely see through the smoke). It's quite a ways away, but the smoke is traveling this way. I don't think they have it even close to being contained, but I read that it is not threatening any homes, so that is good.

As I was taking this pic, I noticed something on the top of this agave stalk:

Hello Beauregard!

Don't worry little buddy, we're safe here.

Keeping our fingers crossed for some rain to help fight these fires...

Bunny Sunday

2011-06-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Ginger and Turbo had some outside time this morning in the courtyard. The other bunnies were being lazy and didn't want to get up from their naps.

They ran around a bit and did some exploring before it got too hot out.

What? Everyone else is getting a treat?

We're outta here. Happy Bunny Sunday!

Beauregard Returns

2011-06-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

My little hummingbird buddy has returned every day since our very special encounter last Friday. Although I suppose there are probably more than one of his kind buzzing around here, I prefer to think it is him. :)

Since everyone was as amazed as I was by what occurred, I am posting a little video clip of Beauregard sitting in my hand. He doesn't do much more than sit there, but you get a better idea of the beautiful colors he sports. Enjoy!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-06-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

Boots went in for her spay surgery yesterday. All went well, but she was pretty out of it the rest of the day. By the evening though, she wanted to go outside, so we sat on the patio for a bit. Is this a pathetic pooch, or what? Poor Boots!

This morning though, she bounced right out of bed at her usual 4:45 a.m. She even went out and fed the horses with Lee. Dogs are great, they just roll with the punches and keep on going. We all should be more like them!

She's now 5 months old and weighing in at 47 lbs. A full 40 lbs. more than this little furball I brought home back in February:

Happy Rottweiler Wednesday!

Freaky Friday

2011-05-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

I just experienced one of the freakiest but COOLEST things. I was out on the front patio with Boots when I heard a "thud" on the glass of the front door. I turned around and there at my feet was a tiny little hummingbird, knocked out from the impact. I scooped it up before Boots could even think about it. (AND I was lucky enough to have my camera in hand, hoping to catch Boots doing something cute).

Poor little guy (girl?) was out cold. I held it in my hand like this for at least 10 minutes before it finally started to stir. I was getting worried that it had died. I just kept looking at it, amazed at it's tiny size and iridescent bright purple and green feathers.

After it finally opened it's eyes and perked up, I figured it would fly off. But, it didn't. It opened up it's wings and held one of them out to the side. I thought that it had broken it's wing. I was thinking, "I wonder if I can keep a hummingbird as a pet?" How would I feed it? (yes, seriously these thoughts went through my head!)

So, I tried it:

I think I almost fell over when it stuck it's little beak in the feeder! All I could think was "how many people get to hold a hummingbird in their hand while it is drinking from a feeder?"

It sat there like this for another 5 minutes or so, drinking off and on while I watched, completely mesmerized by this surreal situation.

And then, all of a sudden it started to "vibrate" in my and and it flew off into one of our mesquite trees. Just like that. Leaving me to think, "Did that just really happen?"

I did a Google search to find out what kind of hummingbird it was. Turns out it is a Costa's Hummingbird. Apparently, Tucson is located in their summer breeding territory. The Costa's Hummingbird was named after French nobleman Louis Marie Pantaleon Costa, Marquis de Beauregard.

See you at the feeder tomorrow Beauregard?

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-05-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

We took Boots for her first trip to the lake last weekend. Patagonia Lake is a little lake about 35 miles south of us, a nice little day trip. We stopped and had breakfast on the patio of a little Mexican Cafe first and then made our way to the lake.

Boots LOVES the water. I knew she would, she really likes to splash around in the hose when I'm watering my plants and flowers. She had fun going out and retrieving sticks. Just not TOO far out...

I can see that pretty soon, though, she'll be swimming around out in the deeper water. She just has to get it figured out.

She's getting a lot of new experiences lately. We are making sure to expose her to new places, new things, people, other dogs, etc. It's SO important at this stage in her young life and will make for a very well adjusted dog later on.

We had a very tired out puppy on the ride home.

And a tired puppy is a good puppy...

I GIVE UP!

2011-05-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

OK Piper, you win. We've been fighting this fight for a long time now. Just when I think we're making some progress, I go out to find this:

A HUGE chunk of mane missing right from the middle.

I've tried just about everything to keep her from rubbing her mane off. MTG, witch hazel, even diaper rash cream! Nothing works. Once summer rolls around, she starts rubbing with a vengeance and this is what we end up with.

Oh, and to add to her "bad hair" issues, the top half of her mane falls on the right side of her neck while the bottom half falls on the left. I've also been working on that, banding her hair on the top to train it to fall on the left.

Nice Piper. I don't think you'll be winning any beauty awards for that mane anytime soon!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder anyway, right?

Bunny Sunday

2011-05-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

Sandie: "Thank you for not making the world end yesterday. Amen."

Turbo: "Whew, I'm so glad I didn't give away my life savings!"

Happy Bunny Sunday... and many more to come!

Blogger Behaving Badly

2011-05-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

It's not my fault that I missed posting for Rottweiler Wednesday ~ really, it's not! Blogger has had a glitch and I haven't been able to upload any photos. I tried and tried and finally gave up. Grrrrr.

So, better late than never... I'm sharing a pic of my friend Brett with her 3 rotties, Xena, Tasha and Loki (RIP Loki - we miss you)...

Brett and I definitely share a love of rottweilers. She knew Angel from the day I brought her home and I have known all of her rottweilers, including Jake, who was her first (and crossed the bridge many years ago). She hasn't met Boots in person yet, though, since she now lives across the country. But, we still share many a story about the silly antics of our "kids" and she gets to see her growing up on this blog... :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Bunny Sunday

2011-05-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

Random silly Patches pic:

I wonder what she was thinking in this pic???

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-05-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

"I'm practicing my 'mean rottweiler' look. Are you scared yet?"

"Not even a little? What am I doing wrong?"

I guess I just don't have it in me.

XOXO,
Boots

Bunny Sunday

2011-05-08T07:43:00.000-07:00

In honor of Mother's Day, a few pics of the baby bunnies with their mama:

Family dinner:

Down time:

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there, no matter what your "kids" look like!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-05-04T07:12:00.000-07:00

Remember this little furball? Seems like only yesterday she was this small.

Oh, how time flies... Sometimes I look at her and think, "who is this big dog?" We weighed her yesterday and she is now up to 38.5 lbs. Incredible.

This is how she spends her afternoons... napping away on her bed on the front porch.

She may be getting big, but she's still just a little 4 month old puppy. :)

Bunny Sunday

2011-05-01T10:44:00.001-07:00

A nice, lazy Bunny Sunday today. I'm sitting out in the front courtyard typing this post, the sun is out, a slight cool breeze is blowing, the hummingbird's are feeding at my feeder, Boots is napping by the gate... life is good.

Thinking of Nutty and Patches this morning. They loved to come out in the courtyard and explore. I found these pics in the bunny archives. I just happen to be sitting in this very chair:

I really miss this big bunny...

And this little brown bun (and that's Angel on the other side of the fence). Miss them all so much! Gone, but never forgotten...

We're bunny sitting this coming week for Wrigley and Tiger (who were last here at Christmas-time). They are the cutest lop and Dutch couple. I have a feeling they will be guest posting next Sunday....

Happy Bunny Sunday!

Farewell Gardenia

2011-04-28T04:00:00.001-07:00

Poor gardenia, I knew it's days (hours, hell minutes, in this case) were numbered after Boots uprooted it yesterday. No sooner had I published my Rottweiler Wednesday post when I went back out on the porch to find this:

What? No, it's not what you're thinking. It wasn't me Mom. Actually that plant attacked me. I was just defending myself.

UGH! That little booger. She just couldn't leave it alone. It might have lived to flower another day, but she fixed that. All that was left was the root ball.

Ahhh...puppies. I knew better, too. I don't know if this is just a Rottie trait, but once they get on to something, it will never be safe again until they have completely dominated (destroyed) it.

Poor gardenia never had a chance!

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-04-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

I planted a really pretty gardenia in a big pot next to my front door. It was starting to fill out and even get some buds on it.

Enter rottweiler puppy:

I walked outside to find the entire plant uprooted, leaves, branches and dirt strewn about (I quickly salvaged what I could and re-potted it, hoping it might still live):

Unsupervised puppy + newly potted plants = bad combination.

Seriously, though, who could be mad at this face for very long???

Easter Bunny Sunday

2011-04-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! Wishing you a peace filled, relaxing day...

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-04-20T07:32:00.001-07:00

Boots is coming up on 4 months old. I know I keep saying this, but she is getting SO BIG! We weighed her the other day and she has now topped 30 pounds. 30.5 to be exact. I love that I have this blog as a means to share her growth and also to go back and see the progression.

Getting tall, too:

I took these pics the other day (notice in the background - Angel's rosebush is full of blooms!)

Happy Rottie Wednesday everyone! Mwaaa!

XOXO, Boots

Bunny Sunday

2011-04-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

Perfect timing ~ my bunny bracelet is featured today in this great Etsy Treasury of nothin' but bunnies! (Click the link to view the actual Treasury and be taken to each artists shop in order to purchase one of these beautiful items for someone's Easter basket, if you are so inclined :)

Another reason this Treasury is such great timing ~ Easter is only a week away and for rabbits, that often means bad news, as people buy rabbits as impulse gifts for their children. This leads to countless rabbits being abandoned months later when they are no longer "cute". If you are thinking about adding a rabbit to your family, please do some research (The House Rabbit Society has a wealth of information at http://www.rabbits.org/) and adopt from your local rescue. Know that rabbits can live to be 10-12 years old and that they are social creatures, they love human interaction and should never be left outside in a hutch.

Our Patches was an Easter bunny ~ bought for a little girl's Easter basket and kept in a small cage more appropriately sized for a guinea pig. Within months, the novelty had worn off and Patches was on Craigslist looking for a new home.

Bunnies are special little creatures and can bring a lot of joy into your home, just like Patches did to ours. But PLEASE, adopt from a rescue, do your bunny homework and love them their whole lives. You'll be glad you did!

Piper

2011-04-14T06:07:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday was the Equine Voices fundraiser. Piper was one of three featured adopted horses for the event. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate and it rained the whole day. AND it was cold. Ugh.

This picture was taken by one of the volunteers, Rose Mayer (she has a photograph/video business, Unique Views of Nature). I can't get over how big Piper looks in this pic! We had a little demonstration planned (I was going to ride Piper through some obstacles and generally show how she has progressed in her training, but due to the rain, that part of the event was cancelled). Darn.

2 years ago (and I can't believe it has been that long already!) Piper was also one of the featured horses. At that time, she wasn't even 2 and I had not begun riding her. I just walked her through some of the obstacles and showed some of the ground work training we were working on at that time. Check out that post here. It's amazing to me to look back and see how she has grown.,

Even though we didn't get to "perform" on Saturday, Piper was still able to show off a little. I turned her out in the arena and she ran laps around that thing, kicking up her heels and having a great time. Scroll down to the very bottom of the blog to check out a slide show of an awesome series of pics of Piper running around (photos by Scotter Grubb).

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-04-13T05:00:00.001-07:00

Boots is getting so big! She weighs almost 30 lbs now. I can't believe how quickly she has grown:

Right before my eyes and overnight it seems:

From plump little furball:

To this!

We are enjoying every minute of watching this little girl grow and learn. So much fun to teach her new things and see her catch on quickly. Right now we're working on learning how to walk on a leash. She likes to carry the leash in her mouth while walking along. Such a puppy.

Enjoy your Rottie Wednesday!

Bunny Monday

2011-04-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

AGAIN. Sundays have been getting away from us lately.

I found this pic of Bully in the archives. Face to face with the (bald) bunny topiary. Anyone ever had luck with those things? I thought it would be so cute when it filled in. But it never did. I'm still willing to give it a try, though. Anyone have any helpful hints? (It would probably be very helpful if I lived anywhere but in the hot desert, now that I think about it!)

I'll bet Bully was thinking something like, "Why are you so ugly?" Poor bunny.

Have a great week everyone!

You Might Be a Redneck If...

2011-04-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

You get excited about a new manure spreader!

That's what kept coming to mind as I was thinking about writing this post. So, OK, I must be a redneck...because this thing is GREAT!

If you have horses, I know you understand where I'm coming from. Our former method of cleaning stalls with a wheelbarrow, emptying the wheelbarrow into an old truck bed trailer and then emptying the trailer BY HAND with a shovel when it was full was just not cutting it anymore...

Now all we have to do is load up the "Newer Spreader" and drive it to wherever we want to spread it.

Boots loves going along for the ride:

Once you get to where you want to spread it, you just engage a lever on the spreader and start driving. The spreader grinds up the manure and lays down a nice, neat strip. Not only does it amend the soil, but it helps to keep the flies down, since the manure is ground up and dries quickly. Bonus!

This is at the back of our property on a cleared area that we don't really use. Someday we would like to put in a small riding arena here, so we're putting the manure out here to soften up the soil. We also bring manure over to several of our neighbors who use it around their fruit trees. So nice of them to take it off our hands. :)

When we finally decided we needed a better method of cleaning stalls and getting rid of our manure, we googled "manure spreader" and found the Newer Spreader website. And, lucky for us, there was a distributor here in Tucson. We called them up and Peter and Michelle were so nice, they even let us come over to their house so we could see the Newer Spreader in action. We were sold and ordered one that day. (If you're in the Tucson area, Peter and Michelle's contact information is on the Newer Spreader website under the "Local Dealers" link.)

And now, everybody is happy.

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-04-06T04:00:00.002-07:00

Boots is a little smarty pants. She learned how to sit after 3 tries. And she's working on "down". Since the time this video was taken a few days ago, she has also learned how to shake!

She's had way-too-cute-for-her-own-good figured out since Day 1. I'm such a proud mom. :)

Bunny Monday

2011-04-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, Bully here. We were all being lazy bunnies yesterday and missed our Sunday post. Sorry! Better late than never, as they say.

A few pics of my favorite bunny --- ME!

Lounging around, with my brothers Ginger and Sandie...

Wishing everyone a warm, sunny week, wherever you are! XOXO, Bully

Rottweiler Wednesday

2011-03-30T06:57:00.000-07:00

Rosie and Boots have become pretty good friends. Well, maybe friends is not quite the right term...

Sparring partners might be a better term...

Rosie is being a good kitty, though, and not using her claws at all. She just gives Boots 3-4 good bops on the nose with her paw.

Boots gets a really puzzled look on her face like, "what just happened?"

Then she throws in the towel and gives up.

Rosie: "I win again".

Attack of the Killer Tumbleweed

2011-03-29T13:58:00.002-07:00

We had some really strong winds the other day. This monstrosity of a tumbleweed took up residence on the side of our road: (might not look that big here, but....)

Check this beast out! Literally, taller than me.

I couldn't resist getting a picture with it. Lee thought I was a little crazy, but he obliged. I've never seen one this big.

I just know there's a good scary movie plot waiting here.... kinda like "The Blob", only not as slimy...

I hope I don't wake up tomorrow and find this thing in my front yard!

Bunny Sunday

2011-03-27T07:56:00.001-07:00

Sandie Meets a New Friend:

"Hi, what's your name?"

"Mind if I share some of your rose bush?"

The bunnies had some outside time in the front courtyard the other day. They all ran around in the sun, binkying and exploring every nook and cranny. Sandie discovered my mini-rosebush and "Buns of Steel". My brother gave me this bunny for Christmas last year (kinda reminds me of my Nutmeg). The rosebush was a gift from my friend last summer after we lost Angel. So, both are pretty special. Of all my plants, this rosebush is the only one on the patio that made it through the winter and already has lots of new growth. Yellow roses soon... :)

Happy Bunny Sunday!