Sierra arrives!

So yesterday we stopped at RM Tack to see a corgi that was Louey's (lived at Pine Lake until he had a car accident) momma. She had to be spayed when the last litter of puppies didn't survive. They were looking for a good home for her to go to, for free! So I told my mom about her because she thought Louey was awesome too. We went to meet her and it was pretty much love at first sight. She is so amazingly calm, sweet, and adorable. She gave kisses (but not sloppy, nasty ones) an squirmed her way onto the laps of everyone, including Avery. She loves belly rubs and "talks" in a warble-y growl when you do it.

So we brought her home and gave her a bath (she was pretty dusty from living outside) and while she didn't enjoy it, she held still and let us do what we needed to for about a half hour! Then we rubbed her down and let her explore the apartment. She did fine with Riley and Rafferty and even Majik (who isn't a fan of all these dogs showing up). Mom brushed her for ages, she's very tuft-y like Tasha was when she blew her winter coat. So there was lots of fur to be had, and she tolerated that too.

Next stop was my parents house to meet Napoleon who's buddy she was intended to be. She followed him around, sniffing and being a good girl. Poor Polee though was a bit nervous. He really doesn't know how to act around other dogs, so he was just trying to hide. My dad took Napoleon's side of course and was concerned for him. So Sierra and I went outside and had dinner, then I brushed and brushed her some more. I brought her home with me and the kennel Riley used at my parents house.

After a long day she got a little growly at Riley when he started yelping from  his collar. I put her in a little time out in my bedroom after she jumped on him and did a mini-attack. Nobody was hurt but I wanted her to have a break from the chaos. When I brought her back out, she slept on the right side of the couch, Riley on the left while I watched Dog Whisperer until midnight and finally went to bed.

She slept all night in her kennel without so much as a peep. I let her out and she followed me outside. She was  little hesitant to go potty, but then I brought Rafferty out and he peed on the rocks where she decided, oh yeah that's a good idea. I put them back inside and was picking up the towels from her bath yesterday hanging on the chairs outside when Rafferty decided to make a break for it. I chased him down the street and when I looked back, Sierra was running as fast as her little legs could carry her, after me. I caught Rafferty, she stopped to potty on someones lawn and then she trotted along beside me all the way back home.

Yep, I love her. It's a fact.

I know Riley is kind of a jerk to other people, but since he's my dog and he likes me...I don't know, I guess I'm okay with it. I'm dog-sitting Rafferty, Dulcey's dog this week. He is a Cocker Spaniel mix and he's...nutty. He has more energy than I have witnessed in an animal in this household in years. He came bounding into the apartment Sunday afternoon during my Party Lite party. He settled down fairly quickly and was happy as long as he was on someones lap, or being pet. Avery absolutely adores him since he is nice to her and plays with her and generally loves her too. He sleeps in his kennel in her room.

Yesterday I decided he needed a good long walk to rid him of some excess energy. We went for a 3 mile walk and stopped at Subway for a break and I got chips and iced tea. After we got back he still bounded around for a bit, but eventually did lay down. I'm pretty sure he could have gone for another 3 miles. So this morning I was trying to give Majik his treat of cat milk in the bedroom. Rafferty will eat anything food related that is within his reach so I had to put Riley and Majik's food up. When he came in the room while I was giving Maj the milk I told him to get out. He didn't, so I said it again and shooed him towards the door. Well this sent him into a "beaten dog" mode and he shoved himself under my bed trying to get away from my "wrath". Finally I got him up, and he spent the remaining few minutes before I left trying to make sure we were still friends.

Anyway he's here for another 12 days so things will be interesting for awhile yet. Riley isn't pleased with the addition but he'll live. It's made me appreciate him a bit more. Facts like, he won't run away if I leave the door open a crack, and if he does run, me yelling "Stop!" does actually work. Rafferty...not so much. I got to chase him around the neighborhood barefoot. Not fun. Riley doesn't jump all over me or randomly throw himself into my lap. I can calmly pet him in bed as we go to sleep. These are good things. I must remember that when he's barking his fool head off at the door bell. Oh yeah, Rafferty doesn't bark. +1 for him.

So I've been on a crazy cleaning mission that this apartment hasn't seen since we moved in. I mean, not all at once. Normally I'll vacuum one day, scrub the floors another, etc but since I have the Party Lite party on Sunday I decided to do everything. I rented a carpet cleaner from Petsmart and did the carpets yesterday. It was amazing!! All the pee stains from Geronimo vanished with one go over the area. I was pretty impressed. I bought a commercial entry mat from Home Depot to cover the floor now where his pen is. I moved him into the bedroom until the party so there will be more room in the living area. All I have left to do is dust and wash off the patio furniture the day of. Oh and make the food the night before and day of as well. We also have Geronimo's agility at 11:30 and then my friend Dulcey is dropping her dog Rafferty off for me to watch him for 2 weeks while she's traveling. So we'll have a busy Sunday for sure.

Well now I have to go get the rugs out of the dryer and put in the comforters. Everything should be spic and span for the party!

My butt hurts. It's been a few months since I last hopped on a horse for a lesson at Cheri's. Today I rode Diamond in the advanced lesson (but we did things beginner style for me). It had been kind of a chaotic day with not enough help in the first therapy session and one of the boys being rammed in the nether regions by Evander the goat. Poor kiddo. Barkley the min pin got loose and only Cheri can grab him so that caused a little more ruckus. The second therapy session went considerably better as it was only Lydia and Emelia. Avery has been doing her lessons during therapy but since we were shorthanded Cheri needed to help us. After we finished with therapy she asked if I wanted to ride during the next lesson. We didn't have anywhere to be at a certain time so I decided to ride Diamond. We did fairly well I think, with one buck that I managed to hang on for. Ann took some pictures, and unfortunately none were all that flattering of me. I guess it's time to start behaving with food intake again. *sigh*

We stopped at Grandma and Grandpa's on the way back and made a batch of cake pops. Then I ran home and let Riley out and we all went to Chili's for dinner. Once home again we glazed the cake balls and watched part of Dinotopia. Avery is finally in bed after what seems like a non-stop stream of chatter, even during the movie. Sometimes I just want to put myself in a time out for some peace and quiet.

I still get emails from Edina Realty for the houses that come up in my "range" which is a joke, because I could never have afforded them anyway. I don't know why, but I feel the need to take a look at what's there every now and then, even though it only depresses me. Most of the time I feel okay about where Avery and I live, and other times I feel like poop that I can't do better. I really would like a nice little house in North St. Paul where she can go and play in the backyard and I can watch her out the kitchen window like my mom did when I was little. She can still go out and play here, but I feel I need to be out there the entire time. Anyway, feeling bad about it doesn't do any good, so moving on.

Avery had a really good weekend with my cousin Kendra, and the rest of the family too. I honestly don't know the last time I had been out to my grandparents house. It could be as long as 4 Christmases ago. I'll take a look through my pictures and that might give me an idea of when it was. This time I forgot my camera and so had to rely on Mom for the picture taking. She then left her camera in WI so now we won't have the pictures back until it gets sent home.

The trip to Jordan was made today with my friend Ken for company. It definitely made the hour drive go a little faster. Geronimo does indeed have fur mites and was given an injection of Ivermectin. I quite liked Dr. Lancello and he even gave me the next injection to give myself so I don't have to drive back out there in two weeks. I picked up bottles Epi-Soothe shampoo and cream rinse to take care of his itchies for now, and then to keep his butt fur nice and clean and sleek to prevent such big mats from forming since he doesn't do the best job at cleaning his own bum. He weighed in 6.2 pounds and he's teetering on the edge of being overweight. He's not yet, but I have to cut down some of his treats and measure his pellets from now on. Otherwise he is a healthy lil bunny. The whole deal cost me $100 but it could have been a lot worse I suppose. I'm going to hold off on his bath until tomorrow when I have more time for him to dry, and since he's already been stressed out once today.

Avery did it again! I'm cracking up. She just came out of her bedroom and said "Is there anything I can do for you, or something I should put away?" I said no everything's cleaned up, how about I lay with you for a little bit. "Oh, okay." Proceed back to bed. She is so funny! I think she says it that way because I'll ask her to bring her books, or coloring or whatever and put it away before she goes to bed. Sometimes I'll ask her to grab something for me, like my water bottle or slippers. I think it's hilarious that even in her sleep she's trying to help. Makes me think good grief I love that cute lil girl!

Tomorrow I might be making a trip out to Jordan, MN to bring Geronimo to a rabbit doc there who is really good and has great prices. I went to rabbit agility today and asked about what shampoo to use on a rabbit with flakey skin. Someone mentioned it probably was fur mites, not dandruff and that I should get it checked out. I dug around his fur a little bit and looked at the skin and sure enough it does look like a case of mites. So the small critter vet I've been to in the past with my rats, ferrets, and Pete charges $80 just for the office visit. I asked the person running agility if she had any better suggestion that was more affordable and she recommended this guy in Jordan. He only charges $30 or so for an office visit so to save $50 I guess I'm willing to drive an hour away. Now I just have to see when I can make it out there between work and picking Avery up from school and bringing her to Tim's. Hopefully they're open past 5. We'll see. And then my poor neglected bunny can get treated! I feel pretty stupid being a vet tech and not even noticing my own animals problems. But isn't that the way it goes? (It is.)