Winter 2017

It has been a cold and snowy winter so far, but I think we've had more sunny days than in previous years. When it's so beautiful out I just can't stay inside, so I take my camera and take the dogs for a walk. Hence the hefty dose of pictures. 

These first three photos were taken after it snowed the first time, but before the second big load dumped.

Kate wanting to get in with the cows. Our cows aren't dog broke and she's not confident enough to push them yet. She'll only bite them if they charge her or the fence instead of every time they get into a staring contest. I plan to take her to a training in The Dalles once the snow and mud abate a little.

The people in The Dalles are a very kind couple who has Australian Shepherds. I took an obedience class with the women last February, and I really liked her and her methods. The only thing that I didn't particularly like is that she was too nice-she never got after people for doing it wrong, or not having done their homework the week before. The husband is the one who teaches herding, and I've not seen a him actually training yet. I don't know if they have experience with really hard working bred dogs, because all their dogs are AKC bred. The AKC breeders typically breed for show not work, though there are a few AKC real working dogs. I've also seen a dog that they trained "in action," and it was totally worthless. I have no clue how long it was since it'd been worked or had it's initial training with these folks, so I can't really judge much there. Anyway, I head into it with hopes and at least they'll have dog broke critters for me to start Kate on. 

 My Chinchilla's (Cyprus) litter. She had ten and they are all alive and healthy. I think I have three girls and seven boys. They've been in the shop since they were born because it's been so cold. I hope to get them back outside this week-if it gets to 40 like it's supposed to. That way they will be able to acclimate somewhat rather than me just tossing them out with a 40 degree temperature difference. 

I guess these pictures didn't upload in order-the next few are from Saturday.

Bonny

Li goes for walks with us usually whenever the weather is nice. She's a spoiled rotten little thing.

   

Her and Kate have some sort of a love-hate relationship coming on. They hang out and eat lilacs sometimes, but then Li will headbutt Kate, or Kate will start stalking Li. 

I like shadow pictures.

Dove lazing in the sunshine.

The rest, which should have been before the last set, were taken last Monday. Like, over a week ago Monday.

The huge drift on our deck. 

Kate in Flicka and Emmy's pen. 

 I couldn't even see, much less get to the cow trough!

A few minutes of hard shoveling unearthed it though. 

We've had snow for so long that the does aren't avoiding like the plague as they have in the past. I've even seen them romping and playing in it a few times now.

After sleeping out on the snow or ice all winter, the ducks finally decided to go into their little shed-for one day. They are still continuing to go in at night though.

This is the duck shed all snowed in...

...and this is after I shoveled, to give you a perspective of the depth of the stuff.

The path to the sauna. I just need to light the stove and zoom out to get a really great picture of a "cabin" in the snow with smoke curling upwards!