Friday's home improvement work

 

Before we get to the home improvement work of the day, I bring you the Ember chronicles.  I have no idea what started her on a zoomies / digging spree, but that's kind of how our day started.  

She did not want to be polite about putting on her harness, so Mommy said "no walkies until you are ready".  And we did a "four paws in" to the crate so we got a better shot at getting her into the harness when she came back out.

That worked, but then we had "discussions" about getting the leash clipped and letting Mommy have her end of it.  Mommy just kept persistently saying that if you don't follow the human rules, you're not ready.

Eventually Ember decided to follow the rules, and we went for a once around the block walk before the electrician arrived.  She was put into her safe space (crate) shortly before Bruce arrived.

Bruce the electrician installed three new fixtures for me, and gave me an assessment of what was going on with the motion sensor light in the back.  Turned out the light fixture had gone bad, so we found something that will combine floodlight and security camera that he can come back and install when it arrives.

The three things?  Exhaust fan in the half bath off the master bedroom.  Ceiling fixture in the laundry room.  And the prize:  over the counter light in the kitchen.

I had Bruce boost it to the brightest setting (it's LED, had several choices) because of the cataract in the left eye not having been taken care of yet.

Bonus:  cleaning behind the microwave and that entire counter.  Doesn't it look marvellously puppy-proof?

Unintended consequences of the assessment of the motion sensor light fixture is that the older bulb in it broke.  So I had to also do some extra cleanup on the deck.

As Bruce was wrapping up, the doorbell rang.  It was Nate, the sprinkler repair specialist.  He was here to fix the cracked valve on the backflow control, and restore the water to the sprinklers.  He brought along a crew of two young men who would be working on the sprinkler heads today.  He checked out the flagging in the back yard, and the paint on the grass back there, and pronounced that even if the flags were removed (by Ember) he would still be safe doing his work.  That work will be split between today and next Monday. 

In the meantime, Ember can have her back yard back for the weekend, meaning she can be unleashed!  We shall see how Mommy implements this.

I finished up the sweeping of the deck before letting Ember out for a leash walk through the back yard, and an introduction to Ben (one of the young men) in the front.  Then we had a very brief biological walk before coming back inside and cooking Mommy some breakfast.

Ember supervises the new phase of work, in this shot.

After a trying day yesterday, today seems to be (knock wood) going much better.  I am hoping that trend continues, as Zoom Room is having their 1st Anniversary in business at this location party at 6 p.m., and I signed Ember up as attending.

Life is good.  Spark on!

Oddities of Ember

 

Anybody else have a puppy that "sits" while drinking from their water bowl?  This strikes me as a bit unusual, but maybe I'm wrong.

Thursday in Emberville has been less than stellar.  It started out by mommy letting herself sleep a little longer, so breakfast was half an hour late.  Ember was not pleased, and gobbled her breakfast so fast she gagged and vomited it onto Mommy's carpet.  Sigh.  Note to self:  Never oversleep puppy breakfast time.

She's was on two leash walks in the morning, one before mom went to work out, one after.  During the one after, a young couple asked if they could pet her, and I responded "as long as she behaves herself".  Well, Ember rolled onto her back and somehow managed to get her harness off kilter with a leg in the wrong place... her chest strap was half on her belly.  The young man volunteered to help "fix" the harness placement, while I switched the leash to her collar.  Only he made it worse, putting the chest strap on top and the top of the harness on her belly.  Yikes!

Anyway, with both of us working on keeping the puppy in line, got it fixed.  Since this was the beginning of the walk, we were able to get a complete walk in.  But then I tried to get her to go pick a poo spot in the back yard, and she just lost all patience with the little flags.  They were blowing in the wind, and I was kind of half paying attention, as I was also trying to find her last two poos to pick up!

Anyway, at this point it was collar and leash only, and Ember was grabbing the leash and playing tug, and then decided to go after my ankles because she didn't want to be deprived of her prizes (the flags... she pulled 3 of them out of the ground, and I wrestled to get the plastic out of her mouth).  Long and little of it is that Mommy ended up both saying "Ouch" loudly, and bleeding from both hands.  My shoes and shorts both have blood spots on them, because I bleed really well from the hands.

I ended up manhandling / luring her back inside the house, then I went outside on my own to finish the Poo patrol.  I came back in, and of by then I was so frustrated that I was weeping.  Little one licked my wounds and gave that concerned puppy look that they do whenever their human melts down.  She brought me her pupsickle container, as a suggestion?

Anyway, I put her away for the time it took her to finish her treat.  We tried outside again after this, but it was still not working, and I unclipped the leash and did the "treats up the steps" that again, lured her back inside.  I felt like she SHOULD need to poop at this point, but she was clearly saying "nope".  Well, it's her little body!  She should know.  But she isn't that great about telling me.

I started asking her "are you feeling OK?"  She could be teething.  I have two pop-in-the-freezer style teething rings for her, and she seemed quite intent on one this morning.

So... Mommy was feeling a little lost and low today.  The shower conversion folks called yesterday to say they want to start on Monday June 10th, and it will take about a week.  The irrigation guy for the landscapers has yet to show up or communicate where I am on their schedule, so I e-mailed the landscape head dude to let him know about the shower work, and also about the flags and my frustration with not being able to let the puppy run loose in her own backyard "indefinitely".

Oh, and it's "Give to Lincoln Day" again... every year, right?  They give credit for matching funds every day in May leading up to it, but I kind of like the tradition of the day itself.  I did take a few minutes to designate my favorite local charities to have my gifts matched.

About 2 p.m. Ember indicated she wanted to go outside, finally, and she was good about allowing me to clip on the leash.  We went out the front and she did both kinds of business.  While we were out there, Frank and his human (Susan) came by, and Ember was just on collar and leash, but I held her while Frank and Susan went on their way.

The clouds were gathering, and we did get a little rain.  Ember went outside on the deck, and then down to the patio, on leash, in the rain.  We were still on the patio when a big rumble of thunder crashed, and she bolted for the stairs.  We calmed down, but a pattern is emerging of a puppy who is scared of certain other dogs (including Frank), loud noises, etc.

Anyway, she went back in for some quiet time an hour and a half ago, and it's about time to start thinking about some supper for the pupper!

Despite this kind of day, LOVE is strong for this little one, and that makes LIFE good!  Spark on!

Wednesday in Emberville

Shrinkage of "stuff" on the counter.  More to do, mind you, because she's not gonna stop growing.  When you decided to "hire help" getting you to decluttering, I recommend a puppy!  The puppy needs to be put into a safe space while you do, but when they are loose, they provide tons of motivation.

Some things are put "out of sight, out of mind", some things are discarded, donated, etc.  But the stuff will be reduced or the puppy will latch hold and destroy it!  Sometimes at peril to the puppy.  So, yeah, lots of motivation!

Wednesday morning walk challenge was the automated sprinklers in neighbors' yards.  She tested one and even drank a bit, was startled and jumped at a point or two and on the third one she tried to attack the sprinkler head!  Naturally mom played "distractor in chief", and we made it home safely.

Point of progress:  Ember had a carpet pee accident this morning, and for the first time, I did not have to put her "away" while I cleaned up.  She did not go after the paper towels; she laid quietly chewing on her rawhide roll.  She had to be put away a little later for Mommy to work on other human things, as well as to keep the schedule.

We had puppy plus class this morning at 11.  Thank goodness she pooped shortly before we went, but she ran out of bladder space right at the end of class.  She did pretty well with the cues, though.  I took "the good treats", and mixed them in with the normal kibble, in the hopes that the gambler's schedule would work in my favor.

It seemed that it did.  She did well with "go to mat", and with "wait" (which is just a briefer form of stay).  She did particularly well with "touch". She learned a new one:  "crawl".  Because she was good, I let her stay after for some puppy play time.  She played well with a puppy named "Vex".  A beautiful fluffy blonde puppy deserves a better name, in my opinion, which I did not express aloud.  I watched her carefully when she interacted with Charlie (looks like a Pekinese mix) and Mazie (tiny terrier class) but Vex was about her size and similarly shy.  Another big breed puppy opted not to stay for play time.

After class, sharing the shade.  I could not believe how peaceful Ember looks, with her leash slack, that close to the C-A-T.  Prisoner, on the other hand, does not look relaxed, but rather "on alert".

Alicia came over after her workday, and Ember was still pretty wiped out between class, play, and the heat.  We showed off her food puzzle and skill with human cuing, and Alicia helped me measure Ember's girth (see "comedy of errors" or "how to make a liquid puppy stand") with the idea of ordering her a different kind of harness.  Best we could measure was 22 inches girth.

Using "the good stuff" treats, we enticed her into the den so I could hug my sister good-bye in the driveway, and when I came back inside, there were puppy snores emanating from her safe space.

Life is good.  Spark on!

Emberville Tuesday

 

Mom, do you see what's happening out in the yard?  Seriously, there's a cat out there!  This was in the 6 a.m. hour again.

Ember had a good early walk before it got too hot.  Mom got to her trainer workout on a "high" of having had angel puppy in residence ahead of time.  She didn't want to go out in the hot sunny yard after mom got home.  Mom unfortunately indulged her reluctance and then missed doing something about seeing the signs of the next need, and so Ember went back into the den for mom to clean up a carpet pee.

Mom, what do you mean I don't fit on this step any more?

Seriously, those paws and that snout can now top the kitchen counter, when she goes up on her hind legs.  Mom does not stop to snap a photo because she does not want to encourage counter surfing.

Ember snatched the dishcloth a couple of times but soon got tired of the game because Mommy would not give chase or play tug with it.

The Prisoner got his flea / multi-pest treatment today.  I actually took it outside, called him, and applied it.  Back in the day I had to trap both him and Rubia to treat them.  There are advantages to geriatric pets... nothing phases them, if they trust you.

Meanwhile the young ones are still learning to trust you!

Life is good.  Spark on!

Happy Memorial Day itself

 

Ember watching The Prisoner watching something at the base of the fence, about 6:10 a.m. Monday May 27th.  I had to hold the leash to keep Ember from chasing The Prisoner, but this scenario ended nicely, with Ember re-focusing on "finding a poo spot" (successful), thus earning the reward of a nice long leash walk before breakfast.

Ember was a really good girl on Sunday.  Mommy did not end up with any new wounds, and a few of her scabs are starting to fall off.  I knock wood, don't want to brag too much (bad luck), but I really do feel like we are making progress on the "mistaking mom for a chew/tug toy" thing, and also on the puppy freak-out thing.

Adding to that, the issue with diarrhea did not recur, and Mommy got good sleep!  That also helps with the morning routine.  I didn't get up until nearly 6.

Monday morning on our walk, we encountered a man walking two large-breed dogs (I think it was a German Shepherd Dog and I'm not sure of the other one, but a similar size).  I kind of said "uh-oh" as we were walking up the slope out of the park.  The gentleman immediately recognized "puppy in training" and pulled his dogs into the driveway.  We exchanged intentions of direction/path, and avoided any closer encounter as clearly his dogs would have defended their territory.  He had it well in hand, so that I could calm Ember, give her a treat, and encourage her along on our walk.

We encountered them again on the other side of the park as we were on our way home, and we did a similar thing so that Ember could have a peaceful path home and a good, successful leash-walk experience.  I am so grateful for other dog owners who have been through the drill and "get it".  Puppies have to learn, and good experiences as puppies make them into calmer adult dogs!

I've started trying Ember on the next size up (medium) of Kong toy.  Problem with this, first time out:  I put in one of the big cookies that Carl has in his, along with her usual kibble.  Ember has yet to figure out how to get the big cookie out.  Carl needs to give her lessons!

Meanwhile, on the kitty front:

I have not been deliberately "training" The Prisoner (I mean, who trains a cat?  They are self-taught!)  But he is figuring some things out, despite this.  I normally just talk English to him.

Since the arrival of Ember, there are times when he doesn't feel safe.  So I started telling him, "It's OK, she's in her crate" or "in her den", or whatever, along with "you're safe", and escorting him to and from his luxury suite in the laundry room.

Add to this the fact that with all the flags in the yard, I have only brought Ember outside to the back yard with leash attached.  So I have kept Ember from repeating the incident where she latched on to a kitty leg.  I have continued the gentle talk to both of them, petting one and letting the other sniff Mommy's petting hand, etc.

Lately he has become more and more bold.  Even some times when I warn him that "The puppy is loose, you're on your own".  Today, knowing that the puppy was in her "safe space", The Prisoner asked to come out of his own.  And he came into the family room, hopped on my lap for purrs, pets, and a selfie with Mom!

Mom's heart is soaring.  The kids are adjusting to one another!

That's about enough for a Holiday morning.  I'm remembering the service members that have lost their lives, including the 13 soldiers at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009.  They are always close to my heart, having been the ones who most directly impacted my personal life.  I think as a nation we are stronger when we all know we have been touched by the loss of someone.

Have a peaceful and grateful Memorial Day all my fellow US folks!

Life is good!  Spark on.

Memorial Day weekend visit and BBQ

 

Selfie magic:  who has the longest arms?  Chandler, that's who!  From left to right, we have Chandler, his dad Arlo, who is my first cousin, myself, Lydia, and Laraine.  Laraine and Arlo are the parents of the two younger folk.  Would you believe I've lived in this house for 25 years, their family lives "just down the road" by Nebraska standards, and this is their first visit?

It was a spur of the moment thing.  Chandler now lives in my town, and will be getting married next year.  Lydia is working at a bank, and currently staying with her folks while saving up for her next step in life (home ownership).  Me?  Well, y'all know all about me.

Ember is not in the photo because she was getting hot and tired, so I tucked her into the house while we said our goodbyes and did photo documentation that the visit actually happened.  Amazingly, Ember was a very good girl, and just laid on the cool tile waiting for her Mommy.

They arrived about half an hour before Ember and I were set to embark for the BBQ.  And after they left, Ember walked to the car in the garage and jumped right into the back seat.  I buckled her in, got my stuff, and off we went.

How did the car sickness go?  Well, she didn't make it to my son's house without incident, but since we'd been light on feeding, it was not severe, and it cleaned up easily.  Son took Ember in hand and escorted her to the backyard to play.  Daughter in law carried the salad and such into the house.  I cleaned up.

Over the course of the gather, Ember had two "accidents" (one of each variety).  Fortunate:  on tile and on the deck.  Fortunate:  laid back dog parents, and plenty of them, to keep the dogs from spreading the issue while others did the cleanup.  Whew!  Different house, too many distractions.

The two dogs played well, the humans made sure they took appropriate breaks in play, and they both settled into their places in the pack.  I made sure that Ember did not get any human food, and hand fed her the kibble I brought for her, and scant amounts.  So that in the end, she made it home in the car without losing her supper!  Yay!

Ember approves of Carl's new bed.

Believe it or not, they both fit, but they didn't settle down when together, at least not until they wore themselves out.

Both dogs were fully supportive of the meat on the menu.  What you are seeing on the grill are "Russian Roulette sliders", meaning that the only two he kept track of which were where were the beef ones for his mother in law.  The rest of them were some mixture of elk meat, or beef mixed with elk.

I had one of the Russian Roulette sliders, and I think I got the elk.  It was delicious, with the smoky flavor.

Among my favorite captures:  all dogs love my son.  My worst fears of Ember wearing out or the two of them not knowing when to take a break evaporated.  With five people to dote on both of them, nobody got jealous, nobody was deprived.  And they both showed off for me.  Ember has been taught "What does a good girl do?" just as Carl remembers "What does a good boy do?"  These are mealtime specific cues, that indicate it's time to sit or lay down, be quiet, and wait your turn.  After the people are done eating, you will get something really great.

Another favorite:  the joy on my face as I am covered with dogs.  This one was captured by my daughter in law, out on the deck.

Notice I'm wearing shorts.  Bare legs.  No Ember bites yesterday.  Yay!

The scars and scabs from the entire time teaching about not using the toofies?  Were a bit alarming to Donna (son's mother in law) and to my son.  At the car as I was packing up to go, he pointed at my right arm and said "This has to stop."  I assured him that these were old, and that she is getting better.  

I'm learning better how to respond, and consequently, she's learning better how to get what she needs.  Happier mom and happier puppy.  As hard as all this disruption of the yard has been, we are working our way through it, with all the lessons we need to learn in the process.

The humans here, left to right:  Bob (Lacey's dad), Lacey, and Donna (Lacey's mom).  Neither Bob nor Donna had met Ember before, and I was glad she behaved well enough to make a good first impression.  They were supportive about not feeding her human food (it really helps with puppy rearing when all the humans are on board), and about reminding her to put the paws down.  But mostly Ember wanted to spend time with Carl.  The human adoration was gravy.

I called it quits before dessert was served, so it came home in a box with me.  We got out of there before Ember could melt down... it was a big day.  When we got home, she slumped onto the cool tile floor and stayed there the whole time I was unpacking things from the car and stowing them.  Not too much later, she did not object when I carried her to her den.

She did not have any interest in going out until midnight, although I gave her opportunities at about 7, 9, and 10:30 p.m. (guess who didn't sleep continuously and who did).  Midnight we went out and she peed, then wanted to come back in.  I am coming to trust her more than the clock.  She stayed out in the parlor and I stayed up with her until about 1 a.m., when I puppy carried her back to the den, and she stayed in until I got up and came downstairs after 5.

Longer walk this Sunday morning.  Took 3 tries to get the harness on, but Mommy did not bleed.  She got tired on this longer walk, and at one point on the farthest side, I needed to pick her up like a puppy and calm her down.  Once we turned the corner toward home (remember this was new territory to her), she was fine.

Back home, she settled in to nap, I had my breakfast, and now I'm ready to join the nap.  Wish me a longish one!

Life is good!  Spark on.

Saturday experiments

The Saturday morning view from my folding chair on the paver patio, while I dream of what I want to put there for outdoor furniture.

I sat there for a few minutes with my second mug of coffee, then decided to experiment with the half-bag of two-year-old Rapid Grass (seed mixed with fertilizer.  I grant that they have not installed the sprinkler system yet, and that may disrupt exactly this ground, but... two year old seed?  What have I got to lose?  I'd just have to discard it if I didn't try to use it, anyway.

I hooked up the bullet hose to the front (I usually only used it in the back of the house), spread the remaining seed, and watered.  I have three days before anybody is likely to show up to work, so three days to water and give it a chance.

Where was Ember while all this was happening.  She was in a little bit of "normal time in the den" and a little bit of "triggered by wanting to play tug with mommy as the toy" to start it when it started.

Friday morning, playing with a donut shaped Chuck-It indoor toy, Ember slipped her paw through it, like a high-fashion diva.  See my new bracelet, Mom?

Saturday morning started out earlier and differently, with the return of the puppy diarrhea.  I was up at 2:20 a.m. cleaning out the crate, and wiping down the puppy, too.  We ended up with her in the bathtub for a quickie (I mean she just had a shampoo on Wednesday).

Ember could not resist putting her paws on the edge of the counter while I was constructing the Greek salad I traditionally bring to Summer gathers.  Consequently, she had another little "safe space" session so I could not be constantly correcting her, washing my hands, cleaning the workspace, etc.

In any case, the salad was constructed, and put back in the fridge so I could take Ember out for walk #3 of the day before we head over there.

As we were walking, I got a direct message from my cousin, who was planning to be in Lincoln this afternoon.  Would that be a good time to stop over and see where I live?  His son's girlfriend lives not far from me.

I mentioned that we were going over to my son's for BBQ, and we agreed there will be more opportunities in the future.  But I did give him my address and said he and his wife were welcome to stop over and see the outside progress on the yard/house even if I were not home.

I guess I'll find out if they did so later.

So, buttoning up this blog to finish getting the show on the road.

Happy Memorial Day to those here in the 'States.  This is the one for those who gave their lives in service... which includes my grandfather's brother, in WWI. Can you imagine the letter that grandpa had to write to his parents about his brother's loss?  The two brothers were in the same outfit.

Life is Good.  Spark on!  

Friday in Emberville

It's "make your own den" Friday!

My day began a little before 3 a.m. with the rumblings of thunder and rain overhead.  I flipped on the TV to watch middle of the night local storm coverage.  The dog-mom in me worried about 1) ability to hold (she'd last gone out and peed and poo'd at 9 p.m.) and 2) would she have the willingness to go out in the storm.

I need not have worried.  I was downstairs by 4, and followed the normal order of business:  feed the cat, get the dog out, feed the dog, play indoor games with dog until it gets light/late enough to take dog for walk. 

I did vary the routine AFTER the dog walk, because she had already done her business before sunup.  We just came back in and played quietly while I cooked and ate my own breakfast.  Angel puppy was mostly ascendant.  We have reached the point in Ember's development (and especially with all the disruption of her yard) where I take her with me to do simple chores like bringing the trash bins back from the curb.

Interestingly, when we pulled the big bin back into the garage, I opened the back car door, and The LIttle One hopped right into the back seat.  Not one to bypass an "opportunity", I buckled her into her spot, and we took a little ride around the block in the car.

She hung out in the kitchen with me while I chopped veggies and built my lunch salad.  For her share she got a slice of cucumber and to lick the measuring cup that held the cottage cheese.

She seems calm and content today.  We have been out on leash several times, back yard and front.  And two Runkeeper measured leash walks.  I put unwatched episodes of Grey's Anatomy on the streaming TV and the two of us napped, first with her head on my lap, and then she shifted herself to the floor, eventually choosing to "den" herself under my reclined side of the couch.

The landscape company came and collected their Bobcat this morning, but some things are left behind.  I rather suspect that with the storms overnight they might have picked up some clearing work such that this Bobcat would be handy.  Other than that, too muddy to do the sprinkler work.

I'm a little paranoid/worried about The Prisoner this afternoon.  He's not getting out of the way of Ember as quickly as he had been.  Today, Ember had her mouth on his legs and his tail, and he seemed to struggle getting up to the deck rail.  For the first time, Prisoner swiped back and Ember yelped and retreated.  I told her that's what she gets for messing with a cat, and she has to leave him alone!

A little while after that I went out to the deck on my own, leaving Ember in her den (clean up time out while the laundry load runs).  Prisoner greeted me and rubbed my legs all over (random thought:  is that why Ember wants to nip at my ankles?)  He followed me out to the dirt patch, every step as I pulled milk weed sprouts. Then he consented to an escort to his luxury suite in the laundry room, where he has food, water, a litter box and a bed.  He's not a young cat, and I am his human and have been since he was a tiny kitten.  I just want to do my best by him, even while Ember is clearly in ownership of my heart as well.

Sometimes I think cats aren't upset by the environmental disruption, but there is clearly evidence to the contrary.  Love this elderly furry!

And where there is love, Life is Good!  Spark on!

More puppy adventures and mis adventures amid the house changes

 

Front of house, the paver patio under the bay window.

South side of house, river rock fill, with stone edging wall.

View of the paver patio from the front door entryway.

Now all I have to do is find the right furniture to put out there, and the time of day that is best for using it.  Since the front of the house faces West, in Summer the best time to enjoy that space is before 10 a.m.

The deck on the West has its best time in the evening.

Ember's reaction:  what is this stuff?

Her little life is being further disrupted by the utility guys having placed flags and painting lines in the grass, to mark where everything is buried.  This is to help the irrigation guy Nate when he comes to fix what's fixable.

Wednesday's highlights for Ember:

First professional grooming.  You, like I, might have wondered what does a lab look like after a professional grooming?  Pretty much like a lab before a professional grooming.  But she smells better, and her nails are shorter, and her coat is a bit softer.  The take aways:  she did not attempt to bite the groomer, she held her pee and poo all the way 'til she got home to her own back yard, and the only part of the grooming she was dicey about was the ear cleaning.  She even let him blow dry her somewhat!

Wednesday was also Ember's first time meeting her "aunt Dottie", the retired music teacher who is a cat person.  My family is good at making sure rules are followed, so Ember had three people reminding her to keep her paws on the ground, not just me!

The three sisters took Ember for a walk to meet Jerry, our senior sister's gentleman friend, up the block.  

The reason for the visit to D's house rather than the normal Wednesday Walk with Alicia and me was that our grandfather's registered historic iris varieties were all in bloom at once.  She is the custodian of these iris.

We had a little temper tantrum on the way out of Jerry's house.  Little Ember had reached her limit, and she started nipping on her Mommy.  I handed Alicia my purse and picked up the puppy and calmed her down.  Then we finished the walk.

The sad news was that Ember's tummy didn't take the return trip well, and she lost its contents about 2/3 of the way home.  Fortunately, it did not land on the freshly groomed puppy, on her harness, or her leash.  I brought her inside, settled her in her den, then came back to the garage to clean up the floor and door of the car, all of which were rubber mats or plastic molded pieces.  Easy.

She was hungry very soon thereafter.  This is her normal "car sick" pattern.

The overnight was a challenge because the landscape guys had sprayed the weeds between the patio and the back yard.  They said keep the puppy off the weeds for 24 hours.  This meant leashing and keeping her either on the patio or taking her 'round the front of the house through the gate to the back yard.  Bottom line:  we survived several tussles over leash and harness, but here it is Thursday night and we're both still breathing!

The challenge for Memorial Day weekend?  Utility flagging!  Do these folks have ANY idea how tempting those little flags are to a puppy?

It means that Ember will have to be kept on leash in her own back yard until the sprinkler system is installed.  Probably beyond that, because on one of our walks, we encountered someone's sprinklers "on", and Ember was a bit freaked out.  Oy, she's getting the full treatment with these house projects!

The man who left the markings told me he had some "iffy" readings on the Spectrum lines, he's not sure he has it well located, there's a range, some of which is quite close to the power lines.

This is very close to the patio.  We survive ONE night without being able to use the step down from the patio to the back yard, I wonder how long we will be able to survive with the flags in place.

In other Thursday adventures:  mom had to finger fish what I guessed was a piece of chewing gum someone had left on the sidewalk out of Ember's mouth on our morning walk.  This triggered a bout of nipping and leash resistance on the far side of the block.  Mom had to show Ember that "Mommy's bleeding" several times on Thursday.  Ember was always sorry and licked the wounds.  And of course, Mommy always forgave her. 

Enough for one blog!  Life is good.  Spark on!

Wednesday puppy proofing projects

 

Remember the debates the past few years over "what is this plant"?

I still don't know for sure, but on the chance that it might be wisteria, which is poisonous to dogs, and seeing Ember going after whatever blossoms she can reach, after she came back from her walk over excited, I put her in her "den" and I tackled taking this one out.

She can't get poisoned by what she can't eat!

Before all of that, we had our morning routine:  feed the cat, feed the puppy, take puppy on a leash walk, and that's when puppy in the back yard decided to play tug/chew on Mommy.  Again.  Mommy was having none of it, took the scruff and collar and schlepped puppy into a time out, where she stayed for over an hour while I did the outside work.

When I let her out again, we went outside briefly, then came in and she started pulling on the underside of the couch.  Sigh.  That was another puppy proofing project I had on my list but hadn't got to yet.

Over the years, with various pets, I have gradually snipped off the fiberglass fabric that had concealed the springs.  I seem to remember when Prisoner and Patches (another cat) were kittens, they started in on it.  Even Diamond (13 years gone) had a paw and some teeth in this game.

So, Ember goes back into the "den", Mom removes the slip covers and cushions, and flips the couch to work on it again.  The photo is part-way through today's work.

When I got done, I put it back together again, cushion, slip cover and pet protective cover.

At this point the day just kept getting busier, and I was too bushed to finish the blog!

Life is Good... and will continue as time allows... Spark on!

Tuesday's continuation

Taken Tuesday morning, after I got home from the hour of sanity with the trainer.  Would you believe I wore a compression sleeve on my arm for my work out?  Just to hide the scabs, scars and bruises from the battle of puppy and mommy wills... when mommy is "ancient" and has thin skin.  Most of the time these days, when Ember draws blood, it's from reopening a previous nick.

"Come together", as the Beatles lyrics went.  The patio pavers will be on top of that crushed rock.  The cappers for the wall will be installed, and the river rock will fill in the area from the downspout toward the rear of the house.

The patio pavers are starting to be laid, and this is where they left it, end of Tuesday.  More to follow!

Ember and I had an unpleasant surprise in the night.  Seems the motion detection light on the back deck no longer works since all the electrical work on Monday.  I know it worked when we replaced the bulb that had broken off (left side in the photo).  

My mind goes to "what else did we do?"  We cut the wire that went to the shed that is no longer there.  I'm wondering if we have some deja vu going on here... was the deck light on the same circuit?  Is that why this is without power now?

The order with the three fixtures is coming from Amazon on Wednesday.  When it gets here, I will ask to have Bruce the electrician who did the Monday work come out for the installation of the "new toys".  

The lamp on the right seems to have potentially broken off, too, now.  I will ask Bruce whether it is worth attempting to fix this, or if I should just order new security fixtures that include not just the motion sensor lights, but also cameras?  I mean, as long as I'm flattening my bank account anyway.

Puppy on Tuesday

We had a pleasant "round the block" walk before the workmen arrived.  Before that, she was a bit mouthy with the teeth, and part of that could be the change with the light.  I talked her into the harness, and off we went.  That seemed to get us past the morning tantrums, and after the walk she went calmly to her den while I went and did my thing.

When I got home, different story.  She wanted to play "chew toy" Mommy, Mommy's shoes, jeans, laces, and of course hands and arms and legs... in short, the demon puppy was in a snit over Mommy not putting HER first!  So, after tussle #1, back into the den she was put.

I set the timer, and let it ring and ignored it to do a couple more things, and when I got her out again, got the harness onto her, and we made it out the door to start a walk.  The good news:  it produced a poo, which probably partially explained her mood!  The bad news:  she seems to be fascinated by poo bags, her own as well as those of others.  This is the third walk this week when we had "disagreements" over what should be done with a poo bag!  We got home in one piece but not without a bleeding mommy!  I kept offering her my hand, she licked it off, and when we got home I did a proper wash and bandage job of it.

While I took care of my own bathroom needs, Ember got lonesome, and lonesome puppies get in trouble.  Carpet on the threshold of the Master Bedroom... rip, rip... this is why you don't let the puppy destroy the carpeted cat tree, right?  But baby steps.  Puppy back in crate again, so Mommy could clean up and "lick and promise" patch.

Once I was satisfied with this, I cooked my own lunch, and I put onions and mushrooms in with eggs and cheese, so there was no sharing with Ember.  She stayed in her crate.

And since I was fed, I was OK with giving a walk another try.  Then it was a matter of eking out the time until puppy class!  This was an experiment, as Ember didn't do so well Sunday morning.  So far, knock wood, it seems to have been a success.  

• Ember normally chills in her crate between 5 and 7:30, while I do human things.
• The class started at 6:30 p.m.  I left her out of the den and she napped a bit during the time between her 4 p.m. supper and class.
• She was very excited when we got there.  There were six puppies in the class, a mix of ages and training levels.  Vocal, but I kept tight control with hands all over her, calming her barking, to listen to the trainers.
• Big tip:  she has run out of motivation for her normal kibble.  It's time to up the quality of treat to tempt her in training.  The trainer handed me some "beef bites" All Natural, and WOW!  Ember would do ANYTHING for those little buggers!  I bought a bag after class so I'll have them for the next class.
• The final event was a game where each puppy/owner pair added a trick or command to show off the whole string, and Ember was last in line, and did them all:  sit, down, touch, sit with hand signal only (no voice command), middle (dog positions herself between your legs), and the one I added was "quiet".  Funny I'd want to work on that!

When we got home, it was an easy transition to bedtime, with a backyard potty break, and a Kong toy in the den. I will go down to do my eye drops when I'm ready, but she won't need to go out until midnight.  If this night goes particularly well, I might consider the Tuesday evening class as a potential "regular" but next week we are going to try out the Wednesday 11 a.m. class to see how that works for her with the new training treats.

I am wiped, and off to bed myself now!  The adventure called life will proceed apace, on Wednesday!  Life is Good.  Spark on!

Continued...

"To be continued..."

Well, we went to Puppy + training class, and Ember decided she had her own agenda.  All the puppies seemed to be extra vocal, so I had a hard time understanding what we were supposed to be doing.  I left class feeling... deflated?

Anyway, I proceeded to recoup by signing her up for a Tuesday evening session, instead this week, since the weekend classes are NOT going to work with the family holiday plans.

Ember was tired and didn't know that was her problem.  She sat at the front door, clearly asking to go for a walk, but fought getting the harness on.  I clipped on the leash and we tried that way.  She fought that, too.  This was at 2:30 p.m.

We got as far as the yard next door, at which point, Ember picked up someone else's poo bag (don't know if it was filled or an escaped bag with nothing in it, but either way she should not have it).  She would not give it to me easily, and I had reached my limit.  I hefted her 31 pound puppyhood in my arms and carried her home, to chill in the crate for a while.

Evening brought more rain, and since Ember wasn't going to be going on any more leash walks that day, she got to play in the mud.  She could give a masters class in how to play in runoff water and get muddy!

In any case, she went to bed pretty well, and let me sleep in my own bed.  I got up to let her out twice, but she did not need the second trip, and in fact then slept through to cat's breakfast time without incident.  So yes!  The medication is doing the job, and I noticed in Monday morning's poo patrol that the piles were well-formed and fairly solid (not rock hard or anything like that).

And this morning, she went on a good leash walk before the working folks showed up!

Monday:  the electrician cometh and the landscape work continues

This morning the electrician came to do the safety inspection.  No, I'm not selling the house or anything of that sort, this is a service that comes with my subscription to the Plumbing, HVAC, Electric company.  They have been trying out this kind of model since 2020, and I like it.

Bruce inspected the circuitry, and we went through my list of things/concerns.  He replaced three outlets with GFCI versions, because they were in places that warranted it, bringing it up to code for the 1990's... the house was built in the 1970's.  

Three of my issues, the over-counter light in the kitchen, the light that lost its shade in the laundry room, and an exhaust fan in the MBR half bath required ordering fixtures.  We did that, too.

And while he was here, replaced light bulbs on the motion sensor security lights, including getting rid of a broken light bulb "remains".  He also tightened them up so that they will point in appropriate directions.

We talked about security cameras, including doorbells, and he showed me what I would need to measure.

Last but far from least, he disconnected the power from reaching the stub where the shed had got its power from the house.  The shed was taken down in 2020, but that was done by a handyman, not an electrician, and a certain circuit breaker had tripped more frequently since.  That has now been corrected, so that the power inside the house won't be interrupted.

He left the line buried, in case anyone in future wants to reconnect power to that part of the yard.  

Next up came Nate, the irrigation specialist for the landscape dudes.  He was here to answer the question:  Can this watering system be saved?

Nate replaced a couple of parts, turned on the water, and this particular junction box filled with water (something broken).  He pumped the water out and continued his investigations.

If the little junction box below looks "recessed" it is because over the intervening years, it had been grown over.  Two of them had to be dug up!

Once the junction boxes were accessed, he manually turned on the water, and we could see what sprinkler heads were broken, or needed cleaning out, etc.

The conclusion was that this is a repairable system.  The boss man sent me an estimate for the modification on the south side to extend the retaining wall and river rock fill, as well as a rough estimate on what the irrigation repairs would likely cost.

I closed my eyes and said yes!  So the patio and edge-wall will be done tomorrow or Wednesday.  No dates yet on the irrigation work or the sod, but the general idea is to do the repairs to the irrigation system before they lay the sod, so I'll (in theory) be able to just set a watering schedule and no more hose pulling!

Today's progress on the South side and West side (front)

The corner, heading East on the South side.

And the South side looking East.  This is the extended part.

These are the pavers that will form the front patio.

So, for now, life is still a bit disrupted here in Emberville, but Life is Good.  Spark on!