Why do I let Ember harass The Prisoner?

Some of you may wonder why I let this happen. I do not always do so.  Once Ember has hold of The Prisoner, if I don't have her cornered, and she has an escape route, it will turn into a game of tug, with the poor Kitty as the toy. 

That was the case on Tuesday morning.  Ember seemed to be quite full of herself.  I think a lot of this is related to the weather.  It has been so hot lately.  So when we had a cool morning, she was full of springs and raring to go. 

When we went for our regular morning walk, she nabbed something she wasn't supposed to.  She had not bothered a lawn flag for days.  But this was the morning for it.  I made her drop it.  I put it back and tried to distract her with treats.  She wasn't happy, and decided to jump and nip at me.  I turned us around and brought us home the shortest way I could.  We played chase the treat.  

She settled down for the most part once we got home and got into the "mommy fixing her oatmeal" routine.  But mommy has other things going on in her life.  One of the more urgent items is that the hot water wasn't working.

My shower in the morning was icy.  Which isn't such a bad thing when the weather's been so hot.  But it's not the best thing for hygiene to not have hot water running.  I called the plumbing place and they said can you have someone home today in case we call you.  So we hung out at home since that walk.  I waved off the personal trainer. 

Ember went into her crate a little after 8:00, and stayed there quietly until 9:45, while I made an appointment for the bug guys to come out on Friday.  Now that the landscaping is done and the new dirt followed by sod pulled in and now that the in and out of the remodel of the shower is over, it's time to take care of the introduction of new bug species. 

Upon coming out of the crate, Ember decided she wanted to play with her toys.  During her puppy nap number one, I had reorganized them and had put the toy box down closer to her level, I was going to let her choose the toy to play with.  I then put the toy box back up, and somebody wanted to get up at that level and rummage.

This was not permitted but she was rewarded for putting four paws down on the ground.  I got out the corn husk treat holder, that took a while to play with.  Then I let her outside and the fun with the cat began.  

After discovering that she was ready to drag The Prisoner in circles around the whole backyard, I determined that I was not helping.  I retreated into the house.  I decided it was time to up the diversion level. 

I got the blue pool out of the garage and leaned it against the fence on the outside.  I then took Ember's leash outside and asked if she wanted to go walkies.  She let me put it on, allowing the kitty to escape.  Then together we brought the blue pool inside the fence.  

I boiled four eggs and made Ember and myself salads for lunch.  When the plumbing place called and had someone on the way, I enticed her back into the crate.  I let her out to greet Josh the plumber after he got a chance to assess the situation.  There goes more $$$$.  I will be replacing the 14-year-old water heater.  Sigh.

OK, that's it, I say, ruminating over the bank account.  I am done.  Done.  DONE!

But we will see if karma comes back to bite, as it did in the parable of the rich man who pulled down his barns to build bigger.

Life is good.  Keep Sparking, my friends, keep Sparking!

Current fascination

Sunday report

Current fascination:  locusts when they come out of their shells.  She's been finding dead ones and not yet dead ones, and the first couple that she ate gave her zoomies. I don't know if they have stingers or if they taste funny or what.  More recent encounters have not been zoomie generators, but she is fascinated by them.  She found one in the sandbox newly out of its shell, wings not yet fully dry and went nuts, digging around it and being surprised when it moved.

Ember and her mommy survived the heat of Saturday and Sunday.  Sunday did not get as hot as predicted.  96 or 97, not 102.  It was plenty hot enough for me, and that's for sure!

I filled the pink puppy pool with water and dumped a bunch of balls into the blue one, so she had a choice of play venues in our short outdoor adventures.

We took a walk early a.m., when it was a pleasant 74 degrees, and another at 9:45 or so when it was "only" 80 degrees F.  

Some wasps nesting on the deck railing bothered Ember in the early afternoon.  I don't know if she got stung, but she pulled in her horns and was quiet inside with me while I left messages with the pest control company that was supposed to have taken care of those yellow jackets!  Seriously, though, with all the yard work, and the open doors while things were being carted into and out of the house with the shower conversion work, and dirt being hauled in to grade the yard, whole new species of insect have been added to my yard and home!  I want to know how long before they come out again.

At about 1:30 p.m. Ember opted to enter her crate all on her own!  A nice safe place to nap, little one!  I left the door open, and I chilled in the family room watching TV.  She got up at 3 and came down to find me, and we went outside.  That's when the sandbox photo was taken.

Then Ember ate her meal and asked to go for a leash walk.  We went but I would not allow it to be very long.  We went three houses up the block and back.  

At the normal "time for mommy to cook her own supper" time, she's back into the "den" for the night.

Monday morning

Slept in a bit.  Didn't get the pup outdoors until 5:19 a.m.  She did her business.  I'm in shorts for the third day in a row, and only got the ankle nibbles once this morning, so far.  

We got walk #1 in with the temperature at 79 degrees at 6 a.m.!  Yikes.  But this is supposed to be the last day of excessive heat warning.  "Cooling" trend ahead.  Cooling as defined by Summer.

Puppy is in the crate for nap #1 and I'm about to head out for a grocery run.  A Chewy delivery is due today.  And life goes on in Emberville.

I suppose I ought to say a couple of words about the news, which I am turning off even more often than before.  

I will be interested to see if any of the violent rhetoric gets actually toned down.  I was dismayed by the reporting of accusations that "the left" caused this, radicalized that, etc., because let's be honest, we do not know what the motive was behind this awful act.  We have to stop characterizing those who disagree with us politically as being evil or worthy of being attacked violently!  I've heard it on both ends of the scale.  The worst images are being put before us day after day, hour after hour... painting one another as horrid people.  "The left" leaning media replays the worst of "the right" leaning media to stir up their own base.  And then everyone acts so surprised when a young person gets all het up and acts on what they have been exposed to!  Stop it already!

Life is good!  Let's support it by being kind one to another!  And Spark on!

Saturday was even hotter

 And Sunday is predicted to be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit here.  It was already 88 before noon on Saturday.

I put the puppy pool on the shed pad in the far corner of the yard and dragged the hose out to fill it.

Ember had her own ideas, as labs are wont to do.  She had already gnawed holes in this pool, so when filled, it is leaking.  She lapped from within the pool, and lapped at the leaks, and lapped at the hose before I got it turned off, too.

But it was a good mental exercise for her, between puppy naps.  She took hold of the end of the hose and dragged it all the way to the deck, up the stairs, and into the house (until I put it back out and explained that puppy can come in, but hose cannot).

The hose's brief visit to "inside".

While Ember was snoozing puppy nap #1, I dashed out to Menard's and bought a new puppy pool.  It's hot pink.  

I also swung by the Humane Society to drop off some things I got from Chewy that weren't a good fit for Ember, but undoubtedly will come in handy for the pets in need at the shelter.

Ember wanted to go out the front door, on leash, and we went and visited with Susan, next door, who greeted and petted Ember.  She used to have a lab prior to the dog she has now.  A lot of folks who have had labs in the past and have fond memories of their former dogs make a big deal over my puppy, and she soaks it all in!

Later in the afternoon, we chilled on the couch together.  Moments like this are why one gets a dog, and they make up for the frustrating times when teething and miscommunication get in the way.  Nothing matches the love of a dog and his or her human!

Onward to Sunday, where it's predicted to top the century mark.  Ember got up in the 5 a.m. hour, we worked the treat/toy puzzle, got out on walk #1 at 5:57 a.m.  She was a bit intimidated by dogs barking from their balconies and fences, bit dogs she'd felt a little scare of before, but with treats, gentle talk, and patience we made it past those obstacles.  In the end, and elderly gentleman invited her for pets and treats.  He has a 12-year-old lab himself and his son walks the dog, as he is no longer able.  But little 5 1/2-month-old Ember, he was happy to greet!

When we got home, she went nuts over the dust mop, which I somehow rescued.  She got hold of the purple people eater (again) and I monitored her taking it apart while I cooked my own breakfast.  When she was safely back in her crate for puppy nap #1, I put the dust mop and the purple people eater back together and put them "away".  I'm trying to preserve the purple people eater for an experiment in cooperative play with Carl.

Anyway, time for a bit of a nap while she's napping!  Wish us well as the heat warning continues through Monday evening!

Life is good.  Spark on!

Some cool memories on a hot day

 

Y'all saw this one filled with "clear liquid" during my June preparations for medicalizing.  Today it's about five fluid ounces of diet caffeine free cola.  But I'm serving it to myself in my "Kevin memorial" wine glass, from the last race that we participated in on the same day:  he PR'd the marathon distance that day.  I just plodded through the half, being grateful that only 3 marathoners (who gave us both half the distance and a half hour head start) passed me before I crossed the finish line.

This was me.  It rained at the start and got warm as we ran.

Somewhere I have the photo of Kevin ringing the bell for his PR...

A-hah!  Here it is!  I took this photo.  He knew he was on PR pace as he came over the bridge to the finish line street, so that smile is his incredible joy in that accomplishment!

Friday "loose ends" of home improvement

Nate stopped by in the afternoon, fixed the gate post, reset the wobbly step, and added to the downspout extension on the other side of the house.  Still waiting on the sidewalk cement pouring, but for the most part going to call it "done".  The budget will not stand for anything more.  Have to save the emergency fund for a real emergency at this point!

Saturday morning report

I decided this is the day:  Ember must learn to accept me in shorts and not shred my leg skin!  So I braced myself and went downstairs.

She started to gnaw on the socks (ankles), yes, but I had treats ready, reminded her that this is mommy, the same mommy, I'm just dressed differently.  Mommy's the one who gives you treats and kibble, little one.

She was hungry this morning, so didn't have as much trouble getting her to eat before walkies.  We survived a Saturday morning walk in a humid 74 degree day.  On the minus side, she continued the destruction of the wingback chair, and got it down to the wood, removing a piece and exposing staples.  So, I let The Prisoner distract Ember on the deck while I cleaned up and removed the chair from my parlor.  It's now sitting in the garage and will go out with next week's trash.  I have determined it is not salvageable.  At least not within my own skill set.  Sigh.

I got to puppy nap #1 (she's in the crate).  Pray for our HOT weekend ahead, as we're predicted to be back in triple digits on Sunday.

Life may have its ups and downs, but Life is Good!  Spark on!

Homemade games and toys

 

Ember has become fond of this adaptation of "find the treat".  Start with a muffin tin.  First time you play, just put a training treat in each cup and let her have it.  Next time, cover one of the treats and let her "find" it by removing the cover.  Gradually increase the covers.  Gradually reduce how many of the cups have treats in them.  

I evolved the game to use her various toys as the "covers", and then stood back to observe which toys she would pause to play with before going back for the treat.  The longer it might have been since Ember last saw or played with a toy, the more likely she would be happy to see it and take a few seconds to interact with it.

The heat is coming back to our neck of the wood, so finding indoor games that exercise the puppy's brain is an essential of surviving.

We still go out in the back yard for a few ball toss/fetch in the parts of the day that are not so terribly hot.  But I'm doing things like the home-made pinata described a couple of blogs ago (paper towel or TP tube filled with treats), or giving her an empty plastic water or soda bottle (washed out, of course) to carry around, chew on, or destroy.  I might start turning some of them into a "treat rattle" and see what she does with them.

Having a puppy is a challenge to one's creativity... because if you don't rise to the challenge, trust me, she'll make her own activities, and they won't always be ones you approve of.  The wingback chair chewing, for example!

I finally got a rope tug long enough to play a bit with Ember without getting my hands nipped.  I used it this morning to entice her away from the wingback chair.  

However, she still gets overexcited when playing and I have to get her reset, which isn't always easy.  This afternoon, I diagnosed that she was hungry, and I put out her supper early.  She falls into a pattern:  sleep, slow wakening with quiet activity, out to pee and poo, eat, then walkies!  Mental games can be slid in there, treat delivery can get slid in, too.

I don't have the cushion repaired yet.  It's going to be a multi-day project, but at least for now the cushion with the easily shred-able innards is out of her reach.  What would be useful is an upholstery curved needle, which I do not have.

Thursday morning went better than did Tuesday.  I didn't try the shorts on Thursday!  Also since the cushion with the stuffing was gone, even though Ember continued to worry at the wingback chair, there wasn't as big a mess associated.  Also I did a better job of distraction in the morning.

Friday morning, Ember discovered that she could reach the flat surface of the wet bar, and if she stretched just a bit, grab hold of the "Carl box" where I stored his toys.  In a flash, she appropriated the Purple People Eater (my name for this velcro'd together monster toy).

Consequently part of puppy nap time #1 on Friday was dedicated to shifting things out of reach... again!

Life is good.  Spark on!

If you thought it was over, it was not!

 

Next phase of home improvements underway.  This is supposed to help with the drainage process.

There will be a "catch basin", and then a pipe out to the street, and the new sidewalk will be raised higher, so that it doesn't puddle there.

It's Wednesday.  While the workmen were digging the old sidewalk out, Ember and I went to puppy class.  Ember was into just lying there and watching, today.  Until "Puppy play time" and then she was all in.

One major advantage of puppy classes is the interaction with other puppy parents.  Swapping experiences, I discovered that the bleeding associated with teething is not an aberration, they saw it, too, those whose pups are a month or so older than Ember.

Ember got "in trouble" before puppy class, early in the morning, after our walk, for gnawing on the Wingback chair cushions again.  While she was in her "safe space" and I cleaned up, I took a bit of a reading break out on the paver patio and look who came to visit my quiet time!

The wingback chair has been stripped of its cushion, but the slipcover and pet protector put back on, in the hopes of deterring worse damage to the arms of it.

I have the cushion up in my room, along with a pillow that I had loosely been using to substitute for the first incursion into its innards, which was done by the "dog of my heart", Diamond, probably 15 or more years ago.  Ember has merely extended Diamond's efforts.

Another new toy distracts her for a while.  If I have to invest some bucks in toys to destroy while teething to save my furniture, so be it!

Ember went out with me to "supervise" the men at work.  She laid in the shade, watching.  So much more entertaining than being in the house, even though it is cooler there.  While doing so, she would lean up against my leg, which of course made me feel all melty and forgiving of anything she might do as a puppy.

Alicia came for her after-work visit and chat.  Ember was eating her supper and then clearly ready to go to bed, so I fixed her bedtime treat and put her away.  Alicia and I sat and chatted, letting the puppy settle herself in.

Mother nature proceeded to give us a little bit of rain Wednesday evening, and I gave Ember her "last call" around 8 p.m.  I went out to check on the work site after, and had to reset up one of the cones.  I also tested the "catch basin/pipe" by pouring the dehumidifier tank into it.  Woohoo!  It drained to the street!

Thursday's challenge?  Another trainer day for me, and the guys will be coming back to hopefully fix the wobbly step and the gate post.

Life is good.  Spark on!

Something bit me back, Mom!

I have no idea what exactly caused the episodes of Zoomies this Tuesday morning, but I found several different smears of blood... teething?  Cut her gums on something she gnawed on?  The furniture bit her back (she wasn't supposed to be chewing on it)?

Regardless, we've had two or three such episodes this morning, and in the end, when she started digging in the wingback chair's cushions (blood found on the foam, where she was chewing)... she ended up in her safe space about 7:15 a.m. and stayed there until after mommy's workout with the trainer.

I have started making a home-made toy for Ember, based on seeing one of Susan Garrett's YouTube videos on games you can play with your dog.  She affirmed that some dogs need to shred things, and some do not.  And she described making this kind of toy:  an empty tube (TP or paper towel roll), pop in a few "treats" and then close up the ends (I just fold them over, so that the treats can fall out if she shakes it or upends it).

Now here's the interesting bit.  Always before when I gave her these tubes, I had not done the fill with a few treats and close the ends.  And she would shred them.

This past couple of days when I put the treats in, she got the treats out, but did not immediately shred the tube.  On Monday, she shredded it later.  Tuesday morning, I collected it before she got a chance to shred, while she was in her crate.

Oh, yes, the other incident of the pre-walk morning:  as I was getting my sweatshirt out to put it on, Ember stole it and wanted to play tug.  She had already put holes in this particular sweatshirt, and I was trying not to end up canceling the walk, so I jollied her along, abandoning the shirt on the chair.  We went on our walk.  I was shocked at what RunKeeper said the distance was when we got home:  1.06 miles.  I didn't think we went "that far".  The map it generated was jagged, and that matches the places where we saw other people, tried to show off how much we wanted to meet them, etc.

Episode one of the Zoomies happened about a block from home on the way back, when she picked up an empty plastic bottle from the ground.  Did it hurt her mouth?  She went nuts.  It took me a detour of a block of "chase the treat" to get her centered again.  We got home, and episode two of the zoomies took place in the house!  The routine of me cooking my breakfast seemed to settle her down again, and then she went on to the digging at the chair cushions.  She stayed in the crate for over three and a half hours.

Now, I made several strategic mistakes when I came home after my workout.  One:  I put on shorts.  Ember has seen me in shorts maybe once before.  Two: I didn't prepare for her reaction.  I mean, I know she goes nuts when I change the shoes I wear to a "new" or different pair. There is an element of escalation there with the bare legs.  Three: I didn't brace myself for the potential "I'm mad at you mom, you left me in there so long!"  Four:  I didn't prepare for the distinct likelihood of her being hungry, given how much of her breakfast went uneaten.

So I let her out.  Teeth to the ankles.  Teeth to the legs.  Ignore rated a jump and nip at the back.  After tossing a couple of tennis balls didn't work to distract, I eventually left her out on the deck (with The Prisoner, no less, sorry, kitty) while I went upstairs and changed to jeans, and came back down and donned the cut-resistant sleeves.

I didn't know if she did her business while I was doing that.  I later found evidence that in fact, she did.  I know the kitty got away. I put Ember through the paces of sit, down, stand, sit, etc. when she was ready to come back in, more civilized.  I set up the "toy covered treat" game.  I put on her leash and took her out back to play "trainer-rules fetch" with the "wait" included.  We came back in and I fixed a salad for me, and samples for her. I took her on the second leash walk at 12:40 p.m., which was shorter, just around a block.

I cooked hard boiled eggs, for future use (she likes to eat the shells when I peel them).  I don't let her have as much as she likes, because I end up seeing them in the poo anyway!  She got some of her treats, including her dental treat.  She finally wore out and went to sleep on the kitchen floor at about 2 p.m.  I'm was going to try to keep her sleeping until 4, but that didn't happen.  She chilled with me for a while, but then was raring to go by 3 or 3:15.  Two hours to departure time for agility class!

She did get outside to both poo and pee at 3:35 p.m. She should be good with just a pee before class, I'm thinking.  Of course, she decided to go after the wingback chair again and earned herself a timeout by 4!

We made it to class.  Ember was thrilled to see the other puppies and meet some people.  She performed well on her first couple of runs, then on the third one she started "acting funny" and sure enough... poo'd on the way to the exit for a potty break!  I have lost count how many times she has either poo'd or peed at the ZoomRoom gym.  I'm wondering if she's nervous and that's leading to some of these... the two in agility were soupy... nervous bowel?

Anyway, we left early, came home, and put her to bed.  Next Challenge, Wednesday puppy class at 11.

Meanwhile, the yard project resumes on Wednesday

I got an email from the landscape dude, in response to my own e-mail detailing the things I am still waiting on.  He's sending the irrigation crew out to work on the front sidewalk tomorrow!  At which time Nate (the irrigation chief) will look at the other three items.

OMG... the kids!

Cross your fingers and pray for wisdom.  The Foster Care company reached out to my daughter in law at the end of her workday to explore the possibility of a bonded pair of siblings in need of a foster placement.  Boy, age 8, girl age 1.  This is not what they were expecting, and it's far from a done deal, but maternal instinct is kicking in big time with her and she hasn't yet talked to / with my son about it.  Yikes!  A one year old!  Neither appears to have behavioral issues, boy loves school and is "smart"... that would be a great fit for my son, who grew up as a "smart" kid.  The little girl has some developmental deficits, but not behavior issues.  And there is help available to bring her up to level.  Fantasy takes over in a great hurry in this lady (me)... we'll see how realism sets in when the two of them talk, and as they find out more.

This "feeler" is by no means a guarantee that they would be chosen, but someone seems to have thought they might be a good fit.  Those of you who pray, pray for the wisdom of all involved.

Life is good!  Spark on!