A Tired Tuesday

Our week is off on its usual fast, hurried pace. Our past weekend was a busy and productive one.  Carl took off work Monday to finish getting everything cleaned up, and put back in its place so it can be found next year. We are both thankful (and relieved!) that our tractor made it through the mowing season. Unfortunately it will need work in the spring to repair damage caused by a family of mice that built their home around its engine.

This morning I am really tired because of staying up to late last evening watching the Presidential debates.  Whatever happened to those days when you could survive on a few hours of sleep?  The dogs spent most of their day yesterday outside with Carl and stayed up with me, so I know how they'll be spending their day.  I actually think they're happy when we both go back to work so they can catch up on their sleep.    

However you spend your day, I hope it's an enjoyable one!  

~CarrieAnne~

New In Town

Move over brown-marmorated-stinkbug, there's a new bug in town, and it's a lot better looking than you!

Yesterday we were bombarded by the fall arrival of the 'Asian Lady Beetle' looking for a warm place to spend the winter.  By last evening, the sunny side of our barn was covered with them.  But unlike my despised nemesis, the stink-bug, which is harmless and dies in cold temperatures, the lady-beetles do live through the winter, and they can and do sting.  Fortunately they seem to be attracted to the barns light color and we've not had many around the house--At least not yet.

There is also a new alliance between dogs.  This week Todd and Charlie have found common ground to dig up. The two together have excavated several places in the yard.  Both being terriers, I'm not sure who is the better digger.

Todd is better at not getting caught but the last round went to Charlie who was without question the dirtier of the two!

This weekend is going to be spent filling in those holes really well, and finishing up the fall yard work.  We have some beautiful fall colors right now, so it'll be nice for all of us to spend time outdoors.  

Enjoy your weekend!

A Milestone

Another week is coming to a close.  As always, its been a busy one with work, not feeling well and topped with just a little bit of  'family drama' that I'm just really hoping I have shoved closed and locked the door on.  I'm reminded yet again that we have a really good life that is better off without certain people as part of it, especially when being so cruel and vindictive comes so easily to them and is the only way they know how to act.

Moving on from the negativity, this week we reached our 5 year milestone of living at Golden Pines.  To some, I know that it's not that long, but it's a milestone nonetheless.  I remember very well the day we left our last house in the subdivision.  I remember the feelings I had when I stood in it's empty entryway for the last time looking at the freshly painted bare walls, new carpet and polished floors. Carl and I felt humbled as we thought about our life there and the dogs that had found their way to us during the 10 years we lived in the house.  

Below: Golden Pines 2007

On Tuesday, we remembered those same things.  The house we bought in the country was only supposed to be a place to give us the room we needed for the dogs and the privacy I was craving.  But along the way, it has become so much more; it has become home.  I am so grateful to have the chance to bring the senior dogs to Golden Pines that need a place to go.  Yes, we've had many losses that have brought their own sadness and heartache.  But without a doubt I wouldn't want to miss out on the joy we've had in caring for and getting to know these precious senior dogs and have the memories of them.

In remembering them, today I also want to toast the dogs that came with us from our last house and are still a part of our lives at Golden Pines.  They are:

Wendy, who came to us in July 1999

Josh, who came to us in 2002

CarrieAnne in June 2003

Charlie in July of 2004, 

Sheba, September 2004

Here's to the next 5 years and the adventures ahead!     

Todd's Political Views

I found out that Todd is a Republican.  Because he's a terrier, for some reason I just took for granted that he would be a Democrat.

But I've come to realize that terriers are all about limited "government," a strong terrier defense and military, and their freedoms, particularly their right to bare their terrier teeth--In thinking about it, it all sounds like the makings of a conservative to me!

It is a little disheartening to suspect he’s playing for the other team. Of course, I could be imagining it. But I don' t think so because this is the second time he has torn up something that had President Obama's name on it.

However we really do have things in common; a shared pool of beliefs and behavior, of likes and dislikes that we use to bridge our differences and learn from each other.

And it all comes together to create harmony at Golden Pines.  

I hope you're having a weekend with harmony too!