Esther Conquers the Big Field

Esther went for her first walk in the big field yesterday. She was a trooper, hopping along behind me and taking in the wide, wide world around her!

Woof, Y'All!

Introducing...allllllllll the way from Dallas, Texas.....Miss Esther! Thanks to some fantastic women from Texas Little Cuties (You're the best, Leslie and Linda!), Miss Esther has found her way all the way up North to the frozen tundra of Hundenruhe Haven. She is just an itty-bitty little chihuahua - around five/six pounds. We know she's a granny of at least 12 years old, but because she was found as a stray in a creek, then taken to the pound, and then rescued by TLC, we'll never know exactly how old she is, or the extent of her story. I do know that she's just about the sweetest little granny I've ever met! She doesn't have toofers, so her tongue sticks out a little, and it is just so endearing. She and Uncle Mort have the same coloring, and the same toothless smiles, though he now looks like a giant next to her! We are very glad she's here, and I am looking forward to many happy years with Granny Esther.

Me, My Tattoo, and I

It's my birthday, and I just got this, my very first tattoo, on my ankle. It is designed to represent three important philosophies in my life. The dragonfly represents important people that have passed away in my life, as well as overcoming a big challenge, the starfish represents my philosophy about kids and dog rescue, and the two pawprints represent Olive and Baci, as well as all the dogs I've loved and will love.

Sunday on the Farm

As usual, our day started with the canine alarm clocks (Shae, Coco, and Sammy) barking the household awake well before 6:00 am. The bright side of all this was that I was able to hear the turkeys in the backfield somewhere, and witness the mating dance of a male sandhill crane as he tried to attract his (largely unimpressed) mate. Spectacular! The birds were all chirping, much to Twig's chagrin, since she couldn't find all of them to bark at and chase away. The spring peeper frogs were singing away down in the marsh, and every now and again, the horses next door would whinny to each other. Ahhhh, lovely. Yesterday I planted the annuals in the pots around the house's gardens, and potted the herbs. Most importantly, I planted tulips in Tulip's Garden. We've always called it Tulip's Garden, though it had no tulips in it, because she loved to drink from the scummy water feature (despite the fresh water in the house!), and hang out there. We moved the beagle statue to Tulip's Garden when we noticed how much she liked being there. I always said that when she left us, I'd plant some tulips there, so there would always be a Tulip in her Garden. They are lovely, but not nearly so as she was.