Wednesday 25th April
We have had no internet connection for three days and I cannot express in words how frustrating I found this. For some one who did not know where the on button was a couple of years ago this is mighty progress.
Anyway, the remaining puppies are now developing their individual personalities and are delightful. Ariel leaves on Saturday and will go to LA on Tuesday.
Hamlet has been chosen by a wonderful family from New Jersey who have a second home in this area and will live very close to Macbeth. This is fabulous news for me as I will be close to two of the puppies.
After a lot of consideration I have decided to keep Phebe and surprisingly Mark did not threaten me with divorce, so now we are trying to find a name that suits her extrovert personality. This means that beautiful Caesar is yet to find a home and to be honest I am in no rush to see him go. The luxury of not having to work leaves me with plenty of time to look after the pups and It is interesting for me to see how he develops.
Ruby is very frisky at the moment so this could be a sign that she is coming into season. I am praying that Raiza will be up to the job but only time will tell. If it doesn't work out then that will be the end of Ruby's breeding life as next year she will be too old.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Friday, April 20, 2007
kasisi's puppies
Friday 20th April.
Yesterday Olivia and I set off for Albany airport with Romeo, destination, Memphis. It is about an hour and a half to the airport and most puppies will be sick at some point during the journey, so It is always a worry to me how much I should feed them or if I am to feed them at all. I decided to give Romeo milk and nothing else. As it happened he was the perfect traveler and slept the entire journey on top of a pillow and was not sick once. We offered him food once we reached the airport but he declined. It is always a worrying time when a puppy is being shipped ,but experience with my last litter taught me that the puppies manage well and do not seem too traumatised by the experience. Feedback from Romeo's new family suggests he took it all in his stride and settled in remarkably quickly. I do have some lovely photographs which hopefuly will appear on the website later on today. Kind permission from Terri will be sought first. Romeo is now known as Max.
As for the remaining puppies, they are now enjoying the long overdue sunshine and spent nearly 6 hours outside yesterday. Mark doesn't know this, but I am watching Caesar and Phebe very closely. Ariel leaves with her new family next weekend and will spend her time between New York and Los Angeles, yet again, a glamourous lifestyle.
The big dogs are enjoying the warmer weather too, I really love this time of year as the dogs are so easy to take care of, as long as they have been for a long walk in the morning they will happily bask in the sun all day.
Yesterday Olivia and I set off for Albany airport with Romeo, destination, Memphis. It is about an hour and a half to the airport and most puppies will be sick at some point during the journey, so It is always a worry to me how much I should feed them or if I am to feed them at all. I decided to give Romeo milk and nothing else. As it happened he was the perfect traveler and slept the entire journey on top of a pillow and was not sick once. We offered him food once we reached the airport but he declined. It is always a worrying time when a puppy is being shipped ,but experience with my last litter taught me that the puppies manage well and do not seem too traumatised by the experience. Feedback from Romeo's new family suggests he took it all in his stride and settled in remarkably quickly. I do have some lovely photographs which hopefuly will appear on the website later on today. Kind permission from Terri will be sought first. Romeo is now known as Max.
As for the remaining puppies, they are now enjoying the long overdue sunshine and spent nearly 6 hours outside yesterday. Mark doesn't know this, but I am watching Caesar and Phebe very closely. Ariel leaves with her new family next weekend and will spend her time between New York and Los Angeles, yet again, a glamourous lifestyle.
The big dogs are enjoying the warmer weather too, I really love this time of year as the dogs are so easy to take care of, as long as they have been for a long walk in the morning they will happily bask in the sun all day.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
kasisi's puppies
Tuesday 17th April
Our puppies started to leave us this weekend, the good news is that Kinta, formerly known as Macbeth, lives just half an hour away from us so we will be able to visit him regularly. He now lives on a 72 acre Koi Carp farm.
Hermione and Puck moved to Long Island and Brooklyn ,although Hermione will be spending the summer on a salmon farm in Alaska (lucky Hermione)
Today we drove to Lenox MA with Portia to meet up with Joanna and Ron, she will be joining her sister Kallie from Kasidi and Brewsters first litter.
On Thursday, Romeo will be heading off to Memphis where he will join his new family and no they will not be calling him Elvis, he will be called Max.
Already the puppies have become so easy now the numbers have gone down. Today they were able to play in deep snow as the temperature was pretty mild at around 40f, they now completely ignore me when I call them in a sign of their growing independance.
Our puppies started to leave us this weekend, the good news is that Kinta, formerly known as Macbeth, lives just half an hour away from us so we will be able to visit him regularly. He now lives on a 72 acre Koi Carp farm.
Hermione and Puck moved to Long Island and Brooklyn ,although Hermione will be spending the summer on a salmon farm in Alaska (lucky Hermione)
Today we drove to Lenox MA with Portia to meet up with Joanna and Ron, she will be joining her sister Kallie from Kasidi and Brewsters first litter.
On Thursday, Romeo will be heading off to Memphis where he will join his new family and no they will not be calling him Elvis, he will be called Max.
Already the puppies have become so easy now the numbers have gone down. Today they were able to play in deep snow as the temperature was pretty mild at around 40f, they now completely ignore me when I call them in a sign of their growing independance.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Kasidi's puppies
Saturday 14th April
We performed the personality tests on the puppies this afternoon and I am not sure if we can truly interpret the results. They were carried out in our bedroom where they have never been and by Mark, my husband who they briefly met last night. The outcome was dominated by gender in that the girls were much more outgoing and sociable whereas the boys just lay on the floor and did not respond much at all. Parts of the test included putting up an umbrella suddenly, clashing saucepans, retrieving, putting the puppy on its belly etc and basically the boys just lay there with an expression on their face that said, whats all this about. I think the tests said more about this breed in that they are laid back and prone to laziness.
Years ago whilst at crufts the judge had about 38 Ridgebacks in one class to go over, so she divided the group into sub groups. The ridgebacks that had to wait soon got bored and collapsed on to the floor for a sleep. In contrast, the ring next door had Elk hounds and the noise that was coming from them was over whelming. They were very excitable and barking constantly not something a Ridgeback is noted for.
This thread for the blog will have to end soon as my puppies journey will end here and start over anew as they head off to their new homes. A sad time for us but a joyous one for their new owners.
We performed the personality tests on the puppies this afternoon and I am not sure if we can truly interpret the results. They were carried out in our bedroom where they have never been and by Mark, my husband who they briefly met last night. The outcome was dominated by gender in that the girls were much more outgoing and sociable whereas the boys just lay on the floor and did not respond much at all. Parts of the test included putting up an umbrella suddenly, clashing saucepans, retrieving, putting the puppy on its belly etc and basically the boys just lay there with an expression on their face that said, whats all this about. I think the tests said more about this breed in that they are laid back and prone to laziness.
Years ago whilst at crufts the judge had about 38 Ridgebacks in one class to go over, so she divided the group into sub groups. The ridgebacks that had to wait soon got bored and collapsed on to the floor for a sleep. In contrast, the ring next door had Elk hounds and the noise that was coming from them was over whelming. They were very excitable and barking constantly not something a Ridgeback is noted for.
This thread for the blog will have to end soon as my puppies journey will end here and start over anew as they head off to their new homes. A sad time for us but a joyous one for their new owners.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Kasidi's puppies
Thursday 12th April
In the end all ten puppies went to the vets today as my vet is going on holiday and they all got a clean bill of health. They had their first innoculation, were wormed and of course their medical. The weights were as follows:
Romeo 16.6lbs
Puck 18.2lbs
Portia 16.8lbs
Phebe 16.6lbs
Paris 17lbs
Macbeth 17lbs
Hermione 15.2lbs
Hamlet 15.6lbs
Caesar 17.6lbs
Ariel 18.2lbs
I took the puppies in two batches of five and was very impressed with how they managed the journey as my vet is 35mins drive from home.
I think I will just leave them to be quiet this evening as It has been quite a day for them.
Kasidi was anxious when she saw her babies being put into the car and was happy to have them returned to her.
In the end all ten puppies went to the vets today as my vet is going on holiday and they all got a clean bill of health. They had their first innoculation, were wormed and of course their medical. The weights were as follows:
Romeo 16.6lbs
Puck 18.2lbs
Portia 16.8lbs
Phebe 16.6lbs
Paris 17lbs
Macbeth 17lbs
Hermione 15.2lbs
Hamlet 15.6lbs
Caesar 17.6lbs
Ariel 18.2lbs
I took the puppies in two batches of five and was very impressed with how they managed the journey as my vet is 35mins drive from home.
I think I will just leave them to be quiet this evening as It has been quite a day for them.
Kasidi was anxious when she saw her babies being put into the car and was happy to have them returned to her.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Kasidi's puppies
Wednesday 11th April
People always ask me "how can you part with the puppies" and I always reply, "there comes a time when It becomes impossible to give each individual puppy the attention they crave and deserve". That time is now. I simply cannot give them the one on one they need and because I know I have wonderful families for the puppies to go to It makes It a lot easier.
I have been busy with my animals today making sure they are stocked with food and water etc as we are to expect up tp 9 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow. Very depressing as I know this time last year It was hot but at least I pick up Mark on Friday (thats if his flight is not delayed)
Five pups go to the vets tomorrow for checks and jabs. I held out in the end as we do not vaccinate until 8 weeks back home and I figured there must be a reason for this. I tend to believe the vets advice is not always the best advice when It comes to vaccination. There are some very interesting studies out there that suggests we over vaccinate our pets which suits the drug industries and that auto immune problems can be attributed to over vaccinating. In this months AKC magazine I read about a trial thats about to start re the rabies vaccine. The aim is to hopefully show that the rabies vaccine can provide cover for up to 7 years. I have always believed blood should be taken to show serum antibody levels before re-vaccination. Anyway, more info about this trial can be found at www.rabieschallengefund.org
People always ask me "how can you part with the puppies" and I always reply, "there comes a time when It becomes impossible to give each individual puppy the attention they crave and deserve". That time is now. I simply cannot give them the one on one they need and because I know I have wonderful families for the puppies to go to It makes It a lot easier.
I have been busy with my animals today making sure they are stocked with food and water etc as we are to expect up tp 9 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow. Very depressing as I know this time last year It was hot but at least I pick up Mark on Friday (thats if his flight is not delayed)
Five pups go to the vets tomorrow for checks and jabs. I held out in the end as we do not vaccinate until 8 weeks back home and I figured there must be a reason for this. I tend to believe the vets advice is not always the best advice when It comes to vaccination. There are some very interesting studies out there that suggests we over vaccinate our pets which suits the drug industries and that auto immune problems can be attributed to over vaccinating. In this months AKC magazine I read about a trial thats about to start re the rabies vaccine. The aim is to hopefully show that the rabies vaccine can provide cover for up to 7 years. I have always believed blood should be taken to show serum antibody levels before re-vaccination. Anyway, more info about this trial can be found at www.rabieschallengefund.org
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Kasidi's puppies
Saturday April 7th
When my daughter Olivia was devising the system for the collars she worked It so a dog and a bitch wore the same colour colour, so It is always as follows;
Blue collar = Portia and Hamlet.
Red collar = Ariel and Puck.
Orange collar = Caesar and Phebe.
Green collar = Romeo and Hermione
Pink collar= Paris and Macbeth.
This afternoon we brought the puppies into the living room as we are going out tonight and I happened to mention to Olivia that I had noticed the puppies tend to hang out in pairs and It seems that the collars seem to determine who they hang out with. She was amazed by this statement as she too had noticed that Caesar can always be found with Phebe, Portia is often to be seen with Hamlet etc etc. We will make a point of closely watching them when they are out and about as It seems bizzare that this is the case. Even now I am looking down on them and Paris and Macbeth are running around together with one of my slippers in their mouth.
Even though It is quite cold at the moment the pups went out for a while this morning and some of them were digging up the few bulbs that have escaped the scratching from my chickens. It is incredible how they have so quickly become naughty little dogs. They are also discovering the word NO as they now have a habit of sinking their needle like teeth into my legs.
When my daughter Olivia was devising the system for the collars she worked It so a dog and a bitch wore the same colour colour, so It is always as follows;
Blue collar = Portia and Hamlet.
Red collar = Ariel and Puck.
Orange collar = Caesar and Phebe.
Green collar = Romeo and Hermione
Pink collar= Paris and Macbeth.
This afternoon we brought the puppies into the living room as we are going out tonight and I happened to mention to Olivia that I had noticed the puppies tend to hang out in pairs and It seems that the collars seem to determine who they hang out with. She was amazed by this statement as she too had noticed that Caesar can always be found with Phebe, Portia is often to be seen with Hamlet etc etc. We will make a point of closely watching them when they are out and about as It seems bizzare that this is the case. Even now I am looking down on them and Paris and Macbeth are running around together with one of my slippers in their mouth.
Even though It is quite cold at the moment the pups went out for a while this morning and some of them were digging up the few bulbs that have escaped the scratching from my chickens. It is incredible how they have so quickly become naughty little dogs. They are also discovering the word NO as they now have a habit of sinking their needle like teeth into my legs.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Kasidi's puppies
Friday 6th April
I am pleased to say that Caesar is totally recovered and judging from the photographs we took today he seems to be benefiting from not having a bulging tummy. I am going to reduce the puppies intake to 3 meals a day.
Olivia and I took individual pictures of all of the pups today and it wasn't easy. Some just did not want to stand, some were arching their back so they looked hunched and some were doing the classic rocking horse pose, but hopefully they will be on the web by tomorrow. Warts and all !
We had just got into the routine of the puppies going outside after every meal and so begining a toileting regime when winter came back and now they sniff the cold and refuse to go out. They are very demanding and very hard work but rewarding none the less.
I checked the boys to make sure they had 2 descended testicles and that their bites were correct plus another check of ridges. All of the girls have correct bites too.
I can hear the puppies as I type, they must have just woken up, so another round of feed and clean is due.
The highlight of the day is still when they all come into the living room during the evening, they go crazy and will now run around and play for nearly 2 hours before they collapse in a heap and fall asleep.
I am pleased to say that Caesar is totally recovered and judging from the photographs we took today he seems to be benefiting from not having a bulging tummy. I am going to reduce the puppies intake to 3 meals a day.
Olivia and I took individual pictures of all of the pups today and it wasn't easy. Some just did not want to stand, some were arching their back so they looked hunched and some were doing the classic rocking horse pose, but hopefully they will be on the web by tomorrow. Warts and all !
We had just got into the routine of the puppies going outside after every meal and so begining a toileting regime when winter came back and now they sniff the cold and refuse to go out. They are very demanding and very hard work but rewarding none the less.
I checked the boys to make sure they had 2 descended testicles and that their bites were correct plus another check of ridges. All of the girls have correct bites too.
I can hear the puppies as I type, they must have just woken up, so another round of feed and clean is due.
The highlight of the day is still when they all come into the living room during the evening, they go crazy and will now run around and play for nearly 2 hours before they collapse in a heap and fall asleep.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Kasidi's puppies
Wednesday 4th April
Caesar was a cause for concern yesterday.
Some of the puppies had diarroeah on Monday but appeared well in themselves so I changed their diet to rice, live yoghurt and cooked chicken for 24 hours and this seemed to halt it in its track. I have to admit to being very worried as I have been letting the puppies out in our garden and although they are mixing with my vaccinated dogs I have no idea what wild animals prowl around at night that could be carrying nasty viruses such as parvo.Also, the puppies had been licking old snow and I saw some of them drinking from a muddy puddle. Not very desirable but I also believe their systems have to be intrduced to such things to toughen them up. It is a close judgement call .
All seemed well yesterday, then yesterday evening I noticed that Caesar seemed quite lethargic and not his usual bouncy self. When I picked him up he seemed very hot and his temperature revealed a reading of 103.1. Although my entire nursing carreer was spent using centigrade I new this was hot.
The vets clinic was obviously closed and I suddenly became very worried so I went over in my head what I needed to do. I had amoxacillin tablets in my drawer which were 250mg stength so I quartered a tablet, crushed It and added a little water, so It could be sucked up into a syringe.
.I had surfed the net trying to find the correct dosage for puppies but had been unable to find anything. I figured that 60 something mgs would be ok so I gave the antibiotic to Caesar then rang the vets clinic to get the on call doctor.
I was put through to a very helpful on call vet who asked me if I happened to have some amoxyl in the house. I told her what I had done and she ok'd the dosage which I had given him which was a relief. She also recommended 1ml of pepto bismol which apart from having anti-diarroeal properties, also has a temperature reducing action. I then made up a solution of electrolyte solution which consisted of 1 teasoon of salt to 8 teaspoons of sugar in 1 litre of water and administered this to him via syringe.
I toyed with idea of keeping him with me that night but decided he would most probably prefer to be with his brothers and sisters.
I was quite anxious going into the puppies this morning but my first observation was plenty of pooh and no diarroeah. I gave them their food and milk and noticed that Caesar was enthusiastically joining in the feeding frenzy. I picked him up and his body temperature felt normal and he seemed more like his normal self.
Caesar reminded me of children when they are sick. They can deteriorate very quickly and bounce back even faster.
I will keep him on the antibiotics and the pepto for the time being but will ring my vet today to see what he recommends.
The weather is so foul I cannot find the words to describe it. My older dogs showed no enthusiasm for a long walk this morning, so I gave in and they had a quick run in the adjacent field.
I have to go to refuse centre this afternoon which is 20 miles away as I have run out of newspaper. Not the best of days to be going but needs must.
Caesar was a cause for concern yesterday.
Some of the puppies had diarroeah on Monday but appeared well in themselves so I changed their diet to rice, live yoghurt and cooked chicken for 24 hours and this seemed to halt it in its track. I have to admit to being very worried as I have been letting the puppies out in our garden and although they are mixing with my vaccinated dogs I have no idea what wild animals prowl around at night that could be carrying nasty viruses such as parvo.Also, the puppies had been licking old snow and I saw some of them drinking from a muddy puddle. Not very desirable but I also believe their systems have to be intrduced to such things to toughen them up. It is a close judgement call .
All seemed well yesterday, then yesterday evening I noticed that Caesar seemed quite lethargic and not his usual bouncy self. When I picked him up he seemed very hot and his temperature revealed a reading of 103.1. Although my entire nursing carreer was spent using centigrade I new this was hot.
The vets clinic was obviously closed and I suddenly became very worried so I went over in my head what I needed to do. I had amoxacillin tablets in my drawer which were 250mg stength so I quartered a tablet, crushed It and added a little water, so It could be sucked up into a syringe.
.I had surfed the net trying to find the correct dosage for puppies but had been unable to find anything. I figured that 60 something mgs would be ok so I gave the antibiotic to Caesar then rang the vets clinic to get the on call doctor.
I was put through to a very helpful on call vet who asked me if I happened to have some amoxyl in the house. I told her what I had done and she ok'd the dosage which I had given him which was a relief. She also recommended 1ml of pepto bismol which apart from having anti-diarroeal properties, also has a temperature reducing action. I then made up a solution of electrolyte solution which consisted of 1 teasoon of salt to 8 teaspoons of sugar in 1 litre of water and administered this to him via syringe.
I toyed with idea of keeping him with me that night but decided he would most probably prefer to be with his brothers and sisters.
I was quite anxious going into the puppies this morning but my first observation was plenty of pooh and no diarroeah. I gave them their food and milk and noticed that Caesar was enthusiastically joining in the feeding frenzy. I picked him up and his body temperature felt normal and he seemed more like his normal self.
Caesar reminded me of children when they are sick. They can deteriorate very quickly and bounce back even faster.
I will keep him on the antibiotics and the pepto for the time being but will ring my vet today to see what he recommends.
The weather is so foul I cannot find the words to describe it. My older dogs showed no enthusiasm for a long walk this morning, so I gave in and they had a quick run in the adjacent field.
I have to go to refuse centre this afternoon which is 20 miles away as I have run out of newspaper. Not the best of days to be going but needs must.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Kasidi's puppies
Monday 2nd April
We had a blast of warm sunshine earlier and so I took advantage and let the puppies frolic outside and It was just perfect. What is lovely, is, Kasidi can enjoy her puppies without them making demands on her as they have finnaly come to realise the milk bar is closed.
Kasidi is really a big puppy herself sometimes and she has taken to playing with the puppies toys to the extent where she takes them away and keeps them for herslf. It is rewarding to see her with her pups, she had such a tough time with her first litter and for a while I intended not to breed from her again but this time everything has gone textbook perfect.
The one I have to watch is Angela the pot belly. I am very disappointed to say that on several occasions she has been very naughty and snapped at them, whereas Wilbur is a peach. He was fabulous with Lela last year as she was growing up, our original concerns soon evaporated as we watched them play together almost daily and they still have a good relationship now.
I will take advantage of the bursts of sunshine as our forcast is going to deteriorate and we are to expect snow showers by Thursday and temperatures in the mid 30s during the day. I cannot express in words politely how I feel about this as my body is crying out for serious heat. I'm sure we had decent weather this time last year.
As I put the rubbish out for collection this morning, six huge garden sacks were filled with soiled paper from the puppies. I am just relieved It is picked up with no questions asked as I would not like to face the prospect of burning it all.
I have registered the litter today and it took a total of 5 minutes online to complete. Why has it taken me so long to do it. It really was very simple.
My next task is to find official names for the puppies as I do like to use my afix with every puppy. I usually trawl African name websites and find meanings I feel are appropriate to each individual puppy.
Any suggestions are welcome though!
We had a blast of warm sunshine earlier and so I took advantage and let the puppies frolic outside and It was just perfect. What is lovely, is, Kasidi can enjoy her puppies without them making demands on her as they have finnaly come to realise the milk bar is closed.
Kasidi is really a big puppy herself sometimes and she has taken to playing with the puppies toys to the extent where she takes them away and keeps them for herslf. It is rewarding to see her with her pups, she had such a tough time with her first litter and for a while I intended not to breed from her again but this time everything has gone textbook perfect.
The one I have to watch is Angela the pot belly. I am very disappointed to say that on several occasions she has been very naughty and snapped at them, whereas Wilbur is a peach. He was fabulous with Lela last year as she was growing up, our original concerns soon evaporated as we watched them play together almost daily and they still have a good relationship now.
I will take advantage of the bursts of sunshine as our forcast is going to deteriorate and we are to expect snow showers by Thursday and temperatures in the mid 30s during the day. I cannot express in words politely how I feel about this as my body is crying out for serious heat. I'm sure we had decent weather this time last year.
As I put the rubbish out for collection this morning, six huge garden sacks were filled with soiled paper from the puppies. I am just relieved It is picked up with no questions asked as I would not like to face the prospect of burning it all.
I have registered the litter today and it took a total of 5 minutes online to complete. Why has it taken me so long to do it. It really was very simple.
My next task is to find official names for the puppies as I do like to use my afix with every puppy. I usually trawl African name websites and find meanings I feel are appropriate to each individual puppy.
Any suggestions are welcome though!
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Kasidi's puppies
Sunday 1st April
It was always going to be an impossible task to surpass Thursday's entry in terms of drama and then Saturday came and well, easy peezy springs to mind.
It started well with a delightful young couple called Nick and Jenna coming up from Brooklyn to see the puppies. It was a lovely sunny day and as planned, we went for a walk thru the woods with the dogs who I might add were impecably behaved and then we spent time with the puppies. Nick and Jenna left around 1 ish and I set about the feeding and clearing round. At about 2 pm I felt so tired that I decided to lie down on the bed (something I never do) and I did manage to get a little sleep. Iwoke up around 1.45, put the kettle on and looking out of the window I noticed a mist gathering in the valley below. A couple of minutes later the dogs alerted me to a car that had driven up the driveway. A young women with 3 young children beckoned me towards the car, she looked quite disressed and I immediaetly thought that something terrible had happened to her. She aked me If I knew that the field next to my house was on fire and was rapidly approaching my house. I looked at her as if she was speaking in a foriegn language, then It dawned on me that I had seen smoke and not mist. I put the dogs away before they were able to realise what was happening, meanwhile this total stranger had leaped out of her car and started to untangle the hosepipe which was attached to the house and started hosing down near the treeline to hopefully stop the fire from becoming within 10 feet of the house. I ran into the house to dial 911 and asked my daughter and her friend Claire to help outside. It was a pretty scary site, the field adjacent and below our house were very much burned out and towards the bottom of my drive behind a newly constucted fence was a huge dump of rubbish that was ablaze.
My next thought was my dear friend and neighbour Evelyn, an 87 year old lady who is very much house bound and was in direct line of the fire and owner of the fields that were ablaze.I jumped into the car and drove down to her house passing 2 fire engines on my way. I dicovered that she was ok and in fact had relatives visiting that day. It was odd, but because of the wind direction no smoke could be seen from her house. On my return up the hill the firemen tried to prevent me from going back to my house. I sort of flipped my lid and pointed out to them it was my house that had the fire racing up the tree line and I had to get back to my daughter and my animals.
When I dialled 911 the operator had asked that I evacuate the house and I certainly would have done if I thought any of us were in imminent danger but with 10 pups, 5 dogs, and 3 cats I really did not want to do this and as It happened It was not necessary.
In the end we had fire engines from 2 seperate departments and It took about 2 hours for the fires to be put out. It was very exciting and I have tremendous admiration for all of the volunteer firefighters who responded to the call even though I shouted at them when I saw that 2 engines were way down the road hosing water into the field where as the fire spreading through my treeline up to my house was left unchecked and waiting for engines from another department.
Once it was obvious the fire was under control I began to wonder how it could have possibly started. There was still a little snow left in places and we certainly were not experiencing hot weather and I don't think for one minute it was intentional.
We have recently had a problem with 4 wheelers trespassing on Evelyns land and I think they must have thrown a cigarette butt on to the ground and It started from there. Either way, I dread to think what would have happened if we had not intervened when we did and once again the puppies were oblivious to it all.
I promise my next entry will be about the puppies who are as adorable as ever.
Next, I have to start checking the boys for 2 testicles and checking bites on all of them.
I haven't even had time to go out and buy a well deserved bottle of wine so I have taken to drinking the sherry Olivia bought me for christmas which is very nice. I wouldn't want to her to think I am drinking it as a last resort.
It was always going to be an impossible task to surpass Thursday's entry in terms of drama and then Saturday came and well, easy peezy springs to mind.
It started well with a delightful young couple called Nick and Jenna coming up from Brooklyn to see the puppies. It was a lovely sunny day and as planned, we went for a walk thru the woods with the dogs who I might add were impecably behaved and then we spent time with the puppies. Nick and Jenna left around 1 ish and I set about the feeding and clearing round. At about 2 pm I felt so tired that I decided to lie down on the bed (something I never do) and I did manage to get a little sleep. Iwoke up around 1.45, put the kettle on and looking out of the window I noticed a mist gathering in the valley below. A couple of minutes later the dogs alerted me to a car that had driven up the driveway. A young women with 3 young children beckoned me towards the car, she looked quite disressed and I immediaetly thought that something terrible had happened to her. She aked me If I knew that the field next to my house was on fire and was rapidly approaching my house. I looked at her as if she was speaking in a foriegn language, then It dawned on me that I had seen smoke and not mist. I put the dogs away before they were able to realise what was happening, meanwhile this total stranger had leaped out of her car and started to untangle the hosepipe which was attached to the house and started hosing down near the treeline to hopefully stop the fire from becoming within 10 feet of the house. I ran into the house to dial 911 and asked my daughter and her friend Claire to help outside. It was a pretty scary site, the field adjacent and below our house were very much burned out and towards the bottom of my drive behind a newly constucted fence was a huge dump of rubbish that was ablaze.
My next thought was my dear friend and neighbour Evelyn, an 87 year old lady who is very much house bound and was in direct line of the fire and owner of the fields that were ablaze.I jumped into the car and drove down to her house passing 2 fire engines on my way. I dicovered that she was ok and in fact had relatives visiting that day. It was odd, but because of the wind direction no smoke could be seen from her house. On my return up the hill the firemen tried to prevent me from going back to my house. I sort of flipped my lid and pointed out to them it was my house that had the fire racing up the tree line and I had to get back to my daughter and my animals.
When I dialled 911 the operator had asked that I evacuate the house and I certainly would have done if I thought any of us were in imminent danger but with 10 pups, 5 dogs, and 3 cats I really did not want to do this and as It happened It was not necessary.
In the end we had fire engines from 2 seperate departments and It took about 2 hours for the fires to be put out. It was very exciting and I have tremendous admiration for all of the volunteer firefighters who responded to the call even though I shouted at them when I saw that 2 engines were way down the road hosing water into the field where as the fire spreading through my treeline up to my house was left unchecked and waiting for engines from another department.
Once it was obvious the fire was under control I began to wonder how it could have possibly started. There was still a little snow left in places and we certainly were not experiencing hot weather and I don't think for one minute it was intentional.
We have recently had a problem with 4 wheelers trespassing on Evelyns land and I think they must have thrown a cigarette butt on to the ground and It started from there. Either way, I dread to think what would have happened if we had not intervened when we did and once again the puppies were oblivious to it all.
I promise my next entry will be about the puppies who are as adorable as ever.
Next, I have to start checking the boys for 2 testicles and checking bites on all of them.
I haven't even had time to go out and buy a well deserved bottle of wine so I have taken to drinking the sherry Olivia bought me for christmas which is very nice. I wouldn't want to her to think I am drinking it as a last resort.
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