Goodbye Major

It's been a sad weekend for us. Today Don brought our old black lab/hound mix, Major, to the vet to be euthanized.

Major came into our lives ten years ago as a pound rescue. We were told he was about two years old, though of course no one knew his actual age. As the years went by it became apparent he was well over two, probably more like six years old when we first got him... so he was quite the senior citizen.

In the last few years, of course, he's declined in mobility, but he was always a dog who enjoyed his creature comforts. Early on in our ownership of him, we couldn't keep him off the couch; so we covered it with a sheet and it became "Major's couch." His couch is in the same room as the woodstove, which is a good thing because if there's one thing this dog loved, especially in the winter, it's heat. Sometimes he would literally wrap himself around the stove and sigh contentedly.

When we got Lydia, Major was top dog at first... but with Lydia's dominant personality, he got demoted to second lieutenant. But that was okay. As long as he had his couch and his woodstove, he was a happy canine. And in the yard, the dogs were great friends and often played together.

Almost three years ago we almost lost him due to a horrible infection on his head; but with some antibiotics, he healed up and stayed with us a lot longer than we anticipated. In fact, we called him our Energizer Bunny because he kept going, and going, and going...

On Saturday evening, Don let Major into the yard before bedtime to do his business; but something happened to his back legs, and suddenly they wouldn't support him any more. Don put a water bowl nearby and left him there for the night (which was probably a relief, as it's been terribly hot and the nighttime was cool and lovely).

Sunday morning, unable to move his hefty weight, we shifted him into our hay sled and brought him into the house where he sighed with contentment and slumbered for the day. Toward evening he whined to got outside -- he hadn't lost control of his bladder -- so we reloaded him in the sled and pulled him outside. Again he spent the night on the cool grass.

This morning Don and I put the camper shell on the back of the truck, loaded the sled in back, and Don drove him to the vet for a gentle exit to his life. As it is, we probably let him go for too long, but you know how it is with pets.

Lydia, sensing our mood, has been worried and apprehensive. As Don drove off, I took her for a short walk to distract her. Back home, she sniffed intently in the yard where Major spent the night. Clearly she knows something's up, but hasn't figured it out.

It's hard to lose a pet. Goodbye, Major. Thank you for many happy years.

April showers bring May flowers....

...but what do April blizzards bring?

Twice this month we've woken up to snow.

Not a lot of snow, it's true, but enough to remind us winter hasn't quite lost its grip yet.

I took these photos early in the morning, and when the rest of the family woke up, they couldn't believe their eyes.

Here's our April flowers, looking cold and miserable.

This bluebird doesn't look too pleased either.

The snow melted off by afternoon, and we had a few days of spring. Then yesterday winter came roaring back again in what virtually amounted to a blizzard, with 40 mph winds and heavy wet snow.

Old Major braved the wind and snow to visit the yard, then hurried (as fast as his ancient legs could carry him) back to the woodstove.

It looked like December, not April.

Our brave little patch of daffodils withstood the onslaught.

The snow melted off soon enough, but the day was bitterly cold with howling winds, and periodic showers of sleet or snow would pass through. This photo was taken in late afternoon, with a bleary sun lighting up a distant snow shower.

Then this morning... sunny and calm. Go figure.

The daffodils looked much happier.

So did the beasties. Yesterday they were all huddled under the awning or in the barn. Today they basked in the sunshine. This is Hector and Ninja, who have become great buddies.

And the robins looked perky and ready to nest.

So what do April blizzards bring? Hopefully a warm May!

Winter weather

We were expecting winter weather this weekend.

For the past week, the weather has been sunny and brutally cold. This photo showed some of the winter sun highlighting the tree trunks. What looks like snow flakes in front of the trees was falling bits of hoarfrost that, honestly, looked like falling diamonds. It was indescribably beautiful and the photo doesn't even begin to do it justice.

This red-shafted flicker has been hanging around. Doubtless he's having a hard time finding food.

When the weather was at its coldest, we kept the Jerseys (Polly and Matilda) and their calves in the corral where they could go into the barn at night for maximum protection. After the close call with Polly in mid-November, I'm not taking chances with the more delicate Jerseys. (Dexters are tougher.)

But the temperature (thankfully) rose and snow was anticipated. Here was the forecast for January 3:

So on Saturday we split some firewood before the snow arrived.

Front porch, before:

Front porch, after:

I cleaned the barn stalls and made sure the floors were padded with straw.

It pleases me to see animals at the feed boxes at any time during the day. Don built the boxes last fall under the barn awning, and they've proven remarkably successful in keeping food clean and available at any time without getting trampled or soiled.

After a day of battening down hatches, a dinner of fried rice warmed us all.

On Sunday, it snowed. Man did it snow! It was a day to stay huddled at home, but Younger Daughter had an obligation in a nearby town, so I drove her.

Once we get off our dirt road onto the paved road, here's the view across the fields. Rather monotone, no?

Driving back home, Younger Daughter snapped these birds on the frozen lake. I think they're coots, but since I was driving I couldn't be sure.

Even in mid-day, everything looked ghostly with the snow falling so heavily.

This is the paved road, heading back to our house.

Nearly home.

Matilda and Polly were anxious to get into the barn, so I cleaned their stalls, gave them food, and put them to bed early.

Every time Lydia came in from the yard, she had jingle balls of snow on her toes...

...which she would chew off.

Major looked like a reverse Dalmatian.

Here's that red-shafted flicker again, tucking himself under the roof awning to get out of the snow. I took the photo through a glass window which reflects the lights from the Christmas tree (which, um, we still haven't taken down).

I experimented with photographing the dusk with the tree lights reflected in the window.

It snowed the blessed day long and into the night.

Then the temperature rose, and as of this morning it's raining and windy (go figure). The snow is melting fast. It's predicted to get to 40F today, with up to half an inch of rain. This means the snow will turn to slush, possibly the worst driving conditions. Schools in the area have been canceled. It's a good day to hole up with the wood stove glowing.

What's the old saying? If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes....