Leaps of Faith...

Okay, so I just had to share this one!  Remember Max?  The big, sad, starved white German Shepherd that fostered at my house?  (Incidentally, his carved portrait is currently the Stampeaz invoice image.)  Well, Second Chance is having a fund raising event this weekend where people register to have their dogs dive off a dock into a big pool and they get prizes for longest, fastest, etc.  I couldn't believe it when I saw this picture posted this morning on the Second Chance Facebook page!!  Sweet Max got airborne!!  I'd say he's come a long, long way!  

Don't you just love it??  

I'll have lots of vacation pictures and stories in the next week or so, including a.... um.... chicken update.  (And that will make more sense once you see the what I'm hemming and hawing about!  LOL!)

Welcome Guests

I only see these beauties for a few days each year, when they stop in for rest and refreshment on their migratory way.  They are so beautiful and remind me a little of pinwheels when they fly.  

I wish the rose-breasted grossbeaks found my neck of the woods a hospitable place to nest -- or even spend the cold months, but they prefer further north and further south for most of the year.  I'm just glad to be on their flight path.  :)

Thanks from Charley - and Me...

Charley and I want to thank everyone who helped clear more space for him in the Stampeaz stock room by snapping up bunches of Grade B OZ Kut!  He's a smiling dog!  

There are thunderstorms again today and he has more space to stretch out in his chosen 'safe room'.  I thought it was interesting that he instinctively gravitated to the only room in the house (aside from closets) that didn't have any windows.  Smart boy!  He's all set for thunderstorms or even tornadoes. 

We also went to two Second Chance adoption events this weekend and met lots of wonderful dogs and people.  Two applications were filled out for Charley, so I am guessing that he won't be hanging around in the stock room during thunderstorms for too much longer. After all, who could resist his sweet face - especially when it comes with hugs and perfect manners??  I'm just glad I had the chance to help keep him alive and set him on his way better things.  He's been a treat to have around.  :)

Red... and Blue and Red...

This first picture won't be the best quality, since it was snapped not only through a window, but through a window and a screen!  I had to share anyway, since fox sightings are not so very common in my little forest and even when I do see them, they usually disappear before I can locate my camera.  This hungry little rascal actually ran right under the bird feeder while trying to nab a squirrel.  The squirrel escaped and the fox had to find something else to take home to her kits.  

I also love watching the bluebirds pretending to be clinging birds while they snack on the peanut butter and cornmeal mixture I fill the feeder logs with daily.  Just about everybody loves peanut butter, but the bluebirds are particularly nice about sharing and I have seen five of them on the log at the same time, all pecking away in perfect harmony.  

We had major thunderstorms and chilly temperatures the last couple days, so handouts have been popular with neighborhood parents and parents-to-be.  

Yin and Yang - Canine Style

I just had to share this picture of canine relaxation.  Carmello and Charley (yes, Charley) got along beautifully and snuggled up together after they were finished playing. 

  
Carmello is on a sleepover in a possible new home.  I am hoping that his charming, enthusiastic (and somewhat boneheaded -- he is part beagle, after all...) little personality is a perfect fit so that he gets adopted and lives happily ever after!!  

Charley is recovering from his kennel cough and his surgery, as well as the wounds on his shoulders, so he should be ready to go to his first adoption event this weekend.  He is such a perfect gentleman - I can't believe that he was just dumped out in the country to make his own way.  

Seriously!  He heels on the leash, he sleeps through human meals and cuddles when given the least invitation.  He hates thunderstorms, though.  We had a very stormy day here yesterday and he hid in the Stampeaz stock room and napped most of the day (of course, he was probably still groggy from anesthesia and feeling crummy from surgery the day before, too).   Then again, maybe he just likes the smell of OZ Kut!  Oh, and incidentally, there is a big pile of Grade B OZ again, so Charley thought we should put the pieces on sale through the weekend to give him more space to stretch out in the stock room.  *grin*
 

Outside, the motley finches are moulting and fueling up for the next leg of their Spring migration.  It's amazing how much nyjer seed and sunflower chips they can consume!!  They'll soon be canary yellow flashes of sunshine against fresh greenery.  I'm looking forward to it!!

Easter Egg Hunt...

While on a puppy walk out in my little woods, I discovered this camouflaged surprise peeking out from beneath the leaf litter.  His shell isn't dyed fancy colors, but his face sports bright patterns in yellow, orange and red.  :)

Of course, I shared my blueberries with him....  

Name that Dog...

First, the good news.  Both Max and Simone have found new, permanent homes with wonderful people.  My house got altogether too quiet without canine chaos.  

Then, last night and this morning I got a couple of desperate emails from Second Chance.  One asking if I could provide a weekend sleepover for a dog because his foster mom was going out of town suddenly.  The second one saying about a half dozen dogs were on death row at the Humane Society, because they had run out of space.  So, Second Chance stepped in to rescue them and begged any available foster folks to take them in.  I'm happy to say that they all found foster  homes in a huge hurry, in spite of so many people being out of town for Spring Break!!  

So, let me introduce Carmello - he's my weekend guest and will go back to his regular foster mom on Monday night.  

 Isn't he a cutie??  He's a beagle/spaniel cross and I can't believe someone hasn't adopted him already!! 

Then, there's my new foster dog.  They tell me he's a miniature chow and that he was a stray nobody ever claimed.  He's one of the dogs that got pulled from death's door.  Here's my quandary: he doesn't have a name - at least not one that anybody knows.  I've tried going through the alphabet with different sounds to see if he responds to anything and so far, there hasn't been a glimmer of recognition. 

He seems sweet tempered and is hungry for affection.  He wouldn't even eat his dinner tonight - instead, he just stretched out on his side and put his head in my lap while Carmello nibbled halfheartedly on his own meal.  After Simone and Max, who were both starved and very focused on food, these guys sort of surprised me with their complete lack of interest.  

So, help me out here -- what's this fellow's name?