Midwinter Pets

Bugsy caught an upper respiratory infection which little Caspar brought home from the shelter. He's been getting better, but is less active than he used to be, often striking what I call his Buddha pose:

And the dogs still hang out in the kitchen corner. The giant green floor pillow was put there especially for giant Seamus, but the little dogs usually collect on it, leaving Seamus to find comfort elsewhere:

Bugsy and Sammy often take separate tiers on the favorite cat tree. Caspar or Daisy sometimes take the third tier:

A moment of friendly napping for Seamus and Bugsy. The yoga mats are handy for that:

And the yoga mats are also good for dog piles. Bugsy got close, but didn't join in on the dog pile:

Little Caspar, however, often joins the dog piles:

Sammy, Daisy and Daphne were watching me while I was at the computer:

Seamus, Fergus and Jack shunned the yoga mats in favor of a heat register:

All the dogs except Jack, who often keeps a bit apart from the crowd:

When my Amish neighbor came over to trim the horses hooves, he insisted that his horse wouldn't mind my barking dogs, so I left them all together. The little dogs never took to the big horse and they kept barking (though the horse really didn't seem to mind), but Seamus wanted to make friends:

When we had a big snowstorm, the dogs enjoyed playing in it. Seamus and Jack walked out into the deeper parts of the snow:

Fergus, Daphne and Clover hung back where the snow had been trodden down, but Jack was having a blast, running through the snow:

Pets In May

As if to make up for the long, frigid, difficult winter, spring arrived suddenly with warm and sunny weather. All the animals were as happy about that as I was. Seamus basked in the back yard sun, while chickens and cows did likewise in the background:

Indoors, however, the dog piles continued - like this one, containing Clover, Seamus, Daphne and Fergus:

All five dogs in the back yard (Hint - Clover looks very tiny and is lying against the house, between the right two windows):

Again, all five dogs, enjoying the sun and gentle breezes:

A trio of friends: Clover, Snoozey and Bramble:

Clover and Daphne, alternating between watching the cows and watching me:

There's a lot to be seen through the fence as spring unfolds all around us:

Why, it's enough to make little Jack howl for joy!:

Bramble likes PeeWee's old doggy bed beneath my computer desk. Jack likes it too, and sometimes tries to move Bramble out of it. So far there's been no spat - but no sharing the bed either:

Daphne, Clover and Fergus:

Early in the morning, while I'm drinking coffee, Seamus waited for breakfast to be served:

And at the end of the day (or at nap time), all the dogs collect in the bedroom:

Dogs And Cats

Snoozey has been slowing down and showing his age lately. He was adopted as an adult cat in 2004, so he's no spring chicken (or spring cat, as the case may be). But Snoozey is happy and doing just fine, considering his age:

The new dog in the house, Jack, has made himself at home and been completely accepted by all the other dogs and cats. He is, however, quite clingy and forever getting under foot. But I can forgive him for that. He's very sweet:

Clover loves to hang out along the fence line and watch the other dogs bark their fool heads off:

Jack, Fergus and Seamus - three who could fairly be said to "bark their fool heads off:"

Clover and Daphne, the Silly Sisters:

The Silly Sisters again, lounging together in the warm spring sun:

Clover looked slightly guilty and embarrassed, caught as she was in the act of canoodling with a cat (Snoozey):

Dog pile! Fergus, Clover, Seamus and Daphne:

All five dogs in their outdoor run:

Seamus, Fergus, Clover, Daphne and Snoozey:

Clover, Snoozey and Bramble:

Draco too is looking older and a bit frail these days. He was adopted as an adult in 2005, so he's allowed to look old and frail. His favorite sleeping spot is on the chair, beneath the kitchen table:

Pets At Home In March

Winter has been stubborn. Having broken all records for cold, it has resisted leaving us, even this far into March:

The new dog, Jack, has made himself at home and gets along well with the other animals. He still lifts his leg on things from time to time, but I'm working on that. And he still quickly becomes fearful over nearly anything. But most of the time, he's a happy, contented pooch:

Fergus, Clover and Daphne shared a floor pillow in the kitchen:

And the Silly Sisters, Daphne and Clover, enjoyed playing in the snow:

They eschew the kitchen floor pillows and form a dog pile closer to me when I'm at the computer. Jack uses the dog bed under my computer desk:

To combat Jack's leg lifting, I have taken to letting them outside as often as every fifteen minutes, whenever I walk into the kitchen. I don't leave them out for long, but I want Jack to establish new behavior patterns. It seems to be working and if I neglect to do it, I have some cleaning up to do:

Draco, feeling happy and content, was rolling ecstatically atop the dog food bin:

A typical dog pile next to the computer, this one with Bramble:

And three healthy, happy pets - Clover, Bramble and Daphne:

Jack and Daphne:

And Bramble, looking inscrutable:

Lastly, a photo of Daphne, smart enough to know where to keep her belly warm on a cold morning:

Dogs And Cats In Winter, An Update

There's not much to do around the house in the winter, and especially not a winter as cold and snowy as this one. My dogs and cats have been getting a lot of sleeping accomplished:

And they all tend to join in the fun. This one, with three cats and two dogs, included Rocky, Daphne Clover, Bramble and Snoozey:

The dogs do go outdoors but don't stay out there very long. Seamus would be happy to stay outside, but he has a very thick, wooly coat:

Clover and Daphne, AKA "The Silly Sisters," romp and play together when they get outdoors:

Seamus likes to bark at everything which moves - and a few things which don't. He seems to believe that he's keeping things safe for Truth, Justice and the American Way:

Yes, they are romping and playing again:

When it's extra cold out, I don't even close the gate on the porch so the dogs can come in more quickly and I don't have to go out at all:

But most of winter's time is spent lounging, snoozing and cuddling:

Bramble, the youngest cat in the house at ten years old, still springs to the top of the highest furniture to watch the activity - or lack thereof:

Seamus began trying to sleep atop PeeWee's old bed. It was obviously too small for him and he has his own giant bed, so I had to wonder if he missed his little buddy:

Yep, it's been a cold, snowy, windy winter: