Autumn Notebook

Both Ruby and Winston enjoyed hanging out near the horses:

And Rosella tried to touch noses with Remy, though the electric fence prevented it:

The very last flowers which went to church. It was communion Sunday and all three vases were placed on a small table with a white cloth underneath. The vase on the left held pink Morden Blush roses. The vase on the right held neon red Emily Carr roses. The vase in the center held yellow Heliopsis, red Yarrow, magenta Rugosa roses and Peony leaves which were turning red:

The trees bordering my north field began to show some gorgeous color:

And I purchased a lifting harness for Seamus. He hasn't needed it much yet, but I know he has periods of lameness when it will be helpful for both him and for me:

My sister brought a new toy for the cats, and both Sammy and Daisy like it very much:

Caspar, Clover and Bugsy like to sleep together on the big, green floor pillow:

Blue claims the morning hay and won't let Remy have any, although he softens once his belly is full:

Remy likes to sneak a bite of vegetation from beneath the bottom electric fence wire:

The Box Elder tree finally began dropping seeds, so I've had to spend much time picking them up twice each day. There is still too much green grass in the pasture for me to let the horses out:

Blue and Remy, my mischievous boys:

I finally got a buyer for Winston, so the next morning I was able to trap him inside the barn. He bawled for his mother and his herd, but was not as upset as previous calves. The buyer also wants to buy Ruby when she's old enough:

The Dogs And Cats Of Windswept Farm

Fergus likes to watch me from inside his fenced yard. His view was enhanced by the Daylilies just outside the fence:

 Seamus, atop his ramp, got a similar view as he looked through the Rugosa roses:

 I bought Sammy a new cardboard scratching/lounging toy, but Daisy took it over on this day. The toy beside them contains abundant catnip and a ball which rolls in endless, excited circles when they play with it:

 Jack and Daphne were hoping for a treat at the top of the stairs:

On the big, green floor pillow: Clover, Bugsy, Fergus and Daphne:

 Keeping their eyes on me through the fence again, the dogs were enjoying our beautiful weather. You can see the smile on Jack's face:

 Fergus, Seamus, Jack and Daphne by the Rugosa roses:

 Can we go with you, Dad?

Yes, they could go with me. All five dogs went for a walk at Debar Pond (posts on 8-28 and 8-29) with me and a friend, and we stopped for lunch at a small store in the Adirondack town of St. Regis Falls:

 Little Caspar is a friendly cat with lots of personality:

 Daphne, Bugsy, Seamus, Fergus and Sammy:

Cats And Dogs, A Life Of Ease

Seamus and Bugsy are often found together, lounging on the yoga mat behind my computer chair:

And sometimes little Caspar snuggles up to his gigantic buddy, Seamus:

Sammy is friendly but wary of being handled. He follows me around and watches my every move. He usually lets me pet him but does not want to be picked up:

Fergus, Bugsy and Seamus:

A typical scene by my computer chair: Daphne, Fergus and Seamus on the yoga mat - Sammy in a pet bed on the rocking chair - Caspar in a pet bed on the green bureau:

Jack developed a horrible cough, which the vet said was due to his rotting teeth. After two weeks on antibiotics and a dental operation, Jack is feeling good again. The bonus was that his ordeal somehow completed his housebreaking. I don't understand the connection, but I'm glad it worked that way:

Another scene behind my computer chair: Clover, Seamus, Daphne and Bugsy:

Little Caspar in one of the pet beds. He also sometimes steals the towel inside it and runs away with it, using it as a toy and playing keep-away when I try to retrieve it:

Daisy plays sometimes, but she's getting too old for too much kitten foolishness. She'd rather nap and be petted:

Caspar still tries to use Seamus as his surrogate mommy sometimes. Luckily, Seamus is totally patient with the little guy. He even lets him eat with him out of his dog food bowl. Fergus and Daphne were enjoying the camaraderie also:

The cats' favorite toys are jingle-balls, and they've been accumulating all over the house. When they began to collect along the front door (which I never open), I thought that was a great place for me to put them also. That way, the kittens know where to go to get them:

Sammy and Clover on the big green floor pillow:

Pets Take Over The House

The house pets here do certainly make themselves comfortable. Daphne, for instance, was happy to relax comfortably on a yoga mat while I snapped her picture:

 Jack, however, used a yoga mat for doing what must surely have been his version of the "downward dog"

 And all five dogs plus Bugsy, the cat, often collect in the kitchen corner to get comfortable:

 Has Sammy, the new cat, made himself at home? Apparently so:

 Ruby and Meghan are comfortable. They get fresh lettuce and pine shavings every morning - and Meghan's apparent diabetes is under control:

 The small dogs get to sleep on the bed, and big ol' Seamus has a giant floor pillow on which to sleep (Jack frequently joins him there):

 All five dogs in the kitchen corner again, though they don't all fit on the big green floor pillow:

 Daisy and Bugsy:

 Oops. This is what happened when the cats discovered where I hid the feathers-on-a-string toy:

 Daphne, Seamus, Fergus and Clover. At least Seamus managed to get his big body on the floor pillow this time:

 It appears as if Sammy and Daisy have made friends:

 Fergus, Daphne and Daisy at the foot of the stairs, a spot they find is a convenient place to keep an eye on me:

Contented Pets At Home

Ah, the pampered life. Daphne, Clover and Fergus rested in the always popular kitchen corner:

And while the dogs rested, four of the five cats (Georgette does not consider herself one of them) loitered around the water bowls. These four are Bugsy, Rocky, Daisy and Bramble:

Jack gave me his biggest smile for this photo:

But Seamus was just resting in the fresh air, with the yellow Asiatic Lilies in the background:

And there's Georgette, keeping all the other cats off the kitchen table:

In the back yard: Fergus, Daphne, Clover and Jack:

And back in the kitchen corner: Jack, Fergus, Daphne and Clover:

It's been an unusually cool summer so far, meaning that Daphne and Fergus can relax and enjoy the sun:

Seamus, with his dense black coat, still prefers the shade. That's where he was heading when I snapped this photo:

Always a new arrangement of pets in the kitchen corner. This collection of three dogs and two cats is Daphne, Clover, Bramble, Fergus and Rocky:

Daisy was thrilled with a new, battery operated toy I got at Walmart. The clear plastic ball spins wildly, with flashing lights and a cloth/feather tail - and then suddenly begins spinning in the other direction. If they stop batting it, it will cease until they activate it again. The yellow ball behind her contains a furry mouse which squeaks when they roll it:

Ruby the guinea pig, at home in her cage. Her friend, Meghan, was just sticking her nose out: