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:

Happy Housepets At Home

Ready for more pet pictures? Maybe I should call them family photos. This first one is of all five dogs (Clover, Fergus, Daphne, Jack and Seamus) plus Caspar the cat. Notice the baby gate in the window, which I use to protect the window screens:

Caspar and Sammy: "Just keep walking, there's nothing to see here:"

Daphne, Fergus and Clover on the big, soft, green floor pillow:

Daisy meowing in one of the many pet beds:

Fergus, Daphne, Clover and Jack. Both Fergus and Jack are wearing absorbent belly bands to prevent peeing in the house:

Bugsy, Sammy and Caspar on one of the yoga mats I put down to help Seamus walk without slipping and falling:

Looking into the kitchen: Fergus, Daphne, Clover and Seamus:

Daphne, Fergus, Daisy and Seamus:

Sammy and Bugsy used to cuddle all the time, but now that they are getting older, they do it less often. It's still cute, though:

Speaking of cuddling, Seamus and Fergus do it also:

Clover and Daphne often have to share the morning dog food with all four cats. Fergus, Jack and Seamus were eating out of other dog bowls. I put down many bowls so there is no fighting and nobody goes hungry:

House Pets At Their Leisure

If you regularly read this blog, you may think my five dogs are constantly out hiking or running across hay fields. The truth is that they are lazy house dogs, happy to sleep most of every day away in comfort. You may notice that Fergus and Jack are both wearing absorbent belly-belts because they began peeing in the house again:

And the four cats never leave the house, staying indoors where they are safe from predators, cars, weather and disease. All once abandoned animals, I take pride in giving them new lives of ease. This is daisy, eating from one of two automatic feeders:

Fergus, Clover and Bugsy. It's difficult to get a photo of Bugsy because he's black, and I try to be sure his yellow eyes are open so at least something shows:

The favorite spot is the kitchen corner, in this case containing Daphne, Clover, Fergus and Bugsy (no eyes showing this time):

Two dogs and two cats: Fergus, Clover, Bugsy and Caspar:

Seamus is so gigantic that he has trouble fitting anywhere, so he prefers the big yoga mats which I purchased to keep him from falling on the slippery floor. In the background are Jack, Caspar and Clover:

Daphne and Fergus, showing two clearly different shades of "white:"

The other favorite spot is the ramp which leads down into their fenced yard. Fergus, Daphne, Jack and Seamus were lounging there. Seamus knows that he can stand up with less struggle by heading downhill on the ramp, then turning around and walking back up:

Four on a pillow: Jack, Fergus, Daphne and Clover:

The joys of having a kitten or two in the house. This curtain is a favorite toy, and there's no sense replacing it until the kittens have slowed down:

And the window blinds have suffered a similar fate. Caspar is particularly fond of them:

Three of the four cats in the kitchen (Bugsy was missing in this photo) - Caspar, Sammy and Daisy:

Dogs And Cats, Living The Good Life

The kitchen corner is the favored spot for comfortable napping. This collection of pets included Fergus, Clover, Daphne and Seamus:

 Seamus watched me from behind the Daylilies. Clover was farther back, by the small maple tree:

 Daisy may be the most personable cat I've ever had. She is my shadow, and I have to be careful not to trip over her:

 A comfortable, cool, sunny day in the dog yard with Fergus, Clover and Daphne. You can see that their lawn was just mowed - and so was the north field across the gravel road:

Jack on his ramp, shaded by the Rugosa roses:

 The dogs watching me from behind the sunflowers:

 Caspar and Seamus, best buddies:

 Afternoon, when the house and cedar tree cast shadows on the dog yard:

Clover, Daphne and Fergus (wearing his absorbent belly-belt) on the big, green floor pillow:

 Sammy has never been trusting or friendly, but he was happy in his home. All was well until he was about 15 months old. Then he began spraying stinky urine all over the house and humping the other cats. His adoption papers said the vet concluded he must already have been neutered, even though he was a kitten at the time. Of course he turned out to be a cryptorchid, with undescended testicles. The shelter declined any help, so I paid my vet to operate on him. Then he got badly infected and sick. But he's now fine, and his personality has undergone a miraculous transformation. He's now calm, friendly and playful. He uses the litter box and does not stink. He's a happy boy:

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: