It's been awhile

Hi everyone! Sorry there has been such a time lapse but we have been busy, busy, busy. Getting ready for Christmas and taking poor Rosie to the vets for her jaw - time just seems to get away from me.

The lights outside are up and running. The tree is in the house. It's in the stand but no lights or ornaments yet. Mantel is done as well as the banister. Pointsettias are in their proper holders...whew! We have four white dogs lit in white lights on the second floor roof. They are pulling a sleigh...very funny. I will post a picture when I get a shot of it.

Well, it's a short one but I did want to say I have not completely forgotten my blog. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Now off to round two..bing!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

We have been cooking for two days now and the dogs are ready for some turkey!!! Me, I am ready for a rest! I have dodged, jumped over, side-stepped and high hurdled over my furry friends for those two days because they all wanted to help and be a part of the action. I will fear not about eating pie this year because my pre-Thanksgiving dinner calisthenics have worked off enough calories, there is no need to worry. There is a positive side to everything!

We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving and a very full belly! Thanks for stopping by and please take a moment to remember out soldiers today. Give thanks to them, they so deserve it.

Rosie is feeling better - we are so thankful!

I heard Rosie bark the other day. It has been a while since I heard her beautiful voice. Her jaw must have been really hurting her and again, I feel so badly about not realizing sooner. She is right there for her cookies again (I don't even mind her stomping on my foot to get it anymore!) and she is playing with her brothers and sister again. I am so happy. Bosun's thyroid is normal so on a diet he goes. Bosun and mom have a lot in common! I will also be signing him up for a puppy play group. He is intimidated by his brother so I am hoping he will meet some new friends and have a blast at the same time. Well, if I am not back on tomorrow, have a wonderful Thanksgiving all. We have a lot to be thankful for here. A new tradition will be started. We are going to pass a notebook around the table so everyone can write down what they are thankful for, we will read it next year and then write again. Have a great holiday and thank you for stopping by. God Bless.

I really do not like November vet visits with the dogs

Last November Dory ate a sock and it cost me $5,000 dollars to get it out of her. This November we had three of the dogs scheduled on the same day for the annual check ups. Now, we seem to have the only dogs in the world that despise riding in the car so we have to walk two down to the vets, then run back when they are done, run back with the next and walk home talking about how we both need to get on a better exercise program!

Well, first dog, Rosie, gets on the scale, weight is up a little and that's okay. Doctor is pleased. We tell the doctor that Rosie doesn't seem to want cookies anymore and we think she may have a sore in her mouth. The doctor goes to take a look and whoaaaaaa, Rosie can barely open her bottom jaw. The doctor looks a bit taken back (guess you don't need a good bedside manner for a dog but it would be nice) and says we better take her temperature...it's 105. The doctor freaks. Flies around getting antibiotics and anti inflammatory shots and medicine and pills and I am thinking...we could use a dose of that bedside manner here. Rosie is looking at us like what is going on and Bosun is looking at us as if to say is it my turn yet!

We get Rosie taken care of and the doctor wants us to call Wednesday to see how she is doing. If not better we will have to bring her down, sedate her and have her jaw x-rayed. I hate November!

Now, Bosun. He has to be hauled on to the scale and he weighs in at a whopping 106 pounds. Whaaaaaattttt. That can't be. The doctor is shocked, we are shocked and Bosun is bored. The doctor says we need to do blood work on him to see if he has a thyroid condition.

We take Rosie and Bosun home and get Salty. We actually get him in the car and drive to the vets. However, Salty is not pleased and jumps into my lap in the front (passenger)seat. I have a huge bruise on my leg from that. Salty weighs in at 101 and is lean and trim. He is bigger in stature so he carries his weight well.

I now have to pay for everything even though we still have to come back with Rosie when she is well to get her vaccines. The bill $720.00. Do they make doggie smelling salts?????? Have a great day and thank you for stopping by.

Gearing up for the vets

Saturday we get to take three of the four dogs to the vets for the annual check and wallet emptying!!! The fourth dog we will not have to take until January because we got her later. Now, the vets' office is not far away. Less than half a mile...might as well be one hundred miles with these dogs. We selected the only four dogs in the world that do not like the car and not really fond of the leash. Live free, be free and run free is their motto. Actually not a bad motto to have...unless you are trying to get them to the vets!

We will walk the first two down, have them examined, run home and drive the third (who is better at the car than the other two)down for his exam. You would think we were readying ourselves for an exam in rocket science. I think these four would give the dog whisperer a run for his money.

No matter, they are the best and cutest furry friends in the world and the love me unconditionally...can't ask for anything better than that. Well, maybe I could ask that it doesn't rain on Saturday! Have a great day all. God Bless America!

The temperature is getting colder

Well after tons of rain, the temperature is finally starting to get colder. And my furry friends love that cold weather. They can't wait for the snow to fall from the sky so the can do their snow jig...very comical. We also trade in rakes full of leaves for shovels full of snow and they like that even more! I will post pictures of that because it really is very cute (times four!). Short entry today. Have a great day everyone. Thank you for stopping by.

Indian Summer

Ahhh, the colors are just amazing. The chill in the air is gone for the most part. A reminder that summer has just past. AND my dogs hate it. They want their crisp, cold air back. They want more leaves to fall (oh please, anything but that) and they want the snow to start falling. I have a lot in common with my dogs. Hmmm, now that doesn't sound right but you get the gist. I don't care for warm weather - the colder the better. I love snow. And yes, when I was a kid I use to love to jump into the pile of leaves my dad had just raked. (Now I know how he felt!) There is a magazine called Windswept. It's about life in the weather observatory on top of Mount Washington. Last year they had 212 inches of snow fall. It was a very warm year!!! Now that may be a bit much but the dogs and I would give it a shot!! I would have to shovel paths for them first so shovel or rake every season has a down fall. The dogs and I just want our cold air back! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by.

Veteran's Day

Salty, Rosie, Bosun and Dory wish to thank our veterans for all they do to protect us. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Yikes, the Vet reminder postcard has arrived!

Got the vet reminder postcard in the mail the other day. Did not give me that warm, fuzzy feeling. Four dogs (actually three this month and one in two more months) makes my wallet cringe. They all need their shots, they will need their flea and tick goo and then their heart worm medicine. And let's not forget their new licenses will be due in three months. Oh joy and rapture! There are some down sides to having four dogs so close in age...this being one of them. However, the upside far out weighs those down sides and I would not have it any other way.

Finally finished up the leaves (with the help of the dogs) and we had a blast this past weekend. Hope all of you had a great weekend as well.

Please don't forget Veteran's Day is Wednesday of this week. Thank a Vet when you see one. It is because of them that we can walk about freely. Have a great day and thank you for stopping by.

They do let you know when they don't like something

Rosie ate the wristband off of my gardening glove today. Why did she do this? Well, the way I see it, I spent an hour and a half brushing her coat out and giving her lots of cuddles and snuggles. She squeaked with delight...yes, she squeaks! And then I gave Salty three pats on his head. I knew I was doomed by the glare she gave me. I turned my back for two minutes and poof wristband was gone.

Now with four dogs I do wish, at times, that I was an octopus. But Rosie is making this a wishful desire lately. An hour and a half to three pats - wow, am I glad I didn't go in for that fourth. She probably would have woofed down the kitchen counter. (Which she had to climb on to get the glove) I will be more careful, gloves in a drawer. But really. I actually had to count to twenty, it's like having kids (I think) Mom likes me more than she does you...does not...does too...arrrrrgggggghhhhhh!!!

I need a vacation...oh yeah four dogs... Have a nice evening and thanks for stopping by.

Stumbling blocks

I have spent most of these blog entries on the joy of dogs, especially multiple dogs. However, when you live in a small house there can be some downfalls. And I do mean downfalls!

I am forever jumping, hopping or side-stepping dogs. They can be laying down, sitting up, walking, running or even running in their sleep! They don't mean to be a road block, they just want to be where you are. The bad part is I don't always negotiate this course well. I have thrown myself into walls, jumped on counter tops just to move out of their way. Not a problem if I don't harm myself while doing this. And considering I have always been a klutz this is not always easy.

But if I do wind up on the floor, those four wet noses are right there to make sure I am okay. Now, how could I be upset with that...I love those obstacles!

The pitfalls of buying puppies from the same litter and so close in age

Three of the dogs are from the same litter and one has the same father but is three weeks older. This made for a very cute brood while they were younger but at a combined weight of over four hundred pounds now, well, not so cute!

And then there are the yearly vet bills for shots, check-ups and medications. This is fine when you have one or two but can be a bit much when there are four involved!
The baby of the group ate a sock last Thanksgiving which became lodged in between her stomach and intestine. Cost $5,000 to remove it. Now don't get me wrong, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for these puppies nor any amount of money I wouldn't spend on their care, it's just the initial shock of some of these bills that makes you blink a few times to make sure you are reading the amount correctly.

Yearly check-ups - $800.00, removal of sock - $5,000.00, amount of love they show you and give to you - priceless!

Have a great day and thank you for stopping by.

The joys of nightfall coming sooner

The dogs love that darkness arrives earlier now. Not because it means Turkey day is right around the corner or that Santa will be here in no time, but because it means cold, snowy weather is almost upon us. Woof-woof they howl with delight! They love their snow! And the colder the better. Now, I have to admit this is truly something I have in common with my four, furry friends. I love the cold and I mean cold. And I love the snow. No I don't ski or snowboard, I just love snow. I am not sure how to take this, having something in common with my dogs but if this means I am able to understand them a little better, than so be it...I think it makes all of us even happier!

I have been remiss

After a very long weekend of birthday celebrating, we are now getting back into the daily grind. The weather has been good...that crisp, cool air kind of weather that the dogs love so much. I walk around with a vacuum attached to my hip because this weather also brings the old out with the old fur in with the new season. With four long haired dogs...yikes!!

I will write more but they are barking now and I must investigate. Have a great day all. Thank you for stopping by.

Falling leaves

The house is surrounded by trees that have leaves that want to stay on those branches for as long as they can. I must have raked what will be twenty huge leaf bags when bagged. But when I stretched and looked up, those tree branches held at least triple that amount or more. As for me, this is not fun but for the dogs...oh let those autumn games continue. We played jumped in the raked pile (I think I mentioned that one before as well as the lets toss the leaf up in the air and catch it) but we all played bite the rake, roll in the new pile and my all time favorite "Mom, please throw a rake full of leaves of in the air so I can try to catch them" - they are retrievers!

I love autumn but it is still damp and cold and cloudy. This is why I am out there today because the maritime weather station said we will be getting rain both Saturday and Sunday. Crisp autumn air is fun - cold, damp autumn air, not so much. Well, I am off to take a hot shower to warm up and then I will feed them, let them out again and then they will come in and pass out from all their autumn fun this afternoon. Have a great evening. God Bless and thank you for stopping by.

Crisp, cool air

My dogs love the autumn and winter temperatures. It brings new life to them, not that they needed this but they have more spring in their steps. In the backyard, they race around the boat in a circle at a speed one could not step into for fear of getting run over. There are new fall games (the winter ones will come). Leaves are thrown up into the air and re-caught with great delight. They think you rake piles just for them to run into and re-scatter the leaves everywhere. This is not one of my favorite games. I love how in tune dogs are to the change of seasons. Not just by the temperatures but by the new slate of activities!

I will not be able to add much more now. Have to celebrate Mom's birthday. They got her a card and flowers...only the best for Mom. Have a great evening everyone.
God Bless and thank you for stopping by.

Gloomy start

It still looks overcast here and trust me, that does not go unnoticed by the dogs. I open the door to let them out and they turn there heads around and look at me as if to say, "Oh no, more rain?", I wish they would understand that it is suppose to clear up but not sure they really understand that part. If I could go back in time for a job I would choose to be a weatherperson. It is the only job that I know of that they pay you that much money to be consistently wrong. Well off to the doctor's to have my hip checked and then back home to the dogs. Have a great day everyone and once again, thank you for stopping by.

PS Salty, Rosie, Bosun and Dory wish their mom a very Happy Birthday!

Rainy Days

With four dogs, rainy days are not my favorite. Four times the wet dog smell, four times the drying, four times the mud...YUCK! And to boot, last March on one of these illustrious rainy days my darling four charged into the kitchen from outside, proceeded to shake in harmony soaking everything in fifteen foot radius. I went to move out of the way, slipped on the rain-soaked floor and broke my hip...grrrrr. It is in these moments I think why four!

However, I try to remember how they love the water, love snow and are just having fun. When this doesn't work, I use the tried and true method of remembering God would never have given me more than I could handle (I did!).

Time to let the dogs out again in the rain for the after dinner romp. Have a great evening all and thank you so much for stopping by.

Mornings

There is nothing like waking up and remembering there are four adorable, furry and no longer little faces downstairs waiting for you to love them and feed them. (Not in that order!) I do not have children so this is as close as I will get to motherhood. I feel so needed and wanted and loved by them, it overwhelms me sometimes. I know there are people out there that will not understand this but that doesn't matter to me....I have four that do understand and they are the ones that count!

I come downstairs and they greet me with tails awaggin', lots of licks and that "oh boy, oh boy, food is coming! They love me unconditionally and without any bribes (have to admit I do keep a box of "lite" dog cookies within arm's reach). Unconditional love is a gift and I have it times four.
Many people thought my friend and I were nuts getting four dogs at once (have to admit there were fleeting moments that I thought we were nuts but they were fleeting) and it is not for the faint hearted. But you get use to it and the payback is tenfold.

I have to admit I always thought the job of motherhood (and I do mean the one with actual human children) was the most difficult job in the world. I still think mothers have the most difficult job in the world but in a very small way, I now understand what they mean by it is the most rewarding one, too.

Supper is in their bellies and I am free.

Now that I have customized this blog onto the real meat of it. Our dogs are Nordic Golden Retrievers, a breed not often heard of in the US. I had co-owned a dog with an elderly neighbor that we got a shelter and she turned out to be part Nordic. She was the most amazing and loving dog. When we knew we were going to lose her to cancer, my friend and I knew we would have to make sure our neighbor had some new playmates to ease the loss. We started out picking out two at the breeders and would up with four. Go figure. I still would recommend supporting your neighborhood shelter but because we wanted multiple dogs we were advised to use a breeder. Right or wrong we did. And now I would not change that for anything because, even though they can drive me crazy, I love all of them with my whole heart and I get love back from all four of theirs.

Being on the water is a very big part of both of our lives so it was most appropriate that we gave them seaworthy names. The are all related. They all have the same father (happy and busy fellow indeed) and then the eldest has one mother and the other three are from the same father.
Old Salty Dog is the oldest (we call him Salty), Compass Rose is next (we call her Rosie), then there is Bosun and Dory.

Well off to go outside and play with them. I will write more soon. Thanks for stopping by.

My first entry

It is here that I hope to learn how to blog and then share with all that view this the wonderous and joyful dogs that are in my life. My friend and I have four and at this point I call myself a puppy nanny. I will write more after I have had a chance to set everything up. Thank you for the visit and I hope you will come back and visit again soon.