It’s That Time of Year

Posted on December 1, 2013December 1, 2013 by Dusty Roads

It’s the most wonderful time of the year
With the kids jingle belling
And everyone telling you “Be of good cheer”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
It’s the hap-happiest season of all
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings
When friends come to call
It’s the hap- happiest season of all

This is the week that launches the holidays. Already there have been tree lightings and parades and I’m not talking about the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade. I’m hoping to get into Boston to check out the tree and decorations at Faneuil Hall. There was a 30 minute TV presentation for the lighting of the 95 ft. tree!

No snow yet. The weather folks were saying it was snowing on the south shore when I turned on the TV yesterday morning. I’m not sure where they were looking because here the sun was out and it was a beautiful, if cold, day. This morning, rainy and gray.

I think I might like the snow this year. I don’t have to drive in it. Working from home lets me relax and enjoy the changing New England weather without worrying about maneuvering through traffic to get to work.

Some of my neighbors have their holiday decorations up already. I’m still dragging my feet. It took 10 years before I was able to get a small Christmas tree up and keep it up with 2 curious cats. Each year they would systematically dismantle the tree. In the early years they pulled it down faster than I could put it up. Last year was the first year it really survived the whole season. Now I have a new cat and I’m debating if I really want to start the battle of the Christmas Tree all over again.

It’s not like I have little kids to impress. It’s just me but I did enjoy it last year. And the antics of 3 cats might make for an entertaining post.

Yes, I’m thinking I should at least try it out and see how Buddy reacts. See that’s why I write these posts. It helps me make decisions.

All That Poo

Posted on November 30, 2013November 30, 2013 by Dusty Roads

I bet we’ve all been there, stepped in that pile of dog poo that some inconsiderate dog owner failed to clean up. Yeeeew! It can ruin a person’s day.

The condo complex where I live wants owners to clean up after the pooches but in frustration they cleared a corner of the property where we had lovely trees and bushes and made it a doggy potty. Although the owners are still supposed to clean up I wouldn’t walk there without carefully looking. Even so I stepped in a mushy pile only a few days ago when I was taking pictures around the property and I wasn’t anywhere near the Doggy Potty.

I like dogs myself but stepping in a pile of poo is not my idea of a minor problem. I can see why there can be a back lash against dog owners. So far dogs have not been banned but it has been discussed in the past.

Now another condo in Braintree, MA. has gone high tech and I like the idea. You want to have a dog and live there. Ok a one time fee of $60.00 is assessed and you have to give a cheek swab from your dog so a DNA test can be done. If you don’t clean up after your dog the maintenance crew sends a sample off to the same lab and first thing you know a report comes back identifying the offending dog. If that DNA sample ID’s your dog you get to pay $150.00… a $50 testing fee plus a $100 fine.

What a great idea. It’s a shame it has to come down to that but now the owner can’t say it wasn’t their dog or say “prove it”. The association just did. According to the lawyers there is nothing illegal about requiring the DNA test and if an abandoned pile is tested, nothing illegal there either. I think it’s brilliant.

Kerry Weidner, a pet owner in Devon Wood, (That’s the condo complex in Braintree) says the service has transformed life at the sprawling complex. “We used to see dog poop almost every other day. You had to worry about where you walk on the grass because there was dog poop, a lot of different places,” Weidner said. “Now, you don’t really have to worry about dog poop. You can walk where you want, the grass is now ours again, we don’t have to worry about it, and that’s just a great thing.”

The DNA testing service is offered through Tenn.-based BioPet Vet Lab under the brand name PooPrints.

Mr. Crankypants

Posted on November 25, 2013November 25, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Have you ever seen a group of cats together? They roll around play fight, they butt heads to say hello and they groom each other. This behavior spreads the scent around and each cat then smells like the group. It gives them a sense of belonging.

When I brought the stray who became “Buddy” into my home there was the usual spitting and hissing but eventually Buddy worked his way into the group. He and Rocky roll around play fighting and race around the house .

They groom each other. Smokey will have no part of it and in the beginning I actually saw him acting like a prey animal, slinking away to hide under the couch. This made me very sad.

As time has gone on Smokey has gained more confidence around Buddy but he still won’t groom him or let himself be groomed. Rocky can groom both Smokey and Buddy and both will groom Rocky but Smokey gives Buddy a wide berth.

About a week ago things began to get interesting. Buddy came bouncing over to me meowing persistently. Now Rocky is the vocal cat, Buddy gives me little chirps and “merps” and Smokey just purrs so this was a little out of character. Clearly something had Buddy upset. At first I didn’t see anything to cause his distress but then my eyes went to the cat tree.

Rocky was stretched out under his heat lamp but Smokey was not on his usual perch. No Smokey was in the “Crow’s nest” at the very top. From the first day Buddy joined us this has been his place. And here was his sworn enemy sitting in his special place.

To make matters worse Smokey couldn’t get down. He start and his clawless paws would slip so he’d back off. I helped the miscreant down and Buddy climbed up and all was peaceful again.

A couple of days later I got a visit from a very agitated Rocky. In actions very reminiscent of Buddy, Rocky was meowing and pacing until I got up and followed him to…the cat tree. There, under his heat lamp was Smokey.

Rocky would stretch up and nose him and all Smokey would do is turn around and show him his butt. I had to laugh. As I stood there Rocky got up on the perch too and unceremoniously pushed Smokey off. I guess he just wanted “Back up”.

Poor Smokey. Buddy came over , ears up, whiskers forward, just being friendly and Smokey would have none of it. He flattened his ears and whacked Buddy’s nose with his clawless paws and stalked off. Ok Smokey. Clearly you have not learned to play well with others. I think we’ll just have to call you Mr. Crankypants from now on.

Wordless Wednesday

Posted on November 20, 2013November 20, 2013 by Dusty Roads

So What is Equine Affaire?

Posted on November 12, 2013November 12, 2013 by Dusty Roads

What is this show that’s getting all the buzz? I wasn’t really sure but I sure wasn’t prepared for it to be as huge as it was. 6000 people! There are so many different venues that it wasn’t that crowded. Sure , lots of people but the crowd moved along and I didn’t feel crushed even with a backpack and camera around my neck.

The first thing that hit me was that this looked more like a trade show than a horse show. Every building had stalls filled with horse related products, from feed to grooming, saddles to traces, horse blankets and ribbons for manes and tails. Outside were horse trailers and RV’s all set up for you to tour and put down your deposit.

A midway of sorts was set up with food stands, popcorn, fried dough, onion rings, hot dogs, hamburgers, some salads and sandwiches, even a baked potato stand. I certainly wouldn’t starve!

It was as I was walking through the 2nd building that I spotted the first horse. It was a 20 year old Morgan stallion, a more docile animal you’d never find. Hard to believe he was a stallion, not a gelding. His owners had opened the stall door and let him stick his head out and he was doing just that. He loved the attention and had quite a crowd. With all the little hands trying to pet him I skipped the pictures and moved on.

Most of the horses and ponies were in stalls with bars on top. Easy to see in but prevented much of a touch and photos were hard. I know what horses smell like. I owned two growing up but these horses didn’t seem to have much of an order at all. Not even the ones with steaming piles in their stalls!

The range of breeds was amazing. I always thought I had a good basic knowledge of “horse” but I had never heard of half the horses there. Of course there were the Morgan’s, standardbreds, Percherons, quarter horses and my personal favorite, the Arabian. If there were thoroughbreds I didn’t see them but maybe they were in another building.

There were ponies and miniature horses, pintos and paints and palominos. All of those were familiar, But then I saw some that looked like they had just come from the steppes of Russia, small but hardy, they ran with a funny gait, not a canter or a trot or a gallop.

They were listed in the program as Icelandics.

One horse in particular caught my eye, Norwegian Fjord Horse. This guy wasn’t big and tall, rather compact and solid. The breed standard said his color was dun but he looked gray to me. He had a distinctive black streak down the center of his mane.