Author: Liz

Posted on

No he did not go up higher…and other trivia

Several emailed me with variations on the question “Did he go higher ?”/”Did you have to get him down?”

No.

BUT.

I have retrieved (rescued! ) him from some smaller trees…before the snow and cold.

By ladder..

He has since learned… I think/hope – how to come down and to not go further up than he is ok with coming down.

We’ll see.

My ladder goes to about 20 feet.

After that it will be calling the FD or renting a “cherry picker”. Auggie and I have discussed this. I hope he listened.

Onward.

So… that thing at the end of the pointy arrow???

An External Battery Charger: 10000mAh Pocket Friendly Portable Dual USB Port External Battery Charger/Power Pack

By luck and by Amazon’s lightning deal thing, I got one and I love it and I think everyone should have one. It is a wonderful EMERGENCY charger…you know, like if you were stuck in a blizzard, or an ice storm or something like that.

Look it up.

It is a good thing!

Fruit cake.

Do those words strike fear in your heart???

Hee.

I loved fruitcake as a child. I remember being allowed to have a slice a day with a cup of tea.

AND…I liked it!

I can’t remember if it was last Christmas-time or the year before, but I tried making a fruit cake.

The candied fruit was awful.

I threw it all away.

So.

Try this recipe: Homesick Texan’s Pecan Date Fruitcake

Wonderful.

A great fruit and nut cake.

Go higher!

Posted on

Havin’ fun

Hard to tell in this late afternoon photo but we had another mostly sunny day and it went from -7 to 8F today!

I think Auggie feels the cold but he LOVES to be out with Bear so after our 2 afternoon walks, I let Auggie out with us while Bear had his after walk treats.

I think Bear enjoys him being out for the after-walk…they nose-touch and generally mosey about together.

I’ve not had a problem getting Auggie to come in. Bear’s feet seem to feel the cold and Bear is happy to come when I call – then I call Auggie and rattle the bag of feline greenies and Auggie comes running also.

I wish I’d measured Auggie: nose to tail when I first got him. I think he’s grown quite a lot…but it would be fun to know length and height. I only know weight and he is just under 10 pounds from a start of slightly over 3 1/2 pounds.

Growin’ up and havin’ fun!

*** After the lunchtime walk, we all took a brief Jeep ride. I’ve been taking Auggie for short rides to help him get used to going. Today was the first I took them both. All well. Auggie is still a bit vocal. Bear nosed the carrier several times which calmed Auggie so we’ll do joint trips now. Bob got much better about car trips after going in the motorhome so when it gets warmer, we’ll give that a try!

Posted on

At home

Sunshine, cold (1F when this photo was taken), warm fire…

3:30 p.m.

Sun on an almost Winter afternoon: low southern arc.

Smoke from a woodstove fire.

Dear boys.

Lights on the little tree. (Auggie’s enthusiasm for the Christmas décor has waned. I decided to try the lights…I snuck them on and so far, so good!)

Another warm and happy night at home.

Posted on

A year later

It was a year ago, yesterday, that Bear had his first TPLO surgery.

The sunroom was the recuperative suite.

And dear Bear recuperated…

…with the help and companionship of “Nurse” Bob.

Mr. Bob… I miss you every day, I dream of you often. I’m so happy you were part of my life and I think I can speak for Bear and say that he is happy that you were there for him post-op for both of his TPLO surgeries!

A year from TPLO1 and 9 months from TPLO2 – the Bear-boy is doing wonderfully. All muscle has been regained, he moves with a normal gait and appears to have no soreness. A perfect outcome.

*** T.P.L.O.

Posted on

Soup for lunch and Friday catch up

Soup assembly line!

I’ve continued making soup 1 bowl at a time (Zuppa for One)

It works for me to use whatever is available and have a wonderful bowl of fresh soup.

I found I preferred having 1 bowl of soup with what sounded good vs making a giant pot of something that I had to eat again and again or freeze.

Today, I started with some beef and lentil meatballs in a tomato chipotle sauce***, chicken broth, corn and…

…sautéed kale. I added just a splash of white balsamic vinegar to the kale before adding to the soup.

Let it all simmer just a bit…

Then the chunky croutons with cheddar under the broiler until brown and bubbly…

And a dollop of greek yogurt to cool it all. (my beverage is Hibiscus Blueberry refrigerator tea – so pretty!)

Soup for lunch.

The additional bonus – for me, since I LOVE to cook! – is that the process of doing this is a wonderful and relaxing break in my day.

So.

Yep, it is cold here. The high today was 6F at my house. The morning started at -1F. The good news – for me, Bear and Auggie – is that we are shadowed from the NNE wind by the Jewell Basin wrap of mountains. I can sometimes hear and see the wind high in the treetops but it is calm on the ground and little wind chill effect. Other places the wind chill has been in the -20 to -30 range and forecast to maybe be in the -40 range tonight. By noon tomorrow, although we will stay very cold, the winds are to be done.

By late next week, we will hopefully be at normal December temperatures of 20’s daytime, low teens overnight. And maybe some snow.

The good news is, this prolonged cold SHOULD put the kibosh on a LOT of bugs and things like yellow jackets and wasps. I’ll still put pheromone traps out this Spring, but I think/hope we will NOT have a repeat of last Summer.

Bear is LOVING the cold and it is a joy to see him enjoying. I have all necessary clothing for going out and about and I’m enjoying also…maybe a little less than Bear :) !!

Auggie went out yesterday when it was 7F. I set my phone alarm for 5 minutes and then got him in. He wanted to go out today when it was about 2. I took him in my arms to the front porch. He gasped slightly and hung to my arm. We came in and he seemed resigned to play inside! It was blue sky and sunny so I expect difficult to reconcile that it WAS indeed VERY cold outside.

It is after 6:30 p.m. as I write.

I’m done with work for the day.

A fire in the woodstove.

Time for supper for all of us and then some time in front of the fire.

I have things to read.

Bear and Auggie will find their spots near me.

All is well in my home tonight and I am grateful.

I pray that livestock and wildlife will find places to survive this very cold night.

*** Homesick Texan’s Tex-Mex Meatballs in Chipotle Tomato Sauce is the inspiration for the meatballs and sauce. The sauce I make exactly to the linked recipe. The meatballs, I subbed 1/2 lentils (1 cup cooked) for 1/2 of the ground beef, did not use any zucchini and I used 1/8 cup of Masa Harina and 1/8 cup of my own saved bread crumbs in place of cracker crumbs for a binder.