Well, it's late but as promised -an update. Had hoped to get it done earlier as I'm sure many of you are likely in bed or at least heading there. Or maybe not since tomorrow's Saturday. I've been enjoying my vacation but also trying to get some things accomplished at the same time. I'm looking forward to the weekend off but honestly one day is pretty much the same as the next around here. Always something or multiple somethings to be done. Anxious for Monday to roll around, to pick up my cousin and to start having some fun. I'm not sure why it always happens to me but it seems every time i get into a project I create another. Thought I would find myself once again tending the ever growing burn pile but I was saved from that chore when I read news on FB that the county is under a burn ban. So.... on to Plan "B". A new doo that's basically the same ole doo, just shorter. A treat for myself! Amazing!!! Following the cut I decided to pick up a Rug Doctor which in the end was a good plan. Not a fun plan but a good one. It seems no day is complete however without some type of aggravation thrown in. My Rug Doctor dispensed by Walmart was on the fritz and an immediate trip back to Gainesville wasn't going to be appreciated and wasn't in the plan! At least I can say RD customer service is good. A phone call gave me a refund and direction to return the defective machine by midnight the next day. Fortunately, my trusty Hawthorne Ace rents them too. Half hour later I was back on track and shampooing like a Pro. Rug Doctors aren't bad little machines. Easy to operate and the upholstery tool works great on stairs. Truth be told though, in Florida, with dogs even if they rarely venture up there, I'd prefer the carpet upstairs be removed or at the very least replaced =but once shampooed it's no longer scary. I have no idea how long it's been there but it's definitely seen better days. At least it's not shag! That's a definite plus and it feels better than good to have it generally clean. Naturally though, my day didn't end there. It never does.... Clearing a room was a prerequisite for the job and following tradition, one project lead to the next. The need to clear a room for cleaning and ready another for an out of town guest gave me reason to organize the upstairs bedrooms into themes... two will once again become bedrooms where the bed can actually be seen and the third will become the craft/sewing/catch all room. Horse stuff, extra dog stuff etc etc... It seems since I don't really use it, I treat the upper floor somewhat like a closet. If it fits it sits! At least until the time comes that I need to use it for the purpose for which it was intended. So that's life around here; this week. Jess continues to be the main provider for the pups but that will soon change. They're eating their mash fairly well but its obvious a couple of them would prefer to hold out for mothers milk. The girls seem to be catching on to the idea somewhat better than the boys. Probably glad not to have to fight for it. If it's food and it comes easy they're probably relieved and feel they've hit the jackpot. I've scheduled our first meet and greet to get the selection process started. Adelle is coming May 17th to meet the boys. Hopefully I can fit a few others in the same week and hopefully everyone else the following week. I'll be making some calls to that end in the next few days but wanted to let everyone know in general what to expect and when to expect it. Generally I bring the pups out, weather permitting of course, and with blanket in the yard, I simply hang out with people and pups. Sometimes it's just individuals and sometimes a few end up visiting at the same time. It's generally un-rushed and an enjoyable experience. I look forward to it and to meeting everyone.
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Well, it seems I'm bordering on late for an update but here's a precious moment to help get you through. This photos, one of many I've taken over the past week or so has love written all over it.
Have had a hectic week thus far... got the pups started on their first made by me meal today. They took to it almost immediately. No photos of them going to town because time was unfortunately an issue. I'll try and get some of what I've collected the past week as well as a few shots of them cleaning their bowl uploaded tomorrow. My cousin arrives Monday morning at which time things should get back to an even pace. More than likely Monday will be the day for our first outdoor adventure. Bear with me, I know everyone checks for updates on a regular basis and it's probably at least mildly disappointing to log on and not find any. I've learned not to put too much stock in weights at this age over the course of a few litters. I weigh mainly to make sure everyone is doing ok and to identify any pups that might need some additional attention when it comes to feeding time. So far the pups in the litter are each holding their own. Some a little heavier, some a little lighter. I was surprisingly accurate, I must say, in my eyeball assessment of them a couple days ago. And they seem to be right on track with previous litters, especially when considering number of pups per litter. So Bravo to Majestic. She's doing a great job! Even so, I've been seperating into groups of two twice a day the past few days to allow the girls a chance to have an easy feed without having to fight for a spot. Jess seems to appreciate it. I'm sure the girls do too.
Each litter I tend to identify one pup as the firecracker. Although it's a little early, I'm leaning toward Yellow. She's super quick to come to a full level of alertness when awakened and is already starting to bounce around a little. The lighter ones, especially at this age tend to have the edge when it comes to agility. Glad to see most if not all of you, are checking in and following along. i appreciate your comments! And with that... off to bed I go. One more day of work and I'm officially on Vacation! A staycation of course with the addition of my cousin who's traveling from Idaho for a 12 day visit! She doesn't actually arrive until a week from tomorrow just in time to help with the first of our outdoor adventures! She has no idea what she's getting into! Should be a fun time though! Fun for the pups too! Starting to see a little personality pop from the little monsters. They're getting around better each day and have begun to gnaw and paw each other. it's generally an attack by one without retaliation from the other but it's a glimpse of what's to come. I caught one mid bark just for you Nancy! Ask and you shall receive! Within reason of course :-) You have to find him though... looks like he could be howling but they haven't started that yet. They're actually becoming somewhat entertaining at times but continue to sleep the bulk of the time. Short bursts of energy followed by lengthy periods of lethargy! Majestic goes in once in a while to check on them and then hops right back out which never fails to get them moving. I'm starting to wonder if she's just doing it to tease them. I ordered their Esbilac last night from Chewy and will introduce that to their diet as soon as I wrap up my work week. I generally wait until they're 4 weeks of age but it seems to me Majestic spends less time nursing with each litter. I guess she knows what she's doing. They're fat and active so I'm not worried but I have a feeling they're running light compared to some previous pups of the same age. With the exception of White that is. I nick named him Tubbs last night as I watched him sleep. To look at them from a distance, with White being the exception,the boys appear to be roughly about the same size and the girls about the same as each other but it's pretty obvious at the point which are boys and which are girls. The exception of the girls... Purple. She's a little bigger than her girl counterparts and I assume keeping up with the smallest of the boys as far as weights go. It's been a week since I've weighed them so they're due. Hopefully I can get it done tonight. If not tonight -then after work tomorrow. We'll see how close my observations come to reality. I mentioned chewy earlier in the post. A plug for them. I do a lot of shopping on Chewy.com. Reasonable prices and better than excellent customer service. If you've not yet discovered them I highly recommend you do. Well, that's it for now and I don't expect I'll be posting much for the next few days unless it happens to be weights. Hope you enjoy your weekends. Cheers! Actually I've got some pretty cute photos and an update or two... just have to find time to upload the photos ( a tedious and slow moving task) and write a post... For now I'm off to Tractor Supply to replenish the food supply before I prepare to head back to work. All is well. Hope to get the photos up before bed tonight....
Well, I must say, as always, it's really nice to have my work week behind me. What a fabulous feeling. Really! I was a little surprised by the greeting I received when I got home... I walked in to a bunch of barking little pups! Yep... they're barking. And growling. Orange girl has been working pretty hard on her bark the past few days and I guess some of the others discovered their own barks today. They're adorable and getting stronger every day. Anxious to focus my camera on them once again this week.
Well, I didn't get much in the way of pictures this week... And what I've got I don't have time to post tonight but will work on a slide show tomorrow night or at least over the course of the weekend. The pups are doing great but I think Majestic's comfort level in her mom duties is beginning to show. This litter is running a little light on weights compared to previous. I think maybe she's spending a little too much time on the bed slacking. I have absolutely no concern though so none of you should either. Everybody's gaining and each has a nice round little belly. Soon I'll be feeding some pate' and they'll pile the weight on quick. Eyes are fairly well open on most and all the way on some and they're getting around well. It's fun to watch their first attempts at walking and the inevitable flop to the side or nose dive after just a couple steps. And I love listening to them. They're pretty noisy in a quiet kind of way.
I must confess, I took some time for myself today which is something I probably, well definitely, don't do enough of. I wrapped up the week by trailering my Walker to a sweet little spot within the Ocala National Forest for a much needed and appreciated trail ride... Rhyzja's first big outing! He did well and made me a proud and happy happy woman. Most importantly, I came home in one piece which is always a good thing. Once home it was back to life as I know it... work as usual. Planted a little tree that's been waiting on me, cleaned the grounds and the kennels and finished up by weighing the pups and administering the first of a series of their dewormers. Now, with work still left to do it's time for bed and a few days of real work. Yep, time to go in and save some lives! :-) Hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoyable Easter Sunday! Time is ticking and these babies are growing! Growing, eating and sleeping. That's about the extent of it.. I expect to see their eyes begin to open in the next day or two. From there they begin to change rapidly. While their vision is poor early on it's obvious they can identify mom in a new way and really begin to move around with purpose. They're getting stronger and using their muscles to move one and another in order to get prime position at the milk bar. I'll weigh again this evening to make sure the smaller girls are keeping up with their pushy brothers. I'm just beginning to see some effort and determination to get up on all fours. White seems to be taking the lead in that department. Majestic is doing great and eating like a horse. Always good to see! She's also gaining comfort with her new family and has been caught on occasion out of the whelping box and on my bed. For the most part though, she remains bedded down with her kids. She's an incredible mom! Calm content and nurturing!
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The First
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