BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE

I know the temperature is warmer than it has been for some time but it is just 9 degrees at noon. And it has been snowing most of the night and the day. We are starting to get quite a build up of it and it is the local wildlife that I feel sorry for. Our large flock of Turkey came through this morning and they sure look cold and miserable.
They finally took refuge under the pine tree at the end of our driveway. I have not fed them this year as they leave such a mess before they leave. And I don't want little Mistaya the puppy to think that they are here to be chased by her.

This is a flock that has the largest Turkeys I have ever seen here in our neighborhood. That alone may cause Mistaya to stop and think about their size before she heads out to chase them.

I do believe that they wouldn't hesitate to come after her. I am guessing that because of their size someone in the neighborhood is definitely feeding them very well.

Little Mistaya really enjoys the time she gets to spend in her kennel during the day. We have put up several tarps to cover the sides and also the top to protect her from the winter weather. I have also placed loose straw in one area that she likes to lay in and chew on her prized sticks and chew toys. We spend all that money on dog toys and her favorite chew thing is a stick she picked up in the street!! I do of course limit her time out in the kennel so doesn't get to cold and she has already figured out how to let us know she wants to go out there.

It looks like this snow storm is planning to stay around for awhile. I am grateful that JW and I were able to finish our Christmas shopping this last Saturday when the weather was clear and sunny. Gosh, we did something right! At the moment the flakes are getting larger and heavier. I need to get out and shovel the little walkway again before it builds up much more.

Life has been so very busy around here for the last few weeks that I have let my blog slip just a bit.

I have been putting a lot of my time into my eBay site and have succeeded in selling most of my homemade Christmas wreaths through that site. I have enjoyed that project from start to finish. I had not been in front of a sewing machine since I made my wedding dress 5 and 1/2 years ago.

And I finished the Christmas Tree Skirt project the day we put up the Christmas tree. I took me 4 months to complete it but it has so many presents sitting on it under the tree that I couldn't even get a picture of it. But I will upload a photo of it on Christmas day. I did most of the handwork each evening as we were watching television so many evenings went by rather quickly.

Our weather has been so cold that we only venture outside to take our sweet puppy Mistaya for walks down our country road. The temperature has been staying around 10 degrees below zero for the last week. And I have discovered that it takes me longer to get all my cold weather gear on than it takes to walk the dog! She is very good about taking care of her chores rather quickly. I am not sure if that is because she thinks it's too cold or because she always gets a tasty biscuit when she gets in the house.

JW has agreed to work a 4 day work week at the Hardware store and we are very happy about that. The best part is that they agreed to give him Mondays off so we can always have a 3 day weekend. The slow economy is starting to be felt here in our little community and we wonder just how much it is going to change things here.

Our Christmas shopping is done and we have finished the gift wrapping chores so we plan to just sit back, drink some hot chocolate, and enjoy this evening. Let's all keep warm!

PLEASE JOIN US!

HELLO EVERYONE, WE WANT TO INVITE EVERYONE TO STOP BY A VERY SPECIAL BLOG WE HAVE STARTED FEATURING OUT NEW RESCUED POUND PUPPY. IT IS WRITTEN FROM HER POINT OF VIEW AND WE THINK YOU WILL ENJOY READING ABOUT HER NEW LIFE AS SHE GROWS UP WITH HER NEW FAMILY. The link is http://lifeofapoundpuppy.blogspot.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

WHEN YOU FINISH PUTTING IT TOGETHER, WATCH WHAT HAPPENS. IT'S WONDERFUL!

Click here: Santa's Jigsaw

MY HIKING/WALKING GROUP WENT OUT ON OUR LAST ADVENTURE OF THE SESSION AND I TOOK LITTLE MISTAYA WITH ME. SHE THOUGHT BEING OUT IN THE FOREST WITH ALL OF US WAS PRETTY AWESOME.

I KEPT HER ON THE LEASH FOR AWHILE BUT DECIDED THAT SINCE THERE WAS ONLY ONE OTHER DOG WITH US THAT SHE COULD BE WITHOUT HER LEASH. THE OTHER DOG IS OLD AND VERY KIND SO THIS WAS A GREAT FIRST EXPERIENCE FOR HER.
THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE INCH OF THIS AREA OF THE FOREST THAT SHE DIDN'T COVER...AT TOP SPEED! SHE WOULD RACE ON DOWN THE TRAIL OR HE4AD OUT INTO THE TREES AND THEN SUDDENLY SHE CAME RACING BACK TO MAKE SURE I WAS STILL THERE. SHE DOES LOVE TO PLAY IN THE WATER AND MANAGED TO FIND THE RIVER A FEW TIMES. I MUST SAY I DID WORRY WHEN SHE FOUND HERSELF OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A LARGE FROZEN POND. I TRIED TO SPEAK CALMLY TO HER AS SHE CAME BACK TO THE SIDE OF THE POND. EVERYTHING WAS OKAY AS WE HEADED ON DOWN THE TRAIL FOR THE REST OF OUR WALK.

AFTER OUR WALK WE COOKED HOT DOGS AND THEN HEATED SMORES JUST LIKE IN THE GIRL SCOUTS!! WHAT A GREAT TIME WE HAD. AND LITTLE MISTAYA CURLED UP AND NAPPED UNDER THE PICNIC TABLE AS WE WERE EATING. WHAT A SMART PUPPY.

LIFE HAS BEEN VERY BUSY AND FUN SINCE LITTLE MISTAYA ENTERED OUT LIVES. YESTERDAY SHE EXPERIENCED HER FIRST SNOW. OF COURSE SHE TRIED TO EAT IT ALL AND DIG IT UP TO CARRY AROUND. SHE IS STILL MYSTIFIED BY THE LARGE TURKEYS THAT COME THROUGH THE YARD AND SHE STOPS WHAT SHE IS DOING AND WATCHES THE EAGLES AND HAWKS FLY OVERHEAD. THIS PUPPY DOESN'T MISS A THING.