Brutus

Chocolate Lambs – ND # 127

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Chocolate Lambs – Photo: L. Weikel

Chocolate Lambs

This will be a quick pre-Easter post. I couldn’t believe my eyes the other day when I saw these chocolate lambs (with their tails dipped in white chocolate!) gamboling in the field behind our house. Naturally, I stopped my car and rolled down the window to take their photo – and couldn’t believe my eyes when they both immediately stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me. I don’t know what it surprised me so much, but it did.

It sure looks like these two could be identical twins. They couldn’t be cuter. And the two donkeys that share the field with them agree wholeheartedly, braying their approval.

Just another sign of the arrival of spring. Babies. Lambie-kins. Heck, I even saw sparrows getting frisky today underneath our feeders. Actually, the male snuck up behind the female and made her jump three feet in the air! Boy, did she give him a beak lashing.

Quick Pacha and Brutus Update

We’re all feeling the torture of not being able to play outside together. One has to stay inside while the other gets to frisk about outside. It’s especially torturous now that this warm weather has arrived. I wish I were quicker on the draw with my phone camera. Watching the pups try to catch bugs is simply adorable.

We’re all eagerly awaiting the end of this quarantine. The bright side to this, though, is that it does give Karl and me special one-on-one time with each pup that we rarely enjoy.

In the end, this ‘heat’ season may be bringing us all closer.

One thing I am not enjoying is the onset of tick season. Ugh. I just found two crawling on me as I wrote this post. Bleccch. I’m sure this warm weather is causing a tsunami of eggs to hatch. Ugh. Just the thought makes me shudder…

Just too cute – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+127)

Biological Imperative – ND #124

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Finding Zen in the CC – ND #124

Biological Imperative

In case you didn’t get the veiled reference I made back in this post, our little Pacha and Brutus aren’t babies anymore. No, it would appear eight months of age heralds that magic moment when puppies (our puppies, at least) begin feeling their oats and desiring, with a biological imperative of epic ferocity, to sow them.

Yes, yes. Their plain old, standard issue crate has gradually morphed from being labeled the ‘Red Crate’ (so named since the last week of April) to the ‘Chastity Crate’ last night.

While Pacha felt a bit punk and confused over the bodily changes that started almost two weeks ago, she took a lot of comfort in bonding with me. All of a sudden, our notoriously rebellious and sassy Pacha became Mommy’s Girl Pacha – a role that surprised both of us. She stuck to me like Velcro. And to be clear, it wasn’t because she was trying to get away from any of the males or felines in the household. None of them were bugging her. It was simply a case of her needing to be understood without having to say a word. In other words, she needed some girl time a la The Red Crate*.

Brutus asking, “What????” – Photo: L. Weikel

And Then Everything Changed

As far as her flowering womanhood went, Brutus was curious and a little puzzled why she wasn’t seeming to want to play as much. He knew something was ‘going on down there,’ and he was happy to make sure she wasn’t dying. And while we did of course have to call him off (and her off him), the tackling of each other wasn’t happening overwhelmingly more often than it ever did. The two of them have always wrestled and messed around.

As it happens, I ran into a friend at Pet Smart yesterday and told her that Pacha was coming into her womanhood. (Becoming a bitch, while technically accurate, definitely holds far too much judgmental baggage.) She proceeded to tell me a story about her dad and how he thought he’d built some excellent pens for their dogs when they went into heat. Well. Their males apparently became so infatuated with their biological imperative that they literally ripped boards off the sides of the pens to be with their girls. Long story short: in no time there were 40 puppies.

She laughed when I said we seemed to be keeping them away from each other without much trouble.

I swear, I got home and what I’d sensed shifting that morning had become utterly manifest while I was out shopping (at Pet Smart, for one). Brutus has suddenly become a relentless rut-seeker. He is more single-minded than I have ever seen any animal be. And it has suddenly become a two person job to keep him off her.

It’s astounding.

Brutus not liking the CC quite as much as Pacha – Photo: L. Weikel

Enter the Chastity Crate

And so now the Red Crate had become the Chastity Crate. They take turns being inside it, since we don’t want it to feel like a punishment to either of them. Neither really seems to mind, although they’re both obviously sad and miss playing with their best friend.

When the lust becomes too much, there is some whining and digging at the CC. But they don’t get anywhere, so they eventually get tired and fall asleep.

To be honest, Pacha seems to enjoy being in the Chastity Crate more than Brutus, presumably because it’s a respite. Brutus simply looks forlorn and seems to wonder why his world has changed so drastically when all he wants to do is L-O-V-E his Pacha.

Sigh.

I feel you, Pacha-girl – Photo: L. Weikel

*affiliate link

(T+124)

New Togs – ND #119

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New Togs (to them, anyway) – Photo: L. Weikel

New Togs

Pacha and Brutus no longer fit in their old coats. As I wrote recently, the coats that used to hang over the ends of their behinds now creep up their backs and look more like short-waisted jackets. After Sheila and Spartacus grew out of things (or eventually passed away), I never threw out the clothes and harnesses that were still in ‘good’ shape. As a result, every once in a while I dig into our coat closet and pull out the gigantic Zip-loc bag in which I stored them. I find treasures that both remind me of Pacha and Brutus’s predecessors, and give the pups new togs to flash about town.

We have the cold snap of last week to thank for my resurrection of these older jackets. While I did retire their reversible plaid jumpers, I vowed not to replace them with the latest fashion until the fall. So when the temperatures plunged last week, I was relieved to find I’d saved a pretty decent selection.

The photo I’m leading with tonight actually has both Brutus and Pacha wearing Sheila’s old jackets. The purple parka Brutus is wearing almost certainly won’t fit him soon either, but it’s perfect for now. Spartacus had a golden yellow jacket just like the purple one of Sheila’s – but he wore it, and beat up on it, until it literally lay in tatters. (No, I didn’t try to salvage that one!)

So Pretty in Her Ladybug Fur – Photo: L. Weikel

Ladybug Fur

Pacha’s bright red ensemble, comprised of patches of faux red fur on a black thermal material, is what we call the Ladybug Fur. Sheila wore it proudly. She stepped out with an unmistakably jaunty air whenever she wore it – and so I was especially delighted to find it fits Pacha ‘to a T.’

Yes, yes, I could’ve put it on Brutus. But the truth is, our little girl is a woman now. So last week, when that became apparent, instead of putting a red drape over their crate*, I found the Ladybug Fur. (Let me assure you, she’s still provided with the requisite privacy and ‘alone time’ she needs when Brutus, especially, is a bit too interested in this latest development.)

Ah yes. Springtime.

How quickly our babies grow up.

*affiliate link

(T+119)

Life is Unfolding – ND #108

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Brutus’s new jacket – 17 Oct 2021 – Photo: L. Weikel

Life is Unfolding

Whoa, it’s later than I realized. I lost track of time as I started going through all the photos in my phone of all four of my puppies over the years since about 2012. Wow, did it make me sad to see and hear Sheila and Spartacus again. Of course it was wonderful to see these memories of them again, too. But the photos I want to share with you tonight are just a device to make us all realize how quickly life is unfolding.

When I put Brutus’s jacket on today, Karl and I both had stifle our laughter. Oh my goodness. Brutie has grown so incredibly much over the past five months (as has Pacha too, of course). But it’s hard to fully appreciate just how much and how quickly your four legged babies are growing without establishing some sort of measuring stick.

Inadvertently, that’s what’s become of our fur-babies’ plaid jackets! And the incredibly snug (ahem) fit of Brutus’s jacket makes it clear that he’s enjoyed significant growth over the past five months.

Stifling Laughter

When viewing these two photos, I’m sure you can see why we had to stifle a laugh when looking at Brutus this afternoon. His ‘bare-midriff’ ensemble was almost too risky for walking in the daytime. But of course the most amazing thing is the exponential growth of this hound. He’s huge!

Pacha has grown a lot too, but somehow her growth feels less drastic; more controlled.

It’s hard to believe it’s only been five months since I first put their jackets on their little bodies. What a tremendous gift they’ve been in our life. And as much as we believe we’ll always remember just how cute and cuddly and sleepy they were when they first come into our lives – photos like these show us the truth.

Such cuteness.

Yet even this photo doesn’t capture the snug, short, sassiness of the jacket now that it no longer fits him. He’s such a big boy now.

(T+108)

Everything – ND #104

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Brutus Discovers Daffodils – Photo: L. Weikel

Everything

In the midst of everything (and I will leave it up to you to imagine what ‘everything’ might mean to me), I managed to experience some exquisite beauty today. And since it’s probably a safe bet that my definition of everything and your definition of everything probably share a great deal in common, I want to offer you a glimpse of what I saw today.

Remember when these little ones first came into our life back in October? They’ve grown so much, it’s hard to believe they’ve never experienced Spring before. All these intriguing flowers springing forth from the ground definitely have them flummoxed. This is especially true because both Pacha and Brutus (but especially Pacha) are seriously into eating sticks.

That means, of course, that when they start noticing delicacies poking their heads through the soil where they’ve never seen such plants before, they literally act as though they’re hallucinating. Their stubborn refusal to leave the plants alone and keep moving brought home to me the fact that they haven’t ever experienced the bonanza of sights and smells that Spring brings. I forgot! This is all new to them!

“Mmm. Smells good.” – Photo: L. Weikel

I’ve Given Up

There is no point in me saying, “Drop it!” anymore, especially after the warmth of this past weekend. Wow. Even I was taken by surprise by the transformation of our landscape. There is simply so much available now for puppies to put in their mouths! And who wouldn’t want to taste the rainbow?

But then I have a moment when I see Brutus really take in his first experience of daffodils and crocuses and I know why so many of us fall for newbies of every kind (kittens, puppies, babies…). It’s the innocence. It’s the pure delight in discovering something totally new that bends our senses.

“Mommy, I need to get just – a – little – closer!” Photo: L. Weikel

I Haven’t Forgotten

I’m still paying attention. The ‘everything’ I mentioned in my first paragraph continues to unfold all around us. But I’m taking a moment.

We are able to relish the circumstances Ukrainians are fighting to the death over at this very moment. War is not my personal experience in this moment. But beauty and joy are. Optimism and second chances and new horizons are, too.

I feel the suffering of others, but I also want to celebrate the relative peace I’m experiencing in this moment. It’s incumbent upon us to savor this. All of it.

Take a moment. Look around. Let your heart feel the hope that’s reflected in the daffodils and jonquils. Crocuses and wild violets.

(T+104)

Need Some Distraction – ND #99

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Rawhide Offering – Photo: L. Weikel

Need Some Distraction

I do believe the four legged creatures with whom I share my life are realizing that I (and perhaps you) need some distraction from the world at large. To that end, we can all give Brutus and Pacha – and the ever-suffering Tigger – our sincere appreciation.

Who knows what I was going to write about tonight. It’s a mystery. If I did have an idea, it flew out the window when, the moment I sat down and opened my laptop, Brutus jumped up and accosted Tigger, who was snoozing on the back of the couch.

“Tigger? Do you like it?” – Photo: L. Weikel

Don’t get me wrong. It was not an aggressive assault, but rather an enthusiastic one. One that could only be perpetrated by a puppy who’s loved and abided patiently by the elders in the household. Especially Tigger.

When I realized what was being played out before my wondering eyes, I tried my best to capture the saga with my iPhone. The problem with that is the sad fact that these puppies have grown up with an iPhone in my hand, and I swear they stop what they’re doing as soon as they see it. Or they look the other way. Or they move from the adorable position I’ve found them in and immediately pretend to be doing something else.

They’re devil dogs!

 

Brutus: Play With Me!

Over the past week or so, Brutus has become adamant about wanting – no, needing – to play in the evening when Karl and I are both in the process of folding our tents. There have been a few times recently when he has hopped on the couch and presented a squeaky toy literally in my face when I’ve dozed off watching a program. It’s a new phase that I hope he grows out of quickly.

I’m selfishly relieved, however, to see that he’s extending his gambit of frivolity to the feline kingdom as well. How he manages not to get scratched silly, I can only chalk up to remarkable fortitude and patience on Tigger’s part.

Tonight’s effort was a spontaneous sharing of the braided rawhide chew toy I gave to the pups this morning in order to distract them from demolishing a pair of Karl’s reading glasses. He hopped onto the couch and dumped it on Tigger’s back.

Tigger ignored him. What braided rawhide?

Pacha coyly flirted with him from the seat of the couch. “I like the look of that braid, Tigger,” she growled softly. Tigger didn’t bite. Instead, he gave Pacha a baleful glance and returned to the dreamtime.

“Give me strength.” – Photo: L. Weikel

 

Brutus brought yet another offering – this time one of their favorite squeaky toys.

Tigger feigned sleep.

“Need some distraction? How ’bout this one? I LOVE this one!” Photo: L. Weikel

Undaunted, Brutus brought yet another chew toy from across the room and dropped it on Tigger’s side. Nothing.

I wondered how long this was going to last and thought Brutus might start burying Tigger with his and his sister’s vast collection of squeakers and chew toys. But no. Moments later, he became bored and – as puppies and toddlers are wont to do – pretty much dropped in his tracks and fell asleep.

And that’s what I intend to do as well.

(T+99)

Doing Grand – ND #93

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Nuclear Steam – Photo: L. Weikel

Doing Grand

While I didn’t take a photo of her this evening, I want to confirm that Princess is doing just grand. It was getting pretty dark when we met up with her this evening, in fact I took the above photo about one minute after treating Princess to two peanut butter baked dog treats. Hey, don’t give me a hard time. Liddle and Middle chose to stay in their pen and didn’t come out to say hello to us. So yeah…I spoiled Princess.

Lately, we’ve been noticing that Princess doesn’t seem to recognize me when I wear my heavier winter coat. That coat is blue. But every time I wear my yellow jacket, she runs out to greet me.

I should clarify: there are times when I occasionally want to sneak past Princess’s field undetected. Usually it’s because I’ve forgotten the larger baked pup treats I like to share with her. The teeny tiny training morsels we give to Brutus and Pacha and almost always have in our pockets, while she definitely seems to snarf them up enthusiastically, seem to barely register with her. Consequently, I like to try to skip the whole situation when I happen to forget the Princess treats (as we’ve come to calling them).

How to Trick a Pig

First of all, I’ve discovered that if I want to remain undetected, I cannot be having a discussion when approaching her field. Nor can I be listening to a podcast without my earpods. If she hears voices approaching, she knows she could be looking at a potential treat dispenser, so she tears in our general direction, covering ground across the field like a heat-seeking missile.

In order to sneak past pigs, then, your number one lesson is to be silent.

The next strategy effective strategy, apparently, is to wear a blue coat. This has been discovered quite by accident, but it does appear to be pretty reliable (as long as we remain quiet). Whenever I wear my heaviest winter coat, she doesn’t seem to see me – or at least it’s been much easier to escape her attention.

But when I wear my yellow jacket? She notices me. As soon as she catches sight of us, she sprints across the field and escorts me, practically prancing, along the fence line to the place where I always give her treats.

The second way to sneak up on a pig: wear blue.

Are Pigs Colorblind?

I don’t know if pigs are color blind. It sounds like they aren’t entirely color-deprived (as far as their eyesight goes.) But their sight may definitely be less rich than ours.

Lucky for me, tonight she caught sight of me just as I started climbing the hill toward her pen. Her enthusiastic greeting was sweet and always makes me smile. (Brutus enjoys touching noses with her each and every time we give her treats. Pacha, meanwhile, is a little too high strung around Princess. She sort of lunges at her and we don’t want Princess to lash out because she’s taken by surprise at Pacha’s furtive movements.)

I had plenty of treats with me today, so there was no need for us to go into stealth mode. Good thing, too. I was wearing my yellow jacket.

Princess (Middle and Liddle, too) but not today – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+93)

First of March – ND #83

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Last Sunset of February 2022 – Photo: L. Weikel

First of March

Tonight is the last night of February, so by the time you’re reading this, it’ll be the first day of March. Time does march relentlessly forward, doesn’t it? But you also know what it means to be the first day of the month! It’s Perelandra time! I want to remind us all to take those fewer than five minutes or so required to engage in the Perelandra EoP Biodiversity Process tomorrow. You have all day to do it.

Goodness knows, any effort to reach out and work with like-minded people who care about the environment and want to promote balance and minimize the effects of climate change is a worthwhile activity. And in truth, I am sure it’s the only way we’re going to instigate change.

Indeed, we’re seeing the goosebump-raising power of countries linking hands and declaring Putin’s actions as 100 % unacceptable. The manner in which almost the entire world is rising up to show solidarity with Ukraine is heartening. It’s certainly giving me hope for humanity. I love when I see people rise up spontaneously on behalf of what is right.

Brutus – Photo: L. Weikel

Time

Speaking of time whizzing by, I think it’s time for me to give a Pupdate. It’s hard to believe these little munchkins will be seven months old the day after tomorrow, but it’s true.

They are such a joy – even when acting like the equivalent of teenagers! But the greatest gift of all is probably the cuddles and unconditional love.

It was so wonderful to hear that Poland opened its borders to Ukrainian refugees and lifted the restrictions on bringing pets. What a profound act of love and understanding. I can’t imagine having to leave my puppies (or kitties – even Cletus) behind if we had to flee. Allowing people to bring their pets feels incredibly compassionate. The horrors that Ukrainians are dealing with right now are hard enough to imagine. But to have to leave your beloved pets behind?

It seems we’re seeing a lot more surprising instances of kindness in the way most people are behaving in this conflict. Kindness, compassion, solidarity, ferocity. In many ways it feels like we’re seeing the absolute best of humanity.

Sadly, we’re also seeing – I’m not sure what. Madness? If it weren’t so horrific (and unpredictably precarious and uncertain) Putin’s behavior would be tragically sad. Perhaps it is both anyway.

Sleepy Pacha – Photo: L. Weikel

All Over the Place

I realize this post is hopping from one thought to another. I hope you enjoy my photos of Pacha and Brutus. And I urge you to engage in the Biodiversity Process tomorrow.

I wonder what the Crossroads from yesterday will bring to us this week…

Brutie – notice the ears – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+83)

The Sleep Vibe – ND #72

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Cletus Trying to Sneak a Few Zzzs – Photo: L. Weikel

The Sleep Vibe

Every single creature in our household is in some form of recline or repose at this moment. The ‘sleep’ vibe is utterly irresistible. It seems like they’re as affected by this sudden swing of temperatures as I am. At least, that’s what I’m attributing it to!

When I get this tired, it’s best to just call it a night.

One thing I can share with you, though, is the recent desperation experienced by Cletus. It’s probably mean that I’m chuckling at his efforts to find some privacy, but considering how he wakes us up at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. by stomping on us and mrrrowing loudly in our faces, I’m not feeling much remorse.

Cletus – awakened from his slumber – Photo: L. Weikel

Cletus’s Desperation

We’re still keeping the crate we bought for the puppies in our living room so it’s easily accessible. They never spend a great deal of time in it, but it’s good to have in case they need a little space to themselves. We probably use it the most when we need to leave the pups at home by themselves. There’s no way our house would survive if we ever left them unattended.

So we have this crate taking up significant floor space in our living room. It’s almost become invisible to us, albeit an obstacle to be negotiated daily.

What’s the point? – Photo: L. Weikel

 

Imagine our surprise the other day when we realized Cletus was fast asleep inside the crate. We have no idea what prompted him to curl up on the blanket in there and take a snooze. It seems like an odd place for a cat to find himself, especially should the pups spontaneously decide to run in there to squirrel away a toy or a chew stick.

As I was thinking about how ironic it was that he took refuge in the dog crate, Brutus bounded into the room and immediately ‘sniffed an intruder’ in the crate. I swear I could hear Cletus roll his eyes.

Once the pups realized Cletus thought their crate was the hot place to be – well, naturally, they wanted in on the excitement. This of course ruined it for Cletus. It immediately lost any and all cool status.

Oh well. That’s life in the Big Kitty.

(I told you I was tired.)

(T+72)

Opposite Day – ND #64

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Brutus being a hogger not a pig – Photo: L. Weikel

Opposite Day

I might as well call today Opposite Day. As magical as yesterday was, with the myriad animal sightings and a meteor streaking across the sky, today was, well, lovely but benign.

OK, maybe benign isn’t the opposite of magical. Perhaps I’m exaggerating a tad the difference between yesterday’s and today’s experiences. I’ll concede that, if pressed, I probably wouldn’t want to experience the literal opposite of a magical day.

In fact, today was rather delightful. A warm front came through (or perhaps the frigid arctic front just left) making it almost feel as though taking a walk without a jacket might be on the agenda. It wasn’t. I got chilly before stepping off the porch. But it was tempting.

Pacha Pig-nose – Photo: L. Weikel

Clarification

I posted the other day about a pig in my life to whom I’ve given the name Princess. Let me be clear: this is an unofficial naming. Indeed, I feel she told me her name is Princess. But I’ve not seen her paperwork, nor would I trust it to accurately reflect what Princess would like to be called anyway.

Princess is not my pig. She abides on a neighbor’s farm. Said neighbor is a farmer and part of this farmer’s offerings to his customers are pork products.

This makes me very sad, but it’s not for me to judge nor to condemn. I do, however, choose to bond with Princess and at the very least let her know that she is loved and seen and appreciated while she’s alive. I’m grateful for her being my friend who pokes her head outside of her hut and then runs out to greet me whenever I walk by.

I intend to give her a carrot now and then, in addition to the dog treats I inevitably carry in my pocket. Based on suggestions of a friend, I may occasionally bring a different vegetable or fruit (an apple, squash, spinach, cooked broccoli?) but if I’m honest, I’m lucky when I remember a carrot. So if she only gets what is the equivalent of a piece of candy from me (a carrot) now and again, I admit to feeling little to no remorse. She could have worse friends.

Alas, the past two days it’s been dark by the time we reached Princess’s abode. So even though I remembered her treat, I didn’t see her.

Princess Pig-nose – Photo: L. Weikel

Admission

I’ll admit it: I’m hoping she might have babies. I shudder at the prospect of their future, too, but hey. We all have our destinies. And as our puppies have turned six months old already, the prospect of bonding with some piglets is a tempting daydream.

(T+64)