Steak as food?

I had been seeing advertisements about Walmart steaks ( in the black package).  So after a 50 mile drive to a super Walmart I did get a couple of New York steaks ( in the black package).

I decided to cook outside, and invited a neighbor over to eat.  My two greyhounds decided that I had bought the steaks for them and they were doing that tall greyhound thing that makes me hold the package over my head to keep them from getting it!

I usually give them some meat bones a couple of times a week to keep their teeth clean, and I guess they decided that this was their bones!

After they finally got the message that this was for the humans in the family, they quit jumping up, but instead they had a conversation with the rain gods, and got the rain to start falling while I was in the middle of the cooking!
So I had to hurriedly pick up the meat and go inside to my kitchen where I was able to finish them in a skillet on the hot plate.  They turned out really great, and my neighbor and I really enjoyed the meal, even though we had not planned to eat inside.

So, is steak food? for humans or for greyhounds? The answer is YES! to both.

Car crash?

While driving to town a few days ago, I saw something on the road verge.

Owl on verge of roadway

I immediately thought it was an owl, so turned around.  I used to raise owls in a habitat I built on my land in Texas.  I have fond feelings for wildlife of all kinds, and owls in particular.  I felt so badly for this poor bird.
I tried to identify this species of owl, and one help would be eye color.  The eyes however were missing( due to insect depredation).

However, I could see the black circle around the face, the orange color above and below the eye sockets, and the whiteish between the eyes, and surrounding the bill or beak. The area just above and below the inner eye is marked with a dark line.

The so called "ears" are lying flat on the top of the head, but the colors on the ears are correct for the long eared owl.  

I next looked on the internet to check out owl identification sites.  I decided to enclose a picture of the Long eared owl from one website to show the similarities.

http://www.owlpages.com/image.php?image=species-Asio-otus-9

Long eared owl from internet photo

So, in conclusion, I believe that my roadside owl is a Long Eared Owl.

Collars

I find that martingale collars are wonderful in their function, but I am trying to find martingale collars that wear better and longer. In the past I used the premier 1 inch wide martingale, and they were great, but in reading articles, many writers recommend a 2 in wide collar for these strong dogs.  They say that the wide collar distributes the stress on the neck over a larger area and therefore is safer for these dogs.

I ordered two custom martingale collars, and have been somewhat disappointed in both of them. One is a solid fabric sort of like suede, and it shows dirt all the time, even just after being washed. However it is soft to the touch so I do like that.

Fleur in her 2 in faux suede and 1 in faux suede tag collar

The second is cotton patterned fabric, and I think the fabric is not soft enough, and the color has faded dramatically in the 1 month I have used it.  I don't leave it on the dog unless we are going for a walk, so it seems like it should not be so faded.

Power in his 2 inch cotton fabric collar and 1 in premier collar

The colors on the inside of the collar are still bright and unfaded, but the outside of the collar has faded dramatically.  It is still pretty, but less so than when new.  He only wears the 2 in collar when we go somewhere, so I would think that the material would be faded much less since it is exposed to sunlight for only an hour a day.

Below the 2 in collar is a 1 inch premier collar that I tried to decorate with a beaded band that I made.  I like the beading, but found that the nylon webbing for the collar is too tough for me to sew the beading in place, so I glued it on.  It's not spectacular but is somewhat attractive.

So, my question is:  Do you have any suggestions for hard wearing collars that are also beautiful?

Dogs and dogs!

On my day off, I drove to Gallup, NM (50 miles) so that I could go to a full size Walmart.  I hesitated to take the greyhounds because of possible car overheating.  Both Power and Fleur were in full actor mode, vying for most adorable so that they wouldn't get left behind.  They pulled every trick they had out of the box to convince me.

I promise I won't take up  much room! And I'll dry off quick ( from pool) so I don't get the car wet!

Do I look innocent enough to convince you?

I drove all around the Walmart parking lot trying to spot shade to keep the car cool.  In the back and one side of the store were puddles from recent rains, and I saw these Prairie dogs, drinking and cuddling.

Prairie Dogs

These prairie dogs were so cute getting a drink from a puddle, and then going back into their burrow.

Does my breath smell?

Cacti flowers again!

Parodia (Latin) or Peanut cactus!
This cactus is a very easy type to grow.  It has many , many blooms throughout the year, is a fast grower, and is very easy to care for. 

Scaredy Cats?

This morning we were having thunder and lightning for several hours.  My two greyhounds decided that they had been brave long enough and that they could now show that they were "COWARDS"!
They refused to go outside for bathroom duties, refused to lie on their beds and rest, and I decided that if I left them in the motorhome for 4 hours that I was going to have a mess to clean up when I got home from work. So I decided that I would take them to work with me.  I carried a blanket from the car into my office for them to lie on, and then brought them in.  Fleur, being the senior, more experienced one of the two, knew that when I put the blanket down that she was supposed to lie on it and be quiet.

Where is her halo!? She is lying under the desk, out of sight!

  Power was another kettle of fish entirely!  He had never been in an office, and he had never been around lots of strangers one after the other, and he had never had to lie on a blanket on a hard floor.  He was really restless and couldn't settle down at all.

His halo got stepped on because he was too restless to keep it on his head!

I hooked his leash to a chair leg and he was more restricted, but not content.

He was restless and wanted out of my office, but of course I couldn't let him out.  He would not go under the desk and then lay on the nice soft blanket, so he had to make do with the hard floor.

I think he learned a lot today, and I think that he would do better if I brought him to work again!

The main thing is that he and Fleur weren't scared all day during the thunder and lightning!

Chica looking

Chica, looking at something interesting!

Chica, playing hide and seek!

Chica  hiding for a nap!

Chica exploring my sewing cabinet!

Chica , enjoying a sunny spot

I have the feeling that Chica is like a greyhound (in at least one respect)...no matter what she is doing, she looks adorable!  Greyhounds have that same quality!

Greyhound toy???

I learned to knit and crochet as a child but have not carried the hobby into adulthood, except for occasional spurts of  enthusiasm.  Recently I decided to make snoods for both of my greyhounds, and so bought some knitting needles and yarn.  After getting several rows done, I quit for the day and laid my yarn aside.
The next day, I noticed something odd, my yarn was not where I had left it.  I figured I'd been half asleep and just didn't remember where I'd placed it so looked around.  Several hours later I still hadn't come across it, so was beginning to feel antsy about it.  I decided to take the dogs for a walk, and while I had them outside, I decided to get the dog beds out of the motorhome so that I could vacuum and mop the floors.

I lifted Power's bed, and lo and behold!  The yarn was under his bed, and completely unraveled and chewed into short pieces! I knew that scolding him after the fact was no good, so I picked up the evidence and substituted a toy for Power, then tried to salvage my knitting!

Several hours later the dogs wanted to go out to the yard, so I opened the door for them and in the corner of my eye,  saw that Power had grabbed the yarn and knitting needles, and ran out the door with a smile and a gleam in his eye!

 Before I could take the few steps to get to him in the yard, he was running pell mell and tossing the yarn up in the air and catching it and then throwing it up again!  It was like watching the dog version of a circus juggler!  And such joy on his face, you would never imagine!  That much joy is contagious!

He likes to throw it into the air and catch it!

Trying to bite the yarn into several pieces

Shouldn't he learn to knit if he's going to steal my yarn and needles?

So much fun!  I really enjoy seeing Power and Fleur with their antics!

More Cactus blooms!

This cactus is about 2 inches tall and 2 inches diameter, and rides on my dash in the motorhome.  A series of buds are developing and one opened today.

This tiny blossom has so much detail!  Nature is wonderful, isn't it?  Looking for and enjoying any example of beauty keeps me from getting too upset when faced with the stressful and bad parts of life.

Paper Fetish

Such Innocence!

I wonder if greyhounds are born with a paper fetish!  Both my female, Fleur, (age 10) and my male, Power (age 2) are crazy about paper towels and Kleenix.  They search for it, jump on it tear it up, and then walk away as if they never were there.  In the picture above, I was visiting my friend Barbara, Power saw a paper towel under her dog's water dish, pulled it free and shredded it!  He didn't make a sound!  

This type of paper shredding happens any time he can find a paper towel or Kleenix.  He doesn't care about any other kind of paper.

My girl Fleur does the same thing.  It's a mystery to me.  They don't seem to want to play with the paper, and they are done with it very quickly!

UPDATE : I was getting ready for bed and heard something tearing...You betcha!  Power had found a paper mailing envelope and shredded it.  So it is not limited to paper towels and Kleenix!

Nap or coma?

After Zoomies, this is Power, out for the count!

Double Rainbow

After a thunderstorm, the rainbows brighten the sky

Double rainbow ending in lake

Second rainbow very faint

Now rainbow is ending in a tree, second rainbow not seen

Both rainbows very faint now

I never saw double rainbows in the east.  Have any of you seen them in your areas?

The Prince and the pea, or the Princess and the pea.

I had been hearing from several greyhound mums(moms) about the corns on their dog's feet.  Sounds like it's terrible to treat.  Until last fall I had never heard of this ailment.

My cousin (by greyhound pedigree) Sue, in Norfolk England, has a lovely grey named Polly.http://gracefulgreyhounds.blogspot.com/ .  Polly has corns or a corn , and Sue is using a homeopathic remedy for Polly's corns right now.  Sue tells me that she has tried many different "remedies" but no cure has been found.  One resource that she has found is a Facebook group called Greyhounds with corns.  

I got interested in the subject, and decided to really check my hounds' feet to be sure of their corn or no corn status.  I did not find any corns but did find some cracked edges on the pads, so decided to give them extra care on their feet.

Power licking his foot after amputation

I have been very careful of his right hind foot due to the amputation.  He doesn't act as if the foot gives him lots of trouble, but I want to be cautious of it's condition anyway.  The long toe next to the amputation site, is rather crooked and I keep an eye on it as well.  The toenail on that toe is very crooked as well.  I try to keep the nail trimmed and the pads in good condition.

One article I read about corns http://greytarticles.wordpress.com/medical-first-aid/corns-2/thoughts-on-corns-an-analysis/  stated that the two inside toes of a greyhounds foot are almost always the ones which get corns.

My theory about Power is that since he is missing his second toe on that foot, the first inside toe is doing extra duty.  I think it would be bad if he developed a corn on the first toe, so I am taking measures to prevent it.

At the present time, I am cleaning the feet daily and rubbing a strong lubricant on the pads to help them stay soft and not cracked and dry. It is an emu oi land beeswax  paste that I got at Walmart in the foot section.

I read on the Facebook site (greyhounds with corns) that a fellow named Jack has developed a Gel (called Jack's Gel) and a lubricant, called Jack's Pad polish.  I would like to know if any of you have used either item.

Do any of you have any recommendations?

Water Dogs

I put out this child's pool so the dogs could have fun!

Power through his toys in the pool

Power could hardly lift this bunny after he left it in the pool and it got waterlogged!

Power and Fleur are stopping for a few seconds to show off their beauty

I've never seen two dogs enjoy a pool after 2 seconds look to see what it was!
They were crazy happy!

Pedigrees again!

Because it was so much fun to learn about Power's pedigree, and his many relatives around the planet, I decided to do the same for Fleur.

I think she must work for the CIA because there seems to be either a missing 
record, perhaps a mistaken record.  She has the normal ear tattoos, but I can hardly make out the Left ear tattoo. 

Below is an email that Fleur sent to Sue, in England:

Hi Sue and Polly

this is fleur writing to you to tell you about my ear tattoos!  My mom and her friend barbara held me down and mom turned my left ear inside out while barbara read the numbers.  Mom wrote it down, and then she had barbara take a picture to try to be sure of the number.  

When I was just a little baby they stuck the tattoo stuff in my ear and I didn't like it so i moved my head trying to get away, and they had to do the tattoo twice.  it is one on top of the other and is not clear at all.  ever since then mean people have been trying to read it and i still wiggle all over to try to get away.  it's a wonder my ear hasn't been pulled off my head!

the number is 38298 or 39293 or 38236  maybe!

Or maybe the number is 10236.  If anyone can read it, please let me know!

Momi contacted my adoption group in louisiana and their records were very incomplete as well.  so no help there.

Quit encouraging mom to check my ear!

mad fleur

Bloom time

 Another bloom has developed on a cactus!

Parodia cactus blooms

The Parodia cactus is a prolific bloomer, with exquisite flowers.

Power , blocking the way to the cactus garden!

 This cactus reminds me of a priest's miter, but it's blooms are so tiny that they are hard to see!

Tiny green blooms on top!

Closeup of  blooms

There is so much beauty all around if we are willing to look for it!

Bathroom cleaning

On Tuesday, I took some cleaning supplies with me to the visitor center. I had noticed that no one was cleaning the toilet, the sink, or even refilling the paper towel dispenser.

I couldn't stand the idea of using it while it was so filthy, and I'm not very good at demanding that someone else do their job!

I used "The Works" from the family dollar store to get the mineral deposits off the toilet and sink.(Let them soak for a while), then used a Mr. Clean magic eraser to clean the outside of the toilet, and the sink surfaces.

The baseboards were very dirty, so i used the magic eraser on them as well.  I again requested that the paper towel dispenser be refilled so it finally got done.

Next is the floor.  I tried the magic eraser on a square of the floor vinyl, and it looked 10 times better.
So, I got my Swiffer wet jet mop ready to take over to the office in the morning.  I know that it will be easier than bending from my waist or being on my hands and knees.

This windy environment will always produce dusty window sills, and dusty floors, but at least the layer of dust will be thinner!

These pictures are of the bathroom after the cleaning!It's not prettier, just cleaner! The supplies for cleaning are in a closet ready to be used!