I have been posting more often on my new blog:
http://FriesWithMayo.blogspot.com
It's a humorous blog about life as a teacher, life with pets, life as a foreigner, and it's completely illustrated with my awesome images.
I hope some of you will follow me there, and I'll follow you from there if you'd like.
Have a great summer!
Showing posts with label dog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dog. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
New Hoodie and Doggie Update
Puppy hurt his paw last Thursday, no idea how. I came home from work and he was limping and did not get an answer from dog-walking friend as to whether something had happened when they went out. Took pup to the vet and they said paw infection, antibiotics, and rest. I dunno about an infection, since he's not licking his paw, but whatever.
The vet and the tech, however, did wax poetic about Riley's white teeth, saying they'd seen white teeth before, but these were ridiculously white. I told them it was a healthy raw-based diet, and for the first time ever, they did not chastise me. They apparently now have a holistic vet working there, so they can't say much anymore. :0)
So, I'm taking it easy with Riley and we're walking in our local park instead of at the hunting training grounds. I don't think I'm going to the training grounds anymore till tick season is over. Staying in our sprayed park from now on. It's worth having a slightly hyper doggie if it means no ticks!
Tomorrow is my 34th birthday! My students are all up to something. I think they just want an excuse to bring food and not do class. I told them we could eat cake and do class at the same time. :0P
More to come... two days till the weekend!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Rose Geramium Oil, Ticks, Frontline, Pets
Hooray! I'm back! And I finally built a website. Get to my website here. Then, you can get to know everything about me.
I've been, for the past few weeks, trying to figure out some sort of tick repellent for both me and the little shepherd dog. He needs to run every day, at least 20 miles off leash (yes, that is per day, still) or he's a nervous wreck. The only place to take him is a local training ground for hunters. Unfortunately, it's full of ticks, and ticks are disgusting.
I've been, for the past few weeks, trying to figure out some sort of tick repellent for both me and the little shepherd dog. He needs to run every day, at least 20 miles off leash (yes, that is per day, still) or he's a nervous wreck. The only place to take him is a local training ground for hunters. Unfortunately, it's full of ticks, and ticks are disgusting.
I always thought I was "immune" to ticks, mostly because I went 33 years without ever having one stuck to me. There was, obviously, grave disillusionment on my behalf when I found a tick embedded in the crook of my knee later that night. There was actually more shaking and feelings of nausea than disillusionment, actually. I know, I know. I'm such a wimp-girl, but I live alone and I had to pull it out by myself, and oh-woe-is-me!
Sooooooo.... I put Frontline on every being in the house except me. If they made Frontline for humans, I'd be all there. I hate the idea of sticking all those chemicals on the cats and the dog, but ticks are not my idea of good times.
I researched natural repellents, and came up with, from many Google searches, essential oil of rose geranium. I can't use it on the cats (be careful with cats and essential oils), but I apply it to Riley's collar and to myself (mixed with a carrier oil on me). I also spray my neck and hair with a solution of water and rose geranium.
And the results?
We both smell like the grandmas-of-yore, with rosewater perfumes. They don't call it rose geranium for nothing. But... in the past week, I've found only one attached tick to Riley. This is a definite improvement from 3 a night.
Riley hates the smell. Apparently, putting a strong scent on a dog inhibits their sense of smell. So they get disoriented somewhat and feel the urge to roll in such attractive smells as dead fish and deer poop. Yummy. Riley did this, and he rubs his nose on the ground. After he gets outside and starts running, he forgets about it.
Riley hates the smell. Apparently, putting a strong scent on a dog inhibits their sense of smell. So they get disoriented somewhat and feel the urge to roll in such attractive smells as dead fish and deer poop. Yummy. Riley did this, and he rubs his nose on the ground. After he gets outside and starts running, he forgets about it.
Luckily for us, these are dog ticks, not deer ticks. I don't know how this would work on deer ticks, but I do know it seems to be working on the dog ticks. It's been a bit cooler here this past week than it was two weeks ago, so maybe temperature has something to do with it. I did read, however, that ticks are active over 45*F, so I guess being that it was 65*F as opposed to last week's 80*, it's not really an issue.
I'll continue with this, because I'm curious. It would be nice to know that it works. I also purchased some Palmerosa Oil, which is cheaper and is said to have the same effect. I'll keep you posted, mostly because I have become neurotic about ticks.
I purchased both the Rose Geranium Oil and the Palmerosa Oil from Ananda Apothecary online. It was excellent, quick service, with degradable wrapping, etc. Very nice stuff. I'm not affiliated with them. But I am their Facebook Fan!
Above are some pics of the little Shepherd dog at the training grounds. He found a construction helmet and a dead fish (mmmm....sushi), and spent a lot of time toting them around.
Friday, November 20, 2009
More penguins
I made yet another penguin stamp in the last two nights. No pictures as of yet, so will have to upload one later. I'm on quite a penguin kick lately, and as I got a nice big sheet of pink SpeedyStamp, I can carve to my heart's delight for at least a while. I also made a small bow stamp that I can use as a penguin hair bow (do penguins need hair bows?) or bow ties. I am on a total carving kick.
It helps that I am making sales again (amazing what actually putting effort into something will do!). I sold a penguin shirt I made from a screen made on a piece of curtain fabric and using an embroidery hoop as the frame. I used screen drawing fluid and filler, but because the screen is held in such a crappy frame, it's starting to crack. It's okay; I'm trying to move from screens to stamps because I like the variety of designs I can get from three stamps together, as opposed to a screen with a set pattern. Strangely, a sheet of stamp material is cheaper than a blank screen. Screens do get clearer results, though.
I also have a potential sale for a customized item from a block as well. Hurray! If only I didn't have such "hobby A.D.D.," as my little brother calls it. He has it, too, btw. Oooooh, sewing, ooooh carving, oooooh, shoe painting, ooooh, writing! Never follow through with much.
My dog-sittee, a puggle, was playing tonight with my hyperhund while I was carving and watching t.v. All of a sudden, there were blood spots on the couch, and they were not from me or my carving utensils (thankfully, I suppose). Turns out the puggle's ear was bleeding from the rough-housing he and my pup were doing. He dribbled blood all five doors back down to his place, but I think I staunched it fairly well with Wal-mart Neosporin when we got back to his place. Left a note for his "daddy."
Speaking of the Hyperhund, now that he has his zap collar, I have had no need to use it, thank goodness. He has been responding just fine to the vibe option, which is nice. He had stopped responding to it on his vibe-only collar, but I think it was because the strap was loosening. This one has a better strap, so we'll see what happens.
That's all for now. More later. Must go to bed (at 10:15 on a Friday night!?); I'm so boring!
It helps that I am making sales again (amazing what actually putting effort into something will do!). I sold a penguin shirt I made from a screen made on a piece of curtain fabric and using an embroidery hoop as the frame. I used screen drawing fluid and filler, but because the screen is held in such a crappy frame, it's starting to crack. It's okay; I'm trying to move from screens to stamps because I like the variety of designs I can get from three stamps together, as opposed to a screen with a set pattern. Strangely, a sheet of stamp material is cheaper than a blank screen. Screens do get clearer results, though.
I also have a potential sale for a customized item from a block as well. Hurray! If only I didn't have such "hobby A.D.D.," as my little brother calls it. He has it, too, btw. Oooooh, sewing, ooooh carving, oooooh, shoe painting, ooooh, writing! Never follow through with much.
My dog-sittee, a puggle, was playing tonight with my hyperhund while I was carving and watching t.v. All of a sudden, there were blood spots on the couch, and they were not from me or my carving utensils (thankfully, I suppose). Turns out the puggle's ear was bleeding from the rough-housing he and my pup were doing. He dribbled blood all five doors back down to his place, but I think I staunched it fairly well with Wal-mart Neosporin when we got back to his place. Left a note for his "daddy."
Speaking of the Hyperhund, now that he has his zap collar, I have had no need to use it, thank goodness. He has been responding just fine to the vibe option, which is nice. He had stopped responding to it on his vibe-only collar, but I think it was because the strap was loosening. This one has a better strap, so we'll see what happens.
That's all for now. More later. Must go to bed (at 10:15 on a Friday night!?); I'm so boring!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Penguin!
I spent a short few hours tonight watching random tv shows (Old Christine, Glee, Ghost Whisperer), and while I did, I carved out this stamp:
It's actually a pretty big stamp at almost 3" or so. It's the first stamp / block I've managed to make that actually has some semi-fine lines on it! Hurray! :0)
It actually turned out well, considering I free-handed the original picture in under 30 seconds, on an index card, during my lunch break at school. If only carving took such a short time. But it's actually kinda therapeutic in a way.
On a completely random note, I'm feeling kinda like a bad doggie owner right now. I had to get the hyperhund an electric collar, which I swore I'd never do. But he runs off-leash at the doggie forest preserve every day (probably about 12 miles a pop), or he's hyper for the rest of the evening. He needs a whole lot of running. However, once he gets on a coyote or deer scent, he's off and he runs so far and fast that I'm scared to death that he's not gonna come back, not because he wants to, but because he gets lost. Another dog at the forest preserve got killed last month when he ran off on a scent and ran into a highway quite far away. Got hit by a semi. These dogs go insane on deer and coyote scents. I don't know if there's any training that would keep them by their owners in this case. My dog is well-trained, even with squirrels and rabbits and ducks, which he would love to chase. Deer and coyotes, forget it. Hmmm.
Well, the collar is a pager collar by Unleashed Technology. It vibrates first and you can go to stim if you want. I had a vibe only collar for him, but he quickly learned to ignore that. At any rate, I figure I'll only use it when he does go nuts on a scent, to break his focus. He's part pointer, part weim, part GSD, so he's extremely nose-oriented.
Well, that's that. I'm so in need of vacation. It's nice being a teacher; I get a lot of time off, I get time to make a bunch of stuff, and I do have a good time while I'm teaching. I have parent-teacher conferences on Monday and Tuesday, then the rest of the week off. Can't wait....
It actually turned out well, considering I free-handed the original picture in under 30 seconds, on an index card, during my lunch break at school. If only carving took such a short time. But it's actually kinda therapeutic in a way.
On a completely random note, I'm feeling kinda like a bad doggie owner right now. I had to get the hyperhund an electric collar, which I swore I'd never do. But he runs off-leash at the doggie forest preserve every day (probably about 12 miles a pop), or he's hyper for the rest of the evening. He needs a whole lot of running. However, once he gets on a coyote or deer scent, he's off and he runs so far and fast that I'm scared to death that he's not gonna come back, not because he wants to, but because he gets lost. Another dog at the forest preserve got killed last month when he ran off on a scent and ran into a highway quite far away. Got hit by a semi. These dogs go insane on deer and coyote scents. I don't know if there's any training that would keep them by their owners in this case. My dog is well-trained, even with squirrels and rabbits and ducks, which he would love to chase. Deer and coyotes, forget it. Hmmm.
Well, the collar is a pager collar by Unleashed Technology. It vibrates first and you can go to stim if you want. I had a vibe only collar for him, but he quickly learned to ignore that. At any rate, I figure I'll only use it when he does go nuts on a scent, to break his focus. He's part pointer, part weim, part GSD, so he's extremely nose-oriented.
Well, that's that. I'm so in need of vacation. It's nice being a teacher; I get a lot of time off, I get time to make a bunch of stuff, and I do have a good time while I'm teaching. I have parent-teacher conferences on Monday and Tuesday, then the rest of the week off. Can't wait....
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