A Quick Summer recap…

Summer was crazy here, the calendar was full and every weekend came way too fast and were booked solid!  I wanted to go camping at least once before July…oh shoot…we never made it out this summer!  But, we had a great spring and summer anyhow!

Summer in my world is “Dog Show Season”.  Things start up in the spring and by summer there’s a show within reasonable driving distance just about every weekend.  My show season started a bit early this year.  In March, you may remember that Spartacus started and finished is AKC Beginner Novice (BN) title all in one weekend.  Then, in April, he earned his AKC Companion Dog (CD) title.  It wasn’t as pretty as I would have hoped, but we did it as a team and I learned a ton!

Hera has started to make her appearance in the conformation ring as well.  She’s maturing beautifully and has already earned her first 2 points.  I’m really looking forward to what a few more months will do as she continues to mature and really come into her own.  She’s making friends and settles in just about anywhere.  Often when attending dog shows I stay with friends, many of which also show dogs.  Hera’s made some travel buddies, her favorite of which is Liberty the English Setter.  Liberty’s sister Fiona is not quite as amused by Hera and Liberty’s wrestling and general level of “crazy”.

Hera learning the ropes of show dog afternoon nap from the always beautiful Vivi

Hera helping herself to the hotel bed

The fabulous Fiona

 

Aside from dogs, I got to complete a few projects.  I’m particularly proud of how my potting bench turned decorative table turned out!

Isn’t it cute?

 

 

Springing Forward

Here in the midwest we’re having a warm up!  This has me starting to think about spring.  I’m not kidding myself, we’ve still got plenty of cold, wet, snowy days left for the season.  But it does make a person start to think ahead to green grass and sunshine!  And for me, I start getting motivated for dog show season.  The winter months have fewer shows but in a few months they really start popping up like Daisies!  Spartacus is done with his conformation show career, but he’s recently returned to the Obedience ring.  In January he picked up his AKC Beginner Novice title with three scores in the mid 190’s out of 200 for two FIRST places and a second place.  Best of all, people got see how smart bulldogs really are!

Tonight we’re off to some local pet stores to do a little training with distraction in preparation for his next trial in April.  I leave you with a picture of Sparty showing off some of his ribbons from his BN title.

 

A year, oh my!

I’ve thought about my blog now and then over the last year, but I just never made it on here.  I don’t know why.  In part, I probably needed a break to get off the computer a bit.  While I didn’t write a ton on my blog, I do spend a great deal on the computer between work, and free time.  But I think I’d like to come back, if you’ll have me.  I miss it, and life is teaching me so much that I’d love to share.  So hold on to you’re hats friends, the Midwest Funny Farm is back!  Complete with some new furry faces to be introduced.  I’ll start by featuring our new faces in their own blog posts in the coming days.

Meantime, back on the farm, you missed out on our summer weather…we’re back to winter.  Perhaps in the coming cold days, I’ll do some throwbacks to the warm-weather happenings.

Merry Christmas!

 

Adventures Never Cease

 

Know what this is?

This is what happens when your new barn cats get stuck in the wall.

Yep, that’s right.  So I was perusing good ol’ Craigslist a few weeks back when I saw a post from a lady trying to find homes for her outdoor cats.  She had taken in something like 15 cats over the years as strays and had taken care of them as outside cats.  Problem is, she’s now moving to a small home in town…can’t take all those cats with her.  I thought, well…we have a barn, we have a pole barn, we have mice…maybe we have a home for a few.  

No good deed goes unpunished, I’ll tell you that much.  She was a very nice lady…but…  She had three that were siblings she’d had since they were kittens, they were all fixed and she wanted to keep them together.  Since I don’t want to end up with a cat farm, I thought getting some fixed cats for free sounded like a good idea.  

Well…

What was supposed to be a 50 minute drive to her house was more like an hour and 45 minutes.  Then, as we loaded the cats into crates, we realized just how unhappy they were about crates.  That’s when one escaped and clawed the crap out of the lady’s arm as she tried desperately to stop him from escaping.  I departed her house with 2 of the 3 cats, one of her little crates, and a promise that she’d catch him and bring him to me because she desperately wanted him to go home with me.  

When I got home, Buddy, the black cat was angrily trying to kill me through the bars of the crate.  My husband came to help move the crate and looked at me like I was nuts.  I assured him that she had been very sweet when I picked her up, but she apparently didn’t appreciate the crate or the car ride.  Buffy just hid in his crate, never making a peep.  I put them in a nice insulated room in our barn with litter boxes and lots of food and yummy treats until they got used to their new home.  For a few days Buffy just hid behind some boards against the wall and Buddy hissed at me anytime I came near her hiding spot.

A few days later, Wednesday I think it was, I got a call that the escapee, Goofy had been caught, and she was on her way to my town.  Nevermind it was the middle of the afternoon and I was at work.  She begged me to meet her just outside town…she’s terrified of city driving.  So, off I went to meet her.  She sent me off with Goofy, another crate she told me to keep, a big bag of cat food in a container, and $20 to buy more.  Goofy wasn’t super impressed with the crate but let me pet him a little once I got him in the barn with his brother and sister.  

After a couple days I thought I’d made some great progress with Goofy and Buddy.  Goofy loved attention and Buddy quickly decided she wanted in on the action.  The two of them enjoyed scratches, extra treats, conversation, and even let me carry them around.  That was last week.  

Tuesday night I went out to feed the cats and discovered Buffy seemed to be missing.  He never came out of hiding before, but this time he was actually gone.  I searched high and low, enlisted my husband’s help, and we determined he was gone, though we couldn’t really find a way out of the room.  Wednesday night I went out to feed the cats and discovered I was down to just one cat…Buddy.  Yep…the one that appeared to be a rabid (she’s not, she was just crazy), demon possessed cat when I first brought them home was my lone ranger left.  

Where the heck did they go?!  

I called and called for Goofy, who usually would talk back to me, but I got nothing.  I searched everywhere, went outside in the dark to see if I could see any slivers of light coming from that room that might tell me where they’d escaped…nothing.  After a good 10 minute search, I had given up with one last call to Goofy when I heard a faint call back.  

You have to be kidding me…he’s behind the wall!  Ugh!  With my husband’s help we dismantled the section of the wall you see in the picture and sure enough, when I checked with a flashlight there were two sets of eyes at the far end of the wall staring back at me.  Goofy has decided he doesn’t like me anymore, and now prefers to hide in the wall with Buffy, who never did like us, and Buddy is still, well, my buddy.  Who would have guessed?  Certainly not my husband!  

Honestly…it’s never dull.  It would have been so much easier to get some kittens…

 

Pardon the Hiatus

Oh my, where did the time go?

Well, summer got to me and here we are!  We’ve had a busy summer around here with various projects, a few dog shows, and…I have no idea what else happened!  Isn’t that how summer always goes though?  

Now we’re finding ourselves getting ready for cooler weather.  Of course, that would be a little more enjoyable if the furnace guy would get on the ball and finish his project.  It’s dropped into the upper 30’s the last few nights and we can’t turn our heat on…not impressed.  We gave him the job at the beginning of the summer.  Sigh…he won’t be hired again.  

We haven’t added any new critters to the “farm” just yet, but we are currently waiting to hear if Spartacus will be a daddy for the first time.  If puppies are on their way, they will be due at the beginning of December.  Paws crossed for Nala!  The fun thing is, Nala and her owners live in our area and we actually met a few years ago at a dog show briefly but never knew we live in the same area.  Through an odd series of events they found us, but didn’t realize it at first.  It took a little bit of talking to realize we’d met before…and my husband and I recently changed churches…to the same church as them.  Small, crazy world.  So the great news is, if puppies are on their way, we’ll be able to see them in person as much as we want.  Awwww puppies!  

Speaking of Spartacus, we’ve been patiently waiting for a show not too far away that will be big enough for a three point major to finish his championship.  We’re finally able to go to Sioux Falls at the end of the month and we should have 3 chances for that big win.  Fingers and paws crossed!  We’re oh, so close!

Signing off!  Promise we’ll be back soon!

 

I Have a Problem…

My name is Kristin, and I’m a Wendy’s fry-o-holic.

Really. I think I have a problem. It first came to my attention earlier tonight when I drove by Wendy’s during my evening shopping trip. I couldn’t stop thinking about how delicious those fries are while trying to pick out new window treatments. The salty goodness called to me while picking out paint (did you know you can paint countertops!?).

I caved. On my way home I stopped for some fries and a frosty, but as it was after 10:00 and I was by myself I went through the drive-through. Now, every good fry-o-holic knows a good fry must be experienced with ketchup (I may also have an addiction to this condiment too) but how does one eat fries with ketchup while driving???

I started driving home to enjoy my goods, it takes 7 minutes to get from Wendy’s to my house. I swear I intended on waiting…but the salty goodness got to me so I snuck a fry.

So good…but missing something…

At a stoplight I opened one of those great new to-go ketchup packets they have but quickly realized you can’t squeeze ketchup on a fry while driving, alas…

Then a true moment of greatness! Fries can be enjoyed if you follow the fry with a squirt of ketchup in your mouth! The new packets are easy to hold without accidentally squeezing it all over your lap.

I know…I have a problem. I’m not even ashamed to admit that I drove home eating fries and squirting ketchup in my mouth. I don’t care. It was a brilliant moment and I will not apologize for my behavior.

That is all.

 

The Customer is NOT Always Right…

Just some food for thought. Being a paying customer doesn’t give you the right to, well, be a jerk.

Once a week I work at a local dog boarding/training facility.  Most of our customers are fantastic.  But sometimes…

Around 3:00 on a a busy Wednesday afternoon a potential customer came in and announced he needed to board his dog Thursday (yes, the following day) through Monday morning. Occasionally we deal with family emergencies, so I quickly got into gear to see what we could do to help him.  Only…this wasn’t a family emergency…sigh…

He wanted to know when to drop their dog off if they needed to leave at 6:00 AM the next day (huh?!).  I let him know we would need to get his dog in today prior to 7:00 PM.  He looked a bit disgruntled, and I explained we don’t open until 6:30 AM.  With such short notice there’s no way to have someone available to accommodate such an early drop off (not to mention our drop off hours don’t start until 7:30).

He decided his son-in-law could drop the dog off for them in the morning.

“Ok, great!  Lets make sure we have all our other ducks in a row and get your dog a place to stay!” I told him.  I explained our vaccination protocol which requires proof of administration at least 7 days prior to the stay.  He tells me that she got them all in April.  I inquire whether he knows for sure that she received the kennel cough vaccine, as it isn’t a core vaccine and he tells me he doesn’t keep track of that stuff, to “call the vet. It’s that place out….(sort of vaguely describes a VERY broad area that I’m not really familiar with), I can’t think of the name, but you know them.  Just call them”

Um…excuse me???  “I’m sorry, I’m not at all familiar with that area.  Do you have any idea at all what the clinic might be called?” I ask him.

“No, I don’t remember.  But you know them, you can just call them.”

Again…huh?  Know who exactly?  “I’m very sorry, sir.  I just don’t know what clinic  that might be”  I tell him.  I again requested that that he contact them so they can fax the records to us as soon as possible.  I also offer that he may want to go in person to get a copy because it typically clinics take a few days to fax records to us, and it’s likely nearing the end of their day.  For the safety of all our guests we must insist that we have records in our hands before we can accept any dog into our care. He starts one of those condescending laughs and tells me he doesn’t have time for that, and that I’m going to have to call them (remember, he has no idea who I’m supposed to be calling…).

“I’m very sorry sir, but I just don’t know who I’m supposed call and I unfortunately can’t take the time to try to figure it out.  We are generally more than happy to contact clinics when we can, if given a few days but I just am unable to do so on such short notice.  I’m going to have to ask you to acquire the records.”

Again, condescending, loud laugh with a big smile (as if that makes the rudeness less noticeable), “I literally don’t have time.  And what if she doesn’t have her kennel cough vaccine?” he demands.

“Well, sir.  We request the vaccine is given 7 days prior to the stay (yada yada about why) so we would be unable to keep her for you.  I’m very sorry, I just don’t know what else to tell you.”

“Well you’re kind of making this impossible aren’t you?” he continues with his condescending mannerisms.  “I mean, I’m kind of forced to go to a different boarding facility”

“I’m very sorry sir.  Again, it’s to protect all the dogs we have in our care.  The requirement for those three vaccines is shared among all the boarding facilities in our area.  We’d love to have your dog stay with us, but we really do need her vaccine records.  If you’d prefer to have your dog go elsewhere, I understand, but you really should get in contact with your vet as soon as you can because any of the boarding facilities in our area will need proof of those three vaccines” I explain apologetically, though my patience is starting to wane.

“Oh, you don’t know that!”  He laughs loudly.  “Don’t tell me that, you don’t know that!  You only know what your requirements are!”

I could be wrong, though I’ve been in the area long enough, and have checked out those other locations prior to working here, to know they all require those vaccines.  At this point, I don’t know what to tell him any more, he doesn’t like anything I tell him, but I know I can’t help him unless he has proof of the required vaccines.  I offer to double check with one of the other staff, to see if there is anything we can do, though I know very well what the answer will be.  He insists I do, and a long-time employee confirms exactly what I had been saying.  The man gives one last condescending laugh and announces that he’s going to have to go elsewhere and walks out the door.

I do hope he found someone who can care for his family’s dog while they are out of town, but I just do not understand why failure on their part would require me to neglect caring for the dogs that were already entrusted in my care, to go on a wild goose chase to find his vet and get  the information we needed during the busiest time of my day.  We all know this type of person.  You see them at restaurants, in stores, at amusement parks–all demanding that the world make way for their larger-than-life attitudes.

Please don’t be that person, it’s no fun for anyone else.

 

Fun in Fargo

We’ve been having a great weekend showing after a long winter off! Since Spartacus had 7 points and no majors, I’ve been getting more selective in the shows we go to. It tends to be difficult to find majors for bulldogs so it usually means I have to travel pretty far so in the interest of money savings I took several months off of smaller shows to wait for a few good big ones and it’s led me to some serious dog show withdrawal! It’s been so great to catch up with friends and play for a weekend! To make things even better, Spartacus got his first major today and also won Best of Winners. It was a great treat! We have one more day and it would be great to pick up another win tomorrow, but I’m already so grateful. Love, LOVE show weekends with great friends!

 

My house, the zoo

My house is a zoo.

In a good way.

Our horse, who has lived at a boarding stable the last two years finally got to move to our new house. She’s not exactly happy with the move just yet and follows me along the fence-line and at my heals anytime I’m in the pasture. The dog, who just yesterday had an unhealthy lack of fear/respect for the horse, today, is convinced she’s going to eat him. Yesterday I nervously watched him prance about the pasture, oblivious to Stella’s size, or the fact that she was antsy and nervous. Today, I took him to the pasture on leash. Stella had calmed down since her move yesterday and came over to say hi. Spartacus went nose to nose with her, sniffing away until he pulled his nose up a bit too high and zapped himself on the fence. Oops! The poor guy incorrectly associated the shock with the horse rather than the fence, and now wants nothing to do with her…but is oblivious to the fence….sigh. He’ll get it. In the meantime, he shies away from Stella and freezes in place whenever she tries to sniff at him. Oh…and he holds his breath while she does it. Poor guy!

But the cat…SHE will conquer that horse! Oh boy.

Hubby doing the finishing touches on the new fence before Stella came home.

Welcome to your new home Stella!

Stella is not yet sure she loves this new home. Mostly because she was queen bee at the stable and now she’s by her lonesome.

Dora, our fearless house cat is just certain she will dominate that horse! Of course, this picture shows her eyeing Stella up after Dora stalked up to her bravely until Stella started walking toward her. Then she puffed up, hissed, spun around and high-tailed it out of the pasture to take up her spot in the driveway.

 

There’s room for everyone

It’s been a bit of a blogging hiatus…sorry!  Life back at the ranch has been a bit crazy this spring.  We’ve had an unruly amount of rain while the ground was still very frozen…it’s been a mess.  Thankfully we’ve been among the luckier ones–had water in our basement, but thankfully not a totally finished basement, and not nearly as much water as some!  At any rate, I’ll be glad when things dry out a bit!

For my return to blogging I’d like to write about something that is near and dear to my heart on a number of levels.  This one is about going the extra mile to make sure everyone gets a fair chance to live life to its fullest.

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation.  Most of you probably don’t know what that means…don’t worry, most of my family still doesn’t completely get it 🙂  Basically, TR is is a medical profession field that uses recreational activities to improve the functioning and overall quality of life of individuals with disabilities, both mental and physical.  I no longer work in the field as I’ve joined my husband in the family business, but I still love the education and skills I’ve learned from my days in TR.

It’s with that TR background, that I recently read a post on a dog showing forum from a frustrating exhibitor who’s found herself questioning whether she can continue to show her dogs and participate in an activity she’s loved for a lifetime. She has rheumatoid arthritis which severely limits her mobility and her main frustration was that many dog show sites are poorly set up to be accommodate exhibitors with disabilities. Show sites don’t have enough accessible parking (and dishonest exhibitors park in the little space that IS available), not to mention how difficult it can be to haul heavy equipment and set it up. Even if you get a close spot to the building, you likely have a long haul once inside.

While her frustration was primarily about the parking, as a member of my local kennel club’s show committee, I was convicted. In general, the show population is aging, and more exhibitors are experiencing the extra challenges of participating in recreational activities with a physical disability. Even if the facility that a show is held at provides accessible parking, it may not be enough for the number of actual exhibitors since many show sites have parking spread out on flat grass areas in addition to the regular designated parking area. This means that the number of spots provided by the facility likely isn’t enough. That in itself is an issue that show committees need to pay attention to. But then I started thinking about how cumbersome crates, crate dollies, grooming tables, and dogs can be and I realized how inaccessible dog shows really are. I’m embarrassed that as a therapeutic recreation specialist, I completely neglected to transfer my skills to my personal life until someone cried out for help. Now, I hope to work with the TR Club at my alma mater to not only provide a suitable amount of accessible parking, but also provide assistance to exhibitors with disabilities to unload their vehicle and set up their equipment if needed. I’m so excited for this opportunity to reach out and make the world of dog showing a little more friendly for everyone!

I encourage you to take a closer look at your own life for opportunities to reach out to others. For those of us who are able-bodied, it’s easy to take our free-time activities for granted. Everyone deserves the right to participate in recreational activities that enrich their lives. Please consider making your lives and activities a little more accessible for all–there’s room for everyone.