First snow of the winter

     I'm certainly not complaining.  It's near the end of November in Michigan and we've actually enjoyed temperatures near the 70s this month. But for our first snowfall of the season, it packed quite the punch. We were hammered with over ten inches of snow today. I'm thankful I didn't have to leave the house.
     Shawn and I couldn't wait to let Kota outside, who we found sleeping belly up on the couch. I gave him a few minutes to wake up and then opened the door. As soon as he could see outside his ears went up. Suddenly he was like a kid on Christmas morning. And he spent the majority of his day sleeping in the snow. He made a few random trips inside to pick out another of his many bones and went back outside. We watched through the window giggling as he buried them in the snow.

     I do love seeing him in the snow. It's definitely one of his favorite times of year and I was pretty happy for him today. As for me? Meh, maybe another day or two of this and then I'll be ready for beach weather again. 

Chat soon!

Penni

A pack too close to home

     This morning was the usual Monday with the alarm starting at 5:30 am and after hitting snooze 3 times, we finally crawl out of bed at 6:00. First thing Kota wanted to go outside so Shawn throws on his robe and heads to the kitchen to make our morning cup of Joe, while I head to the bathroom to begin the daily regime.
     The mornings have been extra dark since daylight savings and before any lights get turned on, I look at the sky on my way to the bathroom. There has been so many stars and it even looks cold and crisp lately. The winter is coming, and with that, our dogs natural love to sit out in the cold. I normally head back out of the bedroom right about the time Shawn walks by with a mug in each hand. Ahh he's so wonderful...
     He says very nonchalantly, "Can hear the coyotes howling in the distance..." And sets my coffee down.
     Apparently I found this more of a shock then he did, though we have come face to face recently with a coyote while out walking Kota in the dark. "Did he come back in? Where is he? Do they sound close?"
     Shawn just shrugged, "He's hanging outside. They sound like they're in the distance."
     Ok... Shawn can't hear like he once could and I could be right next to him carrying on an entire conversation only to realize he has no clue I'm even speaking to him. That's usually followed up with him looking at me and saying, "huh?" So right now, I don't trust his assessment of howling in the distance. Luckily, he senses my not-so-hidden panic and he heads back out to check on the dog.
     "He's fine. He's sleeping on the porch."
     I guess I'm good with that... And eventually he did come in. I'm sure he was enjoying the sounds of the howls and I'm a little surprised he didn't answer those calls. It's not odd for him to be outside laying quietly in the yard in the cold and dark, when he's feeling closest to his natural roots, that he decides to howl like a wild wolf. His howl is subtle and smooth. It's gorgeous. So I was definitely surprised he wasn't howling back at the posse calling out this morning.
     I made bread over the weekend. I've been trying to use my bread machine weekly and make home made bread and trying not to buy so much store bought. Just another small step to us trying to be more self sufficient. We have a million ways to improve in that area, and in some ways, we're wasteful. Any small change I can make in lowering the grocery cost and just making what I need, adds up to larger change over time. So I've just been making a combo white wheat bread once a week. I'm focusing on just getting better and familiarizing myself with dough and the machine before I branch out to other loaves.
     This weekend I decided to toss in some butter toffee covered sunflower seeds. It came out so good that I couldn't take a picture fast enough! The loaf is already half gone. So now that I know, I'll do it again in the next couple of days and not only post pictures, but also the recipe. Tune in if you like home made bread!
Chat soon
Penni

Making friends

     One of our favorite things to do is hang out in our yard. We take great pride in the care and appearance, and absolutely consider it our little haven. Kota agrees. Kota is our 7 year old husky and fits every stubborn stereotype you've ever heard about husky's. This includes him being very territorial over his yard.
     Last summer was the best so far. I believe the count was up to him winning the battle with 3 very large possums and one turtle. I felt bad about the turtle. They have a tendency to climb up from the wetlands behind our yard and make the unfortunate decision to tread on Kota territory. We've saved several, but one did slip by without us knowing. I can live without the possums. In fact, last year was an oddly populated year for quite a few animals, but our yard stays clear. Nothing catches you off guard more than when Kota prances proudly up on to the deck with a 15 pound possum in his mouth that has curled itself around the dogs face, as it breathed its last breath.
     Since those more vicious of animals have seemed to gotten smart and moved on to other territories, this year the rabbit population has gone up, as well as the birds. They love our quiet yard just as much as we do, but sometimes we worry about the bunnies. And boy, they sure were some very small bunnies roaming on their own this year. We just kept trying to keep Kota calm and telling him to , "Be nice..." whenever the bunnies were having dinner in the yard.
     So imagine our surprise watching him for over a half hour lay next to a bunny as it ate. Neither one seemed to really be bothered by the other, though Kota did want to lay close and watch him. I think the bunny was safe as long as it didn't make any sudden moves, which it didn't.

     Introducing our fur baby, Kota. The bunny is pretty camouflaged in the picture so just to point out, hes on the the left of Kota, just munching away. With our kids grown, Kota is the current baby of the house, and treated as such. I don't deny it. I've absolutely turned into one of those gross baby talking dog owners whom I used to loathe. At one time, people who chose to plan their lives around a pet were a mystery to me. I grew up with  a dog and even had one as an adult, but I had gone 7 years without any pets, without any dependency.
     Then my friend came across Kota, who was just turning 4 at the time. Kota's loving owners had sadly fallen on hard times and had to make extreme life changes, which included trying to find a loving home for him. She had asked if I would be interested and I thought about it for a month or so while Kota stayed with her, waiting. I took a long time to weigh out the life change owning him would cause. The time, the walking and upkeep, the dependency and the poop.
     Eventually, we decided we were ready to take that leap and it's been a wonderful ride ever since. We feel like we've hit a lottery with Kota. Not only is he beautiful, but he's really a good boy. And I consider him the Jim Carrey of dogs as his actions can get quite animated, comical and clumsy. I will fully admit he is not a dog I could of had while the children were younger. He's an adults dog for sure. He's a good boy, but he doesn't do a darn thing that he doesn't want to and I'm only guessing he's tolerate toddler tail yanking to a certain point, but then I can't promise he wouldn't let someone know he's had enough.
     He's fit right in perfectly with Shawn and I and completes our lives. Taking care of him has never been a chore, but an absolute pleasure. So now you've been introduced to the first member of our family. The dog, who thinks he's a horse, unless he thinks he's a small lap dog... Thank you Streeter for thinking of us when looking for a loving home. Kota is treated like a king and will be loved forever.
Chat tomorrow!
Penni