Needle Felted Friends...

 I've been a busy lady!

I've almost completed my very first needle felted critters.

I still have detail work to do on the polar bear and the PIT BULL PUP is only about half done.  I've just started adding the white on him and am beginning to work on his "back half".

I have to confess:

I LOVE MY PIBBLE!

(affectionate term for a Pitbull)

He'll be much cuter when he's done.

I think I may incorporate my Felted Friends into Fundraisers for BCCR.

The little black bear turned out pretty cute...

And the Polar Bear is FUN.

He sits or lies on his back, kicking up his feet!

I hope you like my Needle Felted Friends and that you'll consider bidding on them to help raise funds for Bluff Country Canine Rescue.

With Friends like THIS...

  

Who the heck needs enemies?

Don't be fooled into thinking that "poor, little Jill" is getting picked on by those big boys!

In fact, she is most often the instigator!

In the photo below, Cisco has run to Hero for protection.

Notice Jill's humble submission to Hero's masculine presence...

Cisco is much braver when Hero 'has his back'!

Have the boys managed to subdue the smaller statured Jill?

HA!

This feisty little girl fought back from pneumonia and from blindness ~ she's not going to let a couple of DOGS keep her down!

 Note Hero still protecting Cisco (who's obviously terrified!)

;-)

I have so many more photos but I'd better stop.

Nobody will ever be able to download this blogpost!

I think I'll make a SLIDESHOW and post it to my Facebook Page...

That way you can see the 'rest of the story'.

Happy Saturday!

Enjoy the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop!

"Look at Me"

"Look at Me"

Three very valuable words when training a dog. 

 They come in very handy for a number of circumstances.  Such as if you are walking a dog that tends to pull.  It's hard to pull if said dog is turning around to look at you. 

 And if looking at you is rewarded with a treat, the dog even moves back toward you when it hears the command. 

 It's also an excellent tool to prevent a fearful or aggressive dog from becoming over-excited when encountering another animal while on a walk. 

Think about all the ways that having your dog turn and look at you might help you to gain more control.  

I snapped all of these pictures while Cisco and I were out for a walk the other day.

It is really nice having your dog focused on you when out for a stroll!

GOOD BOY Cisco!

Paw prints on my Jeep... And on my HEART!

We've all experienced it.  At least most cat owners have.  Pawprints on their vehicles.  Especially if they're parked in an attached garage.  Don't ya hate that?  (regardless of how filthy dirty said vehicle might be!)  Well, I had an interesting new experience yesterday!  I was working on needle felting and uploading pictures for yesterday's blog post.  I kept hearing a dog whine.  All the dogs were in the house (or so I thought) but had been out a short time ago so I really didn't pay any attention.  The whining persisted.  I finally decided that I'd better check to see what was wrong. 

Bella was sleeping on my bed.  Sable was sleeping on the guest bed.  Cisco was snoozing on the loveseat and Jill was crashed on the couch.  Still the whining persisted.  Where the heck was Hero?  I rechecked every room.  He was nowhere to be found!  As I went into the kitchen so that I could see around the corner of the cupboard, in case he was hiding there, I happened to glance out the window in the door to my garage and what should I see???

HERO!!!

"Hi Mom!"

That's right, the big guy who is

supposed to be "taking it easy".

I suspect he got up there because the cat was on the Jeep.

Hero likes to stalk the kitty.

Fortunately, he never hurts her.

The thing is...

Once he got up ON the Jeep,

Hero seems to have remembered the vet's "take it easy" advice and couldn't quite figure out how to get DOWN!

Hence the persistent whining!

Would you believe that I actually had to LIFT the big beast off of my Jeep?  Apparently, Hero is afraid of heights!

Goofy Dog!

Bits and Pieces...Odds and Ends...

It's a brisk but sunny day in the Bluff Country.  Just the way I like it!  I thought I'd share a few updates today...

First and foremost:

JILL CAN SEE!

I knew it, but I wasn't sure how well or if it was likely to last.  I took her to the vet yesterday and he said that her eyes (retinas) look completely normal.  YIPPEE!   Dr. Taggert thinks that Jill's temporary blindness must have been caused by a fever, her pneumonia, or a reaction to the powerful antibiotics she was on to treat the pneumonia.  What ever it was that caused it, I am just so thrilled that this feisty little dickens can see again!

Hero (formerly Jake) is recovering nicely!

It's hard to believe after the nightmare of last weekend but the big guy is doing great.  My biggest challenge right now (knock on wood!) is keeping him as quiet as I can.  I don't want to put him in a crate or pen and haven't thus far but he wants to play SO badly and the other dogs are more than willing to oblige him.  We did go for a walk along with Cisco...

Which reminds me, I've been working on some training with Cisco and have some (what I think are) cute pictures.  I think I'll post them tomorrow.

I've been spinning and knitting and felting up a storm!

I'll have to do a post about that as well...

Happy Saturday!

Don't forget to check out the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop!



Back to Winter...

Cold weather has returned to the Bluff Country!

"BLUFF COUNTRY KAHLUA"

 

"BLUFF COUNTRY TIA MARIA"

The ewe lambs (coming yearlings) don't mind one bit.  In fact, I can't even lure them into their barn with food!  They prefer to eat (and sleep) outside!   I've never been one to shut my sheep in so trust their judgement as far as shelter goes as they have free access to a barn and to a large, round calf-hut.

I do believe that their luxuriously thick, soft wool does a fine job of keeping them comfortable!

I know that I sure enjoyed burying my hands in it when I sat out with the girls for a while the other day.

I am ashamed to say that I'd almost forgotten how incredibly good for my soul sitting with sheep is!  It was exactly what I needed after all the stress and worry of the past few years weeks days!

HERO (aka Jake) UPDATE:

Hero continues to heal.  He is feeling better and it's getting more difficult to keep him from playing with the other dogs.  Fortunately, he minds VERY well...

Again, I wish to give a heart-felt THANK YOU to those of you who have pitched in with donations to help me keep Bluff Country Canine Rescue going.  When I decided to get involved in saving homeless dogs from a life of living in a cage in a shelter (if they were LUCKY!), I don't think that I realized how much time and money it would take.  Not that that would have stopped me!  I keep thinking that I'm not going to be able to keep helping these homeless dogs because of finances (I've been unemployed for over two years and am now getting by on  Disability), yet somehow, God provides.  Through caring people like YOU!

The dogs and I thank you.