As I mentioned in the April 11th post of sleeping dogs, I was overwhelmed by the number of great photographs sent in. I promised “Sleeping Dogs Two,” and here it is.
The timing is somewhat self-serving, in that I’m leaving soon for a conference in Denver on The Neurobiology of Human-Animal Interactions, and trying to get done in two days what I’d normally do in a week. Although I wish the conference had not been in May, also known to farmers and gardeners in Wisconsin as “Please-someone-make-the-world-slow-down-because-I-am-losing-my-mind” month, I am very much looking forward to some interesting talks and discussions. I’ll write about them next week.
Clockwise from top left: Numie between the knees, Adrian & Newton napping together, No Name re-purposing an “arm rest”, Keeva doing the same in a feeder pan, Ellie falling out of her snuggle bed, and Habi’s feet whilst snoozing.
Round Two, clockwise again from top left: Laika with paw on head (how cute is that?), Missy sprawled on the chair, Peanut upside down in the dog bed, Suzie looking like I want to feel right now, Tripp showing off her belly, Trevor-more paws on the face, Sienna looking langorous, and Red Dog with Pug (Lola? Shari?).
Sorry I didn’t get the names of all the dogs… I’ll know to ask next time. But I loved this project, I’m hatching up another similar idea, stay tuned.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Holy moly, is there a spray that one can use to stop everything growing for just a few days? A biological pause button? To slow the garlic mustard from going to seed until we can pull it all before it goes to seed (horrible invasive, taking over our woods), stop the Virginia Stick Seed from taking over our new pasture, (the world’s worst burr, a horrible combo with long-haired dogs), or just ask the dandelions to please restrict their reproductive exuberance to the lawn instead of my flower gardens?
However, it’s also flat out gorgeous now, with the tulips blooming, the late daffodils a yellow that they must have stolen from the sun, and the Virginia Bluebells waving to us out the kitchen window. Five of the seven lambs are thriving, while Pepper’s twins are doing okay. It doesn’t look like I should breed Pepper again, she just doesn’t give much milk. Might be early signs of Ovine Progressive Pneumonia (OPP), which has plagued our flock for the last few years. We’ll be doing genetic testing soon, (some sheep are resistant, some not susceptible) and having to make some tough decisions in the future I suspect. The circle of life is always present on a farm, just a few steps from your front door.
Here’s some of my favorite tulips, one of my favorite spring flowers, just about at the end of their reign:
Three lambs want to know why I’ve come over and am pointing this funny, black thing at them….
Bruce says
Trisha, enjoy the conference, it sounds fascinating. I have only visited Wisconsin in summer once, but it seemed like the short growing season made everything happen at once. I’m sure that keeps things lively on the farm.
The sleeping dog pictures were a great pick-me-up, thank you for that, and I am looking forward to “another similar idea.” Missy reminded me of my first dog and “her” Ikea chair, although my first dog was more inclined to impersonate a croissant when sleeping.
Suzie looks an awful lot like Red Dog (Lola = The Pug). This weekend all three dogs managed to squeeze onto the couch with me and fall asleep, but it was too dark to get a decent picture.
Jann Becker says
Love that “slightly puzzled” look on the lambs! Sound like the conference gives you a chance to use your brain more and your back less. If only you could get your loyal fans and correspondents to come help out on the farm for a couple of weeks; I’m sure those BC’s of yours could show us what most needs to be done.
Diane says
At least you know the names of the weeds that plaque you. Aside from dandelions, our common enemy (even though the yellow flowers are kind of pretty), I simply refer to the one weed that plagues my garden as my nemesis weed…..a little stringy type weed that tends to strangle whatever is in their path. It is a never ending battle. Thankfully, we get to look at the wonderful pics you provided to take our minds off the work and any other problems our lives may be encountering at the moment. Enjoy the conference.
Magdie says
Can’t wait for your feedback from the conference!
gail lilly says
Love your blog. Will be anxious to hear about your upcoming
conference. Given the evolutionary track dogs have taken, they have been pulled in one direction by wolves and in another by humans. How they have remained true, if you will, or perhaps competent, in maintaining communication among themselves while catering to us is impressive. The challenges of being a dog!! Bilingual.
gail lilly says
Just wondering how the dog’s neural structures have evolved to enhance their ability to read our emotions from our facial expressions, translate human gestures, e.g., pointing etc. It has been established that they have the same emotional continuum as humans but wonder if the neural networks that service their limbic- frontal lobe connectivity have changed at all due to the increased activity required to minister to we needy humans? Has there been any attenuation or lessening of the number of olfactory neurons/receptors to free up more resources for dog-human communication or perhaps other redistribution or enhancement of neural resources??
Cathy says
Love all of the photos! The lambs are just adorable! Looking forward to hearing about the conference.
Laura P says
Love this! How about doggie photo bombs as a project?
Trisha says
Love the doggie photo bomb idea! I’m also thinking of asking for lists of nick names (don’t send any yet!). I’ll bet there are some other great ideas out there… maybe I’ll write a post sometime and ask for ideas. There’s an idea. (Sorry.)
Stacey Gehrman says
Thoroughly enjoyed the sleeping dogs. The conference sounds fascinating and I will look forward to hearing about it. We have only 2.5 acres but as far as chores to do and keeping up with the weeds it might as well be 30. Enjoy the conference and try not to think about the weeds!
jules says
Love the pictures, some are really funny!
Thrilled that one of mine was included, the first one (though it’s Nimue instead of Numie 🙂 ).
Beth says
Love the sleepy puppies!
I am painfully familiar with garlic mustard (it comes in just behind Japanese Knotweed and mugwort on my least favorite plant list— dealing with all three for 10 years on my quarter acre). If you recognize the tiny little seedlings when they are still just a double leaf, they are easy to take out en masse either with hand pulling (literal handfuls at once) or hoeing, if you get them in April when the ground is still soft.
I try very hard to get the first year plants. They are, as you probably know, a biennial. Nice thing about the first years and seedlings is you don’t have to bag them up. You can leave them in place to rot back into the ground. I don’t dare compost them.
Reliable online sources told me the seedbed lasted 5 years but I am on year 9. I’ve had a large reduction after being diligent all these years, but I still get several dozen plants every year. Still, down from hundreds and hundreds and to be fair, some are probably coming back from the neighboring park, where they are rampant.
The knotweed, alas, requires chemical warfare. Literally impossible to kill any other way.
Drew Webster says
So excited that you’re coming to our conference at the University. We will see you in a few days. I think our sporadic weather in Denver is a good pause for spring in Colorado. If 70 degrees one day and snow the next. Hopefully the snow has stopped now but bring a raincoat… and sunscreen 🙂
Donna Toth says
The weather here in the Hudson Valley of NY is bringing spring to us at rapid pace as well – after an entire week of rain, everything has exploded into bloom ( my poor allergies). And I am also thrilled the a photo of my Spencer on the arm rest of the couch was chosen. There are many other odd positions he chooses for sleeping. Can’t wait to read about the conference, or anything else you write for us Tricia!