Xylitol - Warning To Dog Owners

When I see a story as the one I am passing on today, I fact check with Snopes.  Usually I find the facts are only partially true. Today Snopes, presented even more information that if you haven't seen it before, you may want to review. 
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/xylitol.asp

Many folks use sugarless gum and cookies, and other xylitol products every day, and its time to read the label if you own a canine.

This story was published today in the Granby-East Granby Patch:

"My friend Lisa was in the midst of enjoying Valentine's Day Thursday when she noticed something was wrong with her dog. In a split second, when no one was looking, he had raided a nearby purse ...

Spent part of valentines day at the doggie ER last night...little guy got into some chocolate and sugarless gum...xylitol in the gum is super dangerous to dogs and can cause liver damage...we are waiting and praying that we caught him early enough.....watch your purses ....."

For the whole story read here:

http://granby-eastgranby.patch.com/articles/hide-those-valentines-day-treats-the-pooches-are-on-the-prowl-b3ec7102?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001

The short and long of it is that a couple sticks of gum can kill a small dog and make severely ill a larger dog in as little as 15 minutes.

As my vet is more than 15 minutes away and the prospect of inducing vomiting is not high on my list of skills or things I want to do, I'll be looking at sugarless products more closely now. How about you?

I think I'm Down A Chicken (with Update)

I came home from an appointment this morning to see this in the yard.

I drove the truck up to the pond to see if I could see anything from there, but no.

Two head counts of the hens, only came up to seven.

Not looking good.

The fox? A hawk? Stray dog? Hmm!

UPDATE:

Four hours later, after calling the hens and feeding them bread twice(a treat usually reserved for the fish), we were back to eight hens. I finally saw Number Eight hiding under a bush. I think she was roosting in the large juniper on the island, recovering from perhaps being attacked. I can't say I see any signs of injury, but those feathers hide a lot.

I guess the other hens talked her back down! It was too nice a day to hide, and not come out and play, now that I was around to protect them!

All's well here on the farm!
G'Night!

Monument Valley and the Movies

This was the amazing view from our house at Gouldings Lodge in Monument Valley, Utah.  Some of what we are looking at is in Arizona. The natural features are on both sides of the state line. 

The history of the Goulding Lodge is very tied in to the early Hollywood westerns.

The Museum is a fun spot for photographs with "The Duke".

‘Captain Nathan Brittles’ Cabin’, also called ‘John Wayne’s Cabin’, is located just behind the museum.  In actuality, it was Mike (Mrs.) Goulding’s potato cellar, where she stored her fruits, vegetables, and other perishables.   When ‘She Wore a Yellow Ribbon’ was filmed here in 1949 by director John Ford, this structure was used for exterior shots only as the personal quarters for the Cavalry Post’s commanding officer, played by Wayne.

We spent most of Sunday at the Navaho Tribal Park driving on the 17 Mile Trail within the park.

 We saw several stray dogs during our visit, and some had their pups tagging along.

We were stopped at a Navaho jewelry stand at this overview and the rider slowly walked his horse out to the point. It just was a perfect scene and this is an area where John Ford did a lot of his filming.  No wonder!

 

A family favorite is Forrest Gump and this sign marks the spot where he ended his run. Below is the scene from the road.

There are so many views in this area that you will see in current truck commercials and many, many movies. As beautiful as it is, it is a harsh landscape and it couldn't have been easy working here.

Its quite amazing to visit the area and learn about how the Gouldings brought Hollywood and the world to see it.  We were thrilled to be able to spend time in Monument Valley in such beautiful weather.

Mt. Rainier National Park - The Green and Mean Side

We were lucky to have a sunny weekday to explore. Plan to avoid the week-ends if you can.From the Mt. Rainier National Park site:

The current snowline is around 5000 feet. Due to heavy snowfall this past winter (2010-2011), melt-out is not expected until sometime in August.

For this reason we did not get to hike the meadows, but there was still plenty to do and see. Amazingly, flowers were blooming heartily next to the piles of snow along the roads and trails.

Cougar Rock. Do you see it?

Silver Falls - A beautiful hike!

This bear was browsing on the side of the road.
VIDEO OF BEAR BELOW SUNRISE AT MT. RAINIER NP.

Cascade Mountain Fox
We aren't supposed to see this fox, but they are coming to people for food.
This one was carrying a chunk of bread.

Grove of the Patriarchs

VIDEO OF SILVER FALLS

See the National Park site for more information.
http://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm

Got Boxers?

This one's for my sister-in-law Becky. I think she'll enjoy this.

Do Border Collies Make Good Pets?

I was with a group today, and was asked a variation of a question I get many times. "Are Border Collies good house dogs?" NO!

They are athletic and attractive dogs, but don't be fooled by the good looks and agility. It comes with a price. Time. Yours. These dogs stay active for most of, on average, a fourteen year life span."Do they make good pets?" Yes - if you walk them four times a day. I mean it! They are work. They look for work. They need work - physical and mental. They are genetically, naturally, historically working animals - whether you want them to be or not. We hosted four 4-H lambs three summers ago, and as soon as Jock got in the corral with them, he had them grouped against the wall, without us giving any commands. We don't know any herding commands!For lack of goats or sheep to herd after the morning chores, Jock "herds" the tractors, quads, wheel barrows, lawnmowers, whatever moves. He runs everywhere he goes. He watches everything for movement, and can't wait for us to start up a motor.Tired is not a condition you often see a Border Collie in, which is why they can easily become a pest or unhappy. By the time he was almost two years old, we had become Jock's third owner. He needed intense attention and probably got those four walks a day - minimum. Winter or summer. Some Border Collies are known to herd people when they are bored. They become intimidating and nippy. We were able to avoid that with lots of walks and play.If you want to learn more about the work going into saving Border Collies and other dogs, visit The Dog Liberator blog. There they talk about the habits and personalities of these dogs, and the work they take to train and make each of them part of a home.Our Jock is a happy dog because he gets to run, chase and herd. Can't you see the smile? But remember, it comes with a price. Hard work.