Saturday, April 14, 2007

Treats

Rosey, thanks for trying to find a recipe. I may take a stab at creating one one of these days, with ground beef and veggies.

Backsides of horses!

Perhaps this needs some explanation! LOL

I have recently been introduced to the wonders of "barn cams" and have been watching a couple of sites which have web cams in stables. With a little patience you can manage to watch horses foaling all over the world. It is somewhat addictive, I fear, for those of us who are farmers at heart and who used to spend a great deal of time with horses.

I share Rosey's admiration for alpacas. They are lovely animals -- and if someone would just donate a couple of them to me I would be happy to give them a good home! But they are too expensive for my budget, sadly. I will just have to make do with the sheep and the chickens. And the cats and the dogs. Oh, yes. And the parrot. Hmmm. Maybe I already have enough critters...

Jean, where it is still too cold to shear the sheep

Whoops, put this on the other page...

dog bisquits and alapacas
Pat, maybe Jean might have some input into baking dog bisquits without grains but I just can't see how it can be done without flour of some sort. I do feed our guys raw meat nuggets, which they enjoy, but otherwise, I feed dried kibble (Fromm, Wellness & Canidae) and whatever veggies or yougurt that are around. If Jean checks the board, inbetween checking out the backside of horses on the internet these days, maybe she has some suggestions...Web-cams I'm learning about and there is one set up at the Alpaca Ontario show this week-end at our nearby Agricultural Centre here in Orangeville. (I'm a member) You may be able to access it at: www.alpacaontario.ca The show is on tomorrow morning as well. If I won a lotttery...in would come some alpacas. They are adorable and so peaceful with their little humming and are loving animals. One man told me this morning at the show that he slept in their barn at night on a hammock and woke up in the middle of the night because one of his alpacas was nuzzling his ear. I am a frustrated farm person...won't say farmer because they work hard at what they do...I just play at working hard.Rosey...and we are expecting more snow over the next two days...sheeesh...
posted by RoseyP @ 4:46 PM

Pat, since then, my raw feeder on the L doesn't know of any grain-free dog bisquit recipes..

stuff and a question about frozen redbud trees

It occurs to me, as I've looked all week for more posts, that I haven't posted recently either. I'm trying to survive the last month and a half of school, my sinuses, and the unusual weather.
Does anyone know if redbud trees (large shade tree size) can recover from a night that froze all the leaves, which promptly turned black and fell off. I now have two large, bare, shade trees sitting in my front yard. Furthermore, a recent storm took the top off the large maple in the back, so we basically have no shade for the house. This is a very bad thing in Alabama. I shouldn't complain, though, because I still have a house.
I decided that I should finish at least one of my Grandmother's projects before I start a new one of my own. I'm taking the American Indian children (taken from a 5o's coloring book, but very cute) that she embroidered and painted, and setting them with some wonderful sashing strips from a Michael Miller stripe that looks native American, and matches the colors she had chosen. I'm sure she would have appliqued them if her hands would have allowed it, but these were some of the last things she tried to make. Back in the 50's and 60's she had made two twin bed quilts for my cousins, (embroidered and appliqued with the same designs) and these blocks were originally intended for one cousin's children. His wife is an "art quilter" and was not interested in them, so now the blocks are mine. I still may give them to my aunt, his mother, to pass on to her grown grandchildren or even great-grandchildren, if she thinks they would appreciate them more than my DC-In-Law did. I'll take a picture and post it when I get finished.
I think my next project will be a drunkard's path or some similar pattern. Mom wants a light weight summer quilt to put on the bed, and I think I want to try this pattern. She's even said that I can use blue and any other colors that go with blue, as opposed to the red she normally decorates with. Hah! Blue is a neutral. It goes with everything! I will make it primarily blue though...LOL
I can't imagine why someone who lives in Montgomery, Alabama might want a light-weight quilt for summer...
Laura in north Alabama

Dog treats

Hi, Rosey, some time ago, we started feeding our Shar Pei, rat terrier, and cat Innova EVO, which is made without any grains, just meat and veggies. They have been doing wonderfully well on it, which makes sense, since dogs and cats really aren't designed or engineered to eat grains in the quantities present in commercial dog and cat foods. I've bought the EVO dog treats for our furry kids, but they're quite pricey, so thought I'd try to find a recipe for a similar treat. Thanks for the assist. Brownie, Jack the Ripper, and Arwen all appreciate it, too, LOL.

Pat in Rockport, TX

For Pat..

Pat, specifically, what grain or grains? I'll email a raw feeder on the L and ask but I know from my own experience in baking muffins and trying to search out alternative grains, rice flour, barley flour, etc. that the muffins don't hold together in the baking very well...they are very 'short' and fall apart easily. If I find out anything, I'll post it; if not...Jean may have some ideas. She's very good with specific information like this.
Rosey

Friday, April 13, 2007

Dog biscuits

Does anybody know of a recipe for dog treats made without grain?

Another dog bisquit site for Sue from Iowa

Another dog bisquit site from an Aussie breeder:

www.dogaware.com

Rosey

Funny weather

Such funny weather we are having this spring???? The Cherry Blossom festival is almost over (the blooms are almost completely gone) and the weatherperson is talking snow again this weekend. We had about 3/4 of an inch last Saturday. We had a couple of really nice days, and then everything went back to winter again. Somebody remind me of this when I start complaining about the heat and humidity when summer really does arrive.

Sara asked about Anna in Spain; I had an email from her this morning that she has been down with the flu for a couple of weeks, but is starting to feel better finally. She is still having a lot of difficulty accessing this new webpage. In any case, here is her message:

Well, at last we know something definite. DH has made a deal with his boss to dismiss him at the end of May when he's turned 62. He has 2 yrs unemployment coming so by that time he'll be 64 and only lose 8% of his pension.
The unemployment is only 60% of his salary, and his salary is only 800 Euros a month. So you see I need to keep tutoring, but this is a bad time of year because after Easter people start dropping classes because they're busy with other things (good weather, the beach and like that). He does get some severance pay but not nearly what he's owed or worth but at his age the boss knows he can't demand. He can't keep working because of the pain and none of the doctors can actually tell him whether he's harming his eyes by continuing to work. And yet he's not eligible for disability???? (He appealed that but there's been no reply.)
Pray for us. Perfect would be if they were to grant him disability after all. That would mean compensation and then he wouldn't have to lose any of his pension.
The road is rather rocky these days. Sigh
anna in spain

I'm not enough of a computer wizard to give her any advice on how to get past the access problems but perhaps one of you can give her some advice. Thanks, and y'all have a great day now. Marie in Maryland

Thursday, April 12, 2007

I just knew it

I knew that if I got caught up with all my project and slowed down a little something would catch me and it sure did. I am now the benefactor of a really nasty sius infection. I have bags under my eyes incredible. I talk funny and look even worse.
Okay is that enough feeling sorry for myself. I really must not complain because I never had a cold all lst year and I imagine I should have my share.
Congratulations to all those losing all the weight. It has to be really hard work and I hope you can all hang in there.
On the traveling front we just booked our trip to Victoria again. Yeah, considering that we have piles of snow again and it is supposed to snow here all weekend I have a nice trip to look forward to. By the time we leave we more than likely will have decent weather here too but I am sure out west they will be so much further along than us.
I just love B.C.
Nothing to report on the sewing front as I just do not feel well enough to even think sewing.
Time to quit for the day so I will say good night and hugs all around.
Grace in Ont.

The Thursday weigh in...

A frustrating week, it has been! I have faithfully followed the food and exercise regime, not even a sniff of chocolate over Easter! And part way through the week I felt awful, dull and head achy, and weighed myself and found I was suddenly three pounds heavier than I had been a few days before! Yuck! I don't know what allergy or hormone glitch caused that, but I was very relieved to see I am getting back on track today, even if it is only a one pound loss from last week's number showing on the scales this morning! (That is 9 pounds in five weeks.) The new challenge will be to keep my fingers out of the goodies -- DH had a poker party last night and there are way too many of my favourite snack foods left in the house right now!

Doris, I think walking around in broad daylight with a mask on would be safer than doing the same thing in the dark! You be careful, girl! Some paranoid type is going to take a shot at you one of these mornings -- or you will suddenly start seeing reports in the local media about sightings of extraterrestrials! LOL

Very little progress on the sewing room this week, due to other obligations, but I have a couple more big bags of fabric for charity ready to go. I hope to get the rest of the thinning out done today and tomorrow -- I am getting very anxious to be able to actually *sew* in that room again! I keep finding wonderful things I had forgotten I had!

But first I have to make another batch of those dog biscuits and get them in the oven! (BTW, I put the recipe in a 'comment' to the post asking for the recipe) That is the chore for the morning today. After that I get to go to the bank and find out why they took somebody else's utility bill payment out of my account! Grrrr!

Hope you are all having satisfying days today. :)
Jean

Good morning!

Thanks for the feedback on the LeMoyne Star as well as Sharyn Craig. I'm feeling less scared now.

SARA IN FLA - I'm having to walk so early because it is still dark,,, so that nobody sees me in the surgical mask. I look so dumb and may scare them. LOL

HOCKEY - Our Predators lost to San Jose Sharks in a ... double overtime!!! last night. We got home from the game reeeeeally late. We all agreed that the referees' money was on the Sharks. Bad reffing but both teams played really well. San Jose has a good team and I was surprised we held up that long against them. 'nother game Friday night at home. TTFN & hugs to all,

Doris

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Speaking of Pollen...

I got back last evening from a 10 day road trip with my buddy Doris. She lost her DH in January and wanted to go to visit her brother and his wife in Litchfield Park, AZ, but didn't want to drive by herself. She did want to get used to travelling in the van. So, we took off early on April 1. We had decided to take I-10 on the trip out. We stopped the first night in Fort Stockton, TX. The second night we were in Benson, AZ. Early the next morning, we drove to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, where we wandered for almost 3 hours, enthralled with the vegetation and animals on display. On the way back to I-10, we drove through the Saguaro National Park and admired these amazing cacti. We reached Litchfield Park by a roundabout drive through another park with more wonderful scenery, that went around the huge "city" of Phoenix and its surrounding cities. We stayed until early Sunday morning. Doris's brother Ron and his wife Susie were great hosts. They took us to the botanical gardens, up the mountain to the "anntenna farm" to see the views (about 100 miles), to the Wigwam Resort for breakfast one morning (they have wonderful bronzes in the lobby and halls, I spotted a Remington and a Russell and others), to the Phoenician Resort for high tea with Susie's sister Patsy (her spouse has severe dementia, but is still charming--he and Ron went to the coffee shop for a late lunch), a day in Sedona (where I got a prezzie for DH--he likes fossils, so got him a fossil fish in slate), and out for pizza at the Organ Stop, where they have the largest Wurlitzer theater organ in the world. I did visit one quilt shop, I think in Litchfield, and got two yards of fabric to share with my quilt group here (cut 6" squares to hand out, and hope that they will take up the idea as my northern group did--take a trip, bring back fabric to share, and eventually have a nifty scrap quilt), one yard with petroglyphs, one with Kokopelli, so in an Arizona theme. It was such a fun trip. On the way home, we decided to take back roads. The first day, we went up through Apache Junction, on up a scenic route through the mountains and Apache reservation, ending up in Silver City, NM for the night, then on through the mountains to Deming, NM, back on I-10 to Van Horn, TX, then off the expressway on 90 to Alpine, TX for the night. For a lot of that day and most of the next, we followed the railroad tracks that go from San Antonio to Los Angeles. We didn't see the Amtrack train. Did see lots of Union Pacific freight trains, though. Got home before 6 pm yesterday, tired but happy. DH and our furry kids were glad to see me, and I was so glad to see them, too.

Pat in Rockport, TX

Doris, walking at 4:30 AM?????

Oh, my, if you are walking at 4:30 AM, my hat is off to you. I have those dorky looking pollen masks, but forget to use them half the time.
Are you trying to get your body used to the time change?
I just started talking in ernest to my DH and GFs about our possible trip next year. I'm thinking that the first of June is the best time to go. Have been reading the Rick Steves web site about the input from visitors to Ireland. What I've gleaned is --forget the ring of Kerry, Dublin is crowded just like any other large city. The driving with the automatic rental car seems to be the best way to go.
I'm in a fog still, trying to wake up. Going to switch from coffee to tea, and do some stretching.
Just a few sprinkles here yesterday an last night, and foggy today. Just like my brain.
We are off to Daytona Beach tomorrow for an early 29th anniversary celebration. Am going to ask for a "squirl resistant" bird feeder and a digital camera, in that order as some gifts.
Hope you all have a great day, and the snow melts soon.
Sara in foggy Fla.

Sue/dog bisquit recipes

Go to:http://www.bullwrinkle.com/Assets/Recipes/Recipes.htm

This came through on the Aussie L overnight. Breeders are usually pretty good at responding to requests like this.

Which reminds me that I have more to make before the week-end. I find that cutting up the dog bisquits is like quilting a quilt, it's peaceful, repetitive and productive. Just need to set time aside to do it...it takes me an hour to make them, then an hour baking, then turning off the oven and leaving them to dry out for several hours or overnight...it's a bit of time to make them but the effort is worth it. I bag them up in 12 ounce bags and sell them for $5.00 a bag; then send any money to ARPH in the US, as we don't have an organized business end of ARPH in Canada...(that's Aussie Rescue & Placement Helpline).

Rosey

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Date on Picture

Doris

I just grabbed DS's new digital camera and snapped the picture. Don't know a lot about running it. Will have to have one of the guys put the right date on it.

The picture was taken this year though. Isaac is the little guy in the picture. He is 4 and wasn't even born in 00!

KAREN IN KS - Love the snow picture. Why does it have the date 2/18/00 ??? Just wundrin' ..... LOL!

FROZEN EASTER - We had lows of 22°F for Easter weekend and some areas in the country read 19F. The frost on Sunday morning probably did a lot of damage as well in addition to the cold temps. Most of the leaves on the trees are dead now, the dogwoods are ruined, new crepe myrtle growth looks like lettuce that went past its sell-by date months ago. Now we're back into more normal weather, and I worry about fruit trees not bearing anything this year from the freezes. The farmers will have big problems, I'm afraid.

I realized yesterday that we leave for Ireland in five weeks and I'm not in shape for all the golf course walking. I got up at 4:30 a.m. this morning (aaaack!) to go walking with my dorky-looking pollen mask. I have to do this before sunrise so I don't frighten the neighbors! I'll probably crash around 3p.m. this afternoon. LOL

Have any of you taken all-day workshops from Sharyn Craig? If you did, how did you like the class? Our guild is hosting her in two weeks and I'm signed up for two workshops --- "Northwinds" and the "LeMoyne Star." I've got books, templates, etc. for that LeMoyne star and still never had the courage to attempt it. I'm hoping this class will guide me through it.

Nothing else new around here. Hugs to everyone!

TTFN,
Doris W. in TN

Monday, April 9, 2007

Spring? So much for global warming

I've received E mail pictures of relatives and friends in snow on Easter. One in PA, the other in northern VA. Heavy snow jackets on the kids in the Easter egg hunt.
We has a cooler day here, but was able to wear the new Easter outfit. Had dinner at DD and DSIL's house, and it was wonderful. I had a high complement for DG, he said my chocolate covered butter cream eggs were better than those from the favorite candy shop. I can only suppose because they were fresher ingredients. Anyway, they went fast.
I've started reading up on the "South Beach Diet" as DH has high col. and high BP. The first 2 weeks sound hard, but after that it should be do-able. Will finish the book before making any decisions.
We are supposed to have rain today. I would love to have some as the fire warnings are already out, as well as watering restrictions. We need to wash the pollen out of the air. It has been about 6 or 7 weeks since any rain has fallen.
Going back to spring cleaning the kitchen in a bit, but wanted to say hi to everyone.
Hope your Easter celebrations were wonderful.
Where is Anna from Spain?
Sara in Fla.

Dog bisquit recipes

Sue, I'll post to the Aussie L board for home baked dog bisquit recipes for you and post them here. There will like be responses within 24 hrs or so. I know that the receipe Jean devised is a combination of several receipes that she has devised and as it's her receipe, it isn't mine to pass on but I know that it's similar to the ones used by Aussie breeders on the board.

We've had snow as well in southern Ontario over the Easter week-end and it's been very cold. A green Christmas and a white Easter, something different.

Rosey

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Recipe for dog biscuits

With the recent dog/cat food scare, my niece would like to try making the dog biscuits. I thought I had the recipe but, of course, now can't find it. Is it Jean or Rosey with the recipe? Thanks! Sue in Iowa

A beautiful day to report!

It is just so beautiful today!
I always debate whether I love spring more or summer????
It's so hard to beat a day like today, sunny, warm, the yard full
of sweet smells from Daphne,bulbs & delicate spring perennials.
I also wonder if I would appreciate a day like today if it weren't
for the many days of rain and grey, probably not.
Even though there are a million things I should do on my one day off
I think I will spend a little time doing hand work either in a sunny window
or maybe even sitting out.

Our annual quilt show ended yesterday. A great success, the result of many
energetic volunteers. I'll send a link to my webshots when I get them there.


Our own little brunch today(dh & myself). I feel so guilty when I think about
my GF who is having 38 for dinner, ugh!
We had eggs benedict with home made hollindase & real Canadian bacon &
asparagus on the side. Someone didn't say much, but when your the chef you get to decide the menu!

So I'm sending you all hugs & sunshine! Love, Jill

strange happenings

Anybody here with an electrician in the family? We are having strange happenings in our bedroom and I'm curious to know what's causing it. Sometime between 8 and 9 am every morning for the past week or so the bedside clock/radio and touch lamp both flicker and then turn off. Approx. 12 hours later they turn back on again!! It's spooky!! They are both on different plugs even. I need to turn them both off I know, til we get an electrician, but the switch is behind the bed and we need to move the mattress to get to it.
Even though it's Autumn here I'm busy spring-cleaning in preparation for our visitors. Mary is bringing 2 friends from the US and another from Victoria, plus my sister will be joining us as well. They should arrive in Sydney sometime today, having lost a day crossing the International Dateline. Graham and I will leave for Adelaide a week today to meet up with them.
Lovely photos of Spring flowers! Several of our native eremophila bushes are starting to flower, which will be nice for our visitors to see. (Quite a few species flower from Autumn through to Spring, as we have very mild winters here compared to most of North America for instance). The frangipani tree is still in flower also.
Well, I've had my break so had better get on with the dusting.
Happy Easter to everyone,
Fran