Our snow is pretty much melted, the sun is shining, and our temperature is warm enough to pass for late fall or early spring.
While Dan and I have seen enough of the white stuff for this year, Molly obviously loves it. I didn’t manage a You Tube worthy video, but I did get a short clip of her romping around the dog park. Mostly, she just liked to run around in the snow, which was a good thing. I forgot to bring her ball and all of the sticks were buried. I tried tossing some snowballs for her. She would run after them but kept losing them when they hit the snow covered ground. 🤦
We are keeping busy getting ready for winter these days. Dan finished cleaning up the yard yesterday and went out to get a new set of tires for the Jeep. I have been digging out winter coats and boots, and today I kicked off our fall indoor cleaning, starting with the kitchen. It is so nice being retired and having the time and energy to give each room a thorough cleaning. (I never get tired of appreciating my retirement. 😊)
That is about our life right now. Getting ready for winter in the daytime and relaxing in front of the fireplace at night. Despite Molly’s thick coat, she does enjoy being front row centre when the fireplace comes on. Preferably, as close to Dan as she can get.
That’s about as close as she can get. 😂
That is it for today. I will be back tomorrow for my weekly workout update.
Molly is seven months old today! 🎂 This month has flown by so quickly and with little of the big dog drama that I was expecting. From much of what I have read, the day a Pyrenees turns six months old, they turn into a puppy owner’s nightmare. Molly has her moments but she is far from being a nightmare and is getting better by the day.
Molly – 7 Months Old
Molly is walking much better now and has a growing fanclub of regulars that we meet on our daily walks. There are a LOT of big dogs in this neighborhood, so it surprises me how many people make a fuss over her. Last week a paratransit bus pulled over to the curb so the driver could tell me what a beauty she was and this week a carload of young guys passing by slowed right down so they could serenade her. “Love your big dog, gotta get me a big dog, just like your dog!”. Molly was oblivious, but I found it hysterical.
Early JulyEarly September
Molly has loved her little wading pool this summer. It has made the hotter days much easier on her and it is still her go to spot, the moment we get home from a walk – even if Dan has just drained it to give it a good cleaning.
JulySeptember
She has found her voice and does occasionally use it to extremes – but not that often and not for terribly long. A few barks and she has made her point. She also has a few bizarre sounds in her vocabulary – she does a perfect gas lawn mower and yesterday, I think she was trying to howl, but she sounded just like a train whistle. 🙄
The biggest problem with Molly, other than her latest obsession with pulling the stuffing out of anything that she can pull the stuffing out of, is that she cannot grasp how big she is. She still thinks she can sit on our laps… or worse jump onto them.
My chair
Last weekend, Dan was off golfing for a few days. The first night he was gone, I was sitting in my little rocking chair in the livingroom when Molly came bounding in. She threw her front paws up on either side of my head as she went to jump onto my lap. The chair flipped over backwards. I wasn’t hurt, but I was momentarily trapped with my head against the wall, my arms on either side of me, flat on my back, with my feet up in the air. I was ready to panic, but as Molly strolled over to the couch to watch me deal with my predicament, I found the incentive to push the chair out from under myself and get upright. 🤨
She also likes to squeeze in between Dan on the couch and the coffee table (an area where she doesn’t actually fit), sit in front of the bathroom door, or lay in the middle of the kitchen when we are cooking. For me, to sit on the floor or crouch down to do anything isn’t much of an option, as she takes that as an invitation to lick my ears, wrap her front paws around my neck, or just climb all over me.
Taking on a puppy that grows by leaps and bounds is not for the faint of heart, but it is definitely a challenge worth taking on if one has the strength and patience for it. Ours wears a bit thin with Molly some days but I think the worst is behind us and amazingly she hasn’t caused any major or permanent damage – so far. The Cedars around our yard have taken a hit and we are down a couple of pillows, one blanket, and one stuffed elephant. I could have re-stuffed the elephant but half the head and one ear were not coming back. 😯
That’s it for today, one more month down and only seventeen more to go before Molly is officially an adult dog. We’ve got this!
This year is just flying by! Hopefully the days and weeks will slow down a bit now and we can enjoy summer for a while.
There’s not much happening so far today, but I have a few photos to share.
Lapdog 😛 – I can’t imagine what it will be likewhen she doubles in sizeand sits on us.Peppers and tomatoes are coming along but need a shot of lightning ⚡and some rain!I love these Petunias and I am amazed that I started them from seed. This is a Petunia year!Molly – just digging a hole. Another hole!I love chives in bloom! So pretty. 💞
That is it for today. It isn’t going to be a warm one here, so I had better get on with a bit of yardwork before it gets too uncomfortable. Take care a have a great day. 🌞💞
Molly is four months old today! All things being equal, that would be twenty-eight months in human time. That seems about right. While she is obviously a joy, she has her “terrible two’s” moments.
Looking back through photos I have taken of her in the past couple of months, since she has been with us, it is amazing how she has grown and changed. She is still a baby, but she is getting bigger, more independent, and smarter every day! And… more helpful. She definitely likes to help! Last night she tried to help me take a metal splinter out of Dan’s leg. Somehow, having a big white fuzzy head between me and the magnifying glass did not help. 🤦
First Day HomeWith Her Toy Elephant. First Roadtrip – and she was excellent!In Her KennelThis Morning
Here’s to Molly and many more months – and years of her filling our lives with all the love and joy she brings to our home. 💞
That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 🌞💞
Here I am, seventeen weeks since I started my fitness mission to get out of my rocking chair and into rocking my retirement lifestyle.
Notable tidbits from the pastweek:
Feeling good physically. Every week is just that bit better. 😊
Feeling fine mentally! On top of my game. 🙂
Emotionally, it has been a bit of a struggle. Nothing that I can’t chalk up to a full moon and a deeply embedded habit of stressing out. 🙄
After seventeen weeks in I have FINALLY lost a solid TEN pounds. That is at least twice as much as I have ever lost on a fitness plan, so will take it as a win.
After seventeen weeks of dancersizing and two weeks of beet juice, my blood pressure is back down to normal +/- 120/80.
A few days ago, I added a tablespoon of sauerkraut (before supper) to my diet. Hopefully it will help settle digestive issues. If it works, thank you sister Elaine for the suggestion. If not, it is all good – I love sauerkraut.
On the Molly side:
Two weeks until we can start walking the neighbourhood – And not a minute too soon. Molly is BORED. We went out and bought her some new toys this morning, to mix things up a bit for her. We did not buy her the $20.00 rubber stick. Seriously! Dan did find a stick a few weeks ago, cleaned the bark off of it and filed down the sharp bits. We tried to teach her to fetch it but she just wanted to eat it. 😋
GOOD NEWS! Molly FINALLY quit trying to bite and scratch my arms. They may be scarred for life but I am no longer covered in peroxide and bandaids.
BAD NEWS! Molly’s sheep herding tendencies have reached a new level. Now she has taken up head butting and butt nipping. Since we lack sheep, my butt is the target. I don’t know what is worse, when she follows me around nipping at my butt or when she charges full tilt across the yard and slams her head into my butt. Neither is pleasant or particularly elegant. 🙄
Photos of Molly:
That’s it for today. Take care and have a great day! 🌞💞
From all indications, Molly has reached the puppy equivalent stage comparable to human toddlers or teenagers. I am not sure which, but she has been busy being adorable, obnoxious, and ‘helpful’.
In the past few days, Molly has:
Laid claim to the livingroom sofa
Chased a mouse onto a sticky pad mouse trap AND hovered around me as I disposed of said mouse and trap. (That was an ordeal – and yes I did get my rubber glove stuck in the sticky stuff of the trap, which the mouse was also stuck in. 😳)
Knocked over a speaker/stand while I was taking a bath.
Helped me pull dandelions by digging them out to the depth of their roots, leaving sizeable holes in our backyard.
Learned to get my attention when I am sitting in the garden, by sneaking up behind me, leaping on me and wrapping her front legs around my neck AND licking the top of my head.
AND – She has learned which cupboard holds our dishcloths and towels, how to get them all out at once and how to transport them to various yard locations before I can catch her.
Other than that, things haven’t been going too badly with Molly. I (finally) found a grooming tool that seems to work fairly well at dealing with matting in her nether regions. She has been pretty good about going to bed and sleeping through the night (as long as the night ends at 5 am). I bought her a crate this week, which may or may not prove helpful when I am getting some yard maintenance done in the next few weeks. And, our games of fetch are improving. Molly generally brings her ball or Frisbee back to me, she almost always gives it to me without drawing blood (maybe I am just running out?), AND I can sometimes throw her ball or Frisbee where I want it to go (and sometimes I just hit the eaves troughs).
That is it for today. Take care and have a great day!💞
In a futile effort to wear Molly out during the day, to afford us a good night’s sleep, I try to schedule in some regular playtime with her.
I like fetch but obviously Molly prefers ‘hide and seek’. She wins on a regular basis. 🙂
Last night we were awake until 2 or so listening to her walk around the bed, groan loudly, and drop to the floor with a thud. We should have named her ‘RELENTLESS‘. 😂😂😂
When we got our other dogs, I was away most of the days working. When we got Molly, I was excited at the prospect of being fortunate enough to be home to experience her puppy days.
Today I planted fourteen cucumber seeds, did my Zumba, and tried to sit down to drink a glass of water.
Molly, the Pyrenees sheepdog, has been with us for (almost) three weeks now. It has been a fun and occasionally frustrating time. It has also been an amazing learning experience – as much for us, as for our fluffy friend.
Day OneGrowing BiggerAnd Bigger…
Raising a well behaved, manageable dog is the only option when one is dealing with a dog that will soon be able to get the upper paw. Training is an ongoing effort – and one that is, fortunately going fairly well. At almost three months old, Molly is (pretty much) potty trained. She has learned to sit patiently while waiting to be fed. She is a natural at the ‘sit’ and ‘come’ command. She has ACED the ‘stay’ command – staying even when I walk across the yard, out of sight, and back to her. 👍 She understands down, stop, drop it, leave it, bring it, and NO. She doesn’t generally comply – but she understands. 🙄 She is getting better at walking on her leash and doesn’t always chew on it. Sometimes she does, but not ALWAYS. 😉
Molly is shaping up to be a natural sheepdog – not that we have sheep, but she would be a great help if we did. All dogs have their own quirks – but hers are with such purpose. She is always alert to dangerous intruders, but in a very inconspicuous and calm manner.
She does her business in one place – the most ‘hidden’ obscure corner of our yard
She follows RIGHT behind us – she will not walk ahead of us. (Which would be great, except Dan and I tend to take a step back on a rediculously regular basis).
She is SO quiet – we don’t hear her coming or going, and we seldom realize that she is RIGHT behind us – until we take a step back.
She keeps hidden when she sleeps. 😂
You can’t see me…
So far, so good! Every day is an adventure with our Molly as she finds her place in our home and hearts. 🤗💟
Love those white eyelashes. 🙂
That’s it for today! Take care and have a great day! 💞
Yesterday, I completed twelve weeks of my daily fitness workout. YAY! Of course, I started a new six week run because I have no intention of slacking off. It is the first fitness plan that I have ever found that works for ME. It gets me pumped and keeps me motivated all day instead of exhausting me and sending me to the snack cupboard for an unhealthy source of energy (or the sofa for a nap).
This morning I went to see my respiratory specialist. I drove myself – downtown – at rush hour, and parked backwards into a slanted parking spot. Yay me! The good news is there is no new issues with my lungs. The bad (questionable) news is that my blood pressure now seems to range on the (bit) high side. No doctor seems concerned enough to suggest medication but since they keep bringing it up, I have started looking for ways to bring it down naturally. 🙄
In Molly news, we are having a challenging week. I planted flowers around the base of the bird bath yesterday. I surrounded my little seedling with a wooden fence to give them a fighting chance. The plants are still hanging in but Molly ate the fence. She is also in hyper play mode. Between her teeth and her nails, I look like I have been crawling through barbed wire and rocks.
Molly with a new rawhide chew treat I got hertoday. It seems to have slowed her down. 😉
Anyway, that’s all I have for today. Take care and have a great what’s left of your day! 💞💛💃
Seclusion 101 with AnneMarie 