The End, or that's a wrap

At least for the time being.  I have been blogging here since 2008, it has been a fun place to share photos and adventures of my Standard Schnauzers and the rest of my menagerie.  It does seem that my blogging has puttered out, so I will say goodbye to the blog and concentrate my effort elsewhere.  I will leave it up on the web for now, I think there is probably some actual posts of interest on Schnauzer ownership, training, feeding and grooming along with lots of pretty schnauzer photos :-)

You can always find me over on my Dinsdale Standard Schnauzer Facebook page HERE
Or on our Dinsdale Website HERE

Beautiful morning on the deck today.  Glad I enjoyed it, I hear we are in for a few days of rain

My flower

Trying to get some nice photos of Fiddle and our summer flowers...let's just say she is not the most cooperative model

Summer breeze

Absolutely stunning summer days this week, sunny, breezy, not too hot and cooling at night for sleeping.  Hope everyone has a beautiful weekend.

Relief of sorts

And a little (just a tiny bit) of disappointment.  Our accidental love liaison of Cyrus and Hazel is not going to result in pups.  An ultrasound concluded that Hazel is not pregnant.  Which is good, cause my back is only now feeling better and I don't need the strain of looking after pups next month.  But, I know a couple folks on my list were hoping that a puppy would be in their future this Fall, for that I am sorry. 

So, plans are in order now to breed the two in December (we obviously know they are not opposed to the idea) as originally planned when Hazel is next in season, which would mean pups would be ready Spring 2015 for their new homes.

My Embden Geese

 They are such big lovely geese, love them!

Flower Power

Our Summer flower....Daisy

No doot aboot it

IT'S CANADA DAY.  Have a great one.

Love my Geese

When they pose for the camera they make lovely heart shapes

 

Chicken, not so impressed

 My hens think the ducks and geese are a noisy waste of time.  "Humph....they don't even lay eggs for you!"

It must be dinner time

I am sure I have mentioned that Standard Schnauzers are evil little stalkers, they watch everything you do, they do attempt to do it without you noticing, but they are not fooling me.  They are also very precise about their schedules, for instance, as soon as I click the TV off with the remote each night the dogs run either to their crates, or up the stairs to the bedroom.  Here Daisy and Clover have migrated towards the kitchen, because, it is pretty much dinner time, and if I don't respond shortly, they will start to pace.
Please note they are doing the stare/stalk while I finish up on the computer.

 Gathering by the kitchen entrance, attempting to be patient

Yes, I am just about finished guys.  As soon as I pick up bowls they scatter to their crates, this happens so fast I wasn't able to get it on the camera, as a matter of fact, in this shot, Olive has disappeared to her crate.

Rainy day grooming

So here is Cyrus after spending a couple hours on the grooming table today.  I was pleasantly surprised to find this gorgeous new coat hiding under his shaggy one.  A little more work on the legs and his head and if my back continues to improve I just might get Cyrus out into the show ring.

Birthday bear

This is my shaggy birthday bear Cyrus who turned 2 years old on the 17th.  Isn't he adorable?  OK that isn't really a question, shaggy or groomed Cyrus is always adorable.  I particularly love the dandelion seed stuck in the side of his face in this photo.  The dogs haven't been kept in stripped out show coats with my back injury, but, they do get a brush dragged through them every few days, which, if you ask my dogs, works well for them.
What did Cyrus get for his birthday, well, on the day nothing, but, he managed to sneak a breeding of Hazel, unplanned, unwanted (on my part) and hopefully....un-fertile last week.  We will know in a month if Hazel is actually pregnant, in the meantime...Happy Birthday you randy bugger!

Garden is exploding into production

 Finally, we were slow to get the garden started this year, however it has really started to kick into gear.  So far this year we have harvested a small crop of asparagus and some salad greens.

 Spinach is looking wonderful and we will be eating next week

Our brassica bed is full of broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale and kohlrabi.  I have heads started on the broccoli and should be able to start harvesting kale next week.  Lots of great salads and fresh green smoothies!

Beach Run!

Update at Dinsdale

Anyone that checks in on my blog has noticed that it has been a rough year around here.  I topped it all off by throwing my back out last month.... badly.  It had been aching a bit for a couple of weeks and I was trying not to aggravate it, than, I opened the cupboard under the sink to pull out the garbage bin and BOOM out went my back, just like that.  For a week I could barely move, I could also barely sit or lay down, was an interesting time.  It loosened up a bit after about 10 days, feeling a little better I took Currie to his weekly training class and managed to injury it again, sigh.

Mick has been working double time, doing his normal job, trying to finish up early to get home and do all the things that I have not been able to do.  It has certainly messed up all my plans to get the garden planted and for us to start some home renovations.  I actually decided to skip a Spring/Summer litter of pups so that I would have time for all the things that need to be done here.  What is it they say about the best laid plans???  We are getting things done, slowly, but, we are having to make do and cut lots of corners, the yard and garden work suffered the most, but at least the many critters are being looked after, we (read Mick) was able to get most of our seedlings planted, we even cut the grass...once :-)

With all of this happening, Hazel came into season and I finally made the decision to skip breeding her.  I hope to be feeling a lot better in a couple of months, but, I am paranoid that hulling a litter of pups around will have my back injured again.  I have cancelled the breeding and will hold off on pups until early Spring 2015. Seems a long time away, but, it will be here soon enough and with fingers crossed, my back will be healed, I will be refreshed and we can raise pups with energy.

I am sorry to anyone that is waiting for a pup from us this Fall, I will post news on my website, if anyone wishes to remain on my waiting list for a Spring 2015 litter be sure to touch base and I will keep your name on our list and update you as I have news.  You can email me at dinsdale@eagle.ca

Lovely Spring days

We have been blessed with some gorgeous weather this week and Fiddle knows how to enjoy it

 Ducks and Geese have been outside for a couple of weeks now and are enjoying roaming over the property, they graze on the grass (haven't had to mow anything in the farmyard area this year) grub around for bugs, mess up all the water bowls, generally annoy the hell out of the chickens and make me laugh every day.  I call them...'the collective' this is truly a flock, they move as one unit, if a duck or goose is accidentally separated they all work themselves into a tizzy until they are all together again.  Very different from the chickens who are much more independent of each other, choosing one or two friends that they hang out with and only getting together when I feed them and at night to go to roost.  This bird thing is all very interesting.

Cardinal daddy on watch

My old fellow :-)

One of my goals this Spring/Summer was to get Cutter through the awful Winter so that he could enjoy the Summer snoozing in the sunshine like an old dog deserves.  It sure made me happy to see him doing that this evening, hopefully there will be many more days of this over the coming months.

The beauty of a zoom lens is being able to capture moments like this, my two old guys having a cuddle on the porch, lovely.

Goosey goosey gander

Hello Toulouse Goose

 I have been wanting to add geese and duck to our little 'farm' for the longest time.  A week and a half ago they arrived.  Three noisy funny little Toulouse goslings, two handsome Embden goslings, three Khaki Campbell ducklings and three Cayuga ducklings.  They are incredibly cute, the goslings especially are way more outgoing and interactive than the chickens ever were.
They are also incredibly MESSY, oh my goodness, they want to play in their drinking water and with that comes endless scooping up of wet shavings.  They have doubled themselves in size in 9 days and we have moved them to this big pen, about 12 feet by 4 feet which is a little easier to keep dry.  I am looking forward to the weather warming up and being able to get them out on the grass, even if only during a few hours each day.
Look out for lots of photos over the coming weeks, I think I may have to fill up the tub in my grooming room and let them have a 'real' swim soon.  I will be sure to share video of that!

Khaki Campbell Ducklings

A group shot, the black duckings are the Cayugas'

One of our Embden goslings

Mersey

Dinsdale Mersey Beat April 13th 2003-May 2nd 2014

Seems that lately my blog has become one endless cyberspace of doom and gloom.  Yesterday I said goodbye to Mersey.  I knew she wasn't 100% for the last couple of months, most owners have a sense when their dogs are not....quite right and I knew that with Mersey.  Not that she was unhappy, she was eating, playful, energetic, but, she was ageing so much faster than what I expect from my dogs.  We tried a couple of different things and she seemed to be doing much better through the early Spring, than a couple weeks ago she began having some issues.  The dots all started to connect and I made an appointment with the Vet to seek out their opinion.  An examination and an x-ray confirmed what I was afraid of and I had to make the terrible decision to put her down.  The alternative may have garnered a few weeks, but, those weeks would of been uncomfortable and I decided to let her go while she was still happy.... and happy she was, right until I walked up the steps to the clinic and she started to panic, God I hate this last journey.  

Most of us that share our lives with pets will one day be stood where I was, either at home, or, in a clinic with a Vet, petting the head of our dog as they take their last breath, they relax and their heads drop, it is awful, heartbreaking and a bit of a relief.  As Mersey drifted away she did a final little tail wag, I am sure it was involuntary, yet, it was so Mersey, that silly little waggle she would do when she was very happy and content.  I like to think that was what she felt as she left me.  Rest well big girl, you were a good dog

Oh the irony

Stuck inside for five months of Winter, Spring arrives I am excited to get outside and work and I throw my freaking back out.  This happened more than a week ago, first five days I could barely move, slowly it is loosening up, but, I am paranoid about damaging it further.  Excellent :-(

Happy Easter

The first Spring in a long time that I haven't had pups....Have a great Easter Weekend everyone.  Although I don't have pups, I am expecting a litter of bunnies, a bit more festive!

It's coming

We had a very long, cold, snow laden winter, the last week the snow is quickly receding, mud has come and will soon dry up.  I have felt like a caged animal the last five months, yes FIVE months of being snowed under.  Right now life here is a little in limbo, the ground remains too unstable to get out onto and work, saturated with water, everywhere you walk you find mud.  But, I know, any day now the water table is going to drop, the paths will dry, the soil in the raised beds will be ready to work in.  When that happens look out it is going to get pretty wild, I cannot wait!
I have my seedlings growing under lights, I have boxes full of seed envelopes to direct plant.  I have ducks and geese on order, fingers crossed the hatching goes well and I get to add these fun birds to my flock.
So, for the next few days we wait...and the dogs snooze, and soon we will be outside.

My happy girls

It maybe wet and dreary but it isn't minus twenty!  This makes our chickens very happy, they rushed out of the coop this morning into the rain without complaint.  Once more they are able to access the property, snow isn't completely gone, but they can make there way to most places without stepping on what is still here.

 Another day without snow is another great day in the hens world

I have laying boxes set up in a couple of areas, inside the coop and this one just outside that has become a favourite with a few of the girls.  Below is a pretty Wyandotte laying the first egg of the day

A little privacy please!

Found feathers

Herbs and chickens

I am almost scared to hope that Spring is maybe on it's way.  I am certain that winter isn't completely done with us, but, I am going to enjoy the sunshine and receding snow and ice for the moment.  Gearing up for the coming season I have started my seedlings, tomatoes, peppers, herbs and such, they are beginning to germinate and poke their little green heads out of the soil.
In three weeks I am hoping to have ducklings and goslings arrive (big smile :-)))) I sure hope that once Spring does finally get here it does so quickly, not wanting to have to keep them inside for too long.
Hurry hurry Spring we have so many projects planned for when you do make an appearance!

Sad and dreary March

I have been feeling overwhelmed by the number of lovely schnauzer companions that have passed away this Winter.  It has been long and harsh and made especially unforgettable by the loss of these dogs.  I didn't get through this winter without my own personal pain, losing one of my most loyal companions, Hope in December.
My heart goes out to the owners who most recently said goodbye to their friends...Indy, Damon, Lucy, Darwin and Moosie.
Thank you for giving each of these schnauzers a great life, I cannot ask for anything more for my dogs than that.

Dinsdale Mersey Beat

Mersey is feeling much better, she is being treated for Pyoderma, a bacterial skin infection and I have switched out her food, she is now on a total raw diet.  Her eyes look brighter, coat and skin healthier.  Nice to have her on the mend, she had me concerned for a bit.

Spring arrives tomorrow, the start of egg season

The ladies took most of the winter off from egg laying, most weeks we had enough for ourselves, only one week did we actually have to buy eggs, that was only because I did a little baking.  Starting a couple weeks ago, with the extended daylight, the girls started to lay more frequently, currently providing us with 7-9 eggs daily, YAY!