Winter weather

We were without electricity for the better part of three days. It came back on Sunday night only to go off again Monday morning for most of the day. I eventually got the water system back on as well, so things slowly returned to normal. I am still expecting it to go out any minute, however, so the return from crisis mode mentality is taking even longer. Yesterday's snow/sleet/freezing rain didn't really happen, but it is snowing this morning. Not much is expected, but we are due for strong winds and colder temperatures. I enjoy cooking outside, but I usually do it in better weather. Melting snow to boil water to melt frozen dog water and to flush indoor toilets lost its charm rather quickly. I'm just glad we had someplace to go where we could shower.


We had one canopy collapse entirely. I suspect the frame is bent and is probably useless. The other two canopy tarps will need to be replaced as well, but I'm surprised they held up through this at all. I probably should have taken them all down in the fall, but they offer some protection from wind and rain in the winter time so I hate to remove them. Replacements for the traps are cheap enough to risk it. Right now they are just packed with snow and ice such that it's not even possible to clean them off. The canopy that collapsed is the one where Teddy, Diesel, and Copper were spending time when not in the shed or the dog yard. That means they are moving back inside after their first morning romp.

Diesel, Copper, and Teddy are all bunking together now and having a great time playing together during the day. Rocky plays with them too, particularly with Diesel, but he's also quite content to come inside and curl up in his crate for much of the day. He's deaf as a post but is doing very well otherwise. I can also add our Zachary and Molly to that mix and everyone gets along fine. Fortunately, Dakota and Brady have pretty much taken care of themselves during this entire event. They play constantly, snuggle at night, and yesterday they even managed to get into the food supply to feed themselves.

Sparky and Duke are both a little lonely but I'm pretty sure a meeting of the two wouldn't end well for either of them. With weather and roads the way they are, I don't need an emergency vet visit. So they are being crated at night and kenneled separately during the days. I learned that Duke can sail right over the 4' dog yard fence, but he doesn't attempt the 6' kennel fence.

Diesel, the boxer, is going to his new home this weekend, probably Sunday. He will have a little brother boxer to play with and an older dog as well, who will probably be very happy to have the young ones play with each other and leave him alone. I've got a lot of emails about Duke and Dakota that I need to answer. I am hoping that one application for each dog will rise to the top to help me sort through the pile. If I rule out those with cats and kids and unfenced yards as I'd like to do, I'm not sure I'll have any left.



I should be able to move Duke, Dakota, and Diesel this weekend, weather permitting.