Renovation

The kitchen is probably the hub of any house and it's certainly true of ours. It's the door we use most often to the outside; it's the route to the dog yard; it's the route to the AC yard where dogs go to poop and pee; it's where food is made and medicines are distributed; where dog dishes are washed; and where dog laundry is done. Our kitchen has suffered a lot of wear and tear in the 16+ years that we've been in this house, with hundreds of dogs passing through it. We've never done a thing to it, until now.

It's not a major renovation, but it is a badly needed facelift. New paint for the walls and cabinets, new windows and doors, and most importantly, a new floor. Hardwood floors don't stand up to 10 or more dogs thundering through the house several times a day. If I was to ever build a house, I'd seriously consider heated concrete floors, but for this old house, we are laying tile. The tile looks like old wood and I'm very pleased with it so far. In a few more days it should be done, but in the meantime we are living with a bit of upheaval.

It's still a construction zone, but it's coming together.

The kitchen is more or less off limits to everyone, human or canine, except for Maya, who goes where she wants. There have been workmen at the house so I have to keep Trooper inside and crated. I'm keeping Theo inside because the dog yard is muddy and he runs and barks and gets himself covered in mud. Maya is leash walk only now. The two old dogs, Vince and Samantha still pretty much come and go as they please. They are all right with the workmen and not too much of a nuisance. Sparky is sharing his kennel and shed with Max during the day and they share the office at night. Gigi still has her bed, but she's getting fed in a different location and she doesn't much care for that. Nor does she care for not being able to come and go through the kitchen door. I've had the two fosters, Abby and Xochi in a kennel and/or the dog yard during the day, and they are staying out in the big shed at night, after I added a couple bales of straw to keep them cozy and warm.

I've had to say "no" to any new fosters for the moment, but it was very hard to turn down a young English Mastiff, so I just said, "not yet." When things are back to normal he may be coming here unless he finds a home before then.