New Year's eve eve

The sun was struggling on Saturday, but it broke through often enough and long enough to make it a decent, if chilly, day. It was a good day to putter around outside with dogs and that's what I did. 

We are into the mud season where the common pathways around the yard turn to deep mud because they rarely freeze solid and they never get a chance to really dry out. I have a stack of 1x12 runners made of pressure treated wood that I lay out to make a seasonal sidewalk of sorts during mud season. Even the dogs use them, at least Della does, to stay out of the mud. I also put up three more strings of the blue meteor Christmas lights in the magnolia tree in the center of the driveway. They improved the nighttime look although I could still use more. However, I'd need a cherry picker to get them up higher in the tree.

The dogs all had plenty of outdoor time, I took Bailey for a walk and then to a brewery in the evening, and we had a new arrival. His name is Norman and if he looks familiar it's because he's a former foster who was returned after two failed adoptions. Norman is a LOT of dog. I really couldn't ever handle him when he was here and neither could the adopters. He may also have developed issues with other dogs, although we never saw that prior to adoption. He's now occupying Daneland by himself. He's got a big bed set up in the puppy palace shed, he learned to use the dog door, and he was content (quiet) there last night.

Bailey spent her first night in the bedroom post-spay and post-Covid. She made a couple of attempts to join us in bed but finally settled down on a dog bed on Clay's side of the room. She did pee in the closet at some point overnight, but overall it was pretty successful.

Sunday looks like an even better day.

Norman

Norman is even bigger and stronger  than he was before.

Paisley, Paige, and Della heading out to the pasture.

Paige and Oakley

Maze and Della

A meeting of three Danes:  Oakley, Della, and Maze.

Paige joins the meeting.

Della playing with her pup, Maze.

They only play like this if they are the only two dogs around.

Bailey posing on the old millstone table at Pleasant Grove

At Decipher Brewing Saturday evening.

Here's the magnolia tree in the driveway with more lights.