Mother Nature is not being very motherly

[Dempsy's Mom]

Yesterday we had a snow storm. April 15th. Today the sun did not come out either and a week of this is forecasted. Cold and wet for baby calves. Demps was biting at the leash to go outside and play. I, however, did not find this so amusing and fun - but I did let him on his leash and around and around he went. He was so happy. At least someone is. We are checking the cows day and night - if we have a newborn we put them in a sled and pull them behind the four wheeler to the barn. Once they are warm and fed they go back out to mom. I am rotating them in and out. So I am really not a very good playmate for Demps and he is wondering why? I am not even giving him our normal play time - I feel bad, but I am beat - "How about a nice little nap Demps instead of playtime?" He cocks his head and gives me that "I think not look." .... It's only been two days of this??? Oh well, just hang in there and it WILL get better. I just had this silly thought that winter was over. The calendar does say spring.

[kjwarnold]

I bet he'd love to pull that sled with the calf on it! That would slow him down a while, don't you think?

[hheldorfer]

Poor Dempsy and poor you for having to do all that work in the awful weather. I wish I could send you some sunshine and warmer weather but it's been cool, rainy and very windy here - not fit for man nor Cairn. I'll say a prayer for better weather for all of us.

[remltr]

I'll trade you sevens weeks without a completely sunny day and rain for most of those, for your snow storm. I'm not sure I would be capable of handling the baby cow chore though.

[josie&holly]

Sorry to hear that you have such horrid weather. Dempsey will cope with it even you are finding it hard going.

Here we have some very nice Spring weather.

[pindrop]

Poor you and poor Demps. You would think that because the calendar says Spring ole man Winter would get the heck outta here ..but nay - he keeps rearing his ugly head. Whatever weather hit the south came in last night to Maine. Because we have a metal roof, the wind and rain that arrived kept me awake during most of the night last night. Two trees have fallen over (out in the forest) and hubby will be chopping them up for firewood. The poor little crocus that are struggling to stay upright have been flattened. Oh Spring please come. Next Friday my g/f and I are heading to Conn. to pick up her kitten (Moses) from the breeder - sure hope the weather is better.

[janis]

Spring is teasing us in the south. Last weekend we were unseasonably warm - hit 90, then came the treat of Tornado, then back colder to 50's this weekend. Make Up your Mind! Kirby, however is happy either way! He runs around in the rain, suns on the porch and is quite a sight running around on a windy day. Adaptable!

[Sam I Am]

Living in Alberta I am starting to think perhaps spring has just given up and moved some where else . Still in winter boots and coats... a few weeks ago all the snow had melted, I sat on the deck reading a book with a cup of coffee soaking in some much needed sun rays... and now we are back to winter. Perhaps that was our summer Jock is like Demps, he wants me out there in the yard throwing a ball.

[lindasue]

Snow? I won't complain about the Mass. weather then....like Maine warm, then cold, then rain,but at least no snow!

[Dempsy's Mom]

Somebody has really put Mother Nature in a nasty mood! The weather has been the shits all over. Demps informed me last night that if I had time for Cairn Talk I had time to play with him. So we played ball last night - he was in heaven. Seeing him so happy - I guess I will just have to squeeze in a short playtime. Still snow today, a little melt (which just makes a muddy mess) but at least the wind has given us a break. Forecast: Freezing every night this week. Hang in there everybody!!

[Lynn in TN]

2 cities that is beside mine had small tornado's last weekend and it has stormed just about all week. I live in a mobile home so I don't like the storms we've been having.

[Idaho Cairns]

Fortunately for our Cairns this kind of spring is right down their alley. Our dogs love the rough weather, the snow, the cold, the rain--they will stay out forever in it. However, I'm sure sick of it--it has been nothing but rain, snow, wind, wind, wind, wind, here for two months. One of these days we are surely going to get a couple of hot days and all that snow in the mountains around here is going to melt and with most drainages holding anywhere from 120-180% of annual snowpack, we are going to have some flooding! Might be a long year in these parts.

[Dempsy's Mom]

You have got to be kidding! 4-6 more inches .... today! I am not enjoying this.

[Kathryn]

Demp's mom -- I feel your pain! We're expecting a couple inches here in Minneapolis too. I remember that last year the trees were entirely leafed out by now.

And I am really really tired of muddy paws.

[2littleterrors]

We've had sun two days in row! I'm going blind!!!

Of course, I put down some moss rid, in the hopes that the rain would water it in... Didn't happen. Go figure. Rain when you don't want it, none when you actually do!!

We did have snow forecasted, thank heavens we didn't get that!

[hheldorfer]

Today is miserable - rain, wind, cold - and it looks like the next week will be more of the same. DH says Buffy and Ziggy are bored to tears. Guess mommy will have to find a way to entertain them this evening.

[Hawkeye]

Weather is really no better over here, rainy and cool. Hubby is playing with Bailey and Radar on the floor. We have no desire to take them on a walk tonight. Worst part is we will all be complaining in July of the heat and drought.

[sanford]

Buffy and Ziggy are bored to tears. Guess mommy will have to find a way to entertain them this evening.

As a single-dog owner, I have always felt that Ruffy might appreciate having another cairn as a playmate, to keep him from being bored and to give me a break from having total responsibility for being the "party planner", ringmaster, cruise director, etc. I always thought dogs kept each other entertained! But based on what you wrote about Buffy & Ziggy, perhaps that is not necessarily the case? Is it our lot in life to always be Entertainer-In-Chief, no matter how many cairns/dogs we have?

[pindrop]

Sanford - I, like you, always thought that if I were to get another dog it would be a companion for Layla. Now...I too think that perhaps I could be totally wrong and have to land up being "cruise-director" for both. Tell me it isn't so....

[hheldorfer]

Buffy and Ziggy are bored to tears. Guess mommy will have to find a way to entertain them this evening.

As a single-dog owner, I have always felt that Ruffy might appreciate having another cairn as a playmate, to keep him from being bored and to give me a break from having total responsibility for being the "party planner", ringmaster, cruise director, etc. I always thought dogs kept each other entertained! But based on what you wrote about Buffy & Ziggy, perhaps that is not necessarily the case? Is it our lot in life to always be Entertainer-In-Chief, no matter how many cairns/dogs we have?

They DO entertain each other to a certain extent, which mainly involves wrestling, playing "keep away" with toys and chasing each other around the house. This, however, only works for a while and then they need something more stimulating than each other. An hour or two at the dog park does the trick but in bad weather . . . well, they're stuck with whatever entertainment DH and I can provide. It's not terrible - they just get bored and a little cranky. I have found that a good training session in the evening gives them some mental stimulation and helps cure the crankies. (Mind you, the training usually inspires a "smash and slam" session because each of them is convinced he/she is the smartest dog in the world and needs to exert his/her dominance over the other.)

Having two definitely takes the pressure off the uprights in the house, but you still have to find a way to engage them when they can't get all the physical and mental stimulation that the outdoors provides.