NO WALK TODAY

[idaho 2]

Idaho State Journal Pocatello paper headline, "Winds forecast to drop temps to minus 25." No dog walk today!! Wonder if I should invest in a treadmill? Ha, no amount of training or bribery would get Sammi to have any part of that! And too monotonous for mom.

[hheldorfer]

Brr!  I wouldn't want to go for a walk either, even if I had a thick Cairn coat.

[Zekey's Mom]

Yikes! Makes the weather here in Pennsylvania seem balmy, at 28°F. 

 

Time to get cozy on the couch with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. Don't forget the 15 lb. lap warmer!

[Hillscreek]

Snowy PA mountains at 27F seemed hot today after Angus chased the ball, climbed the snow hills, and generally got into the winter spirit.

Hoping things warm up a bit in Idaho and you all can get out to play again.

[Lynn in TN]

42° In upper East tennessee today. Snow would've been nice today. We have only had a dusting so far this year. I am so glad it isn't that cold here. Not only would I not like it Kelly wouldn't either. If it is really cold and the wind is blowing her potty breaks only last about 1 minute before she comes running back to the porch. lol

[tlwtheq]

Wow, I might be too much of a wimp to withstand those temps!  Stay warm, everyone!!

[remltr]

Idaho - you need a pair of these - arctic bunny boots

 

 

 

And one of these - arctic ghillie suit

 

And then you would be all set to go play in that weather.

[bradl]

Heh, love the arctic outfits.

 

You might be surprised about a treadmill. We were having trouble getting one dog to gait properly in the ring. We owned a treadmill at the time and thought maybe we could build "muscle memory" by having her walk on it properly. It wasn't very long at all before any time we opened the door to the upstairs she'd dash up there and start pawing at the tread trying to get it to start. It was hilarious. She loved trotting along like a princess in a parade. However as might be the case with Sammi, the other dogs wanted nothing to do with it. 

[josie&holly]

See http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=qYhomvdytyw&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DqYhomvdytyw&gl=GB

And http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=xXGQ5YphamY&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DxXGQ5YphamY&gl=GB

And http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=eNTuGyO7h0U&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeNTuGyO7h0U&gl=GB

Think the best one is th last one!

[Idaho Cairns]

In this weather Mrs. Idaho is the dog walker--I'm afraid my aging joints and arthritic genetics really cause my knees to bark way too much in this brutal cold. 

It has been interesting watching the dogs dash in and out to do their duty--they do not linger outside for long, have been eating like bears before hibernating, and spending lots of time resting during the day.

I'm worried about our deer and have spent the day monitoring the bird feeder which has been under constant assault all day, telling me that this night is going to be exceptionally cold--even the elusive chickadees who usually flit in, grab a seed, and haul are actually staying on the feeder and eating, and for the first time, a woodpecker availed itself of some sunflower seeds!  It's going to be a long night I'm afraid.

[idaho 2]

Idaho - you need a pair of these - arctic bunny boots

 

 

 

And one of these - arctic ghillie suit

 

And then you would be all set to go play in that weather.

Actually, Mr Idaho did give me a pair of hiking boots for Christmas. The are very comfortable, light weight, easy to walk in and most importantly warm!

[kjwarnold]

Brrrr!  Kirby jumped on the back of the treadmill one time when I was walking and of course, he flew off the back.  He didn't get hurt, but now he stays about 3 feet away and just watches me.  It's funny, both dogs will come into the room when I walk on the treadmill, like they're keeping an eye on me.

[Lynn in TN]

Brrrr!  Kirby jumped on the back of the treadmill one time when I was walking and of course, he flew off the back.  He didn't get hurt, but now he stays about 3 feet away and just watches me.  It's funny, both dogs will come into the room when I walk on the treadmill, like they're keeping an eye on me.

 

I am sure Kelly would be the same way. I believe it would be hard for them to figure out why anyone would want to walk on one of those things when you can walk outside and sniff all the amazing things and see all the new sights.

[tlwtheq]

Man oh man!  I love hearing from the Idaho duo!

 

I also worry about the birds...we have a lot of chickadees and cardinals.    Squirrels are

well fed by the bird feeder.                    Saw something I didn't expect this

time of year.  We encountered a traffic jam on Monday going out to Calvert Cliffs

park in MD (Calvert Cliffs = "might find fossils"). A beautiful deer had been hit on a major

thoroughfare in the middle of Annapolis during mid-day.  I thought mating season was supposed

to be over at this time of the year.  It always hurts me to see wildlife suffer,

Everyone has to live somewhere...  Unfortunately for the deer, they were born in the midst

of humans.

 

I'm wandering here with my commentary.  I'm hoping old friends can understand,

Life as an engineer is brutal to this artistic soul.

[Nancyj]

Lindy would watch me from the door, as I walked the treadmill, looking up at me, then down at my feet.  That's as close as she ever got, but mention 'walk!" and she would be running around the house barking with excitement.

Brinna is more laid back, but she does perk her ears up and waits for her harness to be slipped over her head. She actually pushes her nose through, to "help" get it on. 

I am sick with a cold and fever, so am bundled in a bunch of blankets. UFF

[tlwtheq]

Lindy would watch me from the door, as I walked the treadmill, looking up at me, then down at my feet.  That's as close as she ever got, but mention 'walk!" and she would be running around the house barking with excitement.

Brinna is more laid back, but she does perk her ears up and waits for her harness to be slipped over her head. She actually pushes her nose through, to "help" get it on. 

I am sick with a cold and fever, so am bundled in a bunch of blankets. UFF

 

Oh! Be well!

[Idaho Cairns]

"It always hurts me to see wildlife suffer,

Everyone has to live somewhere...  Unfortunately for the deer, they were born in the midst

of humans.

 

I'm wandering here with my commentary.  I'm hoping old friends can understand,

Life as an engineer is brutal to this artistic soul."

 

 

I agree with that sentiment completely and you really aren't wandering because it was my first Cairn that "cured" me of my hunting fetish.  For years I lived and breathed hunting--especially Mule Deer and waterfowl and I was quite successful during all those years but after I rescued my beloved Tootsie it wasn't long before the reality of hurting innocent animals became impossible for me.  As she and I got older and the bond more concrete I wasn't able to bridge the mental and emotional chasm that all hunters have to cross in order to kill or wound a wild creature.  About five or six years with her and I just put away the guns--I still miss my friends and being out in the wild but I sure don't miss the taking of game--I can't even reckon how I was capable of killing so many creatures when I did hunt.  Heck, I won't watch hunting shows on television and will not watch nature programs that show lions taking down Zebras, even tho I intellectually understand that there is a "law of nature" at work, I sure don't need a front row seat to the suffering of antelope. 

So, a discussion about having tender feelings toward animals is, I think, quite appropriate for the Forum.  I'm often amused thinking about how my Cairns are in many ways initiators of human psychological and emotional growth.  That said, I still maintain control and watch what and how I sniff, never tear up any squeaky toys, and am both embarrassed and apologetic when I pass gas in a closed space so I haven't completely evolved into Cairnish ways.

[Jack]

Totally agree with the above comments. I was once an avid hunter and fisherman. It was a stray bird dog in south Georgia that taught me better. She loved to swipe fish from the bucket at the pond after they had been caught. It didn't really bother me, just a habit she had. She moved in and had puppies under the shed. I came home from work one afternoon and she met me at the driveway, whimpering. I greeted her and discovered that she had tried to eat a Broke-Back Rebel lure, with three treble hooks. Her lips were sealed shut by the barbs, I got a pair of side cutters from the shed and sat down on a concrete block with her head in my lap. She let me cut all the barbs and work the hooks out without the first growl. When I finished she looked at me, cocked her head to one side and wagged her tail then went back to her puppies. She turned out to be a great dog with great puppies...she never swiped fish after that. I figured, if she could learn something from that episode so should I. I made peace with all the animals.

[_whits_]

I'm a vegetarian, and I've always found hunting far more humane and less wasteful than they way animals are raised for meat, which I certainly won't go into here but is a million times more cruel and degrading than any way any hunter I've known kills. 

 

As a little child I had a obsession with having a pet cow, and then at age 8 I made the connection between cows and hamburger while standing in the meat section of a grocery store and haven't had meat since. Bless my understanding and patient mother.