Wordless Wednesday

Our internet worked very briefly to let me upload this photo of a wonderful sight this week. It is a Pasqueflower rising up from a steep hillside that was covered in snow very recently.

I am hopeful that the internet will be fixed tomorrow.
 

A coyote pack's scent post

I found a spot on the edge of a meadow where coyotes visit regularly. Sometimes it's one of them and sometimes it's as many as four. Based on the direction that they come from each time, I think that they have a den nearby. Of course, it's the puppy time of year so I'm hoping that we get to glimpse them at some point.

They leave pee-mail almost every time that they pass. I am guessing that it's a pack scent post, a spot where they advertise that it's their territory to all passing animals. The other regular visitors have been bobcats and moose.

The coyotes visited so many times that I had to speed up their visits to avoid it being too long. Thanks to that trick, I condensed it into a short video. Check it out if you have time!

The Hachi Chronicle

Hachi had a better week. He seemed more relaxed than last week although he still isn't at his baseline yet. He did have to deal with some visitors/workers. We tried having him in the house for a glass installer who was making a lot of loud noise. Hachi was quietly enduring it in a corner of the house far away from the work. Then, the Runner noticed that Hachi's pupils were as big as saucers. That is a sure sign of fear so the Runner moved him to a vehicle for the rest of that worker's visit. Poor little guy.

We met with Hachi's "behavioral therapist" this week. She's a highly trained behaviorist who knows the best ways to try to help a dog like Hachi. She whole-heartedly agrees with us that relaxation exercises are key right now. We added another one to work on - teaching Hachi to take a deep breath on cue! I didn't know that a dog could be taught such an almost unconscious thing. Believe it or not, he is already picking up on it. We are using clicker training to do it.

 

Life is so full of unknowns. There will be ongoing work at Lab Valley but much of the schedule is not yet solidified. We do know that a very skilled stone mason will be fixing a retaining wall and putting in a foundation for my small greenhouse starting this week (happy dance time!). He'll be working outdoors so that should be less stressful for Hachi than interior work.

All in all, I feel upbeat about Hachi's trajectory. He definitely was less stressed out than last week. That's a step forward!

Black Dog Sunday

Our Black Dog loved sun puddles. When I saw the sun shining on him, I'd sometimes join him on his dog bed to snuggle. His fur was so soft and silky. I'd stroke his velvety head and bury my face in his fur.

Our Black Dog  made the most of every day, whether it involved running wildly through a meadow or snoozing in the sunshine. I wish that I could be as utterly content as he was.

Happy Black Dog Sunday.

Shyla Saturday

Shyla is doing better. She had a bunch of tests that were inconclusive. The two clues as to what might be going on were that she had an abnormal white blood cell count and her kidneys were uncomfortable when the vet touched them. Our vet's hunch was leptospirosis so we started treatment for that right away. Within 24 hours, her water intake was back in the normal range.

Oddly, the test came back as negative for leptospirosis. However, there are strains of lepto that do not trigger a positive test (and are not covered by the vaccine). So, our vet says that we should do the entire course of treatment for leptospirosis. That involves four weeks of antibiotics.

I am so glad that we caught this. My reading says that some dogs can have their kidneys fail due to this disease if it remains untreated. I think (hope) that we caught it in time.

Shyla seems to feel good and be very happy. She and I have been having a glorious time exploring Lab Valley. We are finding caches of pasqueflowers (wild crocuses) in the most unexpected places. That makes me so happy!

Happy Shyla Saturday!

Nature Friday - Animals of a very cold gulch

These are the toughest of the tough. In the depths of winter, they continued to use a deep gulch filled with very cold air. Moose ate foliage from the sides of a trail, bobcats hunted rabbits, rabbits ate plants from under the snow, and coyotes passed through on secret missions.

Check out the video of these animals and others deep in the gulch. Remember that the temperature readings from the trail camera are terribly inaccurate. They are usually substantially higher than reality because the camera heats up as it records.

Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for signs of spring. I've been planting my veggie garden, which is a joy, but the amazing setting makes it even better. As I work the soil and then plant the seeds, I can hear the creek nearby and the birds singing. I am so grateful that the Runner moved my vole-proof raised beds and my rich soil here last fall! 

As I work, I keep my camera nearby because I see wonderful wildlife while I'm out there. Shyla lies in the warm sunshine nearby, keeping an eye on me. 

One project that we did this winter was putting out bluebird houses, hoping to entice some of them to nest in Lab Valley. You can imagine how delighted I was when I saw a Mountain Bluebird checking out one of the houses while I worked on the garden.

As I took photos of him, he flew to a nearby bush, looking for his mate. Maybe he wanted to show her the bird house? I hope so. We put up lots of them so we are hoping that the birds will like them!

Lab Valley makes us so happy. Not only are the birds and other wildlife amazing but our pups have such fun too.

Look at the happy and relaxed face on Hachi when he's been playing with his sister.
 

There is so much to be thankful for!

Wordless Wednesday - Maybe Spring is here

Seen outside our house. Woo hoo!

 

Fun Bear Behavior

A while ago, I decided to make a compilation video of bears marking one of the trees that was destroyed for a new road. This seems like a good time to share it.

It was the most popular marking tree for years and years. It was a great spot for observing behavior because there was so little other vegetation nearby. All sorts of bears visited it from the biggest bear (Tiny) to a yearling cub.

Check out the video if you want to see some fun bear behavior!

The Hachi Chronicle

It has been an anxious week for Hachi. He seems taut with stress. We are doing his relaxation exercises every day, and they seem to help, albeit briefly. His sister remains his best outlet so I am including photos from their play here at Lab Valley. They are such good buddies.

 

Hachi's social skills continued to grow with Shyla. Not only does he frequently flip over on his back to invited play but he now does tons of play bows!

I think that the reason for Hachi's stress this week was that people were working on the house most days. Hachi worries so much about strangers. We tried to get him out of the house or have him be in "safe places" within the house while they were here. Despite that, his stress obviously rose over the course of the week.

 

His stress manifested as a growl at me while we were clipping his nails. I don't take that personally anymore but rather I take it as his form of communication. We stopped the session right away. He is usually tolerant of having his nails clipped thanks to counter-conditioning.

 

His stress also came out at the end of the week when we took a hike in a totally new place (to get out of the house for workers). He and Shyla were sniffing the same spot, and Hachi snarled at her. Fortunately, Shyla doesn't take these things personally either. It seemed like no big deal to Shyla. We were careful to keep them separated after that.

When the workers departed at the end of the week, all signs of grumpiness went away although Hachi still barked anxiously at times when he can usually be calm. 

I am hoping that this week is better. Perhaps Hachi will start to get more comfortable with workers being around. We don't want to have to go back to the old place, especially since all of our furniture is at Lab Valley now.

Black Dog Sunday

I called this pair the "Labraduo" because they were so deeply bonded to each other. I would find them snoozing together almost every time that I looked for them.

They were opposite personalities when they met. Our Black Dog was a boisterous (some might say crazy) young Labrador. He loved every person and every dog who he met. His greatest fault was too much enthusiasm for meeting strangers, all of whom he viewed as instant friends. Shyla was very shy, afraid of strangers (afraid of us, at the beginning), and afraid to try anything new. Our Black Dog taught her by example how to navigate the world.

Our Black Dog worked his magic on her (and we humans helped a little), and the rest is history. It means so much to me that Shyla was so profoundly shaped by our Black Dog. He lives on in her.

May all of us view strangers as friends, unless they prove otherwise, just like our Black Dog. Happy Black Dog Sunday!

Shyla Saturday

Our world had about 4 days of gray skies and snow since last Saturday. I'll admit to some unhappiness about the further delay of springtime. Shyla and I spent time outdoors together every one of those days but we had the most fun on the day when the sun finally broke through.

The world was gorgeous that morning with deep blue skies, a thick layer of fresh snow, and a happy Shyla.

 

I think that the one thing that Shyla doesn't like about deep snow is that it's hard to find sticks. She dug deep into the snow to find this one and then she wanted to show it to me.

 

After this fun session in the snow, we headed down to the flatlands for Shyla to have some blood drawn. I was so glad that we'd had such a glorious morning prior to the vet visit!

Her tests showed that something is not right but didn't pinpoint the cause. Now we are testing her for leptospirosis, a hidden unknown infection, thyroid issues, and cancer. My impression is that cancer is pretty far down the list but that didn't stop me from tossing and turning in worry. As we are doing all of these tests, we'll try a strong antibiotic to see if that reduces her need to drink so much water. That would help with either leptospirosis or a hidden infection.

Shyla is nine years old, and I am hoping for many more years with her. It feels as if she's still in her prime, especially behaviorally. It's wonderful to see how she is an outgoing and happy dog despite her rough start in life.

Nature Friday - Wild residents (including one you'll recognize) use a Labrador Valley trail

 In the valley that we call "Lone Ponderosa Valley", the wildlife activity is picking up as there's a glimmer of spring on the horizon. Coyotes, mama moose and calf, and deer are the most plentiful. Our family loves to visit the valley also, often when it's the most beautiful early in the morning.

Check out this short video, and enjoy the cameos by Hachi as he passes the cam during skiing and running outings with the Runner.

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that spring snow is pretty!

The incoming storm...

 

 

The next morning... In the snow, I spotted a red-tailed hawk nest with two hawks tending it near this spot. I hope to photograph them over the coming month!

 

A seasonal stream, fed by melting snow, has emerged in this spot. The Runner built a bridge over it, making skiing and fat-biking across it much easier! Do you see our house in the distance?

I am thankful that we are spending this spring in such an incredibly beautiful place! I feel sure that the big storms are just about over.