I just had to take a photo or two of the pear tree. It is loaded with fruit this year and I am always amazed at how the branches bow down to the ground without breaking. The light was harsh but it was a beautiful evening. And guess who just happened to be in the shot. One of many that he was in. You’d think he was waiting to see the results.
dogs
Tomato Thief
I have a few combination pots of herbs that have (had) cherry tomato plants in them. I have had tomato blight this year in a big way so the tomatoes are on some very sad looking vines.
Years ago, when I had only one dog, it was a little schnauzer named Holly. She was completely food obsessed. Each year I planted a pot of cherry tomatoes in my back yard in Enfield so I would pick one for her every time we went out. She loved it and her first stop in the yard was that pot. Buddy came along and she showed him the trick. Years have gone by and I no longer have tomatoes in Enfield.
Buddy is getting on in years and we think he has a little dementia (which dogs actually do get). This is what we saw him doing Sunday night. He was picking the tomatoes off of the vines in the pots in the yard. He’s hard of hearing so was unaware of me being behind him with the camera, he was totally concentrating on eating tomatoes.
We all had a little chuckle about this finding it interesting that so many years have passed since he actually did this.
The day was beautiful and we cooked and ate outdoors. As we were sitting down to eat Bill looked over to the garden where Buddy was showing Chester the ropes in tomato eating in my tomato patch. One yell and Chester made a beeline out of the place he knows he’s not supposed to be. Buddy? He had to have at least one more before he left.
Dusk on Pelham Lake
Percy’s Point on Pelham Lake has become one of my favorite places to bring Chester. The lake is such a calm, quiet place. This particular spot boasts a few picnic tables and a couple of benches. I was leaning against one of the tables the other day and realized my father had made all of them a few years ago.
We started visiting this spot out of necessity. Chester likes to be in water when he gets hot but the only water on our property now is a slimy, muddy little brook that is trickling water from the beaver pond above it. There is no other word to describe it other than gross – and stinky. When he’s hot he will go into the reeds around it and lies down so he comes out covered with this rust colored goo, yuck. We’ve tried hosing him off but it’s pretty ineffective and he won’t get into the pool we have for the dogs. Usually I hose most of the mud off and then bring him to the lake and make him swim for a while until he’s clean. He thinks this is quite a treat and we are now wondering if he goes into that muck just so I’ll take him to the lake. Hmmmmm.
There are times that are particularly nice to bring him there. Last night I was canning and didn’t get to go until almost dusk. On the way a coyote crossed the road in front of my car. They elicit fear in many and if there is a pack of them near your yard at night I can understand that – they are loud and talkative. I’m thinking they are probably the reason I haven’t seen a rabbit since winter as well as every other critter that usually makes its home around the property. I have to tell you though, they are a magnificently beautiful animal. They have the most intense yellow eyes, they stare right through you.
As I was tossing the ball into the pond a couple walked by with their little dog on a leash. I told them about seeing a coyote not too far from there. Anyone here that has small animals knows that letting them loose this time of day always runs the risk of losing them. As beautiful as they are being aware is always the best idea. Meanwhile Chester kept swimming after his ball paying no attention to the couple or their little dog. There’s is nothing that keeps him from his game.
And The Reward
I’m the type of person that needs some sort of motivator when I have to do work that I don’t find particularly enjoyable. I reward myself with things I enjoy doing, like weaving or hooking or knitting. If I vacuum the entire downstairs I let myself enjoy a couple of hours of guilt free crafting. Honestly, if I didn’t do that nothing would get done.
We have been taking long weekends for the month of August. We didn’t really have a vacation this year and found a true need to get away from the shop even if it is for only an extra day a week. In doing so we have tried to designate Mondays as a day to do something we enjoy and is relaxing. With everyone helping us split wood on Sunday we promised a trip to the lake (we would probably have gone rain or shine).
We took one of the islands for our beach for the day and brought Chester and Malcolm. It was overcast but warm and humid, not enough to go swimming but very comfortable sitting on the beach.
When Bill wasn’t on the boat this is what he was doing. Chester’s new favorite game – swimming to fetch. He’s a little obsessed.
It works out well for us in the long run – he does nothing but sleep for two days after a weekend event like this. It’s a win for everyone.
Family Affair
The wood still needs to be cut and split and we had some help on Sunday. Daughter Amanda, her boyfriend Yusuf and sister Sue all were all there. I can’t tell you how much you can get done with helping hands. The saying “many hands make light work” really rang true.
Each person had their own job, depending upon their skill level with pieces of equipment. Well, everyone can use the splitter but not everyone can wield a chainsaw (that’s the piece of equipment I stay away from).
Chester just likes to be in the thick of things. He’s not afraid of the noise of the equipment or tractor (although he stays away from the chainsaw as well). The splitter is a real godsend to people our age or anyone for that matter. The pieces of wood that were dispatched were large, some 25 to 30 inches across. If they weren’t full of knots they were spit with ease.
The wood we split Sunday was ash and cherry. I love splitting ash, it’s beautiful and splits easily. Cherry on the other hand . . .
By the time we were done we had a wall of wood over 25 feet long and 5 feet high. All in all a great days work.
Of course this was happening all day with anyone that was near him. Chester had a good day too.
Water Dog
I knew Chester had water dog potential when I saw his huge, webbed feet. He had a bit of a rough start but everyone has to start somewhere.
I’ve been taking him to Percy’s Point on Pelham Lake once a week to fetch his tennis ball in the water there. It’s a great spot, no distractions. It slopes gently into the lake and it’s easy for him to return with his ball. This is a game he has truly learned to love.
This past weekend we took the next step and brought him boating with us. We found one of our favorite beaches in a cove on Harriman Reservoir, getting there early enough to secure it.
The only other thing we needed was a tennis ball. If Chester has a ball there is nothing that will distract him from the game, other dogs, kids, nothing.
We had him fetch for a good hour and a half which he did joyfully. His swimming has improved tremendously and he will fetch a ball thrown quite a ways without hesitation. It’s just what you want in a water dog – of course if we brought the other dogs they would have shown him the ropes.
A Rough Couple of Days
It’s difficult for a dog that wants to be a mean, protective guard dog to be afraid of everything. That’s my theory on Chester’s exhaustion this morning (other than the fact that he’s lazy). We went to Rowe on Wednesday afternoon and the first disconcerting thing to happen was a neighbor and her daughters walked their two horses by the house on the road. Chester lost his mind (from afar). All of the hair was standing up on his back, he barked his scariest howling bark (which we now recognize as his I’m really scared bark). They finally disappeared down the road (well, they were out of his sight because he wouldn’t go close enough to the road to see where they went). Whew! Into the house he went, didn’t go out again.
Thursday morning at around 5:00 I heard a bear coming up through the woods – I’m assuming it was a female talking to her cub(s). Chester was on the end of the bed – all perked up, hair standing on end. He never made a sound, just listened. The bear came across the road and through the side yard under my window talking the whole time. Finally she went over the bank into the back forty. I stayed in bed for another hour or so then got up, got my coffee and went outside with the dogs. Chester, hair standing on end, ran crazily towards the back forty on what I’m assuming was the bear trail. He was doing his best sniffing but you could tell just by his stance that he was a little freaked out. He immediately came into the house when I did.
I have to tell you that having a dog that weighs over 50 pounds may deceive you into thinking that they will protect you. For my money the Schnauzers are much better protection. They weigh much less and are not afraid of anything. In fact I really have to be very aware of what they see as a threat because they think they are much bigger than they are. Sophie thought nothing of attacking Chester when we first got him, Chester on the other hand is afraid of cats – won’t come within 100 feet of one. I like to think this speaks to his intelligence but others just think he’s chicken.
Dogs in Cars
Chester never knows where he’s going but he always knows where he’s been.
Chester’s First Swim
We brought Chester up to the lake yesterday for a swim. He’d never been swimming before but we knew he would chase a tennis ball anywhere. It was a little windy so the sound isn’t that great on the video but this clip pretty much says it all.
After retrieving the ball a few times he became a much more calm swimmer, started swimming without all of the splashing.
The most difficult part of the day was getting him to leave.
A Day in the Life
This is how Chester spends his days at the shop. It doesn’t matter how hot it is he will lay in front of the door with his tennis ball (it’s behind him) and wait for any willing person to throw it for him. He’s our good will embassador and loves inducting new members into his fan club. I swear he knows that if they like him the next time they will bring him a treat, which they usually do. This week I had to take him home a couple of days because I thought he would die of heat stroke. Dogs don’t seem to understand the concept of hydration during a heat wave. Once there he spends his afternoons on the sofa in air-conditioned comfort. What a life.
Fort Pelham Farm 