Cooper's splint came off just in time. This is what the back yard looked like today.

We are getting spring weather this week. It would have been a nightmare to keep that splint dry on a puppy, what with the small muddy lakes here and there.

Cooper now knows what's underneath the snow.
Yuck.

I can hardly believe how fast he is growing. When I look back at the post that's linked above I can really see how leggy he's getting.

still here!

We have a new computer and I've been busy getting it up and running so I apologize for the lack of puppy pics for the last few days. I just finished installing the photo software so I can show you this one of Cooper without the splint! Yay! As you can see, the poor little right leg looks like a stick next to the healthy left leg. Not only have the muscles atrophied but the tendons have tightened up too so that he has very limited range of motion in the joint. But he is tentatively putting a bit of weight on it when he walks so it should get stronger now. We need to restrict his exercise for a couple of weeks and then he should be back to normal.

time for this year's Yee-Haw!

Yee-haw!

Yesterday was the first warm day of spring when the sun heated up the sunroom sufficiently for us to be out there! The dogs and I enjoyed taking in the lovely light out there. I spent the afternoon spinning and the dogs found sunbeams to snooze in. Well, not quite all of the dogs were snoozing - Cooper used the opportunity to attack some fresh shoe delightfulness. You can see Dan's hot tub sandal there in the middle of the sunroom.

I was curious to see when our first yee-haw day was last year and found this post from March 4, 2009. It's interesting that this year is a couple of days later than last year because we've had a mild winter compared to last year's frigid one. Today we're back in the fog so no sun to warm up the sunroom. We've had a lot of fog the last couple of weeks; it's unusual for us to get so much of it.

In spite of my time being usurped by a certain furry baby I did manage to finish Dan's house socks. You may remember that I didn't like the colors that I dyed the yarn. Once knit up, they got overdyed and I'm much happier with them now.

I ordered some Gradience Sushi Sock yarn from The Unique Sheep in the Dusk On The Fjord colorway. It's so pretty!
I'm fascinated by gradient dyeing and carding techniques and will have to experiment with some fiber of my own. You know, when the furry baby isn't usurping most of my fiber time.

Speaking of the furry baby, here he is climbing Mount Zivec in the backyard.
If the sun comes back, Mount Zivec won't last much longer so he needs to get in lots of climbing practice while he can. He is so used to bopping around with his splint that he'll likely have a bit of a learning curve to run without it when it comes off.

And I'll leave you with this pretty pic of B.

sharing the fiber experience

My sister Darcie and I were guests at her daughter Katie's youth group meeting on Wednesday evening.

There were nine girls in the group. I told them that our clothes are made of fibers that come from animals or plants. We showed them how twisting fiber makes it stronger. We gave each girl some Romney roving and asked them to pull a piece apart. Of course, that was pretty easy to do. Then we told them to twirl the fiber like they might twirl a lock of their hair and then try to pull it apart. Not so easy. Katie showed the group her spindle and how it twists fiber when she spins it.

Once that concept was understood, we brought out some Corriedale pencil roving that Darcie had dyed in bright colors.

In pairs, the girls each held an end of the roving and twisted it clockwise.

When enough twist was built up, the roving was allowed to ply back on itself.

The two-ply yarn was then cut and tied to make friendship bracelets. The girls liked them so much that they came up with lots of ways to wear the pretty colored yarn. Katie shows us her bracelet, headband, and ring,
pony tie,

and anklet.

The kids seemed to enjoy the activity and we'll be doing another one with them in a few weeks, letting them try out some spindles and spinning wheels.

still splinted

Today was the day that Cooper's leg was x-rayed to see if it has healed. The x-ray showed that it is healing but not quite all the way yet. He needs to wear the splint for another 10 days and get it x-rayed again then. I'm pretty confident that it should be healed by then. In the meantime, Cooper still has the splint. I'm hoping that the weather doesn't decide to bring an early thaw this spring because it's hard enough to keep the splint dry now in the snow. We have a lot of snow and there will be a lot of water and mud once it starts melting.

did I mention that I love speckled puppy tummies?

A couple of you asked if Cooper leaves the bandaging on the splint alone. For the most part, yes. He picks at the edges a bit and loves to pull out the cotton lining that peeks out the top of it. The vet told me that if he was attacking it with determination, it would likely indicate a problem and he would need to get it checked right away. The picky stuff is normal. I've taken him to the vet weekly to see if he has outgrown it so it has been replaced/repaired frequently. We're all hoping that it can come off this Thursday.

a dog's life

Play hard,

rest hard.

(I love speckled puppy tummies.)

so helpful

"Hey, Dan, do you need some help reading that newspaper?"

"Would you look at all the bargains in this flyer!"

"Okay, I'm done. You're welcome."

not taking any chances

Bentley likes the new kid just fine but he's not taking any chances with his precious chewy while he takes a nap.

"Who me?"

chat back for Feb. 23

Here are some answers to comments that were left on the blogiversary post.

Susanne asked, "How long does the cast have to stay on?

Hopefully just another week or so. Another x-ray three weeks after the injury will let us know if Cooper's leg has healed well.

Marguerite commented, "At least I don't have to take the cute pictures outdoors in the middle of the night.:-)"

Good point. I really didn't think that through very well. Although I'm not taking pictures in the middle of the night, I am out there a lot. There are easier times of the year for housetraining a puppy, that's for sure. All in all, though, this puppy has been a joy, middle of the winter not-withstanding.

Ouricmoff asked, "How old is the puppy?"

He is 13 1/2 weeks old. He was born on Nov. 21/09.

DebQ asked, "Does Cooper have Gary in his name anywhere? High Noon, right?"

No Gary, just the Cooper part. His registered name is WillowGlyn High Noon.

Lindsay said, "You're going to have to get him a set of steps for the bed!!"

Actually, steps were sort of what got him into this mess. There's a storage bench at the foot of the bed. He learned how to use it to jump up onto my high bed before he figured out a safe way of getting off again.


And just to show you that Cooper's splinted leg isn't slowing him down too much, here are a couple of pictures of him and Bentley playing hard together. There is a lot of wrestling and body slamming when they get going and Cooper's not complaining.

drumroll please.....

The winner of the blogiversary contest is Lindsay! I have sent her a message and she will receive the Alpaca Sox yarn.

Congratulations Lindsay!

Cooper visits the local yarn shop

I took Cooper to Golden Willow Natural Fibers (Rav link) yesterday. Saturday is a busy day at the shop. It's the official drop-in day. All other days are drop-in days at GW too, but they're not usually as busy as Saturdays. GW is the sort of shop that makes you want to hang out. The people are warm and friendly (kindred spirits, to quote Anne Shirley); the chairs and couch are comfy; tea and coffee are always available along with snacks of some sort; there are great knitting, spinning, and weaving tools and accessories; and the assortment of yarn and fiber is like crack cocaine to us bunch of addicts (if you know what I mean).

As you can see by the pics, there was no shortage of puppy socializing experts on hand:

Chandra

Shari

Pat

Lindsay and Phyllis

Mar and Donna

This last photo is of Sharon. GW is her shop. 'Nuff said - stop by there if you have a chance. You won't regret it.

I think it's safe to say that Cooper was a hit.

*Don't forget to leave your comment for the blogiversary draw, if you haven't already done so. Cut-off time is midnight tonight.

another blogiversary and another give-away

It's hard to believe that my blog is four years old already. I find it a joy to write and share with you and I have made many friends in many places through it.

I'm afraid that I haven't spent much time contemplating a clever blogiversary contest for this year. Lately my time has been usurped by my furry friends, especially the sweet baby with the broken leg.

I have decided to share something soft and cuddly that likes to be patted. No, I'm not giving away one of the dogs. Instead, this pretty skein of sock yarn will be this year's prize.
It is Classic Elite's Alpaca Sox, a fluffy blend of 60% alpaca, 20% merino, and 20% nylon. There are 450 yards in the 100 g skein, enough to treat your feet to a warm pair of socks. It is color #1871, Heavens in Pink, a very appropriate colorway for February I think.

If you would like to enter the draw just leave a comment between now and midnight Sunday CST (February 21, 2010).

Make sure you include your contact information in your comment. If I can't contact you, you won't win. One comment per person please. I'll use a random number generator to choose a winner on Monday.

shades of brown

Today is Family Day here in Saskatchewan. It's been a low-key day for us.

As you can see, Cooper is doing just fine.

He's learned to slightly pick up his broken leg so that it doesn't slow him down too much when he's racing around outside with the other dogs.

Next brown thing is my new tiny Jenkins Kuchulu spindle beside a Bosworth midi for scale.

It is so cute and spins for a very long time for such a light spindle (11 g - just under .4 oz.). I had placed my order for one a few weeks ago and said that I didn't have a wood preference. Wanda Jenkins must have been reading my blog since I placed the order because here is what she wrote on the receipt:

"I picked a spindle that I thought would be a good match with High Noon Cooper. May you have as much joy spinning with this Kuchulu as the new guy has brought.

P.S. From the couple of pictures he does look like he has a smooth reach and extension, from front and back. Not that I know much about dogs! I used to pay attention to horses' conformation and gait."

I have ordered from the Jenkins in the past and as you can tell, the customer service is wonderful! Wanda did indeed pick woods that matched my sable puppy's coloring very well. Also, I once attended a dog structure seminar and was told that some of the best dog judges got their start in the horse game. You really learn about good structure when you are riding a horse. If the horse isn't put together very well, you have a bumpy ride.

Here's a birds-eye-view of the Kuchulu so that you can see the wood grain. It's Lilac on a Kingwood shaft.

The last brown thing I want to share is my new found love for Artisan Breads in 5 Minutes a Day. This is the coolest bread making technique! You mix up flour, salt, yeast, and water with a wooden spoon (it's a wet dough so you don't need to use the mixer or knead it at all). Let it rest for a couple of hours at room temperature, then cover it loosely and pop it into the fridge. When you're ready to bake a loaf, you sprinkle flour on the dough, pull out a grapefruit sized handful, quickly shape it and let it rest on parchment paper or a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel for about an hour or less.

Preheat a baking stone and broiler pan in the oven, place the loaf on the stone and pour hot water in the pan, close the oven door quickly and bake for about 30 min.
Absolutely delicious! The dough can stay in the fridge for 2 weeks so you can bake a fresh loaf every day. No fuss, no muss. I like this much better than my bread machine loaves.

settling in

Cooper is doing much better. He's back to his playful self and is figuring out how to run with the splint on his leg.

As we were watching the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics last night, I looked down and saw this:
Bentley and Cooper have become good buddies. They play together and they nap together.

poor puppy

Cooper broke his leg today. Poor puppy.

He just learned how to jump up on the bed and go up steps today and was very proud of himself. I didn't foresee where this was going or I could have easily prevented it by putting up a gate on the bedroom door but, as Dan keeps telling me, accidents happen. Still, I'm kicking myself.

I ran downstairs for a few seconds to check on laundry when I heard a thump and then screams. He must have followed Bentley onto the bed and was wrestling with him when he fell off the side, landing on his foreleg. Luckily Dan was available to drive us to the vet because the only thing that seemed to give Cooper pain relief was me holding his leg tight to his body. Jo-Ann sedated him and took x-rays. The news was as good as it could be under the circumstances. The break is in the middle of the top bone in his right front leg, thankfully not in a joint or growth plate. He didn't need surgery; the bone was reset when putting on the splint. It should heal in three weeks.

Cooper is already starting to walk around on it a bit. He is still sleepy but he wags and kisses when he's cuddled. Things could be a whole lot worse.

Bentley's breeder Daphne dropped off his sister Chloe and mom Ten this afternoon. She is going to a dog show out of town and we're looking after them for the weekend. Maybe Cooper can get his friends to sign his splint ; ) Can't you just picture it with little paw prints all over it?

(If you look at the picture closely you can see that Cooper is resting his broken leg on the penguin. How cute is that?)

again with the shoe theme

This is Cooper's favorite napping spot, at the back door near or on the boots.

And check out what his pillow is:
an old slipper.

He has been sleeping a lot more in the last couple of days. For one thing, Bentley has decided that he is great fun and the two of them have been romping together during most waking hours so Cooper is tired. For another thing, he needs to rest up because he's growing like a weed. He gained two pounds since last week and is getting very leggy. All of a sudden he looks like a little sheltie, not a baby anymore.

I wish I could show you pictures of the two little dogs wrestling and chasing each other but I am having camera problems. My camera's flash timing is off. I need to take about ten pictures before I get one that isn't over- or under-exposed. Without the flash the moving dogs are a blur and, by the time I get a flash picture, they've moved on. The flash hasn't been working properly for quite a while but it wasn't a big problem before the puppy arrived because I usually try to take pics in natural or OTT lamp lighting. That's not an option to capture puppy antics on these cold days. I need to save up for a new camera and would appreciate recommendations for one that is point-and-shoot with very good stability control (I shake like mad when my blood sugar is wonky).

today's puppy pic

Cooper loves my boots. Even though they are heavier than him, he swipes them from the back door and carts them around the house. Here he is in the back hallway with my boot for company as he has a little chew on a rawhide. Good thing it's not mud season.

My sister Darcie and her family were over yesterday evening. Katie is a dog-lover like her mom and auntie and she spent most of the evening playing with Cooper. Cooper loved her right back!

Then he was finally played out.

the torch is passed

There is a sheltie game in my house called Kill the Dish. It was invented by Harrison and has been passed down to the younger dogs faithfully over the years. I know I sound like a doting mama but my new puppy is a fast learner. Robbie was playing Kill the Dish this afternoon and Cooper watched him with great interest. Just a few minutes ago, I heard yipping and the distinctive sound of a metal dog dish being pushed around the kitchen. Sure enough, Cooper was trying it out for himself. I will let him show you how to play this game.

"First you sneak up on the unsuspecting dish and give it a little nudge with your nose."

"Then you pounce on it."

"Much barking is required as you move the dish again."

"Repeat these steps until you get really silly and out of control."

"I love my dish."