Scrub-a-Dub-Dub

I only do it a few times every year - spring, fall, and once in between.  It's not something I look forward to because it takes to long, but I am very happy when it's done.

It's giving Sami and Halle a bath!

Spanning two days, the process goes like this.

Because their fur is so thick, the first step is to brush them really well to remove any of the loose fur.  If I don't do this, it will come loose during the bath and then it tends to cause mats afterward.

Yesterday I got TONS of fur off Sami and Halle - mostly Sami.  It took me about 3 hours to comb and trim them, with Sami huffing and puffing and whining in protest.  Halle doesn't mind - I think she sees it as getting one-on-one time with me!

Today was bath day.  I managed to get it all done in 2 hours!

Sami was first. If I do Halle first, he stresses too much.  He actually doesn't mind the warm water in the shower and the shampoo/rub down.  This is followed by a conditioner which helps prevent their fur from tangling.  Then I dry him as much as possible with towels.

He looks so pitiful, doesn't he?  We think he looks like Eeyore.

Halle was up next.

She really doesn't mind it at all!

Isn't she adorable?

This is what I couldn't live without - my Metro Doggie Blow Dryer!

Rather than blowing hot air to dry their fur, it blows cool - but really forceful - air.

 You can actually see the water blowing off in the air.

Halle is pretending her head is in the wind riding in the car!

Just to show you how powerful it is, here is a picture of my nice, toned, muscular thigh  :)

 And here is my nice, toned muscular thigh with the air blowing on it!

OK, so bath time is done!

The first thing Sami does is go lay down in the dirt.

Halle doesn't take any chances that I will do anything else to her today.  She hides under the rhododendron!

They are all set for our visitors on Saturday.  A couple from Westchester County in New York is coming up to meet them.  They are thinking about getting a Finnish Lapphund from Shadagrace Finnish Lapphunds in Winnipeg, Canada and that's kind of a long trip for just a visit.  So instead they will meet a Lappy from Shadagrace - Halle.  If you look at the dogs on their website, you can see Halle's mother, Skyla, and her father, Oakley.

My Vision

I have a vision for my back yard.  You see, last year I began a photography business, specializing in high school Senior portraits.  I traveled to different locations in the area for portrait sessions.  So many of the seniors last year wanted their portraits done in a natural setting.  We would meet at a local park and do their photo shoot.  They would change their clothes behind screens.  Moms would lug around bags with clothing, shoes, hairbrush, etc.  There were no mirrors available to check how they looked.
And no bathroom.

So I have a vision.

I've been planning and working on this vision for months.  I am making an outdoor studio in my back yard.  For those that want to go on location for their photo shoot, I will gladly do that.  But for those that just want a natural setting with more flexibility - a bathroom, an air-conditioned place to change and get out of the heat, many more options to personalize their portraits, and the ability to preview the images if they wish - I believe this will be a fantastic location option.

But first, there is a lot of work left to do.  And I needed help.
Today, that help came.  A Bobcat and Vance.

During summers as a teenager Vance worked for a company that put in swimming pools,  and he had a lot of experience operating a Bobcat.  He seemed happy to get back in the seat once again!

Years of dumping leaves and brush, in addition to trees that were taken down and cut up after the snowstorm last October made the area behind the fence a mess.

I loaded up the bucket with the logs...

(Even though the logs were rotting and full of bugs, my garden gloves protected me!)

Then Vance carried them away!

After removing the logs and piles of brush, he leveled out the ground.

The dogs were watching through the fence.

Maddie should have stayed behind the fence, but she didn't!

We even discovered remnants of years long past - Adam's Thomas the Tank Engine bowl was in the dirt in the area of the "Indian Fort" where the kids once played.

By the end of the day, the yard looked so much bigger and cleaner!

I built this stone wall last week.  It will be a beautiful place for pictures!

I also built this natural stone wall out of boulders I dug up from the ground.

And these stone steps.  I can't wait to plant some woodland flowers here!

I so appreciate the power of the Bobcat.  We couldn't have done all this without it!
And I am so thankful for my wonderful husband too!

And Halle  (Sami is camera shy).

And Maddie.

I will continue to build my "studio" over the coming weeks.
I'm having so much fun designing it.

My vision.

Twenty-Two

Today is April 22.  Earth Day.
But the theme of this blog is what  happened 22 years ago on April 22.
My son, Adam, was born.

Since I've been blogging, I typically write a "birthday blog" for each of my kids every year. I've shown many pictures of Adam as a baby, as a toddler, and in the many years since. So I did not want to repeat this year what I have already done.

Searching for inspiration, I got into his Facebook page and started browsing his photos.  Not the photos from the past when Adam was living at home - many of which I took myself.  I looked through the ones of Adam since he's been in college.

I already knew what a kind, caring person Adam is.  I knew how much he loves animals. I knew how much he cares for the needy.  And I knew how much he loves the Lord.  But I was struck by the beautiful person I saw in these Facebook photos.

And since a picture truly is worth 1000 words, I will show you pictures of Adam that his mother didn't take. These pictures that were taken by the people he keeps company with.

(I will do my best to tell you a little about the photos, but since I wasn't there, I may be wrong.)

                          Collecting vegetables for the local food pantry.

                                                             Embracing Vermont!

Using his camera to capture beautiful things...

Calling forth his inner Sponge Bob.

Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans

Demonstrating his love of animals...

of all shapes and sizes!

Cooking for and feeding the needy in the Middlebury community.

More work in New Orleans...

(Adam with a nail gun is a scary sight!)

Having fun with his Christian fellowship group on campus...

Carving pretty shapes out of cheese?

And my favorite picture of Adam taken last fall...

He reminds me so much of my father - the kindness in his eyes, his big warm smile.

How he makes the world a better place.

And how much I love him!

Happy Birthday, Adam!