Learning to camp

Unfortunately, I received the sad news today that sledding is not allowed on the Hinckley Reservation trail system, which runs right out of my backyard. So, instead of sledding today, I took the time to set up a prototype winter camp, and work out the kinks before the dogs have to camp away from home.

The dogs were surprisingly calm on the picket, considering that they had never been restrained in this way before.









After awhile, Bandit wanted to find out if he could play with Willow while he was on the picket.







The dogs did better than I expected, and they stayed picketed for a few hours while I worked around the farm and hung out in the tent. I tried to make it as close as possible to a "real" camping trip, and I hope it will pay off in the future.

Huskies in their element

Today marked an absolutely monumental event: I took Loki and Bandit out for our very first sled run today! It was more fun than I ever could have imagined. The sled was harder to control than I thought it would be, but I got the hang of it fairly quickly, and didn't have any spills. Well, unless you count the time that my stepbrother jumped into the basket and tipped the sled off the side of a hill. The good dogs just held their ground and I hooked down while we hoisted the sled back up onto the trail.

I didn't take my helmet cam, because I was too concerned with just staying on, and learning how to steer the sled. Unfortunately, I also didn't have a free hand for photographs.

But afterwards, I managed to shoot some good pics of working with them on line-out, in harness and amidst all the beautiful snow! It has only just stopped snowing here now, and we have close to 8" of white powdery beauty.

Feeders and fenceposts

You know what, this homesteading and sled-dogging thing is hard work. But wow, is it SATISFYING work.

Last night, I came in from shopping around 9:00 pm, and Byron and I worked on putting up the new chicken feeders, dumped 100 pounds of cracked corn into barrels in the barn, and stacked 14 4x4 fenceposts under the safety of the eave. All this was done by the comforting glow of a little camping lantern. There is just something nice about that. I don't know what, exactly, but it's nice.

This morning, the fence guys showed up, and set the posts for the new kennels that are going in, inside the fence at the far end. So far, the dimensions look great - each kennel is 8' x 16', and should be spacious and very comfortable for my guys. The best part is that it opens straight into the fenced yard, so it'll be super convenient to turn them out for playtime in any combination of groups, or just singly for training, without having to crate the others.

The new kennels should be complete by Tuesday of next week, including gates, and new pea gravel footing. Then, the dog-related work is complete until next year, when new grass will be planted in the fenced yard, and I cross my fingers and pray that it doesn't turn into a mud pit again by fall!

Even in December, work is never done

I realize I've really been behind-the-game with the blog. I have so many things I want to write about that I've been jotting them all down on a scrap paper beside my computer. These things add up - it's almost insane the amount of odd stories that accumulate living here on this tiny farm.

The biggest news is that the coop has had a major overhaul over the last few weeks. With winter approaching, I knew I had work to do if I wanted the chickens to stay warm, dry and contented throughout the cold months. So, a brand new heat lamp was wired up to the roof of the coop and through the back wall, into an extension cord in the barn. It's been working beautifully. A few of the hens had been roosting outside the coop, in the pine trees, recently, and this has completely eliminated the problem. They just can't pass up the cozy temps now that the nights are getting chilly.

Speaking of roosts, we completely tore out the old ones and replaced them with brand-new "chicken litterboxes". Basically, we have a 2x2" roosting bar across the length of the coop, elevated about 4" above a row of black plastic tubs. Each tub contains a few inches of Stall Dry, and the chickens' overnight waste collects in the tub, dries out and gets scooped a few times a week. The chickens stay cleaner, the coop stays cleaner, and the droppings go straight into the compost pile, with no wasted shavings. I love it!

And lastly, we installed new "hatch doors" on both sides of the coop. I've seen most people call these "pop doors", but someone forgot to give me that memo! These little chicken-sized doors keep the whole coop warmer, and add more protection from predators, since the regular, full-sized entry doors can now remain closed. It's just too cute to see the chickens hopping up through the doors!

The last remaining upgrades include a couple of new wall-mounted feeders, and next year, I'll be ripping out their current run fence and replacing it with something cleaner, better-looking, and safer for the chickens. The run will be about 3' smaller as well. Since my chooks are free-ranging, it will mostly be used to contain them in the event of a predator outbreak, or to raise fragile chicks.

Speaking of upgrades, our dog play yard needs some serious TLC. I've been absolutely heartbroken this year with the way the grass was torn up, and in its wake, the absolutely unbelievable mud-fest that followed the lack of grass. I've thrown down bale upon bale of straw, more times than I can count, and before I know it, it's disappeared beneath the goo. Thanks to the fight between Bandit and Jasper, and their resulting strict separation, Jasper's been spending a lot of time out there, getting very muddy, and looking like a posterchild for an ASPCA commercial. Of course I never let him stay muddy (he gets frequent baths) but you'd never know by looking at him.

So, the plan is to have our fence guys come back within the next couple of weeks, install a partition on the small "L" corner of the fence, and put down a pea gravel substrate there to serve as a tiny, dog-version of an all-weather paddock. It will truly be more like a kennel since it'll have a dog house and little deck, and possibly a roof over half of it. I haven't decided yet. But, I figure that can keep Jazz safely contained while the grass is reseeded next spring, and he can be contained during rainy or muddy days to keep the yard in much better shape. I think it's a good plan, and I can't wait to see it start to take shape. I take the care of my animals very seriously and if there's a problem, I'm going to do anything I can to fix it as soon as possible. I really can't stand seeing a problem like that day after day, so it'll be a huge load off my mind when the upgrade is completed.

Other dog news... we still haven't gotten enough snow to try out the sled yet, but that's all well and good, as I'm still waiting for new harnesses to arrive in the mail. The snow hook, helmet camera and snubbing line (used to tie off the sled during hookup, and safer than the snow hook) are also still in transit to me. I'm kind of hoping we have a few more weeks of scooter weather before it turns to the white stuff, since the dogs really need a refresher of working in pairs before they go out in a group.

That about sums up the goings-on at Hoof and Howl these days. I'll be posting pics of the renovations as soon as I can!

Last Sunday, Byron and I traveled down to Columbus to visit a few places that we missed down there, and meet up with a friend. It was great to see the city again (and Heaven knows how much we miss the good eats!), but it made me appreciate the solitude and quiet of home that much more.

The highlight of the trip was a completely unexpected wildlife encounter, while sitting in an Arby's drive-thru (NOT the good eats I referenced earlier, just traveling food!). There was a huge raptor circling overhead, and at first I almost dismissed it as a buzzard - but a better look at the wing silhouette, and I found myself exclaiming, "Is that an eagle!?" I had my camera, so I snapped a few shots. To my complete amazement, when I zoomed in on my viewfinder, there was the characteristic white head and tail of a mature Bald Eagle!







I guess it just goes to show that even the most developed of places still keep their "wild side". This eagle was seen just north of Columbus, near Delaware. Certainly not something I ever expected to see while sitting at a drive-thru!

One of my hens is working overtime

A couple days ago, I collected this monster of an egg. Truly "jumbo" sized! I have no idea who laid it, and I haven't gotten any more like it, but this was really a shocker when I peeked into the nest box.

Apparently, occasionally laying large eggs like this is normal, and not anything to be concerned about. When I researched the topic, I found that they usually contain either two yolks, or an egg within an egg (maybe where the idea of nesting eggs/dolls came from originally?). So, I cracked it open and voila, there were two yolks, just as suspected!

Hens are definitely an odd crowd, that is for sure...

Christmas morning

At least, it feels like it here today!

Trailbreakers Dryland Challenge

Byron and I spent last weekend at a local sled dog race, the Trailbreakers Dryland Challenge. We enjoyed seeing all the rigs, from high-tech racing setups, to homemade welded carts. And of course, it was fantastic to hang out with some of my mushing friends again.

A great variety of classes were available to suit any musher - everything from 6-dog rig, 4-dog rig, to 2-dog bikejor, 1-2 dog scooter, and even canicross!

The dogs in attendance ranged from purebred Sibes, to "mix and match" recreational teams, to Alaskan huskies, and even a few hounds. I spent the entire day asking questions, learning about different bloodlines and types of equipment. I also met lots of new friends in the mushing community.

My friends, Don and Phyllis of Husky Hobbies, were in attendance for the event. Here's Don, racing with his rig and 6 of his purebred Sibes.





These two hounds, driven by Johnn Molburg, were incredibly fast. Sinewy machines of muscle, they were off like dynamite out of the starting chute. I have to admit, I had never understood the appeal of hounds in the mushing circuit until I watched these amazing dogs run.



Another new friend, Robin Harrison, ran an amazing team of little racing-bred Sibes, mostly Seppala strain. They were extremely focused dogs, and well-meshed as a team - working like a unit. It was great to see.





Next year, I hope to attend Trailbreakers with my own dog team and rig in tow. It's a long way to go and many hours of training, but the atmosphere at this race was wonderfully casual, and charged with the excitement and energy of recreational and professional mushers all enjoying the fall together. It's something I definitely want to be a part of in the future.

Frosted garlic stalks

Honestly, when I read my post title, all I can think is that it sounds like a really bad idea for a cereal.

But, jokes aside, I'm happy to report that the garlic in my raised beds is sprouting! I don't remember how many cloves I planted, but I have a variety of Georgian Crystal, Lorz Italian, Georgian Fire, and generic store garlic in the blend. To my shock, right now the generic grocery garlic is outperforming the rest. And of course, garlic doesn't mind a little frost, so I'm not worried about the plants in the slightest. To them, this is all just a rehearsal for the main event next spring, when they'll really take off and develop into mature heads of garlic.



In other news, the hens spent yesterday night on lockdown in the barn. Around 5:00 pm, I was standing outside on my front porch chatting with my neighbor Lois. Suddenly she said to me, "Look at that huge bird! What is that, is that an owl?" She pointed in the direction of the pine trees separating our properties, and I saw the large Cooper's hawk perched there, eyeing the flock. As if on cue, he launched out of the tree and swept towards the ground, disappearing around the side of the barn. I could hear the chickens screeching and Lois and I both took off in their direction. I made quite a racket to scare the hawk off, but he just circled and doubled around to land back in the pine trees. The chickens were, thankfully, unharmed, but very anxious; they were all huddled underneath a dense bush in the woods.

When the hawk continued to hang around, I decided to lock the chickens in the barn for the evening. My thinking is, if he takes one hen, he'll keep coming back until he's eaten every last one of them. On the other hand, if I prevent him from taking any, and hide the chickens for an evening, he should move on to better hunting grounds.

This is the second time a hawk has eyed my chickens, and interestingly, the hawk was perched in the same exact location both times. In fact, I even wonder if it might be the same bird.

Other than keeping my eyes open, there's not much I can do; all birds of prey are federally protected. Not that I would, or could, hurt a raptor anyway. Regardless of their hunting habits, I absolutely love and admire raptors, and they are just doing what comes naturally to them.

Still, I'd rather not see any of my birds harmed. I let them back outside this morning, but time will tell if I waited long enough to turn them loose from the barn.

First frost of the season

When all the leaves have hit the ground, and the mornings arrive with a thin dusting of ice, in my mind, winter has arrived.

When the frost and the bare trees and that stark, cold light of winter greeted me this morning, about a dozen different Christmas songs ran through my head. I think that this is a more accurate measure of the seasons than any calendar.

If you give a wolf(dog) a frisbee...

He'll want to destroy it, and then he won't want to give it back.







So, you'll have to give him a cookie to trade for the frisbee. Then, he'll follow you around looking for more cookies.





If you know what I'm referencing in this post, a virtual cookie to you too. I know at least three of you out there will "get it". ;)

A little time off, but I'm back

Sorry for the weeks of absence - I had a severe writer's block, and nothing really seemed interesting enough to blog about! But, I can feel myself getting back into it again, so to start off, I thought I'd post this photo taken tonight.

Can you even believe that's a chicken? It's Thirteen, my last remaining Silver Polish hen. Tonight, instead of settling down in the coop, she decided to try roosting up in the pine trees on the edge of my property. She looked so adorable, like some kind of rare little owl perching there, that I couldn't help but photograph her before I gently coaxed her onto my hand and lifted her off the branch, back into the safety of the coop.

All the chickens have been pretty antsy the last few days. Walking along the handrails of the deck like circus tightrope walkers, digging up piles of fall leaves, and peering into the front windows (while the cats peer back) have become their favorite pastimes. It must be the weather changing - or they are just getting older, and braver. I'm not sure which.

(By the way, camp photos are still on the way. I still need to finish cropping them and editing them for the Net. I do still intend to post them!)

Kitty see, kitty do

Isn't it obvious how much Lily adores and idolizes her big brother Bandit?

Back from camping!

Although I'm too worn out right now for a full post, here's a few photos from last weekend's camping trip. More to come!

I'd say Loki is feeling better

Wouldn't you?

Another shout-out to Jenna at Cold Antler

...For her amazing tribute to October posted yesterday.

http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/2009/09/grand-tomorrow.html

And to that, this homesteader says, "AMEN!"

First fire of the season

Around here, it's obvious that fall has finally arrived. Temperatures are consistently in the 60's, signs advertising straw and fresh pumpkins are popping up all over town, and apple cider has once again appeared in the groceries. The trees on our property are waving golden and red, and scores of huge, beautiful rust-brown beech leaves are starting to appear scattered across the backyard.

Today, the temperatures really took a dive. With a high of only 54 degrees, a steady cold rain, and occasional wind gusts, it's the kind of day that I only want to do one thing: read a book next to a blazing fire.

So, this morning, I fed and watered the animals, then bedded everyone down with fresh straw and shavings. Once they were all set, I retired into the house for a double-helping of farmer's eggs and apple cider, and set to work getting a good fire going.

The leftover logs from last winter are nice and dry this year, and they sure caught fast compared to last year. Within just a few minutes, the fire was busily spreading over the wood. I filled the tetsubin (Japanese tea kettle) over the fire with hot water, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks, and within just a few minutes the whole house was full of Autumn.

Seeing a fire in the fireplace again reminded me that I've only lived here for a year now - almost to the day. Even so, the fireplace already seems so nostalgic. I remember what a wonderful feeling it was to smell woodsmoke and hear the crackle of the fireplace last year - after living in the city with a small gas fireplace, it was absolute heaven (and still is). Byron and I burned wood in the fireplace almost constantly last fall and winter - and the fireplace even got us through a full week without any other source of heat. To say that I have a lot of affection for our hearth would be a severe understatement.

The only thing missing today was a book to read. I'm waiting on a small order of books to arrive in the mail, so the timing was a little off. But there's so much else to work on that it's not such a loss. With any luck, the day will be spent cleaning house, and making homemade pasta to stash and freeze. And if I'm really lucky, I'll have time to take Bandit and Willow out for their first run in over two weeks. I might like the fire and the cozy house, but I like the cold fall weather just as much.

The biggest Collar of Shame ever

Poor little Loki. This is his 3rd collar... the first one was too short, the 2nd one was too flexible so he managed to get around it anyway. So, now he's wearing the biggest Elizabethian collar I've personally ever seen. Poor little thing has such a hard time getting around, but it's much better than allowing him to get at his injury.

He seems to be recovering well and has more energy than he did, so that's a good sign.

Today I'm planning on getting the garden finished, and then working on getting new, chicken-sized entry doors added to the coop. If I'm lucky, I'll get new chicken-wire doors added to the compost bays, too (the chickens have been getting in there and spreading my compost all over the yard).

On top of all that, I really hope I have time to work in the studio today. I finally got things up-and-running last week and I'm anxious to spend time painting again.

Playing catch-up seems to be a way of life around here these days.

When it rains...

...well, you know. It pours.

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned Loki, a foster dog, not doing well after his neuter surgery last weekend. The neuter site was very swollen and very bright red, and he was in obvious pain.

So, he was taken to my vet last Saturday morning, where he received painkiller and antibiotic...then the swelling went down, and appeared to be healing fine since then. In fact, it looked like a normal neuter site until yesterday evening, and he seemed to be recovering well, although he seemed pretty tired.

When I finished my work for the day yesterday, I went out to the kennel to bring him dinner and hang out. To my shock he seemed extremely lethargic and depressed. He was lying flat against the kennel door and refused to get up as I entered. As I walked in he started to whine and cry, didn't want to sit down and was in obvious distress. I managed to get him to lay on his back and I took a look at the neuter site.

I had checked it in the morning and it had looked perfectly fine... but that was not the case now. To say I was horrified would be an understatement. The area behind the incision site appeared to be completely burst open, with a huge hole draining with pus and Lord knows what else (I literally got the shakes and felt like fainting after I saw it, and believe me, I have a very strong stomach). Needless to say he was rushed to the emergency vet immediately.

I couldn't believe it when the vet told me what was happening. He explained that it was a freak accident that happens with neuter surgeries sometimes, about a 1-in-1000 chance... could be either from an allergic reaction to the sutures or scrub used, or a blood vessel that wasn't tied off properly during surgery. Either way, the tissue had started to die off around the sutures, formed an infection, and finally burst to the surface and compromised the skin. The area, as I was told, is completely full of necrotic tissue and infection. The only saving grace is that he has been on an antibiotic since last Saturday, so that kept the infection local, and probably prevented it from becoming systemic.

The emergency vet told us he would need to surgery to remove the affected skin, scrape out all the affected tissue, then sew the area back up. The vet assured us that it would be fine to perform the surgery the following morning at our regular vet, and sent us home with a sedative, anti-inflammatory, and instructions to cold-pack the area every 6 hours.

So, this morning, off to the vet we went, running on only two hours of sleep. The good news is, my vet strongly opted against surgery, in the belief that a strong antibiotic and a good cleaning in the vet's office will have the site closed up by the weekend.

Fingers crossed... this has been one heck of a week for vet bills. You'll have this with dogs. They have a propensity for getting into trouble. But still... let's try to keep it to once a year if at all possible, alright, dogs?

Square Foot Gardening is for the birds

OK, so not really. I'm actually really excited about my new raised gardens. The problem is, apparently, so are my chickens.

So far, I only have one bed close to being finished. It's 4' x 8', and can support the growth of almost 200 garlic bulbs. I don't have nearly that many cloves to plant since I'm starting small, but it's nice to know that the space is there for other crops come spring. The plan is to create a U-shaped garden on the left side of the barn, closest to the house.

Obviously I'm going to have to protect my new bed from the chickens somehow. I can just see them tearing out all my garlic cloves and having themselves a nice little snack.

That said, though, they sure look cute napping in the soft bed. The contented, soft chirping noises they were making were enough to win anyone over to these sweet little birds.

Recovery

It's been three days since the dog fight, and I've finally calmed down enough to be able to blog about it. That picture is Bandit on Saturday evening, being comforted by Lily, who is probably his best friend in the whole world. She's stayed at his side ever since he got back from the vet.

I have a policy to never turn out dogs together to play when I'm not home and able to keep tabs on things. (The exception is that either Jazz or Bandit can safely be turned out with Willow. Male/female pairs generally get along much more smoothly.) On Friday, I was very glad that I always stick to that policy. After months of playing without any incidents, an empty food bowl that was somehow dragged into the fenceline caused a major fight to erupt between Bandit and Jasper.

It was a bad one, no doubt. Bandit missed having his eye gashed by a few centimeters, and has five staples in his shoulder. The entire right side of Jasper's face is torn up. Both of them have large shaved patches on their faces and shoulders where the wounds had to be examined and cleaned.

To say I was terrified would be an understatement. My thoughts were all over the place as I watched them fighting - I felt so helpless, and it seemed there was nothing I could do to break them apart. The amount of blood was terrifying. After trying everything I could think of to get them apart (yelling, rattling the fence, spraying them with the hose, hitting their rear end with a leash), I had to grab Jasper by the rear legs and wheelbarrow him away from Bandit. This is the technique I learned to break up dog fights, and it's the safest way to do so when all other methods fail. (It's not safe to go for the collar or head - the rear legs are safest.) I pulled him into the catch pen in the yard and slammed the gate between Bandit and Jasper, leashed him and got him into the sunroom. Then I returned for Bandit and got him into the house.

Once again, I have to tell you all what wonderful, exceptional, incredible neighbors I have. I had just gotten Jasper into the catch pen when I saw my neighbor Gregory appear around the corner. A few minutes later, his parents Lois and Don showed up. They had heard the yelling and snarling, and they were afraid that I was being attacked (I don't blame them for thinking so). When they saw what was happening, they offered to take Bandit in their van while my mom and I loaded up Jasper and took him in her car. Lois even stayed with us throughout the vet visit. Their concern and willingness to help meant the world to me and I just can't thank them enough. I baked a loaf of rosemary herb bread for them this morning and I'm taking it over there with a bouquet of flowers and a dozen eggs. You know what, this homestead thing and this dog/wolfdog rescue thing - it takes a village. And I am so thankful to have neighbors who are so caring, unbelievably generous, and kind.

The dogs spent the evening at the emergency vet, then spent the weekend on lockdown in strictly seperate quarters, downing antibiotic and painkillers morning and night. Of course, I always seem to come up one kennel short - so Loki had to spend the weekend bedded down in the sunroom. Willow had run of the fenced yard, Bandit stayed in the house with me, and Jasper had the deck kennel.

This afternoon, Jasper was returned to his usual place in the yard with Willow. I had a lot of trepidation about doing this, but Loki was not doing well in the sunroom (the stress from being in a new place was rough on him), so I decided it was the right time. Jasper's wounds (which were shallow) have already healed over incredibly fast, and they were confined to the right side of his muzzle, so I'm not concerned about re-injury.

When they started to play I just about lost it. Every time they play-growled or jumped, I ran into them ready to break up the pending fight. I don't know how long it'll take to get over this, but it sure is stressful. I never realized how relaxed I had been about their playing before. I think I'll have to be more proactive in supervising their interactions and keeping play to a level I'm comfortable with.

If I can, within the next year I'm planning to build a new kennel area inside the fenced yard. I'd like to do away with the deck kennel entirely; it's large enough for two dogs which is nice, but it also doesn't allow for separation during emergencies like this. It was never really meant to be permanent, but just got to be so convenient that I'm reluctant to tear it down without a replacement. It's also horribly difficult to keep clean (I spend 30 minutes a day mopping it), and all the dog stuff (toys, food, leashes, and of course, kennel cleaning equipment and poop bags) has a tendency to accumulate in the garage. The new kennels would be smaller, but there would be more partitions so that the dogs can be easily seperated if need be, the flooring would be designed for easy cleaning, and there would be a storage area where I could keep the toys, leashes, and other things. Not to mention a dog waste composter, which is high on my priority list!

Right now, though, all I can do is move on and try to get things back to normal as soon as I can. Bandit and Jasper will no longer be spending time together in the yard, but will be rotated so that they each get time to play and free-run. Perhaps in the far future I might try to reintroduce them, but I don't think they were ever a truly compatible match. It might be best not to push it.

Times like this are difficult and put a dark spot on all the joy I get each day from my pack of sled dogs. But the only thing to do is keep moving forward and take each day as it comes.

One of those weekends

I'm going to make this short because I'm very tired, and still recovering from an awful couple of days, so here is the Readers' Digest version of the last few days:

Thursday afternoon: Loki, a foster dog I am caring for, was neutered
Friday morning: Loki's sutures look terrible and I call the vet, make an appointment for Saturday.
Friday afternoon: The Big Fight. Jasper and Bandit got into a severe fight which resulted in both of them going to the emergency vet. More on that later.
Saturday morning: Loki goes to the vet. By now, 3 of my 4 dogs are downing antibiotic and painkiller cocktails morning and night. Also, none of the eggs in my incubator are hatching.
Saturday night: There are no chicks in the incubator. Instead, all I'm greeted with is a not-so-nice odor... not a good sign. (Although, having chicks hatch right now probably would have been horrible timing.)

A more thorough update to follow in the next couple of days...

Hatch day

I know I mentioned in a previous post that I suspected all my hatching eggs had failed in the incubator. Well, I just couldn't get myself to throw them away. The way I see it, it doesn't do any harm to leave them in the incubator until hatch day tomorrow, and if I get lucky with even just one chick, I'll be very glad I held onto those eggs! They are really very indistinct and I'm admittedly a chicken-hatching newbie, so I'm just going to cross my fingers and see what happens.

Stay tuned...

Sew what?

Yesterday night, I tried my hand at a little sewing project. My first real try at sewing in several years. It resulted (amazingly) in the two throw pillows above, which are destined to be Christmas presents for a fellow wolf and wolfdog rescuer who has been a wonderful friend.

I have to admit, I'm not the type to sew. Sewing is incredibly difficult for me - even something "simple" such as throw pillows. Sewing is so precise. And it feels so final - all the cutting, the stitching, there is no trial-and-error here. I'm more the type that would spend my artistic energy throwing clay on a wheel, or splattering paint onto a canvas.

Still, it's incredibly practical, and a good addition to a well-balanced repertoire of homesteading skills. So, I'm going to continue trying to understand my sewing machine, and see how far I can get with it. That's all anyone can ask, right?

Wolfish jam session, take 2

A couple weeks ago, I was lucky enough to sneak in these shots of Jasper (a.k.a. Jazz Man, Jazz Music, Jazz Master, etc. - all for good reason) singing up a storm on top of the Doggy Duplex.









I was also fortunate enough to capture the Zen-like calm that overcomes him after a good howl session. He just licks his lips and softens his eyes, and basks in the glory of what he's just accomplished. He's usually a nutcase, so it's profoundly odd to see him pretending that he's perfectly calm, cool, and in control of himself.