The Old Folks Home
- Thread starter Wisher1000
- Start date
Hope that river doesn't flood you house! We had a week of rain last week but we live on a ridge so no danger of flooding for us. Sunny and warming up into the 60's today. It's going to be a good day to be outside.
Morning Old Folks rain till next week but regular not atmospheric?
We have no risk of flooding here either.
Have a fire going had to empty the ash box took a bit to get a good one going.
We have no risk of flooding here either.
Have a fire going had to empty the ash box took a bit to get a good one going.
Back of lawn is ditched to the West and lawn pitches W;NW so water drains to the West of the house - most of the time.
This is a wish all will have a wonderful Christmas and a heartfelt new year.
Good evening, Cynthia! Hope you had a great day. Our youngest daughter is here for a coupe of days so we are getting some work done. She helped me get the Christmas decorating finished and wrapped the last of the gifts. Then helped me with all the outside chores and cooked supper. Wishing she could stay longer.Good afternoon Old Folks.
Share with the Old Folks here...a Christmas Miracle from 2006. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Makins – The Christmas Miracle
By Tara Lee Higgins - January 5, 2007
So Alexander had taken time off work and traveled down to be at the ranch and celebrate Christmas Eve and Day with the family. We all piled into his truck and made the trip to Red Deer to pick up a DVD for Rick that I had ordered three weeks in advance and on the way back, stopped and picked up another case of Romaine lettuce for the animals. The dogs all love their greens, especially in winter and all the birds were use to a regular influx of lettuce to their diets. Christmas is not Christmas without enjoying the critters; eat, eat, eat!!
We all woke up early and did the present and stocking thing. The dogs all got their own plushies and rolled about on the rug; slobbering, squeaking, and pouncing. I got dressed for the chores and went out to greet everyone for the day. After letting everyone out, the dogs and I grabbed some heads of lettuce. Makins half way thru the procession, decided it would be a lot more fun to be inside the house with the boys, Rick and Alexander. So she barked at the porch and was promptly let inside.
Alexander said that Makins had headed down to the front room. She had well earned the nickname “Hoover” for her adept ability to sweep clean any morsel that our over used hands might drop. Without the other dogs in the house, she had the fortune of sole custody of the kitchen & dining floors--vacuuming is a never-ending job! She was gone for a short bit while the guys enjoyed the new DVD, drank Christmas coffees, and caught up on current events. Makins sauntered into the living room, happily wagging her tail, quite pleased with herself. Alexander said she had something in her mouth.
Alberta winters are not kind and most shallow bodies of water freeze solid, so we keep most of the pond fish in a large stock tank in the garage over winter. This spring, Rick had gotten some young Koi, and with these, he had them staying in a 90-gallon aquarium in the dining room. He was feeding and prepping them so that they could grow big enough to join the rest of the pond school for next season.
What Makins had in her mouth, was quite unexpected. Rick told her to “drop it” and Makins placed a fish in his hands. What a surprise indeed! Both Rick and Alexander rushed down to the front room; the fish was lifeless, possibly already dead. Rick began to revive the fish by moving it back and forth in the tank, trying to kick-start its breathing. Low and behold, it started to gulp and come back to life.
Besides a bit of “carpet fluff” clinging to its scales, the fish appeared to be just fine. Revived and swimming around with the rest of his buddies, no worse for wear. We think that in Rick’s excitement to start Christmas Day, his overworked hands not being what they once were, that he did not completely cover the tank back up after giving the fish their Christmas breakfast treats. Koi are very active and it is certainly not unheard of them “leaping” out of their watery environments. No idea how long this fellow had been a carpet shark, but Makins could not have arrived with better timing.
It is well known that Australian Cattle Dogs are very good, protective “stock” dogs but this is also most commonly combined with a hard biting habit. “Heelers” get their name from the ability to bite low and hard and are not usually known for soft or gentle mouths. We have had the pleasure of seeing Makins use her “soft” side many times before. She often brings us “yard” eggs from some secret chicken nest built out in the orchards. She carries the egg just like a Retriever, wagging herself silly as if to say, “I got something good…” She deposits them uncracked in our hands, grins and gazes up saying, “Scrabbled eggs for dinner please!”
Makins has also retrieved injured songbirds, surprising us with a most endearing care and awareness for less fortunate critters. We cherish Makins dearly; our first Cattle Dog and what a rare blessing she is. She loves people, dogs, and animals and is so much larger than mere life. If any of the other dogs had been in the house and had come upon this fish, there’d have simply been one less in the tank for the evening feed. Fixins would have rolled on it, Stoggar and HyBlade would have happily added “fish” to their breakfast menu, but not the Makes. Even though she is the most food motivated of any of them! We constantly battle with her weight and keep her trim for her own well being, though it is so tempting to give her lots of treats…it brings her such joy and happiness. Needless to say, Alexander and Rick showered her with tasty snacks; “What a GOOD dog, Makins…GOOD DOG!”
Who knows what other surprising feats of protecting she will demonstrate. Makins is our Christmas Miracle for this year. Thank you Makins!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Makins – The Christmas Miracle
By Tara Lee Higgins - January 5, 2007
So Alexander had taken time off work and traveled down to be at the ranch and celebrate Christmas Eve and Day with the family. We all piled into his truck and made the trip to Red Deer to pick up a DVD for Rick that I had ordered three weeks in advance and on the way back, stopped and picked up another case of Romaine lettuce for the animals. The dogs all love their greens, especially in winter and all the birds were use to a regular influx of lettuce to their diets. Christmas is not Christmas without enjoying the critters; eat, eat, eat!!
We all woke up early and did the present and stocking thing. The dogs all got their own plushies and rolled about on the rug; slobbering, squeaking, and pouncing. I got dressed for the chores and went out to greet everyone for the day. After letting everyone out, the dogs and I grabbed some heads of lettuce. Makins half way thru the procession, decided it would be a lot more fun to be inside the house with the boys, Rick and Alexander. So she barked at the porch and was promptly let inside.
Alexander said that Makins had headed down to the front room. She had well earned the nickname “Hoover” for her adept ability to sweep clean any morsel that our over used hands might drop. Without the other dogs in the house, she had the fortune of sole custody of the kitchen & dining floors--vacuuming is a never-ending job! She was gone for a short bit while the guys enjoyed the new DVD, drank Christmas coffees, and caught up on current events. Makins sauntered into the living room, happily wagging her tail, quite pleased with herself. Alexander said she had something in her mouth.
Alberta winters are not kind and most shallow bodies of water freeze solid, so we keep most of the pond fish in a large stock tank in the garage over winter. This spring, Rick had gotten some young Koi, and with these, he had them staying in a 90-gallon aquarium in the dining room. He was feeding and prepping them so that they could grow big enough to join the rest of the pond school for next season.
What Makins had in her mouth, was quite unexpected. Rick told her to “drop it” and Makins placed a fish in his hands. What a surprise indeed! Both Rick and Alexander rushed down to the front room; the fish was lifeless, possibly already dead. Rick began to revive the fish by moving it back and forth in the tank, trying to kick-start its breathing. Low and behold, it started to gulp and come back to life.
Besides a bit of “carpet fluff” clinging to its scales, the fish appeared to be just fine. Revived and swimming around with the rest of his buddies, no worse for wear. We think that in Rick’s excitement to start Christmas Day, his overworked hands not being what they once were, that he did not completely cover the tank back up after giving the fish their Christmas breakfast treats. Koi are very active and it is certainly not unheard of them “leaping” out of their watery environments. No idea how long this fellow had been a carpet shark, but Makins could not have arrived with better timing.
It is well known that Australian Cattle Dogs are very good, protective “stock” dogs but this is also most commonly combined with a hard biting habit. “Heelers” get their name from the ability to bite low and hard and are not usually known for soft or gentle mouths. We have had the pleasure of seeing Makins use her “soft” side many times before. She often brings us “yard” eggs from some secret chicken nest built out in the orchards. She carries the egg just like a Retriever, wagging herself silly as if to say, “I got something good…” She deposits them uncracked in our hands, grins and gazes up saying, “Scrabbled eggs for dinner please!”
Makins has also retrieved injured songbirds, surprising us with a most endearing care and awareness for less fortunate critters. We cherish Makins dearly; our first Cattle Dog and what a rare blessing she is. She loves people, dogs, and animals and is so much larger than mere life. If any of the other dogs had been in the house and had come upon this fish, there’d have simply been one less in the tank for the evening feed. Fixins would have rolled on it, Stoggar and HyBlade would have happily added “fish” to their breakfast menu, but not the Makes. Even though she is the most food motivated of any of them! We constantly battle with her weight and keep her trim for her own well being, though it is so tempting to give her lots of treats…it brings her such joy and happiness. Needless to say, Alexander and Rick showered her with tasty snacks; “What a GOOD dog, Makins…GOOD DOG!”
Who knows what other surprising feats of protecting she will demonstrate. Makins is our Christmas Miracle for this year. Thank you Makins!
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