Walking the...goat?

With the rapid warm up, things have turned to mush, the gravel roads are soup in places as is my driveway.
Patience will prevail and things will return to normal once the deep frost comes up and out of the ground.

Sven is such a hoot. My neighbors are still bottle feeding him and letting him out in the yard to play with the kids and go on little walks with him.
He'll come home in about two weeks.

Lauren and I decided to go for a walk on Thursday, we both took a break from our 'house' duties. I put Sven on a lead and off we went up the road. He is such a quick learner! I didn't put a collar on him but used what I call a slip. If he pulled and jerked the rope tightens a bit [no I would not let him choke himself]. As soon as he stops pulling it loosens.

It only took him about 100 yards to figure that out. He walked better than most dogs do on a lead!

We walked about two miles and enjoyed the fresh air. Basil and Sven and two ladies walking up the gravel road and enjoying the first day of Spring.

On the way back I wanted to see if Sven would follow me across some running water. He did, but mainly because Basil went first. We crossed again and he acted as if it were no big deal.
The arrow points to Basil's tail as she leaped over the water....

I can't wait to take him and Charlie on a walk together next. That may be a goal for this weekend.

The amount of yard work I need and want to do is almost overwhelming. Along with that I need to put up the fencing for the sunny side of Sven's new pen. My Kenosha Friends are going to help me with the goat stall inside the shed and the 'goat' doggy style door I want put in.
I have some old wooden spools to set out as well as some old broken plastic water tanks to use with planks to set up a play ground in his pen.

I intend to have Sven out on a tie out in the summer to clean up the nasty weedy spots in the yard. Goats are good for that.

So more goat walking is in the near future.
How about a trip down through our woods to the creek?

We visited with Rich's PCP for the VA this week. She noted the deep depression he had and suggested some more 'tests' for lung function and some therapy. I should have just told her to forget it. If you don't help the depression he won't care about the rest.

Though his latest set back was actually not a medical one.

All right. The sun will come up soon and I need to go for some feed and groceries!

Doggone it.

It has been a bit since I felt like sitting down and doing this.
I started a blog a few times and then deleted it as there was always something else that needed doing.

Charlie and I went hunting earlier this week to find some ice caves.

We found them but with the strange weather we've been having, the formations were not exciting at all.

However, I do know where these caves are now and how to get to them should the weather begin to cooperate.
Tonight it is supposed to rain quite a bit. I suppose that is better than a snowstorm.
However, the driveway hill will become ice and well, that could be an issue for getting out and to Rich's next appointment at the VA.

Each day this week I've done a nice long walk or hike with Charlie. He loves and adores the snow.

Yesterday morning we walked out the croplands to watch the sun come up.
Charlie had more interest in deer poop and rabbit poop than the beautiful morning.

Yesterday afternoon was more dog day stuff.
Dixie joined us on a nice long walk.

Charlie was so happy to have his big gal pal to annoy.

We covered a few miles of creek and hillsides and then ended up on the porch to lounge in the sun while I got out the nail trimmers and did both dogs.

We sat in the sun and relaxed for a long time afterwards.

We listened to someone doing some squirrel hunting east of our place. The dogs were curious but decided the porch was a much nicer place to hang out.

I left my jacket on the porch when I went inside with Charlie to get some things ready for supper and chores.

Dixie pulled my jacket down and made a bed in front of the door.

Dixie was the chore helper last night. After she ate she crawled into her doghouse and went to sleep. She and Charlie will assist again this morning.

My life has gone to the dogs.
However they are good company.

And they rarely talk back to me!

Warm day!

Well, I guess it was the January thaw. However there was not much snow to melt and I was surprised at how dry the ground is. Normally we are plunged into mudsville by any temperatures above freezing in January.

Since the temperatures were nearly 40 degrees, I thought I'd see if Morris would walk the Merry Meadow with Dixie and I.

After all, Morris used to go with us every time I took Dixie out.
Here is a photo from 2014. Even though Dixie is huge compared to Morris, she has never run him over or knocked him down.

And here is Dixie as a puppy with Morris showing her the way...

So I thought, why not? Maybe Morris won't decide to just turn around and go home if Dixie is with.

So off we went.

Some views never seem to change.
Though Dixie never bumped Morris or tried to make him chase her. She just did her thing and he did his.

We managed to get around the whole meadow before Morris decided to head home.
And believe me, when he decides it is time, there is no stopping him.

Morris will run away from me when I try and put the leash on him. There is nothing to do but follow.

When we got to the house he went to the door and sat. Dixie sat next to him. I let Morris in and then went to doing the early afternoon task of filling the stock tanks.

Dixie assisted and while I waited for the large stock tank to fill I spotted Scout's tennis ball in the yard where the snow melted.
I picked it up and tossed it for Dixie.
I hadn't played fetch with her since she was a puppy. I wondered if she'd remember.

Talk about being surprised!

Well, I was. She had a blast. I threw it several times. She lost interest after about 10 throws. Her nose picked up something in the garden and she had to investigate.

All of the animals were sunbathing and lounging in the nice winter break.
We are about to plunge back into rainy foggy weather. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain/snow or something.
Then the temperatures will plunge in to the single digits again.