Raised Pet Hammock Info

Well, it's that time of year again -- you know, when it starts to get hot, humid, and buggy. At least, it's that time here in PA.

And with the advent of heat, humidity, and nasty little insects, it's time to pull out ...


[drum roll please]


...ta da...


the all-purpose pet hammock (aka, raised pet bed)!!! You can see Kenya modeling ours in the last blog entry. :o)


Just consider its many uses (are you ready for a blast from last year's past?).


1. Multiple sleeping puppy support:




2. Multiple playing puppy support:





3. Puppy hiding place:



4. Comfy nursing spot:



5. Handy, comfy chewing spot (bone not included):





6. And, of course, cool, up-from-the-hot-buggy-ground resting place:



Our hammocks are going on their third season, and still going strong. We've used them indoors and out, so they've seen constant use since we purchased them. We've hosed them down, left them out in wind and rain, let them stand in the baking sun, set them up inside in front of the wood stove, and exposed them to all kinds of conditions. They've been pooped on, piddled on, slept on, jumped on, wrestled on, eaten on, flipped over, scrubbed, and stacked, and their mesh and frames are still sturdy (no sign of rot or rust yet).

And these hammocks, though well-built and sturdy, are considerably less expensive than others we've seen elsewhere.

So here's where you can find them (and yes, they are in stock and still affordable this season):

Plow and Hearth (www.plowandhearth.com), in the pet section. Just CLICK HERE to go straight to the product page (they call them "raised pet beds").

We use the "large" raised pet bed, listed now for $29.99 (last year they listed for $24.99 -- oh well).


So there you have it, just in time for the new, up-and-coming hot season.

:o)

I can't recommend these highly enough -- and they've survived our labs (and our litter, too)!

Enjoy!

'Til next time,
Joan

Kenya's Growing Up

Well, the Kenya Bean is definately growing up. She was born in July, '06, so she's officially only 21 months old now, but she's looking every bit the part of a grown-up dog. :o)

Here she is lounging on the hammock behind Elsie (photo taken two days ago):

She just completed her third (maybe fourth -- I can't quite remember) heat cycle.

Yes, Ridge went bonkers, but that's the norm.

Geez -- what's it going to be like if all three girls' heat cycles sync so they occur at the same time? Won't THAT be nuts!

Do canines do that, like human females do? Scientists still can't explain why that happens in humans.

So, anyway, Kenya is growing up (yes, she has all four legs, despite what the photo below implies!).


Here she is with her buddy, Pinot, "helping" Daddy Don with spring poop pick-up duty (see, she still has four legs!):


We'll hold off until she's a full two-years old to get her hips and elbows screened and her eyes tested, but she's shaping up really nicely. We don't foresee any issues, but we want to be sure before we breed her. If all goes well, we'll breed her with her next heat cycle, which should probably be in October. That would mean puppies in late December or early January, and puppy pick-ups in early March.

Elsie, on the other hand, should be ready to breed again with her next heat cycle (she's completed one full uneventful heat since her litter last summer, and she's getting back into shape!). :o)

That should mean we'll have late summer puppies again. :o)

Are we ready?

Hah!

:o)


We'll see.

Most of you know I resigned from my day job in December to focus on things here (family issues). Well, the family stuff got really crazy again two weeks ago (hence my lack of posting), but are settling down again. Who knows what's coming?!

And dear 24 yo, first-born son dropped out of college and moved home this weekend, which means I'm back to driving him to and from whatever job he finds. And we're still neck deep in wedding preparations for DD's June wedding (invitations should go out in the next two weeks). And the other family stuff, well, it is what it is.

Yee haw! :o)

So I'm not pursuing regular employment -- there's just no way I can do it.

Instead, I'll be working on my freelance writing, I've reopened my little eBay store, and I'll be working with the dogs (training and puppy care!).

Gee -- too bad... I really need to be available and flexible with all the family stuff. I guess that just means I have to work from home now!

Aw....shucks. Can you tell I'm disappointed? (hehe)

;o)

There's always a silver lining!

'Til next time,
Joan
(who can't believe how fast Kenya and Pinot have grown!)
(and who really, truth be told, would rather work from home!)