Health – Jema Golden Retrievers

Yes, We Are Having Puppies!

Planning, cleaning, monitoring… Getting ready for the big day!

Quick update… yes, both girls ARE pregnant! Deja is scheduled for a progesterone blood test, x-ray (to count skulls and spines to get a puppy count) and a C-section (4/22 or 4/23). I will start taking her temp twice per day starting a week prior to her due date (that will also monitor her progesterone and that drop).

Deja and her puppy belly! Doing what she does most these days… resting and growing puppies!

Progesterone is the hormone that maintains pregnancy. Just before (within a 24 hour window usually), progesterone levels drop signifying impending labor. That drop in progesterone causes the girls temperature to drop by a full degree… a sure sign of impending labor. Another way to monitor that progesterone level is a simple blood test. We want to make absolutely sure her progesterone levels drop, and puppies are “ready” to be born, before they do that C-section.

Vee is about a week behind Deja and also pregnant. She, will have that pre-whelp x-ray to count skulls and spines (to know how many puppies to expect). She is scheduled for her C-section on 4/30; her actual due date.

Vee is also spending a lot of time “growing puppies”.

Meanwhile both girls are ravenously hungry! When they aren’t sleeping, that is. They are getting moderate exercise but separate from my more rowdy dogs. It is just an added precaution but neither need to be darting and diving for say a tennis ball! And as those puppies grow… Many more potty breaks for both provided these days!

I’m still waiting for my collars to arrive. They said they’ve shipped but this certainly is NOT Amazon which we’ve become so used to in regards to fast shipping. Fortunately, I do have “plan B” if they don’t arrive in time.

This weekend is pullout and clean/bleach “puppy stuff”! I will feel good being “ready” with things set up; I just hate leaving anything to the last minute! That is IF the weather cooperates?

I WILL try my hardest to keep folks updated but please know, my first priority will be mom’s and puppies health. That first few days (actually first week) is so critical in monitoring mom’s and puppies health for any problems. Just as soon as I’m sure all are doing well, we get to go through the entire process again with Vee. This is the hardest part/time, in my experience. Then, the next “hard time” starts again at around 4-5 weeks when we start transitioning puppies onto solid food.

Lastly, and really sort of silly are “technical difficulties”! As we’ve all experienced, just when you’ve learned a new program/software, they change it with “new and improved” functions! What used to be easily done now takes longer to figure out how something new works! I guess this is “good” as it keeps our brains thinking/working but yeah… frustrating to figure out how new improvements work too!

Keeping fingers crossed for a safe whelping and healthy puppies! And as I write this, just thought of yet another question for my vet… pain management post C-section? What does she recommend for mom’s surgical pain that won’t cross over into milk and sedate puppies? Hmmm??? I guess we cross that road when we get to it. I’ve already been told that due to Covid and mandates, only one person will be allowed “to help”, sigh! I will help the techs “revive” puppies; hubby will be waiting to help wherever he is allowed? It would just about kill me to NOT be with my momma’s and babies in real time! Maybe by some miracle, our Covid mandates will be lifted in the next few weeks? One can certainly hope!!

Happy 7 Weeks Old

Vet visit, vaccinations, car ride and… Oh my!

Whew! What a day!! Puppies taken into the vet for their exams and first vaccinations… A LOT for any puppy! I have to say, every puppy sailed through their exam and although I am watching puppies closely today for any signs of a vaccination reaction, all puppies are eating well and continue to play hard. And… all did very well for their first car ride too!

On to their last week from me… Such a happy time for new owners but a bittersweet time for me. I’ve LOVED the time I’ve spent with ALL of these puppies. I need to double check with both Donna and Corrie on when you both would like to come pick up puppies? Bad me for not writing it down since you’ve probably told me? Could you both let me know when you get the chance, please.

We’ve also done stacked photos of puppies on the table. I think ALL of the puppies are STARS!

Black Collar Boy: Donna & Doug’s new family member!

Dark Blue Boy (no collar here): Sydney’s new family member

Light Blue Boy: Denna & Jim’s new family member

Red Collar Girl: She is staying with us!

Pink Collar Girl: Jill & Mike’s new family member

Purple Collar Girl: Corrie & Brett’s new family member

Happy 6-Weeks Old!

Puppies are much more active these days. They LOVE being outside to explore their surroundings!

LOTS of new experiences for puppies this week! Developmental leaps and bounds! Puppies keep us really busy along with caring for our other critters too! All the puppies are eating dry food now. I’m feeding a little over 1/2 cup per puppy three times per day now. When puppies go to their new homes, you will feed about 1 cup per feeding. I doubt they will eat the entire cup of food but you will know they’ve eaten enough (after 15 minutes of feeding or when puppy becomes distracted. Then just pick up the feeding bowl. Puppy has eaten his/her fill.) And again, when puppy shows little interest in that mid-day feeding, you will know you can eliminate that feeding and go to your permanent twice per day feeding schedule. (Usually at around 3-4 months of age).

Pink Girl “caught a tail”! Well at least until the other puppy gets mad!

Puppy poops are firming up more now too which is a good thing! We are in the process of drying up Deja who still wants to nurse her babies. And puppies LOVE nursing on Deja even though they bite her now.

Puppies LOVE being outside! They play hard (and then sleep hard)!

Puppies weight this week has everyone around 8 lbs. Light Blue Boy weighed in at 7 lb 14 oz so he has effectively “caught up” to his siblings. Purple Girl and Dark Blue Boy have both hit 9 lbs (9 lbs 4.6 oz and 9 lbs even respectively). Pink Girl will hit 9 lbs today, I suspect, weighing in at 8 lbs 15.6 oz yesterday! Puppies are usually 10-12 pounds by the time they are 8 weeks old. We are right on target for those weights. And… All the puppies have had their third de-worming, dosage based on their individual weights. This is common practice with puppies to ensure their health. Roundworms are dormant and become “active” during whelping and through lactation. Treating them now as young puppies immune system are being built up fosters their health now. Later, puppies will start heartworm preventaive meds that will continue to prevent “wormy puppies”!

In other news…

Light Blue Boy went to the door this morning to be let outside to potty. I think he is absolutely BRILLIANT! Of course the other puppies went outside also and had to potty too but watching this bitty puppy sit at the backyard door and look up willing it to open/be let outside… BRILLIANT!

ALL the puppies have met my barn kitty! “Gusto” has taught many puppies to respect cats although he is very gentle with puppies!

Definition of a happy puppy? One who can play in the water and dirt!

Black Boy deciding what to do next? He LIKES the shade he’s found!

Pretty, pretty head piece on this puppy!

Yep, she is a little piranha! Those puppy teeth are SHARP!

5 Weeks Old Today

Feeding schedule and other info

And just like that, it seems, pups are growing up! Puppies now go outside several times per day (and are doing a great job pottying outside!) They all have found the “hole” Deja has dug where she only THOUGHT she would have her puppies! Puppies like to dig in this hole unearthing the cool dirt. Fortunately, the area is dry so the dirt just brushes off puppies. This is a really good thing for folks to know… No matter how dirty puppy/dog seems to be, let them dry off and much of the “dirt” will fall off or be easily brushed off. Crate puppy/dog until they are dry and voila… clean(er) dog again!

Puppies learn SO MUCH from each other! One of the most important things learned… bite inhibition! Red Girl is going to tolerate that puppy playing with her unless that puppy gets too rough. Then, she’ll let him/her know… NOT COOL!

If you are going to “play rough”, you’ve got to be ready to get it back in return!

Light Blue and Pink playing… Like kids, they use their mouths for everything!

Puppies have more toys now including a small child/toddler’s slide… They love climbing up the little steps and sliding down the slide! “King of the Slide” IS a thing here! And they now have yet another newcomer to play with… A rather large stuffed tiger that tolerates their tugging, climbing all over, and snuggling with.

Having them outside in our covered dog run is still iffy, in my mind. It really depends on the weather and heat. They are 100% safe in the run with LOTS of room to run and play except for the heat (and humidity). I’m really following the big dogs lead… If they don’t want to go outside, I figure they know best! Regardless, hubby has now put up additional shade clothes over the run to give puppies more shade but really… It depends on the heat! Pups still prefer to sleep on the concrete (cooler) and enjoy the AC in our dog room!

Successful attack of that menacing tree branch!

Pups are in and out of the shadows where it is cooler!

Deja continues to nurse puppies a handful times per day but puppies are getting the majority of their nutrition from solid food. And all are drinking from the water bowl although we still have a few who try to “swim” in the bowl! Regarding feeding, puppies go to new homes eating three meals/day. About one cup of food per puppy per feeding. They will probably NOT eat all of that food so don’t be alarmed if they don’t eat it all. I just figure it best for them to get their fill than leave feeding time “hungry”. You can always re-feed any leftovers at the next meal time.

At around three months of age, they will start showing little interest in the mid-day feeding. They may eat some then prefer to play instead of eating. That is when you will know you can quit that mid-day feeding. Puppy is just not that hungry anymore. That is the time you will go to twice/day feedings; still one cup per feeding morning and night.

I just LOVE this photo of Red Girl! Deja went inside and she is trying to figure out, “where did mom go?”

Moxie has no interest in “nursing” Deja so… she tries to get Deja to play with her instead. Deja is SUCH a good dog tolerating Moxie’s antics!

Regrouping, no doubt! “Which way shoud we go next?”

When your puppy is getting their series of vaccinations from your vet, puppy will be weighed. So often, folks get caught up with the number. A better guide for weight is “how does the dog look?” I’m attaching two guides that I use frequently to gauge weight in my dogs. These guides have nothing to do with a number but more on how your dog “looks/feels”.

VNT1503-Ackerman-Fig2 — The BEST way to describe how fat/thin your dog should be! Use this guide!!

P.S. Sorry for being a day late! Computer glitch and internet down yesterday afternoon! Ahh… the love-hate relationship with technology!!

Potty Talk

And you may have thought canned pumpkin was only good for making pies…

Yep, two of the big four things we all monitor in our dogs to ensure their good health. We want to make sure they are eating and drinking well but also peeing and pooping! And they are all related…

Puppies start off getting all of their nutrition and liquid from “mom” until they transition to eating on their own. They learn to bite/chew instead of just sucking. To help with this transition, we start them all off on Puppy Mousse also called “starter”. Many breeders have nicknamed this “Puppy Crack”… they LOVE IT! So what’s the problem? This is a very rich, nutrient-dense, canned food and yep, we now have problems on the other end with loose stools! Now there are alot of reasons for loose stools, especially in puppies, why am I blaming the “Puppy Crack”? Because Deja is having problems with this rich, canned food too. She frequently “cleans up” what puppies don’t finish at meal time so yep… We have a potty problem with her also!

The first thing I did was eliminate the canned food. Puppies all have teeth now and have learned to chew so all are doing really well on the softened “maternal/puppy food” we start them off on. You may slightly soften your food when puppy first goes home but they will quickly do well on their dry food. (You might also go back and soften their food again at around four months of age when they are teething again and getting their permanent teeth. You may notice they start eating slower; softening their food with plain water may help with those sore gums?)

The second thing I’ve done is treat all the puppies with Benebac; a probiotic easily administered to puppies. You can buy Benebac from Amazon and probably any of the big box pet stores (although I do buy from Amazon and always have “on hand” when I have puppies). You can also buy from your vet if digestive problems arise later although for bigger dogs (any dog already eating well), Forti Flora from Purina (obtained from your vet) is probably the best probiotic to give your dog should you later encounter tummy/digestive issues.

Three weeks difference in age! Moxie on left; red collar girl on right

The third thing and really what I want everyone to know is… the miracle of canned pumpkin! NOT pumpkin pie filling that also comes in a can but the actual, plain, pureed pumpkin that comes in a can and that you can buy at almost any grocery store. This IS the “metamucil for dogs”! It will help if a dog is constipated or if a dog has loose stools! And yes, it will turn stools a lovely orange color! We ALWAYS have several cans of pumpkin in the pantry and ALWAYS travel with canned pumpkin also (a time when dogs can get upset tummies)!

Puppy pile (yes, Moxie is in between two of the younger pups).

So puppies all received a good dollop (several tablespoons to go around) of canned pumpkin and already stools are firming up! YEAH! It will take a few days for the canned food to get out of their system but we are headed in the right direction.

Now, this is NOT to replace vet/medical treatment if puppy/dog suddenly has a problem without a discernable reason; if they do, a trip to the vet is always in order. But feeding plain, canned pumpkin won’t hurt them. Most dogs like the naturally sweet puree and gobble it down… Puppies included.

With the puppies, I KNOW they have not been exposed to giarrdia or coccidia; both organisms that can cause loose stools. And if stools don’t firm up with what I’ve done, I will talk to my vet to have them tested/treated. But I do want folks to know about the use of canned pumpkin.

As an aside, you definitely do not want your dog to get fat! Feeding canned pumpkin as a “filler” can also help with “dieting” to get a few of those pesky extra pounds OFF your dog. NOT the reason I fed pumpkin to the puppies but just a good thing for folks to know.

In other news… Deja now has EIGHT puppies! We now have “Moxie”; a Rooster sired puppy that joined our household yesterday. Moxie is only a few pounds bigger than the puppies and believe me, they are ganging up on her more than she is on them! She sleeps with them at night but is out with the “big dogs” during the day. Of course, she is fed separately than the puppies too. Moxie is still adjusting to being in a new household much like your puppies will be doing in a few weeks when they leave us. And thankfully, I have “help” caring for them all although adding her to the web site may take awhile yet!

Rooster and daughter, Moxie… Rooster is an incredibly gentle and tolerant dog! Happy Birthday, Rooster (he turned 7 on Saturday, 8/3/19!)

The End… And New Beginnings

So tempted to keep one of these puppies!

Puppies will be leaving for their forever homes this week. It is the end of watching these babies grow and develop but the beginning of their new lives in their forever homes. I feel very fortunate to have been invited out to play with puppies frequently and watch these babies grow. Such a consistent, healthy litter!

I’m so very proud of the CH Rooster x Charlie puppies… I know they will bring much joy to their new families!

Puppy Breath!

Working together for a common goal… preserving and protecting our breed

Ahh… Puppy Breath! What could be sweeter than playing with an 8-week-old puppy? NOT MUCH!

Mr. Camo (colored collar) was my “pick” boy from a fellow breeder’s litter. I just loved everything about this puppy when asked to come out to see/evaluate the puppies at 49 days of age. Today, a week later, he came to visit me hours before going to his new “forever” home. His breeder wanted me to double check to see if I could feel both testicles; to determine if both had descended? I felt both although one had not fully descended or better put… It kept moving up and down which can be common in 8 week old boys.

Puppy had so much fun playing in the snow.

After poking and prodding, Mr. Camo got to run around my yard and even had a “meet and greet” with my barn kitty who is very used to puppies and pays them no mind. What a great way to start the day… Playing with this puppy before he makes some family incredibly happy who have, no doubt, waited quite some time for their new fluff ball of joy!

Gusto, my kitty, is used to puppies. He does his best to ignore them! Puppy was very cautious and polite in his greeting.

This is what fellow breeders do to help each other. We evaluate each others litters objectively realizing NO puppy is “perfect”. We share information we’ve learn with our litters and experience to help each other realizing that if you do this long enough, you will eventually have a problem you know nothing about. Collectively, we offer support, compassion, and of course… share that puppy breath.

Even with the snow, this puppy’s movement and foot timing is easily seen. LOVELY reach and drive as he makes his way through the snow!

But most of all, we share our love for our breed… the Golden Retriever! While there isn’t anything cuter than an 8-week-old puppy, it is the breed, as a whole, we care about most. It is our love for the breed that binds us all together.

Miss Purple Collar sharing a moment with her breeder.

What A Week!

Happy/sad time as pups leave to their new homes ready for new adventures!

What an amazing week this has been! LOTS happening every day!

First, we had a fantastic visit with Sherry from California as she came out to see ALL the puppies and ended up going home with “Black Boy/Trek”. THANK YOU Sherry for all your help with the puppies entertaining/socializing them every day and helping me give everyone baths. Puppies had strict orders to STAY CLEAN for their new families which, for the most part, they did! It was great to talk “all things dog” with someone I very much respect in the dog world. You kept saying how it was a vacation for you, Sherry, but it was really a vacation for me! I can’t wait to watch Trek, grow up… I/we are so excited about his future!

“Trek”… STUNNING boy!! Love him to pieces!!

On Friday, we celebrated Rooster’s (CH Gaitway-Jema’s Kiss And Tell, BISS, CGC) 6th birthday. He is such a special boy; he means the world to me! His accomplishments IN the ring pale by comparison to the assistance he so readily gives as a Mobility Assistant Service Dog… He just KNOWS when I need his help!

On Friday, Orange Girl (now known as “Westie”) went to her new home. While this starts the beginning of the puppies going to their new homes, I can’t help but feel a tad sad until I see the smiles from the new families. This may be an end to “the puppies” for me but it is just the beginning of their new wonderful lives with their new families! I’ve no doubt they will hit the ground running ready to take on this new adventure! CONGRATULATIONS to all on your new family companions!!

Saturday was the big “going home” day and now… I’m exhausted! We have one more puppy that is leaving tomorrow and then… I will just have my puppy left. It will feel SO STRANGE just feeding ONE PUPPY after “Zoey” leaves!

Black Boy is now known as “Trek”
Orange Girl is now known as “Westie”
Green Boy is now known as “Finn”
Blue Boy is now known as “Ziggy”
Purple Boy is now known as “Eddy”
Pink Girl is now known as “Gracie”
Lime Green Girl is now known as “Charley”
Yellow Girl is now known as “Zoey”
Red Girl is now known as “Vee”

For anyone who has not seen the vid of the puppies playing on the pool cover, they had a BLAST! Talk about getting their “sea legs”! Bouncing around, it was like a Bouncy House for puppies! All of the pups quickly thought this was great fun; another surface mastered by all!

Sunday, August 5, 2018… The blog entry that never ends (LOL!)

I fell asleep at 8:30 p.m. and was up by 4:30 a.m. this morning… Where is the COFFEE! Going through a few more of the photos taken last week and wanted to share:

Puppies play hard with each other but now need to learn you aren’t another puppy for them to climb all over! Gently “correcting” this behavior now will ease your puppy’s transition into your home!

It is easy to forget the pupies are like babies… they “explore” everything with their mouths!

And I “taught” them how to “dig”! If you have an area you can “give” to the pups to dig, they would be so happy! Think of it like a sandbox for a child. It will help them NOT dig where they shouldn’t if they have their own “spot” to “play”.

Our little “water feature” on our back patio where EVERYONE uses as a recirculating drinking bowl! At least none of the pups thought to actually climb into the fountain (I half expected some might try to do that, LOL!)

We LOVE all of our puppies! Thank you, Andrew, for all of your help loving on the puppies!

Thank you to everyone who has followed the puppy journey here on my blog/web site! I hope to continue to add more photos as the pups grow up and to share their stories of their lives with their new families. It has been a wonderful summer experience for us… a lot of fun, a lot of work, and a lot of memories!! Congrats again to the new owners of my precious babies!

Puppies First Car Ride and Vet Visit

Just another adventure!

It was a busy day yesterday for both the puppies and us going to the vet. Puppies took the whole experience in stride; they did great on the car ride and they did great at the vet office and for their individual exams.

Can you just hear them all… “Are we there yet?”!

Of course EVERYONE thought they were simply adorable! I had a few people ask me if any were for sale? And I had EVERYONE want to touch and pet them (and that would be a NO! The last thing I want is for a puppy to get ill from any type of cross-contamination!) So to answer to all of the “can I say ‘hi’ to the puppies?”… You most certainly can but not with your hands! (I’m so “mean”, LOL!)

It was an incredibly well-run appointment with each puppy being weighed, temp taken, examined, and then vaccinations given (DA2P/Parvo plus oral Bordatella). All hearts were normal; normal heart sounds and all boys had testicles palpitated (a good thing!)

Puppies relaxing in a heap of course! These are the calmest puppies ever…even with the commotion going on around them!

Crates on our crate dolly all tied and wrapped and ready to roll!

Of course, we are watching closely for any adverse reactions. Everyone ate well last night and again this morning. Poops look good. No one is lethargic afterwards either… Whew! I’ll keep an eye on them over the next few days to hopefully continue this trend/behavior!

This CAN’T be comfortable but… When it is time for a nap, you just have to close your eyes!

The drive home was again taken in stride by these confident pups and once parked, they were “let loose”! All come when called (they answer to “puppy” so folks… that may help you as you transition them to learning their real names!)

Another milestone achieved in the puppies lives! Good job babies!!

Lazy Day

A Typical Day With Puppies!

Wednesday, July 18

This morning, the puppy pen was a disaster! It was bad! Bless my dear hubby for cleaning the pen this morning even though he always does the morning clean because this morning… It was exceptionally BAD!

Mark was an hour late for work but he still got the first load going and managed to power-wash the potty boxes. BLESS HIM!! Since then, I’ve been keeping the washing/drying going to get all bedding, etc. clean again, WHEW! (Regular laundry is fit in around puppy bedding, LOL!) This is not something people usually think about regarding puppies but it is a very real “behind-the-scenes” thing that needs to be done!

Pups usually “help” with the morning clean. They like to chase the vacuum cleaner! Some even have started RIDING the vacuum cleaner head as the area is cleaned! Such helpful puppies they are! On this morning, pups got to go out to the indoor/outdoor run! They were thrilled! Running up and down my covered 40′ run means… great muscle strengthening and coordination! And it was outside where I fed them their breakfast.

Watching that thermometer closely (and having a lovely breeze today), I left pups out when I went out to pick up the bowl. Polished clean! Starting for lunch, I will increase food yet again! I actually prefer some food be left so I know EVERYONE got their fill.

Sitting in my study, my window is cracked so I can hear them running and playing. I frequently go into the “dog room” to look out the window to check on them. After a short nap (puppies; not me), I went out to pick up and hose down the run.

YEARS AGO Mark bought me a Honda power washer. I struggled so much with our previous power washer pulling to get it to start. Guys will probably understand the motor, etc. of the Honda but… I can start this power washer myself! I’ve been cleaning my dog runs for years! For the last two years or so, I’ve been recuperating from spine surgery (first surgery “failed” so had to be repeated the following year). I haven’t used MY power washer in quite some time (although Mark has, of course). Today, I was able to pull start and hose down the puppy run! Well, YEAH for me! Now I was very careful to NOT let the blast of the hose anywhere near any puppy but they LOVED splashing on the newly wet concrete! Which gave me the idea…

I pulled out the kiddie pool and a different hose (because I remembered how hard it is to ATTACH the hose to the power washer) to fill up the kiddie pool. Then, each pup got to “go swimming”! This time, each pup got to play with the hose and have water from the hose splash and get them wet. And, I placed their indoor slide (which Mark cleaned this morning) so they could slide down the slide into the pool! ALL had a great time!

Because of our cool evenings, the house is opened up for fresh air. It is when I hear the dog room AC kick on, I know it is heating up outside. Time to close up the dog room for sure and probably also the rest of the house (although the dog room is ALWAYS cooler than the rest of the house. For the dogs, of course!)

Lunch fed outside although a few seemed less hungry. That is okay. I’ll pick up now and offer again in a few hours. I’m working on getting the “feeding schedule” closer to what it will be like when puppies leave. When they leave me, they will be on a three feedings per day schedule (with maybe a treat at night). I would like for “lunch” to be closer to noon-1:00 but right now, pups prefer lunch (are more hungry) around 3 p.m. But we’ll get there. For the amount, feed 3/4-1 cup of food/puppy. Again, the goal is that puppy probably will NOT eat all of their food (so the “mom” in all of us will know puppy ate enough; got their fill!) As puppy becomes more active and grows bigger, they will soon be polishing off that 1 cup of food at feeding time!

As an aside and just for reference, my “big dogs” eat 1 cup of adult food per feeding and they are fed twice per day. This is for my girls. Rooster is fed 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups of food twice/day. It depends on how active they are and how they are looking. When you are feeding, it is a great time to “feel their ribs”. You want to be able to feel their ribs without them being “bone-y”. If you can’t feel ribs at all, time to cut back on food/feeding! This is for adult dogs but… You can get in the habit now with puppy of checking ‘how they feel’. One of the easiest ways to assess your dog’s weight is by using the “knuckle test”:

Another chart you’ll probably see at your vet’s office is the hand’s-on guide for evaluating weight. It will probably look something like this:

Illustrations of Adult Dogs for Weight Evaluation

LATER:

Temp is climbing now; another scorcher of a day! Pups pulled through the doggy door (some came in on their own) to learn how to use. My mistake was in NOT closing the gate… Some puppies attacking me; some running wild! Climbing the single step into the house is no problem for puppies now so I have two puppies in my study, one in the kitchen, and braver ones heading towards the front door! In other words… Puppies EVERYWHERE!

Two by two I pick them up and take back to their puppy pen. I refill their water bowls (they have two now) and everyone immediately pees. REALLY?! You couldn’t have done that OUTSIDE before coming in? Well, my fault really… I woke them up from sleeping. I SHOULD HAVE taken them out on the grass to potty then bring them inside. Oops! Remember that everyone… After eating; when they wake up from sleeping; and last thing before bedtime TAKE THEM OUTSIDE to potty! (I would add when you first take them out of their crate too!)

Everyone is settled down for their afternoon nap. Now… Time for me to go mow the grass! I hope everyone is having a GREAT week so far!! Happy Hump Day!

Sorry this is late posting but I had to get photos uploaded, etc. And then… there is always “other stuff” to get done 🙂 And now… It is almost the weekend! YEAH!

I will share that every year we get a pair of nesting hummingbirds although we are not really in their flight/migratory pattern. Well the babies have just left the nest and we now have hummers EVERYWHERE! SO MUCH FUN watching them fly from flower to tree to flower!