Snow and yard work 11/18/14

Hi pals, Puffy and Mei-Ling here,

As momma and daddy feared, it snowed a few days ago at our place and the workers have yet to return to finish the yard work that they started and messed up.  Our water pipes are still exposed and with the temperatures getting colder and colder, it's only a matter of time before the pipes freeze and burst.  The boss of the workers said he hired a new employee to come out to our house last Saturday to begin the retaining wall construction but no one showed up.  When daddy called and told the boss that he was tired of all the excuses and delays, he was told they didn't come out because it snowed in Gallup so they assumed it was snowing at our place also.  We did get a light dusting of snow on Friday, but by Saturday it was nice and sunny and the snow was melting.   So here we are at Tuesday, a fine sunny day with the temperature hovering around 20 degrees but come night and early morning hours before the sun come up, it is about 4 degrees. 

The boss man insisted that he would have a crew out at our home TODAY to jackhammer out all the messed up concrete.  Now, not only will we have lots of nasty noise, but without the messed up concrete, there will be more mud as the snows come and melt (actually I enjoy the mud but can really do without all the feetsie washes).  It is 9:15AM, and we are waiting for the workers to show up.  Momma checked the weather forecast and more snow is supposed to happen on Friday...

Workers finally showed up after 10AM but weren't able to jackhammer out the messed up concrete because they didn't have a jackhammer!  They tried to a heavy hammer and chip it out but noticed concrete flying all over the place and were afraid that they were going to break momma's glass French doors so they stopped.  They also didn't bring the huge concrete saw so they weren't able to cut any of it out either.  They are supposed to come back tomorrow:the saga continues....

To go with Zoe's beautiful sunrise we thought you might like to see a colorful sunset... 

Same sunset but picture taken from a slightly different angle...

 

Hey Puffy, what are you doing?

Mei-Ling, do you want to try my popsicle?  It's really tasty as you have to do is lick it...

#&^@!  My tongue is stuck...

 

I bet all you smart pups knew that would happen, didn't you?  Don't worry it wasn't cold enough to keep her stuck too long - DARN!!!  I was enjoying some peace and quiet.

 

Here I am showing Mei-Ling snow.   

 Excuse me while I piddle on the construction blocks...

 

 This is the walkway that is supposed to be jackhammered out and re-done...

 

Yup, that's me piddling on some more blocks - BOL, BOL...

 Look at all our feetsies prints in the snow.  I'm checking out Mei-Ling's behind to make sure it's nice and clean - BOL, BOL

 

These blocks are for the retaining wall that hasn't been constructed yet...

 Mei-Ling didn't quite know what to make of the snow but after a bit decided that it tastes pretty good...

 Mei-Ling still not quite certain of what all this white stuff is.  Wait until she is made to go outside when it is actually snowing.  I think she is going to enjoy it...

 

 A guy can never piddle too much - BOL, BOL.

 

Puffy and Yard updates 11/13/14

Hi everyone, Mei-Ling here....

Momma has been noticing a lot of changes in my furbrother Puffy.  She says he is wearing out and that she suspects his time is coming to join Coco Rose over at the Rainbow Bridge.  He was taken to the vet last week for a check-up and since he has a host of health issues, they did not offer any good news.  Not only is he experiencing piddling issues, now he also seems to be "spacy" as momma puts it.  He stands around and looks lost or just starts barking at nothing.  Being the nice little fursister that I am, I try to join in on the barking, but I don't have a clue as to what we are barking at.  For now, the vet isn't changing any of his medications and since Puffy wants to sleep all the time, that is what he is allowed to do.  Of course that doesn't exactly make me happy because I WANT TO PLAY.  Momma and daddy are both taking a lot of time to let me chase and bring back my ball to them so that helps.

In regards to the work being done in our courtyard and the retaining wall all I can say is WHAT WORK?  Yup, almost nothing has happened from the last posting.  Yesterday, the workers came out and brought some more blocks for the retaining wall but once they were unloaded, they left.  Our water lines and electrical lines remain exposed from where the workers had dug trenches to extend the electrical line to the gate because daddy wants to put in a security fence that opens with a code punched into a pad. 

We haven't had any rain last week but we are expecting freezing cold and possible snow this week.  This is not good for exposed water lines as they can freeze and burst.  Not sure when the workers are coming back as they tend to show up "at will".  Sure hope this project is done soon....

Mei-Ling

Waiting for workers 11/03/14

Hi pals,  Puffy and Mei-Ling here...

We are waiting around to see if the workers who are supposed to be working on our retaining wall and cement are going to show up.  Yesterday, the weather forecast was for scattered showers and the possibility of SNOW!  Well it did rain a bunch and made everything muddy (ask me how many feetsies washes Mei-Ling and I had to have - I had three and smarty pants Mei-Ling only needed one) but there wasn't any snow.  All this outside work is wearing us down and the whole family wishes it was all finished and the workers out of here.  This work was supposed to have been done over one month ago but it just doesn't seem to get done correctly.  They still have to jack hammer out some of the concrete and then re-pour it.  Anyhow, that's our gripe for the day - We hope all our pals have a wonderful week.

This, that and whatevers 10/28/14

Hi pals, Mei-Ling here...

We still have not gotten our courtyard or retaining wall done.  Yup, it's been over two months and the work isn't completed and some of the so called "completed" work has to be ripped out and re-done.  I think momma better plan on cooking a big turkey for Thanksgiving because it doesn't look like these workers are ever going to be gone.

 Here is a photo of the courtyard walkway where some worker walked in the wet cement...

That same worker didn't bother to make sure the concrete was all the way to the form...I think he got fired because now they have to jackhammer out the set concrete and do it all over again.

Now on to the more important thing, ME!  I am four months old and looking very, very pretty, even if I do say so myself. 

Here I am in my new coat with flowers on the hoodie.  It also has a pretty bow on it.

Momma says I'm going to need a coat because it is starting to get colder now...

Momma has been letting my hair grow so she can put it in a top knot.  She put a ribbon in it but it is still too short so I've been walking around with hair hanging in my eyes.  Not being able to see well hasn't stopped me from taking stuffies and food away from Puffy - BOL, BOL.

I'm being very good about letting momma comb me but that might change when my double coat come in when I get to be about 6 months old because that's when all the tangles really start to be a problem.

My furbrother Puffy and I get along real well and I love to play with him although he doesn't like to play as much as I do.  I also love, love, love, LOVE  to yap at him - BOL, BOL.  Daddy and momma are constantly telling me to "STOP" but I have a lot to say and I'm not going to be silenced. 

 "Um, Mei-Ling, I was playing with that."  "Too bad Puffy, if you want it back you're going to have to wrestle me for it."

 "The stuffie is MINE! Get off of me Mei-Ling!"

"Nope, not going to happen Puffy.  Momma said you have to share the stuffies." 

 "Mei-Ling, I don't mind sharing, but you can't just take the stuffie I'm playing with away from me.  That's rude!"

 "But Puffy, it's the only way I can get you to play with me."

 "Mei-Ling, I'm an old pup, my back hurts and just do not have your youthful energy.  Why don't you just lie down next to me and we can have a nice long nap?"

"How about I give you a really nice back rub instead?"

 "Does your back feel better now?"  "Yes it does Mei-Ling! Thank you, but I'm still ready for a nap."

 "You didn't really think I was going to continue to play with her did you?  She wears me out!"

"It's going to be a long time before I give him another back rub!"

Let me tell you about what happened yesterday 10/16/14

Hi pals, Puffy here...

Yesterday was not a very good one here at our home.  We had five workers show up around 9 AM to do the concrete work but the concrete company had a truck break down so everyone was standing around doing nothing until late well after 2PM when the truck with concrete finally arrived.  Since it was delivered late in the day, all the work couldn't be done. 

Momma feeling sorry for the five workers decided to bake some cupcakes for them, but she is still having issues with getting recipes that work at high attitudes, at least that is what she is blaming it on.  Momma mixed up all the ingredients and put them in the oven to bake.  She set the oven timer so she would know when to take them out and came back to the bedroom to watch the ID channel, which has all kinds of programs regarding murders, kidnapping, stalking, and other nasty things that humans do and promptly forgot that she was baking (do you see where I'm going with this)?

Anyhoodle, when momma remembered, she hurried to the kitchen and discovered there was still four minutes on the timer so she wasn't late, but smoke was coming out of the oven.  Momma turned on the oven light to see if there was a fire in it (there wasn't), so she opened the oven door and discovered the cupcakes had risen above the container and spilled onto the hot oven then collapsed like flat pancakes back into the cupcake tin.  There was no saving these cupcakes so momma removed them from the oven and put everything into the sink.  Everything would have been just fine except now momma needed to clean the oven and since it was still hot, she didn't think she should try to clean up all the spilled cupcake batter from the bottom of the oven because she didn't want to get burnt.  Any smart person would have waited for the oven to cool off, then wipe off what could be removed before setting the oven on self clean, but we are talking about my momma here so bear with me.

Momma told daddy what happened and that she needed to clean the oven so she could use it to make dinner later.  She warned him that he would probably be a "little" smoke but not to get alarmed because it would be the spilled stuff getting incinerated.  Need I tell you that there was more than a "little" smoke?  OMD, smoke was bellowing from the oven like you wouldn't believe.  Momma had the hood fan going and ran around and opened every window in the house but there was so much smoke coming from the oven that our house was filled with smoke in no time but for some reason the smoke alarm didn't go off like it should have..  Mei-Ling and I were running around in a panic so we were herded back into our bedroom where the smoke hadn't invaded and momma shut the door to keep it smoke free.  After about one hour, the smoke finally stopped but the house was so filled with smoke that it took hours for it to dispel.  Momma was able to use the oven to make dinner and after dinner, she decided to use the left over cupcake batter to make two cupcakes.  This time momma put the batter into individual small cake pans and then put those pans into s lager container just in case the batter should again spill over the top of the cake pan.  Mei-Ling and I settled down on the bed to watch Survivor and forgot all about the cupcakes - Yup, she did it again!  Daddy came into the bedroom and told momma that she had something BURNING IN THE OVEN - BOL, BOL.  Momma jumped up and went into the kitchen and yup, the cupcakes had again spilled over, flattened out and now were burning in the oversized pan.  The good news is that they didn't make a mess in the oven again but even today, our house still smells like something burned in it - BOL.

So today the workers are back and were doing the concrete but their boss showed up and everyone got in trouble.  In fact, the boss was so upset with the work they have done today that he is going to have them jack hammer out the new sidewalk in our courtyard and re-do it plus some of the sidewalk in the back of the house also.  Momma says we will not be happy with a jack hammer making noise but there is nothing that can be done.  It's a shame the boss wasn't here earlier to supervise the workers so this kind of stuff wouldn't have occurred. 

Puffy

The power of plastic 10/12/14

Hi pals, Mei-Ling here...

Let me tell you about this wonderful stuff called "Plastic money".  I was rummaging around in momma's purse and came across one of those magic cards and took it.  Momma did say we shared around here so I felt it was perfectly acceptable for me to make a few phone calls with it.

One bank card and phone - this should be easy....

I'll call Zaidie and increase our order on the MEATZ OF THE DAY deliveries.

I know his number is on instant dial...

Hello Zaidie.  It's me, Mei-Ling from New Mexico.  How are you doing?  Sorry to hear that your beautiful photos have vanished from your blog.  Anyhow, I would like to increase our MEATS OF THE DAY quantities to tide us over for the coming winter.  Here is the number of the bank card...

Could you please repeat that?  My bank card has been declined?  OH NO!!!!  There must be a mistake.  Could you please try again?

Zaidie  again tells me that the bank card is declined and wants to know if I has a different card I would like to try.

Sorry Zaidie, I'll have to call you back in a few minutes....

What am I going to do?  Maybe I can find another bank card in momma's purse...

Well that wasn't easy but I did it.  Now all I have to do is call Zaidie again and increase our MEATZ OF THE DAY order...

Hi Zaidie, it's Mei-Ling again.  Would you please increase our MEATZ OF THE DAY order as discussed earlier?  Here is the new bank card...  Zaidie runs the card number and it is accepted.  Thanks Zaidie, Puffy and I look forward to receiving the extra MEATZ.  I'll be talking to you again soon.  Bye....

Now all I can do is dream about all the extra yummy MEATZ that I am going to get...

 

Something tells me that I am going to get in trouble for this but it will be worth it - BOL. BOL.

Hello - do you remember us? 10/11/14

Hi pals - Puffy and my pesky fursister Mei-Ling here.

Momma has once again neglected to update our blog - she says she has been busy but I know that isn't true.  She just didn't feel like doing it as she says there isn't anything new to write about.

We still have the workers here - they even filled the tree ring up with dirt so daddy can plant the Prairiefire Flowering Crabapple tree can be planted in it. 

Here is the tree ring with the Crabapple tree waiting for daddy to plant it...

We even have some artificial grass that daddy is going to put down after the concrete sidewalk is done.

  Here is the roll of FAKE grass...

Mei-Ling and I are checking out the area where the sidewalk is going to be in our courtyard...

The workers were supposed to be completely finished with our projects this week but as you can see from the above photo and the ones below, that didn't happen.  We have been having rain off and on for several weeks so the poor workers didn't really feel like doing anything.

 Here is where the back sidewalk will be - to the left is where the retaining wall will be built...

The small cylinder green thing in the back ground is the water holding tank for gray water which will be used to water the plants in the green house when it gets built.  Hopefully when everything is done there will be no more trenches and mounds of dirt re-directing the water flow away from our house.

Now, on to more important things - BOL, Mei-Ling has finished all her shots and will be going in for her "big girl surgery" in December or January.  She weighs 5.4 pounds and is very healthy.  I don't growl at her much anymore because when I do, it gets her excited and she just continues on with whatever it was that caused me to growl at her in the first place. 

 We share a nice cool drink of water together...

Now she wants to wipe her wet face all over me...

We played for a while... 

It made her happy...

But even better it made her tired so she went to sleep and I got some peace and quite - BOL, BOL