The White Stuff

This is what we woke up to this morning. We're expecting snow flurries all day.
Our pumpkins are wrapped in cloaks of white. We like to leave them out for a few weeks and watch to see how their faces change as they decompose. We're weird like that.
The peach tree has finally lost all it's clothes, as my daughter says.
Zuni lives for snowy days. It's fun to watch her joyful romps as she cavorts in the white fluff on the ground. The chickens weren't so sure it was safe to come outside.
The Japanese Silkies, Mr. and Mrs Cotton, seemed the most at home in the snow with their fluffy feathered feet. Sid Vicious and Phyllis Diller, the two Polish chickens were less enthusiastic and crouched down pathetically underneath the chicken house.


We're expecting snow flurries for the next 2 days, followed by sunny days and temps in the 60's. This is typical Autumn in the mountains of New Mexico.

How's the weather in your corner of the world?

Zuni's Graduation

Check out:
Zuni's Graduation

Big little dog~Zuni

Just an updated photo of our German Shepherd puppy, Zuni. The amazing super growing dog!

Zuni's Growing

Zuni's about 3 months old now and has already grown alot since we brought her home a week before Christmas. She has also calmed down a few of her annoying puppy habits, which means less bleeding on our parts. Giving her her own basket of dog toys has really helped. When she forgets that chewing a human is not nice, we offer her a toy, or just tell her, "Get your toy" and off she goes! Zuni is so much fun!

And she is very smart, too. She learns fast and is already mostly house-trained. As long as we remember to take her outside on regular intervals, she makes no messes in the house. And once outside, all it takes, is "Go potty, Zuni" and there she goes. Easy Peasy!

I gave her another bath last week, and lots of puppy fuzz got washed out during the process, replaced with beautiful, glistening, black adult fur.

She is still being crate-traned, especially when we're not home, but she is growing bigger and smarter every day. And we just had to share some gushingly cute photos of our little Zuni.


Zuni's ears are both almost entirely erect now.
Zuni enjoys laying in the sunlight.
Zuni taking a rest from playing with Jenna and one of her favorite toys. We call it the green fluff monster.
Zuni found one of Jenna's plastic food toys.
Taking a rest in the sunlight.

Llamas and Dog Walking

John enjoys taking our German Shepherd Puppy for walks up in the pasture when he lets the llamas out in the morning. Zuni seems to enjoy the walks, too. And the llamas are very curious and like to follow them both around.

To see more llama stories and photos, click here:
More Llama Land

Gratuitus Cuteness

It's only fair, since I've been posting cute pics of our kitties, that I post some of our German Shepherd puppy, Zuni, too. She has been with us since the week before Christmas, and after going to the vet for a check-up, deworming and vaccines, and getting fed regular full meals each day, she has grown alot, filled out, and become a perky, healthy puppy. We all enjoy her very much, well, except for those sharp puppy nippers that mouth everything that moves, including our feet (ouch!).

Now say "Awwwwww!"
And again, "Awwwww, too cute!"
You didn't say it, did you? Zuni is sticking out her tongue at you.
Ok, now you must admit, I'm cute, right?

Playful puppy

While outside today working on the chicken coop, I took some cute pictures of our new puppy, Zuni.
For more pictures of Zuni and our 'almost completed' chicken coop, click:
Laughing Orca Ranch

An Early Christmas Present

We adopted a dog!!

Let me start at the beginning before anyone thinks we just jump out and do things without any thought.
Ten years ago, we had to euthanize our beloved German Shepherd girl, named Cory. She was a big part in our lives for over 13 years. It was so sad for us, but especially for John, that he didn't want to consider adopting any new dogs, but especially not a German Shepherd.
But over the past year or two, John has been talking about finding the perfect German Shepherd to be a part of family once again.
We had decided that we would start looking in the Spring, after we had moved onto our mini-ranch.
Well it appears that those plans have been jump-started!
John was out driving around Albuquerque and happened to notice someone selling puppies from the back of their truck. And of course, those puppies just so happened to be German Shepherds.
And of course, John had to just stop 'and take a look'.
Well the rest is history!

The parents of the puppies were also there and they were gorgeous. John fell in love with the smallest puppy in the litter, but because John had to go back to work, he paid the man the money, and went on his way. But it just so happens that the man selling the puppies lives only 15 minutes away from us, so John made plans to go pick up the puppy after he was done with work.

So, we've had this darling little 7 week old German Shepherd for 3 days now. When she first arrived, she was dirty (I gave her a bath), very skinny with hip bones sticking out, and a bloated belly (worms). She was also not very lively.

Because she had not been given any vaccines or been wormed, John took her into the Vet on Saturday and got all that done. We've been giving her anti-diahrea medicine and along with the food several times a day, the worming and shots, and love and attention.....she is really thriving, full of puppy enthusiasm, and very loving and adorable.

This puppy is so smart. We keep her in the crate at night and when we can't actively supervise her. But she is already letting us know when she has to go potty, and as soon as she's outside, she gets it all done, and wants to go back inside.

John is SO happy. We could never have bought him an store-bought gift that would have brought him this much joy. Yep. He's got Puppy Love!


John taking a little rest on the floor with our new puppy, whose name is now, "Zuni".
Cute little puppy face.