Monday January 17

Cloudy and cool... but still mowers wont start. let dogs out, go back and get tractor, go for morning run ... little Mattie joins us for breakfast. Let dogs out again , another brief run... i turn the tractor off at bottom of hill and play fetch with Snoopy and Corey (I'm putting Corey in a sit-stay when I go to pick up the toy, this is working pretty well) get back on tractor and it wont recrank ... walk back up hill, inform husband, take dogs inside. Brush Corey, look at his toe again, call vet, appointment this afternoon. Eat lunch, load up all dogs (so they can get a ride), start for town, it starts raining. Corey is remarkably good at vet, and we're there a long time. His toe is OK, not dislocated or broken, just another 'chewing injury' (like last fall, he apparently got something stuck in there and chewed it loose, plus chewing his toe)... his ears are bad again, still bacterial infection. Gaave me more antibiotic and an ear wash (which is not oily); now she thinks we may be cleaning his ears TOO much, so only deep clean every 2 weeks. OK, we'll try this method now. Return home, cant stop anywhere, it is pouring now; get home, it has slacked up, let dogs out of van and inside. Am in kitchen fixing their food, husband sitting at table, Damcat comes up the hall, husband tells me to give treats to distract dogs, I do ... throw one to Snoopy who is way in back, she misses it, Banshee dives for it, Snoopy grabs Banshee at back of neck, Banshee scuttles free, growling, separate them, put Snoop and DB outside, finish fixing food, the go out, kennel DB and Snoop, come back and get food and Corey and Banshee. Feed and kennel. Whew.