Cranes & other Wild Things

Hi, everybody! Daisy Jones-Klein here, updating you on the week's events. I'm filling in for Dad, who spent Sunday sleeping in, watching TV, and generally goofing off. He said it was Father's Day, although it seemed pretty much like what he usually calls "weekend".

It was a pretty good week to be Daisy, as most weeks tend to be. Lots of work still going on here, both outside and inside the new house, with lots of strangers coming and going (yummmm .... ankles!) which generally means I spend a lot of the day in time-outs.

We had a crane at the house this week, helping to move rocks and trees around. My Peeps seemed to get very, very quiet when these one or two-ton boulders were being lifted over the house. It would not have been a good time for me to be barking or biting:

And one of the rocks they moved was hooked up to be a fountain or something. I thought it was really nice for them to put an extra water dish outside for me, even if this one is a little taller than me:

And with a few trees and a fountain in place, it got a little less dusty, and some birds came by and started to build a nest up in the beams. Anyone know what the little red speckled birds are called? Just curious ... squirrels and bunnies are more my snack preferences, you know!

But when I'm not kept off limits, I've been a lot of help! We assembled the shelves we got at Costco:

And up the street we saw an excavator, and I offered to help. Jack Russell Terriers were bred to be diggers, you know:

And we went next door to a place they call The Bishop's Lodge. It's an old hotel and resort tucked in the mountains.

And at Bishop's Lodge, they've got horses too, and some are so big that their peeps have to sit on them to take them for their walk!

I barked at them, of course, because ... well, that's just what I do. But they didn't seem to mind, even if my Peeps were a little annoyed. But then we went back home and watched the sunset, curled up in a favorite chair, and called it a day. Hope your week was as good as mine!

     
Daisy Jones-Klein

Introducing: The DaisyCam

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zzzzz ........Oh ... hi everyone! Daisy Jones-Klein here again. I wasn't really napping; I was, ummm, collecting my thoughts and planning out the rest of the day. Yeah, that's it. Definitely not napping! You see, Jack Russell Terriers are working dogs, and it certainly wouldn't be fittin' for me to be lying down on the job.

And there's lots to do on this job! For instance, I help Mom check the perimeters:

I pin down sunbeams to keep them from escaping, and believe me, there are lots of them here:

I go exploring to see what's new:

And of course I help out with all the unpacking:

And I'm on the lookout for other furry beasts. Normally I don't get along well with other dogs, but I finally found one that seems both cute and friendly. Good lookin', too.  Quite the catch, if I must say!

And because there's so much to my job, and also since Santa Fe's into healthy lifestyles, I've started a training regime to keep myself fit. That's important! Once you're over 10 years old, you'll appreciate what I'm saying here.

FUN FACT!! If you Google the phrase "favorite dogblogger" -- in quotes -- this blog is at the top of the Google charts! Pretty good for a rescue dog, huh? Thanks to you all, Gentle Readers, for helping me to think big.

 
Readers have also been asking me "Daisy, why don't you show us more pictures of the house?" Good question! But have you ever tried working the buttons on one of those little cameras with your paws? Not so easy, huh? So I got my Peeps to rig up a DaisyCam to my collar, and now I can let you see things as I see them. And for those of you taller than about 1'3'', sorry about the close-to-the-floor perspective -- I'm a Jack Russell Terrier after all, not a Great Dane!

Let's start our tour by coming in the front door. Still lots of boxes and not much furniture, so we'll keep moving ...

... into the kitchen, and around the island ...

... then out to the portal. My Peeps tell me there's a view on the other side, but these stucco walls are waaaay too high for me to verify that:

Back inside, past Mom & Dad's room ...

... then to the big bathroom. WARNING!! DANGER!!! DO NOT go past that glass door! I made that mistake a few days ago, and water came down all over me and I was all soaped up before I could escape. It took two whole days before I could regain my old familiar funky smell!

Then up the steps to where Mom & Dad do their work:

Dad's office has lots of piles and boxes; much better for sniffing around:

Mom's office seems to be much tidier. And it also has those comfy chairs:

.... which is where I'm going to put away the DaisyCam and stay for a little nap .... ummmm, wait ... I mean collect my thoughts and plan what's next.

Hope your days are also productive! Back with you in a few . . .

     
Daisy Jones-Klein

The Google picks the Topic

We wondered what, if anything, we had to say that'd be of interest. So we sought some advice from the Internets, by doing the Google.

FUN FACT! Did you know that if you Google the phrase "I like reading about", using quotes, you get about 1,950,000 hits. That's a lot of readers! Next, add a word to the phrase to narrow down the topic. This is what we found:

"I like reading about...":

•      unpacking:                  0 hits
•      moving:                       0 hits
•      minutiae of daily life: 0 hits

Hmmm ... perhaps it's time for a topic change. Let's try "I like pictures of". 532,000 hits, another promising start! So, continuing:

"I like pictures of...":

•      unpacking:                  0 hits
•      moving:                       5 hits
•      minutiae of daily life: 0 hits
•      sunsets:               2,570 hits
•      dogs:                  11,300 hits
•      flowers:             23,700 hits

The Internets have spoken! Sunsets, dogs, and flowers it is!

Monday was a cloudy and rainy day, unusual but always welcome here in the high desert. Early in the evening the cloud cover lifted just enough to give a peek:

Tuesday was more of a classic New Mexican sunset. But we're told it doesn't get boring:

Meanwhile, Daisy, everybody's favorite dogblogger, seems to be increasingly comfortable in her new surroundings. Around the house she's finding new siesta spots (particularly on furniture she's not supposed to be on), wrestling with Dad, protecting Mom's feet, and even helping with the dishes:

Outside the house, Daisy's getting ever more adventurous. For our first few days here, she was a "don't wanna go" machine, pulling back on the leash as we walked away from the house, and pulling us toward the house on the way back. Now she's eager to get out and about, discovering new smells and nooks and crannies among the rocks:

 

The desert flora is coming into full bloom. With the big vistas, it's easy to get lost in looking toward the horizon for miles and miles. Daisy's nose to the ground is helpful here, reminding us of the beauty in every little detail:

We'll stay on the lookout for interesting topics and pictures for Daisy's faithful readers and be back with you in a few days. In the meantime, it's back to unpacking for us .... but Google says you don't want to hear about that!


     
Dan & Robbyne