Enlarging the neighborhood
Cardiff and I have been getting the new house fixed up and accommodating for us. I have to admit to watching more TV since installing the Drive In screen. Even puppy has taken an interest.
We took a trip to the beach last week, starting to navigate around and get a feel for more of the area. It was a gorgeous day that was supposed to rain but just defied the meteorologists for the lols.
Of course I put the long lead on the doggo, and she was at the end of it the entire time. I really wanted to let her loose, but she is so easily distracted and loses her mind when there are so many things to see. I’d never get her to come back, she’d just chase birds - on the ground or in the sky, no matter - and say hello to every human and dog she could find. It was a good trip.
The truck was sandy and damp afterwards, but that’s what trucks are for. And speaking of which, I finally used the winch on the front of my truck. I’ve been hoping I never need to use it, but was digging out bottlebrush trees from the front yard and decided to use modern technology. I hooked that baby up and had the last one pulled out in a couple of minutes. So gratifying after all the hacking, picking, and digging I had done. Of course there’s not enough room in the yard waste container to throw it out, and I’ll have to sneak it into my neighbor’s yard and pretend it’s not mine.
Also, I’ve been cooking more and trying to healthify my diet. It’s amazing how much time all that takes. Thinking up what to eat, purchasing said meal, the actual cooking time, blah blah blah. I can see why people order those services that provide your meals. I need to expand my repertoire further, as I only know how to cook a few things and just keep cycling through them. If only there were a limitless repository of food information available to anyone with a computer or phone…
Our private outside
As I’ve previously posted, my backyard has been positively affected by all the time I’ve been spending with Cardiff there. Today I was doing the now regular cleanup with the leaf blower. She’s so used to it that she chases all the debris as I move. She then also does this really great thing standing or laying in front of me to be blasted by the full force of the blower. It’s so helpful to getting the area clean (not).
You can see her standing in front of me and laughing. The one on the right she’s cosplaying Batdog in the Batmobile.
Because she’s received another round of vaccinations, Cardiff can go on walks in the neighborhood. Still no intensely close contact like dog parks or doggy daycare, but walking around where other dogs have been is now is within reason. We haven’t gone far, but she’s catching on very quick to how the walkies work. She tends towards the sidewalk, and doesn’t yank when there’s an interesting yard. She even saw some lawn ornaments in front of a neighbor’s house and looked back at me like “What the heck are those?” instead of running off. This checking in behavior is great, and she was rewarded with getting to go see them.
She put her nose up to the solar-powered pinwheels and decided they weren’t a threat. The cutout of the snowmen she growled at and shyed away from. I don’t blame her - I don’t like Christmas in December - let alone July.
Being able to go out in public now is a huge deal. We made a couple trips to places, and she loves meeting new people. Of course, she’s the cutest dog any of them have seen.
You’re a prepper, I’m a prepper
At 16 seconds, they start the whole bit…
Today was very productive, as I continue to prep (there’s the tie-in for the title) for the Texas trip I’m not taking. I finished getting the extra key for my truck, I’ve got the premade list for what to bring, I’ve reached out to my contact at the trailer company for any additional details, and I’ll hand it all off to my dad to do the actual drive and retrieval.
Also, Cardiff and I did yard work today. She really wanted to help, meaning she cried and yowled whenever I wasn’t in eyesight. Be aware I have full-on conversations with an animal that is non-speaking and only 10 weeks old. While I was pulling wire down from the outside of the house she refused to help, mumbling something about OSHA and holding the bottom of the ladder. Again when I was trimming the top of a high bush in the back I asked her to work on clearing the branches that were falling, but she said she had “Important Duties” and proceeded to crap on the lawn. (Doodies?)
And she didn’t even pick it up.
You can see in the images below she pretends to investigate my work, then laughs when I ask for real help.
