Fall Fun

The transition from fun-in-the-sun-cabin season to not-the-best-cabin season has begun.  Fall brings the chores of cleaning out the cabin, relocating items back to Duluth, pulling up plants,organizing the storage shed and plenty more that DeeAnn has so well planned and executes seamlessly.  While we winterize the cabin, the dogs play.  They spend less time in the lake and more time chasing each other and rolling in leaves.  The black and white dogs still stand out in a glimpse but Holly often blends in to scenery.  DeeAnn had a red, white and blue bandana that I tied around Holly’s neck, giving a glimpse of some other color besides the golden leaves, both on the ground and yet on trees.   Upon our arrival, we flushed out a grouse just to the side of the cabin.  Holly saw it and starting racing – off to the lake in the opoosite direction from the bird’s path.  Apparently she knows she is not a part of a hunting household, and seems quite relieved that she is not.

Holly has started her intense scratching fits, plus has ear infections, a watery nose and anal gland issues.  I looked it up and it had been 5 months since her first allergy shot.  The vet had informed me the benefits of these shots last up to 6 months, maybe.  I’m still not sure if Holly has allergies but it is seeming that way.  She was more comfortable after her first allergy injection and is showing recurring signs of discomfort at the endpoint of its effectiveness.  I decided to go another round of allergy shots to get more data to assess.  The vet clinic got her in within a day and the night after, she slept through the whole night, or better said – I was not awoken by the thump, thump, thump of her scratching.

With the cooler and shorter days, we have had more house time, with plenty more to come in the near future.  Holly & Helen have not adjusted to this.  When I’m ready to call it a day and am ‘in for the night’, they are often still wide awake, ready to go somewhere and/or do something.  I am going to have to create a list of games and training activities to keep them occupied.  I’m hoping once there is snow on the ground, the backyard will be brighter and  better lit with the skunks and raccoons nestled safely sleeping in their beds deep in the woods.

One activity that will not be on the list is pillow destuffing.  What appeared to be a disaster with a destroyed couch pillow actually turned into a comedy show.  Holly had stuffing hanging down her chin looking as if she had a big bushy beard and much more of the stuffing was on the floor.  The pillow’s zipper had given way from the shake, shake, shake by Holly.  It was easily repaired by placing all the stuffing back inside and zipping it back up again. No harm, no foul.    Holly knew she may have gone a little too far with her pillow play, I guess from my grumbling voice.  I think she got tired of hearing that she was almost 2 years old.  I probably should have left that out of the lecture because I think Holly heard it as permission to be as puppylike as she wishes for the next few weeks.  Seize the day.