Brrrrr Baby It’s cold outside.

Looks like winter has finally gotten here. I am so glad we got those dogs placed. I was thinking about that as I was out taking care of my happy hairballs that are here now. I was packing straw into their houses for them to dig down into and play in.

By the time I was finished strawing the houses and feeding and watering everyone I was physically done for. I stopped and just looked at the whole section of empty houses. Smaller houses that it was very difficult to keep enough bedding in to keep them warm and smiled because no one is going to be cold in those this year.

It’s a pleasure to watch the dogs bouncing around and digging in the bale of straw that was put in each of their houses. It was layered in on top of what I had already put in there. Everyone has a 4 by 7 foot house. Plenty of room for bedding and playing when it is wet outside. As well as space for their food.

It’s great to see them warm and happy.

On to happiness; this is the first time in 5 years that I’ve put up a Christmas tree. Granted it is a tiny one, but it has been a pleasure to watch its fiber optic beauty at night. It’s not some kind of protest that kept me from putting up a tree. It had been my health and total exhaustion. Over all things are getting better. I still didn’t get my Christmas cards sent. I like to send cards out to family, friends, and clients. May get a few sent, the rest will have to go to the blogs for Christmas notes and updates at to what’s happening at Robbins Run Ranch, our little home on the high plains.

Yes things are better in our happy home. David seems to be feeling better. I am feeling better. The dogs are doing better.

Much of it is a change in mindset. We made some tough decisions this past year and followed through on them. Much to the dismay of some of our relatives and friends.

In truth some of the decisions we had to make exposed who were actually our friends and who were not. That was an eye opening experience.

Some of it was heartbreaking. Felt a tremendous loss. I learned something though; you can’t lose something that you never really had in the first place.

I learned a couple of other tidbits this past year as well. Not making a choice is making a choice. We have free will, since we do have free will we have responsibility for our lives, all of the choices that we make. This has been a belief of mine for some time; however it really came to the front through the difficult choices this past year.

This sounds a bit trite; however it is so true. You can not help someone that refuses to take responsibility for them selves. You and not help someone that refuses to help them selves. You can try, but all you are doing is enabling a self-destructive behavior. Not to mention putting yourself in a position to be siphoned dry. Siphoned dry physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. Saying no these people can be emotionally crushing.

I am not saying that everyone that has difficulty is refusing to help them selves. I am saying pay attention. Some are making an effort. As much as they can and other’s are leaches. Waiting to suck you dry. It can be a challenge to tell the difference, especially when there are emotional ties involved. Be the ties friend or family or just caring what happens to other people.

Another tidbit I learned this past year. Allow yourself to feel your emotions. I have in the past kept a tight reign on my emotions. Trying to keep going through whatever came up. I am not saying to not keep functioning. I am saying accept and validate your feelings. Whether it is with a therapist, blog, private journal, and boxing bag. Whatever. Allow yourself to experience your emotions.

There are consequences if you do not. Been there, done that, you won’t like it. It goes in phases, from emotions hitting. Which you do not know what to do with because you shut them off behind a dam as soon as they come up. To no feelings at all. To an overwhelming flood of rage, grief, ups, downs, all spinning out of control. Like a river that has burst a dam tearing up all in its path of total destruction.

As strange or painful as it may be; it is much better to work through emotions as they occur. Rather than trying to survive them when they build to a point of tsunami and explode onto the scene.

That’s all for now

Life is a journey, each day is filled with adventure
Mary E. Robbins & the Hairballs
Robbins Run Ranch: Living the Dream With Our Pomeranians
307.788.0202

Snowy Morning on the High Plains

Merry Christmas… It’s 5:38 am Christmas day on the High Plains of Wyoming. The wind is blowing and it is snowing a wet sticky snow. I’m going to see if I can capture some of the beauty with my camera after the sun peeks over the horizon.

I woke up about 45 minutes ago. Ran the house dogs outside to do their business and stood in the door and soaked up the beauty of a small elm tree flocked with fresh snow.

When I first looked out I didn’t see any drifts, selective vision don’t you know…lol. Then I looked more than 2ft in front of my face…lol and of course there are drifts. Like waves on the ocean. It’s not very cold, 28 degrees Fahrenheit by the weather channel on my computer. 38 degrees in this valley by the thermometers on the fence. That explains why the snow is sticking to the walls, trees, fence, everything it comes in contact with. It’s freezing and melting, then freezing again.

God be with the folks on the roads today, they are going to need all the help they can get.

The kennel is quiet, no howling or barking this morning. All the work preparing for winter is benefiting the little hairballs this morning. Hauling straw in and filling their houses, covering the fronts of their pens with tin, as well as half the tops. Gives them added protection from the bone freezing wind chill that comes with storms like this.

This morning my dogs, large and small alike are taking advantage of their houses and the windbreaks around them. It was a gut wrenching, muscle pulling, job getting that tin up and anchored so the wind can’t sail it away. My body still feels like it’s been attacked by an oversized meat tenderizer hammer. Ouch! Painful muscles aside, it’s worth it to have the protection up around the dogs.

Before the influx of rescues this fall my kennel was pretty well prepared with calf hutches for houses and dairy stripping for doors (vinyl strips overlapped hanging from the top of the doorways) It took a gargantuan effort to get the rest of it constructed and prepared for winter. It’s still not the way I’d like it but it’s working. The dogs are doing pretty good over all. Taking care of them is kicking my behind. But they have a place to sleep, water to drink, food to eat, and a visit and pat on the head. Each group has at least 2 dogs in it. So they have company and someone to curl up with.

Truthfully taking care of the dogs is about all that has been getting done. Go out take care of the dogs, come in and collapse. Start functioning again and shred paper for the whelping house.
I’ve got to get to work on the paperwork end of things. Ugh! Besides shredding mountains of paper for bedding that is…lol…newspapers, magazines, catalogs, envelopes, whoo hoo it’s a shred fest. Yes friends and neighbors bring me their newspapers, magazines, catalogs, etc for recycling into dog bedding. Their paper contributions are much appreciated.

I do wish I had my dog barn up. That would be wonderful, early morning lights, good venting, solar heat/and cooling for the summer, fresh water all the time, a grooming area with hot water on demand, and cage dryers as well as handheld, more protection from the winter storms, coyotes, cougar, as well as the scorching heat of summer. Indoor outdoor runs for the Pomeranians. So they can still go out and play but with a bit more protection.

Would be nice, change that, will be nice. Although sometimes I wonder if it’s more for me than for the dogs. They seem pretty happy the way they are. Getting to be dogs on a ranch…lol.

Life is a journey…enjoy the trip…
Mary E. Robbins & the Hairballs
307.788.0202 USA Mountain Time

P.S. The photos are the view this morning, from my front door.