Removing western sword fern (polystichum munitum)

32 degrees, a heavy dusting, snow has stopped for now. Let's hope it stays that way. My greenhouse is at 65 and that's only because the heater has been running non-stop since about 4 this afternoon. Brrr.

My GH is a little glass one 8x12. I put up some bubblewrap this fall to try to help insulate it. It is heated with an oil heater, set on 2 (low). The heat was off yesterday and most of today because the circuit kept popping. Thankfully, it is still running tonight.

It just started snowing here .. .

grrrrrrreat

I am very happy to report tis a good thing it is dark. I can pretend it's not there.

Lynn, when you come on Sunday, remind me to show you how my glass greenhouse is insulated. I've been really pleased with it.

How did you insulate it? Last year we did not have any insulation at all, and the elec bill was outrageous.

I got 4"
And I did not do it!!!.

I have been sick for 4 days and missed 2 days of work. Came down with the bug Tues night. After I posted. Tummy flu.
Was so nice to be able to set in the sun and feel the warmth today.

Bail (my sons dog) has been in training, initiated by my me and followed through with son.
This dog has the voice of the banshee, cries, whines and howl-es. I got to work with him for a hour, while everyone was gone, Just him and me. Was working real well, til daddy showed back up. I show my son what I had been doing, and he followed through, with a little more training. Bale layed in the yard and was the star pupil. Did not whine or cry for over a hour on the chain.

Now the big Q is what is this dog.
I have never seen the dog wag its tail???

Head shot, next to my black lab.
Any help???

Judging from the first picture, I would have to take back my earlier words. He looks to have some Great Dane in him (though I think he got the brindle from somewhere else). Danes are not big on expressive emotions, so that would make sense.

Labs are big tail-waggers, but not all dogs are. Mine do some slow tail-wagging, but nothing like the knock-your-wine-off-the-coffee-table wags of Labrador Retreivers.

Good for you, helping your son with obedience training. It will go a long ways. How old is the dog now?

Kathy/Tills - perhaps I am jaded, but might this one have a bit of Ridgeback? This is the way they hold their tails, and not overly demonstrative with them. A brindled coat: seen in Boxers & Pitbulls; can't think of a brindled hound. Kathy - brindling in Danes? I can't remember but I think they can be. The stance is very Ridgeback, and they don't always get the ridge...They DO have some of the weirdest howling/cries. Mine moos when she's cold. Really - like a miniature cow...
Tills - how tall & approx. weight?
Whatever - he's good-looking!

Tils, This is the baby you gave me last year. It's doing well and much bigger.

The tag says red and white. Is that right? I'm sorry to hear you had a bug. Hope you are feeling better. Did you ever get your letter codes figured out for the hellebores from Heidi? I need a list of something.

This message was edited Feb 27, 2009 5:47 PM

Never thought of a ridge Back. He is part Pit, could be where the color comes from. I have had Danes in the far past, none of this color have I ever seen nor so mouthy as this one. Sounds like a baby crying at first them howl es. I thought the neighbor's where going to come over and see if I was killing the dog and they are a quarter mile away.
He is not a tail wagger, tail never moves.

Thanks for the pic, Willow. Looking good

Brindle does occur in Great Danes:http://www.greatdanecolor.com/#Brindle_Great_Dane.

I thought so - I used to see lots of Danes at marymoor dog park, but it's been awhile and i ould not recall colorations & such. Most were black or fawn which are probably predominant. Not a lot of breeds with brindled coats - right, Kathy? So it ought to be a little easier to narrow down the parentage for Bail.

I saw a brindle boxer once. Nice dog.

Yeah. He might be RB, but I think his feet are different. He's kind of a blue/brindle, which is different than these guys, but they are about the same age. I'd think lab rather than PB, based on his mouth and the width of his face. And those ears look pretty lab or hound. There is brindling in mastiffs, but again I think his body and chest are narrower than that.

Anyway, I highly recommend going on long walks or jogs on a leash, crate-training, and lots of socialization with other dogs. Some breeds are "suspicious" by nature and will do better with other dogs (dogs not in their pack) if they get exposed to lots of dogs early on before that kicks in. And taking him out for errands and other things will get him used to strange noises, which is very helpful.

I agree - he's a cutie!

http://kandugreatdanes.homestead.com/files/Kandu_Pup_Pics.html

ohhh - they're such galumphy puppies!
Wish people did not "do" the ears, but that's because i prefer the look of the natural ear.

Great Kathy! Now i want another pup...Bad Girl, you!

I think they are much cuter with their real ears.

I agree totally about the ears. I ran across one site where they said they were breeding three lines and listed three colors. That's sad - breeding by color?? What about health characteristics, temperament charateristics, structure.

And, for your viewing enjoyment, here are some more puppies - Silkens this time. They're coming over in April for a puppy play date - always very fun.

http://www.tangaloor.net/images/HighFlight/highflight-week4.html

"done" ears look like Dr. Spock ears.
It cannot be comfy.

OK off to tangaloor, but WHEN in april? I would love to be on site for that!

OMG - I am smitten...........

They are actually coming over here. I hosted the puppy party last year. This time it's down in Federal Way. You're always welcome to come. It'll be on a Saturday and there should be lots of growed up Silkens there to cuddle with, too. I'll be taking a couple - most likely the boys.

Here the puppies are last year with their older brother, Leonidas, who wa still young enough that he preferred the babies to meeting the grown-up dogs.

Oh goodness! I can smell the puppy breath from here! You better tell us when and where in Federal way. My son might even want to come. He is completely a dog person.

When I saw that standing photo of Till's son's dog, I thought the body looked like greyhound, but that was just a first impression. Is that possible? where is soferdig?

Here's my lazy two. They have it better than I do! Fritzi-the variegated one is 13, Gretchen the fatty is 5.

Now that's a comfy pose! Aren't they adorable? They do have the life, don't they?

Kathy, The pic of the pups. The one in front looks like Bale.

Pix, I thought greyhound-pitbull when I first saw the picture of Tils pup also. Who would do that?

Hubby says these pups look like greyhounds

if the mom dog was anything like a female cat, well, they tend to live it up...

those two are very snuggled-in!
Cute when it's small dogs; looks pathetic when it's a Ridgeback.

Forgot pic
this was on Nov. 11th

Greyhounds, Whippets (I have one), Silkens (I have four), have a deep and narrow chest. Their heads have a shallower stop and are not as square or wide. In fact, my neighbors always ask my dogs, "Why the long face?"

They also don't tend to do body-thumping and shoulder-throwing play, but more running play. Great danes are narrower than other breeds and tend more toward that build, but are not as extreme. You'll notice that they have what's called a "tuck up", which is where the big, deep rib cage comes up into a tiny non]belly. I don't see that with Bail.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=greyhound+dog&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=IaupSaCpI4nOsAPrybDaDw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=4&ct=title

Kate - I agree that this puppy looks like Bail, but by the time it's his age - it will have more tuck and look less like him, I think.

Melissa - I will keep you posted on the play date, absolutely. It should be fun. This is Alison, the breeder with Leonidas (Silkens are big cuddlers).

now that is a very big baby!

He's actually HUGE for a Silken. I think he was about 6-8 months old at the time.

I love the ferns, I have one big one that I cut back leaving only the new springs fronds, and a smaller that wasn't hard to dig up form our old place. I have another that I wasn't sure was going to make it because the man I gave our 5 10 foot rhodies too ran it over when he was pulling them out, but it has survived so far.

They are tough in every way.