As we were getting ready to leave the house, I asked Cliff what he thought about taking Gabe. He suggested I take a leash for when we got there to our destination. Gabe gladly jumped in the car and seemed to enjoy the ride. The wind was awful yesterday, by the way, to the extent that Cliff had trouble keeping the car where it belonged. When we got to the dairy, I chose my two calves, we paid for them, loaded them, and headed home.
On the way back, Gabe was on my lap doing well until we were almost home and he began retching. Oh boy! Knowing what was coming, I held him with his head in the middle of my lap and watched him puke up his noon meal, making a sizable pile. At least my new winter coat is quite voluminous. I folded some of it over the pile of puke, and when we got home, I took off the coat, shaking the puke off on the ground. When the calves were unloaded the coat was tossed in the washing machine. I had planned on being able to take Gabe on short trips with us eventually; let's home he outgrows the carsickness.
This morning the freshly washed coat got so much milk replacer dripped down it from my teaching the calves to suck a bottle, I had to wash it again. More about the coat later.
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| Gabe at work keeping the calf pen clean |
Now, about the coat. Back when we walked in cold weather, I bought a marked-down coat online from Target for under $30. It was called a "puffer coat" and was one of the warmest coats I ever owned. It replaced Carhartt coveralls as my cold-weather protection when doing chores or going for walks. It finally wore out last winter and was thrown away. Since we're not taking walks any more, and don't have a lot of chores, there was no need to replace it.
However, after Gabe came to live here, I was spending quite a bit of time taking him out. Then we started talking about getting a couple more bottle calves. Feeding calves can be pretty cold business in January. I searched online and finally found just the coat. It's hideous, but it's even warmer than my old one was. It reaches to my ankles. I absolutely love it. Since I never claimed to be fashionable, you get to see how I look in my big, roomy, warm-as-toast coat. It won't be leaving the property for the most part, because it's my at-home chore coat. And hey, the Muck boots match it.
Apparently Cliff's going to leave his retirement banner (on the wall above me) hanging in the shop forever.
The dog needs a bath, so I'm off.
Peace.
I love the coat! I’d probably get something similar if I lived where there was a real winter. I look forward to reading about Gabe and the calves. Have you named them yet?
ReplyDeleteI'd be keeping the dog on a leash for sure. Giving a bath every day certainly wouldn't be my cup of tea. Sounds like you'll be busy with the calves for quite a while. I love your coat ! I have a short one that is similar but would love it better if it was full length.
ReplyDeletei love your coat. gabe would be on a leash if it were me. wouldn't want to clean him up everyday.
ReplyDeleteThat coat is perfect and it looks wonderfully warm. That's what's important. I wear a similar coat, although perhaps a bit more stylish. Ashley had it in NYC and has no need of it in Los Angeles. It has been a lifesaver in the cold weather. It sounds like you will be very busy--but also happy!!
ReplyDeleteI don't even own a coat except for an old jean type coat.
ReplyDeleteI may have to buy one for my cruise to Alaska next June.
ReplyDeleteHaven't had a Schnauzer eat poop -- but definitely had a chi do that. Vet said the dog felt a lack of protein in his diet. So we changed the food, but that didn't stop Chili. However, Chili was a breeder dog (I was a kid and we paid the big bucks for him) and he had all kinds of weird problems. The strays are a more hearty lot - they've learned to exist outside in all kinds of weather and to eat all kinds of things -- so when dog food finally finds its way to their plate, they devour it pronto with no interest in poop. Wolfie, however, we could never convince not to eat the garbage. As to the car erp upset -- keep the boy riding around with you. And possibly let him sniff out the window at times, even in the wind. Just hang-on to him or only put the window a little bit down - just enough so he can get his noise outside. Luie, as a pup, did vomit in the car once in a while on a longer-ish trip but he over-came it with age. Of course, Will popped all the dogs into the car and drove and drove and drove with them all day until they were each thrilled with car rides. Luie, being blind, adores the open road and the open window. If his window doesn't immediately go down (rain, snow, wind) he will yip at us to remind us that he must have air. He sits in the backseat. When we had 2 dogs the oldest was always in the front with me -- when Fritzy died, Gussie was thrilled to take his place in front. However, when Gussie died, Luie really preferred the back where he had 2 windows he could dash to and sniff out of. Back in 2010 we rented a car where the back windows went all the way down (instead of the child proof windows in our Lincolns). And Will lost Luie on the way to pick me up from school. Somehow he fell out of the car and when I got in the car, I asked Will why he'd left Luie at home. And Will told me Luie was in the back seat -- but, of course, he wasn't. He was lost in Overland Park -- and we put flyers up everywhere and advertised -- blind dog lost around 71st and Roe. Luckily, he was found and turned in to a vet hospital -- and Will had him back in 24 hours. We sure learned out lesson about how open the car windows can be.
ReplyDeleteI doubt that any of your dogs were ever around horse and cow manure. Every dog that ever came to visit us, given the opportunity, tasted livestock manure if given the chance. The newborn calf poop is different though. For the first few days after their birth, something about the pure milk content of it is like a drug to dogs, they love it so much. They will eat it like it’s pudding until you’d think they’d burst. This isn’t some occasional thing that happens: I’d bet $100 that anybody’s dog would gobble it up.
ReplyDeleteBryant still gets car sick, and one of my fox terriers never got over it. You can give dogs Dramamine for that; just ask your vet about the dosage and how often he should have it. It usually works for Bryant. Ginger is also supposed to be good for carsickness.
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