Gotta Brag a Little ....

The past several months have been consumed with caring for my parents who are struggling with some serious health issues. I have traveled to Michigan by train, by plane and most recently by car, which meant the girls got to come along.  They have always been good travelers, but  they were on 'off the charts' good behavior this time. I am convinced that they picked up on my stress and decided to be extra good. Dee Dee, who has not been able to be in the same room with her brother Elvis for years without snarling at him, got along with him fabulously. Last year, I had to keep a muzzle on her when we went to the beach, but not this time. Princess endeared herself to my Mom by sleeping with her, pressing up against her back and giving her comfort while Dad was in the hospital.   The condominium where my folks live does not allow dogs, so we had to be somewhat discreet in our comings and goings. I made sure they got out for a good walk or swim each evening, and they were content to be left alone all day. A mom couldn't be more proud!

Elvis kept us in stitches with his stick obsession.   I could be waayyyy down the beach with my girls and if I lifted up a stick, he'd come charging down towards us, then complain loudly when the girls didn't play by 'his rules'.   He's hilarious.

The girls continue to amaze me with their understanding of new words and fairly complex problem solving.   Yesterday we were playing with a Frisbee on a paved parking lot.   It's nearly impossible for them to pick up a Frisbee when it is on a hard surface that doesn't give like the grass does.   But Dee Dee figured out how to push the Frisbee up against the curb so that the bottom lifted up  just slightly and then she could grab it.   Smart girl!  

The Annual Hot Dog Walk

Each spring the Fargo Park District sponsors a fun evening at the Yunker Farm dog park where dogs compete in various categories:   tallest dog, shortest dog, best trick, owner/dog look-a-like and best dressed.  Owners are served free hot dogs and there are treats for the pups as well.  This annual event has a history of landing on a cold, rainy night but last evening was beautiful.   The sunshine and mild temperatures drew a big crowd, and the 'girls' got a lot of attention in their Doggy Diva Tshirts and colorful visors.   I'm sure we could have won the 'best dressed' category if we'd been able to hit the 5 p.m. registration deadline.  Unfortunately, by the time I get home from work, dress the girls and drive up there, it's closer to 6.   Nonetheless, a fun evening.   Dee Dee got a little nervous with that many dogs around, but Princess had a great time.   And for once, she kept her visor on!   Usually she rolls in the grass until she can get it off.   She's not into that 'girly stuff'!   But she didn't seem to mind last night, and even was willing to pose for a few pictures.

 I noticed a TV camera crew there from one of our local stations, and saw them zoom in on Princess and Dee Dee.   So I was very excited to watch the newscast and see a clip of the girls.  However, my excitement turned to sheer horror when the news anchor referred to them as "weener dogs"!!!   Before the credits had finished rolling, an Email message was flying through cyberspace, informing Kirsten of the difference between a Dachsund and a Corgi!    

Another year, another flood .... and A MOUSE in the house ....

After three months of anxiety, knowing that a major flood this spring was all but certain, it is finally upon us.   In 1997 when the river crested at 39.7 feet, no one could have imagined  that 12-15 years down the road, we'd express relief at a crest of  39 feet!   But after 2009 (the highest crest in history at 40.8 feet - and perilously close to losing our cities), anything under 40 feet is met with relief!   Simply stated, the communities along the Red River of the North have gotten darn good at fighting floods!   Hundreds of improvements have been made to our infrastructure since 2009,  a flood wall now winds its way through south Moorhead, eliminating a view of the river for home-owners, but also giving them significant protection during what has become an annual event.   Hundreds of homes have been bought out by FEMA (110 of them in my neighborhood), which allows earthen dikes to be build along that land, giving us some measure of protection.  Permanent flood protection (i.e. a diversion project) has been on the planning table for over two years now, but when you're dealing with two states, plus the federal government, and a price tag of 1.8 billion dollars, these things move slowly!   But this is our third major flood in as many years, and we are tired. 

Our biggest threat this year has been complacency.  However, with a major flood a certainty, we got to work early and three MILLION sandbags had been filled by early March, eliminating the last-minute panic mode which has characterized some of our previous floods.

So we have now crested at just about 39 feet - which we expect to hold steady for several days since it's raining today - definitely not what we need, but meterologists don't think it will raise the crest; just prolong it.   So viligance is the order of the day!

So .... to make a hard transition here to another topic ..... we have a mouse out in the radio station where I work.   With an abundance of cords, wires and cables in every room,  and multiple sightings of the little critter, we set some pretty sophisticated little traps - all to no avail.  Apparently the little guy isn't hungry or else (shudder) he has found something else more tasty to snack on.     So I brought Princess to work with me on Thursday.    She loves to hunt field mice so I thought she would certainly catch the critter roaming our halls.   Not only did she let him run right past her without flinching, but she sprung the trap and ate the peanut butter.    She's been fired.

Moorhead Dairy Queen

It's an annual rite of passage.  Never mind that the thermometer reads a frigid -3 (F) or that the windchill is -28.  It's March 1st.   And around here that means one thing .... the opening of the Moorhead Dairy Queen.   A part of the community since 1949, it is one of the oldest DQs in the country, and under only its second ownership.   Perhaps that is part of the secret to its success.   Or perhaps it's that when most DQs joined the Brazier franchise and became indoor establishments, the Moorhead DQ remained an old-style walk-up store.   That means that, for one thing, prices are lower.  Significantly lower, in some cases.   And, if you talk to the locals, they'll tell you that the food is better too.   Maybe that's because ice cream just tastes better when eaten outdoors, in the company of friends.    No doubt, some friendships have been forged, standing in line.   It's not uncommon, on a hot summer night, to stand in line well over a half hour.  People expect that.   No one complains.  It's all part of the experience.  Yes, going to the Moorhead Dairy Queen is a part of the culture here.   In a community that has its fill of Starbucks, Burger Kings, Taco Bells and all the usual eateries, the Moorhead Dairy Queen is a throwback to a simpler time - when life was less hurried and visiting with neighbors was common.

But March 1st?  Really?!?!   In a part of the country where winters are MUCH longer than the calendar-prescribed three months, one would expect the DQ to open .... well, maybe June 1st.   But owners Troy and Diane Deleon shut down for just four months out of the year (November-February) and they know that, come March 1st, people will be waiting in line .... having planned their day around this annual event.   Several years ago I remember ordering a blizzard in a blizzard.   It was crazy.  We're hearty folk up here.  And, after all, a tradition is a tradition.  

So today, the girls and I made a run to the Dairy Queen.  The lines didn't look TOO long when I got there.   I chose what appeared to be the shortest one.  Ha!   It would have been nice if the lady in front of me had turned around and said, "Uh, you might want to choose another line.   I'm going to order 11 blizzards."   That's right.  ELEVEN blizzards.   She was taking them back to everyone at the office.   Really, I could have killed her.   But, putting on my "Minnnesota nice" face, I just smiled, gulped and waited.  The air was frigid, with a stiff wind to boot.  Even the girls were shivering.   But they know the routine.   Wait patiently and you get a 'dog dish'.  That's a little cup of ice cream with a milkbone biscuit. They cost somehing like 30 cents.  Maybe 40 cents now.  I've never really asked.  It's just part of the deal.   Diane loves my dogs.  And it's not uncommon to see a half dozen canines standing in line with their owners, waiting for their treat.   I've witnessed a few snarls.  I've taken Dee Dee to the car a time or two.   But for the most part the pups are versed in "Minnesota nice" too.  

There's snow on the ground here.  A LOT of snow.   It's supposed to get in the teens below zero tonight.  We're preparing for spring flooding .... most likely 4-6 weeks away.  It is decidedly winter here, yet.  Except at the Moorhead Dairy Queen.  In the Red River Valley, it's one of the first signs of spring.

Winter Fun

It's been a brutally cold and snowy winter across the entire nation it seems, and in Minnesota/North Dakota we have certainly gotten our share of both.   When the girls were younger, I took them out for a walk every evening, no matter how cold it was.   But they've gotten older and I've gotten lazier and many nights we have settled for about ten minutes of playtime in the yard.   OK, some nights it's been more like five minutes!  Our back yard is a giant snowdrift, which at one point is level with the back deck.   So the girls don't need the steps; they just run straight into the snow and have made a nice little track around the yard and back to the door.   

I've been trying to make up for the lack of exercise during the week by going on a good outing on the weekend; both Saturday and Sunday, if possible.   Our favorite winter playground is MB Johnson Park north of Moorhead.  It's not an official 'dog park' but it could just as well be.   The place is a mecca for dog owners and cross country skiers (who don't necessarily like to share the same trail), but it is so large that there really is no reason we can't all get along!   We enjoy a trek through the woods, meeting lots of other canine friends along the way.    It's a great place for some winter fun. 

A Family Christmas - Better Late than Never

This holiday season wasn't good to travelers.  That's an understatement.   It didn't matter where you were going or how you were trying to get there; the journey was destined to be a nightmare.   I had planned to drive to Michigan with the girls in December, but an 'active weather pattern' (to use the term of our meteorologist) caused me to re-consider.   In the end, I took Amtrak and went after New Years to get a lower fare.   A couple of days before I was to leave, I was notified that Amtrak had suspended travel between Whitefish, Montana and St. Paul, MN and canceled my trip.  Ugh.  Fortunately, I was able to go a couple of days later.    Amtrak was dealing with a major backlog and some significant delays so it wasn't an easy trip, but I'm glad I went.   I think that, for this year at least, it was the best option.

Of course traveling by Amtrak meant Princess and Dee Dee couldn't go with me.   I am so thankful to have next door neighbors who love the girls and are always willing to take care of them.   I don't know what I'd do without them.   This trip proved to be a major breakthrough for Dee Dee.   When I've been gone in the past, she has refused to go next door .... sometimes refusing to leave my yard or even the house.   Princess is happy enough to stay next door,  so that has left Dee Dee home alone.   She must have finally gotten lonesome enough that she decided to step out of her comfort zone, because after the first two nights, she slept next door on a little bed they made for her in the kitchen.  That made life easier for everyone!   She was very happy to see me when I got back, and spent the day sleeping on my coat!   Dog Logic 101:   If I lie on her coat all day, she won't be able to leave again!

Elvis gave the girls several nice gifts that they've had fun playing with this week.    He gets so many treats and toys as honorariums for his 'speaking engagements' that Tim shares them with us.   Elvis is really into opening gifts - whether or not they are for him.   It's quite funny.   He seems to have the surprise element of a gift figured out, and whenever someone is opening a present, he is right there.    He was quite happy with the Greenies he got from us.   Corgis love any kind of treat, but Greenies are definitely a favorite at our house.

Ending the Year with a Blast .....

.... of winter, that is.   We are enduring our third consecutive winter that is unusually brutal.   Honestly, I think this is the worst one yet, although up until yesterday most of the snow that fell, came straight down, without a lot of wind.   But now we are in the midst of a good old-fashioned blizzard, complete with heavy snow, 40-50 mph winds, and arctic air.   We are presently in a bit of a lull between the two-punch storm, so I decided to go out and at least get a start on dismantling the drift in my driveway.   What I didn't know was that there was a heavy coating of ice underneath the snow; which was polished to an unbelievable sheen by the wind.   When two little corgis cannot even walk on the driveway without falling over, you know it's bad!   Dee Dee was making her way up the driveway and literally fell over on her side.   Too funny.   It wasn't nearly as funny when I fell on my keister. 

Yesterday was one for the record books.   I made it to work in the morning (which is on the far, far southwest end of Fargo, out of the city limits).  It is more developed out there than it was ten years ago, but still, when the wind blows, it is a totally different experience than it is in town.   I worked a few hours, got the most important things done, and by noon I realized that I either needed to leave then, or plan on spending the weekend there.

 I had the girls with me, but with plans to leave for Michigan on Monday, I really needed to get home.   It was a white knuckle trip, on glare ice, with zero visibility at times and ice pellets pounding the windshield.   And, on the car radio, I was hearing reports of a 100 car pile-up just a few miles west of where I was.   Needless to say, I was happy to get home.   I crawled under my down comforter with the girls snuggled up beside me, and we enjoyed a quiet evening listening to the radio and following the reports of a major rescue operation going on at that accident site.  Some people were trapped in their cars for a number of hours, but by 11 p.m. everyone had been rescued and injuries were minor.    This picture of the girls was taken out at work.   I let them go potty, but didn't let them out of my sight. 

 The girls have had fun playing with their Christmas gifts from their best friend, Sadie, next door.   They got plush animals with two squeakers and no stuffing.   It's been almost a week, and the squeakers, so far, are still in tact!