Walks With Jack

The Labrador In Him (or Ode to My Socks)

2012-01-12T13:49:00.001-05:00


A small sampling of my miss-matched socks, thanks to Jack.

I have a fondness for socks, particularly socks without holes. I even like to wear a matched pair, but that's getting trickier every day.

Jack has a fondness for socks with holes in them. Woe to the sock that is carelessly dropped, or stuffed into a pair of shoes.

I've been told this is a common trait among black labs but it still seems unfair that Jack embodies all the most problematic traits of his three contributing breeds: beagles follow their noses no matter what (check), shepherds like to herd (check), Labradors like to chew (check, check, check, check, check).

After this morning's futile search for two socks of the same pattern and hue I decided to snap the photo above and bid a fond farewell to the conformity of life in pairs.

New Year's Revelation

2012-01-02T09:53:00.001-05:00

Abigail, my old cat, warming her ears under my desk lamp.
Photo by Elmore Reese

I'm a cat person. This isn't really a revelation, but the way it impacts my being a dog owner is, at least to me.

Like many people I consider myself an animal lover and have only acknowledged my preference for cats along pragmatic lines: cats can take care of themselves for a weekend, cats are more independent and better suited to a busy adult life style, you can travel and move much more easily with cats, and so on down the familiar list. And oh yes, cats purr which is really cool.

I suppose I always thought it was a kind of laziness on my part, preferring an independence-loving cat over a loyal, loving dog. Now I see that was just a cover. Really what I love about cats is that they just don't give a damn. Abigail in the photo above couldn't stand my husband (who was taking the photo) but she was going to warm her ears under her favorite lamp and stare him down until he left. If she had been a Chihuahua I bet her tail would have been wagging and she would have forgotten her ear-warming mission the moment he opened my office door. Since I hate it when people open my office door while I'm trying to work my response is much more likely to be in sync with Abigail's than a happy Chihuahua. Sometimes the truth hurts.

And then there's Jack. My struggle to be a good dog owner or dog trainer or pack leader or whatever it is I'm supposed to be for him can pretty much be summed up in Abigail's determined stare from that photograph of more than 20 years ago. Who the heck opened the door and let him in while I'm busy warming my ears (metaphorically speaking).

Jack, New Year's Day 2012, completely ignoring me.

And so on New Year's day 2012 in a snow storm in my pj's I have to trudge out into the snow and retrieve my wayward cat-dog. I have only myself to blame.

Spend the New Year With Jack

2011-11-30T12:27:00.000-05:00

Should 2012 be the year of the hound? Oh, why not. Images from the first four issues of Adventures in the U.P. have been utilized to created this wall calendar.

Sample image from the calendar.

And just like the magazines, this is print-on-demand. You can order as many copies as you like and they will be printed, shrink-wrapped, and shipped directly wherever you want...even in time for Christmas.

Tug-o-War, or meet the new pup

2011-11-16T14:52:00.000-05:00

Jack is learning what it's like to be a "big brother." The newest member of the extended family is an Irish Setter pup named Tilly who has Jack completely intimidated. Since he was just going to stand around looking baffled, Tilly decided to tug on his leash. Pay back for all those times Jack tugged me around town.

Daylight Savings Time Is a Cheat

2011-11-06T07:39:00.000-05:00

I was looking forward to an extra hour of sleep this morning, but animals keep us honest, even about time.

Jack's "personal needs" do not recognize arbitrary changes to our clocks and I was up at 6 a.m., or actually 7 a.m....but now I'm confused about what hour it would normally be if we didn't keep switching our clocks. What I do know is I'm up way too early.

Of course once I was up--brewing coffee, checking email, preparing to be extra-productive instead of extra-rested--Jack saw no reason for my nice, soft pillow to just lie there unused. And as long as I'm the one who is now up and whining where the heck is the rest of this household? Sound asleep in bed.

Painting With Dogs

2011-06-15T11:08:00.003-04:00

My advice, don't do it. Notice the extra touches of white on Jack's ear and his shoulder and haunches? He waited for me to finish priming the stairway wall and then zoomed upstairs (rather than staying downstairs, as he was told) giving my freshly painted wall a nice swipe on his way.

He's such a helpful doggie. The cat is nearly as helpful. I fully expect to find white paw tracks down the hall way when I get up from the computer. Yikes.

Second Graders Are the Best

2011-06-01T18:24:00.011-04:00

When I decided to write stories using my undisciplined hound dog as the main character and my new home in the "Great North Woods" of Michigan's Upper Peninsula as the setting, it was really just a self-indulgence. I thought it would be fun, and it is fun.

But then I started seeing those stories in the hands of children from the Upper Peninsula--as well as their teachers--and I realized something every writer is supposed to know almost as a genetic inheritance. A writer writes to share something important or amusing or inspiring, and an audience is actually a necessity. Visiting classrooms and seeing children excited about the stories of a dog living in their neck-of-the-woods, having adventures in places they can visit all year round has been really satisfying for me. And encouraging. Here I was setting out to write stories for the 7-year-old inside my head when there is an entire world of kids out there perfectly willing to be engaged.

And those kids have some marvelous ideas, not just about Jack but also about animals in their own lives. Recently a 2nd grade class visit yielded a treasure trove of really charming images of Jack.The kids had made them as a special gift and I wish I had a refrigerator big enough to put them all up. Even my office is not big enough, so I made the video at the top of this post in order to showcase these pictures and to be able to share some of the children's creativity (inspired by Jack, which is such a kick) with others.

I admire elementary school teachers tremendously, but I have to confess I'd make an awful one. I haven't got the slightest idea of how to maintain order (just ask Jack), or how to follow a lesson plan. I'm as likely to get caught up in a student's story as remember what we were planning to talk about! So I am especially grateful that teachers at local elementary schools (E.B. Holman and CLK Elementary) have allowed Jack and me to come to their classrooms and see first hand that Adventures in the U.P. is more than just a self-indulgence.

Now I just have to decide what his next adventure will be...

Jack Goes to School, again!

2011-05-04T14:13:00.007-04:00

This time in Calumet. He's resting up for the big day, but really he's very excited to meet some new friends at Calumet Elementary next week and I'm looking forward to talking to the kids about how much fun writing can be.

I'm going to take the third issue of Adventures in the U.P. to share with the kids since it features the CopperDog 150 sled dog race that starts and ends in Calumet each March. Hopefully, just talking about it doesn't bring about a May blizzard!

Before and After

2011-02-22T08:08:00.013-05:00

I am in need of an intervention—this is at least the third blog post I've written about food that Jack has swiped from my kitchen table. Clearly, I have a problem, and I think it's Jack.

I understand that hounds follow their noses but this latest violation of house rules was particularly aggravating. After spending a chunk of my Sunday making homemade oatmeal/whole wheat bread I turn my back for a minute to find...

"Bad, Jack!" just doesn't seem to cover it.

News Flash: Jack Makes the Naughty List

2010-12-22T10:22:00.008-05:00

You're probably thinking: "How can a pooch with a face like that be naughty?" Incredible, I know, but this morning he just couldn't take it any longer. And after he had been doing so well, too.

We've tried to keep the Christmas season as temptation-free as possible for Jack. Due to his love of ripping large branches off the cedar hedge and tossing them around the yard we decided it would be imprudent to bring a full-size evergreen into our house and hang fragile decorations and lights on its branches. Instead, we opted for a tiny table-top tree and only a few of the less fragile ornaments. Jack has left it unscathed and I've been praising his self-restraint and maturity. Little did I know he was just biding his time.

This morning while I was working in the upstairs office he was downstairs. Alone. Snoozing in his favorite spot on the couch. I gradually became aware that the kind of quiet I was enjoying was just not right (those of you with children or dogs will understand). Then the silence was broken by a "crunch." By the time I got downstairs an ornament had been subdued and was about to be devoured. Jack looked truly ashamed of himself. He even laid down and put his trouble-making schnoz between his paws to placate me.

I started back upstairs. I believe in second chances and he seemed to have learned his lesson.

I was right. The lesson he had learned was that I'm a total push over, and one mitten-chase-around-the-dining-room later, Jack has landed not only on Santa's naughty list, but mine. Hopefully, Santa will not bring him any coal...that would just encourage him I'm afraid.

Looking forward to winter.

2010-10-21T16:56:00.019-04:00

Jack can't wait until it snows. Every morning he stands on the back porch in the dark and lifts his nose to smell the air with a particular look of anticipation.

I think he's waiting for the first big snow fall. I'm promised him some sort of sledding experience this winter...hope I survive it!

Jack's second issue finally goes to "press"!

2010-10-03T13:03:00.006-04:00

Jack's a busy dog. So before winter gets here he insisted I finish up his summer story. (Good thing somebody's keeping on top of deadlines!) Now, I've got to finish up the long-promised sled dog adventure...afterall, the CopperDog 150 sled dog race will be here in March and Jack and I are really excited about it!

Adventures in the U.P. Issue 2: Jack-o’-lantern Hits the Road

In the summer time Jack traipses through the countryside on one of his favorite trails. Join him as he sniffs his way past a turtle pond, a beaver meadow...all the way to a waterfall. Children and grownups will all enjoy the beauty of an Upper Peninsula summer day, hound-dog style.

Nothing says "summer" like a wet hound dog

2010-09-05T12:15:00.000-04:00

Jack enjoys long walks on the beach at Lake Superior, but waves scare him. Embarrassing, but true. And he is so distracted by all the smells along the sandy and rocky shoreline that it is next to impossible to get his nose up long enough to head into the water.

Luckily for us, we have access to one of the small "inland" lakes up here on the 4th coast. Visiting relatives at their cottage on Torch Lake is one of the best parts of summer. The lake is shallow quite a long way out from shore and warm all summer so it's perfect for Jack--very tiny waves.

I'm planning ahead for winter though and thinking about investing in some skiijoring equipment...or maybe a small kicksled and harness. I love the idea of Jack being able to finally run as fast as he needs to without me holding him back. I doubt Jack and I will ever go out for the competitive racing, but maybe we will at least keep ahead of the coyotes.

On the Look Out

2010-07-02T13:14:00.005-04:00

Both Eloise and Jack like to lie in the window of my office and watch the birds fly back and forth between the two giant pine trees in the front yard. Finally, they've managed to agree on how they can do this bird watching together. They are the best office-mates I've ever had.

Jack and the Coyote

2010-05-20T13:14:00.020-04:00

Today Jack and I walked all the way to Queen Ann Falls--about a 2 mile hike from door to falls. The weather was beautiful: sunny with a slight breeze and pushing 70 degrees. Everything is just starting to really bloom this far north so apple blossoms and cherry blossoms and not-yet-open lilacs are plentiful. The perfect day for a really long walk. Perfect, that is, until we saw the coyote.

I'm the sort of person who hates suspense so I'll tell you right up front that everyone is fine: Jack, me, the coyote, Queen Ann. I'll also say that honestly I'm not keen to be a stones-throw from a coyote while on foot with a goofball dog two miles from my house ever, ever again. I'm thinking Jack might have to settle for fetching sticks in the back yard for a while.

So, here's what happened...

Jack and I headed out for our favorite trail around 11:30 this morning. On our way we passed a neighbor fishing on the banks of the turtle pond. She'd driven there on her 4-wheeler (and I'll admit I had a weak moment when I felt morally superior for having walked there instead of driven there) but we had a nice chat about the big snapping turtle that lives in the pond, what few, small fish there were, the weather. Jack got a chance for a drink and then off he and I went. Another mile or so up the hill to look at the falls.

On our way we were passed by two rugged individuals on yet more 4-wheelers (and yes, I went from feeling morally superior, to mildly annoyed by the noise and the dust). Jack and I were not to be deterred. We were on an adventure, so on we went. By the time we reached the top the men who'd passed us had pulled off the trail to have a beer. We had a nice chat about the weather, the falls, and the spot with the best view. Jack and I proceeded down the narrowing trail to a good perch just above the river.

I've been there before and thought the greatest danger was the steepness of the trail and how well I can control Jack on a walk. (The headlines I envisioned were "Woman Falls to Death at Queen Ann Falls" or "Dog Walk Turns Tragic.") The idea of packs of coyotes did not enter my mind.

And alright, it was just one scraggly coyote trotting along the rocks at the river's edge not "packs of coyotes!" But Jack and I didn’t stick around to find out where the rest of the pack might be. The coyote was a lean fellow, moving quickly, his nose to the ground. I suppose he was on the scent (not of us thankfully). I was impressed by how quickly Jack went back up that steep hill without so much as a growl. Apparently he knows when to beat a retreat. And I have to admit I was relieved to see the fellows with the beer and the 4-wheelers were still there, just in case I needed to hitch a ride.

Babies, darn them

2010-05-11T13:46:00.005-04:00

I'll blame it on Mother's Day, but I've been feeling nostalgic this week. Jack is no longer a pup, and my daughter is no longer a toddler, but they sure were adorable babies in their day. Now I have a rambunctious hound dog and a (pick-your-own-adjective-here) teenager. Intellectually, of course, I knew this day would come, but way back then, ahhhh.

My husband jokes that parents shouldn't be allowed to take their children out in public until they are thirteen, at which time kids are no longer so adorable—his answer to over-population. I wonder if that same idea would work for dog owners...

Jack goes to school, actually

2010-03-19T11:13:00.014-04:00

Jack and I had a recent opportunity to visit a local school and talk about writing and graphic design. The students and their teachers had read Jack's first adventure in Adventures In the U.P. and after the classroom presentation they came outside to meet Jack, schnoz to schnoz.

I am pleased to say he behaved extremely well and took his "celebrity" in stride--even going so far as to sit down and scratch at the center of a group of 4th and 5th graders. I usually try to avoid scratching in public, but clearly Jack is way more self-assured than I am.

Kids are his absolute favorite thing in the world (next to snow banks and tree limbs and our cat and bacon drippings...) so he was in his glory. Once we got back home, I'm afraid. his behavior slipped a bit.

I had my lunch sitting on the kitchen table when the phone rang (you know what happens next, right?). I went upstairs to take the call--forgetting to close the gate to the kitchen that keeps Jack out and my food in--and came back to find Jack snoozing on the couch and my plate licked clean. For Jack it was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Jack Finds a Pack

2010-02-10T10:28:00.015-05:00

Dogs are pack animals, and Jack loves to run, so trying to tag along with a group of snowmobilers made perfect sense to him.

I can't keep up with Jack let alone keep up with a pack of snowmobilers. But to make up for spoiling the fun of the chase, I took Jack on the long version of our winter walk--all the way past the turtle pond now frozen and covered in snow.

At first I was concerned about walking on the trails that are used by snowmobiles, but so far I have found them to be a pretty happy and polite bunch (if noisy, sorry...I prefer cross-country skiing).

Whenever we hear one coming, Jack and I move off to the side of the trail and he sits and waits for them to pass. Usually they slow down and wave and smile. Sometimes they stop and ask for directions. I love that: Me with a hound dog on a snowmobile trail giving directions. Maybe I've found my pack afterall.

Jack goes to school, sort of.

2010-01-31T10:37:00.010-05:00

You probably think I'm talking about finally taking the pooch to obedience training, but no. Jack and I have been invited to a local elementary school to share our story (and dog kisses, and tail swackings, etc.).

He loves kids so he's always game for the attention, books he's not quite so clear about. He's happy to use a bookshelf to "hide" a bone, and he's as likely to chew a carelessly placed book as an unoccupied slipper (don't panic anyone who has lent me books...I keep them out of dog reach), so this will be an interesting social experiment.

My daughter is convinced it will lead to disaster. The eternal optimist, I am sure Jack will do fine when his first day of school rolls around.

Doggie Science

2010-01-18T09:59:00.009-05:00

Lake Superior is not frozen solid yet as Jack learned this weekend on a walk down the beach at Eagle River. Don't worry, we stayed on the very edge where just a few inches of water were under our feet (paws).

After the third dip-of-the-paw into ice cold water Jack started to notice that odd cracking sound just before his paws got wet and figured out to stay on the larger icebergs or up on the snow covered sand.

The world is just one big science experiment. I'm so proud Jack is such a quick study.

Today's Lesson: Don't leave your breakfast unattended

2010-01-08T09:00:00.006-05:00

He looks so peaceful and innocent in this photo that I could almost forget he's sleeping comfortably with my breakfast in his stomach.

This morning I actually had to leave my home office to drive the six miles to "town" at 7:00 a.m. so I treated myself to a stop at The Conglomerate Cafe in Calumet. I splurged on a large latte and a scone as my reward for a morning already spent contending with snow, ice, and making breakfast for our teenager. I guess Jack felt he was entitled to a little reward himself.

I left my much-anticipated scone on the counter for just a minute only to return to crumbs and a sleeping pooch. I'm not Sherlock Holmes, but I can put 2 and 2 together and come up with a very bad dog.

Jack Gets a Big Head (almost as big as mine)

2009-12-29T09:59:00.009-05:00

My entire adult life I had quietly snickered at dog owners who were just ga-ga over their pets. Worse than new parents, or reformed smokers I would think to myself. Now look at me. Not only a blog documenting practically every paw print Jack makes, but a magazine for kids to boot.

Oh well, in for a penny...

My partners at Thimbleberry Press have indulged me by launching Adventures in the U.P. using the marvelous new print-on-demand magazine site, MagCloud. Since this new technology allows anyone with the creativity and technical know-how to create their own magazine without facing the enormous financial risks involved in normal (define "normal" again, please) magazine launches, we figured it was worth a try. And it's great fun for me and Jack.

We hope you will check it out and maybe even order a copy for a child in your life, or even for the child inside your own head (we'll never tell).

Happy New Year!

Cheers

2009-12-09T15:46:00.004-05:00

The weather is so severe today I can't even take Jack for a walk, although I'm not sure he'd go if I offered. Horizontal snow is not his favorite. So we are doing our best to get in the spirit of the season, staying snug inside, finishing the holiday decorating and keeping an eye on Jack when nature requires that he brave the backyard snow drifts.

Jack the Trash Collector

2009-11-19T13:08:00.005-05:00

One man's trash is my dog's treasure. He can spot a lost hunter's cap or a kid's glove, a pop can or stray styrofoam cup within seconds of heading out on our walk. I'm thinking I should carry a trash bag with me from now on so that Jack can help out with the village cleanup project.

On a recent walk he collected a fallen tree branch about 6 feet long and paraded through town with it. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera with me that day. Jack pranced across the intersection with his prize making a clean sweep of the sidewalk and one lane of "traffic." OK the traffic in our tiny village only consisted of one elderly couple in a sedan who chuckled while they waited for us to clear the way, but for Jack it was as exciting as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

We do have to be careful with his trash collecting habits, though. He is so fast and can get himself into trouble if he eats the wrong thing. Last week he gave us a real scare when he suddenly started vomiting and trembling. No one had seen him eat or drink anything suspicious, but all it takes is one quick drink from the wrong puddle. He's fine, but it was a reminder that even here in the relatively pristine Upper Peninsula a speedy hound can get into trouble all too quickly.

Jack's Summer Vacation

2009-11-12T09:31:00.015-05:00

Admittedly, every day is a vacation for Jack, but this summer we all enjoyed playing tourist with visiting friends. The Keweenaw is such a great place to while away a summer day, even if you aren't a pampered hound dog.

Here, Jack enhances the view from the top of Brockway Mountain. If I had not been so intent on capturing his mug (and getting both my daughter and her friend in the photo) you would be able to see Lake Superior stretching out, seemingly forever, beyond the tree line in the background. This is a favorite spot to bring visitors because you get such spectactular views of the lake and surrounding countryside. On a clear day you can even glimpse Isle Royale in the distance. There is also a very nice gift and book shop on the spot which Jack did not visit, but our friends did. (I suspect there will be some northern Michigan books and crafts under some Christmas trees in New Jersey this December.)

Another favored spot for tourists, and now hounds as well, is the boat ride to Copper Harbor Lighthouse. We were really surprised when we arrived with Jack and the very laid-back Captain and the patient and accommodating passengers welcomed him on board the tiny lighthouse keeper's boat used to ferry visits from the mainland to the point. Jack LOVED it. Wind in your face. Spray up your nose. Kids fawning over him. New paths to snuffle along. For those of you more interested in history than rabbit trails it is a fun and educational two hour expedition. Be sure to bring a jacket. Rain gear provided by the captain for those of us "voluneered" to sit in the back of the boat.

Bracing for November, and December, and January...

2009-10-28T20:51:00.010-04:00

Just surviving winter feels like an accomplishment up here. I know, I know, it is only late October. Halloween is not quite here. I shouldn't go around looking for trouble, and today was spectacular--bright sunshine burned off the morning fog and glowed through the yellow leaves still hanging from most of the birches and maples.

But it is hard not to anticipate the cold that is soon to come, even on a warm, sunny day. The fog was the soft blanket that followed last night's hard frost.

And while the fog gradually burned off, I helped my sister and brother-in-law stack more than a cord of wood in the barn behind their house. That cord was less than half the mountain of wood they will move and stack in neat rows in preparation for the worst of the winter months.

Even with all our modern power tools and conveniences, winter is a lot of work. Living where living itself feels like the achievement is a challenge to my middle-class sensibilities. A good thing, I think, most days.

Ready or Not, It's Winter

2009-10-20T18:38:00.014-04:00

I know it's coming. We had snow this weekend and it's only October so I can't live in denial. Winter is arriving early and it is likely to be a doosie.

Which means I also have to face the fact that Jack is not as well trained as I hoped he would be by this point. It's hard to feel like a successful dog owner when your hound is playing keep-away with your glove in 10 degree wind chills.

Look at that face. He knows perfectly well that the cap he is gnawing on is NOT his toy. He's a whizz at calculating when I will make my move to try and reclaim a hat, glove, sock or for that matter couch pillow. My daughter says I don't sound mad enough when I scold him. Ah, but really, look at that face.

I hear-by resolve to be firm and not fall for his antics. No more stifling a laugh while I try and sound like a tough guy. Nope. I am tired of mending gloves and hats and playing ring-around-the-dining-room-table. Time to take a firm hand.

Wish me luck. This is likely to be harder than all the snow shoveling and ice scraping combined.

Wildlife Humor

2009-09-27T15:23:00.004-04:00

I suppose the beavers really didn't know how clever they were being when they downed the "Stay On Trail" sign and added it to the pile of branches damming the stream.

Dog Days of Summer

2009-09-18T08:42:00.005-04:00

Jack and I recently started a new route for our out-of-town walks. For this trek we get to pass a large pond full of water lilies and also cross a stream with the ubiquitous beaver damn partially blocking the way. Here Jack is on the scent of something, most likely the beaver who built the damn. We're having glorious late-summer weather mostly in the 70s with the northern sun's intensity making it feel like the 80s.

Such a cold, wet summer followed by such an unseasonably warm September is causing later berries in places and fall foliage coming on while gladiolas are still in bloom right under their branches. Fall is always a wonderful time of year on the Keweenaw Peninsula, but I suspect this year will be spectacular.

High School Blues

2009-09-09T08:25:00.010-04:00

Poor Jack. He might like me well enough, and he certainly enjoys our walks, but he really loves our daughter, Jane. This week she started high school and for the past two days Jack has spent a good part of his time lying on the bed with the cat, looking longingly out the window.

I confess I've always been a cat person, but Jane has wanted a dog for as long as she's known what they were (probably from the womb, but who can say). For most of Jane's life our family lived in urban or densely populated suburban areas, and always in apartments, so she could never have a dog of her own. We promised her that if we moved to a house with a yard she could get a dog. (This is where historians may argue about the accuracy of my account...her father insists this was never his agreement, but he's wrong and this is my narrative.) So here we are in our little rural house with a yard in the Upper Peninsula and she finally has a dog that's devoted to her. Maybe high school will be more bearable with Jack here to greet her every day. I sure hope so.

What do boats and dogs have in common?

2009-08-17T14:25:00.006-04:00

Anchors, of course. In Jack's case it is just a blue bag of rocks tied to a rope but it effectively kept him from "sailing" away at a recent barbecue at the lake.

I started out trying to keep him on a really long leash and let him run up and down the dock and in and out of the lake. Not a great idea I found after nearly decapitating my unsuspecting brother-in-law—Jack took off after a bird with me in tow and his leash knocked the poor guy, and his beer, out of his chair.

Now I have an idea of what to do this winter. After describing this anchoring of the dog scheme to another U.P. dog lover, she told me this is (sort of) how sled dogs are trained to pull. So this winter neighbors beware...I'm thinking Jack, a harness, a sled and I'm set to zoom around town the easy way.

Jack Cleans Up

2009-08-12T11:57:00.006-04:00

As you can see in this photo, Jack's notion of house work is to make more of it for me. Note the fresh trail of shredded paper on the carpet. (Someone left a piece of mail on the coffee table, again!). Jack was about to beat a hasty retreat when he saw me coming back from emptying the vacuum but I caught him in the act. I'm thankful he chewed up the junk mail and not the vacuum...I'm already down one cleaning attachment as it is.

Can anyone recommend a hound dog proof vacuum?

Peace at last

2009-07-30T12:42:00.008-04:00

Proof is important, so here it is: Jack and Eloise asleep under my desk. This is my pet-owner's equivalent to the photo at the top of Mt. Everest. We have reached the summit!

Every day for the past 11 months we have had to stop Jack from chasing Eloise while still letting them have enough contact to begin to get comfortable with each other. Jack is such an alpha dog (or is it just the stubborn hound temperament?) that he really has a hard time toning down his enthusiasm. The minute he sees the cat the chase begins. Of course, telling Eloise to stand her ground has worked about as well as telling Jack "No kitty!" My first hint that we were nearing a break through was when I spotted Eloise waiting to ambush Jack. Crouching just inside my office door she watched as he passed by, then she darted out, swatted his tail, and darted back into the room.

So now that these two black-and-tan furry babies will stay in the same room together and let me work, my problem is how to keep Jack from eating the cat food. I'm hoping Eloise will figure that one out as well.

Bone, Sweet Bone

2009-07-21T18:02:00.014-04:00

I began to feel a bit guilty about leaving you with the impression that Jack is "destructo doggie." Afterall, he's only 17 months old and he's learned how to walk on a leash without (mostly) pulling my arms out of their shoulder sockets, how to sit, lie down, and sometimes to even come when he's called. He knows the words "kitty" and "treat," and doesn't always confuse the two.

Jack and the "kitty" are actually developing a friendship. That could be stretching the truth a bit, but I'm an optimist. Jack keeps trying to share his bones with her, and she no longer scratches him and runs away. Jack tosses a chew bone up in the air in front of the cat and then he pounces on it with his rump in the air, waiting for her to join in. She never has, yet.

But today, for the first time since Jack arrived, Eloise, our cat, allowed him to visit her peacefully in my home office. Understand that my office is Eloise's home base. Her turf, her sanctuary. It is where her food and water are kept, as well as her beds (yes, our cat has more than one bed...a soft fluffy one and a curl-up-inside-it-and-hide one) and my office also has her favorite window for watching all those luscious birds she will never catch. I've been waiting for this day of peace making since we brought Jack home from the shelter and finally it arrived. Our puppy is growing up (thank God!).

This is real progress. Today I was able to sit in my office and work with the cat snoozing on top of her bed while Jack snoozed on the floor at my feet. It was a break through moment. If Jack were a human baby I would be whipping out the baby book, teary-eyed, to add the entry "Today Jack stopped chasing the cat."

Don't Let Your Hound Dog Get Bored, or Farewell to a Broom

2009-07-17T11:47:00.007-04:00

There is one thing Jack likes as much as sniffing and that's chewing. Usually, he is very polite and confines himself to the dozen or so bones he has stashed all over the house. But some things are just too good to pass up. Alas, the porch broom met an ignoble fate last week when I left Jack out on his chain a bit too long. A guy can only dig holes, bark at robins and chew up the cedar hedge for so long before his attention is bound to stray. At least I have a start on this year's Halloween decorations.

Jack aint no Uncle Sam

2009-07-07T11:09:00.007-04:00

OK, I promised pictures of Jack in his finest participating in the Copper City July 4th parade. Here you can see me attempting to give him a halo of shiny red stars (he looks thrilled, doesn't he?), and then I was going to drape him regally in a red-white-and-blue cape. Yeah, right. I would have had better luck trying to parade with our cat. Well, there's always next year.

Real Life

2009-06-24T12:59:00.012-04:00

Not that what I was leading before moving to the country was an unreal life (or as my dear old pal from college would have said, a surreal life). It's just that lately I've been reminded how narrow my ideas about people have been at times. As a biracial family, we had always felt most comfortable in or close to large metro areas. While there are certainly bigots of every color everywhere you go, our easy transition into the life of the Keweenaw so far has been a broading experience. Urban life can be every bit as provincial as rural life, only the attitudes differ.

Planning is underway for the town's 4th of July parade which starts on our corner and ends five blocks later at the bottom of the hill just past the post office. Don't blink, you really will miss it. But it is a lively five blocks. Kids decorate their bikes and/or wagons, and dogs on leashes will be judged for best costume (hopefully the two adorable fluff balls with spangly headdresses from last year won't sweep the competition again). My daughter and I have not settled on Jack's costume yet, although a pumpkin would make sense (since his complete name is Jack-o-lantern). But that's the wrong holiday. Maybe we'll attempt to fit in by staying with a patriotic theme. Whatever the outcome, I'll be sure to post pictures.

I think Jack has already voted for his favorite, our livingroom curtain.

Dog Ownership, a Cautionary Tale

2009-06-18T08:54:00.012-04:00

Sure, they start out adorable. Even when the nice woman at the Humane Society said the dreaded word "hound" when describing the mix of breeds that was staring up at me from the concrete floor of the shelter. Did I focus on that? No. I focused instead on "German shepherd" and "black lab" thinking, "Well, those are nice breeds. The shepherd and lab will keep the hound at bay (so to speak)." Those of you who are not novice dog owners feel free to slap your foreheads about now at my complete naivete.

Not that Jack isn't a wonderful dog. He is. I tell myself this multiple times a day, like a mantra:

Jack is a good dog.
We love Jack.
What a great dog.
Jack just needs a little more training.
Patience is a virtue.
He'll grow out of this rambunctious stage in a couple of years.

It's that last item that always gives me pause. A couple of years. Wow. Good thing Jack actually IS a good dog, and we actually DO love him (even as he crowds me off the couch). I can't say patience is one of my stronger virtues, but Jack is cultivating it in me, and that's really good of him.

Digging, with a Purpose

2009-06-09T16:49:00.028-04:00

Sunday was a big day in our little town of Copper City. We had a townwide potluck in the fire hall (very well attended I am happy to say). The Copper City Community Improvement Association used the lure of food to try and harness resident's pent-up-cabin-fever energy (really, it was a very long, hard winter this year) and nabbed them as volunteers for everything from the fire department to the 4th of July parade committee.

Long-time residents appreciated the poster board displays created by our village president and covered with old town photos, many showing current residents as children. Some photos going back as far as the 1931 dedication of a row of maples by the town's school kids. The newspaper clipping gave their names and the names of the US presidents they named the trees in honor of. Poems were read (imagine that), songs were sung.

The two story school building and the trees are gone...the empty lot where the school used to stand is part of the park we are working on improving...but it was wonderful to hear people talk about what the town was like 60 and 70 years ago.

And the older residents never cease to amaze me. I found out that my next door neighbor, Ruth, was a volunteer fire fighter in this town for 20 years. So at a time when women in more urban areas were fighting for the right to serve on fire departments, Ruth was donning a fireman's helmet over her hair curlers in the middle of the night to climb a ladder and put out a chimney fire! Man do I feel like a slacker.

Jack did his best to join in any way he could. He snatched up a dropped soda cup and instantly set about tying my sister in knots with his leash. And while he didn't get to help dig the hole for our park's new tree, he did give it his approval and got a belly scratch for his trouble.

Next potluck we will finish up the beautiful, homemade sign that we started with the help of our current crop of Copper City kids. And we will also dedicate our new little tree...the first to replace that long-ago row of maples.

Sleepy Heads

2009-06-05T17:50:00.009-04:00

I admit it. I'm a complete sucker for a cute animal no matter how hard I try to deny it. The morning ritual around our house is for Mom (me) to get up at the crack of dawn and make breakfast for the offspring (as we affectionately refer to our daughter). But first there is the dog. He won't let me fall back to sleep on the couch because he must curl up on his favorite cushion and my feet would be in the way. He will share, but I mustn't stretch out. The cat creeps half way down the stairs to check on the morning ritual of dog-couch-sleep-deprived-woman, but she wisely never ventures all the way down to the living room. She positions herself just in Jack's line of sight, so that he is driven crazy with anticipation that she might come down and play with him...she might...

Jack at the Big Lake

2009-06-01T08:19:00.023-04:00

Finally, the end of May and it is just warm enough for me to leave the woods and walk along the shore of Lake Superior again. For Jack the sand and waves were a novelty and the drift wood was too large for his usual grab-and-run-with-the-stick game, but the sniffing was glorious. He barely got his nose up off the sand.

For this walk we went by car along 5-Mile-Point Road to the beach at Eagle River. Jack and I walked this beach back in January when there was so much snow and ice you couldn't see where the road ended, the beach began and the lake met the beach (see the bottom photo taken in January of the same beach). Unnerving if you don't want to find yourself on ice that might give way under foot (at this point any long-time residents of the Keweenaw feel free to laugh at my timidity, but really, frozen waves are a daunting sight!).

I don't know if it was the temperature of the water or the movement of the waves, but there was no swimming for Jack today. As things warm up maybe he will take to chasing the waves and swimming in the big lake instead of scaring the turtles in our little pond near home.

Past in the Present

2009-05-27T11:47:00.028-04:00

Jack and I recently visited an old mine shaft just over a mile's hike from our house. Slightly spooky, and picturesque, I wondered if bears use it in winter, or if it poses a hazard to kids in town. Mainly it is a reminder of what life used to be like around here. The hard, rocky landscape that rolls and tapers into Lake Superior, and that I love to ramble over, allowed the hardiest souls to literally scrape a living from the rich veins of copper that run through it. A handful of wealthy men, often from the east coast, got even wealthier from this land and its laborers in the first half of the twentieth century. But the laborers themselves created an enduring culture shaped by the realities of landscape, location, very hard work, and severe weather.

Today our walk took us only as far as the town park, playground, and war memorial--all in need of some tender loving care. Jack waited impatiently while a few neighbors and I did our best at a spring clean up of the memorial. (Jack is good at finding sticks but not so good at leaving them in piles ready for the landfill.) I'm a newcomer to this town, having drifted in from the east coast, but my neighbor grew up here and her grandfather's name is on the memorial. Some of the bricks on the facade are broken, some missing. The painted frame on the glass display case is pealing. The glass has cracked and moisture is beginning to seep through.

Since I'm not a skilled laborer, I helped by pruning shrubs, raking leaves, and cleaning the walkway. Monthly town potlucks are now in the works so neighbors can socialize and plan the shared labor necessary for a low-budget restoration of the memorial and the park. Yoopers are notoriously good at making do with clever, if at times makeshift, engineering. The older generation of miners knew better than to let anything go to waste, so in that spirit our town cleanup committee started looking for ways to repurpose the bricks when we remove the crumbling fountain in the foreground, and discussed who has lilac starts that would be suitable for transplanting to the park. Recycling in its original sense. And Jack's digging skills may yet prove useful when we get around to tree planting.

A Dip In the Pond

2009-05-23T21:49:00.010-04:00

Nothing says spring has sprung like a wet hound dog. On a recent walk past a nearby pond Jack decided to investigate a turtle basking in the sun on a log near shore (you can see in this photo that the turtle is long gone, poor thing, Jack only wanted to sniff it...).

Along with scaring off the turtle he made me realize I am going to have to be brave and try out the longer, retractable leash so that I don't end up taking a dip along with the dog. I'm the sort of person who actually reads the instruction manual that comes with the leash so I learned all about how dangerous it can be to use a retractable leash on a dog that is not under control. That's when a relative loaned me a "pinch" collar to help me train Jack to heel. Last night I watched an episode of It's Me Or the Do g and Victoria was specifically stating how cruel these collars are and that they should not be used. Yikes. Poor Jack. I feel like an abusive parent. Now my new worry is that I have been cruel to use the pinch collar to help train him to walk on the retractable leash! This dog training stuff seemed a lot simpler when my parents were doing it and I was seven years old.

Walk to the Waterfall

2009-05-21T08:12:00.010-04:00

Roughly a mile from our house (as the crow flies) is a rushing little creek with a waterfall called Annie Falls. Jack and I walk there on nice days by following the snowmobile trails crisscrossing the hills south of town. We pass wildflowers scattered along the trails together with the leafing paper birches, willows and pines; ponds and temporary bogs that are home to ducks, woodpeckers and turtles. We crunch our way over the gravel trails (plentiful with hoof tracks from the deer that live everywhere around here) until we reach the dirt track that winds up the bluff overlooking the falls. It is hound dog heaven. It is close to my idea of heaven as well.

Follow Your Dog's Nose

2009-05-18T10:54:00.010-04:00

In an urban area I feel completely at ease. I know how to get around. Few things actually scare me. Now I find myself in unfamiliar territory...the hayseed from the city. So when I get bold enough to venture out onto trails with Jack I take my cues from his nose.

This morning he was really wound up...stopping, starting, snuffling, pulling ahead, balking and turning around. I was getting very annoyed since I wanted to make it all the way to an old falling down mine entrance I found a few days back. Then something way down the trail caught my eye. I have no idea what it was (of course I imagined it was a cougar, then a wolf or a bear, and it was most likely a deer), but I decided if Jack was nervous we were turning around. I've always told my daughter to trust her feelings about people and places and to decide for herself when there might be danger. Whenever it's just Jack and me out in the countryside, I plan to take his nose for my guide.

Snow In May

2009-05-16T15:21:00.021-04:00

Today I spotted my first hummingbird at the feeder...and it is snowing. Spring in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula of Michigan). Here it is May and while the ground is clear (except for a few stubborn icebergs in the shadier spots) there are snowflakes in the air. So I'm going to take a moment to look back and remember what REAL snow was like this past winter. Hopefully, I can regain my weather perspective and find the courage to put on my gloves and jacket and go walk the poor dog.

Ah yes, I remember, over 65 inches by mid-December. At the top left you can see one of my neighbors scooping the snow in his front yard. Our snow is usually dry and light so instead of the strenuous shoveling I remember from the East Coast most people use this clever snowplow-type of devise to push the snow away. This photo was taken in December. If you look closely you can see that the 4-foot fence in the background is almost covered. (Alright, I am beginning to feel a little better. Afterall, the crocus are blooming now.)

And at the top right is a photo of our snow-covered hedge with Jack perched on top. The hedge is roughly 6-feet-tall and by the time this photo was taken in January it was completely covered with snow. Once the snow becomes compacted enough Jack just climbs right up on top and has a birds-eye view of the neighborhood. (We knew winter was coming to a close when he began falling through the hedge.)

Yes, I am definitely feeling better. As I write this the snow flurry has stopped and I can see the finches, sparrows, grosbeaks, and hummingbirds who now perch on that same now snowless hedge. Jack might get his walk afterall.

When It's So Cold Your Paws Freeze

2009-05-15T15:25:00.002-04:00

My family and I were not dog owners. We had one quiet house cat before we adopted Jack-o-lantern (Jack for short) from our wonderful local Humane Society. We also had always lived in urban or close-in suburban areas where our actual relationship to nature was primitive at best: A small patio or deck, an occasional flower box or bird feeder, now and then an invasion by ants or moths. Nothing too challenging.

Now we are adjusting to life-with-dog in a climate where for several months of the year the poor thing's paws can actually freeze to the front walk. Jack loves the snow and one morning I forgot and left him on his chain for a few minutes longer than usual. When I opened the front door he was looking at me, puzzled. It took me a minute to realize he was not running up to knock me over because he was having trouble lifting his paws off the ground. He was fine in a minute, but it doesn't seem to have taught him a thing about ice and snow and paws. I would buy him boots, but after seeing how many of my shoes and mittens he has torn through in one season, I doubt it would do any good.

The Wisdom of Hound Dogs

2009-05-14T17:33:00.000-04:00

Everything smells good: that's the one thing you can never forget when walking a hound dog.

Not only does everything smell good, everything smells irresistible, mysterious, compelling and any other adjective you can think of that would require a noble hound to veer off course and take you with him.

Since Jack lives by his nose, teaching him to walk on a leash, and still remember that I am attached to the other end, has been tricky. We live in a tiny town surrounded by hills, and woods that are full of deer, rabbits, foxes, birds, chipmunks, bears and all sorts of other wonderfully smelly creatures. I sometimes think Jack and I have our roles reversed. I'm learning to heel pretty well, though, and have hope that Jack will soon figure it out from my example.