Kimberly J Egan
Bio
Welcome to LoupGarou/Conri Terriers and Not 1040 Farm! I try to write about what I know best: my dogs and my homestead. I'm currently working on a series of articles introducing my readers to some of my animals, as well as to my daily life!
Stories (54/0)
Making the Best of a Building Year
This Year is a "Building" Year Whenever a football team has a quarterback that ages out or a new head coach, it seems as if they call the year that follows a "building year." Even if most of the faces on the team stay the same, the transitions may be so great or so many in number that the team isn't expected to win. It is "building" a fresh look and a fresh strategy that will result (hopefully) in a shot at the playoffs during the next season.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Petlife
Burning High
"Go pet the phoenix," Mallory had said. "Or are you too much of a coward?" Letha tried to keep her eyes scrunched closed. Opening them again would only have the same result as it had the last time. The nearly unbroken stretch of treetops, made up mostly of the canopies of massive oaks, had looked like a mass of embroidery knots. Mum would be proud of that analogy, she was certain, because Letha had never been the slightest bit interested in embroidery.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Fiction
Back Again
Deer Season Deer season. Every year, it stands in the way like a big block of granite. Deer season is the winding down of gardening, putting in root crops and greens in preparation for the winter. It's time for packing in the brooder, with the last of the meat chickens in the rear view mirror, already processed and in the freezer. It's the time during which the empty freezers are slowly filled with scraps for the dogs and ground venison for us. I was working two jobs during deer season, both at the kennel and processing meat as fast as it would come in. Every day, we'd plan ahead: gardens, chickens, dogs, and such, for "after deer season." Everything comes to a standstill, other than cutting, grinding, and packing deer meat.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Petlife
Not for the Faint of Heart
Who is "Cyi?" Cyi (pronounced "sigh") is a beautiful little white and tan Toy Fox Terrier. She should only weigh about 5.5 pounds but getting her below 6 pounds is a challenge. Cyi loves food. She will go out of her way to steal whatever food she can get her tiny little teeth on. She has stolen food right out of Yaddle's mouth, God love her, even though Yaddle is two and a half times her weight. With her high level of activity, you would think Cyi would melt away those extra calories. Alas . . . no. She hasn't had a tuck-up since she was two. It was Cyi's love of food that got her into her mess last week. And, unfortunately, it's a mess from which she will likely never recover.
By Kimberly J Egan2 years ago in Petlife
Kidding Time!
Every person who has goats both eagerly awaits and actively dreads kidding time. The "eagerly awaits" part is easy to understand. Kids are, as a rule, adorable. After their first week of life, they suddenly develop springs in their legs and the desire to jump on anything in their path. Just today, I found one of the kids on the apartment-sized refrigerator that is outside, waiting for Dan to haul it off for scrap metal. Why was he there? Not a clue. It's been sitting there since he was born, and he did not give it a glance. It is entirely possible that he simply waited until I needed a smile on my face. It's as good an explanation as any!
By Kimberly J Egan2 years ago in Petlife
Not Even Just a Little
Dear Mom, I'm certain it's no surprise to you, since we've barely shared 100 words in the last 10 years, but I don't like you. I don't love you, not even just a little. You don't know how much I've wanted to love you. How much I needed to love you when I was younger. How much I craved your approval. I wish it could have been so.
By Kimberly J Egan2 years ago in Families
In Life, as with Dogs, the Only Constant is Change
The Puppies! It's been just over a week since they were born, and the puppies have more than doubled in weight. Tumbleweed, the white and tan, is now 10.7 ounces and Sarsaparilla, the black tricolor, is 10.8 ounces. Yuma is becoming annoyed with them, because they are no longer staying where she put them! That's right: they're crawling like little speed demons and disrupting Yuma's orderly world. She likes it best when they are nursing and in one place, even if it means she has to stay still. The video below was taken on April 11, when the puppies were six days old. Yuma still wasn't certain how she felt about me leaving the door open and possibly letting Leela or Yaddle in.
By Kimberly J Egan2 years ago in Petlife
Changing Times
Remembering Millie We knew she was coming to an end, but it was hard to see old Millie declining. She was a special girl: a long-coated red Dachshund who had wandered up Dan's driveway almost six years ago. At the time, she was in a great deal of pain, with half-healed wounds caused by the boiling-hot liquid that had been poured over her back. We were obligated to advertise a "found dog," so we did--in the most half-hearted manner possible--while we treated her wounds and filled her starving belly with venison and fresh eggs and goat's milk. She was scared to death of us, fear-biting at us whenever we tried to clean her wounds and even when we tried to feed her.
By Kimberly J Egan2 years ago in Petlife
Lightening the Mood with Trick Training!
In the Beginning . . . I own terriers, so naturally I'm a glutton for punishment. For that reason, I'm not going to be trick training Widget. I will instead be trick training Widget, Sassi, and Badger, Heaven help me. All three Toy Fox Terriers are at different stages of training. This fact will allow me to share more of what is involved in the process ad how trick training can be used to build a dog's confidence and skills. We'll also be building skills from Bella's Trix "Manners Matter, primarily for Widget and for Sassi. Sassi is, at this very minute, demanding that I get up from writing and feed her, so yeah. Manners . . .
By Kimberly J Egan2 years ago in Petlife
What on Earth is a Toy Fox Terrier?
If the Airedale is the "King of the Terriers," then the Toy Fox Terrier (TFT) perceives itself to be the Emperor of All Terrier Kind. TFTs are typically slightly larger than a Chihuahua, with show-quality dogs not exceeding 7 pounds or 11.5 inches at the shoulder, so they need to pack all of that confidence into a truly tiny package. They can be fun, exasperating, loving, exhausting, sweet, and challenging dogs. When someone comes to me looking for a puppy, the questionnaire they are required to fill out asks if they have previous dog experience. TFTs are small dogs but they are not beginner dogs. They are still terriers, with all that being a terrier implies.
By Kimberly J Egan2 years ago in Petlife
Preparing for Obedience, Part 3
Doing Things Differently I learn something new with every dog I train for competition. Beau was the hardest dog for me, because he was the first one I ever put in competition--save for the Doberman Pinscher that preceded him by a good decade. I'd entered Carnelian into a match show many moons ago, but never pursued more training due to his horrible car sickness. Glitter, my late rough collie, was a joy who worked for all the cookies and praise I could dole out. Our trainer actually used her as a demo dog more than once! My sweet, distractable Badger has been a challenge from the word "go." He will continue to be a challenge until I cry "uncle."
By Kimberly J Egan2 years ago in Lifehack
Fulfilling a Dream
The Texas Classic! I've already talked about the bad time that Widget had at the Texas Classic. Now it's Badger's turn! When I learned that the show would have conformation, Rally obedience, AND traditional obedience, I jumped at the chance to bring him. If he had a successful weekend, then he would come away with at least two titles and, quite possibly, that coveted Total Dog title that I'd been questing for over twenty years! (Read more about that quest in the embedded link!)
By Kimberly J Egan2 years ago in Petlife