“SUNDOG SUNSET”
We enjoy lovely sunsets at Sundog Ranch but this one was spectacular. The way the trees create “foreshadows” on the pool was a nice surprise not having designed it ourselves.
Tag Archives: daily post
Black and White Sunday: Black Beauty
Santa Fe Renegade a Morgan Stallion owned by Eitan Beth Halachmy Photo taken 5/8/11
The Brothers: On the Prowl
I was going to do a “A Typical Morning at Sundog” post and feature all the animals I feed in the morning but the Manz Brothers were on the prowl and I had my camera in hand. 
As you can see Mangus is alive and doing well. He and Milton think they are “The Bad Boys” now.
They have plenty of trees to scale but the little scrub oak forest next to the barn is their favorite place to practice their new skills.
I hope there is not some unsuspecting birdie up there. It is a good thing the finches did not return to the barn this year. I don’t think they will be back.
Crazed kitty look.
“I may be tiny but I’m looking down on you.”
Meanwhile on the ground Milton is on the prowl. He looks over at Rosie and the goats in the pen who are being so patient waiting for some one to feed them.
“We are in jail. We are hungry. Let us out”.
Rosie watches the Manx brothers in the little forest and wonders why I have not fed her yet. I better hurry and feed or let her and the goats out to browse but I want time to document the Manx Brothers in the little oak forest right now. They are just little kitties and will grow to big kitties soon. After Rosie’s first bray (hee haw) she usually gives me about 5 or maybe up to 10 minutes to act if I am lucky. 
The goats are extremely patient this morning. They are enjoying the mild morning sun.
Mangus eyes locked on Milton from above.
Milton dives for the cherry picker in the wheelbarrow. Hmmm….manure balls, good for batting around. 
“How did Mangus get down there so quick. And what is he up to?”
Mangus does not want to use the litter box any more. Yeah I say.
Good boy. Just wait until he finds the round pen with 60 feet of sand.
“Now what can I do?”
“I feel the need to sharpen my teeth.” Fierce isn’t he?
“Someone’s coming….in the bucket.
“Why I see movement out there. I can’t keep myself in here much longer”
“Out of bucket and look what happens. Don’t laugh.”
I told you they were fierce kitties.
GQ like Rosie and the goats is very patient for his breakfast. He is watching the Manx Brothers play too. I’d better hurry with hay though or the stall banging may start and we don’t want that.
“Who me? I don’t bang stall doors…..unless you ignore me long enough”
I look down from GQ thinking I better start getting hay out and I squint to see Mangus with something flapping in his mouth. It looks like he has caught a tiny fish or something. He crouches and appears to not know what the heck he has. I swing my camera around and can’t get my settings right but oh well. You can see something here. It is NOT a wood rat which is what he is suppose to be feasting on. Mangus is as surprised as I am. “Hmmm…what to do with this?” Then before I could say MEOW…….
Mangus does the spins with a very unlucky creature in mouth. I almost deleted this photo as junk until I looked in the bottom right hand corner. OMG The poor creature was a lizard and he or she is fleeing for his or her life. National Geographic material? 
Mangus wonders “what happened to that thing I had”? 
“Oh well I’ll just find something else to destroy.”
“When in doubt crawl into the blocks.”
Adios Amigo’s!
Out of the Archives: Cute and Cuter
I love my grown up Sasha….the baby of the Sundogs. But now since we’ve decided 5 dogs are ENOUGH dogs I get a little sentimental about the puppy years. So I have to share what I’m talking about. 
Around 8 weeks old. She’s a retriever through and through.
How about that confirmation. I mean body.
In the mornings sitting on the front stairs looking for crawling things was a favorite activity….and still is.
Learning how to swim at a young age is required at Sundog Ranch. Sasha is around 10 weeks here. She started her swimming career in the puppy pen.
It can get a little intimidating competing with the big Sundogs.
So drying off and watching is good.
Summers are hot at Sundog so staying near the water is imperative.
“In fact if sitting in water does not cool you down fast enough lie down in it.”
In case you wondered Sasha is allowed in the house.
Even on the couch
Now do you see what I mean about missing puppy time?
Adios Amigo’s
Mountain Dogs: Swimming with Sasha Part 2
This is what happens when we take THEM to the pier. After the long journey down the very long and historic Tahoe Taverns pier the Sundogs can’t wait to get into the water. This is what happens.
Maisie is my leaper. She does not drift into the water she LEAPS into it. Off the metal stairs that lead to the swimming section off the pier. The roped off swimming area is reserved for humans but unless it is the heart of the summer in prime daylight hours the Sundogs TAKE OVER at the swimming section. Leaping affords Maisie a lot of time to get in front of her brothers hence to get to the object she is after FIRST.
Once Maisie gets what she is looking for of course she is FIRST to the stairs.
Sasha at four months old and her first time at the “stairs” does not want any part of what seems like fun to the big Sundogs. Leaping by herself into the blue-green sea of liquid ice with two or three other giant Sundogs after her does not seem fun.
I’m in the water! Isn’t that enough?
But no matter how hard she tries by putting two feet first in the water Sasha cannot bring herself to plunge in to the sea of liquid ice like her Mom does.
So she plunks down at the top of the stairs where she can watch that is going on.
Mr Lassen is also staying dry for now. He got his feet wet but since he is not too into competition he used the opportunity while everyone else was swimming to check out the good sniffs….. on the end of the pier by the swimming section. 
He could watch the swimming scene with Rockin Roy and that was fine with him.
And RARE undivided attention was to be had.
While Maisie and Yolo had to get the ball FIRST from the stairs. 
Sasha stayed far away from the bottom step when Yolo was there.
And got away quickly when Mom was plunging.
Lassen finally gets in on the action and so now we have three big wet Sundogs crowding the stairs.
When they shake Rockin Roy tries to get away from the shake but not Sasha.
Sasha has to play the “I BITE YOUR LEG” game while they aren’t even finished shaking off yet.
It is time to dry off on the pier now. No more fun “on the stairs”.
Sasha seems a little more at ease now with Mom and Yolo at her side NOT on dry land but at least on the pier. They can all survey the lake and bird situation from here and stop the silly plunging into liquid ice even if there is that retrieving thing going on.
Rockin Roy calls and in no time the Sundogs sprint to the call. It must be time to go home, finish drying off and hit the couches.
Leashing up for the walk down the pier away from the swimming section is OK since we got a bit tired out. 
Even if we don’t want to admit it.
Adios Amigo’s…until next time.
Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above
This is my entry for “From Above” These are the toes and tools of “The Wicked Sisters” of Amador County. This photo was taken before their performance at the entrance to Fitzpatrick Winery in Fairplay, California in the summer of 2012. Fairplay is a tiny town in the Sierra foothills in near Placerville. The Wicked Sisters are known for their feisty and edgy variety of folk, pop, country and blues with sweet three part harmonies. Bottom parts pictured here are my dear friend Lynn Vasquez, Anne Jeffries and KevinWever. Not pictured is Ken Custodio (his feet did not make the cut).
Visit the Wicked Sisters at http://www.wickedsistersband.com
Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture
This weeks challenge is culture. As I have not been out of the country for some time I’ll just highlight the culture in my part of the world. This shot is from behind the scenes at the Stoneyford Rodeo. Stoneyford is a tiny town in the hills of Northern California located about 2 hours NW of Sacramento. I had some great shots of cowboys but I had to go with the cowgirls. It looks like time is standing still here but if you zoom in to the middle you will notice the rodeo queen from 2011 talking on her cell phone. She is savoring the her last stand as queen as she is about to give up her title to the new 2012 queen.
The Sun Dog Drift 