Siberian Hair and Harry is Drowning

Oh, days of spring, hurry and get here! Nothing but cold weather, rain, and muck. I want sun and happiness, warmth and the joy of the sun shining brightly. That would be an awesome Christmas gift. A very early spring and summer. But, I am thankful for the rain as it does keep things green and beautiful in the amazing state of Oregon. So onward we splash through puddles. 

Togo is loving the cooler weather. That double coat comes in handy during weather like this and colder temps as well. Our beautiful boy is in the middle of the annual shed of his undercoat and wow! That's all I'm going to say is wow! 

Mallory came by on Saturday afternoon to chat and just catch up on any news. The dog brush was snatched up by the animal loving woman and off went piles of fur from Togo's coat. He wasn't happy about it, but it needed to be done. 

It seemed the more she brushed, the more he shed. That undercoat is very thick. It's gorgeous, yes, but so thick. I've heard they blow their coat twice a year and then I've read it's once per year. This dog is in non-stop shed mode. I have been able to create four other huskies with the blown coat I sweep up if anyone would like a husky. 

While he does shed so much, he is worth every white hair on our clothes, on our furniture, and of course in our mouths and noses. Walking into the store the other day, I realized something was on my nose. It was a magic fiber of love released by none other than our Togo. My poor washing machine and dryer sucks it all up like a champ though and we do have the brush. The weather is just warmer here than what a Siberian husky is bred for, so collection of hair is going to be a typical process for us and I am happy to do it. As Togo's adopted parents, Terry and I knew what was coming in terms of keeping him groomed. I just didn't realize I could make furniture from all that comes off that dog.

Mallory does enjoy brushing him though. It seems like it's a thing for her when she comes over to visit. We enjoy watching her stroke his heavy coat and of course Togo seems to love each brush stoke too. He was a bit hyper yesterday during his brushing. Togo would receive a swipe or two of the brush and then run under the table, twisting his leash in and out of the patio furniture. Mallory eventually gave up but not before getting quite a bit of undercoat from the dog. 

The three of us decided the weather was far too chilly to visit outside, so we moved into the house. Mallory and I had talked earlier about watching the Lord of the Rings movies, so this seemed a perfect time to begin that activity. Terry mentioned National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation as a good movie choice and especially when we found out Mallory has never seen it. Christmas Vacation it was!

It has always been one of my favorite movies from the classic genre of films. Terry's daughter seemed to enjoy the choice, so we have selected Vacation as a future movie for her to see. I think she will love that one as well. Vacation is another one of my favorites, not out of the holiday movie genre, but as a comedy film. The Griswold family trip across the country to see Walley World reminds me of a couple of cross country trips my family took when I was a kid. Piling six kids and two adults into a small camper to drive across the US isn't always such a good idea. 

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Sundays are always a bittersweet day to me. Terry and I (like most of America) return to work on Monday. But the day is always relaxing for the most part. We enjoy each moment of Sundays, knowing this is the final day of relaxation without work having to think about work. Being thankful for having jobs is at the forefront of our lives too, although sometimes the idea of returning is tough to deal with. Sweet man has to actually go into work, where I can at least stay home to work. There is something to be said for working from home. 

(photo by freepic.diller of freep!k.com)

The ability to remain at home does give me some freedom to take care of our babies during the day. Togo needs a midday walk. Jasper needs his walks. Plus the feeding of the kitties, cleaning a litter box, keeping Kit out of things, and ensuring the house remains standing when they are all in a playful mood is essential. I consider myself an essential worker of sorts. 👀👅👍😉😏

Nothing much is happening today, as it is Sunday. Rain and cold are stopping us from having that urge to run around town and see or do things. It's flat out weather nasty here or nasty weather, however you wish to describe it. I can hear the car tires sloshing through the standing puddles of rain on the road. The chilliness in the house is enough to stop me from wanting to go out and the sump pump is constantly operating, making an attempt to keep up with the water flow throughout the basement.

Speaking of the basement, I've been asked, "What happened to Harry?" Only one time have I opened the basement door lately to find the overhead light on. The switch was flipped to the "on" position, of course, making it impossible to figure out what is happening. If it's electrical, the switch would not actually flip to "on." I know Terry can't go into the basement and I do not believe he has ever even opened the door. He has bone-on-bone pain in his knee and simply cannot walk down narrow stairs to see what is happening down below the main level of the home. 

Since the rain has been flowing along the edges of the basement floor and we have standing water out to the center of the room, I have not attempted a trip down there either, meaning neither of us have been there to turn that light switch on. Lights coming on in the basement area has been a mystery since the day we moved in. We simply smile, shut off the light, and close the door. I don't think I really want to know how our ghostly roommate is partying in the cellar, as long as he keeps it quiet down there. Party on, transparent dude! 

Mallory and I had discussed going into the attic area on Halloween since the basement seems to interest us. That idea never came to fruition. It's a long way up through the ceiling of the laundry room and I need to locate a way to make that happen. I don't know why, but I'm always curious to see inside attics and down in basements of old homes. Loving the architecture and character of homes built many years ago has always been something of an interest to me. This home is no different. I will make it up to the attic space at some point. The only thing stopping me is a way to get up there without my klutzy body falling back to the floor. That would be my life. It will happen though. Oh, it will happen. It's on my bucket list. I just don't want it to be what ends me before marking it off that list. 

Well, we wish all of you an exciting, happy, joy and fun filled week. Sending everyone hugs and wishes of abundance, happiness, love, and plenty of smiles. Take care until next post!