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| Counties that grow peanuts on the left, drought map on right |
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| I believe that D1 is the equivalent of Mean Soil Moisture - 1.0 Standard Deviation. D2 is MSM - 2.0 Standard Deviations and so on. |
Source of drought picture.
Source of peanut production by county (Note: there is one county in Texas that produces a lot of peanuts that I trimmed off to make the two maps match.
Conclusion: This might be a good time to buy peanut butter.
Toys for children
Quicksilver had her 4th birthday this past week.
Kids are very quick to identify playground equipment because it is almost always combinations of vivid red, vivid yellow or vivid blue.
While walking in town (Eaton Rapids) to get to the library, she saw some toys. She liked the blue one best.
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| Photo take with the driver's permission |
Gardening report from Southern Belle
The tomatoes and peppers were planted at the widow's house.
The "garden" consisted of two raised beds, 4' long by 2' wide. They were tucked underneath the eves on the west side of the garage...so half-day of afternoon sun. The beds were 8" deep trays held up with 4-by-4 legs.
The customer was happy.
Thanks for all of the comments in the previous post
It feels odd to not have Zeus or some other dog around.
I was not aware of how much attention I paid to him. It was just part of the normal fabric of life.
For example, our main security camera (which we think of as a window where the builder didn't put one) looks down the length of our driveway from the corner of the garage. That feed captures Zeus's kennel. EVERY time I look at that feed "window" I monitor Zeus's body language.
We have owned single or multiple dogs continuously since 1988.
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| The data for life-expectancy by dog breed is squishy. There is not a lot of it and it is known to have self-selection biases, i.e. owners of posh purebreds are more likely to register data than owners of mutts. |
We will probably get another dog but it will be on our terms; our timing, the size that will work for us, breed and so on.
On average:
- Smaller dogs live longer than larger dogs
- Dogs with longer muzzles live longer than dogs with pushed in muzzles
- Crossbred dogs live longer than purebred dogs.
Some breeds defy expectations. Border Collies, Australian Shepherds and Jake Russel Terriers are over-achievers for longevity. I am clueless regarding the personality of a Jack Russel x Border Collie cross. They are both very intense dogs with the Jack Russel being ADHD and the Border Collie OCD. It could go either way, best of both or worst of both.
Seedling trays
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| Japanese Water Iris |
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| Wibb Watermelon. 2021 seeds. 6-of-9 planted germinated so far |
Tasteless jokes
The best thing about being a grave digger is that it is one of the very few professions where you start out right at the top.
I'm seriously thinking about getting a Yorkshire Terrier as I've been dogless too long.
ReplyDeleteA neighbor I help has one that is an effective vole and rat getter. Amazing how fast it can dig up a whole nest and destroy them. I MIGHT name mine Conan for the ability they have to wipeout rat nests.
Plus, that silky fur cleans up easily.
Seems they were bred to be ratters and alert guard dogs.
Easy to feed, nice to keep the lap and hands warm and unlike Jack Russels and Border Collies don't get nearly as destructive when you cannot be actively handling them.
Joe if you get a Jack-Border mix I strongly suggest a couple of things. CAGE TRAINING when you're not hands on them, and like Quicksilver a strong COME HERE and DROP IT command setup.
Bored Jacks and Bored Borders are destructive. Awesome working dogs but are as I said hands ON dogs. Too much energy to be ignored.
The sweet-spot for dog size for our "operation" is in the 30-to-40 pound range. Big enough that it can do "its business" when the snow is 8" deep and too big to crawl down a woodchuck hole and get its face ripped off.
DeleteOur four kids chose our last five dogs. The Boston Terrier was too small for our climate and wildlife. The Shepherds were not particularly well trained (kid's dogs...sigh!) and could bowl Mrs ERJ over. The other two dogs were a Lab-Border Collie with a too-strong hunting instinct and a Border Collie.
The 30-to-40 pound range is not heavily populated with dog breeds. A few of the larger Spaniels, Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, smaller female Heelers, some Mountain Curr lines, large-for-breed male Beagles....and then there are not many mainstream breeds left.
Boutique breeds with very small populations tend to have horrific inbreeding issues. Boutique cross-breeds tend to be 80% sizzle and 20% steak.
Anyone looking for a dog in the 30-40lb range I highly recommend the Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier !! They are typically right at 40lbs, live around 13-15 yrs, good with kids, willing to guard ( esp from UPS trucks...they Must be barked at) and can herd animals or work as Ratters. Only real negative is they are best with some grooming and Maaaayyy be smarter than their Human-owners. They can be protective of the family but I have never known one to growl unless someone was Obviously threatening a family member. I dont have one right now but have had several. They typically are around $2K from a breeder but usually under $300 or so from a rescue.
DeleteNo dogs or horses on the place anymore. It still feels strange but being in our 70's I would hate to have a critter end up being taken from its home and end up in an adoption center when we die.
ReplyDeleteI get my horse and dog fix taking care of my neighbor's animals when the travel.
Sorry for your and Kubota's loss.
We have had two dogs as adults: Syrah the Mighty, a Black Lab, and Poppy the Brave, a shepherd mix. The shepherd mix is far more energetic. Both were, of course, good dogs.
ReplyDeleteWere we to get a dog again (it has been discussed), it would like be something slightly smaller than what have had before - although Labs hold a special place in my heart.
Our 1st dog was an Australian Shepard - Chow mix named Ringo. Handsome devil, he lived two months past hid 13th birthday. Died 4th of July 2006, I still miss him to this day.
ReplyDeleteSmartest dog we ever had, but a bit stand-offish around strangers. When other dogs barked, he would run to front yard and decide if barking was worth the trouble. When he barked, we knew it was for a reason.
We’ve had two cockapoos, both were 25 pounders. One was more cocker, shorter legs, longer body. The other more poodle, leggy, strong prey drive. We just lost our bobby last month and if/when we get another we think 15-20 pounds max since wife and I both have physical limitations. We got both as adult dogs and didnt have to deal with puppy shenanigans. Cockapoos as a breed are very clingy and unless your dog is going to go everywhere with you I wouldnt recommend. Bobby was an exception, he had lived on the streets and was pretty mellow and independent. Food aggressive, he’d eat anything and the box it came in, he would tear down vines getting his cucumbers and tomatoes in the garden . Both were sweet, loving dogs.
ReplyDeleteIts sad how soon Great Danes and other giant breed dogs go. I dont know why a French Bulldog would die so soon. Pugs seem to live 12-15 yrs on avg. ( My wife (and by default I) help to run an animal shelter . Most purebreds have some built in health issues. I know with miniature schnauzers . they often become diabetic in later years. A lot of breeds have problems with cataracts.
ReplyDeleteFor older adults I recommend adopting a " middle age or older" dog. Not A Puppy !! We adopted a geriatric Pug once...he had a firm grip on our heart. He left way too soon but it was good to let him die in peace and with love. Finally, if you do get a pet when you are older, see if maybe a relative will make a commitment to take the dog when you die or become unable to care for yourself! One of the worst things I ever heard of involved the elder pug mentioned above. When the old man who owned him died...his surviving kids didnt even take the Pug to a shelter or rescue. They threw him out on the street. Eventually neighbors figured out what had happened and contacted a Pug rescue group.
I've had a number of different dogs over the years. We had a rat terrier that was about 15-20 lbs that was pretty protective and only tolerated a handful of people, he was fearless and it's a good thing he was relatively small. He lived to almost 15 years old.
ReplyDeleteI also had three Brittany Spaniels that were about 35-50 lbs. that liked everybody (except one that hated the vet). They were all almost carbon-copies of each other and had the smarts of a bird dog, and had about the same amount of energy that I might have at any time. One of them lived to over 15, one died of a cancer at about 4 and the other lived to over 10.
As a kid I had a mutt that was some sort of beagle, dachshund, and something else cross (he looked like a black, short-legged beagle that probably weighed about 25 lbs.. He taught himself to be a squirrel dog and we hunted squirrels with him when I was first learning to hunt. He would take off ahead of us and when he had treed a squirrel he would bay at them until we showed up. He might have been one of the best dogs I've had.
A good article and comments on dogs. We have had many dogs, and loved them all, especially the last one, “Mate”. However, we are in our 80’s now, and have no close relatives or friends.Too bad for us, as we would not want our little buddy to end up in a shelter. Guess we’ll just have to live vicariously.
ReplyDeleteMy friend in MI got a “prison dog” from the MI rescue (Refurbished Pets of Southern Michigan) linked below. The medium sized shepherd mix has been great. They are rescue dogs who go stay at a prison (in Coldwater) for about 6 weeks, so inmates who have been schooled in dog training, can train them.
ReplyDeletehttps://rpsm.org/
We always had Weimaraners, and that was okay but then we shifted to rescue mutts and life got better.
ReplyDeleteThen we got a german shepard and things got even better. A trained German Shepherd is a wonderful family member. You already know the issues with hair.
$.02 from the peanut gallery.
Oh, and 2 dogs make a pack and a pack is better.
I had a neighbor that had a Jack Russel & Border Collie cross. That was an angry, mean, dog. That was another reason to move.
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. exports about 22% of our peanut crop. Peanut prices are actually well down due to oversupply, lower than any prices since 2020. This could change, but foreign producers actually control pricing. China produces 9 time the amount of peanuts we do and exports most of their crop.
ReplyDeleteGood to know. Thanks for writing.
DeleteI recommend "Rigbys last pheasant" by Ross Seifried if you can find it.
ReplyDeleteBest short article on the loss of a fine dog I have ever read.
My googlefoo didn't work, no link.
shudder... THAT is a breed cross I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy!
ReplyDeleteIf I remember correctly, you were waiting to be dogless so you and the missus could travel. I think that was 2-2.5 years ago.
ReplyDeleteI also think I remember you saying a dog the size of a coyote could probably survive/forage for its food like a coyote, if one was unable to provide for it.
Would you get a puppy or an adult dog?
My last 2 dogs (German Shepherd, Cane Corso) were free on craigslist. People move, people die, people can't keep them.
sam
My daughter has a Labrador that is 17 years old.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sad to hear about Zeus. Like you, I have had a lot of dogs. I think each one still lives within me. (Except Jack, the autistic Dalmatian.) My theory is that they don't outlive us so that we can take care of more than one in our lifetimes. We're on our fifth rescue dog now.
ReplyDeleteI'll suggest looking at a cur breed. I have had several. Ime, generally not dogs that crave constant attention and acknowledgement, but love petting and raised right is always keeping a close eye on me, yet is fine just at the edge of my space. Raised with kids a great added babysitter, and gotten young enough can be imprinted to do some light retriever to keep the younguns busy for a period throwing the ball or whatever... Excellent at alerting any varmint you have encouraged them to tag... I have 3 atm...
ReplyDelete