Cuteness and Joy, special delivery

A very dear friend is in the hospital again.  

I sent a heartfelt e-mail because my heart was so full of the good times that we've shared over the years...it just isn't enough.  You have no idea how many wordless prayers have crossed my mind as I think about her these last few weeks.  

So here is what I would share with her, if she was able to visit right now.  

Cuteness.  Kisses from puppies.  

And puppies playing joyfully.

The pictures are not even the tip of the iceberg, of the joy that puppies seem to bring to any given day.  :)

Special delivery, for my friend.

 

Laura

Pup-date

End of summer...First day of school.  

I've been neglecting to share the puppy pictures!!!

The litter is growing nicely.  Taffy is an even better mother to this year's pups than her first time at it last year.  They whimper, she is there.  Rocky ventures too close, she is there.  They relieve themselves, she is there.  They leave food behind, she is there.  But she is quite ready to leave them behind for a while when nursing is done, as she steps through the doorway of the puppy playpen to freedom.  :)

They are starting to play-ambush each other, tails wagging high in the air as their little behinds wag with glee...

And the little growls, meant to be fierce!  Too cute!  

We've had some visitors, and some that definitely want a pup.  Not enough takers, yet, but the pups aren't even 4 weeks old.  It will fall into place!

We have had fun giving them their temporary litter names:  Misty, Gage, Wisp, Morty, Maggie, Goldie, Captain and Skip(per), Star (who actually has a blaze) and Kitty (as in "Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty")  :)

Enjoy the pictures!  

 

Laura

A Pearl-y Eclipse

Something very exciting happened at the zoo, during the eclipse yesterday... 
Dykstra's Black Pearl, co-owned by us and Vikki Vyvyan-Kunz, gave birth to 6 American Guinea Hog piglets at Lincoln Park Farm-In-The-Zoo. Miss Pearl is a Bea-baby, from the Stanfield Batman litter last June...

Pearl was bred to Old Beach Setty Michigan (Mitch) and delivered right on schedule. This is his (and Pearl's) first litter. :)

I am itching to get to Chicago to check out the babies, but for now, the zoo is planning to castrate all but one of the five males tomorrow at 36 hours old. 'Hard to let someone else make the decision on the "chosen male"... But it will all work out. There appears to be one gilt in the litter.

Pictured is Pearl, visited by the Viets family last weekend, and I'll post piglet photos as soon as I receive some.

 

Laura

Two weeks old

They are 2 weeks old, as of yesterday.  What a difference!  

Eyes are opening, bellies are full and pups are looking quite different.  

There is one little girl that is so much smaller than the rest, still half the size of some of the brothers.  We are starting to give her and one or two of the sisters a head start on the nursing sessions.  Big bruiser brothers and any others who feel hefty are left napping in the dry pool...while Misty, Wisp, and at least one other sister get first crack at the milk supply, several times a day.  

It was obvious that Misty was not getting enough when she stayed latched on to Taffy, out of the pool, and halfway down the hall.  And then she was frantically sucking on our fingers as we held her and carried her back.  

Fingers crossed that we noticed it in time.  Poor little thing.  And of course, this puts Misty firmly in my "Favorites" column...  

You can see just how much the litter has grown in these two pictures!  :)

 

Laura

Captain and Skip

Introducing "Captain" and "Skipper" (Skip). These two males are hard to tell apart, when they're in the mix with the 8 other pups. But Captain is the larger, slightly darker tan one. And Skip is the lightest colored pup in the bunch, as light blonde as Bailey/Pippin was in the 2016 litter.
Today is the day that their eyes started to open.

 

Laura

Gage

This is "Gage". He is the second born pup, indistinguishable from a couple of his brothers except for the slightly darker ear...which I noticed immediately as he was being born. :) 
He is one of the larger males, at 10 days old.  And if one of the pups is "singing", it is probably him.  He was vocal from the moment he took his first breath.
The meaning of his name is just about perfect for any English Shepherd: "Incredibly sweet, sensitive, and understanding. A gentleman. Classy, and trustworthy. The best friend anyone could ask for, and entirely irreplaceable. Loyal to the core. Very attractive with an athletic build. Logical-minded, ridiculously intelligent, and will let anyone know his opinion if they ask for it. Has a tendency to sometimes be introverted, but once you get to know him he is crazy, hilarious, lovable, and tons of fun."

 

Laura

Wisp

"Wisp" is a good pup-of-the-day for a dreary Monday... She is one of the three black (or seal) and white females. 
She has that little white nose, and a tiny white line for a ruff. Somehow she is my favorite so far... She cuddles on Taffy's paw or snuggles in behind her mother's back when the others are in their puppy pile. 
Another cutie, ready to open her eyes and win everyone's hearts.

 

Laura