puppies are like kids some times...

 they can make you nuts right before they go to sleep.  they just get so riled up before dropping off. then they are sleeping and look like the little angels that you know they are.  i think Pogi feels the same about them.  the cats seem to know when the pups drift off and then they come out and check them out from a safe distance.

 haven't gotten to a point where the cats aren't the subject of a hot pursuit.  poor cats.  i have the upstairs blocked off so the cats can have safe zone. i am in a puppy haze or puppy fog.  raising two pups is not easy task.  i know it will be worth it eventually, but there are a few minutes in each day where i question my judgement.

 it would appear Blossom does too. haha.

 we hit portage area yesterday.  short road trip.  i have good moments and then every so often...the leashes get wrapped around me, or Blossom decides to head for the smelliest puddle she can find and the pups try to follow her or suddenly a pup will leap up on a table or grab shoes or socks or...who knows.  i'm sure Cesar Milan has moments of irritation...he just edits them out.

 i think overall we are doing okay though.  thankfully dogs generally forgive your little moments.

 i shifted the crate i had upstairs downstairs.  i had figured i'd really push the sleeping in separate crate thing once they hit 12 weeks.  many pups don't leave their moms until about now anyway.  they are getting bigger so it seemed like a good idea.  all the dogs are downstairs sleeping at this time.

 fun play time in the yard today.  did some stuff around the house.  did a walk in the bog.  i may have tired Tusker out too much for puppy class.  i took him today.  Ivy is peeing frequent small amounts so i fear her UTI may have returned.  no way i was going to subject her to an hour class with that bladder issue.  that wouldn't be fair.  they want me to bring the dominant puppy though, pretty sure that would be Ivy.  although she is less the dominant pup when she is on her own.

 love the determination in little Tusker to get this watering jug onto the chair.

 today in the bog i had gotten the pups off leash in the big field.   a family happened by with 2 dogs..it's the same family i took pictures of the little toddler walking the pups several weeks back.  he was so thrilled and then had a total meltdown when we had to leave.  today Ivy was making her usual leap at their dog, the older dog gave her a good scare in the form of a snap at her.  the dog didn't bite, just a warning. they apologized, but i said, no, that is exactly what she needed.  she needs to understand that other dogs don't appreciate her behaviour. she was so funny though as after that happened she ran right to me for protection.

 a few minutes before that a few kids who had been playing a ways off saw the puppies and made a run towards us.  this caused the pups to make a run for them.  the pups jumped on the little kid, kid got freaked out. i got the pups off and calmed the kid. it is strange to see kids without a parent around these days.  eventually once i had the situation already under control a father came over.  i actually got the feeling he wanted to be annoyed with me, but i suspect he was supposed to be watching these kids who had wandered quite a ways from the house unnoticed.  they were still in pj's and slippers.

 so i guess the class went fine.  bummed that the owner wasn't teaching. she really was great with Blossoms classes all those years ago. our teacher is sort of a drone.  tusker perked up for play time, but it was way short.  also when we were doing loose leash practice she was just have us walk in individual circles. you really need to get dogs moving forward not spinning in circles in place.  that was annoying and useless.  turning circles with a dog in heel is actually a skill best kept for a much later class.  trying to get a puppy to spin in a tight circle is pointless.

 did take the tunnel through to Whittier.

 it's so funny...and the reason i love winter.  summer guilt.

 today was sunny and warm, in the 70's.  in the summer a nice day like this you feel obligated to have some major adventure. i mean every day you must peak or ride 50 miles or paddle...when you just chill at home you have this guilt of wasting a day and not taking advantage of the good weather.  in the winter you have no guilt if you cabin up one day, get some stuff done.

 little earthquake as i relaxed a few minutes at home last night. guess it was centered in Talkeetna area, somewhere in the 4 range. it felt pretty short at my place but it was a pretty good shake, the cats noticed it as did i.  not sure if the dogs picked up on it.

 there was also a little forest fire in the campbell airstrip area i think.  i thought i smelled smoke as i headed home last night. sounds like there may have been some issues with keeping drones down so they could fight the fire. people need to be reasonable.

 there is cool waterfall that i was trying to hike to. it's supposedly a short hike. these trails up top are still covered with snow though. we did hike out to Byron Glacier.

 i used my little camera for those pictures though. i had forgotten to put the memory card back in my big camera. for these i had stopped at the little general store in Whittier and bought a new memory card there.  so really not a worthwhile trek into Whittier, but oh well.  it's all part of the day, right?

 got my steps in today easily, but i kept thinking i'd get in an additional walk.  stopped by the pet store and bought indoor puppy play area for the days i work.  hopefully, this will help me get a bit more sleep between shifts.  at some point the pups will be more trustworthy on their own.

 was happy that Tusker wasn't deemed as the most rough puppy in the play area.  we shall see how it goes with Ivy next week.

 bought some new toys as well.  was looking for more interactive toys. they do like this one i have where they roll it around and treats fall out.

 Whittier in the distance.

 i try to find safe places to reward pups with some off leash time, but they do not have a good recall, especially Ivy. i thought i had a good spot picked out at Byron Glacier, but then Ivy headed up the snow...and you can go pretty far. that doesn't mean the snow is all that stable.  so once i got her back..leash baby!!

 i remember this with Blossom as well. it's easy to forget that you have actually started to teach them the words to respond to...you start to panic and then you just are not calm at all.  use your words...remember them..they will help.

 some lupine showing up already.

 also 3 new wood bison calves.

 they were pretty close to the fence, a ways from me... a car pulled up and kids jumped out and started to run towards the bison and the fence.  i could hear the mom yelling, dont get too close, but that kid didn't listen.  the bison made a pretty serious run towards him. there is the fence, but still, it's a large animal coming at you. i'm sure parents forget the words in their panic as well.

 they have temporarily moved the black bears to a different place.  Blossom can now see them from the car and she started to bark.  this freaked out little Tusker, that is how i got those selfies. Tusker joined me in the front seat.

 pups seem to have settled nicely into their own crates. i think Ivy was excited by the new crate downstairs and she loaded in quickly.

 bison nursery.  so cute.

 will hit the sack soon.  i'm sure the pups are cutting down on my snacking in the wee hours.  don't want to wake them.

 didn't see the brown bears for any easy shots.  since i stop through fairly regular, i only take a run through and take pictures of the animals that make themselves available for pictures.

 the buses will start to roll out soon..tourists.  a nice May like this is nice as the locals kind of get a chance to enjoy the summer without the masses.

 i came around to this side of the bison area.  i was again near the fence but the bison were further off. the babies started bouncing towards my direction so i figured i'd take some steps backwards so i didn't stress the mama bison and get charged.  i stepped right into one of the old bison footprints in the mud out side their enclosure.  they do move them around from time to time.  (obviously, not when people are there).  i know i was going down.  i managed to at least have a semi controlled fall to the ground where i ended up splayed on my back.

 after i got up and dusted myself and my ego off a guy in another car near by drove past but stopped to tell me that mine had been the most graceful fall he had ever witnessed.  i guess those forced ballet courses must have paid off.

 i really wanted to take gymnastics but my mother insisted i must take ballet.  i was not ballerina material however.  as it turns out...i really wasn't gymnast material either.

 cute baby wood bison.

 the terns are starting to arrive.  these smallish birds come with a lot of attitude.  screaming at all the other birds.  i mean they did fly all the way from Antarctica so i guess that affords them some attitude.

 as i ate my cold cereal yesterday morning on the deck, eating and referee'ing pups in  a wrestling match....i watched a bald eagle flying past with a seagull in hot and angry pursuit.  i'm sure that baldie could easily just eat that flying annoyance, but he doesn't.

 other duck type bird pairs...sorry i'm not a very good birder.

 this guy is pretty though.  off to bed, while i can get some sleep.

thankful for: A.  beautiful sunny summer days.  B.  friends who listen to me drone on about puppies in my puppy filled life  C.  sleep...long uninterrupted sleep.