Baxters new "do"

It's been a while since I have done a Baxter post. So here is our pup!


This is Baxter our Lakeland Terrier, he is now 6 years old and just got back from a new groomer that gave him such a great new do.
Just check out that profile!


He is pretty much always playing, but going around and around in the bushes is his favorite thing (besides eating). He is one lucky pup that gets to go to work with us and have plenty of room to run around all day.

Baxter's poor toe

He ripped most of his front pinkie toenail off on Friday. We don't know how he did it, but as soon as I went to feed him I noticed his foot was covered in blood, he just wanted to eat and didn't even seem to notice it, but we took him next door to our Vet/Tenant who said we should soak it, keep it clean and watch for infection.
So I have been watching it, soaking it in betadine solution, putting doggie neosporin on it, wrapping it in gauze and vet wrap.
It's pretty nasty looking, but I think it will grow back. If you want to see a photo of it up close and in all it's bloodiness click Here. But I'm warning ya! Its gross.

He was not a fan of the new green boot, but it helps him walk on it and keeps it clean. When I take it off he tends to lick at it. It looks pretty painful and he is really uncomfortable when I have to clean it, so I know it hurts.
Poor pup, but we found a cheap and easy solution to fix his little situation.


Here is is tonight all tuckered out from hours of playing with his new hedgehog buddy. He actually fell asleep with his new toy and his good arm on it (notice the couch covered with blankets to protect it from blood) he is just so cute!

Baxter's 5th Birthday

Today is Baxter's Birthday, and I can't believe he is five!! That flew by. As you may know Baxter is our little boy and we on occasion have been known to spoil him. When we lived in town he used to frequent the pet store at least once a month, and usually leave with a new toy. He went through them quickly, as soon as the squeaker is destroyed then he rips them apart.
Well since we moved far away from the "toy store" he hasn't been there much at all. So for his special day we took him in and sure enough he picked out a new toy to take home.

This little video montage will give you a glimpse of what we have been dealing with for the last 3 hours straight. He is so happy!

Sunday Picnic and Baxter meets the oreo cows.

We took some of the day off on Sunday to enjoy the weather and fresh air. The three of us headed out with some sandwiches and had a little picnic and a walk. Baxter pulled us around like a mini draft horse smelling for the cows that were around but no where to be seen. The loose cows out in woodstock must have been on someones property that day, but their evidence that they were recently there was left behind.
So we drove down the road to show him the oreo cows at a ranch. Rory calls them oreo cows because of their similarity to the cookie with their adorable white stripe down the middle. They are so gentile and furry I wanted to climb in there and hug them. This being Baxter's first experience with cows we were excited to see how he would react. He is usually fearless with all, but the bull had him a bit scared. He would walk up and smell them then dart back behind Rory's leg for safety.



I think if it were just this little guy Baxter would have been more adventurous.



We've been pretty cooped up in the house with the bathroom reno lately and needed some supplies for the shower. So off to the hardware mega store.
Who knew I'd find some great stuff at Home Depot to spice up our decor? These finds are going to brighten up our patio just in time for warmer weather, we hope!
These outdoor pillows are so fun and go perfectly with the green cushions of our outdoor dining set and bench. I plan to use them with our lounge chairs as a head pillow when I lay out this summer to hopefully get a tan!





I also picked up this outdoor rug at Home depot for great price, it can be washed off with a garden hose, how great is that? Plus it really defines the dining table area. The red color blends well with our Spanish paver patio floor. I'll post a picture of the carpet once I've stopped using our outdoor table as my painting table, right now it's covered in cabinet doors.



Speaking of cabinet doors, I am happy to say that I have finished all necessary coats, and coats, and coats of paint. I also got in the beautiful knobs today. Here is a close up of the chrome finished knob from Baldwin hardware. I love them! Thank goodness!
I don't know if you can see the "old look" finish on the doors but they were a certainly labor of love. I put on (front and back) a coat of primer, two coats of green paint then sanded and distressed then glazed the detail of the recessed panel with brown glaze and finally gave two coats of polyurethane to seal it.

Tamales!

Rory has talked about making homemade tamales for years, and with today being a blustery, windy cold day it was perfect to spend most of it in the kitchen trying them out. He did all of the cooking himself and made everything from scratch, and he couldn't be more excited. Rory rarely gets to cook, as I take over the kitchen most days, but today I'm feeling under the weather. We all know how much he loves Mexican food and really wanted to make these. I showed him how to wrap them and tie them up nice and neat, then he did the rest. I also made flan for dessert and he got himself some Corona's so he is all set!
We have these little cuties in the steamer, and the "autentica" meal should be ready in about an hour.





Baxter was very cute today as he watched "dad" aka Rory push the lawnmower around in the front yard. He looked like a cat sitting on top of the couch, I just had to snap a shot.

When Squirrels Attack!

Baxter actually outran a squirrel today! He caught it gave it the death shake, it bit Baxter's upper lip and punctured it all the way through, Rory yelled for him to "Drop It" he did, then the squirrel ran up a tree and died. It then fell out of the tree, dead, and Baxter went back for a another death shake to make sure he finished the job.
Baxter was so happy, he was dripping with his own blood and has a full blown hole through his upper lip, but it was was worth it to him!

Our little sickie boy

I have been preoccupied this week with our Baxter. He has had a big flare up in his intestines and we are trying to get a handle on it. Last night was hard us all, he was not feeling well. Rory and I love our little one, so lets hope he has a speedy recovery.
Here are some of my favorite pictures of the little guy some from the first day we got him.

A day of chocolatiering

I spent most of this damp day in the kitchen making candies. Candied Orange slices and Marzipan orange ganache truffles. One of my favorites.
They were not easy on me today though, the chocolate tempering went less then desired, and the oranges cooked faster then expected on our new stove top. Maybe it was the weather!
They may not be perfect, but they still taste good and that's what counts.




Plus here's a cute picture of Baxter. He jumped up like he was going to have a cup of Joe and relax.

Digging around

The boys did a bit of digging today. When we got off work Rory started to dig me a hole to plant our new rosemary plant. I have to have fresh rosemary for cooking.
Baxter quickly caught the digging bug, and began to dig a gopher hole with much enthusiasm. He got in about shoulder deep before he lost interest.

Video of the digging in action

A little grout

Rory grouted the blue "cove" tonight after work. It looks really cool and almost finished! Oh yeah and Baxter "helped".
I finished sewing a little cotton valance for the 1/2 bath off the laundry room. We should get the tiling done by the end of the weekend, I hope.

Update on Baxters Condition

Hi guys, I just wanted to write that so far Baxter has not shown any bad signs of the poison ingestion.
He is a little depressed from the lack of activity. I did speak with the Vet yesterday and she said short leash walks are acceptable, but absolutely no play for a month. So he is able to go on walks, but he knows something is wrong, and he thinks he is being punished.

Other than that, we are so relieved that he is doing okay. We have heard horror stories about this kind of thing happening to local dogs and them not making it. :(
Rory and I thankfully saw him doing it and could get him to the Vet quickly and treat him. The poison is strong enough that if he digested a teaspoon and a half it would cause bleeding. Apparently the Vet who induced the vomiting on Baxter, said he threw up about 3/4 of a cup of it! So we are lucky he is okay.

Bad day for Baxter, and Us.

Well today was not a good day as a dog owner. Rory and I are very upset, our Baxter got into a container of Squirrel/Rodent Poison that was left out on the property and forgotten for a few weeks. We had no idea it was there, I saw him eating out of the bucket and immediately knew it was bad. Rory was with me and confirmed it was poison.
We rushed him to the vet and they induced vomiting. They kept him there a while until he stopped, then he was given charcoal to filter any poison in his system. He also got an injection of vitamin K to counter act the poison, and we have a bottle of vitamin K to give him for a couple weeks.
We picked him up around 5pm today and while there, learning our take home care steps we learned the very depressing news of Baxter's recovery. He must not have any form of activity for 30 days. Apparently the poison can remain in the body for up to a month and activity releases it to the blood stream. A complete lack of activity will not be easy for our hyper active terrier. He comes with us to work every day where he runs around most of the day. He is super hyper when we get home and enjoys his toys and a very intense play with them. He is usually walked by us to go to the bathroom and rarely goes in our yard. And we can't let him do any of those things for a month.
We are not sure how it will go, but tomorrow we are going to leave him at home for the first time ever while we go to work. So sad, but we just want him to be okay and recover. We'll keep you posted on his condition.

Baxter 3 1/2 years

Running at top speed, you can tell by the ears.


New Toy Day!


Baxter, our little guy has been enjoying himself lately. He had a new friend come by and spend a long time playing his favorite game, Tug-a-War!
He and the little Border Collie puppy (about 4 months old) played "tug" for at least 15 minutes non stop. Then continued the day of play with about an hour of "you chase me, then I'll chase you."
Baxter sounds vicious, but that's just how our little terrier plays, he is really having a blast, I swear!
Also he got a new toy, its a plush tree trunk with 3 little squeaky squirrels that fit inside. Baxter's 2nd favorite game is pulling toys out of things, so it was hard to resist for Rory, and he had to purchase the toy for his boy!

That's our Boy!

Baxter on Christmas day, he really enjoys his toys to the fullest. The gopher got away this time, but he'll be back and Baxter will be waiting.