Mylo and Me

How can it possibly be 20 days since my last post!? I had no intention of letting the blog slide that far in-the-rears, but you know that road to hell...

Mylo before grooming...

Mylo after grooming

Although you may not see much change in Mylo's look before and after, there was a huge change in the amount of fur on his body. The groomer cut it to about 1/2 all over, and then, cleaned up his face but left his ears and topknot. A week later his head is a mess, a cute puppy mess and he is just TOO cute for words. Everyone (else) says so! He's has very long legs, weights 16 lbs! I do not know where my puppy went, except he left his brain in the very big dog. A dog who is losing his baby teeth and getting new (two front) teeth. My puppy is over 4 months old! My brain is always focused on him.

I wish he would focus more on me as that part of the training eludes him. We are working hard to learn all the things a puppy brain should know and do. Focusing his attention on me is something he doesn't like to do. He'd rather be sniffing the ground, chasing moths in the grass, or looking for neighborhood dogs so he can bark, but every day I can see something new sink in and he is getting better (and so am I) at all.the.things. Learning is exhausting for us both. 

 

I ended my Bingo run with 4 full bingos. I could have gone for two more but neither the 'Graphic novel' nor the 'Banned in a country outside the US' felt enticing enough to seek out. All the other books I'd read just fell into place. All in all, I read 19 books. I think that's a good summer of reading.  There are many new books I'm dying to read, some I am waiting for publication, others I've got on my virtual bedside table, but all have been put to the side because I have fallen in love with Middlemarch by George Eliot. What an incredibly detailed portrait of the people who lived in the 1830s on the English countryside. I have become completely entranced by their story and I can't stop reading (reading and listening both). The audio is 35 hours and the book is over 700 pages. I love it.  

I've made 4 large roasting pans full of Vicki's Roasted Tomato Sauce using our own tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, and thymegano. I always toss in several peppers (hot and mild), a zucchini and/or eggplant. Whatever comes from the garden that day goes into the pot. All winter long I use it for pasta sauce, soup, or a sauce to go over veggies. If I ate pizza it would make a good pizza sauce, too. From each large pot I get about 5 quart freezer bags of sauce. This sauce is the only reason I want to have a thriving garden. I'll be making my fifth batch today. 

There has been knitting, but it is mostly boring stockinette, in a soft periwinkle color. Soon it will be a finished sweater. But, what shows better on the blog is the beautiful sweet embroidery I just completed from Cozy Blue. It is about 6" across and wil make a cute decorative hanging for my front door. It was so much fun to stitch, to retrain my brain to work with fabric and embroidery floss, and to get my eyes to see the tiny little stitches. Stitching wasn't as easy as it once was, but I enjoyed the process and think I'll pull out my AC T-shirt and get back to stitching and beading. I'll keep my eyes open for another small project that speaks to my heart, as I enjoy this Cozy Blue kit. 

Cute big Mylo trying to figure out what that noise is I've been making with my mouth. One must be fresh and creative when trying to get a puppy brain to look at you. I swear. 

Month of Mylo

How crazy is it that Mylo's been with us for only 50 days, only a little over a month and a half!? He's 15 weeks as of yesterday but he seems big enough to be full grown. He has gained nearly 5 lbs since his second vet visit when he weighed in at 9.6 lbs. I hope, hope, hope he is nearly full grown, although it may be wishful thinking. 

Mylo been through (and graduated from) 6 weeks of puppy training and next week he'll start another class (of 6 weeks). He's learned many of the basics, but now we'll be going into intensive training on each subject. I think I've got my work cut out for me! I know he's smart, as I can teach him a new trick in 15 minutes, but it's sustaining the behavior that takes the long haul. He is alway all about being distracted. He does not want to be in one place (or position for long). But, he can sit, stay, lay down, stand, play dead, roll over, walk on a loose leash (no pulling) and now he can jump through my arms when I hold them into a ring!  We now need to do all of the above outdoors where distractions are rife and puppy attention is short. The next year will be about sustaining attention while working with a puppy brain. 

Mylo does not like having his picture taken, nor does he like it when I'm on my phone (which isn't often). It's quite a feat to get him to look at the camera (or me) and, yes, he is a moody sort and knows his own mind. He's happy to do what you want him to do, but only if you have a "high value" treat. I KNOW! He IS the new boss in town. Mylo collects pinecones and small sticks while he's on his walks and, if it's not too far, he'll carry them home. If he doesn't find a stick or pinecone, he'll carry (part of) his leash home.

I could tell stories and facts about Mylo all day long! He's funny, cute, sweet, naughty, and happy. We're in love and while there are times we're not sure how we'll manage some of the challenges, we do not regret having a new dog, in fact, we know this is one of the best decisions we've ever made.

I added a few things to the collage that show our world is bigger than just Myl0 focused (a little), such as the new pair of socks I knit, a picture of how well the Christmas cactus is growing (look at all the tiny new leaves!), the little piece of embroidery I'm stitching (more about it later), the roma tomatoes we have growing in our garden, and the smokey skies we're dealing with, plus the big fat blueberries I add to my oatmeal every morning.

Happy Mylo Monday the 5th, everyone!

Mylo Monday IV

This Mylo dog of mine is going to be a big boy (I just know it!). When Mylo came to live with us he weighed in at 6 lbs and, a short month later, here he is at 9.6 lbs! That's apx. as he wouldn't sit still on the scale. (Black floors make him feel like he's going to fall into the abyss so he wasn't too keen on staying put.) This boy is strong, healthy, and smart as a whip. Training him is a pleasure because he IS so smart. (Yes! Proud mom!) He now can "play dead", "roll over" (with lots of prompts and treats) and "leave it" (he's got a perfect record!) along with the usual "sit", "stay", "lay down", and "follow me" (he's getting a C so far in walking beside me). He's fun, fast, cool, and cute!

Mylo has puppy fur like nobody's business! It's black and it's beautiful and it isn't that easy to brush. I fill my hand with treats, let him go at them for all he's worth and then I comb the curls as long as he'll allow. He's good (for the most part) as long as my hand if full. 

Mylo has a busy schedule. I am the soccer mom equivalent for puppy play. We had a play date with Daisy on Tuesday, then Wednesday was Puppy Playtime at the training school. The next day we had Puppy Training where we were both put through our paces.  Calling All Dogs has been a life saver when it comes to training dogs AND humans in the art of getting puppies in line. I don't know where I'd be without their wisdom, common sense, and no nonsense training. 

Mylo needs constant stimulation and we're always looking for new ways to keep him occupied and self-entertained. Schnauzers are good at self-care and if they don't have appropriate toys for stimulation they will get into YOUR stuff. We've had 5 schnauzers, we know their tricks, and we (think we) know how to distract them away from trouble. The house is full of fun, colorful, exciting toys, made all the more exciting if a human is attached. I use the toys for (stealth) training, as well as for play. 

Mylo doesn't just have JUST a dog bowl for his food. He has an interactive dog bowl. He will inhale (as will most dogs) a bowl full of food in 30 seconds, but with the interactive bowl he has to work at getting the food, think about how to get the food, and play while getting the food. I can see him puzzling things through, figuring out ways of getting his tongue around the kibble, or popping it out of the bowl altogether. He has been learning a few tricks when it comes to kibble retrieval. I just sit back and laugh.

(Someday Smith will remember not to leave his shoes at the back door.) Having a puppy has totally changed. It's not only a LOT more expensive than last time we had a new boy, it's a lot more work, AND a ton more fun! Having Mylo in my life is not only a job, it's a lifestyle!  Who knew? 

Well, Look At That!

I've finished a pair of socks!! This pair of socks has taken the whole of 2018 to complete. I've stated my intention was to have a pair done every two months but, as it turned out, that was a pipe dream. If I'm lucky I'll have two new pair of socks by the end of the year. In any case--

They are done! AND, I'm so pleased! The yarn came from Cara (January One) in one of her destash extravaganzas. I'd never knit with, or even heard of White Birch Fiber Arts, but I enjoyed knitting with the perfectly striped yarn. The socks are very matchy, matchy, which is the point, right? The yarn is high quality and the dyeing suburb. 

The pattern I knit is the tried and true Carole's Picot Edged Sock pattern (yes, THAT Carole), which is available FOR FREE on Ravelry. The pattern is straight forward, easily understood, with perfect pictures of how to create the picot stitch cuff. You can't beat it. 

I'm pleased as punch. Here's the Ravelry link. 

My reading has been going well and I'm pages away from my second Bingo and working on my third.  I didn't have a chance to take a picture of my card, but here's a picture of what a little mazik can do when you turn your back for 30 seconds. 

Mylo pulled the bookmark out of my current read, The Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander, and chewed up the end. I am very grateful he only wanted the free bookstore bookmark. The coaster was a casualty of the same variety a few hours later. Puppies will be puppies, do not take your eyes off him or you'll be paying for it. Next week I'll give you the lowdown on the books I've read this week.

 

And, just so you know, Mylo does not like to be taken for a walk when it is near 100 degrees, nor does he like to be told to "sit" and "look at me" while on said walk. (Training never ends around here.) As you can tell by his look, he was less than thrilled to "performing" in the heat of the day. Poor Mylo. (Poor me.)

I'm Unraveling with Kat and friends! 

Mylo Monday The Third

Because of the excessive heat Mylo and I didn't get out much this week. Temperatures of 100 or more do not make a comfortable situation when you have black curls. Mylo gave up after walking about 30 yards. He was done in. I believe there was a little backtalk as I told him we needed to finish his walk before we could go in, which he did, in his own good time. 

Mylo and I went to a concert in the park Saturday night. I had hoped being in the open air, sitting in the cool grass, listening to fun movie tunes, would cool us down, but sadly, it only made the heat feel more oppressive. Mylo dropped and didn't move the whole 30 minutes we were there, then finally, (to his mind) we left for home. 

Mornings and evenings we enjoy long walks in the outdoors. In the first 5 minutes or so he sniffs EVERYTHING, does his business, and then we're off, getting on our walking legs and walking without stopping around the half mile of our circle. We love the feeling of the cooling air on our faces and walking side by side. A walk with Mylo is one of life's "good things". 

Watching Mylo discover the world, bit by bit, step by step, can be a truly hilarious and wondrous thing. As he learns about something new, or spots an item he hasn't seen before, I can see the understanding and enlightenment slowly cross his being. He will some times growl, maybe a short high yip to get its attention, and then a sniff around or touch his nose to it to see what said thing smells like. Slowly there is realization that this is just one more new part in this larger world of many new things.

Smith and I watched when Mylo found the Japanese lantern on our patio. We think he thought it an alien (it has a pointed top and one hole that could be eye, you know) and he jumped back, studied its features, growled and gave his warning yip, and then, after a minute or so, decided it was a benign alien. (If only I'd had my camera!) He hasn't looked at it since.

This weekend it was the water in the hose that caught his eye. He saw stuff pouring from the hose and after sniffing a bit, jumping back when it hit him, he realized it was water. Of course, he wanted a drink, which took a little doing, as well as a wet head, but he got his drink. Discovering the world through the eyes of a baby, is so much fun. Mylo the silly has my heart. 

July 4th Unraveled - Just Another Day

You may have noticed this picture in my June collage amidst all the Mylo pictures. This is Cyd, a new needlepoint student who finished her first needlepoint piece (a small crow) and had it finished by the shop into an ornament. The look on her face when the shop owner handed her the finished piece was just priceless. I enjoy teaching people so enthused with the process, the project, and the social interaction of a class. Cyd's delight makes my heart happy. 

There has been considerable knitting and reading going on and I am nearly finished with my socks! This is quite an achievement after  six months of work! After missing my goal of a pair every two months, I had hoped for a finished pair the end of June. I'm only off by a few days, but should finish today, July 4th! I am listening to "The Cross" by Sigrid Undset, the third book in the Kristin Lavransdattor series. Over the last few months I have enjoyed this trilogy and hate to see it end. This book will give me my first Bingo! I lucked out with the books I wanted to read and found 5 places in a row which comprised the Bingo. There wasn't a bad book in the lot. In fact, all the books I've read for Book Bingo have been topnotch. 

Mylo and I will spend the day alone, but in the evening Smith and I will be playing and distracting Mylo from the exuberant number of fireworks in our neighborhood. He isn't too bothered by most of the noise, but the occasional loud boomers disturb us all! Pretty as they are, fireworks are not good for dogs. 

Speaking of Mylo...can you stand the cute!!?

Mylo's Big Adventure(s)

Last Thursday, Mylo and I spent the evening in a puppy training class, something we will do every Thursday for the next 5 weeks. Mylo did well and to up the game, we have homework to do together. We (I) want one of the 3 awards they give to the team who made the most progress. (Mylo is already ahead of the other puppies so there is hope!)

Friday Mylo had has first trip to the groomer, which included a shampoo and blow dry, a pedi, and a trim of a few unruly tresses. The main reason for the trip was to get him used to being handled and groomed. Mylo was a trooper and the groomer said he would be a wonderful client. A nap was in order and he slept the rest of the day! Oh, Mylo. You are so cute!

Saturday we went to Sugarhouse Park and enjoyed a morning in the shade of the trees (Mylo's happy place) while celebrating my nephew (in-law), Jordan's graduation from med school. Shauni and Jordan make a great couple and I'm so happy to have them in SLC (from AZ). More of my family is morning into the valley from other states and I predict more family gatherings. 

Sunday was a relaxing day for Mylo and I. I went to SnB, but spent most of the day with Mylo (and Smith). Every once in awhile Mylo goes from puppy to crocodile in about 3 seconds. That mouth is full of sharp little teeth, but he is responding to commands, such as "gentle" or distractions of nearby toys (stuffed into the open chasm of teeth).  Puppyhood may leave me with bleeding and scared arms. (Not really.)

The world went a little topsy-turvy mid-month when Mylo came into our lives. Every day is about Mylo, as not one thing can be done without having him in my thoughts. He's had numerous adventures, met many people and other doggies. It's fun to watch him discover the world, to learn, to play, to just be. He's going to be a wonderful companion. 

Unraveled with a Bit of Mylo

Teaching (as in dog training), learning (as in dog training), reading (dog training books as well as, my own choice of books), knitting (mine, all mine!), trying to keep up with my old life and my new....it's easy to become unraveled. Don't take your eye off that dog! Yesterday Mylo was doing something behind the couch and I went to investigate. When I returned to the front side of the couch he had moved, like a flash of light, carrying my sock all the way across the room. He was just deciding where to chomp down, and SO delighted with himself. I laughed out loud, but moved like a flash of light to rescue my beautiful second sock. 

A Bingo looks likely in the next couple of weeks and I also have the chance of a second one. I have been listening none stop to books as I can do that while playing with puppy, walking puppy, and watching puppy sleep. Here are a few of my thought on a couple of the books I read. 

Less by Andrew Sean Greer, is this years Pulitzer Prize winner. I believe it is one of the first comedies given the prize, and it is certainly great fun. Less travels the world trying to assuage a broken heart. He travels to exotic locations, always the worst of luck, but learning lessons along they way. While you know the story is in modern times I felt like I was watching an old movie with farcical moments and jun comedic sketches. 4 Stars

Educated by Tara Westover was for my Outside Your Comfort Zone square. I highly recommend this book about a Tara's growing up in a family with a father who may have been mentally ill and who thinks education is a plot against them (as is every other government institution) and who uses his children to run the family business at cost of their safety, health, and education. Tara is able to get herself into BYU (by hook and by crook) against her father's will and educate herself. It is quite a story of a families sway and how Tara broke away to become a Cambridge scholar. 5 Stars!

I am currently reading Warlight by Michael Ondaatje and have the next book in line, The Cross by Sigrid Undset, the third book in the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy. I have have thoroughly enjoyed rereading this trilogy over the last year, as the first time I read them was in the 80s.  I believe that will give me my first Bingo. I pulled a card (by refreshing the page over and over) with subjects I knew I could live with. I don't read books to fill Bingo squares, I read books I want to read and fit them into the squares. Happily my first Bingo came without much work or finagling. 

Mylo has had a busy social schedule. Yesterday he met Daisy, my long time friend Camille's Havanese one year old. They had a fun playdate running, running, running through the back yard and wearing themselves out to the point Camille and I were able to get away for lunch. Mylo slept the rest of the day!

Today he meets my needlepoint class, tomorrow we have puppy training, and Friday we top the week off with a trip to the groomer. I'm not ready to give up the puppy curls so he will just get a trim and spiff up. My handsome boy grows so quickly!

I'm Unraveling along with Kat and the Gang. What's everyone else up to? What's the last book you read and are you playing along with Summer Book Bingo? 

Mylo Monday

Mylo has been my constant companion. He sleeps at my feet as I write this post. I've spent a lot of time playing with him, walking with him, talking to him, and training him. We have a busy week ahead as there will be shopping for a new (bigger) collar and name tag, followed by a walk in the park. We plan on a lot of new places, and maybe new friends, helping Mylo adjust and feel comfortable in this world. Tomorrow he has a play date with my friend Camille's puppy, Daisy. Wednesday we will visit my needlepoint class, as my friends would like to see how much he has changed in two weeks. Thursday we have puppy training, and Friday he will meet his new groomer! Life moves fast around here.

When I sit at my desk he is right under my feet and I can't move even an inch. He likes the chair matt as it is cooler than the carpet. He loves his kennels (one on each floor), and loves to walk (or lay in the grass and contemplate the good life). He is mostly house trained, usually sleeps through the night, and is learning the basics of sit, up, and down. My goal is to raise a good doggy citizen. No jumping, little barking, and how to be safe (in all circumstances). I know I've got my work cut out for me. Mylo is smart, and sweet, and I think he loves me. 

That face. I tell ya. It gets me every time. His changes are rapid and I know he'll look more like a dog than a puppy real soon. Life has changed, but his presence and the demands of training and caring have been enjoyable and fun. As the Solstice arrived, summer began and the sun changed direction, I knew that winter would be better, easier, happier because Mylo is here.