Back in July, I wrote a blog post about how we have to work every year to control the noxious weeds that are all too common in the Rocky Mountain West.  In that post I mentioned we are also now dealing with another nasty invasive plant called cheatgrass, which technically isn’t listed as a noxious…

With the days getting crisper, we’ve started plugging in the heated beds in the dog igloos we have on the various porches.  The weather is generally warm enough that the dogs still prefer to stay outside during the daytime, but some of the cuddle-bugs like blind Austin love curling up in the igloos to nap. …

This was a photo I took last week when our small animal vet, Dr. Brenda Culver, was here at the ranch for her annual check-up visit.  She was doing a physical exam of our old girl blind Kenai, who had come to us many years ago from an animal control shelter in California.  Kenai has…

Some of the sanctuary’s supporters alerted us a couple of days ago to a new contest for animal shelters held by the organizations Care 2 and Adopt-a-Pet.com.  We signed up and are now participating.  Called "America’s Favorite Animal Shelter," the shelter getting the most votes will win $10,000.  Second place wins $3,000 and 3rd place…

Yes, I thought I’d sneak a photo of Margaret in yesterday’s blog post and see if anyone noticed.  Many did.  So apparently I’ve got some explaining to do. First, I will confess:  I’m smitten.  With a goat.  She’s the cutest thing on four hooves I’ve ever seen, and she’s got a personality to match.  More…

Today our small animal vet, Dr. Brenda Culver from Montana Veterinary Specialists in Helena, came out to the ranch for her annual visit to give all the dogs their medical exams and vaccinations.  It was a long day indeed — Brenda and her vet tech, Heather A., arrived about 9 a.m. and left shortly after…

Here was the scene this afternoon in our living room … Dachshunds Belvie (at top) and Bailey busy eviscerating stuffed toys.  What better way to spend the first day of fall? (Pssst … notice the T-bone shape here, too?)

Yesterday was our final visitor day of the season, and as the last visitors drove off down the drive, Alayne and I headed out for the afternoon chores.  We hadn’t gone far when I looked over and saw this interesting T-bone shape out in the pasture.  That’s blind Lena on the left, blind Nikki in…

At breakfast we looked over and watched little Bailey methodically pull and twist and finally manhandle (Dachshundhandle?) one of our West Paw dog beds until he got it exactly how he wanted it.  Which is to say, into something resembling a windbreak.  But not only was there no wind inside the house, it wasn’t even…

Alayne noticed this unusual alignment on the cat tree in the cats’ outdoor enclosure, so I headed over with the camera.  Now, typically when we have the perfect "blog moment," by the time I pick up the camera and get back to wherever the action was, the moment is over.  It’s as if they know…