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We've gone from unseasonably warm and dry to a little less warm and a lot more wet over the past few days here in Central Missouri. We got .5" precip in about 20 minutes Monday afternoon. Most of it came as hail. TWO STINKING DAYS after the new roof was installed on our house. Fortunately it was small hail (dime-size or less) and didn't do any damage.

I would very much like to finish cleanup in the new garden patch over the weekend. It's raining again this morning so I might be SOL on that deal. Weather guessers say the rain should move out by lunchtime, and it's supposed to be dry over the weekend. Maybe I'll get lucky.

If I'm not able to work in the garden I'm going to start getting ready for a major shop project. The 860 Ford tractor needs some serious work. It needs a new drive clutch, a new pivot bushing in the front axle, a new right-side front axle beam, and who knows what else I'll find worn out while I'm fixing that stuff. While I've got it torn into a thousand pieces I'm going change it over from Armstrong power steering to hydraulic power steering. That tractor has always been hard to steer and Pops can't use it all now with his bad shoulders (not that he has any business using it anyway, but that's beside the point), so I'm going to make it a bit more user-friendly for him. If he only gets to drive it one more time ever the effort and expense will be worth it to me.

I brought a dog crate inside yesterday and let Howard give it a try. The cushion Mrs. Augie bought for him lasted all of two minutes, but he had fun with it while it lasted. He was quite content to be there and took a nice long nap after the cushion had been sufficiently shredded. I'm going to bring him inside for Round 2 after lunch today.

We had a rescue dog (part black lab, part beagle) that when we first got her tried to crate train her. None of us were any good at it. All she had to do was whimper, and one of the five of us would come over and pet her and hug her. I think we used that crate for less than a week. Sammie spent most nights at the foot of the bed of our youngest. Those two were meant for each other.

Sadly, when we were preparing to move to Indiana, she must’ve suspected. She stopped wanting to go on walks. She was so faithful to the very end. If there was a contractor coming to fix something at the house, she stayed by my side the entire team a worker was there. Sweet baby. She was with us for almost a dozen years. We had to put her down about 2 weeks before moving. That was so darn hard. I hate doing that, but sometimes you have to.

Oh, Howard! Auntie Diana is disappointed in you...BUT, not unexpected behavior from a hound. ;)

That cushion can be re-stuffed and given to a dog that APPRECIATES the finer things in life! :)

When I’ve crated dogs, inside and on the porch, I just give them old towels and blankets. Sometimes they get chewed on a little, or dragged around the yard, play a little ‘Tuggy’ with them, but they don’t totally destroy them.

The Condo Dogs and the Kennel Dogs all get wood shavings in their houses in the winter - but that would be a mess in the house...we can only aggravate Mrs. Augie so much, Right? LOL!

I still have 6 beds to clean out, but unless it dries out substantially, they’ll have to wait for that first sunny 40 degree March day when I am chomping at the bit! The straw is all in the greenhouse, so it will stay dry all winter and the cats like to sleep in there on sunny days.

The things we do for our pets! :)

Augie. No hail here on Monday. Drizzle, dark and some good showers this week. Had the front lawn mowed so that was good. Have had some sort of Upper Respiratory Infection most of the last 2 weeks. Wednesday I went to the Dentists and had a Temporary Crown put in...good, since no root canal, And that afternoon went to the doctor/N.P. and got a prescription for Prednisone so maybe I can clear this up.

Sunny today and looked out at the garden. The Turnips seem pretty happy and we will not have another freeze until next Wednesday! I do not think I will cover them this time. They are larger and I am on a hill top.