I've been off work for a month and a half and I feel awesome about what I've managed to accomplish. I've been on a cleaning and purging binge, which, while still incomplete, has resulted in four carloads of donations to St. Vinny's, my old car finally getting donated, an almost humorous surge in our trash and recycling output, and five boxes of books waiting for me to drop them off at the library later today. Closet by closet, room by room, I'm managing to cull an amazing amount of things which are no longer useful to me. Of course, I'm about to embark on a trip halfway across the country to bring more stuff into the house... but these are meaningful, quality items, and Steve assures me they will either prove useful, or be given away. Steve's mom's estate has finally been settled. Later this week I'm flying to Atlanta, renting a truck, unloading a storage locker, and driving his heirlooms back to Wisconsin. I've managed to make arrangements to stay or visit with no fewer than eight people on my way back. (Including Jan & Robin.) It'll be a fun 4 or 5 day adventure... I'll be driving no around 3 hours at a stretch between visiting people. I'm still not sure on all the arrangements. Scheduling is a little tricky. My friends all have their own lives, and I'm counting on them not only being available, but being so in a sequentially convenient order. We'll see how it works out, but it should be an adventure! Oh, I got to see a local resident critter close up yesterday. Yes, they're supposed to be nocturnal, but they will move around in the day if they're cold, hungry, or if their house has been disturbed. Plus, I guess it's possum mating season, so he/she might have been looking for a date too. Regardless, rabies is exceedingly rare in possums because of their unusual body temperature, so I'm not worried and just enjoyed watching the little bugger. He almost came to our patio door before he noticed the dogs and I looking at him, then he toddled off to the neighbors. Isn't he cute?

I have used a child's snow sled for about 4 years to carry hay to my horses. It does get a little heavy with a full bale and my land is not level. I usually break the hay bales into several flakes. I pile the flakes on the sled and secure them on with the elastic bungee cords that have the metal hooks on each end. The hooks fit nicely on the edge of the sled. That way the flakes don't fall off. The one I have been using is the tabogan kind and I also bought a round one to haul rocks from the field to my yard to use for edging the flower beds. The sleds are so handy for lots of things. Judith

What a wonderful lighthearted post. I enjoyed reading everyones posts and smiled at old memories...my how things have changed over the years....(boy do I sound like my mom and grandma...when did that happen?) I never see a kid out with a sled around here and I live in a small small town not in the big city. Kids play indoors, unless they are on a motorized toy. That leaves sledding out.....boy what they miss..just read this post and replies...makes me wonder what memories those kids will have..maybe "When I was a kid, we played WII for hours and hours" or when I was a kid, we rode fourwheelers....anyway..thanks for the post guys..nice change of pace topic.. When I was a kid, we had a tobbaggon..it belonged to my father when he was a kid in the fourties, he bought it by scrimping and saving his allowance in tight times as a young boy. He then treasured it dearly, waxing and polishing it to make it fly..it was a 6 footer. We had a big hill by our house and all the towns kids came to sled there. That toboggon weighed a ton...it would take two or three of us to pull it up the steep hill. But we could load that thing up to go down. Heaviest in the front for speed...strongest in the back for pushing power...girls in the middle for sound effects :). Of course..that was not enough thrills soon enough..we shoved ramps at the bottom of this big hill...then we loaded that toboggon up and screamed at the thrills of launching off the ramp at the bottom with great speed. Each trip down we got braver and braver..and the ramps got bigger and bigger..that pooor treasured toboggan creaked and groaned....then we got the smart idea to leash it to the back of our snowmobile...and that poor toboggon that lasted my dad twenty some years...now lasted us just two.....boy was my dad mad at our lack of respect for it. We did not see it that way, we were just having fun.....now today, I see it diff..and I wish that old boggon was around...and if my dad was, I would say I am sorry.

Hello neighbor. Utica, N.Y. here. I am a long time woodsman, hunter, Husky owner and gardener. Currently I have 1 Siberian but in the past I ran a sled with 9 dogs. As for the mystery critter that the dogs killed. From your discription I assume it was either a Muskrat (doubtful unless you have a lot of water around) or a better option is an Oppossum. The Oppossum can squeeze thru some very narrow spaces. They do have a rat tail. They will eat most anything tho I haven't heard of them eating roots. Plus the scent of the dogs would keep them away normally. Since you actually saw the dead critter it may have been rabid accounting for its bravery entering the fenced area. I hope the dogs shots are up to date with rats and Oppossums around. Don't acquit the dogs so early. Since they are using the trees as a urinal there may be a dominance fight going on. The ruling male may pull up the tree to eliminate the others using "his" place. The Geraniums may have succumbed to doggie play. Huskies are very social and playful dogs. I had 2 males as wheel dogs who ran side by side just fine but argued over the use of a rose bush so often they killed it. I like the scent of Geraniums myself.The dogs may like the smell too. What can you do to be sure? Go to a hunting supply (Walmart) and get some "FOX SCENT". Put that around the trees. If wild critters are doing the damage they will not go near the Fox scent. Its a good way to keep porcupines away from the dogs also. If the damage continues you have to find the dogs guilty. The dogs may be telling you, "its our yard what the heck are you doing planting those trees here?" They could be playing with the trees after seeing you "playing" with them and pulled the trees out by the top. Hence no flying dirt. Dogs in general are chewers. Chewing is fun. It passes the time. We've seen dogs eat grass and they will eat dirt or roots for the same reason. But simple play chewing would make quick trash of the roots. Thats a fairly good case against the dogs. The missing bark is a mystery. Are there teeth marks? Rabbit teeth? Is it possible the bark came off naturally? A Rabbit would chew the bark but not in the summer. Any critter may have entered the fence without the dogs barking. Generally Huskies DO NOT bark. However I can't see an Oppossum, Muskrat Rat or Rabbit pulling up trees. Theres nothing in the roots that they can't get easier elsewhere and with less danger. A slight case that critters did it. Appointing myself judge and jury: I'm sorry but the Huskies are guilty as charged. YOU started "playing" with the trees . They are just following your lead. The trees are broken because CHEWING IS A REAL FUN PASTIME. What else do they got to do all day? The roots are missing from the chew play. But I'll be easy on the dogs this time because there is a slight case that an Oppossum or Porcupine did it. No jail time. LOL!!! Recently my Husky was on her chain. Hearing a yelp I went to the door to look. She had Quills all over her snout, mouth and feet from a Porcupine. The critter wasn't very scared of the dog. That cost me $378. Then a week later she got skunked. Try the fox scent to be sure. Aren't Siberians great? Mine is 18 months old. Her mom was typical coloring and so was the dad. But this one is all white with a dime size black spot between her eyes. Odd but true. Great temperment in Huskies, playful, great with kids. But if they get off the chain they gone for days. But they fun. and rarely bark. Try getting 9 huskies in a car for a trip to the vet. LOL!!! have a nice day. The dogs did it. Toss some old shoes from whichever family member the dogs are closest to in the area. They will chew on those instead of the trees.