the gumboot gumshoe has become a dog-blogger, but this too shall pass. i have a texas a&m quail on the farm now (just one) and it's time to batten down the hatches for winter, with associated fencing and running-of-electrical-cords and i will get to all that, but today is about willow, who, YES, is still … Continue reading october night (willow)
Author: raven
aesthete. dryad. hedonist. motherfucking adult. outdoor cat. poet. they/them.
and fall fell
edward, the most horrible goat in the world, is an incredible escape artist. he breaks chains, plows through fences, drags concrete blocks for miles, and breaks down doors. at only about 100 pounds, he's not a very big goat, but he's as wide as he is long and too stubborn to let mere physics get … Continue reading and fall fell
long live the pibble
back in may, i wrote about our new boxer mix pup, oakland, and how he was fitting right in to the family. he did and then he did not. for the last two months, living with oakland has been a constant struggle. he began to roam, his persecution of the cats became worse, he chased … Continue reading long live the pibble
make way for ducklings
it's been really wet in the northeast US this year, to the extent that i never actually got my garden planted in the spring. we have clay to clay/loam soil which is prone to compaction and it just plain never dried out enough for me to turn all the soil. the things planted in raised … Continue reading make way for ducklings
musical dogs
willow is still with us. like the old codger in monty python and the holy grail, she's stubbornly "not dead yet" and every time i think it's time to load her on the plague cart, she decides it's a fine time to go for a walk (and she does), followed by days of badness, inability to … Continue reading musical dogs
snipe hunt
i've got several posts in the works, but spring has definitely sprung in vermont and there is no longer enough time in the day to do all the things i need to do, all the things i want to do, plus sleep and pee. until i get a rainy day with no Mom:Chauffeur duties, have … Continue reading snipe hunt
willow’s sunset
eleven years ago, i was starting to think about getting another dog. it had been two or three years since our lab, odie, had passed away and it was just too hard to move on from that. i couldn't do it. but eleven years ago, i was beginning to come around to the idea that … Continue reading willow’s sunset
beware the bad cat
before i tell you that i have seven cats, which sounds like the confession of a crazy cat lady (guilty), i should tell you that i will take in absolutely any sad creature that shows up in my yard. this includes wild animals that bite (seriously, kids, don't try this at home). i've been known … Continue reading beware the bad cat
rooster redux
i lost my primary rooster last night. he was a silkie, a little blue fireball named ozzer who inspired fear in all the other roosters. all man, that one. this means that the pecking order will need to be reestablished, which is uncomfortable from a human standpoint. all the bullying, all the pecking and infighting. … Continue reading rooster redux
on living rural (and introversion), v.1
every once in a while, i come across an article or throwaway line about what dumb yokels country folk are. these get right the hell up my nose, because they're inevitably couched in this smug, hipster philosophy that we just don't know any better. like, it can never be a conscious choice to live out … Continue reading on living rural (and introversion), v.1
the gumboot gumshoe 