A Girl Who Just Wants To Have Fun!

Training Boots!

2010-03-24T20:22:00.007-05:00

This cat wanders over to our house a lot...so I decided to train Boots a few tricks! Today he learned that click=treat and how to Hop Up! onto any flat surface. We clicker trained this behavior in just about 1 hour throughout the day. I made a video so you can see what we ended up with...sorry it's so dark outside! :)

Dog Tricks!

2009-11-11T08:09:00.002-06:00

Hi Everyone!!!

Mya has 67 words that she knows, now! Yeah!

Does anyone have a trick that they want me to try and teach her? Leave a comment, then!

Alex

Bye, Peter.

2009-10-13T19:20:00.001-05:00

Peter, my very first rabbit ever, passed away a few months ago. I still miss him every single day and I wish he was still here. Hopefully someday I will be able to show a rabbit in 4-H.

Bye, Peter.

Alex

Dogster and Catster!

2009-10-13T19:06:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone!

I found an awesome website! It is called Dogster. There is another one called Catster as well. You make profiles for your cat or dog and there are games, forums, and lots of people who love cats and dogs!

Dogster

Catster

My dog, Mya's, page

I hope you join! Send me a PPR (Pup Pal Request) if you get an account on there. I love it! It is so much fun.

Thanks!

Alex

Dusty's Adoption Video!!!

2009-09-24T21:37:00.003-05:00

Please enjoy this video of Dusty, an adoptable kitten in Southern MN. Visit http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MN222.html and click on adoptable pets to see him and more!!!

Thanks!

Alex

Mya's Agility Run

2009-08-20T19:55:00.006-05:00

These 2 videos are of a run-through agility course in my backyard with my dog Mya. It is hard to see some of it because I was filming while I was running. Please leave a comment if you have suggestions or anything on it. I appreciate them a lot!
Thanks!

~Alex and Mya

Baby Bluebirds

2009-06-08T11:11:00.004-05:00

Here is a video of our 9 day old baby Eastern Bluebirds. They still sleep a lot, but have grown a ton!

Alex

Photography - Rules of Three

2009-04-30T09:33:00.006-05:00

Hello again,

I am taking a photography unit study in school and I wanted to share some tips I learned. This post is about the "rule" of three. It is the most important "rule", right after the "rule" that after you learn a rule that you should break it. In reality, photography has no rules. The only real rule is that you have to try and break a rule after you learn it. Don't try to do different than the rule before you learn it. You have to learn the rule to break it!!! OK, now here is the " rule of three." Imagine when you are taking a picture that there is grid over the picture the same as a tic-tac-toe grid. The main points of interest should be where the points intersect. Instead of imagining, some newer cameras have a grid function which lets you put a grid over the picture when you take it, but it removes the grid on the actual picture. Sometimes, the picture will look better in a different way, but remember to learn the rule before breaking it. One of the worst ways to take a picture in most circumstances is by completely centering it. JUST DON'T DO IT!!! Unless it makes a really great picture, which it won't in most cases, follow the rule of 3's.

Here are some pictures that I took using the "right" way:

This one worked, even though the main image is centered because of the way Mya's foot sticks out and she is leaning:

Well, that's all for now. Hope you enjoy this! More tips coming soon!!!

A Girl

Crazy Minnesota Winters...

2009-01-29T10:23:00.005-06:00

It is so cold! I wish I could buy a GIANT oven and put it around my house so I could keep warm. I want to fly to Texas or Arizona in a heated plane with heated seats and hot chocolate. I wish this never ending cold would end! 4 foot drifts! AAAAAHHH! This cold is freezing my brain! I wish for warm weather soon, so I can once again train my dog for dog agility without worrying that she will slip if I did train her. I WANT WARM WEATHER! Then I can plant in our garden, and play outside.

Those are my CRAZY wishes for Winter.

By A Girl

Snuggles Needs A Home!

2009-01-28T13:18:00.004-06:00

Snuggles Needs A Home! This is Snuggles, a young gray tabby that was saved by For Pets from being put down because there was no room at a shelter. For Pets is a local spay/neuter group. He is the cuddliest cat you have ever seen! He runs from person to person, rubbing under their chins. Snuggles would love to have a home where he could snuggle, day and night!
Snuggles has been neutered, and is up to date on his shots and flea prevention. There is an adoption fee for him to cover the cost of his care. If you would like to meet Snuggles, please contact us so we can set up a time for you to visit with him at his foster home. Let us know if you have any questions about Snuggles, or would like information about our other cats in foster homes! Snuggles is at a foster home in Mankato, MN.
For Pets Email: forpetsorg@yahoo.com

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/MN222.html

Dog Gone Bad!

2009-01-09T20:28:00.004-06:00

Here is a picture of a sweet innocent dog I used to have...

But watch out, because as soon as your back as turned, this happened!!!

(This photo is unaltered from its original state, it was perfect timing!!!)

WATCH OUT! YOUR DOG MAY BE NEXT!!!!

Dog Food Gravy

2008-11-26T17:53:00.002-06:00

Here's my recipe for dog food gravy:

Cook some chicken, beef, etc, and put in the fridge. Then take off all of the fat and reheat the meat in a big pot on top of your stove with some water. Add in several veggies, if you want, and use potatoes, potato flakes, or something else that is thickening to make it thicker. Then blend in a blender once all cooked. Add more water or more of your thickening substance as needed until it is slightly thick, yet watery. Mix it in your dog's kibble, just enough to coat all of the kibble pieces. Freeze in serving sizes if you won't use it within 2-3 days in the fridge. Don't let it freeze to long though, use as soon as possible for better quality.

A Girl

Dog Holiday Safety Tips

2008-11-26T17:23:00.002-06:00

Hi!

Just some tips for keeping your dog safe during the holiday...

Do...

Keep 'people food' out of reach
Board your dog or have somebody come at least 2 times a day if you are leaving your house
Keep cabinets with medicine, cleaners, and the like shut and locked
Take time to play with and walk your dog
Keep your pet leashed, especially around roads

Don't...

Feed your dog chocolate in any form, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, onions, garlic, any part or form of avocado, pear pips, apple core pips, plum kernels, peaches, apricots, potato peelings and green looking potatoes, rhubarb leaves, alcohol, yeast dough, coffee grounds and beans, tea, green parts of tomatoes, large amounts of broccoli, cigarettes, tobacco, and anything moldy or spoiled. THESE ARE POISONOUS
Leave medicine, cleaners, and thing like insecticide, etc around for your dog to get into
Leave your dog by itself at home if you are going to travel for the holidays
Let your dog run without it's leash when it isn't in an enclosed area, especially by roads
Forget that your dog needs exercise and play time

A Girl

Thanksgiving Fun!

2008-11-20T10:50:00.002-06:00

Hi Again!

For most Thanksgivings my family has gathered at my grandma and grandpa's house to celebrate. My brothers and I usually sing a silly song or act out a short play or something like that. The first year we did something we put on a short skit, where we dressed up as Wampanoag Indians and pilgrims and made a small model of the Mayflower and pretended that we were coming to the New World. Another year we sang The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven by Jack Prelutsky. You can find this song at:
http://www.jokesbot.com/showjoke.cgi/songs/1.txt
Another year we decided to make a Jeopardy game model with Thanksgiving questions in different categories and played that, complete with the theme song downloaded from the computer!

Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving!

A Girl

Caring for Field Crickets

2008-09-19T12:21:00.010-05:00

Hi!

Field crickets are very common food for all those creatures you might like to catch in your backyard. They are easy to care for and are often very nutritious for them. If your creature (salamanders, toads, frogs, and even mice and voles!) likes these insects, you will find that keeping them is very handy. First, you will need a container with a secure lid, such as one of those plastic cages used for keeping small creatures, or a fish tank, depending on how many you want to keep. Another good cage idea is this. Take a 5 gallon bucket and also some packing tape (packing tape is the only tape that works because it is wide and smooth) and place the tape in a circle around the top or the bucket, about an inch down. The tape is so smooth that the crickets are unable to climb out of it. Or you can take a five gallon bucket and cut a piece of netting and put it over the top and secure it with either a big rubber band or a stretchy headband. But don't expect to use the head band again since it stretches it out. The bottom should be sand, dirt, or oatmeal. I would use sand because oatmeal ruins quickly and they need some sand, so even if you had dirt, or oatmeal, you would need to put some sand in bottle caps. One advantage of oatmeal is that they can eat it, but it isn't the most nutritious thing for them. Also you can use grass piled up, they love hiding in it. Experiment to see what works best for you! Put in a bottle cap and then fill with water for drinking. Also you need food, they will eat almost anything. Tomatoes, apples, soggy dog or cat food, and hings that are softer are their favorite. Remember to feed them good stuff, because this is what your creature with be eating. Put in either toilet paper tubes or a cut up egg carton for hiding, and then you can use it to shake the crickets in your creatures cage. As for catching them, you can either use a net, your hands, or the like. I find that my hands are the easiest. Find them near fields or grassy areas, also all over yards and in mulch, pretty much anywhere! Walk your normal speed looking at the ground and if you see something move, it is probably a cricket. Remember to catch field rickets, these are the usually smaller black ones that make the chirping sound you hear. I usually make sure to have at least 20 crickets, although you may want more if you have the time to catch them. Another way to get them is to buy them at a pet shop, or at an online pet store. These are usually a lot more expensive in the long run, though.

Have fun cricket catching!!

A Girl

How to Care for a Tiger Salamander

2008-09-19T12:21:00.006-05:00

Hi!

If you are like me and like to keep anything creepy, crawly, and furry, or slimy, (as long as it doesn't have 8 legs!!), you might sometime want to keep a salamander. Here is a really good guide to figure out what type of salamander you have. This post is about keeping tiger salamanders, because those are the ones most common and what I always keep. Suitable cages for them would be either 5, 10, or 20 gallon tanks, glass or plastic, depending on their size. Also a kiddie pool with drain holes works. The bottom of the cage needs to have 1-2 inches of gravel or rocks for drainage. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!! Otherwise the cage could flood. Then put 2-4 inches of dirt in the cage. It should be soft, but not very muddy. Either a log or a big rock or two will need to be placed in the cage for the salamander to burrow under. You will need to put in a wide, shallow, water dish in, but clean often and change water at least twice daily because it gets muddy very quickly. They like to eat really anything that moves, but worms, slugs, and things like that are high on their list. Earlier today I took a big, fat, earthworm we had just caught to replenish our worm supply, and held it in the air in front of the salamander, who was sitting on a rock. All of a sudden, the salamander jerked and snapped at the worm and ate it! It took it a while to finish eating, but it was neat seeing it eat it. It kept shaking it like a mini crocodile. Another food easy to find is field crickets, although they would much prefer something slower. They can be kept outside if they have shade and almost no sun. Once you have had fun keeping them, let them go so you can catch some more in the future.

NOTE: Don't catch creatures in the winter, as they have to hibernate, and make sure that they are released in fall, to find their hide away for the winter.

Keeping Voles as Pets

2008-09-15T17:37:00.004-05:00

Hi!

If you are like me and think that mice, rats, voles, and the like are cute! You probably either would own or want to own one, if you thought the above was true. I like catching wild voles for pets. We have managed to catch one so far, and I hope to catch more. look for the burrowing under mulch or in fields. Either set humane traps, or go the cheaper way that I do. I find some in the winter runnign around in snow tunnels and I catch them then, or they are easier to catch when you mow down a field or garden, we caught ours, dubbed 'Junior', when my mom mowed down the garden and several ran out. We used sticks to herd it into a bucket, then transfered it into a small cage while we prepared the tank. A good vole house would be a 10 or 20 gallon glass tank with a lid that fits completly over the top, snugly. 5 gallons can be used for temperary houses, such as keeping for several days at a time. The bottom should be lined with gravel, about and inch or two, to keep water from collecting in the tank. Then up until about a couple inches from the top fill it with mulch. The vole will make tunnels in this. Put in a bowl of water, and also food. The food mix that works for me is equal amounts of 2 different brands or cat food, a cob of corn, and equal amounts of bird seed, rabbit pellets, and dog food, as well as cat treats and some hay and grasses. This way there is a lot of stuff to chose from, but high protien food of either dog or cat, and seeds and some type of grasses or hays. Make sure that the water dish is shallow so the vole won't drown. Also, put some sort of hide away in there, I used a old, small, bird feeder gourd, which our vole loves!!! As well as a hide away, put in some cloth and/or fur. They will use this to nest. Also, I haven't put more than one vole together, so you would have to check up on that. These instructions are for a meadow vole. Also, I would be happy to answer any other questions I could.

A Girl

Super Dog plus Dance Tee!!

2008-09-15T17:32:00.002-05:00

Here's my cutie pie Mya in her Super dog outfit I made for her and My old dance tee. Isn't she darling?!?

A Girl

Giant Garter Snake

2008-09-15T08:01:00.004-05:00

Hi!

We found a HUGE garter snake in our old sand box pit the other day. It was so big, bigger than a corn cob (see picture.) We took it FAR away before releasing it!!

Creatures

2008-09-14T12:23:00.003-05:00

Hi!

I catch and keep small creatures like insects, frogs, toads, salamanders, voles, and snakes for a few days at a time. Right now I have a vole, 2 toads, and a salamander. If you want any info on things like what do voles, toads, salamanders, frogs, and snakes eat or how to care for them, please leave a comment and check back soon!

A Girl

Bandit!

2008-08-31T15:59:00.003-05:00

I recently got to help rescue a Jack Russel Terrier mix we named Bandit from someones barn. The lady there said that when they were on vacation someone saw the dog at the end of their driveway. A few days after they got back she saw the dog running by the mailbox at the end of their driveway as she was leaving. She said that then dog would sleep in their barn, she thought it was just one of the neighbors dogs because they had some like it. But then after the dog was at their house for a few weeks she realized that Bandit was not owned as she got close enough to him to see that his ribs were showing. She also said that every day he goes and sits and waits at the end of her driveway and also responded to her when she said no when he walked towards her by imeadietly lying down on the ground and staying there. We managed to slip a leash/collar over his head when he came over the eat his food and then put him in a crate. Jean, the For Pets leader, has him at her house and besides being very skinny he is in good health. Jean has become his best friend and he allows her to remove his food and toy without any aggression at all, but anybody else he hates. He even bit one of the volunteers. But hopefully he will become freindly soon!!!

Garage Sale

2008-08-31T15:56:00.002-05:00

The For Pets garage sale was a HUGE hit! We made more than our goal of twice the amount of the year before. It was really fun, we had soooo much stuff, though, that the sale was extended another day!

A Girl

For Pets!

2008-08-10T09:16:00.003-05:00

Hi, it's me, A Girl, again!

I joined a really cool humane society called For Pets this year. They mostly have cats, but they have some dogs sometimes. I get to foster a few kittens even! And yesterday I learned how to give the kittens their shots and I also worked on some stuff for the HUGE garage sale in a few weeks. You can find For Pets on petfinder, just type in For Pets and 56001 on the side bar.

Bunny Rabbit

2008-06-29T19:02:00.000-05:00

This is my sweet, 4 year old, male lop rabbit. Peter is sooo cute and friendly once he gets to know you!

Cheeto!

2008-06-29T18:59:00.000-05:00

This kitty is Cheeto, a male stray cat that we can almost pet now. He isn't feral and will came eat the food you throw to him. I can't wait 'til this kitty cat is tame!

Jewel the Princess...

2008-06-29T18:51:00.000-05:00

This kitty cat is Jewel, as you can see she fattened up quite a bit after coming inside! She was a feral cat and we tamed her after about a year, she now acts like Queen of the World! She likes to only be petted certain ways and only at certain times of the day. She is slightly cuckoo, I think!

Kitty Cat!

2008-06-29T18:46:00.000-05:00

Hey!

This CUUUUTE kitty is my Mickey, she likes to come sit on your head and curl around shoulders! She is one of Jewels kittens!

Agility Equipment

2008-06-29T15:47:00.000-05:00

Hi Again!

I have some ideas to make easy dog agility equipment.

Weave poles:

Find some small PVC piping (check thrift stores, or if you have a local ReStore that works good too. Or find some PVC pipes around your house) Then get some small stakes that fit inside the poles. Measure out about 20 inches and pound the stakes in. Slide the PVC pipes over the top of the stakes and then pound the PVC pipes lightly to make it sturdier. Or you can take thick dowel rods and pound those into the ground and leave them uncovered. I have used both these ideas and they both work well.

Jumps:

You can build some jumps with PVC piping if you have it, but it can be slightly expensive. If you have scrap wood you can pound together a simple jump. The dog won't care if it is perfect or not. Or for big dogs use garbage cans on their side. If you have a short role of fencing your big dog can also jump that. Small dogs can jump small logs, and big dogs can jump log piles. Anything that is the right height can be used as a jump. In fact, the dogs that are used to jumping crazy things often do the best when faced with crazy wings jumps and such.

Table:

Tables are pretty easy to get. Use the top of your dogs kennel covered with a piece of plywood or a grooming table adjusted to the right height. I also use the top of a picnic table in our backyard. Another thing to use is a bow and arrow target on it's side. Wooden pallets can be stacked to the right height and a piece of plywood can be placed on top and that could also serve as a table. Pretty much anything sturdy and flat could be used.

Teeter Totter:

I use a old board that is slightly smaller than the regulation size (it is about 10 feet long and 7 inches wide, a wider board is needed for larger dogs) and I put it on a stool. That will work for a mini teeter totter or until you get a bigger one. I also use anything I can find that isn't super high since the board is small and test it to make sure it doesn't wobble that much. You can also train your dog for a teeter totter by putting a piece of plywood on top of a slightly deflated ball, also called the Buja Board.

Dog walk:

A dog walk is a harder piece of equipment to get. I made a mini one since the wood is so expensive. Get two hinges and connect 3 boards together. Then place the boards on top of 2 five gallon buckets and then bungee cord the boards to the buckets so it doesn't wobble as much.

That is some of my ideas, I'll keep posting as I come up with more. It is your responsibility to make sure that the equipment is safe. If you build a jump that is to high or has nails sticking out and your dogs injures herself, that is your responsibility since you are the one giving the command to the dog, it wasn't her idea to start agility, it was yours. Have fun doing agility with your dog!

Mya!

2008-06-28T17:04:00.000-05:00

Hello Again!

Here's my dog Mya, she is soooo sweet and is training for agility. She a yellow lab/English springer spainel X.

Last Day at GLOBE

2008-06-27T21:02:00.000-05:00

Hey Everybody!

Today was the last day of the AWESOME GLOBE camp. We had TONS of fun selling the cup koozies, ponytail holders, and backpacks that we made. It was also a lot of fun decorating the bats people got for free when the game started. I really wish the camp was longer!!

More about GLOBE

2008-06-25T19:17:00.000-05:00

GLOBE camp is just soooooo cool! The dorms we are staying in at MSU are pretty nice. There are bunkbeds, a BIG desk, and 2 small closets. My roommate is Hannah Oudekerk. I like her and all the other (3) girls at camp. There are only 8 people total at camp, so we have 4 groups of 2, each with a leader for working on our projects. My partner is Sheldon. The above picture is what our (meaning Hannah and I) room looks like. it is exactley the same except that the bunkbeds are on the other side of the room.

First Day of Globe Camp!

2008-06-25T18:59:00.000-05:00

Today's the first day of the GLOBE camp! It is for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to learn about starting a business. I have been up since 6:30 Because I have been so excited! We played a game to learn about managing a business and are making a product to sell at a Moondogs game tomorrow night. My team is going to have bat customizing because the first 400-500 people to come to the game get free mini bats. We are going to decorate the bats with colored grip tape and also with either metalic or glow-in-the-dark markers or paint. Then we will also sell markers for people to get the bats signed. The picture above is of a pamphlet about the camp. It is (and is going to be!!) SOOOOO much fun at this camp!