Actually I have found myself insanely busy... that happens when your husband gets laid off and is home all the time. I find that I am chasing him around everywhere. Can't hardly stand to be away from him. We work outside, garden, do odd jobs for neighbors, go places and life is good!And in the meantime, we have started raising chickens, bought a goat and increased our dog litter by one. For a very long time, Casey was our only pet. She is having a hard time adjusting. How dare we ration out our attentions to others!! Casey is a 9 year old boxer that I got for Valentine's day from my children in 2001. She has truly been a part of our family and thinks she is human at times.
Poor Casey is really not sure how to take all the new family members.
First came the chickens. They have been great fun. An experiment in trial and error if there ever was one! Casey never even looks their way...unless we go inside! Twice I have caught her with tail feathers in her mouth. Darn Chicken Eater! We learned. Never trust a born predator. Since she and I have come to an understanding, things are better. She is only allowed out and off her chain if I am outside with her.
That's when we decide a goat might be fun. Meet Beelzebub! The king of annoyance. We love him. He is constantly in the way, chewing on our jeans (sometimes catching a piece of leg as well), butting when he doesn't get is way and generally just a feeding nuisance! 
Surely this would provide company for Casey, a playmate for our 9 year old son and entertainment in life. He has definitely done all that and more.
We tried taking in an adult black lab that my father had but that was a disaster. Doyle needed a "man's" dog! Casey is too sissy for him. She hates to ride in the truck. She can't be persuaded to fetch or play anymore because her arthritis is getting too severe. But bringing in another adult dog was disaster. Casey fought tooth and nail to protect her territory. She has always been as docile as you could imagine... Not when Riddick wanted to eat dog food out of the same bag! Heaven forbid. Riddick went back to live with Dad. He headed for the hills and turned up at the folks house a few hours later.
And so for father's day, Gavin and I decided to find the perfect dog. I think we may have done it! A gorgeous Lab mix adopted from the pound. He is only 4-5 months old. Casey loves him. Beelzebub thinks he's just another goat. And Doyle's not sure one way or 'tother. So... maybe father's day isn't about fathers afterall!
