What was life like before.... Riley?

Friday, January 27, 2017

Indeed, what was life like before the little fur ball of cuteness arrived?  Well, I can tell you this... having a little puppy in the house is a lot like having a baby in the house, and our lives have certainly completely changed.  Everything is now all about the puppy... Where is she? What is she chewing on now? Does she need to go potty? Uh oh, she has my socks!  How did Riley get into the cat food?   Where did Riley go? ... and on and on it goes!

All of a sudden, my living room has been turned into a whirlwind of activity with all her toys scattered on the floor, and every step you take could be hazardous with a little fur ball wanting to chew on your feet as you walk.

Like one friend commented on an earlier post... at least with babies you can put a diaper on them... puppies, not so much!  And so she requires constant supervision and paying attention to cues as to when she needs to potty.  She actually has had very few accidents, but that is because we have learned to be vigilant about making sure she gets out!

And so my husband and I feel like grand-doggy parents now, taking care of the sweet little ball of fur while son is working or at school.  I've found myself getting terribly attached to her despite my initial assertions to my son that "it is your dog and I will just be helping out."  Because we are spending so much time together, Riley and I have bonded, and I really am loving this precious little addition to our family.


One member of the family who is decidedly VERY unhappy with the new little 'fur'ricane, is our dear Mr. Simba.  All his attempts to convince Riley he doesn't want to play, even with claws and growls, does not deter her in the least.  Riley is convinced Simba is her long lost brother.  And Simba is quite convinced the little fur ball is just trouble and needs to go!


But when you look at a face like this... how can you not fall in love!?


And sweet puppy kisses are almost as sweet as fat baby cheeks!


Little Riley has integrated herself into every part of our home, including our walks in the woods.  Oh how she loves to walk with my husband and I.


I don't think cuteness could get any cuter!


We took a drive out to the lake, and were amazed to see it nearly frozen over. I don't remember in recent years ever seeing it do that.


Riley played in the snow as we walked around the little park area.


And every so often she would sit down to catch her breath, and I captured a few sweet poses.


Her collar is a bit large, it is meant to grow with her, but this face, oh my goodness, she melts our hearts!


I suppose I am turning into the classic grand-doggy parent with all these pictures, and I hope you don't mind... but I just can't resist the cutest little faces she has.


Yes, our lives have completely changed with the addition of little Miss Riley to our home, including the dogs.  Annie has become like a mother to Riley, worrying about her, and making sure Roger doesn't get too rough with her.  Roger, like a big bad brother alternates between wanting to play with Riley, and then getting frustrated when he is ready to sleep and she isn't.

Below is a video I shot of the three of them having fun in the snow.


Riley has certainly brought a lot of furry joy into our lives, and I must confess, I was not too excited about having a little puppy to help care for, but now, I can't imagine life otherwise.

On a little different note... we finally got around to collecting our pictures from our game cameras, and we found this picture that has us a bit puzzled.


We have only gotten pictures of deer on these cameras, and this was the first unusual animal to show up on the camera.  Because of the poor quality of the picture, we cannot quite figure out what it is.  It is walking on the trail that the deer always take. We also cannot decide if the animal is walking towards or away from the camera... you be the judge!


This is a zoomed-in, cropped version of the above picture, and still, we can't say for sure what it was. We did find a large mound of poo close to where the picture was taken that does not appear to be coyote or dog, as it is larger than both, with lots of hair in it.  So, we are wondering if it may have been a wolf passing through.  I thought I would see what your opinions are on the matter :)  We have considered it being a dog, but honestly, know of no dog in our area this color or build, unless of course he was just passing through.  So, it could be either, we shall probably never know, but it is a curious matter to ponder, indeed!

Our weather here has been overcast, dreary and rather warm, with our snow melting more and more every day.  We still have a significant amount of snow, and more is expected to arrive next week, but with the lengthening days, I know that winter is winding itself down.  So, we are enjoying the life of Riley, melting snow, warmer temperatures, and cozy winter days as the end of January nears.

How has your January been?


44 comments

  1. Riley is, indeed, a very sweet looking puppy, but I know how much work they are. Most of our doggies come to us through rescue and are full grown. The last time we had a puppy was our dear little Elle. One night, a week or so after she came to live with us, she was having a massive puppy frenzy event on our bed racing about and just acting totally deranged. Both hubby and I were reading. I glanced over at hubby and said, "There's a reason young people have babies. We're too old for this."

    January at our homestead is much like yours as I suspect we don't live too far from you (which I would never disclose as I respect your privacy.)

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    1. Yes, puppies and babies alike are for young folks, I heartily agree, lol! The constant supervision is tiring, but the sweet cuddles and kisses may cover that debt, lol! So happy to meet you Adrienne, I shall send you an email later today, how fun that we both live in North Idaho! :)

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    2. I have no idea of which email is posted on my "about me." I'm sloppy that way.

      If you want to contact me try adrienne at icehouse dot net


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  2. Riley is adorable! The animal looks like a large black wolf? Have a great weekend!

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    1. Wolf seems to be the general consensus. Sigh. I don't care to think of that kind of creature in my backyard. Hugs to you today :)

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  3. It certainly shows how lovable Riley is...just the pictures melted my heart. I think whatever that is in the picture is walking toward the camera. It seems I can see an outline or shadows of a face...nose like a dog or bear. Really hard to say.

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    1. It is hard to say for sure, I agree, but most are thinking it is a wolf. Sigh. I do know that a wolf pack roams in a mountain range a couple of miles from us. Perhaps he was just wandering. We hope so! Appreciate your visit :)

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  4. The new puppy is adorable, I love the video clip of the 3 of them. Looking at the legs of the animal in your trail cam, it appears to be dog like, I lean towards a wolf. They can be quite large which might explain the size of the mound you found. Very interesting! We need to get ours back out. The neighbors behind us told us they see the deer and coyotes going through the back of our property, my husband thought he saw a wolf the one time. I seem to miss it all lol. Have a wonderful weekend, Kelly.

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    1. She is so adorable, we are just enjoying her funny and sweet antics!

      Yes, it seems many are leaning towards the animal being a wolf. I do know that a wolf pack lives in the mountains just a few miles from us, so it could be he was just out wandering. I hope so. Yes having a game camera is great to be able to see what is roaming around your property :) Hugs to you, have a blessed Sunday!

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  5. Marilyn, I feel pretty confident the animal is a black wolf, walking toward the camera. I brought up your photo in Fotor editor and also Picmonkey and played with different effects. While the facial features are indeterminate, the angle of the head is apparent. Also, the legs are the right shape and I believe the size is right. It would make sense that he's following the deer trail. Riley is adorable. Simply adorable. xo

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    1. Thanks for playing around with the picture to see what you thought, I really appreciate your opinion on the matter. Most people who are seeing the picture are saying wolf too. I think I shall call the local game warden and see if they will look at the picture for us. I do know that there is a wolf pack in the mountains just a few miles from us. It could be he was just a wanderer.

      Yes, we are loving the precious moments with Riley :) Hugs to you today dear friend, have a blessed Sunday!

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  6. What a cute lil' pup! I can see why you took so many pictures! :) What a joy. ....I'm uncertain of your mystery animal. We have coyotes here, but no wolves, so I've never seen one up close. If you ever find out, you have to come back and tell us!

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    1. I have sent the picture of the mystery animal into our local game warden, and just waiting to hear back from them. I will certainly share their information with my readers. Appreciate your visit, and hope you are having a great first day of February :)

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  7. Wolf would be my guess, but I am a suburban girl, so I wouldn't bank on my answer. Either way, very cool. As for Riley, well, he is the cutest puppy I have ever seen. :)

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    1. I have sent the picture of the mystery animal into our local game warden, and just waiting to hear back from them. I will certainly share their information with my readers. Most people seem to think it is a wolf.

      And sweet Riley has certainly taken center stage here in our home, lol! Have a great first day of February :)

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  8. That Riley may be the cutest puppy I've ever seen too. She is simply adorable. It was fun watching the video of the dogs playing in the snow ... fun to watch their interactions with one another.

    I too think that your mystery animal is a wolf and that it is walking toward the camera. On my tablet it looked as though I could see the outline of the nose and one ear, and the shape of the face. It doesn't seem to show up as clearly on the desktop computer. Anyway, that's just my guess. (And be sure to keep little Riley away from the path that the deer use!)

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    1. I have sent the picture of the mystery animal into our local game warden, and just waiting to hear back from them. I will certainly share their information with my readers. We are keeping a close eye on all Riley's activities, for sure. It is a bit unsettling to know a wolf could be lurking out in our backyard, but I do know there is a wolf pack in the mountains just a few miles from us, so he could be a loner. We will see what they say. Appreciate your visit, have a great first day of February!

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  9. I am just in love with Riley. She is just so so so cute!!! I love to watch animals actions and interactions with each other.
    I think the animal is a wolf and is walking towards the camera because there is no "haunch" showing in the hip area. Also I think there is the hint of an ear there, too. Watch your baby! xo Diana

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    1. We are so in love with Riley too, she keeps us laughing, and her sweet antics are so precious. She is so cute!

      I think everyone's opinion here is that it is a wolf. I have sent the picture of the mystery animal into our local game warden, and just waiting to hear back from them. I will certainly share their information with my readers.

      Will definitely keep an eye on all my "babies", got lots of them, chickens, dogs, cat!
      Appreciate your visit as always :) Have a great first day of February!

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  10. Love little Riley...so adorable! Yes, I would fall in love with her too. Looks like you are all having a lot of fun with her. As to the photo, looks like a wolf to me. Not shaped like a coyote or bear...looks like a wolf...so I would be very careful with the dogs outside, esp. the puppy. How far away is this camera from your house? We have a wildlife camera here at our house in Florida. We get lots of bear, coyote, deer, fox and bobcat pictures, plus the occasional raccoon, opossum and rabbits. But no wolves here, thank goodness. Take care, and stay warm!!

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    1. I have sent the picture of the mystery animal into our local game warden, and just waiting to hear back from them. I will certainly share their information with my readers. It seems most people think it is a wolf. That is a bit unsettling, to think I may have a loner hanging around. But, we will see what they say.

      Wow, you do get a lot of wildlife visiting! That would be so neat to see all those visitors!

      Appreciate your visit, have a blessed and wonderful first day of February :)

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  11. OH, how adorable she is!!! Just a little dollbaby...I don't think I could ever put her down, but would have to hold her and carry her wherever I went! So thankful you are enjoying her so much. :) I think that is definitely a wolf! Thank you for sharing this sweet post, and God bless you, sweet friend. Sending you love and hugs.

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    1. Yes, she is so sweet to cuddle with and carry around, oh my goodness, I didn't know my heart could be stolen so easily!

      I have sent the picture of the mystery animal into our local game warden, and just waiting to hear back from them. I will certainly share their information with my readers. Most of them think it is a wolf. Will definitely let you know what they say.

      Appreciate your gracious visits, they always brighten my day :) Hugs to you on this lovely first day of February :)

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  12. 'The Life of Riley'....and what a sweet life he is. That face....so unbelievably sweet and adorable. Your photo of the close up of his face is gorgeous. I did chuckle at the video of him in the snow with your other dogs, continually falling off the edge of the snow and trying to get those puppy leg of his back up....too, too sweet. The blurry photo does remind me of a wolf, but I really wouldn't know. A mystery indeed. Once again, I have loved visiting your wintry wonderland, Marilyn!

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    1. That was so funny I thought too, she was trying to climb up the snowbank, and kept falling, but she kept trying, she is determined, lol!

      I have sent the picture of the mystery animal into our local game warden, and just waiting to hear back from them. I will certainly share their information with my readers. Hopefully they will help solve the mystery, although it is such a poor picture, I don't know.

      Appreciate your visits as always Kim, you are such a delightful friend :) Hugs to you on this first day of February :)

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  13. Hi Marilyn! I can see why you are falling in love with this sweet bundle of fur and fun! What an adorable puppy. I think it's wonderful that Riley is bonding with you too. I think she'll make a believer out of Simba eventually.
    Enjoy!
    Ceil

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    1. I think Simba will eventually come around too. But for now, he is keeping his distance, lol. Riley is so precious, we love her so. I had no idea how my heart would fall in love with her! She is a lot of work, keeping up with the potty events, but we do so love her puppy antics.

      Hugs to you today on this first day of February, have a lovely day! :)

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  14. Hey Marilyn! I was smiling looking at the pictures of cute Riley but when the video came on...I grinned ear to ear! Your dogs are surely in love with that precious puppy! I can see why you have become so attached. I do believe I have fallen in love with him too!!! Thanks for bringing sunshine into a rather cloudy day. :-) {{hugs}}

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    1. I'm glad for the grins, sometimes I just watch it again to smile, it is precious to watch. Yes, we are hopelessly attached to the sweet little girl! Glad for the little ray of sunshine :) Hope you are having a lovely first day of February :)

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  15. Miss Ripley certainly is a beauty! You are going to love her all the days of her life!
    I can't quite tell what that photo shot is of the animal???
    I was out walking Donatella the other day and came across some very large foot prints nothing I have ever seen here before. I took pictures and we Googled them, they matched up with a gray wolf. Yikes!! I was amazed at the size of the prints. Donatella has quite the Beagle nose and she was on it.

    So nice to visit with you ♡

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    1. Oh wow, a gray wolf! It is rather unnerving to wonder where they are at, isn't it. I know that we have a wolf pack that roams not too far from us, so I suspect this was a possible roamer. I have sent the picture of the mystery animal into our local game warden, and just waiting to hear back from them. I will certainly share their information with my readers. So we shall wait and see what they have to say.

      How wonderful that you and Donatella are out walking together, hope this means your knee is feeling a bit better! Keeping that situation in my prayers! Hugs to you today dear friend :) Happy first day of February!

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  16. What fun puppy pictures!! I had thought that our temperatures were fairly similar from what you have said on your blog but if you lake doesn't usually freeze over than you must generally stay a fair amount warmer than us. All the lakes up here freeze over and become little villages with ice houses all over each winter. Mara and I were out walking on one lake yesterday.

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    1. I think it is definitely colder where you live. 20s and 30s are our average winter temps here, so this year has been a lot colder. We do have lakes that are frozen over, however, and there are plenty of ice fisherman up in the mountain lakes. Sounds like a lovely walk you and your daughter had together though! Appreciate your visit, have a lovely first day of February :)

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  17. Hello, Yes I can see that you have fallen head over heels! Really what a sweet face! I looked at the picture and wondered if it might be a bear cub? Or a wolf?
    I do hope you have a wonderful evening!
    Love Ya, Roxy

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  18. Our puppy is about 18 months old now and she is still chewing on some things but not as bad. Our vet suggested to buy her a "KONG" (brand) toy as they are almost indestructible. When she was little we took her outside every 2 hours, even in the night. Only a few accidents. She still finds small branches from our fallen Oak trees and brings them to the porch to chew. She destroyed two of those large dog beds. Number three dog bed is wrapped with a large blanket to protect it. However even my husband who did not want her --- now loves her very much. I enjoyed your photos of your (son's) fluff ball, and the winter scenes.

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  19. Good morning!
    Riley is so adorable! His face looks so fluffy and squeezable. :) My sisters would love him. :) We have a little dog, Lacy. She's a shit zu. What kind of dog is Riley?

    Love,
    Ashley

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  20. a dear friend has just lost her old-age kitty and is thinking about getting a barking companion.

    i couldn't be happier for her ...

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  21. What an adorable dog! I am sure there is much joy in your house just looking at that sweet face. As always your pictures are gorgeous! Thank you for sharing your corner of the world.

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  22. Hello,
    What a sweet puppy. I can see why you are in love. :-)

    Thank you for the sweet note. It made me smile.

    I think your are right in thinking it is a wolf.

    Carla

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  23. Lovely photographs, what a joy.
    Riley is a sweetie

    All the best Jan

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  24. That Riley is SO cute! I love how his face is part white and part brown (or do they call that red)? Anyway...I know he is bringing much joy to the whole family! And it appears as though he really loves the snow!

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  25. What a precious puppy. My Hannah and Kyle would love her. Seems like you may be falling in love a little. *wink*

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  26. I want to come and cuddle Riley and reassure Simba that life with get calmer in time. ;) I'm thinking that is a wolf that you caught on camera. It sure looks like the right build for one.

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  27. Oh my goodness, is Riley ever a cute puppy! I remember when our kids wanted a dog (in their early 20's) and I finally relented. Your Annie reminds me greatly of our Marshall when our son got a puppy 10 years ago. Dogs bring a lot of joy and companionship and responsibility and you can guess who reaped the most from that when Marshall came to our family - ME! I learned to love a dog and it was the best thing ever. I miss Marshall who lived to be almost 16 years old. Enjoy teaching Riley new tricks. :) I'm thinking the animal in your trail cam pic must be a wolf. I hope he has moved on!! Take care and have a blessed week.

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Your comments are blessings to me, and I appreciate each and every one, they are precious to me! I appreciate you taking the time to comment on my blog... this is what makes blogging worthwhile! Have a blessed day!

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