Is Ava or Hilda Her Name????

Even with March moving at speed we haven't been doing to much more than the past months. Like many others, I have had a cough that is lingering but finally after weeks it is almost gone the past three days. (March 20) March Madness has started so I have spent some time in front of the tv watching a lot of college basketball games. Weather has been great but since it gets so cold at night, those higher daytime temps don't feel as warm. I started this post March 23rd ... I'll note the latest news down below. 

I bought a new replacement cactus. Went with a different kind this time and so far so good. You will recognize the one below. All three of them that I have had since moving has ended up the same way. I brought the one I had in Sierra Vista with me when I moved, it was the first of three to do this.

The sun reflection shows what the month of March has been like. Warm enough for the hounds and dog to spend time outside. Oh, I did mow my yard on the 16th of March, as did a lot of my neighbors. Then it turned cold again. 

Some of you might remember that 1960 VW Single Cab pickup truck I sold in October 2021. I was looking through Facebook Market place and had a gut feeling I might find this for sale again. I clicked the "Vehicles" link and this was listed first. They have ruined the value of it. It was worth a lot more with the original patina surface rust on it. I am guessing all that spray is to keep surface rust from getting worse. They also painted the inside of the cab. Still with all the changes and not knowing anything about old VWs ... they are asking $30,000 for it.

Originally the buyer was going to set up a flower shop business for his wife and this truck was going to be their delivery vehicle and their store display for their flowers. When I searched and didn't find any flower shops in their small nearby town I had a feeling the VW truck would be for sale somewhere.

Yes, I was tempted to buy it back but below their asking price. Then I remembered all the reasons I sold all my VWs and decided to stick with the one vehicle I presently own.

BIG NEWS !!!!

A few weeks ago to take care of my "urge" I visited three different no-kills shelters here. A lot of barking dogs, some quiet but nothing that I saw made me adopt any. I discussed with my friend why this urge had hit me to have another dog. As of this morning, April 6th, I still do not know the answer. About a month ago a puppy post showed up in my Facebook news feed or was it sent to me by my cousin. I told her not to do that because I would want one.

Yesterday that same post showed up and they were down to one puppy and from reading past posts from that distant cousin I had never met ... I saw this puppy was a favorite of many. In the past month I had looked at the puppies from the bloodhound breeder of Watson and the breeder out in Arizona of Henry but for some reason I wasn't that interested. It might have been the "inflated prices" that caused that.

So after some deep thinking the past few weeks and exchanging of information on Thursday, I drove up to the "old neighborhood" yesterday afternoon to pick up a 11 week old German Shepherd. Henry loves her and has lead her inside and outside to pee. This morning Watson got over the shock and was being chased in the backyard playing with the puppy. Walter is not interested. Ha Ha

Since Google Blogger has messed up the way to post photos ... I either post these one by one in the order I want and discuss below them or let them fall in Google's Order and discuss them that way. I think I will let them fall where they may to save me time. ALL FOUR are sleeping with Watson in a deep loud snore. She is in the bedroom on Walter's dog bed sleeping.

Nothing official but I am leaning towards Ava (A nice German name) as her name. Suggestions will be considered. It has to be a people name and a German name.

It did not take long for her to settle in last night. Excuse the floor, it's been raining a lot lately.

Didn't quite catch it but Watson is getting ready to move in and sniff her last night.

Henry was thrilled with excitement just with a mention of a puppy and went crazy when he actually saw it. She is his best friend right now.

It was cold this morning but that didn't keep them from going outside. That brown grass is a patch of zoysia that I will rake up, tear out the roots, lay new soil and plant some Kentucky bluegrass and Fescue like that stuff growing in the yard. Her right ear is always leaning and probably one reason she was the last puppy of six to be chosen.

She walked the whole fence line with Watson a couple of times this morning. I didn't see any urges to break out of the fence, which is good because at this time, she could fit through those open spaces.

The litter was not planned. My distant young cousin is not a breeder. Their male someway broke out and freed the female from a kennel and by the time she could get to them it was too late. Six puppies total. All shots are updated with her next appointment on April 27th. I made the appointment online this morning. Watson has turned into a HUGE bloodhound in size.

I was told she was timid and she is. She had quite a connection to the cousin's husband but she is the first puppy I have ever had this young that will not come toward me or to me when I hold my hand down for her to smell. Yet, she loves to be petted while laying on Walter's or Watson's dog bed.

Speaking of Watson's dog bed ... he might have lost it last night. She walked straight in the bedroom and took his dog bed last night. She slept there all night, never whined or cried and walked out with the older three this morning when we got up to go outside. Since then she has also gone to the patio door to be let out to pee.

Walter is pretty independent and not a fan of the puppy yet. He will eventually accept her. He doesn't play as much with Henry and Watson as he did when he was a puppy.

I broke her in slowly meeting the other hounds and dog last night. First it was her and I in the backyard while the other three ate their missed lunch. I left early for the 90 mile trip, one way. You will see below that once I let the hounds and dog outside, she hid under the grill. Once inside she hid under the end table.

This is after I pulled the grill away from the house and she had room to roam and the hounds and dog had room to introduce themselves. She is so much different than a basset or bloodhound puppy at this age or even younger at 8 weeks.

Last night Watson could tell someone had been in his yard.

She hid here until I rolled the grill away from the house to expose her to the others.

Walter will rarely bark to come back inside ... he will stand here until I show up.

No, I don't know why I needed another dog, especially a puppy. The difference in this puppy is GSD's are very smart, train easily I am told from friends and what I have read. I knew what the plan was before I decided to get her. There are some other reasons this happened that I will not discuss but it was all good reasons. 

It's colder than I like but I hope the yard will dry out enough to mow by later this afternoon, before the NCAA Final 4 starts. I miss those 80° a couple of days last week.

All is good here in "the tropics" of Southern Indiana with a feeling things will speed up for blogging info.