Scrapbooking Retreat

Last weekend I went to a scrapbooking retreat in Killington Vermont at the Mountain Meadows Lodge (http://www.mountainmeadowslodge.com/) and had a blast. The place is amazing. There is the lodge itself, which is a large barn, and then the farmhouse, which is where our room was. Oh, my sister, Cherry went with me and there were four other women, two that I'd met before and their family members that I just met. There were only six of us, but that just meant that we had more room to spread out (LOL)!

This is Bill, owner and cook at MML Our scrapbooking space. Note the big windows where we would often see Molly and her sheep go by.

The Lodge

The Farmhouse

When we pulled into the parking area we were met by Bill, the owner, who made us feel right at home. Then two goats and six sheep went walking by. The white, calico looking goat is Molly, and this is her herd of sheep. They follow her everywhere she goes. I didn't get the name of the little goat, but what a doll!

Molly

The little adorable one

A few of the sheep

There is also a Shetland Pony named Alex that is such a love. He wanders through the grounds and if you go outside to enjoy the beautiful grounds he his more than happy to join you for a walk and some scratches.Alex

Then there is sweet, lovely, adorable Alice. Alice is a Japanese Potbelly Pig. She also has run of the place and can most often be found over near the patio area, munching on the grass and sunbathing by the picnic tables.

I fell in love with Alice, and she seemed to like me too. She kind of grunted at some people, but not me. She came to me with her tail wagging and seemed very content to just lean on my leg and enjoy my pats, scratches, and conversation. I was actually very sad when I couldn't find her the morning I left. I didn't have a chance to say goodbye.

Alice coming to see me.

Alice and I

The Adirondack Trail goes right through the property and there's a little bench near the trail if hikers need to stop for a break. The owners of the lodge are very good to the hikers and give them a room and a meal for little of nothing.

1680 miles to Springer

The property also touches Lake Kent. It's a beautiful little lake, crystal clear, with lots of ducks that are always looking for some crumbs.

We were served marvelous meals and waited on hand and foot. It was an amazing and relaxing weekend. We are all planning on making it a tradition to meet every spring and fall there.

Lulu and Poppy

I hope you're not tired of hearing about my two little rat girls. They have really grown on me and I just had to share how they're coming along.

Poppy and Lulu

They are still very shy and frightened of people, but at least when I picked them up to clean their cage this week Poppy didn't squeal as if I was killing her. She also didn't struggle as hard.

Lulu sleeping with her head on Poppy's back

Lulu is the little housekeeper. Every morning she does her best to push anything dirty out of the front of the cage. She picks up, pushes, kicks, and shoves strips of newspaper and wood chips out through the bars then pats at it with both hands. So adorable.

Lulu eating a white cheddar cheese doodle

Poppy is obsessed with newspaper strips. When I put in a new handful of newspaper she gets so excited. She will run up and down the ramps for over an hour until she has all of the strips up on the top shelf in a perfect little nest for them to sleep on. I don't just put them up there because she has to place them just right.

Poppy eating her cheese doodle in a house filled with her precious newspaper

They also have a blast playing the toilet paper rolls. Last night I watched Lulu try and try to figure out a way to lift one up and fit it into the opening in their grass ball. It was hysterical!

They love trying different kinds of food. It's as much fun for me to give it to them as it is for them to receive it. They just get so excited when I put new things in there. This morning they had some Special K with strawberries and it was a huge hit.

They come over to see me the second I step into the room and listen to me talk quietly to them. I think they really just want food, but it still makes me feel good. They have the most adorable little faces, don't they?

That's us. Cute. Adorable. Funny. Amazing little rat girls.

Rat-O-Vision

Raeka, my little Puerto Rican dog, has been fascinated with the rat girls since they arrived two weeks ago. She stands on her hind feet and tucks her front feet tight to her chest, and balances there for 30 seconds or more. Well, that is until Lulu nipped her on the nose when she sniffed too closely. Then she was afraid to even come into the room. Luckily, she's finally summoned up enough courage to come back into the living room and watch the rats from a distance.

Phoebe, my cat, is also mesmerized by the ratties. She lays on the floor in front of their cage for hours when they are up and active.

Here are the girls eating some yummy egg whites. Lulu is the dark one and Poppy is the lighter, larger of the two.

Canine Friends

Last week I went to visit a friend and was able to spend some time with her dogs and her room mates dogs. I'm only sorry that I didn't get a picture of Sarah, her wolfhound mix. She is an elderly girl that is so beautiful, gentle, and sweet. She kept walking towards me so I only got strange shots of parts of her face.

Let me introduce you to Michael. An adorable Yorkie that I'm sure can't weigh more than three pounds. He is a fetching fanatic. He squeaks his little toy and then drops it at your feet, waiting for you to throw it. What a hoot!

Then there's Radar. Very sweet. Looks like he definitely has chihuahua in him with those amazing ears!

Benjamin is a standard poodle rescue that came from a horrible life. It has taken him months and months to even start trusting Julie. Isn't he a handsome guy?

Darling little Lila is another rescue that came from a puppy mill where she had litter after litter of pups. When Julie got her she was still lactating. Don't know what became of the pups. She is the sweetest girl. I think she's Boston Terrier/Pug mix. She gives lots of kisses and is quick to roll over for a belly rub. She has many, many fears, poor little thing.

I just realized I didn't get a shot of Daisy either! Daisy is another rescue girl. I think she's a Westie mix. Very cute, very friendly. I'll have to make a point of getting pics of both Daisy and Sarah in the next few weeks so I can add them in.