It's always like that, right? The startup costs are huge, the learning curve is long. Eventually you get up to speed with it and it becomes smooth sailing. With bumps, but with time -- fewer bumps, calmer seas. Until the next new app/device/pet/sport whatever comes along and you're back there grinding your teeth and pulling your hair out.
Setting up my smart bird feeder was a challenge. I couldn't sync the device to the app and to my WiFi. Not my fault. Something to do with my WiFi company apparently. That's as educated as I am on the subject. But I did fix it, despite the fact that my feeder appears to be a product of Slovenia and trying to reach a person to help you fix problems is basically not possible. You spin from one set of FAQs to the next and hope that eventually you'll find something that fits your needs. Or, you go to the CHAT box and you initiate a nonsensical conversation with some bot called CHIRP, who will not understand your problem.
You can become frustrated, or you can remind yourself that eventually it will all sort itself out. After all, people in Slovenia are technologically very clever, and the device likely works well if you know what you're doing which I clearly do not.
The good news is that I have set up the camera successfully and this morning (drum roll!) two birds came to my birdhouse! I clicked and snapped ten photos. The birds were beautiful, the sky was blue, everything was grand, except... where are the photos now? I cannot tell you. Where is the information I'm supposed to get on these birds? I do not know. A banner appeared momentarily telling me that House Finches came by to visit, but this is all I know.
I'm not surprised that birds flew over to explore. The day is sunny and just above freezing. No sweater weather for Henry!
I turned my pooch away from his usual morning path and took him to a big field, not so much to romp, but to enjoy a trudge across a field of undisturbed snow. I'd forgotten how much my pup loves to dig in these fields, pushing away snow in search of... I dont know what. Dead rabbits? Buried treasure?
Well, if it makes him happy...
Breakfast, where Henry wants so much for me to increase his food intake.
It's tempting. My pup is obviously still growing. Here, take a look at how tall he is when he jumps up with bouts of affection for me:
Am I a little worried about his size and strength? Not at all! Maybe I love tall guys? My father was pretty short. Should we run this through a psychoanalytic chatbot? Nah... I just love my Henry and he happens to be very tall -- all part and parcel of his wonderfulness.
He is at daycare, I go over to the farmette. The day is warm enough for the chickens to emerge from the barn. And for Pancake to stare at me coming up the driveway.
Ed had gone skiing yesterday and was feeling like perhaps two days in a row was a bit much, but I pointed out that the warming trend has begun. We may not get another opportunity anytime soon.
And then I come home and yes, I should wrap, but instead, I spend the time trying to understand my smart -- clearly smarter than me -- birdfeeder. It is not until many hours later that I finally locate my first photo of my first finchy visitors.
Once I am done troubleshooting this troublesome device, it is time to pick up Snowdrop.
(We read, then she reads and I fix the Christmas tree. A string of lights stopped working. Up goes a new one.)
I have to take her back to school in the evening because it appears that there is a school orchestra concert tonight. I'm not going. Ive got Henry on my hands, and, too, there's her level of interest in playing (it's pretty low -- she never practices). Her mom and brother will be there. Me, I pick up my boy. It's a fast turnaround for us too: he has his last dog training session right after supper. The Beginners one. Next year he moves on to the Intermediate level!
(a graduation diploma!)
He has learned a lot, true enough, though the greatest benefit for me, his trainer, is watching how the instructor approaches the whole saga of dog training. With treats of course, but also with an understanding of the dog's temperament. Not all dogs will lie down for you in their first year of training. Especially big dogns like my guy. Henry will sit at a bat of an eye, but he rarely goes down to the floor unless he wants to nap.
(Today's lesson? Leave It and Wait. He already does a Hang Back in the elevator, which is pretty much the same as Wait, but the Leave it is an interesting challenge! But Henry is smart: when he wants to learn, he learns.)
And speaking of napping, might we go to bed earlier tonight? No? Well, let's try!
with so much love...
