Welcome to your forever home Java Bean!

I haven't been blogging much but I have a good excuse! Here is the reason why: Introducing a new member of our family. Meet Java Bean, a five year old Min-Pin. He weighs 20 pounds LESS than BuddyTheElf but is one little whirlwind! We adopted him so he now has a "forever home". He has been through so much in the last month.

Java Bean was rescued from a kill-shelter in Texas, driven to Maine along with 21 other dogs and several cats, all of them in a trailer! When they all arrived in Maine the rescuers found that they could not have the animals in their new rental home. Lincoln County Animal Shelter was called in and they took all of the animals in. Java was part of the Waldoboro 22, as the dogs were called in all the news stories. I first saw Java's photo on-line and read the story of the rescued animals. The next day Mark took some old blankets to the Shelter for the influx of animals. When Mark came home he said he had "met" Java. We asked if we could adopt Java and on April 8th he came home to live with us, a week after we learned of all of the animals plight.

Unfortunately we do not have any information on Java's background, as the Lincoln County Animal Shelter had not received any either. It seems the original rescuers had come to Maine to live with all of the animals who were in the kill shelter. So, Java had a thorough check-up the day after we adopted him and found he was underweight and without a medical history had to start "puppy shots". We returned to the vets two weeks after the initial visit for the next "puppy" shot and were happy to learn that Java had gained one pound! On such a tiny dog one pound is a big deal.

It has been a bit of a struggle for BuddyTheElf. He has been the sole dog in the household, tolerating visits from Bode, Bella and Maple, and always happy to see them leave! He still sleeps on the bed with us and I suspect secretly likes the fact that Java sleeps in a crate in our bedroom. It will take time and lots of patience before all is peaceful in our home!

Ashton bought a nice, soft blanket and new toys for Java. My sweet nieces bought Java several sweaters to wear when its cool. Java wears a coat outside as he isn't used to Maine weather and doesn't have much fur to keep him warm. We have been blessed the last week with balmy 50 and 60 degree days so Java has been able to go for walks without his jacket.

"The boys" as I call them, resting after a play session. The two dogs will sit together in Mark's lap at night, so thats a start to being friendly to each other!

Found these hearts on a walk one day, I take Buddy with me for some "togetherness time". His world must seem to him to have been turned upside down by the arrival of Java.

The pileateds have had a field day with this tree at the Preserve next door! How nice of them to leave a "heart" for all to enjoy.

Hearts around us

Even though the calendar says its spring, it hasn't felt that way weather-wise. We have had lots of rainy days, cold days and nights and the sun seems to be playing hide and seek. But I have been walking in between raindrops and found some hearts to share. Cannot help but smile whenever a heart shows up!

Do you see the big heart in the grass? I love this heart!

We had a few inches of snow on April Fool's Day....it wasn't a very funny joke! I spotted this heart while we hiked Porters Preserve, the snow was pretty as it highlighted the green on the stump and showed off a pretty heart that I might have missed otherwise.

The ferns have stayed so pretty even throughout winter. Perhaps its Mother Nature's way of showing us cheer.

Even the seaweed on the shore captured a heart.

This photo makes me feel hopeful, a sign from above indeed.

Last weekend we spotted this eagle in a tree across the road. It was accompanied by two smaller eagles, brown in color and one would swoop down to the river and the other would sit and wait its turn. What an amazing treat!

I will post soon about a new addition to our family!

Spring is slowly coming.

Even though the calendar says that spring has arrived, it hasn't felt that way. We have had several snow squalls lately, covering the ground that until recently was buried under two feet of snow. We don't need snowshoes anymore to walk on our favorite trails but boots are still needed as mud is appearing here and there.

Saturday we took a hike at Ovens Mouth Preserve. It was a blustery and cool day but when in the sun it is so nice.

In the second photo there appears to be a icy heart on the rocks and in the third photo after zooming in a definite "heart" appears.

It was a day for spotting nature's hearts, in the tree stump above there is a small heart.

And a heart appears here on this stump as well as on the log below.

I found a root "heart" as well.

And today while walking on the preserve next door I happened to look back at my house and spotted a snowy heart! So even though it doesn't feel much like spring, Mother Nature has warmed my heart with her beautiful displays of hearts!