Return to St Mary's PA

Bucksgahuda & Western Railroad

Where the Geese Wear Pants

And I get to take pictures!

It was great! I got to go back to St. Mary's and I carefully took pictures. It was fun, but means I'm not in any of them. So here I am figuring out which pictures we should use for the post. 

I took close to 200. Narrowed it down to 27.

Sinnemahoning Valley with Dump Car

These first few are of the Sinnemahoning Valley engine and a dump car. We traveled to the lower turntable.

Isn't the line beautiful?
At the turntable.

Heading out again.

At the bridge.

The narrow gauge motorcar (aka track inspection vehicle).

Getting Ready for the Public

The steam engines.

#4, the little Brookville engine.

Railroad Working!

It Started to Rain

Come back tomorrow for a shorter look at another narrow gauge railroad.

Best wishes,

New Pet Part 2

Fancy Pomeranian

The Welcome Committee

Pet Meet and Greet

Coco, Licorice, Meatloaf, Rascal, & Pomeranian

I smell someone new.
Oh, wow.
Who are you?
Hi! I think this is my new home. Will you be my brothers and sisters?

We're a few, but there are others.
I'm Coco.
Licorice.
Meatloaf.
Rascal.

How well do you share?
Would you like my purse?
Sure. It's pretty.

You can hold my mouse.
I don't usually play with mice, but okay.
(purrs)

Did you say you don't have a name?
Yes, well, one that you would understand, but not the kind our people usually use.
I understand that; my real cat name is not Rascal. I don't think people could spell or pronounce my real name.
Don't worry. When the girls meet you they'll give you a name. Here comes Melody now. She's great.
They are all really caring toward us. Not a tail puller among them.
Maybe an too tight hug now and then...
And a stepped on paw, but nothing hurtful on purpose.
Yay!

The Girls Arrive

Haley, Kaya, Kirsten, Lanie, Melody, 2 or more

What's all the commotion? Hey...who are you?
(panting, wagging) Yip, yip. (licks Melody's nose)
(giggling) Aren't you cute and friendly!

Where'd the dog come from?

Yip.
I'm not sure. She's really cute.
(panting, wagging)
What a darling puppy! 

Yip, yip, yip. (wagging, prancing)
Oh, she's a little lover.
(licking Haley's chin, wagging)

What's going on?
Oooo, a pom-pom!
Is she ours?
I think so.
Here puppy.

Oh, that  won't do. She needs a proper name.
How about Princess?

(sneezes, shakes head)
I guess that's a no.
Snow white?
(whines, paw to nose)
Another no. Good ideas though.
Bijoux? [pronounced bee-zhoo]
(prances, jumps)

Bijoux, eh. Sounds good to me too.
Here, Bijoux.
(wagging, prancing)

So cute!
(dancing, prancing, wagging) Yip. yip.

Welcome, Bijoux!

Xyra Note

Dear followers, thank you for your patience and continued presence. As is with many of you, September is a very busy month and this year busier than others. Currently our eldest kitty is experiencing kidney troubles - she requires fluids injected daily (I applaud the pet owners who can do this on their own; I just can't), so lunchtime is spent at the vet. Another kitty is experiencing head congestion - she is on an antibiotic and we are hoping that clears up soon. With that addition to the schedule I got behind in reading a commenting on your blogs, reading emails, and posting to Facebook. I am slowly catching up and hope to get back on schedule soon. Thank you again for your support.

Best wishes!

New Pet

Costco Exclusive

Do you have a Costco nearby? American Girl has released three Pet-House Sets exclusively for Costco (not sure about the other warehouse stores). The pups are not in the current catalog nor are they available through the AG website.

They do coordinate with the bed and collar sets. Fancy Pomeranian, Funky Terrier, and Preppy Sheepdog. All are super cute and it was hard to decide. Each kit contains a dog, the dog's toy, two feeding dishes, a book, and a cardboard dog house you get to color, decorate and assemble. Pretty decent for $29.99.

I don't have pictures of all three sets, but Rhonda at Living a Doll's Life has a really good one. The Funky Terrier is brown and white, marked like a Jack Russell. The Preppy Sheepdog is black and white more like an Australian Sheepdog than the long-haired, English Sheepdog. The Fancy Pomeranian is pale yellow. Buy one of these and all you need is the matching bed, collar set, and outfit. The extras from AG come to $56 and until September 22, 2014 AG is offering free shipping on orders of $50. [Looks like the princess and dreamy beds are back ordered, the funky bed is available.] Of course, you can design your own for much less.

Today, I'm reviewing the one that joined our family.

Fancy Pomeranian

Unboxing

The box is really cute. A nice big window so you can see the puppy and some of the accessories.

Everything that is included.

Back and one side panel.

The cardboard dog house is tucked behind the main scene in the box and contained in a plastic bag. not only can you color it yourself, but there are stickers and other things included too. More on this later. (The really white item you can see is the place mat...it's just a piece of paper. You can color and decorate it, but it is very flimsy. I didn't even know what it was at first.)

The scene slides out. Nothing is loose. Everything is really secure, but not too hard to release.

Pomeranian and accessories removed.

The raffia and plastic bands left marks in the fur, so I brushed and fluffed the puppy. She did lose some fur, but not noticeably. Her fur is nice and soft. Her body is solid like Meatloaf, but with limited articulation in the leg and neck joints.

A close up of the two feeding dishes. They are just like the ones that came with Meatloaf, but pink.

Here is the toy purse. The design makes it look like it might open, but it does not.

She holds it very well at her mouth. The magnet is strong. She can even hold the brush I used for grooming.

Her one paw features the AG star.

The book is really nice. Lots of pages and ideas and goodies specific for this pup. Only showing a few pages, it's a pretty thick book.

The one funny item is the passport. She has a passport and certificate of adoption, but not a shots record book or rabies certificate.

The Dog House

The dog house is made of nice thick cardboard. The house has a tab to secure the fourth corner. The balcony also attaches with tabs. The roof...does not. It just perches on top.

One drawback - neither the house nor the balcony stay square, so the roof does not fit flat. Looks more like the Shrieking Shack right now - all disjointed like that. I think after it is colored and gets some folding and unfolding it will finish more solidly.
doesn't matter to the pup...she likes her house.

Our New Pup!

According to the American Kennel Club, "the Pomeranian is a cocky, animated companion with an extroverted personality." And the breed name is derived from the geographic region of origin which is now part of Germany and Poland (although Woofpedia notes Iceland as the country of origin.) Queen Victoria kept and bred Pomeranians.

We don't have a name for her yet. Still thinking - Pom Pom keeps popping up, but that's the nickname for the breed. Any suggestions?

Thank you for stopping.

Best wishes,