Tuesday this 'n' that

I used to think that dogs couldn't see screen doors because Mickey used to collide with mine and knock it off its track. I was reluctant to open the back door and use the slider for ages because I assumed King or Gaby would think there was no door at all and punch through it as well. But it was so nice this evening--mid 50s, breezy--that I had to open the back door.

Much activity outside. Kids on bikes. Barking dogs. Sirens. But when King approaches the door, he stops. Gaby lies in front of it and monitors the backyard. They both seem to be able to see it just fine.

I know the Mickster was going deaf over his last year or two. Looks like he was losing his eyesight as well.

Cooking. I was reluctant to use my new cast iron fry pan after the Incident of the Burnt Salmon. But I used it Sunday to cook a New York strip steak, and again this evening to put a very nice crust on a black bean burger. There's still a little salmon skin char that I would need a sandblaster to remove, but overall the pan is becoming easier to clean with each use.

One dumb question, though. Directions say to apply a thin film of oil after washing, but they don;t specify whether to coat just the cooking surface or the outside of the pan as well. I oil both sides because the outside also gets wet during washing, but then things smoke a bit when I put the pan on a hot burner. Should I oil inside and out?

I never thought the day would come when I would consider putting Gaby on a diet, but. It has. She is borderline, weight-wise, even though I feed her 1 1/2 cans of Evangers Duck and Sweet Potato a day, which is the lower end of the suggested range. I know all dogs are different and the range is a guideline only, but I always considered Gaby a furnace when it came to food. Now it seems that when she eats a food that agrees with her, she doesn't need a lot. Her coat has exploded over the past four months, and become much softer. Her...poop is in better shape, smaller and more firm.

Of course, since I have found this food that she seems to be thriving on, the company that produces it is having issues. This year, it's theft of gas and electricity to the tune of $1.4 million. A year and a half ago, before I started feeding Gaby this food, there were deficiencies found during FDA inspections of the plant. So far, there's no indication that the plant will close, but I'm not crazy about these warning signs. I have some Wellness canned food stashed away just in case, but I dread needing to have to find a new food for Gaby.


I'm going to have to close the windows soon, but it's so nice to have them open.

Tuesday this 'n' that

I used to think that dogs couldn't see screen doors because Mickey used to collide with mine and knock it off its track. I was reluctant to open the back door and use the slider for ages because I assumed King or Gaby would think there was no door at all and punch through it as well. But it was so nice this evening--mid 50s, breezy--that I had to open the back door.

Much activity outside. Kids on bikes. Barking dogs. Sirens. But when King approaches the door, he stops. Gaby lies in front of it and monitors the backyard. They both seem to be able to see it just fine.

I know the Mickster was going deaf over his last year or two. Looks like he was losing his eyesight as well.

Cooking. I was reluctant to use my new cast iron fry pan after the Incident of the Burnt Salmon. But I used it Sunday to cook a New York strip steak, and again this evening to put a very nice crust on a black bean burger. There's still a little salmon skin char that I would need a sandblaster to remove, but overall the pan is becoming easier to clean with each use.

One dumb question, though. Directions say to apply a thin film of oil after washing, but they don;t specify whether to coat just the cooking surface or the outside of the pan as well. I oil both sides because the outside also gets wet during washing, but then things smoke a bit when I put the pan on a hot burner. Should I oil inside and out?

I never thought the day would come when I would consider putting Gaby on a diet, but. It has. She is borderline, weight-wise, even though I feed her 1 1/2 cans of Evangers Duck and Sweet Potato a day, which is the lower end of the suggested range. I know all dogs are different and the range is a guideline only, but I always considered Gaby a furnace when it came to food. Now it seems that when she eats a food that agrees with her, she doesn't need a lot. Her coat has exploded over the past four months, and become much softer. Her...poop is in better shape, smaller and more firm.

Of course, since I have found this food that she seems to be thriving on, the company that produces it is having issues. This year, it's theft of gas and electricity to the tune of $1.4 million. A year and a half ago, before I started feeding Gaby this food, there were deficiencies found during FDA inspections of the plant. So far, there's no indication that the plant will close, but I'm not crazy about these warning signs. I have some Wellness canned food stashed away just in case, but I dread needing to have to find a new food for Gaby.


I'm going to have to close the windows soon, but it's so nice to have them open.