Winter has finally arrived in Nebraska. It has been unusually mild, with only one or two significant snows up until last weekend. I had wondered if Mother Nature was going to be like the animated segment in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where she skips significant seasons (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZLP0siJI-8), but it our case going directly from fall to spring. But alas, after our 70 degree day in January, she reminds us now that it is indeed winter.
Dogs and kids alike enjoyed the snow last Saturday!
Sam races through the snow
Sue, Sam and BB sled with the kids
Mae wanders about in the snow
Although you can’t tell in the picture from last week, Mae is certainly with puppies. Her tummy has grown considerably since this last picture and like all pregnant mamas, her priority is food! We will have her X-rayed the first week in March to get a puppy count and expect her puppies to arrive sometime around March 15th.
My Valentine’s Day present is a whelping box kit and we have a spot in the garage prepared for setting it up. The actual whelping will most likely occur inside the house in the laundry room, which is an easier spot for me to access for monitoring but will keep mama and pups out of being messed with by the human kids. We’ll have a disposable carpet remnant on the floor and a woodchip-filled sandbox to warmly welcome them into the world. As the pups get bigger and squirmier, we’ll transition them into the heated garage with the whelping box. Once they hit 3 1/2-4 weeks, they’ll be big and strong enough to move into an outdoor kennel with an insulated dog house.
Tonight is a designated “dog party” night, where the dogs come in to hang out and watch evening “telly” (TV) with the family. Mostly, they chew on their cow hooves, which gives off a bit of a barnyard breath aroma, but they last longer than the 15 minute rawhides and keep them from perpetually wrestling with each other or breathing in people’s faces for attention.
TV time the evening of Feb. 11th: Mae, Sue, BB and Sam
Bluestem Kennels 
Feb 16, 2012 @ 20:21:54
Very informative. I had my wife read the post and she commented on how much she learned and enjoyed the site. We’re counting on Mae having at least 7 pups that make the grade & already have a unisex name determined for ours. Anxiously awaiting the x-ray results the first week in March.
Feb 21, 2012 @ 14:33:02
I am excited too! I’ve started keeping her in the house full time. With 3-4 weeks left to go she is quite big, so I’m anticipating a large litter. I could be wrong, but the x-rays will tell!! I’ll get some pics up later on this week.