April Snow
Category Archives: Uncategorized
A Free Press
In a country with a free press, new is whatever people deem it to be. I didn’t need this kind of ‘publicity’. However, for all its shortcomings of a ‘free press’, it better than the alternative. News of the Groundhog Day Missing Puppies from Thundering Paws Farm was the talk of the Vermont side of the Upper Valley. Only 2 months later did I see that the story hit the local newspaper. I was too busy trying to make sure the puppies didn’t escape …again. With 60 cm of snow on the fields, running down the 1/2 mile driveway to seek adventure was almost irresistible.
Vermont Leads the Nation!
Trump approval / disapproval rates by state
A metaphor for the Trump presidency
End of March
March is still a cold month in Vermont. Temps down in the teens at night. After a long, cold winter, the fields are mostly clear of snow this last day of March 2026.
Leif Off to a Horse Farm in NH
A friend of 9 months here on the farm left today with Sabine and Geoff to their horse farm in Cheshire County, New Hampshire. Sabine and Geoff lost their 13 month-old pup during a routine neutering operation this month. Devastated, they sought to rill and indescribable gap …and found Leif, one of the sweetest dogs I have ever bred.
Later that afternoon…
Leif had never had never had a person of his own. Now he has found one…
With an Easter Update…
Countdown Begins
The countdown to June 1 begins. 2 months and so much to organize as life takes a happy turn.
- Deaccession
- Deacquisition
- Divestment
- Downsizing
- Disposal
- Departure
- Deliverance
starting from 20-Mar-2021 [First Day of Spring]
Drew Goes to Dartmouth
4 month old, perfectly tempered and athletically gifted Drew (Nel x Blu) joins pre-med undergraduate Thomas at nearby Dartmouth College. Thomas hails from Los Angeles, a neuroscientist heading off to med school -with Drew- after he completes his undergraduate work.
Drew trades the fields of Thundering Paws Farm for Webster Ave, the Dartmouth Green and Hanover running paths. I could not have asked for a better person and home for my Drew. What a sweet life he is going to have! Thank you Thomas!!
Day 1 Update from Thomas:
I love ‘happy new beginnings’ like this!!
Thank you Nel and Blu, James McCloskey and Bryan Huhn, for making this possible
Day 5 Update from Thomas:
It is obvious that Monte is really into having Thomas as HIS person!
A professional trainer that I sometimes recommend to new owners needing training assistance looked at the video and wrote this back to me. Way to go, Thomas!
Puppies Coming Into Their Own
At 4 months, the pups in the Nel x Blu litter of 10 are coming into their own. I am very impressed by this litter. Three are off to new homes. The remaining 7 are under development. It is going to be very tough not to keep them all.
[note the hypnotic eyes]
International Imbecility
This from Jeff Tiedrich’s column this morning.
“In December 2016 — before Donny was even inaugurated — Norwegian artist Christian Bloom created this political cartoon.
that was nine years ago. how f***ing prescient was Bloom?”
The Urge to Renew
About half the females here are in or approaching or exiting their estrus cycle –that is to say ‘in season’. Nature synchronizes the female’s reproduction cycles. 2026 is a no-breeding-year. And yet, we are already dealing with ‘accidents’, seen and presumed. The urge to renew in dogs is strong –much stronger than in humans. Dogs will do just about anything to procreate.
One young female did THIS while I was away doing errands. Happily, the males were locked up in steel crates. That is 5/8 in plywood she tore and ate through!
When renewal is successful (and planned), it brings forth beauties like this…
