Kimberly J Egan
Bio
Welcome to LoupGarou/Conri Terriers and Not 1040 Farm! I try to write about what I know best: my dogs and my homestead. I'm currently working on a series of articles introducing my readers to some of my animals, as well as to my daily life!
Stories (106)
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Growing Cucuzza
Have you ever tried cucuzza? If you didn't know any better, you might think that someone was asking you if you'd done something terribly naughty. It's amazing to me that so few people seem to know what a cucuzza, never mind that so few people have actually eaten them. I spent my early years in a mixed Italian and Polish neighborhood, back in the 1960s. Most of our nuclear families still had at least one member who immigrated from either Italy or Poland! I remember these long, strange-looking vegetables growing in many gardens, although I never knew (at the time) what they were called.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Journal
The House of Usher
Kasey stood at ringside, watching the pattern, trying to familiarize her puppy through osmosis. They would be first in the ring when it was time to judge rough collies, so it was important for him to see and hear the sights and sounds that were not possible to replicate in a handling class. The smooth collies were just finishing now. The judge and the steward were both recording the variety winners in their respective books. The dogs that had not placed were already leaving the ring. They took their position at the gate as the last dog passed.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Fiction
For the Love of an Old Dog
I had a bit of a surreal experience today. I cried over Ozzy Osbourne's dog, Rocky. Rocky was a gorgeous little black and tan Pomeranian who lived for 15 years. Osbourne had posted on X (formerly known as "Twitter") that he had lost his long-time companion. I posted my condolences, saying that I felt sad for the hole now in his life. And then I sat back in my chair and I cried. Even now, tears are welling up.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Petlife
In Memoriam: Copper
Copper's impact on the household is impossible to describe. My late roommate purchased him years ago, when he was retired from the show ring, with the intention of breeding him to the tricolor female that we owned at the time, UKC Gr. Ch, AKC Ch. La Isla's Wickfair Watersprite (Sprite). It would have been a pairing to remember. Sprite was from West Coast royalty, while Copper was from a longstanding Texas kennel that had previously produced Top Ten winners. Sadly, it was not to be. My roommate died of complications from diabetes shortly after getting Copper and Sprite followed her over the bridge shortly after that. I had no breeding rights to Copper, but he remained in my household for another decade, just being a splendid pet and companion.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Petlife
Are We Having TRT Puppies? Part Two
August 5, 2024 I love my little Yaddle Skedaddle more than almost any dog I've ever owned. Even with all of her strange and fussy little ways, she's as close to the perfect companion that I could ever want, with an awareness about my physical and mental health that I've seen from only one other dog in my life. From the moment she was bred, I dreamed for a strong and healthy litter of puppies from her.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Petlife
The House of Usher
The ocean water was warm. It lapped over her feet and ankles, the ripples creating eddies of sand as she stood, staring into the horizon. Kasey had no idea what it was she thought she'd see, but she stood, nevertheless, until a tiny crab had a grab at her Achille's tendon. Time to move on. Even a few steps might make the difference. Small steps had already made a difference in other parts of her life.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Fiction
Are We Having TRT Puppies?
So, a while back I wrote a post about Yaddle, seeking a "friend with benefits" relationship from a respectable Teddy Roosevelt Terrier male, indicating that there were three males in the running for the privilege. All were stunning and all had amazing pedigrees. She stayed in Texas for MONTHS, without the suggestion of coming into season. I had wanted her back for the Open Show in June, as I had retired Diva from competition the year before. Yaddle was my only other female TRT, because I purchased Steele instead of the female puppy I had planned to get in 2023. If my males were going to have any shot at a Winners competition, they needed a female Winner to compete against. So, I entered Yaddle in the Open Show and brought her home.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Petlife
Dog and Goat Food Run
Once every month or so, I drive up to a place called "Gatlin Feed" to purchase food for my dogs and for my bucks. Now, I love my dogs as much as the next person, but when the venison is running low in the freezer, it's time to buy k-i-b-b-l-e and, when you have eleventy-billion dogs of all ages, shapes, and sizes, like I do, you need to find the right price point for your dog food. So, yes, Taste of the Wild is pretty much right out. Fortunately, our feed store has a dog food that fits the bill (shameless plug for it in the picture caption), which they sell for a reasonable price for a 50-pound bag. Best of all, the dogs love it AND they look amazing on it, so the 50ish mile round trip is well worth the time and effort.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Petlife
New Life
It was in the still of the morning, even now. Something had roused him from sleep, something that was now compelling him to leave the quiet gatehouse to cross the courtyard to the small barn that sheltered their horses at night. Petal needed him to be there. That's all he needed to know. He had not even needed to check the closed-circuit camera that his father had installed the week before, for him to be able to watch over her. Without a second thought, he had pulled on his work jeans and a thin t-shirt, slipped his feet into a pair of trainers--his mama called them "sneakers"--and slipped out of the house for Petal's stall.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Fiction
Introducing "Vex!"
Dan has been living on his farm since 1979. He's always had a boatload of dogs, as he bred American Pit Bull Terriers for work (farm, hunting), sport (weight pull, UKC obedience), and conformation shows (United Kennel Club, ADBA). Over the past ten years, or so, all of his APBTs have gone, with the exception of old Cowboy, who is pushing 14 or so right now. Cowboy was never a show dog, so he became a farm dog, who, with Toby, Bowser, and Luna would patrol his acreage and keep away predators.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Petlife
What the Hay?
Extolling the Virtues of Hay! Hay is awesome! No, really. You and I might not think that it tastes all that great (have you ever tried eating a piece of hay? *bleh*), but when the goats see me coming with an armload of fresh bahia grass hay, you'd think it was Christmas Day. I can only imagine what they would do if I fed them "the good stuff," like alfalfa hay! Does in milk need constant access to hay. It keeps their rumens active, which is essential to goat health. During the winter months, all goats can benefit from an active rumen, as an active rumen helps them maintain a higher body temperature. If you have goats, you can't get away from having hay on hand.
By Kimberly J Eganabout a year ago in Journal
