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Here comes the sun, doot n doo doo,
Here comes the sun, and I say,
It's all right ~

What a great song, and so true.

The sun was shining all day today, and it felt so good.

It was also an easy Monday, which doesn't happen often.

For the paper, some things come in via the main office, and some things come in through the "annex office" where I am.

Things that come into the main office (except pictures and items needing OCR scanning) are dealt with there. Things that come in at our location are dealt with and then passed to the main office and the editor for inclusion.

Sometimes, I'm dealing with the front page stuff somehow, writing editing, researching, and sometimes, the pulp of the paper comes in without really needing me.

This is graduation week, and thus, the majority of the articles deal with that subject, which really doesn't need me.

Thus, I finally had four uninterrupted hours (only three phone calls) to do a piece on Joe Haines, from Edge of the Abyss, who is a former Calhounian. I'll post it here after it has been printed.

Funny, for some reason, adding it here seems to add pressure that it be done well.

Interesting.

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Daisy Dewdrop is developing, she really arrived to us like a baby. She has learned to run (almost straight now) and within the past two days seems to have had her hearing kick in.

I don't think she sleeps all night, but basically doesn't wake us up any more.

* * *

There has been very little development in the potty training venue (unfortunately), but if she doesn't know her name, or the word no, or the term "go on the paper" - how can you expect her to pick that up quite yet?

I can see us buying a rug shampooer in the near future.

* * *

She often takes herself to bed when she's tired, choosing between the pet porter and the kitty bed grandma gave her equally.

Right now, however, she's sleeping in my lap. :o)

* * *

She spent yesterday outside tied to her expandable leash while I was weeding and spreading mulch. She fussed a bit about it and chewed on it a lot, but wasn't totally freaked out. I'd rather let her complain about it now in her puppy voice than later in life as a barking dog.

* * *

We've had our first worming (she'll need two more by 12 weeks) and I have the serum and needle for her first shot, but don't want to be the one to give it to her.I've given all our dogs (and cats) their shots over the past 12 years, but none to a puppy.

If she's going to be scarred by it in her psyche, I don't want me to be the one to do it.

Those who know me will know I have, of course, a puppy training book - marked and higlighted, etc.

I've been reading about important development stages in a puppy's life, and this is the time when she could be given a lifelong fear of the sweeper for example, or become terrified of the lawnmower.

* * *

She chews a lot.

On everything.

Chins, noses, hair, earlobes.

Toes, fingers, arms, ankles.

Socks, shoes, boxes, shelves, tablecloths, towels, carpet.

Chew, chew, chew.

She has chewy toys, which we can use sometimes to distract her from whatever recent teething option she's chosen, but sometimes, she is bound and determined.

I remember the man who sold her to us (a real character himself) saying, "I suppose you know a beagle is a hard-headed dog,"

I'm reminded of that daily. . .

* * *

She barked once about five days ago and scared herself.

She hasn't barked since.

* * *

She has learned our voices, but hasn't quite figured where they are coming from if we aren't right in front of her.

* * *

She spends a lot of time doing what Frank calls, "hound doggin' it," nose to the ground, sniffing and following a trail.

She can now cover ground quickly. . .

* * *

She's a happy, healthy puppy.

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I made another sale at Impecunious Impressions today, a shirt and sticker that say,
"JESUS LOVES YOU
but he likes me best."
Those are the first of that design I have sold.

Today and tomorrow are 20% off for shopkeepers who buy their own stuff, so I'm about to spend all my earnings on some new t-shirts for me. :o)

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Over the weekend, I spread 10 bags of mulch. I have two more to go, and my back is a bit upset with me.

When finished with this batch, I will have mulched three of five flower beds. One doesn't need it this year, and the other? Well, it needs a bit more work before coming to the mulching phase. It is totally out of control with these root-winding weeds that came in the mulch I bought at WalMart two years ago.
(I HATE WalMart! Grrrr!)
I may never reclaim the bed, and have considered just moving all my flowers to another location, and plowing the whole thing to start over again.

The whole thought of it makes me mad all over again.

I'm wasting sunlight sitting here at the desk, and have two bags of mulch to spread.

I'm headed outside.

If you have sunny weather, you should be outside too!

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Want to know more about DeLaHaye? Visit her web site at WV Travelers , or her online store at Impecunious Impressions, or read her weekly column at The Calhoun Chronicle.