I now have a part-time job with the Kansas Turnpike.

We put in a small garden and I canned many jars of  Red Pickles from our surplus cucumber crop.  I also picked strawberries in June from a local farm and made strawberry jam.

I saved a small kitten from certain death in June, on one of  my trips home from Ohio. CiCi is now a bonafide member of our household and she is destined to be our #1 entertainer.  She is quite hilarious to watch, esp when she is interacting with our australian shepherds.  She plays differently with each one.  With Tori, she will hide under the bed and bat at her… however, she will chase Trixie around the bedroom, trying to catch her tail. CiCi’s trademark maneuver is to take a flying leap off our bed, both front paws outstretched, as she flies toward one of the dogs! I really need to get a Flip video recorder so I can share some of the laughter with everyone.

We also acquired 5 guinea keets 7 weeks ago, and have been renovating our chicken coop for them.

Aside from all that, I’m in the middle of changing up the Lazy G website too.  I’ve removed some of the dog treats but I’ve kept the most popular one, Trixie’s Cheesers.  It’s definitely popular around here.  I’ll be doing testing on some new varieties and if they turn out the way I hope, then I’ll be posting them for sale.

Winter is coming, and that means more indoor time.  More time to bake dog treats and human cookies!

I’ll try to stay in touch, and let you know as soon as some of my updates are realized.

In the meantime, I hope everyone is enjoying the fabulous autumn we are having!!

And I will leave y’all with this thought from Erma Bombeck, which sums up my busy days at the ranch quite nicely….

Congrats Christina, and send me your address (suzgarten@yahoo.com).  I’ll get your book out to you later this week.

Thanks to everyone who entered.  I have several other wonderful dog books in my home library, so I’ll be having another giveaway soon. 

Ah yes, another fun giveaway!  This one is in honor of today’s holiday, International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day.  I kid you not.  One of my blog readers alerted me to this little known factoid.  In fact, it’s listed on a web page entitled Bizarre February Holidays.  I would have to agree, it IS rather bizarre.  Nowadays, they seem to have christened every day of the year as a holiday for something.  Here’s another interesting link about today’s special day.

And let’s get one thing straight here about my all-natural dog treats…. YES, humans can eat them.  My treats are in all likelihood more healthy than that snickerdoodle cookie you’re about to eat… and I have it straight from some of my customers that they have tasted my treats, and they particularly find the peanut butter ones rather yummy.

Back to our giveaway:  This is a marvelous book, not so much a dog training manual or commentary on canine behavior; its primary focus is on communication with our furry kids.  I highly recommend this read for any dog owner.  Please go to Amazon and check out the high praises of this book by its many readers.

I would love the opportunity to pass this informative book along to one of my many dog owner friends… simply leave a comment here and I’ll draw a winner using Randomizer.org on Sunday, February 28 at 12 noon Central time.  Earn extra points if you tweet, facebook or post on your blog about my book giveaway…. earn an extra 5 points by subscribing to the Lazy G blog!  And some of you know how unpredictable I can be…sometimes I include extra goodies when I send a winner their package!

Feel free to browse my Lazy G Ranch website while you’re here.  There’s some real yummy stuff here — both for you and your four-legged friend!

A big thank you to Lisa of Laughing Orca Ranch for naming the I Heart You cookies in my blog contest, and also Deb, the Lone Star Queen, for naming the Cookie of Paradise.  You guys rock!  And watch the mail for your half dozen reward coming soon!

There will be more cookie varieties to come.  Keep a close eye on the Lazy G Ranch website… things they are a-changing!

I Heart You Cookies ... simply delicioso!

I’d also like to send out a hearty thank-you to my already regular clients…  the furkids and I really appreciate and value your business!!

Trixie Lou on a balmy fall day.

Cows, pigs, turkeys and lambs are all gobbled up by my pups!

Now, for the smaller dog, Barnyard Pals!  These yummy treats are made with organic brown rice flour and organic oat flour like my other treats, plus organic oat bran.  They also have chicken broth and parmesan cheese, egg and a tad of garlic powder.  My girls (and Ringo, of course!) love these treats, even though they are smaller.

The smaller size makes them absolutely perfect for smaller dogs, while they are also good for training any size of dog.

I’ve been selling the Barnyard Pals locally for a few months now, and they seem to be a big hit, so I’ve decided to add them to the Lazy G website.  Give ‘em a try – I guarantee your pups, big or small, will love them!  Order your 8 oz bag for $6.75 today.

I’ve got to tell you, my pups LOVE these treats. And while they would probably have a hard time picking a favorite, I’m going to say, based on how fast their tail wags when they see me coming with them, they are probably partial to Trixie Lou’s Cheesers. These things have REAL cheese people! ~ Penny from Back to Basic Living

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I’ve shared these with Bleu and sent some to Daisy in Ohio, and they both were extra intense in their sitting and staying and shaking and downing and high-fiving in order to get this super yummy reward.  Fabulous products! ~ Bleu’s Mamma

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Got the doggie cookies and the dogs are crazy for them!!! They are so adorable too.  Let me know when you can cope with a 5 pound order and thanks again so very much.  ~ Sara from Red Pine Mountain

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Yippee skippy – I love being one of the first customers coz I know my sweet little EmmaLou is going to be sooooo happy to get her pb treats! You will have customers for life with us sweetie! ~ Linda from Crone and Bear It

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My boys – 3 of them – love them. When the package came, my youngest – Harley – kept smelling the package. I gave them one treat each of the two kinds sent. I told Diana thank you as soon as we got them. It was a pleasant surprise. It’s a wonderful thing that you’re doing for our “furry kids”. I know that everyone appreciates you. We in Texas thank you so much and keep up the good work. ~ Fran

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My dogs absolutely loved Trixie’s Cheesers!! Every time I picked the bag up, they got all excited!! Definitely will have to get more! ~ Paint Girl from Adventures of the Painted Creek Farm

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Once we are into 2010, we plan on experimenting with some cat treats, and horse treats too.  We also hope to add more canine flavors as the new year progresses.  In addition to the dog treats, we’re working on some other surprises for the website – such as a country coat rack made with recycled horse shoes, old ropes from team roping, and vintage barnwood. Dash on over to my other blog if you’d like to see an example of the coat rack, City Gal Moves to Oz Land.  Keep a watchout here for new product additions to the Lazy G Ranch website.

My biggest problem??  There’s just not enough hours in the day to do all the fun, new things I want to do!!

Well, I  think about my biscuit venture 24/7… how can I make them yummier and add new flavors?

The breath mints are well-loved by my pups, but I received some feedback from customers that they weren’t their pups’ favorite treat.  SO, I added a lil beef broth this weekend along with some very fresh mint and voila!  Now Tori’s Breath Mints are as yummy as the cheesers as far as my pups are concerned.  They devoured them with as much gusto as they gobbled down the cheesers!

If you’re planning to give some treats as gifts for the holidays, order soon …  I will be sending out the last pre-holiday shipments on Monday the 21st.

Remember – I use organic flours and all-natural, top quality human grade ingredients in these treats.  They are healthier for your pups than the cookies you buy for yourself at the grocery store!  You can even eat these treats yourself, although I doubt you will find them tasty as they have no sugar or salt – of course, you have those who can’t help themselves and taste them anyway, such as my sister and her friend. 

My sister testified that “the cheesers go along with a glass of wine wonderfully”.

Ok, so it’s clear my sis is a bit of a nut.  There’s always one in the family.