Welcome Sweet Spring Time ... Really!

What a difference a few days make! Just a few days ago, we were buried in snow. Now spring has finally arrived. We spent a few days at the lake and there were daffodils and forsythia blooming in the yard.

We spent a lot of time on the deck and Emme and Rudy enjoyed that. They have two marrow bones that I keep in the freezer and when the weather is warm enough to sit on the deck, I thaw the bones and let the dogs chew on them outside. Once the bones were filled with marrow and had pieces of beef stuck to the outside. Now they are bare and almost completely hollow, but the dogs still love them. I go to the grocery store and buy a couple of beef femur bones from the butcher. I have him cut off the knuckles and cut the bones into six inch pieces. I take them home and boil them for 20 minutes. This will kill any bacteria in the raw meat and marrow. After the bones are cool, I put them in the freezer until the dogs can chew on them outside on the deck or the porch. This keeps any grease or meat residue off the rugs. Before we return from the lake, I put the bones back into the freezer to keep them for the next visit. They are inexpensive and long lasting chew toys.