A Happy Tale

Dogs & Other Animals, Rescue Happenings, ,

Think Dog Rescues provide only one service, to re-home a dog and move on to the next? Think again.

Our Rescue adopted this dog out a couple years ago. Her owner contacted us several months back, thinking he would have to turn her back in. The owner was in poor health and scheduled to undergo a major organ transplant. See where this is going yet?

One of our members has been fostering this cutie in her home until the owner is well enough that this dog can return home. Just another instance of why I often say that Dog Rescue is about helping people as well as dogs. Not too mention, Rescue folks are some of the best people I know.

Oh, by the way, this little girl will be returning home within the next few weeks!

A Day at the Beach

Country Life, Thoughts On Life, ,

We may not live near the ocean but we are fortunate to have a Great Lake just over an hour away. So, we spent Monday on the beach. The weather was perfect. Warm with just enough cloud cover to keep us from roasting. And let me tell you, that SPF 50 sunscreen is good stuff! Previous years I used SPF 30 and was burnt for days afterwards. With the 50, I was just nicely tanned.

The day is also special because my husband and I spend it with our grandchildren and our daughter. We have traditions to go with our annual day at Lake Erie. Most revolve around food, especially the ice cream before we hit the road to head back home. I got the Lake Erie Salt Mine again this year-dark chocolate ice cream with swirls of salty caramel and caramel truffles. Yum!

I’m already looking forward to next year!

Maizie, A Good Dog

Dogs & Other Animals, Rescue Happenings, ,

This is a tribute to Maizie who we fostered for Northeast Ohio Shetland Sheepdog Rescue. She arrived in 2013 and passed on to the Rainbow Bridge about a year and a half later, while laying on a dog bed in our living room, with me by her side. She now lies buried in our woods with our others who have passed.

The letter below is one I wrote in 2013, right after we discovered she had kidney failure. We are blessed to have known her. She enriched our lives.

Dear Person Who Abandoned this Senior Dog,

Maizie was found by the pound and when they sent you a letter to come and get her, you did not come. She spent 30 days in the pound kennel waiting for you before the efforts of two rescue groups brought her to our house as a foster dog. Today we discovered that she has kidney failure and will live out the rest of her life with us however long that may be. What lesson am I supposed to learn from this? Perhaps to have compassion for you and not be judgemental? I will work on that.

I know that I have been blessed to know this dog who is sweet, loving, and grateful for every bit of attention. She smiles at us constantly and is one of the happiest dogs I have seen. Occassionally she will try to play and has a small, joyful hop to her step. Our lives have been enriched by knowing this kind dog.

My dreams will be sweeter knowing that I have helped and loved this girl. May you be able to sleep at all.

Such Days As These

Dogs & Other Animals, Thoughts On Life,

Many of our best days are spent here at home, but not all of them. Today, hubby and I went to the zoo with our dear sister in law and two nieces. It was a stellar day!

The chance to hang out and bond with Niece 1 (The Child of Questions And Amazement) and share the experiences of seeing all the animals was priceless. And Uncle (aka hubby) and Niece 1 even got to ride a camel together!

And what a blessing to share a zoo day with Niece 2 (The Child of Boundless Joy). She is happy to share everything we see and do together. Every new encounter was met with a smile. (She, would refer to herself as Miss I Talk a Lot). That was her catch phrase for the day.

After a hot and satisfying day, we partook of our zoo tradition. We all had ice cream together to cool off and round out the adventure.

Such days as these help to make our lives complete

Don’t Forget…

Dogs & Other Animals, Thoughts On Life,

Life is better with a belly rub!

-Quote by Baxter

The Progress of the Olive Tree

Country Life, Gardens, ,

Early in the year, I wrote about our olive tree that wintered in our spare bedroom. I wasn’t sure if the growth was blooms or fruit. Well, it turns out what we had then was blossoms.

The plant has been outside for a few months now and folks, we have fruit. Granted it is still in the early stages but I’m claiming it!

In fact, with the olive tree, the pot of herbs, and the stone walls, I may just pretend I’m in Italy!

Seasons of Summer

Country Life, Gardens, , ,

Time for a quick stroll around the patio garden. It was hot over the weekend so that is my inflatable pool chair behind the hibiscus.

This is one of my $2.00 clearance finds from one of the big box stores. It is a mounding annual vinca vine.

Another clearance find. This is called pentas. I wasn’t familiar with this one but I am enjoying it.

The coleus growth is slow this year but they do provide a lot of color.

The Peruvian lilies are getting their second round of flowers.

Mandevillas are a perennial favorite at our house. Pun intended.

The hydrangeas are becoming quite spectacular. This one is a little confused. It is part bluish purple and part pinkish. This might be good for a yin-yang theme.

Here is a picture of our newer flower bed with Cassius lounging in the background.

The roses are doing fine and as you can see, it will soon be the season for gladioli.

Summer is good to measure in mini seasons, for maximum enjoyment. Lily season, rose season, glad season, and so on. There is always something to enjoy, and something to look forward to.

A Wonderful Gift

Dogs & Other Animals, Thoughts On Life, , ,

I had a wonderful 4th of July holiday last week for numerous reasons. Not the least of which was my brother had this piece of art commissioned as a surprise gift for me. There was no occasion, my brother is just thoughtful and awesome! The work is of my dog Duncan, who I still miss immensely and will always be a part of me even though he has been gone for some years now.

The drawing was done from one of my favorite photos of Duncan. You can see the bond we shared reflected in his eyes.

The piece now resides in my office at work so I can enjoy it there. The portrait was done by a family member in my brother’s extended family. Thanks Chris Whitaker! I would recommend Chris if you are interested in something similar of one of your own furry or feathered family members. He has an Etsy Shop called WHITSwhiskers.

Hope your days are blessed with such thoughtful and talented family as well.

Holding Hands

Dogs & Other Animals, ,

We had a good evening yesterday. We took the four larger dogs for a walk since the weather was considerably cooler than it had been. It was also Nursing Home night. Nikki was happy to go visit her friends there since she didn’t get to go on the walk.

And I saw something I had never seen before. One of the ladies inadvertently put her arm down over Nikki’s paw. Nikki put her other paw on top of the arm and hugged the lady’s arm for about 10 minutes. It looked like they were holding hands. This made them both very happy!

Shelby thoroughly enjoyed her visit too as you can see from one of her trips to check in with me and make sure all is well. She knows we are working as a team so frequently checks in with me for feedback.

Cassius was also a happy boy last evening. Needy, much? Yup, he’s a momma’s boy.

Patience Pays Off

Country Life, Gardens,

We almost dug up this rose at the beginning of the season with the intent of trashing it in the compost pile. It died nearly down to the ground and had not produced a bloom in two years. We thought the extreme cold for our area over the past two winters had killed the grafted portion. This would have left the rootstock which is likely a wild rose with many thorns and very small, wild flowers. Something more weedy than flowery.

The plant showed new growth so we decided to give it one more chance. We patiently watched while a bud developed. It was nearly ready to unfurl that bud so we could determine the color and see which type of rose it was, when…something, most likely a chipmunk or possibly a skunk, ate the bud! We went out to check the flower the next morning and it was gone.

Luckily, there were more buds on the way. And when they opened up, we discovered that it was indeed the climbing rose that we hoped for. We may have to mulch and cover our roses to help them survive and be healthy if those colder than usual spells continue. But we are glad to see our old friend blooming once again on the trellis.