Tonight’s garden offering.
Each bloom becomes more precious than the last.
There are fewer each day.
The threat of frost becomes more imminent.
Splendor.
True Love
Some of you might wonder why I would want to keep a dog like Zekie when we foster so many “nice” dogs. Not dogs like Zeke who do things like stress chew their bowls until, as one person put it, the bowl looks like it was mangled in an airplane crash. Well this photo right here sums it up. True love. (Or for you Princess Bride fans To Blave) No one loves you like an intense, crazy dog. And hey look, there’s a lampshade on my head, so life is a party with Zekie!
Let’s be honest, my life isn’t complete unless I have a crazy dog, or so I’ve been told. I have to agree with that assessment. Anybody can handle life with a calm, normal dog. And I’m always up for a challenge. Normalcy is boring. I prefer a dog smart enough to watch tv and figure out how to open the kitchen doors to counter surf.
Or like my heart dog Duncan. Smart enough to learn how to use the latches on the crates so he can let the foster dogs out and eat all their food.
May you be fortunate enough to have such a dog. And survive it.
Zeke the Wonder Dog
This is Zeke the Wonder Dog. As in, I wonder what he is going to get into next. I love him, I really do. But even I must admit he’s a handful.
His biggest problem at this point is the separation anxiety. It causes him to drool excessively. And I mean a lot. Even after being gone for only a couple of hours, we come home to him covered in so much drool in his crate that his greetings leave us with large wet spots and paw prints on our clothing. Not to mention on the floor and a crate that needs to be swabbed out with a towel.
Oh, and did I mention the chewing? The anxiety also causes him to chew. Which lead to him having no remaining fangs.
Below is a picture of what Zeke’s food bowl formerly looked like.
Below is what Zeke’s food bowl looks like now.
And so Zeke has earned his title of The Wonder Dog. And yes, I do wonder what he is going to get into next.
Sheltie Fun
Last evening three of my dogs and I did a Meet and Greet with Northeast Ohio Shetland Sheepdog Rescue (NEOSSR) for some Kent State college students. We joined other members of our group and their dogs to visit with students at their apartment complex.
And I am here to tell you two things. It was fun and you can help NEOSSR by saving Acme grocery receipts!
Let me expound on the fun part. I got to hang out with my dogs and talk to lots of people. Mostly about my dogs! And they wanted to hear about them. They didn’t get that glazed look in their eyes and try to make a break for it. It is a good socializing activity for the pups. They get a chance to work around other dogs and people as well. This is a great skill to hone.
Look at Coco Bella. When she first entered rescue, she was very timid and scared around new people and situations, and even known people and situations. She has come a long way with the diligent work and patience of her family.
Now, on to the information about Acme grocery receipts. Acme stores have a program where they give Community Cash Back to eligible nonprofits who submit their receipts. And this is where the college students came in. Our Meet and Greet was a promotional event as well as a thank you, to get them to help us by saving the receipts. It gave them an opportunity to see the dogs they are helping as all dogs there were rescues. And the event was also our way of giving back to the students for what they do for us.
The meeting is fun for the students too. Many of them have dogs at home that they dearly miss so they are happy to spend some time with a furry face. And most people know by now that spending time with dogs can reduce stress and anxiety. So these meetings are a win-win situation.
Other types of dogs are welcome too, not just shelties. Here, Cassius and I are hamming it up during the event. Cassius is a rescue dog too, he just happens to be a greyhound.
A Fine Fall Weekend
Saturday was a good day. The weather was pleasant, finally a break from the rain and gloom. It’s hard to complain too much when portions of the rest of the country have suffered from ongoing flooding. As fall progresses, our garden is still a very enjoyable place.
We have a beautiful aster and still lots of datura in bloom, as well as many other flowers.
And pups to enjoy them with us. How lucky can one girl get?
And we got a portable fire pit so as the fall weather continues to cool, we can still enjoy spending time outside. I think the pups approve.
We resumed going on walks starting today. The temperatures are just right to make them really enjoyable. We drove to a nearby town and walked and looked at architectural details on houses. And you’ll never believe who was the most well behaved dog was on our outing. Zekie! I never thought I would be saying that!
Hello, Old Friend
It’s always good to catch up with old friends. This is a picture of an old friend. Sky (formerly known as Skylar) spent the past week with us while his humans were away. He was our foster dog for a number of months about three years ago. Fortunately, his humans are also friends of ours so he gets to stay with us every once in a while.
Sky got to spend some time with us on the patio on the one nice day we had. This was a treat because it wasn’t totally fenced in back when he lived with us.
At first he just watched everyone else play. See him peeking from behind the plant?
But then he remembered how things work around here and started to join in.
By the end of the afternoon, Sky was tired and ready for a rest.
He is back home with his own family now but it sure was nice to spend some time with him.
Fall Bloomers
Dahlia
Clematis is stillness blooming
Datura
Morning glory. First time the purple ones have bloomed. Better late than never.
Sedum
Giant mushroom, about 8 inches across. Not something we planted but still impressive.
The garden is still providing beauty and magic, even this late in the season.
Thank You For Being a Friend
The girls and I lost a friend this week. Nikki (above), Shelby (below) and I have been visiting at a local nursing home for a number of years. This gentleman, Bob, was one of our favorites.
I visited with Bob the two times a month that we went to the nursing home for the four and a half years that he resided there. He always greeted us with a smile and a quick wit. I could tell everyone loved him, workers and residents alike.
He always had a kind word, words of comfort or a joke to share. As we got to know each other, I found out that Bob was from the same small community that I live in. I live right down the street from a business he once had. Over the months, Bob taught me a lot of local history of the area and tidbits of information about what times used to be like there. I learned from him about local landmarks and points of interest, and just what times were like over the years.
Bob could talk about anything. We talked about “our Cavs”, gardening, current events, historical events, his family, my family. You name it, we probably talked about it. We shared life. I felt closer to him than any grandparent I ever had.
Bob lived a good, and long life. He was 94. Still, I cried when I saw his obituary in the paper. I didn’t think it was time yet. Thank you my friend, my life is better for having known you.
Kitty In a Box
All ready for shipping! Including packing material. Lol.
What is it about cats and boxes? Every box that comes through here, the cats try to claim. Even the tiny 4 x 4 inch boxes that Orange Kitty has no hope of fitting in. Well, maybe one foot.
Seriously! I feel guilty if I throw a box away. (I should say recycle. I would never put a box in the trash, gasp!) I am to the point where I am considering how I can make them into a two story kitty condo. I don’t want to be the meanie who denies the kitties their joy.
Orange Kitty may be ready for shipping but I think it is going to take extra postage!
The Good Life
It’s always nice to hear about a former foster dog. This is Sweetie. We fostered her three years ago. She was a favorite. Definitely in the top five of any fosters who have come through here.
Sweetie is our kind of dog. A big sheltie with lots of energy and attitude and smarts. Luckily she went to an amazing couple who keeps in touch.
Sweetie is living the good life. Her new (at least three years ago she was new) mom works from home. Sweetie gets to go camping and hiking. The perfect life for her. And she gets all the attention. She doesn’t have to share with a pack.
As you can see from the video, life is definitely good! This is what makes it all worthwhile.
Sanctuary Acres 