An Afternoon Stroll

Country Life, Dogs & Other Animals, Gardens, Thoughts On Life, , , ,

Woods

I took a little walk around the property over the weekend. Started out by walking the trail in the woods so that I could get a picture of some flowers I knew were in bloom there. I’m not sure what they are. I did not plant them. Someone who lived here before me did. I  find it unusual that these are blooming in the shade of the woods and others of the same kind are blooming in a flowerbed in full  sun. Apparently they’re not too particular. How fortunate for me. I am also fortunate that those who lived here before me cared about plants and wildlife. It is apparent from the many plantings that grow here. It is obvious that many of them were planted to attract the birds, bees, and other animals.

20150822_125537

We maintain a small trail so that we can walk here and get a small tractor out to a fire pit and camp site that we made. Truth be told though, we have most bonfires in the dog pasture so that the dogs can all be with us. Every day is National Dog Day at our house! In fact I think it’s safe to say that that mine could be called National Dog Life. This has been my choice and I must say, I am very happy with it.

Shelby, Phoebe, and Baxter

Wood crib  Morty and Ollie

On my way back to the rest of the property, I pass the wood crib and am thankful that we already have a  good portion of the winter’s wood drying. So are the animals. They love nothing better in the winter time than to curl up in front of the wood burner and soak up as much heat as they can.  When it is time to add more wood, we must forcibly move them so we can open the door to throw on another log or two.

Coleus

Hydrangea

Back to our walk. I enjoy the colors of many different plants, from the coleus, that has beautious color in its leaves, to the hydrangea with its large leaves that are stunning on their own merits and have wonderful blooms as well.

Purple verbena     Peach verbena

And I am getting so much joy from the verbena growing in the wall planters this year. They are a sweeping sea of blossoms with some stalks growing upright and others hanging down. When I see them all growing together, for some reason, they remind me of coral under the water in the ocean and this makes me feel that they are magical.

And so ends a brief foray into my home and mind. Both are busy places.

Maizie Remembered

Dogs & Other Animals, Rescue Happenings,

Maizie

Maizie was one of our forever foster dogs for Northeast Ohio Shetland Sheepdog Rescue. She passed away last year but I thought this tribute to her was worth running again. The thought of her smile still brings me joy.

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.

Maizie sleeping with our cat Lacey
Maizie sleeping with our cat Lacey

 

A Day at the Beach

Thoughts On Life,

Lake Erie

I love a day at the beach! We went at the end of July and enjoyed it so much that we went back again two weeks later. We are fortunate indeed to live so close to Lake Erie. We can be there in about an hour. And my daughter drives in her little, red Prius so it doesn’t take a lot of gas to get there.

Relaxing Relaxing

It is such a relaxing day. We take a cooler with drinks and a picnic lunch so that we don’t have to leave the beach all day. And of course we all take books! The day is not complete unless I can read while listening to the waves and feeling the breeze.

20150807_17123920150724_130342

There is always time for a little beach art too. The first picture I like to call Little Stonehenge. It was already in place when we got to the beach. Some unknown builder erected it and left, rather like the original Stonehenge. The second shot shows a little Zen patio that I made. It was quite rewarding work.

Maddie and Tyler

On our first trip to the beach we took my grandkids. They love it there too as you can see. We take them every summer and they always look forward to it.

20150807_142312

The second time we went, just last week, was adult day. No kids. We lounged around and enjoyed the day at a  slower pace. And of course on the way home we stopped at the little stand that makes their own soft serve ice cream and got the flavor of the week. Last week it was peanut butter. Delicious!

I find these days to be quite rejuvenating. A little sun and sand can perform miracles and restore the soul.

Dog # 356

Dogs & Other Animals, Rescue Happenings, ,

Sweetie

Time for a new foster dog at our house! This is one of the longest stretches that we have gone without one. It had been around three months since, Blitz, our last one, got adopted. This is Sweetie. She is a  35 lb sheltie that the vet said is no more than three years old. She has been at our house for a week and a half now and she is very sweet, if a bit needy.

Sweetie came from a local dog pound and was adopted directly by one of our previous adopters . She got spayed, brought up to date on her shots, and was treated for an ear infection. She had a couch to sit on, humans to pet her and walk her. She was living the good life. Unfortunately she had one trait that was not very  sweet. She liked to threaten the other resident dog in the home and attack him when he came too close to “her” human on the couch. To their credit the family gave it a go and consulted two private trainers and also asked our rescue for advice which they tried. It was a Herculean effort. But things didn’t improve very much and in the end they feared harm would come to the other dog they had for several years before Sweetie came on the scene.  So Sweetie came into our rescue and the family will wait for a more mellow dog to come through our rescue. This is the way it goes. Not every dog can fit with every family.

And since our house seems to specialize in challenging, dominant dogs, she came here. I have come to realize that not only do my husband and I have experience with rehabilitating problem dogs, but our own dogs have experience too and are a part of the process. The pack we currently have is very well adjusted and help to show new dogs the ropes and what is to be expected.

Baxter Shelby

Baxter and Shelby in particular are very good at acclimating the new dogs. So I  knew if Sweetie got threatening beside me on the couch, I would just remove her to the floor. Sitting with us on the furniture is a privilege and if you don’t behave, you don’t get the privilege. And if she threatened our dogs at other times I knew they would handle it. Baxter especially is very benevolent. He never starts anything but if other dogs threaten him in his home, first he will hold his ground, then if the other dog keeps at he doesn’t use his mouth but pins the other dog to the ground with his legs. It is actually impressive to see. Shelby won’t take any guff either. First she curls her lip at the instigator to warn him off. If this is not effective she will usually do it a second time as if to say “didn’t you hear me”? After that she will rush the offending dog possibly nipping them or running them over. Neither Baxter nor Shelby will do this without cause. They usually look to see if I am accepting of their behavior as well.

They have had to do this with Sweetie a couple times so far. She seems to avoid them now although earlier this evening I saw her try to play with Shelby. The two look very similar. It is hard to tell them apart from certain angles.

As I have gotten to know Sweetie I have discovered that she really isn’t an aggressive dog.  She is insecure and needy. She is looking to see where she fits in and wondering what she can get away with. I have noticed that she frantically seeks petting. I just ignore her until she lays down so she learns to calm herself. As she finds  her way, some of these behaviors will fade and she will become better adjusted.

Sweetie’s name does fit her. She is sweet and affectionate and cuddly. Though I  think the best bet for her would be to be an only dog or to go to a very experienced multi-dog home.

Sweetie

Northeast Ohio Shetland Sheepdog Rescue dog number  356.

Unplanned Joy

Country Life, Gardens, Thoughts On Life, ,

Butterfly

Life sometimes blesses me in ways that I’m not expecting. For instance plants around here reseed themselves and grow in places that they shouldn’t. I intend to weed them out but often times I don’t get around to it. This is the case with a butterfly bush that took root and is growing out from between two sandstones in one of the garden beds. It is about seven  feet tall now and oh how fortunate that I never pulled it out. It is bringing me much joy.

Butterfly Butterfly

It comes by its name honestly. It definitely does draw in the butterflies. There are often several on it at once and a few different  kinds too. I can go out any time during the day and see butterflies on it. What a beautiful site.

Hummingbird Moth Hummingbird Moth

Butterflies are not the only thing this bush attracts though. It also draws in what is called a hummingbird moth. I only discovered these in recent years. At first glance it looks like a hummingbird. It is about half the size of a  hummer but similar in shape and the wings move in the same manner as the bird. It also has similar brilliant colors. But this creature is a moth. Much as I like the hummingbirds, I think that I like the hummingbird moth even better. It is not as common and it is more unusual looking so it fascinates me. I will have to learn more about them because at this point all I know is that they are a cool looking moth and like the butterfly bush.

All this pleasure I get from something that was an accidental plant. Maybe it wasn’t accidental at all. One morning last weekend after standing and watching all the activity at this bush, I told my husband, “it’s a glorious morning, we must always have a butterfly bush in the walled garden”. I have learned a lesson from this. Take beauty and joy where you find them. You may happen upon them in unexpected places.

Miracles of Friendship

Thoughts On Life, ,

Livvi and Me                       Livvi

Before the days I knew you,

you were a best friend in the making.

And then you came into my life,

and that destiny came true.

Sharing our ears and hearts is a gift without measure,

For the best friend that’s a daughter,

Is this world’s dearest treasure.

 

Above is a picture of my daughter and me taken recently at her apartment. On the right is a picture of my best friend. You may notice that these photos are of the same person. That’s because I am one of the luckiest people in the world! My daughter is my best friend.

We enjoy many of the same things. One of our perfect hang out activities is going to the library and then getting ice cream. Or going to the book store and drinking coffee while perusing the books. Of course these activities are preceded and followed up with petting cats and dogs. A favorite special activity is the trip we take to the beach at Geneva State Park on Lake Erie every summer. This year we are doing it twice! Happy days! This day of swimming, lounging and picnicking always concludes with a trip the ice cream stand that has a specially made soft serve flavor of the week. Hmmm…do you see a trend here? We do like our ice cream. But it is the experiences we have together that are the most important part.

Actually, my daughter and I don’t even need an event or activity to spend time together and enjoy it. The time spent together is joy enough. Sitting on the porch, or couch, and talking away are times I wouldn’t want to live without. Of course we do this while petting dogs and cats. It’s part of who we are. We talk about things from nail polish to solving an assortment of the worlds problems. This girl will ask me for advice and carefully listen to what I have to say, then think through the best course of action. Or inaction if it’s appropriate. And sometimes I will ask her opinion on my issues too. She has good perspective and input that I sometimes don’t think of.

We make an excellent and formidable team. My wish for you, is that you may have such a stellar best friend. And if you are fortunate, she may also be your daughter.

 

July Garden Walk

image

image

I think the gladiolus are the most glorious thing in the garden right now. I haven’t planted any in many years. I can’t think why. They are splendid.

image

The glads are tall and majestic. Their flowers are a thing of beauty. Definitely more glads! They blend perfectly with the butterfly bush in the foreground. Both are tall and willowy.

image

The butterfly bush does come by its name honestly as you can see. We have quite an abundance of these black and yellow butterflies, and an occasional swallowtail. On a warm, lazy afternoon such as this I sit and watch them.

image

The snapdragons and petunias are an enjoyable site too.

image

The clethra also draw in the flying creatures. We have two in the raised garden beds and the bees love them as you can see. The sweet scent draws them in.

image

And who doesn’t love a rose? I  certainly do.

image

I like some of the old fashioned types of plants too. The phlox are spectacular when they are in full bloom. And the best part is they draw the phlox bug, otherwise known as the hummingbird moth. No picture of those yet. I will keep trying. I get excited every time I see one.

image

We even have pink phlox growing beside the house.

image

It and the beebalm put on quite the show.

image

The trumpet vine is an endearing plant for us. The hummingbirds come to it in groups of two or three to enjoy it’s sweet nectar.

image

The Rose of Sharon in the front yard is very tropical looking to me. Although it is a shrub, the flower looks like a hibiscus.

image

No garden walk would be complete without a stop at the vegetable garden. Things are looking pretty good here because we just weeded. Look quick,  it doesn’t last long. Soon the weeds will be back.

image

image

Some of the trees are interesting now too. The mountain ash trees have their orange berries and the red buckeyes are setting nuts.

image

I always end up back at the walled garden with its raised beds. They seem almost like a canvas where we display shapes and colors that we find appealing. This area never fails to soothe my soul.

What the Dog Ate, Part II

Dogs & Other Animals

Young Duncan

The question in this instance is “What didn’t the dog eat”? Duncan was a challenge from day one. I got him as a pup of about three months old. He was covered in fleas and full of energy. He starting giving me challenges from that first day when I struggled to give him a flea bath. He thought I was trying to drown him and struggled accordingly. If I had known what was to come, I might have given up on him right then. As he grew he was loads of trouble and constant challenges. Thank goodness I did not know what was to come because out of the ashes of our many turbulent times, rose the Phoenix. Out of great challenges come great rewards. Over the years he became my best friend and we grew into bonded souls. A greater gift I have never had.

But the early years, oh my. He was in constant motion. The only time he was relatively still was the time he spent chewing Nylabones or ripping apart toys. If I turned my back for a minute he was into something. And this was after walking 3-5 miles each day. I struggled with rather to crate him while I was doing things like cooking dinner, running to the washer, and other household chores, or let him be loose in the house. If I crated him, it just made for more energy and mania later but I had to do chores sometime. And if he was out of sight there was trouble. Sometimes when he was in sight, there was trouble! I had paw prints at shoulder height about 5 ft. up the wall from him using it as a spring board to turn as he was running in the living room. The coffee table had one of its corners chewed off. Toys lived short lives in those days.

Luckily Duncan was always a happy dog that was submissive to humans. He never did give me any trouble in that regard, he just wore me out. A few times I tried putting him in the attached garage for just an hour so I could get some work done but he could still get some exercise. That resulted in the seat being chewed off a bicycle, the pull handle being chewed off the lawn mower, and other assorted things becoming covered in tooth marks. Then there was the day he started chewing through the drywall of the garage, trying to get back into the house, so that he could be where I was. That was the last time he spent in the garage. After that I leashed him to the coffee table so that I could work in the kitchen. The leash suffered some gnawing and the coffee table lost another corner but what was one more?

When Duncan was about 3 years old we moved to a new house, I got remarried, and we had a new family. Every time someone asked what happened to this, the answer was, Duncan chewed it. Until finally when anyone asked what happened to this, they would say, never mind, I know, Duncan chewed it. When he was around 5 years old we started him in obedience with the 4-H group that my daughter was in. I usually handled him while my daughter used one of our other shelties. His behavior did start to improve at this point. His offenses became limited to things like eating multiple hair scrunchies, socks, and underwear when he could find them. He had a remarkable constitution and was able to pass everything that he took in. He would get in the trash and eat it, even the can I got with a lid. We had to put the trash can up high.

This new house I moved to has about 1/4 acre of fenced land that we call “the pasture”. The dogs get to go out there and spend time in it when one of us is home. Weather permitting, they can spend a number of hours a day there. I think this helped Duncan more than anything. He could burn off steam by chasing cars along the fence line. He was happy because they always went away and he was safe because of the fence. When he was 7 years old and had regularly gone to 4-H obedience sessions for about 2 years, Duncan passed the test and became a therapy dog! I was thrilled. The dog who had caused so much trouble became a joy. He shared that joy with others too when we went on visits to nursing homes and residential homes for profoundly disabled children. He visited because it made me happy and that was his greatest goal in life. He liked it because we got to spend that time together. After he had been visiting for a few years, I could point where I wanted him to go and say “go visit” and he would.

 At some point during these years, Duncan and I became best friends. We were highly in tune with each other and could communicate well. I think without the early trials that our bond would not have been so deep. When you put that much effort into a relationship, you forge a deep bond. That’s not to say that Duncan was without fault in his later years. He still got into a few things and had that gleam in his eye. Even when he was 12 years old he would still get into grandma’s kitchen trash can. It had a button that you had to push and the lid would pop up. Duncan learned how to push that button and could get that can open in seconds. When we went to visit, the trash can had to go on top of the refrigerator. I must admit, by that point, I was rather proud of his cleverness, rather than upset by it. Thus ends installment two of What the Dog Ate. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately as this means dogs ate more unique items) there will be another installment to follow.

Duncan-Best Smile Ever

What the Dog Ate, Part I

Dogs & Other Animals,

Amanda and Cassie Cassie and Amanda

My dogs have eaten some amazing things over the years. Fortunately for me they all seem to have the constitution of goats. I have been astounded by the things they can pass one way or another.

My first memorable bout with canine ingestion of oddities occurred when I had my golden retriever pups, Amanda and Cassie. They were a handful from the start. I would not recommend obtaining two pups at the same time. The two were littermates and no one wanted to take Cassie because of some congenital problems so we took her too. We got two for the price of one. This turned out to be a poor decision for a number of reasons, one of which was that they liked to split up and go in different directions. They seemed to know that I could only follow one pup at a time so the other was bound to get away with something before I caught up.

I don’t know when the notable ingestion occurred. I wasn’t even aware of it for some time. Mysteriously, Cassie’s collar was missing one day when they were several months old. We were in the house going about our daily lives, nothing unusual, no roughhousing. Although I guess the fact that there was no roughhousing should have been a clue that something was up. The next time I looked at Cassie, no collar. It was no where to be found. I finally gave up. Days passed with no collar sighting. I became more and more puzzled. I did eventually find the buckle to the collar but that was it.

About two weeks later we were sitting around the house and Amanda started retching. It must have gone on for a while because I remember running to get paper towels and coming back to catch whatever was going to present itself. What presented itself was Cassie’s collar sans buckle. It was intact and still in one piece. In fact it was in remarkably good shape. Aside from being slightly slimy, it looked like nothing had happened to it except for the missing buckle. Amanda looked proud. She had continued eating and performing all other bodily functions as normal throughout the previous two weeks. I did not know whether to be impressed or appalled although I was thankful that no veterinary intervention was required. And thus concludes one of the tales of Amanda and Cassie, and Part I of What the Dog Ate.

Creative Cooking

Cooking,

Vegetables.jpg

My method of cooking is rather creative, especially when it comes to vegetables. I rarely have a recipe and often don’t know what I will make when I get started. I begin with a few ingredients, generally whatever is ready in the  garden,  and the dish just sort of takes on a life of its own.

That’s what happened with the dish above that I made for lunch recently. I noticed that some turnips were ready for harvest so that started the base for my dish. I washed off the dirt and peeled a turnip then I chopped it into matchsticks and sliced the greens from the top. The matchsticks went into a nonstick skillet with a little butter. When they were partially cooked, I added the greens and sautéed a little  longer. When this was nearly cooked, I added some leftover corn from a cob and diced up a tomato that was laying around. Add salt,  pepper,  and some garlic powder and voila! A feast fit for a king. Or at least someone with a fine appreciation of vegetables.

Zucchini Dish

Creative concoction number two for the week is seen above. The zucchini are finally ripe! Oh happy day! Get out your aforementioned nonstick skillet and melt the butter. No margarine for us. We do often use olive oil instead of butter but the first harvest of vegetables merits the use of real butter. Wash the zucchini, cut off the ends, and quarter it. Cut the quarters into slices. Of course how you choose to cut the zucchini depends on its size. Mince some fresh garlic and lightly brown it in the butter. Add and saute the zucchini until nearly cooked. Then put in quartered baby Bella mushrooms and saute slightly.  Add previously cooked corn, removed from the cob. Season with salt and pepper. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Cover with lid and turn off heat. Return to eat in about five minutes when cheese is all melty and delectable.

Cooking can be fun because it is a science, an art, and a way to nourish yourself all rolled into one. I  encourage you to grab some things from your garden, or local farmer’s market, and create something new and satisfying.