05.28.18 Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day weekend is special in many ways. It is a commemoration of those who died in the service of our country. And it is a holiday that marks the beginning of summer in the USA.

Had used this opportunity to work in the garden when the weather was nice. Most of the new fence is installed and I planted a two climbing rose bushes along the sunny side. Took advantage of the soil being able to dug up easily since they just dug six inches deep to bury the fence. (All dogs are diggers!). Next I worked on the flower pots and all but two are finished. There is a chance that even those two are finished, too , depending on time and memory to get more plants. The gardens look great - all of the rain has made them grow and the blooms are gorgeous. Rhododendrons and iris are in bloom, a late blooming lilac just burst with color and a fresh scent and the peonies are awaiting June to bloom. Have weeded just about everything I could before it rained and yes, I did get poison ivy from one of my ventures out there in the yard. This is also an annual event so I am well prepared to treat it. There also is another plant that causes me to have severe breakouts of contact dermatitis and I am very cautious of that one.  It is growing everywhere now and is an invasive plant that our town would like eradicated. But of course they do not offer much help.

We took advantage of the  nice weather for as long as we could, then I enjoyed a little down time with the rain. But rain means indoor work so spring cleaning it was. Feels good. The boys also were included in the spring cleaning and the two little ones (Fionnegan and Gunnarr) got a bath and Shorty got a towel rub down. Now they all smell fresh.  All three are right here helping me right this blog. I just took a deep breath of Fionn's coat (he sits on a small table by my desk) and he just smells so good. They had a coconut conditioner as a tribute to Shorty's home land. The women there use coconut milk to keep their hair soft and conditioned. I do wonder if dogs have any recollection of past events without being stimulated. I know they remember people and events when they encounter them again, but I don't know if they remember events as we would remember an experience. An going off in another tangent, in the office we were talking about operating on turtles. And yes, they either saw a cut through the shell or take part of it off to do the operation. At the end they used sutures and glue the shell back together. Just in case anyone was wondering!

Here are a few pictures from the events of the weekend.

Here is Shorty with his black and pink Yapese tongue. He loves the camera.







Here is my fluff muffin Fionnegan.



And here is the other fluff muffin Gunnarr.



They still squeeze into the bed they had as pups.



This is a rare camera shot. Shorty is giving Gunnarr a kiss! I have seen him do this from time to time with Gunnarr and he even once gave Fionnegan a kiss. Fionn and Shorty do not get along as well as Gunnarr and Shorty. Gunnarr tries to keep both company. And he is the one that follows me around the house on my heels. I have to be careful whenever I step backward or to the side as most likely Gunnarr will be right there.



And here is the object of many barks. The dogs chase after the squirrels all the time. I had to sneak out the door to get this shot. If Fionn and Gunnarr knew there was a squirrel on the bird feeder they would have been out the door in a flash.

And soon, my girl Mimi will be launched and sailing season begins! Another reason to get the gardens in order. Her new main sail is not yet ready and as soon as it arrives, we are off!

05/20/18 Sunday Sunday

It was a really busy week, workwise. We had a chance for a couple of walks after work, too. SO when Sunday comes around, it is nice to relax. A bit. But it is hard not to pull weeds and do a few easy chores, like laundry and keeping the house clean. With three boys, I mean three dogs, it is nonstop except when they are asleep. And when the take a nap, I do try not to move out of the room so as not to wake them! They follow me all around the house - like puppy dogs! If I get up all three come with me, then they lie back down and close there eyes, Then when I am finished, they follow me to the next room. It is almost too comical., They do not want to miss a thing, so they stay awake as long as they can, but their eyes get tired and sleepy and they nod off while trying to keep me company.

The late morning/early afternoon was particularly nice. We had time for me to read a book and while we all kept an eye on the birds at the feeders. Fionnegan, Gunnarr and Shorty recline on the porch and do keep an eye on the activity. They are not keen on bicyclists and do run to the gate to bark at them. I don't mind, the roads are rather narrow here and the bikers are a bit of a hazard. Sometimes I would like to bark at them too!

Here are my boys relaxing on the kitchen porch after a nice lunch. They look as if they are having a major discussion on some special doggy topic. I often wonder what they make of their environment and activities.



I took the opportunity to try to take a few pictures of the birds at the suet feeder. It is just far enough away not to scare the birds and just barely close enough to be in near focus. Sadly, the pileated woodpecker was not around today. He is often here in the afternoon when I am doing yard work, without a camera.

We have another cardinal nest near the house. We are doing our best to not disturb the little family but I do enjoy watching them as they were building the nest and now as they feed.

This is the male cardinal.






And here is his lady bird. They were definitely aware of us on the porch and I did my best not to be intrusive.




We  have a few woodpeckers at the feeders. Here is a hairy woodpecker. One day we had two fighting for the right to feed! He is a beautiful bird.




The feeder is near an old rose bush. Soon the roses will be in bloom.

We also have a lot of blue jays and their young have already fledged. We see a young one at the feeders often. He is a handsome bird.

Here is a tufted titmouse. He is a friendly bird and quite a few of them are at the house. Once when I was on the porch, one flew next to me, called his biddies, at least seven came and sat on the bush by me, they called out again then flew away. I think the first one was telling them I was the one who feeds them!




Look close inside the flower basket. There is a little chipping sparrow! Must be some seeds or suet dropped by the bigger birds as the basket is close to the suet feeder.

Waiting his turn patiently, the downy woodpecker comes to the suet feeder for his lunch. This is the first year I have fed the birds suet, thanks to a gift from my friend Diane. Now I keep the suet holders full of tasty food for the woodpeckers.





OK, it does look like this blue jay dunked a basket doesn't it? Maybe bluebirds dunk peanuts?

The gardens are also looking very nice. Lots of flowers, the azaleas were gorgeous and so was the pink dogwood and crabapple tree. No blossoms on the apple tree this year. Here is a mix of various flowers. It is nice to have so many pretty colors in the garden.























And here are my boys. Never far away from their Momma bear! They are really happy little doggies!

Shortly after lunch, it rained. No walk after lunch. That is right, I don't feel up to giving them a bath and walks after a rain leave twelve paws muddy! We will walk tomorrow after work when the sun is shining and the paths are dry! Rainy days are good days for the boys to take a nap!

05/08/18 What a beautiful Spring day!

Yes, it is Spring. And it feels great. While we had a mix of very cold then very hot weather, today is a perfect Spring day. There is sunshine, a gentle breeze, the sky is blue, the birds are chirping, the daffodils and tulips and pansies are in bloom and the trees are beautiful with their many blossoms. It is hard to find a nicer day. I was able to take a short walk and enjoy the freshness of the air and the warmth of the sun. We have to enjoy each and every day. They are gifts indeed.

I have often thought that the new year should start in Spring. To me, this feels like a time of renewal. This is when we should make our resolutions for healthier living or to be kinder to others or to turn over that new leaf.

We do Spring cleaning by clearing out the cobwebs of our living quarters and repairing winter damage to our house and yards. We should also do Spring cleaning for ourselves. We can look at the new flowers in bloom and think about how we can enrich our lives. We can take a look around us to see who might need a helping hand or a kind word. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, small gestures have a way of being appreciated and can bring much joy to the giver and receiver. We can work to clear out the cobwebs of our mind, engage in new learning and new activities to keep us young and fit! Spring is truly a beautiful time of year. We should all try to take a little time to enjoy it.

  

Here are a fw beautiful flowers and flowering trees.

 

Can you find the robin in this picture?




Here she is!




And can you find that chipping sparrow?




Here he is!



And who can resist little Gunnarr? I was cleaning out a drawer for part of my Spring cleaning and he wanted to help, so I put a pair of nylons on his paws. He looks like he is enjoying the moment! They did not stay on his paws for very long.

Fionn had a busy day and was happy to just rest.

And here is Shorty, getting some rest after a nice walk outside on the trails.




If you have children or grandchildren and want to read them stories about what Shorty my Yapese dog, Fionnegan and Gunnarr are doing, you can find Shorty's blog at mydogShorty.blogspot.com.

04/15/18 A New England Spring day........

..... robins, bluebirds, garden flowers and snow. Yes, it is snowing again. Had a nice short window of opportunity to work in the garden and prepare the beds for planting. Also need to dig one more flower bed in an area where the grass just will not grow. And I have grass seed ready for sowing once the weather warms up just a bit for other areas. A new fence will be installed - once it gets a little warmer to keep the dogs safe and to give them a  little more room to run. The old fence did not hold up very well to the heavy snows over the last few years and  I am a bit concerned that at least one of them will be able to jump over the sagging fence. All of the winter implements are stored in the tool shed - shovels, reflectors from along the driveway and melting salt. Even if it snows a lot today, it will quickly melt. At least hope springs eternal!

So my Spring chores are lining up and there is much to do. We all have cabin fever and are roaring to go!  Last week we had a great walk at one of our favorite trail sites. The dogs were thrilled to be out again in the woods although we did have to steer away from a couple of horses. I now have a device that emits a high pitched sound designed to be a positive influence on the dog behavior. It seems to work best on Shorty and Gunnarr as it does keep them from barking. I think it just annoys Fionnegan as he looks directly at the device as if he wants to say - stop that Momma! and he keeps on barking. What is the old saying - two out of three's not bad.

We have a few bird feeders out and are enjoying watching the birds visit. It is mating season and nesting season and I hope we have another cardinal build a nest in our yard. It was so nice to watch the pair fly back and forth building the nest then feeding the young. And we even had the chance to watch one fledge from the nest.

The pileated woodpecker is in the back yard again this year. He is one big woodpecker that is incredibly noisy and loud with a really coarse call. Sometimes I see him on the ground - one of the dead trees had fallen and he seems to like the easy reach. I also saw him this year on the trunk of a tree, so I am hoping for more sightings of him in the future. Maybe if I am really lucky I'll be able to snap a photograph of him. But he may too clever for that!

We have a few flowers that have bloomed but the daffodils and tulips are just in bud. It may also be the year to plant new bulbs to freshen up the beds. We'll see how energetic I am in the Fall! Right now I am going to enjoy a little down time with a good book and then review a few new  course postings from Cornell on Spring birds. A wistful look at a few garden books is also a possibility for today!