We Lost Our Best Friend Tonight

Good night sweet Luna. We loved you so much. Thanks for being our dog. Our hearts are broken.

Thankful

Thankful for my beautiful daughter, my delightful pups, and for John of Four Seasons AC and heating who came over at 5:00 am on Thanksgiving Day to fix my furnace so my daughter and I can enjoy our Thanksgiving Day feast in comfort. That’s going above and beyond the call of duty. Thank you, John! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

 

Dog Days of Summer

My dog, Marty, enjoys a good sniff-fest and rolling in the grass on warm summer days. Mary, who is a more dignified gal, prefers to quietly soak in the the sun and catch warm breezes. They are my constant companions and will happily keep me company as I work or relax in the garden.

I am grateful for quiet days with my canine companions.

My Summer Garden

Hi everyone, how is your weekend going? My summer garden is in full bloom this week, so I grabbed my camera–and two of my pups–and headed outside to enjoy the show. I snapped some pictures to share here while the pups enjoyed a sniff-a-thon and then settled down to catch a few rays. My crepe myrtle trees are in full bloom this week. Aren’t they beautiful?

These hardy hibiscus will continue to bloom daily until early fall. I planted them outside my kitchen window so I can enjoy the show from inside the house and watch the hummingbirds drinking their nectar. Hummingbirds can’t resists these huge, red blooms. I saw one this morning while I was drinking my coffee and two others this afternoon, including one little fellow with amazing blue feathers.

I planted these calla lilies three years ago, and they get bigger and fuller each year. And the best thing about crepe myrtle, hardy hibiscus, and calla lilies–besides the fact that they bloom in tandem–is that they require almost no care. Just add water during extreme dry spells. That’s it! Easy peasy. Here are a few more pictures of my garden.

How pretty are these purple blooms and aqua bench? It’s a good thing I have a large stock of aqua spray paint. I see more aqua garden furniture in my future. What’s growing in your garden this week?

Quick Spring Bedroom Makeover

I continued my spring home refresher project this weekend with a quick, easy, and inexpensive makeover of my of daughter’s bedroom. Her bedroom walls used to be chocolate brown–a color she chose. I’ve never been a fan of neutral colors; I think they lack energy. Plus the brown paint made her room feel small and dark. So for this makeover I chose a light green paint (Hampton Green by Benjamin Moore). It transformed the room from dark and dreary into a fresh and soothing sanctuary. And I accomplished all this in one day with very little money. Here’s another picture.

I bought the matelasse coverlet, dust ruffle, pillow shams, lamps, and shades at Target. I love shopping at Target. It’s a treasure trove of great design at fabulous prices. Add a gallon or two of paint and you’ve got yourself a quick and inexpensive one-day spring makeover. Here’s a close-up view of the pillow shams. I love the pops of orange and bits of yellow.

And here are before and after photos. (I always love it when magazines show before and after shots.)

And here’s a picture of my dog, Mary, helping me work. My dogs have to be at the center of every activity.

My Painting Buddy

Yard work and outdoor home improvement projects are great opportunities to spend quality time with your pets. My little dog, Piggy, is a my gardening buddy and constant friend. He will happily spend hours in the yard while I plant flowers and work around the house. That’s my boy!

Canine Gardening Assistants

Yard work is always more pleasant when you have canine garden helpers. Marty (aka “Piggy” because of his curly pig tail) likes to dig holes, graze on the grass, sit in the phlox, and identify shady spots in the yard. He also likes to inspect my work. Mary, who is a more refined and dignified dog, prefers to oversee the yard work from the comfort of the deck.

A Castle for Frodo

Now here’s a castle fit a king–King Frodo, that is. And speaking of Frodo, he should be emerging from his long winter nap in April and climbing my deck stairs to enjoy his evening meals. This cute Big Top Toad Castle from grandinroad.com will offer Frodo a shady spot to escape the harsh summer sun. I can’t wait for Frodo to make his first appearance and grab some photos of him. He’s been hanging out on my deck for 10 years now and I’ve grown quite fond of him. Here’s hoping that he’ll be back again this year.

Abbott in Action

Here is a video of my daughter’s horse, Abbott, free lunging. Free lunging is when you put the horse through its paces around the arena without a lunge line. Abbott is trained to respond to clucking noises. So in this video when you see him stopping and then resuming his paces, my daughter is off camera clucking to encourage him to keep going. Free lunging is less stressful on the horse’s joints because you’re not constraining him to a small circle when he’s moving. Abbott is a 2005 quarter horse/paint gelding. His shire was a western pleasure champion, which is apparent in his movement. My daughter enjoys showing him in huntseat equitation. Abbott is the apple of her eye.

And here is a picture of me riding Abbott. I enjoyed horseback riding at a place called Patty’s Riding Stable in Fairfax, Virginia in the early 1970s. Back then it cost $3.00 per hour to ride the horses. I diligently saved my weekly allowance (.50 cents per week), and when I had accumulated enough money, I’d go for a ride. I had no idea what I was doing but I didn’t care, I had fun anyway. Apparently the horses knew I was clueless because one Chestnut mare named “Chessie” would slam me into the corner of a barn filled with grain every time I rode by it in an effort to knock me out of my saddle. I had to take my foot out of my stirrup and push off against the building with my foot to keep her from body slamming me against the side of the building. Somehow, I always managed to hang on. When this photo was taken, I hadn’t ridden a horse in over 30 years. It felt so much higher up there in the saddle than I remembered, and I was initially quite nervous. Abbott was very patient with me.

Sometimes You Just Have to Stop and Smell the Flowers

Little Stevie, our Yorkshire Terrier is such a curious boy. He just couldn’t wait to check out this bouquet of pink tulips–a Valentine’s gift from my sweet sister. Aren’t they lovely? Thank you, sissy. I snapped dozens of photos of Steve and my flowers in hopes of recreating them in a watercolor painting.