Wordless Wednesday: Rainy Day Blues

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News from the Veggie Gardens

Welcome to our Tuesday Veggie Garden tour. There is lots going on in the Veggie World. Mom is amazed we are still getting fresh asparagus. Normally it is a spring perennial for us. It comes up shortly after the snow melts and starts to turn into ferns just as it warms up in May. However, here we are in June and Dog Dad is still finding new stalks sprouting. The parents are thrilled, as they love grilled asparagus.

So far, the tomatoes have been loving this wet rainy spring. We were afraid we might have plant rot, but so far there seems to have been enough dry days in between the wet ones that the plants are holding on and thriving.

Mom was sick over the weekend so she hadn't gone out to check on the veggie's progress. She was amazed at how big the zucchini plants had grown. Let me tell you guys in a month, you lose a ball in there and it will be fall before you see it again. What the zucchini takes it keeps.

Next, we have Katy's gardening tip of the week. The parents really don't mean do whatever is necessary to keep the garden's safe. We take our critter patrols seriously. However, Dog Dad made it very clear after I killed a lettuce, OK a couple of lettuce plants this weekend in pursuit of a squirrel that it wasn't OK to kill a plant while protecting it. I am not allowed to jump in the gardens even in hot pursuit of a critter. So, let that be a lesson to all of you eager gardeners doing your best to protect the produce. If you kill it while trying to protect it, they won't thank you. They won’t see the heroic effort you made in chasing off the varmint. All they will notice are the dead plants you killed while trying to defend them.

Whisker Walk 2014

The Whisker Walk was a smashing success. While it took Mom a week to get the pictures up, our enthusiasm has not been diminished. It was the hottest weather we've ever had for one of these events and Mom was concerned because we are notorious for refusing to drink unless we are home. Well it was just the first of many ways we shocked her (in a good way) during the event. Not only did we drink from our bowl that Dog Dad packed, but we even drank from the water provided on the route. That never happens.

Mom likes that they list the rules upfront. She finds it very strange that while they very clearly state that they don't want aggressive dogs there, several people insist they bring their aggressive dogs to help them become socialized. A huge pack of dogs walking in a confined area is really not the best time to be working on your dog's aggression issues. Maybe as a final exam project, but certainly not in the beginner stages.

This is where we all met up and lined up for the walk. This year they got a late start. We decided to rest up and save our energy for the walk. It was hot.

As the start time got close, we got lined up and Mom was again shocked instead of tucking in behind my tail, Katy shot off ahead and set a brutal pace for the pack.

She led for about 1 1/2 miles, and then she got distracted at the half way water stop and lost interest in leading. She got distracted by all the things there were to see and do at the water break. That was just as well as Mom and Dad were very concerned about her getting over heated. It also gave me a chance to catch up. I'm not used to Katy out pacing me like that. She usually tucks in behind my tail and checks out people from around my backside.

After the walk, the humans had lunch and we rested in a shady spot. Then we went over to the CMDART Agility tryouts. CMDART is an emergency group that works with the Red Cross setting up dog shelters when disasters occur in our area. They run this fundraiser every year as one way of raising funds for their mission. We got a great kit from them last year that helps you get your pets ready for evacuations.

We didn't get pictures because Mom and Dad both were out on the field at the same time, which doesn't happen very often. However, we both had big moments. We have never done well in the tunnel. Katy flat out has always refused and it has never been my favorite activity either. However, we both made repeated trips through the tunnels. The trainers showed Mom and Dad some new tricks to trick tempt us into performing the stunts. I even made it up and down the see saw thingy before I realized I was on it because Mom held a tempting smelly amazing treat under my nose instead of dropping it on the ground like they had tried previously. I was so intent on following the smell I didn't even realize she had me on the tippy thing.

After our amazing job at agility, we decided to try out the Tennis Ball Fetch Game. This is always one of our favorites. It is amazing how you can freeze when surrounded by so many balls to choose. Mom started tossing them and eventually we picked two. We won Kongs, a Snoopy leash and collar, and some very tasty treats. We also won a life jacket that Mom is thinking about doing a giveaway on because neither of us goes near the water.

After our wins, we went shopping and visited the various rescue/shelter booths. We had to get another picture of the Kissing Dachshund Rescue Booth for Frankie. Yes, they were here too. Those are some hard working charitable Dachshunds kissing for charity.

We had lots of fun shopping, but Mom struck out on finding Katy another fleece bed. She was hoping to replace her donut bed, with a flat fleece egg crate bed. I love the donut, but Katy likes a flat bed. She has one downstairs, but tends to sleep on the floor upstairs. Mom was hoping to find another one. Unfortunately, she found the last one at the event that was cancelled this year. That vendor hasn't been at any of the other events. Dog Dad has been experimenting with moving the bed upstairs and down, but was hoping we could just have another one to use.

We'd like to thank the Sterling Animal Shelter for hosting this event. We have so much fun at it every year and are already looking forward to seeing announcements for next year's event.

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Friday Flowers: The Many Shades of Hosta

Last week we told you why we love Hosta. In fact, most of the pictures were of our favorite Hostas the big green monsters that provide us with so much cover. However, Mom likes variety and color. So, of course she didn't stop with our favorites. She continues to acquire a variety of colors of Hosta to add to the garden even though we'd be happy with the big green leafy stuff. Some of this stuff doesn't even provide much in the way of shade. Just say'n.

Bringing us back to our favorite Hosta:

Mama keeps finding more colors and patterns she likes. However, Dog Dad has reminded her there is limited space and she has not picked up any new Hostas recently. So which ones do you like?

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The Rabbits are Back

We warned the Mama. Stop sighing over those fuzzy bunnies. They are varmints. Remember these are RABBITS, not the cute and charming Easter Bunny. They destroy your gardens. However, she spots them and does she scare them off? Oh, no she has to take pictures. Now they think they are movie stars. Instead, they should be on most wanted posters. These little critters will kill off Mom's lettuce crop before she can blink an eye. However, all she can do is say, "But they are so cuuuttteee." How could they possibly be evil?

Well we have no trouble taking on the problem. Shortly after the Mama caught these shots, we started barking. At first, we were ignored. However when we got to the windows we made it very clear what we would do when we got outside. The bunny decided to leave and its hypnosis over the Mama was broken. If it were a snake, we'd have no problems convincing Mama it had to go. However, show the Mama a rabbit and she gets all mushy.

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Wordless Wednesday: Our First Kongs

Mom promises she'll get all the Whisker Walk pictures posted next week. However, for Wordless Wednesday this week, she chose us enjoying one of the many prizes we won at the Tennis Ball Fetch game. We've never tried Kong products before. We had fun getting to the treats.

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Keeping Up With Mom's Veggie Garden

We went out to check on Mom's Veggie gardens yesterday. The weather has been odd, wet to the point of being almost tropical to really hot and dry this weekend.

The tomatoes have grown past the first level of their crates cages and seem to be liking this strange weather. They are at the highest point of all the three veggie gardens so they get the best drainage when the rains come fast and hard. This might be why the rain hasn't been as much of an issue for them, although heavy rains have caused the plants here to rot in the past. Mom isn't complaining.

So far, the middle garden is also thriving. The peppers and zucchinis are having a good summer so far. Mom is hopeful about the peppers. They've had a rough few years. She is hoping the new methods Dog Dad tried are going to bring them around.

The back gardens are having the most challenges. This is the lowest point in the yard and also the darkest. With the heavy rains and thus fewer bright shiny days the plants back here are not having as good a time. Dog Dad noticed a couple of lettuce plants had died over the weekend. However, the zucchini seem to be thriving despite the challenges.

Mom thought she had an infestation of weeds growing in the back garden. Turns out the trees sneezed and dropped all their pollen on our gardens. Who knew trees needed tissues.