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.

Bruins Fleece

If you've read our blog you know we love fleece. The Mama has been collecting sports fleece for dog Dad and he had blankets in almost all his favorite major professional sports teams except hockety and soccer. Then Mom heard that JoAnn's had got the rights to sell NHL material including our beloved fleece. She got out her coupons and shopping they did go.

Not only did Dog Dad get fleece, but Katy and I each got our own blankie.

Mom doesn't have a sewing machine so a friend of hers sewed the hems on our blankies and now we have new fleece to enjoy.

If you have sports fans in the family, these fleece blankies make great presents. Mom and Grandma have become very popular providing the family with their favorite sports fleece for Christmas gifts. She does suggest using coupons and waiting for sales as the sports stuff can be pricey. She even picked up Dog Dad a couple of fleece sports pillows at a fundraiser we were at a while back. Sometimes we even let him use them. Don't tell Dog Dad, but she's hoping to talk Grandma into sewing him Celtics and Bruins pillows if we don't find them at the fundraiser first.

Welcome to Monday Mischief – The pet blog hop that wraps up the weekend! This Blog Hop is brought to you by Alfie’s Blog, Snoopy’s Dog Blog, and My Brown Newfies.

Friday Flowers: Hosta

Of all Mom's flowers the Hostas are our favorites. They provide much needed shade in the heat of a summer day.

They provide us with places to stealthy stalk observe as we conduct our daily property survelience.

Can you see where Katy has tucked herself in waiting for those pesky predators to strike our veggie gardens? The Hostas provide us with many advantages.

Protecting the Compost

Mom has been composting since long before she knew it had a name. She doesn't have the land she had when she was a kid, so now she has a container to keep it in.

We not only protect the compost from intruders, but we provide escort service for Mom to and from the composter. See, Mom is cool with the composting, but she's not so crazy about the bugs inside the composter. She also likes company when its dark and its time to empty the storage bags she keeps in the kitchen. Who is she kidding she likes company when it is bright daylight. The Mom just doesn't like traveling alone. So, being good dogs we head out with her.

As you can see, it is nice and shady back here. So, of all the chores we have, watching over the compost isn't the worst. It is shady, the larger animals haven't figured out how to break in, so others than using it as a landing point from the trees, we have limited need to clear them from the area. Just don't tell Mom or she'll be thinking of tougher jobs for us.

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Wordless Wednesday: Where's Bailey?

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Garden Update

We can't believe it is June already. The weather has been good to the tomatoes and they are adjusting to their cages. We helped Mom with the weeding over the weekend. Mom was surprised that even with all the tropical weather, the weeds were minimal this first week.

Dog Dad only used to use newspaper wraps for the tomatoes. However, with the funky weather and the extra critter and bug attacks last year, he decided to experiment and use them on some of the other plants to give them a starting chance. He is pleased by the process and has seen stronger than he had last year.

Dog Dad added spinach and more lettuce to the back gardens this week. Mom remarked that the spinach looks remarkably like the weed grass we generally remove from the garden. We've never tried growing spinach before so it is a whole new area we are exploring this year.

They've been cooking and using spinach more in salads these days, so it seemed like a logical choice to add to the gardens. Along with squirrels, we noticed more chipmunk activity in the backyard since the gardens have been planted. We scared one into jumping into a tree. We are inspiring new heights in squirrel and chipmunk gymnastics.

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Whisker Walk 2014 is Coming

Whisker Walk is one of our favorite events of the year. This year the event is being held on Sunday June 8 from 11-3 at the Lancaster Fairgrounds, in Lancaster, Massachusetts. You can find all the details about the event here.

While the event is important because it raises money for so many of the local rescues and shelters, it is also just lots of fun for dogs and humans. It is fitting that it takes place at the fairgrounds because it does have the feel of a dog fair. Where else have you been that you can win a prize in a poop raffle for having a responsible pet parent scoop your poop and get a ticket for a raffle? Like tennis balls? Compete in the Tennis Ball Fetch and win a prize for you or your human. Bailey won the comfy bed he and Katy use downstairs at the event. These are just some of many exciting fun events that await you at the Whisker Walk.

This is the last of our walking fundraisers this year. Mom contacted Baypath Animal Shelter and was told they because they have a new Board of Directors they’ve opted not to run Bark in the Park at Hopkinton State Park this year. They are doing a golf tournament instead. They said they might bring it back next year. We will miss the event, but hope their new fundraiser works out for them and brings them new people who might not already be involved.

We do have some concerns with Bailey's foot. The Vet seems to think he should be up for the day. If not the walk ,perhaps just a chance to be outside and visit some of the exhibits. DH and I will decide based on how he's doing. Thankfully, unlike a child, he can't read a calendar and won't realize the date has come and gone if he’s not physically able to manage the trip. I do hope he's up to it as I've seen huge growth in Katy's social skills every time we've been at one of these events. Generally, she isn't a fan of crowds and busy places. However, there is something about these dog events that she loves.

If you are in the area, please consider coming out and supporting the Whisker Walk. Bring family and friends; it is a great event for all.

Welcome to Monday Mischief – The pet blog hop that wraps up the weekend! This Blog Hop is brought to you by Alfie’s Blog, Snoopy’s Dog Blog, and My Brown Newfies.

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Friday Flowers: Iris

One of Mom's favorite spring flowers is the Iris. She loves the purple ones the best. They've taken a beating lately with the rain and she wasn't sure she'd even get a shot of a yellow Iris before they were completely gone. She thought she had one ready to take last week, the rain hit and it was gone before she even had a chance to capture a picture of it.

Mom is hoping to get a weekend soon with good weeding weather that she and Dog Dad can get out and attack the weeds. When the weather has been good, they've had other commitments. When they've had the time, its been wet and rainy.

We like it when the parents come out to garden because we can usually distract them with a ball. Then we cool off under the Hostas while we supervise them working.

Bailey's Foot

Nurse Katy is inspecting Bailey's foot after a trip to the Vet. He's had a growth on his paw for a while now and it irritates him. The Vet continues to test the growth and it is benign. Each time the determination has been to keep it under observation. We've discussed removing it with the vet, but it’s in an awkward place which would be challenging to heal.

We are hoping surgery can be avoided, but if he insists on attacking it, the Vet believes at some point surgery may be are only option regardless of the challenge of getting the wound to close after the growth is removed.

We are all saying our prayers that we can find a solution that gives him relief and doesn't damage his paw in providing it.

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Wordless Wednesday: Supervising the Planting

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Getting the Veggie Gardens Planted

It was a strange weather weekend. Short bursts of clear weather followed by almost tropical rains. However, Mom and Dad worked hard to get the annual Veggie Gardens dug up, cleared of weeds, and planted for a new season. First up is the tomato garden. We think its kind of odd that the tomatoes have cages. However, they do seem to get a bit wild as the season progresses so perhaps that is why Dad keeps them caged all season.

Mom calls this Veggie Garden 2. Here they planted zuchinni and peppers. The chives are a perennial and grow back every year.

Guarded by Hostas, this is what Mom calls the back Veggie Gardens. This year Mom and Dad decided to plant more of some stuff and get other stuff from the local growers. Back here she hopes to grow more rows of lettuce, spinach, and more zucchini.

Now that the plants are in, we have a great deal more work to do to keep the pests out of Mom and Dad's food. We think we are just putting out a welcome sign inviting more pests, but Mom and Dad are quite excited about their fresh veggies.

Happy Memorial Day!!

We had Mom prepost this because with Dog Dad around we know she'll be too distracted to remember to put up anything. We love long weekends. An extra day with Dad is always a treat.

The morning starts early on Memorial Day. The City has a Memorial Day parade that visits all the war memorials in the area. It isn't like the more formal Labor Day Parade that Mom and Dad go to in the fall. However, even if you aren't there, you can hear it from our house. The bands and the guns are pretty loud. No sleeping in on Memorial Day.

Memorial Day has a special meaning for Mom because her Dad was a Veteran of WWII and Korea. She was always taught to remember that while it was nice to have a long weekend, this day was about more than a day off.

Mom and Dad usually start thinking about the veggie gardens this weekend. They check out the local garden shop and see what he has in for veggie plants and start working on the raised beds. As of this posting, the weather is questionable. However, Mom will still probably talk Dog Dad into checking out the veggie plants. Those go quick if you don't hunt early.

We'll let you know how all of that works out.

We hope you are all enjoying a beautiful Memorial Day with your family and friends.



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Friday Flowers

I know you all thought you were going to get the Lilac bush tree this week. Well, Mama got distracted by other flowers that were blooming. She was actually disappointed that the first yellow Iris was destroyed by rain before she could get a picture. However, she still got some other shots for you this week.

First up are the Bleeding Hearts. These were Mom's Dad's favorites. She had looked for a while to find them at the various Garden Club sales, but always managed to miss her chance. One year she arrived to find they had one sad nearly dead plant left. The stem was broken and they were only asking a dollar for the plant. Since it was a perennial and had a shot at coming back she decided to take a risk. This plant has rewarded her faith more times, than you can imagine.

The City pulled up the street at one point and ended up paving over part of Mom's front perennial garden without ever telling her they intended to do that even though it meets the legal setback for the street. She was sad because she had several flowers she had collected and lost because she didn't have time to transplant. The next summer the Bleeding Hearts emerged pushing along the edges of the tar and continued to spread and grow to the point Mom plans to share the wealth with some friends.

When she spotted yellow from the porch, Mom thought she had discovered the first yellow Iris of the year. Instead, it was a late Daffodil and it was a beauty. We haven't had one here in a few years. We thought it had been destroyed a few years ago when we had critters eat some of the bulbs we planted.

Sudbury Center Historical Tour

The Mom has a thing for historical places. She is very excited that her hometown is getting into the spirit of their 375th anniversary and offering a variety of history related programs. What makes this so appropriate for Thoughtless Thursday is no dogs were allowed at the event.

On Sunday, Mom and Dad went back to Mom's hometown to do a tour of Sudbury's town center. People met in the Town Hall starting at 2PM and were divided into groups for tours that were supposed to take about 1 1/2 hours. Their tour was a bit longer. While the weather threatened to be nasty, Mother Nature cooperated providing great walking weather.

In order to spread the tour out their tour started out of order.

This is Heritage Park. Bailey has been here a few times when he used to come to the July 4th parade. It was built in 1975 and Mom remembers coming here from Peter Noyes School to the pond to do experiments. It was a beautiful place to visit and just a short walk from the school. They have since added a 9/11 Memorial to the area. This is a beautiful place to walk and to explore.

Next up is a place Mom has seen a few times because it is always open on July 4th and they have a used book sale that she and Dog Dad love to visit. Mom always knew about the house as a memorial to the artist Florence Hosmer who donated it to the town in 1959. However, on the tour she learned the house had been a store, a post office, a ballroom, and a cobbler's shop. It seems they still use the ballroom for some functions and they also run a little gift shop when the house is open for visitors selling historical society items to raise funds for the historical commission.

This is the Fairy Garden located at the Hosmer House. You know how Mom loves gardens.

This is Grinnell Park. It is the town's WWI Memorial. Mom doesn't remember it having a name when she was a child. The tour guide didn't say when it was named, just that it was named for the town's Veteran's agent, a WWII veteran. The name sounds familiar so it might have happened after she left town.

While many people didn't know about this spot, one of the reasons Mom was familiar with it was this was her half way rest stop when she rode her bike to the library. It was a long trip and she would pause here and read the name plates while she caught her breath. According to the guide there are 32 names inscribed on the plate. Mom was very happy to hear the historical commission is looking to replace the plate that is looking worn after all these years. As a child, this used to be where she watched the annual July 4th parade.

Next, we have the First Parish Meeting House. It is currently a Unitarian Church, but it was the literally the first Church built in town. What Mom knew, but others were very shocked to hear, was that town funds built the First Church in 1723. The building was later rebuilt at its current site in 1797.

People often forget Puritans, who had no concept of separation of Church and state, founded Massachusetts. Church was mandatory and when people moved from what is now Wayland to Sudbury, during bad weather the distance to Church was a challenge. However, in order to start another Church they actually had to petition the Colonial government for permission.

Mom doesn't have a picture, but she visited the Loring Parsonage on the tour, too. That was built as an incentive to get Reverend Israel Loring to move to the new district. The First Parish Meeting House served as both a house of worship and a place of town government for many years. The first town hall wasn't even built until 1846. What Mom did learn on the tour is official separation of Church and state didn't occur until 1836. For some reason she thought it was earlier than that.


This is the Grange Hall one of the first public schools in town, built in 1848 and then moved in 1890. It was then sold to the Grange in 1890. In later years has been used by both the Grange and for Town offices.

Mom had no idea what this building was, but once you think about what it’s near it makes sense. It’s called the Hearse building. Prior to cars, this is where the horse drawn hearse for the town was stored. Mom can be excused because while it was built in 1799 it has only been in its current location since 2009 when it was relocated here. The town had previously sold it off when it was no longer needed before the Mom would have known about it.

Last, but not least, this one fascinated Mom as a kid. This was the Town Pound built in 1797. It was 5ft of local stone with a 6th foot provided by wood. The door was self-locking. Once in, the animals weren't going to push themselves out. This area was used to hold animals that were found wandering off their own properties. Animals could not be retrieved without paying the pound keepers fines. The penalties for stealing from the pound keeper were rather steep. No dogs or cats folks, just stray farm animals.

There were 13 stops on the tour and we don’t have pictures of them all. Some were associated with other stops like the Carriage Sheds for the First Parish Meeting House. The picture at the top of the page is the Revolutionary War Monument created in 1896 to honor the veterans of the Revolutionary War. The tour also included the Presbyterian Church, once the Methodist Church, and the Revolutionary War cemetery. Mom has been there many times. The historical society is working hard to restore the site.

There seemed to be a good turnout of people. With interpreters at 13 sites and tour guides to take each group around a great deal of planning and effort went into this event. Mom was glad to see people out supporting it. She wants to thank all the people involved with the event for their hard work and planning. It was a wonderful afternoon. While some of these sites can be visited any time as they are open to public viewing, many are in use and not available to tour. It was a unique opportunity and she was glad the Historical Society planned this event to make these venues available to the public.

Mom was thrilled to find out all the third graders in town are getting to participate in this tour, too. It is nice to see Sudbury introducing itself to the next generation, again. I know I appreciated it as a child. I think this generation will enjoy knowing more about the town's past in a fun interactive way, too.