Rock and Roll

The dogs get several play times each day. Some days they each find a stick and settle in the shade to chew together.



Some days they like to explore the rocks.



Some of them spend time searching for anything that might be hiding in the rock pile.



Some use the added height to look over the fence and spy on the neighbors.






Some play king of the mountain.



Some days conditions are just right for a roll in the grass.



It starts when one shoulder drops and the rest of the body follows.



It seems to be contagious.



It looks like too much fun to resist.





Just when you think you're done,the urge strikes again.



Wow, that felt great! Check out those ears.



Some days a dog just needs to run.



There are other times when the humans get involved and play includes balls or frisbees. Whatever the game, playtimes sure are fun.

Weeds R Us

Webster's definition of weed is any undesired, uncultivated plant, especially one growing in profusion so as to crowd out a desired crop, disfigure a lawn, etc. The definition of lawn is land covered with grass kept closely mowed.

In our front yard, we have some grass along with some weeds. In our back yard we have weeds. If it weren't for the weeds there would be no greenery.



It's my opinion that weeds are whatever someone considers a plant they don't want at any particular time. I'm sure some of the flowers we consider weeds today were at one time popular plants that were appreciated and cultivated. Some of the plants we prize today may someday be considered weeds.



If a rose bush started growing in the middle of the fairway on a famous golf course, you can bet it would be pulled out. It would be considered a weed on that carefully manicured lawn.



I have never been fussy about manicured grassy lawns. Sure, they look nice, but there are so many more important things to get worked up about.



Now, I positively love weeds. It's what we have and they more or less keep our hill from eroding. so bring them on.



The birds we work to attract into the yard plant many of our variety of weeds, and we do have a variety.



We currently have pink, blue, purple and white flowered weeds blooming. I'm sure some of them are causing my sore throat and my eyes to itch, but that's OK.



There is one weed that is trying to choke out my butterfly garden. It grows very fast and spreads even faster. I try to pull it whenever I see it getting a foothold. In July, however, it has a pretty deep blue and yellow flower and Rob always mentions how pretty it is. One person's weed is another person's pretty flower.



So let's hear it for weeds. They add some color and variety to life.

I actually planted this vine and it has been struggling to get going for a couple years. I don't think we have the right soil or weather conditions for it to thrive. Maybe it's because Norma Jean likes to play with the vine and pulls it off the deck several times a year.

And The Winner Is---

Thank you to everyone who played Footsie with us. We have a winner.


Here are the answers.

A - Noah
B - Bailey
C - Sky
D - Lola
E - Morgan
F - Tess
G - Samba
H - Norma Jean
I - Tsar
J - Fudge



We had four people that each got eight of the choices correct.

Logan, Chan, Nicki, and Nicky

Gaylen got all ten correct.

When I first set this up I had Rob try to match them up. After all he lives with them and sees them every day. He got five correct and I worried that I had made it too hard. You guys are amazing.



We appreciate that you all took the time to look back thru old posts to try to match them. It was a fun way for us to celebrate my 200th post.

Logan and Nicky, please email me with your addresses so I can send out your prizes.

Moving Mountains

I have three hunters. Morgan, Bailey and Tsar can spend hours hunting. Bailey likes to follow a trail. Tsar will stand perfectly still for hours waiting for the creature to come to him, but Morgan likes to go after her prey.


One morning this week I stepped out the back door to see Bailey with something in her mouth. I called her to me and told her to drop it. She did, but at first I couldn't identify the object. After close examination I realized it was the tail of a lizard.



I don't know what happened to the body of the lizard. Perhaps Morgan or Bailey ate it or hopefully we have a tailless lizard running around the yard.



We have mice, lizards and at least one garden snake living in the rock pile. A few years ago we found a nest of baby rabbits in the rocks and had to barricade them till they were out of the nest. Now the rabbits nest safely outside the fence.



This morning Morgan was sure there was something worth catching in the rocks.


I know it's in there.


This rock is in my way.


I can't quite reach it.


Samba, help me move this rock out of the way.


Fudge, you're big and strong, help me move this rock.


How can I catch anything with this rock in the way?



Oh, none of you are any help. I'll do it myself.


This is a really heavy rock.


I can almost reach the spot. Norma Jean,will you give me some help moving this thing?


Thanks, Norma Jean. Now that the rock is out of the way, let's see what's in here.


I still can't reach it.


I know you're in there.


Now, if I could only move this huge rock.


See, that's where it's hiding.


I'll get it one of these days.

No creatures were harmed in today's hunt. She and Bailey have managed to move a number of very large rocks and Rob and I will have to move them back onto the pile. It's amazing to me how Morgan, as small as she is, can move such large objects.

Hair and Fibers

Rob and I enjoy watching CSI. We find it amusing the lengths they go to to find a single hair or a faint smear of blood. We can't imagine actual detectives going to those extremes.

When I think about my house, I really get a good laugh. There are so many hairs in this place it would take the entire team the rest of their natural lives to figure it out.



I also think about the evening that Fudge went into one of his super spins in excitement over going outside and we didn't realize he was spinning on a carpet tack. He tore a nice little round hole in his pad and we only realized it when our tan carpet in the den started looking like a crime scene. There was blood everywhere as he continued to spin and run in circles.

I finally was able to grab him and stick him in the bathtub to examine his foot and apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Rob got out the carpet cleaning machine and started shampooing the carpet before the blood set. I don't think there was an inch he hadn't sprayed. What would the CIS team think of that scene?

Speaking of Fudge, he has a fan club and every fan club needs a President. Gaylen has offered to be President and Fudge is thrilled. The problem is it's a paid position and Fudge has no money.

As you can see he was worried about this situation. He thought about his possessions and what he could afford to part with. He has his collar, but he needs it for when he goes for walks. He has his little house, but he sleeps in that at night. He has his dinner bowl, but how could he eat without it? Then it came to him. He has something else that he can pay Gaylen with.


He has all these perfectly good squeakers that he and his family members have removed from their toys. I won't let them chew the squeaker so they're just there on the counter not doing anything. He can send them to President Gaylen as payment and there are a lot more where they came from. He and the others can go to work keeping her in a constant supply of squeakers. Problem solved.


Back to fibers, but of a different variety. I've been trying to decide on a knitting project. I have a few little ones in mind, but I need a big complicated one to work on. I saw this sweater coat and fell madly in love with it.


Isn't it pretty? Unfortunately, I've been on Ravelry reading comments about it and there seems to be a serious problem in the guage and sizing. I don't know if I want to get into something that I know has some built in problems. I don't want that complicated a pattern.


At the fabric store this week I saw this magazine and was immediately struck by this piece on the cover.

It's circular with armholes and I think it's really intriguing. I think I'd like to make it, but I don't really know if it's something I would wear. Maybe back twenty years ago when I was into clothes more than I am now, I would have worn it. Now I dress in things that can hold up to muddy feet jumping on them. Anyway, I might try it and give it away as a gift .


So you see CSI would just love this place. We have hair, fibers of many varieties, foot prints, sometimes bloody footprints, torn blankets and bits of cotton stuffing under chairs. We could keep the show on the air forever.