Making a Splash

We've had several warm sunny days and the flowers are blooming. Another sign of warm weather is the Water Dogs are thinking about water. Here's Sky daydreaming about water.





The hedge of Pyracantha is in bloom. It looks like we'll have a good crop of berries in the fall.









The pups used to have a blue plastic wading pool that they liked to splash in. Last fall the wind caught it and blew it down the hill. It landed upside down. The next morning the girls found it and tap danced on top of it, putting some pretty big cracks in it. It wouldn't hold water anymore and we threw it out.


Lola


Sky and Noah



Sky



This morning after everyone had breakfast, Rob and I went out to find a new wading pool. The plastic kiddie pools were so thin that they would never survive eight fifty pound dogs jumping around in them. We went to the farm store and found a 50 gallon container meant as a feeder for livestock. We also got a revolving sprinkler with three arms that shoot three streams of water around in circles.

When we got home Morgan had a surprise for us. We had left her with Lucy in the garage. They had toys and treats and no good reason to get into trouble, but they had found a half full bag of bird seed, about ten pounds and had a pillow fight with the bag. The remains of the bag was shredded and the bird seed was all over their half of the garage. It must have been lots of fun. Sweeping it up was not so much fun.

After cleaning up the bird seed, we filled the new pool and set up the sprinkler. Then we let the pups out.


Norma Jean


Norma Jean and Tess



Norma Jean


Tess


Noah



Notice how muddy the water is by now.


Lola

Then Mom and Dad got into the fun. Fudge was looking for fish.




The sprinkler was less popular. They enjoyed chasing the streams of water, but didn't like the water sneaking up behind them. They'll get used to it.


The End

And it rained, and it rained, and it rained

When we lived in Maryland we had our yard certified by the State of Maryland and the National Wildlife Foundation as a backyard habitat. You have to submit lists of plantings and pictures to show that you supply four fundamentals for wildlife to exist, food, water, cover and a place to bear their young. When we moved to Missouri we worked on our yard and had it certified by the NWF. I don't know of a similar program in this state. We enjoy watching the deer, rabbits, turkeys and songbirds that share our property with us. I never tire of watching mother birds feeding their demanding chicks or seeing the birds splashing happily in the birdbath.

It has been raining for weeks. This is the wettest year since we've lived here, but as we've had droughts each year, I'm not complaining. Being water dogs, the pups don't mind running out in the rain several times a day, but the house smells like wet dogs most of the time.

Last weekend we had some sunshine for a change and we all went out to play and check on the garden. Last year the pups trampled my garden and what they didn't run over, they tried to pull out. I didn't think I'd see anything come up this year, but I was wrong. The butterfly garden is getting a late start and doesn't look like much yet, but the rock garden is coming to life.



Here is a bleeding heart that lives in a cage in the rock garden to keep it safe from the dogs and to keep the dogs safe from it.





My friend, Sue, gave me these pretty bird feeders for Christmas and I decided to hang them together in the crabapple tree closest to the house so I could watch the birds from the deck.



These bushes are a favorite place for the pups to rest under, after a good hard run.



After so much rain, all the dogs were happy to get outside to run and play. Here are the girls running with Dad.



Checking out the yard and having a roll in the grass.



If you check the shadows you'll see there are two dogs here. Noah is directly behind Sky. Lots of legs and flapping ears.



Noah and Tsar playing together.



Sky with his glowball.

Noah and Sky play a game of 'chase me'.





Morgan finds a good stick to chew.

Not to be outdone, Lola finds a stick, too.



Play ball with us.

Tsar hunts for moles.

Then the rain started again and we all went inside to wait for the next sunny day to play in the yard again.

Spring is Here

Do you like my yard?

As you can see in the doggy pics, my yard is actually a big mud puddle. The hills above are in California.

Our dog limit of three has not worked out too well. We currently have twelve furballs living with us.



Monty is now nine years old. He is 'The Boss'.



Lucy is 13 1/2 years old and in poor health. Nobody messes with Lucy. If someone doesn't understand that, Monty will step in and enforce the rule.




Morgan is 8 1/2 years old. She is also in poor health. She has liver disease and it seems to be causing small seizures. She is confused and sometimes doesn't know where she is. She has to be watched at all times as she gets into dangerous situations by herself. If Rob or I can't be with her, we leave her in the garage with Samba. That seems to keep her calm.




Tsar sports his lion hairdo from last summer. He is now 6 1/2 years old. After a rocky start, he has turned into a wonderful companion. He does not, however, want to be left alone with Morgan. We tried it once and I heard about it when we returned home.




The pups are now eighteen months old. They will always be 'the pups'. This is Sky, a very handsome fellow.




I need to take a picture of Bailey in her new hairstyle. She looks gorgeous.





Noah is pretty flashy.




Tess got beauty, but was shortchanged on brains.

Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets. Even if she has to steal it.




My Norma Jean.




Fudge is three years old and the cause of all this.

Samba's picture is missing. We have to take some new ones. She is now six years old and never leaves my side.

Monty looking over his domain.

Norma Jean and Lola waiting for the ball to be thrown.




Isn't Noah cute?