Taking over (as one should)

Bailey apparently has decided to takeover the guest room in her home. The way we know it is definitely her room now is the presence of her favorite toy, on the bed, with her.... Yes, dogs rule.

Lemonade stand with a ghoulish twist

Just to prove that I'm not all cranky and no sense of humor, when I came across this Halloween display, I couldn't help but laugh. It is a clever play on an American staple of a kid's lemonade stand. And so perfectly put together. Well done.

If you can't read the sign:

Across the street from that display was one that channeled an entirely different vibe and also provided a laugh. The expressions on the pumpkins holding the demonic cats -- priceless:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

Two perfect supervisors

Let's face it. Most supervisors hide away in their offices and pretend to do stuff...reports, planning projects, or, really now, mindlessly scrolling on their phones. Not this crew. Rascal is hyperalert to anything his Dad is doing. Dishes, he's watching. Cooking, he's watching. Cutting dog cookies, he's right there to make sure they're perfectly to his specifications. If Dad sits down for a minute, he demands attention (as is his due) in the form of scratches and rubs. He is relentless and his stare is a bit daunting. 

Nellie, on the other hand, is willing to give Dad some space by observing from the couch. She's even willing to give him his orders and then back off to allow him to proceed at his own pace. As long as he performs to her satisfaction, his annual evaluation will be terrific. 

Fortunately for Mom (me), they pretty much don't care because they know they have me cowed into submission on all tasks that are beneficial to them. Sigh.

The house supervisors in action:

Speaking of cherubs -- losing dear friends

I wasn't going to mention our two dear friends who have left us because this year has already been one of heartbreak. After passing by their houses daily on our walks, and Nellie still pulling to go see if they are behind the fence, I feel they need to have a send off.

Baloo was taken so unexpectedly (though we knew of his health condition), that the shock has still not worn off. That sweet boy always made our walks a joy. He even had a special bark just for us. He is sorely missed.

Our other loss was Angel. Yes, for a Labrador, she was very old, but given the love and devotion she got from all who met her, we still couldn't believe she left us. 

I don't know if there is a doggie heaven, but these two definitely belong there. 💕

Cherubs and frogs? Who knew?

This house has a thing for cherubs apparently. They line the fence and do create an atmosphere of joy, which is very nice to walk by. The lead cherub, however, is doing something a bit strange. He's riding a frog. Yes, a frog. Say what? I just wonder how the frog feels. Hmmm.

 

That is one stoned dude

Our buddy Nick had to go in for a teeth cleaning the other day, and while he usually does okay, this time he was more wobbly and apparently, according to his Mom, seeing dragons all night. He was constantly pacing and not looking so good. In fact, he looked like he had a VERY good time getting totally stoned.

Adorable as he is, this isn't good for him, so he was taken to the vet next day to make sure everything was okay (a good idea for an older dog). With the help of a couple of medications, the prognosis was good.

Whew! Looking a bit perkier, though it took him 48 hours to be back to his normal bossy self. He is one lucky pup to have such a devoted Mom to take care of him. 

And this is letting me know he's ready for his treats -- NOW. A win!

More garden cleanup -- the never-ending saga

Don't even try to speculate how things got so out of hand. Part of it is sheer ignorance, and part lack of desire to go out and create more aches and pains. But create we must. This is the next area that needed serious help. This plant started from a cutting someone gave me before I moved to this house. I was living in a small apartment at the time and the cutting simply lived in a jar for years. You read that correctly...years in a jar of water. From that cutting of a single stem, it grew to this. Add far too many spider plants strangling the leaves, and you have a big mess that doesn't do justice to the incredible blooms that normally come out this time of year and don't have a chance in the current condition.

Step one was to clear out everything down to the soil. Step two was planting the huge plants in a pot to a. keep them from spreading too much, and b. keep their leaves a bit more upright. Though after planting, a ring of wire or rope may be called for as they do like to droop. Next came the two chairs that will hold pots. Maybe. Jury is still out on that one.

Now, before you think that all that foliage was tossed, no, it wasn't. Healthy cuttings were placed in two vases for safekeeping until they too can be planted. It's simply a waiting game.