Yesterday's post featured Toots being all cute and fancy. Today, she has competition. This adorable Samoyed puppy (still waiting to inform his folks of his name), has come to enchant the neighborhood. My vote for his name is Cloud (because yes, petting him is like petting a cloud), or, if they want to create intrigue, the Japanese word for cloud, Kumo. No matter what his name ultimately turns out to be, he will always be Sweetie.
There's nothing better than a day at the spa. Or at least a bath, a good clip and brush out, and then putting on the fancy bow. Life's good when you're a pampered pup. Toots LilMaMa is the size of a tiny bunny, and oh so cute. That's not a puppy beside her.... Just sayin'.
As a seriously lazy person, I felt so welcomed, I very nearly just walked up and knocked on the door. But better sense prevailed.
A close neighbor (M) had to go to help out with her mother-in-law's recovery from knee surgery. Though caregiving is definitely a chore, she knows how to make things fun and apparently the two of them are having a great time together. But enough about people. M sent pictures of the real bonus of the visit - getting to know Javelinas. For those who don't know, they are prevalent in the Southwest USA and the babies are called Reds for their reddish coat. Not particularly inventive in my opinion, but nobody asked me. Anyway, this mom and her kids are adorable. And YES! I AM SO ENVIOUS she got to play with them.
It's kind of amazing the different approaches people take to their front yards. Some are meticulous gardeners who actually not only know what they're doing, but have curated their areas to perfection. Others seem to ignore their yards completely. On one block in particular, there is the divide between having what looks like a barren wasteland, to having color and joy. While I deplore the number of people who have lawns in an area where water is scarce, having dirt and weeds isn't great either.
The other side has native blossoms...good for bees and adds color without too much work (except for pesky weeds that are hard to eradicate).
One of the many things I love about the surrounding neighborhood is the variety of little surprises encountered on walks. One such example are these two beautiful dogs taking their job of guarding the house seriously. Nearly hidden behind a tall hedge, if you're not paying attention (i.e. being very nosy), you would miss the elegant path to the front door where the dogs are stationed.
Before you get all judgy and point out that using plates as garden bed borders is not considered artistic anymore, allow me to explain. I like FREE. As in, I found these thick plastic sturdy plates being given away free curbside. There were the ovals and the rounds. The rounds have been awesome as plant pot saucers and other garden needs. The ovals were just sitting there...and sitting there in the box waiting to be noticed and loved. Well, they are finally out of prison and being useful because the other freebies ran out. The roof tiles lovingly collected from curbside dumps didn't quite make it to create the border needed for the new plantings of fire sticks against the fence. The original wooden boxes that I built eons ago had finally rotted and the area needed an overhaul. Fine, as long as it cost NOTHING. Introducing, in all it's glory, the new plantings and the border (necessary for water maintenance):
