Overgrowth solved and order restored

In a previous post about the overgrowth from our abnormally bounteous rainfall for the past two years, the sidewalk was covered, couldn't get past the full blooms to get to the Critter Café, and it generally felt as if Nature was in such high gear it was taking over everything. While I'm all in favor of Nature taking back what's hers, there does come a point where we have to compromise. 

With soaring temperatures, not to mention my soaring age, you'd think that reason would prevail and yard work would wait. Think again. Not only am I a cranky old lady, but obstinacy is one of my more endearing traits, at least when it comes to certain chores. While the aches and pains that come later remind me to slow down a bit, some things just cannot wait. Hence, the big clean up.

The trash can that has it's very own hidey-hole (custom made by yours truly ages ago) is now open and ready for business. The agave and huge weeds are gone so the bin is happily at home. The sidewalk is now actually walkable and the brickwork that took forever to accomplish is back in view.

The path that was blocked with an overgrown pot of sea lavender on one side, and run amok African daisies on the other, is now open for a clear shot to the side yard and the Critter Café. It took two of us to get the huge pot on the dolly, but as it was a short trip to it's new home, it wasn't that difficult. My friend K kindly came and helped with cutting down a large agave that was suffocating a pot of geraniums and the irises trying to live beneath it. The effect of opening the area once again was magic (at least to me who has fretted about this for a year now).

Of course, the Critter Café has always been accessible through other avenues, including the side door to the house, but there are actually two separate bird stations. Without the path, getting to the second area was a brave adventure to squeeze through Firestick and nasty, pokey agave. Not fun. It even made me skip days to avoid being stuck. That didn't make the customers happy.

Station one:

 Station two:

Of course, knowing my customer base (who NEVER tip BTW), they will only become more demanding. Which is fine with me. Anything to please those who choose to grace the yard with their presence. Feathered, furred, and scaled only get to be this entitled. I don't put up with that from humans.

 

More interesting house features

If you have a chimney facing the front of the house, why not make it interesting? In this case, the owners chose to have exposed brick and stucco, which gives it an ancient feel.

This house has a true carpenter's touch. Yes, the man who lives here is actually a carpenter and it shows on some of the details on his house. He made arched (you knew that had to be a draw) window frames over the existing square frames. To be honest, don't know why he didn't remove the original frames, but I suspect it may have created more damage than was worth fixing.

While arches are my thing, in this case it's can-you-spot-the-doggie-in-the-window? Yup, there's a dog looking out and wondering why photos are being taken. Click on the picture to make it bigger to spot the ghost dog.

Though the arch of this gate is nice, it's not why it caught my eye. It is so ornate it should be at the end of a driveway to a mansion. Instead, it belongs to a modest house in the neighborhood, and adds panache.

This is what is so amazing about the 'hood. Always something to catch the eye and either make you think about some choices or admire the creativity.

More architectural oddities (and niceties)

Once again -- guilty of having passed by a place multiple times and not seen the obvious. In this case, there is a brick "patio" in front of these beautiful windows (because arches, duh). Thing is, the patio is only about two feet, or less, wide. Soooo, not good for a nice chair to enjoy the evening breezes, and not a way to get to the driveway or front walk. Just there. The front door is to the left, and there are stairs, etc., but one wonders why that narrow band of brick is in front of the windows.

On the niceties side, their mail box is beautiful copper with a lovely bird embossed below POST.

Farther down in the neighborhood, there is a house that has always struck me as utterly out of place in this area of cute Craftsman, Tudor, and Prairie style homes. It is so stark and featureless, made more so by lack of any landscaping to soften it up. Every time I go by, I think of it as an abandoned mini-market or gas station. Maybe a nice mural would perk it up.

But to end on an upbeat note, found at a house far from the above, this bit of cuteness just must be shared.

An artist in a bold medium

They say that art is in the eye of the beholder, and this beholder watched this happen. The finesse, the casual artistry, was awe inspiring. It's not every day a dog using a pee pad creates such a masterpiece. Behold:

This perfect heart formed in one shot. Phenomenal. Nellie congratulated Nick, the artist, on his performance.

Every day with these two is another day of wonder.

Making changes -- reluctantly

Sometimes you just have to realize that though you have nurtured your garden to do well, you just didn't know enough to think it through perfectly. In this case, I've mentioned that the rains have done wonders for our environment and did so much to ameliorate the drought, but they have brought on too much of a good thing in terms of growth in some areas. Had I done my research, some of the foxtail agave would have been planted farther back from the footpath so as not to overwhelm the space. But here's the dilemma -- I hate cutting back beautifully growing plants without having a plan for replanting if possible. Sometimes that's easy to do; sometimes not. If I can foist off cuttings onto neighbors, terrific. Just trashing them makes me feel wicked.

Take the case of the ugly trash bin. It's supposed to be tucked into a specifically designed space so it is accessible but hidden from view. Note the foxtail agave to the right have exploded in their growth so the footpath is hardly visible. Straight ahead where the bin is supposed to go, another plant (don't know the name) has gone crazy as well. Beyond that, what you cannot see, is an absolute mess of weeds and other outsized growth. There's no tucking of the bin possible. Add to the dilemma, the ground cover on the right was supposed to expand into the yard. It has, to a degree, but decided to also cover the footpath. One has to practically tiptoe to get through. So what's the plan? Alas, cutting back is the answer. Things have just gone too far.

Then there's the path from the front yard to the critter café where song birds, squirrels, ravens, crows, banded pigeons, and doves dine on only the finest seeds and nuts. They can also quench their thirst and bathe in the ample bird bath. Though, if you look, all you see is a mass of blooms and greenery that have taken over. What to do? Well, the sea lavender is in a pot that will be moved. The African daisies will be carefully cut back and planted in another area to thrive. That's the idea anyway.

Once the path is open again, it will lead to this open area which is leads to the critter café.

While decisions that I'm not particularly happy with do need to be made and executed, there are areas that the wilder they grow, the happier we are. One such spot is this:

Human hubris has devastating consequences

I'm currently reading Our Kindred Creatures by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy and confess that even though I've always had a dark view of human capacity for cruelty, lack of vision, and utter lack of brains, this book has rattled me to my core. Just getting past the first chapter was true hardship. Yet, I'm encouraging everyone to strap on and read this book. It's not just about animals and our relationship to them, it's also about our relationship to other humans and the very planet we live on. You can be the judge whether we are capable of change or not.

Though I knew that passenger pigeons were extinct by 1914 solely because humans made them so, I had no idea of the extent of the slaughter (five billion birds). It wasn't for survival at all. It was for sport. Just because. Bison would've met the same fate if some reasonable people hadn't stepped up and reined in the the the forces behind their mass killings. And when the reasons for killing millions of bison are explained, you'll truly wonder how people can live with themselves. During the same period, millions of wolves, bears, and other mammals were driven nearly to extinction before conservationists stepped in. And I won't go into the absolute cruelty of livestock like cattle, sheep, chickens, and pigs because that really hasn't changed.

What changes did occur were the result of the formation of SPCAs and their like. Though it was slow going and not perfect, Henry Bergh of New York modeled his ASPCA on the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in London. You might think he started out rescuing dogs. You'd be wrong there. It was horses and vivisection of animals for medical research. And when you find out why, it again makes you wonder how human beings can think they are supreme. 

The book gives a very clear and learned history of the forces of change in America, and that is encouraging, but it is far from over. It describes the rise of veterinary colleges and a more scientific approach to animal care. It talks about the very good steps toward laws concerning animal abuse and what actually constitutes abuse. Though it always takes decades to pass laws that seem a slam dunk, like banning steel-jaw leg-hold traps, the US persists in using them in all but six states (and they have exceptions). One hundred countries ban them outright. Why are we so behind? It wasn't until 2006 that California adopted a law which prohibits tying out a dog for more than three hours in a 24 hour period. EXCEPT -- and then they list the ways you can get away with that very thing. The majority of other states have no prohibitions for that at all even in searing heat or blizzards.

Of course, while the focus of the book is the US, worldwide, animal abuse is still prevalent and sickening. We need to focus on changing how we view our relationship with other creatures on the planet, and do it sooner rather than later. In fact, today would be good. 

After that discouraging news, here's a bit of a pick-me-up of two smiling faces:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the prize goes to...

The prize for largest ears and floppiest long tongue goes to Scotty:

 

This is one tired dog after we wore him out playing fetch at the dog park. Good times.

New projects in the works...sort of

Absolutely no one is wondering when new projects (usually of the tile variety) will be announced. The reason there has been no press on the subject is simple. The better than average rains we've had the last two years (hurray!) have created a gargantuan cleanup mess and I'm still trying to get things under control. That's not as easy as it was when I was a young whippersnapper of 50. Back in those halcyon days, the yard maintenance was not only easy, it was a fun challenge. Putting in a 10 hour heavy labor work day was no problem at all. Weekends were all about trying new things, digging out eyesores, and generally creating more work than was necessary.

That said, I do have a big challenge in the works. When the house was stuccoed eons ago, I told the workers to leave the back wall of the house stucco free. The intention at the time was to quickly tile/mosaic it. Welp, just like my front wall which sat around waiting for me to finish it for 15 years, the back wall has been very patient but is wondering when it will be done. The back porch and steps are wondering the same thing. 

There is hope for both those projects. I did start the area around the back door and then got stuck with how to proceed. If you haven't figured it out already, I have a tendency to dive into things without a well thought out plan. Winging it often produced more fun design opportunities and challenges that kept me going. For all you youngsters out there - don't do that! Have a plan. It can change as necessary, but have a plan. OK - enough with the life advice.

So, this is the wall in question and the beginning of the door surround. Yikes, I'm tired just looking at that.

As if that's not enough, the steps and porch without the cool bannister we had installed last year:

Perhaps by making this public, I will get going on it out of shame that it isn't done by now. On the other hand, I'm old, creaky and, at this point, pretty shameless. So there's that.

 

Loose dog rescue and awesome neighbors...again

Again with the amazing neighbors. This sweet Shepherd was running loose and the instant he saw C, N, And H, he ran toward them and cuddled up. Smart dog. They were able to leash him and try to figure out where he belongs. That's where I came in. 

Hearing an enormous barking ruckus from Nellie and Rascal at the front door, I found my neighbors had come across to see if I knew who this gorgeous and incredibly friendly dog is. Apparently there is the belief that I know every single dog within a 100 mile radius. Unfortunately, that is not entirely true, and this one rang no bells. I grabbed the phone, however, and called someone who might recognize the pup, but that too was a no.

As the dog had no collar, another neighbor had already called Animal Rescue from our local shelter. They have a portable device to see if the dog is chipped and the good news is, yes he's chipped. The only catch is whether the chip is current and the dog's guardian answers. The Animal Rescue officer made it clear that though he could not divulge information about the dog's guardian, he would make an attempt to return the dog to his home before taking him to the shelter. And yes, nosy as I am, I checked the Humane Society website to see if he was there. So far so  good, but I'll keep checking just to make sure. 

This saga is becoming too frequent with loose dogs. The good news is that our neighborhood is very alert and willing to leap in to help. Without that spirit, too many of these animals would be left to wander, be injured, or killed. I just hope this is a one off for this beautiful boy and his people will be more vigilant in future.

An unexpected gift is the best kind

The other day I received a text telling me that flowers had been left on my porch but they weren't in water. I went out and this beautiful, carefully curated bouquet beckoned. E and C were the kind souls who were so thoughtful, even though I have yet to figure out what I've done to deserve it.

And while we're on the subject of flowers, here are two exquisite rose blossoms that insisted on having their picture taken:

Bricks and stones may break my...oh wait

Nellie and I decided to meander down a street we haven't been to in a good while. Nothing against the street, mind you, it's just not a direct route to see her friend Nick so we normally skip it. Today, however, we were on a different quest as we were trying to mix up our morning walk a bit. We never made it to our designated destination, but it was sooo worth it. 

As we rounded the corner, this fence captured me once again. I've often admired it and since everyone knows how much arches fascinate me, this fence doesn't disappoint - even though the arches are upside down. There's something about the brick and then the XXXX in between that is almost medieval. Add the iron railings on top and that is one elegant and unusual fence.

But here's what kept us from exploring as far as we were expecting. A couple of houses down, we came upon what looks like an overgrown mess in front of a house that has seen better days. I noticed work being done on the roof and thought, hurray, this is being resurrected. How nice. The owner happened to be out, and as often happens, commented on how cute Nellie is and we started chatting. In addition to the new roof, the entire chimney has been rebuilt. Now, usually chimneys are of no great interest. Mostly they are pretty blah. This is the exception. In fact, it reminds me of Rubel Castle with its random stone and brick. After admiring the chimney, the owner offered to let me see the fireplace inside (no picture) and it has a 700 pound rock for the lintel. That's scary heavy. The rocks in the surround are HUGE. It is by far the most unusual interior fireplace ever outside a castle. Imagine something akin to this chimney, but on the inside:

Walking on, it seemed that brick and stone walls were popping up all over.  This particular fence is somewhat unique in that the rocks almost seem polished and consist of carefully chosen colors. The brick surround simply highlights the stone beautifully and the iron railing has that best of all shapes (the arch, duh!). I'm also wondering if our neighborhood has multiple people who are descendants of French or English royalty, because putting regal lions on fences seems to be a thing.

While a straight, plain stone wall may lack the storybook charm of brick and stone combinations, this particular wall provides a good counterpoint to the lush greenery it supports.

The variety of house and yard styles in this area continues to delight and amaze.

Elephant language and other revelations

! Lecture alert !

Can't say this enough -- what we DON'T know about other species is destroying them. Our egocentric thinking has allowed us to dismiss how other animals think, feel, and behave, which has led to their exploitation and the detriment of their well-being. Given that even our own cultural and gender biases have shaped our misinformation about how humans behave, this is not unexpected.

I'm sure you've heard about the alpha wolf.  This became a trope for many animals, including humans (anybody recognize the alpha male silliness?). This idea came about because the researchers at the time were studying random captive wolves in zoo settings. By now, thank goodness, this myth has been exposed for what it is -- shoddy research. Farley Mowat wrote a fictional account of his actual studies of Arctic wolves in the wild and opened the eyes of those who wish to see the truth (or nearer to). His book Never Cry Wolf debunked so many tropes about wolf packs and their hunting practices, that for a time, people actually realized their benefit to the ecosystem. Then, of course, people being people, they started decimating wolf populations and created a whole new environmental mess in national parks and other areas. 

Jane Goodall led the way for more researchers actually going out into the field to study their subjects. Her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees and gorillas broke so many stereotypes and misconceptions about their family groups and interactions with others of their kind. She also opened the floodgates for examining the very inaccurate notion that only humans know how to fashion and use tools. From her groundbreaking work, we now know that multiple species use tools, including (gasp) birds. 

Perhaps my favorite author and researcher is Peter Wohlleben, a German forester who has written several books on the natural world. The Inner Life of Animals is a great place to start thinking about our interactions in a new way. The Hidden Life of Trees: what they feel and how they communicate makes a compelling case for plant sentience. I mention the idea that trees must have intelligence and feelings to only a select number of people because I know the reaction is usually that I am looney tunes. Happy to wear that hat because there is increasing evidence to support that. And as if that's not enough to shake you up, yes, fish can feel pain, and insects have feelings too.

The latest in animal research is something that should surprise absolutely no one. In fact, I've never understood how this was even a question. We have known for a while that whales and dolphins can communicate with complete sentences (of clicks and songs), so why would it be surprising that elephants are able to communicate in sentences as well. Or for that matter, flies - who knows? Anyway, as a foster mama of an elephant, my eye caught this article and for anyone interested, here's the link:

https://www.salon.com/2024/05/27/researchers-decode-how-elephants-form-sentences-lending-insight-to-their-complex-communication/

And so I'll leave you with this thought for those of us who have dogs. Humans always think they're so smart, but how many of us are bi-lingual? Well, think about it. Dogs not only know how to talk to other dogs, but they also understand the language of their guardians. They understand verbal instructions like sit, down, stay. They also understand when you ask about their day and if they are ready to go for a walk. And while they aren't able to reply in human language, they do make themselves understood. Like Rascal, who is currently barking his head off with the command to feed him and feed him NOW. Gotta go.

Twin houses, yet not the same

Believe it or not, the two houses you are about to see are twins. I have been walking down this street and have glanced at these two for thousands of times over the years, and it never registered that they were identical in design, just flipped. So, the chimney of the blue house is to the left; the chimney of the beige house is to the right. Perhaps the reason it isn't so apparent is the difference in how they are maintained. 

The first house has a sad lawn, little greenery, and a perplexing walk leading to the front door that doesn't reach the public sidewalk. It's a road to nowhere. Frankly, the house has an almost abandoned feel to it, which is probably why I never paid much attention.

The house right next door is a totally different story. Exact same design and an entirely different vibe. While I'm not a huge fan of expansive lawns, at least theirs is well maintained and vibrant green. The bushes and trees at the front soften the rather stark design of the house itself. The pathway to the front door makes sense because it reaches the front sidewalk. They even have roses lining the edge of the yard. It's amazing how even a few well-placed plantings can make such a difference in the overall feel and look of a place.

 

And now, just for fun, and because I couldn't resist, another cool door which is a garden gate with decorative iron attached:

Win some, lose some

I've done multiple bottle borders in the garden. The first I did was a very long drawn out endeavor because I actually cut the bottles before creating the border (described in previous posts - 2015 if you want to peek). I've since learned to cheat and use the whole bottle. The bottle border in the front yard went in fairly smoothly and is holding up well, so that's a win. Before I put that in, however, I wanted to border the Oleander off the porch of my side door. Two reasons: helps (a bit) to keep the water where it needs to be at the base of the plant; and it keeps the leaves used as mulch in the same area. It is definitely a win.

Soooo, looking over at the Crepe Myrtle that is in front of the same door, I had the bright idea of bordering it too. Couple of problems from the get go: roots of the tree precluded going around the whole base or very deep; the ground itself is made up of a different soil type, which is more like concrete than dirt. OK - we can do this. Just do the side that leaks water the most and make it more decorative than seriously functional. By decorative, I mean I used two sizes of bottles. Well, it wasn't the most amazing design ever, but it provided a hint of pizazz - at least for about a year. Then, not so much. My fault entirely. My Critter Café is right near there, and I've attracted so many squirrels and Ravens who tussle with each other (nicely) over who gets the most peanuts, they have started running over and knocking down my bottles. So today, I said goodbye to this mess and pulled the bottles out to be used in some other fashion elsewhere. Or put in the recycling bin. One or the other.

Squirrels are very cute and all, but they aren't the neatest creatures.

Stay off the couch - fortress edition

Contrary to common sense and amongst other vigorous protests from my aching back and joints, I bathe Rascal and Nellie myself. The blow dry portion of the grooming session is achieved by walking them on our bright sunny afternoon. Long suffering partner takes Rascal while I wrangle Nellie's bath; I take Nellie after I have changed into dry clothes and will not scandalize the neighborhood. (Yes, I get as wet as they do). 

On bath day, we also do a full laundry of all dog bedding, towels, and other doggie equipment like leashes, harnesses, collars and the like. We have a couch, which, before my entirely ill conceived lapse in judgment allowing dogs to sleep on it, was a lovely addition to the living room. It is an ivory raw silk couch which must be protected from the grime of two dogs determined to bring in the outside every time they go for walks or sojourns in the backyard. As a a result, we now have four layers of protection against the normal dirt and any potential accidents that may occur. That said, washing everything is a major event and it is nice to keep it clean until AFTER their baths. In order to achieve that protection, I move chairs and the coffee table around it and smugly walk away secure in the knowledge I have outsmarted the pups. 

Yeah...that was my mistake. After the laundry (done while Rascal was out on his morning trek) I reassembled all the protective layers onto the couch. Then  the cleverly created a fortress against doggie incursions in place, I went about other chores that required attention, only to come back to this:

I can accept defeat, but the smug look on his face? That's just mean.

One more door for your consideration

Again with the architectural detail. This door intrigued me because it had several interesting features that are not common. It apparently leads to a courtyard and the attention to detail for the homeowner is already evident in the curved iron fence along the driveway, leading to the stairs. I mean, who would think to curve their driveway when it's a straight shot to the street? Genius. But I digress. The door is wooden, which normally wouldn't catch my eye, but, and here's the thing, it is arched (and we know how I love arches), banded with iron, and most fetchingly, covered with a small tile roof. The whole scenario makes me think of entering an enchanted land, or at the very least, something in an exotic locale.

To Fairy or Not to Fairy - that is the question

One of the streets in the neighborhood is known for its multiple fairy gardens. That led to a proliferation of attempts on other streets as well, some better than others. I have mixed feelings about the whole fairy garden trope. On the one hand, they can be both amusing and engaging, as the gnome in front of his door at the base of a tree certainly is.

If they are well kept and use natural, ceramic, or metal decorations (no plastic), at least they hold up well in weather and are fairly easy to keep up.

Some are quite clever in their design, evoking whole villages that are easy to visualize as little communities. Now here's where I'm gonna get labelled looney tunes. I'm not a big fan of nailing things into living trees. I know theoretically it does no damage to the tree, but do we really know that? After all, our study of creatures other than ourselves has been wanting on many levels, mostly due to our human-centric biases. Other than looking at trees as future buildings and industrial materials, what do we really know about them? Inquiring minds want answers.

Then there are the displays that started out clever and well cared for, and are slowly disintegrating. (Again with the nailing things to the tree).

 Or the whole letting the 3 year old put together something and then ignore it forever after so it is basically trash.

I think ultimately I prefer decorations like the pinwheel and flowers below. Easy to maintain, highly visible, and simple.

Mow, blow, and go away!!!

People who hire gardeners are lucky they don't have to deal with the messy hard labor of keeping up appearances in their yards. Of course, in general, those are people who have lawns, a few shrubs, and trees that drop leaves. Cue the mow, blow, and go guys.

Our City wisely adopted a ban on gas leaf blowers that went into effect over a year ago. Electric blowers only. Quieter. Less pollution. Good benefits indeed. The City even provided help for gardeners with obtaining the new equipment. Sounds well thought out and doable. Yeah...not so much.

What the City unwisely decided to do, was no longer hold the person employing said gardeners with upholding the new ruling. Doesn't take too many guesses to know how that turned out. Gardeners felt it was too much trouble or expense, other cities have not banned gas blowers, and why change what works for them, right? When asked, a couple of the gardeners in the 'hood said that it took too many batteries to get through the day and the blowers weren't strong enough. (Side note: my electric blower is plenty strong enough). The gardeners have a good point about the batteries not giving them enough juice to do all their jobs. So what to do about that?

Naturally I have the answer. If someone is rich enough to hire someone, then they can provide either the entire blower with a fully charged battery every time their worker shows up OR, they can simply have fully charged batteries available the model owned by the gardener if they don't want to purchase the whole tool. They can put the equipment in a secure place for the gardener to access when they begin work. It reduces expenses for both parties and it confirms compliance with the law. (Side note: won't happen). I get why raking and sweeping is not viable for those who have multiple clients per day. But having a gas blower that only creates a hurricane of dust, fumes, and noise that sounds like jet planes taking off, is truly not a good choice for the planet.

The other problem with the whole mow, blow, and go concept is all the mowing. If a gardener is retained weekly, that means the lawn (which in SoCal is a big water waster) is mowed weekly. What's wrong with that? Lawns that are cut short enough to play a game of pool (billiards) are hotter and don't retain water well. As a result, they need to be watered more frequently and never look as lush and green as people expect. In fact, in the summer they just look sad.

And don't get me started on weed whacking. Used carelessly around the base of trees it causes damage. Weed whackers don't solve the problem of certain weeds that should be pulled out by the roots, like foxtails, which are so dangerous to pets and other animals. It simply spreads the whacked seeds around.

OK -- enough ranting for one day. Though I will point out that the name of this blog is CRANKY little old lady, which means, yes, there will be rants from time to time.

You looking at me?

Walking down a street Nellie and I visit almost every day, I suddenly caught something out of the corner of my eye and it startled me. I felt like someone was staring at us and, yes, I was right. But this time it was no dog on the loose,  or a cheeky squirrel, or a parrot prepared to throws seeds from above. This time, it was the actual face of a tree. I've always felt that trees are very aware and far more sentient than humans want to believe. Now, there's proof.

Golden Girls and loose pups

I have the great fortune of belonging to a group of women who make the world go 'round. OK, maybe not the whole world, but they are responsible for raising funds for the Library by volunteering to staff the bookstore and holding bi-annual book sales. The lead volunteer is the Divine Ms. M, about whom I have had nothing but glowing words for her generosity and good impact on the community. She's the one who decided that since the Library has shown little to no interest in their volunteers since COVID, she has taken it upon herself to offer them a chance to meet, discuss what needs to be discussed, and have a good time too. I have been included, not because I in any way volunteer, but back in the day, part of my job was Volunteer Coordinator. Once a month we meet at Panera and the conversations are lively and frankly pretty astounding. 

I call us the Golden Girls because we're all retired. A couple have left the medical field after many years of service. One was a professor. Another, a teacher, and another, wonder of wonders, a school librarian. Funny how librarians cannot stay away for long. A couple of our group are heavily invested in animal rescue and I don't mean the odd catching of loose dogs. They belong to genuine rescue groups and foster multiple critters until they are adopted. In some cases, they just end up keeping them for life. In other words, so many different interests and backgrounds. Not to mention, the lunches are good too.

Now, being of a certain age range, naturally some of the discussion is around our various aches and pains. Woe betide the person who mentions some ailment and then doesn't follow the advice of one who has had said ailment and had it treated. We are expected to report back the following month with proof we are moving toward resolution. But mostly we just share ways to deal with getting older and creakier and move on. I confess to being addicted to it all. 

This month's lunch was no different. Lively conversation, some learning, and naturally some sharing of ailments. We parted feeling uplifted.

Driving home, I spotted a loose little dog. Are we seeing a pattern here? Am I manifesting loose dogs? Anyway, I pulled over and tried to tempt the dog to come to me. She wasn't having it and ran back across the street. A busy street. A woman walking her Shiba Inu called over and said that the dog lived at the house she ran to, and the people let her out all the time. I asked if they were trying to kill their dog. The woman agreed that she didn't like what they were doing either, thanked me for at least stopping and trying to help, and went on her way. As did I. It bothered me all the way home that someone could be so callously careless of their dog's life. 

It wasn't the best ending to an enjoyable outing, but that's life for you.

Just when you think your yard cleanup is going well

If we have a big wind storm, naturally we stalk the property looking for fallen tree limbs and other damage, but it is utterly unexpected when there has been perfectly reasonable weather and no warning signs of impending doom. Imagine our surprise when walking into our backyard to find a huge tree limb had cracked off a perfectly healthy Carob. Fortunately, in fell inside the fence, and not onto the sidewalk where it could've severely injured someone. All I can think is that the tree wasn't happy with my very aggressive weeding efforts the day before and decided to show it's wrath. No wait -- that doesn't make sense. Why would the tree do damage to itself? Oh well, just another mess.

 

The cracked limb needed surgical attention since those types of injuries attract insect activity, disease, and rot. It's a simple fix in that the cracked portion needs to be cut back cleanly at a joint, but no -- not climbing up there to do it. I called the experts and thankfully our tree will be feeling much better.

One very positive note on this adventure: our go-to tree guy came the same afternoon I called about it and took care of it for an incredibly good price. Then he noticed some issues I hadn't cottoned on to, and wisely so. Trees are something I absolutely encourage and love. But boy are they headaches in terms of proper care. But better that than dead trees or injured creatures from broken, falling boughs.

Quoth the Raven, SAVE MY BABY

Wednesday was a rare day indeed. First thing in the morning was enticing loose little doggie Sky back home. Well, enticing is hardly the word. She was so anxious to snuggle, she would've followed me anywhere. But I digress. I went about a boring day until our evening walk with K and Nick, which is always fun, instructive, and of late, exciting. That's when we encountered the second drama of the day.

A pair of Ravens were clearly in panic mode. They were cawing in distress and a couple of concerned people were standing there looking up at them. K immediately asked what was going on and the bystanders said that the Raven fledgling had landed behind a garage and the parents didn't know where and were panicking. Naturally, my immediate thought was - well, if you know where the baby is, why aren't you doing something about it. That snarky thought I wisely kept to myself. Instead, K and I asked where the fledgling was and we went to check it out. 

K wrangled Nellie and Nick (no small task) while I blatantly trespassed to get to the very narrow alley where the bird was spotted. It took me sucking my gut in to get past waste bins and other items, looking in between the fence and the concrete border, to finally spot the baby. She didn't seem injured, so that was a plus. But she clearly was stressed. By then, the homeowner came out to see why I was prowling around and had attracted so many onlookers. A quick explanation and request for a towel brought an instant smile and action. 

Luckily I was able to catch the baby with ease and carried her out to the large open area which is the neighbor's yard, whereupon I released her. Mom and Pop finally figured out where she was, kept swooping in to give her food, and she kept trying to get aloft. 

Now I wish I had a complete ending to this story, but we all felt it best to decamp and let nature get on with it. I confess, it drives me a bit bonkers not knowing a final outcome, but we did the best we can do.

And here is our baby:

Quick note:  Too many people still believe the misinformation that handling a bird results in the parents kicking them to the curb because they have the smell of human on them. Yes, there are animals who will not touch their young if there has been human intervention, though that is rare. Birds, on the other hand, are not noted for their sense of smell, and have no qualms about getting all the help they can get. They happily accept chicks that have fallen out of the nest. So if you see a very small chick that is too young to fly, and you can see the nest, don't be afraid to tuck the chick back in. Mom and Pop will thank you for it by not pooping on your car for a week. OK - I made the last part up. But you get the idea.

 

Another day, another dog rescue

Frankly, I was looking forward to a rather blah day. Some dusting, a few phone calls, checking in on Elvis, the hunka hunka burning love next door (a dog for those of you getting a bit too excited). Just strolling out in the garden to dump the bucket of shower water we collect waiting for it to heat up, when a doggie caught my eye. A dog I knew, out without a person, looking perplexed and a bit scared. Bucket goes to the ground and I call out "Chase. Sweetie, come here." Lo and behold, zero hesitation, just instant joy at being called. Practically jumped into my arms. 

Called out to long suffering partner to grab the slip lead and put it on the wiggly dog in my arms. Lead is on and off we go a full three houses down the street. The car in the driveway was revving up and the grandpa was coming out of the gate with a collar and leash in hand, looking frantic. He looks up and sees me. Grandma gets out of the car and can barely believe her eyes. The look of relief was gratifying. Sky, they say. Where was she? I explained and they took over. They were baffled how she got out and were going to check the entire fenced area for escape points. They were effusive in their thanks. All's well that ends well.

OK -- two things: Sky must not know her name, (I can't tell the two dogs apart) or she didn't care that I called for her brother because she was so happy to have a person to connect with. What is more interesting is that though I always talk to them as we walk by every day, I've never been close enough to pet them or tell them apart. I purposely talk to dogs behind their fences or out with their people on walkies. just for this scenario. They tend to trust me enough to go back into their yards if they are out, or come to me. 

Secondly, her people, unlike the people who have been neglectful with Patrón and Lucky, the two dogs we rescued last week, are tremendously responsible and caring. This was a first in all the years they have had their dogs. I'm just happy it went so smoothly and quickly.

So, back to my boring day until rescue number two. And this time, it wasn't a dog. Stay tuned.

Last ones for this year - I swear

Those things my garden refuses to allow in and thrive still have a place in my heart as I walk by other gardens. Today's top selection is a trumpet vine, happily covering a fence and blooming like crazy:

Not to be outdone is another vine that has a name but won't tell it to me, that also neatly covers the chain link fence, which face it, is not that attractive. The fence, not the plant. The plant is gorgeous.

Now, you're thinking I'm just too lazy to look this up on Google to find names for all the things I don't know. You are correct. Even if I did manage to identify them, it'd be out of my head in a nanosecond. The only names I remember past the first block upon introductions are dog's names. Every once in a while, their people's names will stick too, but that's rare. And before you worry about my mental state - no - I don't have dementia - yet. Just an overactive lazy gene.