Milkweed again and misc

You can smell the Milkweed from a long way away.  It has a heavy earthy sweet smell.  Some say it is like the smell of Lilacs…I don’t think so.  It has been a good year for Milkweed. The blooms are hanging down like huge earrings.

We have a number of plants in our area.  I am only noticing a few monarch caterpillars.  That makes sense as we have only seen a few Monarch Butterflies.

There were small butterflies feeding on the nectar the other day…he is brown with orange dots on the edge of his wings.  Not sure what kind they were.

We have had busy days. I have been working on painting Christmas ornaments inside on hot days and outside when it is nice weather. I have ten ornaments completely done and another ten just need strings for hangers, another ten are being painted.  I am trying to get all the ones done for relatives who will visit soon.  Almost all of the actual carving is completed or should be completed within the next week.

I mow the grass every few days, it rains nearly every other day too.

Chance has decided that he will eat ice cubes every evening.  He whines in front of the fridge until I get a bowl full of ice cubes and feed them to him one by one…can you say spoiled Border Collie. I cannot put the bowl of the cubes on the floor…he wants them from my hand.   Not sure what is up with that behavior …only he knows for sure. After he has had his fill he abandons me and goes to sleep.  He might miss the snow and ice that he eats all winter long.

Late Lilac

It rained, we got over an inch of rain in the last day 1 inch and 1/10 to be exact.

Chance and I walked through the yard to see what was new or old.

The Late Lilac is almost done for.

The faithful old Border Collie is never far away.

The Border Collie was quite ill and threw up copius amounts of bile one day…suet/bird seed….in his old age he forgets what makes him sick.  He must be watched closely.

Reminder to self: Self trim the Lilac right after it blooms before it sets buds for next year. 

Chokecherry Blooms

It was warm yesterday. 75F or 23 C eh! The Chokecherries came into bloom.

As you can see the flowers are cylindrical flower clusters. They are mildly fragrant.  I have made Chokecherry jelly…you cook up the berries and put them in a old dish towel to drain off the juice. I used to hang the towel up on a hanger and suspend it over a pan so it could drip, there is probably some fancy smancy way to get the juice but not the seeds or the pulp. I measure out so many cups of juice and add sugar and pectin and you get a runny jelly…or syrup once it is cooked up…it tastes great on toast!

Chance was following me around the yard looking for blooms.  We had to leave him home alone yesterday( Doctors appts) for the afternoon and he was very demanding after we got back.  He didn’t want to eat his supper, he just wanted his treats.  SPOILED.  It was just too warm to take him along.

I did some watering of some patches where we have grass seed planted and since Far Guy was at a meeting I hosed down everything on the patio…the pollen is horrid…everything was yellow…including Chance’s feet.  I cleaned out all the bird baths too.  We need rain to settle the pollen.

Breathing easier

Far Guy is breathing easier and looks better than he did on Monday.  He is comfortable in the hospital. He ate a good supper last night…salmon and rice. He might get out of there before the weekend if all goes well.  They are in the process of thinning his blood so that the blood clots will slowly dissolve over the next 3-4 months.  He is in fairly good spirits.

I spend my time between the hospital and home taking care of Chance, I come and go throughout the day.  Chance is confused that his whole “pack” is not together.   I get the message from him that I am better than nothing but he is waiting for Far Guy to return.

 

Quiet Days

We spend our days quietly.

I finally caught up with laundry and disinfecting.  Still catching up on sleep.

I made a wonderful meat loaf one night.  Thanks Mary Lou!  It was a hit.

I am only doing the things that I think are most important. If it involves Far Guy or Chance it takes priority.

Yesterday Chance and I fed the birds, one tiny little Nuthatch and I came eye to eye…he was really hungry. Chance was really bored walking back and forth from the feeders to the garage…I think he missed his longer walk.  No one has ever been able to explain to Chance that the mail does not go on Sunday. In his perfect Border Collie world the mail goes every day.

It was –27 F yesterday morning or –32C eh!

Far Guy is feeling just a little bit better, he is still exhausted and coughing. My hope is that he will improve just a little bit everyday.  He is a little stronger than he was two days ago.

Quiet roads and a big splash

The traffic out and away from our home is horrible.  People passing in no passing zones, even trucks passing two vehicles at one time.  It is crazy, does the whole world have a death wish or what?  Lots of tourists…in another two weeks they will be heading home.

We prefer our quiet country road.

Don’t get me wrong, we do have traffic.

It is just a different kind of traffic….hit and miss.

We have been woodcarving Christmas Ornaments just about every day, the patio looks like a woodshop.  We are nearing the end of the carving.  We have 70 ready to paint and 3 painted.  I will attempt to paint a few this week to send home with visiting relatives.

Chance is a bit better for the moment, he sleeps most of the time but attempted the stairs all by himself yesterday.  Taking the Vets advice I took him swimming, I slipped on the slime covered concrete pads at the boat landing …I made a big splash…it was a warm day so I was much cooler. Far Guy did not laugh but I am certain he felt like it. Chance just looked at me like “Wow… you want me to do that?” We wandered around in the water…swimming is just not his thing. Luckily the water cushioned my fall so I was not injured. 

Chance : Dirty Snow

I am supposed to forget about eating the dirty snow.   You know how hard that is for a dog that likes to chop down a bunch of snow?

It is really hard…the whole world is like one giant popsicle to a dog…avoid the yellow ones she says….now the dirty snow ones too. Picky picky picky.

She says I should wipe my paws too…only in her dreams.  She mumbled about some kinda booties…

She is bossy. I am supposed to ignore skunks, every night after dark and sometimes at o dark thirty AM she traipses out with me waving that flashlight and barking like some lunatic dog so the skunks if they are in the yard will run away.

They are waiting for the mud to come and go and the dirty snow to melt before taking me to the GROOMER.  They spell it sometimes…but I am pretty smart and have it all figured out.

Chance and I

went for a ride, Chance likes demands a ride just about every day.  Far Guy was off doing “stuff” with his classmates so we did our own thing…our own thing is Chance hanging his head out the window and me looking for photo opportunities.

We made one stop where I got out of the car and Chance hung out the windows keeping one eye on me.

The leaves at the white house with the blue trim were beautiful! 

I told Chance about how an old stove reminds me of fresh baked bread slathered in butter, and bacon frying up in a pan…oh and eggs just right for dipping.  Believe it or not Chance knows the word bacon and his salvia glands started working overtime.

I guess these are more for decoration and “remembering when” instead of cooking.

Our leaves were peak last Wednesday October 7 this year…then it rained and some are still okay but we are past peak with our fall color.

Chance: Left at the Groomers All Day

Far Side got me up early…I know the drill.  If just she and I go someplace it is to run an early morning errand or I am headed for the Groomer.  I like the early morning errands much better than the groomer.

Georgia was waiting for me and I about wagged my tail right off when I saw her.  Far Side ordered the usual…with emphasis on hypoallergenic shampoo and no perfume.  I had to stay a little longer than normal.  It was a real busy day for the groomer.  Usually I get a little vocal and sing for them and they call for my ride. Today I had to wait a while after I was done…Far Side called and told them to give me a cold drink of water…she knows I get so very thirsty on grooming day.   They said they would…but who knew if I drank anything or not…only me and I am not telling.  Keep them guessing thinking I was thirsting to death.

Far Side was off taking photographs and Far Guy was at his reunion…so I was stuck at the groomer…serenading everyone.

As soon as she could slowpoke Far Side came to get me, she had a thermos cup full of cool water for me…I sure slurped that down. All that singing dries you out!  On the ride home the car thermometer said 102 F or 39 C eh.  The house was cool when we got home…we ate supper and enjoyed the cool.

Then she decided she had to take my photograph.

I look tired, I am tired, going to the groomer wears me out…but I am clean and ever so handsome. At least that is what she who made me wait a long time for my ride said.

The Robins

The Robins have finally decided to make a nest.  One day there was no activity and a few days later..viola a nest!

For those of you that have followed my blog a long time, the nest is not on the ladder this year!  The Robins took the hint and built on the platform that Far Guy made for them.  He was lamenting it one day…saying maybe it should have had sides or maybe it could have been bigger.  Well the ladder doesn’t have sides and the ladder isn’t very big either.

A piece of wood and an old shelf bracket seems to have worked just fine.

Far Guys garage has a huge overhang…so that makes it a nice dry warm spot to have a nest.  In this photo you can see the ladder that was once a nesting spot and the spot where the shovels and rakes are hung along this wall which was sometimes the chosen spot.  That is an old greenhouse in the background which is now a woodshop/workshop warm place to work in spring and fall or chilly summer days.

It rained almost all day yesterday.  Chance and I were out in the rain several times.

Chance was my co-pilot for grocery shopping and errands in town…he put his window down and hung his head out in the rain.  We bought a new birdbath that we hastily put together in the rain, it ain’t perfect..we will fix it proper when it stops raining.  The rain is cold..but at least it isn’t snow!

Waiting

If you happen to be a Border Collie you spend a fair amount of time waiting.

Far Guy went to a meeting, it was too cold to go to town so Chance and I stayed home.   We waited, and he sighed, and sighed some more.  He is just not himself without his best buddy.

Even though it was below zero we went out to play ball.

He waits for me to lob the ball in his direction.

Ah he is a happy boy now, his tail is up and he is so proud bringing back that ball.

He ignores me and my camera, but I still capture the snow melting off his nose.

We played until he was cold and ready to quit, he dropped the ball and went and curled up right in front of the door so I couldn’t possibly go inside without him …his signal that he was done.  I did a few more chores outside while he patiently waited for me.

It was –38 F on Thursday morning…that is –38C.  Friday our high is supposed to be A POSITIVE 30 F or –1C.  68 degrees difference in 30 hours..now that is unbelievably weird weather worth waiting for.  I pretty much have to see that 30 degree weather to believe it.  So we are waiting…

Roses and Models

The evenings are getting chilly.  You might need a light hooded something to wear outside.  Better a light hooded something than a parka…that time is coming soon enough.

The climbing roses rose to new heights this year.

This huge arching branch grew way above the wagon wheel and then bent down with the weight of it’s blooms.  That is one of my favorite whirly gigs..a loon and a baby.

The neighborhood has been hauling wood in the evenings.  Wood from our woodshed down to my brother’s woodshed.  The neighbor kids are making short work of it all.  Chance will run along for one load and then he is content to stay with me and rest..and be a model.

Here he is showing off all the wild rose hips.

I had one other model.  She said “Wanna take my picture tonight?”   I said “Yes as long as you pose for me with your hand on your chin.”

One picture was all I got and she was off and running to catch a ride to the woodpile:)

Chance : Leaf Scout

Hiya!  It is me Chance the blogging Border Collie.  I have been out scouting leaves for Far Side.  If she leaves the yard I must accompany her..even if it means giving up a game of ball with Far Guy.

See I found her some.  Now it is time to go back home.  How many photos does she need anyway?

Hurry up slow poke I have a date with a ball.

The freaking leaves took so long he gave up and went in for a nap.  Oh well I suppose she wants to take more photos of me anyway.  I should ask for a raise.

(Chance is that a leaf on your butt?) 

Might be..whatsittoya? Leaves are all over the place:)

Cool and Windy

The weather is cool and windy..I think it must have snowed someplace or maybe an icecap is melting.  The air has a chill to it.

The animals are on the move.   Early yesterday morning Chance sounded the alarm..from his vantage point on the landing he could see through an open window and something came into his yard.  It was a porcupine that waddled on through… I saw it waddling.  I took Chance out on the leash ..Far Guy scouted around and yawned.  He said “It is just moving through.”  Maybe..

We saw some Turkeys the other day…they seem to be bunching up.

I gave Chance a lecture about the skunks and the porcupines..he is a Border Collie after all.

If he was as smart as his is handsome..we would be in business.  He challenged Sophie over at Odda and Putzer’s the other day..Sophie is the in charge welcome cat. Chance ran at her and barked..she stood her ground and tried to rub up against him..well it ain’t no fun if she doesn’t run.  Skunks run and Porcupines run..I wonder if Chance remembers his skunk encounter last year.  I have my skunk bucket all ready just incase.

My Japanese Tree Lilac that never blooms has yellowish foliage this year.

Burr Oak leaves turning brown.  Brown..brown everything is brown. It seems to early for the season of brown.

13 days and counting.  I had the day off yesterday.  Not much was accomplished I slept late..I baked some bread, did some laundry and played with the new camera.  Chance is good company:)