Booming Banter

Why are Friday’s always fun?

This morning was absolutely beautiful so cool and sunny. Along with just about every other puppy Mummy in the neighborhood my Ma skipped Zumba and took me for a VERY long walk. We got in all our steps for the day before 9:30!

She then took off with the bro to the pool so I hung out with Dad and vegged. We had a good time just the two of us. So peaceful without the bro’s phone and her  chatter. I can relax with Dad he isn’t always darting here and there like some crazy person.

When they returned they brought me the gift of a new tennis ball. I’ll be playing inside though because it’s boiling hot again right now.

I just got out for a quick pee that’s all I can handle in this heat. Only thing for it now is a cool bedroom and a good stretch for an hour!

These people don’t know how lucky they are that I’m so adaptable to their ever whim.

Blessing # 726 – Cool Character

The storm was fierce and snapped some of Ma’s plants on the patio so now we have little bunches of  flowers everywhere.

That wasn’t the only ravage of the night though. The deer have hit the hostas. Herself was feeling confident that the mint had done the trick but last night they plodded through it and almost totally took out the biggest and brightest plant. Hard to imagine this was a substantial sized bush!

I’m doing my best to stand guard and help with the situation but the big bucks banquet mostly before dawn when we’re still slumbering.

We are coming into fawn season now and saw the first one in Auntie Denise’s yard the other day. I was really well behaved and didn’t bark or anything. It seems the wee one felt so comfortable it came back the next morning and had a siesta under her table.

We do love our wild animals because this is their home just as much as ours. All we ask them is to eat our grass and not our borders.

Touch those lilies Bambi and we’re  throwing the book at you!

Blessing # 725 – Fighting On

It’s been another powerfully hot day and now we are waiting for big storms to come our way.
Ma is hoping there will be no damage but is actually looking forward to the rain because she doesn’t want to water her plants. This is another thing that is hard for me to understand. Why go crazy planting things and then huffing and puffing because you have to water them.

We have a sprinkler system but she doesn’t put it on because she says it’s a waste of water and isn’t « GREEN »We already have cut hay while neighbors have perfect lawn because they do use theirs.  

This gets her singing a very old song from her childhood. You do not want to hear this, well at least her version!

It was released about the time my Dad bought the book UTOPIA that she has just finished reading. His signature was on the inside cover with the date! The price is on the back. Funny currency back then!

Seems that place was very strange. Everyone wore the same clothes and lived in the same sort of houses and got to eat together in big communal dining halls everyday. They also had to go work down on the farm ever few years.

Ma said it was all a bit creepy and not what she was expecting at all. Seems it impressed many people over the years though.

Just as well Ma isn’t one of them or we’d be off!

Blessing # 723 – Staying Stateside

I’ve learned from yesterday’s indulgences and so has Ma. We got out early before it was hot and walked less too. I’m resting up and hydrating well. I’m also working on my glycogen stores stealthily seeking snacking  opportunities.

The bro was starting work at 7:00 so was up and cooking his breakfast when Ma and me surfaced at 6:15. He makes a mean fried egg but he didn’t share a single morsel with me.

Ma always throws a little sprinkle of Frosties on my morning rations but my Dad’s the softest touch when it comes to sharing.

When the bro brings home treats Dad always gives me some. I love it when we get Panera chips that are so yummy. They are really hard and salty and crunchy.

When it comes to body building I’ve  been contemplating cracking into the creepy crawlies as it seems they are all the rage when it comes to alternative protein sources.

Imagine they might tickle a little going down. Ma doesn’t think it’s wise. Seems my predecessor Mr Darcy ate spiders and they caused him to salivate to the point that he had to go to hospital.

I’ll stick to standard sausages.

Blessing # 722 – Food for Thought

Man it’s toasty and being a double duty walking day I’m seriously hot. May need to make an appointment for a short back and sides soon or even a shave.

This morning’s outing was bearable apart from some delay on the return as herself has decided to pull up weeds by the root to create a wild flower garden. Tell me the sense in this if you can. One day she spends the whole morning attacking them and the next she’s out plucking them to plant. Hard to understand the workings of the human mind.

This afternoon it hit 30C but we had another walking engagement and since this meant a ride in the car I didn’t object at all.

When we got going though I realized that it was not so easy. Some kind soul had left a big bowl of water outside their house that was guzzled down with thanks and helped a lot.

In the end though when we had reached the half way mark I decided I’d have to take additional action. Each time we hit a shady spot I just lay down. The humans were impressed with my wisdom and let me rest a while. Each time they just went on gabbing. It’s handy being able to sweat like them all I have is my tongue and it can only stretch so far!

Can’t tell how fresh it felt to get the windows down in the car and how good that drop of Adams Ale was when we got back to the ranch.

It’s hotter still tomorrow so walks will be sprints not marathons.

Blessing # 721 – Air Conditioning

So much for Staghorn Sumac being deer resistant. Aaron’s tree is but a shadow of its former shelf. Ma was furious when she saw it this morning. Nothing for it but to put it behind a fence.

The bro has moved many times in his short life. It seems his tree might too. It’s now on the patio and we hope it will recover from that savage attack.

She contemplated planting mint in its place as the deer still haven’t eaten that but thought it might go berserk as it has at the front door.

She can’t say enough good things about mint and finds it very handy even as a foliage with a flower. It overpowers my poor nostrils a bit but I’ll endure for peace!

We decided since it was only 75C we’d weed. I got a nice little car ride to the garden center to get  mulch. We debated whether to buy another tree but decided not.

While Ma pulled out about a million dandelions and cut all the daffodils back I had a good snooze.

She has filled a bag the size of a young dumpster. It worked off her frustration though so now she’s  chuffed it will mean plain sailing for us all this evening. Walkies!!

Blessing # 720 – Moving On

Over the past twenty four hours our yard has become a focal point for cottonwood fluff. Unless you see with your own eyes you will not believe that it has almost entirely bypassed our neighbors to land on us in abundance!

Maybe because we are at the top of the hill or maybe because we have an exposed lot but we’re blanketed

If it was manna from heaven we could feed the five thousand as it is we could start spinning and make a few loincloths.

Ma was mad as every time we open a door the floating fabric flies in. Every nook and cranny is covered in the porch and garage! It sticks to the ground like snow and I find it all awesome.

I’ve had a word with herself to convince her it’s wondrous.

At last she took note and found that indeed this is very special. Native Americans consider it to be nothing less than the source of the stars and a sign of great hope. Check out the full story if you’re so inclined.

https://treespiritwisdom.com/tree-spirit-wisdom/hardwood-trees-swords/xvii-cottonwood-star/

If not here’s the lighter version!

So why worry. Be like me. Embrace it as something delightful. Roll in it and do that Sun Dance!

Blessing #719 – Stardust

 

 

Dad and I have been left to our own devices most of the day. I got two walks so can’t complain just in case she hears of it and gets huffy.

Suppose we’ll have to get used to each other! With all these fitness classes going on again and the pool open to boot herself will be unavailable for snuggles while watching TV. I’ll have to switch channels no more HGTV for me!

Add to this Ma is starting to do some shifts at the antique mall to fund her habit of collecting lost objects and re-homing them. Wish she’d concentrate on a pursuit like fishing where I could join her. 

I’ve been on the lookout for some diversions. If they’d get me an electric fence like most of my pals I could be out guarding and hunting all day. Instead they keep me in “the safety of the house and porch”.

Even those stupid squirrels tease me because they know I can’t get them. Sit right in front of me eating nuts!

Not a bit fair. I’ll have to take to books like Dad. Seems that’s all that remains for those of us still in lockdown apart from munching crunchies and he’s fortunately very generous!

Blessing # 718 – Fatherly Fortune

This morning I was working early frightening those dear deer away.

They are pretty bold and even when I barked out loud they stood still like statues and stared at me. Gave Ma time to take this picture!

You wouldn’t believe it but they got their own back on me. As I was reposing on Ma’s knee this afternoon she spotted one of their passengers stuck to my ear.

Have to give it to her she was fast and got the little beast.

Herself and the bro socked them a blow by digging up some dead wood and putting in a new tree. One they don’t like.

The bro did the digging as the tree marks his graduation. No matter if he moves on he will always be able to come back and see how his Tigers Eye is doing.

He did a good job and it got well watered in by a big downpour.

Definitely the right moment for new beginnings.

Blessing # 717 – Planting Hope

Ma spends a lot of time multitasking watching TV while simultaneously on her phone looking at Facebook. This annoys me as it detracts from time spent with me. Unlike Dad, who eats books, she doesn’t read that much except at the pool. As I’m not around there that’s not a problem.

There is a method to her summer madness. She gathers books for the marathon at sales throughout the year and makes a little pile in the bedroom of « must reads ». If she has a Maeve Binchy she reads it first as it gets her in the right mood and also into the swing. It’s a bit like training a muscle!

Once the Maeve is finished then she puts part of her stockpile into her big pink plastic purse that goes with her to the pool. There has to be some classics included that have never been read before.

Today I helped with the selection and she took three books. The choice of book is made like a lucky dip. It’s the first she touches with her eyes closed when she opens the pink purse. If she starts and doesn’t like it then it goes back in the purse to be read later when she’s stronger and takes another.

Today’s pick was good it seems. Utopia! Written in 1516 it’s fair to say it’s been read by generations.

Sir Thomas More the author was a man of great courage. The Man for All Seasons. He stood his ground on his principles even against his King the infamous Henry VIII.

Some phrases from Book One seemed very timely even though they were written so long ago.

Sometimes when we can’t find the words the words have a way of finding us!

Blessing # 716 – The Right Read