3 Dog Adventure

Yesterday afternoon I was working at my parents house, doing computer work and bills and stuff.  My father had a massage appointment and was getting ready to leave the house.  He was going to take his two Rottweilers with him like he normally does, but since I was there he decided to leave them at home.  He put them in the house with me and drove away.

I folded some laundry and checked some email, thinking enough time had passed I let the dogs out.  Immediately I noticed them looking in the direction Steve had driven, but I told them to stay and went back inside.  I packed up my stuff and headed to my car.  And as I’m sure you’ve already guessed, the dogs were gone.

“Shoot!” I thought (edited for sensitive eyes) and headed out to look for them.  My dog, Basil, was with them so I started calling her name.  I drove out the top road, thinking they couldn’t have gotten far but didn’t find them.  So I headed back to my parents house, thinking maybe they circled around.  Nope.  So I went to the barn, not there.  Finally I drove down to my brothers house.  Not there either.  So I went back to the barn, told one of our employees to keep an eye out for them and please take care of my dog for the night if they showed up.  “No problem” she said, and I headed on my way home…knowing I was bound to find them on the road.

Every corner I drove around I expected to see them.  And no dogs.  I was almost to the end of the road and I was starting to get really worried.  If they made it all the way to the pavement, they were in trouble.  People drive fast and carelessly on that road, they could get hurt.  And they are three beautiful and sweet dogs, they might let anyone pick them up!

I was coming around the last corner before the gate and I see one of our neighbors parked.  She’s next to her truck throwing little chunks of bread at Basil trying to get her to come to her.  Basil is just jumping around, playing hard to get, and a little frightened.  I run up and grab her, thanking my neighbor.  She said she saw the other two dogs running up the road.  We both hoped in our trucks and headed after them.

They were only a couple hundred feet away from the pavement when we finally caught up to them.  They were both exhausted and rather happy to see me.  Oona, the younger of the two, immediately tried to jump in the back of my car.  She’s huge and almost didn’t make it.  Xara, our old girl, needed help getting up.

And there I was, a 70lb Doberman and two 100lb + Rottweilers squeezed into the back of my SUV.  It was quite a sight I’m sure.

I drove into town, knowing where Steve was, and loaded them into the back of his truck.  I left him a voice mail explaining what happened, which of course he didn’t get until after he saw the dogs in the back of his truck.  But now we know, Just take them with you Steve, ’cause that’s where they want to be.

Art of Watering ~ Steve

Nothing could seem simpler, but watering is one of the most difficult things you can do in a nursery – and in your home garden.

An obvious example would be the world of succulents, where it is common knowledge to avoid watering and let your plants live. As you know, one plant can have quite different demands than another. As a nursery person or a gardener, you have to keep your wits about you. And knowing not all plants are equal is really only the start down the path of watering correctly.

So, why do I think that watering is an art and needs to be approached with some thought? Here are some reasons:

• if the plant is not metabolizing (it is too young or too sickly and challenged) it can’t use the water you would like to give it and, in fact, if you continue to blindly water the poor thing, you will encourage rot.

• your potted plants need air as much as they need water – maybe they need it more than water. If the water pushes the air out of the spaces between the soil particles, then the chemical reactions that would normally occur there are impended. It could be your plant is yellow not because it is missing nitrogen, but because it is too wet for chemical interactions. Wait until the soil is dry down to your first or second knuckle before watering.

• The quickest way to kill a potted plant is to over water it. Hey, you might think, “It looks sick, I think I’ll give it some water.” Stop and consider.  Constantly wet, as opposed to moist, soil dramatically increases the likelihood of fungal disease and soil insect infestations… Fungus gnats – oh, those fungus gnats.

• oh, did I mention under watering? This is as bad as over watering and many people’s first response to an over watering issue is to over-react and under water. But without moisture throughout your root ball, your roots will begin to wither – dead roots invite disease and insects.

Getting worried yet? Well, don’t. Just study your plant and its needs and apply same. Use the good old internet to give you more information than you want to know

Wordless Wednesday ~ My Blue Girl

This is my new puppy. She is only 4 wks old here, and I will be picking her up on April 1st. She is a purebred blue Doberman Pinscher.

Our Dogs (warning, this is a little sad)

As far back as I can remember we’ve had a dog.  The first dog I remember was a husky mix named Silver.  I vividly remember the last time I saw him.  I was about 4 or 5 years old, and I fell asleep with my head on his belly while watching cartoons.  The way I remember it, he slowly got up, grabbed an old tattered green pillow off the couch and then gently put it under my head so I wouldn’t know he was gone, before he ran out the door.  Of course in reality I must have fallen asleep with the pillow under my head already, but I prefer my memory…much more “romantic”.  Unfortunately the ending of this tale is not a happy one, when he ran out the door he went to our neighbors house. They had sheep.  They thought he was a wolf.  They shot him.

Our next dog was a Golden Retriever named Sadie.  She was the sweetest dog in the world.  She had thirty puppies in three consecutive litters.  I remember one puppy we had for quite a while.  He was pure white and grew up to be Great Dane size (we can thank the dad for that I presume).  When he was about six months old we found a home for him with the family of a friend of mine from school.

After Sadie had her final litter we got her fixed (we wanted to do it after the first litter, but she got out and knocked up again so quick we never had the chance, TWICE).  After the operation a blood clot formed and she had to have a surgery to have it removed.  Then she contracted an extremely rare disease (can’t remember what) and had to be put down.  I cried for days afterwards.  This experience is what changed my mind about becoming a vet (my dream since I was tiny).  I knew I would never be able to look a little girl in the eyes and tell her her dog is gone.

We took her body and buried it on our land.  I remember just as my mom and I finished putting the last of the dirt back and stood up, a pair of doves swooped out of the trees, low over Sadies’ grave and then flew up and away.  I am not a religious person, but I know Sadie is in doggy heaven.

We didn’t have a dog for a while after Sadie.

Then we got Shiva.  Our first Rottweiler.  And we’ve never looked back.  Rottweilers have a bad reputation.  And like any large dog, if they are raised in a violent environment, are treated poorly or abused, or taught to be aggressive, then they can cause a lot of damage.  But if a Rottweiler is put in a loving home, treated like one of the family and given tons of attention, they are the most loyal, loving, intelligent, and wonderful dog you’ll ever have (In my opinion).  They are really smart, and Shiva for one, wouldn’t hurt a fly.  If anything, she might accidentally knock you over as she leans (typical trait) into you for more pets.

Our first rottweiler, Shiva.

When Shiva was getting older, we got our next Rottweiler, Xara.  We thought having a puppy around would give Shiva a little more life (and we figured she could teach the puppy a thing or two).  Shiva was with us for about another year, before she went into the woods and never came back.  We are all angry with her for that.  We never got to say good bye.  But we know she loved us and we miss her.

Xara

Xara is fine now, but when she was little she had problems with her hips.  Her hindquarters didn’t develop fully until she was about 4 years old.  She looked like a little puppy with a huge head.  She had arthritis and we gave her pills for her joints and for pain.  After a little while, my dad started bringing her to the Ranch every day, she would run around with other dogs when they were there, and she loved it.  Her hind end finally caught up with the rest of her, and now her joints only bother her when it’s really cold, or she’s been working really hard.  She’s a little spoiled, but smart as a whip and sweet as can be.

Steve had been thinking/dreaming about getting another puppy for a while.  And just after Thanksgiving, they finally did.  Now we have little Oona too.

Oona, the puppy.

She was the pick of her litter.  She is brave, smart, and a little troublemaker.  She gets into everything.  She’ll be laying on the floor, chewing on a toy and then suddenly, with a little flop of her head, she’s chewing on a chair leg instead.  You have to watch her Every Single Second.  If she isn’t in your direct sight, she IS doing something she’s not supposed to.  But she is a very quick learner, and all she wants in the world is to make us happy.  Xara was a little skeptical at first (“What in the world is this thing” I’m sure is what she was thinking), but now they get along great.  Oona pushes the limits, and Xara has to puts her in her place from time to time, but over all they get along.  I think once Oona grows up the two of them will be a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, now Xara and Oona are really my parents dogs.  Currently I have cats.  Whom I love.  But next spring I plan on getting my own puppy…*sigh*

The Ocean, The Cave

Abierto Beach

Behind my nephew is the Eastern most tip of all California.

That's the entrance to the cave we crawled into.

And this is the hole to the sky inside the cave.

Family, Mexico, Beautiful

Steve (Grandpa) feeding little Jairo for the first time.

Isn't he just the cutest thing you've ever seen?? Somedays he looks like his dad, others his brother.

Dad (my brother) with his little hippy boy.

Sorry it’s been a while folks.  I’ve been so busy since I got home I barely have time to breathe.  Finally, I had a moment to sit down and get some pictures together for a post.  I’ll have a few more, of the views in Mexico, soon.

Away for a while…

Hey folks. SO Sorry I’ve been absent for the last week or so. I had every intention of posting, and then, well you understand. Stuff came up. As stuff tends to do. But I do have some exciting news.

I’m going to Cabo to meet my new nephew and sister in law to be. I can’t wait!! I’ll be gone from the 19th to the 31st. And I will, do you hear me, I WILL come back with a tan.  I even bought a new swimsuit (gulp).

On a business related update.  Our succulents are going crazy.  And we will be putting them up for sale very very soon.  My dad is working on the webpage, and I’m putting together some ebay auctions.  So, keep an eye out, cause they are adorable, irrisistable, and you know you want one!!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Oscar & then a flower

I got a new kitten. I thought I’d share his sweet face with you.

And because this is a gardening blog, here is some natural beauty…

Wedding Time (& a quick Thanks)

Hey everybody,
I wanted to let you know this weekend is the wedding. The whole family is flying down to Orange County and my cousin will be married at 430 on Sunday. I am so excited for her. I was thinking earlier, the whole time I’ll have a huge smile on my face and tears streaming down my cheeks. I can’t help but cry at weddings. Nothing I can do, so I just run with it.

I’m going to get a tiny bit mushy for a moment (love does that to me).
I want to thank you all SO much for reading my blog. Even the people who haven’t commented yet (please say hi any time). Although I love writing and coming up with useful stuff for you to read, without you there really would be no point. So thank you. Thank you for reading, and caring, and writing yourselves. I enjoy it all!

Affably, Stephanie

Family Update : Exciting News

My brothers son, my nephew, the first of the next generation in our family was born last night at 9:30 pm.

He is 6 pounds 2 ounces.  And 20 inches long.

Steve is a Grandpa (Pops, Nonno, Tito ??)

I’m an Aunt! I can’t believe it. It happened so fast. Seems like just yesterday he told us he was expecting a baby with his girlfriend Cristina.

And we are all SSOOO happy!!  Hopefully we’ll be able to go down to Cabo and visit in August.

Jairo Dre Dodge, looks just like his dad.