Grapevine Wreath in the Garden

It was June of 1999. This will be the first of a few posts that refer back to 1999. Oh what a year it was! I was a subscriber to Garden Gate Magazine (still am) that included a gardening "tip" section sent in from their readers. If they thought it was good enough to publish, they alerted you of your success and sent you a copy of that issue for free. If they indeed felt your tip was great enough to feature, along with an illustration, not only did you get a free copy of that issue, but it also earned you $25! Well guess what people? Yep, it was my lucky year. Take a look!

Quite Handsome as Buzzards Go I Suppose

June 26, 2010 - "Look at the big birdie!" I heard this guy say to his small child in tow behind his bike. I was watering my garden in the front of the house when he stopped and pointed to the street ahead. When I stepped forward to see what he was pointing to, there was a huge turkey vulture; standing as big and proud as he could. He had just claimed a meal; a dead squirrel that someone had run over earlier. I asked the guy if he wouldn't mind staying put until I returned with my camera for fear if he moved, so would the bird.

The vulture didn't seem to mind the audience; at least not until a man and his dog approached. At that moment the vulture spread his 8' wings (slight exaggeration, but not much) and flew up onto my neighbor's roof. Once up there he looked down on us like we were his disciples and he was preaching the gospel. He puffed up his wings and strutted around like he was putting on a show for us.

Eventually he flew back to finish what he started before disappearing through the trees. He was an ugly buzzard; but awesome at the same time. Just another one of Mother Nature's many creatures; albeit not one of her cuter ones. I guess even Mother Nature has her bad days.

The Philosophy of Ambiguity - Humorous reading

I received this in an email from my sister, and enjoyed it enough that I felt it would be a good addition to my blog. Enjoy!

FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE PHILOSOPHY OF AMBIGUITY, AS WELL AS THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF ENGLISH, PLEASE READ ON:

1. DON'T SWEAT THE PETTY THINGS AND DON'T PET THE SWEATY THINGS.
2. ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR. (MY FAVORITE!)
3. ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANIZATION.
4. IF MAN EVOLVED FROM MONKEYS AND APES, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?
5. THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE.
6. I WENT TO A BOOKSTORE AND ASKED THE SALESWOMAN, "WHERE'S THE SELF- HELP SECTION?" SHE SAID IF SHE TOLD ME, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE.
7. WHAT IF THERE WERE NO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS?
8. IF A DEAF CHILD SIGNS SWEAR WORDS, DOES HIS MOTHER WASH HIS HANDS WITH SOAP?
9. IF SOMEONE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES THREATENS TO KILL HIMSELF, IS IT CONSIDERED A HOSTAGE SITUATION?
10. IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?
11. IF YOU SPIN AN ORIENTAL PERSON IN A CIRCLE THREE TIMES, DO THEY BECOME DISORIENTED?
12. CAN AN ATHEIST GET INSURANCE AGAINST ACTS OF GOD ?
13. IF A PARSLEY FARMER IS SUED, CAN THEY GARNISH HIS WAGES?
14. WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK?
15. WHY DO THEY LOCK GAS STATION BATHROOMS? ARE THEY AFRAID SOMEONE WILL CLEAN THEM?
16. IF A TURTLE DOESN'T HAVE A SHELL, IS HE HOMELESS OR NAKED?
17. CAN VEGETARIANS EAT ANIMAL CRACKERS?
18. IF THE POLICE ARREST A MIME, DO THEY TELL HIM HE HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT?
19. WHY DO THEY PUT BRAILLE ON THE DRIVE-THROUGH BANK MACHINES?
20. WHY ARE HEMORRHOIDS CALLED "HEMORRHOIDS" INSTEAD OF "ASSTEROIDS"?21. WHAT WAS THE BEST THING BEFORE SLICED BREAD?
22. ONE NICE THING ABOUT EGOTISTS: THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.
23. WHY IS THERE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON SOUR CREAM?
24. DO INFANTS ENJOY INFANCY AS MUCH AS ADULTS ENJOY ADULTERY?
25. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CIVIL WAR?
26. IF ONE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER DROWNS, DO THE REST DROWN TOO?
27. IF YOU ATE BOTH PASTA AND ANTIPASTO, WOULD YOU STILL BE HUNGRY?
28. IF YOU TRY TO FAIL, AND SUCCEED, WHICH HAVE YOU DONE?
29. WHOSE CRUEL IDEA WAS IT FOR THE WORD 'LISP' TO HAVE 'S' IN IT?
30. WHY IS IT CALLED TOURIST SEASON IF WE CAN'T SHOOT AT THEM?

What to Do in the Case of a Tornado - My Own Theory

If you live in an area where tornados are known to touch down, I believe you will benefit greatly by the following. What you need to know right now is where there is a farm nearby with chickens. Once you have determined its location, make note of it and keep that note handy; someplace that you'll remember.

When a tornado is predicted for your area, keep in mind that farm mentioned above and refer to the note if necessary. When the tornado is threatening, start making your way to the farm while you are still able to drive. Park and wait. When you see the funnel off in the distance, grab the first chicken you can get your hands on and hold onto it for dear life. Once the funnel has passed, you and the chicken should be very windblown and calling for Auntie Em, but alive and safe. It is now okay to release the poor ruffled thing.

I know this works because of all the movies I've seen about tornados. You always see houses, trees, tankers, buses, and cows in the funnel, but .... YOU NEVER SEE A CHICKEN! So there ya go! Give it a try and post the results. I'm curious to know if my theory is correct.

Hummingbird Baby and Its Mama - Great Video!

Check out this video posted on YouTube! It's the sweetest thing with a happy ending. Hummingbirds are known for being fearless. They will come right up to you if you stand near the feeder. Once I had glasses with red plastic frames. While standing in my front yard one day, a hummingbird come right up to me and poked my lenses with his beak; undoubtedly trying to see if there was any nectar to be had I assume. :)

Peter & Peeps -- Rescued Baby Hummingbird Fed in Hand by Mother
Fallen baby hummingbird rescued, nursed to health, and fed by mother hummingbird while being held by Peter Tommerup, Saratoga CA, June 2007.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7xBLvMIBZU

Not Your Ordinary Garden Border

If you have worn or chipped china or mismatched pieces and you're thinking of tossing them, why not use them in your garden as a decorative or even functional, border. I do mosaics, so had a lot of salad plates left over from projects I completed. I purchased the china from yard sales for near nothing. Since I already had a stone border, I placed my dishes further apart and used them more as an accent piece. But if you have enough, place them close together or even overlap them a tad and it makes a great and attractive border for your garden; not to mention a neat conversational piece.

Another great idea is to take clay pots of varying sizes; turn them upside down and line them up across a flower garden. Clay pots are relatively inexpensive, and the construction of the border is effortless. One caveat for zones that get to 32-degrees F or below though: clay pots do not survive winters outside. They crack and crumble and can't be reused for the purpose originally intended. Therefore, you will have to gather them up and put them inside your shed or garage and bring them out again in Spring. If you do forget and leave them out, don't toss the shards of clay you most certainly find after the last days of winter, but rather, save them for the bottom of your containers when planting time arrives. Stone or gravel is always recommended for the bottom of pots before adding soil, and clay shards work just as well.

Rescuing Sugar Joe

Isn't he the cutest? It will soon be a year since we adopted Kolby from the 11th Hour Rescue and brought him home to join our family in August of 2009.

We were on our way to LensCrafters to pick up my new glasses when I noticed a "Dog Adoption Today" sign in front of PetSmart. "Let's go take a look" I pleaded with Rob. Normally, there would be no hesitation, but just 2 weeks prior we had returned an 8-month old Springer Spaniel puppy we adopted the previous March because, unfortunately, she had aggression issues and came very close to killing our cat Luca. Sooooo, do we try again so soon? There were many dogs vying for human attention and putting on their best "please adopt me now" performance. Rob spotted Kolby as he was the only dog not barking. He was shy and somewhat timid with very unique markings. The tag said "Sugar Joe"; Australian Shepherd mix. We liked him a lot, despite the huge mat of hair that took over his entire back and a "doggy" smell that was overbearing. Papers signed, leash, collar and other necessities paid for and off we went. We drove all the way home with all windows down and our heads hanging out so we could breathe.

The first thing I did when we got home was bathe him and cut off that rug that used to be his fur (outside on the deck of course). We weren't thrilled with the name Sugar Joe, and 5 days later came up with Kolby, as in cheese. Kolby was one of 200 dogs that were rescued from shelters in the south that were on the euthanasia list. His papers were generated in Georgia, so we can only assume that's where his prior home was. He has turned out to be the best companion anyone could ever ask for. He minds well, has a very sweet disposition, gets along great with other dogs and even cats (thank goodness!), rarely barks and obeys commands. Everyone loves him. He continually receives praise from others, and everyone remarks on his coloring. We love our baby boy to pieces. He's the best! Earlier this year his photo and bio was published in the local newspaper (see below). Kolby turns 3 on June 30th, and you can bet he'll be spoiled even more that day!

Generational Botanicals, a Cut Above

Back in 2002 I hung a variegated spider plant in the kitchen window of my apartment. It thrived there for 3 years, producing babies prolifically. My friend Mike liked the plant so much, I clipped a few babies away, rooted them and gave them to him with my good wishes in Spring 2005. November that same year I was leaving my apartment and moving to New Jersey. Gave the mother plant to a neighbor and off I went. It wasn't until recently (6/19/10) that I saw Mike again. The cuttings I gave him back in 2005 matured and produced many babies of its own since then. Mike rooted the babies in yogurt cups filled with soil. I took 3 of those babies home with me and planted them all together in one container (see photo). This is now a 3rd generation spider plant, and is already proudly displaying its own baby. Mike and I are good friends, and it makes sense that we should share in generational botanicals. Have no idea the status of the original plant, but its babies live on in Wallkill, NY and Roxbury, NJ.

This reminds me .... Al, if you happen to read this, I would like a cutting from the rubber plant I gave you way back in 1994. The last we communicated about it you advised that it was taking over your living room. So ... when you get back from Germany, you have a mission to fulfill. I'm very excited over the idea of doing some generational botanicals with you as well. I'm very much into succulents these days, so this will be just perfect!

The Chin Twins Interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCsgr2xEGjI

by Barbara
June 19, 2010

Cast:
Veronica played by V. Scholl
Timothy played by E. Scholl
Video taken by Barbara

Funny lines from the video:

"I was born with nothing under this dress."
"I think I see one of your eyes on your dress."
"He popped a couple eyeballs and took off!"

One Saturday afternoon, 3 silly girls who hadn't seen each other in almost 5 years, and a Blackberry is a recipe for a lot of cackling in this video. Keep watching for a surprise ending. It's a real eye opener! :)

A Doe and Her Fawns

When Kolby flew off our deck barking and growling, which he rarely does, I had to follow to see what all the ruckus was about. A mother doe and her 2 fawns were grazing in the yard next door, and gradually made their way across the street. They all lingered long enough for me to snap a couple good photos and take this brief video. Nature at its best!

6 Months and 4 Dogs Later (cont'd from My First Dog...)

So, he was huge and white and fluffy, and with my mother's help, named him Farouk of Dutchess. He was Cybil's 9-month old brother and what a beauty he was. It felt right taking him home since Cybil disappeared, almost like he represented the memory of her. His fur was much longer, but no where near full length yet. That takes about 2 whole years. He was high energy that's for sure, and because of what happened to Cybil, Farouk was allowed to come in the house at night. When he got the chance to be free, which was on the golf course our house bordered, he took good advantage of it and would take off like a rocket. This particular day was no different. He was in the house, the door to the street was held open and off he took like a rocket; right into the path of an oncoming car. I screamed and screamed and screamed. We put his lifeless body, barely breathing into the car and on our way to the veterinarian, he took his last breath.

Another 2 months later and I'm ready to find myself a dog of my own (again), except this time it won't be an Afghan. I've come to realize that they weren't meant to be for me. I was talking to a co-worker and he highly recommended a Golden Retriever. He's had a couple over the years and relates that they are good companions, lovable, sweet and very intelligent, although don't necessarily show it. He went on to say how they love their humans and get along well with other pets. I was sold. As luck would have it there were Golden Retriever puppies listed in the classifieds right in Hyde Park, a mere 6-minute drive. Hooray! Off I go with another $125 in hand, knowing there is no way I wouldn't fall in love with at least one. I brought her home and named her Kaisha; again, I believe, with my mother's help. For 3 days she lay under the living room chair; never moved. Definitely not normal behavior for an 8-week old puppy. After being examined by the vet and running several tests, he informed us that she had a bad heart; I don't recall the exact diagnosis, but it wasn't great. She may grow out of it; or she may need surgery, but no guarantees. I couldn't take the chance, so brought her back to the family I bought her from.

Here I am again, wanting a dog of my own so badly and being without. There is an ad in the paper every Sunday for a place that claims to have over 100 different breeds of puppies. I decided that rather than choose a breed and then look for a puppy; I would go there and look at all the puppies and choose a breed. This place was just over the border in Connecticut, and when I got there, could not believe all the puppies I had to choose from. I chose a collie puppy. She was so adorable looking out at me from her cage. It's December now and I knew in my heart that she would make the perfect Christmas gift for myself. As luck would have it, her price was $125, the exact amount I had available.

Since the name Kaisha was only used for 3 days, and I really liked it, I used it for this puppy as well except I appended it a bit. My puppy's name is Kaisha Anne Kollie (ok, a little corny now, but it worked at the time). Just as I had suspected, she turned out to be the best pet we ever had. Kaisha Anne is the 4th puppy I have owned in only 6 months. Even though I paid for her and considered her mine; she really belonged to the entire family. She survived a "bump" with a car and an electrical shock when she chewed on a live lamp wire. She was meant to be part of our family for a while. Unfortunately, when she was only 2, she was diagnosed with epilepsy and had to be medicated with phenobarbital. The doses had to be adjusted from time to time to keep her from seizuring, but not so sedated she couldn't go out to relieve herself. That was tricky, but whatever it took; she was worth it. We all loved her so much. When we had our portrait done for our parents as a Christmas gift, she was automatically a part of it. Would never have considered otherwise.

In 1979 I moved to Winston-Salem, NC and left Kaisha behind. There wasn't a chance my family would let me take her, and it wouldn't have been fair to her. I wouldn't be home during the day and would be living in an apartment with no yard to speak of, so the decision was an easy one to make. One night in 1982 I had some friends over and my phone rings. My mother gave me the bad news; Kaisha had a very bad seizure and passed away. I cried as my friends looked on; clueless as to what news I received. That year for Christmas I had an 8x10 photo made of Kaisha, put it in a frame and wrapped it up for my Dad. When he opened it, everyone became silent and still. I could see my Dad's eyes get glassy. That was the first time I had ever seen that kind of emotion in my Dad. Someone sniffled, I began to cry and before you knew it, everyone in the room was crying. That photo hangs in my parents house today, and everyone in my family still feels the same way about Kaisha ... a great member of the family whose 8 short years brought us so much joy!

My First Dog, But Not My Last

For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion, if not an obsession, for all creatures big and small. Speaking of mostly the tamed and cuddly variety, I tend to gravitate to all kinds of living things, other than insects and humans that aggravate and inflict pain and discomfort of one sort or another.

I've looked through old photogaphs of me as a child and in one out of three photos, I'm either grasping onto (and innocently strangling) or positioned very near to, a dog, a cat or other. I've had as many as 17 pets under one roof at one time, and currently harbour 4 cats, a dog, many fish, 2 African frogs and a pair of mating Diamond Doves from Australia.

Growing up we always had a dog; however, my mother was allergic to cats. That didn't stop my many attempts at owning a cat of my own -- everything from "I found it in a Quaker Oats box on the side of the road!" to convincing my girlfriend to give me one as a birthday gift even though I acquired the kitten myself. You can't refuse a birthday gift can you? It's easy when the sign says "FREE Kittens"! Those homes would almost pay you to take them off their hands.

At one time I was very fascinated with Afghan Hounds; unique canines with very long ears that looked like the hippies from the 60's, with a large body and a thin, almost hairless tail that curled up and over its body. I collected porcelain figures of Afghans, and to me at the time, thought of them as something you only saw in picture books, but had to be unattainable. Until one day when I was checking the classifieds to see what pets were up for sale or adoption. There it was in black and white. "Afghan puppies. Registered AKC. $125" I couldn't believe my eyes ... the kennel was only a 30-minute drive away. Perfect! My parents were camping for the weekend; I can do this! So off to the kennel I went; not giving any thought to how I would present this new puppy to my parents who shot down any idea I ever had of owning one of my own. $125 was quite a bit back then, and it was every cent I had at the time, but well worth it. She was a gangly little thing, creme in color and with hardly any hair yet. I named her Cybil de Janvier as she was born in January. Driving home I came up with the idea of taking Cybil to meet the family at the campground rather than them coming home to find her there. My religious grandmother would also be at the campground as she was staying with us for a while. No way they would yell at me in front of her. Brilliant if I must say so! It worked! They really seemed to like Cybil, but there was a condition to my keeping her. She must be kept outside at all times. No problem. Bought her a beautiful A-frame doghouse and 4 months later got her spayed. Two weeks later I go out in the morning to feed her and she was gone! Cable intact, and no clue as to what happened. $100 reward; several phone calls and wild goose chases later -- no Cybil. There was always an Afghan, but never MY Afghan. Two months later; gave up all hope. Called the kennel I bought her from to inquire of any puppies and low and behold ... was advised that her brother at 9 months old, had yet to find a home. Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to look. (cont'd in another post. Go to 6 Months and 4 Dogs Later)

Great Alternative to Saving All Those Magazines for One or Two Articles of Interest

I've come up with what I think is a very effective way of cataloging for quick reference, articles of interest from all the many magazines I subscribe to as well as those I buy from the grocery store and Home Depot while I'm waiting in line.

As I peruse a magazine, I carefully tear out any pages of interest; i.e.,
a resource for a certain type of plant, recipe, gardening idea, craft project, etc. If the page's edge is jagged, I trim with a scissor or a paper cutter.

All you need now is a 3-ring binder, sheet protectors and self-adhesive page tabs. Simply slip the pages into a sheet protector, front to back, until you've transferred all the pages. I then arrange the pages in a particular order that pleases me, attempting to keep like subjects together. I find that partitioning the pages by category helps even further (e.g., Birds, Gardening, Crafts, etc.) Once I've accomplished this, I take a Post-it tab, write the subject and give it a indexing convention. For example if an article on African Violets is first under Gardening, I write: African Violets, G1 (G=Gardening, 1=Page 1). If my first page under Birding is an article about Hummingbirds, I would assign it an indexing convention of B1 (B=Birds, 1=Page 1) and the 2nd article about Orioles would be: Orioles: B2 and so on. Once this task is complete, I create a blank Index Page in MS Word that I can populate by hand, punch 3 holes and insert it in front of the notebook. You can design your index whatever way most effectively suits your needs. I have only 2 columns: Subject and Index ID. I printed an 8x10 of a favorite photo I took and slipped that in the top of the binder to give it a more personal touch and some pizazz. Voila! Every article you care about is now in one easily accessible location and easy breezy to locate. :)

Hope you enjoyed this post and found it useful!

--barbara