Feeling Better

LuLu’s feeling better.  Can you tell?  That’s her attacking Wally.






There’s only so much roughhousing allowed until her foot heals a bit more, though.






These photos were all taken on Wednesday, a week and a day after LuLu cut her paw pad.  Once the healing got underway it progressed nicely.  She had some help with that.  One evening I was sitting on the couch and the dogs were on the floor just the other side of the ottoman where I didn’t have a full view of them.  They became awfully quiet and, just like little kids, that sometimes means they’re doing something they think they shouldn’t be doing, like pulling the stuffing out of a toy.  In fact, it’s okay to pull the stuffing out of a toy, but they still get a guilty pleasure from it.  I peeked over the ottoman and there was Wally licking LuLu’s wounded paw over and over again while LuLu sat with the sweetest little happy face.  I wished I’d had my camera.  Later he nuzzled her paw and laid his face against it.  They are truly the best of friends.

Thank you so much for all your concern and well wishes.  You are sincerely appreciated.  Have a beautiful weekend!

Wounded LuLu

Hello, friends.  I’m afraid we have a wounded LuLu this week, and I’m not sure when she’ll get back to her regular Golden Retriever style running, playing, and swimming.  Rich took them out to the sand dunes on Tuesday – a favorite spot for its wide open areas, many small lakes and ponds to swim, and pine groves to explore – but, unfortunately, it’s also a favorite spot for gun owners’ target practice, and there are a few irresponsible people who use glassware for targets.  One minute LuLu was running all happy and carefree, and the next she was bleeding and limping.  She has a big gash on the pad of her foot and she’ll have to take it easy until it heals.  Just look at that sad face.





The cut went all the way into the delicate meat of her paw across two toe pads.  We removed the bandage after it stopped bleeding so the air and her own tender ministrations could help with the healing.  Dog slobber is the best salve for a wound.  Just when Rich finally finished painting the house and we thought Wally and LuLu could run their hearts out the rest of the summer . . .   It will be a while before the wound is toughened up enough for that.  I’m keeping a close eye on it and sitting quietly with her whenever possible.

I hope you all have a good weekend, and maybe the next time we meet here I’ll be able to report on happier times.  See you then!

Let’s Go Paint!

See my paint-splattered Rich and his faithful dog, Wally.  You can be sure Wally is thinking, “Oh, no, not this again.”



He knows what he has to do – just slip away with the paint rag.  It guarantees a little scritchy-scritchy before getting back to the boring stuff.



Don’t worry, Wally.  It will be done soon.  Hope you all had a good weekend!

Who Swallowed the Swallowtail’s Tail?

Poor Swallowtail’s wings look a little ragged.  The tails are gone and there’s a whole chunk missing from the left lower wing.  A narrow escape from a bird’s beak, perhaps?



This one appears to have had better fortune to date.  So pretty!




Just one more. . .



Swallowtails only live in their beautiful adult form a couple of weeks at best.   That’s not a lot of time to accomplish the very important task of carrying pollen from one flower to the next, not to mention posing for the camera and still finding time to reproduce.  Remind me not to complain when I feel pressed for time.

Have a lovely day, and take time to enjoy the moment!

Sunny Days Make Happy Pups and Pretty Flowers

Don’t they look cozy?  I always thought Wally and LuLu looked nice with yellow.  The flowers behind them are Million Bells, a new favorite.  They bloom profusely and never need trimming or deadheading.  I’ll be planting more next year.



I tried my best to get some good landscape shots of the garden, but for one reason or another they didn’t turn out well.  I always love this view of the deck, though, where I’m surrounded by color and I can change it up every year depending upon what I plant in the pots.  I plant more every year and spread them around the garden.  We have quite a deer problem and I’ve grown weary of sacrificing herbaceous perennials to their appetites.  At least the annuals grow right back, but it’s still aggravating when the deer stroll right up to the deck and nip the blooms off the geraniums (which they especially love). 



Here you can see a little more of the new yellow on the house.  Rich is on the home stretch this week.  It doesn’t seem like it should take so long, but with two coats of primer and two coats of color it’s like painting the house four times.  And all with a brush and roller.  We can’t use a sprayer here because of the wind.  Honestly, if Rich doesn’t do another single chore this summer I’ll be okay with that.



Have yourself a beautiful day!  We’ll visit again soon, I hope.

Just Taking a Break

Hello, and happy Saturday to you!  I don’t seem to have much in the way of good photos this week, but I thought Wally and the coffee mugs looked cute together.  Just taking a break at the picnic table.




The butterflies always come around when the butterfly bush is in bloom.  I guess that’s why they call it a butterfly bush.



I’ll try to get some better photos this weekend.  Rich is still painting the house and Wally and LuLu are beginning to wonder if he’ll ever finish.  They don’t seem to think it’s enough to only go swimming twice a week, tsk tsk.    Enjoy your weekend!

Happy 4th of July!

Or just a regular old happy day to all my international friends.  Take care!

Share and Share Alike

This is LuLu’s stick.  It’s a big one and she was very proud of her find.  She had to carry it to each of us to show off her treasure, as she always does.  She brings a stick in and parades around with it before taking it back outside, because she knows “no sticks in the house”.  Of course, we always make a big fuss over how wonderful her stick is, and tell her “thank you for showing me your pretty stick”.  She brought this one inside to show me, and she was so cute lugging the big old thing around.



When she left it unattended for a moment Wally decided it was a pretty wonderful stick, too, and tried to claim it as his own.  As the #2 dog she sweetly asked if she could have it back, but Wally had to show that he was the guy in charge.  See his paw grip on the stick and his gentle hold on LuLu’s snout.  Trust me, it was as gentle as a kiss.

 
Benevolent pack leader that he is, he relinquished an end to LuLu, and a good time was had by all.



Thanks so much for dropping in.  We love your visits.  Enjoy your day!

Morning Puppies

Everyone has their morning routines, right?  Well, this is ours.  Whoever’s on the couch has a puppy on each side.  LuLu likes to cuddle and she usually brings a toy with her.



Wally will always have a sock.  Don’t even try to take it away from him.  He guards it with a pretend fierceness.  He’ll give it up when he knows morning puppy time is over.



By the way, I promised Rich I wouldn’t photograph him in his morning attire, but he’s pretty cute, too.

Have a happy weekend!

Coffee or Tea?

Just a little pretty from the garden.



Gee, look at all that yellow.  Guess I’ve got a thing for it this year.  Have a happy day!