Seed Results are coming in

Smarty-Girls' pink zinnia's are sprouting nicely.

We made a "legend" with toothpicks.  That's what the three 'ticks' on the toothpick mean: pink zinnia's.

This is a giant sunflower being born.  Recognizable by the seed capsule still present.
I can't wait to watch the birds eat the seed heads months from now. 

According to Smarty_Girl's "legend", this would be another sunflower.  All her efforts are paying off.
Wait just a minute!... I'd like to know where are the sprouts from the seeds I planted?  
Hmmm... Maybe Smarty-Girl has the greener thumb.  Wouldn't that be grand?  
As for my sprouts...  I'll keep waiting... and watering... and watching...

As far as outdoors: I don't remember planting this type of daffodil.  Yes, it is a daffodil.  
It's beautiful and delicate.  It's also blooming at a time when the geraniums are also blooming in their urns!  
This seasonal overlap gets more interesting every year.

The onions are problem free. 

The lettuce is hanging on, in their crooked little rows.  

And Big Ole' Nasty Dog loves living indoors and now considers himself royalty.  He's even gained the confidence to stare into the camera!

Wishing you successful labors 

from Whippoorwill Road,

Farmer Jane

The Dog Vigil II

Big Ole' Nasty Dog continues to recover nicely.

But sometimes I wonder if he's now slightly confused or just grateful to be alive.

He'll go outside and just stand there.  

Sniffing the breeze, listening to the birds, taking in all the sights.  He can do this for hours.
We watched him close to an hour doing this very thing.  Finally, we got out the cell phone to snap him in "action".
Maybe he's seeing things through "new eyes".  
They say surgery will sometimes do that to you.

During our dog vigil here's what we've learned:

• Big Ole' Nasty Dog loves to watch TV
• my daughter makes a gross out face when watching zombies
• Buns can be a bully (nibbling a tail, jumping over a back, invading the dogs personal space
• Big Ole' Nasty Dog can be one big push over

So long from

Whippoorwill Road,

Bernadine

Farmer Jane reporting in

The onions continue to grow.

Yes, that is one marigold in the corner.  My daughter and I couldn't resist a sale at the local home store.  We bought four containers under the assumption that marigolds are natural insect repellants.  

I don't think one will do the job...  but it looks bright and cheerful.

The lettuce is growing but looking a little anemic.  I have to fertilize consistently.

Last night we introduced Smarty Girl's boyfriend to homemade Smore's.

There is not much need of a bonfire in Miami.  This was a first for him.  

All that paper?  It's old school work to be used as fodder for the fire.  It's a different way to recycle.

The cutest comment all evening?  "How do you cook the marshmallow?"
This is New Man, Colson and Smarty Girl explaining how you roast marshmallows and assemble a Smore.  Result?  A "Wow, this is delicious." conclusion.

 Another first for him: Home made pumpkin pie.  
Living in Miami and being of Cuban descent doesn't always lend itself to pilgrim fare.
By the way, he made the whipped cream by hand.  No spray can stuff here.
Result?   Another, "Wow, this is delicious." conclusion.  I really like this guy.

Now, I'm going to drag these kids outside to enjoy more of the outdoors.

Another beautiful day on

Whippoorwill Road,

Bernadine

Nurse and Hostess

We picked up Smarty-Girl's boyfriend from the airport late last night.
They look so giddy, don't they?   
We left Colson home to monitor Big Ole' Nasty Dog.

This morning, I adjusted Big Ole' Nasty Dogs bedding by making it bigger.  The egg crate mattress turned out to be perfect for him.  He even got a linen change.

He was still so mopey.  Not drinking, not eating, not urinating.  I put a call into the vet's office.  
Here was the advice:  

• #1) don't worry about him drinking.  He received a lot of IV fluids yesterday;  
• #2) if his appetite is still poor, try one part chicken to two parts white rice;  
• #3) because he's in the 'elderly' category, it takes 24-48 hours for them to fully wake from anesthesia.  Give him more time.

That's what I did.
Around 4 pm, he was on his feet.  I fed him a whole can of Alpo.  One spoonful at a time.  Literally.  Along with a lot of praise after each bite.    
For dinner, he ate one part chicken, two parts rice.  In a bowl, held up to his lips.  
To encourage him to drink: I held a small coffee cup of water so he could take four laps.  Then he was finished.

This is how we give him pain meds and his antibiotics.  We let him lick a spoon of peanut butter with the pills hidden inside.

It takes a while to do this.  His appetite is generally poor as it is, never mind recuperating from surgery.  But he's slowly bouncing back.  

In the meantime, I think while the dog is recovering, this young man is in for a big tour of our small town.  

Nurse and Hostess signing off now

from Whippoorwill Road,

Bernadine

The Dog Vigil

Big Ole' Nasty Dog had surgery today.  A fatty tumor had to be removed.  

This is him soon after his return home.  He's what I call a "fresh post-op".

Best thing for him: sleep.  In preparation for this day we:  #1) bought him a new egg crate mattress to lie on; #2) got him professionally groomed on Tuesday so he would feel clean while recuperating; #3) bought him a new red dog collar for the same reason as #2; and #4)  we're keeping the house nice and quiet in order to create a "healing" environment.

He's loaded up on pain meds now along with the after-effects of anesthesia.

We're just reassuring him that he's home and he's loved.

Since he's in the "Elizabethan" collar, only one person can look directly into his face at a time.  Well... technically, that is.  The grown "kids" figured out a different way.  They pile on top of each other to share the view.  
He'll be watched over all night long.  It's the dog vigil.

Keeping it nice and quiet on 

Whippoorwill Road,

Bernadine

Follow Up: Wisteria, Nests, Daughter Planting

The nest on our front porch keeps getting taller.

This little mother remains hard at work.  I'm sure she has several little peepers in there.  

She's a diligent little mother.

On a totally different note: my husband found this nest in our garage, above his weed eater machine.  He thought it was empty so... (sniff, sniff), he threw it away yesterday.  
I looked in the garbage because I love to look at nests and thought it would be better to use it in the compost bin.  At first it did look empty.  But I found the opening, and to my great sadness, found this little egg.  
I cried.  
I cried for the mother and cried for the egg.
I put the nest in the compost bin after looking at the hard work this little mother put into it's creation.  
I put the egg among parakeet and cockatiel eggs I kept from previous pets.  I still feel sad.  I need medication.

When I mentioned yesterday about the out of control wisteria we have in this region, I thought I would try to capture what I mean:

It's pretty but it's everywhere.

 We have a saying here in the house.  It goes like this: "It's All About The Girl".  Because we were insecure that the seeds she planted yesterday were too old, we went out today to buy fresh seed.  And fresh garden soil.  And a seed starter kit.  And even more seeds.

But I don't mind.  I mean, look at her...

... all concentration.  And joy.

Hoping all our efforts bloom 

on Whippoorwill Road,

Bernadine

It's a Miracle-My Daughter is Planting

My daughter has firmly let me know she does not like to go in the sun, especially when it is hot outside.  

She loves beautiful views though and will readily capture them as I'm driving.  Like this view of the gourd birdhouses.

Beautiful wisteria.  In Massachusetts, this was a real challenge to grow.  I went to classes from learned professionals on how to get wisteria to bloom.  It's a speciality in itself.

Here in the south, it's quite a different story.  It grows everywhere.

When I mentioned to a landscaper I wanted to plant wisteria, he frowned deeply and told me it was an invasive weed.  I would live to regret it.  

Since then, I've heard of horror stories of wisteria growing into people's homes!  

In Georgia, we have wisteria forests!  It's so beautiful but it does take over.  Eventually it smothers and kills trees.  Right now, wisteria is blooming every where.  It makes for a very scenic drive.

Imagine large curtains of wisteria blooming along roads and highways.

It's time to tidy up the yard.  This is 'Tree Man' in late fall.  Clean shaven.

Already, the ivy had grown where it covered his 'face'.  I should have taken a before photo.  Time for a haircut.  

I think he needed a fresh, more sophisticated look.  So....

...I gave him a mustache for this season!  Something different.

And here's the miracle:  my daughter is outside, planting seeds!  I was thrilled.  And moved.  And hopeful.

One day...

...she'll love being outside...

...growing beautiful things.   Can't you just envision it?  I can.

It's my little miracle on Whippoorwill Road,

Bernadine