Blog Archives
Frog songs and gardening
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It was such a lovely night tonight that instead of watching TV Dear Hubby and I sat out by the pond listening to our bullfrogs sing. No, they didn’t sing The Michigan Rag. Gosh darn it, we could’ve made a fortune if they had—no, wait they’d only sing for us and everyone else would think we were crazy. Think? Heck, I know we are.
I spent most of the day pulling weeds, dead heading flowers, cleaning algae off the waterfall and rocks, backwashing the filters, and cutting back overgrown plants. DH spent the morning with his mother and then rode the mower around our yard. I think I got the better part of that deal.
We have a ground cover growing near the waterfall. I spent several hours thinning it out. I have no idea what its name is. What I do know, is that it hides the wild strawberries and those, ever so devious, hummingbird vines until they are well established and difficult to remove. I thought I liked hummingbird vine, well I did actually, until I planted it in my yard. Now it is a curse. It’s invasive as hell, as difficult to control as a fresh from the wilds mustang, and a real pain in the aster to pull out.
Posted in my garden
Tags: Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, Craft of writing, Crafts, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Patty as Esther Williams
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Patty hates baths, rain, wet towels, washcloths, and squirt guns. I’ve spent hours and numerous cookies trying to coax and or trick her into the bathtub to give her a bath. Once I get her in the tub, she cringes in the corner, tucks her tail, ducks her head, and looks pitiful. You send her out in the rain and you get the same reaction. You would think you were killing her if you try to wipe her face with a wet paper towel or washcloth. That is if you can catch her because when she see’s you coming at her with one she runs, hides in the back of her crate, and plays invisible dog.
Now if only someone could explain her fascination with the pond. Why is it, that when I turn my back for a second, I’m certain to find her standing on the rock ledge readying herself for an Esther Williams swan dive? Maybe she does this to make me yell. Could it be that she thinks my blood pressure needs a boost? She’s never actually gone in. However, she occasionally takes a drink while teetering on the edge just to make me crazy.
Posted in Dog related, my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Balance has returned to our pond
Posted by doggonedmysteries
We’ve been hoping to have breeding Koi again. A couple years back someone got into our yard, dumped a car battery in the pond, and killed all of our Koi. I was heartbroken, they were our pets, they had names, and they ate food from our hands. We had to work hard to clean out the pond, replace all the plants, snails, frogs—everything and get the pond back into balance. Some of our baby Koi had gone to friends’ ponds over the years and they very graciously gave a few back to get us going again. We also bought a few small Koi.
Late last night I took the flashlight out to the pond. A couple of weeks ago one of our Koi laid eggs and at night, shining a flashlight into the water, is the only time you can spot the fry (teensy newly hatched babies for those of you who don’t know fish terms.) Yes, we have babies. At least one that I know of and it looks like it might be yellow or white.
Proof to me that our pond is finally back to where it should be. We have nine frogs that we’ve seen, there could be more. We have eight large Koi about four or five years old and one that is small and is probably two years old. There are snails, the water lilies are blooming, and I’ve even spotted a few salamanders. Life in the pond is back to normal now if only we can keep Patty from trying to dive in there.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Be careful what you wish for
Posted by doggonedmysteries
My gardens were looking dry over a week ago and I was hoping for a little bit of rain. I said a little rain. I didn’t mean monsoon season. We are now into our ninth day of rain. It’s been pouring all night. The yard is turning into a swamp and the Koi are thinking of going exploring. Even the frogs seem depressed with all the rain, probably because the bugs are in hiding. I don’t think they make umbrellas for flies or galoshes for beetles.
Dear Hubby mowed the grass the day before the monsoon hit and the yard looks as though it’s grown several feet. If this keeps up much longer, I’m going need a machete to get from the back door to the pond. My flowers are thrilled with all the moisture, but then so are all the weeds. The weeds are like an army of rampaging hookers attempting to take over the garden beds.
We thought we’d fixed the leak in the basement. It hadn’t leaked for over a year. However, tonight it has sprung forth anew. It looks like it’s back to the drawing board on that repair. I think Gibbs from NCIS has the right idea. Maybe I should be building a boat down there.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Bullfrogs scream like little girls.
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Screaming frog
I keep hoping to hear our frogs croaking a web footed chorus but as of yet they haven’t. We have no Michigan J. Frogs out there. However, they do scream when surprised. Normally it’s just a quick little “ACK” when they hop into the pond as we approach.
This evening I was rambling around the yard when a sudden scream and a wild scramble at my feet startled me. The next thing I heard was a loud thud when the poor creature ran into the side of the garden shed. I had to find out what the creature was and whether or not it had dashed its brains out. I cautiously approached the corner of shed, flashlight in hand, and tried to peer into the jumble of ferns and chocolate vines. Whatever it was, screamed, and slammed into the shed again. I moved back and then approached from a different angle.
Finally, I caught sight of the creature. One of my larger bullfrogs cowered in the spot of light for a second, then it screamed like a little girl, and bashed into the side of the shed again. They aren’t the brightest lights in the harbor.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
MIL’s home evaluation. We named the ducks.
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Well, we put in the six hours of work de-cluttering and cleaning at my MIL’s on Monday. On Tuesday, Dear Hubby had to pick her up at the rehab and lead two of the pain in the ass ladies physical therapists over to the house. Whereupon they proceeded to make the poor woman jump through their hoops demonstrate that she can do her day to day things in her own home. By the time they finished their circus act compressing an entire day’s worth of activities into two freaking hours, she was beyond exhausted but had performed very well for them. DH on the other hand was stumbling about and ready to fall down. The heat had his MS giving him fits.
At least today, after he came home from the rehab hospital he had the pleasure of watching the ducks play in the pond. Yes, they came back again. We sat out in the yard and enjoyed the floor show for a couple of hours. Then they took their bows. Gertrude stood at the top of the waterfalls, stretched her wings, and took off. Gaspar quickly followed.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
The return of the ducks
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I guess the ducks enjoyed their afternoon tea at our pond yesterday, because promptly at five today, they returned. One good thing about their visits is that they seem to have a taste for the string algae. It has bloomed with all the heat we’ve had the last three days and I was ready to go buy an algaecide, which I do hate to use. However, since the pond is in full sun it does become necessary from time to time. The female in particular seems to relish the flavor. Yesterday she climbed to the top of the waterfall and cleaned most of it out of there. If they keep to this daily schedule, I think we can accommodate them without any problems from the pups.
Neither one of the dogs has spotted the ducks yet. Moreover, since I know they are there I take the pups out into the yard on leashes and direct them to the front of the yard. There’s no sense in tempting fate.
I can picture Patty having an encounter with those big birds. She’s used to robins, cardinals, finches, and mourning doves, and ignores them, but ducks? She’s never met one. She’d likely take a flying leap into the pond after them. Gavin would probably bark at them while backing up to get closer to me, just in case.
Posted in Dog related, My blog, my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
MIL is a hoarder and garden news
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Tomorrow the physical therapist that has been very pushy about Dear Hubby’s mother going into a nursing home and someone else from the damned place are both going to follow DH over to his mother’s house. He’ll be driving his mother over there so she can attempt to get around her house in front of them.
Yesterday, my doctor medicated the hell out of me and told me to rest. So what did we do today? My best friend G, DH, and I went over to his mother’s to clear the decks and make the house presentable. To say my MIL is a hoarder is putting it mildly. We worked for over six hours removing clutter, crap of the junk sort, a ton of trash, and cleaned as best we could. I cleared out the one bedroom where her stackable washer and dryer reside. There was a pathway to them from the door. The crap was piled at least waist high. Now you can see the entire floor and what I left in the room is neatly stacked on shelves.
G and DH worked on the living room and MIL’s bedroom and it took them six hours to make the rooms presentable. We barely had time to work on the kitchen but did make a dent in the clutter there.
The woman is going to kill us. I can hear her screaming now, “where’s all my stuff?”
We did not work on the third bedroom. That room will be another whole project one of these days. Hell, we took one look in there and shut the door. The crap is almost to the ceiling. We were exhausted.
My garden news: When we finally arrived home, we saw ducks in our pond! The pair of mallards hung around for several hours. Like a kid, I went out and fed them some bread, which they ever so eagerly accepted. I was hoping they’d stay but right at sunset, they took off. Maybe they’ll come back for more bread one day.
Posted in Misc, My blog, my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
I stimulated the economy today
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Boy did I ever. There are two things I can’t resist buying, books and plants for my gardens. Today my friend, her husband, and I went to a garden shop. I couldn’t help myself. I was like an addict pulling out plants and putting them on the wagon. Someone should put me on the wagon.
I’m sure I drove my friend crazy because right now I have a cold and can’t smell a thing—this place carries herbs by the tons and I love growing herbs. Every time I found something, I thought I might like to add to my garden, I’d call her over to smell it for me.
“Hey, G. Come here and smell this for me, please. How does it smell?” I would wave her over from one end of the shop to another.
She would then rub her hand over the leaves and waft the scent to her nose. “Oh, that one’s nice.”
“What about this one?” I’d shove another plant under her nose.
One particular one almost made her gag—wish I could remember the name of it now. She took a sniff, gasped and said. “Ew, you wouldn’t like it.”
It’s a good thing I trust her judgment and our tastes run the same. I can imagine what a stench I’d have in my garden if that were someone else.
Our next stop was the pond garden shop. Yep, blew some bucks there too.
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Yippee for lots of sun and warm weather
Posted by doggonedmysteries
Wow, two days of glorious warm weather! We had plenty of sun and temperatures in the mid seventies. I managed to plant the flowers left over from the planters on the front porch. I worked on the pond—the magnolia is dropping petals like crazy now so I’m skimming the pond every time I turn around. I would stay out in the yard all day if I could. It smells wonderful out there with the tree in full bloom.
The birds are fun to watch right now, they are arriving by the dozens to take baths in the waterfall. The robins are real clowns in the water. Each one has a unique personality and method of bathing.
The pups collapsed into a deep slumber after romping in the yard all day. Maybe it’s a good thing that tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy with possible rain. Gavin is sore after two days of tons of activity. Poor baby, it was a long winter and he spent most of it as a couch potato.
Then, didn’t we all? I know I paid for it later after I spent a few days weeding the gardens back when we had our first hint of spring weather.
Posted in Dog related, My books, my garden, Writer, Writing
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Fish, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Koi, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
One in seven
Posted by doggonedmysteries
It seems as though we are only going to have one day of sunshine in seven, hello April. The song isn’t kidding. I wish I’d taken the time, to plant in the garden, the left over flowers from the planters. Now it looks as though I’ll not get a chance to until Sunday. If I miss Sunday’s clear weather, I’ll have to hold off for another several days where the weather people have forecasted more rain.
At least today was mainly just a brooding sky and we didn’t really get any rain until after ten tonight. However, I didn’t get out planting because the sky looked as though it’d open and pound us with torrents of rain any minute. It was also a chilly enough that I wasn’t eager to go crawling about the garden. The flowers I’d put in the planters on the porch looked perky today so I do believe they’ll thrive there.
Posted in my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Sun and flowers
Posted by doggonedmysteries
I couldn’t resist the tug of the sunny day we had today. I bought some potting soil and flowers for the planters on my front porch. The planters had been alongside the driveway for several years. However, last year, when we had new, very nosy, and noisy neighbors move in directly across the street, I removed our chairs and moved the planters to the porch. I can’t wait to see how my petunias, pansies, and snap dragons will look once they begin to grow and fill out the planters. (I didn’t get them planted last year so this should be fun.)
While I was filling the planters with soil and flowers, a pair of mourning doves decided to work on their nest above me. Mourning doves aren’t the greatest nest builders, but this pair tries. They’ve been nesting in the same spot for a couple of years now and are used to us coming and going. I enjoy hearing them so they are welcome additions.
Even though we lost the neighborhood camaraderie we used to have while sitting out on our front porch, we’ve found something special. We have our own sanctuary in the yard on summer evenings and enjoy the pond along with the wonderful peace and quiet.
Posted in hobbies, Misc, my garden
Tags: Author, Beads, Bones, books, Books on writing, Bull Terriers, Care giving, Caregiver, Coffee, comedy, Craft of writing, Crafts, Dead, Disability, Dog humor, Doggoned, Dogs, Family, Fiction, Gardening, Gardens, Home, Humor, Life, Love, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Mysteries, Mystery, Novel writing, Pet humor, Pets, Pond, Ponds, Rescue Dogs, Writer, Writing
Doggonedmysteries 