The vet says I should lose at least one pound! I'm not sure how that's gonna happen with all the treats I've negotiated over time with Mommy & Daddy...
Let's see:
- there's a treat every time I return from doing my business outside, (sometimes I even pretend to have to go, hehe!)
- one for being good when I'm brushed or my face is washed,
- the three that are hidden (& I expect) under the pillows and blankets every night,
- one after Mommy cleans & puts drops in my ears twice a day (& I still have two weeks to go)
- and sometimes there's a treat just for being so darned cute!!
Is it any wonder I need to lose weight?
I don't have my own talk show yet - so this blog will have to do for now.
Hi everyone, I've been kind of ignoring my blog in favour of soaking up the HEAT. We've been enjoying incredible weather - it's actually quite humid - a rare occurrence for here, or at least it used to be... maybe there's something to this global warming after all.
Here's one way to keep a dog amused when it's hot! (Under close supervision of course)
Emma doesn't really ever get a piece of ice in her mouth anyways - the ones she manages to get out of the bowl are too slippery and already half their original size.
It sure cools my beard off though :)
We had an incredible storm the other night; it was thundering and lightening for hours - and hailed at least 3x's. I kept getting out of bed and standing at the back door willing the system to "move along now" and it did eventually, but not before it wreaked havoc in my garden :(
Even after the peonies stop blooming, I continue to prize their deep rich foliage throughout the summer. Rather spoiled now.
My tomato plants are looking quite sickly - I think they're in shock - I hope they perk up...
What's left of my lettuce patch - also leaves from my poplar trees that were scattered all over the yard.
Some of my hostas were hit.
There's more damage to my hops vines (just the top layer of leaves, thankfully), zucchini, numerous shrubs and bedding out plants all have the odd hole here and there in them... you get the picture.
See the holes in my rose bush? Hail is not to blame in this instance - this is the handiwork of wasps! I planted 4 rose bushes last year and they bloomed beautifully this season. All the while, the wasps have proceeded to decimate them - and very quickly, I might add - on numerous occasions I've watched them at their work - a hole is carved out in mere seconds! This pic was taken last week - they're much worse now.
It's not all doom and gloom though! Most stuff survived and three have come into bloom since our storm. I recently planted this particular hosta and it's flowered already.
My daisies are all a riot :) I hadn't expected them to survive, but they were all standing at attention the next morning, the little troopers! Thank goodness for trees - they provide a lot of shelter in a storm.
Have you ever looked closely at a delphinium flower? They are beautiful... so soft & furry :)
I'm glad they made it.
We gardeners are eternal optimists... thankfully, there's always next year.
I picked up another houseplant this past week. It's a Sago Palm. Did you know this plant is highly poisonous to pets (& humans) if eaten? Apparently pets find it particularly tasty. It doesn't come with a warning on the label - I only found this out because I was looking into how to properly care for my new little investment. I realize there are probably a number of toxic plants in many of our homes - shouldn't they come labelled as such? Sheesh! I've now bookmarked thePet Poison Helpline and plan to refer to it whenever I bring a new plant in the house.
I was interested to learn that one of my readers is allergic to sulphur; this would make a visit to the Rotorua area impossible - save wearing a gas mask the entire time. These pics were taken on the morning of my official city tour. I'll share more from that morning another post, but thought the following would serve to demonstrate just how geologically active this area is.
These bubbling mud pools are right in the city, along one of the main roads. Our driver was kind enough to stop at a number of spots along the way, so we could get out and take pics.
Yes, it was smelly right here, but it all depended on wind conditions and there were actually only a few occasions the whole time we were there that we really noticed the acrid scent of sulphur.
With temperatures as high as 100C - you don't want to fall in.
Can you imagine this scene right behind your hotel? People pay money to soak in the mud pools - the minerals in them are thought to hold health properties. We bought home some mud soap and moisturizer from the local area.
Looks like something right out of Jurassic Park.
Is this the primordial ooze we are thought to have crawled out of?!
All for today...
Emma certainly thinks poisonous plants should come with a warning label.
On the Monday of this past long-weekend, I visited a couple of local antique malls. The lilacs are finally in bloom and I'm sure you can imagine how heavenly the scent was at this pretty spot outside Rocky Mountain Antiques. We had beautiful weather over the weekend, and then thankfully received some much needed rain all day Tuesday and Wednesday - things are really going to green up here now :)
While in New Zealand, I met the sweetest, older Hungarian lady (somewhere in her early 80's) at a second-hand establishment. She was wearing a winter coat (it was +14C!) and remarked to me how chilly it was - they're just heading into their winter season and I actually noticed quite a number of people sporting jackets I'd wear here at -14C. Turned out she was the store owner and had emigrated to NZ some 38 years ago. When I mentioned I was from Canada, we both had a chuckle - Canadians and Hungarians know cold, but after 38 years she's understandably become accustomed to a much warmer climate.
Speaking of cold, I thought this was a real blast from the past.
It initially looked very 70'ish to me, but turns out it's a product of the 50's.
I found an ad for it on the net, in the Tri-City Herald(Kennewick, Washington) 1954.
Thanks to all that rain, the dandelions are now out in full force!
Well, Spring has sprung! Yesterday we reached a high of +13C and it marked the third time I've donned an official spring jacket :) When I was running errands, I noticed that we've essentially lost 95% of our snow; a couple of buckets worth are all that remain in my front and back yard. I was feeling so good (I get positively giddy on beautiful spring days) that I purchased this bonsai plant! The trunk reminds me of sweet potatoes.
As you may have guessed by my new header pic, I recently discovered Photobucket! Why hasn't anyone told me about this amazing site before? I'm pretty excited about the collage feature and plan to change things up on a fairly regular basis now. Prepare yourself for a virtual onslaught of collages of every possible description. Above are some pics from a few of my personal all-time favourite posts. Do you remember any of these? I suspect there's a couple of long-time followers who might!
In American Idol news, one of my idols, Stevie Nicks, mentored the contestants this week. Her advice was spot on and you sure can tell she is a big promoter of up and coming talent. So talented herself, mysterious and beautiful - I think she is amazing! What's even more incredible, is that she turns 64 in May... Wow - looking good :)
Emma's quite interested in my new plant... maybe a little too interested,
I plan to keep my eye on her!
Now that warmer weather has (finally!) arrived, I will be posting only once a week (on Tuesdays) for the next number of months - probably until fall. This is not a hard and fast rule, and if something comes up that I simply must share with you, I'll pop it up, but for the most part I hope to stick to my self-imposed schedule. I'll still be visiting my favourite blogs, maybe not every day, but I'll catch up on any posts I've missed when I do :)
Have you ever noticed the crazy choices that drop down when using google search?
'Happiness is a serious problem' was one helpful suggestion!
I watched the Charlie Brown movie 'Happiness is a Warm Blanket' which aired last night - or part of it that is. A third of the way in, I realized something was wrong; the voices weren't (in the immortal words of Clint Eastwood) "making it" for me... A google search revealed that this was the first Peanut's animation project (there are 45 to date!) to use real children's voices. Maybe not a mistake for anyone watching for the first time, but for someone like myself, who grew up with the Peanuts, these voices in no way convey the characters I know and love. Lucy wasn't nearly loud-mouthy enough! Sadly, it was more of a wet blanket and I turned it off at the halfway point.
Emma's enjoying her blanket though :) She only recently discovered the arm of the couch affords her a relaxing view of the neighborhood and now spends many hours throughout the day surveying from her perch! Unfortunately, this also means our neighbors get an earful every time they step out their doors... I don't care so much about her throaty growls, but when she launches into a full-blown attack, I've started to reprimand by isolating her in another room for a while. After only a few times, it seems to be working. If you have any other suggestions, please share.
I'm pretty pleased with myself today. Ifinally organized all my tried and true recipes into photo albums! This has been a project I've been meaning to do for a few years now. Yes, it took a number of hours, but it was well worth the effort. As I asked one friend, "Why do we procrastinate jobs that actually make our lives easier once they are completed?" I don't think we'll ever figure that one out. All other recipes in the 'to try out' category are now in a manilla envelope, to be transfered over, if and when they are deemed album worthy.
I'm also happy to announce that "Monday's With Mirielle" returns on Monday! If it seems like ages - that's because it has been: a ridiculous five months in fact. Till then, au revoir and enjoy your weekend :)
poor Emma - I guess Mommy got a wee bit carried away with her new cauldron,
luckily it's only a twenty-four hour spell, and you'll be good as new tomorrow :)
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
I just got back from the cleaners,
I'm thinking I probably should have dropped off my hat for a light pressing as well...
The poison treats are all set out in anticipation of our victims Trick-or-Treaters.
My little helper is impatiently waiting for you to arrive!
We hope to see you soon...
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
If it's Tuesday... then this must be Jane's Jewels!
Greetings and I hope your past week was a good one. Above is a metal sign I hung in my garden shed office the other day. It gives me a chuckle each time I look up. Some highlights from my week include our fantastic weather (the weekend and first part of this week have been a write-off though), finally completing a long over-due garden project, digging out a new flower bed, many thanks to my dh* and giving my house a much-needed big cleaning over the weekend (well, it was raining anyways). *dear husband
This was Wednesday afternoon, looking down from my deck; my completed project, sigh :) This seemingly simple creation was three years in the making, due of course to me dragging my feet! When we first made this area (six years ago) these blocks had a different finish and there were also small rocks in between and around the perimeter. Also, the center area had an extra four blocks in it. The rocks were a bad choice - you couldn't walk across without knocking them onto the patio blocks... grrr... and then the weeds and grass eventually made their way through the garden cloth. After digging out the rocks and removing the garden cloth, I applied a new finish. (Flexstone)
(Expand to see finish)
A conduit pipe for the electrical cord and sod completed the job. The fountain (a gift for our 25th anniversary two years ago - thanks again Mom :) was previously located in another part of the yard. To me, this area now gives my garden the over-all serene feel I was hoping for.
Here is another angle yesterday. The vines are hops, they completely enclose our covered deck as well.
The other day I planted a Virginia Creeper at the back of my yard against the fence, which I expect will engulf the fence in time. I hope that wasn't a mistake! - if anyone has experience with this vine, please let me know anything I might find useful. I've made peace with the hops (we've had our battles), and in retrospect I would have chosen a different vine, but I guess that's all a part of the joy of gardening, isn't it?!
Greetings Gardeners!
I also hung this slightly creepy wooden Watcher.
Not something I'd want in the house, but fun for the office :)
Here she is mid-howl!
We fear what we don't know, and our puppy Emma is no exception. On Thursday she had a fit over an empty plastic bottle we'd tossed on the floor. Instead of playing with it, she barked non-stop for 15 minutes - no exaggeration. However, Friday she barked for only 10 minutes and then something clicked: she got her nerve up and attacked, lol!! Too funny!
I'm relieved to see that she isn't the only animal
with an irrational fear of everyday objects...!
This went viral last week.
Isn't this a gorgeous shot? Unfortunately, it marks NASA's last space shuttle for at least three years, possibly five or more. Atlantis and four astronauts roared into orbit on Friday and it was noted that the crowds (and resulting emotions) were on a scale not seen since the Apollo moon shots. In response, Former NASA Chief Michael Griffin had the following comment:
"The regret in retiring the shuttle is not that we're retiring a 30-year-old system. That's to be expected," Griffin says. "The regret is that we're not moving on to something that can do more for us. We're not moving on to anything. … I was in favor of retiring the shuttle if that was the price of building a system that could take us back to the moon and beyond. I'm not in favor of retiring the shuttle and replacing it with nothing. … That is what is going to happen."
I agree. It's pretty disappointing.
Shouldn't we be halfway to this by now?
Or at least here?
Meanwhile, back on planet Earth lol, here's something not quite 'out of this world', but stunning nonetheless :) In fact, this short video is perhaps the most amazing thing I've seen in a very long time. Robins built a nest in a hanging basket and the next four weeks were filmed... Let me know your favorite part, mine was dedicated Mom sticking to her post, even in the pouring rain.
That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed this meander through my week...
As my profile states, Jane's Jewels is a "cornucopia of my interests" lol!!
