THANK YOU FOR THE "HEART" LEAF

THANK YOU FOR THE "HEART" LEAF

Four leaves left on my redbud tree.

Thank you for the "heart".

Redbud trees have leaves shaped like "hearts".

  Only four leaves left and this one really caught my eye.

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA ~ CHRISTMAS CANON

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA-CHRISTMAS CANON

"This night we pray

Our lives will show

This dream He had

Each child still knows"

BEAUTIFUL LITTLE LESSER GOLDFINCHES AT MY THISTLE FEEDERS

BEAUTIFUL LITTLE LESSER GOLDFINCHES AT MY THISTLE FEEDERS

Video of lesser goldfinches at my feeders

(for a larger view, click on "youtube" in lower right corner)

These wonderful little yellow birds are lesser goldfinches. 

They are native to this area, but I only have a few in the summertime.  I believe most of the ones at my feeders right now have migrated from somewhere up north and they'll stay here until spring. 

 The ones that are native always bring their babies back in the spring to show them a food source.  Those babies are really noisy, begging for food.

I have four feeders out right now.  When I look out of my kitchen window, I see a sea of gold and black.  You can see the black backed and the others are called green backed lesser goldfinches.  They're so tiny.

Up in the trees, they are always singing their sweet little songs.

It's such a joy to have them at my thistle feeders.

THINGS GOING BUMP IN THE NIGHT

THINGS GOING BUMP IN THE NIGHT

     Last night, I was was watching tv and kept hearing a popping sound out in my studio.  I turned off tv and every once in a while something would hit the window.  I panicked and couldn't breathe.  So, I thought, do I get a pistol?  No, everything is locked up so it can't be too big...whatever was in there.  Did a bat come through my a/c vents?  Can't shoot at a bat.  I would surely destroy something.  I picked up a blanket so I could shield myself.  I was really scared and stood in the door of the studio, light off, and kept hearing it at one side of the room.  I turned on the light, stood there, then slowly went over to that side of the room and looked.  Didn't see anything.  Made some noises to make it fly or run.  Nothing happened.  I pictured a bear or tiger at the window, trying to get in.  Then, I heard the wind.  A bird in the dark, big moth or something hanging from the tree must have been hitting the window.  Just in case, I blocked the doorway like I did when the baby squirrel was in there.  Af first, I was afraid to go to bed, picturing it jumping on my face.
It's morning, I'm fine.

Always, ALWAYS, when I hear wind blowing, especially a moaning wind, I always think of Catherine and Heathcliff  in Wuthering Heights.

~

I posted this on my Facebook and my friend commented:

~

 "Well, for heaven sakes, aren't you Miss Drama on a Friday night. Next time that happens just set the house on fire. It'll scare whatever it is away and it'll never bother you again. No, seriously, just call me and I'll whack it!!! Be there in 10 minutes, I promise!" · ·

NOW, I feel safer!

MY MARTHA GONZALES ANTIQUE ROSE IS BLOOMING RIGHT NOW...SO PRETTY!

MY MARTHA GONZALES ANTIQUE ROSE IS BLOOMING RIGHT NOW...SO PRETTY!

My Martha Gonzales antique rose is blooming beautifully right now.
It's December!!

 It really appreciated all of the rain, recently.  Oh, and the chicken manure fertilizer.

BIG ANIMALS HAVE THEIR STUFFED FRIENDS, TOO

BIG ANIMALS HAVE THEIR STUFFED FRIENDS, TOO

"Augustin, a Race Horse, and his stuffed crocodile. Doesn't go anywhere without it. 

Big animals have their stuffed friends too. Too cute. : )"   

              

Found this on Pinterest

BARNACLE GOSLING'S TERRIFYING CLIFF TUMBLE IN GREENLAND

BARNACLE GOSLING'S TERRIFYING CLIFF TUMBLE IN GREENLAND

A barnacle gosling plummeting more than 120m (400ft) to follow its parents has been recorded by BBC filmmakers.

The chick’s death-defying tumble is a rite of passage among the birds that nest high up the cliffs in eastern Greenland.

In order to reach the grassy feeding grounds below, the geese call to encourage their chicks to take an alarming leap down sheer rocks.

BARNACLE GOSLING'S TERRIFYING CLIFF TUMBLE

~

If you will go to BBC.COM and search Barnacle Gosling's Terrifying Cliff Tumble, you can read the whole story.  It's very interesting.

~ 

(click on youtube.com in the lower right corner for a larger view)

"PLEASE DON'T THROW MY LEAVES AWAY"

"PLEASE DON'T THROW MY LEAVES AWAY"

Your trees are begging you not to throw their leaves away.

Their roots are deep and bring up the minerals and good things in the earth for nourishment.

Those minerals go straight to the leaves.  Then in the fall as they flutter to the ground, they are putting those minerals and good things back into the soil to nourish the roots.

Those leaves are organic matter and as they decay, all is returned to the soil.

Healthy soil is what makes a healthy garden.
(Be organic~no chemicals, please)

Most of the leaves in my yard are soft and will decay pretty quickly.  I don't mind the look of the fallen leaves.  If they bother you, you can mow over them to break them up.  Then you can rake over them and they will settle to the ground and be a good mulch, then compost for the grass and your landscape.

If you think you have too many leaves for your grass, rake them into the flower beds and extra piles around your trees.  Or, you can share them with your neighbors.

FALLING LEAVES IS HOW THE EARTH REPLENISHES ITSELF.

PLEASE DON'T THROW THE LEAVES AWAY.

~

This is a re-post from my blog, December 21, 2014

"PLEASE DON'T THROW MY LEAVES AWAY"

LIZARD FOUND NAPPING INSIDE A ROSE

LIZARD FOUND NAPPING INSIDE A ROSE

SO CUTE!!

FOUND THIS ON FACEBOOK

SORRY, NO CREDITS WERE AVAILABLE

FIVE DAY OLD ELEPHANT CALF RESCUED FROM A MUDDY POND

FIVE DAY OLD ELEPHANT CALF RESCUED FROM A MUDDY POND

(CLICK ON "YOUTUBE" IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER FOR A LARGER VIEW)

FOUR MONTH OLD LION CUB ~ SOUTH AFRICA

FOUR MONTH OLD LION CUB ~ SOUTH AFRICA

FOUR MONTH OLD LION CUB, SOUTH AFRICA

Gunther Kieberger Photography

KITTY CAT PICKET FENCE

KITTY CAT PICKET FENCE

Look at this kitty cat picket fence. 

 Really, really cute!!

I think it would be easy to make.   

A kitty cat picket gate would be really cute, too.

I love these oversized pots by this rustic garden shed.

(Both of these pictures found on Pinterest.  There were no credits, just pictures.)

REMEMBER THIS BEAUTIFUL PINK FLOWERING VINE~I HAVE SOME SEEDS TO SHARE WITH YOU

REMEMBER THIS BEAUTIFUL PINK FLOWERING VINE~I HAVE SOME SEEDS TO SHARE WITH YOU

This year it flourished much better than the summer before and it produced seed pods, again.

A few of you asked for seeds and I'll be glad to share them with you.  I've opened the seed pods and will share two or three seeds with five of my blogger friends.  

Please remember that it is probably a tropical vine and might not grow in certain "zones"

Here is a link to the original post:

~

HELP ME IDENTIFY THIS BEAUTIFUL PINK FLOWERING VINE

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS ~ Wendell Berry

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS ~ Wendell Berry

BEAUTIFUL LITTLE THREE WEEK OLD LEOPARD CUBS

 BEAUTIFUL LITTLE THREE WEEK OLD LEOPARD CUBS

 

"A week ago there were lions in this area. When they left the mother leopard brought out her 3 week old cubs for the first time."

(Todd Gustafson on Facebook)

LOVING THIS TIME OF YEAR ~ MIGRATING BALTIMORE ORIOLES VISITING MY GARDEN

LOVING THIS TIME OF YEAR ~ MIGRATING BALTIMORE ORIOLES VISITING MY GARDEN

 Lots of hummingbirds are buzzing around my flowers.  I think a lot of them are passing through on their way south.  Usually, I see them chasing each other away from the feeder and nectar sources.  But, two of them were getting along just fine and I wonder about that.
 Are they family?

This year, September has been an easy work month with a lot of artwork at home, instead of going to my clients' homes.  Because of that, I have seen the most beautiful migrating birds visiting my yard.  I have lots of pictures and will share them with you soon.  It's mostly orioles and little yellow birds I haven't identified.  One was a yellow warbler.  Other tiny yellow birds come in flocks and stay for a while then move on south.
Last year, I was very busy working away from home and missed a lot.

I've seen a couple of monarch butterflies around my butterfly weed that I grow just for them.  I'll check for eggs.  Last year this happened on their way to Mexico.  I found out that the butterflies hatching from those eggs would not be heading to Mexico.  They would stay here and wait for spring.  Their plight is so interesting.  There are lots of videos if you google monarch migration.  There are lots of other butterflies in my yard, too.  I find that when all of the birds are finished feeding their young, butterflies are no longer a delicacy for them.

I just looked out my kitchen window and there is a monarch butterfly fluttering around the butterfly weed.  I can always tell a monarch because they flutter their wings differently.  I don't have a lot of them, yet.  Soon there will be more because their migration south started a few weeks ago. 

This is such a good time of year for nature.

The weather is finally cooling off.

Have a great week!

THE GREEN HONEY BEE

THE GREEN HONEY BEE

I saw this green honey bee moving around on the hot walk and it's wing was hurt.  I got two envelopes out of my purse, picked it up and moved it a short distance to some green foliage.  I googled green honey bees and didn't find anything.
Maybe it's not a honey bee, but it looked like one.

I know!  It's a fuzzy picture.  I cropped it to show you the green.
It was a metallic green and really pretty.

The next day on Facebook I saw these words and thought,
 "yep, that's me".  

MY NEW FABRIC FLOWER POTS

MY NEW FABRIC FLOWER POTS

Do you know about Smart Pots?

This flower bed has been a problem for years.  I just cannot keep the weeds out of it.  Because of several perennials and reseeding plants, I didn't want to completely dig it up and put new soil in it.  

On Sunday mornings, I listen to The Dirt Doctor, organic gardener (dirtdoctor.com) and he talked about these pots.  I ordered four of them.

They're fabric.  They have good air flow and in the sun they do not get soooo terribly hot like my other pots.  I still have to water every day or so.  They come in a darker color and this tan.  I prefer the tan ones.  I was concerned about squirrels chewing on them and this is the response I got from smartpots.com:

~

Thank you for being a Smart Pot customer. It is a fact that our fabric is a rodent deterrent, in regards to burrowing rodents such as moles or gophers, they will try to chew through the fabric, but aren’t able and generally leave them alone. I have no first-hand knowledge or feedback regarding squirrels, but I would assume it is the same. If you do notice an issue, you might consider chicken wire or fencing of some type. I hope that helps and feel free to submit any other questions or concerns. Thanks again.

Happy Gardening,

Sounds good to me! 

 Honestly, my plants in direct sun seem to be doing better, now.  It will not be easy, but I am determined to get rid of those weeds and have a nice flower bed, again.

Punkin loves sleeping on these rocks in the shade.  Look at her pretty green eyes.  

She's such a good cat.

Hope your week is good!

TRUCK CARRYING RAMEN NOODLES CRASHES. ESTIMATED LOSS TO COMPANY $38.00

TRUCK CARRYING RAMEN NOODLES CRASHES.  ESTIMATED LOSS TO COMPANY $38.00 

(David Stewart's post on Facebook)

MONARCH BUTTERFLIES ARE ON THEIR WAY SOUTH...GET YOUR BUTTERFLY WEED READY FOR THEM

MONARCH BUTTERFLIES ARE ON THEIR WAY SOUTH...GET YOUR BUTTERFLY WEED READY FOR THEM

I read that the monarch butterflies have been spotted passing through Ontario.

Get your butterfly weed ready.  It's a host plant.  The monarchs will lay their eggs on it and you'll have more butterflies.  In August, I start feeding my butterfly weed so it will have 

lots of leaves for the tiny caterpillars to eat.

This picture is from last fall.
They love pentas, too.

FLEUR DE LIS TRELLIS & ELEPHANT STATUE

FLEUR DE LIS TRELLIS & ELEPHANT STATUE

This fall I might be helping a client landscape and decorate her backyard.  

This morning, I visited a garden center and found this huge fleur de lis trellis.  Since my client is all about "french" I called and suggested we purchase it.

Isn't it wonderful!

Marshall was nice enough to hold it for me to see how tall it is.

Once it's in the ground, it will be about 6' or so tall.  I want to hang it on her back fence and put birdhouses in those open spaces and grow vines on it.  

You'll be able to see it from the house and the porch.

I took a picture of this elephant statue because I thought it was so cute the way they had him up on the tree stump like he's eating that little tree.

I really, really have a problem going to any garden center.  I went for potting soil and that's not all I left with. 

 I'm very happy!!

PAINTING TWO MORE BUTTERFLIES FOR KAREN'S GARAGE/CARRIAGE HOUSE DOORS

PAINTING TWO MORE BUTTERFLIES FOR KAREN'S GARAGE/CARRIAGE HOUSE DOORS

Remember the garage door that I painted a few weeks ago?

 Karen wanted it to look like two carriage house doors that open in the middle.

Here is a link to that post:

GARAGE DOORS TO CARRIAGE HOUSE DOORS

I painted butterflies and vines on the door(s).

Karen called and wanted me to paint two more butterflies.

Next time I'm over that way, I'll paint a little more black on the caterpillar part of the butterfly.

I loved painting the butterflies.

From the street, it looks like my painted vines might be a part of the foliage in the pot by the garage door.  In the winter my vine will be the only thing green.

I love working with Karen.

HOMEMADE SPRAY INSECT REPELLENT & MY ELIJAH CAT'S "INSECT SENSITIVITY"

HOMEMADE SPRAY INSECT REPELLENT & MY ELIJAH CAT'S "INSECT SENSITIVITY"

Elijah is a sweet cat that came to live at my house about three years ago. 

 Recently, his favorite place to sleep is behind this rake.  So, I just leave it there for him.

I think my Punkin is his sister.  Punkin's mother put her in my garden shed as a small kitten and I'm not sure why she didn't put Elijah in there, too.  Maybe a neighbor found him, first.  He was always following Punkin around and he did, finally, come to live here.  I take very good care of him and Punkin.  The only problem is, they have to live outside.  I have a kitty door in my garage and in the garden shed, so they have very warm places to stay in the winter.  And, when a dog or an occasional coyote! come by, Punkin and Elijah have a safe place to hide.

Elijah has "insect sensitivity".  Sometimes, his nose is very bloody from scratching.  He's not as tame as Punkin, so I really can't do much for him.  

Recently, I found a recipe for a homemade mosquito repellent on Facebook.  I have made it several times and twice a day I spray all around the front porch area where Elijah likes to sleep and I'm amazed at the difference.  Also, when I feed him in the morning, I spray a little of the repellent on my hand and "accidentally" touch his head.  His nose might look bad to you, but it is tons better than it was.  Here is the recipe.  I love the way it smells.

HOMEMADE MOSQUITO REPELLENT

Combine in a 16 oz. bottle:

15 drops lavender oil

3-4 Tbsp of vanilla extract

1/4 cup lemon juice

Fill bottle with water.  

Shake. 

 Ready to use.

ANOTHER TINY MIGRATING BIRD VISITING MY YARD TODAY

ANOTHER TINY MIGRATING BIRD VISITING MY YARD TODAY

Another little migrating bird visiting my yard.

This little fella has visited my yard several times in the past as he was passing through.

He has a dark greeny back and bright yellow tummy and hop, hop, hops everywhere.  He usually has a lighter colored mate.  Maybe I'll see her tomorrow.

FIRST MIGRATING BALTIMORE ORIOLE AT MY BIRD BATH

FIRST MIGRATING BALTIMORE ORIOLE AT MY BIRD BATH

This is the time of year that I start seeing migrating birds at my bird bath.

It's such a fun time of year for me.

This oriole has been here since Sunday morning.  I saw a beautiful male oriole fly across my yard.  Usually, I see a couple of them first and then several.  These might be scouts.
Yesterday, I saw a large dark speckled bird bathing, but not sure what it was and didn't get a picture.
The sparrows and doves always guard the bird bath and when they start suddenly gathering, I know a new bird is nearby and coming for a drink and a bath.  That oriole was fighting with a sparrow and the oriole won and took a good splashy bath.

The flower bed around the bird bath was overgrown and there were a few tall pot plants close by.  So, a few days ago, I cleaned out the weeds and moved everything tall.  Last year I noticed that the birds were a little bit leery about landing on the bird bath.  I think they were afraid predators might be hiding.  They have a clear path, now.

I always notice that most of the migrating birds come in front of a cold front and there's one on the way.  I think it will be here tomorrow night or Thursday.

I'm ready!! and, will be taking as many pictures as I can and will be sharing them with you.

A NEW BABY FOR EX ORPHAN ELEPHANT EMILY IS BORN & FAMILY GATHERS

"When Emily the elephant was a baby, she was an orphan who was raised by the keepers of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya. When she got pregnant, something miraculous took place. Instead of having her baby in the wild, Emily decided to return to the Wildlife Trust to give birth in the company of the keepers that took care of her when she was a calf. This is something you almost never get to see in the wild. Apparently Emily felt really comfortable around humans and she decided it was safer to give birth next to her old friends. After giving birth, the herd gather around her. It is a very powerful sight to see all the other elephants from the family gather around to give Emily support and protection, celebrating with her the arrival of her baby."

(For a larger, more wonderful view, click on YouTube in the lower right corner)
Nancy Ridenour on Facebook

LIONS BY MELISSA GROO

LIONS BY MELISSA GROO

"A tender moment between mated lions. We watched the male appear on the horizon, far from where we sat in our vehicle next to a shady spot by a river where a lioness, her sisters, and their cubs were resting. He slowly approached, and then, when he was some 50 yards away, his mate, the mother of his cubs, came to greet him. She gently nuzzled him and rubbed against him, and he then followed her to the rest of the group, where he was greeted by his cubs as he laid down to rest as well.

I developed new respect and fascination for lions on this trip. It's the first time I've seen them in the wild, and had a chance to observe their close family bonds. I found myself often wondering, how could anyone want to kill a lion? Why deprive the world of such a magnificent, intelligent animal? Or a pride of its father and leader?"

(MELISSA GROO ON FACEBOOK)

REINCARNATION

REINCARNATION

(Click on YouTube in the lower right corner for a larger view)

A LOSS FOR WORDS & SADNESS

A LOSS FOR WORDS & SADNESS

The story about Cecil the lion was so, so sad to me.  I don't understand the mentality of wanting to kill such a beautiful, unique animal for the pleasure of a photograph with it or to hang it on your wall.  They tortured Cecil.  First that guy shot him with a bow and arrow.  That didn't kill him, so they tracked him for 40 hours and shot him, skinned him and cut off his head.  Up until that happened, Cecil had been treated really well and people loved him and his pride.

Unbelievable!!

So, with all of the talk and outrage about Cecil, one of the guys on the radio was talking about it, yesterday.   He was talking about the contrast of outrage to the recent videos of the aborted babies and what was happening to them.  He was wondering why the outrage wasn't the same for them.  To me, it's just so horrifying and shocking that I could never put into words what I'm feeling.  And, nothing I could say or do would change anything.  

I know of three women who told me they had an abortion when they were very young and regretted it terribly.  The sorrow and the guilt were overwhelming.  Especially when we're young, sometimes we  make choices without guidance.  Choices that we later regret.  Maybe, maybe, maybe these recent videos will help someone make better and more informed choices.

That radio talk show conversation did make me think and ponder about the reason I haven't discussed it with anyone.  It's just so horrifying and awful.  

I may start a discussion with family, but I'm not even sure what I will say.

 

A blogger's comment on my post about Cecil The Lion:

Clipped Wings Blog 

"That is a tragedy, but people kill off tons of dogs and cats every year and think nothing about it. Those are tragedies also. Most people tend to think of animals as not important in the realm of comparison to humans, so they are considered more expendable which is a shame, but a fact of life."

Yes, we can't forget about them.

Very, very sad!

WISTERIA BLOSSOM

WISTERIA BLOSSOM

There is a trellis over my fish pond.  Yesterday, I was feeding the fish and looked up and saw this beautiful, vibrant wisteria blossom.  It's supposed to bloom in early spring, but I love seeing it now.  I looked all over the vine and up in the trees where it climbs and didn't see another bloom.

I LOVE MY MOMMY

I LOVE MY MOMMY

CHERYL E. ARENA 

on Facebook

HAND PAINTING ARTWORK BIRDS & A NEST ON KAREN'S FRONT DOOR

HAND PAINTING ARTWORK BIRDS & A NEST ON KAREN'S FRONT DOOR

A few weeks ago, I shared with you a picture of an aqua door that I was painting with artwork.

Finally, I finished painting it and here it is.

Karen's door was dark brown.  She and I chose this new color for the door.  

 I painted it and then painted the artwork.

Mr. Birdie taking a ribbon to his nest.

Mrs. Birdie building her nest with a ribbon.

~

I painted Karen's garage door to look like it might be carriage house doors.  And, painted ivy and butterflies on it.  

For more pictures, visit this link:

PAINTING BIRDS & A NEST ON KAREN'S FRONT DOOR & GARAGE DOOR TO CARRIAGE HOUSE DOORS

This door was fun to paint and Karen had new landscaping added with tons of pink, purple and blue flowers.

JAGUAR ATTACKS CROCODILE (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC)

JAGUAR ATTACKS CROCODILE (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC)

I had no idea this could happen!

How strong that jaguar must be to pick up a crocodile and carry it across the river.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

(for a larger view, click on youtube.com in the lower right hand corner.)

NATURE IS SPEAKING ~ JULIA ROBERTS AS MOTHER NATURE

NATURE IS SPEAKING ~ JULIA ROBERTS 

NATURE IS SPEAKING

JULIA ROBERTS AS MOTHER NATURE

NATURE IS SPEAKING.ORG
(Click on YouTube in the right bottom corner for a larger view
Or, natureisspeaking.org)

SUPERB LEOPARD SIGHTING ~ EWASO LIONS

"Superb leopard sighting this morning in the Conservation Area. With the return of lions to the Conservation Area, we rarely see leopards these days - so this was extra special. It was thanks to the monkeys who were making loud alarm calls which alerted us to the leopard's presence."

EWASO LIONS 

on Facebook

FIREWORKS & ANIMALS DON'T MIX ~ BE SENSITIVE & KIND

I read that in June, animal shelters put down more dogs to make room for all of the runaways on July 4th.  Fireworks frighten them so badly.  They frighten other animals and birds, too.

LION: EVERY SCAR TELLS A STORY ~ A STORY THAT SAYS, I SURVIVED

"FROM EVERY WOUND THERE IS A SCAR,

AND EVERY SCAR TELLS A STORY.

A STORY THAT SAYS, I SURVIVED."

ZAMBI WILDLIFE RETREAT 

on Facebook

TURTLE DEFORMED BY A SIX-PACK RING ~ PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT

TURTLE DEFORMED BY A SIX-PACK RING ~ PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT

Isn't this the saddest thing!!
Poor little turtle.

Deformed by a six-pack ring.
 That plastic comes with bottled water and other drinks.
I ALWAYS cut it into pieces and make sure there are no holes, at all.  I cut even the smallest hole so a foot or anything else won't get caught in it.  Also, I cut the two plastic strip openings on a plastic grocery bag and tie the bag in a knot before I throw it away.

I read that this turtle survived but cannot protect itself by retreating into it's shell.
I will do my best to help protect our environment.
(INHABITAT.COM/PEANUT-THE-STORY)

JERUSALEM SAGE IN MY GARDEN

JERUSALEM SAGE IN MY GARDEN

Isn't this JERUSALEM SAGE beautiful!

My garden is always overgrown and always needs trimming and pulling.  

For this nature blog, I have changed the status of "comments" to "anyone".

It gets several views a day and just in case you would like to comment, please do so.

I would love to hear from you.

LUCKY ME !!

LUCKY ME !!

Yesterday, I was picking up little limbs and twigs scattered around my front porch.  

This little limb was stuck in my crepe myrtle tree.  I wasn't really paying attention, but just so happened to look just before I grabbed the limb.  Look what was on that little limb!!

That wasp nest is exactly where I was going to put my hand.

Thank goodness!!! I glanced at it, first.

~

This morning I took my Elijah cat for his yearly vaccinations.  There were about six people waiting in line with their dogs and it was fun to watch.  Some of them had two and three dogs on  leashes.  Some of the dogs actually looked like their owners, especially in size.  I really enjoyed seeing the variety of  dogs, their colors and their personalities.  I really did!

~

Poor Elijah has insect sensitivity and his nose and ears are in bad shape.  Every spring, as soon as the mosquitoes come out his nose and ears start looking really bad.  As it cools off in the fall and the mosquitoes go away, his nose and ears clear up and I can tell he feels so much better.

His mother left him and his sister in my yard.  I can touch Punkin, but Elijah has always been a scaredy cat.  He comes around for food, but I can't really pet him or pick him up to doctor him.  I have to trick him and grab him to put him in the pet carrier.

 I've heard that organic cactus juice is a mosquito repellent.  I'm thinking I will get some and spray it around the yard where he sleeps.
~

Hope your weekend is nice and peaceful.  

I'm thinking mine will be and I won't be in pain from multiple wasp stings!!