This is the best fuscia I've ever grown (most flowers) and it's probably at its peak about now.
The outdoor project I'm currently on is muddy, dirty, smelly, and not very interesting, so I thought I'd post some current pics from my container garden instead.
I've used mulch on the ground around the containers in the past but it's about gone and I'm not really satisfied with it. I think I'll get a load of pea gravel.
I took the morning off from work and drove up to northern Virginia to see where Jack would be living and to finalize his adoption. I feel good about it. The adopter is excited to have him and is serious about the training and that is really all Jack needs to be a really great dog.
It's quiet at our house tonight. Jack was only one of three barky shepherds here, but he really stirred up Theo and Max. Feeding time takes less than 15 minutes now. The two outdoor kennels are empty now and I plan for them to remain so, at least for a while. We have a trip to Montana coming up in less than two weeks, and then I'm making a solar eclipse trip to Kansas in August. I need to do some work on the house and in the yard, so this may be the summer of few fosters.
The only hard part was when he looked right at me with the questioning look, wondering what was going on. He has eyes that look right through you, or through me anyway. I wish I could explain why I left him, but I expect he was so busy for the rest of the day that he didn't have time to give it any thought anyway.
Today was Jack's last day as a foster. He's getting adopted tomorrow. He's a great young dog with a lot of potential and he's going where he will get the training he needs to reach that potential.
We are glad to see him go. Frankly, he's too much dog for me. Too young, too big, too strong, too energetic, too needy. He needs a home of his own.
To give him a proper send off, I took him down to the river today because he loves the water. Although he jumps into the water tanks and lays down, he had never been in water deep enough that he had to swim. He was hesitant, but he came to me when I called him and he learned to swim.
Jack has a lifetime of learning and new adventures ahead of him. His adopter wants to train him for search and rescue work. That's great, but a whole lot of basic obedience will need to come first.
The weather has been decent for hiking again, but it's still warm enough that we are keeping them pretty short. I was talking to Clay this evening and he pointed out that Trooper, TJ, and Sparky must all be about 12 years old now. We figure that Gigi must be nine. With that many seniors, you'd think our house would be quieter than what it is.
They were all excited to go out on a hike, but we are taking it pretty slow and not going too far, for all of us.
L to R: TJ, Maya, Trooper
Sparky got us up at 4:00 a.m. this morning with a bad case of diarrhea, but he was feeling good and ready to hike later in the day.
Sparky liked the deep water, Maya just went in knee deep. Gigi kept her feet dry.
The river is nice and clear right now. I'm going to get my canoe out this weekend.
This is a blog about my life, which largely revolves around a dog rescue operation. I write mostly, but not exclusively, about dogs. I am gay, with a very understanding partner (now husband!); Democrat; liberal; Kansas native and a current resident of "real" Virginia. My husband and I live on 7 rural acres near Charlottesville, Virginia. We have multiple large dogs of our own, and we have fostered large breed dogs for several different rescue organizations. German Shepherd Dogs, Great Danes, and Rottweilers are among our favorites, but we love most large breed dogs and mutts. ALL VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN ARE MY OWN.
I took the morning off from work and drove up to northern Virginia to see where Jack would be living and to finalize his adoption. I feel good about it. The adopter is excited to have him and is serious about the training and that is really all Jack needs to be a really great dog.
The only hard part was when he looked right at me with the questioning look, wondering what was going on. He has eyes that look right through you, or through me anyway. I wish I could explain why I left him, but I expect he was so busy for the rest of the day that he didn't have time to give it any thought anyway.
Today was Jack's last day as a foster. He's getting adopted tomorrow. He's a great young dog with a lot of potential and he's going where he will get the training he needs to reach that potential.
The weather has been decent for hiking again, but it's still warm enough that we are keeping them pretty short. I was talking to Clay this evening and he pointed out that Trooper, TJ, and Sparky must all be about 12 years old now. We figure that Gigi must be nine. With that many seniors, you'd think our house would be quieter than what it is.
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