Fall cleanup

I've been in Salina, Kansas for the past week with my mother, doing fall clean up of her yard and gardens, as well as a few other odds and ends around the house. We've also done a lot of cooking and have filled her freezer with enough small meals to last hopefully until spring.

She has a pug named Jake. He is very friendly and is happy to have attention, food, and petting from anyone, but he is primarily devoted to my mother. As far as I can tell, that is the primary purpose of a pug, or any dog for that matter. They are a great pair and both are better off for it.

Mostly I did yard work, cooked, and crossed items off the "to do" list, but I also got to visit a couple friends who are still in the area, sampled some of the local brews, and had a good time.

Clay has survived with the dogs at home and seems to be recovering from pneumonia. Gigi went to the emergency vet on Sunday because she was in pain when she moved and seemed to be dehydrated. They gave her fluids, pain meds, and took xrays but nothing really showed up so we are assuming she pulled a muscle or something in one of her brief spurts of activity between sessions of lounging on the bed.

I have a senior black lab coming in when I return, and possibly a sibling from Kaya's litter, and maybe a Dane depending upon results of some medical and temperament tests.

This is Jake's "you're in my spot" look

which I got whenever I sat in his chair.

We were fairly flexible on the timing of Happy Hour this week.

This grew from an ornamental sweet potato

vine in one of the pots in the container garden.

Happy Hour at Blue Skye Brewery

Jake laying on the floor next to my mother's chair

because I was in his chair.

Empty container garden, ready for next year.

It grew very well this year though.

Pots from the container garden, emptied and stacked. There

were 60+ of them this year.

Plantation Crunch manufacturing process

The garden in the front yard, cut off and cleaned up.

A dozen trash bags and yard cart full, and the

trees are still holding onto a lot of their leaves.