Just Some Dog Pics

We are diggin' having the whole driveway to ourselves.

SO many Updates

and SO little time. I will attack the most important one first. I have indeed found a shampoo that strips dirt, as in it cleans your hair, yet doesn't transform you into Cindy Crawford. It's called Drama Clean, and all I can say is FinallY. Someone listened. Next, the business shift is sort of like the tectonic plates below us all, in that the more stuff I get ready to move, the more I throw out. Everything seems to balance. I just hope nothing twangs into a tsunami..

I've been mostly enjoying not moving much when I get home, these 12 hour days were a lot easier in my callow yout'. "My" garden is always a nice change from the hubbub of city stuff. Here's the bane of my life, my Sarah Bernhardt (who names these things!!) peony. Last year, she had a smitch of botyris wilt. As I had Always cleaned up after her in the past, I thought I'd try NOT cleaning up this spring.

Well, that was a bad idea. Dratted plant. Each flower weighs more than a pug dog, they ALWAYS flop over in the rain, and never last very long (for me) when I cut them. So I haven't touched this plant, as I know this disease is contagious to other plants. I will cut/burn the foliage once the summer's over. This plant is closest to the front, really ticks me off. But, this peony has always annoyed me. LOVE the flowers, hate the silly design. I think the ridiculously wet spring, combined with not enough sun AND the plant is a little low in the ground now, all contributed to it's diseased state. I'll have to dig it up and replant it somewhere else. Or, kill it and buy a new one. That's the best thing about plants...

While I was taking the shot, a flutterby dropped by, to cheer me up. Obviously, this little guy had fought some battle, and won. I love how he's posing so that the curve of the leaf shows his missing wing part.

Then there is my favourite peony, "Bowl of Beauty", OH, I love this girl! Tough, simple but gorgeous flowers that close up in the rain and at night, open on sunny days. The flowers don't topple the plant over. Much more resistant to wilt. The plant has done really well this year, but then I've been pretty happy with it since I bought it. I love the many "looks" of the different flowers. Some are perfect.

I look SO good!

Then there are the harried ones.

No Time to do hair today.

Then there are the "I've had a BAD day, and I need to slow down!" flowers.

ACK! The disheveled look.

Then there are the ones that just want to exit, stage left.,

Then there are the group shots, when they all seem to harmonize, like friends joining their voices in song.

Then there are my delphiniums, I love the blue of these flowers..

Then there are...

Altered Egos

I have no idea if that title will make any more sense as I type this post, or not. I just liked it. OH, wait, I know why I liked it!
We have a winner in the "change Stinky cat's darned name" contest. Are you ready? I LOVE it. "Stanley". Staaaaanley.. He loves it too, I swear he's gotten a bit of a swagger since he was bequeathed a new real name. Stanley is going to go live with my Dad for a bit, while the shop does its' big shift. If all goes well, Stanley and Dad will live happily ever after. If not, Staaaanley will come back to the shop. Poor Stanley has no idea of the big changes coming to his now mostly perfect to him life.

Who would have guessed I'd want to stay in Scarberia for a cat? Well, I can't. The shift is in logistical progress. I will be super duper busy through the next few months, and hopefully good things are coming. I have had enough bad things, thankyouverymuch. On to good things, good people, good business, good times. I bloody hope so anyway.

I've been staying away from my walking trails, walking the driveway and a patch of the front grass, and of course a bit of pond "beach" so the girls can swim and wade. We have Hooded-Merganser-lings and Wood Duckling! The Hoodies were on the front pond, Mom had found a nice log that had been sailing around in the wind, but had finally becalmed in the middle of the pond. The Woodie was on the back pond, I had heard piteous cheeeping, wee duckling was lost at the south end. Then I heard Mom's soft worried call at the north, and finally little one started paddling hard north. The wind was agin him, but he was determined, cheeeping the whole time:)

Hooded Merganser and Family

Wood Duckling

Know how I said I wasn't enjoying this wet cold spring? Water off a duck's back, as they say, to a duck. I refuse to disturb habitat, my girls are a bit miffed, but they've been getting tons of walkies and frisbees so poop on them. These ducks have fewer and fewer places to safely breed, each year. I do my part to leave them the hell alone. That's why these pics are so blurry. Okay, also because my camera and I are arguing again. But I won't get too close to the Woodies, they are so shy... Hooded Merganser females have that wonderful shock of red wisps on their heads, always amazing to see.

The good things have always been all around me.