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Back home in Indiana

We arrived in Indiana for a family visit on Friday evening, where the weather was cold and in the 40’s, just like back at home in Austin, albeit dry.
Today, it was 58 and sunny and beautiful. We had some fun on the farm doing some chores, cutting down trees (I say we, I really mean the guys – I only watched from afar!), burning wood, taking horse photos (they breed and show Belgian Draft Horses) and watching my sister and brother-in-law’s dogs run amok around the farm. This is Chief in the photo above, who came out for an improptu photo op!
As terriers, these little dogs are always looking for something, and it was a hoot watching them try to dig their way to China in search of a mole. Here they were convinced that they had someone cornered in this hollow tree!

Not much garden news to report. I’m seeing some bulbs peeking up in the yard and grass is starting to turn green.

I’ll have a full report on Tuesday, when I’ll get a private nursery and greenhouse tour from a family friend who works there. I am hoping to get some photos to share with you.

We’ll be here until Wednesday. The rain was supposed to stop in Austin today or tomorrow — I am eager to get home and see all the growth that came as a result. I know that the radish leaves in the garden went from a few inches tall to the size of leaf lettuce in the three days of rain we had before we left — shoot, I might even be able to eat one when we get back.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:44:39-05:00March 15th, 2009|Blog, dogs, horses, Indiana, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

One size fits all…

Well, sometimes one size fits all. Clearly a Tanner/Dakota sized bed fits Toby “just right!”

We’re all working in the garden this afternoon. Actually, I am the only one working. The dogs are all lying around, looking for lizards and enjoying the sun. And I am puttering and doing very little since real work is still kinda out of the question. (I tried to plant a 4″ pot and actually felt it in my abdominal muscles so I figured it’s still too soon to do that – don’t wanna undo any of the doctor’s work! But don’t tell anyone.)

So, I picked up dog poop, disentangled some invasive Cypress Vine from the strawberry shoots in the garden (which are growing like CRAZY) and watered a few things. Hey – it’s something…

But after 9 days of restricted garden activity, I am going nuts. The weather is perfect and I have soooooo much to do.

Instead, I picked some seeds to bring to our Austin Garden Bloggers little tour tomorrow. Then I can enjoy someone else’s garden and take it easy — I’m really looking forward to it.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:07-05:00October 18th, 2008|Blog, dogs, Sharing Nature's Garden|5 Comments

The gang’s all here…

Well, this shot’s much better than the one of them all sniffing their butts!

There’s peace in our house. Mayhem, but peace. Toby still pees every time I touch him so he’s getting his loving from Kallie right now! And we’ve developed a plan to get him straight out back when I get home so any accidents happen outside (mostly!)

Look at those plaintive eyes. Isn’t he cute?

And they are all vying for Kallie’s attention, which she is happy to share with all of them, each in their own turn.

Tonight we are going with my Dear Husband and are going to walk them all! That should be something to see. I think we’ll each take one dog. That should make it easier. When Kallie was a baby and I babysat their previous precious dog, Schatzi, I walked all 3 dogs AND pushed a stroller. THAT was a sight. I’m not quite up to that kind of excursion yet.

Our inch of rain made my Epiphyllum so happy that it bloomed yesterday! I can’t quite get good shots of them. And they wilt and hang down almost as soon as they open because they are so heavy.

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:07-05:00October 17th, 2008|Blog, dogs, epiphyllum, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Three’s company around here for a while!

Sorry I missed bloom day yesterday, but I figure I get a pass on this one! Besides, I have other little blooms at my house today!

Mom and Dad’s dog, Toby, (the tiny Chihuahua in the first photo) came to our house this morning for an extended five-day stay.

He’s their newly-adopted boy – he’s only been with them since August, and this is the first time they’ve taken a trip. It’s also the first time our newly August-adopted girl, Dakota, has had company at her house. Whew. So many new things!

Toby looked a little nervous riding in the car with me — but my husband would say that’s because of my driving – HA!

But Toby settled right in with our two, Dakota and Tanner. In spite of his being size-challenged (compared to our bubbies), he holds his own. And, much to my dismay, he and Dakota (who’s the younger of our tw at 5) really want to romp around the house together. I had to step in and tell them that wasn’t going to happen, and they seem ok with that. Besides the obvious house-protecting instinct, it doesn’t seem like fair play when she outweighs him by 50 pounds!

Since I’m still taking it easy, it will be good to be here with them all day to keep an eye on them in case I need to play traffic cop, but I think they are quite content…don’t you?

Here’s a challenge – someone had “cat day” last week on our garden blogs — why don’t we have “doggie day” and everyone can post their pooch pics and link back to me. I love looking at your dogs, (and cats) and therefore assume everyone loves to look at my dogs!

By Diana C. Kirby|2017-11-29T23:27:52-06:00October 16th, 2008|Blog, dogs, Sharing Nature's Garden, toby|0 Comments

Run, take cover, wet stuff is coming from the sky!

Honestly, I didn’t think it was EVER going to rain again here in Austin. It’s been such a long, hot-hot drought this summer. Even worse than usual.

But today, after grey skies all day, it finally opened up and showered down upon us. We got a quarter of an inch in about 20 minutes, and the forecast is calling for a 70% chance of rain tomorrow, as well. And boy, do we need it.
When it was raining hard, I just had to get a shot of the rain gauge. We ended at .24 before the sun came back out and the rain stopped.
And then I set about plating some dinner from the yummy casseroles that my dear husband made for us this weekend while I was in bed. Being that it was a few minutes before 5:00, both dogs had taken their posts in front of the stove to make sure not to miss a stray morsel — and to remind me that it was time for THEM to be fed. They start lobbying at about 4:30 and are relentless.

So, the good news is that I don’t have to water pots or birdbaths or deer water bowls now. And maybe if you all cross your fingers, I won’t have to do it tomorrow, either!

By Diana C. Kirby|2016-04-14T02:45:07-05:00October 14th, 2008|Blog, dogs, rain, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Whew…

So my Wednesday job was to get all 18 of those plants into the ground before a little surgery on Thursday put me out of gardening commission for a while.

My boots and shovel got a good workout, but it was nice to have a bed to work in, where all the soil was reasonably diggable (is that a word?!).

Unfortunately, once I got everything in the ground, I discovered that the sprinkler back there had been broken digging out the giant Primrose Jasmine, so then I had to water it all by hand.

As you can see, the black elephant ears were not happy about the lack of moisture.

Dakota and Tanner were big helpers all day. Although I did tell Dakota that since she was digging giant holes in the empty bed — she really should be the one to dig the holes for my plants as restitution. She didn’t respond. Dogs.
Tanner found himself a nice shady spot below the bed from which to observe. Doesn’t he look content there? How can they be so happy watching me sweat?