Fall flowers!

Has anyone noticed the zinnias around? Wish I had planted some. They are INCREDIBLE!! But, I do have a bunch of impatiens doing really well. LOVE those easy care, awesome pretty flowers!

My bistro boxes are still going strong. We did get some mold and some bugs, but they seem to be recovering and going strong.

I don't even know what this flower is called -

My gardens are actually badly in need of attention. I simply could not do much with them in the heat. Seems like I am catching up on everything around the house, except the gardens, but they will survive.

Still working really hard with Spur on his running contacts. My legs are sore!! That's a LOT of sprinting! He is just not getting it. The ball launcher is going to take some time to work through, after the ball hitting him in the head. OI! I am such an idiot. So, I am not using it on the dog walk. Only on planks in the back yard. On the dog walk I am using the two hit-it boards that beep. Which doesn't freak him out. But.......He simply is not understanding. I don't know why? I clearly jackpot good hits and simply start over for jumps. He just isn't getting it. Then he gets worried, his mind melts, he wrings his tiny little papillon paws and all goes to hell. I continually have to back up in the training and start again with hoops and tossing the ball ahead of him. Then removing the hoops and hoping for some hitsm which we do get, and I DO jackpot and tell him he is brilliant.

I just keep hoping some day we can get out there and he will have this brain bulb light up, showing him clearly what his job is! He is a very slow learner when he worries. Stress removes his ability to learn and he is so easily stressed.

I feel at times like the worst trainer in the world. But, then I think of all the folks out there trying to teach running contacts and failing. Of course, there are those select few who are ROCKING it and doing GREAT. Why can't that be me? This is the hardest thing I have ever had to train.

I will continue. I will keep at it. I WILL figure this out!!! Some day.......maybe I will be 100 years old, but I WILL figure this out!!! With Spur, who knows. Spur is a different deal. Patience is his biggest friend and I am not always the most patient person. He still loves me and that's really all that matters at this point. After all, I never thought he would make it as a show dog when we started. NEVER! He was such a weenie. So, I know there is hope. Always hope! I need a cheering squad. "Go Spur", "Go Spur", "Go Spur".

Last night he barfed up FOUR times. We were worried he was heading into a pancreatitis episode again. But, this morning he seems totally fine and has held down 1/4 of a rice cake. Thinking perhaps the chopped up corn on the farm. They bush hog it when it's done producing, which leaves chopped up cobs molding in the fields. We are going to have to watch him REALLY carefully on our walks.

Walked the dogs, cleaned up the garden, rode my silly horse, walked the dogs, mowed the lawn, vacuumed the office and THEN made a list!

And the dumbest thing? I couldn't check anything OFF the list! I remember the day on Facebook my friend said she washed windows, then went riding. And I had gone riding and THEN washed windows.

Perhaps I should take the plank off the rock wall? I am not using it at the moment and it does kind of ruin the look, don't you think? Or is a yellow and blue painted plank considered garden ornament? Adding "texture" and depth? Nah, it needs to be put away. I used my whole compost bin on these perenials. The moles had removed so much soil during their excavation last winter. They had not been in this garden before and that makes me unhappy. Between them and then Colby who excavates trying to kill them, I lost a lot of soil!!! Veggie garden will have to settle with manure/compost. See it in the background? Freshly turned and scooped up and ready access. Some of it is nicely "seasoned" at the back.

Hmmm, the bare areas should be filled with beautiful tulips! Damn moles!!! >:/

Still can't find my third rusty lizard!! I think it got swallowed by the rocks.

:(

May flowers already?

Yup!! Kathy pointed them out to me. We don't usually see them until the first of May. Saweeeeeeeeet.................

A volunteer Johnny Jump Up. OK, seriously, what JJU isn't a volunteer? :P I don't think I ever BOUGHT any JJU's. They start to take over the garden, but that's A-OK with me, I LOVE them!! They bloom for months and months, even making nice potted flowers, especially when mixed in with others. This little one is in the middle of my yard, just popping out of the grass, hard soul!! If I didn't have a million other things to get done I would pot this little one right now and stick it on the step. I saw a house with window boxes full of pansies yesterday. Wow! Talk about motivated! I have too many windows to wash, dogs to walk/train and my little Jewel to ride, plantings will wait -

I saw Bill B. the strawberry man yesterday. He said the berries wintered over OK. Some loses, but they are coming along. He was starting to uncover them from the straw, glad he can finally get into the wet fields. We are hopefully we can have some of the ever bearing ones again this year. That was SO nice last year. Strawberries all season long!

OMG, this is TOO funny!

Check out Horse Agility!!!!-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmkxnpkPjWE&feature=player_embedded

OK, finally loaded the delphinium photo. Oh dear, forgot to turn it. Well, it's nothing really worth changing, so check it out as is. I am just curious why the plant thinks November is a good time to blossom.............

Umm, trying to bloom NOW?????? I am not even sure what to do with it?

Here is my November garden. We are still eating yummy Kale, beets and swish chard! YUM! Nothing like sauteed Kale with bits of apple.