Gardens For Goldens

Absence

June 16, 2019 by Ogee

Often, the absence of something is felt as tangibly as its presence. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one—two-legged or four—knows this. The silence when returning home or the space in a room previously occupied by their being feels loud and hollow. The empty void as weighty as their once physical presence—leaving regret for ever having taken our time with them for granted. This spring, the garden was filled with swallowtails, painted ladies and cabbage butterflies. Now, there are […]

Categories: Gardening, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, Nature, Nature Photography • Tags: butterfly disappearance, Climate Change, hummingbird disapperance, nature change

Taking the Hill

June 9, 2019 by Ogee

Originally, it was a mountain of tangled blackberries – home to snakes, thorns and the occasional bunny. The brambles were replaced with raised blueberry beds – that fried in the summer heat and invited Bermuda grass, morning glory weeds and few blueberries. Last fall, the bed frames were demolished to begin anew. The vision was an extension of the adjacent California-themed garden. The challenge: that bed sits near the top of the garden. When we get big winter rains, the […]

Categories: Gardening, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden • Tags: California Native Plants in Garden, Mediterranean plants, Senior Dog Rescue

The Rules of Engagement

May 26, 2019 by Ogee

Most of our foster puppies promise to remember us always and then quickly forget when they find their forever homes. How do I know? Many come back for class or reunions. I may get a passing hello, but they are much more interested in playtime with the dogs than visiting with me. An exception: Baby Sara – now named Jessie. You may recall from a past post, Jessie is the offspring of a Golden mom and a dad of many […]

Categories: Dog Fostering, Dog Rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Pets, Puppies • Tags: Dog Fostering, Dog socialization, Foster puppies, Puppy socialization

All Dogs Go To Heaven

May 24, 2019 by Ogee

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May deluges bring? It is the third week of May, and I am sitting in my house in a wool sweater and fleece jacket because I will be damned if I will turn on the heat at this point in the year! Like the rest of the country, we have been hit with really bizarre weather. I cannot complain, however, because ours is in the form of cooler temperatures and significant rainfall […]

Categories: Dog Loss, Dog Rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden • Tags: All Dogs Go To Heaven, Dog Loss, Dog Remembrance, First Bloom, Memorial Service

Thanks For the Hugs

May 20, 2019 by Ogee

“One doesn’t know, till one is a bit at odds with the world, how much one’s friends who believe in one rather generously, mean to one.” ~ D.H. Lawrence Thanks for the hugs, everyone. ❤

Categories: Friendship • Tags: Friendship

Holding On To The Things You Love

May 19, 2019 by Ogee

Somewhere between work, volunteering, and changes to how WordPress manages the Reader and sharing, I ran out of blogging steam. Or maybe just words. Fresh inspiration abounds, but not everyone wants to read the stories I might share. The self-imposed push for happy stories feels less authentic and gradually, probably less relevant to readers, as well. Blogs are time-consuming beasts, and when you feel like no one is listening, it is easy to become discouraged. Along the way, I also […]

Categories: Dog Rescue, Dogs, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: Blogging inspiration, Dog Loss, Dog Photography

A Garden Is Not a Place

May 12, 2019 by Ogee

“A garden is not a place: it is a passage, a passion. We don’t know where we’re going; to pass through is enough; to pass through is to remain.” ~ Octavio Paz I am never alone in the garden. When all have left and I have it to myself, I am still surrounded by the memories of all that remain.

Categories: Gardening, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden • Tags: Clematis, gardening, Homeward Bound Memorial Garden, Jupiter's Beard, Love in a Mist, Octavio Paz

From Feral to Family: River

April 14, 2019 by Ogee

I first met him on an early spring morning. Arriving before the feeders to tend to Daisy and her puppies, I happened to look down the shoot that runs between two large dog yards. In the walkway was a pacing, nervous black dog who looked ready to bolt. He had been living feral on the river for who knows how long. It took animal control a month to catch him. When lures failed, they resorted to a catch pole. It […]

Categories: Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: dog rescue, Feral Dog, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, River

A Promise for Life

March 31, 2019 by Ogee

There are no promises made to the plant members of the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden. We get everyone off to the right start and visit twice a week, but beyond that, they are on their own. If they can’t cut the clay soil, low water, and valley heat and cold then we just acknowledge that it was not meant to be and part friends. If they are bossy and bully their neighbors, they will find themselves kicked to the curb. […]

Categories: Dog Rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue • Tags: dog rescue, Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue, Promise for life

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