“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” ~ A.A. Milne, Winnie The Pooh
Category: Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue
Of Birds and Man
“There is nothing in which the birds differ more from man than the way in which they can build and yet leave a landscape as it was before.” ~ Robert Lynd, The Blue Lion and Other Essays
Spring Greeted in the Garden
“I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.” ~ Ruth Stout
Saturday was a picture perfect early spring day, which brought out all kinds of visitors to the garden: dogs,
lizards,
snails (by the thousands),
and Rocky! Our resident snake is back and apparently well fed.
And if the geese hadn’t found such a buffet in the wet field next door, they would probably have been in the garden as well.
We could have used the extra helpers. Twenty beautiful antique roses were gifted to us (thank you, Marguerite!); lifted from their home in Napa and delivered in a packed SUV by Maria. Since they were quite literally “bare root,” they needed to be planted right away. We sorted them by size and color, dialing up Anna’s mom, Lynn – a rosarian, for reference.
Somehow, Maria, Anna and I got all twenty planted in one afternoon. Somehow, we found space for them! In between there were “going home” pictures to grab. From across the garden I hear the holler: “photo needed!” It is an interruption that I am always happy to accommodate. Happily, there were quite a few:
Frankie,
Brandi,
Three of our hunting dogs, including Drake who found himself a family of boys,
and Bailey and Bandit, who found themselves a home together with a couple of girls.
But the best picture of all was a simple snapshot taken a few days earlier, capturing the smiling faces of Riley and his new mom.
“Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke
When the hunt is over
What becomes of a retired hunting dog?
The luckiest are already part of a family where hunting is the exception, not the rule. But for dogs bred and trained to do only one thing, retiring to the sofa is usually not their fate. The lucky ones find their way to rescues or new homes. The transition can take patience and lots of love.
Recently, seven beautiful hunting dogs made their way to us. Not a Golden among them, of course. Everyone knows that Goldens are too busy being spoiled to go out and work! But we happily offer our help when we have the space. They are all gentle, well-behaved dogs – but this walking on a leash thing is a little new to them. Set them free in a yard and they race; they point; they stare off into the distance as if to say – “let me go find it. That’s my job!”
“If Heaven made him — earth can find some use for him.” ~ Chinese Proverb
Hunting dogs are not only bred to be athletes and accustomed to being with people – they are usually highly intelligent. When they can no longer endure the physical demands of a hunt, their passion for working can be stimulated with mental, obedience, and agility challenges.
These lucky dogs are beginning to discover that they can have a different purpose: best friend and loved companion.
Some are already available for adoption. We’ll need a little help getting out the word that some of our current guests are spotted on the outside. But lucky are the humans who take home the gold within.
“An earthly dog of the carriage breed;
Who, having failed of the modern speed,
Now asked asylum and I was stirred
To be the one so dog preferred.” ~ Robert Frost
Thanks to Rob Kessel, our dog photographer, for generously loaning his images.
Wordless Wednesday: Woody
Our Puppy Bowl
While waiting for the big game to get underway, a far more agile team took to the field. These players are not in it for fame or fortune – they just enjoy the love of play and gladly accept payment in cookies. Get your game face on –
for the Golden Rule Training Puppy Bowl! We start by sizing up the competition…
accompanied by a Pregame Staredown…
And then, Kickoff!
There he goes…Man in motion!
Excuse me…Defensive Holding!
Pooch Kick…
And Punt Return!
Hey wait, is that a deflated ball on the field??
Let’s Huddle Up and rethink our strategy…
And they’re off…
Oh, Sack!
I do believe that is an Illegal Horsecollar Tackle! (I have no idea what that is, but my husband says “use it.”)
And is that a lame attempt at Illegal Substitution?!
Hey Ref! Unsportsmanlike Conduct on the field!
This game is getting out of hand. Two Minute Warning!
Special Teams. Is it just me, or is it hard to tell who’s on what team?
No fair, no fair…Piling On!
Regroup: Calling an Audible
Hey, that’s what we call a Forward Pass!
And Fumble!
This game is rough! Intentional Grounding…
Nose Tackle…
Chop Block…
Running Back…
and Touch Down!
Did someone call a Time Out?
Water Boy!!
This game was called on account of excessive cuteness…
Play resumes next week in puppy class!
Wordless Wednesday: Sully’s Smile
Go Daddy’s Superbowl Commercial: What were they thinking?
Thanks to my sis for sharing this petition. I know some publicist somewhere is yelling “there’s no such thing as bad publicity!” But this commercial from Go Daddy needs to go. So wrong, in so many ways. Please consider weighing in.
Update: RIGHT WINS OUT. GoDaddy has pulled the ad. It really is amazing what people can accomplish when they work together. 🙂
I don’t share a lot of petitions, but this Super Bowl commercial from Go Daddy simply appalled me on so many levels. Take a look, and sign if you feel so moved! I think they were trying to mock all the Super Bowl commercials featuring puppies, but they must be completely unaware of issues in animal welfare. Big miss.
Life is Hard…
Squirrel introduced to squirrel-proof bird feeder:
Squirrel introduced to dejection:
It’s hard to be a squirrel sometimes.
Worth Working For
Now begins the time when every day turns up another treasure – a hint of how the garden will take shape this year.
Lots of people appreciate the final result, but a gardener takes pleasure in watching each step that unfolds from their labor.
Now I know, a refuge never grows
from a chin in the hand and a thoughtful pose
Gotta tend the earth if you want a rose. ~ Indigo Girls
It’s a cliché – and it’s true – anything worth having usually has to be worked for.
I hear over and over…”We’re looking for a young dog.” What they often really mean is, “I’m looking for a perfect young dog.” They want a dog that is socialized to others, bonds quickly, has impeccable house manners, and knows all those things we call rules (don’t we all?!). When a young dog has all of that going for it, it is because someone invested all of the hard work required to get it there. And you generally won’t find them surrendered.
Our young four-legged kids are generally not “perfect” – because someone didn’t take the time to make them so. But that does not mean they don’t have the potential. Young rescue dogs are often like adolescent humans in so many ways. Willful, a little wild, often insecure, sometimes mouthy, but ultimately trainable and loveable – if someone will just make the effort.
Our Lucky is one of these.
It pains me to see him passed over because he is still a work in progress, especially at his young age of eighteen months. He’s thoroughly adorable – if a little rebellious – and a bundle of playful energy.
He would make a perfectly devoted and active companion for someone willing to accept a dog with “some assembly required.”
With a little time and some work, you’d be amazed at what takes shape.
“I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
This…
starts as this.
This…
becomes this.
I’m hoping that someone sees that in Lucky soon.
(Thanks to Rob Kessel for the photos of Lucky.)
Wordless Wednesday: Marshall Tucker
Catching Up
For those of you suffering through snow and ice, let me catch you up on our Northern California garden!
The Narcissus arrived – a bit early thanks to all that water in December (and woefully, none in January).
The roses took a final bow following a brief freeze…
and let us know that their time had come. January is the month for pruning roses In Northern California. By my count, there are 41 of them in the garden proper with another 20 along the perimeter. To help get the job done, Ina brought a fresh recruit. Beth is a knowledgeable and focused gardener – and a great addition.
St. Francis, Patron Saint of Animals, took a serious tumble from his housing in a high wind storm.
Sadly, we were unable to revive him. Given his stature, a proper burial was planned at the base of the podium. Because of conflicts with her plantings, however, Maria wanted to save space and lay him to rest with his head upright.
While discussing the inappropriateness of this plot, Scrappy misplaced his ball, adding insult to injury.
The plantings were displaced to create a proper resting place; the ball was retrieved…
and disaster was averted.
You might remember Yule – the frightened dog that Maria took home to foster. Well, that was two weeks ago, and she is not showing any signs of giving him up at this point! He has adapted really well at home and become much more confident and clearly relaxed.
He is an excellent garden dog. Another great addition to our team.
Late in the day, one of our longer term residents went home. At only six years old and gorgeous, you’d think that Ernie had everything going for him.
But he is one of those very independent dogs that doesn’t connect right way to people. Not to mention that his manners were less than perfect. He went home for a time with our dog photographer/whisperer, Rob, to work on those. Today, it paid off. His new people spent a lot of time with him and learning about him. Their “going home” photo (thanks Rob) reflects a match that was worth the wait.
Happy life, Ernie!
Gardens For Goldens 