Gardens For Goldens

A Heart That Sees

When our entry beds were sketched and planted, it took imagination to see what they would become.

But in that dirt were the seeds of this towering symphony of purple, white, and silver.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~ Antoin de St Exupery, The Little Prince

Victor came to us in the fall of 2014 from an area shelter. Surrendered at the age of 10, he was a hot mess of chronic ear infections and flea allergy dermatitis. He had literally scratched and rubbed his coat away from the constant itching.

Most people would have a hard time seeing past his scabs to his sweet personality and the potential he had inside. Barbara, however, sees with her heart and not her eyes. She took Victor home knowing his challenges. Add to the list, Vestibular Disease, which struck about a month later. The disease causes sudden loss of balance and disorientation that might be mistaken for stroke. While symptoms often resolve in a couple of weeks, it can result in permanent head wobbling or tilt. Welcome to Victor’s 45-degree world!

When he came for a visit yesterday, I did not even recognize this furry, fluffy boy. Only the angle of his gaze would give it away.

A garden teaches us to see potential beyond what is visible to the eye. With imagination, work, and love, its shape takes form and its true personality comes to life.

“At the heart of gardening there is a belief in the miraculous.” ~ Mirabel Osler

Victor’s miracle was as simple as one woman with a heart that sees.

Fallen Fruit

Wordless Wednesday: Red Lobster

Can You Hear Me Now?

“Hey, whatcha got, Gwen?”

“Duh. A ball, Dharma. It’s all mine.”

“But it’s nice to share.”

“I can’t hear you.”

“Can you hear me now, Gwen?”

“Geez, Dharma…get a grip girl!”

Down the Rabbit Hole

I find myself in Wonderland. Down the rabbit hole we go,

where crazy people undertake a kennel remodel with dogs still in residence.

Shuffling dogs from one place to another to accomplish in one week what would take mere mortals at least four.

“I’m not crazy. My reality is just different from yours.” ~ Cheshire Cat

Simultaneously making good on a “Picnic in the Garden” auction item –

“It’s always tea time.” ~ The Mad Hatter

for five human guests and their five canine companions…and expecting everyone to get along?

Alice: “This is impossible.”
The Mad Hatter: “Only if you believe it is.”

Then, just for good measure – add in a Volunteer Appreciation Picnic for 100 and their dogs.

The Mad Hatter: “Have I gone mad?”
Alice: “I believe so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. The best people are.”

We all go a little mad sometimes.
The good news: one week of chaos, and it will all be done!

“Begin at the beginning… and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” ~Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Wish us luck!

Wordless Wednesday: Aubutilon

Kasey: Fourteen and Fabulous

A Letter To Shasta

Dear Shasta,
This is not the post I hoped to write about you. Please don’t be sad or embarrassed that you are back so soon. And if those other dogs tease you, you let them know it will cost them cookies!

That it didn’t work out with those nice people is not their fault. And it is not yours. It’s ours. As much as we thought we knew about you – we just didn’t know enough.

You have worked so hard to shed years of your too-young-life being a dog of purpose and not of the heart. You did what you were trained to do; you hunted with astonishing speed and dogged focus. Shasta at work is a sight to behold!

But you never learned to play. And you never knew the ways of a loved dog –

until we showed you. We expected more from you, and for you. Eventually, you leaned in and trusted us.

And just when we thought you had finally met your match…you are back. What we didn’t know is how strong that hunting instinct still was in you. And when you tried, in wild pursuit, to find your way to freedom, they knew they could not keep you safe. We hadn’t seen that in you – or we missed the clues. And we forgot to teach you something else about humans (perhaps you already knew): we make mistakes sometimes.

But there’s one more thing we hope you know, girl: we don’t give up. We will not give up on you, sweet Shasta. We will hunt and seek until we find your perfect match. And until we do, you are safe and loved with us.

“But ne’er the rose without the thorn.” ~ Robert Herrick

Thank you, Rob, for use of your wonderful capture of Shasta running.

New Dog On The Block

From time to time, you have seen me include photos of our rescue’s dog photographer, Rob, in my posts.
This must be how he got so good.

His photos are pretty extraordinary (I’ve stolen some…below). So is his way with dogs.

A while back, he began fostering some of our toughest cases; dogs that would be considered unadoptable without considerable rehab.

Others just needed a quiet place to recoup before they could be released.

In his care, they made amazing progress…

and they have found their way home.

After much ~~prompting~~ pushing, he made the leap into the blogosphere with us – to share his photos and his stories of his time with rescued dogs.
I hope you’ll take a peak. You’ll find him here. Welcome to the neighborhood, Rob!