Gardens For Goldens

A Thorny Tale

Once there was a gardener who followed a bunny down a messy blackberry bramble.

Her sense of order insulted, she began to scramble!

Though scouts had offered their assistance, she could stand the eye sore no more.

Impatiently, she proclaimed “off with their heads!” – and so began the chore.

Simple, she said. “Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop.”

With great determination, she clipped, and tugged, and swore, and chopped.

“The hurrier I go, the behinder I get,” she declared while tackling the prickly beast.

“Curiouser and curiouser,” we observed. Will she never cease?

“Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it’s getting!” we decried.
“We will go and go and go,” she would chide.
“But we have mowing and watering and weeding to attend!”

Stubbornly she pushed forward. “We will finish this project, or it will be my end!”

As the sun began to set, she disappeared from view.

Shouts were heard in the distance, “but wait, we are not through!”

With a nod to Lewis Carroll…the blackberry removal project is officially underway at the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden! Stay tuned.

On Dogs

“Dogs are not our whole life,

but they make our lives whole.” ~Roger Caras

Shelby: The Flower Within

“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
― A.A. Milne

When things pop up in places we don’t expect, we call them weeds. “Weeds are bad; flowers are good” – or so we say. Not because weeds don’t possess beauty,

but because we have not uncovered it yet.

If you can move beyond the thorns,

you often uncover the beautiful flower.

Shelby was labeled a bit of a weed.

She had all kinds of thorny behaviors that popped up where they weren’t expected or wanted. She was a girl with a record when she arrived at Homeward Bound.

Yet, Chris – one of the organization’s dedicated volunteer trainers– saw a flower in her.

Shelby can’t tell us all that created her thorny side, but she made clear when she arrived that she was not to be touched, groomed, or trusted.

She had given up on people; but Chris would not give up on her.

Over the course of nearly a year they worked together. “Shake” for a treat turned into permission to touch her paws.

That led to petting, and eventually even to brushing.

Distances between dog greetings gradually closed, until Shelby could find herself walking with other pups.

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another” – Walter Elliott

Small victories; occasional set-backs; a stubborn belief in the flower within.

There’s still work to be done. For dogs like Shelby, the work is never really over. But if all goes well, Shelby will soon be leaving for her forever home with Chris and family.

A weed no more; a flower in its place.

Jack’s Plea

Jack here. I’ve hijacked the Gardens for Goldens blog, because we have to have a serious talk.

I was out in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden today, and I saw all kinds of big changes and planning for the future underway. Maria and Ina adding a new Crape Myrtle to the White Garden…

Rock borders being set in anticipation of mulched paths…

And that Ina is getting ready to turn this weed mess into another of her amazing Cottage Gardens!

Heck, I even ran into this gorgeous girl, Shelby. Looks like she is going to be rescued by that really nice lady trainer, Chris, if she plays her cards right (more on her story soon).

Now I have nothing against Shelby. Heck, she’s been here quite awhile.
But so have Hootie,

Goldie,

Cisco,

Eastman,

that cute couple Mosh and Marie,

and that handsome guy, Scrubs.

See, that’s the problem. If dogs like these who really look like Goldens have been here awhile, what are my chances???

I have been here longer than all of them. OK, so I had a couple of issues (don’t we all), but I have worked really hard on them and they are SO much better now. Check me out. I have more schooling than most college grads. I even have a video.

Don’t get me wrong. The people and pups here are swell. But it’s not the same as a home of your own. So while you’re making all those dang garden plans – how about coming up with a plan for me?!?

I’m cuter than any of those old bugs and flowers that you take a gazillion pictures of…and I can still play with you in the winter!

So let’s go Gardeners. I was here when this place was nothing but weeds. And now look at it!

I know what miracles you can pull off. Let’s find me a home, please! I mean, please???

Maybe sometime before it’s really time for the Halloween decorations that Peggy and Steve put out today?

Remember…”Dogs Leave Paw Prints On Our Hearts.”

And I’m one of them that will for certain! Thanks for listening. I now return you to your bugs and bees.

Last(?) Evening in the Garden

I thought we were done with mid-week evening check-ups on the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden until next summer,

but someone turned on the furnace and decided that it should be high-90’s in the Sacramento Valley in mid-September.

Worse, we added fall plants and moved trees last weekend.

So…one more trip!

The trees were being well-watered, but a couple of my Mums and Snap Dragons were rescued just in the nick of time!

All better now. But I found evidence of creatures everywhere. The Butterfly Weed is hosting an aphid party.

This Lady Bug couldn’t be happier.

Someone helped themselves to the two ripe pears…one bored hole in each.

And some critter had the audacity to knock Maria’s “Tick Free Zone” sign to the ground. I hope they don’t take this as a sign that they are free to return.

This one was brave enough to show his face.

There is something magical about the garden in the Fall setting sun.

Just don’t forget to look up occasionally.

Nature’s Garden

Few words today…just pictures from my trip to Klamath, CA.

Amazed by nature’s own garden; and getting acquainted with my new camera (an awesome birthday present from my honey).

Clearly, I have a lot to master…

but I’ll get there.

Inspiration abounds.

9/11: We Remember

Hunter’s Transformation

You might recall from the Hunter’s Beauty post a couple of weeks ago, a dog that arrived at Homeward Bound understandably scared, a little distrustful, and very uncertain about his new surroundings.

I made the mistake of asking him to sit for a photo, not knowing that it had taken Rob, one of the trainers, forever to coax him out for a walk. He sat; then he laid down; and he refused to move.

Maybe it was the only control he felt he could exert in this situation that had been thrust upon him. Maybe he was just sad.

Rob waited. And waited. And waited some more. He waited until Hunter decided it was OK to get up. Then he waited while Hunter decided it was OK to continue the walk.

His patience with Hunter was about building trust. And in just a couple of short weeks, it has paid off ten fold.

When we saw Hunter this weekend, he was a changed dog. Happy, attentive, and definitely not sitting still!

He wanted to be anywhere that Rob wanted to be, and he didn’t mind at all if we wanted to offer pets!

This is the magic that the dedicated Homeward Bound team works with the Goldens who are lucky enough to make it here. And yet, it is not really magic at all. It’s about respect, bonding, tender loving care, and a promise of a better future. That’s magic that you could offer too.

Rescue. Adopt. Foster. There are a whole bunch of Hunters out there desperate for a second chance.

Indian Summer: Autumn Mosaic

“Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.”
–S. Horowitz

Camping was cool relief, but I’m not quite ready to give up the warmth for winter yet – so nothing beats returning from the foggy ocean to Indian summer in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden.

Cool morning temperatures provide the motivation for chores: mowing grasses, moving trees, adding fall color,

and fixing bunny-chewed drip lines (thank you, Maria!)

Warm afternoons are a good time to be lazy and bask in the colors of early autumn,

capture a few garden surprises,

and just enjoy the company of dogs.

Dog walker visits to the garden climb as the temperatures drop. It seems that everyone wanted to be out walking today. Thurman was up early with his cute freckled nose…

Polite Wee Bow…

and Hank…

and the enthusiastic, Big Boy.

Dusty was hugging up on Maria;

until one of our favorite duos, Marie and Mosh stole the show (Marie is a bit of a ham for the camera!);

while Roxie appears to have created a special connection with a family looking to fill the void left by a beloved companion. I heard a happy rumor that paperwork was being worked on as I left.

Rob asked for photos of Buster, who is always a little bit too busy with his ball to put on a smile. Look…no ball! We’re making progress.

And later this week, I’ll post an update on Hunter – the older Golden that you might remember from the Hunter’s Beauty post.

We met Susan and Jeff today; our Tree Circle gardeners.

They planted some more tri-color Jasmine among others, and plan a bed of pansies that will add color late into the fall, refreshed in early spring.

Mike and Jody were moving trees. Making a permanent home for the Orchid Tree.

They relocated a fruitless Mulberry and added a Crape Myrtle. The clay soil is more than a little tough going in spots (I think I heard the mention of a jack hammer!) but it’s a good time to get them in and established before the winter.

BTW, Maria gets full credit for people photos! I had to call for support, being a little plant and dog obsessed. Until next weekend…

The Dogs of Klamath

Back from a restorative week of camping where the Klamath River meets the Pacific Ocean –

the Salmon are plentiful this year,

and the fisherman are happy.

Pardon a brief detour from Gardens and Goldens, but all week, we were in the company of captivating dogs.

Some are strictly campers;

some insist on being along for the ride;

all are happy to play on the beach.

Some keep watch;

while others dream of the big catch;

but the wisest just hunker down in the truck to stay out of the chill.

Regardless, all are beloved.

Oh, to be a loved Klamath dog.

Gone Fishing

I don’t actually do the fishing. But I’m happy to do the eating (salmon, smoked on redwood stakes over a sand pit of alder wood coals) –

and camping…right here.

I’ll be off the grid for a bit, but will catch up with you all when I return. Happy blogging, gardening, and soaking up the last of summer with your favorite pup(s)!

Garden Party

“You may go down to the garden.”…(Peter Rabbit’s mother) Beatrix Potter

I confess that I did not have to make two trips to the Memorial Garden this weekend.

The temperatures are beginning to cool, which means the need for extra watering is diminishing, and even the weeds are growing a little slower.

But I’ll be taking a little break for some ocean camping, and our blooming days are growing shorter. I want to enjoy summer’s last blooms as long as I can.