dog rescue – Page 15 – Gardens For Goldens

Promises Kept

It wasn’t a lot … but it was something … and in our current state of drought, we are grateful for anything.

Just after all the dogs were walked,

dark skies turned to a quick downpour –

with the promise of more on Tuesday. Every drop and every cool day extends our hope for the garden (which looks lush and full in spring) to survive another California summer.

“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.” ~ Thomas Fuller

Sixty five roses fed on Saturday before the rain … perfect timing.

And, five of our longer-term residents found their way home this week, including two pairs that we promised to keep together: Lucky … who I wrote about in January –

Dexter and Pogo …

And handsome Finnegan and Seamus.

Promise made. Promise kept.
“All that we behold is full of blessings.” ~ William Wordsworth

Do you suppose Saint Francis can request water on behalf of the dogs’ well-being as well as the garden?

Wherever Faith Finds Us

I find my faith in nature…

the skies, woods, meadows and garden are my cathedral.

I place my faith in something that has no name. All I know is that it greater than all of us.

I try to live my life by one rule: treat others as you hope to be treated.

“Make yourself necessary to somebody. Do not make life hard to any.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Spring is a time of rebirth, celebration and remembrance for people of many faiths.

Regardless of which faith guides you, my hope for all during this special time is to find beauty,

joy,

understanding,

acceptance,

and awe…

that the world might be a better place for all.

I am an accidental gardener. Come to think of it, I’m an accidental everything: gardener, photographer, blogger, and rescue supporter. These were not planned; I was just drawn to them and happened upon people who graciously showed me the way.

A fellow blogger, Helen Johnstone of the Patient Gardener’s Weblog, shared a new book: the “First Ladies of Gardening.” Normally, a title like that would put me straight off. But I admire Helen’s blog, so I ordered it. And I’m so glad I did!

I did not grow up with gardens or gardeners. I vaguely recall that my grandmother grew flowers to inspire her paintings, but I spent very little time with either. What I have learned has been the result of trial and error, as well as lessons from my gardener partners at the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden.

In “First Ladies of Gardening,” I learned names like Gertrude Jekyll, Vita Sackville-West – whose directive “cram, cram, cram” I already follow – and Beth Chatto, who believed that making a garden was like making a family.

But there is one gardener whose spirit I admire just as much as her garden: Margery Fish and her cottage garden at East Lambrook Manor.

Margery Fish did not begin gardening until she was in her forties. Quietly rebellious – the author shares – she allowed small plants to grow in the crevices of her husband’s perfectly groomed paths, and inadvertently stopped watering his “proper” plant choices in favor of her leafy, wild and rare perennials. New plants that mysteriously appeared were explained as “gifts” that simply could not be refused. The garden – once a jungle – was planted in abundance and self-sowing seeds were left to distribute unexpected surprises that kept the garden looking natural and unfussy.

Margery Fish believed that you can’t rush a garden. You need to get the feel of its surroundings, and then it grows by degrees.

Our Memorial Garden has grown this way. Pushing out and overflowing its ever-enlarged beds, blooming with donated gifts,

filled with surprise remembrances,

and dressed – of course – with dogs.

I think every garden needs dogs.

We have a long way to go to match the majesty of East Lambrook Manor, but I am filled with inspiration.

And did I mention…dogs?

Seeing the Flowers at Our Feet

“A garden is always a series of losses set against a few triumphs, like life itself.” ~ May Sarton

No garden is perfect. When I post photos to the blog, I work around spent blossoms and rarely select the ones with tiny bugs.

I try not to share too many sad dog stories. And I most certainly avoid sharing our occasional “moments” with each other. Everyone has them. They are an expected part of our rescue effort which requires passionate people from all walks of life working together. People just crazy enough to come back time and again despite the inevitable heart breaks.

Maybe it paints too perfect a picture. We set high standards for ourselves and each other. And sometimes, we fall short.

Bringing plants together in a garden for the first time creates a kind of temporary chaos. Ideally, they provide mutual support and a complementary scheme that falls together in an effortless blend. In reality, there is usually a bit of a learning curve and adjustments are predictable. Some shine brightly and risk overshadowing others;

some spread and inadvertently crowd out.

Roses require constant pruning, feeding, deadheading and fussing.

Asters think they rule the world.

Bee Balm just does its thing and prefers to be left alone.

Once a plant’s nature is understood, a few simple moves can make everything blossom harmoniously. A garden finds its melody and individual notes are welcome – even with imperfections.

“In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.” ~ Albert Schweitzer

As individuals, we are as imperfect as the garden. And yet, somehow, we come together to accomplish great things. Kaylee came to us a few months ago. She was emaciated, diabetic and blinded by cataracts.

Her diabetes was brought under control and she gained fifteen pounds, making her eligible for eye surgery to remove the cataracts. A couple of weeks ago, Kaylee met the faces of the people she knew only by sound and smell. She caught a ball.

And she started running like the wind with joy as her sail. Our dog photographer, Rob Kessel, captured her beautifully through each stage. You’ll find links to her galleries below.

“Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are not perfect. Far from it. But with a few adjustments, we come together to make good things happen.

Kaylee’s galleries:
Kaylee on Arrival
Kaylee Can See!
Kaylee Today

With Good Company

“A single leaf working alone provides no shade.” ~ Chuck Page

It was a great weekend at the rescue and in the Memorial Garden where I was joined by Maria, Anna, Peggy and Steve. It’s unusual for so many of us to gather at once. With a moderate storm in the Sierras above us, the skies looked ominous.

Steve assured us that it would not rain. He lied. But before the brief shower sent us scurrying for cover, we managed to get a lot done. Steve, Maria and Anna muscled the last of our weed tree stumps out of the ground.

The hideous black plastic bucket that covered the stump for months soon held the evidence of its permanent demise.

Anna’s mom, Lynn, donated nine bags of oriental lilies. We thought we were getting nine bulbs!

Peggy set to work planting them. Their fragrance will soon fill the air.

Anna is a weeding machine. A woman with a mission, she is systematically eliminating every last trace of crab grass –

while Rob has been busy rehabbing the real grass.

We’re blessed that so many young people want to support our mission of rescue. We had a full crew of youth volunteers this weekend.

This is Sydney with Woody;

and new walker, Sierra, with Sequoia.

Another of our hunting dogs was adopted. Let’s just say that some “going home” photos are easier to capture than others!

Remi was SO excited to be with his new little brother, Parker! No dogs were injured in the making of these photos. They loved each other at first sight.

“No road is long with good company.” ~ Turkish Proverb

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

Wordless Wednesday: Woody

Wordless Wednesday: Sully’s Smile

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!

The Bridge

Mojo was the last dog of 2014. Dog number 410. Something tells me he won’t be with us long. 🙂

Hunter is the first dog of 2015. He was literally pulled from a Los Angeles shelter after closing on New Year’s Eve. Special elves opened the gates to help set him free and into the waiting arms (and van) of Barry – one of the many angels who help ferry dogs on their journeys home. Hunter (on the left) spent his New Year’s night in foster style waiting for transport. He has yet to arrive on site…hmmm. Another failed foster? Or transport adoption/abduction in the works? It wouldn’t be the first!

Maria, one of our devoted gardeners, is an experienced foster “mom” herself. For the past two and a half years, she provided permanent foster to handsome Beau.

Our permanent fosterers are special angels. They take the dog as their own, while the dog legally remains Homeward Bound’s. The rescue continues to provide all of the medical care the dog needs throughout its life. It is the perfect arrangement for special needs or very senior dogs. Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue alleviates concerns about medical expenses, making it easier for families to say “yes” to a dog in need.

Beau was both a special needs and senior dog. When he went to live with Maria at the age of 11, he already had failing hind legs.

Regardless, Beau went everywhere Maria went, even traveling in a special cart when walks became too much.

When Maria was out of the country on one of her many world travels, her sons and devoted caregivers, Aly and Drew, stayed with him. But his favorite place to be was right beside Maria in the garden.

He was never alone – and utterly adored. When his time finally came, Maria was determined not to have another dog too soon. And then she met Yule.

When our beloved companions leave us, some people wonder how you could open your heart again. We ask: how could you not? The loss of a dog never leaves us. But love has a way of making hearts grow larger.

“Our feet still go around the place the food dish used to be.
And, sometime, coming home at night, we miss them terribly.
And although time may bring new friends and a new food dish to fill,
That one place in our hearts belongs to them…and always will.” ~ Linda Barnes

I showed you how Yule melted into Maria’s hands when he first arrived a couple of weeks ago. He’s a shy boy – and a young one at only two years of age. He’s also a little hard to read in a rescue environment.

Today was Yule’s special day. Maria is wearing her foster hat again.

Whether he ends up staying with her forever, or only for a while, her time with him is a gift. It allows Yule to gain confidence in the security of a home environment, and it provides an opportunity for us to learn much more about him. If he is not Maria’s forever dog, our odds of making a perfect match are better for their time together.

Beau will never be forgotten. Rather, he is honored by Maria as she makes room in her heart – and home – for Yule.

“I am the bridge between what was and what can be. I am the pathway to a new life.” ~ Diane Morgan, A Poem to My Foster Dog

Tag: dog rescue