Garden Golden Retrievers – Gardens For Goldens

With Gratitude

“For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

For flowers that bloom about our feet;

For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;

For song of bird,

and hum of bee;

For all things fair we hear or see,

Father in heaven, we thank Thee!” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

For the community I have found, for the generosity that makes our work possible, and for the many pups who have touched my heart this year – I give thanks. I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Wordless Wednesday: Fly Catching With Missy

Wordless Wednesday: Puppy Class in the Garden

The Boys: Together Forever

I absolutely love these boys. But then, so do all of the volunteers at Homeward Bound.

They are the quintessential Goldens – loveable, huggable, and Velcro.

I wrote about Max and Felix a couple of weeks ago. Their humans tragically perished together. It’s hard enough for us to suffer the loss of our dog companions. Imagine how confused and lost ten-year-old dogs feel to lose their humans.

Rumor had it that there was an adopter on the horizon. When that fell through, I forced my husband to bring our Jackson out to see if they might be a foster match (not so secretly hoping we would be foster failures). Jackson has been sorely missing his canine sister, Bella. At the very least, I hoped we could provide Max and Felix with a place to wait in comfort, while providing some companionship for Jackson.

Our boy gets along with everyone, so it was not surprising that there were no issues. But there were no sparks, either. No connection. If anything, Jackson was a little nervous around Max while hanging a little closer by Felix. Not quite willing to give it up, I reintroduced them and supplied photo proof that they could at least eventually settle down together.

My husband relented and agreed to foster them, but the concession came too late. Or maybe not. Had they been home with us, they would not have been seen by a young couple who came in that same morning looking for a dog. No particular dog. No particular gender. Young or old. Golden or mix. It didn’t matter. Just a good dog. They found not one – but two. Once they laid eyes on Max and Felix, it was a done deal.

And I wasn’t even around to get the photo! With thanks to my friend and fellow blogger, Rob of “Rob & Dog”, I present Max and Felix’s going home photos!

What good people to open their hearts and home to two very bonded brothers whose lives had been turned upside down.

My husband was probably correct in believing that Max and Felix would not be Jackson’s forever dogs. We know what a true connection looks like for him when we see it. It begins with a play bow and doesn’t end until both are exhausted.

We’ll find it. Eventually.

As for Max and Felix – tragedy brought them to us. But we send them home – together and forever – as promised, with all our love.

Happy (long) lives, boys. We are all going to miss you.

What’s Blossoming

What’s blossoming in the garden? Everything!

A brief and rare April shower brought cooler temperatures and blossoms everywhere.

My wayward gardeners returned, but only one of them to work! Ina tried to hide behind the towering roses,

but she was found and made to toil and tame her rowdy beds.

Maria stopped by – but only for a scheduled playdate between Yule and Scrappy.

Socialization time is (almost) as important for Yule as weeding.

Socialization was the plan for Desta and Cooper as well.

Desta and Cooper are the under-sized Goldens that I wrote about recently. Desta was captured stray, malnourished, and frightened. Cooper was unsocialized and terrified of his own shadow. They have been nursed back to physical health, and found emotional comfort in each other’s company.

But expanding their world is what is needed to get them home, so off to puppy school they went!