Rocks, Dirt and Dogs

May 10 - I worked in the garden yesterday and again today. It's going a lot slower than I would like. I'm still removing rock when what I would like to do is plant. Of course the truth of the matter is that I could go ahead and plant, but the obsessive, compulsive, perfectionistic part of me just won't let me do that. I want every last rock OUT of my garden.

Adding to the consumption of time is the fact that I'm also caring for my sons two dogs. My son and his wife had to make a sudden trip to Californina to be with his college roommate whose wife just died of cancer(they were best man at each other's weddings) . She was only 30 years old. My son lives just half a mile from us so I go over to his place to let them out and feed them morning & evening, but I couldn't leave them there all by their lonesome, day & night for a whole week. So, I bring them over here during the day while I work in the garden.

Boy, am I tired! The boxer is no problem. He gets excited when he first sees you, but then he calms down. The little guy however, is another story. They adopted him from a rescue place and he is the happiest, sweetest dog you could ever meet, but he never stops moving! He's like a wind-up toy that never winds down or a very hyperactive 2 year old that is impossible to corral. It doesn't help that he appears to be very smart and an alpha with a real wide stubborn streak.

Yesterday he spent hours running up and down the fence line (& barking) with the two dogs behind us and tried several times to dig under (as did they). They all seem to think it should be one big yard for them to frolic in. I spent half my time chasing him away from his digging and sticking a pot in the spot. Today he skipped the barking and only dug by the fence once. Better you say? Take a look at the picture of him in the hole he dug today next to the house. I chased him away from it 3 or 4 times, but he'd go right back to it. I finally gave up or I wasn't going to get my project done and besides, at least with this one he wasn't going to be going anywhere.



Of course my husband wasn't too happy when he came home and saw the hole. As he's filling it and grumbling he's saying the dog won't do that when he's around. I had to laugh - 1. the animals have always minded me much better than they do him and - 2. he doesn't realize what a dynamo this little guy is. Well, at least they're so tired they'll sleep well tonight and we'll see what tomorrow brings.