The top photo is a lily that appeared in my back yard - I thought it was just a big area of weeds, but I was surprised! Good thing I didn't cut them down yet. I think it'll have to be transplanted to a safer area in that corner of the yard.


The bottom photo is one of the hen & chicks I planted in front of the house last year - I've never seen one bloom like this. I have to say I am a bit sentimental when it comes to the flower garden - I like the flowers that my grandparents had - lilacs, lily of the valley, bleeding hearts, hen & chicks.

Rabbit's New Toy

I broke down and bought an automatic ball launcher for Rabbit. It's not that I don't want to play with him, because it can be fun to play fetch with him. But if you've ever seen Rabbit and a tennis ball, you'll understand why I get tired of it. That dog is OBSESSED with the balls. He will run all day fetching, and when he lays down for a break, he'll only stay there until you go in the house, and then all of a sudden he's ready to go again. He will play with the ball until he chews it up, and then we play with the pieces of the ball. He gets crazed if he loses one under the couch or furniture - it's scary.

So . . . I plunked down $150 for the GoDogGo automatic ball launcher. It works well - he has to learn to put the ball back in the bucket, so it will keep throwing it for him (you can fill the bucket with like 20 balls, but Rabbit is one of those dogs that will only play with 1 ball at a time, no matter how many you offer him - he knows which one was the first one that day, and that's the only one he wants). The only complaints/problems are that it only launches 30 feet, which is about 1/3 of the length of the yard, and it doesn't work when balls get really wet. The instructions say some dog saliva is fine, but Rabbit likes to drop the ball in the nearest puddle or wading pool and get it soaked as a sort of intermission in the fetch game. At least this will keep him entertained for a little while and let me do something in peace!

The Back 40

Here's part of my back yard, which kind of grew into a meadow this spring. This is after 1 pass with the lawn mower; I have to rake up the grass and mow again. I did use the bag on the lawn mower, but it would fill up really fast and then the grass would push the bag off from the mower, and then the mower shuts down. So I stopped using it because it was too annoying.

The reason the lawn got so over-grown in the back in the first place is that I am apparently not smart enough to operate my lawn mower. I bought it last year, and it worked great until late in the summer when all of a sudden it stopped working. I couldn't figure out why; I guess I hoped it would correct it self in time, so I didn't do anything about it. It wouldn't start this spring, and when my dad came down he couldn't figure out why it wasn't working. So off the the small-engine repair shop it went.

About 2 weeks later, a guy from the shop called and said I was going to be mad, because there was nothing wrong with the mower. Turns out the mulch plug or bag wasn't pushed down enough into it's slot, and there is a safety mechanism that stops the motor from working if the plug or bag is not SECURELY in place, so you don't get grass and things shooting back at your feet. I wasn't mad - all I could do was laugh. So since I had already paid the deposit, they did a yearly cleaning and tune-up. It reminded me of the time I thought my computer was malfunctioning, and after talking to my sister on the phone about it for a while learned the "L" key was stuck down, and that's why it wasn't working. See, I'm not as smart as some people think.

Kitty Kitty Kitten

Here is Davey, my cat. He doesn't really know his name is Davey - he is always called Kitten. I got him almost a year ago, when a good Samaritan dropped him off at the hospital. He had seen a car drive by and throw two kittens out of a car window - one didn't make it. He brought this one in. He had a broken tooth, but otherwise has been fine. He's a very affectionate cat, although shy around other people (at first). He has a loud motor! He loves to cuddle (ie sleep right next to your face). Rabbit loves to chew on him, and I used to separate them when he did that, but Davey kept going back for more, so he's on his own.

Davey's favorite activities are playing/hiding in the basement, sunning himself in the yard, and watching the birds at the feeder outside the front window. He also enjoys eating anything he can get off the counter or table, and chewing on bones with the dogs. (They don't enjoy that too much though)

Oops! I'm An Author!

I found out that a short case report I submitted has been accepted by Veterinary Forum for their "Most Unusual Case" column in their monthly journal! I don't know when it will be published, but it was a funny case that I hope people will enjoy reading about. Not as prestegious as a scientific article, but still . . . They want a photo of me to publish as well - someone took this one at work - do you think it's acceptable? (That's technician Ali photobombing me). I'll let you know when it will be published in case anyone is interested in reading it!

Mulletude

Earlier this month I went to the Fox River Fest in St. Charles, about 1/2 hour north of Aurora. I went with 2 techs from work, Claudia and Ed. The weather was beautiful; unfortunately, the hairstyles were not. It was an interesting mix of young suburbanites, bikers, and mullets. We enjoyed some tasty adult beverages, tasty snacks, and the musical stylings of Hi Infidelity, a classic-rock cover band (think REO Speedwagon, Boston, etc.). We also enjoyed some drunk people dancing and falling over. Good times!

Good news

Congratulations to Kristi & Corey Maier who welcomed their daughter Rylee Lynn on 6/16 - almost 2 months early! Kristi writes that the baby is doing well, breathing on her own and should be out of the NICU in a few weeks. She's super-cute!

Also congratulations to Toni for getting her clot rotor-rootered out of her arm and only losing a piece of a rib and having some muscles rearranged in the process. Hopefully no more weird medical problems, Toni!

Planter

It took me a while to figure out what to put in the space above the dog door, but I think I finally got it. I found this planter at Hobby Lobby for less than $20, and it seemed to be just the right size and I liked the style. So I got some impatiens and some trailing plants at Wal-mart, and here you go. I suppose I could put other things in it for fall and pine boughs, etc. for the winter. What do you think?

Weeds

Can anyone identify this plant? I have a TON of them growing in my yard. When they first come up, they almost look like rhubarb. Then they start growing at an astronomical rate - they end up about 8-10 feet tall. The stem/stalk is hollow when you cut it, very fibrous and leaks a milky fluid.

I have not found any chemicals that kill it - I have sprayed it with at least 3 different things and the leaves I spray (on the small, young plants) curl up & die but the plant keeps growing. If you cut it down, about 15 more grow up around it. I have tried digging up the smaller plants, but they have a very large, fibrous rhizome/tuberous root that is about 20 x the size of the plant (a small, 4" plant could have one that is larger than an ear of corn), so digging them up is not feasible.

I have been searching the internet, using weed-identification programs, etc. and haven't found anything that quite matches it. I think it may be pokeweed, pigweed, knotweed or some type of sorrel, but these are just speculation. I really just want to get rid of them because they are everywhere! I call it the malignant rhubarb.

Dogs Outside

Isn't Remi handsome? He isn't too thrilled about the warmer weather. He likes it cool and shady, and unfortunately he doesn't like the wading pool. He will lay in the lake at my folks' house for hours, but won't go in the pool, doesn't like the rain or snow falling on him, and has taken to avoiding wet grass - and will tiptoe through it when he can't avoid it.

The next picture is an example of the type of photo I USUALLY get of Remi. As soon as you say his name, or he sees the camera pointed at him, he moves closer to give a kiss, so I often just get his nose in the frame.

Rabbit love the pool, and will take brief breaks from chasing the tennis ball to jump around in the water, drop his ball in, and bat at it for a while. Now if only I could teach him to sit still to be toweled off before we go inside . . .

Davey's Bird Feeder

Someone had given me this bird feeder (the right side of the photo) a few years ago, and I decided to buy one of those shepherd's crooks to hang it in front of the house. There are some boxes piled up in front of that window (in the house) and Davey likes to lay on top and look outside. Maybe we'll attract some of the cardinals that I've seen around the house. I figured it'd be something interesting for him to look at (me too) and will keep the bird seed away from the dogs.

Toni

Best wishes and get well soon to Toni, who has a blood clot in her arm and is undergoing angiography and clot dissolution in the hospital in New York. I hope everything goes smoothly and that Cleo (she named the clot) leaves without incident!

Dad's Light Fixture

This is the new light fixture my dad put up over the side door. I really really like the style, but am not so in love with the color (that can be changed, thanks to Rustoleum Spray Paint!). Plus the door doesn't hit it, like it did the old, huge, brass light fixture. Thanks Dad! (Notice how I didn't mention that you dropped it when you were putting it up and broke one of the panes of glass? Oops - I guess I did mention it :)

Rabbit's Barking

I'm gonna try posting a video . . . This is Rabbit barking. He is incredibly annoying, and when he barks he even irritates himself because he will stop and shake his head, flapping his ears. I tried everything I had heard of to get him to stop barking, including withholding attention. He barked like this for an hour before I gave up. That's when I went and bought the bark collar. When it's on, he is much quieter. He will try whining and a quieter, higher pitched bark, but in general is quiet. I worried at first about hurting him, but he barked one day when I had the collar on and was holding it in my hand, and it was more annoying than painful. I think I get even more frustrated with him because Remi is so quiet.

A special hello to Dawn & Andy - I'm so glad to hear from you! And congratulations to Jade R. on being a therapy dog (Jade is Remi's best girlfriend from MN - he misses her!)

House Face Lift

Here are pics of some of the work I've been doing on the house. The next one is the paint I put on the front steps, which were that horrible bright blue. I think this gray is too light; it needs a second coat anyway so I might get a darker gray for that. At least it's an improvement. Eventually I would like to put flagstone on the sidewalk and steps, but that will cost a lot more money than I have now.

The doorknob is on the new back door - I admit I wasn't sure about the oval doorknob, but I love it. Much easier to open than the traditional round ones, especially when your hands are wet. I love the silver color with the dark blue.

The bottom one is the newly painted light fixture by the front door - there were brass, which I hate, and now they're dark hammered bronze. I really like the color, but I think it might be too dark against the dark blue. What do you think? Maybe I should go with color more like a brushed nickel or something like that. I also painted the front step railings that color, and am painting the light posts at the end of my driveway. Eventually I would like to have all matching light fixtures on the exterior, but that will be a while.