Tag: pets

Once Upon a Time in the West: looking for just the right dog.

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I found my dog Tucker on the internet.  I took one look at this little guy and knew I just had to have him.

It was the ears I think…

I contacted the seller and found that she lived in the Sacramento area.  I told her that I really wanted her puppy, but that I would have to drive up to get him, and would she hold him till I got there.  This is roughly a 400 mile trip one way! (Yeah, I’m nuts)

We talked a bit more and she asked,  “Where do you live?”

I told her ‘Claremont,’ and she says, “Well, I’m going to be in Claremont in two weeks for a dog show, and  I can bring him with me!”

He was meant to be mine, don’t you think?

Well, waiting was hard, but it was so worth it.  When we met her there at the show she handed him to me.   As I gently hugged him he tucked his little head in the crook of my arm, which is, if you haven’t guessed, how he came to be named Tucker.  He was so tiny, and full of pistons and springs!

He still is

Over time we have learned that Tucker will eat just about anything he can get away with.  Chicken and goose feed, pens, pencils, computer strap-tights, rulers, used tissues (gag) and CHOCOLATE, wrappers and all… Missing something?  You’ll find it, in parts, under our bed!

BAD DOG!

 We once found him under our bed with this stolen treasure… thankfully we got there before he had committed suicide by chocolate!

Well, the list goes on and let me tell ya, he is always gagging on it.

I recently noticed my little Tucker’s nose is going gray.  Seems like he was a pup just yesterday.  We had been under the delusion for quite some time now that he was only 4 years old…

The other day I asked my husband, “Why is his nose going gray already?  He’s only four?”  Then we sat down, and counting back, we realized he is 7 going on 8!

Where does the time go?

Photo Friday: garden promises

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I apologize up front for using my flash on most of these photos.  It had just stopped raining and it was very overcast and dark outside.  I still don’t have a tripod, and I need one, to allow me a slower shutter speed and clarity.

But hey!  The excitement of watching all my hard work showing signs of paying off was too much to resist…

Why two poultry fences?  One to keep the geese in…

and one to keep them OUT!  😉

It’s small you say? It’s a zucchini just give it a day!

Color me RED!

Furry cantaloupe vines thriving in the heat and rain.

This is going to take a long time!  Can you guess what it is?

My little fig tree was frozen to the ground and left for dead… Then it suddenly sprouted and grew up like a weed!  It is now over five foot tall and full of (soon to be) luscious fruits!  Hearty tree!

This one has a role to play in tonight’s stir fry!

A prolific and hearty seedless variety of cucumber will provide salad fare and pickles this winter.

Hope you enjoyed this little tour of all the things growing here on the Farmlet.  But before I leave you…

My handsome kitty Claus would like you to know that he has been on patrol day and night ridding the garden of voles and moles!

Tough from the start

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This has been the year for us and we are tired.  We have suffered through frightening storms, personal injuries, and several animal losses.  I hate to whine, but dang I am sure enough tired of it.

However, today was the saddest loss of all.  Our little cockatiel  Bonjour is gone.  We’ve had him for over 20 years and it will be a little hole in our happiness for a while.

We got Bonjour from the preschool I taught at many years ago.  Bob and I went in one three-day weekend to work on the computers and found him covered up, with only shells in his food cup, and orange water!  We talked to the director and she agreed to let us have him, cage and all, in lieu of cash payment for services rendered.

To say Bonjour had an attitude about fingers near or in his cage was an understatement!  I mean, I ask you, wouldn’t you if you had over 70 children poking at you with tinker toys, straws, and their fingers every minute of every day?  Why once, one little darling even tried to pull him out of the bars by his tail feathers!!!  He was tailless for many weeks while it grew back in.  The insult!  However, in some evil way on my part, I silently cheered him on when he got the little culprit back by biting him on the finger and not letting go…

Sorry, I hope you don’t think less of me for telling you that, but if you knew the kid, then you would know he had it coming to him in spades.

So, we brought him home.  He moved three times with us, and traveled all the way from California to Alabama, a three and a half day journey, keeping Bob company on the front seat of the car.  He never became tame enough for finger perching, Oh-no-no-no!  But bless his little birdie heart he could sing to you and was ever happy to see you when you were around.

He would cape his wings, tilt his head and just sing, like it was his only joy in life to sing you into utter happiness.

I will miss him, but Bob has lost a very dear little friend today.

Bonjour