GRACIE

Gracie is 8 months old now. She is growing into such a well-behaved, thoughtful, friendly and intelligent girl. I could not ask for a prettier or smarter dog. My love for Gracie and for my other dogs is constant and grows stronger every day. It is not dependent on their good behavior but rather on their benign presence in my life. Dogs live in the moment and that is a life lesson for happiness. The past and the future are not important; it is only this very moment that counts. My dogs patiently remind me of this over and over daily - I guess sometimes I am a slow learner but I am getting better.

"Happiness is a form of courage."

- Holbrook Jackson

Wishing everyone courage to find your own happy moments. Peace.

A Tree-Climbing Dog

It appears that Chevy is checking her tree-climbing spikes, making certain that each one is perfectly sharp and extended into gripping position.
Next, she gauges factors of wind direction and velocity, gravity, and the all-important motivating factor of just how many squirrels are up in that tree, anyways?
Holy Leaping Lizards, er, Dogs! Chevy has easily and successfully accomplished what no other dog on the farm can do (yet). What a girl!

"Action is the foundational key to all success."

- Pablo Picassso

Just do it! Happy Chinese New Year!

My New Puppy!

Amazin' Gracie this week at 10 wks old

Gracie last week at 9 wks old.

I can already see changes in my little darling in just one week. She is everything I could ever want in a pup. Her full name is Alta-Tollhaus Amazing Grace - at least that is how I hope she will be registered by the breeder. More Gracie pix and cute stories soon!

Whoever said that money can't buy happiness never bought a puppy!

Greenhouse Gardening

All the geraniums are huge and blossoming their hearts out. This geranium is one of my favorites. It is hot pink or fuschia with a flourescent orange in the center of each blossom. The greenhouse is attached to the house so I can delight in their beauty day or night. Today the temperature in the greenhouse was 94 degrees F!

Heirloom curly spearmint and Kentucky Colonel spearmint are flourishing in the warmth of the greenhouse. I add the leaves to salads for a great taste. After a long winter, just about anything that's green goes into delicious salads which I could eat for every meal.

"Earth laughs in flowers." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Wishing everyone love and lots of laughter today.

Friends Part 2

"No fault " Luke exploring the frog nursery. Dogs are different than people. They can actually exist without any faults at all!

"If you are looking for a friend who has no faults,

you will have no friends."

Hasidic folk saying

I cherish all the unique things that make us different from each other, knowing that it is just these differences that define us as individuals. It makes for much more interesting relationships, I think. Wishing you all love and the joy to celebrate differences.

Friends

Noble Vida is a perfect friend

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become really great." - Mark Twain

Wishing you all love and great friends to inspire and appreciate your own special greatness.

A Two Hour Spring Break

Vida multi-tasking at the swimming hole. The water is deep

and the current is fast after the snow melt and a heavy rain.

He never tires of retrieving - the bigger the sticks, the better

For me, Spring has officially arrived when the red maple buds come out

Chevy takes her turn in the water. Chevy and Vida are both excellent swimmers.

They barely make a ripple as they paddle in the fast moving water.

Vida smiles for the camera while perching on a stump. He can always make me smile!

I swear that when he sees me with my camera, he strikes a pose intentionally.

"The sun - my almighty physician." - Thomas Jefferson

No matter how busy I am, if a warm, sunny afternoon presents itself ( rare so far this Spring) I will grab a few doggies, my camera and off we go to see what we can enjoy and discover on the farm. Mini-vacations like this are great for the soul as well as the body. Wishing you all love and a sunny day, and, of course, the time to enjoy it.