Heavy winds yesterday--45 mile and hour gusts that weren't part of a storm--blew over one of my tomato plants and sent a tsunami of Silver Maple seeds swirling onto the garden, lawn, and driveway. This morning, Gracie and I went out to pick up some of the seeds to add to the compost pile and then water the vegetables. As I was watering the vegetables, a checky robin hopped onto part of the rock wall that surrounds the raised bed. He seemed to enjoy the water falling on him and did not seem the least bit afraid of me. The water started to pool, and I walked back toward the house to turn the water off. The robin followed. It seems he was building a nest under our deck--again. Bruce had been removing a nest from that spot the last couple days. Persistent, Bruce had called the nest builder. I shooed the bird away and removed the beginnings of the nest. I put the mud and dried grass in my bucket for the compost pile and as I did so, I had a revelation. It was birds and not dogs who knocked the leaves off my plants! Maybe they had bugs on them; I don't know. Maybe it wasn't birds but just this one bird, this cheeky, persistent robin!
I had been planning to return to the garden store for herbs for the perennial section of the vegetable garden I started in mid-May before Gracie arrived. Saving the tomato plants and getting a trellis for the beans and zucchini plants became urgent following that heavy wind. I also decided to scout for something to discourage birds in general and this robin in particular--a scare crow, maybe? I had seen an ad for a nursery on TV that had plants priced as reasonably as the plants I bought earlier from the horticulture students at Century and decided to go there, even though this meant a fairly long drive for Gracie and me.
We left home at 11:00 a.m. after a "hurry up" potty break for Gracie. First stop, the camping store in the strip mall by our house for a collapsible dog dish. I saw one there earlier this summer and wished I had one when Gracie and I walked to the movies with my friend. I don't know if it was Gracie or a lack of customers at 11:00 a.m., but, whatever it was, as soon as we walked into the store, several clerks descended on us to help. The result was a red, collapsible dog bowl with a draw string top (in case we want to bring dog food with us--hmmm--well, why not!)
Our second stop was Target to finish our errand of the day before--getting a thank-you gift certificate for the Century student who tutored my freshman composition students last year.
Finally, with a MapQuest map in hand, we headed to the distant nursery. When the TV ad claimed the place was huge, they were not exaggerating. The place was so huge, they have a map to help shoppers avoid becoming lost! Fortunately, Gracie and I found a good spot to park. Then we tried out the collapsible dog bowl. Success! Gracie had a good drink. Then in we went. We found the supports area pretty quickly and got cages for the tomatoes, the peonies, and the peppers. We also found what we needed for the beans and zuchinni. Instead of buying plants as I had thought I would, I got seeds. We checked out and took our stuff to the car. After all that water, I was pretty sure Gracie would want a potty break before the long car ride home. I was right!
One of the best parts of Gracie's training is that she goes--if she has too--quickly. When we're home, we use the same stop near the house as Martha advised us to do. When we're out, we look for a grassy spot. She knows what "hurry up" means and, if she has to go, gets right down to business. Instead of walking so she can relieve herself, we walk so she can practice walking with me and listening for sounds for me. This means that we can go into stores and restaurants and movies without worrying that she will relieve herself inside. For me to trust her, she has to trust that I will give her the opportunities she needs: that's team work.
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| Too bold for me! |
We left home at 11:00 a.m. after a "hurry up" potty break for Gracie. First stop, the camping store in the strip mall by our house for a collapsible dog dish. I saw one there earlier this summer and wished I had one when Gracie and I walked to the movies with my friend. I don't know if it was Gracie or a lack of customers at 11:00 a.m., but, whatever it was, as soon as we walked into the store, several clerks descended on us to help. The result was a red, collapsible dog bowl with a draw string top (in case we want to bring dog food with us--hmmm--well, why not!)
Our second stop was Target to finish our errand of the day before--getting a thank-you gift certificate for the Century student who tutored my freshman composition students last year.
Finally, with a MapQuest map in hand, we headed to the distant nursery. When the TV ad claimed the place was huge, they were not exaggerating. The place was so huge, they have a map to help shoppers avoid becoming lost! Fortunately, Gracie and I found a good spot to park. Then we tried out the collapsible dog bowl. Success! Gracie had a good drink. Then in we went. We found the supports area pretty quickly and got cages for the tomatoes, the peonies, and the peppers. We also found what we needed for the beans and zuchinni. Instead of buying plants as I had thought I would, I got seeds. We checked out and took our stuff to the car. After all that water, I was pretty sure Gracie would want a potty break before the long car ride home. I was right!
One of the best parts of Gracie's training is that she goes--if she has too--quickly. When we're home, we use the same stop near the house as Martha advised us to do. When we're out, we look for a grassy spot. She knows what "hurry up" means and, if she has to go, gets right down to business. Instead of walking so she can relieve herself, we walk so she can practice walking with me and listening for sounds for me. This means that we can go into stores and restaurants and movies without worrying that she will relieve herself inside. For me to trust her, she has to trust that I will give her the opportunities she needs: that's team work.
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