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As most of you on GG, I HATE winter-and ours is almost gone! Totally sunny day today, and highs in the low 70's. I had a lot going on in the yard today, and my hip bones are crying this evening! I trimmed the maple tree, the oak tree and the confederate rose. I trimmed a little off a couple of crepe myrtle trees, and went ahead and cut back the roses. I'll fertilize them next week when I return from California.
Miss Motley and Peanut spent the WHOLE day outside, and both are totally worn out, asleep at my feet. I let Motley have free rein today, but I watched her pretty close. First time she thought I wasn't looking she went up the Confederate Rose (it has a long arching branch over the fence) onto the fence, looked at me and WHOOP! Over the fence into Ricky's yard! I got the ladder and looked into his yard and she just looked up at me, and proceeded to smell all the places the birds go. In about 15 minutes I saw her up on the fence on the opposite end of the yard, with a lizard in her mouth! So, she can climb the banana trees and get back into my yard, however...when she jumped down into our yard, I believe she hurt herself. She took about 5 steps and lay down, and stayed there for a while. Well, this evening, she did it again, and back into the yard with no problem. It's been 4 weeks since the "wreck", and I believe she will be ok. She so loved being out all day!
I pulled all the plants out of the shed, and watered everything well-and tomorrow it's supposed to rain off and on all day. Figures. I looked around at various things in my yard and I have a LOT to do. I also bought some seed potatoes at Lowe's today. Don't know if that was a good move or not. I should have waited and got them at the feed store. .. And a bleeding heart. My neighbor cut out a whole big section of azaleas (her husband hates them, and she has a black thumb), so I dug a couple to plant in my yard. The flower bed in the front around my old crepe myrtle tree needs to be totally reworked. I had some daffodils planted there, but no sign of them-this is their 3rd or 4th year, so they're probably done for. I think that's were I'll put the bleeding heart,and the azaleas.
While I was trimming up, I thought I'd go ahead and cut my clematis-it never does too much, and it looked dead - NOT! Little green buds showing on the vines-so I left it alone! I'll be pulling my broccoli soon,it's all in flower, but it was loaded with honey bees-so I left it alone, too. I did chop some on my cannas-I'm going to dig up almost half of them-Anybody want some?
I'm pooped-ready for my bath and bed. Stay warm, you Northerners-On to Super Bowl Sunday!
That's what it looked like a while ago. The back y ard was totally covered in blackbirds & crows. Peanut's on "bird patrol". He wouldn't stop barking until they all flew away, even out of the trees. He's a good bird chaser. Now I know why I went through 25 lbs. of seed in 1 week! This is also a sign that spring is very near. I head a red-wing, but couldn't find it in the bunch. The robins should be showing up soon.
Motley is doing much better, able to get around more, so I left her and Peanut alone while I went to Wal-Mart. I desperately needed "meat" and bread and the basics, and dog food and cat food and bird seed-$136.00 worth. But after calculating, about $30.00 of that was garden stuff, including the bird seed. I bought 3 dahlias-never grown them myself. Someone on here had some and they were just gorgeous. Gonna try! And some lettuce seed-never grew lettuce either. Figure the slugs will have their share. And some more radish seed, and some Lilliput zinnias.
Came home and was going to do a lot in the yard. Motley can stay out with me, but that dang cat!! I have to watch her every move, cause if I don't, she's so camoflauged I can't find her. THREE times, I had to fetch her off the vinyl fence between me and back yard neighbor!! She doesn't appear to have lost much balance, with her one eye and 3 legs! It's only been 3 weeks, though, and I'm afraid if she goes into Ricky's back yard, she's not yet strong enough to climb the banana trees to get back in my yard. KIDS! (mm-Pets!) ARGH! And she fusses and ROAW MEOWS, cause she wants outside. Hope I can stand another week of this-then I will see how strong she is.
I was outside watering plants, and could see the cold front line coming, and suddenly the wind blew STRONG out of the north, and I bet in a matter of 5 seconds, the temp had dropped 10 degrees. It all happened so quick, both the dog and the cat hightailed it for the door! It was about 70 this morning-55 now, and falling-but only to about 42 tonight.
On the way home from the store this morning, I passed a house that has an ornamental magnolia in the front yard that is about 10 foot tall, all in bloom! It's gorgeous~ My red maple has put out some new leaves already, and my hydrangea has tiny buds. The bottle brush is covered in new buds, and buds are swelling on my flowering plum. There is lots of new growth on the day lilies, and the roses are starting to bud. I will go ahead and cut them way back next week if no freezes are predicted.
Spring will be here in South Louisiana in a matter of 2-3 weeks! :)
Later gators!
I know, for many of you, this is not possible! We are blessed. Sunday the weather was SUPER nice Around 70 degrees, slight north wind., Motley and her little broken body loved to lay in the sun:
She layed around like that most of the afternoon. Yep, she's shaved, and doesn't have hair on some parts-Nothin worse looking than a half naked cat (well, maybe...) As I puttered around the yard, she came and watched-she doesn't go further than a few feet and stops to rest-her leg hurts, I'm sure.
Then, the neighbor's cat wants to visit, but Bam-Bam Is too nosey, too big, and too much of a pest:
Bam-Bam's really a loveable cat although he looks really grumpy (they had a dog named Pebbles). Bam-bam's just too loveable, he's encroaching on our territory-Peanut has to run interference!
Pete's dog, Lady, the beagle, is undergoing heartworm treatment and has to be confined for the next 2 weeks. Pete doesn't have a fenced yard, I have a fenced back yard- so Lady came and spent the early evening with us. She seemed to like it ok-but we're afraid if we are not here, she will try to climb, dig or chew her way out. She really hated being here during the hurricanes-he lives on a dead end road, and she is really a "neighborhood" roaming dog. She never begs, rarely barks, and has never to our knowledge ever even growled at any one. The treatments make her vomit every now and then, and it seems to scare her.
So-we have Motley the broken cat (rod in her leg, walks lopsided, can't jump), Lady, with heartworms, has to be kept still and not "excited", and Peanut with his scratching allergies. BUT--they all like to dig in the garden!!
C'est la vie!
Later gators!
Doesn't sound too good, does it-but that's what she is! (ha-ha) It's all ok. Got the stitches out, she's hobbling around (when she hears the back door open she almost runs!), but has definitely lost vision in that one eye. She wants to rub on Peanut, but he's so rough, I have to watch his every move. She was on the sofa last night, and he dropped his ball in front of her, and was in the process of fixing to "flip" her when I saw him-IT'S LIKE KIDS! Doc says she is healing very well, but I still have to keep her inside for 3 more weeks! I let her out when I go out so I can watch her. There are lots of birds at the feeders now since she hasn't been harrassing them, and she was in the garden wanting to "stalk" yesterday evening. In 5-6 weeks he will remove the rod in her leg.
Peanut's turn at the vet was $135.00!! He's been rubbing his face, and scooting his butt, and had a rash on his belly, and now I find out he has 'allergies'! But, that includes his shots, and heartworm pills and the allergy pills, so I guess that's not too bad. And he is in "excellent" health, and a "perfect" little daschund (yeah, perfectly rotten!).
Our REAL cold snap is about over. It was supposed to get down in the 20's again last nite, but at 7 AM it was 40 degrees. Not bad! I went around pulling off sheets and plastic off my plants, but I still think I will lose a few. Too early to tell. The cold really got the Angel Trumpet that was leafing out again, and my hibiscus. They will both come back. I lost some begonias that were still blooming, and some salvia. I'm concerned about my pencil cactus-it didn't get covered too well, and it was partly under my shed porch, but it looks bad. And some of the kalanchoes that were fixing to bloom got nipped, too. Well, it's time to cut all that back, anyway. If it warms up pretty good, I'm gonna pull the covers off my garden, and start preparing for planting potatoes next month!
I had to get bird seed this morning-I ran out a few days ago, and the birds have been eating stale cheerios. Right now they are swarming the feeders-Good thing Motley's asleep! I'll try for pics-but my camera is just a little kodak easy share camera-the zoom is not real zoomy!
LATER GATORS!!
Motley is home, and after a trying 2 hours of hobbling around and crying pitifully because she couldn't go where she wanted to , she is finally resting. I still have salve to put in her eyes, and that will be a trying experience also-We already did the 2 doses of meds-I hate giving a CAT medicine! And she is sooooo badly bruised, and pitiful looking. Her belly is LSU purple! Peanut knows something is wrong, so he backs off when I say no. The doc says she is healing good and quickly, but she has to be contained, and she claws at the pet door wanting out. ANd wants to climb on things which she shouldn't-oh it's gonna be a rough few weeks! Thank you all for your comments and concern!
My broccoli is making flowers now-I've kind of neglected the garden. Motley loves to hide in the garden, so I'll just let them bloom until she is well enough to go hide in it again!
Last night at the 12th Night Festivities, Mayor Randy Roach of Lake Charles (yep, his name is 'roach') , the presiding "DUKE OF MISRULE", declared it Mardi Gras season and let the good times begin! I took loads of pictures, but because most of it was in the dark with spotlights, they did not turn out too good. I will post some periodically. Here is one, but it is too dark-CAN SOMEONE LIGHTEN IT UP FOR ME?
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Not all costumes were this elaborate-I have a few from the "Krewe of Illusions", which is the most flamboyant Krewe here in the Lake Charles Area (mostly gay krewe-they sure have a good time!) And everyone always loves their costumes and themes.
Update on Motley cat. She had to have a rod put in her leg. Still unsure about sight in one eye, and how much vision she will have in her good eye. She has such beautiful green eyes.
She is doing well, the vet says, but there is a long recovery ahead; I visit her everyday, the vet says it helps to lift her morale. She will come home Friday and I have to keep her and the dog separated for 6 weeks!! I don't know how I'm going to do that! And I'm supposed to go to Clint's graduation from "whatever" the 1st of Feb before he goes to Montana-Now I'm unsure of that. This cat is going to cost me well over $1,000.00 with medical care, and I think I would be worried all the time I'm gone. Besides-the trip to Ca. would be about $1,000.00. I need LOTTO!!
Let the good times roll!
Yesterday morning around 8 AM I was reading the paper with Peanut sleeping next to me, when suddenly he raised his head and kind of growled, then jumped on the sofa to look on the front window barking & barking & barking, as if we had company. It kind of made me mad, so I got up to see what he was barking at, and Motley was laying on the side of the road. OH, GOD! I freaked. Apparently Peanut heard it happen and her howling. He's a little hero.
After much panic and hysteria, she's at the vet, will have to have surgery on her leg. Head trauma is still bad, she will probably lose vision in one eye, and she has elevated kidney & liver functions. I had never seen Motley go near the road; she usually stayed around the neighbors azaleas and in the broccoli to catch birds. When she comes home, I doubt that she'll go near the road again. I hope.
Later gators
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