Mulch

Jeff picked up 20 bags of mulch at Home Depot. It was a nice day, so Otis was outside with us. As soon as the back door on the 4Runner was opened, Otis tried to jump inside. Unfortunately, the mulch completely filled the car.

As Jeff unloaded the mulch, freeing up space, Otis would jump in the car. Jeff would chase him out. As soon as Jeff walked away, Otis was back in the car. When the last bag was removed, Jeff shut the door.  Otis looked so sad, when he realized he would not be going for a ride.

As we spread the mulch, Otis spent an hour running back and forth and rolling in the warm grass.

Mango's Munchies

Cooper sends a big THANK YOU to the wonderful person  who sent him a box full of Mango's Munchies dog treats.

I was working at home when the doorbell rang. Cooper and Otis raced to the front door. I was surprised to see the mailman holding a box and other mail.

The box was addressed to Cooper. I opened the box and found it full of delicious dog treats. Unfortunately, there was no card stating who had sent us this wonderful gift.

I am hoping that one of our blog readers is the sender and will know that their kindness is appreciated.

Calico Corners

I recently received a chair from my Mom, who said that the chair was originally owned by her Mother. When we brought the chair home, we noticed that straw was falling out of it. Upon flipping the chair over, we saw the webbing on the bottom was broken and the chair was stuffed with horse hair and straw!

I wanted to have the chair repaired. We brought the chair to Calico Corners, which has gorgeous fabrics. I asked if they could fix it and was told yes. The sales woman said let's see what we are working with and proceed to peel back several layers of fabric.The  woman commented that this must have sentimental value, since repairs will cost much more than the chair is worth.


Using our couch pillow as  a guide, we found a fabric that will look fantastic. I am excited that we will be bringing this piece of family history back to life.

I also received a cedar chest from my Mom. We found a beautiful fabric and are having a custom cushion made for it.

Both items should be ready in about 6 weeks. I can't wait to see what they look like.

Cooper Update

Cooper is slowly getting better (we hope). Coop is still on a diet of canned chicken and rice - no kibble.

I worry about how much weight Cooper has lost since he became ill. Poor Coop does not understand why he cannot have treats or milkbones.

If Coop continues to keep food down, we can introduce some of these items at the end of the week.

Stunning

I can't wait until the Stargazer Lilies open. I think the bouquet will be gorgeous.

Home Again

Cooper is out of the hospital and back home!

The vet took x-rays and ran more blood tests.  The x-rays did not show any blockages or anything irregular. The blood tests showed the pancreatitis was getting better. Cooper was given IV fluids to keep him hydrated.

The vet gave us a prescription for appetite stimulants and said to keep doing what we have been doing (only allowing Coop to eat a bland diet).

I hope Coop will be feeling better soon.

Hospitalized

Cooper is still not able to keep food down.

I spoke with Norwalk Vet Hospital. They said Cooper needs to be hospitalized for several days for observation, nutrition and fluids. Additional testing may be needed to determine if Cooper has a more serious illness.

Jeff will drop Cooper off on his way into work. We are hoping that Cooper will be home soon and feeling better.

Planted

Young's Nursery delivered and planted our Japanese maple. Harry came out to oversee the proper placement.

I was told to keep the tree watered in this extremely dry and unusually warm weather. The Japanese maple is fairly bug resistant and deer typically do not eat the leaves. Hopefully the tree will have a long and healthy life.


I am amazed by how different the walkway and stone wall look, now that the tree is in place.

Not Hungry

Cooper is still not interested in eating.

The vet had suggested a special low fat diet for Cooper. This canned food is something that Coop has enjoyed eating previously.

After 4 days of not eating, I can hear Coop's stomach grumble. When I put out his food, he sniffs and walks away.

The one thing that Coop is interested is Milkbones. Is that like a child wanting candy but not vegetables with dinner ?

Egg-Plant

The Easter bunny managed to find us, even though we spent Easter on Long Island.

I received this Egg-Plant in my basket. The egg is ceramic. You crack the top and add water. In 2 weeks, snapdragons should begin to grow. The egg is now sitting on the kitchen window sill soaking up the sun.

Sick

Cooper has been skipping meals, but  I was not too worried. We had spent several days away from home and I know that staying in a new location is stressful.

When we returned home, Cooper refused to look at his kibble. After 24 hours of vomiting, I knew it was time to call the Norwalk Vet Hospital.

The vet examined Cooper and ran blood tests. The blood work showed that Cooper has Pancreatitis.

Cooper will not be allowed to eat for the next 24 hours. After that, he will be given small portions of a bland diet. The vet warned that symptoms tend to get much worse before they get better. I added Resolve carpet cleaner to the top of my grocery list.

Why we like Harry

We had a new walkway installed at our home last spring. This year we wanted to have a Japanese maple planted along the walkway. In February, I spoke with Harry, the landscaper at Young's Nursery. Harry said that Japanese maples would start to arrive in April and I should contact him at that time.

I spoke to Harry this week. Harry asked what kind of maple we wanted. It turns out that there are MANY types of Japanese maples. Did we want a vertical or a cascading ? Green or red or purple leaves ? Did the ultimate height or width matter ?

Harry gave me the name of several possibilities to research and then suggested we stop by Young's to see what they had in stock.  After looking online, we visited Young's. The Japanese maples do not have their leaves yet, so the trees looked very different than what we saw on the Internet.

We decided on a cascading Crimson Queen. The trees we saw were small (5-7 years old) and we wanted something larger. We drove home and I immediately called Harry to request that he look for a larger (10-15 year old) tree.

Five minutes later the phone rang and Harry said, "I heard you were at the Nursery . I just missed you." Harry said that they had a large Crimson Queen in Woodbury and suggested we drive there to see it.

 I said. "If you think it is nice, we will take it." There was silence and Harry said, " These plants are like pieces of sculpture and it is important that you see the tree without it leaves. Plus such an old tree is very expensive and I want to be sure you are satisfied." If we liked the tree, it would have to be dug out immediately (before leaves appeared) or we would have to wait until Oct! I again said, we would buy it sight unseen, but Harry was adamant we visit the tree. Jeff and I agreed that we would be at Woodbury the next day.

Five minutes later, the phone rang again. Harry had found a large Crimson Queen in Wilton, could we come to see it ? Jeff and  I jumped in the car and were there in 5 minutes. The cascading limbs had an interesting appearance and we agreed to buy the tree.

I asked  Harry when they could install the tree. Harry said, "When will you be home ?" I asked if we needed to be there, since his crew built the wall and knew where the tree should be planted. Harry was aghast, "We need you to say where it should be placed and how it should be positioned. Once it is away from all the other trees, it will look very different. Did we want the tree to look best pulling into the driveway, walking up the stairs or when viewing from the sitting wall ?"

So much for just digging a hole and dropping the tree in it. I am hoping our maple can be planted in the next few weeks.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Over the last few weeks, the ducks have been coming to the pond less and less. I had not seen the hen in a while, but the drake still shows up occasionally for breakfast.

Jeff and I went to walk the dogs at 6:30 am and the male was waiting at the edge of the pond. I immediately grabbed some corn and brought it to him.

When I took the dogs out at noon, I was surprised to see the pair floating in the middle of the pond. I scooped up some more corn and placed it at the edge of the pond.

In the evening, I saw the ducks again sitting at the edge of the pond. I said to Jeff, "They can't be hungry for dinner...can they ?" Jeff said, "Why do you think they are here - they want CORN." I went back to the garage, got more corn and brought it to the pond.

The ducks immediately gobbled up all the corn. I guess that we are no longer a wildlife Bed & Breakfast, but a full service restaurant.

Happy Easter

Wishing you a wonderful Easter and a basket full of chocolate bunnies!

Just Hanging Out

Lately, Otis likes to spend his time laying at the top of the stairs or stretching out on the stairs.

I think that Otis likes to look out the front door and keep watch for anyone or anything who approaches.

Dueling Owls

We awoke early in the morning to the hooting of owls. As soon as Otis hears an owl, he begins to whine and run from window to window. All hopes of sleep are lost.

As we walked up the driveway, I saw one of the owls flutter in a tree. This was the first time I got to see our Great Horned Owl up close. I was surprised by how big and broad he/she was. The hawks that frequent our yard are svelte in comparison.

The owl was screeching and when he stopped another owl would respond. A few steps further down the driveway and we spotted the second owl. The owls kept hooting back and forth.

After a few minutes, one owl flew towards the other, almost brushing the owl still perched in the tree. This caused the perched owl to fly off. Soon the first owl followed.

Seeing these beautiful birds made getting up early worthwhile.

Photo by George Jameson