New Year A Comin'

 

For those of you who haven't had the chance to experience our lovely 2023 model Xmas tree- here it is! Still Xmas at our house, at least for a couple more weeks.

And it's going to be "New Year, New Phone" as my old phone (read very old, really old) shit the bed. Let's face it: it's been a long time coming as my relationship with my Luna Pro 3 was fraught, to put it mildly. 

The phone's existence started out fine but seemed to develop personal quirks and unnecesary idiosyncracies. I swear it was mildly possessed. It was sometimes cranky about turning on, but then became increasingly hard to turn off. It took to dialing random numbers when unasked and sometimes just sat there and refused to do anything at all. I confess to hurling/tossing/flinging and occasionally- yes!- throwing my phone across the room, or if outdoors, across the lawn. I horrified Bob.

So I am now phone-less in a society absolutely welded to their phones. I feel remarkably bouyant and liberated. The only thing I have missed thus far is my cocktail-hour immersion in Wordle and Spelling Bee. (Bob lent me his phone, but it wasn't the same.) My new phone is on its way; it should be in my possession by the end of the week. Meanwhile, I am perfectly happy to resort to landline and desktop for my communicating and computing needs.

And here's one last image to take away from 2023 and its increasingly weird weather. Mud. Endless overcast skies, lots of rain and so much mud!

Here's my pony, anointed in it. Let's not get into the ramifications of it's being New Year's Eve and we have had zero snow. The ground isn't even frozen. I guess we'll have to wake up tomorrow in a brand new year and embrace the mud. Happy New Year!

Doing Something Right!

 

Here's a view of our Long Border. I admit to yanking a few deceased annuals from its ranks and I think Bob chopped down a couple of Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed) stalks that had fallen over, but it's pretty much left to it's own devices until next early spring. I always allowed for a certain gardening laziness that creeps over me by late summer. Early September finds me shrugging and suggesting it's too late to prop things up or edit and reorganize. 

Yup! That's me casting a long shadow on a kind of unsightly aster clump (the cultivar "Purple Dome" a half tall variety.) And while I admit to an unwillingness to walk back to the house and get pruners to remove the desiccated remains I also suspected that the seeds were possibly good food for birds. And I was right!

I just read an article in The Connecticut Gardener (#1) that confirmed my thoughts and applauded my laziness. The authors of the article in question averred that insects (hopefully beneficial) nest in the hollow stems and birds do indeed feed on seeds left behind. 

(This grass (Miscanthus sinensis) makes me look tiny; it IS tall and the inflorescenses look good all winter- until an ice storm beats them down!) So I've been vindicated in my waiting 'til next spring to clean up. Yes, sometimes when we get a warm February day, Robin the Good and I get out and start cutting down things that look particulary rough. Some plants don't age gracefully!

Here's another very poofy grass; I think this is one looks rather nice with the late day sunlight hitting the tufts. So... lesson learned: don't be in such a big fat rush to tidy up. There's plenty of time ahead to do that and the birds and bees will thank you!

(*1) The Connecticut Gardener is a really good resouce for all manner of garden information. Please consider subscribing! And I don't just say that becasue I write the occasional column for it!!

In Praise of Robin

 

A post to toast our little princess of a doggo, Robin the Good! A true gem of a dog... except not always.

I'll give you three guesses as to why that plate is empty. Yes, our little angel decided to remove the four (!!) slices of rye bread (seedless) that were thawing on that plate. Turn your back for one minute; she made quick work of the bread! Not a crumb left and Robin looking so innocent. She "selected" a half a sandwich from another plate a few months ago. I thought I was losing my marbles. I walked from room to room considering where I might have left my 1/2 eaten lunch. It finally dawned on me that Robin was looking very pleased with herself. (*1)

But how can you resist Robin? Look at that face!

Here she is comtemplating the chunk of wood that is on her blanket:

Hey! She picked it out! I'm constantly providing enrichment in the form of toys, Kongs and bones but no! She wanted a chunk of wood. Poor Robin! Neglected, innored and unloved! 

Hahahhahahaha!! She has it made. Two college-educated, unpaid servants that dote on her and see to her every whim and need! Would we could all live such a wonderful, stress-free existence. I'd come back as my dog in a future incarnation!!

See? She's laughing at me!

(*1) And need I remind anyone that Robin stole six eclairs of the picnic table... eclairs destined for a friend's stomach, not Robins.