My Bit of Earth

Geranium Putting Out Roots

I was dusting the window the other day (useless task to avoid studying) when I noticed that one of my little geranium cuttings is putting out some nice roots.

Not sure if this is the variable that's making a difference, but the one that's growing better is in an olive oil bottle (bigger) as opposed to a spice jar (smaller). Every time I change the water in the spice jar there is a thin layer of greeny film on the bottom. I'm wondering if the smaller volume of water is allowing the mossy stuff to grow faster and somehow stunt the growth of the cutting? Of course, I have no scientific basis for saying that, but it's just my hunch.

Poinsettias

If you have time--and are lucky enough to live near a nursery--go in on your lunch break sometime and walk through the poinsettias. I snuck into Sunrise today to do just that and it was like stepping into another world. First of all, it's freezing outside and the greenhouse is perfectly warm. And inside, rows and rows and more rows of perfect "Christmas red" leaves--puckery "Winter Rose" poinsettias, poinsettias with leaves like flaming maples, and a tiny miniature poinsettia in a baby pot that came home with me.

For a long time I thought we weren't going to be able to have a poinsettia this year because of the pups. At some point someone told me they were poisonous to dogs and cats, but I did some research and have found that that's a myth. Well, not entirely a myth, but even little Moe would have to eat about 300 leaves. My little mini-poinsettia might just barely give him a stomach ache.

Poinsettias originally came from Mexico, and were used by the Aztecs to dye cloth. They were imported to the United States by Joel Poinsett, the first American ambassador to Mexico--hence the name.

But sometimes legend is more fun than fact.

"Legend says that Pepita, a poor Mexican girl, had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve mass. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, sadness filled her heart. Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a bouquet. Looking at the scraggly weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed by the humbleness of her offering, but felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene.

Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as Las Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season."

Gobble! Gobble!

We picked out a turkey today! Well, we didn't bring it home--no room in the fridge, too many bulbs--but it's sitting at the store with our name on it.

Nice in-laws said that since my birthday is on Thanksgiving this year, I could pick what we had for dinner. I think I kind of surprised them when I said my only request was that we get to bring the turkey. Why, you ask?

Well, I saw that the Merc was going to have local, happy-raised, fresh turkeys for sale. So we're having a liberated turkey for Thanksgiving--very, very cool! I'm also very interested to try a fresh turkey and see how it compares to a frozen one--a very non-scientific Thanksgiving taste test, if you will.

Liberated Poultry Rocks My World!

Gryffin-dog Stocking Cap

Everybody loves Harry!  Even Moe got in on the action with this stocking cap in Gryffindor colors. I made this hat using a Knifty Kniter (the red one).  I braided together three pieces of yarn, knotted them off and attached them to the sides to make a ties that go under the chin.

Moe Speaks: New Clothes

Porter and I got new clothes in the mail today. Mom said she got them so we could celebrate about some movie that she and Dad are going to see tonight about some pup named Hairy Pawter.

Not sure about him, but Mom thought our new shirts were pretty funny. Mine says, "It Wasn't My Fault! I Was Under the Imperius Curse at the Time...." And Porter's says, "What Would Snuffles Do?" Wish I could go to the movie--then maybe I would understand what they mean.

Moe Speaks: A Strange Lady Took My Beard

Mom took me to the vet today. I got to take a bath, and I got shaved, and they put this thing under my skin that Mom says is called a "microchip". That kind of stung, but it was nice to get to see all the other dogs at the vet.

The only bad thing was, well, it's a little embarassing actually. I don't think the nice lady that cut my hair had worked with a Welshie before. She cut off my whole beard! I'm all triangle-headed, and Mom keeps laughing at me. Hopefully it'll grow back a little before Thanksgiving....

Moe Speaks: Possessed By Demons

Since I woke up this morning I have ruined one pair of underwear, eaten Mom's oatmeal, and chewed through Mom's ipod case (she caught me before I got to the actual ipod). I chewed on the wall, repeatedly tormented Porter, and got on top of--yes, that's right, all the way on top of--the kitchen table. 

Mom said she thought I had grown out of this phase, and she suspects I'm acting out because I've been a little cooped up because of the weather. So, she took me--just me, Porter stayed home--to the pet stores for a walk and to work on some training.

While we were there I growled at a little Pomeranian and tried to maul a fluffy Golden Retreiver-esque puppy. 

Mom says I must be possessed.

(But I did sit very nicely at the pet store while she looked at leashes--doesn't that count for something?)

Moe Speaks: Searching For a Bed

Mom spent the evening washing all the good smells out of her clothes--she does funny things like that sometimes. After she took the clothes out of the warm, spinning thing, she brought them to the couch to fold in the basket. 

Her basket of nice warm clothes looked very inviting, and I was a little sleepy. So, I hopped inside to take a little pre-bedtime snooze when no one was looking. 

I really didn't think Mom would mind, but when she saw me her eyes got wide and she smacked her hand to her forehead like she does when I'm about to be in trouble. But then she started laughing at me! You never know about her. 

She said I couldn't stay in the clothes, but she found a nice, smelly blanket and put it in the other basket and tucked me right in with my squeaky and everything. I think I could get used to a bed like this.

Moe Speaks: What Is This Stuff?

Mom was getting ready to leave for school today, when she opened the door for me to go outside. I ran up to the door to go, but then I looked out and this funny white stuff was falling from the sky in big, fat flakes. It didn't look like rain, but it was making things wet. 

Now, I love showers and baths and rivers, but for some reason rain just isn't my thing. And I'm not sure how much I like this white stuff either. In the end I decided not to go outside.

It's Kansas, If You Don't Like the Weather...

...Wait A Day.

Last week it was eighty degrees out. Today it's snowing. Not real snow though--not the sticking kind. Just big, fat flakes that melt before they hit the ground.

Moe Speaks: A Strange Thing

Mom did something a little strange today. She went upstairs into the crawl space and pulled out two big boxes (I helped with that part). We took them downstairs and one had a tree inside. Well, it's green like a tree, and tall like a tree, but I tasted it and it's definitely not a real tree. 

Then she opened the other box and there were all kinds of things inside that looked like chewy toys and balls. But Mom said they weren't for eating. I was very confused. Then she started putting the toys on the tree--even more confusing! Then, the weirdest thing of all, she put a Jayhawk on top! A fuzzy one that looks like it's laughing at me all the time!

But then she did something with a plug and all these pretty lights came on. I'm not sure what it's all about, but I have a feeling it might mean some treats are on the way!

Moe Speaks: Killing the Vacuum

Mom cleaned house today. I like it when she cleans becuase that means I get to attack the vacuum. I growl at it and grab it with my teeth and today I actually picked part of it up off the floor. Mom said she read an article the other day about how to make me stop, but what the writer suggested was really mean and she would never do that to me. 

Secretly, I think Mom doesn't like the vacuum much either.

Moe Speaks: Brrr....

The weather finally got cold here. Dad is crazy because he still wants to sleep with the windows OPEN (he was an eskimo dog in his first life, I swear). Mom said words that I don't think puppies are supposed to hear when she got out of bed this morning. I was even shivering and I have my own fur coat!

And now they're arguing (well, not really, but play arguing) because Mom wants to start a fire and Dad said it's too hot. She said if we can't have a fire he could at least go get her slippers. He said that's what Porter and I are for. I would love to go get Mom her slippers. They're really fuzzy and I could kill them first. That would be fun. But I can't open the door to the bedroom so, no such luck.

I don't know about this cold stuff though. I keep debating whether I really need to make pee or not. I ring my bell to go out, but then Mom opens the door and I feel the cold come in and I'm not so sure. We made a deal, though--I'll go outside, but she has to put my sweatshirt on first. Dad laughs at us, but it does make me warmer.

Moe Speaks: Swimming in the Wakarusa

Today was the greatest day! We got to got to the dog park AGAIN (that's two days in a row!) and we went and explored some trails we had never walked down before. Guess what? We found a RIVER! Mom said it's called the Wakarusa River and it's the funnest place ever! Mom thought she was going to have to go swimming herself to get me out of it. There were two big dogs there that were playing with a tennis ball. I couldn't swim as fast as they could so I couldn't get the ball, but it was still SO MUCH FUN! I hope we get to go back again before it gets cold.

Moe Speaks: I Am Not An Airedale

...but I was the darling of the Kansas City Airedale club meeting today at the dog park. Mom and Dad took Porter and I to play not expecting anything special, but as we walked up we noticed there were lots of dogs that looked like me, only bigger. Everybody kept asking if I was an Airedale puppy, but Mom set them straight--I'm a Welshie through and through.

But those Airedale's were really fun, and their mommies were really sweet to me too. Everybody kept taking my picture and giving me lots of pets. Mom says maybe we'll think about getting an Airedale someday--I hope so, they were great.

Fall Roses=Not Good

So, ok, it got cold in October so I pruned my roses back for the winter as Martha and all other rose gurus told me I should. But now it's warm again and my silly roses think it's Spring. Not only do they both have lots of red, new growth, but the Bacara has buds and even one tiny actual rose. They're supposed to be going to sleep and they're waking up instead. This is a problem.

Moe Speaks: A Squeaky Surprise

I was so sweet to Mom this morning. Just as soon as the sun came up I snuck in to suprise her with my squeaker. I squeezed it a few times, just to let her know she was in for a treat. She opened her eyes and looked at me, but she didn't really seem to want to play. Maybe she wasn't awake enough. So I played for awhile and then I jumped back into bed to cuddle. Maybe sleeping is better than playing every once in awhile.

My Bit of Dog?

For the past few weeks I've been having a teeny-tiny problem--well, teeny-tiny in the grand scheme of things, but pretty perplexing in my relatively problem-free life. If you haven't figured it out by now, our doggies are, for all intents and purposes at this time, our kiddos. So naturally, I would like to write about them more. But the puppies really don't fit within the original scope of this blog which is to have an easy to keep, easy to read garden journal. They kind of get in the way--they're good at that....

Happily, last night in the wee smalls, I found a solution at Dogster.com. Dogster is a very fun place where your dog can have it's very own webpage. Basically it's like a blog, but kind of better for my purposes. I can post pictures and Moe and Porter can keep "diaries" so the basics are covered. I can also search for and communicate with other Welsh Terrier owners, which is something I'm always looking for when the inevitable questions come up.

Some of the features are a little silly, but some are kind of fun too. For example, Porter and Moe's pages are linked as "family" and if any dogs they know join Dogster then they can all be linked as "friends"--a little cutesey, yes, but kind of neat in that we can all keep up with each other.

So, henceforth, all things puppy will be on Dogster. For Porter news check out "Porter's Post" and for Moe's comings and goings take a peek at "Moe's World". Be sure and leave a bone!

Aww, Nuts!

If you've been reading, you will know that a few weeks ago I started an acorn experiment, planting some outside and some inside to see how they would grow. All the directions I read said, "Make sure you protect the acorns from squirrels." But I thought, "I have two dogs who love to chase squirrels, surely that will be all the protection I could need." Wrong!

I was pulling up to the house in my car yesterday afternoon, when I noticed a fuzzy little fellow frantically ripping up what's left of the greens in my grow box to dig up my poor sweet acorns. He was right there in front of me--bold as brass--with a look on his face that was clearer than if he could have spoken--JACKPOT!

So, a few notes to self:
1. Dogs do not = acorn protection
2. There will be no oak saplings in the grow box this spring to compare with the ones kept inside

But watching the squirrel--and indeed, making his day--was probably more fun than watching oak saplings grow would have been, so I won't hold a grudge.

Christmas Blooms

I'm becoming one of those people. One of those Christmas-starts-at-the-stroke-of-midnight-on-Halloween-Thanksgiving-does-not-exist-get-the-tree-out-and-lights-up people. I'm trying to fight it, but I get a little worse every year. Last year we put the tree up the weekend before Thanksgiving (under protest from Sweet Husband), this year I already have wrapped presents ready to go in our spare bedroom. I justify it to people by saying that law school finals are rough and I need to get my Christmas stuff done early so I can study properly. But that's a big fat lie. I could easily do it all in December, I just like to get some extra mileage out of Christmas.

But one thing that really does need to be started early in order to be ready are the bulbs for my Christmas flowers. I went to Sunrise Garden Center the other day to get paperwhites to wrap up as gifts, and the cashier told me that if I want a Christmas Amaryllis, now is the time to start it.

So I picked out a "Mont Blanc" which is an all-white Amaryllis (we're having blue and white and silver decorations this year). I potted it up in soil up to the top third of the bulb, as per instructions, and am watering sparingly until it begins to grow. The best part is that, because Amaryllis don't need a dormant period, the bulb and pot are now sitting on my kitchen table instead of in the fridge.

The paperwhite bulbs were enormous, and also don't need refridgeration, so I went ahead and got some of those for myself too. I usually wait until closer to Christmas, but by then the bulbs are usually much more picked over and thus much smaller.

Paperwhites generally only take about a month to grow. Looking back, last year I planted around December 7th and they were just barely blooming for Christmas. I'd like them to bloom earlier this year because we'll have guests for graduation on the 16th, so that would ordinarily mean a mid-November planting. But I wanted to go ahead and pot them up while I had the dirt out for the Amaryllis--one mess instead of two--so I went ahead and put them in dirt, but won't give them water until mid-month. Hopefully this will stay their growth enough to get the timing right. Paperwhites are good about holding their blooms for a few weeks, so even if I'm a little early it should still be ok.

And maybe if I have flowers growing we can put off the tree for a few more weeks at least....