Harlequin Ducks (by Mark Schwall)
Tag Archives: nature
10.23.12 “Mums” The Word
October and November are the best months to see the beauty of the fall plant called the Chrysanthemum or “Mum” for short. These incredible plants are dense, compact, and bushy and provide an array of color for months, not days, long after the dahlias, daisies, zinnias, and coreopsis are gone. Plant them in the spring if you really want a good show in the fall. Remember to pinch them back to produce really strong blooms. “Mums” the word around here this month.
Mom makes us pose in front of all these weird things. We just want to pee on them.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
10.19.12 Deep Scars
There can be no knowledge without emotion. We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours. To the cognition of the brain must be added the experience of the soul. ~Arnold Bennet
What is life if not the culmination of the things that we have experienced; the deep and unyielding collection of events that are burned into our memory banks. Some of them we can not even remember, but they still created a mark, a scar maybe, a ripple in the scheme of our total recall.
Louise is an emotional dog. She was about 5 months old when we rescued her, and that could be a lifetime of experiences that we just will never really know about. I think Louise’s start in life was bad. I know she was neglected, but I think that she probably was emotionally, if not physically, abused.
She is a good dog. And to those she trusts, she is a sweet dog. She is leery of strangers and fearful of loud and overwhelming humans. The freedom and abandon she possesses as she runs at max speed across a field is amazing, but then she can quickly hide behind me and snarl at a dog or human that is getting to close or reminds her of something. I adore this dog but I do not understand her yet. She is teaching me about her fear and shyness and how the emotions can scar the soul so deeply and longly, that building confidence can become a life long challenge.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
10.18.12 Sofie’s Growing A DogBone Tree
This morning we were out in the yard playing under the Big Tree. We love the cool breezes and the crazy squirrels. The leaves are falling on our heads and sticking to our feet. We are having so much fun chewing on sticks that fall from the trees in the wind, gnaw gnaw gnaw. Nine, the mischief cat, keeps trying to come play in the yard with us, but Mommy won’t let him. It is fun to dig under the leaves and hide our toys. I try to sneak bones out of the house and plant them to see if they will grow a bone tree next spring. Louise says that is silly and the squirrels will come at night and dig them up and then eat them. I don’t believe her. I am going to grow a bone tree. Mommy found one on the internet for me, so it must be real. 
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
