Buffy Scores a Touchdown and Tackles the Cheerleader

It's okay if you laugh.

Please Vote for Me for Okra Queen

Okra - USDA Photo in the public domain.

One year we planted so much okra -- four 100 foot rows -- that I claimed title as Okra Queen as there was no contest. As desirable as okra is in the South, we had to beg people to  come help themselves to okra. If you have never cut okra, it is like gathering stinging nettles. I do love okra: boiled, baked, fried or in soup.

My okra patch before planting

This time there are two 30 foot rows. I used old seed, really old seed, figuring that it would either be up by the time a germination test was complete, or not. It is coming up. We haven't had rain in a week.

I had the idea to make this okra patch a regular little potager with little gates and everything. The back side has sills from under the old barn as an edge. I have some cute little gate thingies that I hook onto rebar posts.

Before I could fix the little cute parts, the okra begged watering. I set up some of my handy pipe soaker/dribblers and soon filled the middle between the rows with a nice loblolly. Buffy-the-helping-Dog with her tongue hanging out in the heat recognized this as a potential cool spot. My nice bedded up rows now have big dog paw prints. I ran her out. Next I knew, she's lying between the rows in the cool damp middle where the water soaked in. As she came out when I scolded, more tracks in the okra rows!

My cute little potager gates now have non-matching posts in between and twine run through and around everything to remind her not to walk through.

We'll know in a few days whether the stepped-on places will still grow tiny plants and whether enough of my old seed comes up to make full rows.

I filled the old syrup kettle with water so Buffy can go wading instead.

It was a water feature until she decided the solar fountain was a dog toy.

I'll let you know how the okra potager turns out.

I hope to have photos soon of my own okra.

Did you know that okra is in the same family as hollyhocks and hibiscus?

It Was Almost Warm enough to Go Swimming

Buffy didn't go swimming but she did dip her toes in the old syrup kettle. Daffodils are showing up everywhere, some in bloom.

Training Video for Buffy to Watch

I'm going to have Buffy watch this video over and over and over until she's inspired to have her teeth brushed, too. Buffy would bite the fingers giving her a taste, grab the toothbrush and chew it to bits, go hide in the bathtub and shred the wrapping from the toothbrush kit. Buffy does understand 'sit' and does it very well.




Buffy

Buffy in the Bathtub

If I get in there, you WILL leave the hand-held thingie outside the tub, right?



You turn the water on right here, please.



Ummmm, so much better than water in a bowl.


Watch it, my feet are getting wet. Here I come! Oh, sorry about your knee, Mom. Is that camera broken?

Ike and Buffy, Gardening

Night Blooming Cereus, Epiphyllum

Wind blew the smallest pot of Night Blooming Cereus off the carport ledge and broke the ceramic pot. It lay on the concrete for a day until I finally stuffed it into a plastic nursery pot. The bud hung on and last night it opened.



The pets enjoyed the attention paid the flower because it meant humans came outside past bedtime.

You can see other, better pictures of epiphyllum blooms here: Night Blooming Cactus on my Seedscatterer Blog.

Buffy the Allergen Sniffer

Sweet Baby Buffy made another Vet visit this week. Last week it was a ripped-off toenail requiring antibiotics, pain pills and daily soaks. Buffy is now addicted to peroxide, which she licked off rather than letting it do whatever it is that peroxide does besides give off O2 atoms.

This week, Sweet Baby Buffy has the same hairless spots, scratching, paw-chewing and restlessness that she had a month ago. She weighs 57.1 pounds. Buffy is now 9 months old and in the teen-age-hood of canines. In the car, she was whining. When I tried to console her, she made a rude 'Huh' noise that was obviously, "You just don't understand!" and laid down to sulk.

Buffy is also on oral expensive flea pills now. They smell like something dead, and she wishes they were daily instead of monthly.

Family Outing

The Old Dog loved to ride. Buffie is not so sure and resists getting on board. Since Buffie is reluctant, Ikey the Cat has decided he loves to ride because he gets attention. Then Buffie gets aboard because Ikey is there. These pics are the only two I got, pointing the camera back toward us, before Buffie jumped ship.

Baby Buffie, Garden Helper

Buffie is growing up, but still loves her Teddy.

When she helps, it only takes twice as long.

Buffie and Ikey Posing in the Garden

The Pet Park

Buffie and Ike play in the Pet Park, which is a piece of PVC irrigation pipe. Buffie is too big to crawl through now, but Ikey loves to hide from her.
Pet Park Slideshow

Ruby Buby

From Buffie and Ikey

She can look so innocent, lying on top of where she was just digging furiously next to where I just planted a new rose, or after being scolded for biting.

Buffy II

Buffy is a 'doggy dog' - her mother is a small-to-medium black dog with short hair, long skinny tail and floppy ears. Buffy's grandmother was Collie/Chow mix. We will just have to wait to see how Buffy turns out.