Finally, a day of rain!

     The past few weeks have been mild, low 60s, sun, but no rain. Finally a day with rain where I can be inside to work on some things.

                              When it's nice outside, I can't be in, especially in January!  Take advantage of every day to prepare for spring which is right around the corner!
                                                                                     

                               For the first time since we've been here I am pruning all these flowering bushes.  I have been hesitant to do it, but after watching an episode of my new favorite show "Escape to the Chateau" there was an episode where they heavily pruned trees, so I decided I would do the same, just not as severe.

       Warm enough to get the periwinkle blooming and the daffodils are up about three inches.

                               I brought some horsetail reed over from the boathouse, and it should fill in nicely by spring.  I will plant moonflowers to go up the trellis.  

                                   Even the lizards are coming out to sunbathe.

                              The pansies are looking great, but with no rain I've been having to water all my plants, which is not my favorite pastime. With the rain, I will get a break on that.

                                                                               

                                                                                  

     Seedlings have been started inside on a heat mat in a plastic bin.  Some are starting to emerge.  I have a few more trays to do.

 

      The Scotch broom and mock orange are budding, so I brought in a few stems to force. The mock orange is so fragrant!

       From the farmhouse porch I can see the original farmhouse for the land out here slowly fading away :(                                                                       

                              The catalogs have arrived, some seeds have already been ordered.  I couldn't decide which of the two were my favorite, so this year I have two covers that are number one!

                                                                                  

    I really have been hitting the jackpot on afghans and linens.  Each time I go out for errands I stop by one or two shops and have not been disappointed!

                                                                                   

    I haven't done an "in rescue" in a while, but there are many I have been working on.  There has been a long line of black male chows that we all have been working on, too many to post.  But remember Luna? She was the 10 month old chow I spent seven weeks on the NC coast in a hotel trying to trap on I-95 on the median?  (This photo was used for her T-shirt fundraiser, hence the Luna Queen of the Highway)

       Well, a few weeks ago Anna from the shelter contacted me.  Luna's siblings were picked up on the street and brought to the shelter.  This is her sister Jessie from the same litter.  The NY rescue I work with took them in, my friend Trish on the farm on the VA line fostered them.  Jessie went to her sister-in-law in CT.

      This is Brownie, Luna's brother.  He went to a nice young couple in Columbia, SC.  They had him in the fenced yard about an hour after they got home, he climbed the fence and was gone.  So who gets the call?  Yep.  I started a fundraiser to buy trail cams that the tracker used that I worked with on Luna, we got a large trap.  Flyers were posted.  He wasn't seen until last Friday, 3 weeks later!  Yesterday trap was set, cams were up.  I think bolting runs in the family!

     Last night Brownie was spotted at the trap!! He did not go in, but he did not spring it. He's got to be hungry by now and like a man, he won't be able to resist the steak inside, so we are waiting patiently!  Thank goodness I can now give advice and get things set up without having to go myself.  The adopters are vigilant and working hard with their community to spot him.                                                                            

    At home with my own rescue dogs, Panda is doing much better now that he's been on insulin for a few weeks.  His DM is not getting worse, but I do need the harness to help him walk.  Still not a fan of giving the insulin shots, but without it he would die, so you do what you have to do.  This week hoping to get back to the bamboo forest to do some work.  I have had 1322 views and 44 messages.  We had more people come yesterday and take truckloads.  I will have things cleaned up in no time and no sweat for me he he he!!