HUNGRY HOWDI

This is Howdi, one of seven of Kim Petrunia's chows in Massachusetts.  Howdi just had major surgery, but this was Howdi in better times.  We're all praying for you Howdi! Thank you for sharing this video with me Kim, I have watched it so many times, cracks me up!  Is that Lance Armstrong in Howdi's mouth??

Goodbye Horse Farm!

Haven't been past the farm where I used to get my compost lately, maybe I didn't want to remember that I lost one of my Merrells there while I was sinking in the quicksand maure, but as we drove by I noticed silt screens and bulldozers.  Sadly, another horse farm lost to a subdivision.

Then I remembered the lanterns hanging by the gate that I always admired and wanted to ask for.  I had Bob drive down the old gravel road leading to the farm, and there they were to my surprise!  I would have thought someone would have wanted these, they are gorgeous.  They are big, too!  The glass is opalescent and hand blown and wrapped around the glass are copper holders.  Goodbye manure, hello beautiful lanterns!

Asheville, Happiest City on East Coast

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20130811/NEWS/308110050/Study-puts-Asheville-happiest-cities-top-10

Friday Afternoon at Helen's

Jacqui and I met at Helen's cute home in Inman Park on Friday.  I was making my goat's milk delivery for her chows and wanted to finally meet them.

I was surprised at the amount of folk art Helen had in her small 900 sq. ft. home, and it was fun to sit and take it all in.

Here is Bella from the rescue.

This is Abbey from the rescue.  Love her eyeliner!

And this is Leo, an older boy rescued from Katrina.

This is Helen's tenant who lives in an outbuilding only 500 sq. ft.  Both are into "micro-living" and they both get a lot into a little space!  Both he and Helen are reporters for CNN.

Helen has been working a lot on her garden and just put in the pond all by herself.  The original reason for coming down to the city was to see her garden, but between all my rescue work and packing to move, I haven't had a minute to spare.

This is Helen feeding her goldfish, Dr. Seuss, red fish, blue fish, yellow fish and spot.

Jacqui looking at the artwork in Helen's tiny kitchen.

Helen collects bronze dogs done by an artist in Santa Fe.  The big one must weigh 50 lbs!

Everything is arranged in an artistic way, you have to be imaginative in order to fit so much stuff in such a small space.

I loved the deep blues of the house across the street; Helen, not so much.  She said it was dark and spooky! I've always loved Inman Park with all of its Victorian cottages, much like Oaks Bluff on Martha's Vineyard without the ocean.

After our visit and tour we went to Albert's a local pub for a drink called "Muddy Waters" flavored vodka, soda, fresh basil and lime, so refreshing and so relaxing, but then there was the drive home . . . not so much!

National Moth Week . . .

Just in case you forgot! Click on:
National Moth Week  

Snake Sightings

                                          Wish I could take this girl with me, she keeps order among the rodents in the basement. She fell out of the ceiling the other night in a piece of insulation, and the dogs went crazy, but they would not touch her.  Found a snake skin in the woods as long as her, so maybe she just had a body facial! Photos of the skin did not come out and something hauled it off in the middle of the night.  This is a good snake and she has lived with us for many years.

Rain, Rain go Away!

I must admit, one good thing has come from all this rain, and it's not the flooded basement where all my hooked rugs were ready to be moved and got soaked or the soggy blackberries that are just getting ripe or the split tomatoes or mophead hydrangeas so heavy they're laying on the ground.

It's this old door that I've had for probably 20 years that was covered in thick white enamel paint that last year I put out along the fence to keep Princess and Panda from getting into it at the fence line.  One day I noticed the paint peeling and a beautiful robin's egg blue paint underneath. I'm sure it's at least 100 years old.

Every time I go to see Roman and Princess, I scrape just a little bit off.  There are some really tough spots, but with the rain this week I'm sure they'll get easier, too.  I do have the missing piece of the door.  Just thinking of how I can use this in our new home.  To think this was going to be cut in pieces and burned in the fireplace. Close call!!