How To Get Through Pesky Pocket Doors

Today's "How To" tutorial is brought to you by Charley.

I discovered last night that I can open pocket doors! Yay, me! If you ever feel the need to go exploring but can't get through, just follow my 7 easy steps.

Step 1: Use paw to rattle pocket doors to open them just a bit. Step back, in case the noise has gotten the attention of the hoomans.

Step 2: Use nose to push open door farther.

Step 3: Repeat Step 2 on the other door.

Step 4: Check to make sure the coast is clear.

Step 5: Lick nose.

Step 6: Look cute, just in case the hoomans are watching.

Step 7: Freedom! Be sure to keep head low so as to not alert the hoomans.

Calling Charley

Charley is pretty attentive towards things going on out on the street.

But then when I call him, he quickly turns.

And begins his Basset Hound run.

Or amble, as the case may be. Bassets are not really known for high-speed pursuits.

But he gets going eventually. I imagine the lack of aerodynamic ears slows him down a bit.

Of course, carrying your ears in your mouth could help with that matter.

Let's Get Dirty

No, not dirty in that way, but in all that other way, as in with actual dirt from the garden. This is the compost pile that I started last year for the garden. I got the compost bin from a friend who wasn't using it, and I immediately put it to use, adding vegetable scraps and yard clippings. There are actually a number of things that you can't put in the compost; generally speaking, you can't add fats or protein. Click here for more information on what items you can compost and their relative decomposition time. I can tell you from personal experience that egg shells take a long time to decompose, as do some paper products.

As per the usual, Charley and Lola were on hand to help out. And by help out, I mean they were just waiting for belly rubs.

I wish I had a video of the wriggling mass that has become the compost pile. There are so many worms it's hard to fathom. This was not started as a worm composting bin, meaning I didn't add worms myself, but somehow they found their way there.

It's hard to believe that a year ago this was just a jumble of leaves and grass clippings and stems from vegetables and dying flowers. But look! It's now teaming with life.

It's kind of magical, really. I can't wait to turn these guys loose in the garden, which is just starting to sprout some seeds. The sunflowers and radishes have been the first to come up so far.

But in case you don't find that picture of all the squirming worms anything close to magical, I will end this post with Charley. Because he has magical powers and can make anything better. Just look deep into his eyes if you don't believe me.

Hello There

Just wanted to say hi. That's all. Just hi.

How I Get Distracted

I am a planner. And so I set about my day with the best intentions to get so many things accomplished.

But then, Charley happens.

When I see Charley walking towards me, I can't help but start singing that children's song in my head:

"Do your ears hang low?
Do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot?
Can you tie them in a bow?
Can you throw them o'er your shoulder
Like a Continental Soldier?
Do your ears...hang...low?"

And I can't help but smile when looking at that face. Those ears. And I get totally distracted from whatever plans I had for the day.

And then he does something like this, and I break out into a huge grin. I mean, those jowls.

And then this. I can't handle it. My day is shot because I can't seem to tear myself away from those big, brown, soulful eyes.

What I Learned from Pigs

So I got a nice thank you from Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture for posting pictures of lambs on their Facebook page (click here to become a fan), which I blogged about last year.

These pigs lead a pretty glorious life, and their simple existence taught me a thing or two. Like always be sure to make time for some relaxation...

...and exploration out in the fresh air.

And that there is nothing quite like the comfort of having friends and family around.

And ahhhh, there is nothing like a little mud bath on a spring afternoon. Life is sweet.

Bees in Flowers

Just for the record, I do love all insects. It never ceases to amaze me how all creatures play such an important role in maintaining our ecosystem.

But I prefer they stay outside and help pollinate the flowers that have sprung up the past few weeks, like this bee is getting ready to do.

I hoping some of these guys make it over to the apricot tree, and the to-be-determined flowering tree. I'm crossing my fingers for a plum tree. Because plum jam is so good on homemade waffles. With whipped cream.

All this talk about food is making me hungry. I think it's time for a snack. Maybe some toast with some honey?

Le Ranas

It seems that we have gone from winter to summer in just a few short days. I do hope that spring will find it's way back to us, at least for more than a few days. Because it's HOT now. And I'm just not ready for hot yet, Mother Nature!

At any rate, the plethora of rain that we have received over the past few months has brought many of these visitors (le ranas) to the garden. At night, it's a veritable symphony of frogs, just croaking away.

You wouldn't think that something this small (we're talking matchbox size) could make so much noise. But they can, and there are a lot of them so it gets loud; like so loud I can barely think. And so I have to yell at them, "Can you please keep the party down out there?"

And then they are quiet. And I feel sort of bad for being all that girl, you know, the never-has-any-fun-and-just-rains-on-everyone's-parade girl.

And then the frogs start up again, and I'm all, so it's like that, huh? And I pick up the phone to call the cops, because that's what that girl would do in that situation, and then I realize the cops might think I'm crazy if I called them about some frogs and either arrest me or haul me off to a nuthouse because I hear all these frogs, but yet when the cops are there it's totally silent. Because it always works out like that, at least in the movies.

So I leave the frogs be, except for my occasional pleading to keep it down. But really, deep down, I love the sound they make, and I even love their slimy skin.

Looking Back

Another year has come and gone, and with the beginning of a new decade upon us, it seems only natural to engage in a certain amount of introspection, of looking back at the year gone by and evaluating the events that transpired. And then from there, we build hopes for the future.

May all your dreams come true in 2010.

Horse Power

"Horse, thou art truly a creature without equal, for thou fliest without wings and conquerest without sword." - The Koran

A Horse, Of Course

"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." -Winston Churchill

Boy, Remy, you sure are cute. Even with your mouth full.

Good Dog

“A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.” –Buddha

Hello, Beautiful

Hello, beautiful. I just met you today, but I already feel comfortable calling you beautiful. You are incredibly stunning. I hope that's not out of place.

Forgive me if I've been too forward, but I have never met a Peruvian daffodil until today, and I now think that you might be one of the supermodels of the plant world.

But first, I had to dig a big hole in order to plant you in the garden.

Not to worry, I had a supervisor. Tucker was not far from sight, or the hole I was digging. I'm just glad he's more interested in dirt than the plant, as all parts of the plant are toxic. (Don't worry; he never came into contact with it, nor will he, and thus far he has suffered no ill effects, if his current snoring is any indication.)

Who knew dirt could be so comfortable?

Look! It's a Basset Hound in camouflage. Incredible, right? No one will ever be able to tell that he's here. Except, um, everyone. Don't tell Tucker, okay? He's doing his best to fit in, and we all know how difficult that is.

Say Hello to My Little Friend

No, no, this is not Scarface, though that wouldn't be a bad name for a male betta, given their reputation as Siamese fighting fish.

Actually, this guy here was named for the brightest star, Arcturus, in the constellation, Boötes. The name Arcturus means "Guardian of the Bear" in Greek, and the star was named as such since it was the brightest one in Boötes, which itself is next to the Greater and Lesser Bear constellations, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

This is a face only a mother could love, really. But one of the cool things about this face is that it has a labyrinth organ that allows the fish to breathe from the surface of the water, in addition to its gills. I imagine that this organ developed in order to help the fish survive in the rice paddies of Siam, where they originated.

But the labyrinth organ allows the betta to be confined to very small spaces (I have heard of people putting them in wine glasses for a party, but removing them afterwards, of course), although in reality, they need 1.5-2 gallons of water to live comfortably. Because they also must breathe from the surface, I suggest using a bowl that maximizes the surface area of the water.

Did you know it's hard to take pictures of a fish in the water? It's easier if they are in a bowl, I suppose, than if they were out swimming in a pond, or the ocean.

But a male betta is still not the easiest thing to photograph, especially Arcturus. Apparently, he's a little camera-shy. Though it might have something to do with the big creature he sees outside his bowl with a large black object.

I'm not sure though; I'm afraid that will remain one of life's unsolved mysteries.

Pools and Things

It was too hot to do anything yesterday afternoon other than write or swim, and the former having escaped me earlier, I decided to take a dip in the neighbors' pool. Probably even better than having your own pool is having neighbors who have a pool (only if they let you use it, of course), as you get all the benefits of a pool without the hassle and maintenance.

So I popped over, and not long after I got in, I noticed that it was so hot that even the bees were drowning themselves in an effort to get some respite from the heat.

To give myself something to do, I started rescuing the bees from the pool. After all, these bees have important work to do in the garden, and seeing as how I was bored, I was thankful for the distraction. Swimming as exercise? Yeah, never heard of it.

Sometimes, all you need is a second chance and maybe a small life raft to keep you afloat (or leaf, in this case). This may be in the form of an email/text/phone call or letter/postcard for a long-lost friend, or maybe something entirely different.

But never underestimate the power of the little things. They have helped me tremendously, in case you need proof.

Truly, it's the little things that make the world go 'round. Take this bee I rescued, for example. It might be responsible for pollinating the vegetable plants I harvest in the garden.

Okay now, prepare for some strange things, my friends, as you may not have seen a bee up close like this before. But it's fascinating, right? Okay, maybe that's just me; I'm a bit of a science dork.

See this thing? It's a proboscis, in case you weren't sure (but I know you kids are smart) and the bees use it to harvest nectar.

And I'm not up on all my animal behavior literature, but I do remember this from my college classes: bees guide other bees to food sources by doing a specialized dance, and they use polarized light in addition to landmarks to orient themselves, which makes sense because the sun and other orbital objects change their position in the sky throughout the day, so they can't rely on solar or stellar orientation as the sole source of information as far as nectar is concerned.

Weird and cool all at the same time; who knew? Or maybe not. Please feel free to let me know in the comments.