Fall's In The Air

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. ~Edwin Way Teale

The past week or so, the nights have been downright chilly. That fall snap is starting to show up in the weather.

This time of year I feel a little lost ... the butterflies are done, the garden is nearly done (all that's left is to pick the last of everything, then pull up the plants and turn the garden). I didn't have enough "anything" that I grew myself to preserve (I had BIG plans for my green beans, but the year was just too hot and the plants struggled and produced very little). Preserving foodwise, all I have left are the butternut squash and apples.

Then it's fall and winter. No more outdoor time really. Walking the dog, sure, but ... nothing else. In one way it's a bit of a relief -- I don't have to feel guilty spending time inside on the computer. But it's also such a loss. There are days I just like to walk around my yard and smile at the flowers.

I know I'm borrowing trouble. It's only August. But, we'll most likely have our first hard freeze in less than a month. I miss long growing seasons.

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I ran into our first dog trainer yesterday at PetsMart. It was great to see her and we gabbed for a while. She was so pleased with Dakota's behavior. Even though Dakota was SO excited to see her (it's been well over a year, but I swear Dakota remembered her), she DID sit for her greeting (whined the whole time, but kept her butt on the ground).

We talked about agility and about Dakota being a therapy dog. I asked her if she honestly thought Dakota had it in her to be one. I absolutely know Dakota has a sweet temperament -- she'd never nip or bite anyone under any circumstances. But she's also a scaredy-dog and I worry about new situations (and wheelchairs and walkers). She'll put up with any kind of human treatment. She's had kids slap her in the face (they mean to pet, but toddlers don't always control their movements well), poke her eyes, step on her paws, etc. And she doesn't even flinch. But new OBJECTS can freak her out.

Take yesterday.

After playing at the dog park and bathed her. And once all her fluffiness was wet, I noticed she'd torn out all the fur on her cheekbone and it was red and raw from all her scratching. Uh oh. Only one thing to do: the cone of shame.



When I held it, she was fine. When I put it (flat) under her face, she was fine. When I curled it around her head? She absolutely flipped out, terrified. Crying, jumping, shaking ... she ended up destroying the e-collar (apparently even fairly pliable plastic WILL shatter if you hit it against the wall, the table, the banister, etc. enough times) and then just lay there, wearing the remnants, shivering.

So... therapy dog? Or not?

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You Are Sweet and Sensitive

You're the type of person who's always taking others into consideration. You are very empathetic. You like to think everything through carefully. You tend to regret rash decisions. You are tentatively playful. It takes you a while to open up to new friends. You prefer calm waters where you can drift along peacefully. You don't like waves.

The Rubber Duckie Test

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... NO. Is there a stronger word for no? If so, insert here.

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