DonnieBrook's Subtropical Adventures!

another brug shot....

Anyone from our RU recognize what's coming up and out of Seminole Sam? (My amaryllis is coming up in the middle as well). Hint hint...Allison???

This message was edited Nov 18, 2009 9:05 PM

I had that birdfeeder on the right, the stinkin' squirrels broke it.

Jen....My squirrels have figured out that if they hang down from the top they can defeat the trap. Ugh! I keep 2 feeders out there for the squirrels and think they should respect the boundaries and leave the birds' feeders alone!

ooops, I meant to attach the squirrel shot.....I'll try again....these darn small thumbnails!

Progress in the breakfast patio garden.....

The first round of green beans (Jade variety). Now I'm waiting for the Providers to germinate in the pots that are empty in this shot....

Three of my 5 tomato plants...

oops again!

I think my eyes are too tired to post anymore tonight!
A fond farewell to you all for now....and I hope you are still enjoying Northern Gardening and Fall Cleanup!

Louise, your gardens are just beautiful. I remember the plants in Florida as always being so colorful and vibrant. And what cute little puppies!

I have fallen in love with tropical hibiscus this year, so really liked seeing those.

I am trying to get my husband to consider Florida for the winters, they are so harsh here. But no go so far. He takes care of the grandchildren at times, and sees them a couple of times a week, and that is the main problem. But they are 7 and 10 now, with birthdays in the spring, so maybe as they get older, and are more independent....Actually I would like to move to someplace more moderate for year round, but he's not even considering that.

WOWSER DonnieB things are leaping and bounding! I am so going to try growing a brug in a pot next year and over wintering it in my cold room. I just luv them.

Everything looks so ---summery! LOL---wish I had green beans & tomatoes growing here, & love all the flowering shrubs, too. The pups are just adorable---I saw a real cutie on Petfinder...4 month old Labradoodle---her name was the same as ours! My DH said call for her, but I can't even think of that until we are down to 1 dog again.

It's weird about those labradoodles some are REALLY cute but others...not so much.

Polly - I hope you can convince him to give it a try.....maybe rent first for a couple of months during the winter to see how you both like it. I know you'd like the ability to get out and garden! But, I also know it's not for everyone! Thank you for the nice words about the gardens and babies.

Dahlia - leaping is right! And if you want a brug cutting from one of my plants, I think I could get one to you through the mail. I'm no expert on how to do that, but I'll sure try if you let me know when you want it!

Robin and Jan - we had a labradoodle neighbor who was pretty wild, but his humans worked and left him home all day alone.

I prefer straight lab or straight poodle. Enough homeless dogs without breeding mutts, cute or not. Actually poodles are water retrievers--the standard ones still can work that way.

Yeah, totally don't understand the "hybrid" dog thing.
Our neighbor behind us had a labradoodle, barked constantly, they didn't own it for very long.

Louise, your gardens are looking great! Wish I had more time to work in mine here. I have so much clean-up work to do it's not funny.

I prefer cross bred dogs myself and shelter dogs. I don't really think it's a good thing to breed purebreds to supply the demand for them when there are so many good dogs out there needing adoption. My dog is half Dalmatian and half Basset hound and is the sweetest thing. I couldn't have gotten any better out of a purebred.

Karen

Have you posted a picture of him before, Karen? I would love to see what that cross looks like.

A customer of ours has a pit bull basset mix...picture a basset with a pit bull head, the funniest looking dog I've ever seen!

my dad has had Schnoodle Schnauzer / Poodle Hybrid for years... Princess in this photo with my girls is his second one.. he will own nothing else but that mix .. the first one he owned Jet was the best dog ever... and Princess is pretty great!

I think that you get attached to the type of dog which you had as a child, cocker spaniels in my case. By all means get a pet from a shelter. However if prefer not to have a purebred puppy, the same idea would go for cross breeds. there are certainly enough dogs in shelters to supply a demand.

Allison - Princess is adorable...and so are your babies, of course!

I agree with rescuing dogs.....have done that for years, but there are many dogs needing rescue in places other than shelters. I think dogs that are rescued never get over the gratitude for a better life. They pay it back Bigtime!

Those are sweet dogs Louise.

OOoh , cutie schnoodle! I loved our lab/giant schnauzer cross! I wouldn't buy a labradoodle from a breeder, but this one was in a foster home. My pointer cross is a great dog, but I would never adopt another airedale.

I don't have a terrier friendly personality either. Too used to sporting dogs.

Thanks, Jo Ann! They have given me a run for my money today! Hank has had a reaction to our H1N1 shots yesterday, so he has abandoned me to the world of terrorized single parent of toddlers! Yiiiiiiiiikes! To sum it up, a man who was walking past my house was laughing at me as I was being pulled in 2 directions by Bailey headed full speed in one direction and Carli at blitz pace in the opposite direction. Then they flew back my way and wrapped the leashes around me.
Here's a shot of Bailey, still smirking from "the incident".

OMG, that face could melt a iceberg!!!!!!!!

you are not kidding Pixie!!

Adorable shot of Bailey, Louise!

There are plenty of purebreds in shelters. In fact, I read just today that 25% of all dogs that are in put to sleep are purebreds. Sad.

Here's a picture of my Patches with my Dad. She has been the best dog ever. I've also had a Rottie/Lab cross, an Australian Shepherd mix, and as a child had a German Shepherd/Old English Sheepdog cross and a mutt that had Sheltie and I don't know what else, with the coloration and look of a border collie.

Karen

Here's a pic of my Aussie Shepherd mix. Don't know what he was mixed with, but I'm sure he wasn't purebred. He did not have a docked tail. Very smart dog, in fact too smart for his own good. Loved people but didn't get on with other dogs well. Liked to pick fights, and I couldn't break him of that. One day he ran away and I never found him again.

Karen

What beautiful doggies!

Cousin Nut you are hte bestest cousin! I'm just gonna brag about you forever!

too cute Karen... there is something about a dog that has defined eyes like your Sheppard mix .. I always feel uneasy around dogs like that.. I must think back to when I got bit by a collie when I was in 1st grade... that is the only thing I could think of that would make me feel that way.. just looking at the photo no matter how beautiful the dog is... gives me the willies .. Patches I would be rolling around on the floor with!!!

Thanks for the compliments, guys!

Jen, you're so right. If they want a dog that will lie around the house all day while they're at work, then get a Basset hound or Basset cross. Patches has always been pretty laid back and never hyper. Doesn't bark much, either. Everything I like in a dog.

Allison, I almost got bitten by a collie when I was in my teens. The next-door neighbors had one named Laddie. He was not a nice dog. Almost bit me once when I came to visit. Never trusted him. Finally they had to put him down when he bite a baby that was at their place.

Karen

funny I can't remember the dogs name... but I knew that dog since birth... the owners kids & I played every day... I got a hair cut & my glasses for the first time.. went in the house with my friend and the dog jumped up and bit my lower lip off.. and swallowed it.. the only thing I remember about the moment is my friends mom screaming and me having my face covered with my hand the blood dripping down all over me.. after that is the car ride.. I told my mother I didn't want to go to the hospital to just let me die.. remember that part pretty well

:)

it took months to get my straightened out .. glad we got lucky and had a good plastic surgeon.. as far as people told me horror stories about doctors back then.. I only have a small scar under my lip where the fold for your chin starts .. it's funny because some days it actually swells up and is more visible than others.. still don't know the reason for that.. but it doesn't bother me at all

I love the puppy photos and the stories, but Allison, that just breaks my heart hearing your story. What a terrible thing to go through. I had a student one time who lost her lower lip to her horse. I think she felt the same way you did at the time, but like you, had good surgeons. I am glad it doesn't bother you.

And those statistics break my heart too...you are right, Jen.

Ladies, thank you for all the b'day wishes in the NE thread...I really enjoyed them!

Louise....love those puppies, but I can just see you all wrapped up in them!

oh thanks Sharran... but now it seems like that was a piece of cake... LOL... but it did take me years and years... to go near another dog other than the one we owned.. even now if there is a stray dog.. I will get that panic feeling once in a while... that dog had to be put down because he used to break though his screen door and chase me .. after that happened.. I jumped on the roof of a parked car to get away from him.. my dad more or less gave the owner two options.. loose the dog... or the house.. he was going to sue them if they didn't get rid of him... he wasn't going to have that thing tormenting me every day .. it was hard being a kid and have to see my friends after just having killed the dog they loved though... we weren't too close after that... I would say that was the hardest part.. living a few houses away

can't believe your friend lost her lip to a horse... of all things... that would have been the least of my worries.. guess you never know

Allison its a wonder you even like dogs now as an adult. Must have been awful to have that situation between you and your friends.

I got bit as a child too. Took a piece out of my derriere(sp)..a big o German Shepard. The owner was a big beefy man who was training to box and the dog looked liked him. Luckily, the dog was healthy and had his shots so I was ok but I remember he came to the house after I came from the hospital and I was in bed and they let him come in to apologize...I was looking up at him and more scared of him than the dog:-)...I got over it, thou my sister, who witnessed it, didn't. She will not, to this day, have a dog in her house or go near one.

I think dogs vibe with people and whether its purebred or shelter dog, whichever one speaks to you is the dog for you. My first 4 dogs came from a shelter, I just knew they were for me. My last two pulled on my heart strings in the same way and so I bought them. To me, its just about falling in love. (sometimes at first sight). You never know where you'll find it :-)

Karen, thats sad about your Aussie :-( Hope he ended up in a good home.

I think it helped that we had dogs all my life.. I have photos of me and my beagle mutt in my high chair together.. AND that I was the bruiser in the neighborhood... I felt bad more than got abused about it.. we all still indirectly played together with the cousin that lived across the street.. but it took a while

hope your back side healed quickly.. must have been fun trying to function with that area being bit