What cool plants /great bargains have you found this spring?

Lynn, my Red Tabby was diagnosed with cancer at 9 months of age.
He died a few years back - at the age of 21.
When he was ailing, I would mix one raw egg yolk with a tablespoon of well-mashed Tuna.
He really liked it, plus it was easy to eat/digest.


LOL - I forgot about the bowl trick!


This message was edited Mar 30, 2010 8:33 PM

Katie,

You obviously didn't read what I said. As you will note I said dogs love cottage cheese. I didn't say anything about cats and cottage cheese. Also you will note that I said the vet said pumpkin.

" My dogs love cottage cheese. But, just because they like things doesn't mean they are good for them after a thing like your cat went thru".

Wow, you guys do a lot for your animals. Perhaps I'm old school. They either make it or don't. I like them all, and I cry when they die, but... ?? Is that harsh? Realistic? I don't know. I'd rather focus my cosmic energy on people I guess.

Okay, Jnette. No big deal. Don't sweat it. I was just trying to share information and respond to your post. I didn't mean to get you riled up. :-)

Bonehead, I do appreciate "old school". Sometimes animals won't make it and if you don't want to help them then that's definitely a personal choice of yours. But I do feel that people shouldn't let animals suffer and do nothing. I think that we have some responsibility there. It's too bad that responsibility has to be made law - seems that, as a compassionate species we'd be more inclined in that direction than not.

Katie -- And sometimes that responsibility might be a bullet, sad as that is. Strange story: we once had a kitty who was stepped on by a cow. Her back was clearly broken. She did not appear to be in pain, but was paralyzed in her hind end. I called 3 vets (and I live in a rural area) and none would agree to put her down without a 'consultation' and extravagant fee for the shot. In my mind there was nothing to talk about, the kitty was toast, and how much death goo would she really need? She probably weighed all of 2 pounds. We took responsibility.

And I think that's appropriate if that's all you had to offer.

Lynn, I'm glad you took her to the vet. It sounds like the vet was actually able to help her. I hope Ginger starts eating for you soon, but she is, like others have said, probably holding a grudge. Also, I can imagine that her little digestive tract is probably irritated after all the trauma. Maybe she'll start eating again soon. It figures Joey would go buy her some baby food. He has a good heart, that one. But good for you for doing what you needed to do.

Portland, Crookshanks was named for a cat from the Harry Potter series. We miss his little sweet self.

Bonehead, I don't think you sound harsh. I'm pretty sure that historically your feelings were the way most people felt about their animals, especially if one lived on a farm. My brother in law has had to put down two dogs over the years and it's just about broken his heart each time, but he did it for the right reasons and took responsibility for it himself. Some people take responsibility by doing just that, others take it by paying a vet. It's all a matter of what is important to that person, in my view, as well as what people can afford. Generally, we don't go to heroic measures to save the lives of our animals if it is clear that they are on their way out to the next life anyway. But that being said, our Fran is still with us. I'm not sure what lengths I would go to for that dog. Probably pretty far, though.

I confess to doing anything that keeps my animals from being in pain or feeling rotten, but I would not go to heroic lengths if they are at the end of their lives. But if they have years left of happiness and need treatment for a curable illness or injury, I will do pretty much anything for them.

I am going to the nursery today to spend my gift certificate from my parents! Unless it rains cats & dogs. Where did that saying come from, anyway?

I went to the nursery and brought home 3 Euonymus F. Harlequins, 3 Iberis Alexander's White, and a few little trailing thingys to put in a bare looking pot that holds a magnolia vine. Now I am on the hunt for a Dwarf Deodora Cedar.

Good finds Judi. Did the weather hold up for you to get them planted?

I ordered my Hydrangea from Gardener's Supply today. Jung's was out of them, and I could not find it locally (called around). 29.99 and free shipping because I took their little survey.

I also ordered more seeds from Summerhill, got 10% off. Of course, I needed more seeds! (Yeah, right). I ordered 3 new Columbines, 3 Petunias, Geraniums, Verbena, Perfume Red Nicotiana, Irish Moss, and a few other things that I cannot remember.

Ginger had to go to the vet again today (Bye Bye another $110!!!) She is anorexic and had a fever. So they rehydrated her again, gave her valium to make her eat (I was amazed at how quickly that worked), and a prescription for some antibiotics. I didn't want to pay another a$100 for a lab test, so they are just going to treat it without confirmation.

I tried all of the suggestions for giving her food and water, but nothing was working for me. I even force fed her a spoonful of the baby food, but I was afraid I might make her choke.

So what is Ginger eating now lynn? How long will the valium make her eat? Will she quit eating when it wears off? Wonder if she is loving your attention. So she can turn her nose up at you. Cats are so independent.

My cat brought that mouse in and let it go and as far as I know she still hasn't killed it. It came out from under the Davenport several times last night and looked at me. (If it had been closer to the door I would have opened the door to see if it would run out.) Maybe it was asking me to let it outside away from the cat. She did catch it once last night and then let it go. She wants it to play with her I think.

I just hope it isn't pregnant. Wouldn't that be the pits!!! Now what?????

Jnette - open your door and let the little critter scurry away back into the wild.

Definitely let the critter go back outside, if you can find it! LOL! Bad kitty!

Lynn, that's not good news about Ginger. I hope she pulls out of it.

You ordered more seeds? Crazy woman! I could have given you loads of them!
I'm going to be leaving for a week on Saturday and probably will come home to find many of my seedlings dead, just preparing myself. There is no way to explain to DH how to care for all those babies in the greenhouse. Sigh.

I would if I thought it would do that without the cat grabbing it. She doesn't want to kill them. Just play with them. She eats well. Someone said she would kill it. No matter what.

I haven't seen it tonight so she might have gotten it after we went to bed last night. I might find it one of these days.

Pixy, wouldn't it be better to move them out of the greenhouse and let the rain take care of them? They might have a chance then.

Guess we cross posted.

Lynn, how is Ginger?

Jnette, it's a good idea and I'll probably do it. For the most part I've been leaving the door open on the greenhouse, hardening things off anyway. But then we got this cold snap and the hail hit, so I closed the door again. If I don't get Julie's marigolds into the ground, they are going to die squeezed into those little 4 inch pots.

Well, I think they have a better chance out there than in the dry atmosphere of a greenhouse. This time of year there probably is not much humidity in there. Especially enough for roots if they are near pot bound.

If they are that far along maybe it would be best to hill them in somewhere in a protective spot.??

Pix - if you have any hay/straw, you can place the seedlings outside and mound it around them - a really nice seed blankie...it will keep them toasty & protected, with fresh air/moisture, too.

Good idea. Hill them in and use the straw. We'll save them yet!!

forgot to say mulch high in case a frost was going to occur - all DH would need to do is throw a light blanket over them for the night - the hay/straw would support it; remove mid-morning.

I think the straw might be enough just in case he forgot. That might not be too good for them.

Where are you going? For how long? You are going to have to let us know what you did and how the plants did.

You mean if he forgot to remove? Yes, that would be wayyyyyyyy too toasty for them, and they would get very comfortable, and so lazy they would lay down & that would be a total bust.
BUT - if he's good at remembering.....

Big "IF" there Katye. Guess Only Pixy knows that.

LOL

That is an excellent suggestion! I will do that. I am giving myself 2 precious hours tomorrow morning to pot up some of them so they'll have a little extra root system support. Then I will do the straw thing. I have plenty of that! Most of these are not little tiny things, they've been growing in 3" cells already. I'll make it easy for DH. Plus, my daughter is here as well, so between them, they can make sure things get uncovered. But I'm not going to try to educate them about everything in the greenhouse. It's just too much. I'll get many things outside, then hope for the best. Good work, everyone!

I am taking my son down to southeast Utah to hike around in the desert, look at Anasazi ruins, and generally get the heck out of dodge. We'll leave on Saturday morning and be back the following Sunday. We'll stay in Blanding, Utah and use it as our base, doing daytrips into the desert from there. I'll be looking at plants, of course, but this time, not under any delusions that I can grow them up here. I'll take photos, naturally! I cannot wait. I love it down there. I would live there, but there is no sailing. That would be a bad thing.

Enjoy!

Pix have a wonderful trip! I am assuming you are driving? Where will you stay along the way? I just returned from driving to Park City and stayed overnight in Boise.

Have a good trip and nice weather. If you came back a day early you could stop by on your way home.:-)

Have a wonderful trip and enjoy the time with your son, what a great opportunity. Wishing for a beautiful sunrise/sunset in the dessert for Easter Sunday.

Have a lovely time, and I hope you avoid this nasty weather coming in, or perhaps outrun it.

Have an awesome adventure.

Pixy, I understand April is the nicest time in the desert. The flowers are supposedly blooming good now. Please take your camera and so many pictures for us to see.

Have a great time, Pixy and son!!!!

I went down there for a while looking over it for a move from the Pac NW and found that without a Mormon background my practice might not succeed. But I did have some wonder isolated skinny dips in the river that is north of Moab in Canyon Lands.

I love that area!!! We rode our motorcycles there 2 years ago. Towed our motorcycle trailer, fantastic trip.

Pix, your planned mom and son trip sounds like heaven. Have a fabulous time!!

Thanks, and talk to you all later! I'm getting so excited I can barely stand it. I love the desert. Sofer, Andrew and I went rafting on that river when he was 10. This weather stinks. I can't get out of here fast enough.
I protected some seedlings in the straw, and then put the other ones down inside more potting soil just to protect the roots. I started to take a tray of geraniums down from the top shelf and there was a tiny birdnest among them with one small egg. I think it is a junco nest. I hope it isn't abandoned. Anyway, the door of the greenhouse is being left open. As Katye says,, everything wants to live. What lives lives, what dies I will do without.

Have a wonderful trip, and enjoy the time with your son. Time in the sun with your son!