The visit to Dragonfly, Second trip.

Yes, they had them, but in this reinactment, all the 'jumping' was done out of a simulator. Still, loads of fun, and educational and all that.

Say, Laurie, I took a page from your book today and made myself a little wattle-type fence out of hazel branches. I was pruning one of the many hazels I have and remembered that cute little fence you made. I can't pound wooden stakes into my ground with as many rocks as I have, so I used rebar, which I already had on hand. I'm going to have Mike hammer it down a bit more. The goal was to have something low that would make the dogs go around, and that the shrub roses could lean on a bit when they start getting heavy with blooms. It's not perfect, but not bad for a first try. This is the small 'woodland' garden I'm working on. I pruned the dogwood tree with perfect brutality today. I took probably 1/3 of the tree off because the canopy was so dense that no light could filter through. It's way better now.

Melissa, great job - I love it!!!

Wow, you did a great job. so cool
^_^

Pix - well done! That looks just right (and do the doggies respect it? Mine has a tendency to walk up, pee, and then walk off in digruntlement). It is a lovely way to just put up a bit of demarcation. Excellent.

Oh, very cool, looks great! (Glad to hear I'm not the only one eyeing the pruning shears right now, too... ;) )

Very Charming! Sometimes I think I like the
"sticks and stones" in the garden as much as the flowers.
My mother said that as a child, when she went to put my socks in
the chest of drawers, she always found rocks and sticks.
And seed pods!

Ahhhhh! Laurie et al have blessed the fence! So far the dogs are respecting it, but that's because there is an easy path to the right of it. No sense taking the hard way, after all.

Difference between terrier and other wiser dogs. Terrier thinks hard way is ONLY way, gives license for terrier mutterings.

And my dogs would just have fun proving how easy it is to jump the obstacle. They're sure I place it there so they can have more fun when playing chase.

So, what both of you appear to be saying is that my dogs are extremely smart? Or just too dumb to know they can disobey? LOL!! Because I assure you that the second statement is completely untrue!

No, I think your dogs are true to their breed. Cooperative with the human purpose. Boy oh boy there are days when I'd love to have a little bit of that come naturally to mine.

Laurie's dogs are independent and need to tell her so. My dogs are oblivious and sure that the new thing is for them.

Powerful genes.

My dog is just a pissiepoo, he just loves to find the entire world an annoyance. When faced with my little wattle fencing you can just hear the on going dialogue "oh, sheesh, now what has she gone and done, doesn't she know...really, I mean, I have told her and told her, but does she listen...." his little hips are tight and his legs trot stiffly as he mutters his way round the garden grumbling! And heavans! should some one walk done the lane outside his hedge - WELL! We certainly do speak about that - for hours. Days sometimes - "and do you remember that bloke in the grey t-shirt? Well, he stopped to talk to me, and I was busy - couldn't he see that I had far to much to get through, and he expected me, ME, to come to the gate and chat - well, I said to him.....oh, hold on a minute, I best go and make sure he hasn't come back - no, all's right, now where was I? Oh, yes, well, I told him....."

Ahh, terriers.

To Funny, LOL
Hugs, Laurie
Tills

Good morning tils, looks set to be a lovely day here (well, the terrier will probably disagree) Love doing doggie dialogue - (I think he is my alter ego!)

Laurie - Love your characterization of your little terrier - what's his name? You really do have to admire a dog with as much going on in his brain as that. And, even without speech, aren't they good at getting the message across to us?

I had an acquaintance ask me whether I would respond on behalf of my dog immediately after posing a question to him. I replied that "No, of course I didn't." Well, lo and behold, that evening I proceeded to ask my dog Bug if he knew how handsome he was and how much Ioved him. And then, a voice popped up (I think it came from me), "Yes, mama, I know how much you love me."

Scary.

See - difference with a terrier, he would have done a slow burn, turning his head away with his nose slightly elevated, "who cares....." that is until the thunderstorm comes again! Hah, gotcha - last night he thought it was a great idea to jam himself up between DH and I and pant and shiver all night, "Okay, here's the terrier rule - we all sleep together - NOOOO, don't go to sleep, we all have to watch - okay, I'll sleep and you stay awake - Nooooo, you fell asleep! WAKE UP WAKE UP! Good, now I'll get a bit of shut eye....."

LOL! Well, they do say that dogs reflect their owners and vice versa, don't they? I wonder what that means about me? I think I must relate to Franny the most as she is the older dog and more responsible in general than Skippy, although that is changing as she gets older. When he barks at someone you can just hear her yelling at him to stop. She runs outside and gets between him and the fence and faces him barking at him while he barks at the poor soul who is trying to get an evening walk. Really, you can just see the disgust at his behavior in her eyes. And skippy is a dog who has the cleanest ears in the world. Every single night without fail fran cleans his ears inside and out. It's positively disgusting. In that way, we are completely different.

Nooooooooo, really? In the pictures you've posted everyone in your family has sparkling clean ears.

Oh Pixy ~ I know EXACTLY what you're saying! Crikey, the aussie (and honorary bloodhound) will run out the dog door and bark hysterically until Chile comes out and joins in. Then Crikey will usually pipe down. As far as the fence is concerned, Crikey would simply step over it if there was something behind it he wants to investigate. Chile would just mow it down, unintentionally of course, because when he has his head down snorking around, he can't see a thing. And the ears...oh my, the ears. Crikey loves to give Chile's ears and eyes a tongue bath to the point that Chile's ears will get infected. Last culture I swear was gram negative & positive rods and Aussie spit!

We call Nick the fun police - no unauthorized fence-barking, hunting, playing, etc . . . or he will have to give the offenders "what for". They don’t even hear him anymore. Apparently he didn’t get the memo that Whippets don’t bark.

Sahara is in heat (I’ll never co-own another female breeding dog again – what an ordeal) and Bug (who is neutered) licks and licks and licks her ears until they are pasted back and slimy gross. Ewwwwwww.

My dogs and I are definitely suited. “Huh, what fireworks?” and “Yeah, I’m going to get to that, but first, look over there . . .” and “Hey, look, there’s a nice cozy spot for a nap, oh, buneeeeeeeeezzzzzzzz."

Gag! Ear spit!
Laurie, so glad you noticed that my kids' ears are clean. I assure you that I did not lick them. Ever! Reminds me of my favorite line from the Harry Potter series: (upon eating a Bertie Bott's Any Flavor Beans) Dumbledoor: Alas. Earwax.

GAG!!

Reminds me of a coffee mug I got my mom for Mother's Day one year ~

"I'll always love you, Mom, but I'll never forgive you for cleaning my face with spit on a napkin."

I think she still has it.

And I thought cats where bad. You guys are gross. But then again I just herd the sound " of moma, so happy me wo me wo " As Tilly comes prancing in with a mouse in her mouth. Just love to wake up with one of those in my bed. Ewwwwww.

ewwwww - TILLLLLLLLLLLSSSSSSSSSS get it out!!!!!!

Be glad they're dead mice, Mary. Sultan used to bring in live ones and drop them on my feet as soon as he got in the door. Eeeek!!

Been there done that, nothing better than to wake up with something running across you back with little feet, then get pounce on by a 10 lb. kitty, now that you are awake, can't go back to sleep cause you don't know where they went. LOL

And I didn't say it was dead, Its hiding under my desk or somewhere else, Tilly is still looking for it. If She does not find one of the others will. They are all good mousers.

Sorry Laurie, but that is why I have them, and do not scold them, I phase them, where I live, I have had many problems with Rats and Mice and Moles, which they take care of. I just wish they would take care of the Slugs Too, thats not going to happen LOL

NO, no, no, I agree - mousing is a must - terriers, mousers. Excellent - just not in bed.

I love all the little critters (thanks a bunch, Beatrix Potter), but I'm also grateful that some of my little critters will keep the other little critters out.

Sahara, my little huntress (there is terrier in them that Whippets/Silkens), showed me her catch the other day before eating it: A big mole, probaby 6-8 inches long. At least she hunts humanely - he was gone. And, forgive me, but all I could think was I hope she got the mole that's been making these holes . . .

Oh boy oh boy - I am so excited I can't even begin to think what thread to put this on - this sounds crazy but I have just bought a cast iron horse trough - but it is a stunner! Its huge - circular (at 166cm dia! Thats probably as wide as most of you are tall! and 66cm deep - it has a broad, flat lip like a giant soup bowl all the way around) and gets sunk in the ground so it is flush with the surface. What I am visualizing is that this will be a marvellous reflecting surface showing the sky when it isn't raining. They don't know the exact age, but reckon it is 18th/early 19th century, so fairly close in age to our barn. Apparently they were originally designed to be sunk into the verge along side the road for dray horses to stop and have a little refreshment. Most have disappeared over time, and this is one of the few remaining!

I'm sorry, I don't think I am making much sense here, but i am just beside myself with glee - goodness knows how I am going to get it here, and how in the world I am going to get it sited and the hole level - but that can be worked out later - right now I am just thrilled to have found it! Thrilled thrilled thrilled! It warrants repeating. Thrilled. Pictures when available. Thrilled.

Laurie, that is so exciting - I totally understand how you are feeling . . . can't wait for pics!!

Congratulations, I would give you the crown back for that one. How exciting.

Laurie ~ I am thrilled vicariously through you! Can't wait to see the pix! I'll be over in a bit to help you move it (I wish)!

Wow - the hair is up on the back of my neck and I haven't even seen it yet. I can FEEL your excitement all the way over here.

Can hardly wait to see the pictures. It sounds larger-than-life.

Does it look anything like this? It's hard to get a sense of the size, but it looks elegant and permanent.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Antique-Puddle-Iron-Horse-Drinking-Trough_W0QQitemZ170222571059QQcmdZViewItem?IMSfp=TL0805261326a29847

Kathy ~ Even if that isn't it, I WANT ONE! That is AWESOME! Oh the things that could be done with something like that. I could probably come up with the 100 pounds to buy it, but I imagine shipping would require a second mortgage!

Yeah. I'm with you. It's much more elegant than I could have pictures. The design with the lip is so cool. I can just see water lilies floating on top - with a little bubbler in the center creating motion in the water.

I get the sense that we'd have to get it from the UK. Yet another reason to get that magic bus up and going. I did have a dream the other night that we had all descended on Laurie in her place in the city.

So looking forward to seeing Laurie's and what she does with it.

So trilled for you Laurie. I can feel the vibes, coming thru the wires, ah no the air, we are on the net. LOL
Can't wait for pics, and the tread you are going to make on the transport, digging and the planting of it and around it. This will be fun to watch in all stages. Go Girl ^_^

OOH, that is such an awesome piece! What must it be like to live in such a historic country? Such a sense of permanence. I am imagining all the horses that stopped to drink from this trough.
A reflecting pool - lovely idea! Little and Lewis do this very cool thing where they put a tiny dripper up in a tree, running the small black tubing tucked into the bark and then letting the dripper hang from an upper branch. You can't even see it. Then they have a pool underneath the limb, tucked into the garden. Every so often a droplet of water drips down into the pool causing ripples. It's a very slow drip. The effect is magical!

I can't wait to see the pics and watch the story unfold. And yes the excitement can be felt all the way down here. Love the dripper over the pool. I can just see how lovely that looks.

Katie!! You are the most AMAZING googler! That is my puddle trough! The very one! I'm so glad all of you like it too, when I saw it it just reached out and grabbed me (I was looking for a small headed hoe and ended up with a puddle trough - well, I guess garden tools are like plants, when you need it you see something else you need even more and then forget what you came for intially - but hey, it means you can always go back).

Oh, I wish that Purple bus would come along - work party at Laurie's, digging in the puddle trough.