Similar Posts

36 Comments

  1. I’m so glad you’ve started taking Charlie with you sometimes! And I’m so thankful you don’t leave him in the car… it just kills me this time of year when I see an animal in a hot car.

    When I had my space at the antique mall, I used to work at the mall to help pay some of my booth rent. We had people come in with animals all the time. I was also at Lowe’s one day and a man was in there with his BIG dog walking around. I asked one of the employees if that was ok and he said “yes, Lowe’s is a pet-friendly store”… my point is a lot of places now days are ok with bringing pets in with you… especially if you’ll be carrying him!

    Tania

    1. I would never leave Charlie in the car. I may take him in a store some day. But I think it might stress him out.

  2. Your hibiscus is beautiful! I hope it will recover from the heat. I currently have two hibiscus, one I bought last year is white with a gorgeous deep red/pink center, and the other one is a red one that blooms every year for the Fourth of July. It grows up in with my Knockout rose. That hibiscus has been blooming for the last two days, and today I realized that I received that plant as a gift about 20 years ago. My hibiscus are planted in the ground. It is so hot in my front yard I don’t think they would survive in a flower pot.
    My little Fuzzy Pom has black fur and is always zooming around in high gear even though he is getting close to 14 years old. I worry about him in the heat, humidity, and sun, and this year has been particularly bad, so his outside time is limited right now.

    1. I got the biggest pot I could find for the hibiscus. The same green ones I bought earlier in the spring.

  3. I love your patio. You do amazing things with your container garden. I just noticed that you have flowers growing out of what looks like a part of a tree. Very nice.

    1. Do you mean the driftwood on the ground? Yes, sedum grows out of the hollows of it.

  4. I bet Charlie just love going on adventures with you. I always liked taking my Tavi with me when it wasn’t too hot or cold for him to stay in the car. I always tried to park so he could see the place I went in and he and he would wait patiently for me. He never barked or jumped at the windows as far as I know. Sometimes I would leave him a bone to chew on or some type of treat. Such a sweetie.

    In your response to my reply yesterday you suggested maybe I could get another dog. I would so like to do that, Brenda, but I am seventy-four and I’m afraid of a pet out-living me or me having to put another one to sleep. I just don’t know if I could stand to do it again. Tavi makes three dogs I’ve had to have euthanized and, as you know so well, it just tears me up. Also, living with my daughter and her twin boys is another consideration. I know she’d prefer not to have any pets at all. So those considerations are what keep me from seriously considering getting another dog right now. But, who knows, things can change in a minute. I definitely would like to at some point. I know that pets are very good for “old” people to have. So, secretly, I haven’t ruled it out, but don’t tell my daughter!

    I know what you mean about the bird symphony. Behind my back yard there is a designated wild area and there are lots of birds there that sing and chirp. They come into my yard and sing so beautifully. I have quite a few trees so they have lots of places to perch. They are wonderful with all their different colors and songs. Life would be less rich without the birds for sure.

    I hope your hibiscus recovers. It has been extremely hot here in mid-Michigan, too. Today is a little cooler, though. Which I really appreciate because the air conditioner stopped working yesterday. A part has been ordered and is supposed to come on Sunday and my son-in-law will install it. He’s very talented at fixing things, fortunately.

    Have a wonderful time with your daughter and Andrew this weekend. I’m glad you’re getting to visit with them. Blessings. Naomi

    1. I know you must miss having a pet. I know I would. But then I live alone and you don’t. I never could leave the pupsters in this SUV I’ve had for 12 years (same amount as I’ve had them) because for about five minutes after I turn the car off, the window mechanism can be made to go down. And they always managed to step on that and activate it.

  5. Oops, I see you already bought pitting soil. I make my own and add perlite and vermiculite. Those two amendments help the soil retain moisture longer.

    1. I think I got the kind that retains moisture. Will have to look. Miracle Grow.

  6. My pups love to go for a ride. We even bought a small travel trailer so we could take them on vacation with us. We have a lot of birds here, too. I feed them in the winter and make sure they have water all year round. We have several bird houses around and it is so much fun to watch and see who will take up residence and raise a family! Have you thought of getting a bird house to hang on your fence? I also feed hummingbirds and they are fascinating to watch!

    1. I have several bird houses hanging on the fence. They never go in them though.

  7. What a wonderful picture of that cardinal…… You garden looks just beautiful !! Here in Florida … if we don’t have steady showers… I spray my potted plants often… because of the heat they do droop….. charlie is the cutest thing… even from the rear view !! lolol

  8. We have a mourning dove near our house that, each morning, switches from the peaceful, rather sad coo into a sound that is more frantic and irritating. So, we joke that it is a mom dove who is upset that the kids won’t get out of bed. Or a dad bird who is rushing around, late for work, and can’t find his car keys. The frantic sound eventually stops so I guess things get sorted out in that mourning dove household.

    1. Oh how funny! I notice I have more mourning doves out there since I moved the bird water into less sun.

  9. Your garden is so nice. Maybe a bigger pot with more room for the roots to spread will help the hibiscus. It makes sense, a good plan. The photo with the cardinal and the hibiscus is lovely.
    I like the team of Brenda and Charlie- good for you!
    Mary

    1. I purchased a big pot this morning. Will have to get out there late this afternoon to repot it.

  10. https://trib.com/features/science/scientists-discover-why-birds-sing-in-early-morning/article_0386ede4-e3aa-5be1-818b-39d220a10b1f.html

    Rarely, a robin will start singing at 3 in the morning in the ornamental cherry right outside my bedroom window. But they usually start about 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise. I can hear them even with the windows closed if the AC isn’t running at the time. It makes sense that they sing in the early part of the morning. It is very still around here – usually – in the few hours before dawn, there is no wind to speak of so the sounds of the songs can be heard quite clearly and for some distance, and the air is usually also at its coolest just before dawn. I will lay in bed half asleep, listening to the songs. It is one of my favorite things about spring and summer.

    1. What interesting information! Thanks for sending that.

  11. Love seeing all your pretty flowers and plants on the patio. Your garden is a nice sanctuary. They say when cardinals come around it is a loved one that has passed. They come back around to see you are ok. Maybe it is Abi letting you know she is ok. Happy Friday. Have a great weekend.
    Hugs,
    Kris

    1. Oh, that’s a pleasant thought! Thanks for sharing that with me.

  12. I try to take Dixie with my on short trips too, for the same reason, so she isn’t in a total panic, thinking it’s vet time.

    It hasn’t been happening too much lately because even with the air conditioning, it’s hot in the car on such short trips and my little princess is more comfortable in the air conditioned house. She is definitely an indoor dog and I carry her to the grass and back in again. The sidewalk can get extremely hot on those little paws. I think many people don’t realize how hot cement can get. They should put their palm on it to test it. Parking lots are horrible this time of year, too.

    1. I sure know how hot cement gets due to the cement on my patio. Yesterday I took Charlie with me to pick up a sandwich, then wished I hadn’t due to the heat even though I have air conditioning in my SUV.

  13. I’m busy trying to keep my flower garden alive to spite the heat. I put out some mulch in hope that will keep my flowers alive. Birds are busy looking for water bowl and dodging the squirrels! My puppy Priss loves to watch the coming and going of anything that moves!

    1. I need to get mulch. I bought potting soil this morning, and knew it would be all I could do to carry all that in.

  14. For years we had a wonderful symphony daily coming from our kitty corner backyard neighbors’ yard. But, the greenery where they performed was over 20 feet tall and was preparing to topple over into my next door neighbor’s yard. The greenery came down, the birds moved one yard to the west and I no longer have a free seat at the symphony.
    On a good note, the removal of that wall of greenery meant SUN, yes, capitalized because of the amount that reaches our backyard these days. Our garden is happy and thriving despite the fact that the birds no longer serenade the flowers.

    1. My plants are burning up out in this heat. I left for an hour after watering. Came home and the hibiscus was near dead it appeared. Had to move it into a shady corner by the patio. I have a new pot to put it in when I can get out there today. Thought I would die too out in this humid heat.

  15. I am glad you are taking Charlie for rides in the car; my dogs LOVE to go places with me! I take them on short trips unless it is too hot.

    Your photos are lovely as usual! The one of Charlie on Squirrel Alert is darling. Have great time with your family on Sunday!

    1. Charlie is still as can be when he’s got his eye on something out on the patio. Except when he gets a good look, he starts vibrating. I can see him shaking from the couch!

  16. Good morning Brenda and Charlie,

    That is a beautiful photo of the cardinal! They are very majestic looking birds. My plants are drooping as well even when I water them in the morning and the afternoon.

    I hope that you have a wonderful time with your daughter and grandson, that sounds like a wonderful way to spend the day! Enjoy your time with them.

    I hope that you stay cool and have a great day.

    1. The cardinal is beautiful. The female less so due to nature’s rules, but still beautiful as well.

  17. Awww, that’s nice that you take Charlie with you – we try to take Monkey & Molly with us when we are going on short errands – Molly does not do well in the car, she gets sick – we’re trying to get her used to it in small doses.

    Enjoy your weekend with your daughter and grandson, Brenda!

Comments are closed.