Last Of Autumn Splendor ~ Thursday in the Garden

Another update on the gardens , pond, and woods around Cedar Pond. Hawk, our Vizsla prefers napping in the sunshine on the porch. He's getting old and craves warmth to ease his old bones.

Mushroom growing out of the trunk of a dying alder at our pond's edge.

The day after I took this picture we had a 3 day down pouring of rain ( almost 3 inches ) that washed the bright leaves right out of this Japanese maple tree. This tree is showing the last days of autumn splendor. Soon we might see the bare branches adorned with the icy crystals of late fall and winter.

A baby fennel plant has sprung up at the edge of one of the paths in my herb garden.

Rose hips on our Rugosa bushes in the herb garden are so bright and cheerful.

Mallow plants that escaped my weeding are blooming in the front garden under an ornamental grass. I have two kinds of Mallow growing here and they are hardy survivors , seeding themselves far and wide around Cedar Pond. The honeybees love them.

Our burning bush ( don't recall its real name ) has scant leaves but is full of berries the birds are plucking quickly.

One of my granddaughters snapped this photo of me as I was burning almost 5 months worth of storm debris down by our pond. After the big rains we can safely burn , and I had a very big burn pile going for 2 days.

My huge burn pile is now a cozy fire near our special spot at pond's side. The wood neatly stacked behind the fire is ready for future outdoor fires by the pond. ( All that wood is from trees the storms brought down around and into the pond.)

Sometimes our fall and winters bestow upon us a rare sunny day. On many such days we wrap ourselves in warm clothing ,build a fire in the fire pit by the pond and sip hot coffee or cocoa as we take in the beauty of the season. ~ " Instead of the call of the meadowlark, we hear the sharp call of the busy nuthatch as he probes tree trunks for juicy beetle-steak hidden in the cracks of bark. The November wind scurries fitfully and the cold rain falls in a leaden sheet across the brown fields."  ~ 'The New England Butt'ry Shelf Almanac' by Mary Mason Campbell

Our Pacific Northwest autumn splendor is giving way to November's late fall palette, preparing us for winter damp and dark, a beauty all its own.

I am thankful for my faithful dogs, my entertaining cats , our pond, and ever-changing weather .

Sunday Sunshine Therapy

 There were a few moments of sunshine between down-pourings of rain . I took a walk along our little road  with my pack of 4 dogs . We watched my geese and ducks swimming in sunshine reflections.

 Me, my puppy ( she might be large but is still in her youth ) and our 3 old dogs who have all been with us for more than a decade, took our time. I allowed the dogs to examine every log , stick,stone and puddle. The Labs just had to take a splash and a swim in the pond. Therapy ~ that is what you should call a walk in sunshine with dogs you love & enjoy.

The very old Labrador Retriever ,Willow ( dog with collar ), is always limping and in some pain , but she is one of the happiest dogs I spend time with. She gets along with all the dogs and cats and is easy company. She was born in my kitchen many years ago, 4th and last generation of Labs born here at Cedar Pond . She has been such an easy dog to train and have around I have taken her for granted. As I watch her in her old age I am appreciating more and more what a treasure she is.

Just a simple walk with my dogs, some Sunday sunshine therapy.

Happy Dog

Our happy dog Hawk just soakin' up the sun on a beautiful spring day. I hope you're enjoying sunshine too !

Hawk & Blizzard

Blizzard our Siamese cat enjoyed a day in the sun.

Blizzard wears a harness and leash because we have lost too many beloved cats to predators, and we also do not like our cats to eat the many wild birds we feed.

Blizzard enjoyed chasing bugs & butterflies, bees and ...

...ducks!

But the most fun of all was stalking, attacking, and wrestling our dog Hawk, a willing participant in their never-ending games, most often played indoors on Hawk's pillow in front of the t.v.

O.K. Rest time in the shade, the games will continue later on tonight,indoors.

Blizzard keeps watch on Hawk, and stalks him all day, attacks Hawk whenever he can grab him, and when the two of them are exhausted, they fall asleep together on Hawk's pillow. I think they are pretty evenly matched, but most often Blizzard shows himself the winner of their friendly wrestling matches.I think Hawk allows this because he loves having a furry companion to cuddle and claim as his own. Whatever brings them together and binds their friendship, they are fun to watch !

Spot On One of Our Resident Bird Dogs ( Hawk)

~What intense concentration. Hawk is frozen in his concentration. What could the object of such intense scrutiny be? ~

~Why, it is Belle. Belle is my cockatiel and she can whistle 'Jingle bells' and 'Thy Loving Kindness' often intermingling the two tunes and sometimes throwing a few wolf whistles, car alarm sounds and dial tones in. She has eclectic taste in music.

~Hawk, a bird dog..is fascinated by Belle. But when Hawk decides he needs to stick his nose through the bars and do a little pushing I just say sharply, " HAWK".............~

~And he sits right down and behaves himself. He is , after all, a properly ( most of the time ) trained and well behaving Vizsla.~

Blessings: pet birds, entertaining and devoted dogs

Hawk's Life- Changing Day

~I think today was a life changing day for me. I am still not sure just what has happened. All I know is my best buddy got me up early and I was so excited ! Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! I was gonna get to go to work with him today! I LOVE going to work with my buddy. I get to ride in the car, stick my nose into everything I can reach in his office. I get treats, especially from Barb! Barb loves to give me treats! Oh boy, oh boy! Let's go best Buddy, Master, Bringer of fun!This week I'll be 4 years old ! Maybe I will get birthday treats.....bacon and tennis balls! ~I am not sure just what happened, but my Buddy dropped me off somewhere else this morning and left me. Oh, I am a happy dog and thought I was gonna get to play with all the other dogs and cats and people in this new place. Yup, I'm gonna get to play! Oh boy, oh boy! Maybe there will be tennis balls and treats here.....the next thing I knew, someone was waking me up and handing me over to Kathy. I don't know what happened, but I was pretty happy to see her and then we got to go on another car ride! But this time I just felt like sleeping.I don't think I got to play with the other dogs and cats and I know I didn't get any treats from Barb...... ~Something isn't quite right, not sure what. I still feel groggy, and they are keeping a big ol' clown collar around my neck. They said something about no more puppies. Hey, I love to play with puppies...what do you mean...no more puppies?

~I feel a bit lighter in the end zone and something is missing, maybe I will figure it out tomorrow.~

~"A dog has one purpose in life. To bestow his heart. " JB Aukerly ~

Spot on Red Hawk , Our Vizsla

~~~This is Cedar Pond's Red Hawk, our Vizsla. We love him.~~~~~~This family owns two of Hawk's progeny. They love their dogs very much. Their dogs believe they are lap dogs. If you visit with this family you will visit with the people and the dogs. The dogs will be in the people's laps. The dogs might even try to gain space and comfort in YOUR lap.~~~

~~~Here are the same two dogs. They are intently watching their owners. Food is not the only reason Vizslas will gaze at you. "These intense hunters need human affection as much as they need food and water." Mary Ludington ' THE NATURE OF DOGS' ~~~

~~~Three of Hawk's children / grandchildren gazing at the object of their affection. The man they live with.~~~

~~~Here Hawk sits with our Labrador Retriever , Willow.~~~

~~~Ahhh, now here is the object of Hawk's affection. My Hubby ! Hawk spends a great deal of his time trying to wrap himself around Hubby. If he cannot wrap himself around Hubby he is trying to wrap himself around me. He will follow me around the house and stand on his hind legs and walk around like that to see just what I am doing in the kitchen. It is a bit unnerving to have a dog looking over my shoulder while I am cooking. ~~~

~~~Hawk pauses in his pursuit of Hubby's shoulders to pose for the camera.~~~ ~"If you own a Vizsla, it lives on top of your head." old Hungarian saying~

~~~" He is your friend, your partner , your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love,his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true , to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion." author unknown ~~~Hawk has added so much to our lives. Hawk goes to work with Hubby. Hawk hunts with Hubby. Hawk travels with us...we were very surprised on one of our tours of wineries in the Willamette Valley, that so many people on the wine tours knew Hawk was a Vizsla. Usually people do not know what breed he is. We decided people who toured wineries were definitely more well informed than the average person. ( biased , I know) Hawk is fun, we LOVE him.

~~~"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies." Gene Hill ~~~