Ichigo video

I am an old fart. I only just figured out how to take video on my new camera and upload it...... Here is Ichi taking her daily walk.

Ichigo video

What the heck

Shaq is being traded to the Cavs. I am not happy about this. I like Lebron. I hate Shaq. How can I root for a team with both? I am not happy. I am not happy.

What the heck

One more photo from Japan

Wanted to post one more photo from my trip that Rebeca sent me.
All the girls that work at Lamp, where we had the Tokyo show, and us for a commemorative group photo.

One more photo from Japan

Spending time with the dogs

Since moving up here I've been volunteering at Animal Farm Foundation every week. I go every Friday to walk my four "project dogs" and I try to go to as many training classes as I can on Thursdays. Volunteers get project dogs assigned to them to spend time with and walk until they are adopted so you get to know your dogs really well.... unless of course they get adopted right away. I have had the pleasure of having Jasmine as a project dog for a while now. She originally came in with her puppies but they all got scooped up right away. Why people favor puppies over adult dogs, I will never understand. Sure they are rolly poly and have fat little cute tummies and stumble around and chew on you (wait is that fun?), but they take up soooo much more time and they get into all sorts of trouble, chewing on dangerous wires etc, pee and poo everywhere....... I personally will take an adult dog over a puppy any day. If I had more money I would adopt Momma Jaz in a second.She is so sweet and she lets me hug her, even though you aren't really supposed to hug dogs since they don't really like it, and she likes to sniff at my face which I like, and the way she hops instead of runs after toys is so funny. I love her. I wish someone would hurry up and come take her home. She's been waiting her turn.

Spending time with the dogs

Ichi is cute

I finally got a shot of Ichigo climbing on Dave's lap. Whenever she would do it to me the camera was nowhere near me so I am glad I was outside the turtle room when it happened yesterday. She is so cute.

Ichi is cute

Japanese people are really good at merchandising

I am so out of touch with cool stuff. I only just found out about the new theatrical release of Evangelion 2.0 that comes out in a few days in Japan. They REALLY know how to milk just one story. This will be the same overall story as both the television series and End of Evangelion but it will be tricked out and have extra scenes. This one is part 2 of 4 new movies. I haven't seen part one Evangelion 1.11 - it just came out on DVD last month in Japan.



And they have SO many things to buy! T-shirts, watches, sneakers, soccer balls, i-pod covers, jewelry..... I am tempted to ask my dad to buy me some gear but I am trying very hard to contain myself. This is what I want.

Japanese people are really good at merchandising

Stolen fruit

Ack! I had one lousy strawberry ripening and it was stolen! It was ready this morning and I waited till this afternoon to pick it and by then it was gone. What a bummer.

Stolen fruit

What I did in Japan

So I got a few pictures from one of the shows we installed in Japan on this trip. Here are pics from Rebeca Raney's show Gertrude House & Garden.

What I did in Japan

Harvested in the garden

Recent harvests -
Garlic Scapes
Lettuce - Cos Romaine & Red Salad Bowl(LOVE the red salad bowl! so pretty)
Scallions
Tom Thumb Snap Peas
Georgia Southern Collards
Beets - Chioggia

Almost ready - Vienna Kohlrabi & Sugar Snap Peas & Lacinto Kale

Done and gone - radish & spinach - not sure if I will grow them again....
Still kickin'- Mache
Not ready - two kinds of broccoli, twelve kinds of tomatoes, about ten kinds of peppers (sweet & hot), two kinds of summer squash, cucumbers, eggplant, celeriac, cabbage (if the slugs don't destroy them), yellow beets, turnips, onions, garlic, beans.....

Sugar snap pea flowers


Self sown volunteer Red Russian Kale with Dwarf French marigolds in the back

Harvested in the garden

Yard sculptures etc

Dave likes to decorate. He makes sculptures in the front yard and arranges things inside the house to look pretty. It's a good thing because if it were just me here I wouldn't bother and it wouldn't look as nice. Sometimes he wonders if people passing by in their cars are thinking "Damn hippies! Art freaks!" but I like to think that most people enjoy it.

The animals "enjoy" it all in their own way. Coleman pees on the outdoor sculptures sometimes, Ichigo uses one of them as a bridge sometimes, and Muncho takes pleasure in destroying the indoor arrangements every chance he gets.

Yard sculptures etc

Back home

So happy to be home. The air smells so sweet here and the garden is bursting at the seams. I have so much work to do in there. It hasn't seen me in ten days.....
Above is our third outdoor cat. (They keep coming!) I originally named him Tinkerbell thinking he was a she but now we just call him Tink. He is Macy's son and has extra toes just like her.


The pansies waited for me and haven't wilted yet. Next year I have to start them in late January or something so I can enjoy them longer.
I'll try to post some pictures of the shows we installed in Japan next.

Back home

Thelma has a home!

I`m in Japan right now but I got news that Thelma was adopted by her foster moms at Hooked on Dogs and I am soooooo excited! I have been a big fan of Wallace for a long time but now there will be an all girl team to be rooting for. Whoot whoot!
This video of her is making me smile and tear up at the same time. I love you Thelma!

Click To Play

Thelma has a home!

The woods

Nature walks with Coleman are my favorite.

The woods

Things learned in the garden so far....

1) I thought I liked radishes, I think they are pretty for sure, but I don't like them enough to grow them myself.
2) I thought I liked spinach, but not enough to grow it myself.
3) Do not use coconut coir by itself as seedling growing medium. I already knew this but someone at the fancy gardening store swore you could do it - she is wrong.
4) I like growing lettuce and I eat enough of it to keep growing. Good to have for the turtles.
5) I love growing tomatoes.
6) Do not try to grow anything after a cover crop of winter rye for at least 2 months.
7) Start pansy seeds even earlier than the packet says to.
8) Garlic grows well here...(so far)
9) Snakes love to hang out under the black plastic mulch.
10) Winter sow as many varieties as possible instead of under lights.

Things learned in the garden so far....

Trading/bartering is so cool

I drove some more extra seedlings to our friends at the store Hooked on Dogs in Red Hook today and was surprised to get what I was going to buy as a trade! I would have given them the plants for free but it was so nice to get something in return! I got cat food, some raw food for both the cats and Coleman, and a new Kong and some bones for Coleman.
We are super lucky that Kara and Nadja opened Hooked on Dogs just as we got to town. It is the coolest dog store ever. I actually don't know what we would be doing without them. Right now they are fostering a dog named Thelma who used to be one of my project dogs at Animal Farm Foundation where I volunteer. She is an amazing dog. If you know anyone who wants the perfect frisbee dog............Just take a look at her in her video!

Click To Play

Trading/bartering is so cool

My web feature is up

The company I work for has a web feature about me up. It's all in Japanese but you can at least take a look at the photos........ click on the photo above.

My web feature is up