Aye, Aye, Aye! My dog is so bad!!!

If I had a dime for every time I said, "Aspen! No!" I'd be one rich chick. I'm serious you guys! She's really bad! I love her dearly, but, she makes me want to pull my hair out sometimes! She's the greatest companion and a dear friend, but she's also very, very mischievous. Take her potty training for example. She knows it's a no-no to go indoors, but she will sit outside on her cable and hold it until she comes inside. As soon as she comes in the house, she tinkles. I wake up every morning to a wonderful pile of unmentionables in front of the living room door in the mornings. She refuses to use the puppy pad. We're going to get a kennel for her to stay in a night but that's a couple of weeks down the road. Ugh, why won't she get it? Don't get me started on the way she steals the kid's food. I have to put her outside when the kids eat or she will find a way to get their food. Trust me, she'll find a way. I am always getting on to her for eating the cat food and going in the laundry room. The litter boxes are in the laundry room and I certainly don't want her in there chowing down on the cat's waste. But, for some reason, she finds this a tasty meal. Gross. When she plays with the kids she gets way too rough. She's trying to be playful, but she winds up hurting them instead of playing. I hate to get onto her for that, but I can't have her hurting my babies. It's one thing after another with her. This is one journey I won't soon forget. I'm thinking of obedience school for her, but I'm not sure about it. Anyone got any tips?

Gardening for my Pets

I adore gardening. Aside from my family and animals, gardening is one of my greatest passions. I enjoy that feeling of accomplishment I get when I plant a seed and watch it grow into a beautiful flower. It's an amazing feeling. I'm not the only one who loves my garden. Aspen loves it too. We have had to move her outside cable (which she is only on for a small amount of time each time) to a different place in the yard. She keeps eating my plants! Apparently she believes I plant these seeds for her to enjoy in her tummy at a later time. Aspen isn't the only one either. I've caught my cat, Lady, outside numerous amounts of times smelling the flowers and rubbing up against them. He loves my garden, but he's not destructive towards it like Aspen is.

I was really proud of my daffodil that grew. It's amazing that this beauty was only a bulb when I planted it. I had planted 4 of them. One of them I chose not to plant in my flowerbed. Instead, I planted it near the Dogwood in my front yard. My 8 year old son, Jacob, decided that it was the most beautiful flower he had ever seen and he picked it for me. After my initiative anger was over, I hugged him, explained to him not to pick my flowers, and put the flower in some water to enjoy it for as long as I could. It was a sweet gesture, but a major no-no.






This is part of my fruit and vegetable garden. Here you are looking at my corn that is growing. I'm so excited! It's white corn which is my favorite. I can't wait until it's ready to harvest. You can also see my carrots to the right. I also have broccoli, and cantaloupe planted too. *Sigh* Gardening is a way to get my mind off of the daily problems we all face. It relaxes me, makes me feel at peace, and gives me that amazing sense of accomplishment. Now, if only I could teach the pets to garden imagine what I could accomplish.

Stop Animal Cruelty!!!

It's obvious I love my pets and would never intentionally hurt them, but sadly, that is not the case with many pet owners. Animals in your neighborhood could be suffering right now. Many animals are neglected or beaten and need help now. There are steps you can take to help. The ASPCA has listed the top 10 ways to prevent animal cruelty in your neighborhood. Take a look at them and learn to watch for signs of abused or neglected animals. Just following these steps can save millions of animal lives yearly! And think about it! You can help! :) You know I think you're all heroes. If you weren't, then I wouldn't be asking for your help today. Just take a look at the site and learn how you can be a hero in your neighborhood. Thanks!

ID Your Pet

A friend of mine asked me to mention the importance of having an ID tag on your pet. I happily agreed because I understand the importance of this matter. Most of us have felt the pain of having a lost pet, and many of us have also felt the loss of not having that pet returned.When we adopted our puppy from our local shelter we were introduced to a program called the American Pet Association. We were given a free one year subscription with a free identification tag. When we called to activate the tag we found out some really awesome facts about the organization. First of all, no personal information is given out when the pet is reported found. The way it works is the tag has a phone number to the organization. The finder of the pet will call out the ID tag number and will be given instructions to bring the pet to the local shelter. The local shelter will contact you to pick up your pet safe and sound. I really liked the idea because I'm not too keen on the idea of my personal info such as address and phone number being addressed to the public. Another cool fact about this organization was that if your pet is on meds, the organization will ship out the meds, free of charge, to the finder of lost the pet until they can get to a shelter. Also, once your pet is reported missing, they will send out free fliers and posters for you to post in your neighborhood. The organization will also call all the local shelters and vet offices to make them aware of the missing pet. It's a really great program that is really worth the money for your precious pet. If you're interested in becoming a member, it's $22.95 per year or a 1 time lifetime membership fee of $49.95. You can call 1-800-272-7387 to set up a membership.

It's such an important part of your pet's life to have an identification tag, no matter what kind it is. I'm not saying you have to go with the American Pet Association. I am simply recommending them because of the great program they offer. We have it on our pet and we feel so secure knowing that she is taken care of. No matter what type of identification tag you choose, remember, it's for your baby. It will help your baby to find his way home. :)

Baby Bird in Our Backyard

Check out these cool pics of a baby bird we found in our backyard. We're watching him carefully to make sure the mama comes back for him before sunset. If she doesn't, I guess we'll see what we can do to care for him.

He's so cute!

Tigers in Crisis

Hey guys! I found this amazing website about endangered tigers. Follow this link and check it out!

There's A Storm Brewing

There's a thunderstorm brewing outside of my house right now. It's thundering, but no rain. The rain is coming though. I smell it. I am glad I decided to take Aspen on an early walk today. I usually wait until late afternoon, but I decided to take her earlier today because I was just in the mood to see the neighborhood. We live in a nice neighborhood that makes it easy to walk the dog in. There are sidewalks on the street and the sidewalks are lined with beautiful trees of all varieties. Aspen loves her walks. She loves to get out and explore the neighborhood and, on occasion, meet new people. She's a people dog. She never meets a stranger. Today we took a different route than what we usually take. It's a longer route but it was something different for both of us. We walked down an alley just to see what was down there. The alley split between back yards of different houses and there was at least one dog in every fence. Aspen is a bit apprehensive of other dogs so I was in a hurry to get her down the alley and back on the sidewalk. We came up to a home with privacy fence in the back yard. The privacy fence was a bit higher than most privacy fences I see and I thought nothing of it at the time. Then I found out why. I looked to my right when I heard vicious barking only to see the head of a HUGE German Shepard attempting to jump the fence. The fence was too high for the Shepard to jump, but nonetheless, Aspen and I were both scared. We quickly scurried down the alley and back onto the sidewalk. I had no trouble getting Aspen to hurry. She and I were on the same page. Let's get the heck out of here before that monster jumps the fence. Aside from that, it was a nice walk.

The house has somewhat of a somber feeling to it right now. The cats are snoozing, the kids are playing quietly, the hubby is watching TV, and I'm blogging as usual. Aspen is afraid of storms. She doesn't like the thunder. It makes her nervous. She usually tucks herself away behind the chair during a thunderstorm. I'm surprised she doesn't cry. For some odd reason, I think the cats enjoy a good thunderstorm. They start to come out from hiding for the day and become more loving during the storm. They're my calm during the storm. Buttons has been unusually loving today. He's always affectionate, but today, he has not left me alone. He's demanded loving all day. That's strange for any of my cats. Perhaps he just needs the comfort of his mom during the unstable atmosphere he must smell outside. I've heard that animals can predict a storm coming. You know me. If I'm curious about something I'm bound to research. According to this site, animals can, indeed, predict the weather. I found that site quite an interesting read. You should check it out too.

Just in case you're interested, you may wish to visit this site or this one for more informative reads on animals predicting weather.