Sadie, our "Inland flat-coated flying veldt hound," is very interested in the koi pond and spends a lot of time almost falling in.


"I'm really thirsty. This looks like a good place for a drink."



"Whoooa! What the hell was that??"



"Oooooooo, toys! But how to get them?"



"Slimey toys, your days are numbered!"


She spends a lot of time watching the fish and turtle (which they are not so thrilled about,) wading in a little with her front feet, and submerging her head— apparently not on purpose— trying to pick up things on the bottom. It's only a matter of time until she falls in. Fortunately the bottom is angled with plenty of paw holds, so getting out again won't be a problem.

I like snails. I like my yellow cannas. Therein lies the problem. My snails like the cannas too and are rimracking them.

The spraying water worked on the aphids, so I'm deploying an anti-slug remedy I've had some success with in the past. Crushed egg shells. Fortunately we had company this weekend and I did a lot of cooking. Rinsed and dried the shells of a dozen eggs. Put them in plastic zip lock. Crushed the bejezus out of them with a rolling pin. Sprinkled resulting caltrops around the cannas. Awaiting results.

Bill didn't take the hint. He spent the afternoon behind the folding chairs in the corner of the meditation space and refused to be budged. Doug got home from his business trip tonight and— he in gloves and me with a large kettle at the ready— we managed to capture the wayward lizard and air lift him safely to the back flower bed, none the worse for wear. He was a beauty.

As I was walking past my meditation area this afternoon I noticed something that hadn't been there before.


Actually, someone.







Perhaps he's a Buddhist, looking to brush up his karma for the next life. Rather like our feral turtle Hannibal, who showed up in our koi pond the day after I placed a statue of Kwan Yin out there last summer.

And of course I had to call him Bill. Here's a hint.



I'm a little scared of scaly critters, so I found a glove and tried to pick him up to put him outside, but neither of us found that to be a pleasant or satisfactory experience. So I've left the back door open for him and wish him well.