My new gallery

[Tina B and crew]

I'm doing good, but busy as all get out these days with my dad and mom, traveling, getting ready to travel. Tim and I just got back from a week in the Michigan UP. We boarded Willow and Gizmo at the vet and they did great much to my relief. I do have to say I'm getting a bit freaked about leaving for 3.5 months and leaving Willow behind, but that is a whole other post! (one I think I've probably made)

[Traci]

But hubby will be there when you're gone, right? RIGHT?

Your vet obviously has a good staff where the cats were comfy and got attention, not all clinics with boarding services are so great. I'm glad to hear the week went ok for them.

Well, you went to Turkey, was that a month? And Willow was only mad for a few days? And you called and talked to her? And hubby bonded to her even more? If she is doing and has been doing fairly well in the last several months with you travelling, chances are she will do ok again, as long as hubby can compensate and spoil her and pamper her and as long as you call and talk to her every chance you get!

[Tina B and crew]

I went to Turkey for 21 days and she only scolded me for 10 minutes when I got home We picked them up from the vet yesterday morning and after she made sure everything at home was in place she was on my lap purring. I made sure they had stuff from home at the vet office, so they were quite comfy. The staff there is really great and being a feline only vet I felt a bit more comfortable leaving them.

Yes, Tim will be here when I go to Greece. They have bonded nicely but she's still my cat My vet suggested in addition to leaving a t-shirt I've worn when I leave (which I always do), send one home each month while I'm there. I'll also use Skype to keep in touch...so she can hear and see me I really am more worried about missing her or her missing me than anything else. It has almost caused me to back out once or twice, but I'm financially committed now

[Traci]

I can only imagine what this is doing to you, I don't think I could do it!

I've heard of skype, but seeing you too? Like a webcam or something? That would be so cool, for both of you!

Sending a shirt home every so often is a cool idea, wonder why I never thought of that, LOL.

[Traci]

Here are Cleo's chickadees in my garden, aren't they beautiful!? (can you tell, I am so proud )

[slvrwhispr]

They're absolutely perfect next to the bird bath. Beautiful.

[Marty]

Those are just gorgeous! I love the choice of glass for the wings and tail...it looks so...bird-like!

Cleo, what did you use for welding material (if that is the right word)? I noticed it was black, rather than the silver color you normally see.

[momPaws]

They are wonderful...I like the striated glass, too...amazing talent, Cleo!

[Tambrey]

gorgeous.....just gorgeous.....ummm...does Cleo have a link to a website for her crafts?

Traci.....you mentioned your plants not doing so well in another thread....give them another year....remember that summer is winding down and soon they will go dormant....

DO NOT CUT BACK...let them die back naturally and let the vegetation just mound down over the plant...this will give winter protection, as well as winter interest to your gardens....also, as the plants begin to die back, any nutrients in the leafy structures above ground will "seep" back into the roots, bulb, rhizome, whatever is below ground, and be stored there to give the plant that boost of nutrition the following spring...
I NEVER cut back or rake off any "dead" vegetation until ALL signs of snow and frost have gone the following spring...to ensure that a late snow does not come and kill off anything that might be beginning to come up from the ground...let that dead mound protect it as long as possible....

Again...I KNOW that this will probably go against your Born Organizer Habits...but TRUST ME ON THIS!!!!...It will be to the benefit of your garden to do it this way!!!

Even in spring, I still do not "cut back"...I just go out with a loose garden rake and rake rake off the loose dead stuff then remulch as needed...

Remember too, if you put down weed mat (not black plastic stuff I hope?) If you want your perennials to grow bigger, you will need to cut the area around them a bit bigger to allow for that growth...especially the hostas as they grow up with new shoots each year....
see this link for a picture of how hostas grow, and they will grow out new ones, further from the "parent plant" each year...
http://floricane.typepad.com/garden/ima ... cn2021.jpg

In about 3-4 years, you can begin dividing your hostas and redistributing them elsewhere in your gardens, or by then, maybe you will have planned something else and you can begin to repeat some plants there for continuity....
dividing hostas is easy.....in late spring, when you can see the plant well and the leaves have begun to unfurl just a little bit...dig up the entire plant...if you can easily divide with your hands by pulling it apart, then do so...but if not, then set it on a concrete sidewalk or driveway...place your shovel in the middle of the plant and stomp down, chopping it in half...place one half back where it came from and the other half wherever you want it to go!
http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previe ... 254717.JPG

[momPaws]

I can understand that - herding cats is difficult !