Gracie and the Garden 8-16

This bright hooded oriole stopped by for a sugar drink.
It was taken through the screen so fuzzy looking.

Gracie and I have been having a good time.  She is a very smart dog.  She needs training for the basics but when we were out in the car by the third time getting home she knew where we were.  She isn't a yappy barker.  She chased the deer from inside the garden fence and never barked, but she's so quick she certainly made them scatter, they looked back at her wondering where the heck she came from.  She doesn't chase the birds either, which makes me happy because I like to sit out in the garden and watch them in the birdbaths and eating the seed off of the flowers.  She is a little digger which will be a problem, but she knows what no means.  It just takes time.  Today we had our first pee in the house...we had just come inside, but she was to busy watching everything to do her business apparently, at least it was in the bathroom, easy cleanup.

I had a very quiet birthday.  I was learning my way around my gift from my Sweetie...a Kindle Fire, so that kept me busy much of the day after I returned from my morning pilates class.  Yes I went on my birthday, what better gift could I give to myself but the gift of fitness...made ya gag didn't I !!!   Tee hee!  I had started the day with a stiff neck so I didn't feel like going anywhere.  I made myself one of those microwave chocolate cakes in a coffee mug...YUMMY...Happy Birthday to me!

It has been in the 100's all week and the nights wouldn't cool down below 75...yucky.  Last night was cooler though and today didn't get as hot.  There are fires all over the place and they have gotten huge quickly, so I may not see Larry until winter...unless I go crash with him wherever he is.  Helicopter bases are not very relaxing places to hang out...

Tomorrow we go for Gracie's heartworm test...seems weird that the vet I got her from didn't do that...it couldn't have cost as much as the spaying they did to her and her shots. Oh, well, she was cheaper then if I had gotten her at a shelter, so I will not complain any more.  I'll get her micro chipped next month I think.

That is all for us.

My yummy cake.

This bad squirrel was in the garden this
morning, and Gracie ran it up the tree.

She was soaking up the sun while I was having my breakfast.

Looks like she is smelling the flowers, but she is
checking out the buzzing bees.

From a couple of nights ago.