Life in the Garden

Matters of Life and Death

Pets

Time to Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

wolf howling t shirtThe Border Collie known as Shadow is going down. If he makes it through the summer, or even the next two weeks…I’ll be surprised. Although, he continues to surprise me. It’s 9:00 AM and he hasn’t moved. We stayed up late last night, and it’s not unusual for him to sleep late these days. But for the last month or so he acts like he’s looking for a place to lay down. Forever.  He’s always been restless, he’s a Border Collie for God’s sake. But on occasion I’ve had to nudge him to make sure he’s still with us.

Let Nature Take It’s Course

It’s been my creed for the last couple of years, and with a couple of exceptions I’m trying to let events unfold organically. As they are supposed to happen. Death is never convenient and could complicate a national holiday. But what’s a girl to do? I’ll wait it out.

 

Love Me, Love My Dog

jack lalane

Three Beautiful Things:

  • Yoga to stretch out the kinks.
  • Intense Vitamin D
  • The first “chink” of the baseball bat

Oh yes friends, I heard it! According to the sounds in the ‘hood high-school baseball practice has started. The first hit is the sweetest. Next, we wait for The National Anthem.

Yesterday, at the undercover assignment, I ran into a familiar face: a health care professional who moonlights as a bartender at the ball park. We look forward to doing some business in a few short weeks.

Another familiar face was D, he’s an active attractive senior 70+. Champion bridge player, gets up at 5 AM to exercise, goes home and hot tubs with his HOT wife (they met on the internet), outdoors man, retired air traffic controller with a military background. And he sleeps with a poodle! He (me) thinks they are the smartest dogs EVER!

D had a lot of fun with his internet dating experience, and he said that he met a lot of beautiful women and some….not so much. He was pretty open with his parameters and would travel to meet his dates and arrive with a rose and his poodle.

Evidently age was a factor with some of the women. But one lady and he really hit off, she was a successful business woman from out of state and the relationship was progressing nicely. She approached him about spending a couple of weeks together at her place…He was game. Until she dropped the bomb.

The dog is not welcome.

Deal breaker for D.

See ya!

Warm and Fuzzy Pet Ramblings

kitten chrismtas postcard

When we dug the garden, we did a lot of research but somehow completely did not plan for the pet aspect of the business. Well, we’ve encountered several passionate pet owners the last few years.

Here’s what we’ve learned:

We’re crazy for our pets, but never thought we’d be one of those people that turn music on for them when we’re away (I do), or call and leave messages so the pampered pooches could hear our voice (my neighbor). Until starting this business, I’d never considered keeping the ashes of any of my pets in the home. When the time comes, I plan to scatter my border collie’s ashes and probably bury the ashes of my Bichon.

pets in cars

We recently discovered that an animal lover aunt has saved the ashes of almost every pet she’s owned. Over the years, so many urns have accumulated she keeps them in a plastic storage tub in the closet. She can’t bear to part with them.

The client in New York who had the ashes of her dog’s amputated leg stored in a keepsake, and came back later to buy another urn for the rest of the dog after he passed.

A customer in Texas, complained that the lid on one of our metal pet urns was too hard to get off. We explained that our lids are designed that way, for a secure seal. Most people aren’t opening and closing the urn repeatedly. What’s up with that?

Client explained that one of his other dogs was depressed over the loss of his doggie friend and client’s vet told him to let the grieving dog sniff the ashes to reassure and calm him.

I’d like to have Cesar Millan, The Dog Whisperer weigh in on this.

And then the words we hear so often, “we don’t have kids (or the kids are gone) and the dogs are our babies.”

Although we’re partial to the canines, cat lovers are crazy for their kittys, and we’ve encountered some ferret lovers. One girl in south Florida who was involved in a ferret rescue, and was so pleased with our service that she told all of her friends about us on the ferret chat board.

I had no idea.

Who knew that some pet owners buy or build homes based on their pet’s needs (Great Danes in New York)? One friend built a house and designed a killer grooming station for her three dogs. This friend has Bichon Frise and even threw a dog party for Bichon owners that was great fun.

My Rock wore a cumberbun with a sanitary napkin to the party, so he wouldn’t pee everywhere.

bichon cumberbun

At a recent visitation I ran into an old school mate that was raising exotic cats in Branson. My friend Soozie has had tarantulas and hermit crabs, now she’s got a couple of rats. Not guinea pigs, not the little white lab rats. These are the sewer rat variety purchased from a pet store. Her family LOVES the rodents!

And now my friend Candace is mourning the loss of her pet rat Lennon. Is there a rat chat board?

And then the pet owners that have instructed family members to include the ashes of their beloved pets to be buried with them.

So far, I’ve never had a request for a reptile urn.

Confessions of a Small Bidnez Owner

On a recent undercover assignment in the WORLD of the living, we attended our first staff meeting in three years. Scheduled at 3 PM, we burned two precious hours on attendance, and determining the color khaki.

Not Stone. Khaki.

In my other world, we’re a small company.

Lately, our meetings haven’t been as productive.

The best part? Morning staff meetings on the lawn with Me, Myself and I.

“Present!”

Meet our Advisory Team: Shad and Rock.

“Present!”
Urn Garden advisory team

Me: This morning’s agenda….

A-Team: Let’s play ball!

Me: That sounds good, but let’s get serious a minute and think!

A-Team: About?

Me: Cash Flow, streamline distribution….my next great idea.

A-Team: We’d rather sniff a pole.