More bounty from the garden

Harvested my first Roma tomato and basil for a caprese salad for
supper.

I spend too much money on my dogs

Even on the ones made out of stone.

Introducing Rocky and the planter I had built just for him.

Garden refreshment!

Blackberry Mojito! I made Mint Syrup from the mint plant outside my kitchen door and picked blackberries from the backyard. If I could just grow limes and sugar cane . . .

Today is not the day

We thought that today would have been the day that Scout whelped, 63 days after what we thought was the day she ovulated.

Instead, she is giving me sad eyes because she has finished her breakfast and wants to go chase squirrels and I am not cooperating by going to open the backdoor for her.

Breakfast snack

First blackberry harvest this morning.

My Day with Twitter: Watching a gawd-awful mall pet store go down on modern media

This morning I caught a thread of tweets from a go-getter reporter for the local NBC affiliate.  I started following @calliestarnes during the coverage of a local trial of a school teacher accused (and acquitted) of 22 counts of child molestation.  Callie sat through 22 days of testimony and tweeted all through it. Since then I get quite a kick out her daily tweets - she has mastered integrating social media into investigative reporting.

But, as usual, I digress.  A little background on the following - McKamey is our local animal shelter.  They raided a pet store in a local mall this morning - here are Callie's tweets:

McKamey busy again today. Field crews are raiding pet store in Hamilton Place Mall, removing all pets. I've been on the scene since 8 am.

Security doesn't want media here. Sent a mall cop to tell me I'm not allowed to video in area without consent. My calls not returned.

Mall cop & CPD officer made me leave. Told me I can park on interstate. They really don't want public to see what's happening in pet store.

View from interstate ramp-staying put http://twitpic.com/1x0fau

Have you worked at the Pet Company at Hamilton Place or purchased an animal from there? If so, email me at cstarnes@wrcbtv.com

Finally got call from Ham. Place spokesperson. Says I am being made to park on interstate for "safety of shoppers". What about my safety?

Ham. Place says they never received complaints about Pet Company. I directed them to petition online w/4,000+ names asking them to close it.

Just met and interviewed a follower that was inside the mall. Says Pet Company is swarming with investigators taking pictures.

Pets unloaded at McKamey http://twitpic.com/1x16h5

Pet Company filed motion for emergency order of desist. If granted, pets will go to other store in Atl. Both sides in hearing with Judge

Mckamey and Pet Company before a judge. Store's attorney wants judge to order animals be given back.

Joe Burns, employee of TN Dept. of Agriculture, testifies about "filthy" conditions in pet store. Calls situation "neglect".

Karen Walsh, McKamey Executive Dir., says Pet Company is not safe for animals.

RT @KNicholson87: Go to www.wrcbtv.com for a look inside Hamilton Place at the now empty pet store

Judge taking a few mins to look over statute that McKamey works under. Soon to find out is animals will be returned.

Judge rules in favor of McKamey.

Here's the story on WRCB. 

Sunday Morning

I lured Spence and Scout up on the new cedar bench with a fortune cookie this morning, just to show everyone we are still around, just not doing much exciting this summer. (Scout sez, "Quit teasing and give me the $%&# cookie!")

I finally got around to putting the cedar bench together yesterday, and for those who admired it when it posted about it here, let me tell you that it was a breeze to put together.  I am already thinking about moving this one in front of the glider as a "coffee table" and buying this one for more storage.

I have to admit it's a bit of an adjustment to me having a retired conformation dog - more of an adjustment than I thought it would be and much more of an adjustment for me than it is for Scout.  She seems to love being a yard dog and in the evening being wherever I am. 

To me, it feels strange to have no dog shows on the calendar for the foreseeable future.  I have started Scout back in obedience, but it will be a while before she is trial ready.  I am thinking about running her through Rally Novice again; she has her title, but I think it might be good for us to get used to being in a ring together again.  Training her is so different from working with Spencer - both easier and harder.  Easier because she is not as hard-headed and pushy as her brother, harder because she is not as driven, either.  We'll figure it out.

Hope everyone is having the kind of weekend they want, and staying cool!

And here's another one!

Laura M is now doing a CSN giveaway!  C'mon Laura - how about a little payback??

I am going to blog about something again someday besides giveaways.  Not a lot going on around here that anyone would like to hear about - unless of course someone would like to hear about the hellish course of poison ivy I have been suffering through.  Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller??

Tomorrow night Scout officially gets back on the path of being a performance dog as we start training for advanced rally and/or CD. 

They are popping up all over!

Now Sarah is having CSN Giveaway!

And the winner is . . . .

Laura M!  (Cooper Creek)  And it just goes to show, lightening does strike twice.  Way back in 2008, I did a little giveaway and she won then too!

Thanks to all who entered!  Maybe we will get a chance to do another someday!