Life is Good

I only have two puppies left at home, two left us this evening. Though I spent a big chunk of the day with the four of them, can’t believe we’re down to two. Then tomorrow one more leaves us, and then we’ll only have one remaining. He’ll be with us a week before his people come to get him.

Yesterday I painted two birdhouses for my garden, I now have a total of 4 bird houses. I have a row of three on a little shelf on our shed. I painted a little garden on the edge of the shelf. It looks like a small city block, for birds. One of the houses is already being furnished by some very amorous chickadees.

In fact, there has been a lot of bird sex going on in my backyard. I have the 4th birdhouse hanging in one of our dogwood trees, as well as two home-made bird feeders, made of antique decorative bird-cages, small. You leave the door off/open and the birds fly into the cage to eat. It’s lovely to see sometimes a few chickadees in both feeders. Seeing them caged but free in the garden is somehow surreally beautiful to me.

I also made them a bird-bath, created by the base of a stool made of metal with a large bowl on it instead of a seat. The plan is to plant an ivy to climb the support structure. Though it looks beautiful as is.

I’ve been enjoying the garden so much. So much peace and joy and serenity there. The dogs and puppies playing all around me. The trees and the gardens busy with busy birds, bathing, eating, singing, dancing, posturing, having sex, fighting off rival males. Exploring all the goodies I’ve set up for them.

Today I went garage sale-ing with my girl. I had to wait patiently, or not so patiently, this morning until she woke up. I might have been a little noisy in the morning… hee!

I found a few things, a great little chair for a small child, from an affluent neighbourhood. The little girl was having a garage sale, got bored and wanted to go inside, and decided to just give everything away. The chair was a retro style, a very adult looking chair miniaturized, upholstered in velvet. I gave it to my best friend for her little grandson. Children love having a chair of their own. This one is swanky. At the ‘free’ garage sale we also found lots of toys suitable for the puppies, and my girl found a bike!

The big score, that was at another garage sale and not for free, was a hammock. A hammock with a great decorative wrought metal base that it hangs from. The hammock itself, double wide. Thick, and quilted, padded for comfort. A hammock that cost a lot of money new. A hammock I could never normally afford to buy. The hammock that just yesterday I was telling Wolfe I would so love to have in the garden, as a wishful thought. Knowing it was so not in the budget.

The woman had payed over 300$ new for it on sale. It was a year old and in perfect condition. It came home for me for 50$. The family was kind enough to strap it to the top of the grandmothers van and drive it over to our house for us!

I spent the rest of my afternoon while waiting for the puppy people to arrive in the evening, for hours, just laying in my new hammock. Amazed at how comfortable it was, and that I could stay in my garden without having to come in to sit in my recliner from the pain. Not as comfy as my recliner, but good enough! I snuggled with various sleepy dogs and little puppies, 2 were picked up this evening, but I had the afternoon with 4 of them, and 4 adult dogs.

At one time all 4 puppies were crashed out asleep on the hammock with me. 3 of my adult dogs also checked out the comfy hammock. Though my one male Iggy is not so fond of unfamiliar furnishings, did not partake in hammock luxury.

For hours I peeked up from my book to watch puppies galloping around the garden, attacking peonies, tugging with toys, wrestling, and sleeping. I watched the birds, so many now, in the garden. I was filled with delight when my girl brought me snacks of fresh cherries, grapes and watermelon, and checked on me often.

Life is precious. It’s filled with beauty and joy and love, and I’m so very grateful. For gardens and girls, puppies and horny chickadees.