Life in the Garden

Matters of Life and Death

Pets

I Slept With Elvis

bird in the hand

What I learned today:

For 10 years one of my clients showered and shared her bed with a cockatoo named Elvis.

Cockatoo
Cockatoo

Elvis liked to ride in the car and eat cheeseburgers and ice cream at the DQ.

He would hold up a foot and scream “Raspberry!” and want you to blow on his toes.

Client has nine other birds in the parrot family, and Elvis was never really part of the bird population. He preferred to perch on the shoulder of his master. He was kind of an attention whore, and had to be near (or on) when master was in the house. Folding laundry, watching tv, or going to the bathroom, there he was. Evidently, it’s not uncommon for the cockatoos to live to be 70 or 80 years old. Even with all that love in the room, Elvis only made it to 10.

This is the bird urn his owner selected. While my client prefers a traditional burial for herself, she has instructed her kids that Elvis’ ashes will be placed in her casket when the time comes.

Sitting Doves Keepsake Urn
A Home for Elvis

Rest in peace my cheeky little cockatoo.

 

State of the Garden Address

lucky leprechaun

Green and frosty this morn. We’re moving outdoors, but wanted to send a shout out to the Colgate Palmolive Company, distributors of the fine product Irish Spring.

If you’ve followed this blog, you’ll know that last summer, we conducted an experiment with Irish Spring as a non-toxic cat repellent as a deterrent to the five kitties next door. We try to live in harmony with the felines and admire their hunting prowess, however, my flower beds and driveway are off limits as a litter box. Not with five cats.

cat

So, with the weather warming, the cats are out and are starting to set up camp in my bushes and on my vehicles. Back to the experiment: I’ll use the Irish Spring again. But Dear God! I don’t have time to be shreddin’ no soap! My studies indicate that only the BAR soap peelings of the ORIGINAL SCENT is the most effective.

irish spring

Somebody please hop on the go-green bandwagon and market this brilliant idea of non-toxic cat repellent!

Note to self: Hop on the bandwagon.

Scientific Break Through? Now, here’s the weird thing: In 10 years of living at this location, this is the first winter that we DID NOT HAVE A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE!

Coincidence? You decide.

Candace had tipped it us to the fox and bobcat pee trick to rid yerself of rodents, and I’d thought maybe it might work on the cats too. Or would it?

bird bath

These cats are sporty. The bird bath had been full and birds were stopping by to clean up. So the cats hide behind a bush and wait for birds and squirrels and then pounce. Right on the bird bath, and manage to knock the dish off. See the feathers in the pix?

One day? I was home alone, and I heard this screaming and scratching at the bathroom window! Finally, I got the nerve to pull the shower curtain back, open the blinds to the window, and see a squirrel plastered to the window, scritching and clawing to get away from you know who was waiting in the bushes.

cat

Frankly, I’m not running a Save The Birds And Squirrels campaign here, I just want to protect my concrete birdbath and not have my house smell like cat sh*t.

Thank you for your consideration. Peace be with you.

Inspiration

No time for diversions, but projects that have caught our eye of late:

mini fairy garden

This baby garden for small spaces. The artist used a cast-off wooden tray and does not recommend wood containers for YOUR fairy garden. It WILL ruin the furniture if you want a table top version. Note to self: Water plants.

In a desperate quest for something alive and green I bought two cat palms on clearance from you know where. They need a drink and some lovin.

Decorating the stump: My Stump, my stump, my ugly lovely rotten tree stump. It’s a Spring Ritual, the decorating of the stump. I’m ready to have it bored out. Dirtsister has been able to create some beauty there, but it will have to be reworked.

bird bath

Add a stone song bird obliesk. Hate that word btw. Obliesk. Can’t spell or say it.
And maybe some garden gnomes. And turtles. Love turtles and gnomes.
garden stone

Here’s another idea we like: Custom Tassles for personalization on glass and metal urns. Is it too foo-foo? Will have to think on.

tassle

And then while we are on foo-foo textiles, I love this look as a shroud.

anna nichole smith

And finally: Life Lesson #22 From Rosie the Chihuahua DAWG

dog

“Bless you, my child.”

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!

Kim Lilley RIP

Kimberly Sue Lilley

Kim Lilley Kimberly Sue Lilley, daughter of the late Paula Ragland, was born September 3, 1961, in Springfield, Mo., and departed this life on February 8, 2008, in her home in Springfield. She was 46 years, 4 months, and 5 days of age at the time of her passing.

Kim was reared in the Buffalo area, but spent her summers in Morgan City, La.

Following her graduation, she was united in marriage with Glen Grizer and to this union one son, Michael Paul, was born. She and Michael made their home in Springfield, Mo.

Other than her son and her friends, her dogs were central in her life. She developed programs with her dogs with the goal of helping other people. Some of these activities included an ice cream social, doggie BINGO, and therapy dog visits to nursing homes. She loved all animals. She always looked forward to spending nights and playing at her best friend Carla’s farm. She touched thousands of lives with her dogs and her smile.

Kim was preceded in death by her mother, Paula Sue Ragland and her grandparents, Paul and Corinne “Mam and Pap” Maulin.

She is survived by her son, Michael Paul Lilley of Ozark, Mo; friends, Bill and Carla Richardson and Josh and April Parker “and the First Aid Kit.” She also leaves several cousins and other family members and friends who will all truly miss her.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Tuesday, February 12, 2008, in the Cantlon-Otterness Funeral Chapel, Buffalo, with Rev. Robert Long officiating. Interment will be in New Hope Cemetery under the direction of the funeral home.

Visitation will be from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, February 11, 2008, in the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the C.A.R.E no kill animal shelter.