Playing in the Dirt

(Play on the phrase Digging in the Dirt, which is from the fantastic Monty Python movie Monty Python's Holy Grail!)

It's kind of been a Derpy Day today, mostly due to whatever allergen is in the air.  I've been tired for a few days, which is an allergy symptom and also I've been sneezing.  A lot!

 

Which probably wasn't helped by the fact that Otter and I got out and did some Digging in the Dirt.  But the tulip bed won't get itself ready, unfortunately.  Bill mowed the weeds the other day, then I got out with the hoe and got as much of the roots & stems out of it as I could.  Today, we got the shovels out and "stirred" the dirt around.  Then I treated it with rain water which had a full bottle of baby oil and quite a bit of dishwashing liquid in it.  The water helps it all soak in,  The moles don't like the oily dirt, the gophers don't like it either but the soap kills any grubs that the gophers might want to eat, because they also destroy the roots of the plants when they are going after the grubs.  We'll hit it again in a week or so, the general idea is to plant the bulbs around Nov. 1 but it depends on the weather and the ground temperature.  We use baby oil which is essentially mineral oil with scent, buying mineral oil by itself is expensive and it also only comes in small bottles.

 

My favorite Teenager is turning 97 tomorrow!  I'm going to get cupcakes or something similar to take in to the office tomorrow.  We spoil him as much as he'll let us.

Otter managed to get a picture of the elusive Chupacabra!  She had to essentially stalk him around the yard, but she got the picture.  Frasier does not like to pose!  He's a lot more tolerant of the vacuum, but not the camera.  We were trying to figure out his age last night, we knows he's at least 11 but he's probably a year or two past that.  Which is a very good life span for a big dog, and we hope he hangs in there for a long while longer.

This is what we see anytime the back door is opened - the Magginator wanting to go out!  She did get to, as soon as Otter took the picture the door was opened and the beaglebrat shot out the door as fast as she would got.

 

This is what is known as "Deploying the Ears" and is usually employed when the dog wants something she's not getting.  Snack, a trip to the yard, my blanket, whatever it is that she doesn't have.  Dog might not be the sharpest crayon in the box, but she does know when to turn on the Cute!  Usually, she sticks both ears straight out and they stay that way.