Benches and Robins and Slides and Best of Winners!

Trying to play Catch Up after several months of virtual "silence".......I was Hoping to do it All in one fell post, but, well....eyes bigger than stomach.....

So....as I tell my Dog Obedience students....."How does one eat an elephant?"

One bite at a time.  Not that I would ever want to actually Eat an elephant, but you get the picture.

And speaking of pictures, I've downloaded Tons of pictures, even fixed supper whilst they downloaded---it took so very long....

So, I guess, I will begin with what is very close to my heart.  Baden.  The Reason that I am in This Place in my Life at this moment.  Baden. My First Collie. The one who gently moved me from whoIwas to whoIamnow....I think whoIamnow is a Great Improvement.

Baden came into our lives 13 years ago. A dear friend found him at the local pound.  Turned in as a "stray."  Weighing 40 pounds, fur (what little there was) matted and stringy.  He did not know that the World was a Good Place to be.

My sister likes to say, in the words of James Herriott, how my shampoos and potions and healthy diet "certainly made a difference in this dog, don't you think, Mr. 'erriott?"  Certainly Love and Good Food helped us to unveil the beautiful spirit that was within this sable and snow treasure.  And Baden thrived under our minstrations. He was one of the very best ambassadors of the Collie breed.  For dogs in general, actually.

Baden graduated from this Life in March this year.  With the help of  Dr. Amber Horn he was able to ease on out in peace and great comfort. I shall always be grateful to Dr. Horn for her kind and understanding heart.

We chose to have him cremated, and I ordered a garden bench with his name engraved on it from Mr. Dobson. (those of you who live in or near Tahlequah, I strongly suggest you visit his place for some of the coolest statuary and best prices I've ever seen). 

Last week, we got the bench, and Rob and I installed it beside the tree that Bay loved to lie under.  I AWAYS fussed at him for digging there (to find the coolest spot)....Went out the next morning, SOMEone had dug under the bench..(neither James nor Prosper dig AT ALL)..

If you are wondering at the inscription, it comes from one of my most beloved Collie books by Albert Payson Terhune, Lad, a Dog.......

"We buried Lad in a small, sunlit nook that had been his favorite lounging place, close to the house he had guarded so long and so gallantly. With him, we buried his honorary Red Cross and Blue Cross---awards for money raised in his n...ame. Above his head we set a low granite block, with a carven line or two theron. The Mistress wanted the block inscribed: "The Dearest Dog!" I suggested: "The Dog God Made." But we decided against both epitaphs. We did not care to risk making our dear old friend's memory ridiculous by words at which saner folk might one day sneer. So on the granite is engraved: LAD THOROUGHBRED IN BODY AND SOUL..... Some people are wise enough to know that a dog has no soul. These will find ample theme for mirth in our foolish inscription. But no one, who knew Lad, will laugh at it......"

Earlier this spring, Robins made a nest in that tree.  It was almost at eye level.  I was even able to feed Mama Robin worms several times.

Enroute to Camp in May, I stopped by to see the grandchildren in Little Rock.  Bailey Rose got new glasses.

I pulled one of Isaac's teeth.....I told him Not to smile....

In June, our baby daughter and her family came down for the weekend so that she could attend her high school choir reunion. She spent Thurs, Fri, and Sat in rehearsal.  Concert was Saturday night.  Bikeman and soninlove rode bicycles, then son played golf while Bikeman played in the symphony.

So....it was ALL UP TO GrandTone to watch the children.  TWIST my arm!  FORCE my hand!! Pleeeeease don't throw me in that Briarpatch!  The only downside was that those darn kids wanted to waste my time SLEEPing.....Yeh....9 pm bedtime, and an afternoon nap for 3-yr-old Sam.....

Of course, we are in the midst of a Major Heatwave, so there's not much you can do with children outside that doesn't involve water.  I have a wonderful friend who loaned me her blowup waterslide. Needless to say, I am officially the Coolest GrandTone EVER!

(As Bikeman and I were un-packing the slide and setting it up, Grace breathed a huge sigh, looked at the picture on the box, and said, "I've been waiting ALL MY LIFE for this!").

 The slide has a cannon on the bottom.  Perfect for liddle boys who need to blast their sister when she plummets downward.....

 James was TERRIBLY worried about the whole scene.  He just Knew those babies were in Dire Danger, and WHY wasn't I taking any of this seriously.  He tried to drink all the water at the pool at the base of the slide. Later on, he "herded" the children away from it as much as they would comply.  Being a Collie Nanny is such a difficult job.....

The concert Saturday evening was indescribable.  Amazing. Beautiful. Incredible. The sound was so full and pure and Electric. There were choir students from 25 years ago (and less) who came from all over the US to sing once again with Mrs. Malone conducting. Of course, it was also a chance, like all reunions, to visit with old friends.  

That's our baby Kathryn on the right.  She has a busted lip from an "unfortunate" accident she suffered whilst playing on the water slide......Nothing permanently injured.....just a nice, puffy lip....

Kinda looks like a bird lip.....When the kids were getting rowdy (the GROWN kids), James tried and Tried to tell them that SOMEbody was gonna git hurt.....Sure enough, it all came down, but not enough bad for an ER visit, thankthLord....

Two very pretty wimmen.....Kathryn and Mrs. Malone.

Afterwards, I wanted a picture of the 3 of them.....Sam said no...

And Grace....Grace ALWAYS says Yes to any picture-taking.  She Loved being ON Stage....What will the Future bring???

Onstage after the concert.  The children did really good. Even our 3yr-old Sammo...

I got to PLAY with this boy ALL weekend long!!!!  SOMEtimes, he would just come up to me, and tell me, "I Love you, GrandTone."  What was I to do?   I'm Helpless around him....

Well, here's some Trubble for ya....It looks like they have been UP to something....

Mmmmmm....Everyone should have summa this!!!

(ck out the background....Grace and Jamie are having an important conversation...)

 Of COURSE we groom Collies while we play....

Sunday afternoon, we took off to Bathtub Creek, only a few miles from our house.  When you come visit me, we will take you there......It is Paradise. 

Do we see a pattern here????  Every moment is Glorious!!!

I couldn't decide WHICH of these 3 to post, so I just chose them ALL.....

 I

BOTH of us are Certain that we will find an arrowhead in amongst all these rocks.....At that moment, it was the most important thing in the world.....Nothing else mattered....Nothing else entered our minds.....No worries...No cares....

Okay....so.....back UP a few weeks to the end of May.  I drove up to my friend Brenda's in Virginia a few weeks before Camp started.  During that time, Brenda worked my BUNS off in her yard (It was a Lovely time, really.  We Both love getting our hands in the earth and being OUTside), went to some really good thrift stores, shopped at some really cool grocery stores, swam at the YMCA every night, AND....we entered an all-breed dogshow.  With Brenda's careful attention to Every Detail, and Prosper's wonderful showmanship, the boy took Best of Winners for a THREE POINT MAJOR!!!!

That is a Whole Nuther Blog, tho, Ladies and Gents.....Suffice it to pique your interest in future posts with a few (wonderful) pictures.....Uh...did I Mention that he was Owner-Handled!  You BETCHA!!!

Handler had a Dorky smile, granted....but she was actually exhibiting a LOT of self-control at the moment....

And summer is only half over....I STILL have lots more to write.  Now that it is cool outside (yeh, right!), I'm off to walk the dawgs.....We've had over a month of 100+ degree temps....ya gotta walk them when the locusts sing in the evening....