Savory Seedlings! :)

As I mentioned in a previous post, years ago I tried growing tomatoes and peppers from seed. They came out leggy and I vowed never to attempt it again! This year, after looking at the savory selections in the seed catalog, that just aren't available to buy locally, - I determined to shake off the past and be courageous enough to try again! I planted 2 to 3 seeds in each tiny plug! :)

As expected, the seeds sprouted and started to grow! :)

The first true leaves have started to appear, signalling that it is time to transplant them into pots, so yesterday I began that enjoyable task! :)

I love that I now have a great variety of tomatoes and peppers growing, from the common to the uncommon!! :)

I made the cardinal error of choosing to separate and save each seedling in the plugs, instead of cutting the extras off, leaving one plant per plug! Now I have three trays full of tomato and pepper seedlings, and probably have a tray worth yet to divide and pot up! I know better, but just couldn't bring myself to sever the extras! If they grow well, I can always plant more than I'd planned, and give plants away! :)

I love the new light system, so far, that is 4 lights wide for good light coverage! :)

So far the lights are doing the trick, and the savory seedlings look robust and healthy, instead of weak and leggy, like the ones in the past! I went to a class at the local Home and Garden Show, about growing tomatoes from seed, and learned that the grow lights should be ideally kept around 2" above the plants! I suspect that helpful tip is the cause of my success so far! :)

These baby plants have a long way to go to fulfill their destiny of putting food on our table, and jars of salsa in our pantry, (so we're not out of the woods yet!), but I'm feeling a little hopeful, now, that their care-giver can help make that happen!! :)

Quick Pup Update! :)

In the past I shared some concerns we had about Coal taking so long to get potty trained. I realize that I never did follow through on that saga, so this is a quick update! :) I'm happy to report that not only is Coal potty trained, but he's house trained too! We can now give him full reign of the house and no longer kennel him when we go out! He also sleeps through the night now without need of a potty break in the dark morning hours! This makes us especially happy! :) Our pup is developing into a responsible, trusted family member! :)

He's showing some independance now and has taken to lounging out on the front deck on nice days, - no longer needing to be underfoot, every minute, to feel secure! :)

He particularly enjoys a relaxing nap in the sun! Something about that restful act relaxes us, too, and is just one of many reasons why we so enjoy having a canine family member around! :)

Happy Spring Everyone! :)

I love this time of year when the flowers are beginning to bloom and bringing much needed color into our yards, again!! :)

My Mason Bees like this time of year, too! They're happy to emerge and find blooms open, waiting for them! :)

Flowering Currents are one of the hummingbird's favorites! :)

I hope you enjoy seeing the flowers as much as I do! Happy Spring Everyone!! :)

Hummer Humor! :)

I love observing hummers, and often find things in their lives that are similar to our own! :)

Here we have a male Rufus Hummingbird enjoying his meal. ...

All is peaceful untill a ...

Female appears!! Fast, FLASH!!!!! He must impress her!!! :) (Note the now brite red feathers displayed in a mating ritual!)

As often happens, when we try to impress, the opposite result happens! She couldn't leave fast enough, so he is out there, somewhere, trying to console his own ego! :)

While she quickly returned to the feeder,

and enjoyed a pleasant meal by herself! :)

-

But not to worry, they will choose mates and bring more little hummers into the world! :)

Our Annual Anniversary Get-Away! :)

Rud and I made our annual get-away to the coast for our anniversary, and Coal got his first taste of experiencing the beach! If I had to choose one photo to sum up our time there, it would be this photo, as Coal's expression says it all!! We had a blast!! :)

We threw sticks for him untill we'd satisfied his love for water and retrieving! :)

If you click on this photo, it will hopefully enlarge so you can see this "wind surfer" actually lift off the ground! He was an amazing sight! :)

Here's an exhausted, satisfied Coal, snoozing by the fire! :)

This time of year, the resort is full of people and their dogs, out enjoying the beach, and they are all the nicest people!! All the dogs were well mannered, too, and we all enjoyed each other's association! :)

Sometimes we still managed to have the beach to ourselves, which was fun, too! :)

You'll need to enlarge this photo to see the flock of birds flying past! :)

We think Coal is wishing we were still there, - and I admit, I wish we were too! :) ... We're already looking forward to next year ...! :)

Brennan's New Buddy-Hero! :)

When family were here visiting, they spent a day, up north, visiting friends! Tim is a fireman, and had arranged a special day for Brennan at the firestation! All Brennan could talk about was driving a firetruck! He loves trucks of all kinds, but firetrucks are extra special to him, so he was very excited! :)

Tim seemed to be excited too, expressing that this is his favorite part of his job! :)

As you can see, it was a very special day for Brennan, and Tim has become his new Buddy-Hero! :)

Thanks Tim and Amanda, for giving Brennan such a fun and educational experience!! :)

Welcome Glimpses! :)

We're getting into a fun stage with Coal, now. He's 5 months old, and young enough to be the poster child of "healthy" and old enough to be more enjoyable to live with! :)
It's still too soon to say he's fully potty trained, as every time we've thought he was, he had a mishap again. So I'll simply say that it's been awhile since he's had any accidents, and we've noticed it's getting easier and more enjoyable to live with him! He's biting less during play; letting us pet him more without knibbling our hands; allerting us more to his needs; and fitting in more with our lifestyle! :)

Sometimes we look at him and are surprised to see a more mature, dignified Coal, emerging! :)

Other times, the puppy is foremost in his demeanor, to the point that that's all we can see! :)

Then, in a blink of an eye, we see a more regal Coal, again!
The puppy side of him is cute, while the regal side of him is handsome and makes for a better companion! :)

It's taking awhile for me to finish this blog post, as the puppy side of Coal has been keeping me busy, tossing his various toys for him to retrieve! :)

At last, it looks like he's finally been worn out enough to lay down and rest a spell! :)

This puppy stage has been an important bonding time with him, - but Rud and I are welcoming the more mature, regal side of Coal, that we thankfully see emerging!! :) These are welcome glimpses that tell us the best is yet to come! :)