Winter just makes everything look bleak and dead. Everything retreats into the ground waiting for warmer days. I retreat into the house trying to ignore my ugly yard. Sucks.

 

We finally had to put Daisy down yesterday. After years of daily phenobarbital doses for seizures, I think Daisy’s body was just worn out. Yesterday she finally experienced what they call status epilepticus. Its when you can’t stop seizing and it just lasts and lasts.

From the day she took the first pills, she was never the same. They helped with the frequency and severity of the seizures but also stole her happy playful spirit. She just walked around in a fog, taking it day by day.

Daisy was an incredibly spoiled, smart and loving dog. She loved sleeping on the sofa. She loved to bark at nothing in particular for hours. She loved scratching to get outside, then scratching to get back in. She loved chasing coons out of the yard. She loved to dig for moles. She loved to destroy freshly planted flower beds. She loved to stare you down as you ate. She LOVED treats. We loved her dearly.

 

Paw Paw gave me a couple hens. Meet Domino and Lacey.

 

I may suck at growing most all vegetables but I can grow cucumbers. Of course it takes no skill at all. Just toss a seed in the ground and give them something to climb on and you’re done. This year, I am making dill pickles using two different recipes. One is Larry’s grandmother’s recipe, the other is a Kosher dill recipe. In 3 more weeks we get to see which ones are better. Larry says it’s a battle between the Christians and the Jews. I just hope they don’t taste like Aunt Bea’s kerosene cucumbers.