ABC (Almost) Wednesday: K

It's almost Wednesday once again, and this week we have come to the letter K, a challenging one for my usual gardening references.




I suppose I could show you my Knockout Roses, which have finally begun to bloom again after surviving an attack by sawflies early in the season and the voracious munching of Japanese beetles the rest of the summer. But the photo isn't that good--any sunlight seems to turn these deep red blooms into a fluorescent pink in a photograph. But this is the only flower in my garden that begins with the letter K.



The operative K word around here the last few days has been Kerchoo, but I don't think my red nose or a pile of used Kleenexes would be particularly appealing. And, since I am getting better anyway, let's turn to some other areas for appropriate K words.

What is more appealing than a cute Kitten? This is Jessie, an orphan at the Humane Society where my granddaughter and I volunteer several times a month. I am happy to say that when Granddaughter and I returned to the shelter yesterday, Jessie had already been adopted.

As had Willow, a bloodhound mix, and her brothers. Puppies never stay long at the shelter, which has a high rate of adoption. With a face like this, who could resist this sweetie? The hardest part of volunteering for both of us is not coming home each week with a new pet:) If you are considering adopting a pet, think about adopting an older pet. They are the ones who stay the longest at the shelter, yet they offer so many advantages over mischievous kittens and puppies.

Speaking of mischievous puppies . . . this brings me to another joy in my life, Kids, specifically, Grandkids. All of the grandkids love to come to Grandma's house, especially to visit with Sophie. Even though littlest Grandson looks a bit hesitant here, he has learned how to say "No" to Sophie and enjoys her sloppy puppy kisses.

And while we're on the subject of Sophie, I have never mentioned one of her proud accomplishments. We have attended three different sessions of dog training since April, and in early August Sophie received her AKC Canine Good Citizen Award. This is a national test, comprised of several different areas which must all be performed satisfactorily in one test session. The Canine Good Citizen means that Sophie responds to various commands, such as "sit," "stay," and "come," and treats strangers and other dogs politely. I am very proud of her; however, the test did not include avoiding chewing up pens, ripping up carpet, or unstuffing stuffed animals. I guess there's only so much a girl can learn at one time:)

K is also for Kindness. One of the benefits of blogging has been getting to know so many wonderful people here. Garden bloggers, in particular, are always willing to share not only their knowledge of plants and techniques, but also in many cases the bounty of their gardens. Last week I was thrilled to receive a package in the mail from Gail, who knew I had admired her "Perfectly Pink Phlox Pilosa" for a long time. These little plants may not look like much right now, but next summer I'm hoping for a glorious show of pink blooms in my Butterfly & Friends garden, along with a few Penstemon X and Iris Cristata, also sent by Gail.

I've mentioned in other posts about some of the seeds I've received from other bloggers. But I've neglected to mention some other goodies shared by garden bloggers, including several starts of Cinnamon Fern, given to me by Lisa of Greenbow earlier this summer, as well as some Siberian Iris sent by Marnie this past spring. And just a few weeks ago, Tatyana, who I've only recently gotten to know, kindly sent me foxglove seeds and some seeds from her gorgeous red poppies. Monica, who actually visited my garden while I was away in Oregon, also gave me a lovely chocolate Joe Pye weed that is the perfect addition to my Butterfly Garden. Thank you to all of you for sharing these with me and making my garden a more beautiful place.

How beautiful a day can be
When kindness touches it!
--George Elliston

For more views of the letter K, visit the ABC blog, hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt.

ABC Wednesday: V

This week's ABC Wednesday

is brought to you by the letter V . . .

. . . for Volunteer

When I retired from teaching two years ago, I planned to spend part of my time volunteering, something I had had little time for while raising a family and working full-time. But most projects I was interested in required a set time commitment, which was difficult to do with an irregular substitute teaching schedule. Or perhaps that was just an excuse . . . However, last summer Oldest Granddaughter, who wants to be a Veterinarian, expressed an interest in volunteering at the local Humane Society. I wanted to encourage her, and since she needed not only transportation but also an adult mentor, I agreed to help, and together we went through orientation for Junior Volunteers.

Granddaughter has always been an animal lover, so this "job" is a natural for her. We help out several hours a month and can choose our own schedule, so it's also the perfect opportunity for me to help out in a small way. Junior volunteers are given simple jobs; dog walking, for example, is limited to those who are at least 18. Instead, one of our main activities is to socialize with the animals. Playing with the kittens or puppies, cuddling them, or brushing them helps them to interact with different humans as well as giving them a much-needed break from the confinement of their cages.

I can attest to the fact that the animals at our local shelter are well-cared for: well-fed, litterboxes regularly cleaned, and all necessary medical attention given. But it has to be hard for them to spend most of the day in a cage. The luckiest animals, I think, are some of the more laid-back cats who are allowed to live together in their own room with names like "The Catnap Cafe." I don't remember how they are selected to live here, but 8-10 cats live in each room filled with all sorts of climbing towers, scratching posts, and comfy couches. They still love the human attention, though.

Recently, Grandson #2 has tagged along with us. Now that school is out, I asked if he would like to come along so that he didn't have to spend a few hours home alone. He eagerly agreed--I thought it was because of the offer of going out to lunch afterwards. But he has really enjoyed it and now wants to become an official Junior Volunteer himself.

Granddaughter chooses what we will do each week, but our first stop is always to check out the puppy cages. Puppies never stay long at the shelter; usually by the time we see a new one, it already has a blue sticker on its cage, meaning someone has applied to adopt it. Even so, these little guys need play time, of course, and we're more than happy to oblige.

Can you tell by the blurry tail that this little English pointer mix was having fun?

This little guy was such a sweetie that if I didn't already have Sophie, I would have seriously considered adopting him. And that is the main problem with volunteering here--I wish I could take so many of these animals home. Although the shelter is not technically a no-kill shelter, we were assured at orientation that no animals are euthanized if they are not adopted. The shelter seems to have a high rate of adoption, and alternative homes, such as rescue societies are sought in special cases for a few animals.

Volunteering isn't just playing with the animals, though. Folding laundry, mopping up the occasional puppy "accident" in the play room, or washing and sanitizing the mountains of pet dishes and toys are all part of the experience, too, and Granddaughter is more than willing to do whatever is needed.

Helping at the Humane Society wasn't one of the volunteer projects I had in mind two years ago. But it's been a rewarding experience for both of us, and it's given me a lot of quality time with my granddaughter who is quite a remarkable and mature young lady.

And I do think the animals appreciate our being there.

ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Nesbitt and the ABC team.