A Flyover Blog

New Puppy in the Family

Sunday we had a family day. We ate spaghetti, talked, watched football - you know, family day stuff. The highlight of the day was nephew Blake's brand new puppy, a 10 week old Pug named Ella. Thought you'd like to meet her.

Isn't she a doll? Love that smile on Blake's face.

Ella meets our Teddy Terrier, Sam. Sam was such a good, patient boy!

Our little Buddy, on the other hand, preferred to watch her from a safe distance.

Cousin Molly - a Maltipoo - was not only unimpressed with Baby Ella, she downright disliked the fact that she was getting all the attention. Until Ella arrived, Molly was the princess! Yes, those are feathers in her hair.

Ella is a wonderful addition to the Raymer family. You picked a cutie, Blake!

 

Red Friday - September 25

U.S. and Afghan forces play volleyball on Forward Operating Base Bostick in Kunar province, Afghanistan. Soldiers and civilians on the base often play sports such as volleyball, soccer and cricket to strengthen their cohesion.

U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher W. Allison

Show Up This Weekend

"To show up is to put yourself into a web of connections that can broaden your perspective, give you fresh ideas, and open possibilities that you never even dreamed of."

- Charlotte Kasl

Red Friday - September 18

U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reads the citations for seven soldiers receiving Purple Heart honors on Forward Operating Base Ramrod, for wounds sustained in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

It's Harvest Festival Time

Thought I'd share a few shots I took at the Harvest Festival this past weekend at my favorite local greenhouse, Wickman Gardens.

Loved the orange chair and those goards! They were too spendy, so I passed.

Rows and rows of mums. Those in the red pots are monster mums; those containers are the size of bushel baskets. I had a monster mum from Wickmans last year. This year I opted for something different...

Pansies! We've had such a cool wet summer and the weather continues to be perfect for these gorgeous little plants. I bought a flat of them in burnt orange, yellow and deep purple. It's been rainy since I planted them but I'll try to get some pictures soon.

 

 

 

Wall Update

It's time for a quick progress report on our wall. Tom Ehlers at Stone Effects finished the new sign and installed it two weeks ago. It began to rain about a half hour after the job was done and we've only had 2 dry days since, so I'm a little slow in getting a picture taken. Sorry 'bout that. Here it is; looks great, doesn't it? In case you're new to Flyover Blog, we lost the wall and a good bit of the fence in an accident this summer. See this post for pics, and this one.

Next the stone masons return to fill in the bare space around the sign. Then they'll install the new pedestals on top of each of the three stone columns. Those have proven to be problematic. They were custom pedestals, cast to order, and they haven't been able to find replacements.

This week, Glenn and his crew from Wickman Gardens will arrive to replace all the landscaping we lost - if the weather holds, that is. Can't wait! I'm really tired of those bare spots. Speaking of Wickman Gardens, Mitch and I went there over the weekend and picked up a flat of pansies during their Harvest Festival. I took some pictures. Stay tuned...

Eight Years Later

September 11, 2001

Has it been that long? Don't be distracted. Don't cave in to the notion that its time to move on, or make September 11 something upbeat and productive.  

Red Friday posts will resume next week. Just thought it would be good to remember why I'm doing Red Friday posts.

Never forget.

Image from Britannica.com

Anybody Use This Stuff?

Our house is ruled by two dogs - Sam the Good, our neurotic fly-fearing Teddy Roosevelt Terrier who is nearly 100% following knee surgery this summer, and Buddy the Brave, our 5 pound tough guy. Buddy is fearless and doesn't know he is a Yorkshire Terrier. He thinks he is a lion. That's him smiling for the camera.

Buddy has a loose tooth. Unforunately, it happens a lot. His front teeth have very shallow roots; it's a Yorkie thing. During his last dental cleaning this past spring he gave us all a scare when he responded really slowly after the anesthesia. That's a Yorkie thing, too. Buddy and Sam both turned 8 years old this summer - I know, he doesn't look it! - and I would really like to keep the anesthesia experiences to a bare minimum. I've had enough medical scares for one year, thank-you-very-much. So, I Googled "loose Yorkie teeth" a while ago and found several recommendations for this stuff. PetzLife is supposed to drastically reduce the need for cleaning under anesthesia.  The before and after pictures are really impressive and I'm ready to happily spend the $25 bucks to see if it will work.

Just wonderedif anyone else out there has used this product. Input helpful!

Update: I bought a bottle of PetzLife Dental spray today and spritzed it in both their little mouths when I got home. Smells like peppermint. They ran though the house spitting melodramatically.  I'll share results when/if I notice a change. Mary asked if I brush their teeth. Sadly, I failed doggie teeth brushing. Buddy's mouth is tiny; and Sam just doesns't sit still. Believe me, we've tried it all. Let's hope this works!

Red Friday - September 4

U.S. Army Sgt. Teo Garcia plays a game of pool at the Morale, Welfare and Recreation center on Joint Security Station Loyalty in eastern Baghdad. Garcia rejoined the Army to honor the terms of a bet after losing series of pool games. Assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's Headquarters Company, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, Garcia said losing that game was the best thing that ever happened to him.

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Alex Licea

The Duggars: A Must Read

So, I got this little email digest thingy from iVillage today - I don't remember signing up for iVillage, but I must have at some point - and I snorted iced tea all over my computer keyboard when I read this headline:

Are The Duggars An Environmental Nightmare?

I. Kid. You. Not. Now, I do know who the Duggars are - saw 'em on the Today Show - but I do not watch their series, don't even know where to find it on the dial. And I don't care that they have a tv show. It seems an ingenious way of feeding all those little Duggars. Would I have 19 kids? No way, but then I don't even have one kid so I'm kinda at the opposite end of the spectrum.

The headline was so outrageous I thought it must be some sort of humorous piece, so I started reading. I soon discovered that the writer, Jennifer Merritt, is having a full-blown panic attack over the prospect of the arrival of a 19th little Duggar! I'm serious. She rambles on about carbon footprints, the number of lightbulbs these 19 kids will use in their lifetimes, and giant rodents. Yes, giant rodents. Apparently, the Duggars are going to be directly responsible for an explosion of giant rodents. I missed the connection; I was laughing too hard.

I skipped down to the comments, which were as much fun to read as the article itself. Judging by the tone of her readers, Jennifer Merritt might be well advised to change her name before penning another piece. And who's running iVillage anyway, ManBearPig?

Here's the link to the iVillage story. You gotta read this!

Photo from the official Duggar website.