plants, animals, it's a dog's life

I've had lots of problems with blight on my tomatoes over the years; at times I've even threatened to give up on tomatoes. This year I searched online and found a blight-resistant tomato, and gave them a try.

So far, I'm pleased. They're a little "blighty" on the oldest parts of the plants, but it hasn't affected the tomatoes at all so far. There is no such thing as a blight-free tomato, but this comes close.

Cliff and Rena planted some Early Girl tomatoes and some Celebrity.

The Celebrity tomato plants are in about the same condition as my Legend tomatoes.

The Early-Girls, not so much.

Even the actual tomatoes on the Early Girl plants are spotted with blight.

So, if you have problems with blight, get yourself some Legend or Celebrity tomatoes.

I brought in a ripe butternut squash yesterday evening. I microwaved half of it and made that my supper. I'll do the other half for dinner today, for me and Cliff. We'll also have a couple of roasting-ears and some stir-fried cabbage. Maybe even a baked Yukon Gold potato, and some sliced peaches for dessert. No, I guess I'd better forget about the potato. We'll be overeating if we have all that stuff!

I milked Bonnie this morning, and for the first time she didn't have to be coaxed into the barn, and then into the stanchion. She walked right in. Then when I opened the door for Sir Loin, he knew which side of his mother to go on. When you only milk two or three times a week, it takes them awhile to learn, but they've figured it out now.

I've had lots of problems with my hyper-active dog, Sadie, running away when I turn her loose. A few days ago she disappeared while I was milking, but showed up within five minutes. I got to thinking, our neighborhood is pretty quiet in the early mornings; what if I let her go free for an hour or so? Maybe if she had a little freedom each morning, she wouldn't go so crazy on the occasion that she does get loose.

I realize there's a risk here, but I decided to try it, and it's working well. Most mornings now, she doesn't even leave the yard, but contents herself with sniffing at the flowerbed, smelling where visiting dogs left their calling cards, and chasing toads.

This morning, she did disappear for about twenty minutes. I wasn't too terribly concerned, but I was glad to see her on the porch waiting to be let in the house. I was washing milk things and didn't really pay much attention, but when she passed close by me, I realized she had been rolling in something dead. Why is it that dogs seem to be so proud of themselves when they've done this?

Bath-time for Sadie. She hates it, but she puts up with it fairly well.

Wouldn't you think she'd eventually make the connection? Let's see, I roll in carrion, I go home, I get a bath.

*sigh*