Glamour Shot Lucy
It’s absolutely freezing here! And I have not yet emptied the rain barrel, so it’s probably a big block of ice. It’s not that unusual for it to get this cold here (low 20°Fs), but it IS unusual for it to happen this early. Usually it’s not this chilly until late January. brr.
To all you people who badmouth cats because “they poop in your house” and “you have to scoop the poop,” I tell you several things things:
1) They poop IN YOUR HOUSE. You NEVER have to take them outside when it “feels like 7°F”. In fact, if you tried to take them outside at a time like that, they would NOT be happy.
2) You poop in your house, too.
3) You don’t pick up your dog’s poo? Remind me not to ever walk in your yard.
Lucy has really short hair (like REALLY short), so as much as I think it is totally lame, I’m wondering if I should get her a chic doggie jacket for when I take her on walks this winter. Thoughts?
So the moral of that story is that there are no blooms outside except for some REALLY frozen pansies. But I do have Bloom Day blooms to share!
I think the Christmas cactus is running a little late, but there are a couple blooms on there that just might make it in time. In any case, I’m excited it’s blooming! My mom got this plant for me…last year? Maybe the year before. (Note that I finally remembered to take Bloom Day pics at 9:00PM, so I had to make do with what light I had. Sorry. Deal with it.)
I HAVE BLOOMS! Yup, the geranium I overwintered last year and had outside all summer is blooming! Don’t look too closely, though…the sedum planted in with it looks terrible, as do most of the leaves on the plant. I really should repot it. Hopefully it’ll make it all winter again.
Here are the two stevia plants I salvaged. I’m really glad I was able to save them. I had the hardest time finding stevia seeds (in other words, I didn’t) last year, and I finally found plants at…Lowe’s. I had planned on buying stevia seeds from Botanical Interests (they offer them now) to plant it again next year, since the plant I had planned on overwintering looked…terrible. But as I was pulling it out of its pot to compost, I saw the teenytiniest little green shoots coming up! So I separated it out into two plants and potted them up. I still have to install my iron plant rings by the window, so for now they’re living on top of the fridge with a fluorescent lamp. Also up there is the pineapple shoot I saved off of the one that kicked the bucket (that my hubby kindly bought for me off of the “rescue plant” rack at Lowes last year! <3). If all goes right (which it probably won’t, since I live in Maryland and not Hawaii), in a few years I’ll have a pineapple!
The parsley, though stretching for the light, is also doing pretty well. And in that tiny pot is a seedling from a “grow your own Christmas tree” kit. Target. Dollar Spot. Couldn’t help it. (But I did put back a mini slinky, bc wtf would I do with that? See folks, restraint is key!)
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I’m impressed that Botanical Interests is going to sell stevia seeds. Recently the sugar tray at a restaurant contained stevia as well as sugar and Equal. I grew it in my garden a couple of years ago, from a plant. The children were shocked when I made them chew a leaf. Great fun. Good going to keep it through the winter.
I’m glad they’re selling them, too! I couldn’t find them anywhere last year! I also make people chew on the leaves from the garden and they are also shocked…glad I’m not the only one who does that!
I think a coat would be acceptable for Lucy since you are doing it for function and not trying to be cute! My Christmas cactus skipped last year but has already bloomed this year so I’m pretty happy about that!
Lucy is lovely and she knows it.
Of course she should wear a coat for walking in winter – and why shouldn’t she look good. I have a coat I wear in winter and my fur is much longer than hers.
Yes, Lucy does need a coat or sweater or both! Scout had 2 coat type capes that I made for her and plenty of sweaters. When it got cold Scout would hold her arm up for me to dress her in her sweater. She did not mind them a bit. (God, I still miss that sweet dog!) I bought a pretty blue sweater for Joy last year— she was having no part of that. I guess Golden Retrievers don’t feel the need for sweaters with all the fur.
Thanks, guys! I think I will get Lucy a coat. We went on a walk today and she did the “shake” thing a lot, so I think she was trying to warm up (it’s 30°, feels colder!). And I had on several layers…there’s no way her little short hairs could be keeping her warm! I’ll have to see if I can find one that works with a harness, since she’s much nicer on walks with that on.