Saturday we began our dog adventure by traveling to Huntley, Illinois to the Animal House Pet Shelter.  We were to meet Emily a part golden retriever.  We parked the car and entered the building and I was really turned off by the smell.  The cat house was right next to the office and the place reeked of cat urine.  Sorry, cat lovers, but the hubster and I are both allergic and the smell repulses both of us.  It was not a good first impression.

The girl at the desk told us the foster family had not arrived with Emily and so we took seats and sat until the hubster decided he had to have some fresh air.  I was just about to join him when a blue vehicle pulled up with a white looking dog in the back.  I just knew it was Emily.

I walked over to the door and the girl who was walking the dogs asked if I was there to see a dog and I told her we were meeting Emily and asked if she thought that was the dog in the aforementioned vehicle.  She said it was and I proceeded to ask her a bunch of questions.  “Does she walk well?  Is she a nice girl?”  She said only positive things about little Emily.

The hubster came back to the door and I walked out and said, “She is here.”  I pointed to the vehicle and a guy was letting the dog out of the car.  I walked over and introduced myself to Steve, the foster dad of Emily.

I was taken by how much she looked just like the photos we had seen of her.  She is mostly white with a few blotched markings over her body.  She has a dot on her forehead just like my little Jessie dog had.

I was slow to hold out my hand to her and Steve suggested that I squat down and talk to her.  He told us that she was afraid of most men and suspected that a man had once abused her.  The hubster was standoffish.  We went inside and visited for a bit and Steve suggested we go outside where we could get some fresh air and see how she behaved outside.

Steve said not to let her near other dogs as she was unsure of herself around them. She was very shy and stayed close to Steve.  I walked her around the grass area and then the hubster walked her a little.  We went to a fenced area to get to know her better and to play.

Steve left to let us be alone with her.  She stayed by the fence where he had left and kept looking for him the entire time.  The hubster tried to encounter her but she just moved away.  I tried to get her to play but she was only interested in Steve.

I told the hubster I was not sure about her and maybe we should go inside and ask about other dogs.  We did just that and told Steve we were not sure.  All the dogs we asked about were either shier than Emily or had been adopted previously.  I told the hubster that we should not let her go.  I really liked her and she was warming up to me.

Several volunteers came out to see Emily for she had been at a foster home for over two weeks but had lived at the shelter for several years.  The hubster filled out paper work and paid the fee for Emily.  All the volunteers loved on Emily and she was so sweet with all of them.  I knew we had made the right decision.

We exchanged collars and leashes and we bought a bag of dog food that she was accustomed to and off we went.  We had brought an old quilt which we spread on the back seat.  Emily jumped excitedly into the car and immediately went into the front seat.  I could feel the hubster cringe as she walked on his leather seat.

Steve said, “I believe she wants to ride shotgun.”

“Oh no she isn’t,” the hubster declared.  I climbed into the back seat and called her to me.  She came right back and I had her sit down on the quilt.  Off we went to take her home.

She rode in the car well.  She didn’t get sick, and I was so relieved.  At one point she crawled into my lap with her front paws.  I petted her during the whole trip and told her what a beauty was.

When we got home, I walked her around the yard to let her go potty.  She is not much of a pee maker.  A little squirt here and there.  We went into the house and I walked her around on her leash to show her her new home.

The first night was pretty scary but she slept in the bed between us and slept all night long.  We went on our first walk together after the rain stopped.  Jessie would never walk in the rain.  I called her “Princess Dry Paws.”  Emily had no problem with that at all.

We came across two little girls in the neighborhood who had come to visit Jessie when she was very ill.  They had brought her “get well” cards.  They dropped their bikes and came to pet Emmie.  Emmie allowed them to pet her a bit but I heard a distinct growl from her.  I told the girls it was enough and maybe next time she would be nice.  We were told she bit a child and that is why she was taken to the shelter.

I went to my Zumba class on Tuesday and when I got home Emmie came running to greet me and then ran to get Mr. Squeeky Toy.  My heart just melted.  She really liked me.

Emmie has taught me to play Frisbee.  I am the worst Frisbee thrower in the world.  I threw the first five into my garden.  Emmie jumped right over and got the thing and jumped right back out.  She can really jump high.  I must get a hula hoop.

Emmie is a good walking partner.  She walks at my side and only occasionally pulls forward.  She is a strange pottier.  She squirts out a little pee here and there.  She has only pooped while on our walks.  She must want to keep our yard clean.  I must remember to carry a plastic bag.

It is day four and she still is not warming to the hubster but he is feeding her now and hopefully, she will become his buddy too.

We are off to the vet today.  The vet’s name is Emily also.  I hope to get a good report and I pray that she is nice to the vet’s employees.

She sleeps at my feet while I computerize.

Tuesday I had a very good adventure.  Friends, Garnet and Charyl, invited me to go have mani-pedis with them.  First of all, I had to ask what a mani-pedi was.  Since I was asking Garnet, I had no idea that she meant manicure and pedicures.  I tried to get Garnet to go with me for a pedicure two years ago and she told me she didn’t like having people mess with her feet.  I was flabbergasted that we were going for mani-pedis.

I drove to Charyl’s house and we rode together to Garnet’s where we picked her up and continued on our journey.  Our plans were to 1.) go get mani-pedis, 2.) go have lunch, 3.) stop at Farm and Fleet and get their license for their kayaks and 4.) go to Best Buy for a birthday gift for C’s hubster.

We arrived at a nail shop and I was surprised that we hadn’t made appointment, because the place doesn’t take appointments, and we got right in.  There was a lovely Vietnamese lady and two dudes.  I have never had a man give me a pedicure before and it was quite the adventure.  He didn’t really talk to me much but I filled his ear plenty.

Garnet had the other dude doing her toes.  She fell in love with the massage chair as well as the hot water bath for our feet.  I looked at her and told her, “you’ll probably be here every two weeks now!”  She sang to her guy while he did her toes.

I asked my guy if they were all family and Garnet’s dude told me yes they were.  I took this to mean my guy couldn’t speak much English.  I asked him if he had been doing this for very long.  He just looked at me.  I told him for an old broad I have really soft feet and he agreed???

They had started on Charyl first but finished last because the lady doing her feet was using this machete and scythe on her feet for a really long time.  I have to make Charyl some of my foot scrub.

Garnet is sensitive about her hands and feet but said she had been working on them for a while.  She has a wedding this weekend and wants to look splendid.  And she will, for I saw the blouse she is wearing and it kicks ass.  She got her nails done in a midnight blue and was going to have her fingernails just clear polish but we talked her into continuing the midnight blue theme.   They looked great.

We were sitting in the dryer light and talked about lunch.  I said Alvarez is just around the corner and both friends sighed.  We love the Alvarez.  And we can drink!  Enough said.  We hit the Alvarez and it wasn’t too busy for a Tuesday at 11:45ish.

I ordered my usual Pollo Hausteca.  (Not sure if I spelled it right but this dish is the best Mexican thing in the world.  If you like hot and spicy food, get it next time.) I ordered a Corona with lime and Garnet joined me.  Charyl had a margarita on the rocks.

Garnet sang along with the music and I told her how much I detested Mexican music.  I don’t mind the lovey dovey stuff but that mariachi stuff drives me to distraction.

We ate most of our salsa and ordered more and I asked for some of the green stuff.  Garnet gagged.  What, you don’t like hot stuff?  She tried it anyhow and complained for ten minutes.  I felt like going to get her a glass of milk.

We went to Farm and Fleet but the girls couldn’t get their licenses because Garnet’s is in her husband’s name and Charyl forgot her other card from last year.  Oh well.

We made it to Best Buy and I looked around at stuff.  They have a lot of stuff.  The washers and dryers are something else.  Mine are thirty years old and I need to upgrade someday.

We then went to the Hallmark shop for Father’s Day cards.  I cannot believe how expensive a greeting card is these days.  For only forty-two, ninety-five you can get a card that personally cleans your house.  Just kidding, but wouldn’t that be a great card?

We then went next door and visited I think the name of the store was Ross.  I am not a shopper but Garnet said they have cool stuff there.  I quickly got bored but ran into the director’s daughter of the movie that I played the Grandma.  Evidently, she is the manager there at Ross.  They had a line of trainees that were marching around the perimeter of the building.  Not sure what that was about.

I ended up sitting in a chair at the front of the store while the girls shopped.  It was people watching at its best.  One lady purchased about five blouses that looked very similar.  They were all black and white.  This seemed strange to me.

Another person left their wallet and a bunch of folks discussed who it belonged to.  They were pointing to a car in the parking lot and decided that must be who left it.  No one bothered to take it out to the car and offer it to him.  They supposed he would return for it.  How sad that was to me.  What if he lives in Wisconsin or something?  I’d be pissed that no one bothered to try and return it while I was still in the parking lot.

Charyl finished shopping and said she would go get the car and start the air conditioning.  I waiting about ten more minutes then I spied Garnet.  I made it to her and told her we were ready to go.  She didn’t buy anything.

I must say that each venture I make with these two girlfriends is so much fun.  They are funny and sarcastic and we find an adventure in everything we do together.

Oh, and I get to babysit Garnet’s dog, Duke, while she is at the wedding.  I’m so excited.

This Buddha was in the nail salon.  Isn't he wonderful?

Yesterday I went with the Lake Summerset Garden Club to The Flower Factory in Stoughton, Wisconsin. It is located on County Highway A.  It was about a forty minute drive and I rode with my co-worker, Kathy.  We had a nice chat and got to know each other a little better.  We are co-workers on the crew that tends the front gate garden at Lake Summerset, where we live.

The Flower Factory has nineteen greenhouses and 258 perennial plants to choose from.  It was almost overwhelming.  I took my camera but was so busy looking, I forgot to take photos.  I did get a photo of the full size topiary horses that were covered in sedum.  They were lovely.

Kathy and I went to the shade garden greenhouses first as we both have shade gardens and wanted some new ideas.  We saw many interesting plants including one that looked like a dandelion but had the most magnificent blue bloom.  I forgot to write down what it was.

The greenhouses just went on and on and I did write down several things:

Red yarrow – close to #16

Solomon’s Seal – what does the bloom look like

Sempervivum – close to #19

Eriperon – close to #19  (I think I wrote this down wrong since I wasn’t using my glasses.  It must have been Erigeron which is a daisy like plant.)  But why is it close to 19 when 19 was sedum and cacti???

The Solomon’s Seal flower looks like little bells hanging down under the plants stem.

I ended up purchasing the red yarrow and the Sempervivum Purdy.  (It is purdy!)  I am going to spread my little wire turtle with the sempervivum and hopefully in a couple of years it will be completely covered.  Will post photos.

One of my main reasons for searching the plants is that I wanted to try to grow bluets.  They grow in the shade and the flower is similar to a passion flower, sort of.  I did track down the owner of the FF and asked him but he said they quit trying to grow them as they are very difficult.  That changed my mind.  If I find some seed on the internet I may still try but I am disheartened with bluets.

The Flower Factory is truly worth the ride to go see it.  Next time I will take my notebook, glasses and checkbook, and close my mouth.

Our garden club drove to Oregon, Wisconsin where we lunched at Senor Peppers.  I wanted the Chilies Rellenos but they weren’t serving it that day and I got a burrito which was okay.  My beans and rice were not warm at all.  There were about 25 of us at the tables and that could be the reason why the beans and rice were not warm.  They probably plated them first and then added the main dish as they came off the grill.  I most likely will not go back to the restaurant as I never make it to Oregon.

I have sort of been out of commission for the past several days.  Friend, Charyl, and her hubster have decided they are selling everything and moving south and so they had a HUGE garage sale over the weekend.  Her planned helpers had bowed out and so Garnet and I made it over to help them out.  It turned out to be a good thing because they had large crowds at this sale.

One man purchased over $200 in stuff and came back the next day and bought more.  They really have a lot of “stuff”.  Not so much anymore as they sold a lot of it.

Charyl told me to pick out anything I wanted and just take it as my payment for working for her.  I took her rotisserie that I had wanted to borrow for a couple of years and never have.  I also took a plant stand for the solarium, two solar lamps shaped like mushrooms, the cutest little bunny ever and a few other odds and ends.

I had my eye on a bird cage and sure enough when I went to pick it up someone had snatched it right out of my reach and purchased it.

I saw lots of folks that I know and met a few very interesting folks too.  One woman is going to take my yarn off my hands.  I have decided I am never going to crochet or knit ever again and have got to rid myself of the rest of my yarn collection.

Charyl and the hubby bought our lunch each day which was so very nice and Garnet managed to find us a couple of beers to go with our lunch.  The weather was cooperating and it was sunny but there was a nice breeze.  We stayed on our toes for about eight hours the first day and about seven on the second day.  The second day it rained for a while and kept folks away.

Garnet and Charyl kept us entertained.  A little girl came up to Garnet and asked if she could use the restroom.  Garnet pointed to the tent and told her to just go under the table.  I was afraid she would scar the child for life.  I told Garnet to show them the restroom.

Two little kids were fingering a box of small toys and Charyl told them to fill a Crown Royal bag with them and it was only fifty cents.  They told her they didn’t have any money and she said just take it for free then.  The kids asked if this was her sale and she told them “no” and that she didn’t like the people that lived here and didn’t want them to make any money on this garage sale.

I got totally bored during a slump in traffic and weeded Charyl’s flower bed that was to the left of where I was stationed guarding the money box.  Charyl thanked me and talked me into taking this straw hat that was so gaudy it was unbelievable.  I brought it home and hung it in Daddy’s garden.  It looks okay but I think I may dump the pink flowers and ribbon and change it to a red, white and blue theme.

I went back on Sunday to thank Charyl and the hubster.  I took Charyl a bouquet of flowers and the hubster a jar of canned jalapeño peppers.

I redid the goofy hat and changed it to a red, white and blue theme.  What do you think?