African Violets

It's too hot to garden outside today. I could have pulled weeds this morning, but I hit the computer at 7 am. By noon I'd written four articles for one client, two short hotel descriptions for another, Skype chatted with one of my favorite clients, answered emails, and started Site Editor training for Love to Know.

So at noon it was time to take a break, but I can't bear to look at more housework, other than Mount Washmore the laundry pile which must be tackled today. I took out the beautiful yellow cachepots Anna Polina sent me. I really like how they set off the green walls in our Florida room, and my African Violets needed repotting, so off I went to repot them.

These African Violets are special. My sister Mary gave me leaf cuttings at Christmastime and I grew them from leaves from her plants. She gave me six leaves, two of each of three colors she had in her living room, and one died. I have no idea which surived. Imagine my surprise today when I saw a white bud on one!

I seem to have a knack for raising African Violets. The one in my office blooms profusely, and the ones in the Florida room are thick, green and healthy, and now budding.

I transplanted them into larger pots and got a surprise bonus; a tiny little offshoot plant! It went into a third pot. A little water, and now I have three gorgeous cachepots on the windowsill filled with African Violets, waiting for Pierre to knock them all down.

A few tips on raising great African Violets:

• East or West light is best...think diffuse, bright light
• Let them get pot bound. This means let them get too big for their pots. They bloom more that way.
• Let them dry out between waterings. More African Violets die from overwatering than anything else.

Coyotes

I forgot to mention the COYOTES!

Shadow has been waking us up with her growling, watchdog bark. Three mornings ago at 5:30, she was in a frenzy barking at the yard. I got up in time to see a large black dog like creature standing near the propane tank. In truth, I thought it looked like a wolf, it was that big, but I know that no wolves are around here. On the other hand, a friend who hunts spotted coyote scat on our driveway last fall, so I think it's a coyote. Then two nights ago at 12:30, Shadow was once again barking into a frenzy. Last night John and I heard the yip-yip barks we'd heard out west by coyotes. So I've got a pack somewhere in my woods. This would explain why my compost keeps disappearing. Something has been eating entire watermelon rinds, cantalope rinds, and egg shells. We can't get compost because creatures have been raiding it. We haven't found tracks except some hair. I'm betting its the coyotes.

To Breyerfest We Go!

Well, it's off to Breyerfest! This will be our third trip since founding EquinArt Creations (http://www.equinartcreations.com/). I'm excited to be going back. Even though I know John thinks it's a pain in the neck, and we never sell enough to make it really profitable, I enjoy it a lot. Maybe because it reminds me of being a kid and waiting for the mailman to bring my issues of Just About Horses...the boxes of Breyers ordered through Bentley Sales...and the old model horse journals. In the days before the internet, we used to live and die by those badly photocopied newsletters. Model Foal Breeders Association, Model Horse Gazette...Doris Rau, Rebecca Hileman, Linda Leach, Kathy Maestas....anyone else remember these folks? I loved collecting model horses as a kid. It just struck me this morning that I can begin collecting again. I stopped back in the 1990's because I knew we would move and the house we had in Huntington had no room whatsoever for models. We barely had room for our clothes and books, never mind toys. Now I have the china hutch in my office and I have my models out. There are shelves there too which I am hoping to display my new RESINS. Yes that's right, I'm finally collecting resins! These are casts my company has produced and I am having painted. I hope to start photo showing again soon. I need a hobby so I stop taking life so darn seriously!

We leave on Thursday morning. John's dad will babysit the critters and watch the house. Actually, I think Shadow, our German Shepherd, will watch everyone. She is too funny. This morning John took Shadow and Pierre outside to play while it was still cool. Shadow loves to play fetch with her tennis ball, and Pierre loves to get into trouble and chase grasshoppers and crickets. This morning, Shadow was playing ball out front, and Pierre darted around back. Shadow was on top of him in an instant! She grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and dragged him back to the front porch. We had one wet, bedraggled cat, and John couldn't stop laughing. Shadow always 'finds' Pierre and drags him back when he runs off. The two of them go everywhere together. Just an hour ago, I went down to the basement to pack some model horse orders. The next thing I know, my two 'helpers' we at my side. Pierre leaped into the bag of packing peanuts and started making a nest for himself while Shadow lay down on the stockroom floor keeping guard on the resins while I packed the order. My two helpers...I wish I could take them with me to Breyerfest!

A busy day today as I try to wrap up everything so we can leave without worrying. Lots of writing this week but no new marketing work coming in. I just accepted a job with Smarthinking as a writing tutor and need to complete my training by next Tuesday. With being out of the office for two days, that may be a little difficult, but I'll manage.

The garden continues to flourish. I'm so happy that my photographs are now on Morguefile.com, a free website where graphic designers and marketers can grab photos for use. Yesterday they emailed me to say that my pictures were accepted. Hopefully that will generate some additional interest in my consulting services, Seven Oaks Consulting, www.sevenoaksconsulting.com and my writing career. I'm really pleased with the flower photography and include a photo I call "shy glory" here featuring one of my morning glories. Japanese beetle chewed leaves and all, I'm pleased with it!

In the meantime...Breyerfest, here we come!