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| Hi guys! I haven't been around much lately. Been a really BAD spring and summer for me. The weird late spring and cooler summer have really screwed up my roses, believe it or not!! Not many blooms. Plus I haven't had time or the energy or desire to deadhead or fertilize, or even just work in the yard. I'm afraid I'm losing my desire to deal with the yard at all, and I hate that! It's just that I've been working 6days a week the last 3yrs with very few extra "off" days. I work 4days at the Ace Hardware store where I've worked for about 22yrs. Then 3yrs ago when the managers talked the owners into getting rid of the huge craft department (our store is one of the biggest Ace stores north of Sacramento) to expand the plumbing department, my niece and I decided to open up a craft store ourselves. We (ACE) actually got "hate" mail from angry women who didn't want to have to drive down to Chico to get their supplies. So, it was a great idea for my niece and I to do this, but it's been a struggle getting going in this economy. Things are going pretty well now, but I still cant afford to quit my "real" job. So, I have so little time to get anything done anymore. I'm so tired and getting really burnt out. And this summer was awful!
Even tho it was the mildest one I've seen in over 20yrs, I still lost many roses and had fewer blooms than ever in the past. But I didn't get my cleanups done. I'm just lucky to get out and get the poor roses watered. And then, we got a new dog who has turned out to be a major, royal pain-in-the-you-know-what since day one. She ate and chewed up several roses, completely killing one of them. She chews up my 1/4" drip lines and the sprinkler heads in several places out front all the time. I have to go out and replace the lines, sprinklers and stakes every time I turn that area on. I cannot get her to stop doing it. It gets very frustrating and sometimes, I just want to give up. Then to top things off, my 93yr old mother fell twice in one week last month. Thankfully, she didn't break anything, but she got kind of weird, so we put her in the hospital for testing. She ended up being extremely dehydrated and had some too-low blood sugars (she's a diabetic) and just all sorts of things all combined to bring on sudden onset Alzheimers. Right now she's been in a skilled nursing facility for over 4weeks and we're hoping she will be going home soon. But she will need 24hr care. My niece lives with her and we're both trying to figure out what to do when she does come home. So, anyway, needless to say, going to see her every day and working 6days a week, I'm pretty darn dead most of the time. And the roses are sadly suffering from my neglect.
Here's some pics from the last several weeks: ALTER EGO
BILL WARRINER
BOLSHOI
BOTTICELLI
CARY GRANT
CONFIDENCE
CARMEL SUNSET
EUREKA
GINGERSNAP
GYPSY LEONIDAS
HAILSTORM
I'll post some more in another thread.... |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| So glad to see you here Beth! We miss seeing your beautiful roses!!!! And oh, so sorry about the pup getting the Border Collie genes that if you get too busy, they will destroy with a vengeance....Egads!!!! Having a full workload 6 days a week job most young Border Collie pups will go nutso over that...Eluane pups only come once in two thousand B.C. pups....I have heard of B.C. pups plucking away at linoleum tiles, shredding the couch and shoes, BUT the only relief is that unlike the Labrador pups they don't swallow or attempt to eat the debris which can lead to $1000s of dollars of vet fees with Labradors.....And please don't ever feel bad if you have to re-home her...Sometimes the B.C. genes are just too strong in terms of needing constant owner attention, and your sanity is important too! You've got tons on your plate, not just the full-time but overtime with the startup side business and family issues. Beth my heart aches about your Mom. My grandmother had Alzheimer's and sad thing is that she took so long to pass away, it was always her wish that someone would quickly end her life if she ever ended up that way, but of course for decades my mom and sister battled with their younger brother because he kept pumping her with artificial prolonging devices instead of letting her pass on as quickly as she could peaceably go....It was very, very sad. We are now sitting by and enjoying your beautiful blooms again. May their loveliness give you peace as we feel Peace when we get to enjoy their beauty! HUGS AND WELCOME BAAAAACK!!!!! |
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| Sorry to hear about your mom. It's very tough to watch a parent's decline. Been there, done that. Make sure you take time for your own health. That's very important for you and for her. You can't do your best for her if you're exhausted. And I hope that new puppy settles down for you soon too! Don't worry about neglecting the roses. They will survive and some of them will even thrive on neglect. When things settle down they'll still be there and you'll find your interest will return. In the mean time just enjoy the blooms you have. Thanks for taking the time to share these with us. They're all beautiful! |
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| I'm so sorry to hear of your mother's problems. The last thing you need is a dog tearing into your wonderful collection of roses. I know some people consider it inhumane, but have you considered a muzzle? I have certainly missed seeing your lovely photos this summer. Thank you, for finding time, to post these lovely photos. Hope you get back your energy, soon. |
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| Oh, Beth...I am so sorry to hear about your difficult year. They say you are never given more than you can handle, but...sometimes I wonder who "they"are!! I am sending hugs and hope for better days. All things do eventually pass and bright skies will return. I especially thank you for sharing your roses with us. I always see some I have never seen before and more to add to my wish list. You never disappoint! Hang strong and thanks for brightning my day with your beautiful roses! Lesley |
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- Posted by Strawberryhill 5a IL (My Page) on Mon, Oct 31, 11 at 9:27
| Absolutely gorgeous and perfect flowers! To me, flowers last longer to the season with less burnt-out look with less fertilizer. Your roses are incredibly healthy and picture-perfect. I like Eureka's color, but others are just as swell. My 86 years old Mom has diabetes too - she keeps healthy by working in the garden. Best wishes for your Mom. |
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- Posted by prettypetals GA 7 (My Page) on Mon, Oct 31, 11 at 10:16
| I wish I could head that way and give you some help. So sorry for everything you are going through! I have been there with puppies chewing everything up and hopefully it will quit shortly. Right when everything gets to a point of giving up some little something happens and it all starts to turn to the better. Good luck with your mom and your job and I really did enjoy your beautiful roses. Hugs, Judy |
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| Serena, Kya is actually a pretty good dog for the most part. She is better than when we first got her. But the sprinkler thing really is driving me crazy! I know she'll get better as she matures. And you're right, she doesn't actually "eat" the stuff she chews up! I just have to try and keep plenty of chewy toys and rawhide chews to keep her busy. She's already chewed up several of my cat Gingers "babies." She carries little stuffed toys and beanies around and cries until someone sees her and then she drops it like she had nothing to do with it. Then Kya ends up grabbing them and chewing the heads off. It's kinda funny. Seil, unfortunately my roses don't thrive on neglect! I've lost waaaay too many from not catching the sprinklers missing them in time. I lost several hard-to-replace ones. But thankfully, I just discovered that one of them actually has come back from the brink. It's an ownroot ALMONDEEN I got from Vintage several yrs ago. It died to the ground, but appears to have emerged with new growth. Now if I can keep the bugs from eating it before it gets big enough to survive. Inga, that's funny you ask about the muzzle. I actually thought about it, but I think she'd chew thru it! LOL Thanks Lesley. And "They" are full of crap!! LOL Strawberryhill, thanks. I think you might be right about the fertilizer thing, altho I just need to give them a little just to get more blooms. Or maybe it's just because I didn't get many of them deadheaded. I wish my mom could work out in her garden, but her knees are so bad she can barely get around. She's going to be pretty much wheelchair bound from now on. Thanks Judy. I agree. I know one day Kya will just suddenly become a sweet little angel and stop all the doggie madness! (She better!) |
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| Beth for Kya, what you�ll need to do is train the leave it command...Anytime Kya gets anywhere near the sprinkler or any rose bush you shout "leave it", and then the working command come! to substitute the behavior and give her a small treat or a good play tuggy session. Tuggy whether it's a soft toy or a tennis ball attached to the rope allows Kya to work off her Border Collie side of the gene pool by tugging and growling and shaking that tuggy. Most B.Cs love tuggies because they get eye contact with their owner and a real hand to body interaction with their owner.... We adore you here Inga, (rosie smiles and hugs) but hehe, that muzzle suggestion would throw most Border Collie owners into seizures because BCS are extremely hyper-sensitive dogs. And my Eluane is now cringing and trembling in her corner. Also people need to understand the Border Collie's obsession with chasing and herd water. Never run the sprinklers while she is in the backyard. Save it for pre-dawn with a set timer. Take a look at this link.. It tells the whole story, about how water spraying makes B.Cs go cuckoo. They think of it as time to pounce attack and play! Beth the only reason why I didn't tell you this right away was because I wanted to be sure everyone wrote their fan replies on your beautiful roses first before I derailed everyone on Border Collie issues, lol! Once you own a border collie or a B.C. mix great efforts have to be made to understand the breed so that you can really enjoy them and understand how to work with them.... |
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| So sorry to hear about your Mom. I hope your roses will help to lift your spirits. The pics are beautiful. I especially like Confidence and Hailstorm. Thanks for sharing. |
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