The rabbits and deer have won the fairy garden. It’s official. I’ve given up on live plants and planted plastic instead. Animals 1 – farmer 0. It’s a tie on the veggie bed with chicken wire and mesh around my tender plants. They did manage to penetrate to a vigorous bean plant and that plant won’t be going anywhere now. Love the animals, but…
Punkin the Pom is carefully beginning to enjoy her walks.* The CE, having a closer bond, is trusting her more and she’s taking advantage. Otherwise, still accepting few treats, no toys, no offers of companionship, and housetraining is a throw of the dice.
June was a struggle, once again, with the CE’s attention divided and my spending more time in the kitchen. It didn’t help that I decided my next personal challenge was to make a sourdough starter and produce a loaf of sourdough bread. I’m currently on the third try which is not looking good right now at Day 4 of a 6-7 day cycle of starter. Of course, it’s also that time of the year when the gardens and outdoor activities take precedence.
I’m thinking, if not a sabbatical, then a greatly reduced schedule through July and probably August. Most of my reading now includes audiobooks as time for reading has been greatly reduced. Of the twelve books, half were audiobooks!
As always, links on titles are to our reviews that include purchase or source information.
The Curse of King Midas by Colleen M Story (CE review)
Lockdown by Sara Driscoll
The Cyanide Canary by Robert Dugoni and Joseph Hilldorfer (audiobook)
The Wild Road Home by Melissa Payne
If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay (audiobook)
The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci (audiobook)
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears (audiobook)
Best House on the Block by T R Ragan
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio (audiobook)
Prevailing Wind by Thomas Dolby (CE review)
Breach by Holly S Roberts (blog tour)
Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews (audiobook)
I really loved The Wild Road Home—it was addictive, kept me reading, and I was thoroughly invested in the well-developed characters. It fell just one-half star short of five, however, and the CE easily gave his book, Prevailing Wind, five stars even with a rather slow start. It’s a toss up, but I’ll have to give the nod to his book.
Favorite for June – Prevailing Wind by Thomas Dolby
My Reading Challenges page…Reading Challenges page—well, you know the score. Life is scattered and chaotic right now. The Goodreads Challenge is now six books behind schedule at 68 of 150. I make no promises.
Welcome as always to my new subscribers! My blog hopping time has seriously suffered having apparently landed somewhere underneath getting a review out. I apologize for the slow response to your great posts, but I’m trying. Honest.
*Apologize for the poor GIF, apparently I’m not allowed to upload an MP4 even when I get it down to 11 MGs.
©2024 V Williams
Rosepoint Publishing 
Lovely to see Punkin running round the garden. Have you seen any of Rocky Kanaka’s videos on FB? How he deals with shelter dogs that are shut down or distrustful of humans (not that I’m applying that to Punkin) Just mentioned it in case it gives you any ideas for moving forward.
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thank you, Cathy. i’ll look them up. i’m for anything that will help us with this little thing. she certainly did come to us shut down. would go stiff when she was touched. she has made strides and beginning to accept that i’m around. i’d hoped she could eventually be a companion dog, but at almost 9 mos with us, her crate is still her safe haven and where she stays most of the time, except to eat (and little walks now).
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I hope you find something that’s helpful.
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i liked some of the techniques and info on dog body language/behavior, but i noticed the first thing he tried was treats and that’s been one of our problems with Punkin. living in a kennel producing puppies, she never knew what treats were, or much of any other doggie favs i’m guessing. so she ignores treats (and bones–what dog can resist a bone??!). we still aren’t sure what drives her, but it isn’t food or toys.
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I guess food/treats isn’t the driving force for every dog. Poor Punkin, I must have missed the fact she’d been used for breeding.
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yeah, lots of things she’s missed in her short life so far (she’s 5). i thought once introduced she’d come to love treats but guess it doesn’t work that way. Frosty, our Bichon that we lost last year was not treat driven either, but she loved her toys and walks. that dog went everywhere with us. this one doesn’t know toys or walks either. do you have experience with a rescue?
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Yes, my dog before this one was a rescue. He came from Ireland and had been with travellers. He was about 5 months old when he came to us. He had a couple of issues. Strangely, he didn’t like men dressed in black and barked like a fiend if one came near him but other than that he was an easy dog and very friendly. We were lucky, I guess.
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you were (lucky). now that we have this little lady, i’m reading all kinds of stories that make me think maybe she is not so bad off as we think.
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