In between the working, sleeping and endless jaw gnashing I managed to take some pictures. Not very many but at least there were one or two that I thought decent enough to share. On the plant that gave me two beautiful pink flowers a week ago appeared this white and lavender bloom.



And just for fun, here's a "Behind the Scenes at Heather Ink" photograph for you.

The weather was perfect this weekend, 72 and sunny with a slight breeze. In between working and cooking I tried to get outside as much as I could. I think the pups appreciated it!



I also found this little gem hanging out in one of my potted barrels. I planted them last year but they didn't do anything. I couldn't get them to bloom, I thought I was a calla lily failure, so I ripped them out. Or so I thought. There's about four new plants popping up and I'm so excited. What's better than a pink calla lily?

I spent some time this evening in the garden with my two best furry friends. Moments before this photo they were playing chase and running huge circles around the yard with a thundering gallop. Henry could, if anyone would let him, run in the same lap until he falls over from exhaustion. This is how he played before we adopted Lola. Henry would run, in the same direction, round and round the couch until Lola entered his life. The first time they set out to play chase Henry leapt off the starting line and around the couch. One lap, Lola chases. Two laps, Lola still chasing. Half way through the third lap, Lola froze (you could almost see her thinking, "Why am I doing this?"), turned around to head him off and SMACK. Henry was so startled, amazed and confused that he ran right into her! His life has never been the same but I don't think he minds.

Recently we started having the dogs wait for a command until they may eat their treats. Henry, though, has taken this to heart. He knows he is not allowed to eat the treat, but he won't even so much as look at it for fear of turning to a pillar of salt.

Do you see that? 90? That is some seriously hot weather for coastal San Diego. We consider 75 to be a hot day. The weather is supposed to be 72 and sunny, no more and no less. We can tell the difference between 72 and 75 without even looking at a thermometer so when it hits these kind of temperatures everyone in town is grumpy and falling over from heat exhaustion. Not to mention the air is so dry that the inside of my nose feels like someone buzzed it out with a Dremel then went back in with some sandpaper and then rounded it out by stuffing cotton balls down my throat. It's 8% humidity. My lips feel like they are going to fall off. I live one, ONE! mile from the gigantic Pacific Ocean. How is 8% even physically possible?

My poor Henry looks like he's going to spontaneously catch on fire, his blood boiling when he even so much as looks outside. He just keeps wandering from room to room, glaring at us with each pass, looking for the coldest possible spot to stay until the sun sets. For a little reprieve I gave him a cool bath, something he doesn't like at all. But we sat him down and explained that after Mommy takes away all your dignity and scrubs every inch of your body with strawberry scented shampoo, you will feel better. He still did not agree but finally after we threatened some timeout without treats, food or water he pathetically relented by putting his ears down, holding his breath and hopping in the bath all the while choking back tears. Because I'm just that mean.

But then what do you know? Post bath we had a new, non-glaring, happy, energized Henry. He said, "Wow! Aside from all this water you poured in my ears, I feel great! It's a beautiful day and I'm happy to be alive!"



So for the next thirty seconds he played and chased Lola all around the house and yard. Until suddenly he was hot again. Because not even something with more fur than Jennifer Lopez can stay cool and wet when it's negative humidity.

My lazy Lola, here in a variety of soppy posses. I wish I could fall back to sleep this easily.

Henry has so much fur I think he boils alive. He's always searching for a cool spot to lay down. He usually relaxes in the shade but today I guess I wasn't gardening within the allowed proximity to a shady spot. He opted for cool plants on his tummy and suffered through the sun gleaming off his back because he must stare at me. At all times.

"Did you give them D-I-N-N-E-R?"

"No, I gave them B-R-E-A-K ... F-A-S-T."

"Can you S-P-E-L-L?"

"N-O."

You know how you wake up some mornings and think everything is fine, nothing is wrong, all is well? Yay! You're thinking I'm going to get up, do some work, call some people, maybe get lunch somewhere fun. Then your dog emerges from under the bed and he's shaking his head, leaning to the left and can't lift his head up straight because OUCH MY EAR MOM! SERIOUSLY! MOM! MY EAR! So you lift up his ear and it's fire-breathing chili pepper red and kind of smells funny. Suddenly the easy TGIF kinda day unfolds into trips to and from the vet, worrying about the dog and loosing 200 bucks before you've even had a cup of coffee.