Garden Update (and yes, dogs)

I continue to make efforts at creating a garden in the Back 38 -- that long narrow stretch of rocks along the fence.

I planted two Carefree Wonder floribunda roses in April.  Here's one - protected against the Hounds, who enjoy peeing in this area:

I also planted this Spirea bush:

And this penstemon (AKA Beard's-tongue):

Over the past week I dug out more rocks and planted a few perennials, including a calla lily and lavender, and some ground covers.

Here's the second Carefree Wonder rose, next to one of two Hostas inherited from the former owners:

So far the most colorful flowers in the garden are the annuals that I planted -- marigolds, snapdragons, and petunias:

The hybrid tea roses also left by the former owners are also blooming nicely:

This week I hope to plant another excavated section of the Back 38 with more perennials To Be Named Later, as in, after I get to the nursery and randomly decide what might look nice.

Meanwhile, I'm quite certain what everyone really wants to see is PIPPIN!

He is making progress -- completely off the painkillers now, and seems to be okay with that so far.  

I allow him short visits from his pen onto the sofa, where he is strictly supervised, and where he gives me guilt-inducing looks about being kept in jail most of the time.

His minimum four weeks of being cooped up will come to an end this Friday, when he'll get to roam about more, and when I'll get to figure out how to keep him from jumping on and off the furniture.  Yay.

As for Truman, he got to go out and about, which he has hardly done at all these past few weeks.  The Farmers Market opened for the season, and I trundled him down there for a stroll:

Then I tried to get him to exercise by taking a walk in the nearby park, but Truman never has been one for walking, and this is all he did:

At least he looked spiffy during his outing, as earlier in the week I took him to his first-ever professional grooming.  He got bathed, trimmed up, and had his nails done, and got a nifty bandana.

Here he is BEFORE the visit, looking a tad scruffy (and a little suspicious):

And here he is AFTER his visit, looking ever so handsome:

As for art projects, I wasted some time playing around with various special watercolor techniques that can produce fun textures, such as this one, which uses drops of rubbing alcohol:

And this uses parchment baking paper pressed into the watercolor:

While this one is made by pressing on cling wrap:

Next, I combined all three techniques to make this abstract bit of nonsense, which perhaps could be an underwater scene on an alien planet:

I've no idea what these techniques could be used for in the sort of watercolor paintings which I normally do, but that's okay.  It was a fun way to spend a few hours while cooped up in the house keeping an eye on Pippin.

I also did another colored pencil portrait -- remember that throne chair Crowley has, with the ornate carving, which I swore I'd never draw again?

Well, I lied to myself.  I ran across a photo I'd not seen before -- a behind-the-scenes photo from the set, and I liked the way he looked in it, and he was sitting in that ridiculous chair...argh.  At least it didn't show as much of the chair, and the bits of carving shown were not so ornate, but it was still my least favorite part of the piece:

Someone please remind me NOT to draw this throne chair again!  Thank you.

So that was a week, and soon I hope to be out and about a bit more once Pippin is cleared for more activity -- of course, it's June, which means it will probably be too hot to get out and about more.  Sigh.

Have fun out there, everyone, and I shall leave you with one more pic of Truman taken by the groomer after his special spa day!