Concrete, Guard dogs, and Zippy's confusion.

I have been working on my grape arbor/trellis.  I am putting a scratch coat of concrete on first.  After the scratch coat goes on, a finish coat of cement will follow.  The finish coat will have a lot more detail and then I can move on to the rest of the metal work on the top of the arbor.  

Another view of the scratch coat.  

I cover the posts as they are curing to keep them from drying out in the hot sun.  This keeps the concrete from curing too quickly and cracking.   I have added some simple details to the posts at this stage and will add much more detail as it progresses.  

 Pearl report.

She is chugging along at a good pace.  Up to 583 pounds.  

The weather has warmed back up and she is gaining about 15-17 pounds per day. 

The cooler night time temps were slowing down her growth to only 5 pounds per day for a day or two.  

I am glad that she has picked back up.  

As you can see here....I am having a problem with powdery mildew. 

The guard dog on duty in the background is keeping an eye out for other pests.

Here we have another guard.

She takes her job Very seriously. 

She is always alert and ready to act.  

Keeping pests away from Pearl.  

Oh!  It looks as if she has spotted an intruder!  

Wow!  Close call!!!

That cat could have scratched poor Pearl!

Good job guard dog!

Wait!

What is going on here!  

Bumble....you are supposed to be on duty!  

Remember......ALERT.....and always on duty???

It is okay......nothing happened!  

No other pests have entered Pearl's patch.  

I would know if there were uninvited guests.  

After all.....I am the best guard dog around. 

He he he.......I got past the guard dog.....

Ha ha ha...

I am here to stay.

Don't worry though.....I do not eat pumpkin.

Pearl tucked in for the evening. 

Wearing the latest in pumpkin couture.

Beautiful Zinnia.

Man, I am tired!

That guard duty is.....well.....tiring. 

I think I will take a nap.

Zippy........zzzzz......you play ball.......I will nap....zzzzzzz

Hey!  someone......help!!!!!!!

Zippy did it again.

He has two balls to play with.

We all know what happens when Zippy does this!  

It is not good.

Hurry!

Oh no!!!!  

I am confused!

Do I play with this one????

Or do I play with this one?????

Gosh.....this one......

Or.....

I don't know......

This one looks fun too!

Help!!!!!!!!

This or that........this or that????

I hate having to make a decision.....

Bumble Help!!!!

Okay.....Zippy all you have to do is push ONE of the balls under the fence.  

Then you can play with the other one.

Oh Brother..........

He did not do what I think he did!  

Zippy...I said ONE of the balls!!!!!

Sometimes I think that I am the only one around here with any common sense.  

Really!  

Could someone please get one of the balls???????

Bumble made me do it....honest....

she said to roll them under the fence...it is not my fault.

Front yard this week.  

Still blooming.  

We had a little dark grey ghost shaped cloud to the right of Elk Knob.  

Pretty spooky.  

Wet stuff

Well it has been raining her for.....well.......forever.

Really...

Even my plants think so.  

We did get a hole or two of golf in one day...only right after I took this shot.....and

I really do mean right after I took it....

A bolt of lightening struck very close by and let me tell you....

I ran all the way up the hill to my neighbor's house....

Without my golf club!

We have mushrooms growing like crazy.  

Everywhere you look.......you will see a mushroom.

Also look at the size of these things!!!!   

I have never seen mushrooms growing like this before.  

Too bad this did not happen during morel season!  

Just my luck. 

The sky has been interesting though.  

Here we have Minnie Pearl, Pearl's sister, watching the sunset.  

Well.....here she is. 

Beautiful Pearl.  

Excuse the tape.  I had to put that on Pearl because the tape measure that I have is not large enough to 

go all the way around her beautiful wide girth.  I use the tape to mark the place that I have add to the measurement.  

Pearl has actually been enjoying the rain.  Although the cooler night temps have been ever so slightly slowing her down.  Still gaining 15-16 pounds per day.  

Grow em Big!!!

That's what us giant vegetable growers say to each other.  Ha ha. 

We got a new speed bump for the driveway. 

It is portable.  

One of my neighbors (who has the initials LTM) snuck up here and put this dangling blue male appendage on our gator.  I had to block it out with leaves.  Anyway......now all of our little trollies are male.  That LTM always doing funny stuff!  

It is supposed to be nice starting tomorrow and I hope that it is....

I want to weld my arbor together.

Wish me luck.  

Zippy's Birthday!!!!

Well....7 years ago Baby Zippy was born.  

His name before we got him was Zeb.  

After watching him zoom around for a few days; I decided that his name 

should be changed to Zippy.   A word of advice......

never ever name your dog Zippy.  

Possibly something more like Couch Potato would be best.

Believe me....Zippy has really lived up to his name. 

He has kept me on my toes .

We have overcome many struggles.  Sometimes hard to handle, but always loyal and lovable.

He loves to get as dirty as possible as often as possible.  

He is extremely fascinated by water and will dig in any mud puddle around.  Especially if he sees water running into a mud puddle.  

He LOVES to jump and dig!

This is quite possibly his most favorite thing to do other than play with his ball.  

He loves to go for long hikes and scout the area for deer or turkeys.  

He likes to look, but he never ever touches. 

Here he is enjoying the view.  He really appreciates nature. 

He knows how to get out of sticky situations.  

Here he is helping out with 2009 ice storm damage. 

He is a leader among his peers. 

He is a super model.  

He has been on a cover of a magazine, a centerfold and has also been in several calendars.

He loves Christmas

He has pointing abilities

He used to love to skateboard.

That was before he decided that the wheels were fun to chew. 

He is full of heart and loves to be petted.  

He is a lover. 

His true love is Bumble.  

He can be one cool dude and really knows how to have fun.  

Enjoy your birthday pal.