The adventures of Smudge.....

I have been trying to get my garden ready for planting.

Smudge was able to help me last year and had great fun harvesting potatoes...

Last fall she was small enough to fit through the garden gate.

This spring.....she has a little bit of an issue.

It seems that the only thing that fits through the gate

is her head.

She tried and tried to get through..

Pushing and crying....

She even pitched a bit of a temper tantrum.

She never gave up.

Digging....

Trying another method...

At this point I thought she was going to injure herself, but she finally decided

that she would not fit.  

She dug, and scraped and cried some more and then 

finally took out her frustration on that poor coil of twine on the post.

Poor little angel...

Notice the grass hanging out of her mouth.

Plus the mud on her chest. 

She really gave it her all.

I guess that she was angry with me for not letting her into the garden.

So she did this....

She looks pretty content on that poor hosta.  

Of course before I scolded her, I HAD to take a picture.

Looks a little like a pig in this one.  

A pig with flying nun ears.

  

May.

This is the face of a happy donkey.  

Her birthday is May 8th.

A wild flower.

I am not at all sure what this plant is.  

I found it growing in a stream. 

Huge leaves.

Zippy cooling off in the stream.

He loves to do this. 

Usually though it is in a mud puddle and he rolls.

This is one of my photo challenge photos.

Circles.

This was an alternate circles photo.  

It was warm the other day and I thought that I would take Smudge and Gus for a swim.

Well...only Gus can swim.

Bulldogs usually sink and I was right there with Smudge in case she fell in or 

actually attempted to swim.

She happily played right on the edge of the water.

Gus enjoyed staying just out of her reach. 

She splashed around and had the most wonderful time.

Of course, she got very dirty.

After swimming....Smudge had a run through the tall grass.

She was out of control.  

Took this because the lighting was so good.

The faux bois fountain that I made.

This is my poor, poor tree peony.

It was also a photo challenge photo. 

"Something that makes you sad".  

The last freeze that we had really did a number on my shrubs and many of my perennials.

The wild thing is that this tree peony and the one in my back yard are both blooming away as

if nothing happened.  I am also happy that they are starting to leaf back out. 

They do look pretty sad without leaves. 

Zippy.

These are photos for May 1st.

Peace.

Look at how peaceful Smudge can be....

Only when she is sleeping.....

My May 2nd. Photo Skyline.

Zippy loves looking at the view.  

I don't know why, but he always stops here and looks out.

Probably just looking for a deer or rabbit to chase.

I like to think that he is appreciating the scenery or contemplating life.

Another view of Elk Knob State Park.

The leaves are starting to come out on the trees. 

A very welcome sight.

Zippy once again cooling off in the stream. 

The other day I found this!

I was so excited about it.

It has such a cool shape and it looked really old.

A friend told me that it is a Stanley Stemmed spear point.

From the Archaic period.

Very neat.

Hmmmm....I wonder what kind of trouble I can get into???

I think that I will roll in the grass....la lalala...

Okay...enough of that now what? 

Okay....I think that I will do this!!!!!

Ha ha ha...

I love plastic containers and other things......things that I am not supposed to 

 play with.  Like plants that my mom bought......or potatoes.....

I mean....if someone says anything to me.....I will just blame Gus.

Or say....I didn't mean to do it.

Really...

Gus made me do it.

Alternate skyline shot.

We have really had some stellar weather lately.

The old cow.

Zippy once again contemplating life. 

He really is a deep thinker....and a genius.  

Okay folks...don't laugh.

This is a photo challenge photo!

May 6th.  You.

The sky has been so beautiful.

Clouds covering the top of Elk Knob. 

I went to a neat function the other night.  It is called "The Art of Chocolate". 

This is the event that Options, Inc. has to raise money for their shelter.

The shelter houses and helps women that are victims of domestic abuse.

I don't know if you remember, but this is the event that the Oak Hill Iron sculpture was made for.

Oak Hill Iron had a design contest and they picked my design for the sculpture that they then produced.

By the way....that is me in that black dress.  

I know....don't faint or anything....it is not every day that I wear a (gasp) dress.

It was for a good cause, so I gave in.

This is the sculpture!

I only wish that I could have purchased it.

If you ever need any ironwork for your home...contact Oak Hill Iron in Morganton, NC. 

They are fabulous folks and their work is out of this world.

The rooster in my garden.

Smudge....

are you through being a bad girl?

I have to go to the store...

We need more plastic containers..

Will you be good while I am away???

Did someone say plastic????

I found this nest of baby spiders.

I thought that they were kind of cute.

Just hanging out waiting for a breeze to take them away.

One of my bird concrete sculptures.

On top of a morel mushroom sculpture.

This was my photo for May 5th.

Bird.

Mr. W. O. Owl.  

Sitting on a pea pod pedestal.

Photo of my singed shrubs.  

So upset that I did not get to see the lilacs bloom.  

The Art of Chocolate sculpture. 

Have a great week everyone!!!