Scarab Beetles

 Well, it's been a busy but rewarding week. It took two days to seal the saltillo tiles. The roller gizmo didn't work too well with the product, so it was work on hands and knees, which then progressed to work on butt and step stool to get through. A handy brush and willing arms did the rest. 

Fortunately, the mornings I worked were overcast or covered with a marine layer until about 11:00 A.M.  So, I got to work at dawn and worked before the heat of the day. Good thing I got it out of the way, because the past two days have been strikingly hot by around 6:30. I only had enough sealer for one good coat. No more was available. Apparently, I had bought the last two gallons in California before it was banned by the state. Still available in all other states but no longer allowed shipped in! Anyway, I was already worn out and not displeased to have an excuse to call it done. 

On my treks to and from the pool area I noted these two beetles or bumblebees. They were honeymooning in the plumeria. 

I've decided I don't like the cobbled together look the extra bits of wood would make, so I will purchase some cacti and succulents to make clever blockading at the dog-vulnerable area to one side of the planter box. Otherwise, just a couple of heavy pots along the low wall should do the trick and prevent any jumping over the wall. 

Butterfly, Bee, Bird, and Busted Back

 Well, I'm not entirely sure if it's a moth or a butterfly, but this orange darling has been spending a great deal of time appreciating the blooming plumeria tree. I also spotted the largest lizard I've ever seen in my life near where the hose is connected to the faucet. It was about a foot long, and bright black, with white zig-zag markings. It was about the thickness of two of my thumbs. For a second, I thought I was looking at a snake, but then it moved, and I saw what it was. I was too awestruck to run inside to fetch my camera, and when I looked for it later, I could not find it. 

It's been a busy few days at the homestead, with lots of chores still to be finished before vacation is done.    

A dried up old palm frond fell a few days ago during the night. I chopped it up into three or four pieces and threw it into the trash bin today.

The bees, too, are out in full swing. Their preference is the lavender bush. The terrier can spend hours trying to catch one in her snapping jaws, but all she really accomplishes is making a few bees angry. I leave the scene when they are in a bad mood. 

A mockingbird visited yesterday and watched while I started clearing the pool area for prep work. 

I am hesitant to use topical poisonous flea control on the dogs, so I've been trying natural ways to control them. I sprayed a mixture of eucalyptus oil and water all over the yard, then followed up a few days later with ample spraying of Dr. Bronner's eucalyptus oil soap mixed with water. I haven't gotten rid of all of the fleas yet, but I know I've dealt a terrific blow. Plus, I no longer see any hopping gnats.

Hmmm. . . yes. . . I think I'll continue with this. Another easy victory was spraying the interior of the house with a white vinegar mix. Worked like magic, got rid of a problem area with ants, and has cleared the way. I sprayed the entire interior perimeter as a preventative measure. Works great!

I spent three hours this morning power washing the saltillo tiles. Pretty clean except for right along the planter boxes. Dirt keeps flowing out from under the boxes, so I will have to clean that section with a broom and then a damp cloth tomorrow, before I apply grout to areas where it has deteriorated. I'm happy to find that most of the present grout is still in good condition. I'm not going to mess with it. The spirit is willing, but my back is already complaining. The next two days will be a challenge, but I will be so pleased once this chore is done. Yoga and stretching will be how I survive!

Summer Splendor

The rest of the country may be suffering the heat wave of the century, but you wouldn't know it in good ol' San Diego. It's been a gorgeous day, and a pair of hummingbirds have already dallied and sipped from our blooming succulents. 

It's been more like spring around here, and the profusion of colorful blossoms only adds to the feeling. 

We feel pretty lucky to live somewhere we can enjoy such beauty even in our own backyard. I thought a lot about my grandfather today, whose daily habit it was to fill his pipe, relax in his chair, and watch the birds all day. I understand now. 

Even the cactus is bright and inviting, despite its thorns. 

This tree goes into an apparent death every season. Half the year it looks like it should be pulled out by the roots, and then this raspberry explosion takes place in the backyard! Even more delicious when viewed against the bright blue sky. 

We did search at several places while in Mexico for a birdbath, but found none to our liking. They were either too darn ugly, too ornate, or too large. I turned our biggest pot upside-down and put its dish on  top. I filled it with water but the birds have yet to discover it or trust it. I know the height is OK, because birds will bathe in a cupped leaf on the ground, if they see an opportunity. I'll just wait and peer out my bedroom window in hopes of spotting a feathered friend taking a dip or sip. It may look a little funny, but the makeshift birdbath suits me for now. Plus, it's good and sturdy, standing little chance of being toppled over by the terrier. 

The plumeria tree is giving off a wonderful fragrance, too. 

We love this place!

Ginger Needs a Home

This dog is so wonderful that we were sorely tempted to add her to our pack. But we know three dogs would be too much for us, so we held back. Ginger is a boxer-mix. We spent 24 hours with her and absolutely fell in love with her. She is good with cats and dogs of all sizes and loves to play tag on the beach. She is exceptionally well-behaved and gentle with people and animals. See pics in previous post for how she plays with Maggie. 

She is also a good guard dog and watch dog and keeps vigil at night, on the lookout for anything amiss. But she's smart, too, and knows how to treat guests and visitors. She also respects the furniture and belongings inside the home. 

Ginger is a rescue dog who is obviously very grateful to be in a safer environment, albeit temporary. She has healed perfectly after being found in a terrible condition: Someone unworthy of her had bloodied her neck with twisted wire and had most likely kicked her foreleg. 

Punta Banda

 A few miles southwest of Ensenada, Mexico, rests the community of Punta Banda. It offers beautiful white sand beaches, marked by generous rolling sand dunes. Behind the row of houses facing the beach is an estuary. For some homes, this means there is a water view from both the front and the back. 

 This morning I found hundreds of whimbrels enjoying the estuary. 

To get a decent photo of them I had to hike beyond the barbed-wire fence, across the field of succulents, and perch myself on the promontory above the birds. 

Some flew as they sensed that I was nearing but most stayed where they were, presumably trolling for small water bugs or sea life to pluck up in their bills. 

The view through the front of the house in which we stayed offered huge glass windows facing the ocean, punctuated by flamboyant objets d'art. 

Maggie has developed a love for running free and loose on the beach. She does respect boundaries and will not stray far without running back to be sure we are still around. She discovered this cat window, which she jumped through only on two occasions, when she realized that I was outside while she was in. 

 Otherwise, she waited to be let outside to play. 

The house is home to many wonderful, beautiful animals. Some are permanent members of the household. Others are foster animals waiting for adoption. This cat moved and interacted more like a dog. 

On our early morning walk, Maggie seized a large snail crab. She tossed it into the air, plucked the body from its shell, ran with it up and down the beach, barked at it, then decided she didn't like the taste of it. I'm sure one of the nearby sandpipers finished it up for breakfast. After spotting two jellyfish that had washed ashore, I decided it was time to get Maggie back across the dunes towards the house. 

 Maggie's new friend is Ginger, a rescued boxer mix. 

It was a delight to watch these two dogs run and run in circles chasing each other up and over the sand dunes in front of the house. 

Some of the resident dogs preferred to watch from the window. 

 Inside, Maggie's other best friend was Rosie, a two-month old beagle mix. They wrestled joyfully, as puppies do. 

And played tug-of-war with rope. 

We are very pleased with how well Maggie has interacted with dogs of all sizes. But today, it was Velma who gave us the biggest laugh. She was tired of all the long walks on the beach and relieved to be headed home in the car. When we stopped at a military checkpoint on our way north, she barked insistently when a soldier detained us for too long with questions. He was being a smart aleck, and though Velma was patient with his first two or three questions, when she sensed the soldier was not treating us well, and when his tone changed to a somewhat teasing pitch, she let loose with her barking in the back seat. The soldier gave up trying to talk over her and waved us through. Three cheers for Velma, the Protector!

Maggie gives this trip a PAWS UP!

Social Lives of Dogs

One of the things I love about Baja Malibu is that I finally relax and read. This weekend I read a book titled The Social Lives of Dogs, by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas. The premise is that dogs have their own social order, individuality, and pack loyalty. Interspecies relationships, such as those shared between humans, dogs, cats, and even birds within a single household, thrive by virtue of a special dynamic of respect and understanding. Especially if you live with the canine species, this book offers a thoughtful, very personal perspective, based on the author's careful observations and interaction with her special menagerie.  

Our own dogs are thoroughly enjoying their first stay at the beach house. Their daily ritual includes two leash-free walks on the beach. They dig their toes into the sand and sometimes race each other. 

Here Maggie is sniffing the succulents before our trek to the beach. 

I was initially nervous about letting the dogs off their leashes. I had never done it before. But the risk is worth the reward, considering what a wild, robust time they manage to have chasing birds, flinging sea kelp, and picking up mussel shells. My hands are usually pretty busy with the leashes getting them to and from the beach. That is why I rarely take my camera with me on these particular jaunts. Also, Maggie has a fierce independent streak and does not readily come when called. So, I've taken to putting a few treats in my pocket so that she gets a little reward when she does come, though she always looks a little dejected when she realizes it's time to clip the leash on again and head home. 

Each dog has its distinct personality. Maggie is clumsy, playful, energetic, and a bit of a rascal. Velma is dignified, walks proudly, and allows herself only quick spurts of excitement--manifested by mad bolts across the sand--before she remembers she is an adult and heels to trot by our ankles.

Earlier in the week, Maggie tried on a doggie outfit she definitely did not enjoy. She wore it for a minute-just long enough to take a picture. She was obviously confused by the restrictions it placed on her shoulders and elbows, and she looked up at me as if to say, "Are you kidding me?" Her preference is to run wild and free on the beach, chasing seabirds.  

One of Maggie's greatest skills is hiding her Bully sticks in places where none of us can ever find them. As if channeling Houdini, she can plant her special treasure within seconds. She does not do it with most of her toys, but the Bully sticks trigger a deep hoarding instinct. As unappetizing as it may seem to the rest of us, Bully sticks are made of dried bull penis. They are natural, organic, and one of the most healthful treats that can be offered to a teething puppy. Easier to digest than rawhide, and far safer than any kind of nylabone, Bully sticks are to Maggie what Toblerone chocolate is to me. 

Now, you would expect a dog to skillfully hide a bone in a yard, even a small one such as we have in San Diego, but Maggie's skills are advanced, meaning she can hide her Bully stick on a patio where there are only a few potted plants. Trust me, we've looked and cannot find a trace. Somewhere in these pots lies a half-eaten Bully stick. Short of digging all the pots up ourselves, we will not find it. And since she did such a neat job of it, we thought we had better just leave things alone. She will retrieve it when she feels the need for another chewy, flavorful snack. 

Maggie will not share her Bully stick with Velma. If one is given to each, Maggie will bury hers, then take Velma's. Velma doesn't mind too much and only likes to steal a toy once in a while to torment Maggie. Other than that, she has no real interest in the chew toys themselves. Her favorite treats are pigs' ears, which she gnaws on like her life depends on it. 

Still, the two dogs enjoy each other's company. 

This morning, I had to call them back from the corpse of a seal that had washed ashore. Maggie doesn't always heed my calls, but I must have sounded serious enough because both dogs obeyed and left the seal. 

How the plants on the patio survive our weeks away without watering is a mystery, but they seem to thrive.

Maybe inside this one?

Yard Work

OK, I know yard work isn't all that glamorous, but someone has to do it. Our front yard needed some TLC, so today was the day. After a two-week bout with bronchitis, I felt strong enough to give it a go. It was hard work, and I have plenty of scratches from the bougainvillea thorns and one nasty popped blister on my index finger to prove this work takes some grit. 

I had hired a handyman to do several jobs, but after viewing his exceedingly sloppy work on applying fence sealer, I decided my labor would be more satisfying. Look at how overgrown this plant was. 

It was all over the place and a good ten feet in the air. I brought out the ladder and my electric hedge trimmers and tackled it one branch at a time. 

Here is the monster cut down to size. The green will all grow back and fill out within a couple weeks. 

The hedges were getting a little out of hand, and the bougainvillea was taking over, sprouting into the air and over the sidewalk. I had to take it back a bit.  

Here they are after a cut. Eventually, I need to cut down most of the bougainvillea so I can paint the wrought iron. As is, however, I already filled all three of my green bins and one of my spare black garbage bins. I have nowhere else to put my yard waste until pick-up Thursday morning. 

 I trimmed these two trees back significantly. I had to carry the ladder to the side of the house to reach the back and part of the tops. It's tricky business, but the weather was very pleasant; I had a good time. 

I also mowed, weed-whacked, and raked up tons of dry bougainvillea leaves and mown grass. 

Here is the corner all cleaned up. I also fiddled a bit with a loose sprinkler head. I might have stepped on it while cutting plants back. Anyway, it's better, although not perfect.