A few friends were curious about all that dirt in yesterday’s post. Considering Dad’s success rate, or lack thereof, with previous projects, I can understand their concern. Rest assured the dirt is for planting. The soil is for new raised garden beds that Dad built, and to refresh dirt in an old garden he abandoned a few years ago. It isn’t like that TREEmendous failure Dad made a few years ago, when he planted sticks in plastic bottles. Don’t remember that project? Well let me refresh your memory…
Lead Us Not into Temptation (March 27, 2015)
Since Asa’s arrival I have been hard at work teaching him what are acceptable items to sink his razor sharp puppy teeth into and what are not. Mom and Dad should really appreciate my efforts because so far…knock on wood…we’ve had very few accidents. But then today Dad goes ahead and puts the most tempting toy ever in the living room and expects us to just ignore it! What is this tempting toy you ask? A plastic bottle filled with sticks! Does he not know that combines the two most favorite toys for dogs? All it is missing is a squeaker and fluff and he’d have the ultimate dog toy! But can we play with it? NO!
Dad claims these sticks will somehow magically grow into trees. And not just any tree, Lemmy’s tree! You see when Lemmy was just a little puppy, not much older than Asa is today, he gave Mom a beautiful Dwarf Crabapple Tree for Mother’s Day. She loves that tree. In the spring it has beautiful fragrant flowers, and in the autumn it is covered in brilliant red berries. Since Lemmy’s death, this tree has taken on even more significance, as a living memorial to their departed friend. Therefore, Dad has made it his mission to propagate this tree so that we have multiple ones around the yard. Let’s just say last year’s attempt at doing this did not end well. How was I suppose to know that puny stick stuck in the ground was going to be a tree? Anyways, he is trying again this year with even more sticks. Dad claims the reason they are currently in the living room is because they need the heat from the pellet stove to make them germinate and grow. I just think he’s trying to truly test our mastery of the “leave it” command! Oh and don’t even get me started about the seeds in containers of dirt upstairs on the windowsill! But I will be strong to set a good example for Asa! However, if I do give into temptation, I’m totally going to say Asa did it!
2022 Update: In case anyone is curious, those sticks did surprisingly grow roots, and started sprouting leaves in the plastic bottles. Dad even planted them in the yard outside of our play area. However, a few were accidentally run over by the lawn mower, one I mistook for a stick and chewed it, and the others never took root. But hey, Dad tried, and that’s all that mattered! Here’s hoping this newest project goes better.
