gathering

Rosie and I are both learning about gardens and yards this summer. I am learning how to plant and care for them, Rosie is learning how to stay out of them and in them respectively. It has been so fun and unbelievably therapeutic.

A really great trick I learned from another "dog person," is to tie a long cord to Rosie while she's out in the yard. We don't tie her up, but if she starts to go somewhere she shouldn't we tell her no and reel her back in, giving her a treat when she get's to us, and lots of treats when we don't have to reel her and she does it on her own. It has really helped teach her the boundaries of our yard (which is not fenced) and we rarely have to reel her, but we can in a pinch and that is great. She has freedom and we have a safety mechanism to keep her from going where she shouldn't.

This has allowed Rosie and I to spend a lot of quality time in the yard this summer. I am amazed at how good I feel mentally after digging in the dirt. The excitement of harvesting our first salad from the garden filled with lettuce, mustard greens and arugula was about the coolest thing ever! Since then we've harvested broccoli and radishes and are patiently waiting on beets and carrots. So fun! Truly I don't really know what I am doing, but I am learning and hopefully, over time I'll figure it out bit by bit and the process is definitely as yummy as the salad! Here is a peak at some of the garden.