Louis Philippe, Angel Face, and “Dulce Maria”

(Click to see larger image)

A couple of my roses had buds yesterday which I quickly snipped to save them from marauding flower beetles. I just had to share.  The glorious coral-pink one was a rooted cutting given to me by my good friend, Felix. He didn’t know the name, but calls it Dulce Maria. This is the first time it has bloomed for me, and I just love the enormous petals and the vibrant color. The fragrance in this first bloom was very mild, but the flower makes up for it in size and beauty. The red one is Louis Philippe, which smells very nice, but these first blooms of the spring are a bit on the smallish side. It is never a huge flower, but is one that I love probably more than all other roses, for its history, as well as its blooming habit. And the third one is Angel Face, which is the most beautiful, feminine, and heavenly smelling little rose imagineable. The lavender color is fantastic, too. I wish my iPhone did a better job at capturing the colors for you, but maybe you can get an idea of how nice these three roses are. 

And here is my cat, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, checking out Dulce Maria. He’s a nosy boy! But he knows a pretty rose when he sees one! Again, click to see full sized photo.

 

Are your roses blooming yet? Which are your favorites?

The Literary Cat #2 (Reposted from Bookin’ It)

My Literary Cat

‘Sgt. Karrin Murphy, alias Murph’

“In ancient times, cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.“

 –Terry Pratchett

NOTE: Murph would be the most unlikely cat ever to be worshipped by anyone, anywhere. After rescuing her and her brother, Harry,  almost two years ago, as kittens merely eight weeks old,  Harry settled into our household and totally totally embraced his role as ruler of the roost. On the other hand, Murphy still dives under the nearest bed or couch when any human approaches her. You’d think she’d have figured out by now that we are mostly harmless and provide all the food and creature comforts she could ask for, as devoted slaves will do, but nooooo. We call her the Skittery Kittery.

The Literary Cat #1 (Reposted from Bookin’ It)

My Literary Cat

‘Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden’

“I am the Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.”

–Rudyard Kipling, The Cat Who Walked By Himself

NOTE: Harry thinks the bookshelves over my desk are the perfect place to walk–and to lie down–by himself. Perfect for surveying his Kingdom.  And for taking afternoon naps, far away from the riffraff, namely the dachshunds, below.

Dachshunds In The Garden

“The secret of architectural excellence is to translate the proportions of a dachshund into bricks, mortar and marble.”
–Christoper Wren

Obviously, Christopher Wren never met my first piebald dachshund, Oscar.  With his legs too long, and his ears too short, Oscar would not likely have made a good transition to architectural design.  But he was a loving and affectionate dog, who never met an enemy, and he enjoyed nothing more than to be in the garden, on lizard patrol.  Since I realized yesterday that posts with photos of dachshunds included attract a LOT of attention, I figured I’d give Oscar a turn.  You can see for yourself that well proportioned or not, his coloring was beautiful, and I can attest to the fact that his personality matched.  He was a much beloved addition to our family, and rests now under my largest birdbath, where he is surrounded all day long by the lizards he loved to chase.

OSCAR MEYER’S BEANIE WEENIE ON LIZARD PATROL

(Though I tried to save any he caught, I’m afraid he was NOT a lizard’s best friend.)

HOW TO TURN YOUR DACHSHUND INTO A FRONT END LOADER

(Injury caused by angry cat.  Recovery was complete.)

 

HOW TO BE COMFORTABLE WHEN YOUR HEAD IS TOO BIG TO CARRY AROUND ALL DAY

(He would rest like this for 15 or 20 minutes at a time.)

And there you have it.   Dachshunds, in the garden, or in the house, make life better.  I once took a test on how to discover which breed of dog is right for you.  You had to choose one word from a list of attributes that would be important to you in choosing a dog, like guard work,  beauty, loyalty, etc.  I picked “Funny,” and the answer that popped up was, “The dog for you is a dachshund.”  Luckily, I already had two.  I knew all along my instincts were right. 

Such Good Friends…Sausagey Little Devil Dogs!

Maks & Potter

My two sweet dachshunds, who think they run this entire household.  Maks (Dancing With Weiners Star Maksim Hotdogski) and Potter (The Phantom’s Sir Hairy Potter of Sanford) are best friends, even though Potter is several years older.  Maks is a chocolate and tan dachsie, and Potter is a red & white piebald (as in “pinto”).  They are a big, fat nuisance, but so funny, you tend to forgive them for their mischief.

Do you share your garden with dogs?  What kind?  How do they behave?  Do you have dachshunds?  Are they as crazy as mine?