Recently I’ve noticed that we really don’t pick our roses unless we’re bringing them to somebody. It’s probably because we’re confronted with this huge bouquet out our back door. This first flush of the year is always a pretty good bet for a show. Here are a few snapshots of the 18 varieties we grow here (be sure to click on ‘em to see the larger size). These are from the main rose bed: there are other roses scattered around the yard.

Tom’s been making speedy progress getting Arthur Airstream all shiny again.

On Sunday, we celebrated Zack’s 12th or 13th birthday, the date he joined us 10 years ago. The dog-to-people year conversion puts him in his 60s.  Because he came to us as a rescue, we’re not sure exactly how old he is. We’re his fourth family…he terrorized two other rescue homes before ours. Early in the relationship he would bolt out the door, fence, car or whatever at the drop of a hat. Over time, he’s mellowed out, claiming us as his pack. He’s been blind for two years now and almost left us for good last fall but for emergency surgery (he has a malignant cancer). Outlasting his prognosis by months, he’s as rambunctious as always, ever vigilant against the threats of garbage truck and pool pump (he barks at those with great enthusiasm).

Sometimes the biggest gift is just someone else’s presence. Amazing what you can learn from dogs.