Monday, March 4, 2024

Bad Girl


Yesterday felt like spring. The sun was bright, the sky was blue (mostly) and things were blooming. I got out in the garden in the morning and pruned away the last of 2023 -- cut down the dead teasels, deadheaded and pruned the hydrangeas, cut down the ornamental grasses, and picked up a bazillion sticks left behind by the tree-trimmers a couple of weeks ago.

Dave never finished pruning the roses, but I think we're just going to let them go this year and see what happens. About half of them still have last year's growth. If it means they're just leggy, well, that's no great disaster. It's an experiment.

In the afternoon, Olga and I went to the cemetery.


Of course she had to bulldoze her way through the daffodils at Fortune Green...


...and she wouldn't stop complaining when I posed her next to these crocuses. "STOP TAKING MY PICTURE!"


Someone tucked a red artificial flower into the hand of one of the seated figures on the elaborate grave of Banister Fletcher, whose famous tome on architecture we have in our school library. I think it's just the angle of my phone that make her feet look so Sasquatch-like.


We found an old football -- and you know how much they drive Olga crazy. She gnawed at it and tore the pink covering off. I let her have her fun, but when she got down to the fibrous inner part of the ball, I worried that she'd swallow some of those long strands. So I took it away from her. I had to use the phrase "BAD GIRL!" which is the only command that will make her drop something. Her eyes widened in surprise -- I bet I haven't used it in years.


Before that, though, it was good to see her so excited and playful! She's not really a bad girl, as I made clear to her once I disposed of the ball.

I had a long Facetime conversation with my brother in the afternoon, and it was good to catch up with him. We had some income tax questions related to my mom's estate, but we got that sorted out and now I suppose I have to sit down and do taxes -- next weekend, in all likelihood. I am not looking forward to it.

22 comments:

Andrew said...

Bad Olga for trampling daffodils, but wow, she does look so happy.
I remember productive days in gardens. But they are like washing baskets. It may be empty one day but will quickly fill up. Your garden might look neat but it soon enough won't.
Are you taxed on your inheritance? Six months after my mother died, we are still waiting.

Moving with Mitchell said...

I love seeing Olga play like a puppy. (I don’t love seeing the puppy run through the daffodils.)

Yorkshire Pudding said...

The dead were just lying there sleeping until Olga woke them up. Have there been some bits of plastic football in her poo? I imagine you are quite observant in relation to the contents of dog poo though you have never blogged about this - nor have there been any photographs!

Jennifer said...

Awww, she's NOT a bad girl! She's our sweet Olga and she DESERVED that ball. :)

Bob said...

Olga in the daffodils is pure joy!

Ed said...

What a coincidence, I had a long conversation with my brother too about my grandmother's estate and taxes. They certainly don't make dealing with them easy.

Sharon said...

Olga really looks like she's enjoying herself. That's great to see. She looks cute standing among the daffodils too.

Ms. Moon said...

That ball had no chance once Olga got her jaws on it.
What a pretty day!
Those are some Sasquatchian feet there.

Ellen D. said...

Sweet photo of Olga in the daffodils! I would be worried about the pink pieces of that ball being swallowed by Olga but I'm not a dog owner.
Amazing how strong she is!

The Bug said...

Olga in the daffys is just the best. And I loved watching her chase after that ball.

Debby said...

I love to see Olga, regardless of the setting. She just always looks like such a happy dog. If only that could be bottled!!!!

My condolences on the taxes. Ugh. UUUUUGGGHHH!!!! Bad tax man, BAD MAN!!!!

Jeanie said...

What a great day for a walk and I'm glad Olga was having her fun. (Equally glad you rescued the ball before your vet bills mount up!). Those feet DO look like Sasquatch! It's looking lovely out there -- a little ahead of us but we're trying hard to catch up! Good luck with all the tax stuff. Yuck.

Kelly said...

Thanks for the Olga video - we were overdue one. The old girl still has a lot of tug in her!

Margaret said...

Olga has her routines! Love her energy. Taxes, ugh. I wonder how my tax preparer is doing with mine. The past couple months have been quite a financial hit already.

Allison said...

Awwww, look at that face. She is so not a bad girl. Taxes are in my future, complicated by the fact that my laptop is dying, and now I have to decide if I'll continue to try to keep it alive, or just buy new and put the software there. I don't know why I have to do this, IRS already knows everything.

Damselfly said...

Olga looks so joyful amid the daffodils!

Susan said...

The daffodils are in full bloom and looking fantastic. Ours are still sleeping beneath the ground. Tax season means lots of number crunching.

Susan Kane said...

It appears that Olga haves fun with almost anything.The red flower in her hand, also appears to be covering her groin.

Chris and Mike said...

Oh, Olga - what fun you had with that ball! Good girl!

Chris from Boise

River said...

She's doing well skinning that ball, you'll have her peeling oranges and bananas in no time :)

ellen abbott said...

I didn't prune my roses this year. missed my chance. one day they were just sticks and it seemed lik the next they had exploded in new growth. oh well, not the first time.

37paddington said...

Olga is such a good girl.