I love summer. I love the long days, the quick, wild thunderstorms and blasting sun.

And I love the flowers and the green. I feel blessed to live on a hill in the woods and back a lane where the trees dominate, and summer green murmurs peace.

I enjoy weeding, deadheading, watering, all the steps needed to tend the gardens. It’s so satisfying to watch it all grow and spread and bloom, so I tend to take a walk-about most days after work and workout. Just a stroll with the dogs, the flowers and a glass of wine.

A certain dog, however, has been giving the gardens too much attention. It appears Milo is channeling Parker. He managed to get to one pot, and there went most of those flowers. Replaced—and pots sprayed with Dog Off.

So while I was away last week, and BW spent most days in Boonsboro, he left the pots alone. But. Obviously bereft at the lack of humans for a few hours, he dug in certain spots in the beds. He didn’t get IN the beds—BW would have found more damage. As I’ve seen him plant his front paws on the garden wall in the past—for which behavior he’s immediately corrected. I have no doubt he did just that, then went at the front flowers he could reach. And dug.

BW came home to lots of dirt on the pavers, along with some dead or dying plants. Mostly my gorgeous nasturtiums, and some impatiens, and some heliotrope.

Poor BW cleaned it all up, replanted what he could, then went to the nursery for replacements, before I got home. Very sweet—and also wise—of him.

 It’s going to take awhile to fill in the damage, and now we spray the beds, too.

I feel Parker’s spirit is looking over Milo as Milo has started pooping on the pavers.

It’s a damn good thing he’s such a sweet boy!

And I’m balancing this out with the fact that—so far—the deer are staying away. There were herds of them late winter, early spring. And Milo, unlike Parker and Atticus, barks madly at them and gives chase. I haven’t spotted a single deer in weeks now.

I’ve decided the digging—which we continue to work on—isn’t as bad as taking my afternoon stroll and discovering my spreading hostas are now celery sticks, or the day lilies have been munched to the ground.

Plus, he loves to chase balls and sticks. He’ll also run in fast, crazy circles on the swatch of grass BW enjoys mowing across from his shop.

It’s entertaining, and he and Atticus continue to play like puppies.

I have another quick girl trip starting tomorrow—back on Wednesday. We’re celebrating Kat’s birthday a couple weeks early. As BW will, again, be in Boonsboro part of tomorrow, I’m hoping for the best.

Meanwhile, I’ll tend and enjoy the garden—and try not to pay too much attention to the struggling spots.

Nora