Fall Tree Planting

I'm looking forward to my fall tree planting. After the National Arbor Day Foundation receives my annual membership dues, they'll send me ten small (6 to 12-inch tall) River Birch trees, I'm guessing the Heritage River Birch variety, which grows in my zone. This tree (rather than the white peeling trunk, as with the common birch) has reddish brown bark that also peels off. It's an extremely fast grower, and I'm eager to get started so I can post photos of their progress.

I plan to plant seven of the trees in a small forest on the east side of my house, where I also have one large Raywood Ash and half a dozen Redbuds. I'll plant three on the west side where I also have a smaller Raywood Ash, one Hybrid Poplar, and two "mystery" trees that just popped up in a flower bed and are now about five feet tall. (I think they might be mulberries, a popular tree in the area, that a bird brought in.)

So far, my Arbor Day hazelnut bushes are struggling. They seem to be very sensitive to water....too much or too little, and I haven't yet acquired the secret to the right amount. Two of them are still alive (I think) and one looks as though it might be ready to send out a leaf.....I've been waiting since spring for a leaf. Let's hope I see signs of life and a leaf before it's time for them to go dormant for the winter. I talk to them every day, encouraging them, nay, actually daring them to show me a leaf. We'll see if they're listening.

The Cat's Meow (and his teeth)

Took both cats to the Vet this morning. I'd been concerned about all the sneezing the little girl, Marmalade, was doing......she's always been a sometimes cougher and sneezer, but the incidents seemed to be increasing. Figured it was time for a physical checkup. We almost didn't take Puddy Tat along, since it meant scrunching the big boy in the too-small cat carrier, toting him out to the truck in 100-degree temps, then having him to put up with the prodding and poking at the Vet's.

Well, good thing we took both of them. Turned out Marmalade got a clean bill of health, A+ on the "how's she doing?" scale. The sneezing is normal for a long-hair, and nothing else showed up in the exam. Puddy, on the other hand, who also was perfectly healthy, appears to have gingivitis, and has to go back in October to have his teeth cleaned. How do you like that?

They were both glad to be back home and out of those little carriers, which are fine for short trips, but if I had to go any distance, I'd buy a larger carrier for each of them. Then, of course, I'd have to buy a larger pickup truck, one with full back seats. Oh, what a life we pet-owners lead......catering to Rover and Jock-o and Sally and Kitty.