Lol, hehe, the mud splashes and finding the other half solves the mystery now that you've found them. That's what I figured. A dog out on a lam always leaves a trail of destruction, they are incapable of making things "vanish into thin air" as you originally described. Beth, uh-oh, your dog may have that hyper Border Collie gene--you can see those border collie eyes and eyebrow set! The forehead is more broad though, but the proportions of the eyes are definitely B.C. In this case, I hate to tell you this but rawhides and chews aren't going to be enough. The best is to keep her with you when you are outside gardening. Do NOT leave her unattended because what you have to do is to train her in the "leave it" command. Anytime she approaches a pot or a rose tell her leave it! Make a small shake can (small metal container) filled with beans. Border collies have super sensitive ears and they hate that sound. So if she refuses to listen after the first warning, shake that small shake can. Also spray bunches of ropel, pepper spray around your roses too. Then if she stays away from a rose reward her. She may very well have that B.C. trait of going wacky over a ball or a frisbee. Use that as a means to reward her for leaving the roses alone. If you are lucky she will have the B.C. smart genes, she will figure out the association almost immediately. When Eluane was only 10 weeks old she knew what Quiet time was. I had to train her that there was a time I needed to be on the computer. Because if I didn't pay any attention to her she would do a puppy howl and thrash on the carpet or run and place her teeth to the couch (not bite the bottom, but just pretend to). but with a reward system, she quickly got the picture. Also B.Cs are very needy. They crave interaction, and if you don't give them enough attention they will get into lots of trouble, I have heard. I was very, very lucky! Eluane is extremely well-behaved. When I worked as a 3D animator, I had ridiculous crazy hours and the commute was 46 miles round trip. If I knew I had to pull an all-nighter I would have to come home around 3:00 p.m. to play with her, then 9:00 pm. I'd come and play, then 5:00 a.m. I'd play with her and then take my shower then go back to work and all the while Eluane would remain uncrated, she was that dependable. But whenever I got home she got tons of undivided attention from me and when I didn't have those long hours, again, tons of attention. When I freelance I have to take a 10 minute break every 1-2 hours to play with her. They are needy dogs, so that is why most B.Cs end up in Rescue. They are not dogs to have if you are too busy to spend time with. However, the rewards of the companionship is UNBELIEVABLE. I will never own another dog EVER, except for a Border Collie. They are that fun, that smart, and yes affectionate and VERY DEPENDABLE, loyal, and beautiful in the way they move and think. So try training your dog new tricks too. It can turn out to be a new fun adventure for you and your family :)

Had a female hummingbird in my garden from early August to early September. Not only a huge thrill because of what it was, but also because my garden is only 18 months old, having been started from a bare yard. I'm right downtown in a small city, on a residential street of old Victorian houses only one block from the commercial core. My backyard is about 50' wide by 30' deep, but half the width is taken up by gravel driveway on top of the concrete floor slab of the former garage. The plantable half I've crammed with fruit bushes for myself and the birds,and butterfly bushes and perennials for butterflies (and hummingbirds, but I didn't really expect any!). The little hummingbird came first to the scarlet monarda, then the Black Knight Butterfly bush, but also checked out all the plants in both my garden and my neighbour's. I had a feeder out for her second visit, and she came regularly, several times a day, for about three and a half weeks; I could tell when she was in the garden from her high-pitched tseeping sound. I spotted her favourite perches, but I know this wasn't her only hangout - between visits she flew off at least a block or more, until I lost track of her. Many days, she would let me sit about 6 feet from the feeder and watch her. She didn't like my cat wandering about freely, but was okay if I held him on my lap. I understand that they often remember good feeding locations and return each year if they can. I hope she has a safe migration, and brings a friend or two next year - I'm giving all my neighbours hummingbird feeders for Christmas and offers of plants from my garden in the spring!! I'm also putting raised vegetable beds on top of the driveway, and letting the monarda spread a bit more. Don't give up hope just because you think your area is 'too urban'!

We have an Ikea kitchen, and I went to Ikeafans, NOT Ikea, a great deal for design and customization tips. To a lesser degree Ikeahackers. I have no knowledge of the legalities involved, this is the first I've heard of it, but as an involved party myself I don't see that Ikea should be able to claim any right of ownership -- because they didn't create those ongoing concerns. We did. Ikeafans and Hackers are the products of their organizing owners and all the individuals who contribute their experiences and talent for free, including me. IMO, also, the time to object to the inclusion of "Ikea" in the name was in the beginning. Ikea has benefited from both sites' enthusiastic promotion of its products for some years now. Guess I'd better get go join the reaction at this grab. Hopefully, they'll just have to redesign their websites or something, although, again, if Ikea didn't have a problem with it before, why should it be allowed to muscle in NOW?

Sheesh, candlelight breakfast? You two mushy birds lol. This is how lazy I've gotten over table decor... I let lighting do all the work. If not at the kitchen peninsula we eat by the pool. I have the outdoor landscape lighting on, the pool light on and fairy lights along the ceiling. Just doing that is really pretty in the evening. I sometimes put tea lights on the table. If I have guests I bring out the linens. I'm not responsible enough for long stemmed wine glasses or tall tapered candles because I talk with my hands.