Boy did it ever rain last night! We sure needed it but I hate rain. I refuse to pee in the rain. Mom thinks that's stupid given the way I play with the hose sprayer, but she doesn't get it...it's all about Control. I have no control over the rain, therefore I refuse to pee when it rains. So, I woke her up at 2 am when the rain let up a bit! Enjoy the picture of my Mom's lilies and other flowers. You won't see any lilies at our house this year. Asiatic Lily Beetle. Stripped the leaves right off the stalks. No leaves, no food to develop the flower. Imported accidentally into the Boston area a few years ago, and now they are decimating lilies across New England. Neem oil is the solution for controlling them.These other pesticides, they are dangerous for good plants and good bugs like bees (and dangerous to dogs). But those beetles are here to stay, like little terrorists, and we will always have to watch out for them.

We had a busy day in the vegetable garden yesterday---no bugs there, except the cabbage moths but wood ashes sprinkled on the plants will prevent most of the damage. Lots of weeds. I got in a lot of play time while Mom weeded, and she's still not done. She got the tomatoes staked and mulched, and put some mulch down in other areas. It looks a lot better. We were all pooped out last night and vegged out on the sofa. Dad was giving a lecture to a bunch of paramedic students on '12-lead EKG' and Mom was going to make soap, but she was just too tired. This vacation stuff seems rough on humans. A dog's life is so much better!