I am one of the lucky ones, and all because one man 140 years ago had a conscience.  So for me, this month is cause for hoorays and yippees.  Many don’t know or understand how my life was or could have ended up before I was let go from racing.   It was exciting, and I love to run, but read this from the ASPCA to see what I did and how I lived.    West Palm Beach society is not all it is cracked up to be; I looove riding in cars so race them not dogs!
History says, in 1866 a New York City cart driver was whipping his poor, withered horse when an elegant man stepped in and defended the horse.  A Mr. Henry Bergh was this gallant man who then went on to petition NY for a charter to protect all animals in the state naming it the American Society of Prevention and Cruelty to Animals.   And on April 10, 1866 the law passed, along with the right to enforce it.   It was begun for working animals but soon graduated to help us all, in any area where animals live and work.  There are no real federal laws regarding us; I think there should be.Their logo was created about Mr. Bergh’s meddling, showing a guardian angel helping a cart horse.  I think that is the best.   April licensing of pets today even stems from their mantra of responsible pet ownership. 
Just so you know….the ASPCA today works to:

- Fight tirelessly on state and national levels to pass laws that protect animals.  Or rather, doggedly!
- Provide the latest medical care at the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital.
- Offer a 24/7 resource for animal poison-related emergencies through their Animal Poison Control Center.
- Operate an 8,000-square-foot state-of-the-art adoption facility.  Wow-that is big!
- Help at-risk horses with the ASPCA Equine Fund.
- Offer expert advice on common dog, cat and horse behavior issues.  I got over that, but so many of my friends are      confused still.
- Send out the ASPCA Disaster Response Team to help animals in times of emergency.  We get so lost in emergencies-especially when we lose our parents and home.
- Employ a Humane Law Enforcement department to uphold New York City’s animal cruelty laws.  These people rock!
- Provide a fleet of ASPCA mobile spay/neuter clinics to serve low-income communities throughout New York City.  There are sooo many puppies in the streets.
Cruelty is when an animal is intentionally harmed or not given food, water, and medical care.  Unfortunately we speak a different language and can’t really call for help when we need it-but you can.  Always keep an eye out for all animals in the human world-check out my friend’s video.  I told him the English language was tougher than rawhide! 

 
The main headquarters are still in New York City and operate entirely on donations and private funding from people just like my Lynn.    So please, please call your local ASPCA or police department if you ever see anything mean spirited.     For all my friends, xxoo Willow 
                                                        Visit their website at www.aspca.org

I always worry at the fate of all the beautiful lilies and bulb gardens going out my door at Easter; and the 1000’s even more in the mega stores, gas stations, and garden centers.  Are they a momentary joy for the day?  Are they welcomed into the recipients family of other plants or…. shunned after 2 weeks?   Are any from years ago still entertaining every spring as they should be?  Does everyone realize these are a living entity? 
Yes, I am the kind to buy those poor, ignored, on clearance, cypress trees in the grocery store the week after Christmas-they pull at my heart at their lack of care.  I know how hard they tried to live. All plants are living beings in my eyes, and I feel just as responsible for them as I would for my Willow.

1909 postcard

 
Unfortunately, in our saturated world of goods upon goods; there are millions of these plants grown every year-with the majority imported from Canada; and every year they are sentenced to a landfill after only a few weeks.  All that human energy and fuel to get them here picture perfect-seems a huge waste all around and an unjust reward for their sweet pleasure they so freely gave us.  I can never grasp why someone would carelessly toss them instead of taking a minute to plant outside.  Each Spring I drive by dumpsters loaded with spent lilies and headless, pots of tulips; abandoned and left to die.   I think we should start a community project in each town of ‘Save the Bubs”.  Think what a show it would make for our towns, parks, and government buildings every spring-and the money saved. 

 
All your traditional Easter bulbs including lilies, tulips, hyacinth, daffodils, and narcissus, are perennials.   Which means….they bloom every year.  They are cold hardy, easy adapters, and faithful souls.   Each year at spring they will come back and bloom profusely without a bit of care.  They know what to do and when to do it all by themselves; and it is so easy to give them a chance.  As the leaves turn brown cut back the stem and just replant them outside when frost warnings are over. That’s it! 
 If you would prefer an early, indoor show next year; water them as any other houseplant through the summer.   Bulbs need a cold period to rest and rejuvenate so at summers end I store them in a cold basement or refrigerator to sleep.  Around late January I wake them up, repot, and start their diet of weekly watering in a sunny spot.      And then…..they come alive.  This year my narcissus was blooming during our blizzard in February; it was just the best.

 
If you are not inclined toward dirt, potting and watering; then give them away to your favorite gardener, or better yet-a park or inner city area that needs beautification.    I have even seen them blooming in the woods-an obvious attempt to disown them-yet they lived on.        
Always saving,  Lynn

Easter baskets are not just for candy-but for dog & cat family too

 
This next 10 days is a happy, happy time; Lynn’s birthday, Easter, and then….my birthday.
    
About Easter morning; as soon as I wake up I roll over my bed and look to see what the rabbit left me.  This is of course the only time I let a rabbit in and out of my house-without a chase!  I know this guy who brings me things is a special rabbit so I turn a cheek.

 
However, I have learned that he actually brings the ‘basket’ ahead of time; hides it, and then returns to place it on Easter Sunday.  So about now I make it my Spring cause to start sniffing around searching for this ubiquitous basket, and yesterday ….I found it!  It was a bit dark but I got a quick look at its contents.

 I saw a new, stuffie purse, just what I wanted-a Chewy Vuitton.   Oh I so desperately need one, mine is a bit worn and bordering on tacky.   I also saw luscious canine candies, organic biscuits, and jerky.  There was a ton more but I feared being caught so… I took a quick picture and made off.    Check out my spy picture below.

the peak.....

 
Well, at least I know it is everything I like so now I can lay back and just act cool.  If you would like a canine or feline Easter basket-ask Lynn as she seems to have pull with this rabbit and the capability of getting him to bring extra baskets for our customers at all times of the year.

 
 He is quite something this guy-I usually refer to them as ‘ground bunnies’, but he is… THE Rabbit-and he rocks.
 
  xxoo Willow

 Wheatgrass is well known in the decorative world, but even more notable in the health food industry and our environment.

 
Spring has arrived at the store and with it our local grown, organic, wheatgrass is everywhere!  I love the deep green color and the softness of the blades.   It is one of those things that makes you feel good just to look at it. It unleashes all sort of mental imagery outside our hectic, confined lives.    We always have wheatgrass in the store; but early Spring I seem to overdo it and become addicted with ‘wheatgrass décor mania’.

We make grass bowls, grass nests of flowers, grass egg and flower baskets, grass gardens, and grassy gifts for cats & dogs.  Each Easter basket ordered always has a little hidden clump amongst the flowers; complete with an egg or butterfly nestled within.  An extra little whimsy from me to you;  hopefully giving pause to stop and give you  your own imagery.    Decorating with wheatgrass is one of my favorite choices as it enhances any décor style.  For the Victorian home; filling an ornate, silver bowl and propping a vintage papier mache egg in the center is perfect.  For the modern home; it can be placed in a square, low dish with a simple, stone egg for a Zen effect.  In the rustic or country home; a hollowed log or vintage enamelware pan is charming with a birds nest off to the side.   One of my favorites is a dish of wheatgrass under a glass, bell jar or cloche; adding little extras found on a walk like a feather, robins eggshell, or when lucky -an abandoned bee hive.
 
Wheatgrass is a good buy as it is not just decorative but also a highly, nutritious edible-making it a great, dual gift.  It is a natural detoxifier and blood purifier.  The nutritious qualities are endless,  and even placing a tray of wheatgrass at your bedside enhances the rooms oxygen helping with a sound sleep-as do many plants.   Willow loves it; as do most animals.  We should always watch the animals and take a lesson from them; they know what we seem to miss.

Grass in general has become the brand symbol of the green movement.  It speaks fresh, environment, health, and Spring.  And it is in fact a green item in terms of the environment.   It is decorative yet useful, non toxic and nutritious, biodegradable, and local grown item.  It is healthy for both human and animal, and uses no chemical enhancements.  We just love wheatgrass.  Or as Willow would say-‘it rocks’!

We sell wheatgrass by the $5.clump or a $30 flat.  Ours is USDA Organic, and suitable for decorating as well as consumption.    Pick up a clump as a gift or for yourself-feel good-Happy Easter-and sweet dreams.

I was so glad to see this video !  Ashley is such a nice lady to help my friends; I am so worried for them.  Every day another family is being broken up.  I sure hope Mr. Obama listens.  But isn’t that what our President is supposed to do?  Listen to us?     After you watch it, read about them and sign the petition letter-it is already written for you.  (made it easy for me) 

Thanks and paws to the Defenders of Wildlife-they rock.

xo Willow

I have sat in the snowy solitude next to a steaming river, not 20 feet from an elk herd of nearly 30 members;  watching each other and wondering-but oddly not afraid.  I have respectfully stood behind a tree as a herd of buffalo passed just in front of me.   Winter nights are filled with the howls of wolves singing you to sleep.  You don’t fear, you gain respect. 
When is the last time you experienced anything like this on vacation or… anytime?  It was one of the most awe inspiring events of my life, and I wish everyone would experience it.   Then you would see our kindred inhabitants, and the wild and free, majestic surroundings.  It changes you; and you leave with a peace and enlightenment which John Muir called a religious experience-his religion.   Which it was; and it is mine.

Sitting with my Friends

 Happy Birthday Yellowstone; I thank you for being there and showing us what is really important.   My birthday gift to you is a forever pledge to keep you safe.

  Learn and see all our parks at the National Park Foundation and download your free National Parks Guide-because these parks do indeed belong to us.  Then put your own star and comments at your favorite park which just happens to enter you in the This is Your Land Sweepstakes  for a wild and free vacation. 

Think wild….Lynn

Preening in Montana

On February 23, 1994, Congress proclaimed this month as National Bird Feeding Month.    This is a difficult month for the winged ones and providing even a small ration of food, water, and shelter will help wild birds survive; and ourselves.   Watching birds can provide an almost Zen like break to our fast paced lives.  Nature has the intrinsic power to relieve stress and angst because we are one with it; if you just give it the chance.
 
 After an hour of steady telephone calls, I am known to slip away quietly and hide for 15 minutes.   Quiet and peaceful with no connection to the busy world; I sit at the back of the store and watch the graceful frolic and soiree outside.  There is no time better than another; whenever I arrive there seems a performance starting just for me.   I have an odd assortment of bowls, urns, dishes, and feeders around the yard overflowing with seed, corn, and bread.    If you quiet yourself and watch; you get lost.   They flit, they hop, they flutter and they prance.  Such a simple act of Nature with such a profound effect.   Before you know it your heart rate slows, you are leaning against the window, and you are one with Nature.    You are quiet and simple.   Nature is simple, the original meditation I think.

For many of us, this escape progresses to a hobby.   It is an inexpensive hobby and one that is actually a good habit for us-and them.   Unlike humans, they don’t require designer feeders or porcelain baths-they are happy with an old cookie sheet or garden urn.  And they graciously thank us by coming back every day for another show; no matter the weather.
  
We are lost, because we sequester ourselves to an indoor lifestyle of multitasking, artificial light, and circulated air.  We have lost our connection to the Earth and Nature; something we all desperately need to get back.   A Native Ojibwa friend told me that the people of New York City have glass, empty eyes because they walk and live on concrete all day; every day.  Their feet never touch the Earth and so,  have lost their connection and… are lost themselves.  He lives on the First Nation reservation on Manitou Island in Canada; I thought his words were amazingly insightful for one so removed from a mega city, and told him so.   A simple observation and antidote so clear to him and I, and yet so lost to them.

           Feed the birds, watch the squirrels; it is a gift from Nature. 

Get reconnected….it will save us. 

          Learn our winged friends and their songs below

 National Bird Feeding Society Guide.

                                                                                                                                                              Enjoy   Lynn

 
The display was a life size wolf and pups that just seemed to be looking calmly-out at the passersby.  I wondered about my wild relatives-were they all handsome?  I wondered if they are happy, I wondered if they are safe like me, and I wondered if I would ever see my white knight again or, any others.
I tipped my head and Lynn explained that my white knight was indeed handsome and…her inspiration.  I learned they are very happy in the wild, but not very safe-and soon…..may not always be there.   I was shocked; why would they be leaving and where would they go?  Was there something I needed to learn? I kept thinking about education being freedom-like my racing industry.
Many humans don’t really understand the wolf families or how important they are to the balance of Nature; but yet instead fear they will attack people and farm animals.  Sadly; the western states and Alaska are shooting them from helicopters.  I thought to myself; “Oh if only they had some racing lessons from me, I could help.”  And worse; even the special pack in Yellowstone Park is being watched and possibly ground hunted too.  It took animal people a very long time to bring them back to the park and now they are in danger all over again too.    I get very distressed with humans at times.  In my world, we all know and respect each other.  We know the planet is just not for us canines-but for all of us to share.   I now understood the display, but what could Lynn & I, or anyone do?
So much to my delight, we came up with a ‘howling’ wolf benefit for Valentine’s Day-in honor of my white knight.     On February 12-14 we asked our Valentine shoppers to help towards the campaign to save the wolves.   And they did!  We had a basket full of donations to send off to the campaign.  I send all who helped a paws up and a warm lean!  (we greys lean on those they like)  Please sign the petition and send a message that we want the wolves to stay.  It only takes a minute-no strings.   I think it was just the perfect day to have a heart for my relatives, I would not want someones sweetheart hunted; and…my white knight…sigh…I loved his eyes……  xxoo Willow

Mixing  with miniature, garden spray roses of any color; adds ”beauty and youth” to the bouquet meaning.  A perfect p.s.

   Valentine Postcard c. 1905

The dark red, Black Baccara are the snobbiest I think.  They are the most regal & beautiful and they know it.  They kind of stay to themselves because… they can.   The pure white Polar Stars are hands down, the most delicate and frightful.  They are fragile, shy, and nervous with just the slightest of accident causing a bruise.  I try to keep an extra protective, eye on them as they get stressed with the trip I think, and don’t fit in too well with the others because of it.   Flowers are like animals, some like travel and some don’t, or some like one friend -while others prefer many.
The pink Cotton Candies are my sort of favorite.  They are just like their name; sweet and girlie, forever primping and fussing.  They complain and whine until they have ribbons around them, but they are always a lot of fun. 

The yellow Tara’s are the friendliest and loudest-forever being teased by the pinks, because just looking at them they seem to scream their color.  The pinks think they are a bit bold & unsophisticated because of their brightness-but like shelter animals-never judge a book by its cover!  They are survivors these yellows-strong, and always perfect houseguests. 
And the Green Teas.   They are always so peaceful and easy going.  Nothing seems to upset them; they just blend in and get along with everyone.  A peaceful world for these environmentalists, who are so grateful we use no make-up or chemicals at the shop.   All of these roses shine on their own natural beauty.  They really are the only girls in the world who do not need make-up.
There are a few others like the soft spoken and mannerly, Parisienne peach girls-and the ever so hip, Cool lavender girls.   The orange group are warm and cuddly types, and the 2 tone stripes…. Well everyone picks on the stripes for being so different.  I feel sorry for them because you should never make fun of someone just because they are not like you-or a bit different.   

All in all, the different personalities seem to get along.  When mixing the colors in a vase they at first rub each the wrong way fighting for their own space on the stage-but when all is finished and they are perfectly coiffed-they all shine together and get along fine.   I actually like them all-because each has their own character.  And just like us-get along perfectly once they give each a chance to know each other.    
xxoo Willow