Linda

Me and Miss Daisy have a North Carolina friend named Linda.  Well, Hubby likes her too because she loves to fish!  We met  her  a few years ago when she was fishing in the surf one evening in her high waders.  She and her husband are fellow Ocean Lakes (SC) homeowners.

Linda

Nicholas Sparks & Linda in Charlotte, NC, at the book signing of The Longest Ride

Linda substitute teaches and likes to raise Monarch butterflies in the fall each year.  Under her instruction, Me and Miss Daisy and Hubby went looking for milkweed on our property that Hubby had yet to clear with his bush hog.  No milkweed, but we did discover a white hornet's nest built a few inches off of the ground.   Linda potentially saved us from a terrible accident with the hornets and the mower.  Mom says a bad winter is coming.

Hornet's Nest

I asked a garden shop employee about milkweed sources when Me and Miss Daisy visited Millpond Gardens this week.    My Sisterchick girlfriends had given me a gift certificate.  We learned that Monarch larva also like parsley and fennel to eat, so I purchased a little pot of parsley with one worm on it.   Maybe there will be other eggs on the parsley leaves.

Daisy is hot

Parsley and one caterpillar

Linda is an avid baker, gardener, and crochet-er.  I learned how to do dish/bath cloths from her, and I enjoy crocheting them while I watch tv or travel in the passenger seat.  I give these to the housekeepers in the Residence Inns.

Dish/Bath cloths

Lemons, Limes, & Pansies

Me and Miss Daisy were surprised to see our lemon and lime bushes producing fruit when we arrived home from our summer in Amarillo.  Atlanta had an unusually rainy and humid summer, and the pots were left on the back porch to survive on their own.  Who says you have to have a green thumb to be a successful gardener!  They are facing North!   Both bushes came from a nursery in Ty Ty, GA, a couple of years ago.  I hope they mature before cold weather comes.  Hubby likes lemon in his sweet tea.

Myers Lemons

Limes

 Me and Miss Daisy planted pansies in pots by our side house entrance and in the front windowboxes.  You get the most bang for your buck with this flower in the Georgia landscape.  They do best if planted by Oct. 15 (for root establishment), and will bloom through fall, winter, and spring until it gets too hot. 

Daisy in her garden frock

Pansies

Brookgreen Gardens...Sept., 2013, Sisterchick Weekend

Me and Miss Daisy's Animal Friends

Me and Miss Daisy have been enjoying our walks along our road.  We live at the end of a dirt road about a mile long.  Rain lives at the other end.

Daisy in her Georgia peach raincoat

Rain

Here is our favorite neighbor and resident walker/jogger, Kathy.  She retrieves our mail when we are away and keeps check on the house.  We solve the world's problems when we walk the road together.  Her two inside buddies are Maka, an American Bull Dog with beautiful blue eyes, and Akira, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a gentle spirit.

Maka, Kathy, & Akira

 This is Bluebell, an Australian Shepherd.  She belongs to Collette from Austin, TX.  She and Gina were storm reps in Amarillo  where we all spent the summer at the Residence Inn (hailstorm).  We sometimes ate our supper together at the Inn.  Bluebell and Collette are EARLY risers...4 a.m. so Bluebell can get in her exercise.  Daisy used to wake up before daylight and bark loudly, so I would take her out.  I thought our room was too close to the front desk, and she heard noises that we couldn't hear (or smelled smells that we couldn't smell).  Much later on, this came up in conversation with Collette.  Collette smiled and shared that as Bluebell passed our door on her way out for exercise each morning, she would shake her collar so that it would jingle.  She knew Daisy was in our room.  Those smarty canines.  Collette began giving her the frisbee to hold in her mouth to keep her quiet when they passed our room.  We moved a floor up (to bigger quarters and  to get away from what we thought were the front desk noises!).

Collette, Bluebell, & Gina

Last, but not least, is Jazzy, Daisy's email pen pal and sister Maltese. (Not real sisters.)  They came from the same breeder in Charleston, SC.  Jazzy's birthday is October 31st.  Isn't she cute?  We envy her top knot.  She lives in SC.

 

Driving the golf cart in Ocean Lakes, Myrtle Beach, SC

Bath Time for Daisy

Miss Daisy gets a bath once a week.  While it's not her most favorite thing to do, she is pretty cooperative.  She lifts each paw for me to work in the shampoo and is patient while I clean her eyes.

Bath Products and Li'l Paws Comb

After her bath I spray her with a leave-in conditioner (yummy coconut), put her terry cloth robe on (Lulu's, Pawley's Island, SC), and she scampers about.  In the winter time I use a blow dryer...careful to avoid her face and ears.  She will cover her face with her paw to keep the air away.  When she's almost dry, I comb her out and put a bow in her hair and an outfit on if we are going on an errand or to visit a friend.  On a daily basis, her coat gets sprayed with conditioner, combed out, and the inside corners of her eyes wiped out with a contact lens solution (helps with tear stains).

Bathrobe

Nice and clean!

Sisterchicks Weekend, 2013

Me and Miss Daisy's (and hubby's) favorite vacation destination is Myrtle Beach, SC.  Actually, it's Surfside, just South of Myrtle Beach.  Daisy did not go on this most recent trip, but her July 4, 2013, trip earned her second place in the "Cutest" division of the pet costume contest at Ocean Lakes.  Out of 20+ entries, she was beat out by a pig... of all things.

Jerri, Lynn, Terry, Amy

 My three closest friends (formerly all church friends and library volunteers) just returned from an extra long weekend for the fourth year in a row.  We sometimes refer to ourselves as the Library Sisterchicks based on the book series by Robin Jones Gunn, a Christian fiction author.  We are young grandmothers who pray together, celebrate our families and little ones, and play, shop, and relax together every September.

Hudson's Surfside Flea Market

Legend's Concert, Blues Brothers

"All Fired Up," Pawley's Island

Terry & Elvis

Daisy performs at Pet Parade, July 4, Ocean Lakes

Pet-Friendly 5 Star Amarillo Marriott Residence Inn

Daisy and "Aunt" Barbara, Director of Sales, and owner of Graysen, a Dachshund.
She often tried to help Daisy with her separation anxiety,  and gave her treats. :)

Me and Miss Daisy have lived a life of luxury thanks to the staff at the Residence Inn in Amarillo, TX.  Each destination has its pros and cons, but this little haven away from home topped all of our expectations.  A hotel stay in the summer is always a perk for us weatherwise.  My husband worked a hail storm in the vicinity all of June, July, and August.

First of all, they exude a professional demeanor and are pet friendly--truly interested in your pet(s).  More than one pet owner commented on this during our stay there.  Nice doggie run.  Daisy met many breeds, some "extended stays" like us.  From morning 'till night the staff was cheerful and helpful.  My first questions are always, "When does the mail run... nearby churches to attend... is the water safe to drink... what are your favorite local places to eat... can you turn right on red without the sign telling you to do so... are u-turns legal?"  A shout out to Chris, Edward, Luis, and Ginger (owner of seven cats) in Reservations.  There is one midnight female employee we didn't get to know because Daisy is such a good girl and sleeps through the night.....

Edward, Daisy, & Ginger

Front: Carolyn, Laura, Becky, Elsie, Linda, Frances with Daisy, Keri, Lorrie (General Manager) Back: Terry, Barbara (Director of Sales), Tabitha (Asst. Gen. Manager), and Christy

Now for the food.  While Hubby enjoys his protein bar and grape juice and I like yogurt, fruit, and coffee for breakfast, this hotel offers "a step above" in its offerings.  Often, wrapped breakfast burritos and biscuits with meat, egg, and cheese were available.  Biscuits and gravy, a variety of potato dishes (not all on the same day), eggs, hot meats, oatmeal with toppings, and make-your-own waffles with toppings were also on the buffet.  Fresh fruit appeared daily...bananas, oranges, and apples.  There were hard-boiled eggs and specially prepared yogurt cups with granola.  Drinks--a variety of juices and milk and lots of coffee.  The coffee area was separate from the food area, so this made it very nice to visit any time of the day.  A large clear glass water dispenser was filled with ice, cold water, and cucumber slices... another day, lemons or limes.  Colorful and enticing!  The usual teas and hot chocolate packets were there, and flavored liquid creamers  for your coffee.

Such a nice touch

A light supper four nights a week was offered, and the monthly calendar with menu was posted on your fridge.  There was BBQ, Mexican, Italian, Comfort Food (I liked that title because it meant a surprise), & Manager's Toast.  Soft drinks, tea, wine & beer, & water were offered each evening.  Lemon and chocolate bars were desserts, and often cookies were at the front desk along with soft peppermint taffy candies (and the local paper).  Can you say "spoiled?"  Linda, Christy, and Sylvia had it together.  They often added their own additions to take it up a notch.  Chicken salad on croissants one night; a ham mixture on another night.  Salads with tomatoes and toppings and raw veggies were staples.

Sylvia

Christy (back), Linda, & Daisy

Housekeeping was also top notch.  Because of having to go down with Daisy to the ground floor on a regular basis, and to get the paper, get breakfast, and to leave mail for the postman, I would sometimes skip the service because I would be involved in a project in the suite.  I am easily distracted.  Daisy, however, on some (ok, a lot of) days would just wait for housekeeping to begin their work around 9 a.m. each morning.  She wanted to interact with her buddies and would sound off when she heard the first stirring of them with their carts.  We first fell in love with Cassie and her mom, Frances.  Then we learned the rest of the staff on a first-name basis.  Frances and I shared recipes --her Mexican dishes for my desserts.  Cassie has a beautiful smile and a dog named Princess.

Cassie & Daisy
Bye bye Amarillo friends!!!