This article caught our eye. While for many mowing a lawn is exercise or perhaps relaxing, we’ve never known that mowing lawns could be turned into a work of art!
Fast Company magazine spotlighted an artist that turned his lawn mowing in England into works of art on display at a gallery in London. Check out the lawn mowing art at: http://www.fastcompany.com/1662261/eye-candy-mowing-the-lawn-made-beautiful
Not only are wildlife being impacted by the spill, but shelters are seeing an uptick in drop-offs as people struggle to make ends meet as fishing jobs continue to dry up along the coast. This story reminds us of the importance of shelters to take in animals, and the importance of looking for your next pet at your nearby shelter.
There are a myriad of ways that green spaces versus paved, hot surfaces help make life just a little better, especially in Summer. An article came out from Martha Stewart that reminds us that green space allows us to play an assortment of traditional summer-time games in the backyard. Here are some fun games to play this summer and then a link to more information from this article:
Croquet
Born on English lawns in the mid-19th century, this game conjures images of refined garden parties, but expect a day filled with rollicking competition.
Equipment: Nine wickets, two stakes and four colored balls (blue, red, black and yellow), plus one mallet per player (or teams can share one).
Badminton
British officers first played this game — an adaptation of a sport called battledore and shuttlecock — in the 1860s in colonial India. It’s now an Olympic sport but still fun for backyard athletes.
Equipment: Lightweight rackets, a net and shuttlecocks (also called shuttles or birdies; they were traditionally made of feathers but are now commonly found with plastic skirts).
A good article came out – just in time for summer – that outlines some of the key steps to having a lawn that is healthy and enjoyable, but doesn’t require over-use of water or fertilization. Ideas to consider: top dress lawn with compost, mow high, leave clippings on lawn, consider native grasses, water deeply, and let the grass go dormant.
More details here: http://www.calgaryherald.com/life/tricks+terrific+turf/3110835/story.html
Lucky is a frequent traveler and some of his best experiences have been in pet-friendly hotels. One of our favorite experiences was at a Westin hotel that has a Heavenly Bed for Pets.
As you head out or plan your vacation this summer, don’t forget to check out the hotels ahead of time. One site – www.petswelcome.com – allows you to select the city you’re going to or search by ‘route,’ and then they list all the pet-friendly hotels there. Some of them have weight limits. And, the site even lets you plan for a pet sitter at your destination.
Do you have any pet-friendly hotels you would recommend?
Warm weather plus spring rains equals the dawn of mosquito season. Not only are the bites annoying, but these insects carry disease. Two of the most important steps to take in your yard is to drain water and get rid of puddles of water – where the mosquitoes hatch – and keep your lawn mowed and bushes trimmed throughout the mosquito season.
Here is another series of good tips from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture:
Many are gearing up to travel by plane, train or automobile this weekend, and for many parents the question is: How do we keep the kids busy and entertained?
Here’s an idea: Print a copy of the TurfMutt Game here – then, all you need are two coins, paper, pen and buttons (or more coins) for the game pieces. Kids can try and see who is first to block the ‘bad guys’ on their way to the Finish Line to reach TurfMutt.
Scientists are on a quest to engineer a drought proof lawn. The goal? Develop grass that demands little water, tolerates shade, is resistant to fungi and pests, grows at a relatively slow pace, produces ample seeds and passes down the same characteristics from generation to generation. Sound impossible, well not to UC Riverside turfgrass specialist Jim Baird.
Read more in this LA Times article.
Who hasn’t walked by a car on a hot day and worried about a dog sitting in the sweltering car? The Humane Society cautions: “Never leave your pet unattended in the car on a warm or sunny day. Cars quickly heat up to a dangerous temperature, even with the window slightly open.”
Some more great tips from the Humane Society to keep your pets safe in hot weather are here.
According to an Associated Press story, a new study shows that people still prefer to get their pet from a shelter. Rescuing animals just feels right.
Specifically, more than half of people in the Associated Press-Petside.com poll said they would get their next dog or cat from a shelter, nearly seven times the number who said they would buy their next pet from a store. And more than four in 10 said they thought store pets could have hidden medical or psychological problems. That’s significantly more than those who expressed the same concerns about pets from animal shelters or breeders.
Just 8 percent of those polled said they would get their next cat or dog at a store. Where did you get your pet? Do you insist on rescuing an animal from the shelter vs. going to a store? Share your story on our Rescue page about how you saved an animal.
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