Anya

Yesterday I took care of my granddaughter, and today my son’s family dog as my son and his family headed to the Wisconsin State Fair. They once again left the family dog, Anya, here. We discovered that Anya prefers being tied on a long line spiked into the front lawn to being inside the house or her kennel. So I let her stay outside in front while I was working on the rain garden in front of the house. I had some digging and planting to do while she watched. She is what is called an “alert dog” so besides silently pointing to any nearby birds or wildlife, she barked to alert me to someone approaching the house. She must have been a good observer of what I was doing for after a while she started, for no apparent reason, to dig in front of the house. Once I told her to stop, she did and did not repeat it. What dog sees dog does.

Like dogs we learn what to do from the example and action of others. My friend Godsil of the Milwaukee Renaissance received an email today form New Orleans asking for more information on Worm Condos. They had seen his stuff promoting worm condos. Godsil has joined our team of worm condo promoters as the “peddler.” We learn a lot about gardening, no matter what kind it is, from each other. The same goes for all kinds of things in life and it works both ways. What we see and observe can also teach and influence us in a negative way. For example, if someone is raised and trained with a sound appreciation of nature and its ways they will respect nature and not try to forcibly change it On the other hand we have the example of the Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans in the 80’s making a channel through the swamp so large boats could reach the port of New Orleans. The elimination of swamps, this natural barrier against flooding, was one of the major causes of the disastrous flooding of New Orleans after Katrina. Now the government is reversing this decision, but it will take some time and effort for the salt water to leave the flooded areas and the cypress trees and other barriers to flooding to return. Mistakes are to be made but can we, like Anya, learn from them?

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