Greetings and salutations, everyone; yes, once again it is I, Mani the tiny purebred border collie, filling in for the guy I live with, and here to bring you the latest news from our garden. You may remember me from such posts as “Helping In The Garden”, among at least a few others.
Here I am in a characteristic, yet upside-down, pose. 
Maybe this one is even better.
Since I was lying on the carpet, I thought you might enjoy a picture of my excellent rabbit feet. Kind of a rabbit-feet update, if you will. 
Enough about me. Oh, who am I kidding, this post is all about me. In fact, it’s so much about me that I have a double feature for you today, featuring me, of course, and the bird bath.
Now, for those of you who don’t know what a double feature is, well, back in “the old days”, like say before they had color TV (a very, very long time ago), they had theaters where, according to the guy I live with, you would pay a quarter and see two movies, and so that’s what this is, a double feature. (I think there’s an email noise in the first one; just ignore it.) Popcorn and Milk Duds available at the concession stand.
the sequel
Pretty good, huh. The guy I live with says that while purebred border collies are ultra-intelligent, they can also be goofballs. I don’t know about that. I’ll leave you with a picture that explains why the guy I live with doesn’t get naps any more.
Until next time, then.
the miserable gardener 
I walked into my den to shut off the computer because I had to get to UPS ASAP to send a package that must must must get delivered to NYC tomorrow…but my email notice of another Mani post stopped me in my tracks. I had to sit down and watch both movies full screen.
It’s so true, what they say about pure bred border collies needing a job to do, and if not given one they will become self-employed. Mani, your independent investigation of the portability of large, water-holdong tray-like objects was thoroughly professional. And yes, those who work hard, rest hard too.
I think these films should go into your personnel file for review when it comes time to hand out end-of-year bonuses. I see a brand new stuffed pig all your own in your future.
Thanks; I better write that down. “End-of-year bonus.”
Mani dear, do you not think you’re being ever-so-slightly naughty? You will probably say that because you’re only little (although embiggening by the day) you don’t realise you’re being naughty,
but I think you do. Did you not spare a thought for the poor birds? Is that a shoe I can see lying on the path? You could have entertained yourself with that. I was worn out just watching the first movie. The guy you live with must be utterly exhausted, when all the while he has to make your garden look wonderful, which it does. Perhaps you should consider giving him a slightly easier time, knees and stuff being taken into consideration.
Oh, the bird bath had dirt in it, and it needed to be cleaned out. That is a shoe there, and there are some other items lying around. I understand that garden art is very important these days.
:^)
Oh, glory, that sure is some High Goofballity. Plus, finally got a full smile out of you! Tell me, was that when the subject of brie first introduced? Convorting in the Garden, two thumbs up. Going to make some popcorn now and watch again.
Thanks, but I don’t know what “brie” is. It sounds like something I need to know about, though. The guy I live with says I do a song and dance (really, literally) when he serves me my Poultry Palooza, and maybe that’s sufficient for now.
Thanks, Mani. That’s the most entertaining double feature I’ve seen since “The Brain that Wouldn’t Die” followed by “Attack of the Giant Leeches.” I look forward to more Mani movies!
Thanks; the guy I live with says the next one will be called “The Brain that Didn’t Work”, which is fairly rude, if you ask me.
It certainly is. Don’t tell him I said this, but are you sure he was talking about YOUR brain? Clearly, yours is functioning in perfect and brilliant puppy mode, i.e., full tilt boogie. Carry on.
The guy I live with has been highly critical of my behavior today, especially when he was shoveling gravel, and pushing the wheelbarrow. To his credit, he did both those things very slowly, so I wouldn’t be injured, but I still thought it was fairly mean.
Hi Mani you are growing up fast. You have got plenty of nooks in the garden to hide and play. Enjoy your days and don’t trouble the guy with whom you stay. Bye.
Yes, I am. The guy I live with says he looks forward to the time when I’m huge and I can sleep in the bed and stuff, but also that he likes me being tiny and soft. And super-cute, of course.
I like your little barks and yips while you play. I know someone who has 2 border collies, and she says they like to ‘organize’ things. That’s what I think you’re doing here.
Yes, that’s right; I’m an Organizer. Things need to be rearranged, and no one else will do it, so that’s become one of my jobs.
We do love your bunny feet and now we know you can talk too…
Thanks, my bunny feet are indeed excellent. I used them to chase a cat out of the garden just a few minutes ago. I talk. I have a whole routine of yodels and hoots.
Oh goodness. I remember those days with our pure bred border collie Annie, altho it was her sister who livedd next door that used to get into things. Even at ten Annie will drag all her toys into the living room and race around wirth them if we don’t get up early enough in the mornings…such a nag. 🙂
Yes, well, my job is to keep the guy I live with especially alert. I slept on top of him today, when we took a nap, though eventually I got interested in the zipper on his sweatshirt. ….
Oh, too bad your snow is all gone, you could have sat on that big dish and gone sledding somewhere. Wouldn’t that be fun? Ask the Guy if there are any hills nearby.
Yes, there are hills …..like everywhere, you know. But I don’t sled, since someone would have to carry the thing back up the hill.
I particularly enjoy your sidelong glances in film number 2 , as though you were daring the birdbath to pull a fast one. What exactly were your expectations here Mani ? Of course you are still damn cute, so I guess you get a pass. Be advised though, there may be a day when you need to segue from ‘cute’ to ‘dignified’ . This happens with humans too.
Thanks, though the guy I live with says I have a long way to go before the adjective “dignified” applies to me. I was trying to get the bird bath right side up. I think.
Fred the giant schnauzer pup thinks that the guy you live with should get a frisbee as you seem to have a natural talent with saucer shaped objects. The guy that Fred lives with suggests the Jawz disc.
There is a field out in back ….
Perfect. Treibball! No sheep required.
No, but every so often there are elks in the field, or so I hear.
Have been told that elk can be quite testy at certain times. We get black bear, coyote, 4 species of pit vipers, and the occasional bobcat but my roomie tells me he once saw a bull moose crossing the Housatonic River when he lived in CT, headed to an eventually fateful meeting with a motor vehicle in NY. Alas, none of the Townsendia Bob so kindly sent many years ago have survived the move South. Heuchera pulchella just starting to bloom here though.
I don’t think I would like pit vipers; I’ve already met snakes and they smell terrible. I’ve seen bears, but only the stuffed kind. I hear we have coyotes but I haven’t met any yet, and they can’t get over the back fence because they can’t see the top of it. But the border collies who lived here before me met coyotes. At a suitable distance, of course.
We also have the Red-bellied watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster). Aggressive, stinky emanations when annoyed, not toxic. Zack the Elder nailed a black racer snake the other day. It survived the encounter long enough for TGILW to pry it from his jaws and release. Fred.
Arrgh…..M
Sounds scary. I hear we have a large green racer here; hopefully I won’t see it until I’m all grown up.
My dog (years ago, a black lab named Bertie Woofter) met some coyotes once. He chased them down a road and then they chased him back up the road to me.
Your movies did literally make me laugh out loud. Bertie used to have the same problem flipping a frisbee over.
The same thing happened with the dinner bowl. I pushed it downstairs after I was done eating and it wouldn’t turn over, even when I barked it at.
Very funny, and adorable!
Thanks; I try to be adorable ….