Ripley

This is Ripley, our female black lab mix.  I say mix because we have NO idea what the mix is.  I got her at the Anza swap meet nearly 8 years ago!    She LOVES water and I currently have a wading pool for her out in the back yard, in the shade.  She follows me everywhere and is constantly underfoot!  I only have a few photos of her because she NEVER stands still!  Little bugger!  She's my morning "helper" when I go out to feed the cats, feed the birds, feed the feral cat next door who is now hanging around, chase off the hawk who is bothering the mockingbird, and water my lawn for 3 minutes.  I got a warning notice from the city, informing me that I had "dry, dead tuffs of grass".  HUH?  Aren't we in the middle of a water shortage?  So, I called the city, spoke to the head of the code enforcement division, and actually had a nice conversation with him.  Like our son, he is unflappable.  He calmly suggested I go out and water the dry grass twice a day for 3 minutes each.  I can do that.  Two neighbors already put in rock, but we have such a narrow stretch of lawn next to the driveway, I just don't think it is worth the money to put rock there.  Besides, we have a palo verde growing right in the middle of it....sigh...I also have to go trim the mesquite tree so that its branches don't touch the street sweeper when it comes by every other Thursday morning.  So, I better GIT TO WORK!  Ripley will keep an eye on things for me.