Yesterday I was saddened to take my dog to the vet to be put to peace. Annie was an amazing dog. She was with me for about twelve years. She was the most constant force in my life through marriage, separation, divorce, moving, and all the other trials of my life over her life with me.

Annie was abandoned when tenants of a home we were considering took their other dog and left her in the back yard with a bag of food. She was so friendly and smiley. We couldn’t resist. She came to live with us and the decision was never questioned. She became fast friends with our two existing dogs and later the cats.

She was a happy and loyal friend, always willing to cuddle or play. It was sad to see her go. But it was a blessing. She was declining fast and had a few weeks left in her maybe. I decided to do it before she started to experience real discomfort. I wanted to remember her as the vibrant and fun dog she was.

I created a video for her so those that knew her could see her one last time and for others who never had the chance.

The staff at Birchwood Animal Hospital were very professional and kind. Thanks for making the process as painless as possible.

The Jerusalem Artichoke: (via Wikipedia)

also called the sunroot, sunchoke, earth apple or topinambour, is a species of sunflower native to eastern North America, and found from eastern Canada and Maine west to North Dakota, and south to northern Florida and Texas.  It is also cultivated widely across the temperate zone for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable.

The point about them is they really are a slacker vegetable. Because you do nothing with them whatsoever. You don’t have to feed them, water them (unless drought). The harvest is large and they don’t take up much room in your garden. They patiently grow in the back of the garden, minding their own business. Apparently they attract butterflies.

They are called fartichokes because they have the property of generating lots of gas. But there are ways around this effect. Watch the video to find out how.