What I Found at The End of the Rainbow

One of the things I love about carving out a rewarding career in something I'm so passionate about is the absolute unknown each day will bring. A business has to at least pay the bills, so my sign of success is I'm still at it after nearly 9 years full time while supporting my girls and savoring every day of it.




I've met a lot of really supportive, interesting, kind people throughout the U.S. and I dare say, even in the Southern Hemisphere, through the sales and marketing of Har-Vest.

One such woman, Rochelle Lesser, whose emails initially kept ending up in my spam folder,persevered (for which I'm grateful!) and in the ensuing months I've had the pleasure to talk to her about our shared passions and peruse the absolutely jam packed website she maintains -- as well as a daily maintained useful blog. And now, she has placed Har-Vest on her website in the hopes that it will expand the market and help support her most worthwhile foundation. And I encourage you to explore The Land of Pure Gold.

Spring Has Sprung

The grass has riz. So much so that I have been forced to mow not once but twice in the past week and a half. It wouldn't be so bad except that I have Tennis Elbow which is not, unfortunately, from playing tennis, but probably something like starting up a gas mower and hurting myself!

Not surprisingly, with the onset of warmer weather the desire to get out and about increases and what better way to enjoy measuring the growth of leaves and buds than taking a walk. When that walk is to include a dog who has spent his winter not being walked, or walked much, or certainly walked with fewer distractions since a lot of people weren't out walking their dogs then than are walking their dogs now -- well, that dog may have lost any leash manners he might ever have had.

The no pull harnesses and harness/vests out on the market now can not only improve the dog's walking, but help make him useful to boot!

So get out there and walk! With control. And enjoy the budding!

The Real Tax Deadline

I guess I really do like to live enough on the edge in that I'm one of those people who postmark their taxes on the very last day possible...this year it happens to be today, April 17th because the 15th fell on a Sunday (the first day of a nor'easter on the East Coast...we here in Cleveland were spared) and the 16th happened to be Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C. where the IRS brain lives. Apparently this will happen again in the year 2012, so I'll be looking forward to that! In the meantime, all I can say right now as my taxes filter somewhere through the mail system, the kids wrestle with the last of their homework, the dishwasher quietly hums as it sudses, is I'm grateful for it all. I for one am grateful I live in a free country and happily pay my taxes.

Uh Oh, A Turtle Habitat Obsession Forming

Some weeks ago I posted about the newbie, Leo The Turtle. He is a 5 year old Red Eared Slider who has definitely outgrown his 20 gallon aquarium and the guilt I feel watching him live in this boring small watery habitat without a lot of "frills" (although the online literature assures me he's fine...how do you gauge fine in a turtle? But I digress)..it can't be good for my overall health.

They say nothing in life is free. It's true. The adoption of Leo and his 20 gallon habitat did not involve the exchange of $ -- his previous guardian just wanted him to have a good home as her lifestyle was changing to a lot of travel -- and my daughters really were THRILLED.

But now a subtle mania is setting in and I find myself spending time I don't really have researching turtle habitats and pondering accessories. I already found a 55 gallon aquarium for sale on The Cleveland Craig's List and it wasn't free. I paid $100 cash and had to schlep to get it and then solicit help to get it ensconced on my daughters' window seat. I never really thought about how heavy a 55 gallon aquarium is. And it doesn't even have water in it yet! So figuring out how best to set it up is key.

I'll keep ABetterDogBlog updated as the habitat develops....

Taking Har-Vest™ "Off Road"

Spring is springing and I decided to take Har-Vest on a test drive for off road work a.k.a. hiking. Kids are on spring break, and 1/3 of them wanted to go explore nature, so off we went -- Callie, SpokesDog Bean and I.




First we let the boy run around sans vest and when it was time to "dress" him, I opted for his purple version. In the pockets I put treats, a poop bag, my keys and I even put my digital camera in (within a ziploc bag, just in case!) too. And then it was time to expore nature on our hike.



I missed a lot of potential "heavy duty" off road since my camera was in the pocket, but after we got sweaty/dirty, Bean was happy to pose in Har-Vest and I'm happy to report that as an off road hiker's aid, it was two thumbs up from me!

New Addition

Leo's been here now for nearly 3 weeks. We've changed the water in his 20 gallon aquarium twice, scrubbing the faux "sunning" rock that adheres by suckers (can you call it sunning when it's under a 60 watt light bulb?), as well as scrubbing the Fluval 2 filter. I'm already exploring the acquisition of larger tanks so I can get a bigger filter and not have to change the water. I also think he'd be happier and I'd be aesthetically pleased as well if I could make a habitat for him that isn't so bleak. I'd really like to let him go in a lovely outdoor habitat to be with his people, but my kids, especially 10 year old Callie, would be devastated.



He's amusing when he clanks across the hardwood floor, and the dogs don't seem to mind him much. We'll see how it goes.

Har-Vest Sees America

The endless snow and cold of February should be getting on my nerves by now but I feel I'm getting into some zen groove about it. I can't quite get the heat to really crank on high enough to feel truly warm other than when roasting before a lit fire or buried under thick quilts, but this is truly why I think Uggs were created. Even my kids are being stoic and uncomplaining about things. Partly because they're all agog about the possibility of adopting a turtle (stay tuned) so they're on their bestest behavior about that in hopes I'll cave (ssshhh....gotta keep 'em guessing).

I received a thank you package from a lovely woman named Yvonne from Oakland, CA (where I'm sure it's not snowy and cold) including some great photos of her service dog Pepper. They're back from a 3 month tour of the U.S. Pepper saw the ol' U.S.A. wearing a red Har-Vest. I finally found the time to review some pics she kindly sent and then easily digressed to reading about one of the memorial sites Pepper and Yvonne visited. Here's another link that's informative too. FDR had a lot of quotes, but one that resonates with me this morning as I, remember, have that zen attitude about the cold and snow, is this one:

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.

I may be cold, I may be figuring out how to balance my budget, I may be scraping the bottom of the barrel on occasion, but gosh, I'm very happy in figuring out how to market a product I invented AND can bring others happiness. So all in all, for a Monday, it's a pretty good one.

Stay tuned about the turtle!