Last night was the first of ten classes to become a West Virginia Master Gardener. (Pictured: Roane County Extension Agent Brandy Brabham.) The classes, which last three hours, take place an hour away, so I was up past my bedtime. This is going to be rough for the next ten weeks! My cousin is taking the class with me. There was a pre-test yesterday and he tried to get me to bet who would score better, but I couldn’t be tricked into that. I knew I wouldn’t do very well. And I didn’t! Boy, is this state going to be in trouble when I start giving out master gardening advice!
In other news, I went to see Coco yesterday and forgot to bring my camera. Sorry about that. Coco didn’t seem to mind, though. She didn’t even pee all over the floor. She did, however, roll over on her back and demand a long belly rub. I finally had to tell her to GET UP ALREADY. Sheesh. My working dog has spent too much time at the animal hospital spa being spoiled. She’s going to be good for nothing by the time she gets back to the field! And that’ll be just fine. I just wish I could take her home. Her leg is splinted and covered with a bandage from paw to hip to keep her out of the splint. Her wound is doing great. They told me it was healed up to only two inches now. She’ll be splinted for two weeks then they’ll assess and let me know whether they think she needs to be splinted longer or can go home. Crossing fingers!
knittypat says:
Good luck with the MG program. I have been a MG in my county in CO for 7 years now. There is a lot to learn and hard to remember all of it even after all these years. :happyflower:
On March 9, 2012 at 10:46 am
shirley T says:
Don’t worry too much about book learning~You already have learned a lot from on the job training. So happy Coco is getting better.Even after she comes home it may be awhile before she has enough energy to be her old self.
On March 9, 2012 at 10:52 am
quinn says:
I would have to pay people to let me give them gardening advice. And they might still ask for a refund at the end of the year.
On March 9, 2012 at 12:07 pm
Diane says:
Glad Coco is doing so well!!!! She knows you are doing what is best for her and is showing you her love by letting you rub her belly. 🙂 Got to love dog love. 🙂
The Master Garden class sounds neat. You will be a pro before you know it.
On March 9, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Joycew says:
Becoming a Master Gardener is one of the things I really enjoyed, and so will you. If nothing else this opens your mind to all the new ways of doing things you have learned by trial and error. Good for you, I know you will have a lot to offer from your own endeavors to encourage others.
On March 9, 2012 at 1:44 pm
zshawn says:
Been a master gardener in my county in New York State for about 8 years. It was on my bucket list when I didn’t have kids to drive to soccer and everywhere else. I have met the best people through this program, you will enjoy all the wonderful gardeners you meet. Our county educators are the best. You don’t have to know all the answers, just where to look up. Still learning about gardening after 56 years! Glad to hear Coco is progressing!
On March 9, 2012 at 3:46 pm
bonita says:
Master Gardener is on my list…was going to start it right after I got my Naturalist Certificate which covers ecology in the broader sense. But after 4 years of classes nearly every weekend. . . well. . . However, you’ve given me a bump upside the head, so maybe I’ll be signing up soon!
In retrospect it seems you were indeed quite lucky that Coco found her way back to you when she did. The 5-day delay must have added insult to injury. Glad to hear she’s progressing and, again, glad she’s at a vet that understands that your dog has a job. . . no “workdog’s comp” for her!
BTW that no fee for additional services is probably a policy because, as a rescue, they see animals given up or abandoned because owners cannot afford vet bills, so they dip into rescue funds when bills grow large. Portia’s nudging at my elbow, she met up with a car once, too—splints and all. She wants to wish Coco well.
On March 9, 2012 at 4:26 pm
FarmGrammy says:
Whoo hoo, good for you… :woof:
You will be such an asset!! I was in the class of 2005, our county’s second year with MG. It has been a wonderful experience. It is so nice to be around people with similar interests, who are good friends to have as well. One of my thrills was having the teller at the bank ask me, as she was handing me my deposit slip, “Is it time to prune roses yet?” AND I KNEW THE ANSWER.
On March 9, 2012 at 7:47 pm
wormlady says:
When I took the MG course, they told us not to worry about doing well on the pretest, because if we improved greatly for the posttest it made them look good.
And knowing everything isn’t so much the point. You get that enormous manual where you can look stuff up.
Fingers crossed for Coco.
On March 10, 2012 at 9:29 am
sunhurteyes says:
Only 9/10s to go!
On March 10, 2012 at 11:06 am
wormlady says:
If you enjoyed the class, you might like to start attending the club meetings. The next one is tomorrow. (In case Brandy didn’t tell the class.) At noon, probably program followed by business meeting, check with the Extension office for location, which keeps changing, since the free tax help is in our best location just now.
On March 12, 2012 at 10:56 am