News

VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation My focus this week will be on one of the VA benefits available to surviving dependents of certain Veterans. If you’re the surviving spouse, child (under the age of 18 or under 23 if attending school), or parent (income applies) of a service member who died in the line of duty, or the survivor of a Veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness, you may be able to get a tax-free monetary benefit called VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC).

Anthony-Francis “Tony” is a youthful twelve-year-old Standard Poodle with a love for life and everything in it. He spent his first 8 years as an only dog but has become a loving older brother and caregiver to his two younger dog siblings. He is beloved in his community and is a goodwill ambassador of the canine species.

PHOOEY! That’s the nice word I have for gardening this week, my tomato plants are being stinkers! In other news, I have encountered a smallish bear on my walks a few times and it has frequented our garage, getting to know the inside quite nicely. Saw a baby robin, sort of ugly I might add, poor thing. Saw 16 cute baby ducklings, too many crawfish, two turtles in and out of the water, and one water snake… could have done without that and the leeches. Summer up north is a fun one. Hope you are all enjoying it!

My dog Copper loves food. If it’s in a dish, she pretty much inhales it. Dogs are scavengers by nature and so weren’t designed for enjoying a leisurely meal. Thus, one of the reasons some dogs are inclined to scarf down their food as rapidly as possible. Since eating too fast can have negative health consequences, it’s a good idea to slow them down by ditching the dish. Fortunately, that’s fairly simple to accomplish and there’s more than one way to do it.

Dan Schutte, owner of Shoreview Natives, sharing his wealth of knowledge and personal experience with native plants appropriate for northern gardens with a group of growers at the Two Harbors Community Center July 20. The event was part of the University Extension Master Gardners programming. Little Waldo Farmer Jadell Cavallin followed up with a presentation on native and deer-resistant plants. All valuable information for northland gardeners!