Dill, Doogie, Furkids

Doggy mischief

So on today’s list of puppy pranks and peevishness:

– Dash hopping over the back bed fence after digging up the flower beds
– Doogie destroying hubby’s new bluetooth earpiece
– Dill dilligently divesting himself of the bandage on his paw

The third one really has both of us puppy parents in straits. I think it’s been 2 months or more that we can’t get Dill’s right paw to heal. The vet suggested that he might be licking it out of obsessive behavior…and really, we needed our vet to tell us this? We’ve gone through a month’s supply of bandages and dressings with no luck. Dill has also managed to find a way past his neck cone to lick at the paw at every opportunity. It’s maddening.

Dining, Reviews

Chicken fingers: all you see, all you get

Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers

7651 Campbell Rd
Dallas, TX 75248
(972) 407-0007

I saw this new fast food restaurant on the corner of Campbell and Coit, on my way to the local Home Depot. The parking lot looked almost full and the drive-thru had a line wrapping around the building, so I resolved to stop by before going back to work.

Well, I was pressed for time, so I decided to go through the drive-thru. I beheld their menu and thought: “Chicken fingers? That’s it?” Yep, that’s all you get. They had a chicken finger sandwich, but most of their combos was a variation on the theme of chicken-fingers-in-a-box. Six menu items, a small number of sides, standard fountain drinks, lemonade and sweet tea by the gallon. Okay, at least I’m not confronted by a multitude of choices…decisions, decisions, what do I get? Oh, the chicken fingers.

So I ordered my 3-finger combo, pulled up, was accosted by a cheery lady and my meal. Good thing they take plastic! But as I received my receipt, the window girl asks me to verify what I ordered…then proceeds to hand over another bag. Perplexed, I pulled out of the drive-thru and did a quick inspection: yep, 2 combo meals for the price of one. And no cole slaw. In either box.

I tried to back up to pull into a parking space, but I was already cut off by another vehicle behind me. My turning options were extremely limited, the parking lot was small, the road was narrow. So much for running in and returning the spare meal. Besides, I was already late for work.

So as I sat down in my cubicle to partake of the meal, my coworker remarked that Cane’s was “pretty good” chicken. The chicken was indeed tender and moist, and of a nice size and color. The batter was non-descript, lacking a crunch factor that might’ve improved the eating experience. The sauce seemed decent, a bit peppery, but nothing too impressive considering its mayo base. Much is written about how Cane’s ripped off their “secret sauce”…but really, who cares? It worked well with the crinkle fries (somewhat bland) and the chicken fingers. Did I mention those chicken fingers were moist and juicy? I’m happy to say it wasn’t overcooked and didn’t taste like it sat frozen overlong.

The success story behind Cane’s is probably what keeps this chain in business–I read on the net that this chain has over 50 locations in the US, mostly centered in Louisiana and the south. Limited menu options aside, Cane’s must be doing something right.

My rating: 2.5 stars
**1/2

Ye Olde Garden

Spring garden in bloom

For most of last week and this current week, I am pleased to report on the many salvias in bloom in the garden. The Thalia daffodils are continuing to putting on a robust multi-flowered show in S1 and B3, suffering only minor bruising due to repeated canine incursions. The Accent daffodils finished their run just as the Thalia daffodils started their display. The muscari armeniacum are starting to wind down. The white muscari however are popping up here and there, mostly in B3 in the shadows of the Thalias, reminding me again of their late-blooming nature. I wish I could produce a denser stand of these white muscari, but it just seems like this particular cultivar isn’t as aggressive. Another disappointment are the dutch and bearded irises, which have failed to show–they are usually evident about this time in the season.

I finally got the ajuga planted in S1, after cleaning up the remains of 2 more hapless victims of the vicious plant destroyer (an ajuga and a newly purchased purple salvia greggii). The ajuga that I purchased from Sooner are in full bloom, displaying intense blue flower spikes under 6 inches tall. Another happy sight: the first leaf shoots from the Fire and Ice Hosta are popping out of the ground.

I still need to purchase more bags of regular garden soil to level the beds in S1 and B5. I’m also searching the local nurseries for 2 specimens of white salvia to plant in S1 and B2.

Ye Olde Garden

Gardening accomplished this weekend

I was able to persuade DH to extract 3 volunteer nandinas from the front flower bed (F2) for transplant in the back beds. I discovered that most of these offshoots seem to have sprouted from buried trunks and stems from the parent, since we required shears and clippers to sever them. Luckily these volunteers had small but developing root stock, so I am hoping they will thrive in their current locations (B1 and B5). I also have to mention that I removed the 1 surviving nandina in S1 for transplant into B5, where I hope it will enjoy more sun.

In its place, I finally planted the new Azalea Gumpo White. I hope that its position next to the patio will give it sufficient protection against summer; I usually dump water into this part of the bed, especially when the dogs’ feeding bowls are set outdoors. I also had to get the purple salvia I purchased last week into the ground, after I discovered its mauled remains scattered in the backyard. Sadly, it met a deadly fate when Dash tore through the S1 bed a couple of days ago. I’m hoping it may have enough root stock left to make a comeback.

Speaking of mauled plants, I also had to set one of the ajugas into S1 after I discovered the half-torn pot lying strewn in the bed. I suspect that strong winds or a rambunctious pup may have knocked it off its brick wall perch. It seems to be blooming quietly and happily next to the replanted ring of tulips.

B5 also required a little fixing; I discovered a crushed dianthus and uprooted lilies and muscari, which I had to reset into the ground. B5 is in serious need of ground raising and leveling; I hope to get some gardening soil into it next week.

The soil will also be useful when I start broadcasting seed into the back beds. I have packets of cosmos, bachelor buttons, nigella, and a wildflower mix that are begging to be sown right now!