Every day when I get home from work, I drop my purse on the counter, let the dogs outside and go say hi to my rose bushes. I walk down the long row of flower beds behind our house (Bryan dug them for me one weekend while I was in Tulsa) inspecting them for blooms, new growth and the occasional incidence of dog-chewing. Last summer, I planted New Day, Miss All-American Beauty, Angel Face and Mr. Lincoln. This summer, I added Hot Tamale and Queen Elizabeth.

Because of Sandy's penchant for tender, red shoots of new growth, New Day, Angel Face and Queen Elizabeth have really struggled and haven't produced a single bloom yet. The recent heavy rains, stern scolding from Bryan and some fertilizer yielded positive results over the last week, though. During last night's inspection, I was thrilled to find New Day covered in tiny rose buds. I was not so thrilled to find that I have a new resident in my garden: a giant, slimy toad. I shrieked when he hopped out from under the hose, attracting the attention of several curious canines. Sandy chased the toad under a bench, where he crouched, hidden for the rest of the night.

Sadly for the toad, I'm more than happy to offer him as a future diversion for my Labrador on behalf of saving my bushes.