how trees and grass grow in the desert....

 It's simple! Have a hose for each and every tree!  At first I was thinking it was a serious waste of water, but it's not drinkable water, so I guess it's o.k.  I like having some green to look at.  Sophie though, does not like the feel of the grass and does her business on the cobble stone roads instead.

 Above is a hose that runs all around the compound, so that each little purple plant gets it's daily water.

To the right, if you look at the base of the tree, there is a blank hose sticking up.

 The grass is watered by the fountains.  It's great.  You can walk through the fountains, even in work clothes and be dry within about 2 minutes.

 O.k, so I made it almost one month (tomorrow will be a month exactly) without feeling the need to bring home a living thing.  At least it's a dog instead of a kid???  This is Rosie (hey Amy, that's your dog's name, right?), a Japanese Spitz.  She is sweet as can be, and her owner was going to just leave her on the street.  So a Filipino couple who live in our compound took her.  Cora, the woman, is desperate to find someone to take Rosie, because apparently she barks whenever they are not home, and the neighbors complained 4 times in 1 week.  

I took some pics so that I could make a flyer to put up at my school and at Sophie's vet.  Cora said she was filthy and matted, so she had to cut her fur, especially the fur on her tail, but at one point, Rosie was taken care of because she is super friendly and listens and is trained...no food aggression or growling or anything.  I'm going to doggie-sit tomorrow so the couple can go to church in the evening.  I want to see how she and Sophie get along.  I'm thinking if they get along, Rosie could come and keep Sophie company during the day and go home after work.  Maybe she won't bark if she's not alone...that would give a few weeks to find her a good home.  I do realize that it was WAY too hard to get Sophie into the country, so I'm not keeping another dog, but I'm happy to help out until a good home can be found.  Putting a domesticated dog on the street is just cruel, and that's what will happen if the couple give her back to the carpenter from which she came.