Hmmmmm maybe? IDK. Maybe I will try it first, because that is free. 
Yeah, water isn’t really at a premium here, even though I keep complaining about how dry it has been.
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What should I do with this?
This is the sight at the very edge of my yard behind my shed – I have always kept it all the way trimmed back - clearly so that I can store junk behind the shed (lol), but recently I accidentally let it overgrow and realize these are blackberries!
I want want want the blackberry bush, but it is very wild and very stabby… can I create a trellis to train it upward? Is there a reasonable way to manage a blackberry bush? This would be my first! 
I would love to keep it, but right now it’s growing OUT and creating stabby situations at all corners of the shed.
Ideas welcome!
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If you want blackberries, I would recommend pulling that one out and getting one of the thornless varieties. If you live where I think you do, they thrive well in that environment. The ones with the big thorns are generally Himalayan blackberries, and they’re super invasive and mean. The thornless ones tend to be a little more consistent on their fruit production too.
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If you try this I’d be curious to know if it works.
What’s normal to pay a pet/house sitter? It won’t save them any rent, will give them a much nicer place to WFH for a few days. But I don’t want to be stingy, either.
Was thinking of taking the puppies with us for a 2-3 day trip, but looks like every doggie daycare in the continental US has a weeks-long waiting list, and there are a couple museums we want to go to that don’t allow dogs.
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Last month credit card bill was 500 which was paid in full and is listed as paid from the 25th. This month additional charges is 2000. Why is my new bill 2500, not 1500? Seems not right?
I’m trying not to be bias since I am in a similar industry, but I think what your kennel/boarding costs would have been for the two of them plus 10-15% for the convenience of them coming to your home as well as a few special food items for them to have in the house is relatively average and fair.
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your billing period is not the calendar month, but a different set of 30 days?
the statement/bill was printed before the payment posted?
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I wasn’t sure if that was enough, because our vet boards for $20 a day (Super low cost of living here). Maybe? Definitely would buy them special food treats.
What do kennel or boarding costs look like where you are?
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I think the new bill should be $2000 (the new charges). What’s the statement date? If it is before the 25th the payment may not be reflected. I like to use the online accounting for credit cards, they are often up to date within a day or two (sometimes pending transactions take a couple of days to post). If the $500 was not properly credited it’s probably phone call time. Anticipate being on hold for a little while.
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Thanks @JRA64 and @plainjane.
Sorry, I meant to say new balance should be the 2000 new purchases instead of 2500, my mistake. It seems like they did not actually remove my payment even though they say it posted which has never happened before. I used round numbers here for ease, but the exact numbers of previous statement (paid in full) plus new purchases do add up to the current balance shown.
I am looking online at my current balance. I have a few days yet before it turns into a new statement, the statement date is the 3rd. The 500 payment posted on the 25th, and is usually deducted from the new balance immediately. I will call in a couple days (before the next statement) if it doesn’t change.
It probably doesn’t hurt to call now if you have the time. “Processing” and all that… so you don’t get hit with interest charges, etc.
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My bank says it can take up to two days, and the weekends don’t count. So I’d check on Wednesday, and then call if it doesn’t look right still.
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They do thrive well in JJs environment (see my neglected patch for proof). @JanetJackson, if you want to try some thornless ones, I’ll be passing by near-ish to you on Friday and could bring some.
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Here the Himalayan’s just gang up and eat them 🥲
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About $40 per pet, likely a discount for the second pet, but yes, roughly double that.
So for you + 15% on top of $20 for each dog is about $45-50/day? That does seem kinda low. Hmmm. Maybe offer $75?
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Whoa!! What?!? Send me a message! Maybe we can make this happen! 
I’ve never met anyone from the forum!!!
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Boarding at my vet is more like $50/night for one dog, the second dog gets a discount but not that much of a discount. I’d be delighted for $20/night.
If you had been able to board them, I’d be curious what their reaction would have been afterwards. My dog (and she’s very much My Dog) gets mad at me and doesn’t talk to me for like a day or two afterwards but is perfectly civil to my spouse and child, lol.
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I think when I did Rover I charged $35 a night to keep them at my place (with an extra $10 puppy fee for below 1 year old), and $50 a night for me to stay elsewhere? It was in keeping with local rates. (I gave a $10 discount on the rate for dog number 2, and capped at 2 dogs).
ETA this wasn’t Portland, this was Hometown, which is 27% lower COL last time I looked. And these rates were 4 years ago at this point.
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I think I could board them at our vet, but I won’t - not for three days. We’ll stay home rather than that, or just change our plans to something where we can take them without needing a few hours of doggie daycare (that’s what seems to be so very booked up everywhere).
But paying our friend to puppysit is a win for everyone (they can use the money).
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