Some non-dog stuff
The Prisoner got his pest control medication on Thursday. He pretty much lets me do anything I need to do to take care of him. I no longer need to de-burr him, as the weeds that produced the burrs have been taken out by the home improvement projects.My garage door keypad wasn't working on Wednesday afternoon when Alicia was here. Turns out it wasn't the battery. I changed those but it did not fix the problem. I was proud of myself for re-setting the programming, using a broom handle to hit the buttons in the overhead door opener as directed by the instructions on the keypad's lid. It works again. Guess all those years in IT and as a curious person who reads directions does pay off.
I sat out on my paver patio for ten minutes Thursday morning, reading. Alicia has lent me another book, "Nothing to Fear" by one of our favorite TikTok creators, Julie McFadden ("Hospice Nurse Julie").
It's a very calming read. Our mother underwent hospice care in her final week of life, back in 1996. She knew she was dying, didn't much care about the specific disease, but wanted pain managed during her passage. That was our introduction to the wonderful work these people do. Mom was not afraid to talk about end of life, and the conundrum of having a church that believed that "sin, disease and death are not real". And yet, everyone exits. Hadn't seen an ascension yet.
I got the estimate for the fix on the puddle forming on my sidewalk, and it's not cheap. But unlike some other parts of my yard projects, this one rises above a "want" to a "need". This cannot be allowed to continue this way. So I signed off on it. Sigh. More disruption in the future, and it would not bother me if it was a couple of months off, to be honest. I have one more week of the "three times a day" watering to do, and that's when it is at its worst. And of course if Ember gets into it and makes a muddy mess. But this was supposed to be the non-dog section of the blog!
Weather
Friday morning the rain woke me, and I crept downstairs to turn off the automatic sprinkler system before the 4 a.m. scheduled time. If it's been falling from the sky for several hours, no need to overdo. I turned it back on automatic about 8 a.m., as it didn't look like it would rain more for a while. Surprise... about 2 p.m., we got another shower.
It was windy for our pre-6 a.m. walkies, which of complicates things. Wind carries scent, and makes objects like flags and tree branches move. It causes some chimes to tinkle, too. Things that can both attract or spook puppies. Ember did pretty well this morning. I think it was our longest distance leash walk, yet. She picked up a branch to carry, and that kept us moving for I think about 4 blocks. When she's carrying something, it minimizes other distractions.
A hot, muggy day, even if 13 degrees cooler than the hottest day of the week, calls for "iced water, please". And for ice cubes melting on the deck. Ember came inside after that to watch mommy cook eggs and potatoes. She got a little of the potato, unseasoned, mashed up in her new puzzle dish.
Kibble and mash, anyone?
I haven't made up the rest of the ingredients yet, but I have boiled potatoes and hard boiled eggs ready if I want to do a small batch of potato salad as a festive treat for myself.
Life is good. Spark on!
Poor Kitty is very handsome on his perch. Do kitties perch?
ReplyDeleteAfter a day at the beach, de-sanding 5 kids was not a pleasant task. I can't imagine what a job that must be for a dog.
The last weekend of June. Doesn't seem possible. 🤗💖🐶😸
This kitty takes the high grounds... good thing, too. Puppy can now reach the rail with her front paws and her jaws. I can't believe how much The Prisoner does not "fight back" but he really just goes limp and lets the puppy do her explorations unless it actually hurts. Then he vocalizes, hisses, and takes a swipe (unless Ember has him totally pinned) in which case I intervene and hold her off him and tell him to get away while he can. Sometimes he does what I suggest, sometimes not.
DeleteCan't help him if he won't help himself.
But at some point, the puppy goes back "to bed", and then it's kitty's time.
June already flown? Yep! Can't believe I've already had this pup for 3 months, almost!
De-sanding Ember is not a problem (yet)... she shakes, it goes.
I think Ember needs the sandbox, but I know you don't need the mess. We used to have beach dogs, living at the shore, and I swear they were heavier from sand that would never shake off.
ReplyDeleteDid Prisoner and Rubia groom each other? I remember they had their own spaces.
Yay for rain. We get some tonight.
I fully anticipate needing to bathe Ember after her "play date in the park" with Carl later today.
DeleteWhen both Prisoner and Rubia lived here, they would sleep together when it was cold. I don't remember ever seeing them groom one another, though.
Hurray for no more burr-producing weeds!
ReplyDeleteWow! Never knew of a church that believed sin, disease and death are not real. Hmmm. I was so grateful for Hospice care for both my parents. Dad was on Hospice for 6 mths., Mom 2 days. Such wonderful, kind workers. When I did home health nursing I did Hospice work, too, and had great respect for the dignity it provided the patient and families during the transition.
Yes, sounds like the puddling on the sidewalk needs to be addressed. For sure, if Miss Lilly gets into a puddle she’s a muddy mess and doesn’t care for baths! Not a good combination.
Wow, Ember is raising the stakes on her distraction treats!
I’ll take the potato, skip the kibble. LOL
Oh my Dad used to make the best potato salad. In huge quantities. I will make it, but it never turns out as good as his. Oh well.
Here’s to a good weekend in Emberville.
Hugs
Barb
1cd
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, i.e. Christian Science teaches a form of absolute idealism, if you will, in which only good is real, and anything evil (sin, disease and death, named specifically) are not real, because not permanent.
DeleteLOL... potato without kibble it is! And there's nothing like a food (potato salad) that has childhood memories attached!
Have a great weekend in the kingdom of Miss Lilly, too!
PHOENIX1949 here in triple-digit, high-humidity weather with Saharan Desert dust on the way & mosquitos an black flies biting away.
ReplyDeleteCOVID is here after both of us being spared up to now! Spouse went to a college graduation event for a grand-nephew and spent 5 days roaming around the Philadelphia area. Feeling off the night before his flight home and by the time he arrived here Wednesday p.m., very ill. Yep, tested positive. Telehealth visit early Thursday afternoon w/Doc and Rx for Paxlovid dispatched -- in short supply in local pharmacies but around 8 p.m. got a call to rush over to pick up one being held for him at a pharmacy 8 miles away on busy freeway instead of our local one 3/4 mi away. Very slight improvement -- fever gone and chills not as bad, other symptoms rough. Price charged for 20 tablets $1,668.99 & our share $25. Grateful for insurance.
I'm masked and avoiding him in the house and increased a few of my supplements for immune health. We had not done the latest vaccine update but who knows if this variant is covered in it as there seem to be 2 new strains running around currently according to the CDC website. I'm scheduled for my cancer follow-up exam July 18 and hope to keep the appointment.
Hospice care for my mother-in-law for 5 days is my closest experience with this -- very positive experience watching these folks in action during such an emotional event.
When our overt, Alpha-female dog, an American Eskimo Spitz, that we had for 16 years was a puppy, I was in the backyard tossing a tennis ball for her. After several tosses, my arthritic hands said no more. I turned to go inside the house and was shocked when she bit my butt because she wasn't finished playing! Shocking in the present tense, sort of funny in the past tense. Thinking about this now, this was a warning of much more to come when you least suspected it (Candid Camera vibe).
Good to see those home improvement and lawn changes coming to fruition. Each one seems to lead to another to add to a never-ending list. My Mom used to tell us kids to always buy a house that is move-in ready. She & Dad built our first house right after the war and some of the interior 'stuff' never got finished once the kids came along. They lived in that house from 1945 - 1964 and I never noticed what was unfished until she gave me her verbal list. The insulation and sheetrock and paint didn't go up on back interior side of the house. Hmm. Initially supplies were unavailable and then finances too stretched to bother.
Good luck with Ember's training and socializing.
Keep On Keeping On !!
So sorry to hear that Covid has caught up with your household, Susan! Fingers crossed for you not getting it, too! Staying healthy for the health checks can be a real challenge, can't it?
DeleteI totally understand your Alpha female with the butt-nip "I'm not done playing" message. Ember has tried this with me, but it's getting slightly better as I persist in being "done", "game over" when her behavior doesn't fit my expectations.
Remember that Martin Luther King, Jr. did not teach his followers to fight back, he taught them how to survive a beating. I'm kind of on that page with my challenges to Ember. Do your worst (and of course her worst moderates as she finds she gets results by being calm and agreeable).
Hang in there, my friend! Hoping for quick healing and joining you in the gratitude for insurance!