Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[ShrekDawg]

She's 8 1/2 weeks. The pictures make her look bigger than she is. Here she is me t to the Australian shepherd.
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She is tiny lol so adorable

 

[jvls1942]

Yeah Lisa, that's more like what I had in mind.
too bad they can't stay little and cute.
i am finished with the driveway . not 100 percent
but it will do.
need some rain to see if there will be puddles.

 

[Callender Girl]

Congrats on the driveway project, Jim.

I hope Trixie is finding her place in the pack and making you smile, Lisa.

One of my dogs has always made it her chore to keep Goo's face clean. Last night, Dinah was licking and licking the cat's face. When she stopped, I spotted blood on the sofa cushion. A close look into his long fur revealed a hard mass on the right side of Goo's jaw.

I will make an appointment with the vet, but I will be surprised if it's not a squamous cell carcinoma. They're fairly common in cats; I've lost four to them already.

Goo has, for many reasons, always been special. More than 15 years ago, he was born, eyeless, in my backyard, the only one of three kittens in the litter to live more than two days. Losing him is going to be gut-wrenching.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

So sorry Barb. Hoping it's nothing, but at 15 years I guess it's not unexpected. Still heartbreaking. I know how much you love your critters.

I'm thoroughly exhausted. I keep telling myself in 2 weeks it will all be easy. Trixie is doing steps now, so once she's a bit more confident she can just be let out with the others instead of me picking her up. She looks to have doubled in size in 2 days, and feels double the weight. She went to bed last night without a sqeak. She tried at 6:30 this morning, but I said something like "really this early, I'm not doing it", and she went back to sleep. A few more squeaks along the way, and I got up at 8 am. Most of my dogs are accepting her. In 2 weeks it will be like she's always been here.

 

[Callender Girl]

Hurray! Sounds like Trixie is learning the ropes in her new home and will be established as part of the pack very soon. And, is giving you a break from carrying her on the stairs -- also very good!!

Yesterday, I fully expected the vet to say I needed to put Goo down and did a lot of preparatory crying. But, Goo came home. I'm not sure I totally believe the doc, but he said he could feel a soft spot in the lump on Goo's jaw, so it MIGHT not be the cancerous tumor I expected. Although new to Fort Dodge, this is an experienced vet, so I hope he's right.

Goo came home with antibiotics to treat a bone infection, which is what the doctor said the lump might be. In any case, my little old boy is with me for a while longer. His appetite is great; he walks like a frail, elderly cat, but he can still move on his own. I always think my critters tell me when they're ready to go, and Goo isn't quite done yet. He even mustered up some serious growls and resistance when the vet tried to extract tiny body from his carrier. Goo still has some spirit in him!

Dr. also said it would be a positive if the lump broke open and drained so it would dry up on its own. Last night, Goo misgauged the height of a chair, slipped and hit the floor. There was plenty of drainage. Plenty. And, he didn't care one bit for the warm compress I held against his jaw.

The insurance company's inspector called and apologized for the delay in getting back to me over the holiday weekend. He wanted to come out yesterday. But I was choking back tears during the call, which happened before I knew Goo was going to live. I apologized for being weepy, and Randy, who has had to put down some of his own pets, said he would reschedule the inspection. Despite his kindheartedness, I'm sure he will notice the spongy deck boards that need replacing and report me to American Family.

Today, I have to go to the hospital (45 miles away) for a bone density scan that will take much less time than the commute either way. In the afternoon, I am going to attend a good friend's mother's funeral.

I am hoping the rest of the week will unfold on an even keel, with less emotional bouncing around.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Barb it sounds more like an abscess? Sometimes that happens with a bad tooth. Hopefully Goo heals up quickly. I remember those American Family inspections. We haven't had one in awhile. We had to add some hand rails to our porch a few years back. Hope your scan goes well. Haven't had one of those yet. I'm prone to falling down at least once a year. No broken bones yet so I'm guessing I'm good.

Enjoying these cooler temps. Been bringing my big fish back in. Should get the rest in today so we can drain and cover the pond for the winter.

 

[Callender Girl]

I will be thrilled if Goo only has an abscess. I've never been that lucky in the past.

ONE of the reasons I prefer the Lake City hospital -- which is about three times as far away as the Fort Dodge one -- is that appointments there always start on time. I arrived in radiology at 8:55 for my 9 a.m. appointment. Before I could sit my behind in the waiting room chair, the technician came out to retrieve me. I was back in my car in the parking lot at 9:01.

The results will likely come through later today, and I will get a call from the clinic in nearby Gowrie, where I get most of my medical stuff done. Efficiency at its best. And, the staff is incredibly pleasant and helpful. Totally different than my FD experiences.

I like cooler temps, but learning that you are bringing in the fish for winter just reminds me that I HATE winter!!! Cold, snow, wind on an endless loop for months. Ugh!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Trixie is sleeping through the night now. She's still smaller than any of our cats, but is growing like a weed.

 

[jvls1942]

i like cool weather too, but this quick change is hard to adjust to.
i never saw such a small boxer . cute.
had pepper steak yesterday. made with peppers and tomatoes from my small garden. delish..
can leaf lettuce be added to something like a stew i worked on the driveway while it rained yesterday. got rid of a few puddles.
today i think i will pick a few apples for Annie to make a pie. she won first place in a pie baking contest with her apple pie.
Barb, I hope your cat heals up nicely.
Lisa. the sure sign of winter is when you bring the fish in.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Jim I wait for the cold days to bring the fish in so the water outside is colder than the water in the tank in my basement. That way I don't have to float them and can put them straight in. Also they are easier to catch when cold. Warm goldfish are a challenge to net. I think there are 4 more to bring in. I can't recall how many went out.

I ran a fan in the window for part of the night. Than I ran the heater for a short while when I got up. That's the sign for fall weather here in Wisconsin. AC was running two nights ago. Covering all my bases. Now I gotta open the windows again.

This boxer pup seems smaller to me than my other ones, but it's been 13 years, so I can't recall that either. She's doing well.