TGIF 3-21-14 chat

The vet called. GingerD came through okay. She had 3 bad teeth pulled. The mass on her side is a fatty tumor. She's doing well all things considered. Thank doG! I'll pick her up after work.

Thank doG, Tina!  I logged in this morning with the sole purpose of getting an update on Ginger.  With the time difference between us, I figured you might have news already.  I'm so pleased to hear she came through okay and that the mass was nothing serious.  Give her some very gentle snuggles from me when she comes home.

Not to make light of what she's been through, but you can also tell her that my husband will be commiserating with her as a "dental patient."  He had some major work done yesterday and is on a soft diet for a while.  So, while GingerD is adjusting to the new spaces in her mouth and eating gingerly (pun intended!), DH will be having potato soup and macaroni and cheese all weekend!

As for spring bird sounds - I take for granted that we hear birds year round here.  Not all species are visible in winter, but most are in the garden unless we have an unusual snow storm or freeze (even then the hummingbirds still show up!).  My Mom made the exact comment you did -- she saw a Robin the other day and nearly threw a party, she was so happy!

I had to go back to yesterday's chat to see the news about your new adoption, Janice.  How exciting!  You know you'll have to post some photos soon, right?!  Are you keeping his name Ranger?  Little does he know that he hit the jackpot finding a forever home with you! 

YAY Janice!!!

Tina - my Mom's birthday is March 11, and for my entire life "spring" has been defined around whether or not Ma heard/saw a Robin on her birthday!!  She *heard* one this year and  was happier than I've seen her in a long time.  

Glad Ginger did well.

Interesting note:  In the UK they have a  "robin" and it is a **winter** bird!  In fact, the robin there is the "symbol" of Christmas like you so often see Cardinals depicted in Christmas stuff here?    David (cos he's always been down here in Florida since being in the US) was amazed that our robins are "gone" in the cold weather -- and then he said "well, I've about come to the conclusion after the ones I've seen in our yard *in* the winter that they are really an entirely different variety of robin somehow."

Sorry I've been so "absent" -- work has been unbelievably busy  and I've worked so many late nights that then it makes home 'busy'.  

Here is the European Robin: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Robin. As you can see, it is different from the American Robin.

Have a good weekend! I'm off to get my girl.

 That's great news about Ginger!!! It's always such a worry when our dogs are under anesthesia, but especially a dog Ginger's age. Tina the vet may have told you this but the anesthesia can make her vestibular symptoms worse for a few days. Continued good thoughts for her recovery.

  Tracy; we'll probably change his name but we'll wait until we've had him for a few days before deciding on one. DH came home from work this evening and said we pick up "our son" tomorrow. We're both pretty excited. He is very sweet but needs to learn some manners such as not jumping up to give kisses and not pulling on the leash. The shelter said that he hadn't been adopted because people felt he was too high energy (he's been there about 6 months) but we think that he has a lot of potential and with some training he will be a great dog.

Robins are back in MN.  We have some that winter over (probably not the bright ones) but most head south for the winter.  The ones that stay look ragged and faded in the spring.  We hit the WMA today, and jumped a flock of the returning birds.  Also saw some big flocks of geese headed north, and a trio of Bald Eagles  riding the wind  along the river bluffs.

The WMA is getting wet and muddy, but we spent an hour tramping through it.  Sun was shining, wind was gentle, air was cool.  Nice morning.  Pup needed a bath of course.

Worse than a kid with a mud puddle.

This is what you get to after walking about half a mile, mostly uphill to the top of the river bluff.  Quiet, peaceful.