JULY THREAD START

We will be making more updates soon, keep reporting issues please

Hi folks -- life keeps rolling on.  I've just been in sciatica h$ll for a few weeks again and I can't 'sit' long enough to really post much.  Work has been insanely busy and by the time I put in 8 hours there I'm trashed for the most part so I just haven't been able to do 'extra' .  Tink, Luna and Charlie are great -- Charlie thinks the 4th of July should be outlawed.  The local celebration is on July 3, and because it was all during the weekend it just started on Thursday and didn't stop til Monday and then they let off all the leftover fireworks the next weekend??  Luna at 14 just patently thinks "IT IS **ALLL:LLL** UNNECESSARY!!!" (no one evokes "this is STU-PID" like she does LOL) ... but her hearing isn't all that great any more so Tink thinks *she* has to be the watch -pug.    I've never in my life ever had a 'pack' who so totally wanted to take care of each other like these 3.  Charlie & his Angels.  *smile*

Now for the humans -- Tracy I'm still lifting up your mom-in-law.  I know that's such a difficult situation.  Glenda, I'm sorry to hear about your sister ... I will keep her in my prayers as well.  And Ginger, you as well.  

Wierd.  I can't even log in from the macbook now (safari) so I'm back to having to come upstairs to post.  I really dislike making unneed trips upstairs, but.......

Sky is sick and at the vet.  He apparently ate something he shouldn't have and his liver values are all screwed up.  Jaundice, really yellow urine, lethargy, but still wants to play or go for a walk. Vet says he ate a toxin of some sort.  I'll pick him up at 4:30 along with some Sam-e tablets and milkweed thistle.    He did meet a cat at the vets office.  Loud and angry from the cats end.  Fingers crossed.

Met Remmy, Skys sister.  My brother is working with her now.  Dog eats like a n industrial machine, but is cheerful, smart, and eager to please.  Smaller than Sky, but just as pretty.

Oh dear Doug, I hope Sky bounces back quickly.  

The vet pumped him full of saline (prime the pump) and sent him home with more meds than I use.  Also special food.  He seems to be feeling better.  he did eat tonight, and begged really emotionally at the table.  It was a really nice performance.

I was fishing in Canada for a few days.  Sky now sleeps in the big bed, when I am gone.  My little boy is not spoiled(he was just busted).

So glad that Sky is ok!  Phew!

Little by little I'm defeating the out of control weeds in my veggie garden.  The weather hasn't been what you could call cooperative....either pouring rain or too humid to even breathe.  The last couple days have been perfect so I've been pushing forward with that project.  But, darn it, now I've got to listen to my body.  It's not what you could call cooperative either.  As soon as the compost bucket is full of weeds, it demands a break.....reasoning that since I've got to get out of the garden anyway, I might as well sit and rest and rehydrate.  Oh, and, lets clean off the gloves and the clogs and then just spray hose water on the feet to cool off the body.......then back to the garden, and danged if the bucket isn't full again, so rinse and repeat.  Even on the nicest days, by 1PM the sun is too hot for this old body to tolerate.  Sigh.  While it does beat the heck out of the alternative, getting old really sux!  Only three more rows to weed through, and hopefully either I'll remember or someone will remind me next year not to wait so long before I jump on the weeding.  Some of those weeds have roots longer than my legs!

Am really loving this recent weather....mid-70's with low humidity during the day, then down into the low 50's at night.  Great sleeping weather.  Sure hope it sticks around for a good long while.

The Vikings are in Mankato. I predict a gathering of tall leggy blond girls in spike heels and spandex, if history is predictive. The dew point is going to be high next week, just for their work outs, and good seating in restaurants will be hard to find. Hopefully, the city got the roads in the University area put back together. The city tends to overdo the event.

Grapes are looking good, tomatoes are ripe (BLTs) and the grass is lush. Had a big branch go down in a storm, so wife has called an arborist to check a few trees. I don't climb high with a chainsaw any more, and we have some old large trees with large dead wood. This could get pricy.

Sky seems to be feeling better. Urine is so yellow it glows, but he is drinking well, starting to eat and keep it down, and really wants to run and play. Activity is restricted so we are all going nuts.

Watched a Tv show last night. Tut. A period piece filmed in Egypt. The producers probably didn't realize that when Tut was pharaoh, the buildings were new. He probably didn't speak with an English accent either,

I'm sorry to hear that Sky has been battling some kind of toxin -- I'm sure glad it wasn't anything stronger.  His youth probably helped his immune system perform even better in flushing it out of his system.  I hope he's 100% back to his usual self ASAP!  

Glenda, I hear you about the garden work and needing frequent breaks.  I pulled weeds yesterday, and my lower back was screaming  after an hour.  Gone are the days of long hours of yard work.  Short periods of time only!

DH was out of town through Sunday, and I  long days and late evenings Thursday and Friday, so Ruby went to the boarding kennel for 2 nights.  We're getting her used to a new place (our favorite kennel closed last year).  We've got a trip planned in October and want her to have some "practice" sessions there.  She did okay at this place for a stay in June, but this time didn't go as well.  

I  measured out each of her meals (kibble) in a ziplock bag - 4 meals total.  When I picked her up, they gave me back one bag saying it was extra.  I explained how I gave them EXACTLY enough baggies for the number of meals she'd need.  The two young girls working seemed unfazed, as if I were mistaken about what I brought (I was not).  One girl suggested Ruby didn't eat one meal due to anxiety.  I knew that wasn't true because she never avoids eating due to anxiety (not on 3 prior kennel stays, or any other time for that matter).  Plus, I highly doubt they'd put food in a bowl and if the dog left it uneaten, they'd take the time to pour it back into a sandwich sized bag.  

I got  brush off comments such as "I wasn't working the day you dropped her off" and "You'll have to talk to the owner," etc.  Needless to say, we won't be going back there (seriously, how do you miss a dog's meal when they only had 4 to feed her in less than 48 hours?).  Now we have to start over trying to find reputable care.  Because of her reactivity, we can't just let anyone house/dog sit for her, so I don't know what we'll do.  In the meantime, no one bothered to call us since it happened, so the girls obviously didn't let anyone know about it.  I'll send an email to the owner to let him know how poorly his staff handled the situation.  He won't care -- he has plenty of customers -- but I'll tell him I'll be sharing our bad experience with all our dog-owning friends so they don't go there.  I know a missed meal won't do much harm, but if they forgot to feed her 25% of her meals on a week-long stay, that would be bad.  She also smelled like urine, so it's possible they "forgot" to clean her kennel one day as well.  

Poor Ruby - I gave her an extra meal the day she came home, a bath, and a zillion treats.  She was so happy to be home!

Talk to the owner about your concerns.  Otherwise, the owner has no chance to fix things.  Express  deep disappointment, as you had heard good things about his business and had hoped for a long term relationship.  Guilt him about the kids performance, not his.

We've lucked out on dog care.  Our daughter will take Sky for a few days and my grandson really loves dogs. He works the dog to exhaustion.  SIL is against having a dog, but short term care is okay.  We also have friends who love dogs but don't want the long term commitment.  A completely enclosed back yard and a neighbors dog that can visit for a play date.  The rates are much better, and both places provide dessert for us.

Sky is supposed to take it easy for a few days while his liver recovers, but how do you tell an ESS to take it easy.  Short walks, a few simple training exercises, and brandy.

He wants to run and play hard, but his stamina is way down.  he is on a bland low protein diet for 10 days.  He won't touch the food, even with turkey gravy mixed in, so he is losing weight and blowing a little hair.  But he still picks up a toy and dares you to take it.  

Storms brewing.  Humidity is so high, you sweat thinking about exercise.

Sky now I know the food is yucky but you really need to eat so you can get more energy so you can drive your humans really nuts :)

Glenda these last couple of years have been a big slow down for me too, it is not something I like at all.   I find that I am having to take a break during my time in the yard and the garden this years consists of 4 tomato plants (one is in a big planter closer to the house) another planter with some herbs, a few flowers I picked up on the close out  after Independence Day.   Just don't have it together this summer.

Tracy I agree with Doug, you should definitely talk to the owners.  Whether you take Ruby there again or not, they really need to know what is going on when they are not around.   Who knows you may save their business not to mention some one else dog will benefit by your conversation.   This sounds like an excellent place for a "hidden" camera .  

Have a great week all, keep cool stay hydrated !

It's me again....Forgot to say I hope Kate and Callie are feeling better.  Kate I wish I had some tips and tricks for you but when I had the shingles  there was just nothing that made it ok.  I highly recommend  the shingles shot when you are "of age".  I made sure  Ron got his cause I knew as bad as they were for me,  it would be much worse taking care of him with shingles, lol.  I am not old enough yet for the insurance to cover.  My neighbor swore by  L-lysine.  So I do take L-lysine caplet everyday and I have not had a reoccurance..

I will definitely contact the owner (luckily, he includes a direct email address on his website -- to his name directly, not just a general info mailbox.  I prefer email because I can organize my thoughts better in writing.  If I call him, it's likely I'll get angry or upset, forget what I want to say, ramble, etc.  Plus, the email will be a trail for both of our records.  I really like the line you suggest, Doug -- expressing  huge disappointment because we were planning on being long-term customers.  And I'll be sure to point out my complaint is with how his staff handled things.  Their poor customer service reflects on him, even though I don't have any problems with him directly.

Our friends had a very active ESS years ago who had to have that TPLO surgery (or whatever it's called).  He had to remain quite inactive during  his multi-week recovery.  They ended up having to crate him and even give him some sedatives periodically because he kept running and jumping around the house, threatening to undo all the expensive surgery!  Good luck -- I hope Sky cooperates as much as possible!

Oh Kate.  I'm so sorry.  Shingles totally stink.  Sending along some virtual chicken soup since absolutely not much else helps.

Tracy, so sorry to hear about Ruby's less than enjoyable weekend.  I totally agree with Doug.

Callie, feel better soon!

I am not in the deep South.  So hows come I have to deal with deep South heat and humidity?  Not fair.  I get to see my ankles for a few minutes in the morning before they go into hiding.  My energy levels are wayyyy low for me and I'm starting to feel like an old fossil.  Decent weather, I can outwork 10 people, but when it gets like this, wow.  I age 50 years and just feel like not moving.

However, with one tiny exception (about a foot x two feet)  the garden is weeded, the crab grass whipped into defeat and basil that I thought had died has been exposed.  Need to run out and do some cutting and picking before it gets any darned hotter.  The tiny little area is the hubby's fault.  On Sunday I wanted to finish TWO small sections.  He pouted as only a grown man can pout so I offered a compromise and did only one of the two areas.  Of course now that tiny area is just lurking there waiting to attack me when it gets cool enough again for me to work.......The things we do for our men.