Sunday, November 15, 2020

Still Alive and Kicking!

Friends, I am still with you all. 

I believe I have dodged the bullet... this time. 

I will be enquiring about the vet this week, as I must take 

Snowy in for some sneezing that she is having. 

I want to thank you all for your wonderful comments here and on FB enquiring about my health. 

Trust me, every little sneeze or headache made me wonder. 


I have since found out that the wonderful family from whom I buy pork and used to buy 

my hay has had it run through their family, rampant, the sons missing work (unpaid) and 

the matriarch exhausted.  The patriarch has ALWAYS worn masks to deliver, they have 

a little granddaughter whom they try to protect, and he told me "You do not want this thing". 

I don't, I agree. 


Since I last blogged, we have had the results of an election and a run of 

wonderful weather here in Leavenworth County (Kansas). 

I think those lovely days are coming to an end, we had crazy wind today, 

and again, tomorrow... and then rain and then cold temps return. 



Fritzi is still with us... by the skin of her teeth.  The Cushings and diabetes is 
taking its' toll on her, and she is now blind, I believe completely so.  She may still be 
seeing a bit of light versus dark.  It is heart breaking to watch her, and many of you have told me 
that blind dogs get along well... I can tell you from watching her she is scared, and will start at the slightest sound... has bumped her poor little head over and over.  I go out with her, and guide her 
by my voice... but she is not the same happy go lucky little dog of yore.  She has had a really good day today, and when it is time, I have found a practice who will come to the house to 
let her cross the bridge, here where she is loved and cherished. 


Look who is back!  After an absence of almost ten days... and I thought for sure he had been killed by something... Spot returned and has been here since.  He has a little house by the door, and he so wants to come in, but he attacked Fritzi once.  She can smell him, and goes right up to him, barking... so I can't chance his going after her little face.  When Fritzi is no longer here, he is welcome in here, the other two dogs pretty much ignore him. 


He and Snowy actually helped me do chores Friday morning in the fog. 


Snow Snow had her grooming done Thursday; she was overdue.  I have never had a dog 
before that had to be groomed!  She was sweet smelling over night, but by the next day, 
had found something to roll in... see the previous picture. 

Brooke, the groomer, has backdrops for the various holidays, and you can book just a photography session if you would like. 


 

The squirrels love to eat the cat food on the deck. 


This baby possum was so close to a camera outside I thought it was a rat for a minute. 
I hope it's the little gray possum, I have not seen it during the day now for about a week. 

I found a dead baby at the back of the house last Monday, but it was darker than this one. 


This gorgeous tree stands in the valley below me, 
on the other side of the Spehar's two ponds.  I look for it every year, 
and this year, I waited so long, I was afraid they had cut it down. 
On the second, there she was in all her glory. 


If you enlarge that, you will see I caught the reflection in the waters of the pond. 

I hope....hope... that I can have all the fir trees that have grown up in the fence line removed this year. 
They were not there when we moved here.  They are not just tearing up the fencing, I am losing my view. 


Spot waited for me to come from the pasture the other day, at the top of the stairs where so many of our pets have awaited me.  I am going to do a story about JUST that one day soon. 


This is the view out my kitchen window, on the west side of the house... fading now. 
That is the 26 acres that is undeveloped, with the communications tower on it.  I used to 
wish I won the lottery so I could buy it and keep it undeveloped forever. 


I am seeing so many birds at the bird feeders now, after a spate of about two months 
where I saw few.  




There are five crows in that picture, picked up on the garden cam, 
one is still on the flat feeder.  

They watch for me to put out the birdseed. 


Those are the two little old ladies, Fritzi and Snowy. 


Since I started this post last week, little seventeen year old Snowy had a grand mal seizure one morning, 
about 1:45 AM.  I sat and watched her, she was in bed next to me... she is the only one who sleeps with me now.  I actually thought she died.... but she was disoriented and her eyes rolled back. The vet was good enough to get me in that day (not always possible any more) and we ran tests on her.  They all came back good... he told me that she may never have another.  

She did exhibit pain in the back, and now is on gabapentin for it twice a day... I can see 
it has helped her, there is more spring in her step. 

I am planning changes around here, and have not spoken about them until now. 

The raised bed garden which Keith planned and made so lovingly back 
ten years or so ago, has been a pain. 

It has to be filled almost every year, and the beds were made just close enough together 
that you have to weed eat them instead of pushing a mower through. 
I have to pay someone to do that weed-eating, Ben, my wonderful yard helper. 


These beds.  
(this year's zinnias in them) 

Ben worked hard on these beds, tilled them, filled them, and weed ate between them all summer. 
We talked about pulling them up... I told him no.... but... I have decided that it makes sense to 
do so.  I am going to ask him to do it (pay him) and then we will till this area and grow bigger pumpkins next year. 

I'm getting an extension made between the original south deck (the back is the front of the house) and the side deck, put on years later.  This will let me go out and feed the birds by simply walking onto the deck, not going down steps, walking around, and going up steps on the side.  
The steps are being replaced, they are a hazzard. 

I'm also getting a new front door and storm door, I should have done that four years ago, to keep 
the winter winds at bay! 



I hate to preach on my blog... but friends, we all 
need to conquer our fears. 

I am planning on being around for a while. 
I am being careful, I hope you are all, too. 
I value your friendships and value the fact 
you still read this blog after all these years. 





I'm holding onto fall for a few more days.... 
holding onto hope, too. 

Everyone have as good a Thanksgiving as you can make it, this year.


















5 comments:

  1. Hari OM
    Mary Ann, I send you Love and POTP to share around your wee darlings... last Wednesday, at 1:45am (yup same time) my father threw a fit and landed up in hospital. He is still there and if he pulls through, will not return home, but be trfrd to a care home. You, my dear, ARE the care home for the pups and possums and pussy cats... more power to you! Yay for the conquering of fear. YAM xx

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  2. Bless you for all the love you give your wild critters and your pets. Yes, be careful and take care of yourself. I want to be reading your posts for a very long time. Letting go of the beds may be hard on the heart. But, sometimes, its the best thing to do.

    Good to hear from you.

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  3. My brother is in the hospital for complications of stage 5 renal failure, plus diabetes, plus conjestive heart failure. IF he is discharged, my baby sister and I are united on him NOT returning to live with my elderly parents. ANYway, while being at the hospital to visit him, they are being confronted with the reality of the pandemic, which is quite different that the 'reality' they've been fed by the 'political opinionizers' they've been listening to. I do hope this will help them wake up to the fact that they've been lied to about this and many other things....

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  4. I only just recently discovered your blog and like it very much. I do hope both of your little dogs are doing well. Pets - they fill your heart and break your heart, too. Conquering fear is to be commended. I have a list of my own. Take care, -Jenn

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  5. I'm so glad to read that you're okay! But your two little girls, I'm so sorry that this is a hard time for them, and for you seeing them hurting. Snowy is so pretty in her grooming picture. I do love your view from your kitchen. I think God knew our hearts needed a pretty fall this year and it seems like everyone has gotten it. Last year was too hot, too long for us here to have pretty color and that would have been such a disappointment. A pretty view from home is so important now and I'm thankful for ours. Stay safe, Mary Ann! And my son passed your message on to me and I apologize for not being able to follow through with it. I'm just at the time of my life now where handling it this way is the only way I can continue blogging. Love to you!

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