All About Lilly

Today was the Day for Lilly Ann. 

She thought we were going bye bye to the park, and I felt dreadful about no food or water. 

However, when we got to the vet's, she got suspicious.  She NEVER does this, (jumps up to sit next to me)  so I know she was scared.  

"They're going to do WHAT???" 

"I don't want to go with Nikki!" 

"Okay, I'll go, but I wanna go home". 

When I went to get her at 5, she did something else she NEVER does, she jumped up and said goodbye to Donna, who has helped take care of her many, many times. 

You can see where the tumor was removed from her eye... we will be putting medicine in it for the next 10 days. 

Donna trimmed her claws back, they were wickedly long and split and she said very, very dry. 

So.... we go every six weeks from now on. 

Lil has to be muzzled to trim them (or sedated). 

While she was gone, my sister in law came over and hung drapery rods for me, God bless her. 

She brought her little Toto with her, and he made himself at home! 

Jester was desperate to play with his little friend, but Toto is not very fast. 

Here's our girl home again, and the new curtains hanging.  I had to put the tiebacks on, 

because Lil likes to watch the street from the spare bedroom.  She is pretty grouchy tonight, and 

went for Jes several times, so I am letting her sleep off her stress.  At least she has a full stomach. 

I don't care for the old white blinds, so am saving to have shades put in.  To me, the house did not feel "finished" these last two years, because of no curtains.  We measured the master bedroom, and I am going to try to find curtains (probably drapes) and rods for it, next.  I have to paint the tv room before we do it. 

I'm so glad today is over, because I was very stressed out about Lilly Ann. 

Thanks for all your kind wishes and comments via Facebook! 

A Visit to the Vet

Here's Dr. Hamilton, the fill-in vet, checking out Jester this afternoon. 

Both Jes and Lilly got their shots today, after the doctor and I had a talk about inoculations and why we give them.  Having read lots of information lately about them, I wanted to be 

sure about what we have and why we are doing it.  Dr. Hamilton was straightforward... and we did all the boosters, rabies (2 year rabies) and leptospirosis.  Several cases of lepto have been 

reported in Leavenworth County lately, and I don't want to take any chances. 

Lilly came along too, and had her shots... and saw her friend Rhonda. 

We saw this truck on our way there.  I had to laugh. 

Since the dogs were so good at the vet's, we went out for a short run.

I'm learning to use the sun to my advantage... slowly. 

Very slowly. 

This mess... it's a patch of cockleburs, horrid, horrid cockelburs. 

They get so tangled in Lilly's fur. 

Why are they even there?  Why did Troy not cut them? 

This is where the pasture dog pen stood, where the little flock of Mille Fleur chickens lived. 

I wrapped the bottom of that pen with poultry wire, and tie-wrapped it to the wire. 

When we took the pen down in the spring, as we re-homed the goats and some of the chickens, we cut the poultry wire off but we did not roll it up immediately.  The grass has grown through it, and it might as well be attached to the ground.  I can only get one corner up.  

I am going to sit down on the ground in a week or so, and start cutting, and try to 

cut it up enough that I can get it all out. 

Then I'm going to cut those dang burrs down and put them on the burn pile of grapevine and saplings.  

They. Are. Wicked. 

The mums in the garden are still going strong, though fading around the edges. I noticed yesterday that they are all gone from Walmart now. 

I'm seeing the flower beds in a whole new way. 

These are monarda stems. 

Daisies?????  (not sure) 

Phisostegia????  It really helps to focus on the seed pods, which are quite beautiful in their own ways. 

There are still a few buddlieas blooming, but I saw only one butterfly. 

Most of them look like this, and believe me, I'll be cutting them back this year, remember, I nearly lost them this year after the terrible winter we had. 

Since both dogs had just had shots, we didn't stay really long. 

And besides, Mama was hungry. 

Look who was outside doing a little bit of work when we got home!  Yes, he's feeling so much better, but trying to go slow as he adjusts to dialysis.  The weather is being very cooperative, it 

was in the sixties and very pleasant. 

The dogs are tired tonight and I am ready to veg too, since we have to get up at 5 to drive to the dialysis center.  

I'm going to try to go to the lake on Thursday afternoon to take some pictures of the wild geese there, and make another trip to my friend's to get a "chicken fix" and take some pictures of her flock. 

Now, for Game Six! 

More Painting UGH

Well, the indoor painting at the old place is almost finished. 

The master has it's last coat on... now we have to put trim up... and then the floors... 

Ditto the orange bedroom, our former "office"... it took three coats, but the orange is covered. 

I was less careful than before, so thank heavens the floors are going to be painted with Kilz...and I admit I have paint all over me.  I changed out of my painting clothes into clean clothes, to get 

Chinese on the way home because I am POOPED. 

Before we went out to paint, we did this: 

Rhonda is pretty good at holding Lil, but a second later, I stepped up to hang on, too... you can see Lilly look pretty resigned.  However... we did have some growls.  Dr. Scott Ripperger got the stitches out post-hsaste... and we left the one closest to her eye in, so it will dissolve.  

We went straight to the old house, and I painted... with Lilly inside sleeping.  Late in the afternoon, she decided to go out and get some sun.  

Keith is making progress on the side deck, and he is out there tonight putting a few more of the 

side railings on. 

I wanted you all to see this hummingbird feeder.  I bought it a few weeks ago, but really, did not like it much out in the yard, and neither did the hummers seem to. 

Yesterday I stopped in the store where I had bought it... and explained that the birds did not seem to like it. 

The lady gave me the little hanging rod and asked me to try it... 

so... it's stuck in the geranium pot.  I haven't seen any hummers at it yet... but I'm hopeful, because they are coming to the bigger feeder in the yard regularly.  Before I leave to get grandson Chris tomorrow... I'm going to set the camera up outside and see if I can get them on camera.

39 days until Fall!

Aztec, Part Two

Well, we decided to wait for a bit and watch Azzie's lower eyelid, but after showing her picture to a vet tech at my office, I decided maybe we should have our vet out after all.  Imagine my surprise when I called the vet's office yesterday (thinking it would be Thursday or Friday, at best) and was told the doctor's new associate could be there in just an hour or so.  Yikes!  I got hold of Keith to make sure he could swing by, since it was late afternoon, and he said yes.  Of course, he beat the vet here, and hung around, waiting, calling me with "Where is she's???".  (I have been through this before, People). 

Then the vet pulled up.  Sorry, I have no pictures of what ensued, but I got the encapsulated version when I got home, JUST as they were releasing Aztec from the catch. 

Vet pulls up in humongous vet truck.  Views llamas, tells Keith to catch the patient, and goes back to truck.  Keith manuevers Aztec into catch with help from mama and papa, Inca and Tony, then runs them back out into the pen while he tries to keep the upset Azzie in the catch.  Maintains choke hold on her nether regions, all the time praying that she doesn't kick him in his Manhood.  Vet goes back to truck again. 

Keith asks vet to get halter... vet brings halter and lead rope, while waving shot apparatus full of sedative dangerously close to Keith's arms and legs... Keith maintains additional hold on bucking llama while vet gets halter on her, so that Keith can move up and try to exert additional control.  Vet finally takes a stab at sedative, and administers some.  Examines eyelid, and decides that IT WILL HEAL WITHOUT A STITCH because the tear is in the middle, and it is too far to pull the skin together.  The top eyelid comes down fine, and protects her eye.  She dabs salve all over it... gives a penicillin shot, and, as I come down the drive, the patient is loosed.  Father, mother and baby all gallop out to the pasture as the gate is opened. 

I met Dr. Beggs, who assured me that if I had been there 10 minutes earlier, I would have heard her cussing like a sailor, along with my husband.  However, there was laughter all around, and she gave us instructions on how to make sure Aztec gets her penicillin for the rest of the week... ground up and watered down on her feed... and did we think we could put more salve on her boo boo... emphatically NO.... and then she told us she'd send us a bill and was gone in a flash.  We loved her, but then, we love Dr. Jeannie, too. 

Keith did mention several times during the evening he was unusually worn out. 

So here was the scene this morning as I was leaving for work:

Mom and Dad, post breakfast.  Why, o why did I not think to ask Dr. Beggs to look at Inca's skin condition???? 

Here is our little patient.  You can see her eye still looks sore.

Go to work!  Let us chew our cuds in peace!

Aftermath of the Day

You know, it's hard to blog when the "w" key won't capitalize. what's up with that??

Husband, stepson and I went out for dinner tonight with a Christmas gift card to Longhorn Steakhouse. Great food. Started to pay the bill and the lovely waitress pointed out the fact that we were at LONESTAR. Ooops.

The mini mare is back on her feet after being down for 12 - 15 hours. The vet bill took a chunk, but she has enough medication now for us to get her feet calmed down and back on track. She is wearing lovely duct tape booties for the next few days, courtesy of the vet. Her pony friend Beau had to come out into the yard so he could get some excercise, so his first stall... the porch of the big henhouse... was made ready for him to sleep tonight. Tomorrow we'll put him back in the pasture and he can pine for his Lady Love over the gate during the day while we are at work.

It continues with decent weather, and we expect low forties for the next few days, and are grateful for another respite from constant water carrying. My back won't know what to do when we start hauling multiple buckets again. The clear mornings are beautiful, though, with the stars twinkling in the black sky outside the rim of light cast by the yardlight on the pole. It's a pleasure to walk up the drive and fetch the paper from the road, and look at the stars as I amble along.

Husband says two roosters were fighting tonight, so spring must be on the way and in the air!