Walking January out the door…

 

It’s been a busy start to the new year. Well, maybe not really any more busy than any other month. The true hectic, rush and busyness is over now that the holidays have passed, but January has had it’s rush as well.

We had our last set of visits for Mickey, our whippet,who got hit by the mailman a couple months back. His hip settled back into place perfectly and without the need for surgery. Sure, he was miserable being penned up in a small kennel most of December, with his hind quarter trussed up like a turkey ready for roasting, but that’s a small price to pay for a dislocated hip and the prayer of no surgery needed. He’s bouncy as ever again now and all is well. Perhaps he recalls why chasing cars isn’t a good thing now…we hope!

Daughter and fiance found out their new arrival will be a boy. His name (as of right now) will be Liam, short for William. According to her, some baby crazy grandmother-to-be took all the favorite names already. Guess I am rather guilty there. I used 4 boy names and 5 middle names with them, so maybe I did leave the pool a bit empty. Oh well…first come, first served right? LOL For the record…that face right there is SOOOO my daughter.

Oldest-at-home son celebrated his 17th birthday, got a new puppy, then went and got a new job. He’s content on all fronts right now. The puppy…yes, I am becoming quite dog poor these days here, but I’m a sucker for abandoned pups in nasty weather. This little girl, an apparent Beagle-pointer mix, has made herself at home and made friends with the other dogs. The chihuahua especially has taken to her and treats her like she’s her own baby. Man, you oughtta see those tiny razor-sharp “I’m going to EAT YOU teeth come out when she thinks someone is mistreating her baby, LOL. Sarah, as she has been named, will visit the Vet next week and we will hash out all the details of her life here, including getting her fixed since she is a female.

That brings me to a discussion online recently. Someone noted the number of dogs I have and made a few select remarks about dog hoarding, the high cost of proper veterinary attention, and what a wasteful bit of stewardship it is to have a dog of little use, let along dogs of little use en masse. While I can’t say I disagree completely, I can say that I am not simply collecting dogs and giving them a miserable existence. Dog food isn’t cheap, and novelty dogs (meaning ‘non-working’) are pricey, but every dog here on the homestead but 2 are rescues that we simply never moved along to other homes. the Great Pyr was a sale barn rescue a friend found for us when we were looking for one, so we don’t count him as a rescue persay. The Chihuahua was also selected specifically…just not passed on as we had intended. Everyone else came from various locations of rescue…a mud and water-filled ditch along a backroad in the middle of nowhere…a daily walk where a pup broke free each time from his rope tether and followed the girls begging for attention until the owner said take him or he can get run over, I don’t care which…a 6 month old abandoned at a local Vet office, scheduled to be put down because she had temperment issues. The original 3 that started the whole thing were puppies that ditch-tied dog gave us, runts of the litter, barely 3/4 of a pound each, one frozen and by all accounts lifeless. We found homes for the others, but kept these 3. They visit the Vet as needed, they are well-cared for, and they are quite loved. Did I need yet another dog? shoot fire no, but this baby was outside in the icy and frozen weather a couple weeks back, and no one in the area claimed her or supposedly recognized her. I wasn’t about to just smile and walk away. So, yes…the crazy homestead lady has another dog now.

Last week, we had to take one of the pups in for a blocked intestine. Poor baby was miserable, and quite blocked. Of course we tried some standard home treatments, but he needed more than we were doing. He spent the night with the Vet, got some treatments and fluids, and appears to be on the mend. Expensive…not so bad for 2 days of treatments and IVs, but yes, I understand the grumbling from outsiders as to the high price of keeping dogs and all. A lot of things are expensive these days. People choose to spend money on what they feel is important in their lives. Here, one of those things is pets. I don’t withhold or pare down medical care. I know my limitations. Just sayin…

Also last week, an unplanned visit to Illinois came up. My grandmother, 95, ended up being admitted to the hospital for her pneumonia issues. She needed rehydrating moreso than was going to be practical or able to be accomplished at home. Plus, she’s 95…folks tend to get panicky over a flu or pneumonia issue with that age group. Better too much caution than not enough, kwim? Grandma still lives essentially on her own, in her own home, though she is a mere 10 foot outside my mother’s back door so she isn’t really living alone as it were. She spent a few days getting her health back on track in the hospital then returned home and was doing quite well when I left. As soon as the family quiets and relaxes from the unexpected crisis, all will return to normal again. It’s been a hard winter season on so many this year. Seems the various flu strains and worse have hit one on top of another all season already, with no seeming end in sight. Bring on Spring is a rather appropriate rally cry I believe.

Back to the sewing basket as we say farewell to this month and wander into February. I’m thinking a nice dinner date is in my future…unless a certain spouse gets wrapped up with work and forgets he has a wife, and an anniversary coming soon, LOL