These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Owie!!

My poor Ali has an owie. I noticed it last night at bedtime. His right eye is about 1/3 shut from swelling below the eye. At first I though he'd gotten something in his eye causing him to squint, common for Shih Tzus with their little bug-eyes. But when I was putting saline gel in the eye I found that there is a sizable lump in his cheek (if a dog has one) that is pushing up and into the eyelid. It actually does not seem to be sore.

I called the vet this morning. He was in surgery all day, but his tech had me describe it and she thinks it is probably an infected tooth/gum. He ate well this morning, and as I said, he doesn't seem to be sore or having pain. He was a little lethargic this morning, but these days it isn't easy to tell what is going on with him. Some days he is normally and spunky and others he sorta drags around as if expecting a thunderstorm. I just can't tell about his health from his behavior. We are going in tomorrow to see what it is.

I'm a little lethargic myself today. I've felt very lazy, unmotivated. I got a small bit of housework done, and I boxed up some things I'm sending to my stepdaughters so I can ship them tomorrow after the vet visit. That will clear a space in my living room that has been occupied as I was looking for the items to be sent. I'll be glad to get them out of the way!

It has been drizzly all day long. The sun has been in and out, but Hurricane Henriette pushed enough cloudiness and sogginess into this area to dampen things. I worked just enough around the house to feel ... well, let's call it "not completely worthless"!! That's about as good as I can do for today!

The weather is cooling. Not cold yet, but nights are really cool. Today's temp didn't reach 70 on my thermometer, and I've worn sweat pants all day. Fall's on the way! I don't mind. I actually like cool/cold weather, so this change suits me.

As well as simply fitting my comfort level, I'm shedding no tears about the coolness slowing down the swarm of flies I have had here! Last week Gail and I noticed that the flies were getting worse. I sorta expect it this time of year, but it seemed a bit over the top. We were carrying fly swatters with us all over the house and shouting "Aha!" when we got one! Gail brought home a fly trap, but it smelled gawd-awful! We finally put it outside to slow down the propagation out there. (It is still on the deck, and it smells like rotten meat [gag] and is full of fly bodies!) And continued the death march in the house.

So before we left for the reunion, we set homemade fly traps around the house. When I returned, I was planning to do some housecleaning, but I walked in the house and just wanted to cry. The ceiling was covered with the nasty buggers. I'd guess there were two hundred of them in the living room. My room had about fifty. And the fly traps were working, too!! Each had twenty-five or more dead flies. I spent two hours with a fly swatter, chasing them back and forth between the rooms, finally getting smart enough to close a door after killing or chasing them out. And I finally got it under control for the moment. It took me another 45 minutes to vacuum all the carcasses up. Ugh.

It seems that it was worth the work. We had to keep after them for Monday and Tuesday, but by yesterday I found only two. Today ... knock on wood! ... none!

Geez. What a boring post!


5 comments:

  1. I hope Ali gets to feeling better. Poor little guy.

    And just so you know, your posts are NEVER boring.

    Oh and Brady thanks you for the hug.

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  2. Wishing you lots of luck with Ali at the vet tomorrow. Give the little guy lots of pets from me.

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  3. Caroline - Me, too. I hate it when they are sick. Smile (at Brady). And about boring ... I'm still thinkin' ........

    Daisy - I'll do it, and I know they'll send back some wet doggie kisses!

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  4. I hope Ali is feeling better also. Reilly had a reddish/white lump over his eye when we came back from IOP. It didn't seem to hurt him. I put neosporin on it and it went away on it's own. I was lucky.

    Ack I HATE flies. You need flypaper or one of those electric zapper things.

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  5. Patti - Thanks for the well wishes. I'm post more abot it later. He is/will be alright. I had a "zapper thing" in KC, and I didn't bring it. grumble, grumble. And flypaper works great, but I can never get it unrolled! At any rate, the infestation seems to be done. Thank goodness!

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If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!