(Sorry 'bout the title. Couldn't think of anything else...I do want to lay in it, so maybe it's appropriate. I could do with some extra zzzzzs for sure.)
Song of the day: “If you want to leave me (can I come too)” by Bryan Adams. Always makes me laugh, this song.
So what’s been going on…the moment I wonder about it, every single event of the past couple of days slips from my mind. *sigh*
Oh yeah. My bed is as good as ready. Yay! It is downright beautiful…albeit not my personal style at all. Seriously, I am definitely a “real wood” chick, but this is…well, it’s quaint, I guess. Pastel colored panels, like a pedestal underneath a light wood box. I have made pictures, and just as soon as I feel like cheating again, I will post them.
All in all I am pleased with the end result (despite the fact that it is not my usual style) since it basically turned out the way I’d imagined it inside my head. Sure, I hadn’t thought of the exact details but the overall image is there, with only a few hiccups along that way that had to be fixed.
Not bad.
What else? Not a clue…wait, wait…yeah, there’s something. Right. Gardening. There was quite a bit of that. Mostly transplants going on. Seedlings that needed to be put in pots and small plants that could be set in the wild.
The melons were big enough to go into pots. Same goes for the new lettuces, which are still tiny (one inch at most) and so on and on. The tomatoes are rapidly growing. In particular the ones in the greenhouse, which have big clusters of tomatoes swelling gradually.
I did have to replant a zucchini because it didn’t stand the storm (which past, btw) and one of the smaller cauliflowers that I planted the other day, also gave the spirit. This one for reasons unknown.
Snuck a bit of a couple of young carrots while we were at it, and they were absolutely delicious. Seriously, carrots from the shop aren’t that sweet and herby.
Mosha is doing reasonably well. At least she is her usual nervous self coming in my pursuit and screaming when she can’t. I do have to be careful not to let the whole mess get to me, for there are times when I look at her and can’t imagine her not being there anymore without bursting into tears. On the most part her butt annoys her, I think, rather than hurt her. Though pooing appears to be a problem.
Knight II’s tail is doing pretty good, as long as he keeps from licking it. I had to put a bandage on again yesterday, because his healing skin just can’t compete with his big tongue. Jeez, he’ll lick his way to the bone, if I let him. Idiot! *sigh*
Dax’s ear is okay, I think. There’s a crust there, and since he can’t really reach it, it is gradually healing. I clean it once a day and keep an eye on it, but I no longer need to bandage him up every day.
Oh my Gawd, almost forgot. The ticks. They are BACK!!! Aaaargh. Seriously, I am plucking them off the dogs 24/7 again, and they’re driving me insane. They’re small, big, tiny and huge. *insert another aaaargh*
Luckily, the weather is absolutely splendid. Heck, today it is actually hot, hitting the high eighties, maybe the low nineties. Gawd this is going to take some getting used to again. Summer always is.
Yesterday’s lunch were veggie burgers made of old chili mixed with potatoes. It was rather tasty actually, and saw me through the majority of the day.
We got a big batch of earth, seeing as we’re going to need lots of it once we start on the foundation of the house for real. Later today or tomorrow, that is the plan at least. We’ll have to see. But anyway, the soil that we got is good, solid clay, which will have plants grow well once the levels are there and we plant them.
I’m definitely leaning towards the scented kinds, colorful ones as well.
The edit is still going, though not as fast as I would like it to go. The letter is shaping up nicely, though and soon we’ll be able to start sending it out, just to see what the responses are.
Personally I’m enjoying the read. I love the leads. Their sense of humor, and their compatibility. I’m going to have to look for beta readers soon again.
No writing on the new story for the Life series, but there will be time for that later on…I hope anyway.
Well, it is just about time for me to get started on other stuff rather than this wonderful blogging in the shade.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Some good and some bad
“Song of the day: “The return to innocence” by Enigma. I know. Weird song to have stuck in your head, but I was a huge fan once, and it stuck, I guess.
Oh my Gawd. How on earth am I to remember what the effing heck I did for the past FOUR days? This is bad. Really. My brain can’t handle it. There’s a meltdown going on, steam hisses, wheels stutter…
Seriously though, this is going to be extremely hard for as far as I’m concerned. I made a list of what kept me busy, and I can only remember about ten things, of which one is extremely disturbing news. I better start with that one, because…well, I’m going to share it anyway at some point, might as well get it over with eh?
It’s about Mosha. I don’t know what the heck is going on, but it looks like she too has developed cancer…this particular one appears to have centered around her anal glands, meaning that, if it is cancer, there really is very little they can do for her. I’ve been…well, pretty upset for several days already, what with the Touri debacle, but this: This is my Sweetpea, my little girl, the one who has been stuck to my side like an appendage (literally) for the past eight years, and who is…well, again, my Sweetpea. She had been feeling poorly for a bit, but I couldn’t really find anything wrong until the day before yesterday when it turned out that the puss wound she had some weeks ago could very well be the burst cancer we’re now facing. I thought it had fully healed, but apparently there is more going on. The vet took a sample last night, and until we get the result (after Monday) Mosha is walking around with a cone, antibiotics and a painkiller.
Suffice it to say, emotionally I am not a-okay.
What with my dogs, appearing to drop dead at the drop of a hat these days. Three in less than three months, for crying out loud! Big brother and I are negotiating the welfare of Tadaika and whether she would be able to adjust to my pack. That way Tadaika would get more attention, and big brother would have a few less dogs to hassle him. I’m still doubting, seeing as Tadaika could be dangerous with my pack. She is a Pitbull mix after all, and if my dogs rile her up on give her too much confidence (a common occurrence with my lot, I assure you) she’ll be a hand full.
We’ll have to see how it goes.
Good news, what with all the upheaval going on, I decided to do something constructive and unleashed one of my muses. There is a new book idea (PNR) again, and a spin off from the Life series. Addie’s brother to be exact, and it’ll be a pleasure to write, I assure you.
The laundry corner is done (more or less) and it is friggin’ beautiful. The laundry baskets hang underneath. They have a fold-out mechanism that works rather splendidly (they’re already full, thank you very much) and the wood is…gorgeous.
I’m going to post pics soon. Hah.
The weather has been incredibly weird these past four days or so. There is a constant haze in the air, sudden winds interspersed with eerie quietness, with in the distance a constant roar that we are unable to identify still. Just the other night we drove down to the sea to see if maybe there was a big storm raging over the water, but even though the tide appeared to be a bit higher than usual, the sea wasn’t all that wild. The sound remained audible over it all. Like there was a really, really busy highway nearby (which there isn’t), and it has been slowly driving me bonkers for the past four days, or so.
There was lots of garden work, in particular because the wind was wreaking havoc on our small little plants (which we planted early this week). Heck, it even wrecked one of the young tomato plants, which had been doing so well before the storm. Oh, in regards to the storm: even though the weather channels didn’t announce it, there was a rather freaky storm near Italy, that sank a ship. I don’t know, maybe there’s something brewing after all.
We needed to do some weeding, and we’re occasionally nipping at the strawberries which are gradually getting in shape for spring. Had a couple really nice ones the other day.
What else? There are the edits of course. We’ve been steadily going on with it, and though it was the plan to do the same last night, we got stuck working on the query letter instead. It is coming along nicely.
For the most part I’ve been doing carpentry for the past four days. Yep, the temporary low bed was driving me bonkers, so I decided to just get to it and start on my new bed. It is there, the bed that is. And it is looking friggin fantastic! Seriously. Two feet high, colorful pastel panels under white birch wood (the fake kind, anyway) with two massive drawers (which I still have to make, by the way) at the foot end. Yay.
I will take pictures, naturally…whether I’ll post them is another question. Hah.
Made Chili sin carne for lunch this morning, but I was a little disappointed with the taste. I’m not the biggest fan of beans, and I really should have baked them longer.
Another little problem at the moment is a bum knee. Remember that last jog? Well, I stepped wrong that day, and something popped (loudly) which means that now I’ve got a knee twice the normal size that needs to be iced every night. Blasted body. Every time I get into a groove, something gives out. I would ask for a refund, but what would be the point, right?
Well, that’s it for today. I’ve got stuff to see to now, and I should get to it if still want to do an edit later on.
Oh my Gawd. How on earth am I to remember what the effing heck I did for the past FOUR days? This is bad. Really. My brain can’t handle it. There’s a meltdown going on, steam hisses, wheels stutter…
Seriously though, this is going to be extremely hard for as far as I’m concerned. I made a list of what kept me busy, and I can only remember about ten things, of which one is extremely disturbing news. I better start with that one, because…well, I’m going to share it anyway at some point, might as well get it over with eh?
It’s about Mosha. I don’t know what the heck is going on, but it looks like she too has developed cancer…this particular one appears to have centered around her anal glands, meaning that, if it is cancer, there really is very little they can do for her. I’ve been…well, pretty upset for several days already, what with the Touri debacle, but this: This is my Sweetpea, my little girl, the one who has been stuck to my side like an appendage (literally) for the past eight years, and who is…well, again, my Sweetpea. She had been feeling poorly for a bit, but I couldn’t really find anything wrong until the day before yesterday when it turned out that the puss wound she had some weeks ago could very well be the burst cancer we’re now facing. I thought it had fully healed, but apparently there is more going on. The vet took a sample last night, and until we get the result (after Monday) Mosha is walking around with a cone, antibiotics and a painkiller.
Suffice it to say, emotionally I am not a-okay.
What with my dogs, appearing to drop dead at the drop of a hat these days. Three in less than three months, for crying out loud! Big brother and I are negotiating the welfare of Tadaika and whether she would be able to adjust to my pack. That way Tadaika would get more attention, and big brother would have a few less dogs to hassle him. I’m still doubting, seeing as Tadaika could be dangerous with my pack. She is a Pitbull mix after all, and if my dogs rile her up on give her too much confidence (a common occurrence with my lot, I assure you) she’ll be a hand full.
We’ll have to see how it goes.
Good news, what with all the upheaval going on, I decided to do something constructive and unleashed one of my muses. There is a new book idea (PNR) again, and a spin off from the Life series. Addie’s brother to be exact, and it’ll be a pleasure to write, I assure you.
The laundry corner is done (more or less) and it is friggin’ beautiful. The laundry baskets hang underneath. They have a fold-out mechanism that works rather splendidly (they’re already full, thank you very much) and the wood is…gorgeous.
I’m going to post pics soon. Hah.
The weather has been incredibly weird these past four days or so. There is a constant haze in the air, sudden winds interspersed with eerie quietness, with in the distance a constant roar that we are unable to identify still. Just the other night we drove down to the sea to see if maybe there was a big storm raging over the water, but even though the tide appeared to be a bit higher than usual, the sea wasn’t all that wild. The sound remained audible over it all. Like there was a really, really busy highway nearby (which there isn’t), and it has been slowly driving me bonkers for the past four days, or so.
There was lots of garden work, in particular because the wind was wreaking havoc on our small little plants (which we planted early this week). Heck, it even wrecked one of the young tomato plants, which had been doing so well before the storm. Oh, in regards to the storm: even though the weather channels didn’t announce it, there was a rather freaky storm near Italy, that sank a ship. I don’t know, maybe there’s something brewing after all.
We needed to do some weeding, and we’re occasionally nipping at the strawberries which are gradually getting in shape for spring. Had a couple really nice ones the other day.
What else? There are the edits of course. We’ve been steadily going on with it, and though it was the plan to do the same last night, we got stuck working on the query letter instead. It is coming along nicely.
For the most part I’ve been doing carpentry for the past four days. Yep, the temporary low bed was driving me bonkers, so I decided to just get to it and start on my new bed. It is there, the bed that is. And it is looking friggin fantastic! Seriously. Two feet high, colorful pastel panels under white birch wood (the fake kind, anyway) with two massive drawers (which I still have to make, by the way) at the foot end. Yay.
I will take pictures, naturally…whether I’ll post them is another question. Hah.
Made Chili sin carne for lunch this morning, but I was a little disappointed with the taste. I’m not the biggest fan of beans, and I really should have baked them longer.
Another little problem at the moment is a bum knee. Remember that last jog? Well, I stepped wrong that day, and something popped (loudly) which means that now I’ve got a knee twice the normal size that needs to be iced every night. Blasted body. Every time I get into a groove, something gives out. I would ask for a refund, but what would be the point, right?
Well, that’s it for today. I’ve got stuff to see to now, and I should get to it if still want to do an edit later on.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
A review of "Fire-Heart"
Song of the day: "Crazy" by Patsy Cline again.
I'm cheating on the blog today, and will post a book review I wrote for C.S. Marks' "Fire-Heart" instead.
On my own 1 to 7 star review basis, I'm going to give this one a solid six. Hah.
* * * * * *
Someone found her groove!
I’m going with six stars for this fine piece of fantasy because it hit almost every note that is necessary in any good story.
As part two of C.S. Marks’ “A tale of Alterra, the world that is” series, Fire-Heart follows Elfhunter, which I stumbled upon after chatting with the author online. Since reading part one, and then winning part two in a mini contest, I just hadn’t gotten around to reading it.
I’m glad I did.
Writing style:
As stated above, Marks definitely found her groove with this one. Where Elfhunter held a nice narrative with interesting aspects of what was an inspired idea, part two managed to capture and effectively hold me throughout yet another quest through a world of elves, dwarfs and man. Where the narrative was almost stiff in some places in part one, Fire-Heart showed a tremendous growth in this author, whose “voice” relaxed and settled into a pleasant flow that steered me through Alterra on an exciting roller coaster ride.
Though there were some inevitable typos and repetitions, none of it took away my pleasure of reading this particular tale.
Concise and detailed in thoughts, appearances and actions, and sometimes wonderfully “old tongue” (if that makes any sense), Marks got it just right.
Setting:
If I were hard pressed to express a negative aspect of this story, I would have to voice a very personal opinion that I like this realm of man less than I did that of the elves. Though colorfully and even beautifully described, Fire-Heart lingers long within the deserts with all its perils and its often-time oppressive people. But such a thing is subjective, of course. Once they got to their final destination, I was in much better spirits.
Plot:
There are three, for as far as I could discern. Refreshingly straightforward and effective in every way: one quest, one rescue mission, and revenge (continuing on from the foundation that was laid in the first of the series). Fire-Heart, basically being three stories in one, kept me vastly entertained as the author led me capably from one plot-line to the next.
Characters:
Like the writing style, Marks got her characters on the pages with a definite flair. Though likable before (after a time) I had no trouble reacquainting myself with the hunter scouts Gaelen and Nelwyn who had found their loves in part one. Though an old enemy lurked in the back ground once more, both elves showed their loyalty and dedication as they traveled to a world unknown to them…as was in character.
Though there were plenty of familiar faces, Marks managed to insert a nice selection of new characters that kept everything interesting.
On the most part, it was a pleasure seeing the whole “company” back again, albeit through trials and tribulations that made me wonder if Marks was going to off one or two of them. Rather than spill the beans, let’s just say I had happy moments of relief and choked up moments along the way, and leave it at that.
Romantically speaking, Fire-Heart definitely suited more of my requirements than part one, that’s a fact. It was sweet, enduring and a wonderful additional ingredient in the tale.
The Villain:
There were several in fact. Gorgon from part one, of course; still harboring malice towards the poor company, and Gaelen, who has sworn vengeance upon him. Also a couple of new dangers to face, naturally, one of which a slimy traitor set on mischief and an evil dragon of old. Vastly entertaining, in a most villainous way. There were some changes I didn’t see coming in good ol’ Gorgon, but they do hold a promise for more in the next story of Alterra.
Violence:
Marks remained consistent in her descriptions of it, (detail, but tasteful) even though some of her characters appeared to be a bit more blood-lusty than I remember. Since it suited them (and the story) well, it didn’t bother me in the least.
Conclusion:
If you liked Elfhunter, you’ll undoubtedly love Fire-Heart. If you didn’t like the first, I think you should give this one a shot anyway, just to make sure if Marks’ style doesn’t grow on you after all. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who is in the mood to submerge into a fantasy world that is an absolute pleasure to travel through.
My last and only real grievance with Marks’ Alterra series is definitely that I will just have to buy part three now as well. Darn it!
End Review.
Other than finishing this particular book, the past couple of days haven't been all that busy, so I will just save my descriptions until the next one.
I'm free, Free, FREE!
*snort*
I'm cheating on the blog today, and will post a book review I wrote for C.S. Marks' "Fire-Heart" instead.
On my own 1 to 7 star review basis, I'm going to give this one a solid six. Hah.
* * * * * *
Someone found her groove!
I’m going with six stars for this fine piece of fantasy because it hit almost every note that is necessary in any good story.
As part two of C.S. Marks’ “A tale of Alterra, the world that is” series, Fire-Heart follows Elfhunter, which I stumbled upon after chatting with the author online. Since reading part one, and then winning part two in a mini contest, I just hadn’t gotten around to reading it.
I’m glad I did.
Writing style:
As stated above, Marks definitely found her groove with this one. Where Elfhunter held a nice narrative with interesting aspects of what was an inspired idea, part two managed to capture and effectively hold me throughout yet another quest through a world of elves, dwarfs and man. Where the narrative was almost stiff in some places in part one, Fire-Heart showed a tremendous growth in this author, whose “voice” relaxed and settled into a pleasant flow that steered me through Alterra on an exciting roller coaster ride.
Though there were some inevitable typos and repetitions, none of it took away my pleasure of reading this particular tale.
Concise and detailed in thoughts, appearances and actions, and sometimes wonderfully “old tongue” (if that makes any sense), Marks got it just right.
Setting:
If I were hard pressed to express a negative aspect of this story, I would have to voice a very personal opinion that I like this realm of man less than I did that of the elves. Though colorfully and even beautifully described, Fire-Heart lingers long within the deserts with all its perils and its often-time oppressive people. But such a thing is subjective, of course. Once they got to their final destination, I was in much better spirits.
Plot:
There are three, for as far as I could discern. Refreshingly straightforward and effective in every way: one quest, one rescue mission, and revenge (continuing on from the foundation that was laid in the first of the series). Fire-Heart, basically being three stories in one, kept me vastly entertained as the author led me capably from one plot-line to the next.
Characters:
Like the writing style, Marks got her characters on the pages with a definite flair. Though likable before (after a time) I had no trouble reacquainting myself with the hunter scouts Gaelen and Nelwyn who had found their loves in part one. Though an old enemy lurked in the back ground once more, both elves showed their loyalty and dedication as they traveled to a world unknown to them…as was in character.
Though there were plenty of familiar faces, Marks managed to insert a nice selection of new characters that kept everything interesting.
On the most part, it was a pleasure seeing the whole “company” back again, albeit through trials and tribulations that made me wonder if Marks was going to off one or two of them. Rather than spill the beans, let’s just say I had happy moments of relief and choked up moments along the way, and leave it at that.
Romantically speaking, Fire-Heart definitely suited more of my requirements than part one, that’s a fact. It was sweet, enduring and a wonderful additional ingredient in the tale.
The Villain:
There were several in fact. Gorgon from part one, of course; still harboring malice towards the poor company, and Gaelen, who has sworn vengeance upon him. Also a couple of new dangers to face, naturally, one of which a slimy traitor set on mischief and an evil dragon of old. Vastly entertaining, in a most villainous way. There were some changes I didn’t see coming in good ol’ Gorgon, but they do hold a promise for more in the next story of Alterra.
Violence:
Marks remained consistent in her descriptions of it, (detail, but tasteful) even though some of her characters appeared to be a bit more blood-lusty than I remember. Since it suited them (and the story) well, it didn’t bother me in the least.
Conclusion:
If you liked Elfhunter, you’ll undoubtedly love Fire-Heart. If you didn’t like the first, I think you should give this one a shot anyway, just to make sure if Marks’ style doesn’t grow on you after all. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who is in the mood to submerge into a fantasy world that is an absolute pleasure to travel through.
My last and only real grievance with Marks’ Alterra series is definitely that I will just have to buy part three now as well. Darn it!
End Review.
Other than finishing this particular book, the past couple of days haven't been all that busy, so I will just save my descriptions until the next one.
I'm free, Free, FREE!
*snort*
Sunday, April 3, 2011
R.I.P. Touri
Song of the day: “Blood and fire” by The Indigo Girls. Should have known that something was going to happen when I had it in my head this morning.
Well, I might as well start with the bad news and get it over with. It started last night, really. I was already in my cabin when I realized hat Touri wasn’t there with the rest of the dogs, so I went back to the house to see where he was. He was standing in the doorway of my office, looking somewhat ill at ease as I called him over and over, only to realize that he couldn’t climb off to ground level. So, I thought, no biggie and picked him up, only to quickly put him down again when he started to cry pitifully.
Once up at my cabin I gave him a doggie painkiller, some kibble and hoped he’d be better come morning.
It seemed to be the case, for when I got up this morning, he walked down with the rest of the dogs (albeit slower and with a limp) and just sat nearby while I did laundry and went through the morning rituals.
Again, he was slow in coming but when I headed up to tenant’s place to say good morning and discussed the day’s plans with grandpa. The moment we came out of the building I saw that something was wrong. Touri was lying on the concrete in front of the main gate, and appeared to be writhing.
I went over and picked him up, already recognizing the signs when I saw his pale gums and he was staring vaguely into the distance. He was hardly responsive and since the car was gone, I had no choice but to wait for transportation to the vet. (Always on a Sunday. The bad stuff always happens then *sigh*.)
It was an hour, and through that hour Touri went from heavy breathing and limpness to get up, relocating to a different spot on the bed and then breathing heavy again. By the time the car was back and I carried him up to it, he was still breathing, but also limp in my arms. Big brother got behind the wheel and I called the vet as we started on our way.
He began to spasm a bit the moment we hit the village, turned his head towards me with a deep sigh and then sagged away with more spasms the moment we stopped in front of the pet hospital and waited for the vet the arrive.
She checked him, and at hearing his heart beat a few more times, offered to give him a final injection, but by the time she had it ready he had stopped and was nothing more than an empty shell.
It sucks! Yeah, I know, surprise, surprise. But sometimes you just have to say it and get it out.
The remainder of the day has been a little surreal for me. Like being in a dream but being unable to get out of it, or something. Heck, today I hardly did anything at all, except for a trip into the yard for an aborted session of gardening. I really didn’t feel like it.
Instead I took a nap in the afternoon, dabbled some at repairing an arm chair, and did some paper edits…luckily there are always edits to be done.
There are good memories of Touri after all. Back in early two thousand (for the life of me I can’t remember) I remember coming into the patio when mom and big brother came back from some errand in town. Big brother was standing at the top of the stairs, and when he turned he was holding this tiny bundle of fur under his left arm, peering around him in my general direction. A black 7 week old Cocker Spaniel puppy.
“Gawd. Another one? Who’s this one for?” I remember asking mom, who was standing behind them with a smile on her face. “For you.”
Though incredibly cute, Cockers have never been my favorite breed, and I shook my head saying “No way. Seriously. For whom is he?”
He was mine, of course, and he soon became a steady addition of my personal pack that was still rapidly growing at that time.
On the overall Touri was a grumpy old man from the day he came into my life. He was never overly affectionate, just there and a constant in my life until today. Though distant, I felt a close connection to him throughout the years. He had a couple of close calls, what with Trin Trin the Monster Boxer taking a dislike to him a few years back. There were two incidents where she almost choked him to death, but other than that he has led a healthy life, and never needed to visit the vet except for when his ability to procreate was nipped in the butt, so to speak. Hah.
Here are a couple of pics of the beauty. I wish I had a more recent one, but these will have to do.
This was Touri as a puppy just eight weeks old in 2002/2003 I think. He'd just taken a dip in the pool.
This was Touri in 2009, he loved sitting on stairs.
----------------
But anyway, that was today’s disaster, let’s just travel back in time a little and focus on yesterday, which was a pretty darn good day, no matter what today turned out to be.
First of all there was laundry of course. Death and taxes, remember?
Since tenant joined Sally, mom and the sibs at the market, I didn’t need to visit her yesterday morning, except to wave her off and wish her a great day. Considering it was cloudy, I just hoped that she wouldn’t be cold, but considering it was a moist warm day, I shouldn’t have worried at all.
The majority of the day was spent in the yard where grandpa turned earth (still the expert there) while Dani and I planted 24 tomatoes, thirty or so peppers and a few zucchinis. We made a few terraces in the southern corner of the yard, seeing as it is so perfect for peppers and the like. Seriously, it is looking mighty fine, and just as soon as they start growing I’m going to take a proper picture of it all.
There was reed to cut, and then tomato braces to be made from the stems, because this year we’re going to see if we can lead them all up and prevent diseases from getting the overhand. We also made some fences of the reed, because we do need to protect it all against the pesky dogs that refuse to stay out of the veggie yard.
Dax can’t reach his ear, so I’m laving it uncovered and it is doing well enough. The only thing I now do with it, is cleaning it every day.
Knight II left his tail alone for 50 hours or so, and then removed his bandage twice in 16, so I don’t know if I should be upset with him, or proud. Whatever the case, I’ll just have to redo it, because it still hasn’t closed properly, darn it.
Well, that is it. I’ve got more edits to do. With a little luck we’ll be sending the query letter out before the end of the month.
Well, I might as well start with the bad news and get it over with. It started last night, really. I was already in my cabin when I realized hat Touri wasn’t there with the rest of the dogs, so I went back to the house to see where he was. He was standing in the doorway of my office, looking somewhat ill at ease as I called him over and over, only to realize that he couldn’t climb off to ground level. So, I thought, no biggie and picked him up, only to quickly put him down again when he started to cry pitifully.
Once up at my cabin I gave him a doggie painkiller, some kibble and hoped he’d be better come morning.
It seemed to be the case, for when I got up this morning, he walked down with the rest of the dogs (albeit slower and with a limp) and just sat nearby while I did laundry and went through the morning rituals.
Again, he was slow in coming but when I headed up to tenant’s place to say good morning and discussed the day’s plans with grandpa. The moment we came out of the building I saw that something was wrong. Touri was lying on the concrete in front of the main gate, and appeared to be writhing.
I went over and picked him up, already recognizing the signs when I saw his pale gums and he was staring vaguely into the distance. He was hardly responsive and since the car was gone, I had no choice but to wait for transportation to the vet. (Always on a Sunday. The bad stuff always happens then *sigh*.)
It was an hour, and through that hour Touri went from heavy breathing and limpness to get up, relocating to a different spot on the bed and then breathing heavy again. By the time the car was back and I carried him up to it, he was still breathing, but also limp in my arms. Big brother got behind the wheel and I called the vet as we started on our way.
He began to spasm a bit the moment we hit the village, turned his head towards me with a deep sigh and then sagged away with more spasms the moment we stopped in front of the pet hospital and waited for the vet the arrive.
She checked him, and at hearing his heart beat a few more times, offered to give him a final injection, but by the time she had it ready he had stopped and was nothing more than an empty shell.
It sucks! Yeah, I know, surprise, surprise. But sometimes you just have to say it and get it out.
The remainder of the day has been a little surreal for me. Like being in a dream but being unable to get out of it, or something. Heck, today I hardly did anything at all, except for a trip into the yard for an aborted session of gardening. I really didn’t feel like it.
Instead I took a nap in the afternoon, dabbled some at repairing an arm chair, and did some paper edits…luckily there are always edits to be done.
There are good memories of Touri after all. Back in early two thousand (for the life of me I can’t remember) I remember coming into the patio when mom and big brother came back from some errand in town. Big brother was standing at the top of the stairs, and when he turned he was holding this tiny bundle of fur under his left arm, peering around him in my general direction. A black 7 week old Cocker Spaniel puppy.
“Gawd. Another one? Who’s this one for?” I remember asking mom, who was standing behind them with a smile on her face. “For you.”
Though incredibly cute, Cockers have never been my favorite breed, and I shook my head saying “No way. Seriously. For whom is he?”
He was mine, of course, and he soon became a steady addition of my personal pack that was still rapidly growing at that time.
On the overall Touri was a grumpy old man from the day he came into my life. He was never overly affectionate, just there and a constant in my life until today. Though distant, I felt a close connection to him throughout the years. He had a couple of close calls, what with Trin Trin the Monster Boxer taking a dislike to him a few years back. There were two incidents where she almost choked him to death, but other than that he has led a healthy life, and never needed to visit the vet except for when his ability to procreate was nipped in the butt, so to speak. Hah.
Here are a couple of pics of the beauty. I wish I had a more recent one, but these will have to do.
This was Touri as a puppy just eight weeks old in 2002/2003 I think. He'd just taken a dip in the pool.
This was Touri in 2009, he loved sitting on stairs.
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But anyway, that was today’s disaster, let’s just travel back in time a little and focus on yesterday, which was a pretty darn good day, no matter what today turned out to be.
First of all there was laundry of course. Death and taxes, remember?
Since tenant joined Sally, mom and the sibs at the market, I didn’t need to visit her yesterday morning, except to wave her off and wish her a great day. Considering it was cloudy, I just hoped that she wouldn’t be cold, but considering it was a moist warm day, I shouldn’t have worried at all.
The majority of the day was spent in the yard where grandpa turned earth (still the expert there) while Dani and I planted 24 tomatoes, thirty or so peppers and a few zucchinis. We made a few terraces in the southern corner of the yard, seeing as it is so perfect for peppers and the like. Seriously, it is looking mighty fine, and just as soon as they start growing I’m going to take a proper picture of it all.
There was reed to cut, and then tomato braces to be made from the stems, because this year we’re going to see if we can lead them all up and prevent diseases from getting the overhand. We also made some fences of the reed, because we do need to protect it all against the pesky dogs that refuse to stay out of the veggie yard.
Dax can’t reach his ear, so I’m laving it uncovered and it is doing well enough. The only thing I now do with it, is cleaning it every day.
Knight II left his tail alone for 50 hours or so, and then removed his bandage twice in 16, so I don’t know if I should be upset with him, or proud. Whatever the case, I’ll just have to redo it, because it still hasn’t closed properly, darn it.
Well, that is it. I’ve got more edits to do. With a little luck we’ll be sending the query letter out before the end of the month.
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