Back To Reality

My reality, life as I know it, is actually wonderful.  I have a great life.  But after vacation, getting back to reality proved to be a bit challenging.  When I got back from our cruise up the inside passage to Alaska, I had jet lag, sleep deprivation, and a few extra pounds to carry around.  I had to detox from all the greasy food and nightly drinking.  And now I had to make my own meals.  There was also unpacking and extra laundry to contend with.

I didn't get up Saturday until 7am, but was exhausted.  Most of the day I worked here at my computer, editing photos, up-loading videos, catching up with e-mails and Facebook and working on blog notes.  Stevie had snuggled with me off and on during the night and stayed near by.  We were airing out our damp suitcases on the back deck and she hopped into this one.




I took breaks to unpack and sort clothes for washing.  Once Joe got off work and brought Maggie home from the kennel, I took her on a nice long walk.  We did part of the Forest Loop Trail near our house.  I worked more, here at my computer, and took another break to water all my transplants out front.  At dinner time, while I was still out watering, Joe took Maggie for a walk.

Well, the dog down the street attacked Maggie.  This has happened two other times, but this is the first time their dog has actually done damage, breaking the skin and causing injury, especially to her leg and eye.




We reported the incident to Public Safety and spent the rest of the evening with dog care... calls to two emergency vets, cleaning Maggie's leg wound and eye, putting ice on both, putting honey (as suggested) on her big leg cut, and then bandaging Maggie's leg to hold the skin back together.  We decided it wasn't bad enough that she needed a vet right away, and would wait and see how she looked in the morning.  We were mad, upset, worried, and still oh so tired.  Reality hits you hard bro.

Maggie had fallen asleep on her bed in the Mancave so we left her there over night.

Maggie was right were we left her when I looked in at her at 6 am Sunday, only she had rolled to her tummy and had her head up.  When taking her out for her first walk, she could barely walk.  I decided to take the bandage off, and the duct tape near her cut pulled some of her hair out.  Shoot, that didn't help any.  But she did then walk much better.  The bleeding had started again so I cleaned the area up once we got back to the house.  She nipped at me, first time ever, so I knew she was hurting.  I gave her

another dose of baby aspirin (ones Britney had accidentally left here) and she wolfed down her breakfast.  I was more concerned about her eyelid, that was cut and kind of hanging oddly over the outside corner of her eye.

Much of the day was again spent here at my computer.  I kept the dog bed close to my desk and Stevie also hung out near us.  Breaks consisted of checking on Maggie and doing three loads of laundry.  Joe was at work again and was then going to Normal IL for a Fantasy Football draft party.  I discovered that I had gotten several chigger bites while watering the night before.  Shoot, those things itch like crazy for so long.  I just hate the reality of them.



The Surprise Lilies came up overnight.  They were glad to have gotten some water.  Near lunch time, Allen (from down the street, not next door) and his four year old son dropped by to see how Maggie was doing.  He was very sorry, and I could tell felt bad for the dog.  I was thankful when he offered to pay the vet bill and I told him I had hoped to be able to wait till Tuesday, to avoid the extra cost of an emergency visit.

The reality of the drought here in TN was very apparent.  Seen right, the grass in our back yard.  I decided to leave it dormant, but spent over an hour watering transplants around the sides of the house and in the gardens out back that I hadn't gotten watered the day before.  As far as I have ever seen, the pond was at an all time low.


At 6 pm I ran to Food City to get much needed groceries, including a salad from the food bar, which made for a yummy dinner when I got home.  I was expecting Carol but was so tired, I laid down on the floor with my head on the dog bed.  While loving on Maggie, I fell asleep.  I could tell the dog had been hurting.  She was not her usual self.  She just laid around all day...  No playing or interacting with the cat, no look-out patrol of the windows and porches, and no barking.


Carol's 8 pm arrival woke the dog and I.  She had spent the last two days competing with two of her three Border Collies at sheep trials in Centerville TN.  Maggie and I joined her and her three dogs on a walk.  We chatted for a bit once home, had a beer, and were soon in bed.  She took this deer photo later in the week.

Monday was a slow, easy going morning.  I was trying to work on my Cruise Blog but distracted by wanting to talk with Carol.  There was tea and coffee drinking, bird watching, dog walking, and lots of chatter amongst us as we both sat together, yet each at our own computer.




Mid morning we went to the barn, first swinging by Mirror Lake to set our chairs out.  We caught Amiga and Zorro and got them brushed and tacked.  Then we went for a nice little trail ride.  I like the above photo of Zorro's ears that Carol took.














Carol rode Amiga (seen above and right) 








And I rode Zorro (seen left and below).

We had a great ride with both horses being well behaved.

Zorro got a little mischievous while I was untacking Amiga.

We got home and had a late lunch, big salads, each constructed to our own liking.  Before taking a little nap, I spent awhile gently washing all the crud (dried blood, honey, and serum) off Maggie's leg that had run down it since the injury.  Her ripped eye lid was really bugging me, but could wait till Tuesday also.







We went to Mirror Lake Blast just before 5:00 and Shirley joined us a little bit later.





The residents favorite band, Soul Soup, was playing.  Carol and I couldn't decide which to buy for dinner, so split a hamburger and brat enabling us to enjoy each.






After the band's first break, the dancing began.   And of course I was on my feet most of the time.


Michelle was there with her hula hoops, engaging with the dancers, including myself.  As the sun set and it got darker, more people got up to dance.  Carol and Shirley left during the bands second break, but I just wasn't ready to quit.  I did get home by 9 pm and chatted with Carol, but we didn't stay up too much longer.

Carol captures Stevie lounging on Goldie.

At 8:00 Tuesday morning I was on the phone to see if Dr. Lewis could see Maggie.  His schedule was full, so I decided to take her to Dr. Dan who does walk in's only (except for 2 half days set aside for planned surgery).  He opened at 9:00 but I got there 15 minutes early and was thankful to be first in line.  Maggie's eye could have used a stitch, but it was too late.  (He doesn't stitch after 12 hours - so the emergency vet tech at a different clinic had mislead me.)  Dr. Dan snipped off the dried up flap of eyelid and Maggie's eye looked much better.  She will have a little scar there.  He cleaned her wound, which now had a little pus draining from it.  It was a pretty deep puncture, but needs to heal from the inside, so didn't get stitched.  He sent us home with antibiotics.

Carol took a bunch of bird photos while here.  We decided this was a juvenile male cardinal.
I tried to do some blogging, but was just too distracted by several phones calls I had gotten.  So I decided to run necessary errands and be done with them.  Carol joined me, and we went to the CC to get change to run out to Dorchester pool which was on the way to the barn where I had to take Kayla the trailer hitch and keys, and show her how the trailer worked.  I also got the Betadine (from my horse first aid kit) to use on Maggie.  We made big salads for lunch again, did a dog walk and then I had to go to work at the pool... back to reality.


Another look at our dried up back yard.
My shift started out quiet, but then picked up as vacationers were coming to cool off after a day of golf, hiking, or other activities.  Carol joined me about 4:00 and then we joined the pot luck bunch at 5:30 for dinner.  And yes, I actually brought a dish to share, a fruit salad.  Once I went into cleaning mode, Carol headed home.  I got all my pool chores done by 7:00 pm and was home before 7:30.  It had gotten quite dark out, so Carol and I only walked the 18th hole of Druid.

Carol helped me treat Maggie's wound with the Betadine.  We had beer and popcorn for a bedtime snack and were soon out for the count around 10:00. 

A nice long walk after tea and coffee Wednesday morning and I decided Maggie was feeling much better.  Joe got home mid-morning and I did some blogging while Carol napped, showered, and prepared to head back to Indiana.  I made a bowl of tuna/egg salad that the three of us enjoyed for lunch along with the left over fruit salad.





After Carol packed the dogs up and headed home, I got busy watering everything out front (the gardens not grass).  Once I got back to work here at my computer, I couldn't stay awake.  Afternoon naps are the best.





As usual, Joe left at 4 pm to play in his weekly card game and I hung out here working on this blog, having given up on getting the Alaskan Cruise blog done anytime soon.  The reality is that there were just too many photos to sort through.

Maggie and I walked part of the golf course after our dinners and I noticed that this view of the 14th hole seems less spectacular than usual.  Guess it is just too dry even on parts of the golf course.

Thursday morning Joe told me of his big winnings.  It is hard to get mad at him for playing Texas Hold'em all the time when he brings home a fist full of dollars.  I am still adjusting to my new reality of being a gambler's wife.




Like Stevie, I didn't amount to much all morning, just worked here at my computer, mostly with blogging and took Maggie on a few walks.

Shortly after Joe got home from work we picked up Shirley and headed to town, where we met Judy at the Cumberland CountyPlay House. 



We had front and center seats and all enjoyed the production of Mamma Mia.  Dinner was equally good, at Ruby Tuesdays.  With days getting shorter, it was dark just after we got home so my evening walk was short.


After five hours of sleeping, I woke up Friday morning at 2:30, and couldn't get back to sleep.  So up I got at 3 am.  I really wanted to get my Alaskan Cruise Blog finished. 


After a few hours of blogging, I got sleepy and took a nap, laying my head down between the dog and cat here on the dog bed.  These photos were taken after the sun came up.





Maggie's two major injuries are getting better, as is her spirit... yet she still acts concerned much of the time, is reluctant to be by me (I do the wound care which she doesn't like) and she seems sad.


A closer look at Maggie's eye shows how it is doing and where there is probably going to be a scar.  Our poor baby.  But thankfully the injuries were no worse.

I walked by the neighbors with Maggie at sunrise, and she was very nervous going by, even though no dogs were up or outside.  I hope she gets over this fear soon.


Taking breaks from my computer to do several little household chores, I cleaned and filled the hummingbird feeder with new sugar water I had just made.  After I re-hung the feeder, it wasn't long, and a bunch of bees showed up.  They were constantly coming and going all morning.  When the hummingbird returned, there was a little battle between it and the bees, with them chasing each other.

1:30 came all too soon and I headed to work at Dorchester pool.  The quick passage of time is a reality I wish I could change.  Luckily time passed quickly at the pool and also I was able to close early because no one was there after 5:50.  Joe grilled chicken and fixed hash browns and corn for dinner.  Then I worked here on this and last week's blog post.