Category Archives: Dogs

26 Months

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My foot surgery went well. I’m not enjoying not walking on two legs, but everything is working out fine. I’m grateful to have friends who check on me,  offer me rides or to run errands for me, and who take me places. It made it easier to make bank deposits for MTOL and to pay the water bill. Cats, on the other hand, have not enjoyed the household upheaval, and several have been most demonstrative in a negative way on multiple occasions. I now have a pretty good idea of the cats without good litter box manners — I’ve been trying to compile that list for some time, and I believe it’s pretty comprehensive now.

My ramp works well. I take the knee scooter or crutches and go onto the front porch, then I get on the electric scooter, ride it down the ramp and pull in or take out the trash can and check the mail. I did learn that crutches have a useful place in the collection of tools that make this annoying process easier. I have another week of dealing with this before I can shift to walking on the boot (for now, it’s protecting my foot as I continue to attempt to remain non-weight-bearing while the bone heals from having the screw implanted.

Jase is doing well at camp, and my cat carers are doing a good job keeping up with the cats’ basic needs — food, water, and litter boxes.

For now, the house is done. Some finishing items still need to be completed, and those are stalled, but no new areas are being worked on at this time. The budget for this project has been exhausted, so I’m re-evaluating how I want to complete the things that didn’t get gotten to.

I’m at a point where everything is annoying to me. This item should not be a thing — Apple Watch charging. My Apple Watch 6 was running out of charge before it was running out of day, so, instead of spending $100 to replace the battery, I bought an Apple Watch 10. Twice now, it has refused to charge. The first time, I was prepared to send it in for service, and it began to charge. This afternoon, it is doing the same thing. I put it on the charger this morning, saw a full charge indicated on the phone, but obviously, it wasn’t, because this afternoon, it indicated 13%. I put it on the charger, and no charging bolt. I changed connections, and still no charging bolt. This is not a feature I desire. I’m tempted to see if I can return this Watch and wait for a new model that may not have this problem. It’s enough of a problem for Apple that they have a link on the main support page for it.

I tried trading in the Watch 6, but they changed their offer from $70 to $0 by saying there was a problem with the screen, so I refused the offer, and they returned the Watch to me. I have a backup now.

I experienced a lot of emotional ups and downs this month. Being cooped up and dependent on others for transportation when I’m accustomed to doing things for myself was a huge adjustment. I have been very fortunate to have people more than willing to take me where I needed to go as well as offering to bring me things.

 

 

Farewell to 2020

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I guess you found nothing beneficial about all the crud that’s been going on since we shut down for “2 weeks to flatten the curve” ten months ago. I could say that, too, but I’d be lying. If I’m honest with myself, it’s been a good year.

  • Mr. L has made some health discoveries, and even though he’s not completely happy, he’s working on things. His heart function almost doubled over the last year and a half, so we’re both ecstatic about that. It’s not yet at an ideal place, but it’s much better
  • Shortly before pandemic things began shutting down, Milam Touch of Love established a relationship with a mobile veterinarian, so when Emancipet and ABC shut down operations, we were able to gear up
  • Milam Touch of Love’s donors kept donating. That meant we could keep paying our veterinarian, so we could spay and neuter shelter dogs and offer low-cost services to Milam County Residents
  • Partially because of Milam County, our veterinarian was able to expand his practice to make things better for all clients. Everyone wins.
  • Jase matured into the good dog we knew he could be
  • My back found a way to heal, and I’m not limited by it anymore
  • Zelda is alive and well, she just relocated to our “new” neighbors kitty corner across the street from us, and she’s blessing our neighbor’s with her quirkiness and attitude
  • I was able to have a good visit with my parents this year
  • My sister had a successful hip replacement
  • My older younger brother sends our sibling group daily texts of biblical analysis and meditation
  • My younger younger brother became a first-time grandfather this year
  • All the Love Cats are doing well — Sapphire, Daisy, Josephine, and Ruby are still indoor ferals, but they enjoy spending time near us at certain times of the day
  • Scooter and Gray Socks Ghost are both fat and sassy outdoor ferals. Scooter loves ear rubs, and Socks tolerates pets in exchange for canned food
  • Milam Touch of Love has had some phenomenal volunteers join our organization this year, and I know we have more waiting in the wings. Our initial volunteer core is still strong, and I’m grateful for our board of directors, who each bring a uniqueness we need to our base of operations.

What was good for you last year?

Cats: Friday Night Drama and a PSA

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We had a little excitement at the house last night. Ajax began attacking Jase for no apparent reason, and we had to protect Jase to make sure nobody got hurt.

In recent weeks, Ajax has been spending more time in the kitchen, and he’s been allowing Jase to nuzzle him. We’ve watched Jase carefully to ensure he wasn’t doing anything to hurt Ajax, and he wasn’t. As near as we can figure, Ajax got tired of being nuzzled and decided to take action. Jase tried to take refuge in his crate, and Ajax tried to follow Jase into his crate. We got them separated and closed Jase’s crate door a few times for his own protection (and Ajax’s, too, because if Jase gave even one nip back, he could kill Ajax).

This morning, so far, everyone seems to be minding their own business, which I hope was Ajax’s intent in attacking last night. We’ve seen Ajax attack other cats (that’s why he and Sneaky are separated), but it was surprising to see him go after Jase who is seven times his size.

In Public Service Announcement mode for a minute. Please, please, please spay and neuter your dogs and cats. Shelters everywhere are filled to the brim with unwanted animals. It’s kitten dumping season, and that’s heartbreaking to see. Someone in town found four kittens in the dumpster at a local car wash this morning. One of our directors is fostering four kittens found dumped in a box in the rain a week or so ago. You think spaying and neutering is expensive, but allowing them to procreate is expensive, too.

And if you’re looking for an animal, please adopt from a shelter or a rescue organization. Consider being a foster to a shelter or rescue animal. We do our best to socialize all our animals, and I know other shelters and rescues do, too, but there’s nothing like a home environment for these fur babies.

Cats: Who’s Interacting With Jase?

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Jase is still a little excitable, so most of the cats aren’t interested in interacting with him. Lady has been persistent since Day 1. Ajax has been hesitant, but we’ve noticed that over the last few weeks Ajax has been spending more time in the kitchen. He’s usually on the stairs, but he’s watching Jase and beginning to interact with him more.

Cats: Scooter and Lady

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Scooter and Lady don’t have much in common except for their attraction to Jase. Lady has been enamored with Jase ever since he showed up. She doesn’t put up with him being rude, and she is careful to take shelter under chairs or at eye level with Jase. That makes … Continue reading →

Cats: Jase’s Tune-Up

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Jase is an obedience school graduate, but I needed some additional training, and Jase benefited from a tune-up he got this week. First, the things Jase does well. He crates great! He usually sits well. He needs practice with extended stays, but he sits well. He wouldn’t lay down for … Continue reading →

Cats: With Jase Away, the Cats Will…

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With Jase away at in-residence obedience school, we’re seeing more cats downstairs. Rossie came out for Mr. L to pet her yesterday. Saphhire and Daisy are spending more time in the parlor and even the kitchen. Sneaky’s wound is healing well. The list of kitties that like Animal Scents Cat … Continue reading →