Different dogs

T-storms last night and this morning. Rumbles. King would have been pacing, pawing me, trying to climb onto the bed. He hated thunder. Over the last few years, he even grew restless as the pressure changed.

Gaby…sleeps. Unless it rumbles hard enough to rattle the house, she pretty much ignores storms.

It’s strange, getting used to not having to do certain things because King is no longer around. No more emptying tissues and paper towel out of the open-top trash cans so he wouldn’t eat them. No more lowering the toilet lid to keep him from drinking. Last week, I put the pale green and white bedspread on the bed–King would always brush against the edges of bedspreads when he followed me around the room, and his hair really showed up on anything light-colored.

Yeah, I know. Trying to keep dog hair off the bed–what was I thinking?

I can even contemplate switching out the lava rock in the backyard for wood mulch. King used to love to chew on anything wood, and whenever he had a stomach upset he would eat anything to try to quell the burning, including mulch. Gaby’s not a wood eater.

Bladder capacity, however, is another matter. I have to make sure to set out the pads before I leave for any period of time because little Miss Teaspoon-and-a-Half sometimes can’t hold it for more than a couple of hours….

Happy Saturday, with doggy details

Ya-flippy dippin’-hoo.

Awoke around 8ish, and started getting prepped for a busy day of shopping and working when Gaby threw up on the hallway rug. Yellow liquid with foam. Good old bile, which had built up enough to irritate her tum because she hasn’t been eating enough.

She had yet to eat breakfast, and hadn’t eaten since Friday dinner, which was at 5pm. I fed her the canned duck food with the better consistency, and dressed it up with cooked chicken breast and dehydrated duck hearts. She did eat, but I had to add more hearts to get her to finish.

Took her for a long walk after. Everything stayed down, so I piled her into the car for our shopping trip.

There’s a newish pet food and supplies place in the small strip mall where I usually shop. I decided to check it out, and was happy to find a pretty extensive assortment of food that included a raw duck variety. I bought a sample bag, and gave Herself a few bits when we got home. She sniffed it for a minute or so–it’s a frozen variety, and even though it’s thawed before serving, it’s still colder than her usual food. Anyway, after she figured out what it was, she ate it. Licked the bowl clean, then hung around the kitchen as I put stuff away, coming close and sniffing every can and box. Welp. It was lunchtime anyway, so I gave her a half-cup more, which is one third the daily serving for a pup her size. After a few minutes, another clean bowl and additional sniffing around for more. I stopped there, though, because I didn’t want to overload her after a month of light eating.

I will get a little bit more of this stuff. If she still seems as enthusiastic, I will probably make the switch. Whether it’s upset over all the changes, missing King, food boredom, or all of the above, it doesn’t matter. She needs to eat more.

Hoping the balance of the weekend is nice and boring.

Life, and other things

Over on Facebook, I posted a link to a Roger Ebert essay on life, death, and things learned in between. I think it a courageous piece by someone who was staring mortality in the face. Lovely, in places. One line in particular stood out for me, a quote by van Gogh. “Just as we take a train to get to Tarascon or Rouen, we take death to reach a star.”

I’m not ready for the stars. I hope to put off that journey for a long time. But it’s a promise to ponder. Something to take out of my back pocket and examine, every so often.

That said, there has been altogether too much bad health news lately, touching people I know and people I’ve only heard of and read about. April has been living up to its reputation as the cruelest month, and it can stop it anytime now.

Gaby seems to be okay. Still not eating at pre-King levels. I had to take her to the vet’s on Monday for an inflamed foot; she was weighed, and looks to have lost a couple of pounds. 43.1, as opposed to the 45.0 she weighed back in August. Vet is not too concerned yet. Gaby could still afford to lose a little more weight–40 lbs would be a good weight for her. She’s playful, acting normally. I take her back in a month for a teeth-cleaning, and if she’s still off her feed and/or has lost too much weight, there will be blood tests, etc. Trying not to think about anything being wrong. She has been through a lot of change lately, and I honestly believe that she ate more when King was around because she knew that if she didn’t eat it, he would. She’s not a food-driven dog–she will eat when she’s hungry and not before, and if the food isn’t to her liking, she will pick. It could be that she’s tiring of the duck & sweet potato, and I will need to find her something else. Not looking forward to the possibility, but if I have to, I guess I will have to.

It’s still chilly, but the Time of Freeze seems to have passed, she said hopefully. Crocuses have bloomed, a little cluster of purple amid the brown. Lawn is greening here and there. Indoors, the sprouts are coming along. Tomatoes are an inch or so high. Basil, a bit shorter. No signs of life yet from the mesclun in the raised bed, but it has only been a week since I planted the seeds.

Looking forward to a long weekend in Chicago at month’s end. I will be spending a day at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo. Not on any panels–attendee only. It will be my first comics convention. No idea what to expect, but I will wear comfy shoes and bring my camera.

Is it spring yet?

First Saturday in a while that looked promising. Daytime temps are slowly rising, and in some spots the ground is defrosted enough to hoe. So, after a loooong walk with the Gabster, I worked outside for a little while. Picked up fallen branches. Raked out the raised bed and planted a couple of rows of mesclun, then went around to the east side of the yard and planted some hardy ferns that had arrived in yesterday’s mail. I also checked the plants–ferns, some hellebore I think–that I put in last fall. No sign of sproutage yet, but it’s probably way too early.

The problem with not knowing much about ferns and buying grab bag plants from an online vendor is that I can’t tell the root clumps apart–assuming that’s even possible–so I don’t know what I’ve planted where. Some of the ferns grow to 2 feet in height, others to 3 feet, and while I tried to spread them out and not put plants in front of others, there’s still a chance I will wind up with a jumble. Nothing I can do except wait for them to come up, then transplant as needed.

The raised bed was still frozen in spots, but there was enough loose soil on the lower level to risk a few mesclun seeds. Despite the ongoing cold and frozen ground, the Indestructible Chive is putting forth shoots. I cleaned out some of last year’s dead vegetation, but left enough to shelter and feed the new growth.

Indoors, I am going to have to remove the lid from the seed tray this weekend because the Paul Robeson sprout is already hitting it. The parsley had some sort of infestation–aphids? mites?–but a couple of applications of insecticidal soap seems to have taken care of them. The thyme, which I thought was a goner, is putting forth a healthy cluster of leafage. Yesterday, I gave the King gardenia–the gift from my vet’s office–a dose of acidic feed. A few of the lower leaves had yellowed, and I hunted online for info about gardenia diseases. I couldn’t find a match for the appearance of those leaves–yellow, with green spots–so I attributed it to 1) old leaves, or 2) leaves close to the ground that maybe got too wet, or 3) the need for soil acidification. Possibly a little of everything. Anyway, I moved the gardenia to a 5″ pot with plenty of new potting soil. I also made sure that the pot had a drainage hole so that the excess water can drain. Root rot is apparently a possible issue. Want to avoid that.

Coconut Macaroons

I’ve always liked them, but had never made them before. But I had an 8 oz bag of shredded unsweetened coconut in the cupboard that I needed to use,

I used a combo recipe, the NYT for proportions and the Serious Eats for the chocolate idea. I was a little short on coconut, but I figured I would likely wind up with a more moist cookie.

So:

2.5 cups dried unsweetened coconut (8 oz bag)
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
couple pinches of salt, maybe 1/8 teaspoon
3 ozs bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Mixed everything in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Dropped the dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet with a 1.5 inch scoop. Baked at 350F for 20 minutes. That took the cookies a little past golden brown into brown, but that’s how I like ‘em.

These cookies don’t spread. At all. If you want a flatter cookie, dampen your hand with cold water and pat down the mound gently. Hit it too hard, and it will fall apart.

Coconut macaroons

They’re good. Not too sweet. Very, very light, in contrast to store-bought macaroons that I have had that had the look and consistency of very sweet, moist hockey pucks. The chocolate is a nice addition, but I think I will try lemon zest and a bit of juice next time. That should result in a very light, tart cookie. Good with coffee, and maybe vanilla ice cream.

A few things make a post

Temps in the 30s today. Windy, cloudy, with a few flakes in the air. I spotted dandelion sprout around the honey locust, a ring of spring consisting of inch-high greenery, some of it frost-burned. Nothing on the east side of the yard yet, but that area is still under some snow. They’re calling for 50s by weeks end, which will likely mean 40s near the lake. I’ll take it, for now. So hungry for warmth, I can’t stand it. And greenery. Sick of brown and leafless.

Also spotted deer scat near some of my yew bushes, which look as though they have been chewed. I may need to spread some repellent. Also considering getting rid of the yews. I could replace them with planters that I would fill with something bright during the summer, like begonias. The area doesn’t get much sun, being a northern exposure, so plant varieties are limited and yews are a common fallback. But, they’re boring. So I will think about the planters, maybe calculate how much landscape brick I would need to build them. They would be pretty.

Gaby is still eating just enough and no more. I’ve tried chicken breast, and miss as often as I hit. Today, I tried bacon along with a bit of drippings, and garnered a little interest. She still has some padding around her ribs, so I probably shouldn’t worry yet. And it has been only three weeks since King. And she is still experiencing change, whether it’s trips to daycare or simply rides to the pet store big box. Her regular food had a consistency hiccup with the last lot–meat paste rather than moist burger. That hasn’t helped. I emailed the company to lodge a complaint, and did a search for other brands of duck-based canned food. They’re out there, but online places either want you to buy by the case, or charge so much for shipping that I wind up paying more for that than for the food itself. So, I found a couple of local, new-to-me stores that carry some of the brands. I’ll get hold of a can or two and have her try them. I want to have options in case she shows signs of going off the current brand entirely.

And yes, I know that raw may be an option, but I am reluctant to move Gaby away from duck until I know for sure that she won’t relapse into IBD hell.

No, her behavior hasn’t changed. She barks. She plays, both with me and at daycare. She just isn’t eating much.

She does enjoy her walks. If I take too long to eat breakfast in the morning, I am soon dealing with a head resting on my leg and tail-wagging wiggle butt. Once outside, she sniffs everything, marks the interesting stuff. Tried to give chase to some deer the other day, pulling and twisting the lead. I started fitting her with a harness after that–she has slipped out of a collar before, and if she ever took off after a deer, I doubt I would see her again. There are coyote in them thar woods.

More sprouts

All the basil. Two of four Black Cherry. One of the Paul Robeson.

I really cut down on the number of seed plantings this year. 5 basil seeds, total. 4 each of the Black Cherry and Paul Robeson. I will plant all the basil if they take–more basil just means more pesto and tastier salads and pizza. If all the tomatoes take, I will still only plant one of each. That will allow them plenty of room in the upper level of the raised bed, with plenty of ventilation to discourage blight spores.

Snowing like mad downstate. We were slated for possible snow showers, but so far all the flakiness has stayed south. Let it remain so.

Update: The best news I’ve heard in months

Unfortunately, this may not be true. Duane is digging further. Page down on her Tumblr page for the follow-up post in question.

Rats.

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GOOD OMENS will be coming to the small screen.

Terry Jones will be adapting it into a 4-part series.

My dream Aziraphale was always Ian Richardson, but that won’t be happening. Looking forward to see who they cast.

And so it begins

The basil seeds I planted last weekend are sprouting! The tomato seeds will take a bit longer, but the grow light is keeping them warm and I am hoping to see shoots in another week.

The lovely gardenia tree that my vet’s office sent has several buds that are going to unfurl Any Time Now. The poor thing needs a new pot–the one it’s in now is too small. I don’t have the right size on hand; looks like a 4-5 incher is needed if I want to continue to use the pretty decorative basket that the smaller pot came in. If not, I can put it in one of the containers that I already have. Drainage is apparently important, though, so I would have to remember to line the bottom with gravel so any excess water has a place to drain.

A nasty cold is racing ’round at the day job. Three folks have been hit that I know of. Apparently it hits hards, but doesn’t last too, too long. DO NOT WANT!

Repair guy repaired my clothes dryer today. Apparently this model has two belts instead of one, one for the drum and another for the exhaust fan. Was the exhaust fan belt that broke. Unfortunately, because I still tried to use the dryer when the vent wasn’t venting properly, things became hot enough that the glue that holds the front gasket in place melted. If the gasket had come loose completely, I would be looking at a new dryer purchase, but since there is still some glue in place, I may be okay. I will know that it has failed when the dryer starts eating clothes. Something to look forward too.

Another thing to look forward to–it may snow on Sunday! So fcking sick of the cold. I want warmth and sun and sitting out on the deck and grilling and flowers and greenery. Bees and hummingbirds and walking with Gaby along the forest footpath.

Speaking of Gaby, she’s doing well at daycare. Plays with All The Pupsters. Her eating is still spotty, but I am hoping she settles over the weekend. I’ve signed her up for basic obedience–that starts next month. I will see how much she enjoys Busy, and go from there.

One last mutter before Monday

…because MONDAY, dammit.

“Wintry mix” to look forward to in the morning. Last March at this time, we had record high temps, but this March at this time, we have “wintry mix.” And tomorrow, I’m getting a needle stuck in my arm because blood draw, which means I have to drive through the “wintry mix.” Which sounds like it should be made of spangly star snowflakes and little ice pellets that bounce right off the road and land safely in a ditch but is in reality made of freezing rain and *splat*, a rain/snow mix that hits your windshield like translucent birdshit.

And now I need to make up my bed because the mattress pad, which was in the dryer at the time when I discovered that cleaning the vent hadn’t helped and the dryer was not really drying anymore, should be dry now.

Monday started on Sunday this week. NOT FAIR.