Backyard garden: iPhone edition

On Monday, The Boy and I roadtripped to Auburn University with Asta. She was seen by a team (yeah, a team) of veterinary students and the orthopedic vet she saw previously in Pensacola. They were trying to determine the next course of action in her treatment. The migrating pin in her leg was causing more pain and discomfort than was originally thought, but despite our efforts to help her rehabilitation, the bone had not knitted as well as hoped.

After more X-rays and more exams, and a heartfelt plea from me about selling a kidney to pay for any additional surgery if needed, they decided to just remove the pin. To give her the best possible chance to avoid more surgery, Asta was also ordered on strict confinement/rest for four weeks.

We recently sold our large travel kennel, so once home, I had to improvise by penning her behind several ottomans. It wasn’t the optimal plan, but so far it’s worked well. After the first day home, Asta was already walking better, putting her foot down and using her injured leg.

Because I didn’t feel comfortable leaving her alone at home in her makeshift cell, and because my menfolk had other plans on Saturday, I stayed with Asta, letting her roam around the yard with me on my photo hike.

My meager garden has begun blooming and has the promise of a harvest soon. I have jalapeños, strawberries and tomatoes ripening. My jasmine is in blossom (the scent is intoxicating) and Gerber daisies adding much needed color to my front yard.

You can click on any image to see a larger photo, or the series as a slideshow.

(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, Nikon CoolPix S205 and/or iPhone4)

For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream.

Submitted to Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City

Taking it to the streets

In lieu of a photo hike Saturday, Mister went with me to the Big City to take our little Asta to see a specialist about her injured hip. Our vet sent us with a referral to an orthopedic doc to get a second option about whether the pin holding the break together could be removed.

With her last X-ray, and surgery notes in hand, we went into this appointment with trepidation. There was no telling what this doctor would recommend.

Asta wasn’t too sure about the car ride, wandering over the back seat of our car, and me, for most of the hour drive. Finally at one point she did try to relax a bit, giving my sore legs a break from her little paws digging into my thighs while standing to look out the car window.

She was very relaxed at the vet’s, waiting patiently to be called back for her exam. The doctor was gentle with his manipulations of her legs and paws, even squeezing her toes to make sure she had sensation in her feet. We found out that at some point her right scapula had also been broken, but it wasn’t clear if that was also from the car hitting her, or from before that.

After checking her out, the doctor said he wasn’t recommending surgery at this time. The break was in fact not knitting as well as he expected after this long (two months). He suggested physical therapy, something I had asked our vet about before and was told there was nothing like that I could do.

I’m not going to be doing any deep tissue massages, rather he wants us to walk Asta… a lot. The idea is to fatigue her good back leg enough that she is forced to use her injured leg. Initially we were told to keep her off the leg to let it heal, now she needs to start putting weight on it again. Walking we can do.

After four weeks, if she’s not using her leg more, then we have two options. One: remove the pin and do nothing else. She can get around pretty well using only three legs, and the doc said it would NOT be inhumane to leave her alone; or Two: remove the pin and redo the surgery, using a plate instead of pinning. I’m not excited about that second option.

My hope is that since she was using the leg before, that she will again. It’s just a matter of time. We’ve already gone on our first walk around the block, and now, I can take her with me on some of my photo hikes. I am excited about that.

(Photos shot with a Nikon D60, using an 18-55mm, 55-200mm, 20mm f/2.8 wide-angle, 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, Nikon CoolPix S205 and/or iPhone4)

For more photos, please visit my Flickr photostream.

Submitted to Unknown Mami’s Sundays in My City

Spring haz-mat cleaning: scoop the poop

Tuesday was a beautiful day! The sun was out, temps were climbing back into bearable ranges, and I was actually motivated to DO something.

I headed outside to prep my raised planters. Recent monsoons rains, made the backyard a smidge marshy, but other than feeling like I was walking on wet sponges, the prep work went really quickly. Now, I have two plots ready for peppers, herbs, and maybe zucchini.

The warm weather was also an impetus to clear out the mine field in our backyard.

Take two Labs, mix in long months of cold and wet weather, pour into one large yard, stir in Mother Nature, and it makes for a lot of dog poop. A LOT OF POOP. I got out shovels, gloves and a 10 gallon bucket, which I quickly filled.

The haz-mat clean-up took on a sort of scavenger hunt mystic. I discovered that The Girls really do have a strange menu of things they will ingest ~ batting from an old stuffed toy, styrofoam packing peanuts from Christmas, and cat litter.

Yes, we also have a cat. And, yes we’ve had to install barricades and a moat around the litter box… nuff said ’bout that.

To all my northern friends, those who still have a few feet of snow in their yards, I don’t envy your jobs once all that ice melts.

To all those other pet owners without yards, those who must take twice daily walks for your beloved pets to ‘do their duty’ ~ remember to scoop the poop. I cannot tell you how nasty it is to have to clean some other dog’s crap out of my yard. It’s bad enough when it belongs my own pets.

*From the Vault of IMSO: originally published Feb. 26, 2010. Edited and updated.

The good, the bad and the meh: the continuing Asta saga

Today, we had a sort of “good news/bad news, but mostly meh news” appointment at the vet’s with our fur kid Asta. After a two-week wait, we hoped that she healed to the point where the pin in her hip could be removed.

The bad news is her vet wasn’t satisfied with the progress of her recovery, and wanted to wait a little longer. The good news is that he’s writing us a referral to an orthopedic vet for a second opinion. The bad news is an appointment for this other doc to review her X-rays and examine her is about $125, whereas our vet is providing his services free-of-charge since Asta is a shelter rescue.

The good news is the specialist’s office is within driving distance and we can get an appointment sometime next week. More good news is that an additional week’s wait isn’t an issue in Asta’s recovery. The bad news is that our vet said he felt some “crepitness” in her hip that he didn’t like, and more bad news is that in the interim, there is nothing we can do to improve her prognosis – no “doggy physical therapy.”

The good news is that our vet thinks we can save her leg, the bad news is that additional surgery may be required. The good news is that if more work is necessary, and our vet is qualified to perform the surgery, he said he’d do it free of charge. The bad news is if he isn’t comfortable doing what the specialist recommends, we have to decide whether we can afford for the orthopedist to perform the surgery.

Unless an additional operation is crazy, “sell-an-extra-kidney” expensive, we’ll opt for paying for the procedure, but I was hoping the little fur baby wouldn’t have to go through anymore trauma. She’s already had a rough time of it lately.

Broken bones

It’s been two full days, and our new fur kid, Asta, is assimilating nicely. She’s not as shy, coming to us when we call, and letting us pet and hold her.  She’s playfully interacting with our older dog, Hershey, and seems comfortable in her new home.

One reason we were so charmed by her, is that she is physically challenged. She will have a pin in her hip, a remanent from her surgery, for another month. Her injured leg appears shorter now, and the prognosis is that she’ll always have a limp.

For older dogs, imperfect dogs, it’s much harder to find Forever Homes. We sought out such a dog, mainly on the expressed wish of our son. Being a bit different himself, he can empathize and wanted to give a loving home to a needy pet.

Watching Asta peacefully sleeping this morning, the Mister mentioned how much happier she seems, and asked if I was still glad we adopted her.

“Do you still like your smelly, broken Valentine gift?”

I told him about the Japanese tradition of repairing broken pottery with gold-filled resin. The art of Kintsugi, “golden joinery,”  mends shattered vessels so that they are considered better and more beautiful.  I said I thought of Asta like that. She was broken, but with all the love we can offer, her wounds would mend and be made more beautiful.

“I don’t know, I don’t think we should spray paint her gold,” he said.

“Don’t worry, I have gold nail polish.”

“I feel the same way about your appendix.”

I love you too, Hon.

When the Japanese mend broken objects, they aggrandize the damage by filling the cracks with gold. They believe that when something’s suffered damage and has a history, it becomes more beautiful.” ~ Barbara Bloom

This week’s Studio30 Plus theme is “that was awkward,” and/or “broken bones“

Welcome home, Asta

She’s home!

After an interminable two-week wait, our newest fur kid, Asta is finally home.

She is the sweetest little, Lab-mix, and Asta’s older ‘sister’ Hershey is accepting her adopted sibling as if she was always a member of our family.  Po isn’t quite sure about Asta, but I think she’s warming up to her.

Our little girl is recovery from surgery and still limps, but can get around pretty well.

We found out that before she came to the rescue refuge where we met her, she had been seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident. She underwent reconstructive surgery to repair a broken hip. The pin can be removed in another month, and she should walk better after that.

Asta must have grown accustom to being outside, it a took a while before she would come in the house, but soon she made herself comfortable on her new bed.

We all have some adjusting to do, but I think she is fitting in perfectly into her Forever Home.

What’s in a name

“Pick a word you think describes her then go to Google translate and plug it into 10 different languages.” The Boy offered up his suggestion for picking a name for our newest family member.

I thought that was a great idea, until I actually went through the process. I didn’t take into account pronunciation problems. If I don’t know how to say a word, it probably wouldn’t make a good name.

Taking advantage of all the baby name websites, I went there next. I’ve had pets with people names – Barnum, Bridget, Bailey, Maxx, Bill and Sam – but wanted something different this time.

I’ve also had pets named Scruffy, Buster, D.D. and Brandy. Our pets now, are Hershey and Pollo del Fuego.

This new member of our family has to have just the right name. I think pets’ names mold their personalities. I can’t have a dog named Lady or Trixie.

I thought about playing off Hershey’s name, calling her Reeses. Maybe even play off Pollo’s name. We could call her Arroz, shortened to Rozie. Get it? Chicken and Rice? No?

There would be no Harry Potter or Twilight names – no Hermione, Dobby or Bella. No names from TV shows – no Abby, or Olivia, no Gemma.

Other names I considered, and rejected:

• Wendy – suggested by my daughter, but shared with my step-sister. I didn’t think she’d be flattered.
• Tallulah – apparently one of my daughter’s friends has a dog by that name, can’t be poaching another family’s pet name.
• Chloe – until my son reminded me a Kardashian sister had that name too.
• Oreo – she is black with white markings, but how could you shorten Oreo? Not gonna yell, “O, O, O.” when I want her to come to me.

At one point, as I was reading aloud from a list of Top Female Puppy Names, my son accused me of “making shit up.”

Some of you people should never be allowed to name another living creature. “Girlfriend?” Seriously?

I finally whittled down my search to one name.

Meet Asta…

(Named after the dog in the “Thin Man” movies of the 1930s and ’40s.)