5C's Que Pasa

In fact I have cried myself to sleep the last few nights and then last night I still couldn’t sleep.  Just 10 minutes after I clicked the publish key on my last post I heard a spine chilling scream.  Last Tuesday evening about 6:15PM Carmeh gave the most horrific cry I have ever heard and will never ever forget.

We were both at our desks and she went up the 9 inch high stool to get close to Colin.  Yes we have ramps everywhere but if she wants so look outside she has a short jump to a stool with another short jump to her sitting area.  We have to allow her some freedom and a life so we have allowed this stool arrangement.

A few moments after her cry.

Her back legs are not working.  Simple but very sad fact.  She can sit but not walk.  She was shivering but not whimpering but obviously in pain and shock.  I gave her the Metacam within 30 minutes as she has to have food in her stomach.  She did eat but sitting down which she has never done in her life.  She is a stander at her food dish.

Into the pen she went and has been ever since. Caeli sometimes wants to go in with her. Other times she lays outside the pen next to Carmeh.

We knew it was bad this time.  We already had a vet appointment for a minor matter first thing Wednesday morning and we spent a good hour there.  Our main concern was that she was not peeing.  If she didn’t by the end of the day we would have to catheterize her.  Back home with more Metacam, Tramadol for pain and to keep her quiet and Robax-in for muscle relaxation.  She has an ice pack on her spine, ten minutes on and ten minutes off, as much as we can do through the day.

Finally Colin got her to pee and poop but it is a chore and dangerous as it can cause more damage.  He now crawls behind her on the grass to catch her when she sways and tries to support her but still allow her to do her business.

She will not walk with a sling to hold her back end up. She just stops.

So we have to let her go after standing her on her back legs. You can see that they are about to fall and not hold her up.

Here she is about to fall over on her right.

Colin is actually right there to catch her and we are trying to restrict her walking but as the vet says she has to pee and poo.  That is the only movement she is doing and will be crated for a long while.  We did return her to the vet Wed. PM to have 2 shots of Prednisone injected into the problem area.  I had to leave the building so I would not hear her screams of pain.

Today she seems worse than yesterday with less leg strength.  We have to give the meds time to kick in and for the inflammation to go down to see if she will recover.  The vet is hopeful.  Meanwhile we are both saddened and I cry at night.  Last night Carmeh could not sleep, she is likely done with staying still and in one place.  She finally fell asleep after 3AM with my hand on her neck.  Meanwhile my tears kept falling.

This is a dilemma for us as we were leaving on a road trip in the RV tomorrow.  We have gone back and forth as to stay or go, what to do?  Finally this morning we have decided to leave and see how it goes for the first few days.  I have meetings in Edmonton regarding my Father’s estate plus other appointments that were planned long ago.  The only difference with being here or traveling is where she will go do her business.  Easier here as she knows the yard but the vet thought it would be okay to travel and encouraged us to go.  Back and forth our decision went.

A few of the pluses is that we will both be together and better able to care for her.  Also the RV is a smaller area and she can see us from wherever she is.  Right now she is constantly popping her head up to see where we are or who is walking around.  So we have decided to go and monitor her and the situation.  If it is too stressful we will return here early next week.  Hopefully she will be more relaxed and quieter in the RV.

Meanwhile our hearts are broken as we face the possibility that she will never walk again.  One day at a time right now, but today is not a good one.  But tomorrow is yet another day.

Getting dressed up in one of my new outfits to take the girls for a walk.

Trying out my newly refurbished bike.

I haven’t been on a bike for over 7 years.  I have been wanting to ride again so I asked Colin to take both our bikes in and get them overhauled 😮 and so he did to the local bike shop.  We got new tires, the chains checked and greased and a few new pieces here and there but the bill was $302.00!  I could have bought a new bike for less than that.  Nothing to do about it but lesson learned, get a quote first.  So I took my bike out for a spin.  I almost fell off right away.  Most important is that I can’t get on nor off easily.  Hard to tell from the photo above but the bar I have to raise my leg over, which no longer has too much flexibility from the hip surgery, just can’t do it anymore.  This particular bike has a high bar, it almost looks like a male bike.  Certainly not safe for me.  What do do?  More on that later.

A blog reader forwarded this on to me. Was it a premonition?

Friday dawned sunny and very nice.  Colin had promised we would spend the entire day together.  Not to be.

Midday the door bell rang and I received a special delivery.

Very cute indeed. Colin did manage to surprise me with a case of that very special Pinot Gris that I had posted about a few weeks ago.  I love the two oversize jewells they attached to the box.

Last year we had plans on how to celebrate my birthday and those never came to pass because of jobs that needed to be done ASAP due to weather.  In our life the job always has to come first because weather is so fickle.  So this year Colin promised that we would spend my day, the 22nd, doing whatever I wanted to do.  So I made a list, some of it as simple as driving around in the golf cart together to look at all the changes in the park since last year, going for a canoe ride and going for dinner.  I knew he was torn when the job came in and it could only be done on my birthday.  So I told him to go ahead.  Only thing is he had no idea when he would be home last Friday evening.  I had gone shopping at Costco the day prior ( still no Copper River Salmon, darn ) and bought myself a container of raspberries.  That was my breakfast on my birthday and I enjoyed every bite as I ate the entire container.  It wasn’t that big 😛  I was very inspired with the case of very special vino which will be opened only on special occasions over the next several months.

A special card from a friend who goes back to Grade 6.  She has never ever not sent me a perfect card year after year.

Still I was sad and unsettled.  It was my first birthday without both parents.  None of my siblings recognized the day ( my brother did the next day ) and I was just feeling lonely. Colin did come home in time for a late dinner at 8:00PM.

First I received this very very cute card.  You pull from the right and it opens all four panels while playing conga line music.  The expressions of the dogs on the card were priceless.  Two even looked similar to our two girls.  It says ” You deserve the kind of birthday fun that just keeps going…and going…..and going..all day long”

So we discussed it and short of changing the day I was born we decided that this year at least we would celebrate a month later on June 22nd.  So in effect my birthday will just keep going and going on.

So we got dressed up and were off via the golf cart to the high end Italian restaurant here in the park.

We both had the linguine with lobster and fresh asparagus.  It was melt in your mouth perfect and I ate every bite.

The next day while Colin worked on his photos on the computer I was off to a meeting.

He stopped me as I was heading out to take yet another photo of another new dress.

In the background to the right you can see a brand new comfort style bike which we brought home for me to try.  I can actually sit on the seat with my feet on the ground plus I can get my leg over the bar very easily.  So now I have new bike    I just better use it.  So now we have one extra bike that we have put $150.00 into.  Some lucky person on the Isla is going to be very happy next December 😀

So that this post isn’t 100% about me…..

This is Caeli’s normal relaxed position during a midday nap.

I have to say that I was totally surprised to see Carmeh in the same pose up on the bed.

We sure love our girls.

Right now it is 84F at 8:30PM as I type this, cooled down from 88F inside.  Guess I should have turned on the A/C today.  I still managed to get my work done but I noticed the girls laying in their beds fairly lethargic from the heat.

Yesterday started out with a wonderful family swimming past.

Then about 8AM my golf cart came back.

In addition to 6 new batteries, a new dash, new carpet on the floor of the rumble seat, we had some much needed electronic work done and we can once again drive at night with lights and signals plus we had a few other things done.  It looks as good as new.

The girls love being driven around and so Colin took them around the block.

I actually took them to the dog park just before dinner tonight in the golf cart.  It was too hot to walk.  Then I had to drive them around a bit.  It is fun to have it.  After the golf cart arrived yesterday we did the long walk of the day.  We do two, usually a short one in the morning and a long one before dinner.  Sometimes they get a very short walk around 2 blocks before bedtime.  Yesterday we did the long walk early as it was supposed to get warm which it did but not as hot as today.

Back from the walk at 9:30AM Colin started to fix himself a muffin.  I asked if we could please install the new modem first so we could have faster internet.  I had quite a bit to do online and really wanted to get up to speed.  He had finally picked up the new modem the day prior.  I assured him that it would take just a few moments. Wrong, oh how very very wrong that turned out to be.

First he had to crawl on his stomach under his desk to switch out the modems.  As he completed that task I called the tech department at Shaw so we could get it hooked up.  We did have internet with the new modem but it was the slow speed.  Finally after 15 minutes of holding I got to speak with Jacob.  So he instructed me and I in turn did what he said except for the parts where you had to lay in the floor under the desk.  That was Colin’s job.  Meanwhile Colin was waiting for his muffin and wanted to get at his computer.  He had hours of photoshop to do.

Somehow we could not get online.  Back & forth, unplug this, reboot that, shut down the computer, unplug something else and restart the computer.  We had been at this for over an hour at this point.  Now we had no internet at all and Jacob had no idea what to do.  He also said they at Shaw did not know the Apple computer.  He could send out a tech but it would be a day or two.  What, no internet?  I got out manuals while he put me on hold while he checked with his colleagues.  No one knew what was wrong.  I should mention that we were going from the Shaw modem to our AirPort Express so we could both work wirelessly.  Jacob kept saying that it was our computer system that was the problem.  I explained that we were working just fine until he connected the new modem and back and forth we went.  He put us hold and came back with new ideas to try.

We were now approaching the two hour mark.  Colin was not happy.  Jacob was about to tell us there was nothing he could do.  At that point I wanted to go back to the old modem and at least have slow internet.  Meanwhile Colin went into the other room and with his cell called our computer geek here in Kelowna.  He could be here in an hour.  Meanwhile I had booted up my new MacBook Air and used my hot spot device with Rogers to start troubleshooting our problem.  I was actually figuring things out.  Just then I looked out the window and saw a Shaw truck parked 3 homes over.

I put Jacob on speaker phone and told him I was going over the see if the Shaw tech could come over to our place.  He was not very receptive but said he would come over when he was done but had no idea how long that was.  By now we were at the 2.5 hour mark.  So we left the phone line open, Jacob may have gone to the washroom and picked up a coffee.  Colin got his muffin and we all waited.  I kept doing research on the MacBookAir. Meanwhile we kept getting phone calls we could not answer, yes it turned out some were clients.  However there was no way I was going to hit flash and possibly disconnect from Jacob.

We had just gone over the 3 hour mark when the Shaw tech from the truck showed up.  He was very efficient and between him and Jacob decided that the problem was our computer system and not Shaw.  He was able to use the modem to get internet with his device.  At this point a motorcycle roared down the street and stopped in front of the house.  Our computer geek had arrived.  Actually quite amazing that this fellow could get here within an hour of the call.  He said that the computer business was quiet right now.  Lucky for us.  We filled him in quickly and he said he could fix it all.  Colin saw the Shaw tech out the door, gave him a cold drink and many thanks.  Meanwhile Jacob was still on the line just in case and the new guy started to do his thing.

We were going past the 3.5 hour of being on the phone with Jacob and I was feeling faint.  I had not yet eaten today.  I grabbed a banana.  Turns out that the new Shaw modem is also a wireless device and when placed in close proximity to the AirPort Express wifi device they stopped the signal from getting through.  I asked Jacob about it and he said he never thought of it.  Motorcycle geek said he really could fix our problem.  Besides he was already in our home and had a minimum $100.00 charge. Close to the 4 hour mark I said adios to Jacob.

Meanwhile Colin worked with our geek guy and things were resolved.  I paid the bill, he roared off on his bike about 2PM and Colin got to finally sit at his computer and do some work.  I was exhausted and very hungry with little incentive to get much done.  During the entire intense 4.5 hour episode I never thought to take a photo.

Next on the to do list was the installation of a new convection microwave.  We love the one we have in the RV  ( used for 14 years now ) but not so much the 2 year old one here in the house.  Colin took it upon himself to find a new one that was supposed to fit where our built in one was here in the house.  Vi the fellow we hired to do the exchange was supposed to be here at 3:30PM.  At 5PM Colin left to do a job just as Vi was arriving.  So now I was to deal with this.

First thing Vi said “it isn’t going to fit”.  Why I asked, he explained and gave a few options.  While I was calling Colin who was halfway to his job, Vi started to take the old one out.

He moved really fast. By now I was beyond exhausted, it was after 5:30PM and I really just wanted peace and a glass of wine.

Colin said we would come back and I said no.  He has been waiting 2 weeks for an evening like this to do these particular photos.  Vi took the microwave out and once again gave me options.  I wasn’t sure.  The new one would stick forward yet another inch and would cover an inch of my special back splash mural.  I called Colin yet again.  He told me he had turned around.  Vi said he couldn’t wait and was leaving.  I said that he could not leave me with no convection/ microwave and a huge mess.  I called Colin, he was 10 minutes away.  Vi needed a decision right now or he was leaving.  I made the decision and he started the install prep.  He had to fill in one inch from the back wall to install the new convection oven.

Thank goodness Colin arrived when he did. I really could not take much more tension or stress today. The girls were cuddling together on the bed obviously picking up on my unhappiness. I was beyond exhausted.

Vi convinced Colin to go with the way he wanted to install it.  While he was out at his truck cutting plywood Colin rethought it out.  I am so thankful he came back home.  However he was only there a short time as he had to get back for the second part of the shot with the sunset ( he would redo the first part another day ).  Our brains were on overload and it was beginning to be too much…period.

New plan was to remove my Durango ( from Mexico ) rope liner along the top of the mural. That would allow the new unit to be installed against the wall. At this point I don’t remember the dimension but the new unit was more than 1/4 ” higher only at the back end and so could not sit on top of the rope liner.

So Colin was off again to his job.  Vi did the install but first made a heck of mess with fine dust everywhere in the kitchen.  He finally left.  I fed the girls.  I poured some wine and close to tears began the cleanup.  I almost missed the ring of the phone because of the noise of vaccum cleaner.  It was Colin.  The clouds had come in and he was yet again coming back home.  But he was bringing home salmon teriyaki for a late dinner 😀

There is no way I ever want to relive a day like yesterday.  So now we have the new convection microwave installed although we still need some sort of 3/8th trim to go between the mural back splash and the bottom of the unit.  I finished cleaning everything today.  The new unit looks great but I haven’t had a chance to use it yet.  Poor Colin left at 4:30AM and won’t be back till about 11PM tonight, a really long day.  It is now 9:50PM and I haven’t had dinner.  I really wanted to do this post so I could purge yesterday from my mind.

Reflection on the lake of the sunset two nights ago.

Adios…..10PM….time for dinner.  Finally cooled down to 79.5F.  Blogging is a lot of work.  It took 1.5 hours to write this.  I had already prepared the photos.  Okay I am really signing off……

Life and work has kept me overly busy these past few days.  Sorry for the absence.

So I think it was Monday morning and the girls were outside ( they have use of a doggy door ) when I heard the bark.  Depending on how that bark sounds I know what is happening.

That day it was, “Mom get out here, something is in the rocks” .

I was still in my nightie and we hadn’t even had coffee yet.  So out the door and down the steps we both go.  I grabbed my camera on the way out.

It was the snake. Not sure but I think it is our resident snake as this is the third year it has shown up.

It lives in the rocks between our site and the beach.  Colin and I, at different times, have seen it swim in the lake.  Once we found the skin it had shed.  Another year Caeli managed to pick it  up out of the rocks with her teeth and gave it quite the shaking.  Did you know that snakes bleed red blood?  This day they both wanted to capture that serpent.  They were both barking at the top of their lungs as if that would make the snake come closer.  Next thing I knew, Colin was down on his knees lifting and moving rocks to find that slithering piece of ‘yuck’ in my opinion. He was as excited as one of the girls, encouraging them to keep hunting.   As long as it stays hidden in the rocks and I don’t see it, that is good.

I missed getting it’s tongue slithering in and out. This was already more that I needed or wanted to see.  Those beady eyes were over the top….

The girls could have spent all morning on the hunt.  Fortunately they don’t move far off of the patio and onto the rocks.

Finally Colin got them to come inside with a bribe. Caeli got the lid of the peanut butter jar while Carmeh got the dredges of the jar itself.  Are my girls spoiled?  Of course they are.

Mere hours later Carmeh is insisting on more food. Thank goodness for Colin as he works at underfeeding them as I overfeed them.  It is a big endeavor to keep them thin.

A cute parting shot sent to me by one of my readers.   How many is too many 😯

The rain started during the night and just kept on coming down.

It wasn’t until this morning that we discovered there was a rainfall warning in effect.

Certainly lots of rain. The drain in front of us could not handle the amount.

The ducks seemed confused and moved up from the lake to the road.

Even their feet were submerged on the road.

By the time my huge pot of delicious lentil soup was ready there were a few rays of sun in the sky.  I plan to freeze some for our road trip end of the month.  Tomorrow is a whole new day with mostly sunny in the forecast. Question is, is that enough to have Colin get out and do one of many jobs currently on hold due to weather?  We shall see what the morning brings.

I haven’t found out the reason why I was born yet.  Such a quest 😐