Sunday, December 15, 2013

Moss Glen Falls (Third Sunday of Advent)




12 comments:

  1. I think Howard would understand my inability to cheer "Howard is first!" at the moment.

    Winnie seems to be saying enough is enough. Demetrius says if she's that bad off, she probably won't last that long anyway. I think he's concerned about the cost. But I disagree that "it won't be long". We had a rat hang in there, barely existing, for two full months.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Howard would understand, as do we. Supportive care is certainly reasonable. How old is Winnie?
    --Alan

    ReplyDelete
  3. 13 1/2.years. Diagnosed with "kidney insufficiency" about a year and a half ago.

    From Facebook (yesterday):
    Working on coming to terms that Winnie *is* nearing the end of her natural life span. Goldens typically live an average of 12 years, so we've gotten 1 1/2 "bonus" years (I try to tell myself.) Still, I suck at this sort of acceptance.

    Fortunately, Winnie still knows when she needs to go potty and manages to get up and aim herself in the direction of the door. She needs a fair bit of help and direction once I do get her outside...and I've needed to lift her fairly often. At least I already mastered that particular skill when caring for Brady.

    I spent some time in the early hours of the morning lying next to her as she panted heavily. I put a hand on her shoulder and gradually she seemed to relax. And I told her it's okay if she needs to leave.

    This morning:

    out...of...breath. Winnie isn't easy to carry. I learned last night that if she somehow manages to get up on her feet, she will squat and pee within a minute. Must make haste to get her outside. She can do that mostly under her own steam...it's the getting back inside part that she needs a LOT of help with.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Reminds me of Morticia's final weeks. Except Morticia weighed about 10 pounds. Big difference.

      Delete
    2. We've said our goodbyes at this point. Tomorrow we need to call the cremation people and tell them the name of the clinic where they are to retrieve her.

      Delete
    3. Sorry, Renee.

      --Alan

      Delete
    4. My sympathies. Seems like too many people on this blog have lost animal friends this year.

      Delete
    5. May Winnie romp from strength to strength in the Kingdom, with the Dogs in Light. ♥

      Delete
  4. On the way home today I stopped to investigate the crops that are just starting to emerge. Found one plantation of onions, some sort of grass (presumably for hay), and what appears to be winter wheat.

    I have been working on memorizing The Internationale. Friday I got what was for me a tricky part of the melody for the refrain memorized (I long ago memorized it incorrectly) and I have memorized the fifth and last verse. When I decided to memorize it I assembled a CD of recordings in eight languages and as many musical variants (all the way from guitar to huge orchestras and choruses) to sing along with. I do not yet have the ability to confidently sing it all the way through with the lyrics I chose, over the various languages and while driving. (Singing over the English is the most difficult, and driving takes priority.) I should have that down in a week or two. I can just reach the highest note if I am singing full-throated. It's a nice little exercise.

    I wasn't able to get a long snooze in between jobs last night, but could get numerous smaller naps and didn't get drowsy on the way home, although I am certainly tired tonight and will go to bed early.

    TTFN

    Alan

    ReplyDelete
  5. Michigander left turn technique--must take years to learn! [Click] (Pointed out to me by a Michigander coworker.)

    --Alan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan, in Vermont we call that a White Knuckle Sleigh Ride. :-)

      Delete
  6. Bill-

    Reflecting on the course of events that led to the Great War, of course it is all too easy to point to particular political personages and events, to the neglect of the tenor (or better the social currents) of the times. [I offer Barbara Tuchman's The Proud Tower (Click) as a partial antidote.] Nevertheless, the newly created German Empire was a nearly unique circumstance, and Otto von Bismarck's consummate skill in foreign relations has only rarely been equalled; I fail to see his equal today. When Wilhelm II dropped the pilot [Click] Bismarck was of course getting on in years, but he had no worthy successor. (Of course no worthy successor would have been compatible with Wilhelm's mania.] Certainly Bismarck would, at the very least, not have entered into the mutual defense treaty with Austria-Hungary that drew Germany into the war after the assassination of Ferdinand. The world is still paying a huge price for The Great War and for the the shortsighted postwar political settlements.

    P.S.: Cat--"The Proud Tower" is available as an audio book, which I enjoyed greatly; I have it on CD, and could share, certainly.


    --Alan

    ReplyDelete