Dewey-Darlin' Shipley

March 1996 - February 23, 2010

Can Spring Be Far Behind?

Yesterday was such a beautiful warm day that I had to just go outside with the camera and capture a picture of my little Chickadee who is venturing closer and closer to the house feeder. The Bluebirds finally returned from their Bermuda vacation...no, they don't normally wander quite so far on their Winter vacation but this January and February have been so cold they just locked up the condos and flew. :)

6+ Inches of Snow!

We finally got some snow!!!! :) I have put a link to my Snapfish photo albums for anyone interested in snow and/or bird pictures. :) And we didn't lose our power! :) And BOTH computers are working again (after being out of commission, more than not, the last two months) :). I have spent hours outside, toes numb, fingers warmed by constantly refilled coffee mug, camera in hand. I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed this snowfall!! The birds have been such a delight. Mostly goldfinches and pine siskins, and I have some resident sparrows that make me smile. I did have a Juncoe this morning! :) Unfortunately I had Bayley out to do his business and didn't have the camera. I'm hoping she/he will come back so I can get a picture. :)

Bayley Update

We got Bayley back to UT Vet School on Wednesday. He's doing really great...the way the space between the two bone pieces is filling in is amazing! The biggest problem is that the pin is migrating out of the bone a bit. They would like it to stay in place another 4 weeks; that means he has to be restricted another 4 weeks. That is tough on a puppy, but he's cooperating. :) If we can all just hang in there for another few weeks, hopefully he will be ready to run and romp with Marlee when Spring arrives. :)

The Good Ole' Days

I haven't been off of the place since last Wednesday (a week ago). I made it fine until yesterday then I really started feeling like I had been locked up in a cage with 3 dogs (two of which are invalids right now) and one cat. I've been banging my head against a wall with the computers for the whole week too. Don't know what lessons the Gods think I need to learn this time, and I know He's busy, but it would really be appreciated if he would check back in to see how I'm doing. A little break would be nice right about now. :) Oh, and the snow has covered my road again this a.m. :/ The computer guy was trying to get to the house yesterday afternoon to work on the computers and ended up in a ditch. Randy had to go pull him out, turn him around, and send him back to Kingsport, so no, we didn't get the computers fixed yet. I'm TRYING to use dial-up---remember THAT??? I bet Adam won't head this way again to look at our computers until the Spring thaw. *sigh* Bayley is doing GREAT. He has his 4-week checkup and x-ray scheduled in Knoxville tomorrow but I'm sure I'll have to reschedule that too for the Spring thaw. :/

Happy New Year

The Holidays have flown quick as a wink. Bayley is improving daily; he really is doing so well. I'm grateful. Wishing all of us a peaceful, healthy, contented New Year in 2010.

Bayley

I've died the death of several ragdolls since Tuesday night. Unfortunately, Bayley jumped out of my arms when I brought him back inside after his bedtime potty trip. He took a really hard fall (and so did my heart); and I've just returned from UT Vet Clinic again. It is a true Christmas miracle---he suffered NO injuries and did no harm to his incision and/or the pin in his ulna. The orthopaedic surgeon said that he's healing really well, and he has also lost 1.2 lbs. :) My Christmas has just become perfect. Merry Christmas Eve!

Bayley Update

Bayley got to come home last night. He's doing really well so far. He will be strictly crated for the next two weeks, out only to do his business, then back in the crate. The stitches will come out in two weeks, and after that he will have a bit more restricted movement. They actually removed a piece of the ulnar bone (about 1/4") and inserted a pin in it to stabilize it until it can heal. This will be a lengthy recovery process, but hopefully, once he's fully healed from this, he will have a lot of good years to romp and play.

Bayley

My precious Bayley is at Univ. of TN Vet School this a.m. and is scheduled for surgery on his little left front leg at 9:00 a.m. It seems his little elbow socket has problems. They called at Noon today to let me know that Bayley had come through the surgery really great, and that he was just coming out from under the anesthesia. It was a bit more extensive than they had initially thought it would be. They actually ended up having to remove a piece from the ulnar bone. The dr. said that the elbow moves much more freely now, and that he should feel so much better after he recovers from the surgery. He will probably get to come home on Thursday (day after tomorrow), depending on his pain levels. December 16, 2009---Bayley is in a lot of pain this a.m. so he will probably not come home until at least tomorrow. He's having trouble bearing any weight on that leg...and hasn't learned yet how to walk without using it at least some. My poor little fella, I just hate that he has to go through this, but hopefully he will be MUCH better for it in the long run.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas! :)

Tis the Season for rushing, hurrying, scurrying...I KNOW that's what I've been doing since before Thanksgiving, and starting the day afterward, I think, the pace kicked up another couple of notches. I don't deal well with rushing. :/ I feel like I have so many bits and pieces of myself scattered about, hither and yon, that they will NEVER all be gathered into some semblance of order again. :/ It has taken the better part of at least two months for me and Randy to begin to feel like we just might be getting over this bronchitis mess that we've both been battling. And let me tell you, I am so HAPPY to feel half way well!!! :) I have scattered bits of Christmas throughout the house, and I do have my Charlie Brown artificial tree up this year. I do adore this tree, but I think I will never NOT want a 'real' tree. This year I opted for my CB tree because these pups think anything that looks, smells or feels like wood is a gourmet treat just for them. :D I could just envision this bald tree standing here all forlorn while we are in the vet's office trying to figure out what to do when pups eat tons of Frazier Fir needles. LOL We chose the safer route this year. They do keep me on my toes! :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Acute Bronchitis

Randy got it first, was in the bed for the better part of three weeks. Two rounds of some of the really strong (read expensive) antibiotics, and he's gradually feeling better. I end up in a clinic Friday night...acute bronchitis, borderline pneumonia, a shot, antibiotics, etc. Sunday, feeling worse but not alarmed. Sunday night --- I can only remember a few times in my adulthood that I have been so sick. This cough is unlike anything I've ever had before. From what I've seen and heard from others who've been sick with it, it's this cough that's so wicked and hard to get rid of. Needless to say, nothing is being accomplished around here by moi. Letting the pups in and out is about all I can deal with right now. Ever the optimist, tho, I am feeling a bit better today. At least I did sleep last night. I didn't sleep at all on Sunday night, so I'm making progress. :) BTW, can you believe that I have blooms on my Azaleas, the Forsythia is budding again!, and it's the 3rd of November????? No global warming, huh???