My Boy is Okay

(Even though I chopped off the tops of his ears, I still think this is a lovely picture-- he just glows in the evening sun.)


Take 2. Had this all written, moved the pictures, and the whole thing freaked out and gave me computer gibberish. I said bad words.

So. Let's try it again.

I took Timber in to the vet this afternoon for a follow-up CBC. His numbers were very low when he was sick; but this time they were just fine. The contrast was amazing. I was happy. The vet said that as far as she could tell something messed up his immune system and he got the bacterial infection as a side-effect. I think I'll have to start giving him immune-system-boosting supplements so it doesn't happen again.

He was a *very* good boy at the vet's. We had to wait, we always do, but I never mind because I think it's good for them to be at the vet without scary things happening. All the vet techs came back into the exam room and said hello to him and petted him. His manners were perfect--no flinging himself bodily with crazed hyena noises. They all think he's gorgeous and handsome and very sweet. He sat up for one of them. :)

Some guy partly lost control of his lab-chow-looking mix who stuck his big ol' head right into Timber's face. I happened to have my arm around his neck at the moment, and could feel that he didn't either flinch back or lunge forward, he just very calmly stood his ground. Good boy, Mr. Timber!

He was very funny when he first saw Dr. Karen--his ears just smooshed back flat and he got this "oh no!" expression on his face--the woman who stuck her finger up his butt! But when she came in with the test results he kind of recovered himself and let her pet him and gave her a little kiss. And he cried when the vet tech got out the needle for drawing blood. She wasn't anywhere close to him, he just saw the needle and remembered that it was for stabbing doggies! But he was very good about the actual procedure, didn't make any fuss at all. I was a proud mom.

The vet tech who weighed him is new and didn't believe that he only weighs 71 pounds. I was like, "Yeah, that's pretty much it--he's mostly hair."

It's supposed to rain tonight. We're out of the way of the really bad rain, and far enough away from the rivers that we're in pretty good shape, and the garden is deliriously happy about all the rain we've been getting.

The jackmanii clematis is getting ready to burst into glory--look at all those buds!




If you enlarge this you can see the first asiatic lilies back there, just in front of the tree. These just happen to echo the color of the mini-petunias. I really do need to get back out to Walmart and see if they have any Asiatics left, so I can pull the pastels and replace them with the colors I want.


This picture isn't very good, I'm afraid, but it's Winchester Cathedral, another David Austen rose, which has been hanging on by the skin of its teeth because it's not in a very sunny spot. But with all the rain, it's really outdone itself this year. It is SO thorny, it's practically impossible to handle, and it looks really pathetic in my garden (although I think the lambs ears are a nice companion), but in the right spot it could be a very beautiful rose. Here's a link to the description, which shows the flower but not the bush: http://www.davidaustinroses.com/american/showrose.asp?showr=1011
I've got to go sniff and see if it smells of Old Rose, Honey, and Almond.


And not to leave her out, here's a nice blurry pic of Taenzer. I hope I can scratch up some money for a new camera--it's hard to hold the battery door shut and take good dog pictures and have them come out steady! And impossible to take any if they're in motion, which is frustrating. How quickly we become spoiled--I could go back to those high-def disposable cameras, but I'd have to take them to the store and have them developed and put onto a CD. Oh woe! Well, we'll see after I pay this month's extra bills--which rained down, not exactly like manna from heaven--and order the dog food.