Foreshadowing?

I admit it, I read the horoscopes.  Sometimes (okay, often) I try to apply them to my life.  Today's Sunday paper had a fun one:

"Right now you will learn best from your peers.  So look for someone who possesses the skill you want to master, knows it well and is in other ways very much like you."



 

In light of my new foray into the Pet Grooming world, I took this horoscope to heart. I am using it as advice.  It turns out that it is the right advice at the right time because I am getting discouraged about my grooming skills, or lack thereof!

 

 



A Visit with the Eagle

This is the week.  The anniversary of the accident that took my "little" brother away from our family.  It's always a difficult time of year.

Last year, I posted a story about a Bald Eagle that visited me in town while I was walking one of my clients' dogs.

This year, another stopped by again.

He wasn't flying over head.  He wasn't in town.  But he did stop to say hi. 

It was an early Sunday morning.  I was zooming around in my car, as usual.  I was on the way to the grocery store, as usual.   The countryside was not awake yet.  It was an unusually quiet morning. 

The cornfields have already been harvested.  I was admiring the golden wheat color that all the fields were wearing. I remember thinking what a great color that would be for a wall and how in the world I would be able to describe it or find it in a paint store.

Suddenly, in one of the fields, there he stood, near the side of the road.  A beautiful bald eagle.  He looked directly at my car as I was going by.

Makin' em Pretty

Dog Groomer! 

I have  been given an opportunity to become a Dog Groomer at a great shop in town.  I began by getting my feet wet (literally) last Thursday while filling in for one of the owners as a dog bather.  I loved it.  There were many breeds and all of them were sweet. 

I was looking forward to yesterday (Monday) the first day when I had 2 appointments booked that were to be my first dog clients.

It did not look good when they walked in.  They were first time clients, a new puppy, and a fearful young dog.  These were obviously dogs that would do best with an experienced hand.  Add to that, I had NO earthly idea what the client and the owner of the shop were discussing as far as what the lady expected to be done with these dogs.  *sigh*

The morning rolled as a true Monday morning, hectic and hairy.  I was assigned two sweet little dogs.  One of them was a cute little white poodle and one a stout little yorkie.

It took all day.  For some reason, I could NOT get the clippers to clip, the poodley dog kept spinning around on the table, and everyone else was so busy, I was afraid to bother them. 

Soon, I had to leave to walk my regular clients and the whole way out and back, I was so upset.  I almost had to cry.  I have no idea why it was taking so long or what I was doing wrong.  At least "my" dogs were scheduled to be there all day. 

Ack. By the end of the day, I figured that I made about $2 an hour.

I am scheduled again this evening.  I am going to try and go in there with the confidence I thought I had.  I am so hoping that I do what I know I can do.  Stay tuned.

Health is the Real Wealth

Every now and then, a person needs to cut through the clutter, turn off the noise,and look at the essence of their existence.  Sometimes one needs only to see what's out there to stop and be thankful for what is important.

This weekend, I got that reminder and again, it came from a situation I became aware of through my pet sitting adventures. No matter what is going on and what our personal challenges may seem to be, there is always someone who is dealing with something more.  People are dealing with something which is more challenging, more important,and more humbling than whatever we have going on.  And in this case, the individuals that I know are dealing with a major health issue with grace and courage. 

I can not even imagine the pressure that this family feels.  I am hoping that all goes well for them.

Through it all, they manage to make sure that their beloved family pets are cared for and I feel privileged to be one of the people they call when they need help.

I wish you health.

Lessons Learned from Youth Waterfowl Day 2012

 

My son, Nick, is an avid outdoorsman.  He hunts and fishes, he camps, he scouts and observes, and he practices marksmanship. 

During the 2012 Youth Waterfowl Hunt this year, my husband was planning to be away and that left me to accompany my son out to the pond. 

For anyone who has not participated, this is a day set aside for an adult to take a child under 15 out to introduce them to the sport of Waterfowl Hunting.

Anyone who participated this year will remember the beautiful weather and for me, a fair weather outdoorswoman, this was a bonus.  Of course a true water fowler knows that cloudy, misty weather is usually better for hunting ducks.  (For those who do not know, ducks fly higher when the sky is clear and blue.)    

We arrived at Nick’s carefully placed duck blind and the first thing he did was to offer me his chair.  The chair and all the weeds and grass surrounding it were still very wet with dew.  No problem!  My son offered me his backpack to put on the chair so that I could have a dry place to sit.

And, that, is when I learned a few things.......(to be continued) This hunt turned out differently than it was "supposed to".

 

 

Summer 2012

Summer, beautiful summer!  It's been hot and humid, but just recently and maybe only briefly, the humidity has cleared and the weather is clear and sunny.  The garden is doing well for the most part and things are lush. 

Baseball season is almost done and football is soon to begin.  It is going way too fast! I have been ultra busy this summer and I can not believe that it is the end of July.

As I drive through the countryside, I see so many "picture worthy" scenes.  I have decided that I will be carrying my camera with me.  I hope I will be able to get back on track with some pictures and some words!

Um, yeah, I remember...

So overnight there was a freeze warning.  It is, afterall, only April 10th.  The beautiful bleeding heart plant was frozen nearly solid this morning when I looked at it. The beautiful new pink and purple tulips and the clematis vines were looking good, but I have not had the courage to go out and see how they fared.  It is supposed to freeze hard again tonight!

 The bluebirds in the yard already have 3 new eggs, I hope they didn't freeze!  Certain plants lived, many froze.  I decided not to even worry about covering things, there was too much to cover and I think it was windy overnight. It would have been difficult to make sure that the covers stayed on.

 It will be interesting to see how or if  things bounce back.

Ma Nature gives us a reality slap!

The peas are sprouting (outside), the spinach is sprouting (outside) and the seasonable weather has returned, meaning it is cold (very) and windy (very)!
Mother Nature has decided to remind us that it is still only March.  Oh yes, and we live in Minnesota.  Let's not get too big for our britches and think that winter is done!

Marching Toward Summer

Happily, the "Winter That Wasn't" continues.  It is the middle of March with temps brushing the 80s, yes, 80s!  After last year's good old fashioned Minnesota winter, we really are entitled to this early burst of beautiful! 
The frogs are singing, most of the birds are already back and buds are opening.  My brother has already jumped in the lake at Mom and Dad's house, which is reported to be the earliest "ice off" dip in recorded history.
I am still kind of waiting for the last blast of Old Man Winter, but he will hold off until ALL of the snowbirds return! 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly..all in one!

The pet sitting business I have been running has taken off.  I am busy all the time. Many of the clients have become friends, and I love their pets as much as my own.  When I stop and think about it, there are many of the pets that I see every week.  With my older accounts, I have seen a certain dog every weekday for going on 3 years! 

It is really no surprise then, that I come to know each and every pet well.  I know what they like, I know what they don't like.  I can predict what they will do, and I know what's normal and what' s not for each. 

That's how discovery about one of the dogs happened last week.  He is a dog that had surgery last year to have some cancerous toes removed.  He is gorgeous, loved, and the picture of health.  As I walked with him and his buddy, I noticed something that did not look right on the back of his leg. I called him over for a closer look.  Sadly, my suspicion was realized when I touched the Popliteal Lymph nodes on his left leg.  There was a very pronounced enlargement of the nodes on the leg which was operated on in the spring.  I was sick, honestly sick to my stomach.  When we finished our walk, we went in the house and he coughed softly.  This is another bad sign when you put it together with other pieces of the puzzle.

To complicate matters, his "mom" was scheduled to leave on vacation in a few days. It was hard to break the news to her, but I knew it had to be done immediately.  She's a take charge kind of lady and once the shock subsided a little, she put things in motion.  Within a day, this dog was at the vet school to have the situation looked into. 

After receiving the bad news, it has been decided to give treatment a try.  With luck, we caught this early, early enough to make a difference, I hope.

I hope that I make a difference in what I do for my clients and the pets we love! It is nice to think I do.
Stay tuned.

Just Breathe

So many changes. so much going on!  Business has been, well, busy.  I never realized how many friends that I would make once I began caring for pets.  Animal people are wonderful. 

Since this weekend, lots has been happening with the families of the animals I hang around with.  There are happy things, sad things, and things that make me worry.  I feel like I am very invested in my clients.  That's a good thing.  So, as I finish this short post, I just want to pause and send good energy out to everyone.  I hope that all the "issues" (for lack of a better word) are resolved in a happy way. 

As I drove home from the last visit of the day, there was the most beautiful sunset that I have seen in a long time.  I hope it was a promise of good things for everyone!  Thinking of you all, "my"people and their pets.  I care deeply for you all and am keeping you in my thoughts.

The Winter That Wasn't.....(yet)

The weather remains fog shrouded and damp.  There really is no snow cover to speak of.  Things are melting. It's FEBRUARY---in MINNESOTA.
It's ok with me, really, as we paid our dues last winter, for sure.  Somehow, when you work outside all year long, you really appreciate moderation.  If somehow the winter would continue in this moderate pattern and dare I ask...SPRING would come early, what a treat that would be!  I am afraid though, that we can't possibly on the way to spring, although we are on the path. 
Don't count winter out my friends, don't be complacent.  I am including a photo from last year as today's reality SLAP!  Keep your fingers crossed though, as the bluebirds and the red winged blackbirds return next month!

Techno Challenged

Happy New Year! (just a little late).  For many reasons, today I am thinking about technology.  As I write, it is Sunday.  I have just gone through the Sunday newspaper and as usual, I just shake my head after reading the Best Buy Ad.  I love to use all the new gadgets, it takes a while, but once I learn how, I like new electronics. 
I came to the realization a couple of years ago that Technology has really left me behind.  I think it started when MP3 players came along. (what?)  Ipod, Ipad, Smart phones, please.  I remember vividly the day my husband won an Ipod from work.  He called to ask me what they even were! I had no idea, by the way.  Eventually, we gave up and ended selling it on Ebay for a nice chunk of change. As a side note, I actually had my cousin sell it for me, because Ebay was a mystery, as well.
Back to the Best Buy ad....every thing I see in it is just a rectangular, flat, black plastic box.  Even when my parents bought some new little TV for their kitchen, I wondered where the rest of it was.  I grew up with console TVs, and big HI-Fi stereos that were in furniture cabinets!  (go ahead, laugh)
Well, I am the proud owner of a NOOK reading tablet which I use to download occasional library books.  I don't ever plan to "buy" anything to put on it.  Furthermore, I need to admit that I much prefer going to an actual library.  I go to the library about once a week, by the way, and it is still the treat I thought it was way back when I used to ride my bike to the library during the summer when I lived in North St. Paul! 
And now, back to the subject of my NOOK. I have lost the cable which connects it to my computer and therefore I now own one of those black, flat, plastic boxes which I see in the Best Buy ad.  Today I am launching a search effort. It will be much more useful if I ever find that darn cable!