Jack won’t be allowed to take walks for the next 2 weeks so I thought this was a good chance to post some of the photos I took over the summer. Today I’m sharing the place we overnighted on the way to Perce. It’s a little place called Saint Luce, Quebec and we arrived just in time to watch the sunset over the St. Lawrence River. There are a few more photos under the fold and you can click for full size.
Sunset on the St. Lawrence River, ©voyager, all rights reserved
Jack is doing fairly well after the removal of his lump yesterday. The wound has 18 stitches and it’s on the back of his front leg running up to the top of his shoulder which turns out to be a difficult place to keep covered. Every time he stands up the dressing slides down to his toes and the area starts to ooze a bit of serous fluid tinged with blood. We see the vet later today and I’m hoping she has a solution for this. I tried using a child’s sock with the toe cut off to keep things in place. That didn’t work. Then I tried a long swath of veterinary wrap wound tightly and that didn’t work either. Ditto for Kling wrap and a tensor bandage. He’s pretty sleepy today so it’s not too much of a problem, but it will be in a day or two when he’s brighter. The stitches stay in for 2 weeks and no walks until they’re removed. I’ve added a surgical photo under the fold in case anyone is interested. It’s a bit gory, but we nurses like that sort of thing. If you don’t or are squeamish please don’t click-through.
Not quite HappyJack today, ©voyager, all rights reserved
Jack and I took our walk at 6:30 this morning when it was still dark because Jack is having Larry™ the fatty lump removed from his shoulder girdle this morning. Larry™ has been quietly growing in Jack’s armpit for the past 5 years, but this summer he reached baseball size and started to track down the arm (leg?) so it’s time to go. Jack is very healthy going into this. His bloodwork is all normal, he’s lost weight and he’s ready for to say goodbye to Larry™ himself. Imagine a baseball in your armpit! Anyway, our photo for the day is Jack, with Larry™ front and center. I’ll let everyone know in TNET later today how he makes out.
Jack and Lumpy Larry, ©voyager, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved. Click for full size
In German, a wren or kinglet is known as a “Zaunkönig”, the king of the hedges, and this is how he got his name.
One day, the birds decided to crown a king. They wanted the strongest bird to be their king so he could protect them, and they decided to hold a competition. They would all fly towards the sun, and the bird who could fly the highest would be their king. They all flew as high as they could. First, the small birds needed to return to earth. Then the geese and swans. the falcon flew very high, but finally he had to give up. The eagle flew higher and higher until the sun burned his light plumage to a dark brown. Finally, he was at the end of his tether and turned around. But the small king of hedges, who was still called by a different name back then, had hidden himself between the feathers of the mighty eagle. He had waited for just that moment, and when the eagle turned around, he came out, flew a bit higher and sang his triumphant song, declaring himself king.
The eagle was very angry at the cheating little bird and swore to kill him. The little king of hedges flew into the thick hedges to hide from the eagle, who was named king by the other birds. He keeps hiding there to this very day, but he still sings his song about beating the eagle in a flying competition.
I have a colleague who has a pet horse and also a pet spider.
This is the card she got for her birthday:
I haven’t worked out the internal anatomy. That’s an issue for an actual geneticist, I’m just the conceptual artist!
©rq, all rights reserved.
It’s a bit rushed because I totally forgot that I had to have it done for that day, but I had the idea all set up in my head. And mostly got it right.
Everything is perfect, ©voyager, all rights reserved
In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect.
– Alice Walker
A welcome spot of colour, ©voyager, all rights reserved
It’s been raining since Saturday morning and all of Jack’s treasured snow is gone. In its place we have gloomy skies, stick-to-your-shoes mud and slippery decaying leaves. I did manage to find some colour in the neighbourhood, though. This is a burning bush from down the street and it just isn’t ready to drop its leaves yet. All the other burning bushes around it are bare, but this brave fellow wants to shine. It made me smile so I’m sharing.
Hippos are just my favourite animal. We have a lot in common. For one we are both on the chubby side. And we like to chill out. And nobody fucks with a hippo. Ok I’m working on that last point. In short, hippos are awesome.
©Giliell, all rights reserved. Click for full size
©Giliell, all rights reserved. Click for full size
©Giliell, all rights reserved. Click for full size
©Giliell, all rights reserved. Click for full size
They’re also plain dangerous, so better watch from a safe distance.
Early morning at the park. ©voyager, all rights reserved
The day started out a bit gloomy, but that wee spot of blue sky has grown and now the day is bright and beautiful. The temperature is even climbing and by tomorrow it’s supposed to be plus 5º C. That should melt all the snow and the world will turn brown and gray again, making it hard to see Jack on our evening walk. The boy disappears in the dark and so does his poop. At least when there’s a bit of snow I don’t have to get out my flashlight and wander around trying to find the poop somewhere amongst all the dried leaves. Snow is good that way…the poop pops and so does Jack. No flashlight required.
Peafowl from Raucous Indignation.
Oh those colours!
©Raucous Indignation , all rights reserved.Click for full size.
©Raucous Indignation , all rights reserved.Click for full size.
©Raucous Indignation , all rights reserved.Click for full size.
My favourite one…
©Raucous Indignation , all rights reserved.Click for full size.
A Heart of Cold ©voyager, all rights reserved
I think the winter weather is here to stay. Today we’ve been getting intermittent bouts of snow with gusting winds and it’s a bit nasty. I even resorted to wearing my fuzzy hat with the ear flaps that makes me look like an ewok. It’s not a good look for me so instead I give you Jack who needs no earflaps because his are built in. I hope all of you are finding ways to keep warm.
He’s been waiting for the snow, ©voyager, all rights reserved
Goldfinches from Nightjar.
I simply love the light in these.
©Nightjar, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
©Nightjar , all rights reserved.Click for full size.
She loves me, she loves me not…
©Nightjar , all rights reserved.Click for full size.
©Nightjar , all rights reserved.Click for full size.
©Nightjar , all rights reserved.Click for full size.