Kona is sick. Bother for having a dog go to day care for approximately two months on regular schedule. Then we experience sickness and sleepless nights and vet visits and a normally active canine alert helper sleeping in constancy.
This past week the digging under the house began. And so much excitement turned into rough down to earth dismissal as we ended up at the vet acute care the next morning. And now just four days later, the cough keeps him from being active or playing with any toys.
All the bedding has been washed since Saturday, but now it’s also an issue of keeping him away from the outside dog, who possibly has cancer. Charlie’s foot looks pretty bad and any attempts to treat his limp unsuccessful.
Just two doses of meds and the little black pearl is no longer coughing. He also had his first full night of sleep in about a week. That should help more than any thing to get him on the mend. This morning the skidster on a truck is back, and his barking frenzy did not send him into coughing one bit. Of course, Charlie had to be put away. I had a meatball for bribery.
This week the books compleeteton is Beth Brower’s “unselected journal writings of Emma M. Lion” Volume 4 and 5. It is pretty addicting reading. Also used this to entertain while I finished another prayer shawl. The Pink Stripes of a trinity stitch shawl is such a lovely fabric. One of my favorite blanket stitches. And I am also trying to perfect the child’s mitten.
It was the “birthday” fortnight the last two weeks. All total there are a dozen birthdays in about so many days. It begins with a sister in law and ends with a brother in law on opposite sides of the family. And then a nephew straggler comes in at the end of the month.
Our mud and piles of dirt were covered over with a lovely blanket of leaves. I had wanted to make my sister something of the sort for her birthday. But I never found a pattern that I really liked. There are so many mosaic themed blankets the leaf is a bet lacking. Someday, maybe I will find something that fits her theme.
Kona’s sentinel post for the next few months will probably here on top of the sofa. His bed also looks out on the activity next door. And perhaps that will be the next writing as so much is about to happen. Keeping a log of activity is part of my journal life. I do so like to look back and remember.
My brother says we should have started the project in June so that the rain would be during the growing season. I told him that I have no say in the weather. I might spend a lot of time in prayer, but only God answers prayer!
Small moments of alert help. We were at the birthday party with extended relatives of our five year old grand daughter. Kona was the alert recognition helper for me. One complete stranger got Kona’s highly wiggling body and immediate settlement. My daughter got the stand, point, alert, and a lean against my leg with his front shoulder. I rose to give my newly arrived daughter a hug. “Kona says, I need to get up and give you a hug.” The moment of greeting complete, Kona sat down directly after the embrace. Our celebration was quietly uneventful except that the little canine spit out his dry tablet hidden in his dry kibble.
Kona also attended church early events on Sunday. Praise Band practice and Sunday School where he slept peacefully without any concerns. It was communion Sunday, and I prefer not to bring him to the worship service. Personal preference there, others have no objection. His alert behavior had no opportunities for the morning. After having been sick, I had no desire to leave him home for four and half hours and begin all over again.
Having a service alert canine does have it’s challenges. Like the fact he is so mall and cannot be left home for extended time frames and scheduled potty breaks. I have not had anyone ever question me on his attendance to certain places. I try hard to keep him quiet and not the center of any attention . He does excellent at “under” the chair and staying out of foot traffic or visibility. Sunday morning he did greet a few people but only those whom desired to do so. He is so well behaved in a public setting and I really do find him helpful at “alerting” to people that I need notice. I don’t like missing people because of my lack of peripheral vision. His attentiveness is a great aid to me.
It’s time to get this out of the draft files. There are other things to take note of now. We’re glad that Kona grew up and has become such a good aid to me. Even just yesterday he pulled me back from the drop off next to the new basement hole. He does well for such a small dog.