Archive for ‘February, 2013’

Bob and Bear

Bob’s post dental recovery is going very well.

We are half way through the antibiotics and no blood has been shed. Actually, the pill giving-taking has been thankfully non-eventful and easy. The pain med is in a syringe that I shoot into his mouth. It is absorbed through tongue/gums/mouth and does not have to be swallowed so it is easy. I started reducing it today with no noticable difference.

No surprise – he is eating normally :) !!

I haven’t been able to convince him to smile and show the clean chompers, though.

Meanwhile…Mr. Bear is increasingly sore and using the leg less and less but the fixed leg is doing fine. We are taking very short walks.

But tonight, he wanted to play.

WILD man!

I am lousy at the action shots and by the time I had all right with the camera, Bear was done.

A colorful day from the kitchen

First and most importantly! – Bob is doing well, 1 day post dental. He was my overnight snuggle-boy with less night prowling than usual and today also a bit more sedate, but ate normally and all output normal. I was told that the pain med would make him a bit groggy which explains a bit more low-key behavior, but as he is demanding food per normal and seemingly no difficulty eating…well, I am NOT worried at all.

Meanwhile, speaking of food…

Oh, yum! I used a kolache dough circle from the freezer to make a mini-kale/mushroom/goat cheese “galette” for breakfast…with a side of blood orange slices: colorful, delicious and incredibly good!

“Raw” applesauce for a mid-morning snack. I had two apples that seemed a bit…well, I was ready to throw them out when instead, I quartered and threw them in the VitaMix with a little water and cinnamon and blended. Yowza! VERY good applesauce.

The rest of the blood orange from breakfast was juiced along with a Meyer Lemon and the glass filled with fizzy water for a blood orange-meyer lemon soda. Pretty, colorful and wonderfully refreshing.

Lunch was soup. It looks pretty green, but there are red lentils and sweet potatoes in there. The green is a broccoli-red pepper-cashew-nutritional yeast “cheese” sauce. I added curry spices, cinnamon and red pepper to make a sweet-hot soup.

On to Supper.

It was time to cook burgers for Bear. Earlier in the day, I chopped up 2 spears of asparagus and put them in the jar of pickled onions and cucumbers that I had going.

Supper was a burger with melted gruyere, pickled onions/cucumber/asparagus, a side of kalamata olives and a glass of Pinot Noir.

A colorful (and delicious!!) day from the kitchen.

Bob goes to the dentist

Actually, Bob went to the vet and got his teeth cleaned…and one pulled.

I was happy to hear that all went well. Bob is 15ish. He has been my cat for 12 years and in those 12 years had never had any surgery or anesthetic. Age and the diabetes added extra risk. But the teeth needed to be cleaned and the bad one pulled so we just did it.

I am told that Bob woke up raring to go and quite vocal especially when one of the two clinic cats walked near. He had words with the veterinary tech that took care of him also. When Julie asked if there was any special technique to getting him in his carrier, I told her: “Yes, open the door.” Getting him in the carrier to go TO the vet requires some quick action on my part but he scoots in it without hesitation to come home.

He was a little unsteady when we got home but able to get a drink, use his box AND go up to see if there was any food in his bowl.

Then he went to bed.

A tough day for sweet old Bob, but it is over. I have to get 14 doses of antibiotics and 8 doses of pain medication in him over the next week so I’m saving risking my fingers for those must dos. Maybe in a few days he’ll be ready to show off his pearly whites voluntarily.

My daily bread

Not actually daily.

Lately, it is more like weekly as I work on moderation in the bread department.

But after several weeks of severe moderation, I WANTED some crusty bread.

I had a mix of rye, whole wheat and Wheat Montana white in my no-knead crock. I had made one pizza crust and the rest had been in the crock for a week, souring nicely.

It was a perfect blend and age to make a nice boule in my little (3 quart) dutch oven.

My bread…today…my daily bread.

And then…

Bear was on the floor when Bob came in and made for the big bed. I think this was all about sunshine. The sun was bright and warm on the bed so Bear opted for shade and Bob for sun.

A beautiful day!

Bear and I had an appointment at a new vet clinic…Bob has been and we happily made the change. A fresh set of xrays and exam under sedation made clear that the other leg is also injured. Second TPLO is scheduled for March 11.