Posts from the ‘Front Porch Musings’ category

Summer wanes

From the front porch…

This evening.

Several late summer days of sun, blue sky and temperatures just reaching 70 something before heading to a clear, cool 40 something overnight.

You never know in Montana.

When will be the last warm day.

September 15 – mid-September. Another week of summer officially.

Summer wanes.

It feels like Fall.

I am glad and grateful for so much this day – for Karl’s comfort, for Bob…yes, just for Bob :)!, for my warm, cozy little house in the woods, for dear friends who check in with me, friends who love all 3 of us, friends who send me things that mean so much, for my family, for my work and the team I work with…for everything and everyone that and who are part of my life. I am thankful.

Green chile apple dutch baby in front of the fire: Sunday morning decadence

It was crystal clear overnight. I know this as Karl and I were outside in the wee hours. Something had caused Karl to sound the alarm. We were both up and after leaving the outside spots on for awhile and warning any critters that we were going to be out and about, we went out for a brief foray. The temperature was in the low 40’s and the sky was filled with stars. It was beautiful. Once I get dressed and go out in the night, I hate coming in. I love the quiet of the woods, the millions of stars and even with no moon, the starlight was bright enough to see by.

I returned to a bed kept warm by Mr. Bob. Karl went right to his bed. I issued a second good night and a suggestion that since we’d been out at 3ish in the a.m., it would be wonderful if all slept a bit later than our typical 5 a.m.

It is nothing short of a miracle that my suggestion was followed :)! I woke up at 6:27 feeling wonderful…but a bit cool. It was nearly 70 yesterday, supposed to be the same today so I had not turned any heat on. Despite the forecast for a warm afternoon, I started a small fire for a bit of Sunday morning laziness and decided to try a new recipe I saw this past week: Homesick Texan’s Green Chile Apple Dutch Baby

I love to cook and to try new recipes and I am a big breakfast person. Apples simmering in butter, sugar and cinnamon started this recipe off and the smell of the apple mixture combined with woodsmoke…perfect!

Throw the green chiles on top of the apples, pour in a batter somewhere between a pancake batter and a custard mixed in the blender and the whole thing in the oven…

….and you have a green chile apple dutch baby.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, add a side of spicy cajun sausage….

…enjoy in front of a woodstove fire, with Bob for company and you have Sunday morning decadence.

This Friday

Raindrops on one of the last common harebells.

And on the leaves of an ivy along the driveway.

We have had wonderful rain through the summer and especially now in September. No fires close. A third summer with no fires and not much heat. Cheers rise from this house!

This Friday…

a good day for playing with sticks on a morning walk…

by beautiful mountains, with a LOT of green up high and golden fall grass below.

Karl and I took an early evening walk by the lake at Wayfarer’s and returned home to a golden evening.

This Friday.

Battle Stations!

Uh-oh…

Karl is on the job…

There is no sick leave at Beardog Consulting… When the going gets tough, the tough get going!

We are at battle stations!

Karl is protector of house, home and property as usual. Last evening, we started the medication that I believe gives him comfort without adverse effect. He wagged his tail last night! It does not have its curl back, but it wags – VICTORY!

For my part, I visualize my own army of warriors – angelic knights – standing at the ready around us and this house -with swords raised – keeping fear, worry and all that is not Joyful at bay. If something sneaks through, I yell at my army, fling forth my arms in wizardly power and command that the intruder be turned away!…dramatic maybe, but the visualization works :)!

The foe (and squirrel!) must be vanquished!!

Bob’s comment on the proceedings is not printable…

**All photos taken this morning (9/8/2010) – Karl rolls with the ebb and flow of his energy – I’m learning to do the same.

Thank you…more than words can say for your comments and prayers.

Transition

Several weeks ago, subsequent to a visit to the local vet ER, Karl was given an “all clear” by our regular vet, although as a precaution they sent info to a consulting specialist. That specialist raised some points. Another test (non-invasive) gave us a diagnosis that was not as dire as the initial thought but not benign either. The resulting therapy was a canine version of Alleve vs the canine version of Aspirin we were on. In the background a long course of anti-biotics was on going.

While not the best news, it was not the worst either and we negotiated the medication changeover. The prognosis was a year or more of good quality with the thought that we caught things early based on how quickly Karl responded to the original medication. Karl is 9 1/2. A year or 2 of good quality takes him into the normal life span for a dog of his size. Which doesn’t really matter as it does not matter how long you get with a beloved pet, it is never long enough… And time frames – guesses!…the future is waiting to happen, it is not now.

Last week, things got worse. My hope is that it is medication related. I stopped everything. He seems to be doing a little better. Karl is resting comfortably, on occasion seems like himself, but often just very low energy. He stays close to me. He is eating well and getting out in the woods as necessary. We take walks – shorter, but our usual locations. He gets his toys to play.

I concentrate on enjoying. I don’t want to go to that place of grief before there is something to grieve about but there is that sense of loss of what was. And there is the fear and dread that comes with anticipation of decisions I may need to make. Even as I write that sentence, I chastise myself a bit as I don’t have to make decisions today and today is where I need to stay.

When I brought Karl home as a 7 week old puppy, after the death of my dog Zack from lymphoma, I knew, even then that it was likely that at some point I would face the passing and loss of Karl as well. It is part of having pets as part of our lives…their normal life span vs ours – and the natural order of things in the Universe. It is one thing to know this intellectually, to believe in eternal life, earthly cycles and the goodness of our God and Creator and another entirely to live with the prospect of loss potentially close at hand.

I hope that in the next day or so I can post that it WAS the medication and that Karl is himself.

I know that you love Karl from reading and seeing him through my words and photos. I know from past disclosures that you care for me as well. Prayers are powerful and I experience every day the support and love that comes from others praying for us. Thank you for all of your past and future prayers.

To allow either the diagnosis or the disease to rob either Karl or I of however many walks and moments together we have left would give those things a power that they do not deserve. I needed to write this post to take away power I was giving away by not writing it – to clear my mind of worry and fear and enjoy each day for what it is. Our days will continue as close to normal as we are able – enjoying the beauty of all of the good in each day. And that beauty and goodness will be shared here – our lives and the landscape: the land, the animals and the flowers.

I invite you to take a look at the post: To be good and happy today – link on the right in the Favorite Post section. That will be my focus and what I think we are called to be.

In His Love and Peace always,
Ann, Karl and Bob

From Sunday morning: Bob lay down close to where Karl left a treat. Karl stashes treats for later snacking – he also plays with them – where they are imaginary critters to be dispatched it appears. He “killed” the treat and then decided he’d better eat it before Bob did….

Sunday: The Boiler Room

I live approximately 18 miles Southeast of downtown Kalispell, MT. Kalispell is hardly a big city. The downtown area of stores and restaurants spans maybe 10 blocks with 5-6 blocks of tree lined residential streets to the east and west of the north/south running Main Street.

Along one of those tree lined streets on the east side of Main is the old Kalispell Hospital. Now, it is a mixed used commercial/residential building: Eastside Brick.

And in part of the old parking lot, the owners built and run The Boiler Room.

Sara, who house and Bob-sat for me when I was on an extended rv trip – and then we became friends :)! – owns a condo in “the Brick”. We met there early yesterday morning, in a drizzly rain, for breakfast and a visit at The Boiler Room.

I arrived first, just as the Open sign was turned on…Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. and there was no one in the place but me. I obtained a mug of strong, hot, coffee and enjoyed looking around while I wasn’t bothering anyone.

A fireplace in the corner with a comfy couch and chairs allows for casual conversation and coffee.

Small tables for two line the walls, with larger tables in the center. A warm mix of wood with industrial-urban-eclectic gave the room an inviting feel that made me want to linger.

I browsed the counter that held goodies for sale which includes pottery from 2 local potters…

falling in love with those big twisty wooden spoons!

Sara arrived and we ordered…the glass case holds no end of tempting goodies – Waffles are a specialty as are pannini, burritos, bagels and more!

Despite both of us having vowed to get some work done this Sunday, we lingered and talked and laughed together. People known to Sara stopped by our table to say hello. It was a cozy morning in a wonderful place shared with a good friend.

Karl and I had a long walk in the morning drizzle and then home. Late morning and it was still only 49F…

Bob thought that a fire in the woodstove would be nice and I agreed.

Karl kept me company when I finally sat myself down and got to work.

Just after supper, the sky cleared, the sun came out – the evening walk was beautiful…and that, on top of that bit of mountain peaking through the clouds….

That is fresh snow!

Sunday: The Boiler Room.