Saturday-1pm--52 Stories #2

Goodness sakes!  
There is just too much going on around here lately.  Well, I had wanted to blog more often again this coming year.  Be careful what you ask for, eh?  LOL!

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First of all--some good news.  

Chester is alive and well!

 I saw him eating at the patio, but as I was getting my cell phone to take a picture this bag blew in and scared him off a ways.

There is occasionally trash--especially plastic bags--that fly around and around in huge circles outside here.  Karma thinks they are alive and watches them intently.

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Anyways, I saw Chester on Thursday--tada!

(As usual, I will progress chronologically.)

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Thursday was the day the ladies had said would be the get-together day at around 1:30pm, right?  And they planned to do some coloring.  So, I had searched out my 15 year old adult coloring books, some colored pencils I don't like (Memories--too hard)...

...and sorted through the old zendala forms I had printed off when I was in that online group years ago.  The lady had large and small versions but I never did do the small ones and finally quit printing those off. 

Some of you may remember the zendalas.  They are fun to doodle on.  I prefered to do my own doodles and not use the official zentangles (can find those online, too). 

Anyways, I had it all packed up.  Wanted to donate the coloring books, colored pencils, and the stack of zendala forms I won't use.  (I kept the large ones I hadn't done yet.)  But...the Community Room was dark and no one was there.  I waited around for about 20 minutes and went home.  ??

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If they meant to start next week why didn't they say so?  I had mentioned I couldn't stay long this week because of the frig repairman coming.  Oh well.  I saw a notepad and pen on the table (was supposed to be for ordering in a booklet left on the table)--wrote "Thursday--no one showed up--Rita".

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 This coming week the odds are not good that I will be able to make it as I have the eye doctor appointment on Wednesday and am usually shot for a day or two after any appointments.  We'll see, but it is highly unlikely.

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Anyways, the repairman came early (they had asked me if that was okay and I had told them it was).  Needed to order a part and will probably be back next week.  They'll call.  Really nice young man.  He was concerned about the temperature--freezer not freezing all the way and frig not cooling very well.  So we are ordering in for Christmas dinner tomorrow.  ;)

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The Girls are around and come in to eat...as fast as they can now that the big jackrabbits have discovered the food supply--LOL!  They sometimes wait around nearby, as you can see, till the rabbits take off.

On Friday Chester was back again! 

 I know you can't tell from this side, but it is Chester.

I am always extra glad to see him.  :) 

When the rabbits took off...The Girls came in.  Works out okay because the rabbits go for the black oil sunflower seeds first and chew them up whole...but The Girls prefer the small seed. 

Getting closer to dusk...Chester came back again!!  I got a video.

And as long as I was sitting there watching the rabbits...
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Here's 52 Stories #2...all about where you were born and grew up.

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Then the bad news...
Yesterday afternoon Karma was suddenly crying and howling and shaking her head!  Here the skin of her ear was filling up with fluid!  I calmed her down a bit...started to get ready to make a trip to the vets (truth--wasn't even dressed yet) but she retreated under the bed and was quiet.  ??
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So I hit the web and searched for swollen cat ears.  Immediately found information and pictures.  Apparently this is not uncommon in cats and dogs, but I have never heard of it before...not even in all my years working pet shops.  Karma has an Aural Hematoma.  Could be from scratching too hard but more likely from shaking her head and hitting her ear on something hard.

Karma's always been a head shaker.  She rubs her head against--well, everything!  And then shakes her head really hard.  You can hear her ears smack against furniture or the frig or a door frame...wherever.  Seems like I am always asking her--"Doesn't that hurt!!"  

Well, she must have hit it just right.  They said it happens really fast--and it did!  And it must have hurt like hell at the time.  Her ear is all swollen full of fluid and from what I could find online it will heal on its own but it takes a long time--possibly a month--and Miss Karma will have a cauliflower ear like a boxer.  Deformed and crumply.  It probably won't stand up anymore, so she'll have one ear up and one crinkly ear down.
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If the animal is in pain, they can do surgery to drain it--but then you deal with drainage, scars, and infections.  Plus, they can get these again.  Otherwise, you can let them heal on their own.  The body will absorb the blood and fluid in the ear over time.
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  Karma's been okay since the initial shock.  

I wish she'd stop shaking her head though. 

It has to feel weird and lopsided.  She isn't doing it too much, though, because it has to hurt some.  Well--she's not scratching her ears, at least, eh?  LOL!  Karma's been wanting extra attention and cuddles here and there.  Some reassurance that everything is okay.
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How she managed to NOT do this to herself in her lifetime is an amazing thing to me now that I know about it.  I think of all the ear smacking I have heard over the years--ouch!  I had no idea she could actually break a blood vessel in her ear.  Goodness gracious!
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So that's what's happening up here in Fargo.  Tomorrow afternoon McFamily will arrive and I promise I am going to try to get video of Ian opening presents this time!!  :):)  Probably see you soon!  
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"Just because you are happy it does not mean that the day is perfect but that you have looked beyond its imperfections."
Bob Marley