Conehead

Sheba is unhappy. She hates the cone. She has never whimpered in the past, never asked for anything except food when I forget to feed her by 5:00 pm. Now she cries often, and so I do something to engage her. And I am unhappy too. Her situation makes me, like her, sad and still. I spent much of the day in bed reading with her relaxing beside me.

We have another day to get through, today. It’s such a relief to go to bed. She gets up twice in the night to pee, due to the prednisone. I have a flashlight by the bed, and I sleep lightly so that I hear her jump off the bed, and we both go outside. I hope my constant vigilance helps her know that although the cone is there, it’s right. Friday, 2:30. Back to the vet.

If the vet wants the cone on longer than Friday, I’m going to counter-offer: Socks whenever I cannot be with her watching for licking of her feet. We could go for walks on the grass at Rollo Park naked (her). I can watch her constantly; it’s fenced and soft and flat. We could play ball gently.

I’m dreading today. She is unable to rest all day. She’s bored and miserable, but she won’t go for walks. She just stands where we go and so we come back. We must be together and indoors all day. 

Asthma attack, heart attack and Sheba’s immune disorder—and 45 days and counting without rain and the hottest temperatures on record in July. Oh …. And Covid 2. This is not a Summer to forget.

Today was supposed to be cloudy. It isn’t. It was also supposed to rain. That won’t happen either. I had my doubts about the forecast and they’ve proven true.

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My fountain and bird baths and feeders are the best thing about Pinecone Park—not the gardens. I had no idea whatsoever what a wonderful and positive resource it would become. This drought brings them constantly to bath and drink. Last night I watched a woodpecker giver itself a shower by sipping and flipping water up and over his back. The fountain’s sound helps them find it and the circulation keeps it fresh. I use fountain water on the gardens and then I refill it with nice cool fresh water. 

I’m going to get another birdbath and fill it with stones and water for the bees. They need accessible access to water that’s easier for them.