I was reading back through the latest two or three blogs that I have written and noticed that they were all pretty much the same especially in content. Needless to say, that content is the Corona Virus currently sweeping the world and all that is associated with it and in this country, the riots and protest’s against the latest Police brutality against a black man. As these are center-most in everyone’s mind here in the USA, it is hard not to make them the centerpiece for any written piece. So, I need to write about something else and of course, the question is, what.
I haven’t been out on any hikes lately for reasons that I find hard to explain. I think it is related to getting out of my comfort zone worrying about things I can’t control although that is pretty stupid really as the places I like to hike are not usually crowded with people. Many times, I will not pass anyone on the trail which of course, is one of the reasons I like to hike. It’s not that I am anti social as I like people well enough, well most of them that is as there are always a couple that tend to rub me the wrong way. Usually Trump supporters. In their case, I just smile and move on. Unless I ask to take their picture or in some cases, someone asks for directions or advice about the trail, most of us just say “Hi” as we pass by. A lot of that is because I choose to hike through the week and very rarely on weekends when everyone else is out and about. If people happen to be going in the same direction as me, it doesn’t usually take them long to catch up and then pass me as I am not exactly one of the faster hikers. Besides, a lot of that is because I am always stopping to take a picture here and another there. My occasional walking buddy, BJ, has the patience of a Saint as she knows how slow I can be sometimes. On the other hand, I can usually walk for several miles without to much discomfort.
I had to take Mikey to the Vets yesterday as he was overdue for his annual shots which include an anti-rattlesnake shot. This is Texas and Rattlers are on the move and although we probably will not find them on our walks out with the dogs as we are on the road most of the time, there is always the possibility of one coming into the garden in search of water. For those of you that follow my blog are aware that I lost Richie, one of my Dachshunds, a couple of years ago to a Rattlesnake that was under the shed not 3 feet away from me. You can read about that here.
Going to the vets is not as easy as it sounds and a lot depends on which dog, Mikey or Sandy. Mikey is a little more laid back when it comes to walks and rides so usually, anything that involves Sandy is a lot easier to handle and if we can leave Mikey at home. Sandy, on the other hand, gets most upset if she can’t come and I feel so bad leaving her behind that usually she comes along just for the ride. This does make for a very interesting trip when both dogs want to sit on my lap at the same time but we usually get over it in a safe way.
Yesterday, I loaded both dogs in the truck just as I thought I would have to do as there was no way that Sandy was going to be left behind. I knew that the Vet’s had their Covid-19 rules in place and these consisted of arriving, calling the desk and awaiting for a Technician to come out and take the animal inside. In my case, living so close, I was able to drive back home and await a call from my vet, Dr Donop either telling me something I didn’t want to hear or telling me to come and get the dog.
A couple of hours later, I received that call and we chatted for a bit. We know each other well, too well for a Veterinarian and Pet Owner as he has been treating my animals, both cats and dogs for a number of years. I have been going to the same Veterinarian for more than 30 years although the Doctors themselves have changed as has the ownership of the clinic. Just recently, several of those calls have been of the, “I’m sorry to say…” kind having lost 5 dogs and 2 cats over the past couple of years all with different problems. You can read about Ginnie here. The latest one to cross the Rainbow Bridge was Buddy, another Dachshund, who was only with us for a little over a year. You can read about him here. Both were around 14 or so. Mikey and Sandy are around the same age of 3 and are very young compared to the others who passed on.
Sandy and I jumped back into the truck and hustled over to pick up Mikey who came bouncing out of the door all tale wags and smiles and happy to see us. Later on, as we usually do, we started to go on our usual walk but hadn’t covered more than 100 yards before I noticed that Mikey was not that interested even for him and then it occurred to me that he was probably sore after all of the vaccinations that he had just received. We did a quick about face and dropped Mikey back off at home and then Sandy and I continued out alone covering our usual couple of miles of exercise. It is already hot here in Texas and is usually in the mid to high 80’s when we start out even later in the evenings. I treat walking the dogs like when I used to train when I played football (soccer) and now am smart enough to change into running shorts as by the time we get back, I am usually soaked. Of course even though I am wearing the shorts, running is out of the question.
Just like the good old days of years gone by.
Written 6/6/2020
