Tiger Eye

I finally got my Tiger Eye scarf blocked. Once it was blocked, I unpinned it, then measured it (when it wasn't tightly stretched out): 5.5" x 69" (14 cm x 175 cm).



But I'm tired of a camera that takes blurry pictures and gets the colors wrong. Surely a camera ought to get at least something right. (Color on the lower portion of the picture is pretty close.)

They're home.

The vet had a couple of difficult cases earlier today, so he was running behind schedule. Then there was Sam, who was no trouble and whose teeth cleaned up very nicely. But the vet wanted to give the boy time to wake up slowly on his own, since hurrying dogs sometimes leads to the hound flailing around and perhaps getting hurt. So while Sam slept off the drugs, the vet got going on Jacey.

Jacey's back teeth were far worse than the vet realized. The girl won't chew--anything. Sam at least gnaws on a durable Nylabone every now and then. Jacey won't touch the thing. She got off with no extractions this time, but the vet said if she continues at this rate she's going to need more than one dental a year.

Yeah, I know. And I do brush her teeth. But she's got a mouthful of plaque magnets. So she had a rough time, and she probably has no idea why her mouth aches so much. Her gums bled quite a bit, and while she was waking up I think she probably licked at her front legs. The fur on her legs is pink from bleeding gums, and her face looks pretty nasty, and the rest of her doesn't look so lovely, either. (The perils of owning a dog with lots of white on her.) Much of her fur looks like it got wet , got mushed out of place, and then dried that way (which is probably exactly what happened).

So I picked up the dogs about 6:30. They aren't happy that the vet is still limiting their food and water tonight. They're quite sure they aren't going to get sick from the anesthesia (and they're probably right). So far, Sam's had his small bowl of water--and Jacey's, too--and both dogs have had less than half a cup of their kibble. If all goes well, I'll give them another half cup before bedtime.

I've got a couple of furry zombies for my bed tonight. Hurray! (And if someone breathes in my face, I won't gag.)

My vet's bills are quite reasonable. $135/dog for the cleaning, and he didn't send them home with pain pills since he didn't have to pull anything. (The pain meds would have run $40/dog.) But I also needed Interceptor (heartworm meds) for them, which runs $106+ for a six-month supply for two dogs. This is on top of their annual check-up, heartworm tests, and vaccinations two weeks ago. I think they need to get a job.

Tomorrow: The Vet

Sam and Jacey go to the vet's tomorrow for their dental cleanings. I'm not thrilled about having them under anesthesia, so I'm a bit stressed.

The vet's office called. They wanted me to drop the duo off tonight by 7:30 so the vet could start them really early tomorrow. (He comes in early to beat the traffic.) But I told them that I'd had Sam sleeping in my bed for 5 and a half years, and I wouldn't be able to sleep without him around. I also wasn't happy about the idea of having the dogs at the vet's office for nearly 12 hours before the vet even started on them. So they're still home with me tonight. They're getting a few treats this evening; all food and water stops at 11 pm.

I drop the dogs at the vet between 8 and 9. Then I can run a few errands. I'll probably wind up back at the vet's early--maybe with my knitting in hand--to wait until the dogs are ready to come home.

Finished "Fetching"

The pattern is called "Fetching," and it's knitted with Red Heart SuperSaver (acrylic) yarn in Piñata:



I've finished the knitting on my Tiger Eye Lace Scarf. I really, really liked the yarn, dyed by Lisa Souza. I need to finish the blocking and weave in a few ends. Pictures when that's done.

I went up to my mother's and helped her clean out her basement by taking away yarn she didn't want any more. There isn't any truly gorgeous yarn here, but the potential for a scrap afghan is here. I've always wanted to make one, but I generally find myself with scraps in about three colors, which is not enough. Now I have colors. And weights. And textures.

Doggies having fun

It's a video of lure coursing. The black dog is Cole (named for Cole Porter, officially named "SummerWind's Jazz and Cocktails FCh"; the fawn dog is Sweeney (wanna take a wild guess?); the white dog is Splash. Cole belongs to friends of mine. Cole finished third in the country in 2007, but Sweeney outscores Cole this day. (Dogs get points for following the strips properly.)

Who'd have thought that chasing a trash bag could be so much fun?