I got up and looked at her and I could see that she had been licking a spot. Let me see...My husband would have fainted had he seen the long deep gash. I didn't linger long in looking, as I knew that she needed to get that stitched up immediately otherwise risking infection or worse. I'm not sure when or how it happened, but I immediately went into "getting-out-the-door" mode.
Five hours and $500+ dollars she was stitched up with a drain, pain killers and antibiotics. I've elected not to show the picture of the surgical site. But it is about 5 inches long with a tube hanging out.
The vet emergency center is truly just an emergency center. You pay dearly for visiting--would that I had found that gash just an hour earlier and to be able to take her to my regular vet. Despite my grousing about the cost, it is a godsend to have an emergency facility open.
On Saturday, a friend invited me to see Robert Reich and Charles Krauthammer at the Richmond Forum. These two engaged reflected the ideal of civil discourse. Both made many clearly communicated points, and I marveled at how well they distilled and stated their points of view. I wished that I had such clarity! Robert Reich made a point that I subscribe to myself, and that is simply that by listening to the points of view of those with whom we disagree (particularly when "those" people are well-informed rather than just opinionated), it informs our own arguments. It really was a privilege to see them both on stage. It was humorous and insightful.
As I write there are trees crashing down around me--and they make a substantial thump that is both audible and palpable as I sit at my desk. We called the tree people to take down some of our stalwart oaks. One of the stalwarts had a compromised root system from Irene--it was visibly listing from its former upright position to leaning toward the house. As a big tree with nothing to stop it, the momentum that it would pick up in a fall would make it a very dangerous to our home, vehicles or our persons. (I took some pictures of the trees, and spied a poor squirrel who had a home in the hollow of one of the trees. He was sitting there in clear distress. There is no way that he could have anything but life-threatening injuries from the felling of that tree and the energy released when it hit the ground. My son was home and was able to humanely dispatch him to the netherworld. I'm sorry that the tree was his home).
Since we had to have that leaning Damocles of a tree taken down, it was a good time to review some other candidates. We've been at our home for 27 years...as we've grown older, our trees have grown older too--taller, fuller, and shading our garden spot and other places. Best to get them on the ground with purpose rather than by accident.
On Sunday, I had a baby shower to attend for the daughter of a good friend. It was a surprise shower--held at a restaurant, so that everyone could gather before hand. It was very well done, and she had tears of joy when she saw everyone gathered.
It is unusual for me to have Friday, Saturday and Sunday functions....it was a chockful weekend.
Next weekend, I will be hosting a dog pajama party. I will be helping the English Setter Rescue--but the party is getting large. First it was for a single ES, then 3 beagles were added, and now we have an Aussie Shepherd. Ay, yie, yie!
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