Best Of

Petite - hope you and your beautiful cat enjoyed the holiday weekend at the cabin. Is this a year round cabin or seasonal?

Betrayal - fingers crossed that Regan is on the mend. Too bad he vomited on the area rug but it’s a good thing you are getting it cleaned quickly to prevent any damage. Have a wonderful time in Alaska.

Cindy - I continue to be amazed at your handywoman ability. There is no way I could even attempt that.

We are in the midst of deciding what to do about our backyard. Our inground pool is 21 years old and in need of significant ($$$$) repairs that are not DIY. We have rough quotes for the new liner and the entire pool cover system but we also believe there is a leak in the underground pipes and the robotic pool cleaner pump needs to be replaced. We spent the weekend weighing the pros and cons of repairing the pool or having it removed (also $$$) and decided to have it removed as we do not use the pool enough to justify the cost of the repairs. As we age, I also think maintaining and using the pool could become a safety issue.

We are in the process of getting pool removal quotes which will also include removing a stamped concrete patio that was used for our now long gone hot tub. The patio is crumbling and is a trip hazard. We will keep the lovely 12x12 pergola over it and are debating just putting in pea gravel or crushed limestone under the pergola. We have a larger brick paver patio that is in good condition and we will keep. Over the weekend DH tore down a much smaller pergola and ripped out a vine in the garden area off of the family room. That entire garden needs to be redone but it will need to wait until Spring.

We’ve been having fantastic weather which is great for walking, hiking and biking. We are leaving this weekend for a few days on the Oregon coast.

Waving ‘hi’ to all.

Everybody busy? Super quiet.

I got out this morning about 11 to tackle the rest of the burnt fence. By 12:15 I came in to shower the sweat & soot off of me. I didn’t bag it yet.

Friends all saying I should have the insurance company pay for the fence removal. I had to remind them I’ve already received the money, and yes I could wait for the fence company- which I’m hiring last. Or I could cut it up and get it out of my sight now. I opt to get rid of it. Looking out the window & seeing that, I couldn’t stand it.

Then I chilled out to watch my soap and eat my lunch, before putting on my bathing suit and going back out. I watered everything in sight, and took the battery out of the Ring camera to recharge it. I need a solar panel to charge it so this isn’t an issue in the future, when I’m not home.

On to the deck with a book! At one point I was sweating like crazy so I hopped in the pool to cool off. Now I smell like chlorine. Better than sweat. I cleaned the skimmer and checked on the shark floating chlorine dispensers - 1 had a half dollar size piece, so I put it in the one that’s pretty full. I’m waffling on when to close the pool & take down the screen house. I did decide not to set up the tv back in the screen house; put it in the house before we left for Cape Cod. But it’s so light, if I change my mind it’s not a big deal to set up again.

I didn’t hear from my dentist today so I’ll have to call them tomorrow. I need a referral to an oral surgeon and then I’ll go from there.

Tomorrow is a follow-up with the foot surgeon. He’ll decide if I can get new orthotics or need to wait more. Orthotic appointment is on 8/8, so short notice if I’m canceling.

Hoping you’re all ok and just out enjoying the day.

Regan became ill last night with multiple episodes of vomiting up large volumes of dark material mixed with mucus. She vomited before she ate, after she ate, and then again after her treat. I urged DH to take her to emergency vet because I was concerned that she was obstructed. She was not in any distress, but has been know to eat stuff in the yard. She had been out in the yard on a long lead for awhile, so we were unsure if this was when she ingested something. Fortunately, she was vomiting on the hardwood floor so it was a mess but easier to clean up.

Then I went into the family room and found that she had vomited next to her bed there, on the wood, but also caught the edge of the area rug. While I was cleaning that up, I saw she had also vomited on the rug on the other side of the coffee table. So these must have been 2 earlier bouts before those in the kitchen. Called DH at the vet and relayed this message.

The rug now needs to be sent to the cleaner because it is an antique Persian wool rug and not one I can clean. I called and they will pick it up on Thursday morning for cleaning and deodorizing. The rug is 15.5 feet by 11 feet and quite heavy so we asked DSIL to come over this evening to help us move the couch which is quite heavy. We were able to start rolling up the rug, but need DD and him to finish the job. She also got her dog bed, but it was not salvageable because it had soaked through to the filler, which is not washable. So it will have to be replaced.

The vet found she had a small obstruction, gave her some meds with IV fluids, and said we could monitor her at home or they could keep her overnight. We opted for the latter because I did not want DH to have to rush her back if she started vomiting again. She came home this morning and is on a special diet for a few days, Prilosec and Zofran. She will get fed three times a day to reduce stress on her GI tract. This was quite an expensive Labor Day, but that's the price you pay when your pet gets ill. We have Pet insurance but it doesn't cover situations like this.

Otherwise, our Labor Day was quiet, after being busy on Saturday and Sunday. The weather has been delightful and I wish it could have been as mild as this when I was actively mulching. I had started to pack some clothing for the trip and now am finding that it will be in the 70's in Seattle and Victoria, but in the 50's in Alaska. So I will have to pack accordingly.

I got up early to go get blood work done so the results will be available for my PCP visit on 9/15. I think I was the 3rd patient, and it was not as busy as I thought it would be. I was in and out in less than half an hour. Hemoglobin still not as high as it once was and I am on iron. However, all iron tests were normal so maybe I can stop taking it.

Sandy, I am kicking myself because I wanted to wash windows in the primary bedroom. What we had prior to the tree strike were Pellas that tilted in for cleaning. What we got for replacements look the same style as what we had, but do not tilt in, so I am unable to wash the outside of the windows. I am really mad at myself that I did not note this at the time they replaced them. They had our original order for comparison so I thought they would match it. So I will need to hire someone to wash 7 windows on the front and side of the house. All others are still tilt-ins. So the primary bath is a tilt-in and it is done inside and out, but the ones in the bedroom only got the inside cleaned. Won't get to all the other ones before I leave now, but doing the interior only in 2 other bedrooms will be fast. The windows in the hall bath and the guest room are on the back of the house and they remain tilt-ins.

cindyny, new couch sounds nice and I hope the roomba fits under it. Got a laugh about your musical couch moving from living room to front porch and having one to rehome.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor day and day today. Waving hello to everyone.