GETTING CAUGHT UP…. SORT OF

I’m sorry it’s been so long since I posted and entry.  Things have been crazy busy around here and when I have any “down” time, it’s usually because I’m sleeping.  So I’ll try to get you caught up chronologically, though I’m sure I’ll leave something out.

December 5th, my friend Christy and I went to Las Vegas for the opening night of the National Finals Rodeo.  We had an absolutely fabulous time shopping and hanging out!  While we were there, a “polar vortex” of sorts hit our area – 12 degrees with 30 mph winds.  The horses faired well and Mike added an extra feeding to get them through!

Just after January 1st, Mike flew to Kent, WA (NE of Tacoma) to interview for a job.  The next day, he flew to Houston to interview with the Corporate office, returning a day later.  By that night, he had a verbal offer for a job on the table.  By Monday morning, he had an attractive offer in writing, which he accepted.  He started his job on January 28.

Somewhere in all of this, we lost our sweet Rylee.  (It’s sad that I can remember when…)  Rylee was our 13 year old Jack Russells Terrier and she was coughing and producing mucus.  I thought perhaps she had a lung infection.  X-Rays revealed fluid in her lungs.  The vet was going to drain some of the fluid until an ultrasound revealed a very large tumor.  We decided not to put her through any more pain and suffering and let her go.  Mike and Kali were with her at those final moments. Her loss hit Mike pretty hard – he was Rylee’s person and she was his shadow.

In mid-January, Sweetie (owned by Polo Pony Rescue) was having trouble getting around.  She had arthritis and ringbone and would have good days and bad days.  She was given a shot of Adequan and proceeded with a “wait and see if it helps”.  We knew her days were numbered but wanted to make her as comfortable as possible.  About a week after her shot, Mike sent a text saying Sweetie didn’t finish the previous night’s dinner and didn’t get up for breakfast.  Sweetie’s owner told me to call the vet and she was euthanized that afternoon.

On February 4, Polo Pony Rescue retiree Monty arrived from southern California.  Naturally, since he didn’t have much of a winter coat, the day he arrived was brutally cold with it being 18 degrees with a 15 mph wind.  I put two winter blankets on him and closed him in the stall with the roll-up door to block the wind.  Last weekend, we got our first snow but at least it warmed up to 21 degrees.  Yesterday, it melted off with a high temperature of 59 degrees.  His blankets came off and last night at feeding time, the slick and shiny Monty was officially Mudball Monty!

The Sunday before Monty arrived, Jazzy took a spill in the arena, falling HARD.  She got up and appeared to be walking normally.  Two days later, I noticed that Jazzy was off her feed and was laying down.  She has had minor episodes in the past where she doesn’t get enough water and suffers a minor blockage.  I assumed the same this time.  She wasn’t rolling or thrashing, just off her feed and either standing or laying quietly.  On Wednesday, the vet came and tubed her with oil and said to watch her.  The next morning she was standing quietly when I left for work at 5:00 am and also at 9:00 am when Kali left for work.  By 12:30, Jazzy had died.  I am thinking now that she had seriously injured herself in the fall and had internal bleeding.  When I came home (early due to Kali’s hysterical phone call), it appears that she had just collapsed and fallen over.  There was no evidence of a struggle.  She was just gone.

And so, here we are… moving forward.  I am going to Kent to visit Mike this weekend.  We will be driving the area, looking for a new place (sort of), and spent the weekend together.  We will start looking in earnest for a new place to buy after May 1, when we know that Mike will be staying with the company and that it’s a “good fit”.  We will be looking to move sometime from mid- to late-Summer.

Just so you can keep track, this is the list of all the animals at the Vermillion Zoo:

Humans: Mike, Karen, Kali
Cats: Freddie Fuzz, Spaz, Bettie Boop, Tinkerbell
Dogs: Jasper, Kizzy
Horses: Shortcake, Chiquita, Bullwinkle, Angel, Cappy, Friday, Monty, Piper, and Chili