A long day

Swirly's been under the weather, up one day, down the next, and after the past weekend Pat and I wanted to take her right away this morning to our usual vet. Trouble was, they said they were completely booked for the day.

We went to one of the 24-hour vets they recommended, and within minutes of getting there, Swirly was checked over and triaged, and we all sat down to wait our turn. Then a person arrived whose dog was having seizures. Then a couple walked in with an old dog with difficulty breathing.

It took longer than anyone would have wanted, but staff members kept us informed throughout, so we never felt like saying "Remember us?" Eventually we and Swirly were taken back to an exam room, and after they took a closer look, they found one bladder stone stuck to her fur, and more still inside. Vital signs good, no damage to kidneys, but a UTI in progress.

She's staying overnight with an operation scheduled for tomorrow, and we should be able to pick her up before the end of the day. Jack and Jennie loaned us one of their dog enclosures on short notice, which will really help with our Good Queen's recovery. 

Kids these days

On Xitter, one discussion involved how Sandy Koufax would pitch in 2025, based on his Cy Young and NL MVP season of 1963.  One man opined that Koufax had dominated all right, but not against the kind of hitters who dominate today.  "Janitors," he called the old-timers.

Another poster weighed in with a list of so-called janitors, shown below.

To which list I thought, um...  the names are those of players who had been, or were rising stars, along with those whose prime was in 1963.  But I held my tongue.  

Probably the best action in that venue was no action.  But here, where Asian skimmers and scrapers are the most frequent visitors, I can speak more freely.  The poster knew the players, but plainly did not check their statistics.  No complaint with Mays, Aaron, Clemente and McCovey, but Ernie Banks batted .227, Frank Robinson had a down year (.259/.379/.442), and Brock, Schofield, Mazeroski, and 19-year-old rookie Staub all finished below the league average of .245/.306/.364, while 42-year-old Musial, in his final season, posted a .255 average.  Orlando Cepeda, Bill White, and Johnny Callison would have fit better on the list. And Pete Rose?  Rookie of the Year, but a couple of years away from perennial .300-hitter status.

1st of the year

At mid-day yesterday, I saw one chicory flower growing along Grange Road.  The first of many...

Thoughts while strolling

A mile and a quarter at a slightly faster pace than I set when walking around this neighborhood.  I saw two deer, many swallows swooping over the surface of the pond, and one large downed tree.  

High muddy water in the pond and the creek that feeds into it.

Another first

This morning in our back yard.  Looks like a kind of ladybug, but the back isn't smooth like wings.

So let's look around and try to learn something.  

Larva (left), adult (center), and pupa (right)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonia_axyridis

"Harmonia axyridis is a large lady beetle or ladybug species that is most commonly known as the harlequin, Asian, or multicoloured Asian lady beetle."

My Day

(1) caregiver (meds, prescriptions, appointments)

(2) TP volunteer image-link fixer

(3) info on cat-calming products

(4) make vanilla pudding?  make cinnamon buns?

(5) cranberry juice sweetener - how much / proportion?

(6) Dr ___, GI specialist - look up

(7) Take a walk and look for interesting images

Tiny and Tinier

 

Yellow wood sorrel flowers are no bigger than a dime, and the mite is larger than a grain of sand, but not that much larger.